Nick and Alice stood in Kukui's lab, the professor standing across from them. "How's it feel," he asked, "being an official Alolan trainer?" Nick wanted to say it felt good, but honestly, he felt the same. "I feel just like I did yesterday," Nick responded, shrugging. The professor nodded at this, not being too surprised. "It never feels the same as being registered for the first time. Speaking of, you'll have to register your new Popplio next time you're at a Pokémon center."
Nick picked the little Sea Lion up, holding it close to his chest. It happily barked, little bubbles rising from its mouth. He sat it back down and let Eevee out beside it, the two running around to play. Alice walked over to join them, sitting on the floor to better play with the two little pokémon. The professor soon spoke up, grabbing a couple of papers off his desk. "Since you're now able to battle officially, you should think about starting the Island Challenge. Since you're not from the islands, it's basically our version of the League Challenge," he explained.
Nick looked at the papers, seeing a few different fields he would have to fill out. While Alice was gleefully playing on the floor, giggling like a child, Nick began and finished the forms. The professor took the completed forms and ran them through a scanner he had sitting on his coffee table. Once the machine stopped whirring, Kukui grabbed the sheets, put them on his desk and approached what looked like a printer. It soon spat out a little plastic card with Nick's face on it along with a bunch of other information.
"That's proof that you've begun the Island Challenge. With that card, they'll let you into most of the trial areas," the professor explained, the two of them approaching the front door of the lab. Alice, after having caught both of the little pokémon, followed the two men out. "With all that done, you should be all set. Good luck out there, kid," the professor said, the five of them now on the beach out front. After everyone said their farewells, the professor went back inside, and the rest of the group started north from the lab.
As they were walking, Alice turned to Nick. Do you really want to call Popplio that? Nick looked back to Alice, mildly confused. "What's wrong with Jack? That was an old pirate's name," he said, the water-type hopping along beside them. Does he look like a pirate to you, she asked him, a look of bemusement appearing on her face. "Did you have something in mind," he asked, picking up his newest team member. I was thinking we could call him Sean, like ocean, she said, Eevee now in her arms. Nick let out a little laugh, causing Alice's smile to grow a little. "That's such a cheesy name, but at the same time it fits really well," he said, Popplio happily riding in Nick's arms.
Before they knew it, the group had arrived at Iki Town. The small group of buildings was mostly tranquil, save for one person who was trying to flag down anyone with a pokémon. The woman approached them, her black dress flowing as she strode around the wooden stage in the center of the town. She stopped in front of them, seeing the three pokémon and turned to Nick. "Excuse me sir, but may you help me," she said, her voice sounding slightly sorrowful. "I need help finding the guardian of this island for a very important problem, but the path is dangerous and I don't have pokémon," she said, clasping her hands together.
Nick cocked his head to the side, "What's the guardian?" A bellowing yet cheerful voice came from behind him, "Tapu Koko has kept this island safe for generations, and helps all who need it." Nick turned around, seeing a large man wearing a bright yellow robe. "You should know, though, that not just anyone can summon the guardians. You have to be worthy," he said, before pointing to a trail near the back of the town. "That path should take you directly there. It won't be too dangerous, but you should have a pokémon just in case."
The large man then heard someone calling him over, so he smiled and walked over to the child that had been calling his name. Nick glanced over to the woman in black, seeing her staring wistfully at the ground. He realized then that she must not have any pokémon, Nick offered his assistance in reaching the shrine, and the woman looked at him. "You would help a total stranger traverse a dangerous path, even though we just met?"
Nick smiled, his arm around Alice. "Well, of course. It would be kinda rude to just leave you here alone, wouldn't it?" The woman smiled, wiping away her tears, and looked at Nick. "Thank you," she said, before she removed a black bracelet from her wrist. She handed it to Nick, who looked at her with slight confusion. The woman explained before letting go, though, saying, "Consider this a form of preemptive payment. I'm not sure what it is, but I woke up with it."
Nick accepted the gift, slipping it into his pocket. The three of them then set off, following a winding trail through the woods north of Iki Town. Before too long, they happened upon a swinging wooden bridge crossing a vast canyon. Nick, who was in the lead, stopped the three of them. "This doesn't look to safe. It looks like half the bridge is rotting," he said, rummaging on the ground. He soon found a suitable looking rock, tossing it onto the bridge. The small stone simply bounced on the wood a couple of times before going over the edge, far into the river below.
"It should be stable enough for us to cross one at a time," Nick deduced, gingerly stepping onto the first plank of wood. The plank beneath his foot creaked in protest, but otherwise held fast. He eventually managed to cross the whole bridge without much of a problem before looking back at Alice and the woman. Alice simply shook her head before wrapping her arms around the lady and simply teleporting them across the bridge. Do you ever think about the fact that I can teleport, she thought to Nick, who grinned at her. "That would be too easy. Also, I know it takes some energy for you to do that," he said, his hand on her shoulder.
They looked towards the woman, who was seemingly unfazed by the teleportation, and noticed that she was staring at a small building ahead of them. Without so much as a word, she approached the front of the building, mesmerized by something within. Before she could get through the door, however, they heard a battle cry from the sky above them. Alice reacted immediately, throwing a psychic shield above the three of them, only to have it shatter in the blink of an eye.
Hovering above them, a small black and orange creature glared down. It seemed to have a particular focus on the lady in the black dress. It reared back, drawing its bird-like shield closed, before charging a massive bolt of electricity. It released, the bolt arcing straight towards the defenseless woman, before Alice redirected the lightning with her psychic abilities. The attack surged left, completely obliterating a tree that was unfortunately in the way.
Before the battle could continue, the Island Guardian vanished, having fled faster than anyone could track. The trio soon realized why, though, hearing a rustle coming from some nearby bushes. Alice prepared a bolt of psychic power, preparing to fire, before a person was revealed to be the noisemaker. Two, actually, as both crawled through the bush, brushing leaves off of their black tank tops and skull designed bandanas. The one who revealed himself first struck an odd pose before speaking up.
"You guys shouldn't be out here, we heard dangerous birds was near," he said, his partner nodding beside him. "Yeah, and we heard a big blast, so we tried to get here fast." Nick sighed at the two's odd rhyming habit, the first one speaking up again. "The boss wants us to help the lost folks, and we promise you it ain't a hoax." Before the two could continue rhyming, Alice simply teleported everyone back to town.
The second grunt spoke up, a visible frown on his face. "Now how are we gonna help, huh? The boss wants us to be nice to ya." Nick just quietly thanked the two odd men, before they simply shrugged and walked away. Nick turned to the mysterious lady, only to see that she, too, had left. Nick turned to Alice, a look of confusion on his face, asking, "Did you see where she went? I wanted to give her bracelet back." Alice nodded her head no, before relaying that she didn't even sense the lady nearby.
After the odd moment had passed, Nick and Alice rented a room in a local bed and breakfast. After Alice had already slipped into her nightgown and laid down, Nick was sitting on the edge of the bed. In his hand was the bracelet the mysterious lady had given him. He now realized more of the intricacies, such as the near crystalline design of the band, or the three hollow diamond shapes around it. He set it on the nightstand beside his bed before lying down beside Alice, deciding to rest for the night.
Nick opened his eyes, surrounded by darkness once more. As he adjusted to the dark, however, he began to notice the outlines of dozens of buildings all around him, more advanced than he had ever seen. He shifted his focus to a figure he hadn't noticed in front of him, sobbing in the middle of what seemed to be a crossroad. The figure then stopped sobbing, noticing Nick's presence, and slowly turned. Nick's blood ran cold as he thought he recognized the face in front of him.
It was the lady in the black dress.
Only now, she looked terrified. Nick soon found out why, however, when the darkness was cut by a terrifying screech. It was the same hollow, pained screech he heard in a previous nightmare. He turned around, seeing the same blood red eyes as before. He froze in fear, the creature raising a massive clawed hand and swinging directly at Nick. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the attack, but it never came.
He opened his eyes to realize he was still in the room they had rented. Alice lay beside him, softly snoring, before rolling over and embracing him. Nick's mind raced, trying to figure out why he saw a total stranger in his nightmare. One he had met today, no less, as well as that same crystal creature. It sounded as if it were in pain, and the woman had been in tears as well. With a full mind, Nick eventually managed to drift into a dreamless rest.