Hi. This story hasn't gotten an update in a hot minute. Guess it's time we enter the next arc of Emelie's new life in Alola.

WARNING: CAPITOL LETTER SPAM AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

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Two total strangers sat with me in a virtual meeting. Gwendolyn's box kept being readjusted. Her camera would focus on her face, complete with what might have been the darkest eyeliner and reddest lipstick ever worn by somebody, before tilting until all I could see were two bluish-green irises with curled lashes. She either couldn't pick an angle or didn't understand how video calls worked. Sometimes I caught glimpses of reddish-brown curls splattered like spaghetti around her otherwise barren shoulders.

Colress came to mind when it came to Colton. They didn't share an eye color. Colress' were a leading definition of Au. Colton's defined CuSn, like mine. My new father must not have needed glasses like Colress. Or maybe he compensated with contacts. What made this abrupt call the slightest bit better and gave me strange relief would be Colton's slightly messier blond hair. Thank whoever he didn't take after his brother appearance-wise.

I rested my arm on my desk. "Hello?"

"Emelie?" said Colton Avenue, lurching at the screen. His pupils widened. "We saw the attack on the news! Are you alright? The monster didn't do anything horrible to you, did it? Do you need anything? What about…?"

I withdrew from the screen. "Um…"

"You're frightening her, dear," Gwendolyn said, her voice smooth like melted butter. "The last thing she needs is us fussing over her like she's an infant."

As if she's seen me as a baby. Everything was a lie. Some higher being must have shoved me into their lives as a joke. How could I go about proving I wasn't their daughter? Should I tell the truth?

Oh, come on , Emelie. Nothing good would come from outing yourself. You would either confuse your "parents" or squander your chance at a better life. Both if you were extremely unlucky.

"She could use the fussing!" Colton said. "Regardless of how old she is, she's…"

Almost frozen in my seat, I let the reality of my situation sink in again. The furniture clinging to the walls left a large empty space in the middle to do whatever with. My new home outside of this space, belonging to me, contained three other rooms. There was a kitchenette. There was a porch. I had a nice, small terrace off to the side of the main area. Would it be right to trade these ideals for truth? Would they believe me? I didn't want to bring it up with "Dad" now arguing with "Mom".

Returning to the present, I caught "Mom" saying, "You've helped her enough." She took on both a stern tone and face. "She might not have awoken if you stopped calling her watch. Now stop, please."

Nope. Not true. "You didn't wake me up."

Whatever gratification Colton got from his wife's words vanished. "You didn't hear me calling for the past half-hour?" he said. "Why weren't you wearing your Xtransceiver? Where were you keeping it?"

"It fell behind my desk," I answered.

"What?" Colton said.

Gwendolyn shook her head. Her thin eyelashes fluttered.

"...Um."

I hadn't had a dad in almost twenty years. Most of the father figures I got over the course of my life were my real mother's boyfriends. Needless to say, the likes of immature, irresponsible, and or criminal men weren't the best examples of fatherhood.

"Take better care of your Xtransceiver!" Colton cried. "We've got nothing else to reach you right now."

"I'm sorry," I said.

Adagio positioned herself beside me. Her round head and elongated snout drowned the right-hand screen.

I rested my fingers behind her frilly collar.

"Oh!" "Mom" exclaimed. She adjusted her camera again. "Is this your new partner?"

I sank into Colress' massive coat. "Yeah," I said, letting my starter enter the frame. "This is a Popplio. Her name's Adagio."

"Mom" smiled. The longer I studied her, the more apparent the gallon of lipstick she applied became. Her backdrop's lighting made her lips shine. Were anyone to get super close to her face, they would probably see their reflection. "Um, dear," she said, flapping those plump things of her's. "If I may…"

I almost gagged. We weren't five minutes into this conversation and I would do anything to get away from this woman's lipstick fetish. I would never know why some felt the need to use so much of the stuff on their face. Me, myself- I avoided make-up like it was a feral animal. Why? Perhaps the expected answer is, 'I'm not like other girls'. Like, no? Never get me started on how nail polish brushes feel on the root ends of nails. Or what about how lipstick made facial contact more slippery and noisy and… Eugh. I'd rather have another being possess me again than touch the stuff.

I focused on "Dad". I could imagine his disheveled hairline with Colress' dumb cowlick. For a second there, still lingering on what I saw of "Mom", I wished he did the same. Familiarity would be good here. Even if Colress did kinda… Damn it. I should be holding my "uncle" accountable. He knew what would happen if nothing were done about the ultra wormhole particles.

Look at where it got us.

"Um, yeah?" I answered "Mom's" earlier inquiry. "What?"

"Where are your glasses?" she said. "And what is with the massive blanket?"

"I've been wondering too," Colton said. I heard the clicks of a keyboard from his end of the call. "It's eighty degrees where you are right now." He focused on me again. His pupils grew a smidge. "I feel I've seen what you're wearing somewhere. What is it?"

My cheeks seemed to catch fire. "It's, uh…" Crud. "Security blanket?"

"Mom's" expression sharpened like a dagger put to a whetstone. "This reminds me…" she said, pursing her stupid lips. They barely moved when she added, "Dear? What exactly have you been doing since you got to Alola?"

"Settling in?" I said, shrugging. "Introducing myself to the neighbors? Getting familiar with the local wildlife?" Oh, yeah. Totally normal stuff everyone does when they move.

I swore she would hurl real daggers at me if she could. "How many times have we warned you?"

I swallowed into a dry throat. "Warned me about what?"

"You're supposed to be staying away from him!" she yelled, shriller than a Misdreavus. She jerked her camera closer to her eyes. They glistened with mascara.

Adagio squeaked.

"What are you thinking?! Don't you remember what happened in Opelucid? People could have died! He deserves nothing from us. Colre- Colbert should be behind bars with Ghetsis and the rest of those Neo Plasma freaks.

"Here you are giving him the attention he doesn't deserve…"

Heart thumping, I buried my chin in my chest. I dug into its insides until the chair I sat in prevented from going any further. For all of its benefits, the coat did nothing to stop "Mom's" shrieking about "Colbert" this and "Team Plasma" that.

"How could you consider him trustworthy after what he has done?" she spat. "What do you see in him?"

"Um, honey?" Colton said, sinking from his screen. "Didn't we agree not to mention my brother?"

"We made no such agreement!" Gwendolyn shouted, her brows sloping at a steep angle. "This must be addressed. Don't you see what she's wearing? She's getting comfortable with him being around! Our good names are being dragged through the mud as we speak because he dared to make a public appearance! Do you have any idea of how many clients of mine have canceled appointments for the next two months because of his little stunt with, what did the news call it… Those "wormholes"? No one outside of the U.R. wants anything to do with the Avenues so long as Colbert and his life-threatening "experiments" are associated!"

No. Not this again. I could feel my heart race a thousand miles a minute. Whoever did this to me: why? You got me thrown from one family of women fueled by testosterone to another. Am I supposed to fall in line with the aggressors? Let them get whatever they wanted?

"Dear, the fact you believe he is worth spending any time with after all this time is indicative we should have kept you home!" Mom- Gwendolyn roared.

"Dad" shrank. "Dear-"

"Colbert is a disgrace to our family! He cares for nothing except his "research". Anything he does benefits him, not you or us. Cut him off for your sake. For all our sakes! Your grandfather otherwise will have to dis-"

"Shut up!"

No.

No more.

My new Xtransceiver soared across the bedroom. Digging into the coat a second time, I heard a striking crack somewhere along the wall behind me. Following this came the persistent hiss of static. They're gone, probably. My parents. Their only landline to me might have been severed. Honestly? Whatever. Good. Having a mother and a father would not be worth any amount of being screamed at.

Adagio shuddered.

Maybe, you could say, I barely knew Gwendolyn Avenue. Why the overreaction? In my experience, anyone who came on strong like "Mom" wasn't worth the effort. She hadn't been afraid to scream her feelings at me. Thing is, I'm not supposed to be a punching bag or a therapist. I'm her daughter.

"I'm…" I said, knowing my pokémon partner lingered right outside my enclosed space. "I'm sorry.

"I'm so sorry."

There's weight on my shoulder. I could tell it wasn't Colress' coat doing. Sure, it hugged me, but it never exerted pressure. Somehow, I wasn't taken by surprise besides clenching my muscles.

"Cousin?"

I reluctantly groaned. When opening my eyes, my vision took a moment to clear.

There's a guy in a lab coat, shorts, and cap to my left. No shirt, as per usual. "You were as comatose as a Komala the last time I saw you," he said. Removing his hand from my shoulder, he grinned and took a step back. "I'm glad you're up and moving. I started getting worried after a day."

"Kukui?" I said.

"In the flesh," the professor answered. His grin withered away to nothing. "Burnet and I saw everything. You being attacked and all."

I remained silent. There were several things I could say while we were alone. I decided it would be better to save the matter for another time. He would simply deny everything.

"Colress refused to have you admitted to the island hospital," Kukui said. "I see why now. You weren't blasted head-on by a pokémon." He deflated. "Hala took the brunt of the special attack damage. He's got internal bleeding and head trauma among other things. The doctors placed him in a medically-induced coma. When Necrozma's special attacks can induce injuries like those, imagine what would have happened if things got physical!"

The professor placed an object on the desk.

I grimaced. Adagio must have shown him the aftermath of me meeting my parents.

"Your reunion didn't go well?" Kukui said.

"When does anything go well when it comes to family?" I said, resting my cheek on an upright arm. "Mo- Gwendolyn sounded like she wanted to kill Colress. Oh wait, I'm sorry- Colbert. She almost made a threat to hurt me somehow!" I leered at the device.

"Lili lio!" Adagio yapped, throwing her flippers onto my seat.

I grunted when lifting her from the floor. Sea lions? They're heavy. Holding a Rowlet or Litten wouldn't have been as bad, I'm sure. Regular birds and house cats generally didn't weigh much. Holding Adagio reminded me of walking home from the store with two to three stuffed grocery bags. Man, I was lucky to live ten minutes from any stores in my past life. My real family could never afford a car.

Everything I could ever need was here too. Hau'oli City was a smidge more crowded than the games portrayed. There were dozens of shops lining the city streets and the innards of the local mall. Would be a good idea for me to get a better read on what the city offered. Except there were greater needs to fulfill today.

"Professor?" I said, setting Adagio on the desk. The cooling coat slid from my shoulders to my palms. "Might be wrong of me to say this since I'm not as important as-" I winced. Why should I demean myself? "Forget it."

Kukui didn't answer. He seemed more focused on what I shed.

I darted from my seat. The chair's screeching drew his attention from the coat. Thank. The. Tapu. Or whoever.

"Colress allowed me to borrow this!" I said.

Kukui's head tilted. "You really do trust him?"

"It's complicated," I said, pushing the chair in. "Yeah, he might've put me in danger. 'Least he hasn't visually assaulted me." I bet her lipstick would taste as good as it looked. Like if somebody swallowed a Nintendo Switch cartridge, puked, and force-fed the remnants to another person. Half of me wondered if she did it on purpose. 'Cause, sure. Me having a mother who hated her offspring? I wouldn't be surprised. No, sirree.

"Did what now?" Kukui asked.

"Hey, listen," I said, standing. "I'm thinking of going to Iki."

He considered my words. "You took a pummeling back there. You sure you'd make the trip?"

"I'm sure I'd be fine."

The Xtransceiver dangled from Adagio's snout. She sported a frown.

Kukui folded his arms. He must have been thinking.

"I'll hydrate before I go," I said, reaching the door. I twisted the knob. "Okay?" The door opened. "I'm unconscious for a day and I'm not feeling hungry or thirsty. Weird, right?"

"You're being…" His voice dipped. I couldn't hear him again until he lifted his chin. "...Should talk… Uh… Yeah."

I angled an ear. "I'm being what?"

The professor considered my question. "Nothing," he said, massaging the nape of his neck. "I'm disappointed in the Masked Royal's performance. When I viewed the footage, it seemed Necrozma was a psychic-type. I think if the Royal took a second to listen to your uncle-"

"We would've stood a better chance," I finished. My arms locked tight. "Hala wouldn't have gotten pummeled."

"...Yeah."

"How's Hau?" I asked. I almost surprised myself with the forceful shift in my tone. "Kid got a front-row seat to the mess. He wasn't hurt, was he? Or anyone else?"

"THEY SUFFERED MINOR WOUNDS. MOST HAVE HEALED. KA'UHANES' HAS NOT."

Literal electricity followed the booming voice. This coursed through my arms and legs. Skin prickled and hairs stood, both shocked awake by awesome power.

Professor Kukui could have impersonated a mannequin. Uh, besides the beads of sweat which dribbled from his forehead.

Pastel yellow streaks topped my new visitor's striking mohawk. Shoulder blades which were almost the size of the visitor's midsection sizzled with electricity.

"Eep!" squeaked Adagio in the background.

Unsure of what to say, I decided to start with a simple, "Hello?" The guardian fairy with a chicken motif got inside my house. No way could I risk pissing it off. "You freed me from Necrozma's control. Thank you."

In theory, bowing your head is a sign of respect. I'm face-to-face with a powerful legendary pokémon! Who wouldn't treat them with reverence? In practice, I couldn't meet those unblinking dual-toned eyes for more than a few seconds.

"YOU ARE DIFFERENT," said the deity, its growly voice not coming from a mouth. "YOUR LIGHT DISRUPTS THE NATURAL ORDER." These words failed to reach my eardrums. They passed through my skull and slipped inside my brain, echoing for a time after the words stopped flowing. I almost felt as if they were my own thoughts.

"Light?" I said. Here we went again with "light". Colress didn't straight-up murder me, which meant I didn't radiate wormhole particles. Since when would I be carrying Solgaleo and Lunala's energy? "What do you mean? Whatever light you're talking about-"

"YOU KNOW," Koko rumbled, leaning into me. It leveled its eyes with mine. They shrank to slits. "YES?"

There would be no use in me arguing with a Pokemon quick to anger. "Solgaleo and Lunala emit light," I said. "Am I right? It's… What my uncle explained to me. Necrozma feeds on the stuff. Um, going by what it screamed while it had me captive."

"CORRECT."

"Hey, sorry for interrupting," Professor Kukui piped in, rubbing behind his neck. "I've heard those names before."

"YES," answered Tapu Koko, its gaze not budging from mine.

"You've met them, yeah?" Kukui said. "Solgaleo and Lunala?"

"OF COURSE."

"What were they like? Why don't we see them these days?"

Koko's expression didn't change much. I was told what I needed to know by its stiffened sticks for arms. "ENOUGH WITH YOUR PETTY QUESTIONS!" it rumbled. "I AM NOT HERE FOR THOSE. YOU ARE LUCKY I HAVE NOT ZAPPED YOU FROM EXISTENCE FOR BEING IN MY WAY!"

Oh , please. If he was anything like his canon counterpart, the professor would welcome the opportunity to be zapped by a legendary. Pokémon moves were his bread and butter. He even got the ghost of a smile going at the mention!

"THIS VISIT IS NOT FOR YOU," Tapu Koko growled. "YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!"

Kukui kept his smile. "When did you learn poison sting?"

"Tapu?" I said. Keeping the chicken deity distracted might make it forget to sentence Kukui to the electric chair. "Why can't he know what you're gonna tell me?"

"DO YOU NOT HAVE AN INKLING?" Koko questioned, swinging towards me. "YOU ARE AN ANOMALY."

"In more ways than one, I guess," I said, standing tall. Funny. Anxiety is my cruel mistress. Must have been because I dealt with a pokémon rather than a person. "What's it to do with anything?"

"MORE THAN YOU IMAGINE."

The Tapu faded from existence mid-blink. Electricity crackled about the foyer.

"Emelie!" the professor shouted. "Behind you!"

Adagio's high-pitched squeal overtook the wall's creaking when she got thrown against it. She hit the floor, leaving a sea lion-shaped impact crater in the wall. When her body came to rest, she didn't move.

While I knew my heart to be beating like a drum, it seemed non-existent. My partner's first battle wound up being against the Tapu-

No. No thoughts. Action.

I fumbled through my shorts for Adagio's poké ball. My partner's a water-type. They're extremely vulnerable to electricity. If Koko decided I was a threat, I would have to keep her safe. She took quite the blow there!

Neither of my pockets gave me things to work with. They're both empty. I'm hit with the unfortunate truth: I left her ball in the bedroom.

I twirled to where I saw the Tapu last. Only, I was on the inside of a hollowed space kind of like an eggshell with how it curved. With it blocking my view, I risked peeking over my shoulder.

"YOU ARE COMING WITH ME," Tapu Koko rumbled, not bothering to glance my way.

"Wait," I said. "What?"

The eggshell-like space lurched. Light returned, bringing along pressure on both sides of my body. I'm stunned by a loud crash following my feet leaving the ground. My best guess? The Tapu blew a hole in the house. Or it smashed through my front door. Either way, I'm left dangling. My arms and legs, clamped between Koko's body and its pincers, were rendered useless.

"Adagio!" I yelled. "Professor!"

Tapu Koko readjusted its grip.

I did my best to not focus on the world below. We were floating about as high as a three-story building. I lived at the same height for years. Until now, I never considered what would happen if I dropped from there. To keep a long story short: ouch. I wouldn't be falling on concrete here, but still. Ouch.

"What are you going to do to me?" I said.

"NOTHING," it said. "SHOULD YOU COOPERATE."

"Pew!"

"Emelie?"

Nebby. And Lillie. Those two must have been waiting on the porch. I couldn't confirm for myself. Not unless they were willing to deal with projectile vomitting.

Even though Koko was taking me someplace, I refused to open my eyes. The tops of Melemele's trees from up high must have been greener than what nausea did to my complexion.

Electricity crackled. The wind whistled.

"Where we going?" I asked. I was greatful I didn't have my glasses. They would have been lost forever with everything going on. "Was the ruckus necessary?"

"YES," answered Koko.

"You attacked Adagio. My partner. She couldn't have posed a threat to you!"

"SHE IS WEAK REGARDLESS OF WHAT SHE WOULD NATURALLY DOMINATE OR SUCCUMB TO. YOU HAVE NEGLECTED MY KIND'S INSTINCT FOR BATTLE."

I knew the Tapu of Alola weren't the most logical bunch, but this was ridiculous! There were much bigger fish to fry than pokémon battles. Not to mention the one time Adagio and I were willing to fight, Colress butted in with his pseudo-legendary. Ah, and yes- "Sorry for forgetting something which is essentially illegal where I come from. I'm used to fighting for myself. Back home, I'm supposed to if I'm in danger."

"LET US OBSERVE HOW YOU ALONE WOULD HANDLE THIS!"

I couldn't retort. The wind seized before fleeing upwards. My shirt rippled. Skin prickled from the morning's chill.

…What the…?

On a nerve-wrecking whim, I confronted a stretch of the island's healthy flora. The palm trees were greener than me. They would stay greener after gravity had its way.

I. Screamed. I tried not to focus on the throbbing in my chest. My t-shirt, emblazoned with an outlined Pikachu and a yellow thunderbolt, gradually got dyed a new color. With it getting harder to breathe, I barely uttered, "What?"

Tapu Koko wouldn't…

Taking a detour never hurt. Which is what I would have liked to believe. Here I laid with metal in my chest. I'm dying. I would lose consciousness. I would never wake up again.

Wind no longer grated my sides like cheese. My joints locked tighter than a corpse undergoing rigor mortis. There's this thought nagging me. I couldn't bring it full circle. For all I knew, the wind stopped because I hit the ground. I'm dying.

Science trumped religion. Religion's stories explained why things happened in mystical ways. Science got to the point while providing evidence for its claims. Thanks to science, the universe made logical sense. It told us there was a high chance that nothing awaited us after death.

I would never turn my back on science. I would never pray for a miracle. Not with everything getting dark… With this wound in my chest… My thoughts slipping away…

What in the…? I wasn't dead! I think. Didn't the Tapu drop me? The resulting pain wouldn't be concentrated in my chest. Not unless its plan involved giving me a heart attack.

"DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE OUR VALUE," Koko boomed. "MY CHOSEN'S GRANDCHILD'S SURVIVAL WOULD HAVE DEPENDED ON HIS PARTNERS WERE I NOT THERE. SHOULD YOU LEARN THIS LESSON, YOU WILL THRIVE."

Definitely involved a heart attack. I hung limp in Koko's pincers. Breaths came to and fled from me almost quicker than I could registered. I wouldn't have noticed if my limbs were sliced off from how numb I got.

Shrinking treetops followed a steepening hill. Between them snaked a dirt path. About two or three times, the path got interrupted by sets of wood planks. I knew the area despite never going beyond the boundaries of the nearby town. It's a place I visited in simulations.

The Mahalo Trail.

"Hey," I said. I almost surprised myself with my calm tone. I dangled in Koko's grip otherwise paralyzed. "You mind a stupid question?"

"YES?" Tapu Koko replied. It didn't fly as fast as before, opting to travel at the pace of a jogger.

We came across wooden stakes. Both of them tilted inwards, towards the edge, and end, of the trail. Beyond them, at their level, was empty air. Harsh, howling winds echoed up and down the ravine between where we were and where the stakes pointed. The other day, a bridge connected Iki to the upcoming shrine. The townsfolk and the Kahuna traversed it to meet with Tapu Koko.

This direct line to their deity no longer existed. Were I remembering my time playing the games right, the Tapu weren't known to get involved in human affairs. They let their Kahunas handle those while hiding in their shrines or fighting threats to their islands.

Koko's the exception to the rule. The game's pokédex mentioned it being curious and quick-tempered. If I had to guess, I dealt with the second-sanest of the Tapus. I mean, its sibling, Bulu- If I remembered right- Hated conflict. Being rash with the second-sanest still meant it could drop me. This time into a ravine with jagged walls, a distant blue bottom, and an eastern waterfall's roar.

"WERE YOU NOT ABOUT TO ASK ME A QUESTION?" Koko said.

My captor sure took their sweet time. We were barely half-way across the gap.

"Sorry," I said, focusing on the other side's tree line. "I had a thought." Or two.

Numero uno: please don't toss me into the canyon.

"WHAT. IS. THE "STUPID QUESTION"?" Impatient, weren't we?

Numero dos: "Would pokémon have made a difference if their trainer was threatened with a weapon? Like a… Gun?"

"WHAT BARBARIC SOCIETY HAVE YOU COME FROM FOR THOSE TO STILL BE RELEVANT?" Koko said.

"You would have no idea."

"I AM MELEMELE'S GUARDIAN. HUMAN WEAPONS ARE USELESS AGAINST ME. THEY WOULD BE USELESS AGAINST ANY POKÉMON. OUR PURPOSE IS TWO-FOLD: TO LIVE, AND TO FIGHT. THIS IS WHY WE CHOSE TO ALLY WITH HUMANS.

"I HAVE FAILED MY ISLAND BY NOT DEFENDING MY CHOSEN. YOU HAVE, TOO, FOR CARRYING WHAT THE INVADER SOUGHT."

"Not my fault," I said. "I didn't-"

"SILENCE!" Koko boomed.

Its voice seemed to cast a wave of paralysis over me. "...Okay."

We reached the other side of the canyon at last. The dirt path picked up where the destroyed bridge left off. This cut straight through the thinning woods, which consisted more of palm trees than anything.

"BE GRATEFUL YOU HAVE NOT PLUMMETED TO YOUR DEATH. I DO NOT WISH TO KILL YOU. MELEMELE IS IN NEED OF A CARETAKER AS MY CHOSEN FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE.

Tapu Koko dipped towards the ground. From here, starting from a pointed brick arch, was the final stretch. Dirt road became stone.

Stone became wood. We entered a chamber, marked by another, this time round, arch which ended abruptly with staircases on either side of the room. They came together on a platform decorated in palm tree leaves and red flowers. An elevated stone with carvings I only registered as "elaborate" waited in their midsts.

Tapu Koko released me in the room's foyer. My knees buckled. I stood for five seconds, tops. Ground, sweet ground. I never wanted to leave it again. Not if I faced the possibility of death.

I've already died. Not again. Never again.

"EMELIE, WAS IT?" Tapu Koko said.

"Yes?" I said.

"YOU ARE HERE BEFORE ME FOR EVENTS FAR OUT OF YOUR CONTROL. IT IS YOU, STILL, WHO BROUGHT THEM TO FRUITION. AS PUNISHMENT-"

I'm still going to die, aren't I?

"-YOU WILL BE MY CHOSEN'S STAND-IN UNTIL HE RECOVERS OR, SHOULD IT HAPPEN, HE PERISHES."

Oh. Not bad. I could work with this.

…

Wait-

"YOU WILL NOT RETAIN THIS SPECIAL STATUS BEYOND EITHER OUTCOME AS YOU ARE NOT NATIVE-BORN. I WILL, OUT OF NECESSITY, GRANT YOU A BOON WHICH WILL LAST LONG BEYOND THIS TENURE."

I sprang into standing. "Excuse me?"

"COME AND STAND BEFORE MY SHRINE. BRING YOUR DIGNITY; YOU WILL NEED IT. THE DENIZENS OF MELEMELE ARE IN NEED OF LIGHT, THAT WHICH YOU NOW COMMAND."

I wasn't going to die. No, it'd be too simple of a "punishment". This chicken-looking jerk wanted me to take a leadership role. I would be thrust in front of more than a crowd at a festival.

I'm not going to get anywhere good complaining. "Tapu, I still have no idea what you mean by me having "light"," I said. "Do I look like a Cosmog to you?"

"YOU ARE MORE AKIN TO A SOLGALEO OR LUNALA," Koko said, settling on the overhead platform. "NECROZMA ALMOST OVERTOOK YOUR MIND AND BODY AS IT HAS WITH THEM IN TIMES PAST."

"What even is this "light" I've got? Could I do anything about it?"

"YOU COULD LOSE IT AND BE RENDERED COMATOSE FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS."

"Besides sentencing myself to death."

"HARNESS YOUR LIGHT FOR THE GOOD OF YOURSELF AND ALOLA. I ASSUME YOU'VE NOTICED SOME BENEFIT OF HAVING IT?"

"I've been unconscious for a day and I'm not hungry?"

"IT IS TRUE LIGHT CAN FEED ITS HOST. THIS ISN'T THE POINT I WISH TO MAKE. COSMOG HAS BEEN ITS SHARING LIGHT WITH YOU. BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN YOU HAVE YOUR OWN UNTIL NOW, IT HAS BEEN INFLUENCING YOU TO PROTECT IT. THE SAME HAS OCCURRED WITH NECROZMA. WERE YOU NOT SENSITIVE TO LIGHT, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ENGAGED IT.

"LEARN TO SENSE AND HARNESS LIGHT FOR ALOLA'S BENEFIT. KEEP WHAT COMES FROM OTHERS FROM INFLUENCING YOU OR YOU WILL BECOME ANOTHER MEAL OF THE FORMER BLINDING ONE.

"NOW COME. TAKE YOUR PLACE BESIDE ME. THERE IS AN ISLAND WHICH NEEDS SOMEONE AT ITS HELM. IF NOT AS A LEADER, AS A DEFENDER."

Doesn't matter which of those I thought of myself as. Going through with this meant Alolan society would eat me alive. I would be watched with more scrutiny than I would have if I fought the Masked Royal. "I-I don't know about this."

"YOU WILL."

"This is nuts."

"THIS IS TRADITION."

"Is a "stand-in" Kahuna tradition?"

"NO. MUST I DRAG YOU UP HERE?"

"You know, you're a crackhead."

"I WILL CRACK YOUR HEAD IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY!" Koko roared, eyes ablazed.

"Who else could fill Hala's role?" I said, balling a fist. "Oh, I don't know- A native? Doesn't make sense to put me through all this trouble."

There's an odd sound. Mechanical whirring, coming from the hallway. It's loud enough to take Koko's attention from me.

"WHO DARES TO INTERRUPT ME NOW?!" Koko roared.

The "intruder" entered, or floated rather, into the chamber. The wide metallic creature extended his four legs from the insides of his body. As the points at the ends of the legs touched the floorboards, another "intruder" clambered from the creature's flat head.

"Xavier!" I said. I ran to the Metagross, already greeting the person he brought along. "Col-" I paused mid-speech to reconsider the kid clinging to Xavier's head.

His dark green hair wasn't tied back like I was used to. The strands reached his shoulders. His black shirt and bright shorts were all wrinkly. He didn't wear shoes. His eyes were in a state I knew well. Redness, puffiness… Liquid blurring the irises.

The boy clammered from Xavier's head.

I threw a glare at Koko, who remained silent. The deity observed our small group from its platform.

As this distracted me, I was beset by pressure. This, I found a great deal tighter than Colress' ridiculous coat. Considering the hugger's height and where my-

"Okay, whoa," I said, gently prying him off of me. I kept a grip on his shoulder.

Hau's eyes seemed glassy. He trembled more than a taut, thin string having been released.

"Heya," I said. "Pretty brave of you to follow us. I planned to visit you." I must have seemed silly pushing at glasses that weren't there. "I've been dragged here against my will."

I addressed Xavier next. "Colress left you to watch me, I'm guessing."

"Gro!" Xavier replied, sort of nodding.

"Could you take us back to Iki? I'm gonna be honest: I don't think I'm the right person for the role Koko wants me to play."

"YOU MUST," Tapu Koko said. "YOU WILL."

I folded my arms. "Or what?" I retorted. "You'll dump me in the canyon?" Speaking of which- "Hey guys, did you know I was purposefully dropped on the way here? I almost died? After your Tapu caused property damage? After it electrocuted my partner?"

"Koko wants me to "temporarily" replace Hala. Why should I be taking his position? 'Specially after how your deity's treated me?"

"THIS IS FOR THE GOOD OF ALOLA."

"Alola, my ass," I fired at my now-debate partner. "You think I had any choice in coming to this region? In being attacked by the likes of you?" I went to address our visitors. "Either of you have an opinion on this? Who's in the right here?"

"ENOUGH FOOLISHNESS," Koko said. "WE DO NOT NEED A CHILD'S OPINION."

That same child took an interest in the floorboards.

"Hey," I said. "I won't rush you into saying anything. You okay?"

Electricity crackled. The Tapu hovered on my left.

Xavier hummed low and mechanically. Some form of growling?

"THE BOY WISHES TO NOT INTERFERE, IT APPEARS," said Koko. "YOU HAVE DISRESPECTED OUR CULTURE WITH YOUR COMMENTS. THUS I IMPLORE YOU TO ABANDON THIS FOLLY. DO NOT DELAY ME FURTHER."

"Or you'll kill me?" I snapped. "Great. " Wouldn't be the first time I'd been murdered for existing.

Hau's brow furrowed.

Didn't take a detective to know- "You're overwhelmed, kid. Best we get you home." I gestured at Xavier. "Kukui must've taken Adagio to the Center. I need to make sure she's okay. You can come with me if you'd like."

My other arm was grabbed.

I bristled.

It's Hau. The kid held me hostage.

Whenever other people cried, the mere sight of their tears seemed to burn my stupid tear ducts. Was it from empathy? Me being hyper-sensitive to certain sights and sounds? Didn't matter. I avoided his gaze.

"Do you have anything to say?" I asked.

Hau exhaled through his nostrils.

"I'm all ears," I said.

He squeezed my forearm.

I got close to frowning. Didn't I make it clear I wanted a verbal response? Even a simple 'Yes,' or 'No,' would be fine. Give me something to work with!

His squeezing got a bit tighter.

"I BELIEVE HE WANTS YOU TO LOOK AT HIM," Tapu Koko said.

I… Guess I'd have to. Afraid as I was of my dumb eyeballs, I did as requested.

No more tears. No threat of crying. Hallelujah.

"Why aren't you talking?" I said.

"SHOCK, I PRESUME," answered Koko.

"You're mute?" It's weird to think about. I never met anyone who couldn't verbalize their feelings in some fashion. Ever since he got here, Hau seemed as silent as a snowflake hitting concrete. "Think you can answer yes or no questions?"

Hau's head bobbed. Up. Down. Yes.

"Are you not talking on purpose?"

Head shaking. No.

"Can you talk?"

Mouth parted. Palm went to the neck. Jaw flapped. Nothing. No.

"DO YOU AGREE THIS WOMAN SHOULD TAKE UP YOUR GRANDFATHER'S MANTLE?"

"Excuse me?"

The local Chicken Deity and I gave each other the side-eye.

Xavier didn't react. I kinda wished he stole me back from the Tapu. Less drama, less stress, less poor decision-making leading to a,

Yes.

I couldn't breathe.

Tapu Koko floated to the platform above. "VERY WELL. JOIN ME WHEN YOU ARE READY, EMELIE. YOU WILL BE SWORN IN AS HALA'S TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT. ANY FURTHER PROTESTS WILL BE IGNORED, AS IS THE WAY OF THE TAPU."