Kahuna Hala was up late once again with his grandson. The baby was always full of energy so it could be hard to hold the child still to change and feed him. Right now, he was trying to settle down little Hau for the night, the battle of putting him in a pair of blue footsie pyjamas already won. As warm and bright as the islands of Alola were (except the seemingly cursed area known as Po Town, but that is a story for another day), the nights were chilly. He would not be responsible for his grandson catching a cold. Babies were exceptionally susceptible to diseases after all, their immune systems needing time to develop.

As he rocked his grandson, he looked out to the town centre through the nursery window. The battle stage was beached a pale shade of yellow in the bright moonlight. The grass and dirt paths were deserted as everyone was either sleeping or getting ready to go into the realm of dreams. Another peaceful night in Alola it seems.

Hau was finally settling, his tiny tan thumb stuck firmly in his mouth. His own son left soon after the baby was born, unable to deal with the grief of losing his fiancée during childbirth and then raising said child. He knew one day his Ka'eo would come back, it just wasn't his time. He had told his son to go travelling, to try and live his life again, so that is what he did. Ka'eo booked the first boat to the Kanto region the next day, Hala promising to raise his son in his steed. He got the odd postcard from Ka'eo every now and again, talking about the friends he had made and how he was doing. He seemed to be slowly but surely recovering from Uluwehi's death.

Hala placed little Hau in his crib, rocking it gently from side to side to ease his grandson to sleep. The crib was the same one that his own son had used, saved for when the family might once more have a child. He looked out into the Alolan night, only to notice a figure exiting the path that led to the Ruins of Conflict. He dismissed it as a local going to get advice with a problem as that was a common occurrence. Checking once more to make sure Hau was asleep, Hala ran a hand through his receding hairline, the hairs already turned white by the stress caused by his son's misadventures. He shuffled out of the nursery, ready to sleep the rest of the night away in his own bed.

It was a week or two later later when Hala first noticed the abnormalities in the way his island's deity, Tapu Koko, was acting.

All the island deities were normally recluse, only appearing to their Kahuna and a select few that they saw promise in. This applied more so to Tapu Koko. The electric/fairy type was rarely ever seen or heard, even by Hala himself, only meeting up if there was something to discuss or on the off chance the Tapu was at the shrine when Hala came to look after it.

Lately though, Tapu Koko had been spotted more often, flying to who knows where at random times of the day. Once he could even swear he saw it carrying something in its claw-shaped hands as it flew towards its shrine. It was odd, but he would respect his Tapu's privacy. It was only right after all, and anyway, he had to go make Hau his dinner. The young child seemed to like spicy foods, just like his grandfather, so it seems mashed Pomeg and Figy berries were on the menu today. Hala got to work, the topic of Tapu Koko gone from his mind.

Hala was sitting in the café in Hau'oli City, little Hau tagging along today. It was yet another beautiful day on Melemele Island and he was waiting on Olivia for their monthy meeting. These things were mostly just for show, the two kahuna's using the time to catch up and talk about what was going on in their lives. He was wearing his usual attire, his favourite yellow shirt placed over a plain blue t-shirt and white trousers. Little Hau was sitting in a high chair, playing with the folding fan that he normally kept tucked in his belt. His grandson was wearing a yellow shirt with a Pichu on the front along with a pair of orange shorts. Hau seemed to have a habit these days of kicking off anything you put on his feet so Hala had taken to going without unless Hau wanted to practice walking.

It didn't take long for Olivia to come in and take a seat across from him. Her hair had gotten shorter since their last meeting and to be honest, it suited her. She seemed more mature than her 20 years would suggest.

"Alola, Olivia. How have you been?" He asked, smiling brightly. She had brought a toy for Hau as usual, a little Rockruff plush that he instantly tried to get in his mouth.

"Alola, Hala and I've been doing well. How about you and this little cutie?" She replied, falling into an easy conversation with the older Kahuna.

Their meeting went on for a while, Hala talking about how Hau was coming along and Olivia describing how her old water trial captain had stepped down and the new one was called Lana. It was how their conversations usually went but then Olivia mentioned something strange.

"The ranch has noticed that some of the Miltank seem to have been milked at night. They aren't overly concerned about it since sometimes the Miltank give their milk to Pokemon in need but it looks to be too regular." She said. Hala nodded, understanding the lack of concern they had. The Miltank on that ranch were often seen helping wild Pokemon who had gotten sick or hurt in battle. Their milk was known for its healing properties not to mention it's amazing taste. He had used their Moomoo milk for Hau when the child was first born to help his immune system and stimulate his growth.

"Have they seen the person taking the milk?" He asked. He was curious if it was maybe one of the few homeless mothers that dotted the islands. There was very few of these people, most of them immigrants who were not technically classed as citizens, and as such were not entitled to be helped by the government. It was a cruel reality and so the Kahuna's always made sure to give them money or food if they had some to spare. It was kind of an unspoken law between them all.

"Surprisingly they haven't. A few of the farmhands have tried to catch them but the most they see is a yellow blur. Whoever or whatever it is, they are incredibly fast. The fact that the Tauros don't kick up a fuss when it happens is even weirder." She replied, a manicured hand coming up to hold her head as she thought about it. The yellow blur could be anything, but Hala had a nagging suspicion in the back of his mind but he ignored it as it was an incredibly unlikely possibility.

The two continued to chat until the sky turned a burnt orange, signalling that it was time for Olivia to head back home. Hala walked her outside, giving her a hug goodbye.

"Stay safe, Olivia. Same time next month?" It was a meaningless question as they both knew the answer. Olivia was saying goodbye to Hau who was still teething on the Rockruff plush. His Grandson was spoiled rotten between them both and some of the elders in Iki Town.

"Of course, same time next month." She got out her ride pager and called a Charizard, mounting it. With one last wave, she was gone.

Hala started the short walk back home. Hau was starting to become too heavy to hold but the stubborn old man refused to give in. His large steps rocked Hau to sleep, the Rockruff still in his grasp.

It had been 3 months since Hala had first noticed the Tapu's odd behaviour. He still noticed the odd sightings but he had become used to it. Hala was doing his usual rounds on the island, Hau in the care of an elder in the town.

One of the market stores in Hau'oli City had commented on how their yogurt stocks seemed to be going down quicker than normal even though there wasn't an increase in the sale of the product. They had already spoken to the police about the matter so it was in good hands. It was his right as Kahuna to know if there were any strange goings on after all but this was a job the police could handle just fine.

Hala was soon making his way along Route 2, checking in on the locals. The hotel was doing well, the number of customers having gone up due to it being the height of the holiday season. They talked for a little longer, Hala having been good friends with the owner for a number of years now. Apparently, they had some new staff who were there for a summer job. The youth of today were known to get a summer job to save up money before they started their Island Challenge. It was a good practice and got them ready for the real world.

After saying his goodbyes, Hala moved on to the berry fields across the road. Abel was the owner and was originally from Hoenn. He stayed in Kalos for a short while and worked for someone who owned a berry field of their own there for a while. When he retired, he moved here to Alola and decided to make a berry field of his own. His army of Delibird helped deliver berries across the four islands though most of his customers stayed here on Melemele Island.

He walked along the dirt path to where Abel was, working in one of the fields. "Abel, how are you today?" He questioned, a smile on his face. Abel raised his head and smiled back. His overalls were covered in dirt and a bit had gotten smudged on his face. His grey hair was covered with a big sun hat to ward off the harsh rays.

"Kahuna Hala, Alola. I've been doing well. Why don't we go inside for some water? The sun is brutal today." The old man got up and started leading the way to his house. Hala followed behind, agreeing with Abel. Today was the hottest day of the year so far.

They settled down at the breakfast bar with a cool glass of fresh water. The fans were on in the house and a few Delibird lay in front of them to cool down. The ice types did remarkably well in Alola's rays but it seemed today's heat was too much for some of the poor Pokemon.

"How has business been?" Hala asked. It was his job to make sure everyone on the island was happy and safe after all.

"Things have been strange for the past month or two if I do say so myself." Abel replied and took a sip of his drink. One of the Delibird came up to the berry farmer and lay beside him. The old man smiled and stroked his Pokemon's plumage.

Hala looked over with concern in his eyes. "What do you mean by strange?" He asked.

Abel sighed. "Some of my berries seem to go missing every now and again." He gestured to the berry fields outside. "It isn't just the normal Crabrawler amount too that I normally get here. At first it was all sorts of berries but now it seems to be Oran, Sitrus and Pinap berries that are specifically taken. I tried to see who was doing it, but all I saw was a yellow blur and they were gone! It isn't affecting my business so I'm not that bothered but I would still like to know why they are taking them from here."

Hala frowned. This sounded very much like the incident Olivia was having with her ranch a while ago, especially the part about the yellow blur. It looked like he had some investigating to do. Hala quickly thanked his friend and told him he would look into the incident. He quickly went through the rest of his rounds, eager to meet with a certain Tapu that he suspected was behind the missing goods.

Kahuna Hala stepped into the Ruins of Conflict, taking in the chamber he was currently in. The sun filtered through the canopy created by the column-like trees that resided inside the walls themselves. The Grey stone walls were decorated with traditional tribal designs in the colours of their deity. His heavy footsteps echoed around the carnivorous room as he made his way to the alter room.

Once inside he came upon a very unusual sight. A small child who couldn't be over a year old was sitting on the floor under the shrine to Tapu Koko. The child appeared to be female, wearing a light blue t-shirt and a darker blue pair of shorts. They were barefoot, with a good head of blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes. There seemed to be no parents around to supervise the child and they appeared to be sitting on a pile of old blankets and pillows, playing with a Alolan Vulpix plush.

Hala slowly approached the child who looked to be around his Hau's age. Once she noticed him though she started to cry, summoning the guardian deity to the space in between the two of them. Hala backed up and met Tapu Koko's eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments before the Tapu went to calm down the child. It didn't take him long, the little girl gurgling and holding onto the deity's claw-like appendage. The way they interacted was almost like a parent and their child. It was then that it dawned on Hala what had been going on these past few months.

"You've been looking after her." Hala whispered, mostly to himself.

Tapu Koko looked up and nodded. He led Hala behind the shrine. There lay the missing Moomoo Milk, berries and surprisingly enough, the yogurts from the store in Hau'oli city. There was also a few packs of diapers in the mix. Hala chuckled and gently patted the Tapu's outer casing. "It looks like I have some explaining to do to the local businesses. It still isn't right to take this stuff my friend. I shall help you get the things you need to raise the child."

Tapu Koko seemed to relax a little when he said that. He may be their guardian, but that didn't make it feel right to take the stuff needed to care for his little human without permission. It took a long time for him to figure out how to put on diaper's correctly and how to properly feed a human child but he got the hang of it. She was happy and developing properly so he assumed he was doing it right. He had even figured out she loved pinap berries sour taste so he made sure to get them often.

Hala grinned and walked back round with him. "May I hold the child?" He asked. Tapu Koko seemed to consider it for a while before nodding. Hala sat down in front of Moon and lifted her into his arms. The little girl still seemed unsure of him but cuddled into the old Kahuna when she realised he was not going to do anything. The old man smiled and rubbed her back.

"I can come by tomorrow and bring some things like clothes, diapers and toys. You seem to have enough food for now but let me know when she needs some more." He said to the Tapu who was floating in front of them, making sure Moon was ok. The Tapu nodded and brought over a letter, the same one that had been placed in Moon's blanket when she was left here. Hala looked at it curiously before taking it. He opened the letter and read it.

"To whoever is reading this,

This is my daughter Moon. I have recently become unable to care for her and so I had to leave her in Tapu Koko's shrine. I know he will make sure my daughter grows up in a good environment. The streets are too dangerous for a baby to live in I'm sure you know. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking in my little girl. Please be the parent that I could not be and make sure she has a good childhood. She was born April 2nd. I'm sorry I cannot include much more information.

Thank you,

Jeanine."

Hala folded the letter back up after reading its contents and put it in its envelope. "Well, it's nice to meet you Moon. I'm Kahuna Hala." He smiled at the child who had fallen asleep on his chest. Hala gently placed her back on the blanket pile and stood up, handing the letter to Tapu Koko. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tapu Koko." He said, the Tapu trilling in response. With that, Hala made his way back home, picking up his grandson on the way.

"Well Hau, just wait until I tell you about what our Tapu Koko has gotten up to now."