Calem's Alola Adventure

Chapter 19

By: Gandire Alea

Calem and Lillie exit out of the fissure to find the Alter of the Sunne. The long staircase is wrapped in a myriad of cracks and has chunks missing from it, but still looks sturdy enough to support them. Hapu, having probably rode a charizard, is waiting for them at the staircase's foot. She says, "Our history tells us that the Vast Poni Canyon trial was the very first trial ever to be held. I hate to admit it, but you did a fine job clearing it and protecting Lillie."

Lillie shakes her clenched fists as she turns to Calem, "You've cleared all seven trials of Alola's island challenge now! That's wonderful!"

"With everything that happened, it feels like it's been longer than it really has."

Lillie giggles and says, "You've pushed yourself beyond your limits time and again. You really are a great trainer! And you would have never made it this far without your pokemon either!"

Calem runs his hand over the pokeballs at his waist. Remembering the support they gave him makes him smile, "Trainers cannot exist without pokemon."

Hapu says, "Okay, then, Lillie, if you're sure about your choice of partner, it's time."

Lillie says, "The sun flute… and the moon flute. If we sound both together… Let's go Calem!"

Calem looks a back at the fissure. He stares into it until Hapu says, "Hey, hurry up, slowpoke!"

Calem shrugs and follows Lillie, and Hapu to the altar at the top of the pyramid. Water pours out of an obelisk and fills a pool with two side streams. A large center platform rests in the center of the pool with two smaller ones within the side streams. Lillie places Nebby on the center platform before taking her place on the left platform. Calem takes his on the right. Once both have their flutes ready, Hapu says, "On my mark, then, 3, 2-"

"Wait, wait! We're here, too!" Mahina and Hau dash up the stairs towards Hapu. They hunch over panting upon reaching her. Mahina, grabbing her knees, and looks towards Calem and Lillie with a cheeky smile. "Did you forget? We're all in this, together."

Calem says, "You guys are late."

Lana, Acerola, and Serena climb up afterwards. Serena says, "Gladion also wanted to be here, but was unable to pull himself away from Aether Paradise. He did, however, ask me to pass a message." Serena clears her throat, "Lillie, I will have everything prepared to receive you and mother by the time you get here."

Serena then walks up to Calem and drapes her champion's mantle around his shoulders. "I do not know what will happen, but to whatever does occur, stand up to it."

Calem tugs on the mantle's side with two of his fingers. Despite the hot Alolan weather, it doesn't burn. Instead, it envelops him with in a comfortable warmth. "I'll be returning this to you afterwards."

Serena, forgetting about his broken rib, gives his shoulder a light punch. She ignores his wince and says, "Vous es mieux."

Lana rubs her arm as she walks up to Calem. She gives him a bashful smile and says, "There's a lot I want to say right now, but… that can wait." She looks at him with confidence and says, "Instead, I just want to know that… I believe you. Also, here." She hands him a flower with violet petals. Coming out from the center of each petal is a yellow dot.

Calem holds the flower to his nose and says, "An Iris…"

"I'll be waiting. So make sure you come back."

Calem pins the flower over his heart and says, "A field…"

Both Serena and Lana tilt their heads at the remark.

Calem remembers Greninja, Charizard, Lucario, Agislash, Tyrantrum, and recalls where he buried their pokeballs as hecontinues, "I think… I'll plant one. After this is over."

Lillie nods and does her Z-dance, "Right, for Nebby and mother!"

Hau and Acerola both say to her, "Good luck!" and "We believe in you!"

Once everyone backs away from Calem and Lillie, Hapu says, "Alright then. Let's try again. On 3, 2, 1, play!"

Calem and Lillie sound their flutes in unison. Each play some notes, but there isn't any order or rhythm. The temple shakes as the water surrounding the two small platforms glow electric blue. The light follows the stream up to the altar's base and up the obelisk. The sun decoration at the top opens to reveal a golden disk from which a beam of rainbow light rains down on Nebby.

Nebby floats upward as it's bathed within the light. It too begins to glow as it floats higher. Then, appearing from an explosion of silver light is a large, white bat with wings that glitter like the night sky. "Pew!" Nebby's cry has an echo to it as she flaps her wings.

Lillie runs up to Nebby, "Nebby… th-thank goodness… you're all right… Please don't ever do that again! You made me worry so much!"

Calem joins her and says, "You're going to need a bigger bag."

"Pew!"

Lillie says, "Nebby's right, Calem. Sounding the flutes gave Nebby so much power… she evolved into the legendary pokemon! Nebby doesn't need to hide any longer!"

Calem and Serena exchange glances. Legendary pokemon are always being hunted. If anything, Nebby is in more danger now than when she was a little cloud.

Lillie turns back to Nebby, "The Tapu were your babysitters… You were the pokemon being referred to back at the library…" She bows her head, "Please, Lunala… No… Nebby. Please. I need to see my mother!"

"Pew!"

A hopeful smile breaks across Lillie's face.

Lunala flaps her wings to raise herself upward. From the third eye appearing on her forehead shoots a beam of neon blue light which opens an ultra wormhole. Nebby then swoops down to pick up Calem and Lillie and flies into it.

Nebby drops Calem and Lillie into what looks like a dark cave filled with rocks that glitter dark blue and purple. Lillie says, "How… surprising. It's more beautiful than I would have expected… but the air is so thick here… It… almost hurts to breathe…"

Calem staggers his first few steps, but fights the urge to grab his side. Being jostled around by Nebby aggravated his ribs more than he's willing to admit. He shakes the pain from his head and looks around, but doesn't see anything. He takes a breath and says, "You're right…" If he and Lillie are like this just by being there, then how do the ultra beasts feel back on their world? "No wonder they lash out. Then again, breathing is always like this for me."

Lillie gives Calem an annoyed look, but says, "Do you think the Ultra Beasts really are pokemon? I don't know what to call them anymore…"

"I guess… it depends on what you consider to be pokemon. According to the story, Nebby's parents came from the ultra wormhole. That means, Nebby's an Ultra Beast, too, but we still consider her a pokemon."

Lillie nods, "You're right… We should go…"

"Pew!"

Lillie says, "What is it? Are you telling us you have to stay there?"

"Pew!"

"I'm… I'm so grateful to you for bringing me here, Nebby. Thank you! I guess I have to go the rest of the way mys- I mean, we'll go the rest of the way ourselves." Lillie corrects herself at Calem's glare.

"Pew!"

Calem and Lillie walk less than ten minutes before spotting a Nihilego floating around. To both their surprises, sitting on one of the rocks is Guzma. He looks bored as he says, "I'm the Team Skull boss, and I've never been scared of nothing or nobody. Heck, I live my life making people scared of me! So listen to what big bad Guzma has to say… Y'all are stupid!"

Calem says, "You're the one who jumped in here first. Actually, how are you fine? It's been almost a week since you came in here."

Guzma hops down from his spot and shrugs. "Being here messes with your body. I've a pretty good grasp on how long I've been in here, but I haven't felt hunger, thirst, or even tiredness even once. I've got no clue to what's going on. More importantly, how in the world did you even get to this place? Well, doesn't matter 'cause here you are. Look, there's beasts everywhere… I tried to catch one of those things… but it possessed me! And that's when it happened! My body, my mind… They started running wild, and I couldn't do anything about it!"

Calem says, "You're the one who wanted the power to beat me at any cost."

"Yeah, I probably had it too, but it was like I became somebody else! I finally felt what fear feels like! It was terrifying!" A moment passes and he turns to Calem, "Well? Aren't you going to laugh?"

"There's nothing to laugh about. We came to get you just as much as we did Lusamine."

"I don't get you…"

"I've seen the end of the world. I don't want to see it again. Being around you still ticks me off, but you're not the same person I fought at Po Town, not anymore."

Guzma sighs and looks to Lillie, "I may be the Team Skull boss, and I've never been scared of nothing or nobody, but… that lady… she's on another level! She's way far gone! She lost her mind over these Ultra Beasts. There's no talking to her, no reasoning with her… She's just gone…"

Lillie shakes her head. The determination on her face reflects in her voice. "That doesn't change anything. I still have to go!" She runs past Guzma and presses ahead. Calem, watching her run underneath multiple Nihilego, chases after her.

They stop at a clearing where five Nhilego form a column by stacking on top of each other. As they twirl in place, Calem says, "They kinda look like you."

"What?"

"The old you, before your Z evolution. On top is your hat, then your hair, your dress, and finally your feet, but the color is what really makes it stick."

Lillie refrains from commenting as Lusamine appears underneath the Nililego. While the four upper ones drift away, the bottom most one floats down onto Lusamine's lap where she rubs its head like a child. Lusamine says, "Look at it… The world of my Ultra Beasts… A world where the only thing that exists is the love between Nihilego and myself. So beautiful… So delicious… This is the real paradise!" Her serene smile melts into agony as she says, "And yet you! Why must you continue to pester me? I am sick of you. Sick through and through! Who told you that you could come here, to the perfect, beautiful world of my beasts and me?"

Nihilego's jealous chirps emphasis Lusamine's anger.

Lillie says, "Think about what you are saying! What about Mr. Guzma? Don't you care about what happens to him?"

Lusamine says, "Just leave. I don't need you here… I don't need you any longer! Look around you! Look at this beautiful world that I've finally come to! You want me to go back to that world? That's what you've come to bother me for? Even you cannot be that stupid!"

Nihilego's joyful and encouraging chirps ring at the end of Lusamine's sentence.

Lillie says, "You always do that… It's just like it was back at Aether Paradise… Only thinking of yourself and what you want…"

Lusamine says, "What…? And why shouldn't I! I can live here in a world filled with only the things that I love! And I will live here!" Nihilego floats from Lusamine's lap as she rises. "I don't care if you are my child or not! I don't care if you were loyal to me or not! I don't care if you're the rarest pokemon there is in the world or not! If you're not beautiful enough to be worthy of my love, then I don't need you!" A row of Nihilego appear behind her to emphasis her words. "That's right! All I need to exist in my world are the things that I want to have with me! Everything else is just a bother to me!"

Lillie grits her teeth before saying, "I am the one who is sick of you, Mother! Children… Children are not just things that belong to their parents! Pokemon are not just things that a trainer can do whatever they want to! I am alive! Cosmog is alive! We are not things for you to collect! We're not made for you to just discard when you get bored with us! That is terrible, Mother! You are terrible!"

Lusamine shrugs and sighs, "Terrible? Me? How am I different from any pokemon trainer, like your little "friend" there? What do you do with a pokemon you can't use? You remove it from your party, as you please. Enough with this useless talk, Lillie! I will never forgive you for stealing Cosmog from me. Never! Back when you were small, you would listen to everything I said, without question. For a time, even you were adorable to me! But you've changed. You've become ugly. Ever since you met this boy Calem… and learned to defy your own mother!"

Calem steps forward as he says, "Lillie, that was really well spoken. You've come a long way from when we first met."

Lusamine says, "Calem! You hateful little trainer!"

Calem picks up the black pokeball from his waist. He looks at the pokemon inside while saying, "What you said was wrong! Real trainers don't discard pokemon on the excuse that they were useless. Trainers and pokemon live and grow alongside one another. Those who can't aren't fit to shoulder the responsibility that comes with the title."

Lusamine grits her teeth before saying, "How dare you intrude upon this world that was meant for Nihilego and me? You and your lecture will not be tolerated! And with Nihilego's power, I will show you how wrong you were!" Nihilego envelops Lusamine from behind to become a sort of pokemon bio-suit.

Calem watches Lusamine's crazed expression of ecstasy as she relishes her development. He holds the black pokeball to his chest and uses his other hand to grasp the champion's mantle. In a quiet voice more for himself than anyone else, he says, "I'll defeat you… Not just for Lillie, but for this guy as well. It's my duty, a responsibility I've been shirking for years," he flings the mantel to the side and as it flutters back down, says, "to prove what pokemon and humans can overcome together!"

Calem looks over Lusamine's Clefable. If the flaming aura surrounding it is like those of the totem pokemon he's faced, then he'll be in for a tough battle. Still, the fairy pokemon wears a vacant expression. This harm that Lusamine has brought to her pokemon is the result of her obsession, but it's also his chance for victory. "Sandslash, metal claw!"

Clefable doesn't attempt to dodge. She wags her finger while Sandslash slashes through her aura and takes the hit across her stomach. She looks down at the pokemon and breathes fire. Sandslash rolls away by curling up into a ball and uncoils himself behind her. "Poison jab!"

Clefable lets Sandslash jab his claws into her back. Without flinching, she again wags her fingers. Her wings glow silver and she flaps them for steel wing. Sandslash, unable to free himself from her back, takes the hit across his face and body.

He's knocked free and bounces as he hits the rocky ground where he rolls to a stop. He staggers as he rises to his feet. One look at Sandslash's back is all Calem needs to understand that he'll never be forgiven if he switches out with another pokemon. Everyone will probably be the same. In that case, he'll just support all of them until the end. "Defense curl!" Sandslash dives to the side and lands as a ball to roll away from a draco meteor.

The attack doesn't even finish, and Clefable is again wagging her finger. From the way Clefable breathes in, "Giga impact!" Sandslash avoids Clefable's hyper beam and throws himself against the center of her chest. He slams her into the ground, forming a small crater with the blow, and springs away. His claws shake and his breathing is ragged, but he remains on his feet and keeps his attention focused on his opponent.

Clefable stands back up onto her feet. She doesn't wince despite her wings bending at strange angles and her arm falling limp at her side. Unable to move it, she raises her other hand.

"Earthquake!" Sandslash pounds the ground with his feet. Clefable stumbles, falls, and this time, doesn't stir. Sandslash, seeing he won, also falls over as his body gives out on him. Calem calls his pokemon back, "Great going, go ahead and reste pour l'instant."

Lusamine calls back Clefable and sends out Mismagius. Despite her lack of expression, a flaming aura emits from her body.

"Mimikyu, shadow ball!" Mismagius vanishes, letting Mimikyu's attack shoot through empty air. A flame ripples in the air. "Behind you!" A black claw extends from Mimikyu's costume and swipes at Mismagius as she reappears.

Mismagius teeters as she takes the hit, but most of the attack is absorbed by the aura. She finishes her attack by ramming into Mimikyu.

Mimikyu cries out as she tumbles across the ground. She isn't hurt, but is upset that her costume was damaged. "Dark pulse!" Mismagius again vanishes, leaving the attack to pass through empty air. "Above! Thunder bolt!"

Mismagius again lets her aura absorb most of the attack as she rams Mimikyu into the ground. Mimikyu gets up and pounces the ghost pokemon, but Mismagius once more vanishes, leaving Mimikyu to land onto the floor. Calem waits for the black ripple to appear and, "Shadow sneak!"

Mimikyu melts into the ground as Mismagius reappears. Mimikyu appears behind Mismagius and swipes with her black claw. Mimsmagius lets the claw strike her as she turns around. She doesn't recoil at the attack and uses mystic fire.

Mimikyu cries out as her costume catches fire and continues crying as she rolls on the ground in an attempt to put it out. While distracted, Mismagius uses shadow ball. The attack puts out the flames, but Mimikyu stops moving.

Calem calls back Mimikyu, "Don't worry, thanks to your efforts, I know exactly what to do. Rapidash!"

The fire pokemon neighs upon appearing and charges Mismagius with her horn. The ghost pokemon vanishes as Rapidash reaches her. "Your left!" Rapidash surrounds himself in silver flames as Mismagius appears and attacks with flare blitz. The ghost pokemon falls limp onto the floor upon taking the hit.

Rapidash snorts as Lusamine recalls her pokemon. "Milotic, hydro pump!" The fire pokemon leaps over the blast of water to dive bomb Milotic. The water pokemon raises her head and again uses hydro pump. Rapidash snorts and surrounds himself with electricity from wild charge. He takes the blast of water, but through it transmits an electic shock to Milotic. The electric passes through Milotic's flaming aura for a direct hit. Neither pokemon move upon hitting the ground.

Calem recalls Rapidash, "You really are too reckless. Rest for now. Noivern, flame thrower!" He makes the command before his or Lusamine's pokemon even finish revealing themselves.

Lilligant stares at Noivern despite the fire. The flaming aura repels most of the flames from her body and from her hands flies a blizzard of petals.

Noivern blows the petals away with his wings when, "Left!" Noivern swerves to the side, allowing a green ball of energy to fly past him. Lilligant used energy ball without ending her first attack.

"Air slash!" Noivern twirls through the storm of leaves Lilligant is still creating and rams a wing across her body.

Lilligant throws a golden sphere into the air as she gets up. The sphere bathes the field in a bright, warm light.

"Hurricane!" Dirt and loose rocks swirl around Lilligant as a funnel of air forms around her. Much of it rains across her body, but she ignores it and soaks in the light. Despite the debris Calem has Noivern kick up to block the rays, she gathers photons and focuses them within her arms to unleash solar beam.

Noivern evades the attack at first with his dexterious flying, but Lilligant chases him with her beam and knocks him from the air. Expressionless, she walks up to him to use mega drain only for Noivern to lunge forward with super fang and boomburst. Both attacks penetrate her aura to and hurt her more than she can recover using sunny day. As her aura dissipates, both pokemon collapse.

A/N: And now for the rematch you've all been waiting for, Mawile and Bewear! Anyway, do you guys think Hapu will acknowledge Calem after this? Guess we'll find out next chapter. But, until then, picture it, Calem with the champion's mantel fluttering in the wind. Behind him is a field of iris flowers. Makes for a good image, right?

-Gandire