Thick air, warm and muggy immersed itself against Guz's skin. Insectual chirping of an unknown origin called to him in the distance. He sat alone in his parents backyard watching the horizon of midday.

" I can't believe your parents didn't ground you." her voice rang like an alarm but softer and more familiar.

"They thought I ran out on my own, they don't know that you and I were hanging out" Guzma replied. Plumeria anchor her feet on the white picket fence, her arms beginning to feel the splitters of wood dig into her flesh.

"So we still hanging out or did I come over all this way for nothing?" Plumeria teased.

"Yeah, but I have to train, only have a week before I do my Island challenges."

"Well I guess I'll just have to kick your butt in a pokemon battle!" plumeria joked.

Bloated clouds floated as if they were asleep in the warm Alola's atmosphere, their shadows twirling with the wind to keep the children chilled from the heat of the sun. The twosome wandered in the

berry fields after their battle, trying their hardest to stay out of trouble. " You're definitely ready for the island challenges."

" I'm nervous…" Guzma confessed. " I have to become a trial captain-"

" Stop worrying about it, you're going to do just fine!" Plumeria expressed. " I believe in you."

"That makes one us…" Guzma expressed. Tropical scents filled all space in the entire field. Blushing greens swamped the eyes and the same chirping from earlier populated the area. They continued their journey past the neighbor's crops and into almost uncharted land.

" So you just want to look for bugs?"

" Kinda... yeah." Guzma answered. " But there's only two types of bugs here from what I've seen."

"Why can't you catch something different?" Plumeria inquired.

" Cause I don't like anything else."

" How do you know?"

" Because I just do."He retorted. Tall unkempt grass nipped at their ankles, the chirping getting louder as Guzma stalked the sound, Plumeria on the other hand, stood back and let the bug catcher hunt. Bugs

flew past them as if they were riding the wind that blew against Plumeria's skin, she enjoyed the outside, she enjoyed accompanying Guzma on his search, she just wondered how long this happiness would

last for. From ahead Guzma signaled for her to stop following him, she wondered what he found that he didn't want her to see, yet. Minutes that felt like hours passed Plumeria as she watched Guz stalk. He

disappeared into the brush for only a second, then to pop back up with his winnings in hand. She cheered for his victory and saw a squirming mossy blob wiggling in his hands.

"Whatcha catch?" She bellowed as Guz entered her line of sight. "Show me!"

" I can't believe I found one this big!" Guzma said. There trying to release itself from Guz's grip was a spinarak .

" He's cute, but in a gross way…" Plumeria cooed " Why don't you put him in his pokeball? He doesn't look too happy being l held like that."

"I would but…" Guz said. "I didn't really catch him, I sorta just picked him up."

"So it's still wild?" Plumeria asked.

" I was just so excited…" Guzma said as the bug's attempts to escape. Plumeria searched her pockets, retrieving a pokeball and tapping the squirming bug with it. In what felt like hours only took seconds, the

pokeball jerked back and forth three times before clicking shut. Plumeria picked up the bi-colored ball.

"Well here."

"But you caught it…" Guzma muttered. Plumeria grinned wildly.

"You found it." Plumeria said, handing her friend the pokeball. Shine down baked the children's skin in the grasslands, they watched as unidentifiable bugs buzzed past them or dashed across their bodies.

" I really want to start training him." Guzma said as he played with the pokeball in his hand.

"Let it rest. You start your challenges soon, you'll have plenty of time to train."

"I'm really nervous." Guzma said.

"I believe in you." Plumeria tried to reassure, "You're going to do great. Do you want head into town? I'm tired of being eaten by bugs."

" I think want to stay here." Guzma said. Plumeria knew she was done with the berry fields and waved goodbye to Guzma who listened to the stillness of the earth as he laid in a bed of grass. He knew he

couldn't go into town, his parents were still mad at him and if he wandered too far off he would surely be banned by his mother from the competition. His sister was so much better than him, great grades,

always in some sort of social club, her pokemon could beat his anytime or any day. Guzma liked being alone, because it meant there was no competition; he was his only enemy when no one else was around

"Plumeria always knew how to make me feel better," Guz expressed, snapping out of his daydream. " Except for when I lost."

"I'm sorry , that must've really devastated you." midnight said, Guz's expression twisting into one of annoyance.

" I wasn't done."