After having his Pokemon healed up, Ash and Misty walked down Route 10, battling others as usual, when they found the bus stop. Next to the bus stop is a statue of a smiling Snorlax holding up an umbrella in hand, but it was being vandalized by spray cans by Team Skull!
"Hey, stop that!" Misty yelled at them, annoyed.
"What, you never seen anyone wait for the bus before?"
"Not while vandalizing a cute reference to a movie!"
"Hey yo, you trying to steal our bus stop? Go best find your own, you hear?!"
"But this is the only stop on the route. Or maybe the whole island even." Ash pointed out.
"Not our problem, yo! Go, Houndour!" Both he and his partner sent out fire/dark canines. However, both Ash and Misty took no time at all to beat them.
"Brionne/Staryu, Bubblebeam!" They both ordered as their Pokemon came out and shot barrages of bubbles which one shot both Houndour.
"Hey, yo! When I fight, I'm not supposed to lose!" The one on the right complained.
"Oh please you're not that strong." Misty rolled her eyes. "Anyone with a decent water or rock type could defeat you. It's simple type matching."
"Oh yeah? Then how about this?! Go Golbat!" Sending out something that wasn't weak to water, he commanded, "Use Poison Fang!"
"Bubblebeam!" Both trainers ordered again, and from the combined force of the water Pokemon, Golbat fell from that too.
"Hey, come on, yo! Think about the bus drivers! If we take this stop, they can all chill!"
"Yeah that's not remotely how it works." Ash remarked.
"What do you know?! You ain't no bus driver, yo! Man I've over this! Back to living large at our mansion, yo!" Running off, they left the two trainers confused.
"They have a mansion?" she asked.
"Must be a run down crummy run the way they do things." Ash responded.
"Ash, Misty!" Professor Kukui called to them as he walked to the stop. "What's going on? These punks just ran past me going the other way, yeah?"
"We defeated them for vandalizing that statue."
"Man, if only they spent that energy challenging the league instead of doing no good all the time."
"League?" Ash asked.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough!" The professor laughed. "Just you wait cousin. Oh, here comes the bus now!" Sure enough, a wild bus appeared and it captured the three before proceeding heading on up the mountain, reaching the top in a small amount of time all which would've taken a while on foot, and there was both a Pokemon Center and an observatory waiting for them. Once they arrived to the top, Ash and Misty were amazed at the new perspective of Alola, standing up higher than any building top in the region. "Mount Hokulani is the second tallest mountain in Alola, recorded at approximately 5,500 feet. The tallest is over there." Looking to their right, Misty and Ash gasped as they saw a round mountain at most twice as high as they were. "You see that steep, jutting, majestic peak right over there? That's Mount Lanakila, the highest peak in Alola! It's just shy of reaching 8,000 feet straight! It's a sacred spot, yeah, the closest you can ever get to the legendary Pokemon of Alola, said to be the moon incarnate. And that's it right there, right at the peak is where I'll establish Alola's Pokemon League!"
"That's awesome!" Ash told him.
"This must be the first Pokemon League established since about 150 years ago." Misty mentioned, which confused Ash.
"How would you know something like that?"
"The Pokemon League was founded originally in 1867, and some regions decided to adopt it after reading it in news and hearing it by spread of word."
"Yeah. And we'll get everyone who's completed their island challenges, yeah, and up their on the peak of Mount Lanakila, they'll battle against the kahunas to become the island challenge champion! I've always valued our old traditions here in Alola, but it's time to make a champion the whole world will recognize like Red, Cynthia and Steven Stone. It's time to get our own Elite Four and Pokemon League! To think that, someday, the kiddos in Alola will be able to go from being the island challenge champion to world champion! And then, when we have our champion, they can show the rest of the world what's so special about Alola and their trainers, yeah!"
"That sounds really cool. Now I'm wishing I participated in this if I knew that was the end goal." Misty sighed.
"Well, you have several months to do so. Since it's going to be this region's debut in the Pokemon Leagues, we're going to wait until all of the other leagues are finished so that everyone can watch. And given that Ash and Hau have completed two islands in less than a month, I'd imagine you won't take too long."
"Oh, great." The redhead beamed. "At least I have time. I'll wait until the boys are done so that I'm not slowing the process."
"That's the spirit, woo! Now how about you two go on and check the observatory out?" As the two went to the observatory, Rotom came out.
"Oooo, the Pokemon League! It zzzounds zzzo cool! I bet you want to check it out too, right? zzrt?"
"I'd love the challenge!" Ash agreed with a raised fist. "One of the steps to becoming a Pokemon Master is to win a League."
"That'zzz the spirit! But firzzzt we need to complete the izzzland challenge. Onward to the Hokulani Observatory!" The machine cheered before going back into Ash's backpack.
"Oh wouldn't my sisters just hate it if I became a Pokemon Champion?" Misty giggled. "Me, the runt going from a nobody in Cerulean to Alola's champion."
"You may have a hard time with some of the challenges like Hau or Gladion. Hau has a Pikachu and may evolve it into a Raichu and a whole bunch of other trainers will have more grass and electric types."
"Ice can cover grass types, and I can keep up with those fast electric types." Misty boasted.
"Sure, I'll take your word for it." Ash sarcastically agreed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The redhead snapped.
"Ah, hey there!" Kukui interrupted their conversation, greeting a normal, skinny, nerdy looking guy in black pants, a blue jacket over a cyan shirt, hexagon shaped glasses and messy blonde hair. He smiled.
"You're still fired up as ever, eh, 'Royal'?" He asked coyly.
"Ha! You two, let me introduce you. This is Molayne Kontos. He runs the observatory here and also manages PC boxes. Although he's not the mountain's captain." Molayne shook his head with his eyes closed while grinning.
"But I was captain once, my masked friend. Anyway, thanks for coming up all the way up Hokulani you two. Our Captain Sophocles is a rather busy young man I'm afraid. Always calculating a comet's path or updating the computer system. If you want to be introduced to the Masked Royal though..."
"We already know." Both of the teens said before chuckling at the timing. "Jinx, you owe me a lemonade! No, you do! No you! You do!"
"Hey hey, cool it cousins!" Kukui inturrupted as he got in between them before it could become a slap fight. "You both can get lemonades from a vending machine. I'm heading back to Malie Garden. Even Hau is probably full from eating all those malasadas and drinking all that tea by now, yeah? And Molayne, just that about that favor, yeah? I want you to seriously consider it." The professor then left.
"So, you two know he's Royal already?"
"We recognized his speech patterns." Misty told him.
"I'm surprised he thought we couldn't be fooled." Ash commented.
"Ha, well... that guy's as interesting as ever. My old buddy!"
"Old buddy? You look 10 years younger than him." Ash remarked. The caused the guy to laugh.
"Oh stop! I'm only five years his junior! I mean that we've been buddies since high school. Look, here's a little something just to remember this meeting on Mt. Hokulani." Molayne said before he gave Ash a... a Z-Crystal?! And it was colored grey. "Behold!" Doing the Z-Pose for Steelium Z, he explained, "Cutting sharpness! Unyielding power! Yes, this move has them both! And it is what you need to know to draw forth the Steel type Z-power."
"Whoa, thanks a lot! But... why give me this?"
"I gathered these Z-Crystals when I was on my own island challenge back in my day, adventuring with Kukui and my Pokemon in search of strength. You should use it if you ever need to power up a steel type move. Now, allow me to let you in the observatory. And if you're ready for the trial, Captain Sophocles can be found in the head's office." Opening the doors, Ash and Misty saw that the lobby was filled with scientists and some Pokemon like Charjabug and Togedemaru, basically round white versions of Pikachu with yellow and brown triangles on its back. Misty shrieked in fright as she ran out of the observatory.
"What was that about?" Molayne asked.
"She has a phobia about bug Pokemon. She won't even get near my Charjabug."
"Ah, that's unfortunate. Well, let me explain to you then. Hokulani Observatory can view distant planets and galaxies. With the help of Pokemon like these, of course! Oh, it's getting around time to feed them." Continuing on, Ash headed to the office that was told to him, and found the trial captain, whom was short, round and had orange hair. He looked like he was in his tween years.
"You're getting close to your goal. You must've come here to attempt the trial, I imagine. So... uh... where are the Charjabug?"
"Molayne's taking care of them in the lobby." Ash answered. "It's feeding time.
"...right. Those Charjabug sure are gluttons, you know?"
"I have one actually."
"Do you now? When it evolves, you'll truly have a reliable electric type." He grinned. "But anyway, they help me with the trial. Can you go get them?"
"Sure." The trainer obliged.
"Cool. I have to get everything else ready while you do that. I'm going to have to get the help of the Togedemarus too. This will be my first time testing it. So it would be a huge help if you gathered all of them if you can."
"I understand." Going and finding Molayne and the Charjabug outside, he said to the trial-goer,
"Oh, hello. The Charjabug are all fed and happy. Although, I seem to have lost some of them. We're missing three out of nine, leaving six remaining. Do you think you can find the rest? They couldn't have gone farther than the parking lot where the bus stops." It didn't take long though before the missing three were found in the grass and behind the bus, so with all of the bug/electric types rounded up, Molayne and Ash met up with Sophocles in the building.
"You gathered them up quickly. I thought there was something about you." The trial captain complimented him. "So in there is where you'll have your trial. Entering the room, he and Molayne were checking up the machinery with Pokemon.
"Onejabug, Twojabug and Threejabug are all on board the roller... yes! We should be ready for them to lend us their electricity, eh, Soffy?" The kid nodded before explaining the relationship of Charjabug and Togedemaru's Lightning Rod ability for the safety of humans.
"So, do you want to begin my trial now?"
"I've been waiting for this!" Ash accepted with gusto.
"Wow, you're really into this. OK, let me explain how it works. First, you need to connect the Chargabug that are on the roller. We'll use the electricity to power the machine... that should let us call the Totem Pokemon. Use the buttons on the corners to rotate the panels and connect the Pokemon in a straight line. Have you seen a line of batteries power a light bulb? This is the same idea but with Pokemon. It doesn't matter which direction their facing, so long as three each are facing the same way. This will summon the Totem Pokemon which you'll hopefully beat. Also, this is the first time we're using these machines, so also consider yourself lucky to be test running this the first time."
"Cool. I'll see what I can do."
"Alright. Trial begin!" For the first two rounds, Ash was able to figure out, with some difficulty though, how to get one, two, then three sets of Charjabugs to power up the machine meant to summon the Totem Pokemon. However, it started to malfunction from too much electrical input. Sparks crackled across the metal and the wires started to go haywire. "Ah! The pinger is becoming unstable!" The machine then spun out of control, and the electric ping would've blasted the Charjabugs, if it weren't for a Togedemaru leaping in between, taking in all the electricity thanks to its Lightning Rod ability, absorbing it all.
"The current is too strong! Even for Togedemaru's electric sacs it can't handle all that!" A loud cry came from the ceiling, and a Totem Togedemaru jumped from a metal beam to take the smaller one's place. Eventually, the machine ran out of power, and the Totem Pokemon turned towards Ash, an aura glowing strongly. Figuring it would try to let out all of the electricity it absorbed, Ash requested,
"Mudbray, use High Horsepower!" Being brought out, she stood there as Togedemaru spun in a ball like Sonic the Hedgehog and rolled forward with electrical power, coming in like a thunderous wrecking ball. However, upon contact with the Donkey Pokemon, the ground type was totally unaffected due to having a type immune to electric attacks. However, the metallic barbs on its back did hurt though. Though that was not enough to prevent Mudbray from glowing with power, and started to push against the Roly-Poly Pokemon. Due to its 4X weakness to ground types, the Totem Pokemon was unable to resist the attack, and was smashed into a wall with enough power to split the barrier between the room and outside, and rolled back into a tree. The Roly-Poly Pokemon was knocked out in one hit.
"Whoa! I've never seen the Totem Pokemon taken down that fast before!" Sophocles gasped. Mudbray neighed right before glowing. Everyone gasped as they saw the Pokemon grow to be taller then even Molayne, evolving into Mudsdale like Hapu's. Mudsdale gave a much more powerful neigh as she raised her legs, then slammed them down with enough force to rock the area, unsettling all the human's balance for a second.
"Wow, you're one heck of a trainer to have beaten the Totem Pokemon that easily!" The trial captain complimented Ash.
"To think that your Mudbray evolved just after." Molayne pondered out loud. "If it had evolved, our Totem Pokemon would stand no chance."
"I'll need to work on the machines. Upgrade its intake tolerance. All these Pokemon are my friends. I'll give you this Electrium-Z to reward you for beating the Totem Pokemon and saving my friends." The trial captain handed Ash a yellow crystal with a lightning bolt in it.
"Thank you!" Ash chuckled.
"Don't forget to show him the Z-Pose." Molayne told Sophocles.
"I was gonna! Just watch." Moving his arms the usual initial way, he then waved his arms side to side before positioning them and his hands to resemble a lightning bolt.
"Congradulations on completing your trial! And Sophocles did well as captain too."
"I was really nervous there." He admitted, looking bad about things going awry.
"Don't worry, I'm sure I made the right choice in naming you captain. Finding flaws and improving on them is how science works. Even if you're my cousin." Molayne encouraged the young boy. He grinned in response. "Usually it's the Kahuna who appoints the captains. But there are some... er, unusual circumstances her on Ula'ula Island Island."
"So I somehow ended up captain." Sophocles said. "But you and Mudsdale did do great."
"Ash, before you go out, could I ask you a favor for me? My pal Kukui seems to have forgotten this." Molayne handed Ash the mask of... The Masked Royal! "He said he's going back to Malie Garden, right? Sorry to ask, but take it to him, would you?"
"Sure."