Who I Am - Lightning99
Chapter 61:
Sophocles' Trial
Riding the bus to the top of Mt Hokulani was a completely different experience the second time Ash did it. He didn't see the mountains or the Pokémon outside the window; instead, he saw flashes forward in time, hypothetical outcomes of Pokémon battles and brain-teasing puzzles. Bagon had learned Dragon Claw the previous evening, and with Torracat knowing Swagger and Stufful on her way to mastering Take Down, he had all sorts of different variables to consider.
The bus jerked now and again, despite the road being perfectly paved, but all Ash felt was his heart jerking instead. He tapped his foot against the floor, his hand against his thigh. He didn't even feel the heat of the steel against his arm. He hardly registered disembarking the bus and entering the observatory.
Ash finally looked up from the ground when he bumped into Kiawe, who stopped rather abruptly. They were outside Sophocles' lab, Sophocles himself stood between them and the door, arms clasped behind his back, chest puffed outward. He didn't look the slightest bit intimidating, even then.
"Hi, Sophocles," Ash said.
"Ash," Sophocles said, nodding his head. "Thank you for waiting until the evening to challenge me."
"No worries. Is there a specific reason?"
"Well… My trial is best faced in a darker light. It sets the mood, don't you think?" Sophocles asked.
Ash nodded even though he didn't exactly know what the trial was. Sophocles stepped away from the door, and Ash followed him down the hall. He stopped in front of another door cut diagonally down the middle, half of it yellow, the other purple; it looked like the totems signifying a trial location had been pasted onto the door. Sophocles stopped stiffly before it, staring straight at Ash.
"J-Just beyond this door is the room where you will attempt your trial. I have moved the Pokémon Attraction Device in here. The goal of your trial is to call the Totem Pokémon forth using this device," Sophocles said.
"Alright. How does it work?"
"Oh!" Sophocles chuckled awkwardly. "Yes, I should also explain that. The device absorbs different types of energy and uses that energy to attract certain Pokémon. It is currently set to absorb electricity, so all you need to do is charge it up with Electric-Type moves."
Ash smirked up at his shoulder, where Pikachu was perched. He clenched his fist. "That should be easy!"
"Umm… S-Since not everybody has Electric-Type Pokémon in their parties, the nature of the trial dictates that you cannot directly charge the machine on your own. Electric-Type Pokémon will be scattered around the room. It is your job to use your awareness to avoid their attacks, making them indirectly charge the machine, all while ensuring your Pokémon do not faint."
"Essentially," Sophocles continued, rubbing his neck, "my trial is based around awareness and survival. You will be allowed to enter the room with three Pokémon only and remember, the light inside might limit your vision. Throughout the trial, more Pokémon will appear in the room, depending on your progress. You are allowed to battle those Pokémon."
"Woah," Ash said, huffing an impressed laugh. "That's intense, Sophocles! I like it."
"R-Really? You think so?"
"Yeah!" Ash said. "It's different. My goal isn't to defeat Pokémon but to outlast them. It's clever."
"T-Thank you!" Sophocles said, his posture relaxing. "Then, are you ready to begin?"
"You bet," Ash said, and he picked Pikachu up from his shoulder. He passed him off to Lillie, who practically snatched him into her arms. He then reached into his bag and retrieved three Pokéballs. When he tossed them out, Torracat, Bagon, and Stufful appeared. He looked up at Sophocles. "These are my choices for the trial."
"Very well," Sophocles said, twirling on his toes. He pressed a few keys on the number lock beside the door, from which came a hissing sound. Sophocles spun around again. "Without further ado, Ash, step inside and begin your trial! Oh, and stay in the little compartment just beyond the door. Send only your Pokémon into the main room. We don't want you getting electrocuted by accident."
Ash smiled at Sophocles, nodded, and then shared a glance with the rest of his friends. When he met Lillie's eyes, she nodded, smiling, and a now familiar warmth spread up through his chest. He nodded back and entered the room.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Ash's vision did, indeed, darken. Initially, at least. After a few tense, quiet moments, the ceiling started to glitter. He looked up and found himself staring up at a starry sky. At first, he thought it was an open skylight, but then the stars started to rotate slowly, and he noticed something strangely artificial about the cool air brushing over his skin.
Ash did as Sophocles said: he stopped in a little glass-like box just beyond the door and let his Pokémon into the main room through an openable hatch. Part of him wished he could enter the room too, but this wasn't a challenge to test his reaction time. Despite his frequency of being shocked by Electric-Type moves, it was probably for the best he stayed where he was.
Ash cast his eyes over the room, keeping his Pokémon in his peripheral vision. The light was dim and faint; he could still discern everything in the room except for the very corners. Nothing unusual caught his eye for at least a minute. He scanned the room a second time. Then, out of one of those void corners, a bright yellow glow flashed, and his lips moved on instinct.
"Torracat, jump!"
Torracat reacted within a second, leaping high into the air. The flash of yellow shot across the room, skimming just beneath Torracat's paws and crashed into the glass around Ash. He flinched a little, instinctively raising his hand to cover himself, but the electricity curled up the glass in several forked patterns and faded, as is absorbed by the glass.
Ash didn't have any time to try to calm his heart – which had leapt up with Torracat but had not yet fallen back down – when another yellow glow lit up another corner. This time, Ash called for Stufful to dodge. She squashed herself low, and the electricity flew over her head. It struck something on the wall opposite Ash, and he heard a whizzing sound. The electricity disappeared into something, a contraption that lit up for a second, then faded again.
That was it, Ash realised, as he asked Torracat to dodge again. His target.
Ash steeled his gaze when the next glow appeared and called out, "Bagon, let it hit you!" Bagon couched low, feet poised, and head lowered. The next blast of lightning struck his head, making him skid back a few steps. He stood firm, as Ash predicted his type advantage would allow. "Move right!"
Bagon started shuffling to his right at a slow enough pace that he dragged the attack with him until he was in front of the machine. "Great work! Now, leap away!"
Bagon did as instructed. This time, whatever Pokémon was using the Electric Type move didn't react fast enough to follow Bagon. The electricity kept its course for a few seconds, striking the machine. When it lit up the second time, Ash saw that the machine had some sort of bar at the top, moving from red through yellow to green. He assumed, given that a pointer was currently hovering over red, that that was the charge meter. It seemed he had a lot of work to do.
For the next several minutes, Ash called out various commands to his Pokémon, hoping they would drive the electricity to the machine. Stufful spun around with Flail, batting back the electricity until she was in front of the machine, at which time she let it go; Torracat kept dodging the attacks while keeping the machine behind him at all times; Bagon endured attack after attack, leading them to hit the machine one after another.
When the machine reached the end of the red zone, the hidden Pokémon stopped attacking. The machine sprung to life with a few mismatched beeps, then the ping of a sonar every few seconds. A minute or so later, Ash heard the clicking of a latch. He looked up, and a ball of yellow electricity dropped through the roof, landing in the centre of the room.
Amongst the electricity, Ash saw a small group of cocky-looking Elekid. He waited a moment, analysing the situation. Sophocles had said not to attack any Pokémon, but he also said he could attack those who appeared later.
Before he could decide, however, the group decided for him. They darted forwards, so he breathed deep and squinted at their movements. But he didn't get the chance to speak. Torracat swaggered forwards without a command, and the three Elekid immediately succumbed to confusion. Torracat pounced, teeth aflame with Fire Fang, striking all three of them, tossing them into a heap.
Ash widened his eyes, hesitating a moment. "Uh. Bagon, use Dragon Claw. Stufful, Brick Break."
Torracat glanced around, nodding, and jumped back. Bagon and Stufful dashed in below Torracat, unleashing a barrage of Dragon Claws and Brick Breaks, knocking the Elekid to one side. They landed in another heap, clearly unconscious. Then, suddenly, the corners were alight with bright yellow electricity, and Ash called for his team to dodge again, drawing their opponent's attacks toward the machine.
Ash refrained from having Bagon and Stufful endure too many attacks this time. He opted to avoid them instead, taking longer for the pointer to reach the end of the yellow section. When it did, all action ceased like before, and a few Pokémon dropped in from the ceiling. This time, it was a mix of Pokémon: an Electabuzz, a Togedemaru, and, strangely, a Graveler.
There was something strange about the Graveler: its grey, rocky body had darker grey stones protruding from its arms and above its eyes like eyebrows, and some yellow nuggets were scattered along its body. When it lunged forwards, striking at Torracat with Thunder Punch, Ash deduced it was an Alolan variant. Torracat dodged without instruction, giving Ash enough time to assess and form a quick strategy.
"Stufful, you focus on Graveler! Torracat, you have Togedemaru! Bagon, you take Electabuzz!" Ash called out. They all charged at their respective opponents. "Torracat, Fire Fang! Bagon, repel the Electro Ball with Dragon Breath! Stufful, Flail to hit the Thunder Punch back, then Brick Break!" Ash called out.
Torracat moved first, skidding left then right, ducking then jumping as Togedemaru, tucked into an electrified ball, zipped left and right. When it stopped, having missed every attack, Torracat struck, clamping its flaming maw on Togedemaru's small body. It seemed such contact was a mistake, however, when Torracat immediately released him, and the Togedemaru's spikes were hardened. Instead, Ash called for him to use Flame Charge consecutively.
Ash glanced at Stufful just as she hit back Graveler's Thunder Punch – which struck the machine – and jumped, bringing her arm down with a powerful Brick Break. As Graveler skidded back, Ash called for another Brick Break, which Stufful delivered, swift and ruthless. Graveler hit the machine again; this time, its body lit up with electricity as it hit it, which Ash thought was a fortuitous flare-up of power. Unfortunately, it turned out to be Spark. Graveler moved faster than Ash predicted, striking Stufful hard. She bounced like a stuffed toy across the ground but landed quite sturdily on her legs. She glared, then – which was still cuter than it was threatening – and charged back in, Brick Break poised.
Finally, in the other third of the room, Bagon bounced off Electabuzz with Headbutt, making it stumble backwards. It fired off another Electro Ball, but Bagon leapt over it, his body flipping over.
"Dragon Breath!" Ash called out. Whence he completed his flip, Bagon released the attack, the force of which kept him airborne. "Spin and use Headbutt! Then, Dragon Claw!" Ash added. As the final flare of Dragon Breath faded, Bagon reared back, head glowing, and spun into a corkscrew, shooting down through the air. He struck Electabuzz in the chest, ricocheted off, then dived back in with Dragon Claw, knocking Electabuzz across the room, landing beside his teammates near the machine.
Ash grinned. He was about to unleash a command when, suddenly, a blur of flames burst forward. Torracat, his speed clearly buffed beyond Ash's realisation by Flame Charge, stuck all three opponents. First, from the front. Then, after a blink, from the left, then the right, and then above, by the end of which, all three Pokémon lay in a heap, their eyes swirling.
Ash stared at Torracat, whose fangs were borne in a grin, whose eyes were sharp and confident. Torracat nodded to him without even looking around.
Somehow, during that previous battle, the pointer on the machine had reached the end of the red zone. It stuttered and whirred, the sonar pings resonating much more frequently. And then, nothing but the distant buzz of electricity somewhere in the facility.
Then, Ash realised it: that soft buzzing sound in the distance grew louder until it was above him somewhere. And it wasn't the electricity.
The ceiling hatch opened again, and it descended: a huge Vikavolt, its thin wings flapping faster than the eye could see. From the corners of the room, four Charjabug wriggled into view, their eyes identical to the Elekid's.
"Get ready," Ash said, watching Vikavolt carefully. It let out its cry, which was so loud that Ash knew his friends heard it outside, and then attacked. It soared forwards, its saw-like blades opening wide. "Dodge it!"
Ash's Pokémon scattered. Vikavolt missed Bagon by an inch. It decided to pursue him. In doing so, it completely missed Torracat, who moved about the room in a blur.
Meanwhile, the Charjabug started glowing.
"Stufful, Brutal Swing!" Ash called out in response. Stufful, stopping to one side of the room, charged a dark energy in her plushy paws. Then she spun, swinging her arms about her, and a wide circle of dark energy pulsed through the room. It struck all of the Charjabug, stopping them from attacking – both Torracat and Bagon jumped to avoid it.
"Bagon, follow up with Dragon Claw! Torracat, Flame Charge on Vikavolt!" Ash called out.
As Bagon bounced off in the background to use his move, Ash watched Torracat go to work. He dashed in at Vikavolt from the right, struck its side, then moved out of its attack range before it could snap back with what Ash assumed, given the green glow, was Bug Bite. Torracat stuck again and Vikavolt missing him again; he slid under Vikavolt and struck twice, then avoided another of the Totem's lunges. Torracat avoided Vikavolt for several moments, backdropped by flashes of electricity and Pokémon cries.
Bagon came flying past Ash's eyes then, flipping in the air and landing gracefully. He wasn't without scrapes on his body, but he continued fighting, hitting the Charjabug with Headbutt and Dragon Claw. Stufful, too, kept moving, alternating between Flail and Brick Break upon his command.
Vikavolt howled. Ash looked over. Torracat had used Fire Fang and was now latched onto one of its blades, swishing through the air as Vikavolt flailed. Torracat eventually came loose, flying back towards the glass. He hit the glass even harder when Vikavolt finally hit him with a powerful Spark, trapping him between the wall and its jaw. When Vikavolt jolted back, Torracat flipped, using the glass to push back to the ground.
Torracat looked back at Ash, his eyes aflame. He realised, immediately, what to do.
"Stufful, Bagon! Get the Charjabug around Vikavolt, then back up!" Ash said, reaching down to his wrist. He swapped out the Z-Crystal inserted into his Z-Ring with another from his pocket: the Firium Z. "Ready, Torracat?"
Torracat nodded, and Ash started moving, performing the moves that Kiawe had taught him after his trial. He completed the movements and felt it: that burst of energy connecting him to Torracat, infusing him with power. He held it there a moment, watching as Bagon hit two Charjabug into Vikavolt with Dragon Claw, and Stufful moved the other two with Take Down. They jumped back, and Ash shouted, "Inferno Overdrive!"
Torracat growled, then howled, jaw wide. A large ball of fire gathered in front of him, swirling and expanding. When it was big enough that it nearly filled the room, he unleashed it, and when it hit, the explosion of flames and smoke was enormous, so much so that, for several moments, all Ash could see in the room was black. It gradually faded, sucked into some vents on the floor, and when it did, all of their opponents were on the ground, unconscious.
Ash's Pokémon began jumping up and down in joy, but Ash could only look at Torracat, who had undoubtedly been the MVP of that trial. He wondered when he had gained so much confidence.
Then the glass door in front of Ash popped open, making him flinch. He wondered why it had, then he saw the machine opposite him open too, revealing a glinting yellow gem in the middle. Ash strode through and picked it up carefully. The Z-Crystal was the similar to the one he had for Pikachu – bright yellow, but instead of a Pikachu tail embedded into it, there was a bolt of lightning. He relished the warmth as he enclosed it in his fist.
Another door hissed open, then, and Sophocles stepped into the room. Ash could see his other friends grinning out in the hallway.
"Congratulations, Ash," Sophocles said.
"Thank you, Sophocles. That was a very fun trial."
"Thank you, my pleasure. Now then," Sophocles said, scratching his neck. "I suppose I had better show you how to perform the Z-Move…"
That, Ash decided afterwards, was the most awkward minute of his life.
"You really think it was a good trial?" Sophocles asked, putting his knife and fork down.
"Yeah," Ash said, doing the same. "That's the first battle I have had in a while that used the triple battle format. And you had a horde battle at the end there, didn't you?"
Sophocles nodded three times. "I did! I'm surprised you noticed. When I was researching what to do about my trial, I happened upon some information about battling formats found in different regions. I learned of hoard battles from Kalos, and the triple battles found in Unova."
"I almost wish I was doing the island challenge now," Kiawe interjected, folding his arms. "When I did it, the trials were a lot more similar in nature. I have never experienced either of those battling formats. I assume you have before, Ash?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah. Honestly, horde battles are a lot more common than you'd think when exploring routes and forests. Especially when you anger a pack of Beedrill…"
"Yikes," Lana said. "You did that?"
"More than once," Ash lamented, dropping his head.
"You really have a lot of different battling experience, don't you? Compared to me," Kiawe said.
Ash frowned, but Kiawe shook his head. As Ash was about to answer, another voice reached out to them.
"Another trial down, huh?"
Ash looked up and over Lillie's head beside him. Kukui wandered their way, one hand in his lab coat pocket, the other raised in a wave, smirking. He stopped at the end of their table.
"Hi, Professor," Ash said. "How did you find us?"
"Molayne," Kukui said. He looked at Sophocles. "He called me, ravin' about how amazing Sophocles' trial has become. He was proud of ya, kid."
"R-Really?!" Sophocles asked, glancing down at the table, grinning.
"I asked him who the challenger was, and, of course, it was you, Ash. So, I got your location from 'im, and here I am. You mind if I join you?"
Ash shuffled as close to the window as he could. Lillie scooted up beside him, her hip and shoulder pressed to his, and Kukui slipped in beside Mallow, who was on Lillie's other side.
"It's uhh. A little cramped," Ash said, suddenly conscious of the contact between himself and Lillie.
Kukui just laughed. "You celebratin'? If so, I'll go get myself some berry juice."
"Sort of," Kiawe said.
"Sort of?"
"Yes," Lana said. "We are definitely here to celebrate Ash's victory, but Dawn and I will be leaving tomorrow. And we decided to include Lillie in the people we are congratulating since she finally overcame her fear of Pokémon with Ash's Pikachu."
Kukui's eyes flew wide, flicking straight at Lillie. "You did?!"
Lillie nodded vigorously, her grin as wide as Kukui's eyes. "I did! It's amazing. Ash helped me a lot."
Ash shook his head. "I didn't do a thing."
"I'm so proud of you, Lillie!" Mallow yelped when Kukui practically forced her to headbutt the table by leaning across the booth behind her. He hugged an arm around Lillie's shoulders, and she leaned towards him, smiling. Ash wondered, then, if Lillie thought of Kukui as a father figure.
Kukui leaned back. "And you're leaving, Lana? Dawn?"
"Leaving probably isn't the right word, but yes. We have been training with some people on Akala Island, and we want to continue working with them," Dawn said.
"I see, I see," Kukui said, nodding. He slowly scanned the table. "Man, what a sight this is, seein' all of you growing and training like this. It's pretty amazin', yeah. All the more reason I suggest this, then."
"Suggest what, Professor?" Clemont asked.
"See, there's this festival-type thing goin' on tomorrow. It's Tapu Bulu's equivalent of Tapu Koko's festival. I was gonna ask you to join me for the day anyway, but since some of you are leaving soon, it makes it all the better. So, whaddya say? You'll have to buy or rent yourselves some yukata, of course, since it's a more formal festival than Tapu Koko's but yeah. Most of it will take place in Malie Gardens. Whaddya say?"
"That sounds like fun," Ash said, looking at the rest of his table. "What do you think?"
"I agree," Lillie said. "I cannot remember ever wearing a yukata or a kimono before."
Mallow jumped at that. "You haven't?! Then we definitely need to go! I'll help you pick out the perfect yukata, Lillie!"
Lillie giggled, nodding.
"I will join, of course," Kiawe said. "What better way is there to show my respect for the Tapu?"
Everyone else voiced their agreement after that, and a few minutes later, when their food was finished and paid for, they were walking through the streets, Mallow leading the charge and dragging Lillie with her, looking for a clothes shop despite the moon already being high in the sky. That was something Ash only just realised: the shops in Alola were often open a lot later than those in places like Lumiose City.
Whence inside one, they searched and picked out the clothes they thought suited them best. Or, at least, the boys did. The girls, on the other hand, led by Mallow, ensured that neither group saw each other in their outfits before tomorrow. Ash didn't get why, but he supposed her reasoning of 'it'll make it more impactful when we see each other on the day' made sense.
It just meant that he and the rest of the boys were waiting outside, their clothes paid for and bagged, for about an hour before they saw the girls again. Nobody complained, though – well, not genuinely. When they did eventually leave the store, chatting and laughing about something, they headed back to the Poké-Center together, the conversation inevitably turned to the festival tomorrow.
When Dawn commented on how it would be a nice end to her and Lana's break to Ula'Ula Island, it only then truly struck Ash that she would be leaving. So, when they stepped through the Poké-Center doors and split up – Mallow and Kiawe headed off to try on their yukata again, dragging the others with them – Ash asked Dawn and Clemont to stay back. They obliged, and he led them to his room.
After closing the door, Ash turned to his friends.
"This might be a bit sudden, but… I think it's time I finally tell you about what's going on," Ash said, looking more at Dawn than he was Clemont.
"Ok, let's hear it," Dawn said, sitting on the edge of Lillie's bed, resting back on her hands.
"Wait, you're not surprised something is going on?"
"Nope," Dawn said, shaking her head. "I know you, Ash. And Brock. I know you've been up to something."
"Can't argue with that."
Clemont sat opposite Dawn, looking contemplative with his elbow propped on his one hand and his chin on his other. Ash remained stood. He paced as he talked, starting with his uneasy visit to Aether Paradise, which, of course, Clemont already knew. He explained, then, his idea to plant Brock there to investigate, his meeting with Looker, and everything he knew about the whole Ultra-named situation. He left out a few key details: Looker's true mission, Anabel, and, of course, Lillie's situation, the former since Looker had asked him to, the latter because Lillie had.
"There's a little more to it than that, but since you both already know about the Ultra Beasts, I think it's ok to tell you this much. Looker wants the rest to be kept between us, so it has been. Brock only knows this much, too," Ash explained.
Dawn, who was no longer leaning back on her hands but sat forward, elbows on her knees, hummed. "Looks like a lot has been happening behind the scenes."
"Yeah," Ash said. "Sorry I kept so much from you for so long. I feel guilty about it, especially since–"
"You haven't told anyone else?" Clemont asked.
Ash nodded.
"You can't right? Most of it is secretive, so even telling us is a risk," Dawn said.
"Yeah, pretty much. The only reason I told you is because I'd like your help, if you're up for it," Ash said.
"Of course," Dawn said, smirking. "Who do you think we are?"
Clemont nodded, too.
Ash chuckled. "The best friends a guy could ask for." He finally stopped pacing in front of them. "Alright. Dawn, how often do you go out on the boat with your new mentors?"
Dawn frowned. "Uh, not often, why?"
"It would be nice if we could have eyes out on the water," Ash said. "It's a bit random, maybe, but it seems like Aether Paradise boats come back and forth around Akala Island often."
"I see." Dawn nodded. "Ok, I think I can do that. I mean, I don't think they will complain if I ask to do some field training on the water rather than on land. I'm sure Lana would agree, too."
"Awesome, thank you."
"And me?" Clemont asked.
Ash looked at him. "Well… You're thinking of staying with Sophocles at the observatory, right?"
Clemont's eyes went wide. "Wha- How could you tell? I mean, I haven't thought about it too much, but it has crossed my mind."
"I assumed. You and Sophocles get along so well, and it's a place where you have the resources to build whatever you want. Why wouldn't you want to stay?" Ash asked.
Clemont chuckled. "When you put it like that, I definitely couldn't refuse. Do you want me to stay here?"
"Yeah. If you don't mind, of course."
"Not at all. In fact, I think it suits all of us. I was wondering what I should be doing while you were off adventuring, so this works. I can keep an eye on Ula'Ula Island for you."
"Thank you. Both of you," Ash said, dropping to sit on his bed. And with that, he felt a little bit more secure. With that, his caution lessened a little bit.
Hallo!
Sophocles' Trial is now complete! I went for a different twist on it, including some elements outside of the normal battling system. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure this is my best work, but I'm so excited for the upcoming events that it might just be because I am focusing more on that :P.
Anyways, until next time, I hope you enjoyed!