This chapter contains scenes of grieving characters.

"It seems weird that there's so much down there," Mallow said, inspecting the huge Poni Radish that she'd just pulled out of the field. "Don't you think?"

"I'm much closer to the ground, so it's not so surprising for me, I think," Shaymin replied.

She reared up, brushing some of the dirt off the radish with a paw, then lowered herself back to the ground.

"But the field must be… what, almost a quarter radish underground, or something like that," Mallow said. "It doesn't really seem to make sense, somehow."

"It's because plants grow out of the air," Hapu told them. "They're not sucking in the dirt to grow, they're actually pushing it aside."

The radish went thud as it rolled down some of the other nearby ones, and Mallow looked at the next one she was going to go for.

"...maybe we should do these from the outside in?" she suggested. "Or, I don't know actually. I think the field might collapse if all those radishes are removed and I try to walk on it…"

"That's one reason Golurk often does it, but I'm sure you can work out a way," Hapu said. "Or you could do another one of the jobs that needs doing, but I won't insist on which."

"Perhaps it might involve leverage?" Lokoko suggested. "Or you could get Tsareena's help."

"I think it might help to get Flygon, but this isn't really Ultra Guardians business," Mallow frowned.

"Flygon? Ultra Guardian?" Shaymin said.

"Yeah, I agree with her," Hapu blinked. "You have a Flygon? What are the Ultra Guardians?"

"Flygon's a Ride Pokémon for when I do Ultra Guardians work, that's work to do with Ultra Beasts," Mallow explained, for the two of them. "Or people trying to exploit Alola's land. Or both. It's been both at least once."

"Huh," Hapu said. "Haven't heard about any of that on Poni itself, but were you involved when there was that big white flash in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah!" Mallow agreed. "And we came here to help revive Solgaleo, too, actually that's what we were doing while Ash was helping with that big flash of light…"

Her voice trailed off. "Hey, what Pokémon is that? Isn't that…"

Hapu turned to look.

"If you think that's Tapu Fini, you're right," she said, and bowed. "Guardian, it's an honour – why are you here?"

The Poni Island guardian floated closer.

"I am here, for many reasons," she said. "But one of them is you, Hapu. I ask you this, now. Are you ready to become the Kahuna?"

Hapu took a step backwards.

"I… don't know how to answer that," she admitted. "How do I even know that myself? That's supposed to be something you know, you're the Island Guardian."

Tapu Fini turned slightly to the side. "Well? That was not one of the options."

Lokoko started chuckling.

"You may as well come out, Ash," she said. "I can feel you there."

"Yeah, I guess it was worth a try," Ash agreed, stepping out from behind one of the nearby walls. "It's kind of awkward, Hapu, but Tapu Fini was asking me for advice on how to deal with it."

He shrugged, awkwardly. "Sometimes even when it's what you're meant to do, you just kinda have to guess? And it's okay to ask for help."

"The Tapus can not know how to deal with things?" Mallow asked. "Normal things, I mean, not… you?"

"Yeah, they're Pokémon, which means they're people like anyone else!" Ash said.

"See, various lessons," Pikachu agreed.

"Then… if you don't know…" Hapu began, and sighed. "I don't know either. Part of me thinks I'm ready, but I mostly just wish my grandfather had told me that."

"Hmm, now, there I might be able to help," Fini said. "Does anyone else have someone they'd like to have a talk to? I can't do it for anyone for long, it's not healthy, but the offer is there."

"I…" Mallow began. "My mother… I'd mostly like to say goodbye, and – and thank her for how much she did for me."

She frowned. "Wait, Lillie's dad – you should do her as well, but she's not here."

"Actually, funny thing, Gladion asked already, we couldn't find him," Ash explained, coming over to join them.

He crouched down next to Lokoko, and held out his arms.

The Fire-type clambered into them, tails wrapping around his body.

"Thank you, Ash," she said.

"You don't have to ask," Ash reassured her. "You don't have to not ask. It's entirely up to you, and nobody's going to think less of you if you don't want to."

"I…" Lokoko began, then flicked at her muzzle with a tail. "I don't know whether I want to or not. I'm so afraid of finding out something… something that will make me feel worse about him. Or – or something that will make me feel worse about going with you. It's stupid, of course going with you was the best thing to do, but it might make me feel guilty anyway."

She growled for a moment. "And then I'm worried that if I find out he had a good reason, it'll be like feeling he did something wrong was wrong. And I'd feel guilty about myself and…"

"Hey," Ash protested. "You'd better not feel bad about yourself, that's my friend you're talking about."

Lokoko sniggered.

"That's a good point," she agreed. "I… well, if Absol was here I'd know if this was a good idea or not, but this time I don't think I should rely on her. Not for that. But I might end up going home for cuddles."

She fell silent for a long moment, then pushed away from Ash.

"My first trainer," she said, facing Tapu Fini. "He vanished, and left me trapped in his mansion, and… I've never known what happened to him."

"Very well," the Island Guardian said. "Then step into the mist, and make peace."

"What do I need to do?" Hapu asked. "I… don't know."

She looked around. "I don't see where you are. Is this is how it's supposed to work?"

"It can be," answered her grandfather.

Hapu turned, surprised, and saw that Sofu was just behind her.

"Grandfather," she said. "I still don't know how this works, but… at least now I know I'm doing something right?"

"You've always been doing something right," Sofu said. "And you've never done everything right. Do you know why?"

Hapu gasped. "Grandfather-"

She stopped, swallowing. "That was… I don't know what you want. You never said anything that harsh before…"

"It was harsh," Sofu admitted. "But there was a reason for it. It's something which I think is the one thing you still need to learn."

He spread his arms, and after a moment Hapu hurried forwards and embraced him.

"My dear one," he said. "I'm sorry I ever gave you the idea you had to be perfect."

Hapu mumbled something into his shoulder, then looked at him with confusion. "That does not sound like the normal kind of advice you're supposed to get from a spirit."

"That's because it's not," Sofu replied. "Child… I'm sure that to a young girl I seemed like I knew everything, but I did not. I made mistakes. Everyone does. I've never done everything right, just like you, just like everyone. The important thing is that when you do make a mistake…"

"...you fix it," Hapu realized. "Or, you try to fix it, or something like that."

"If you live afraid of making mistakes, and never letting yourself do anything that might be a mistake… you end up doing nothing at all," Sofu told her. "Personally, I think you'll make a fine Kahuna, if you just let yourself try."

"Thank you," Mallow told her mother. "I… wanted to tell you how grateful I am."

"You told me how grateful you were every time I saw you, love," her mother said.

"But I didn't!" Mallow protested. "I… you were sick, and I just – the last thing I ever said to you was that you should stop talking about it!"

"I remember," the woman agreed. "Mallow, sweet one, did you think I'd forgotten?"

She put her hand on Mallow's shoulder. "I didn't mean with your words. Sometimes our words get all tangled up, and they don't say what we want to say. And that feels terrible because it means you can't say what you want to say, and you don't know why."

Mallow rubbed at her eyes, and her mother embraced her. "But do you know what I heard, my little one?"

"No," Mallow mumbled.

"I heard the things you said, but I also heard you telling me that you loved me. So much that you didn't know how to think about the idea of losing me. And you shouldn't be ashamed of that… no little girl should have to deal with that. But you did. And… Mallow, the young woman you are becoming is one I am proud to call my daughter."

"I'll miss you," Mallow said, swallowing. "All over again."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be!" Mallow insisted. "It's not your fault. And I want to…"

She paused.

"Can I tell you about my Pokémon?" she asked. "Bounsweet evolved all the way, she's a Tsareena now – and I met a new Pokémon, a Shaymin! She's interested in staying with me, and we'll see how it goes…"

"I was not ready for this," Lokoko said.

She raised a paw, then put it down again.

Then, with a long exhalation, she paced forwards.

"Lokoko," her old master's voice said. "I…"

He trailed off. "I'm glad you're looking well."

"I don't know how much you know about what happened," she replied. "If you saw everything, or a little, or nothing. But… for a long time, I couldn't decide if I loved you or hated you or both."

"I know," he replied. "You should hate me, Lokoko."

"I don't," Lokoko replied. "Or… I don't think I do. It's all tangled up and…"

She dipped her muzzle, then looked up again.

"Why?" she asked. "What happened? Why did you disappear?"

"I did everything wrong," the man said. "I should have taken you with me, but I didn't, because I wasn't meant to be going far. And, when I changed my mind and made it a longer journey, I should have sent back word. And…"

He shook his head. "After I died… Lokoko, you should have been provided for, but I didn't bother. I never named anyone as an heir, and I'd tried so hard to keep the mansion from being mentioned in official paperwork that nobody came to work out who the heir should be. And… you were trapped there, for so long, because I'd cared more about making sure you couldn't be stolen than trusting your judgement."

Her old master sat down. "I was selfish, and I never thought properly about what it would be like for you, even though I could have known you'd outlive me by hundreds of years."

Lokoko nodded.

"That… answers some questions I had," she said. "And… I don't know if I know what I think about it yet."

"So…" the man began, then stopped. "Are you happy?"

"I am now," Lokoko told him. "Fortune has given me a trainer who is brave, and kind, and thoughtful. And a wife, who I love dearly."

"A wife," he repeated. "I… please, tell me about her. And him. Either. I want to know, if you'll let me."

"Okay!" Kiawe said, as Charizard landed in a tearing hurry.

He looked at the water clock on his wrist, which still had some drops left – how much, he didn't know – then jumped down from Charizard's back and proffered the scales. "Tapu Fini, I'm back!"

Tapu Fini examined the scales, nodded, then lobbed a Flynium Z into the air.

Kiawe juggled it once, twice, thrice, and finally managed to catch it. "Huh?"

Tapu Fini had already turned to leave, grumbling something about how she should never have believed Koko about throwing being a good way to handle things.

AN:

Lokoko wasn't even planned, as such, she was just there when the scene started and I realized it made perfect sense for her to be.