And finally an update to this story! Woohoo! Yeah...been busy, of course, with the usual real life stuff of school and midterms and finals and parents. Combine that with getting a new member of the family in the form of a puppy named Russell, and you guys could probably guess all the stress I have...But somehow I still manage to find some motivation to write this...how...'cause Pokémon (still need my other stories though, man...). But anyways, who's hype for Nintendo Switch to come out? RIP my wallet if I even manage to get it. This just might be the year for Nintendo's rebound. Who knows? Only Dialga can tell.
But anyways, thank you all the readers who reviewed, favorited, followed, and (even if silently) read this story. I'm glad that you are enjoying it so far (as I'm guessing), and I hope you guys continue to stick around to the end. Though I did say that this is pretty much a novelization of Pokémon Sun and Moon, you still might be surprise with what I have in store and mind for this adventure. But anyways, hope you guys enjoy this long-ass chapter! Curse these Pokémon battles...
Celebrated Blunder
Sun placed the last of his possessions in its rightful place. He gave a soft grunt of satisfaction as he stood up from his kneeling position to stretch out his back. His smile widened when he saw Cloud and Blue Doll happily clapping for an effort well done. He knew that most of his cleaning he could have done by himself, though it was still nice to have his two little Pokémon help him with the little things. However he found it funny that he decided now to put away his belongings considering that he would be leaving on his adventure soon. Oh well. Sun rathered he finishing moving his things than his mother. Besides finding things Sun would like to keep a secret, Nova might put his possessions in the wrong places. The boy took one last look to make sure everything was in order before gesturing to his Pokémon.
"Come on, guys. It's almost time for the festival," Sun said. Cloud nodded in understanding before leaping off Sun's table to land expertly on his shoulder. Blue Doll leaned forward on the desk to clap his tailfins excitedly. The boy gently took the popplio and made his way out the door. At the sound of the swinging door, Nova looked up from where she was feeding Meowth. She smiled at him.
"Ready to go to the festival?" she asked cheerfully. Sun simply nodded in response. Even though Nova made it clear that she would be bringing Meowth along, the boy refused to let the presence of the scratch cat Pokémon rain on his parade. After all, from what he heard, the festival was supposed to be a joyous occasion with battles to participate in and people to converse with. There was also supposed to be one grand battle between two trainers to be offered as tribute to Tapu Koko. Despite himself, he had a small desire to be one of the grand battlers. It would be great experience for Blue Doll. "That's great! We should get going now! I think Professor Kukui would be here any-."
"Alola, Nova! And alola, Sun!"
Nova smiled as she turned to the door, where said professor stood with a huge grin on his face. "Speak of the Giratina. Sure, why don't you always barge in like you always do, Kukui?" The man laughed at that.
"Sorry, I just got so excited about the festival. At least I knocked on the door before I Knock Off the door."
The right side of Sun's smile twitched slightly while Nova giggled slightly at Professor Kukui's joking usage of the dark-type Pokémon move. Despite both adults' extreme words, Sun noticed that the professor actually came in without much fuss or damage. Said man then turned to the boy, taking note of his two Pokémon hanging with him. If it was even possible, Kukui's wide smile broadened even further at that friendly sight. He put both hands on his hips, a gesture Sun noticed that was common among the natives. Even his mom started getting into the habit of it. "Hope you two are ready to have a lot of fun at the festival!" Kukui boomed.
"Oh, most definitely. Right, Sun?" Nova asked. Her son simply nodded in reply, allowing his smile to widen a bit. His Pokémon showed more enthusiasm than him with a happy "Pika!" and sweet "Bwark!" Even her meowth cheered in anticipation of the fun to come. Kukui joined in with Nova's laughter.
"Great! Then let's get going with our Agility!" Similarly to the first time he barged in, the professor rushed out the door. Nova giggled a bit before exiting her house with her meowth and son following close behind. They found Kukui waiting at the same crossroad he led Sun the first time he took him to Iki Town. They also noticed how other people were heading the same way, presumably towards the festival as well. Nova and Sun exchanged friendly greetings with the neighbors before heading over to the professor. Once they caught up to him, Kukui pointed in the opposite direction. "That route over there is a detour to Iki Town filled with wild Pokémon. You should check it out sometime."
Sun looked over there with some interest before nodding his comprehension. He made a mental note to explore that area at the optimal time. Now he was more concerned about what the festival had in store for him. He walked a little behind his mother and the professor, who were engaged in a deep conversation. He could see that Meowth padded slightly in front of Nova's left to keep well out of reach of Sun. The boy's smile twitched slightly on its right when he saw that. Sun listened in to the adults' conversation but didn't pay it too much attention. Instead he thought about the possible trainers he would meet when he went to the festival. Hau was most likely going to be there. What about Lillie? Would she be here too? She probably would be, considering how it seemed as if everybody on the island was going to Iki Town. Did Professor Kukui escort her to town first or did Hau take up that job? He also wondered about other activities it would have, hoping that there would be something there beneficial for his Pokémon.
A couple of other people walked alongside them within their own little groups. Once one person started to interact with another from a different group, it seemed as if everybody was traveling together. Sun didn't really want to interact with other people yet but traveling with the Pokémon professor of this region didn't help his case at all. Still he put on a good smile as he answered a few questions his neighbors asked him, never answering more than he had to. His mother was more social than him, and soon these strangers became her friends. The interactions sped time up and before long the celebratory sounds reached them despite them still having some distance to go, adding to their anticipation of what's to come. The large assembly soon arrived to their destination.
Iki Town looked extremely different from the first time Sun went there. For one, there were much more people with Pokémon chatting and having a great time, almost overcrowding the small place. Some saw the opportunity for a great business with the multiple stalls they set up. Even the raised platform, with a large lit bonfire behind it, was occupied by a fire breather, three hula dancers, and their Pokémon with people gathering around to watch the traditional entertainment. Though the sun still graced the skies with a beautiful indescribable orange, the torches running all throughout the town already lit up with swaying flames. Strung light bulbs hung overhead by the rooftops to add more light if necessary. The happy clatter and delicious aromas mixed together to create an extremely happy and relaxed atmosphere. Sun had never experienced anything like this back at home. While they did have similar festivals in Johto, there was something different about this setting. He thought for a moment, wondering exactly what that something was. He guessed that it was simply because of the community celebrating the festival. Everybody was so friendly with each other in their interactions. The air certainly reflected the warmness of Alola, both figuratively and literally. Through the combined chattering of people and Pokémon, Sun could still hear Cloud's enthusiastic squeaks and Blue Doll's thrilled barks. It was like his Pokémon were expressing his excitement for him, which made his smile widen.
"It seems like the whole island is here!" Nova spoke Sun's thought as her eyes took in everything Iki Town had to offer. Her words reminded Sun that this was the first time she's been here. Even so, the town was making a great first impression on Nova and a great second impression on Sun. He had no idea that a town as small as this could fill this many people and Pokémon. His eyes focused mainly on the unfamiliar Pokémon accompanying their trainers. He could see some bird Pokémon with a long beak while other Pokémon stayed near the ground with their sharp teeth. There was a lot of new Pokémon to register in his pokedex and a lot of old Pokémon to see what his pokedex said as well. He recognized the smeargle, growlithe, and caterpie, to name a few. Sun looked at one specific Pokémon curiously. It looked like a black rattata with small tufts of fur on either side of its snout like a moustache. Yet it stood on two legs instead of the usual quadruped stance Sun was used to. Was this one of the Alolan variants his mother told him about? It certainly looked like it.
"Pika!" Cloud tugged on Sun's cheeks, distorting his smile to catch his attention. Sun turned to the direction that his pikachu wanted him to look in. Cloud released his small grip and grinned with Sun when the boy realized what made the Pikachu so excited.
"Lillie! Over here!" Sun called to her. The girl in the white hat started slightly when she heard her name. She looked in Sun's direction, her surprise clearing to a smile of recognition. Sun noticed how she tightened her grip on her bag's handle as she made her way over to him.
"Yup! We're all here to give thanks to Tapu Koko, our island guardian! It may be fickle at times, but it really does pull through for us when we need it, oh yeah!" Professor Kukui said, catching the boy's attention. From the corner of his eye, he saw his mother giggling knowingly.
"If that wasn't true, my son wouldn't be here right now. Right, Sun?" She nudged the boy, who nodded in response. "Good thing it found you worthy of being saved." Sun could hear the critical undertone in his mother's voice. The boy's smile twitched a bit on its right side. Besides Lillie, Nova was the only other person who knew of Sun's attempt to catch Tapu Koko. While she didn't exactly mind, she did warn Sun that he had to be careful the next time he encountered a Legendary Pokémon. She herself had past experiences with them, especially concerning two different trios, and she knew firsthand how dangerous they could be. That was when Lillie reached them.
"Hey there, Lillie!" Professor Kukui smiled.
"Hi, Professor, Sun," Lillie greeted. "And good to see you two again." She smiled brightly at Sun's Pokémon, who reciprocated her gesture. Then she looked curiously at the unfamiliar woman standing next to Kukui. "Are you Sun's mother?"
"I am. It's nice to finally meet you, Lillie. Sun told me about you."
"He did?" Lillie looked at said boy in surprise. Sun simply shrugged indifference, the smile still on his face. Yet he leaned in close to her to whisper:
"Don't worry. I didn't tell her about Nebby." Just as he guessed, the slight worry in Lillie's eyes disappeared at his reassurance. Even so, she tightened her grip on her bag when she felt Nebby move around. She hoped that nobody saw the small movement. Sun leaned back just as his mother smiled at Lillie. The girl returned the kind smile. She couldn't help but think that Sun had inherited his smile from this woman. It was something nice to inherit, and she was suddenly struck with the thought of what she might have inherited from her own mother. Obviously she inherited the woman's blonde hair and green eyes, but she hoped she didn't inherit anything bad from her mother. Lillie quickly shook that sobering thought away.
"It's very nice to meet you too, ma'am."
"No need for that ma'am business. Just call me Nova. Thank you for being friends with my son. He can be a little off sometimes, so I'm glad he's making friends already."
"Put a little more faith in your son, Nova. He's going to have a lot more friends than you think!" Kukui laughed.
"I very much doubt it," Nova mockingly sighed.
"Do you know when the grand battle's going to start, Professor Kukui?" Sun asked. He knew that a joking exchange between his mother and his professor could go on forever. Better for him to break it up now before they spend the whole festival standing around just talking with each other.
"It's not time yet for the grand battle. You'll know though, when Kahuna Hala calls for everybody's attention. You should explore everything our festival has to offer while you wait for the main event!" Professor Kukui suggested. Nova nodded in agreement.
"Good idea, Kukui. Come on, Sun. I want to go look at the stalls." The mother and son with the professor and assistant close behind began to explore the different stalls set up. Despite the swarms of people, there was still enough room for them to get around without bumping into others too much. They glanced at the different merchandises the shopkeepers had to offer. Some stalls they lingered a bit longer than others. At one point the small group dropped by one particularly popular booth to buy some malasadas. The long line took a while but once Sun bit into the piping hot malasada, he knew the wait was definitely worth it. He bit into it once more before feeding the rest to Cloud and Blue Doll. Both enjoyed it immensely, making quick work of the delicious treat. Sun's smile widened when he saw the satisfied look on his Pokémon's faces. It was a good thing that he bought another one beforehand, and they also finished that malasada just as quickly. As they continued to walk, one booth caught Nova's eye. She stopped to inspect some of the amulets and charms the shopkeeper had lay out for prospecting customers. The kids and professor also stopped to examine the same wares. As he and his Pokémon looked at the different trinkets sometimes made from the same material yet had a different form, Sun realized that the stall owner was looking right at him in curiosity.
"Hey, you're the kid who Tapu Koko saved, right?" he asked. Sun nodded in response. The man smiled at the boy's answer. His eyes flickered quickly from Sun to Blue Doll in his arms, and back to the boy. "That's right. Kahuna Hala gave you that popplio yesterday. That means you're taking the Island Challenge, right?"
"Island Challenge?" Sun tilted his head to the side in question. While Professor Kukui did mention it to him, Sun never received the full details. He had to admit to himself that those two words actually flew by him when he first heard them together. He wondered whether this island challenge was similar to the gym battles he was so used to back home. The boy heard the professor's deep chuckle on his side. When Sun looked over inquiringly, Professor Kukui held up four fingers.
"The Island Challenge is a set of trials found throughout all four main islands of Alola. Each island has their own set of trials. Once you beat those trials, you get a chance to participate in the Grand Trial of fighting the island kahuna. If you manage to beat all four island kahunas, you become the Island Challenge Champion, woo!"
"So it's like gym battles in other regions?" Sun asked.
Professor Kukui's smile widened. "Something like that, yeah. It's all about being the strongest trainer."
"Well, boy. Since you are doing the Island Challenge, you can have this for free," the stall owner said as he handed a yellow amulet to Sun. Shifting Blue Doll so he could hold the popplio comfortably with one arm, he took it with a polite gratitude before examining it with his Pokémon. He could see that both sides of the amulet had four triangles of red, yellow, pink, and purple. It was beautiful, skillfully carved and painted. "All trial goers get one to let people know that you're doing the Island Challenge," the man explained.
"Why, thank you very much for giving this to my son," Nova said. "Here, let me put it on your backpack for you." Nova took the amulet from Sun's hands and gestured for him to turn around. The boy complied, allowing his mother to easily clip it onto his backpack. She leaned back with a satisfied look on her face, liking how the amulet looked on her son's backpack. "Looks good."
"Thanks, Mom. And thank you, sir."
"Think nothing of it." The man smiled brightly. He opened his mouth to say more but a loud voice cut in to interrupt:
"Hey! Get back here, you scoundrel!" The small group at the stall looked up in surprise to see a strangely familiar Pokémon with a fish in its mouth sprinting towards them. Sun's smile twitched slightly in annoyance when he slightly recognized the Pokémon, though it looked different from what he saw every day at home. The main difference Sun noticed was its light blue-gray fur along with its arrogant, silver eyes. On closer inspection he would see that this meowth had a whitish-gray shade on areas where his mother's meowth had a brown coloration, and its whiskers were slightly curvier. Of all the Pokémon that could have ran towards them, it had to be the one thing that he hated the most. "Somebody, help!" the victim of the theft shouted.
Due to the density of the surroundings, it was difficult for people with Pokémon to skillfully stop the thief without possibly hurting anybody else. People did attempt to clear away from the areas that the Alolan meowth ran to but it cleverly slipped through the crowds, hiding itself from its chaser. If it had continued this strategy, perhaps it would have gotten away. However it ran into something that endangered its escape.
It ran into Sun.
Sun had been praying that no encounter would be made between them. Unfortunately the Alolan meowth decided to take this route. The boy attempted to ignore and step away from the Pokémon but then it hissed angrily at him as if he purposefully blocked its way. Sun's smile jerked wildly on its left at that. Thoughts of ignoring it flew out the window. "Cloud, Brick Break," Sun commanded when he deemed that the Alolan meowth was close enough.
"Ka!" Cloud leapt from Sun's shoulder and slammed his suddenly white tail into the wild Pokémon. It screeched in pain, the fish falling from its mouth. The force of the attack sent it flying almost three meters away. Cloud landed on his feet, sparks electrifying his cheeks. It was almost as if Sun's anger transferred over to the pikachu. Sun stared at the Pokémon closely in case though he knew that it would be rattled by that powerful attack. He was only slightly aware of the people parting on both sides to give him space. He didn't realize that Professor Kukui and Nova were watching him intensely while the tense look returned to Lillie's eyes.
The Alolan meowth struggled slightly to get back on its feet. After some thought, Sun took this chance to call Cloud back. The pikachu glanced back at his trainer curiously. The boy didn't see the questioning look as he set his popplio down. "This one's yours, Blue Doll," Sun said. Understanding overtook Cloud's confusion, and he ran back towards Sun. On the way he patted Blue Doll's head encouragingly. The popplio cried out happily before pulling himself forward. His usual happiness cleared for the familiar look of determination from yesterday to return. Blue Doll stared intently at his newest opponent. The Alolan meowth finally got back to its feet albeit shakily. It didn't expect to be hit by such a powerful and super effective attack from a mouse. With a loud hiss, it glared at the human responsible for its sorry state. Despite Sun's smiling expression, his eyes looked at the Pokémon coldly. Though the thief flinched at the malicious look, it steeled itself to take its revenge. The Alolan meowth revealed sharp claws and ran towards Blue Doll with a Scratch ready.
Sun was struck with the memory of Hau's litten scratching his popplio. Feeling his blood boil at the vivid image, the boy pointed towards the fast thief. "Water Gun." Blue Doll inhaled deeply and shot the stream of water at the scratch cat Pokémon. Given its momentum the Alolan meowth couldn't dodge the attack in time. Despite the attack doing only normal damage to it, it screeched painfully and irritatingly at the water seeping into its fur. A cat was still a cat. The Water Gun slowed down the Alolan meowth noticeably. Sun then considered his next options for a moment and came to a decision. He would be better off with another Water Gun, just to ram the lesson home into the scratch cat Pokémon.
However, before he could give the command again, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Professor Kukui grinning widely at him. Warning bells rang in Sun's head at this development. They rang even louder when the professor handed him a pokeball. A sinking feeling formed at the pit of Sun's stomach at the gesture. Without thinking, he took the pokeball. The next thing the professor said sealed it:
"Now's your chance, Sun! Catch that Alolan meowth!"
"What?!" The statement alone was almost enough to make Sun drop his smile. However he managed to retain it with its slight movements.
"Come on! You can do it! Catch that Pokémon!" Kukui's cry was taken up by the people who encircled them. Wherever Sun looked, he only saw faces cheering for the capture of the Alolan meowth. One full circle around, and then he caught his mother's look. His irritation flared to new heights when he saw that smug light in Nova's eyes. It was as if she was taunting him, teasing him that he would soon have a Pokémon he hated so passionately on his team. It was almost enough to make Sun throw the pokeball to the ground and have Cloud finish off the Alolan meowth. However there were too many witnesses here. That action would have told everybody here that there might be something wrong with their newest neighbor. Lillie might have already got wind of it. Sun couldn't let anybody else have a shred of evidence about his true nature.
Sun reluctantly turned back to the Alolan meowth, still soaked and struggling from Blue Doll's attack. Gripping the pokeball so tightly that it might have shattered, the boy took one step forward and hurled it right at the wild Pokémon's head. The thief cried out in pain when it felt the capture device hit its gold coin dead center. The next thing it knew, a red laser trapped it into the capsule. The Alolan meowth fought to break free of the prison. From the people's view, the pokeball wiggled on the ground. Everybody held their breath in anticipation of whether Sun caught the Alolan meowth or not. It was many against one for the capture of the wild Pokémon.
They didn't wait long as the scratch cat Pokémon stopped struggling and a beep signaled that the catch was successful. The crowd erupted into cheers at the achievement. Sun's smile twitched at the celebrating people around him. However he didn't voice anything as Professor Kukui slapped the boy on his back.
"Great job, Sun! Now you caught yourself an Alolan meowth! Oh yeah!"
"That was a good catch!" Nobody besides Sun heard the mocking undertones in Nova's voice. She giggled lightly at the subtle glare Sun gave her. "Now you have your own meowth! I'm sure you two would become fast friends!"
"I doubt it," Sun muttered, only low enough for Cloud to hear. However the boy kept his smile constant as he walked over to pick up the pokeball. Along the way he also picked up Blue Doll, who clapped his fins proudly. At least his popplio managed to get some more experience, the only benefit from this battle. All around him he heard the roars of approval and congratulations. His smile almost threatened to disappear but somehow the boy managed to maintain it. He gently took the pokeball with a hidden grimace. Sun clipped it onto his belt, and, before he could return to his small group, a man made his way towards him. Sun wondered what the stranger could want until the man shook his hand wholeheartedly.
"Thank you so much for catching the little rascal! He's been stealing from me for the past month! He must have followed me to the festival for more of my fish," the older man explained gratefully. Sun then recognized the voice that first shouted. He nodded in reply. The stall owner continued, "How could I ever repay you?"
"Oh, there's no need. I was…happy to catch it," Sun somehow managed to say that without a murderous expression. Not wanting to prolong things any longer, the boy quickly waved a good-bye to the man before hurrying back over to his mother. His smile still plastered on his face to let everybody assume he was proud of himself. If one were to look deep into his eyes, however, one would be able to see the thinly-veiled odium and vexation the boy felt about the whole affair.
"Your first caught Alolan Pokémon! Feels great, doesn't it?" Kukui chuckled once Sun reached them.
"Yes," Sun lied. He took out his pokedex to check up on his newest Pokémon:
Meowth, the scratch cat Pokémon. This prideful and crafty Pokémon was not originally found in Alola. It would fly in a hysterical rage if its pride is wounded or gold coin is dirtied.
He noticed that it was a male with the Pick Up ability. That ability could be useful on his travels if he was even planning to bring the thing along with him in the first place. Checking his move-set, Sun saw that the Alolan meowth knew Scratch, Growl, and Bite. Not too bad considering that he was still at a low level. A small feature caught his eye on his pokedex screen just as he was about to put his tool away. When he swiped at it, he realized that his pokedex had also registered his mother's meowth in its database:
Meowth, the scratch cat Pokémon. It lies around all day, becoming active near dusk to search for loose change. It often fights with Mukrow over prey and shiny things they're both trying to catch.
It didn't sound any different from his own meowth. Sun almost scowled at that mental statement. He never would have thought that he would be saying those three words together in the same sentence. He made a mental note to leave this Pokémon in the PC the first chance he got. Never look at it again. Or better yet, release it back into the wild with no witnesses. However what Lillie said stopped the trainer cold in his tracks:
"Um…I hope you can be good friends with that Alolan meowth. No…after seeing you yesterday with Blue Doll, I'm sure you'll be great friends with that meowth. Take good care of it, okay?"
Sun stared at his friend, his grinning face giving nothing away about his desire to slam his head against a pole or something and scream his frustration to Arceus. Thanks to that statement, he now had to keep this damned Pokémon in his party. Granted he could do what he initially wanted to do with the Alolan meowth. However, since Lillie practically asked him to care for the Pokemon, he couldn't find the heart to refuse that seemingly simple request. Not only that, he didn't want to destroy the image of him the people he met had in their heads. Not using the Pokémon on his team would do just that. And judging the people around him, he could see that they had a lot of sentimental value. If this Pokémon was his second or third catch, sure, it wouldn't have been a problem to store it or even release it. But this was the first Pokémon he caught here in Alola. That elevated the Alolan meowth's value in the people's minds and kept him safe from Sun's wrath.
"Yup," Sun was able to force that word through gritted teeth. He couldn't say anything else beyond that without fear of dropping his smile.
"So are you going to give a nickname to it like you did for your popplio?" Nova asked slyly. Her son looked at her for a second or two before responding:
"His name's Gaffe."
Nova frowned a bit at the implications of that nickname. She crossed her arms in careful disapproval. "Now really, Sun. You're going to name him that?" By this time, the people had gone back to their own business until the grand battle was to be announced.
"Yes." This time, it was easy for Sun to say that word. His tone made it clear that anything his mother said would not change his mind. Nova shook her head slightly. Although she was hoping that this would be her son's chance to learn to like cat Pokémon, he was already making it difficult for himself to progress. She hoped that it would be a temporary thing. Perhaps once he grew comfortable with the Alolan meowth, he would change the Pokémon's nickname. It wouldn't do to have such a horrible name for such a respectable Pokémon.
Even Professor Kukui and Lillie shared the same thoughts as Nova. Kukui scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Are you sure you want to name your Alolan meowth that?"
"Yup."
"Even though it means 'mistake'?"
"Now that isn't very nice, is it? How can you hope to be friends with it then?" Lillie asked. Sun's smile twitched on its right side. He shrugged, taking some entertainment at the professor and his friend's discomfort. Although he usually wouldn't want to do anything to make them uncomfortable, he still couldn't help the feeling of slight satisfaction from their reactions. It helped make him feel better about the whole matter.
"Oh, I'll manage. Don't you worry," Sun hummed as he turned away from the stall to explore anything else the festival had to offer. Professor Kukui and Lillie shared puzzling looks while Nova simply sighed with a shrug of her shoulders.
"That son of mine…I'm not sure whether I like that he takes after me and not his father." Her meowth hissed in agreement before following the woman after her son. The professor and his assistant also trailed behind, and they continued browsing as if there wasn't a disturbance caused by an Alolan meowth in the first place. Sun was pleased to see that Lillie didn't seem as disturbed about his earlier action as they conversed with one another while the grown-ups had their own private discussion. At one point he almost burst out laughing when Nebby attempted to fly out of the bag. Fortunately Lillie managed to catch the strange Pokémon before it revealed itself to everybody living on the island. Sun suggested that his friend unzipped the bag just so Nebby wouldn't feel so lonely. It helped that Cloud changed his position to Sun's arm so that he could keep Nebby a bit of company. Sun also discreetly fed the little guy some food while they walked, a task made easier from the fact that the two children strolled with the bag positioned between them. Yet despite the merriments, Sun couldn't stop his mind from wandering back to Gaffe. He wondered how he would deal with the Pokémon and whether he would even use it in future battles. He still questioned himself about that when they came upon a Pokémon Center stand and he had his Pokémon rested to perfect health. Sun returned Blue Doll to his pokeball but kept Cloud out.
Pretty soon, when the sun nearly set to say goodbye, a sense of anticipation rose in the air. Everybody's chatter became a bit subdued as they focused their attention on the sight of a familiar old man walking up to stand on the platform. Sun felt his heart quickening as he realized that this was the main event he had been waiting for. Along with everybody else he watched intently, excited for what was to come. Kahuna Hala smiled warmly at the people. Then his voice boomed:
"Thank you all for coming to our festival to celebrate our peaceful way of life. It is thanks to our island's guardian deity, Tapu Koko, that we are able to live in harmony with our Pokémon. For all life on our islands…and for those who undertake the island challenge with joy in their hearts…we continually pray for its protection. As a gift and offering to our guardian deity for everything it has done, we will have a grand Pokémon battle for everybody to see!" At those words, everybody cheered. They had been waiting for this moment, and they impatiently waited to see who would be the lucky battlers. Hala waited until the crowd settled down before speaking again.
"Please come forth…Hau, grandson to the kahuna." There was a slight pause. Then a ripple in the crowd revealed the boy smiling joyfully. The Alolans parted to allow Hau to step through and erupted into cheers once the boy went up the platform. His face flushed slightly from the people's adulation as he stood ready at one end. Sun wasn't very surprised as he already surmised that Hau would be picked from his status as the kahuna's grandson. He would have been surprised if Hau wasn't picked. Although Sun had beaten him soundly yesterday, Sun felt that his new friend had the potentiality to go further. If it had been anybody else but Sun, Hau probably would have won. The boy snapped his thoughts back to reality in order to hear the next battler come up.
"And before him, please stand…Sun, one who has met with Tapu Koko."
It took a second or two before the message sunk in. Sun couldn't believe it as Cloud squeaked in delight for his trainer. Was he actually picked to participate? He had a feeling that he might have been picked considering how Kahuna Hala still needed to give him back that sparkling stone along with a vague hope that he would be picked. But he never thought that it would actually come true. He still stood in his spot, processing the information, when his mother finally nudged him forward.
"Come on, Sun! Don't keep everybody waiting!" she said cheerfully. When the people around him realized that he was right there, they also urged him on. The trainer's smile widened slightly as he glided through the masses with relative ease. He felt some people slapping his back in congratulations. However he didn't pay much attention to the cheers. Instead, his mind worked to form a strategy against his opponent. He initially planned to use only Blue Doll should he be picked for the grand battle as Cloud could finish the battle quickly. However, after catching the Alolan meowth, he wondered whether he should use him. Similarly to Blue Doll, Gaffe would need to train a lot before he could reach Cloud's level yet the Alolan meowth's low level wasn't the issue. The main problem was that whether or not Sun considered Gaffe to be a main part of his team. If Gaffe was, then he would have to use him to train him. If Gaffe wasn't…Still deep in thought he finally made his way up the stairs to the platform. Sun shared a grin with Hau. The newcomer walked to the opposite side of the platform before facing his opponent. Hau grinned brightly as he placed his hands on his hips.
"No holding back! I'm going to win this time, Sun!"
Sun covered his mouth with a hand to stop a chuckle from slipping through. "We'll see about that." He noticed Hala standing back a bit, giving ample space for their Pokémon to battle. The old man held up both hands towards the sky.
"Hau! Sun! Bring forth the power of your Pokémon! Let the battle…begin!"
"Pichu, let's go!"
"Come out, Gaffe!" Both parties threw their respective pokeballs in the air. Flashes of white released the two opposing Pokémon from their confinements. Hau's pichu squeaked adorably as it faced its opponent. Gaffe, however, crossed his arms and turned his head away with his nose in the air, paying no attention to his opponent nor his trainer. Sun's smile twitched at the behavior his newest Pokémon was showing. He knew that Gaffe sensed his aversion of cat Pokémon, and the Alolan meowth was reciprocating that feeling. It annoyed him, especially when Sun finally decided with some distaste to attempt to keep Gaffe on his team. For Lillie's sake. He would have gladly used Blue Doll for the whole battle if he hadn't remember what Lillie asked him concerning his latest catch. As a result, now he had to struggle with a Pokémon he hated. I can't wait to see how this goes, he thought sarcastically to himself. He had a feeling things wouldn't turn out well.
Hau took the first move. "Pichu, use Charm!"
"Bite, Gaffe!" Sun responded.
Pichu rubbed its cheeks with its paws as it looked adorably at the Alolan meowth. While Gaffe did hesitate a bit from the Charm, he still managed to ignore it to fight. Unfortunately he didn't open his mouth to reveal sharp fangs for a Bite. Instead the Alolan meowth extended his claws and used Scratch on the electric mouse Pokémon. Hau's pichu squeaked in pain as it ran a little bit away from Gaffe, tears in its eyes. Gaffe smirked to himself with his arms crossed in satisfaction. He didn't care to give his "trainer" a glance, which may have been a good thing. Sun's smile twitched wildly on its left side at the disobedience Gaffe showed. He felt Cloud nervously travel from his right shoulder to his left. The pikachu shook his head at the Alolan meowth's behavior. While Cloud shared Sun's hatred of cat Pokémon, also for Lillie's sake he felt that he could perhaps become friends with Sun's newly caught Pokémon. He hoped that he could discourage this sort of conduct before Gaffe took it too far. It certainly wouldn't do the Alolan meowth any good.
"Gaffe, Bite," Sun repeated, his eyes trained on his Pokémon.
"Mreowr." Gaffe snarked as he began to comb himself. Sun's smile convulsed even more. He could hear the people muttering questions to one another. Why wasn't the Alolan meowth obeying Sun? Was it naturally like that or was it because of the trainer himself? What did that say about the trainer? Sun could imagine all those questions and more running in everybody's head. Underneath his constant grin his teeth grinded in fury.
"Chu…" Cloud felt Sun's jaw clench and knew that Gaffe was going to be in a world of hurt after this battle away from prying eyes. He couldn't remember the last time his trainer expressed his anger through something other than his endless smile and its slight movements.
"Pichu, try a Thundershock!" Hau commanded. Sparks began to fly around the little mouse Pokémon as it charged its electricity. With a loud cry, Pichu unleashed its voltage at Gaffe. Sun didn't even care to tell his Pokémon to dodge. He watched Gaffe leap clear out of the way. The Alolan meowth landed on all fours, his fur slightly bristled in annoyance. He reared back on his hind legs and growled loudly at the pichu. Pichu flattened its ears on its head to futilely block out the sound. Unfortunately Sun saw that that move wouldn't do Gaffe much good as the only attacking move Hau's pichu showed was a special move. And unless Hau taught Pichu physical moves with some TMs and HMs, then using Growl would be a wasted effort. Of course, it was obvious that Gaffe didn't know that. Otherwise he wouldn't have used it.
It was equally unfortunate that Gaffe currently only knew physical moves. Pichu's Charm already cut the Alolan meowth's attack power down two stages. As a result now the electric mouse had the advantage. If they both continued attacking with their respective moves, Hau's Pichu would win out. Sun thought about his next options, only to have his process interrupted by a surprisingly welcoming shout.
"Come on, Sun! You can do it!" Sun's head snapped up to look at Lillie calling from the crowd. His heart lifted slightly when he saw the support from his new friend. He could also see his mother and Professor Kukui standing nearby. While the professor waved an encouraging hand, Nova grinned an expression so similar to Sun's smile.
I taught you better than that. We taught you better than that.
He could almost hear his mother saying that in her teasing voice. Driving that thought out of his mind to concentrate back on the battle, he crossed his arms. Sun decided to test the waters a bit further before turning this battle around. "Gaffe, Bite," he tried commanding again. Gaffe looked over his shoulder at the boy and hissed. From that Sun confirmed that his Alolan meowth would attempt to do everything to disobey him.
With the Alolan meowth's attention drawn to his trainer, Pichu charged up another Thunder Shock. This time the attack hit Gaffe. He yelped loudly in pain, his fur sticking out with all the electricity flowing through him. Sun could smell the sizzling coming from his Pokemon. His only, slight response came from the right side of his smile.
"That's it, Pichu! Keep it up!" Hau cheered at the successful Thundershock.
"Pi! Pichu, pi!" the cute mouse Pokémon jumped up and down in excitement.
Cloud couldn't help but grin at that. He patted Sun's cheeks lightly. When he saw Sun look from the corner of his eyes. "Pika. Pi, pika pi? Pikachu, pika, chu."
Sun nodded. Somehow, though his expression didn't change at all, the air around him seemed to become a bit more pleasant than when the battle first started. "Of course, I remember. But let's see how to deal with our newest member, shall we?"
"Pikachu," Cloud responded in agreement. He and his trainer turned their attention back to the battle. Sun judged from Gaffe's state that he could only take at most three Thunder Shocks before the Pokémon fainted.
"Use Bite." Sun's voice was a calm contrast to Hau's cheery shout. Once again, Gaffe refused to obey the boy. Instead the Alolan meowth charged towards the pichu with his claws outstretched. Sun shook his head at Gaffe's action. He watched again as Hau's pichu managed to dodge the attack. Pichu used another Thunder Shock. Another hit. Things were looking grim on Sun's side. And they would continue to look grim if he didn't do something quick. Yet Sun already knew what he had to do. From the second Bite command, Sun already knew that the Alolan meowth would use other moves besides the one he ordered Gaffe to. So if Sun wanted him to actually use Bite…
"Scratch attack, Gaffe."
As Sun predicted, his Pokémon retracted his claws and ran towards Hau's pichu with his fangs gleaming from the torches' lights. Gaffe bit the top of Pichu's head, earning squeaks of pain. He wouldn't let the little thing go even as it attempted to run away with tears in its eyes. Sun saw Hau open his mouth, knowing what the other boy would say before he even formed the words:
"Thunder Shock, Pichu!"
"Pi…chu!" with that angry squeak, Pichu discharged as much electricity as it could. At such a close range the attack was devastating. Gaffe released his hold on the opponent but it was too late. The pichu continued to shock him. The Alolan meowth probably would have fainted right then and there had Sun not had his pokeball ready. The red laser zapped Gaffe back into the capsule, giving him respite from the vengeful move. At the throwing of the towel, the people watching cheered at the victory of the electric mouse Pokémon. Some of the more observant people noticed that Sun didn't seem too disappointed by the loss. If anything, the boy had wanted that to happen, just so he had a legitimate excuse to recall Gaffe for a better Pokémon.
"Looks like that battle was mine, Sun!" Hau laughed. His opponent nodded in confirmation.
"Yes, but I promise the next wouldn't be. Your turn, Blue Doll!" Sun eagerly clipped Gaffe's pokeball back onto his belt and threw Blue Doll's pokeball into the air. The popplio appeared in the flash of white. Landing on his tailfins, he barked happily with a flashy pose before settling down. All around him Sun could hear the questions of the people again. Why use a water-type Pokémon against an electric-type? Why not just use the pikachu on his shoulders for this battle? It would have been a much better matchup than this. Even Hau was confused about Sun's choice. Unlike everybody else though, he raised that question.
"Why not use your pikachu?"
Sun's smile twitched slightly on its right. "Oh, but I want to use Blue Doll. Is there a problem with that?"
"No, not really…" Hau scratched his head, still puzzled. However his bewilderment quickly cleared. "No, not at all!" he said now with more assurance. "As long as we can have fun in this battle! Right, Pichu?"
"Pi! Pi!" Pichu cheered, its confidence a bit higher after almost taking out the arrogant Alolan meowth. Sun's smile twitched again a bit on the right side at their enthusiasm.
"Let's see how you fare then," he whispered to himself. In a raised voice, "Water Gun, Blue Doll!"
"Bwark!" the popplio cried. He open his mouth to fire powerful water at the pichu.
"Dodge it!"
Obeying Hau perfectly, Pichu jumped out of the way. But Blue Doll began to turn his head, following after the little mouse Pokémon. It continued to run around the platform with the Water Gun hot on its tail. Eventually the popplio ran out of steam and ceased fire.
"Use Charm!"
"Don't let it! Slide and end this with a Pound!" Sun countered, his response quicker than when he was battling with Gaffe. As Pichu began rubbing its cheeks again to lower Blue Doll's attack, the popplio slipped from the pichu's line of sight by sliding on the now-wet platform. Hau's eyes widened in shock as Blue Doll zipped around much like his pichu had when it was dodging the Water Gun. Due to Blue Doll's astonishing turn of speed, Pichu's Charm proved to be ineffective. The opposing trainer opened his mouth to correctly counter the move but he was too late. The popplio covered the distance between him and his opponent swiftly. The pichu barely had time to react when the water-type Pokémon smacked it away with one flipper. The attack combined with the momentum of the slide sent Pichu flying. It stayed in the air for a few seconds before it landed on the platform. Swirls were in its eyes to notify them that it was out of commission.
The crowd was stunned for a moment before they erupted in praise. They had expected Hau's pichu to end the battle quickly with a Thunder Shock. However, Sun was able to turn things around and make a seemingly failed move work to his advantage. The hype was getting to the islanders, and they waited excitedly for Hau's next move.
Hau, for his part, called back his pichu. He smiled warmly at the pokeball. "Good job, Pichu. We'll get some malasadas later." He looked back up to grin at Sun. "I wasn't expecting that to happen."
Sun shrugged, his smile broadening slightly. "That's good. If you did, I wouldn't have won." Hau nodded thoughtfully.
"Maybe. But don't think I'm out yet!" He grabbed the last pokeball from his belt and threw it forward. "Litten, I choose you!"
The fire-type starter landed on the platform with a cry. Then it noticed all the water from Blue Doll's Water Gun and hissed angrily. It wasn't expecting this at all. Sun almost couldn't stop the chuckle from slipping at the sight of the fire cat Pokémon's discomfort. Oh, he was going to enjoy beating this Pokémon again.
"Blue Doll, use Growl!" Sun pointed to the litten.
"Counter it with your own Growl!" Hau commanded. The two starter Pokemon simultaneously released high-pitched Growls designed to lower the opponent's attack. Similarly to their last face-off, Blue Doll benefitted from the exchange. Hau shook his head slightly when he saw how ineffective his counter was. If Litten was facing Gaffe or even Cloud, then perhaps his Growl would have done some good. With Blue Doll though, he might as well have done nothing at all. Hau's mind raced for any options he could use. Yet Sun barely gave him time to think as he went on the offensive again. He noticed that his new rival seemed to prefer attacking.
"Water Gun!"
"Brr…arf!" Blue Doll barked in confirmation before firing the deadly attack at the litten. It hit him square in the chest, earning a screech of pain and annoyance.
"Again!"
"Dodge it!" Hau managed to say this time. If he hadn't, that might have been the battle. Litten tensed his muscles and leapt out of the way at the last minute. He took care not to land in any of the puddles from the earlier Water Guns. Even as his opponent continued his attack, the litten managed with some effort to dance around it. Blue Doll stopped with a slightly disappointed light in his eyes. He had wanted to finish the fire-type off with that move as he sensed that that was what Sun wanted. Fortunately his trainer didn't seem too perturbed that the battle didn't end there. He would have been slightly disappointed if it did.
"Scratch attack!"
"Pound, Blue Doll!"
Litten sprang forward with all the speed of a cat. Blue Doll also slid towards him through the water puddles again. This time Litten got the better exchange as not only did he deflect Blue Doll's Pound, he also got two Scratches in. The popplio winced a bit from the attack. He slid a good distance away and shook his fin where the double Scratch got him.
Sun looked at his Pokémon, his smile fading just a tad bit. "You all right, Blue Doll?" He saw how the popplio nodded confirmation that the attack hadn't bothered him too much.
"Ember!"
"Meowr!" Litten spat a flaming hairball at Blue Doll. The projectile landed on a surprised Blue Doll's tailfins. The water-type jumped in the air in shock before he crashed back onto the platform. He waved his tailfins around quickly, then slapped them in one of his puddles. Immediately the burning sensation went away and allowed Blue Doll some respite. However his opponent went back on the offensive with Hau commanding another Scratch attack.
"Slide out of there, Blue Doll," Sun ordered calmly. The popplio obeyed but not before Litten got his attack in. The cry of pain caused the left side of Sun's smile to twitch wildly. Now he felt that he had dragged this battle long enough. It was fun while it lasted but Hau was getting in too many hits. Sun didn't want his Pokémon to be hurt any more than they had to. Time to end it so he could get his Pokémon healed up, Gaffe included, he realized with some surprise. He pointed directly at the litten and said, "Water Gun." While still sliding away from the fire-type Pokémon, Blue Doll spun around perfectly and blasted water at him. "Keep at it." Sun didn't want Blue Doll to let up even when he saw the super-effective move hit Litten.
Try as the fire starter might, he couldn't avoid the relatively strong move. Litten was stubborn but while his character might not have a limit, his body did. Blue Doll pushed for one last blast, and soon Hau's Pokémon collapsed with swirls in his eyes. Hau was quick to return his litten back to his pokeball. It was almost as if the crowd didn't realize that the battle was over until the opposing Pokemon to the popplio disappeared. Once the red laser retreated, a thousand voices joined together in an enormous cheer.
"Hoo-ee! Another great battle this year's."
"I bet Tapu Koko liked it, too."
Hau grinned sheepishly and scratched his head. "Wow! That was a great battle! I thought I almost had you there for a second, but I still had a blast fighting you!"
Sun nodded in some satisfaction as he covered his mouth. He was slightly disappointed that he didn't see a good opportunity to try Blue Doll's newest move, a move that was also unfamiliar to him, but overall he felt that the battle gave his popplio some more valuable experience. "It was a good battle." He was about to say more when a resounding cry from the forest hushed everybody. Almost as one, the whole town turned their attention to the forest leading to Tapu Koko's ruins.
"Ko-ko-kooo!" the island guardian roared its approval of the tribute battle. At that the people erupted into more cheers. Sun heard Hala laugh:
"Ho! You heard it yourself! Tapu Koko's song of approval. A fine battle it was! Oh, I nearly forgot!" The kahuna then walked over to Sun. "I think it is time you take this, Sun." He had a white bracelet-like object in his hands. The boy recognized some of the parts to be the exact same ones as the ones on his sparkling stone. He held it gingerly, instinctively in fear that he might break the beautifully crafted bangle. Although he appreciated how it looked, Sun had no idea what it was. Hala soon answered that for him. "Your Z-Ring, a mysterious armband that can draw out the power that lies deep within Pokémon…It can bring forth their Z-Power, but only if you have the correct Z-Crystal. You can collect more Z-Crystals during your island challenge."
Z-Ring? Z-Power? Z-Crystals? All the new terms made Sun's head swim a bit. Were they something like the Mega Stones he heard his mother and her friends talk about? He wasn't too sure. However he knew that these Z-things were something to be reckoned with. Sun nodded in understanding as he examined his Z-Ring again. Even Cloud and Blue Doll, who had slid his way over, looked at it in curiosity. Sun could see an indent where the presumed Z-Crystal would be held. He wondered whether Z-Crystals were exclusive to certain Pokémon like the Mega Stones or any Pokémon could use them. It would be nice if any kind of Pokémon could use them.
"It seems Tapu Koko took quite a liking to you." Sun looked up in curiosity. Kahuna Hala looked like he was in deep thought as he examined the trainer who beat his grandson a second time. He continued, "Or perhaps it has a mission for you."
"That sounds like it's time for you to get out there and start your island challenge! If you visit every island, maybe you'll figure out what that mission is," Professor Kukui suggested. Sun turned to look at him where he along with Nova and Lillie had stepped closer to the platform. It was a strange feeling, looking down at the professor from his position. The trainer mentally shook that sensation away as he nodded. He returned Blue Doll to his pokeball and then started down the stairs, people bombarding him with congratulations all around. Sun noticed how the community here was not at all afraid to interact with one another. It was heartwarming, but at the same time Sun wished it wasn't so. While expressing his gratitude to the crowd, he finally wormed his way over to his mother, Professor Kukui and Lillie. Nova gave her son a huge hug once Sun was in arm's reach.
"You did a great job, Sun." And in a lower voice, "You might have been able to do a bit better though." Sun's smile moved a bit in annoyance. He knew she was going to say something along those lines, especially with his performance concerning Gaffe. Seeing how she herself got very far in the Indigo League and helped him train along with her friends, her standards were quite high even for her son. Still at least she praised him.
"Thanks, Mom," he said sincerely. Nova mirrored her son's smile, and he knew that despite what she said, she really was proud of him. He made a mental note to tell his dad about today's events as well.
"Both of you did a really good job," Lillie said to him. "But do you think you'll be okay with Gaffe? He didn't seem to like you at all…" At that, Sun shrugged indifferently.
"It'll take time, but I'm sure we'll be able to pull through. Don't you worry, Lillie." And he meant it. He had promised himself that Gaffe wouldn't disobey him like that again. If the Alolan meowth did, he would face dire consequences in the future, consequences that would surely convince the scratch cat Pokémon that it was an unwise idea to challenge his trainer. Sun's smile twitched slightly on its left as he had that thought. Then he shook it away. He didn't want to think about that anymore for the time being. Lillie still looked slightly unconvinced, but she slowly nodded in agreement. Sun then looked at Professor Kukui. "Professor, what exactly is Z-Power?" The older man only grinned widely as he slapped the boy's back in another laudatory gesture.
"I'll tell you tomorrow when you start out on your journey. For now, let's enjoy the rest of the festival!"
"Yeah!" Sun turned around to see Hau jumping behind and almost crashing into him. Fortunately the excited rival stopped himself just in time to wrap an arm around both Sun and Lillie's shoulders. "Come on, Sun, Lillie! Let's go get some malasadas!" Without waiting for their response, Hau quickly grabbed his two friends' wrists to pull them towards the delicious stall that still had quite the long line. While Lillie gave a slight shout of surprise, Sun couldn't stop the chuckle from slipping and Cloud squeaked in excitement of the delicious flavors to come. While he wished that the professor had actually answered his question, Sun settled with the thought that he would know everything tomorrow. Professor Kukui's advice of simply enjoying the festival for the rest of the evening sounded pretty good to the boy, especially since the thought of what to do with Gaffe had slipped right back in his unconscious mind. He had to shake the thought away again before resuming his chat with his two friends. Nova and Kukui followed close behind the trio of children, each exchanging a knowing smile of what the near future would hold for them on the adventures. Little did they know that things would turn out quite different due to one child's influence.
Well, isn't that unfortunate for Sun to catch an Alolan meowth :} And one of the best parts is that Alolan meowth requires friendship to evolve so...let's see how well that turns out, eh? XD I don't know if you guys want the stats for Sun's team, or any team for that matter, but if you want, I'll tell you at the end of each chapter. Their levels, main move pool, nature, etc. Speaking of which...
Concerning moves, unlike the games, I'm not limiting my Pokémon to only four moves. My rule is that each Pokémon knows eight moves. Two TM moves and a possible egg move can be a part of the move set, with the remaining of the moves coming from the Pokémon's natural move pool. I think that Pokémon are intelligent enough to learn more than just four moves. In this case, psychic-type Pokémon actually have a slight advantage with them being able to remember ten moves. Despite that though, each Pokémon would still have a "main" move set consisting of four moves. These moves are the ones that trainers usually use in battle the most. Still legal for them to use their other moves, of course.
And with that info, I still hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll possibly see you guys next time. Maybe on St. Patrick's Day! XD So on that note...Happy Single-Awareness Day! ...Or Valentine's Day! Take your pick!