And now here's the third chapter. I swear I just get a bunch of energy every time I begin a chapter. Honestly I don't know how long this will be but one thing for sure, it's gonna be fun to write. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3-New Friendzz and Skullzz

Another day has dawned on Alola as Collin removed himself from his bed, this time having a shower early and getting dressed before Lillie was to arrive. He looked around his house, trying to find his old travel bag. Turns out it was in stashed away in the wardrobe along with his other clothes, waiting to gather dust.

"Didn't think I'd be using you anytime soon." he said as if the bag could talk. He took the bag out and stashed it with spare clothes, food and other items to cover him for his journey just as he heard a knock on the door. "Coming!" he yelled, strapping the bag onto his back, Pokeballs in his pocket and answered the door to see Lillie, once again in her pure white clothing.

"G-good morning Collin!" she said showing a shy smile. "You ready to visit the lab?" she said, while trying to hide her face. Collin took this as her not fully getting over seeing him almost naked yesterday.

"Uh yeah I'm just about ready." he said, rubbing his back, feeling the awkwardness rise. "So...lead the way?" he said walking out of the house and locking the door, never returning until whenever he finishes this journey. The two walked in silence, not uttering a single word to each other, letting the tension between the two grow. It wasn't until they reached the beach area to see patches of grass and trainers that Lillie spoke up.

"Um, I don't have any Pokemon on me. So I have to use a ton of repels on me just to get past. I hope you don't mind." she said, looking worried.

"That's no problem. You go on ahead, I want to train Piplup and Rowlet while I'm here."

"Sure. I'll meet you by the lab when you're finished. It's that house over there." she said pointing towards the rather beaten up looking house. She walked along the grass, getting stopped by trainers to battle her and her constantly telling them she didn't have Pokemon. Collin couldn't help but find her politeness cute, in a friendly so of way that is. He made his way on the grass and encountered Pokemon he'd never seen and some he had, battling each one and the trainers he saw. During that time, Piplup managed to finally get the hang of it's Bubble.

"Good job buddy! I told you didn't I?!" he said, excited.

"PIP! PIP!"

"Come on, let's not keep Lillie and Kukui waiting." He returned Piplup to his ball and walked towards the lab. "Sorry about making you wait."

"It's no problem at al-" she said just as a bang came from inside the lab.

"HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS THAT?!" shouted Collin, getting his Pokeballs ready for a fight before Lillie grabbed a hold of his arms to stop him.

"It's okay! Kukui has an...interesting way in studying Pokemon moves. Let's go inside to see for yourself." she said, leading him into the lab. Inside, he saw a dog like Pokemon tackling Kukui in the chest.

"OH YEAH! I FELT THAT! MY BODY IS READY!" he shouted, only now turning to notice Collin and Lillie in the room with him. "Oh...ehehe...I didn't expect to see you there."

"...right mind explaining what's going on here?" asked Collin.

"Well I study Pokemon moves. How they work and all of that but what makes me different from other Professors is that I test the moves on myself to see how powerful they are. It's giving me good results so far, isn't that right Rockruff?" he said to the dog Pokemon.

"RUFF! RUFF!" it said, running in circles.

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" asked Collin, slightly concerned.

"Nope. Not at all. I got with with Ice Beam and was fine!" he said, slightly shaking. Collin wasn't convinced at all. "Anyway I bet you're wondering why I called you here?"

"To give me a Pokedex to fill out?" said Collin, smirking. Lillie just watch and she giggled at Kukui's face as he looked confused.

"How did you?...Oh...I assume other Professors gave you one in their regions." Collin only nodded. "Well you are right. But this one will be special. Okay buddy! Come on out!" he shouted. An electric pulse appeared and a floating Pokemon was now in it's place.

"BBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZRT!" it cried, bobbing up and down. This caused Collin, who's normally calm and collected, to hide behind Lillie.

"KUKUI GET THAT FUCKING THING AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted behind Lillie, scared out of his shoes.

"Relax cousin, what's the worry. Rotom is harmless, if not a trickster."

"YEAH AND THAT IS THE WHOLE FUCKING PROBLEM!"

"Collin, what's wrong?" asked Lillie, looking behind her to see Collin shaking.

"I ran into a Rotom in Sinnoh. Scared the absolute shit out of me!" he confessed.

"I can assure you that this Rotom won't do that. Besides, he's gonna be pretty helpful to you." Kukui took out what looked like a Pokedex and held it out to Rotom. "You know what to do buddy!"

"BBZZRT!" it cried and dove right into the Pokedex. This made Collin even more scared.

"Oh Arceus why are you letting that thing in there!?"

"Hey! Don't judge me cuzzz!" said a robotic sounding voice.

"Oh great, it talks. That's just fucking perfect." said Collin, pacing back and forth.

"I think you're overreacting Collin." said Lillie with a stern voice. He turned to face her, with a face of pure rage.

"I'm overreacting?! HOW ABOUT YOU TRY GETTING CHASED BY ONE OF THOSE THINGS, CHANGING FORM EVERY TURN I MAKE, SCARING THE LIFE OUT OF ME AND GIVING ME NIGHTMARES THAT I STILL HAVE!" he roared out to the point that even the trainers on the beach could hear him. He was panting heavily, looking around at the shocked face of Kukui, the shocked emoji on the Pokedex, and Lillie, who looked like she was close to tears.

"I-I-I'm so sorry. I-I-I didn't know-" she choked out. This made Collin calm down right away.

"No no no no. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let that out. It's not your fault, or Kukui's or Rotom's. It's my fault for overreacting." The Rotom floated closer to Collin, making him flinch a bit.

"Even thoze I'm not that Rotomz, I'm sorry for what my kindz put you through. I promize not to do thatzzz." said the Rotom.

"Okay. I guess you're alright." said Collin, smiling a bit. Kukui got his composure back and began to speak.

"Sorry about that Collin. I suppose I should have told you. But anyway, Rotom has fused with the Pokedex, making it a Rotom Dex! He'll be able to tell you new Pokemon from the region quick as a Thunderbolt!"

"I'll not let you down Masterzz!" said Rotom, jumping inside Collin's bag without warning.

"Tell me next time you go in there!" he shouted.

"Tell what to go in where?" came a new voice entering the lab.

"Ah Hau! Good timing!" said Kukui, fumbling in his pockets to take out two pendants. "You two, take these." he said handing the pendants to Hau and Collin.

"Are these trial pendants?!" said Hau exactingly.

"Trial pendants?" asked Collin.

"Yes. These are meant to be worn on your person to prove you are on your Island Challenge. Now I would be telling the both of you to head to Trainer School, but Hau you'll be the only one going since Collin already knows the ins and outs of being a trainer. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all Professor! If I want to beat Collin, I got to learn everything I know! After all, it's not a race." said Hau, his smile not leaving his face.

"That's the way to look at it! Well you two, get started on your Island Challenge! Have fun and good luck!" said Kukui, showing the three out the door.

"Bye Professor." they all said at once as they left the lab. Hau jumped onto the sand and was still in his happy mood.

"I already know where the Trainer School is so I'll get a head start on you Collin. I'll see you when I finish! Bye!" he said waving at the two and ran off to the school.

"He's gonna be a good trainer. I can feel it." said Collin, smiling fondly. That smile faded when he turned to Lillie, who still looked upset. "Hey, Lillie. You okay?"

"Yeah. It's just...I feel so guilty about what I said to you in there." she said, coughing out the words.

"Hey hey hey, none of that." he said in a bigger attempt to calm her down. "I was the one who popped off. You never knew and you were right. I did overreact."

"But you had your reason to."

"But that's no excuse to shout at a friend." he said. Lillie looked up at him.

"You...see me as a friend?" she asked, unsure if she heard him right.

"Of course. You've been nothing but polite to me since yesterday. Same with Hau. If there is one way to easily be friends with me, it's to be kind and friendly." This seemed to perk Lillie up a lot.

"Thanks for forgiving me. Gosh I've been saying "thanks" a lot, haven't I?" she said giggling.

"Ah think nothing of it." he said turning towards the city in the distance. "Well, no time like the present. Ready to head into the city?" he asked.

"Of course!"

The two walked out of the beach and went west from Collin's house into Hau'oli city. Lillie was telling him a few details about the city. While not as big as Castelia City in Unova or even Lumiose City in Kalos, but the atmosphere certainly made up for it. It gave a sense of warm and comfort unlike most cities that felt cold and harsh. Just by stepping foot by the beach area, he knew he'd enjoy his short time here.

"And all the way down this road is another Pokemon Center." said Lillie, continuing to ramble on about what was in the city when a voice interrupted her.

"HEY! IS ONE OF YOU COLLIN!" shouted a lady from outside of a store.

"Yeah that's me!" shouted back Collin. The lady walked up to him and greeted the two with a smile.

"Oh good I thought I missed you. I got a call from Kukui to upgrade your Pokedex to take pictures. Mind if I take it off your hands for a few minutes."

"Sure, no problem." he said taking out the dex. "Now behave you hear me?" said Collin to the Pokedex.

"Yezz Sirzzz!" it said. The lady grabbed the Pokedex and walked into the building. As they were waiting for her to return, Hau managed to catch up with them.

"Hey guys! Boy that training school was tough but I managed to do it!" he said jumping up and down.

"Well done Hau." said Lillie. "I'm sure you know more than you did before...I hope." she teased.

"Pfft, course I do. Watch out Collin, I'm gonna catch up to you yet!"

"I'm sure you will Hau." said Collin, smiling.

"Oh by the way, a man by the name Ilima, the Trial Captain, said to meet you by the pier in the city. Said he had something important to tell you."

"Okay, thanks Hau. I'll go there once I get my Pokedex back." Just as he said that, the lady came out. "Speak of the devil."

"Here you are sir. Taking pictures is as easy as a snap. Also, don't worry about paying, it's free of charge! Thank you for waiting and enjoy your Island Challenge." she said walking back into the building.

"Thanks!" Collin looked at the dex. "Okay how do you take a picture. I want one of the three of us."

"I can handlezzz that!" said Rotom floating in the air. "Okay say Pokemonzzz!"

"POKEMON!" they cried as the picture was taken. Collin looked at it and it turned out rather well.

"Oh that's so awesome! If you managed to print that out, send me a copy please." said Hau.

"No problem. Right shall we go to the pier?"

"Actually I'm gonna go get a bite to eat. All that battling has made me super hungry. I'll catch you later!" said Hau walking off.

"Um...do you mind if I look at some clothes shops? I never really get a chance to go in them." asked Lillie.

"Sure. It's not like you need to be connected to my hip 24/7. I'll meet you back here okay?"

"Sure. Good luck with your talk!" she said and she bounced her way towards the clothing shop, or at least it looked like she was bouncing. Collin sighed and hoped she was okay from what he said earlier in the day. He took the thought out his brain for now and decided to make his way towards the pier.

As Collin made his way to the pier, he overheard a conversation by to people.

"Team Skull is supposed to be around here."

"What? Those punks? They won't be able to do a thing here."

"Yeah I guess you're right. Still, be careful."

"Team Skull?" Collin sighed, he had a bad feeling that it was going to be one of those situations. He finally got to the pier which had a few people standing around, less than they day he arrived. One person stood out with green hair and was smartly dressed. The person turned and walked towards Collin.

"You wouldn't happen to be Collin?" asked the person, sounding very posh.

"Yeah that would be me. You must be Ilima."

"Ah yes. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Ilima. Captain of the only Trial here on Melemele Island. I represent the Normal Trial. I have been tasked to inform you on what the trials are and what you get for passing them."

"Yeah I wasn't actually told. Mind explaining?" asked Collin.

"Of course. Now you have traveled to many regions with Gyms yes? Well here, the Trials are not like Gyms. Trials don't just test your battle skills, they test your brain, your bond with your Pokemon, and your survival skills. When you complete a trial, you will be faced with what's called a Totem Pokemon."

"Totem Pokemon?"

"Yes. These are Pokemon that are much larger and stronger than your average Pokemon. But if you managed to beat them, you'll be awarded a Z-Crystal. What are those? Well why don't we wait till the actual Trial to talk about that." said Ilima.

"Sure. Wow, this is so much different to Gyms. Well at least it's a good different, kinda got tired to doing them every region. Where is the Trial?" asked Collin.

"The Trial is on Route 2 just north of here. I'll meet you there soon." Just as Ilima was about to walk away, loud music began to blare across the pier.

"Yo yo yo! Whatz up homies!" said one figure dressed in black.

"We are Team Skull and we are in the house bro!" said another figure in the same clothing.

"So anyway as I was saying, I'll meet you at the Trial" said Ilima, completely ignoring the figures. They ran up towards Collin and Ilima.

"Hey yo! What just because you the Cap'n you think you can ignore us homie?!"

"Yeah! Team Skull doesn't like it when dudes ignore us." Collin stared at the goons.

"Wait...you're Team Skull?" he asked.

"Yeah and what of it newbie!? You look like you aren't around from here and we don't like newcomers. Isn't that right bro?"

"Damn right that's right bro! So hand over your Pokemon before you get hunt!" said the goon before doing some weird dance. Collin wasn't even impressed.

"Yeah listen, not gonna happen. You have to options; leave us be, or face a beat down. Which is it going to be? Actually I think I know the answer already." he said with a smirk on his face.

"Yo who the hell do you think you are newbie?! We the hardest in all of Alola and you just made a big mistake. Bro, let's shut these fools up!"

"I hear you bro!" The two sent out a Zubat and what looked like a Grimer with mustard on its face.

"Collin, would you be so kind and help me take these two down. I'll take the one with the Grimer, you take on the Zubat." said Ilima, sending out a Smeargle.

"With fucking pleasure. GO PIPLUP!" shouted Collin throwing out Piplup. "Ready for battle buddy?"

"Piplup Piplup!" he cried.

"Well then let's teach this idiot not to mess with me. Open up with a Tackle!" Piplup ran as fast it could and jumped, slamming into the Zubat.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! USE ABSORB!" The Zubat got up and went to bite Piplup.

"Dodge and use Bubble to finish him off!" Piplup does indeed dodge and shoots out multiple bubbles, each one hitting the Zubat and knocking it out.

"OH YOU USELESS SACK OF SHIT! RETURN!" shouted the grunt. "Who the hell are you?!"

"I did warn you. Now I suggest you and your buddy get out of here, before I make things way worse for the both of you." said Collin, showing a wicked grin on his face just as the other goon was defeated.

"Bro let's get out of here! This guy reminds me of the boss!"

"I hear you! Let's split!" The two goons ran off to who knows where.

"Well that was pleasant. Good work, you really must be a strong trainer." said Ilima. "By the way, what did you mean by saying "making things worse?""

"Nothing. I just wanted to scare them off. But knowing my luck, I'm going to see a lot more of them soon."

"Unfortunately you will. Team Skull are all over Alola so watch yourself. Then again I'm sure you won't have to worry. Anyway I best be going. I'll see you at the Trial. Remember, it's just north, Route 2!" shouted Ilima, walking away from Collin. His brain was full to burst. Trials, Captains, Z-Crystals, Team Skull, Lillie. Everything just seemed to crash on him all at once.

"This is going to be a long one isn't it?"

As always, comments and reviews of any nature are welcomed. If there are things in chapters that you think need to be improved or changed, please don't hesitate to tell, feedback really does help. And as always, I'll see you in the next chapter. Cheerio!