Who I Am - Lightning99

Chapter 18:

Tapu Koko

Following Ash's victory and Hala demonstrating the Z-Move, all of his friends, Kukui, and Hala headed to the cove fronting Kukui's house for a celebration. Everybody congratulated Ash with full vigour, cheering whole-heartedly under the dim light. They split into groups soon after, nibbling and sipping on refreshments. Mallow and Lillie, a giggling and smiling duo, sat beside the shore chatting; Sophocles, Hala, and Kukui delved into a discussion about Pokémon, and the group's Pokémon themselves were playing together.

Ash took a moment to study everybody's Pokémon. He tried to guess whose Pokémon were whose. He knew Hau's already; Rowlet. The Fire-Types – Turtonator and Salazzle as dubbed by Rotom, an Alolan variant Marowak which was evident to see, and Magmortar and Camerupt – were obviously Kiawe's, was his attire and constant glorification of a volcano any indication. Ash then guessed the Leafeon and the little Grass-Type called Bounsweet were Mallow's, and Popplio and the familiar-looking Clauncher were Lana's. Given the glares exchanged between Rockruff and Clauncher in secret, behind each other's backs, it was definitely the Clauncher he had battled.

Turning away from the Pokémon, Ash noticed the unoccupied member of the group immediately approaching.

"Ash," Kiawe said, posing with hands-on-hips, grinning, resolute, "I hereby consider you my rival!"

"Wait, what?"

"Is it not obvious?! I was moved by your battle with Hala, so much so that I want to be a rival of yours. You even bested his strongest Pokémon, a feat which many have never accomplished! Surely a trainer of your calibre will enable me to improve by competing against you."

"Oh, in that case, sure thing! Let's do it! I'd be glad to have you as a rival," Ash said, reaching out a hand to Kiawe. Kiawe grappled it with his rough hand, over-zealously shaking it up and down.

"Ooooh, I want in!" Hau yelled, jumping up and down beside them, in a way that reminded Ash of a child, of Bonnie. That was the first time in days he had thought of any of his old friends. He felt his heart twang, but it wasn't depressive. Thinking of them was an internal, unseeable scar that ached sometimes, like the spot of a previously broken bone. Sometimes it hurt when overtaxed. But it did not hinder him. Ash felt he had grown in that aspect. "I've beaten the first Trial. All I've got is the Grand Trial and I'm at the same stage as you, Ash! What's say we all become rivals?!" Hau suggested.

"Hah, I like the sound of that!" Kiawe said, enthused. "Alright then, Ash, Hau, I look forward to our battles! Let's see who becomes the strongest!" Kiawe reached his hand out. In turn, they shook hands, solidifying their pact.

"That's fine, but," Lana said from the side, approaching cross-armed, "what if I wanted to be Ash's rival?"

"Eh? Oh – well, you see Lana – what it is – we've already made a pact so…" Kiawe mumbled awkwardly.

"What, I can't? Is it because I'm a girl?"

"No, no, no, no, no! Not at all! It's just, umm, we're all completely committed to training, and you have other commitments such as fishing, and based on our whole-hearted determination – ah and that's not to say you yourself are not determined–" Kiawe rambled, but Lana only started laughing.

"I'm joking," she said, mockingly laughing at Kiawe, something Ash and Hau joined in on. Kiawe's face was quickly painted with an abashed glow.

Mallow called to them from across the beach in a frustrated tone, "Enough about all that! We're here to celebrate, so leave it for now!" She jumped to her feet and skipped over, pulling Ash's hand with hers. Ash was startled as she guided him to the shoreline and into a seat, but he happily didn't resist. "Lillie and I were just talking about what we're going to do next."

The others gathered around too, encircling a section of the beach between their friendly gathering. "In that case, you're heading over to Akala, right, Ash?" Hau asked immediately.

"If that's the next Island in the Island Challenge, then of course. I can't wait to see more of Alola!" Ash answered enthusiastically. "If I've learned anything throughout my time as a trainer, it's that there are always more Pokémon to meet, new people to battle. Who knows what's waiting out there for me?"

"Well, Kiawe lives on Akala so–"

"I'm sure that's not what he means, Hau," Lana said exasperatedly.

"Oooh, that's lucky! Kiawe, Lana, and I will be coming too, then," Mallow said. "We're all heading over to Akala to start training as Trial Captains. I'll be training as the Grass Trial Captain, Kiawe will go to Wela Volcano to be the Fire Captain, and Lana will be the Water one. It's only for training right now, though. It's temporary."

"That's a perfect opportunity," Ash said. "I'll get to see what types of trainers you are when I challenge the trials. I'll look forward to it!"

"By the grace of Wela Volcano, I promise to give you an exceptional battle as our first as rivals, Ash!" Kiawe said heatedly, his hair almost steaming.

Ash turned to Lillie, Hau, and Sophocles. "What about you three? Are you coming to Akala?"

"Unfortunately, no," Sophocles said. "I'm heading on over to Ula'Ula Island to meet up with Big Mo, my cousin, to take over his post as a Trial Captain over there."

Hau groaned audibly. "Aww, man! I was hopin' we'd all be able to meet up on Akala after I beat my Gramps' Grand Trial! I'll be staying here until then, but it sucks we won't all be there."

"How about we all meet up when you make it over to Ula'Ula, then? By the time it will take you guys to complete the Trials and Grand Trial on Akala, we should be done with our temp-positions," Lana suggested.

"You got it!" Hau shouted, punching the air.

"Lillie, what are you going to do?" Ash asked the quiet girl. She looked up from her lap quickly, as if she had been pondering.

"Oh, umm, I think I will come along to Akala. It seems that Nebby wants to visit the shrines for the Tapu, hence the reason we met, Ash. There is one on every Island, and since the bridge is destroyed here, that is the next stop," Lillie explained. "And I – I enjoy being around everyone…" she added, glancing timidly back at her lap.

"Aww, I love spending time with everyone too!" Mallow added.

Ash admitted that he agreed, to himself and aloud. Throughout all of his previous adventures, he had mostly travelled as a trio and sometimes a duo. Being surrounded by six other friends was an entirely new experience. He loved it; everybody's personalities were different, and they each had their separate interests. He was never bored when with them. He wished they could stay that way. What happened before couldn't happen again.

"In that case, you wanna all borrow my boat to get across to Akala?" Kukui called from across the beach. "It'd take all day tomorrow to get it ready to sail, but if ya work hard enough, you should be sorted. I'll even chaperone."

"No way! Thanks, Kukui!" Hau yelled. "Aww man, sailing the ocean at high-speeds on a boat with my friends! Nothing could compare!"

With that statement and his past experience, Ash wholeheartedly agreed.

For the remainder of their celebration, the group delved into chatter about random things while, across the beach, Kukui watched, grinning. Hala approached him from the side.

"You're enjoying watching them, are you?" Hala asked.

"Of course! I've never seen Lillie so happy. It's as if Ash has brought a Sunny Day down on everyone. They're electrified," Kukui answered in a fatherly manner.

"Indeed, he seems to be the perfect person to help the poor girl," Hala said softly. He turned his eye to Kukui, serious. "Coincidentally, I have a request concerning Ash."

"Yeah? Hit me with it like a Mach Punch!"

"Would you conduct a search on him? I know it sounds like an invasion of privacy, but he told me his surname earlier and it is familiar to me for some reason. His full name is Ash Ketchum."

"Ash Ketchum… Ketchum… Yeah, that's familiar to me too. Are you sure you wanna search him up, Hala?"

"I have been toying with it a lot, but yes. Who is Ash Ketchum? Why does he seem familiar? I do not want you to look for personal details, only public records of him. If it is public information, I do not feel bad for looking at it."

"You've got a point," Kukui said. "Sure, I'll get on it."

"Thank you, Professor," Hala said, and they fell back into silence, both watching the foreign trainer that had shaken Melemele.

By about one o'clock, the party's festivities diminished, and people began giving their goodnights. Ash, Mallow, Lillie and Kukui were the last on the beach. Bidding the latter pair farewell, Ash and Mallow started up the hill towards Hau'oli. As they walked, the nightly beachfront breeze coated them. The Pikipek in the trees were tweeting serenely, a Hoothoot hooting somewhere between.

Mallow skipped along beside Ash, who was sneaking glances at her. Now that the excitement of the Grand Trial was gone, everything else returned to him, including his discovery in Hau'oli Cemetary. As soon as he was alone with her, the thought hounded him. He did not want to dampen her mood, but he couldn't help wondering if she was ok.

"Hey, umm, Mallow?" Ash asked carefully.

"Hmm?" Mallow asked, flicking her head from the bushes to him, her hair swishing like a Vine Whip.

"I don't mean to pry but – uhh – I was wandering around the other day and found the Hau'oli Cemetery." Ash saw Mallow's grin soften, as if melancholic. "I – I saw one of the graves had the name Aina on it. Given the words, the dates, and the name of your family's café, I guessed that she's a relation of yours… Is she your mother?" Ash asked.

"Yes, she was," Mallow said, her cheerfulness not fading at all, something that eased Ash's conscience. "She died when I was young: she fell sick with an illness."

"I'm sorry, Mallow. It's insensitive to ask so randomly. But – are you ok?"

"Oh, no, it's completely fine to ask. I love talking about her. She was an amazing mother and woman. And yes, I'm ok. It happened a long time ago, but I remember her every day." Mallow flashed Ash a smile like a Sylveon's, her cheeks slightly pink. "Thank you, Ash," Mallow answered, teetering nearer to him.

"That's nothing to thank me for. It's only courtesy to ask, right?"

Mallow shook her head. "No, not really. A lot of people give their condolences, but then they say that I'm a strong young girl for how I act now that she's gone. It's as if they expect me to be weak and crying all of the time. There are not a lot of people that actually ask if I'm ok. They just assume I am because I'm always happy. It–" Mallow stopped walking, glancing at the forestry around them, cradling her arms across her midriff. Ash stopped too, looking at her over his shoulder. There was something nervous about her stance and the way her cheeks were growing rosy. "It shows that you care about me," Mallow said after the pause, looking Ash straight in the eye.

"Yeah, I do," Ash gently confirmed.

"Thank you," Mallow breathed with deep sincerity and skipped off ahead once again. Ash's heart flickered. Something about Mallow's whispery voice affected him. Shaking off the feeling, Ash caught up with Mallow and they crested the hill side-by-side. But when they peaked over the brow, they stopped moving altogether. Their expressions flared into shock.

Tapu Koko stood before them, floating over the ground, bobbing. Neither of the two moved or spoke. It was such a sudden occurrence; Ash's didn't have a response. Then, Tapu Koko moved. It zipped at Ash – who flinched – stopping directly in front of him, scanning him over with his eyes. Vanishing like a Phantom Force, he re-appeared behind Ash, then on either side and above, scanning him all over. Tapu Koko returned to the front, side-on, and nodded only once. Tapu Koko flicked his hand towards itself like a cocky trainer and began floating between the trees, beckoning Ash. Ash glanced at Mallow and she at him. As if they communicated with their eyes, they started after Tapu Koko.

They veered off the pathway into the forest. Leaping effortlessly over fallen logs, weaving between the trees, Ash chased after Tapu Koko, leaving an awe-eyed Mallow to fall slightly behind. They stopped running in a bare clearing, wherein Tapu Koko waited, bounding, his sharp eyes flicking between Ash and Pikachu.

"Tapu Koko," Ash called out, "thank you. For saving us that day on the bridge. I haven't had the chance to say it yet." Tapu Koko made no indication that it heard Ash. He kept staring curiously. "Uhh… What's going on? Why did you bring us out here?" That time, he moved. Tapu Koko straightened its body and extended its arms out wide. An electric current like ripples in water discharged from its black body, leaving the surrounding area tinted yellow and sparking. It looked like a lake of lightning. Mallow arrived just in time to see it generate.

Ash identified it as Electric Terrain. Clemont's Luxray had used it during their Gym Battle, so his knowledge of it was stored in a beloved memory. Or what was once a beloved memory. But it was enough for Ash to quickly deduce what Tapu Koko was looking for: a battle. It seemed completely random, but Ash was ready. Pikachu leapt down onto the field immediately.

"Let's do this!" Ash said.

"Pika!"

The moment Pikachu's small paws touched the ground, Tapu Koko moved. He was undoubtedly fast. He was in front of Pikachu in milliseconds, his nearest shield glowing silver. But Pikachu wasn't a slouch.

"Iron Tail!" Ash called, and Pikachu spun, countering the obvious Steel Wing. But, due to his opponent's rare speed advantage, Pikachu's movements were somewhat flighty. The moves clanged like swords colliding. Both parties retreated instantly. "Alright, Volt Tackle! Hit it as hard as you can!" Ash called out.

Bellowing and charging, Pikachu slammed into Tapu Koko, but the diety was quick, shutting itself inside its shields just in time. Pikachu bounced back off the titanium wood. The recoil was small, so Pikachu was able to right himself in the air, preparing Iron Tail before Ash made his next call.

"Use Iron Tail like a Double Slap!" Ash called, desiring to pry them apart forcefully. Pikachu hit the left side of Tapu Koko's shield first, then gyrated and hit the right side. He repeated the attack twice, each time weakening the diety's guard until one shield bounced to the side, creating his opening. "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu charged the move, but Tapu Koko was in first, blasting him back with a powerful Discharge. Then, Tapu Koko blinded Pikachu with a Dazzling Gleam, swooping back in with another Steel Wing. His movements were precise, accurate, expertly. There were no flaws.

"Pikachu, use the shield as a platform and jump!" Ash called. The only way to best Tapu Koko's shield without forcing it open was to get behind him. Amidst the bright glow, Pikachu leapt just above the Steel Wing, then bounded up and behind Tapu Koko. "Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted again. This time, a chunk of the large electricity blast bypassed Tapu Koko's shield, striking it in the back, but the diety repelled most of it by dragging his left shield across in time. Like a swung of a club, Tapu Koko lashed out with his other shield and knocked Pikachu away.

As Pikachu landed and Ash was about to command another move, he paused. Around Pikachu, there seemed to be some sort of energy, something similar to the Z-Move Hala used. Noticing it also, Tapu Koko sped in close to Ash. Ash leaned back out of surprise, but Tapu Koko only reached over and tapped on Ash's Z-Crystal and retreated again. The same light that surrounded Pikachu shone from the gem with a Pikachu tail on it, and suddenly, Ash knew what was happening. Tapu Koko wanted him to use a Z-Move.

Aren't I supposed to do some sort of routine before I can use it? Ash wondered, glancing up at Pikachu. For some reason, it looked as if Pikachu knew what to do.

"Ash, use Volt Tackle-zzt," Ash heard from his ear. It was Rotom. "That Z-Crystal you have is the Pikanium-Z, for a Pikachu's Volt Tackle-zzt. It transforms it into a Move known as Catastropika – Kukui named that one since it is more recent. The movement should be natural for Pikachu-zzt."

"Uhh, sure…" Ash said, unconvinced. "Alright then. Pikachu, use Catastropika!" Ash called out, and Pikachu leapt into motion.

Pikachu jumped as high as he could and began spinning. As he did, the electrical charge of a Volt Tackle exploded from his body ten-fold, then collapsed in on itself, forming a ball around Pikachu's body. Impossibly, Pikachu remained poised in mid-air as he charged up the electricity. The ball only increased in size as the seconds passed. Then, Pikachu pushed off as if kicking the air and darted down at Tapu Koko in a stream of yellow. The explosion upon collision was gigantic, larger even than that one Electro Ball Pikachu had used in Unova. The entire glade they were in was engulfed in a bolt of lightning reaching into the clouds, little streaks of it sparking off sideways. Ash felt himself being blown backwards.

The discharge lasted a couple of long seconds. By the time it died down, Pikachu was on the ground again and Tapu Koko was engulfed in a bright light mixed with smoke and dust. When the dust faded, it unveiled a large crater in the ground and a couple of fallen trees. Tapu Koko was floating in the centre, its shields charred and its body scratched. The move had at least done some damage, but the diety looked unfazed. Ash, Pikachu, and Mallow, on the other hand, stared in shock at the damage the Z-Move created. It was phenomenal. Amidst the surprise, Ash saw Tapu Koko raise a gesture that looked to be of approval, he heard the bird bellow, and Tapu Koko dashed away into the forest, as if never there.

"Ok," Ash asked, "what just happened?"

"I don't know," Mallow slowly muttered, evidently as perplexed by the situation as Ash was. "But – I've never seen Tapu Koko before."

"Yeah. So, wait, it turns up, challenges me to a battle, and then disappears? Has that ever happened before?" Ash asked, crouching to let Pikachu labourously pad onto his shoulder again. After two tough battles, it was only natural he was tired.

"Not that I know of," Mallow answered.

Ash sighed. There was a lot about Alola he did not understand. At least he had unleashed his very first Z-Move. Now, he had an idea of what they felt like. It was an unbelievable surge of power, something that he felt he had shared with Pikachu. It wasn't quite like Greninja, but he felt something.

"Well, it's pretty late. We – uhh – we should get back," Ash reminded Mallow.

"Yeah, let's go," she agreed, and was the first to scurry back through the trees. "I just don't get it, though. I've learned that Z-Moves require some movements to be performed beforehand. But you didn't use one…"

"Hmm, yeah, I did think that was strange," Ash said, but he shrugged. Ash decided he had best ask Hala about it. There had to be a reason.

When they returned to the city, Mallow gave her farewell and walked her way. Ash ambled back. He spent the long walk thinking. Tapu Koko would not have battled him randomly like that without a reason. There had to be one. Fixing that as a vague justification, Ash then turned his focus to pondering what Akala would be like. That was all he thought about before he went to sleep.

That night, however, he awoke in a rush of panic. For the first time in days, he had that dream again. The dream that replayed his memories. It did not paralyse him as it had the first time, but it jarred his thoughts a little bit. It was a Sucker Punch in the night: it came out of nowhere. Ash paced a little bit to calm himself down afterwards, but it took a long while to settle once again, even longer to return to sleep. Luckily, he did not dream it again.

By the next evening, Ash was boarding Kukui's boat with his friends. The day had been spent giving farewells to people – the kind lady at the stalls, Hala, Sophocles, Hau, and Ilima, and Team Rocket, who had been happy for his win but then suddenly insistent that he stay on Melemele a little bit longer. They didn't specify why, but he had decided to go with his new friends despite agreeing to pacify their nagging – he only did that so he could escape.

During their conversation – after all the nagging – Jessie and James had told him they had nearly completed their training course. All they had to do was catch a Growlithe, and James was getting his transported from home. Ash gave Jessie a pointer to search Route Two.

Leaving them in a very civil relationship, Ash had headed to the dock to help fix up the boat. It was a small sailing yacht with one large sail and a wooden deck, with iron railings blocking off the sides. He and his friends had spent the afternoon scrubbing down the grime by hand and loading on a bunch of Kukui's supplies, even fighting with sponges for a brief period. A war in which Kiawe was forced to submit to defeat at Lana's fiery hands. Ash had never seen her so fierce.

It was a nice day for Ash in all, but he could have enjoyed it more. He spent a lot of time pondering the return of his dream. But then, climbing onto the ship, Ash pushed it out of his thoughts as best he could. Because, as the engine roared and the boat came to life, Ash stood out on the bow with everyone else, Lillie on the same side as he was, Kiawe, Lana, and Mallow on the other. Kukui was driving from the glass-windowed cabin. As they sailed across the navy sea under the night, slowly accelerating, the gale hit them so hard Ash and Lillie had to hold down their hats. But it was revitalising.

"Here we go!" Hau yelled, stretching each word out. "Hey, kick it up a notch, grandma!"

"This is as fast as it goes, Hau!" Kukui yelled out, sounding amused.

"Isn't this awesome, Ash?!" Mallow shouted. "I haven't been to Akala in a long time! This is really exciting!"

"I get what you mean!" Ash yelled back. "It's my first time heading there, so I'm ecstatic! This is what journeying is all about!"

"Wooo! You said it, Ash!" Hau bellowed.

"You excited too, Lillie?!" Mallow called.

"Yes, very! I haven't been to Akala either! I can't wait to see it!"

Soon, Akala was in the distance, and the boat sailed towards the shore. As the land approached, Ash couldn't wait to disembark.

"How long would you say we've been on here already?" Clemont asked from the aisle seat of the plane. That was probably the tenth time he had asked, and he knew he was being pedantic, but he was desperate to get to Alola. Desperate to see Ash.

"Clemont, we're only halfway there," Brock answered with a sigh, a far cry personality from what Clemont had seen before. With the falsification of Ash's death, he had been very tempered, very stern and blunt. But now he was calm and stoic, and even more friendly than he had been before. That must be what he was usually like. That just showed Clemont how much of an impact Ash had on the man. "Just chill out a little bit."

"I can't chill out," Clemont said, "not when so much is going on right now. I mean Ash being alive, Oak's situation, whatever happened with Red and Delia; it's overwhelming."

"Speaking of Oak's situation, don't you think something is a little bit strange?" Dawn asked from the window seat, leaning across to view them both.

"Strange?" Brock asked.

"Yep, strange. I mean, Oak is a smart man. Surely, if he really wanted to study Ash, he could have just sat down and talked it over civilly with him. He could have just asked. He didn't have to try and sabotage his whole career as a trainer. It's as if the reason he did it was to stop Ash from being a trainer," Dawn explained.

"You don't think we've had the whole story, then?" Clemont questioned.

"I agree," Brock said. "What he did was radical if what he said was his reason. With the introduction of these shifty people, it's getting a bit complicated. Maybe what he said was a side-reason, but was Oak truly telling the truth? I'm not so sure," Brock said in a bout of knowledge. It seemed the whole prospect of Ash being dead had clouded his mind, too. They should have realised this beforehand. Grief really was a powerful emotion.

"What could it be, do you think? Did he really want Ash to stop being a trainer?" Dawn wondered.

"I don't know. In my opinion, we should think about all of that later," Clemont said, leaning back into the cushioned chair. We've still got half a day until we get to Alola, so it should be morning by then. Let's get some sleep," Clemont suggested, and his companions nodded. Dawn drew down the blind of the tiny window, Brock flicked off the seat's personal lights, and Clemont shut his eyes, thinking one thing.

I'm coming, Ash.