"Alright then let's do this one more time!" Kiawe said. "Turtonator use Flamethrower!"
"Torracat use Flamethrower!" Ark called out.
The two boys had been asked to come to school on Saturday to help out, what they didn't realize was that this helping out, was really just they needed to cleanly burn some things.
"Alright, we need a break." Ark said, waving a hand.
"No kidding." Kiawe said, falling back as Turtonator fell forward with a resounding THUMP!
"There they are!" Mallow called out.
Ark and Kiawe turned their heads to see Mallow and Lana running over with some lunches for them.
"Lillie said you two would be here today, and we thought you might like some food." Lana said, the Eevee from the other day running over to Pikachu.
"So Lana, is this going to be another Ark situation where we have to guess whether or not you've caught Eevee until you realize you should have, or are you just going to catch it already?" Kiawe asked, still not moving from his position on the ground.
"Oh I did catch him, sort of. Harper and Sara have been claiming he's theirs, especially since they saw Cass with Meltan." Lana admitted. "But I do have his Pokeball, see?"
"Lure Ball, ironic." Ark said.
"Mimo hasn't been much better she's asking for a Meltan herself, we still don't even know where Cass's came from, or if there are even any others out there." Kiawe groaned.
"Bring it up with Cass, not with me." Ark said. "Any idea how much more we have to burn up?"
"Come on you two reignite your Flamethrower's with a Blast Burn and Incinerate the rest of this!" Professor Kukui said.
"Professor give them a break, you know more than anyone that using moves this much takes a lot out of both trainer and Pokemon." Mallow scolded.
"I know, it's just we have a lot left to take care of." Professor Kukui said.
"Why don't you just have a bonfire night?" Lana asked. "You could invite the townsfolk of Iki and some people from Haulioli, cook food over open flames."
"That's actually not a bad idea, most of this is just wood anyways, and it would be a great way to involve the community." Professor Kukui said.
'Ding!'
"Oh come on!" Kiawe groaned looking at his phone.
"What's up Kiawe, problems at the farm?" Ark asked.
"No, though sometimes I wonder if that would be easier." Kiawe sighed. "No, I had my phone searching for anything about trainers in Alola using mega evolution and that was just all the results from Poni Island's recorded history."
"So what did you find?" Mallow asked.
"Not a thing. I think my grandfather never getting this was actually a blessing in disguise." Kiawe said.
"Come on Kiawe, you've never given up before, and you can't start now. You'll find a mega stone I'm sure of it, especially before the league starts." Ark said.
"League, what league?" Kiawe asked.
"Right, I forgot I wasn't supposed to know that, when are you going to announce that anyways?" Ark asked.
"You know about it?!" Professor Kukui asked.
"You guys were less than quiet about it, and you did have me leave Principal Oak's office moments before hand." Ark said.
"Well, what you didn't hear is that we won't be hosting it until we have a new Kahuna on Poni Island." Professor Kukui said. "We thought it didn't feel right to start the first league without one."
"So what's taking so long?" Mallow asked.
"It's not like a new Kahuna can just claim the title." Kiawe said. "Tapu Fini has to choose them first."
"I know that, but don't they usually choose them in time before the old one well…". Mallow trailed off.
"Usually yes, the old Kahuna was a friend of my grandfathers, but Tapu FIni supposedly was a very stubborn guardian and didn't pick one, and now its been a few months since his passing." Kiawe sighed.
"Then I say we go back." Ark said.
"Ark, you can't just become a Kahuna." Professor Kukui chuckled.
"No, not me. But think about it, we've been to Poni a couple of times now, maybe we can help Tapu Fini find her new Kahuna." Ark said.
"I can start the forms on it, but don't expect things to come so quickly. It's not like you can just go on a field trip that big." Professor Kukui said.
"Alright, enough rest, let's take care of some of the larger pieces before we let everyone come for a bonfire." Kiawe said. "And then training."
"I hear that!" Ark said excitedly. "Torracat let's give it everything we've got use Flamethrower!"
"Turtonator use Flamethrower as well!" Kiawe called out.
Later that night
"Hey Cass, how about some training?" Lana asked.
"Really, but aren't you worried it won't be fair?" Cass asked.
"I think Sandy is pretty close in strength to Meltan, so we shouldn't have to worry too much." Lana said, holding up Eevee, "so how about it?"
"Sounds like fun, let's get away from so much fire though." Cass said. "Meltan use Headbutt!"
"Sandy use Tackle!"
Up above in the classroom
"So you've known this whole time and kept quiet about it." Professor Kukui asked.
"Yeah, I mean I'm really excited about it, and knowing that we could all compete will be tons of fun." Ark said. "I just hope we can find a fourth Kahuna before the end of the year."
"There's something else you know that you haven't said, isn't there?" Professor Kukui asked.
"Always can read me like a book." Ark said, looking at the battle down below.
"Meltan use Iron Defense!"
"Sandy use Sand Attack!"
"My parents, my real ones in Kanto, I don't think I'll be coming back next year." Ark said. "I know Cass won't, she has a life in Kanto."
"But you also have your life here." Professor Kukui said. "And you're afraid of how to tell them that."
"I know that I have to trust the way of the islands, and that everything goes home at some point, but Alola is my home, even if it isn't supposed to be." Ark said. "Does that make me a bad person?"
"No Ark, it makes you someone who has deep connections to where they grew up, I'm sure that your father would be more than understanding of that." Professor Kukui said.
"My father, why would he be so understanding of that?" Ark asked.
"Well, I did some research of my own a while back, just because I'm your teacher doesn't mean there are things I can't learn, and take a look at this." Professor Kukui said, typing into his computer. "Your father was a world explorer and a champion in his own right. If anyone can understand you having a home not with your family, it would be him."
"I think I'll talk to him, later when we see him in person again, after all he was the one who told me to come back." Ark said.
"See, you barely know each other and he's an understanding dad already." Professor Kukui said. "Now go and enjoy the night with your family, stop wasting it up here with your teacher."
"Right Professor." Ark said.
Near the charred remains from earlier a small creature cut through space itself.
"Tcejbo sselhtrow a tuc I ,niaga ecno!"
The charred remains sliced right down the center before collapsing into a pile of twigs.
Lana's Current Team and their moves
Brionne: Icy Wind - Disarming Voice - Water Pledge - Aqua Jet
Lapras: Ice Beam - Surf - Body Slam
Sandy: Tackle - Sand Attack
Cass's Current Team and their Moves
Meltan: Thundershock - Headbutt - Iron Defense