We had just arrived in Alola. It was a long flight, but it was worth it. It was just me and my mom. We needed to unpack still, but we would get around to it, I knew. My cousin rang the doorbell. He was a tall guy, with somewhat dark skin, though light. He never wore a shirt under his lab coat. I was getting my first pokemon today thanks to him.

After a long trek, I got to the plaza. There was a young girl there. She was very pretty. She ran off somewhere, I decided to follow. It was a good thing I did too, her pokemon, which she called Nebby, was floating on top of a bridge. I rushed in, grabbing Nebby and bringing them back, but I failed. It was only thanks to a mysterious pokemon that I didn't die. Said pokemon left a stone, which I ended up giving to kahuna Hala.

"Thanks…" She started

"Yoko," I said.

"Thanks, Yoko, I'm Lillie. I'm professor Kukui's assistant."

"Oh, you're my cousin's assistant. He has been talking about his new lab assistant for a while"

"Really?"
"No, I didn't even know he had lab assistants."
"Just the one! Thanks for saving Nebby." She said "NEBBY, that was very bad, don't do that again. Stay in the bag."

"Pew" apologized Nebby.

We went back, and I knew exactly who I wanted. She was the cutest. She was very vain, but I loved her. I wanted the Rowlett so bad. I already had a name, Pepepueo.

"Look Lillie, isn't she the cutest"

"Yeah, she is."

"COOO!" giddied Pepepueo, heading into my bag.

"Look, both of our pokemon like to stay in our bags"

"Nebby isn't mine, I'm just looking after them."

"Oh, ok."

It was getting late, so I started to head home. However, a young man named Hau came up to me. "WOAH, you have a Rowlett, cool. I got Poplio. I can't wait to battle."

Despite the type advantage, Poplio got lucky with his crits.

"Oh no, pepepueo!" I said. "Are you ok?"

"Don't worry, it seems to just be asleep. That was such a fun battle!"

"How?"

"Huh, yeah? What"

"No, how did you beat me, I had the type advantage."

"I don't know. I just got lucky, I guess."

I rushed home to let Pepepueo rest. The next morning, kukui once again showed up. He taught me how to catch pokemon, which this drunk old man already taught me in Kanto. But, I got a Pikipek I named Kako'o from it. After that, I caught a Ledyba. I decided to name him Kamen.

I later got to the festival and was picked as one of the fighters, I was fighting Hau. He sent out Pichu, and I sent out Pepepueo.

Pichu shocks Pepepueo, who rushes to the sky and pelts Pichu with leaves. Another shock, but Pepepueo doesn't care. She rushes down, tackling Pichu hard, getting paralyzed in the process due to the static electricity. Pichu whips his tail, but Pepepueo pelts him with more leaves. I keep her in, fighting the fight against Popplio. Popplio shoots water at Pepepueo. He gets away easily; Pepepueo can't move due to the paralysis. Popplio Pounds Pepepueo into the ground, but she survives, pelting Popplio with leaves. With another pound and another pelting, Popplio goes down, and Pepepueo barely survives. With all of her experience, Pepepueo learns how to peck other pokemon with her beak.

I quickly heal Pepepueo's paralysis in time for kahuna Hala to give his speech. "Hoo-ee! Another great battle this year. I bet Tapu Koko liked it, too."
Hau came over to me and wanted to talk. "Phew… That was awesome, Yoko! That was a really great battle! I had a blast fighting you"

Hala Agrees. "It was a good battle. With this, even Tapu Koko-"

He was cut off. A pokemon made a noise "Ko-ko-kooo!" it went.

"Ho! You heard it yourself! Tapu Koko's song of approval." I couldn't believe it, was Tapu Koko really watching my battle? Pepepueo popped out of my bag. In all the commotion, She put on some lipstick. She started singing, but I shushed her.

"Do I need to put you into the Pokeball?" I threatened.

"Oh, I nearly forgot! I think it is time you take this, Yoko." He handed me a bracelet. It looked quite weird, but it also looked really cool. "This is your Z-Ring, a mysterious armband that can draw out the power that lies deep within Pokemon… It can bring forth their Z-Power! We kahunas can make them by refining stones like the Sparkling Stone that you received from Tapu Koko. Although until you collect more Z-Crystals during your island challenge, you will not be able to draw out the Z-Power of your Pokemon. And yet you have already received that Sparkling Stone. It seems Tapu Koko took quite a liking to you, or perhaps it has a mission for you. In other words, it's time for you to get out there and start your island challenge! If you visit every island, maybe you'll find out what that mission is."

"Hold up, Every Island? Every Single One? All 5?" I asked.
"Four Islands! You'll travel to each of the four islands here in the Alola region. The island challenge is about aiming to be the strongest Tainer- The island challenge champion. Woo!" replied Kukui. I could have sworn I saw a fifth island on the plane, but it must not be part of the Alola region. Kanto and Johto are separate regions despite being right next to each other after all.

I left, walking with Lillie. "Man, neither of our pokemon will stay in their bags, will they?" I said.

"Huh? Sorry, I was thinking. Tapu Koko is amazing, isn't it? I hope I can meet it again someday and thank it for saving Nebby-" As if responding to its name, Nebby went Pew!

"Me too, I want to thank it as well."

"It saved you as well, didn't it? And left you with that sparkling stone, even though you're a stranger to this place."

"What type of pokemon is nebby anyways. Are they a boy or a girl?"

"No."
"No?"

"They don't have a gender"

"Well, they look really nice, don't they. I'd love to catch one of them myself."

"NO!" she screamed. "No ONE WILL TAKE MY NEBBY AWAY FROM ME, I'M KEEPING IT SAFE FROM BAD PEOPLE!"

"Huh, I wanted one of them. You can't have my Kamen, but you can get a different Ledyba."

"Well, this is a very rare pokemon, I've only ever seen this one, I don't even know if there are others."

"Huh? Ok."

"Suppose it's time we get you kids home, yeah?" Said Kukui.
"Then I suppose this is good-bye" Said Lillie. She seemed saddened to leave me.

"No, we'll see each other again, I know!" I said, it seemed to cheer her up.

Back home, my mom was talking "Honey, I'm Home!" Meowth meowed, and then my mom noticed I was home. "Oh, Yoko! You're back already? I thought you'd want to stay in Iki Town longer. Especially right after that great battle! Ooh, I was just captivated to see my own girl fighting in such perfect sync with her Pokemon! Maybe it would be a good idea for you to try that island challenge thing. It's something you can only do in Alola, right? But right now I've got a date with my bed. I danced my feet off at that festival! Night-night sweetie. You get some sleep, too!"

"Pepepueo, you need to take off that makeup before you sleep", I said, about to head to sleep.
"Coo Coo" She sassed back to me

"You'll break out in hives if you don't Pepepueo, and you don't want that, do you"

"Coo," She said, sad.

"You can put on some more tomorrow. I bought some cheaper makeup for you, just don't use mine."

"COOO!" she was excited.

I woke up and realized that mom still hadn't unpacked. She said she was going to do that yesterday. So I still didn't have new clothes. I'd probably be able to buy new ones before she unpacked. Half of this stuff wasn't even unpacked from the last time we moved.

"I wonder what today will bring me?" she asked.

I almost responded "Maybe a box cutter or some Machamps. They could help you unpack." but I decided against sassing my mom. I didn't want a scolding.

The doorbell rang. "A VISITOR!" exclaimed my mom. "If it's Kukui, he'll probably just let himself in without even waiting for us to open the door!" My mom still won't lock the door. I know Team Rocket was defeated before I was born, but they can't be the only criminals. I heard about these Team Skull fellows, and I don't want Pepepueo to be stolen from me. I love her.

I decided to head to the door anyway. It was Lillie, I hugged her. "Hey Lillz"

"Oh Um… The professor said… 'He' no, it's a bit deeper, 'Hey there, Lillie! Bring me that great new Trainer. Woo!' So, I'm here to show you the way to his Pokemon lab, if you'll come with me. It's...um... It's this way."

"You do a mean Professor Kukui Lillz, you're great at impressions."

"YUKO!" ugh. My mom. She came out to give me my allowance for the past 2 months. She had to dip into it to pay for the move. She just got a child support payment or something. "Here, A little pocket money for you. Don't go wasting it on anything too silly! Oh well done, Yuko. You're already making friends, aren't you? And what a cute little friend you've found!-"

"Ok, we're done here, thanks, mom! Text me if you need me, I'm going on my pokemon adventure, don't wait up! Those boxes better be unpacked by the time I get back!"

"Ok, ok, Bye! Looks like it's finally your time to shine, sweetie! Enjoy yourself out there with Pupupueo. And don't be gone too long!"

She finally leaves.

"You.. have a very nice mother, don't you?" said Lillie.

"We should get going. I'll show you to the Pokemon Research Lab."

"Yeah, she can be a bit much, but she's nice. Not like my dad, he wasn't. It's kinda why we moved to Alola"

I got a text from mom. "So, do u 3 her? Am I going 2 c her a lot?"

I replied "Idk. I dont even no how she swings. Ill see. We r good friends tho."

"Sorry, I got a text from my mom"

"I wish my mom would text me"

"Huh?"

"Oh, did I say that? She's so busy with business that we never talk anymore"

"That's sad, I'm sorry. What about your dad?"
"I...um... Oh, we're here. You can only reach the professor's lab by treading through the tall grass here. He says he can research moves better when he is so surrounded by pokemon. Since I'm not a Trainer, though, I have to rely on using Repels all the time. They keep the pokemon from attacking me And about Nebby, Turns out, they're a Cosmog. It does seem to be very rare, It came from another galaxy, far, far away."

As if to say "That's right", nebby went "Pew!"

"It seems to have a very strange power…" Lillie continued, "It used that power to save me once when I was in danger. But some...other people want Cosmog for themselves, to use that power. That's why only people I can trust know about it… Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes, trust me, no one will know, no one."

"So you won't tell anyone about it?"

"About what?"
"About what happened… Oh!"

I walked through the tall grass, eager to catch a new pokemon. When a slowpoke popped up, I knew I needed it. Pepepueo pecked on slowpoke. Rubbing off some of her red lipstick. However, the slowpoke cursed her. My baby, I couldn't let slowpoke do that. "Pepepueo, use Leafage!" I screamed. She sent a flurry of leaves down upon to slowpoke. A super-effective hit. After receiving a tackle, she did it again. A loud growl echoed around the area. "That's enough Pepepueo!" I screamed. I grabbed a lipstick-stained Poke Ball and threw it. One shake, Two shakes, Three Shakes. I caught it. Now I just needed a name. Dr. Poky seemed like a good one, so that was his new name. He seemed pretty jolly, though he was ironically quick-tempered, jumping out at me and all.

Oh god, no. Was professor Kukui seriously doing that. With a Rockruff. "Lillz, what's going on?"

"He's just doing some training with Rockruff"

"Training?"

"The Pokemon Research Lab has its own unique charm, as I think you might agree. I've actually been, um, imposing on the professor here for the past three months. I'm not much of an assistant, but it's the least I can do to pay him back for letting me stay. Maybe I'd be more help if I were a real Pokemon Trainer too.."

"Are you safe in there, I think my mom would let you live with her? You could have my bed while I'm out doing the Island challenge. When I get back I could probably just sleep on the couch or something."

"The professor. He never stops researching moves. Not even… inside the lab itself. Looks like we'll have to patch the roof again… And I had just washed and cleaned his lab coat. Now it'll be all shredded… And I can't sew to save my life... He'll have to buy a new one... Oh, you're still here. We should probably go in before he does any more damage."

The lab looked very cozy, and aquarium, many pokemon, a loft. I gave him my Pokedex when he asked, but I wasn't paying attention.

"So what do you think of the place? Not bad, right?" he said

"It's very nice!"

"Anyways, Here you go, it just came in!"

"It is a very insensitive term to refer to them with Professor" Lillie replied

"See, there's this pokemon inside your Pokedex called Rotom…" Said the professor

I was stunned "Really?"

Lillie volunteered to explain. "Rotom is a peculiar pokemon, with a body made up of something like electricity. It can take up residence in machines. The new Pokedex model is designed for Rotom, and we just got one in."

"Thanks, that'll be useful. But I think it would be better utilized on a phone. Incorporate the Pokedex into that. I don't know, I'm just rambling."

"You're a genius Yoko!" said Kukui.

"Thanks? It was just a thought."

"I'll have to contact Professor Oak. You might be able to get something like that next year if we're lucky."

"Oak? I swear I used to know him. I think he became champion on my birthday."

"Alola," said Hau "Woah, is that a loft, that's awesome!"

"That's my room, Hau," said Lillie.

"Is that a Rotom dex? Awesome! It's so cute!"

"Thanks" I replied. It took a while, but Hau finally calmed down. Afterward, Kukui explained the island challenge. I decided I was going to take the island challenge headfirst.