Alex boarded the bus and rode it back down the mountain. She had to return to Malie Garden where Professor Kukui was waiting for her. She passed the through the gate to the garden, and a scene was unfolding at the first bridge. Kukui was there, standing before a pair of Team Skull members. "What's going on?" she asked herself and approached the Professor.
"Yo, yo, yo! Hold up, yo, Mr. Kukui!" the first member growled at Kukui.
"You say you wanna make a Pokemon League? You got rocks in your skull?" the second scoffed.
Kukui held up his hand with four fingers in his typical form. "Four turns!" Alex sighed to herself. He was so weird...
"Huh?" The first member cocked his head to the side.
Kukui put his hands on his hips and flashed them a giant grin. "Bring it on, the both of you! I've been researching Pokemon moves, yeah, so I'm always ready, oh yeah!" He talks in such a weird fashion... "I'll take you both on in a Battle Royal, and you'll be down with just a Swift and Incinerate or two! You gotta beat the man to be the man, boys!"
The first grunt stared blankly at him. "Yo, for real?"
"F-fine, you asked for it!" the second barked.
"Get 'em good, Professor!" shouted an onlooker.
"You numskulls should learn your place!" another added.
"Battle Royal, huh?" scoffed an unknown voice. "Nice idea there, Kukui. You can beat down three Pokemon at once, huh?" The two members parted and a man crossed the bridge to confront Kukui. He was wearing the typical Team Skull jacket and bling, but... he didn't dress like the people she has mostly encountered.
"It's Guzma..." one of the onlookers whispered.
"The boss has graced us with his presence!" the first member cried.
The man called Guzma stared down Kukui. "The hated boss who beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets up... Yeah, big bad Guzma is here!" Kukui stared back unflinchingly. Guzma folded his arms and laughed. "Greetings, cowering public!" he shouted to the onlookers. "We have an exciting bout for you tonight! In the opposing corner, the Pokemon Professor Kukui! And in this corner, the boss of Team Skull and the hardest guy around, Guzma!
Alex narrowed her eyes. So this was the boss of Team Skull? He definitely had a different attitude and atmosphere to him... He radiated more power and confidence than the regular members.
"Here we are, Kukui... Fellow rejects who never could become captains," Guzma mused. "We've got all these moldy traditions in Alola- the kahunas, the captains... It's about time we cut out all that silly garbage and make something new for ourselves. Trust me, I get that." He smirked. "Don't get me wrong, though, Kukui. We've got no need for a Pokemon League. After all, everyone already knows who the strongest trainer is on these islands!"
"Speak for yourself, Guzma," Kukui calmly replied. "It's not like I couldn't become a captain, I chose not to. I had other dreams, see?" Kukui turned his back to Guzma. "I wanted to figure out which moves would be strong enough to beat old Hala... and I finally found what I was looking for. The strongest moves you can use are the ones a trainer and their Pokemon choose together... in the heat of the moment, when it really counts." He turned again to face Guzma. "That's when I knew I had to make a Pokemon League, yeah, to give everybody a chance to be pushed to the limit with their team and find that perfect move! Let's see it, Guzma! Show me your moves and prove you aren't just all talk!" Kukui smirked. "If you really can, that is..."
Alex stared wide eyed at the Professor. "That shade throwing!"
Kukui looked at her. "Right, Alex? Don't you agree?"
Her look of awe turned blank. "Wait, what?"
"So you're one of the kids on her island challenge? You don't look like you're from around her!" Guzma said.
Alex let out a heavy sigh. There it was again... What gave it away? That I purposely dress like a tacky tourist because of that statement?
"This is Alexandra. She just moved to Alola recently," Kukui introduced her. "Discovery! New experiences! Adventure! She's loving every minute of it!" he added enthusiastically. He turned his gaze to Guzma. "Alex and her Decidueye can unlease some real powerful moves. So if you think you're the strongest trainer on these islands, Guzma, why don't you battle her?"
"Excuse me?!" Alex barked. Wasn't Kukui going to fight him?
Guzma tsked. "This move fanatic is getting me all riled up!" Guzma stared Alex down, his eyes narrowing at her wrist. "You've got a Z-Power Ring, huh, kid? Why even bother with the island challenge? What's the point of it?"
Alex paused. She actually never expected this sort of question. Why was she going on this journey? She thought about her encounter with the first Yungoos she came across, and how it made her freeze up in fear. "It'll make me strong," she answered.
Guzma scoffed with a shrug. "No it won't, you dumb kid! Watch closely, Kukui! Someday I'm gonna destroy you. But first, I'll destroy everything you care about!" He laughed cockily. "Wanna see what destruction looks like? Here it is in human form- it's your boy Guzma!"
Guzma stared at her with a baffled expression. "Guzma, what is wrong with you?!" He shouted to himself, grabbing his hair. "Now's the time for your vaunted team to let loose and destroy everything!" He regained his composure, glaring down at Alex. "It was Alexandra, right? I'll remember you... as someone I'll be happy to beat down anytime!" He calmly walked passed her and Kukui, giving a side glance to Hau. "So you're Hau, huh?"
"And you're Guzma? So?" Hau replied bluntly.
He shook his head. "Y'know you don't have to do this island challenge thing just because your granddad's a kahuna. Even if you finish, you might not get what you want." Guzma and the two members left the garden before Hau could respond.
"Woo, Alex!" Kukui cheered. "Those were some nice moves! I can feel my soul shaking."
Alex looked away, embarrassed. "I didn't do anything special, though..."
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot to give you something super important! Here you go, cousin. This is the Z-Crystal for Decidueye... The evolution of the Rowlet you chose!" He handed her the unique crystal.
"Ah!" Alex took it and turned it over in her hands. So Decidueye gets his own? Did the other two I could have picked get one as well, or is this a new one Kukui made on his own? She unzipped her bag to put it inside to have the Masked Royal's mask stare out at her.
"And, uh, about that mask you've got there, Alex..." Kukui mumbled. "Molayne gave you that, yeah?" She nodded. "I'll take it, if you don't mind. I can make sure it gets back to the Masked Royal safe and sound..."
Alex shrugged and took it out. "Uh-huh, yeah." She handed it over.
"You saw that, too, yeah Hau?" Kukui asked, looking over to the boy.
"Uh, yeah, I did!" Hau said over enthusiastically, as though he was snapped out of a deep thought. "That was an awesome battle, Alex!"
"Maybe someday Guzma'll figure out what it is you kids learn on the island challenge," Kukui mused, then shrugged. "So what happened to Lillie? You guys lose her somewhere?"
Before Alex could answer, Lillie approached them, accompanied by the girl from the library. "I'm right here."
"And so is Acerola!" the girl greeted.
Lillie frowned, her brows furrowed with concern. "You and the professor fought those horrible Team Skull thugs, Alexandra? Just thinking about it makes me worry... They sound like a scary group..."
Alex waved her hand, feeling a little arrogant. "They're nothing I can't handle."
Kukui laughed heartily. "You think? I don't know. Exchanging a few moves in battle is the quickest way to get to know someone in my book."
Lillie wasn't a trainer, though... and she never seemed fond of watching Pokemon battles.
"Well, I'm going to head up Mount Lanakila," he continued. "I gotta make sure the Pokemon League gets finished and everybody has a chance to find their own perfect move! Keep training hard on your island challenge. One day the two of you'll make it there, too!" He waved and walked away from the group.
"Alexandra, Hau... be sure you're not pushing yourself too hard," Lillie said gently.
Alex smiled kindly. "Don't worry, Lillie, I'll be sure to take my time."
"Alexandra!" Acerola called out. "You made it through Sophocles' trial, huh? That's really great! You can take on the next trial up passed Route 11. Through Tapu Village, you know? If you get lost, ask a police officer for directions. They're here to serve, right?"
"Route 11 through Tapu Village..." Alex mumbled to herself. She would bring out Rotom to look at the map before she started.
"Now Lillie, you're coming with me to do some shopping!" Acerola said cheerfully, grabbing Lillie's hand. She ran off, dragging Lillie with her.
Alex couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Acerola was cute; maybe she could help Lillie come out of her shell a little more. "All right," she said, digging Rotom out of her bag. "Let's see where we're going."