On a day when Kukui's class were all free to do what they wanted, Ash thought about how he was going to spend the day for a bit before brightening and picking up Arc.

"Do you have an idea where the Totem trials are?" he asked. "I don't know if that's readily available information or not."

"It is, but I have determined a useful method," Arc stated. "Contacting local support."

Their ring pulsed.

"How did they do that?" Tapu Lele asked, leaning out from behind a tree. "My head just went bing."

"Apologies, I will add an option to not disturb Pokémon in future," Arc said. "Do you know if there is a local Totem trial that is prepared for Ash Ketchum to visit?"

"Well, not at the moment, but I'll go and let the Lush Jungle one know," Tapu Lele said. "It's in the Lush Jungle."

"Thanks!" Ash called, then frowned. "Hmm, I wonder who I should use… Rockruff, what do you think?"

"I could get involved!" Rockruff agreed. "It'd be good to have a fight!"

They bounced on their paws. "I've been feeling really full of energy lately, it'd be great to burn some off!"

"And… well, Litten, Salandit, it could be either of you if you want," Ash went on. "Though I do also want to challenge Olivia some time soon, so you could wait until that one."

"I'd rather wait," Salandit said. "Knowing my luck the other Totem Pokémon around here knew about what happened with me…"

"Got it," Ash said, not prying. "Litten?"

The Fire-type looked at Rockruff, then let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I suppose I'll have to," she said. "Let's make it a good one, huh?"

"Yeah!" Rockruff agreed, nodding eagerly. "I'll do my best to provide loads of platforms for you! Feline Pokémon like having places to climb from, right?"

"Not necessarily, but… yeah, thanks," Litten decided.

In the Lush Jungle, not much later, Ash shaded his eyes to look around. "Hmm… so, what Pokémon is this one, anyway?"

"I know, but I don't think I'm allowed to tell you," Salandit said.

"Makes sense," Pikachu agreed, then formed his Surf-board and flew up into the air.

He hung there for several seconds, then dropped back down.

"In retrospect, I couldn't see the trial for the trees," he reported. "Does Aura help?"

"It might," Ash said, closing his eyes, and looked down at Salandit. "Huh, okay… so there's something that looks different for a Totem Pokémon, or an Alpha Pokémon, or however you want to call it. But it's a bit hard to spot compared to them just being bigger."

"Speaking of which, I should return myself," Salandit said, and did so.

Ash looked around, then Ibid made a throat clearing noise and changed into a miniature Luxray.

"Scanning," he said. "Scan complete. There is a larger than normal Pokémon that way."

"Thanks, Ibid!" Ash said.

"How did you determine that?" Rotom asked.

"I looked through solid objects and have an encyclopedic knowledge of how big a Pokémon is meant to be," Ibid stated. "The Pokémon I saw was larger than normal. This is prima facie evidence that they could be a Totem Pokémon."

"That would do it," Rotom decided.

Another ten minutes of trekking through the jungle, and a large Lurantis suddenly jumped down in front of Ash.

"Ash Ketchum," the Totem Pokémon said. "It is you, right? I want to be sure because Tapu Koko forgot to laminate the sheet he dropped off and, jungle."

"I did warn you he was coming," Tapu Lele pointed out.

"Sure, but I want to be certain," Lurantis said. "Do you mind confirming your identity?"

"Not at all!" Ash said. "How can I do that?"

Arc manifested.

"That'll do," Lurantis agreed, as Arc demanifested. "Now. I have three ally Pokémon lined up, all Castform. I hope that is acceptable."

"Sure is!" Ash confirmed. "Litten, Rockruff, ready for this?"

"You bet!" Rockruff agreed, emerging from their Pokéball. "Litten, let's go for it!"

"Begin," Lele advised.

The first of the Castform immediately swept onto the battlefield, and used Sunny Day. Lurantis gestured, forming a shimmering blade of solar energy from their arm, and swept it down towards Rockruff.

Litten got in the way, fur suddenly on fire, and did her level best to do a fireman's carry drop on a Pokémon about five times her height. It didn't work, and got her hit with a Solar Blade for her trouble, but it did mean that Rockruff didn't get hit.

"Thanks!" Rockruff yipped, rising into the air, and Lurantis did a double-take.

"Sorry, I got the warning, but – what?" the Grass-type asked.

"Yeah, this is presumably new," the Tapu replied. "Koko didn't mention it."

Several Stealth Rocks appeared, one of them directly underneath Litten to lift her into the air, and she glanced at Rockruff.

"Focus on the Castform!" she said, springing off and using Aerial Ace While On Fire.

"Sure – look out!" Rockruff interrupted themself.

"Litten, roll with it!" Ash called, as the Fire-type bounced off the floor after a Solar Blade had knocked her back. "Turn back and go after Lurantis!"

"Solar Beam," Lurantis instructed, then sent a Petal Blizzard whirling around the whole clearing. It eroded some of Rockruff's stealth rocks, but Litten snorted before blowing out a stream of flame and setting the Petal Blizzard on fire.

"Use the flames for cover!" Ash told his Pokémon. "Both of you! And – wait, swap opponents!"

"Really?" Rockruff asked, surprised, then formed a set of stepping stone Stealth Rocks for Litten and sprang down to ground level. "If you insist!"

"Aerial Ace!" Ash instructed Litten. "Rockruff, keep moving, use a rock shield against Lurantis' attacks! Litten – heat up Rockruff's shield, use the sunlight!"

"This feels very strange," Tapu Lele said, sitting down next to Pikachu.

"It does?" Pikachu asked.

"Yes, because I'm waiting for Ash to do something absolutely demented," the Tapu explained. "Koko said you two got on well, by the way. How did that go?"

"He threw a Z ring through the window, then the first time we properly met he demanded I try to blow him up," Pikachu replied.

"Sounds about right," Lele agreed.

"Litten, next to Rockruff!" Ash called. "Powerbomb the rock at Lurantis!"

A red-hot rock hit Lurantis and exploded, showering the Totem Pokémon with fragments, and Ash was already commanding Rockruff to throw another rock at Castform.

"Hmm, I wonder if that counts," Lele mused, as Castform switched out for another Castform.

This one used Rain Dance and began shooting Water Gun attacks at both Rockruff and Litten, but Litten just set herself on fire and jumped onto one of Rockruff's Stealth Rocks for support.

"Heat up your rock!" Ash called. "Rockruff, switch to Bite!"

"So I really don't get this!" Castform admitted, using Water Gun again, and Rockruff zipped out of the way – and Litten jumped into the way, sending up a flash of white steam from the Fire-type's fur. "Why does that Litten keep getting wet?"

"It's not because I like it!" Litten retorted. "I actually didn't realize Rockruff was dodging that time!"

"Not what she asked," Lurantis said.

"Not what I asked!" Castform agreed, shaking her raindrop. "I know I've hit you with lots of Water Gun and Weather Ball attacks by now and you've been in rain for ages, so how are you still going?"

"Four words!" Litten answered, springing from rock to rock before swiping out at Castform. "Because I can swim!"

"That doesn't – it doesn't work like that, does it?" Tapu Lele asked. "Just because she can swim doesn't mean she's not immune to water or whatever's going on."

"You haven't seen how she swims," Pikachu pointed out reasonably. "It's actually relevant, because in order to swim she carries air against her fur which protects her from the water."

"Right!" Rockruff agreed, then zipped behind one of their rocks to avoid a Solar Blade from Lurantis and another to avoid a Weather Ball from Castform. "And that works underwater, so obviously it works when it's just a bit of water at a time!"

Tapu Lele shook her head. "Yes, I think I'm getting a very good idea why Koko is so interested in you now."

"Rockruff, focus on Lurantis again!" Ash called. "Litten, get in close to Castform!"

Rockruff diverted enough of their attention to give Litten a staircase, moving it so that Litten had good paw-holds, then Ash glanced down at Arc's screen as Lurantis whipped up a Petal Blizzard.

"Uhh… I think this is the right word… Snapmare at Rockruff!"

"What?" Tapu Lele asked. "What move is that?"

It turned out to be roughly comparable to Circle Throw, and sent Castform crashing down right into the Petal Blizzard.

"And stop!" Ash called. "She's knocked out, so swap out."

Both Ash's Pokémon had stopped in place, and so had Lurantis.

"Good," the Grass-type said, as the rain ended and a third Castform floated in to retrieve their friend – before taking up position next to Lurantis, and the Weather Pokémon used Sandstorm as Lurantis made the signal to resume.

"All right!" Ash said. "This is great! Rockruff, Stealth Rock!"

Rocks rose back into the air, and Ash shook his head. "No, the whole sandstorm!"

Rockruff froze for a moment, then so did the entire sandstorm.

"What," Tapu Lele asked. "Okay, now that is impressive."

"Now, focus it on Lurantis and Castform!" Ash added. "Keep moving, make sure they can't see you and keep using Rock Throw! I know you're tired, you both just need a bit more of a lift!"

Pikachu nudged Tapu Lele.

"It's six Pokémon total for the island challenges, right? That's what Gumshoos said."

Tapu Lele nodded.

"Thought so, but Ash wouldn't be Ash if he wasn't having his Pokémon stretch their limits like this," Pikachu said, with a happy smile. "That's my trainer for you."

The Legendary accepted that, then frowned. "...why is that rock platform taking Litten so high into the air?"

"Now, Rockruff, Litten!" Ash called. "Powerbombing run!"

Litten set herself on fire again, Rockruff started pulling the Stealth Rock down instead of up, and Litten used Aerial Ace to provide the necessary terminal guidance.

"Ow," Lurantis said, succinctly, then reached up and extinguished their flaming ear. "Yes, I think you've won that one."

They whistled, and a Trumbeak flew over with a Z-crystal.

"Ghost," Lurantis explained. "I suggest trying it out in your Grand Trial."

"Oh, yeah, I could do one of those, too!" Ash said. "I wonder if Olivia's available today."

"I hope you're not planning on using us," Rockruff replied. "I'm… well, I'll probably have some more energy to burn off later, but not enough for a battle like that."

They looked over their shoulder. "Also I think Litten might be unconscious."

It turned out that Olivia actually wasn't available that day, but she'd have the time for a proper battle the next morning.

Since it was only a little after noon, then, Ash decided everyone on his Alola team – plus the other Pokémon he had around at the moment – should have a nice big meal, partly to celebrate the finished Island Trial and partly because it was just about lunchtime anyway.

"So… how was it?" Rowlet asked.

"Ask me again later," Litten replied, taking a bite of the top pancake in her stack. "I think I want to get a lot of rest before I try to do something as demanding as explaining it."

"That's okay, I can," Rockruff volunteered.

"Ugh, fine, I'll do some of the explaining," Litten griped. "So first there was a Lurantis…"

"Not first, all the way through!" Rockruff replied.

Litten elected to just have her pancakes and jump in if Rockruff said something wrong.

While that was going on, meanwhile, Giratiny was examining the new Z-crystal.

"Hmm," he said, doing a spin. "So it's ghost type? I wonder what it would do to Shadow Force!"

"That would be an experience," Pikachu decided. "You couldn't even dodge something like that, at least not normally."

"Hmf!" Aten huffed. "Of course you can! You simply have to be a Normal-type. Or move in a way that Giratiny cannot predict, so therefore I am the best Pokémon to evade such an attack in two ways!"

"Let's try it out, then!" Giratiny suggested.

"I did not say that that was going to happen," Aten said firmly. "Are you considering treason?"

"Actually, I think I'm technically a prince?" Giratiny said. "Maybe? I don't think Giratina actually said anything about it, though, so maybe not… but it only counts as treason if it's your king, doesn't it? And I think that mostly applies to if it's Dragonite anyway."

"I suppose in hindsight you are not from PokéAtlantis, much as I would have liked a Pokémon like you at my beck and call," Aten conceded.

He looked up. "What kind of Pokémon does this Olivia have?"

"She's a Rock-type specialist," Ash answered. "I was thinking of using you and Salandit!"

"You do know what type advantage is, right?" Salandit checked, looking up from his plate. "Not complaining, just asking."

"A great way to surprise people!" Ash replied.

"...yeah, fair enough."

AN:

It really is.