Ash and Dawn headed back to the town and once they got back to the pokemon center, they ran back into Lillie.
Dawn happily ran to Lillie and hugged her. Afterwards, she let go and smiled at her. "Lillie! What have you been up to?"
"I came here with Professor Kukui to meet back up with you, and while you two were at Sophocles's trial, I went to look up in the library to see if I can find anything to help Nebby…"
Ash then noticed a small, purple haired girl. "Hi! Are you a friend of Lillie's?"
She laughed. "I guess you can say that. My father owned the library and when she came in, I helped her find a book."
"That's really nice of you!" Ash said.
"Well, it was no problem at all! My name is Acerola!"
"Nice to meet you! My name is Ash, and this is Dawn."
"Nice to meet you two!"
Then a familiar woman walked up to them. "So, you're heading up to route 11 are ya?"
They all turned around.
"Hapu!" Ash shouted.
Hapu smiled. "It's great to see you two again, and it sounds like you are doing great on your island challenge!"
Ash beamed. "Yeah! Just beat Sophocles trial and got steelium z and electrium z!"
Hapu smiled. "That's great Ash! That means you're gonna need this here pager to continue on!"
Ash beamed. "You mean you're gonna give me a new pokemon to help me along!"
"That's right!"
"Alright!" Ash quickly handed her his ride pager.
Hapu put in a new pager. "This here will page up Mudsdale. The route you'll have to travel ahead is too rough for human travel. However, it is not a problem for this mighty Mudsdale!"
"Awesome! Thanks, Hapu!"
"Not a problem Ash! Didn't want ya to attempt to try and cross that path without em. Would end up pretty terrible for the both of ya."
"And Ash would defiantly attempt to try and pass through regardless," Dawn laughed a bit. "So, it is good you came when you did! By the way, have you met Lillie and Acerola?"
"I've met Acerola, but I don't think I've met Lillie! It's nice to meet you!"
Lillie gave a small smile. "Yes, it's nice to meet you, too!"
"Oh yeah! Me and Lillie were about to head to go shopping! Any of you like to join us?" Acerola asked.
"Sorry, but I must decline. I have a lot of work to do at the moment," Hapu said.
"That's fine! Maybe next time!"
Hapu smiled and nodded. "I'll try to let you know when I have some time. In any case, I'm gonna head out." She held up her hand and waved on Mudsdale. "See y'all!" And she turned to Ash. "And good luck on your island challenge Ash!"
"Thanks, Hapu! Goodbye!" Ash said.
They all waved at her as she left.
"I'd like to go with you two!" Dawn said. She turned to Ash. "What do you say?"
"you ladies have some fun. I'll stay back here and train for the next trail."
"Alright. See you later then."
The girls shopped a bit while Ash trained, then the girls came back after a while. Acerola seemed to have wanted to travel with them for a bit, and everyone seemed okay with it. So, they stayed in the pokecenter for the rest of the night and headed out the next morning. They hopped on a Mudsdale and traveled through the tough terrain. They traveled through a long way and found a motel area. They all stopped there and rested up. The girls stayed inside to talk while Ash decided to train outside. Then Hau came traveling though and saw them.
"Ash! I heard you beat Sophocles! I just did as well!" Hau said.
"Really? That's great Hau!" Ash said.
"Thanks Ash! It was a great trail! I think I managed to get a lot stronger!"
Ash put a fist up with a smirk. "Oh yeah? I bet not stronger than me!"
Hau laughed.
Gladion appeared with an annoyed look. "You two have only one volume, don't you?"
"Ah! It's him again!" Hau gasped.
"What's your problem?" Ash asked.
"Don't you know the expression, silence is golden?" Gladion asked.
They gave him a confused look.
"Team Skull is searching for a pokemon called Cosmog…"
Ash and Hau gave a worried look.
"You two don't happen to know that pokemon, do you?"
"W-we won't tell you anything!" Hau shouted.
Ash clenched his fist. "Yeah! So, get lost!"
Gladion closed his eyes. "…So, you do know something. Cosmog is a weak pokemon…" Gladion gave them a serious look. "But it has the potential to summon terrifyingly strong pokemon that would spell disaster for Alola."
"But…if it happens, then what are we supposed to do about it?" Hau asks.
Gladion gave him an irritated look. "Just keep it safe! You both know I'm working for Team Skull, so you may not trust me or care what I have to say but… I'm telling you, just once to protect Cosmog, no matter what!" Gladeon turned away from them. "How did they find out about Cosmog, I don't know…" He then went to leave.
"Wait! What do you mean? If you want us to do something, don't just leave us out of the loop!" Ash shouted.
Gladion just left.
Hau looked down with a worried look. "Ash, if Team Skull is seeking Cosmog… is Lillie going to be alright?"
Ash smiled with his fist by his face. "Of course! It seems as though they don't know where it's at, and if they figure it out, they'll have to go through us! And those losers can't win a pokemon battle with us if their life depended on it!"
Pikachu hopped on Ash's shoulder, with a "Pika!"
Hau nodded. "I don't understand what's going on, but we got to keep both of them safe, huh?"
Ash nodded. "I never planned on letting anyone steal Cosmog, so nothing has changed for me!"
"Well, I'm going to head to my next trail to get even stronger! I'll get Tapu Koko to recognize my strength and be the next island kahuna!"
"Alright! Good luck Hau!"
"Thanks Ash! Let's both try to become real champions!"
"yeah!"
They both said their goodbyes and Hau ran off.
The girls came out, and they continued their journey. They stopped into the pokemon center to heal up their pokemon and eat. After that they left.
"The Aether House is not too far from here!" Acerola said.
"Alright! Going to start my next trail soon." Ash shouted.
They all arrived at the house. Everyone went inside. All they saw was an oranguru.
"Is he the trail caption?" Ash asked.
Then Hau ran up to them. "Hey everyone!"
Kids ran up to them. "Stranger danger!" one shouted.
"Time to battle!" the other one said.
Ash and Hau battled the kids and easily won.
"Oh no! We failed to protect the house for Acerola!" the boy shouted.
Ash then realized something. "Hey! Where did Acerola go?" Ash asked.
Everyone looked around and realized she left.
Then Acerola came in. "Hi, I'm back! Just had to put some clothes away! You all met okay?"
"Yea, I guess… in a battle anyways," Hau said.
"Alright! So, let's get the trails done," Acerola said.
"Wait… you're doing the island challenge too, Acerola?" Ash asked.
Acerola giggled. "Nope. I AM the trail caption here!"
Ash, Dawn, and Hau gasped.
"The trail well be at that abandoned supermarket! Whenever your ready, I'll show you the way!"
Ash ran up. "I'm ready now!"
"Me too!" Hau shouted.
Acerola smiled. "Glad to see you're so eager! Let us get going then."
Everyone stepped outside, and Team Skull grunts were around watching them all as they talked.
Suddenly, Nebby tried to get out of Lillie's bag.
"No, Nebby…" Lillie nervously whispered.
"Hey girl, what's in the bag?" a Team Skull grunt asked.
"I-I… nothing interesting."
"We saw it move!"
"You were just seeing things!" Ash shouted.
The grunt glared at him. "Yo, I know what I saw! Her bag moved!"
"Well, I saw no movement of her bag!"
"Where you even looking at her bag dawg?"
"Yes!"
"No you weren't! You were looking at your girlfriend, that's the opposite direction of the bag!"
"Yeah! I know I'm pretty dumb, but even I know it's impossible for you to have seen if the bag has moved or not! And I also saw that bag moved, yo! My hommie ain't seeing things!" the other grunt said.
Ash glared at them with his fist clenched. "Well in any case it's none of your business, so back off!"
"Oh! Something good is in that bag! We ain't just gonna leave it yo!"
The grunts sent out their pokemon, and Ash and Dawn sent out theirs and quickly defeated them.
"Okay, we get the message!" a grunt said.
They both then ran off.
Lillie let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ash and Dawn." She looked down at her bag. "You better thank them too, you troublemaker!"
"Pew!" Nebby shouted from the bag.
Ash smiled. "Don't mention it!"
"We are glad to help, Lillie and Nebby!" Dawn said.
Lillie decided to rest up at the Aether House on Acerola's offer, while everyone else went to the trail area.
They arrived at the abandoned supermarket. "So, I guess I should explain my trail, Huh?"
They nodded.
"This supermarket is full of ghost pokemon. Neat, right?"
"Totally!" Ash shouted.
"All you have to do is take a photo of the totom pokemon here with the poke finder."
Hau smirked and jumped around. "Alright! Sounds like cake walk!"
Acerola smirked. "The totom pokemon is a bit of a tricker who plays hide-and-seek and mess around."
Ash crossed his arms. "How are we supposed to take a picture of it then?"
"If you take pictures of the other pokemon inside, it'll want in on the fun and come out to have its photo taken as well! Just go to were there's something weird happening, and that's where the other ghost pokemon will be!"
"Neat! Let's do this then, Pikachu!"
Pikachu happily shouted.
"Yeah, I'll be up next after you! Good luck, Ash!"
"One more thing. Let me see your rotomdex." Acerola said.
Ash's rotomdex came to her, and she did something to it.
"What are you doing?" Ash asked.
"…There! I fixed up your rotom finder just for this trial! Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Ash then ran into the supermarket. He came out after a while with a bunch of photos, and Acerola said he found the totom pokemon of mimikyu. So then after Acerola went in and healed up the mimikyu and Hau went in to do the trail after Acerola fixed his rotomdex.
Ash started to talk to Dawn about his experience. "…It was really cool when I went into the back room…"
Acerola laughed. "Oh Ash, you're so silly! There is no back room."
Ash gave her a shocked look. "But I know I went in a back room!"
Hau came out with his photos and found the mimikyu as well.
"Hau, did you go into a back room?" Ash asked.
"Back room…?" Hau questioned.
Ash frowned. "But…"
"Don't you mean the basement?" Hau asked.
Acerola and Ash gave him a confused look. Then everyone got a shiver.
"L-let's get out of here…" Dawn said.
Everyone agreed.
They all went back to the Aether House. When they got there however, there were three Team Skull members in front of the house.
"Well, that didn't take too long," Plumeria said.
"You again!" Ash shouted with a glare and clenched fist.
"If you want us to return the stolen pokemon…" She looked directly at Ash. "You have to come, by yourself to get them. Our boss wants to meet you."
"…Me?"
"Don't keep him waiting, or you might regret it! He's waiting in Po Town."
They all then left.
"Hey, is everyone okay?" Acerola shouted at the house. She quickly ran inside, and everyone followed.
The kids inside were crying.
"M-my Yungoos…" the girl cried.
Acerola clenched her fist. "Unforgivable…"
"To get the pokemon back… Ash has to travel to Po Town all alone with no support? That just ain't fair!" Hau shouted.
"Yes… Po Town has been run over by Team Skull, and its their own privet playground," Acerola said.
Dawn frowned. "I agree. That's totally unfair."
Ash crossed his arms. "But, if I don't listen to their demands…"
The kids looked at him full of worry.
Ash gave a serious look. "I'll go alone."
Dawn looked at him with an uneasy look. "Ash…"
"I'm sorry Dawn… I just can't let Team Skull make off with young kids pokemon."
"I… understand."
"Here Ash, take this pager. He'll help you get there quickly!" Acerola gave him a sharpedo pager.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Good luck, Ash." Acerola went to comfort the kids.
Ash was getting ready to head out and was by the water.
Dawn walked to him by the shore with a worried look on her face as she looked down. "Please… be safe."
Ash walked over to her as he grabbed her hands. "There's no need-"
"There's a lot worry about!" Dawn snapped as she looked at him with tears in her eyes.
Ash gave her a serious look as he embraced her. "I'm sorry, Dawn… I wish you could come with me."
Dawn looked up at him. "Why can't I? Just because he says for only you to come, doesn't mean…"
Ash put his hand on her shoulder as he gently pulled her back with a serious look. "Who knows what Team Skull's boss would do to their pokemon if he found out about me coming with someone else. So Please… stay here."
Dawn looked down with a sad look.
"I'll be back for you…"
Dawn looked at him with a surprised look.
"I know this seems bad, but it's not like I haven't gotten though tougher situations."
Dawn placed her head against Ash's chest. "…I hope you're right."
Ash laughed. "Come on, have some faith in me!"
Dawn smiled a bit. "…All right."
Ash and Dawn then gave each other a long passionate kiss before Ash paged Sharpedo and got on him and left.
Dawn stared at him with teary eyes as he left. She doesn't understand why, but she had an extremely bad feeling about this.
Buneary watched as Pikachu faded in the distance. She did not like the idea of Pikachu facing such bad odds with her being unable to do nothing but worry and wanted to be there to support him. "There must be some way…" Buneary thought to herself.
