Alola, everyone! We've returned to start the month of March off with a bang while "RWBY: Omni Force" is getting started back up again! But in the meantime, we should continue our journey through Alola, right?
Last time we left off, both of our heroes were… in interesting situations. Erika now has a Lurantis as she's trudging up Mount Hokulani, while Calvin's caught himself a Poliwag and given his newly hatched Stufful to Paige, who kissed him! A lot's going down for the twins, with plenty more to come! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"…Pyrrha?" Erika uttered out upon spotting her rival sitting near the mountain's edge. Kukui perked up upon overhearing her.
"Did you just say you saw Pyrrha?" he inquired, getting her attention.
"Y-Yeah!" she stammered in reply, "Hey, stop the bus!" she called out suddenly, causing all the passengers and the driver to widen their eyes in surprise. However, the bus did end up stopping. As its doors opened, Erika hopped out and ran off.
"Hey, Erika!" Kukui shouted.
"Sorry, Professor!" the Ketchum girl apologized, "I promise I'll meet you up at the top later!" she declared, leaping over the guardrail.
"I'll look after her, zzt," Rotom buzzed as it floated off after its user.
"Huh…" Kukui exhaled in exasperation. Nevertheless, he too was worried. What was Pyrrha doing here? Wasn't she supposed to be finishing her grand trial on Akala?
"Hff…" the blonde-haired girl whimpered as tears streaked down her face. She didn't even notice her friend approach from behind.
"Pyrrha…?" she uttered, catching her attention as she perked up in surprise, "Is… that you?" she asked out of concern. Turning her head around, the Eucliffe girl widened her eyes slightly.
"Erika…" she said upon recognizing her. Her lips quivered before she broke down and started sobbing again. The Ketchum girl gave off a sympathetic look, crouching down in front of her.
"Hey, what happened?" she asked worriedly, "Did you get hurt or something?" she inquired, looking her rival over, "And… what are you doing on Ula'ula?" she asked on. Pyrrha shook her head as tears continued streaking down her face.
"I…I don't know…!" she whimpered out, lowering her head, "I… didn't beat Olivia…" she admitted sadly, "And… I couldn't forget… about what happened in the tournament…" she mentioned with a shake of her head.
"H-Hey," Erika stuttered out, while Rotom floated over, "it's okay…" she assured, putting her hands onto her shoulders, "We all lose battles sometimes, but we—"
"Not like you!" Pyrrha suddenly shouted, interrupting her friend as she widened her eyes in surprise, "Huh…" she sobbed out, "When you lose, you take it in stride…" she noted, "You know you did your best… so you walk away okay…" she mentioned as her body shook, "But… I'm not as strong as you…!" she whimpered, "I don't think I'll ever be as strong as you…!" she confessed sadly as tears dripped from her shut eyes.
"Pyrrha…" Erika uttered.
"Maybe I should just… quit the island challenge altogether…" her friend suggested without warning, causing the Ketchum girl's eyes to jolt open.
"No, don't say that!" she insisted, grabbing her firmly by her shoulders, "Think about how your Pokémon would feel! How your family would feel!" she pointed out desperately, "Don't just throw that away!" she pleaded.
"Why should I even try…?" Pyrrha whimpered in question, "I'm sure my Pokémon are better off without a pathetic trainer like me…" she added while lowering her head. Erika realized that her friend was in a really bad state of mind. And she needed someone to be with her. That someone… had to be herself.
"Hey, Rotodex?" she said, getting the Pokédex's attention, "If you can… call the Professor and let him know we're gonna be a while…" she instructed to it.
"Leave it to me, zzt!" it buzzed in response, floating off to the side to make the particular call. Meanwhile, Erika held Pyrrha close in a warm hug.
"I'm not gonna leave you alone, okay?" she promised, "We can talk more when you want to," she added assuredly. The Eucliffe girl wrapped her arms around her friend's back as she sniffled.
"Thank you…" she whimpered out gratefully. The sun set in the background as the two of them stayed embraced for just a little while…
OPENING
Insert "Koko" by Beverly
Opens with the rising sun over the ocean horizon as a boat is sailing towards Ula'ula Island. Upon its bow are Calvin and Erika Ketchum, standing alongside their Pokémon as the wind rushes through their hair. They're about to embark on the next stage of their island challenge, smiling with excitement.
As the music picks up, the Pokémon logo appears in bright green letters, followed by "The Challenge of a Lifetime" appearing in bright yellow underneath it. The brightness of the logo envelops the screen before we transition to the Ketchum twins disembarking from the boat onto the island.
We cut to Calvin fishing in Maile Garden as Steenee and Incineroar are bickering in the background. Once Calvin sees his lure go underwater, he pulls the line hard to reel in a Poliwag. Watching from afar, Paige smiles while holding onto his egg, which shakes a little in her arms.
The scene then changes to Erika trudging tiredly up Mount Hokulani. She's about to fall backwards, but Primarina and Lycanroc are there to help push her up. She smiles gratefully, continuing the trek up the mountain.
We then see several new faces around the island, including Samson Oak, Acerola, Molayne, Sophocles, Grimsley, and Nanu. We also get a shot of Guzma, sitting upon his chair in the Shady House of Po Town. He grins deviously at the screen.
As the music picks back up, we see Calvin swing his left arm out as his Incineroar and Marowak charge in with a Flamethrower/Flame Wheel combination to take down a Skarmory. Meanwhile, we cut over to Erika as she orders for Fomantis to use Leaf Blade on an Alolan Geodude. Drifblim then floats in and sprays out a Gust to blow away a flock of Fearow. Afterwards, he floats over Fomantis to her chagrin as she seethes in frustration.
We get shots of Hau with his Alolan Raichu and Decidueye, Trent with his Mightyena and Greninja, Paige alongside her Combusken and Medicham, and Pyrrha alongside her Quilava and Ariados. Each of them are in their own battles, with Hau's Decidueye using Spirit Shackle on a Haunter, Trent's Mightyena blasting back a Kadabra with Snarl, Paige's Combusken using Flame Charge to ram into a Shieldon, and Pyrrha's Ariados landing a Cross Poison on a Sylveon.
The song continues from back on Melemele at the Ketchum vacation home. There, Leslie gets herself dressed and throws on her visor, heading out of her room alongside her Lopunny and shiny Gabite. As she heads outside onto the front porch, she smirks upon seeing Asta Sutarria there alongside Shiki Granbell and Tanjiro Kamado, as all three of them are looking to train Pokémon with her guidance for them.
Asta commands an Aegislash as he takes on his sword form and slashes at Leslie's Magmortar, who jumps back before firing off a Flamethrower. Meanwhile, Tanjiro's Croconaw attempts to land an Ice Fang onto Gabite, who uses Dig to get away before popping up from the ground and chomping down on his foe's tail, causing him to scream in agony. Watching from afar are Shiki and his Bronzor, who both giggle.
We cut back to Ula'ula Island as we see Erika commanding her Lycanroc to use Rock Slide against the Totem Vikavolt inside the Hokulani Observatory. The Stag Beetle Pokémon dodges the attack and lets electricity surge around his body before zipping down at his foe, who prepares to use Counter. Afterwards, we get a scene of Calvin and Incineroar facing down the Totem Mimikyu inside the abandoned Thrifty Megamart. As the Heel Pokémon lands a Darkest Lariat, a smaller Mimikyu watches from afar in awe.
There are several shots of a Cleffa poking out from a sleeping bag, a Togedemaru near a power plant, and an Alolan Sandshrew wandering about the cold area at the base of Mount Lanakila. We see Professor Kukui staring at the peak from Hokulani, hoping to host a Pokémon League there someday. However, we also see him glaring down Guzma in the Maile Garden as his Golisopod appears behind him. We get shots of Plumeria with her Salazzle and Gladion with Null and his Zoroark.
To end the opening, we see an anxious Lillie looking out over the horizon, concerned for the future. However, Calvin and Erika come to her, both giving her reassuring smiles. She grins, thankful for their presence as they all trek onward through the island…
END OPENING
Starlight, Starbright!
Calvin didn't know what to think of what just happened. He just got kissed by a girl. And that girl was Paige no less. He returned to the Pokémon Center, still in a bit of a daze.
"Stee?" his Steenee squeaked in concerned, looking up at him as he approached the PC, "Nee, neee!" she cried out, causing him to perk up.
"Oh, sorry Steenee…" he apologized, squatting down to pat her head, "Guess I'm just a bit out of sorts for right now…" he admitted sheepishly.
"Neee…" the Fruit Pokémon concurred with a nod, knowing exactly why.
"Anyways, we're gonna have to send somebody to the professor's lab if we wanna put Poliwag on the team," he pointed out, holding the shrunken Poké Ball he used to catch the Tadpole Pokémon earlier, "Though if he's here on the island… I'm not sure there'll be somebody at his lab to take anyone…" he admitted in concern.
"Stee neee?" Steenee questioned, tilting her head to the side.
"Don't worry," her trainer reassured, dialing the number on the PC, "I'm sure the professor left someone in charge of his house while he's here," he pointed out. As the call was started, the screen buffered before an image appeared. And Calvin's eyes widened. "Dad?!" he exclaimed in shock.
"Hey, Calvin!" Ash greeted with a wave through the video screen.
"Peekah, pee!" Pikachu squeaked, climbing onto his trainer's shoulder.
"Wh-What are you doing at Professor Kukui's place?" Calvin inquired with a stutter.
"I'm housesitting while he's away," his father replied, "Anyways, it's great to hear from you!" he pointed out excitedly, "I feel like we've never gotten to talk since Melemele!" he mentioned.
"Oh, uh, yeah…" his son noted in response. It had been a while since he and the Pokémon Master actually got a chance to really talk. In fact…
'Maybe he can help me figure this whole thing out…' he inwardly suggested, lowering his head for a moment.
"Congrats on winning the Aether Tournament, by the way!" Ash complimented, "I didn't end up winning a tournament for a while when I started out, so you're really on your way!" he mentioned excitedly.
"Thanks, Dad…" Calvin replied, "Um… can I ask you something?" he questioned as a blush started to grow on his cheeks. His father blinked.
"Sure, what is it?" he inquired in response, "You wanna know how to better strategize or something like-?"
"What was… your first kiss like?" his son interjected as his question. It took a few moments for Ash and Pikachu to register it.
"Huh?" the Pokémon Master uttered, now very confused, "Where's a question like that coming from?" he asked in concern. Calvin lowered his head in shame.
"Well… the egg I got as a reward for winning the tournament hatched…" he began to explain, "It was a Stufful… and a friend who was with me really liked her," he told him, "So… I gave Stufful to her… and…" he kept going as his face grew redder. Steenee swore she could see steam coming from her trainer's ears.
"And what?" Ash asked, inviting his son to answer.
"She… kissed me…" he finally admitted as his lips quivered with embarrassment.
"Oh…" his father uttered in realization, "Well, what happened after that?" he wondered curiously.
"We… just stopped talking to each other… and I came here…" his son replied, letting out a frustrated sigh, "Dad, I don't know what to do…" he confessed ashamedly.
"Neee…" Steenee squeaked out of worry.
"Well, there's nothing you really can do," Ash pointed out, causing Calvin to perk up, "She was probably really excited and just wanted to thank you," he noted.
"B-But doesn't kissing someone mean… you like them?" his son inquired with a stutter. The Pokémon Master cracked a small grin.
"You know, your mom wasn't the first person I got to kiss," he confessed to the surprise of the capped boy, "In fact, the first girl I ever kissed was Missus Regulus back when we were kids," he pointed out.
"Wh-? Really?" Calvin inquired.
"Mm-hmm," Ash responded with a nod, "And you know that I ended up being with your mom a while after we met," he noted, "So… I wouldn't worry too much about that girl kissing you," he advised, "It was probably just a spur of the moment thing for her when you gave her the Stufful," he mentioned with a grin.
"Peekah," Pikachu agreed as he nodded. Hearing that made Calvin feel a little better. Paige was just really happy about being gifted the Flailing Pokémon and felt extra generous to return the favor in her own way. At least, that's how it seemed.
"I'm guessing you didn't just call for a chat though," Ash pointed out, getting his attention.
"Oh, yeah," his son replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of his Poké Balls, "I caught a new Pokémon today, but I need to send one over," he told his father.
"I'd be glad to help!" he replied, "So who're you gonna send over?" he asked curiously.
"I think I'm gonna let Gumshoos crash over there for a while," Calvin replied, setting the Poké Ball onto the port after enlarging it, "By the way, is Erika's Oricorio still there?" he wondered aloud, cocking an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Ash replied, moving aside to show that the Dancing Pokémon was swaying about contently in the living room of the household, "If you run into Erika, let her know that Oricorio wants to get back on her team soon," he advised.
"I will," his son assured in response with a nod. The Poké Ball that he placed upon the port then disappeared in another flash of light. The Pokémon Master appeared to take hold of it on the screen, having it open as its light spilled out onto the ground to reveal Gumshoos.
"Guh!" he greeted, holding his front paws behind his back.
"We got him here safely, Calvin!" Ash pointed out assuredly.
"Thanks, Dad," his son replied in gratitude, "Gumshoos, you be good, okay?" he insisted of the Stakeout Pokémon.
"Guh shoo!" he chittered in response over the line, waving goodbye.
"Take care, Calvin!" Ash called out in farewell, "You and Erika look out for each other!" he added to him.
"We will," the capped boy assured with a nod. The screen then turned off, ending the call. "Huh…" Calvin exhaled as he grinned.
"Stee nee?" Steenee squeaked in concern, getting his attention.
"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better now," he said, "Why don't we meet our new teammate?" he suggested to her.
"Nee!" she exclaimed in responded with a nod. Taking out the once inactive Poké Ball, Calvin enlarged it with the press of a center button and lightly tossed it up. It popped open, and its light spilled onto the floor, dissipating to reveal Poliwag.
"Pol?" he squeaked, looking at his surroundings.
"Hey there, Poliwag!" his trainer greeted, getting his attention, "It's nice to meet you!" he exclaimed, "My name's Calvin," he introduced.
"Nee, stee neee!" Steenee chimed in boastfully, putting her hands onto her hips. The Tadpole Pokémon blinked.
"Poll!" he squeaked with a nod of his body, glad to be a part of the capped boy's team. Just then, the doors to the Pokémon Center opened. Calvin looked over and blinked in surprise to see Paige walking in. She was just as surprised to see him. In her arms was the still flailing Stufful. She and the Ketchum boy awkwardly stared at each other before blushing and looking away. Even if it was just a show of gratitude from earlier, it embarrassed the both of them to think that something resembling affection was building between them. Before either of them could speak…
"Hey, Cal!" Hau's voice exclaimed as he barged into the Pokémon Center, "You're not gonna believe what I just caught!" he pointed out excitedly with sparkles in his eyes. Inwardly, both Calvin and Paige were thankful for his sudden interjection. But at some point, they'd have to confront their feelings… along with each other.
X
Nighttime had fallen over Mount Hokulani as the stars and moon shined overhead. A somber Pyrrha leaned against Erika, letting out a saddened sigh as she looked up at the night sky. Rotom floated over to them.
"The profezzzor wantzzz to know if you'll make it the Pokémon Center tonight," it buzzed to its user, getting her attention. She looked over at the saddened Pyrrha.
"Huh…" she sighed, "I think we're gonna have to wait on that…" she admitted in response.
"Well, it'zzz going to get cold zzzoon," Rotom pointed out, "You zzzhould make a fire, zzt," it advised.
"Yeah," Erika agreed, "Pyrrha, you wanna help me out?" she offered to her rival, getting her attention.
"…Sure," she answered, still sounding upset. Moments later, the Ketchum girl had gathered a few tree branches, piling them within a set of rocks she formed into a circle. She then rubbed two rocks together as her friend watched, creating a spark that ignited a fire.
"There we go!" she exclaimed happily, dropping the two stones to hold out her hands to the warm flames. Pyrrha glanced away ashamedly.
"Why didn't you just use one of your Pokémon?" she wondered aloud, catching her rival's attention.
"Well… then I wouldn't be able to try it myself," she replied, "If you rely on others, you'll never be able to do things yourself…" she pointed out as she looked on at the fire.
"Right…" Pyrrha realized, tucking her legs in, "I think a friend of my mom's said the same thing…" she recalled despondently. Erika frowned with worry.
"Pyrrha-"
"You know, my name came from someone who lived in another world," she interjected suddenly, "My mom and dad never met her… because she died before they ever went to that universe," she pointed out. The Ketchum girl listened in concern. Why was her friend going off on such a tangent? "Mom told me it was a good name because… it was from someone strong," she mentioned, "If that's true…" she continued, "then why am I so weak?" she whimpered in question. Erika took on a serious expression.
"Pyrrha, you're not weak!" she exclaimed.
"But I'm not you!" her rival shouted back, "I'm just… not someone who can bounce back like you did…" she confessed sadly, "I keep getting knocked down by people me and my team can't compete with…" she added, "What's the point of even trying anymore?" she wondered aloud. The Ketchum girl stood up and walked over to her. She sat down.
"Listen…" she began, "I'm not a perfect person," she told her as she perked up in surprise, "I've… screwed up a lot of times myself," she admitted, "I made people mad at what I did," she mentioned, "The only thing anyone should be mad about with you is threatening to just quit altogether," she affirmed, "So please…" she pleaded, taking her friend's hands into her own, "don't quit the island challenge," she insisted, "I know you're stronger than that to just give up," she firmly stated. Pyrrha managed to crack a small smile afterwards.
"You know…" she started to say, "whenever Hau calls you 'Eri' like he usually does," she kept going, "you remind me of the Eri I played with when I was a kid," she admitted.
"The horn girl?" Erika guessed.
"Mm-hmm," the Eucliffe girl replied, "Apparently, my mom and that teacher wanted me to be someone she could play with who was around her age," she noted in remembrance, "I happened to be the perfect candidate," she recalled additionally, "We'd always support each other when times were tough," she pointed out, "Just like you're doing for me," she mentioned, causing her rival to smile.
"Why are you all the way up here, anyways?" she asked curiously after a moment of thought.
"Huh…" Pyrrha exhaled, staring at the flames, "After I lost my battle against Olivia, she suggested that I should… train just a little more," she told Erika, "But I kept thinking how bad things were for my team… and how I couldn't do anything to help them," she pointed out, "So… I came here hoping to see a shooting star," she said. The Ketchum girl blinked. Was her friend really so desperate… to make a fleeting wish?
"Uh… that sounds nice…" she noted nervously. However, her rival giggled.
"My mom told me that wishing on shooting stars was pointless…" she remembered, "so… I'm hoping I can just see one," she said, "And maybe that'll inspire me to keep going," she added with a grin. Hearing that made Erika crack a small smile. All her friend truly needed was a source of inspiration. The only question was if they'd actually find it. Just then, they noticed a light streak across the night sky.
"I saw one!" Erika exclaimed.
"Me too!" Pyrrha screamed excitedly. More lights were streaking along the skyline.
"Whoa…" the Ketchum girl uttered in amazement, "Is that… a meteor shower?" she guessed.
"It's beautiful…" Pyrrha commented with a smile. Meanwhile, Rotom was busily taking pictures of the streaking lights. It was a sight to behold. But then it noticed one of the lights coming towards the mountain.
"Um… girlzzz?" it buzzed out in concern.
"What's the matter, Rotodex?" Erika asked upon overhearing it. She blinked as she noticed the incoming light. "Uh… hey…" she uttered, causing Pyrrha to look over and gasp in surprise.
"LOOK OUT!" she screamed, suddenly tackling her friend aside as the light streaked in and crashed into the ground, razing it through for a few yards before stopping. Both girls groaned, picking themselves up. The Ketchum girl reclaimed her hat, putting it back onto her head.
"What the heck was that…?" she wondered, venturing over with Pyrrha to the crash site. They arrived to see the smoke still emitting from the meteorite that landed.
"That wazzz close… zzt…" Rotom noted. Just then, they heard the ground shift. The meteorite actually floated up!
"Wh-What the?!" Erika stuttered out, blinking rapidly. The meteorite resembled a modestly sized rock. Its rocky exterior was formed by four large plates separated by two large cracks. The cracks encircled its body both horizontally and vertically. Five white spikes extended just above the rocky surface, giving it a star-shape. Two large, black spots on its front resembled eyes, and there was a third spot in the center of its back. Rings of dark brown triangles surrounded the holes its spikes protruded from and the spot on its back, pointing outward. One of the triangles surrounding the spot on its back was replaced with a small, brown dot. The eyespots had a half-ring of triangles resembling eyelashes. One eye had a small, brown dot in the corner.
"Meee…?" it squeaked, looking towards the two girls.
"It's… a Pokémon!" Pyrrha realized. Erika blinked twice.
"HUH?!" she exclaimed in disbelief, "That's a Pokémon?!" she inquired, "D-Did it come from space?!" she guessed with a stutter. The Eucliffe girl giggled.
"I thought you knew some Pokémon came from space…" she pointed out, much to her rival's embarrassment as she blushed a little, turning her head away.
"She'zzz right though," Rotom chimed in, catching their attentions as they saw it pull up an image of the meteor-like being upon its screen, "Minior, the Meteor Pokémon," it began, "Originally making its home in the ozone layer, it hurtles to the ground when the shell enclosing its body grows too heavy. Although its outer shell is uncommonly durable, the shock of falling to the ground smashes the shell to smithereens," it explained thoroughly.
"Well, it looks like its shell's still in one piece…" Erika pointed out. As if on cue, the shell actually started to crack.
"AH!" both she and Pyrrha gasped.
"Wh-What do we do?!" the former of the two inquired with a panicked stutter. The shell cracked even more before it crumbled apart, with its pieces falling onto the ground. Both girls looked out with awed expressions. The Minior's core was black with multiple colored triangles upon it in random places. Its eyes and mouth were formed from energy that floated in front of its body like a two-dimensional mask. The eyes were two large swirls and the mouth a smaller line. Its face tended to stay level regardless of how it was spinning the rest of its body.
"Meee orr?" it squeaked out.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered in amazement.
"It's… so pretty…" Pyrrha noted with a light smile.
"Thizzz is bad, zzt!" Rotom suddenly warned, causing both girls to flinch in surprise. It quickly pulled the image of the Meteor Pokémon back up. "Minior eats dust in the atmosphere. The composition of the dust determines the color of its core. If its core stays exposed, it will soon die off. It's possible that it may survive if it's put into a Poké Ball quickly enough," it explained thoroughly. Both girls gasped in shock.
"We gotta catch it!" Erika realized.
"Uh, okay!" Pyrrha stuttered, quickly reaching into her belt and fumbling a Poké Ball out from it.
"Mee orr?" the Minior said in confusion.
"Minior, this'll keep you safe!" the Eucliffe girl promised, tossing the spherical container she enlarged at the Meteor Pokémon. It struck its face, causing it to instantly morph into red light and zoom into the Poké Ball, which fell to the ground. Its button blinked a bright red as it beeped, shaking for a moment. With the sound a click, the button blinked green as the container stopped.
"Phew…" Erika exhaled in relief, "Way to go, Pyrrha!" she complimented as her friend went over to pick up the Poké Ball, "Maybe Minior's just the Pokémon you need to get you back on track!" she suggested with a thumbs up.
"Y-You think so?" the Eucliffe girl replied, holding the Poké Ball in both of her hands, "Yeah, maybe…" she said in agreement. She then noticed that the fire had gone out. "Oh, guess we'll have to light that again…" she realized, causing her friend to glance back and see the now ceased fire.
"Oh well…" she sighed out, "Hey, you wanna try and do it this time?" she offered to her. Pyrrha smiled.
"Sure!" she replied happily, eager to get started. Though her spirit wasn't completely mended, she was happier now. Thanks to Erika, she'd hopefully be able to move forward.
X
Back at the Malie City Pokémon Center, the doors opened as Hau eagerly skipped out. After depositing one of his Pokémon to his uncle, he was excited to get to show his cousin his newest partner. Calvin and Paige walked out with him, as Steenee and Poliwag tailed behind. The two of them awkwardly shot glances towards each other, unsure of what to say. Even if the kiss was intended a show of thanks… it was still a kiss. That made it all the more awkward for them.
"So uh…" the Ketchum boy began, "who's the new Pokémon you wanted to show us, cuz?" he wondered curiously. With a cheeky grin on his face, Hau pulled out a Poké Ball from his belt, enlarging it with the press of its center button. He reeled his arm back.
"Come on out!" he yelled, tossing it high into the air. It popped open, with its light spilling onto the ground. It took shape before dissipating to reveal a gray Pokémon similar to a koala. He had large, rounded ears with light orange fur on the inside. His large, ovoid black nose extended up between his fluffy white eyebrows, and there were additional white puffs of fur on each cheek. There was a small ruff of longer, gray fur around his neck. Each hand was black with five short fingers, and he had three black claws and a black paw pad on each foot. His underbelly was white, as was his short fluffy tail. It was holding a short wooden log. It was a light brown with darker, oval markings all over it. The ends of the log were tan with the growth rings visible.
"Kohhh…" he snored out.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Hau inquired to his rivals, who both blinked in surprise.
"Uh… what Pokémon is it?" Paige asked as she raised an eyebrow. Calvin pulled out his phone and went into his Pokédex app. Upon scanning the koala-like Pokémon, he got a result.
"Komala, huh?" he read off, "He's always sleeping?" he inquired curiously.
"Yep!" Hau replied with a nod, "But he can hear us!" he mentioned assuredly, "Isn't that right, Komala?" he inquired to his newly caught Pokémon.
"Maahhh~…" he yawned in response, sleeping still.
"I found him sleeping out on Route Eleven…" the ponytailed boy pointed out, "But man, was he strong!" he recalled, "Took Tauros some time to really whittle him down…" he noted, folding his arms behind his head and chuckling.
"Glad to know that you're getting used to Tauros now," Calvin mentioned with a grin.
"Yeah," his cousin responded while returning the Drowsing Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Figured he could use some rest from helping me catch Komala though…" he admitted while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "Anyways, did that egg of yours finally hatch?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, uh, yeah!" the Ketchum boy stuttered in response, "Actually…" he began, turning to Paige as she blushed a little. In her arms still was the newly-hatched Stufful, who tried to wriggle herself out of her owner's grasp.
"Was it the Stufful?" Hau guessed as he approached, "What's she doing with Paige though?" he wondered out of confusion.
"Um… well…" the silvery-haired girl attempted to say.
"I gave her Stufful," Calvin answered for her, "To be honest, I didn't think she'd be a good fit for my team… and Paige really seemed to like her," he explained, giving his female rival a grin.
"C-Cal…" she stuttered out, blushing a little.
"Heh!" Hau laughed, "That's so like you to be so nice, cuz!" he pointed out, folding his arms behind his head, "But you did get yourself a new Pokémon, didn't you?" he inquired with an arched eyebrow.
"Mm-hmm," Calvin replied, crouching down and patting his Poliwag atop the head as he had waddled up to his side, "I wound up finding this little guy while fishing," he pointed out.
"Poll!" the Tadpole Pokémon squeaked in greeting.
"Whoa, nice!" Hau complimented, "You caught yourself something great for sure!" he mentioned excitedly. Seeing how Calvin had managed to somehow look past what happened, Paige was ashamed of herself. She wanted to do the same and take her mind off of it. So she grinned upon coming up with an idea.
"Hey, Hau!" she called out, getting the ponytailed boy's attention, "You up for a rematch?" she inquired, taking out a Poké Ball from her belt with her right hand and enlarging it with the press of its center button.
"Yeah, sure!" Hau responded as he balled his right hand into a fist, "After all, me and my team gotta get tons stronger if we're gonna win this island challenge first!" he pointed out excitedly. Seeing his enthusiasm brought a smile onto Calvin's face. He was glad his cousin was still so eager to keep going, especially after having a tough defeat against Erika that morning. And he was also happy to see that Paige was willing to battle with him. Moments later, he had Stufful sit in his lap next to his Steenee and Poliwag as both of his rivals stood off from each other.
"Vullaby, you're up!" the silvery-haired girl called out as she tossed a Poké Ball up into the air. It popped open, with its light spilling onto the pavement before dissipating to reveal the Diapered Pokémon.
"Bee!" she squeaked as she hopped forward eagerly.
"Wow, never faced a Vullaby before…" Hau admitted as he grinned, "This'll be tons of fun!" he declared, readying his own Poké Ball, "Dartrix, let's go!" he yelled while tossing it. The container popped open as its light went out into the night air, dissipating to reveal the gliding Blade Quill Pokémon.
"Treeee!" he trilled before landing down in front of his trainer, "Doar, tree," he chirped, brushing the leaf over his head with his wing.
"Dartrix, huh?" Calvin noted curiously as he blinked.
'Now that I think about it, Hau didn't use him during the Aether Tournament…' he recalled through his thoughts, 'He could've been a big help to him during a few battles…' he added inwardly.
"Let's get things started with Pluck!" Hau insisted as he pumped his right fist forward. Making his beak glow a bright blue and extend, Dartrix flew out towards his foe.
"We'll do the same!" Paige decided. Vullaby's beak also glowed a bright blue and extended before she hopped out at her incoming opponent. They collided their beaks like clashing swords, making sparks fly about. Calvin was impressed at how the smaller Diapered Pokémon was holding her own in the fight. However, her foe did manage to knock her back as she rolled along the ground to a stop in front of her trainer, lying on her stomach.
"Vulllah…!" she squawked angrily as she pushed herself back up onto her feet.
"Pluck again!" Hau commanded.
"Dodge and use Feint Attack!" Paige instructed, waving her left arm. As Dartrix closed in with his beak still glowing and extended, Vullaby ran towards him. She hopped up, seemingly intending to strike him with her right wing. But it turned out to be a feint as she kicked him square in the face with her left foot, sending him tumbling back over the ground.
"Dartrix!" his trainer yelled in shock, seeing come to a stop on his stomach.
"Treee…" he trilled out, pushing himself back up and dusting himself off with his wings.
"Now Punishment!" Paige commanded as she pumped both of her fists back. Both of Vullaby's wings glowed a bright purple as she hopped over.
"Dodge it!" Hau cried out. Swiftly, Dartrix flapped his wings to evade the Diapered Pokémon's swipes, which continued as she was driving him back. "Use Razor Leaf!" his trainer ordered. Folding his wings inward, the Blade Quill Pokémon launched the orange darts from them, nicking his opponent as she fell back down in a flurry of smoke.
"Vullaby!" Paige yelled.
"Beee…" the Diapered Pokémon chirped weakly as she stood back up and shook her head to regain herself.
'Vullaby's pretty strong…' Calvin noted to himself, 'It makes if she's being raised by someone like Paige…' he added inwardly as he smiled at the silvery-haired girl.
"Dartrix, Ominous Wind!" Hau commanded, swinging both of his arms out. The Blade Quill Pokémon flew up and unleashed a powerful, purple gust down towards his foe below.
"Beeee…!" she squawked out, doing her best to endure it as she slowly slid back. However, she finally faltered as she tumbled back along the pavement.
"Vullaby!" her trainer yelped, seeing her roll to a stop upon her bottom, evidently dizzied.
"Vullll…" she groaned, shaking her head again to regain herself.
"Now Pluck!" Hau ordered.
"Counter with Punishment!" Paige shouted. As the Diapered Pokémon ran forward and made her wings glow a bright purple, Dartrix flew out with his beak glowing blue and extending. He and his opponent collided with each other in a fierce burst of smoke, which Calvin braced himself from while holding Stufful close, while Steenee and Poliwag covered their eyes. When the smoke subsided, it revealed that Vullaby lied upon the ground with swirls in her eyes, completely defeated.
"Woohoo!" Hau cheered with a pump of his fist.
"Huh…" Paige sighed out, though she managed to crack a little smile, "Not bad, Hau…" she remarked to her rival, returning the Diapered Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "I was kinda off my game today, so that helped…" she admitted while sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. The ponytailed boy blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked curiously. The silvery-haired girl blushed a little, glancing over at Calvin, who also blushed. However, she gave off a small smile.
"I guess… I just needed a kick in the pants to get me going is all," she admitted in response, "So thanks for that," she said out of gratitude.
"Uh, sure!" Hau replied, still confused about what she meant. In the meantime, Stufful hopped out of Calvin's lap as she hurried over to her new owner.
"Stuh?" she squeaked, getting her attention as she looked down at her, "Stuh full!" she exclaimed while standing on her hind legs and pawing at Paige's. Sparkles appeared in the silvery-haired girl's eyes.
"Oh, you're so cute~!" she squealed, immediately picking up the Flailing Pokémon and holding her tightly in her arms. She desperately tried to wriggle herself as Hau blinked in surprise.
"Are you sure you should leave Stufful with her, cuz?" he asked Calvin, who stood up and approached with Steenee and Poliwag.
"She'll be fine," he assured in response as he nodded, "Besides, I trust Paige," he mentioned, "She's strong enough to handle someone like Stufful," he pointed out confidently.
"Guess that's true…" Hau concurred, "What do you think, Dartrix?" he asked of his partner.
"Treeee…" he trilled, staring upwards.
"Hey… Dartrix?" his trainer uttered, crouching down beside him, "Something wrong?" he wondered in concern. His answer came in the form of the Blade Quill Pokémon's body suddenly glowing a bright bluish-white. "Ah!" he gasped, recoiling as he stood up and stumbled back. He, Calvin, Paige and the other Pokémon watched as Dartrix's body grew taller, with his wings expanding and his leaves forming what appeared to be a hood over his head. When the light dissipated, it revealed his new form.
He was now a tall, avian Pokémon that resembled an owl. The upper portion of his face was dark green with a thin, orange mask-like marking encircling his eyes. His eyes themselves were reddish-orange, and he had a hooked, dark green beak. The feathers covering his wings and back were brown, while the rest of his body was primarily white. The three feathers at the tip of each wing were structured similar to fingers and had lighter tips. The backs of his wings and torso were dotted with many white spots. There were six on each wing. The inside of each wing had a line of upside-down, reddish-orange triangles across the top. He had long legs, feet with two toes facing forward and two backward, and short, dark green talons. His tail consisted of three long, green leaves.
A leafy hood covered his head and shoulders, and partially covered his face. The hood itself was smoothly draped across the shoulders and back, but had uneven edges. Around the head, the hood formed many pointed projections that extended over his face. A single white feather with a red base extended from the top of his hood. In the center of his chest was a reddish-orange X shape formed by seemingly dead leaves with two thin green vines extending from it.
"Deh, sidgh!" he chirped as he extended his wings.
"Whoa, no way!" Hau exclaimed excitedly.
"He… just evolved?" Calvin wondered aloud, pulling out his phone. After activating his Pokédex app, he quickly scanned the newly-evolved Pokémon. "Decidueye…" he read off.
"Wow, good for you, Hau!" Paige complimented as she walked over, "Guess I wasn't the only one who needed a push!" she pointed out with a grin.
"This is awesome!" the ponytailed boy yelled as a huge smile was on his face, "Decidueye, we're gonna get so much stronger together!" he vowed firmly, pumping his left fist up and down excitedly.
"Sidge," the Arrow Quill Pokémon agreed with a nod. As his trainer continued to look him over excitedly, Calvin and Paige's eyes met. They both blushed, thinking back to earlier. But then they smiled.
"Thanks again for giving me Stufful…" the silvery-haired girl said in gratitude.
"No problem," the capped boy replied, "We're gonna keep getting ourselves stronger with our teams, so let's keep at it!" he declared as he balled his left hand into a fist.
"Neee!" Steenee squeaked in agreement.
"Pol, poleee!" Poliwag exclaimed excitedly as he bounced up and down. Paige grinned. She and Calvin would both get better. For now though, they'd forget about their accidental moment and focus on continuing their island challenge.
X
A flock of Fearow squawked as the sun rose over the horizon on Mount Hokulani. Erika and Pyrrha were still snoozing in their sleeping bags, while Rotom lied between them. They had stayed where they were as the fire they had set had gone out overnight. The Ketchum girl seemed very content in her asleep state. But suddenly, she felt something wriggle in her sleeping bag.
"Huh…?" she uttered out as she awoke, noticing the odd lump near her stomach. She unzipped her sleeping bag up to it, discovering the snoozing form of a Cleffa there. She blinked twice. "AH!" she yelped, causing the Star Shape Pokémon to jolt awake as she bounced off of Erika.
"Erika…" Pyrrha yawned as she woke up and rubbed her eyes, "What's going on…?" she wondered upon overhearing her friend's shout.
"It's a Cleffa!" she exclaimed, blinking in surprise to see the Star Shape Pokémon.
"Clehhh…" she yawned, still looking rather tired. Meanwhile, Rotom activated itself and floated up, displaying an image of the Star Shape Pokémon upon its screen.
"Cleffa, the Star Shape Pokémon," it began, "Said to have ridden here on a shooting star, Cleffa seem to appear in places where meteorites have struck in the past. Because of her silhouette, she's believed to be a star reborn. For some reason, she loves Minior," it explained thoroughly.
"Maybe Cleffa came by here 'cause of Minior last night…" Pyrrha suggested as she got out of her sleeping bag.
"Which means I can catch her!" Erika realized, rummaging through her vest pockets for a Poké Ball. One fell out, hitting the ground as it enlarged by accident. "Ah!" the Ketchum girl yelped, seeing that it was her Moon Ball that rolled towards the Star Shape Pokémon.
"Fah?" she squeaked in confusion, seeing the Poké Ball come to a stop in front of her. Curiously, she touched it. As it suddenly popped open to her surprise, she turned into red light and zoomed right into it, allowing it to close back up. It shook in place as the button blinked red, while everyone looked on. Finally, the button shined a bright green with a click, signaling a completed capture.
"Alright!" Erika exclaimed excitedly as she pumped up her right fist.
"How many eazzzy capturezzz are you gonna have, zzt?!" Rotom asked, completely flabbergasted as its user went over to pick up the Moon Ball. Meanwhile, Pyrrha smiled.
"As usual, it's like you're not even trying, Erika," she pointed out, catching her rival's attention.
"Well… I kinda wasn't…" she admitted sheepishly in response, rubbing the back of her head with her right hand. Just then, the Moon Ball shrunk in her hand as its button glowed a bright red. "Oh, right…" she grumbled out, "Since I've got a full team, I can't say hi to my new teammate…" she noted in realization.
"You can transfer one of your Pokémon when we get to the Pokémon Center, you know, zzt," Rotom pointed out.
"Yeah, that's true," Erika agreed as she nodded. A few moments later, she had gathered her things, setting the strap of her bag over her shoulder, "Well, we better not burn daylight!" she insisted, about to head off.
"Um, Erika?" Pyrrha said, catching her friend's attention as she turned to see her approach, "Can I ask you for a favor?" she inquired. The Ketchum girl blinked in surprise. "I'm still not totally sure if I wanna keep going on the island challenge…" she admitted, "So…" she kept going, "would you please battle me?" she requested.
"…Yeah, of course!" her friend replied with a nod. Moments later, the two of them stood off just a dozen yards away from each other. "You ready, Pyrrha?" Erika asked expectantly.
"Ready!" the Eucliffe girl responded, enlarging a Poké Ball in her right hand by pressing its center button, "Come on out, Minior!" she called out, tossing the spherical container into the air. It popped open, and its light spilled into the air before dissipating to reveal the Meteor Pokémon.
"Meeee…" it buzzed out as it floated downwards, placing itself in front of its trainer as it slowly spun around. Erika noticed that it had the rocky exterior it landed down with last night, even though she distinctly remembered it breaking apart.
"That'zzz a Minior'zzz ability, Shieldzzz Down!" Rotom chimed in, having noticed her confused expression, "When they're under the ownership of trainerzzz, Minior can regenerate their shells to survive during battle!" it explained to her, "They can also battle without the shellzzz, zzt!" it mentioned.
"That's cool…" Erika admitted with smile, readying a Poké Ball in her own right hand, "Let's go, Lurantis!" she called out, tossing it up into the air. As it opened up, its light zipped onto the ground, taking shape and dissipating to reveal the Bloom Sickle Pokémon.
"Lurraaaahhh~…?" she yawned in confusion as her eyes fluttered open.
"At least she'zzz kind of awake, zzt…" Rotom remarked upon noticing how tired she seemed.
"Lurantis, you ready to get to it?" Erika inquired to her teammate, who shook her head to get focused.
"Luraahh!" she responded eagerly.
"Okay, let's get this started with Petal Blizzard!" her trainer commanded, throwing her right hand forward. Multiple pink petals started to swirl around the Bloom Sickle Pokémon's body before she swung her arms, firing them towards her opponent.
"Cosmic Power!" Pyrrha called out. A blue, starry aura shrouded Minior before a reddish light flowed up its body. As the pink petals raced by and struck it, it only moved back a few feet.
"She'zzz having Minior raizzze itzzz zzzpecial and phyzzzical defenzzze…" Rotom noted curiously.
"As expected of Pyrrha…" Erika remarked with a grin, "Lurantis, Growth!" she instructed quickly.
"Ahh!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon responded, making a greenish aura appear around her body before a reddish light flowed up it.
"Minior, use Swift!" the Eucliffe girl ordered.
"Meeeorrr!" the Meteor Pokémon exclaimed as the white spikes of its body glowed a bright yellow, followed by releasing multiple energy stars from them. They sparkled as they zoomed over and struck Lurantis square in the chest, enveloping her in a burst of smoke.
"Lurraaahhh…!" she groaned out as she stumbled back, managing to keep her footing firm, "Teee…" she growled in frustration afterwards.
"Wow, not bad…" Erika commented, definitely surprised. As the smoke cleared, she took notice of the serious look upon Pyrrha's face. She really wanted to win this time. And it seemed like she wanted to win fair and square against someone she knew was strong. That turned out to be the Ketchum girl in her eyes.
"Minior, Power Gem!" she commanded, throwing her right fist out. The Meteor Pokémon had its spikes glow a light red before they each fired off a pale pink beam that came together into one larger one that zipped towards Lurantis.
"Block it with X-Scissor!" Erika instructed quickly. Making her sickle-like arms glow a yellowish green, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon took the incoming beam head on.
"Lurrrr… aaahhh…" she grunted out, evidently strained from holding it back. Minior was powerful, no doubt. Another explosion of smoke enveloped its opponent as she fell onto her back.
"Lurantis, you okay?!" her trainer exclaimed with worry.
"Lurrr…" she groaned, sitting up and shaking her head to regain her composure.
"All right…" Erika said, balling her hands into fists, "Use Petal Blizzard!" she commanded. Getting onto her feet, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon had several pink petals circle around herself before she swung her arms to fire them off through the smoke towards Minior.
"Cosmic Power!" Pyrrha called out quickly. The Meteor Pokémon made its body glow in a starry blue aura again, followed by a reddish light flowing up its body as the petals struck it over and over. Its trainer grimaced worriedly.
'I feel like I'm doing everything I can to keep Minior from losing…' she admitted inwardly, 'but even so…' she continued to herself, balling her hands into tight fists, 'I'm still not like Erika…' she realized, 'She's bold and brash… but she's also really passionate…' she recalled, 'I wanna be like her… but I'm not her,' she noted through her thoughts, 'I'm me!' she concluded as a smile came across her face, 'And I'm gonna get stronger with my team!' she vowed additionally.
"Minior, use Swift!" she ordered.
"Meeeorrr!" the Meteor Pokémon screeched as it fired off more glowing and sparkling yellow stars from its spikes towards Lurantis.
"Counter with Petal Blizzard!" Erika called out. More pink petals swirled around the Bloom Sickle Pokémon before she fired them forward. They collided with most of the stars, with some managing to get by them as they struck Minior. On the other hand though, some of the energy stars zipped in and hit Lurantis. Both of them were blown back as a result, breathing somewhat heavily in exhaustion.
"You okay, Minior?" Pyrrha asked of her teammate, getting its attention.
"Meemee!" it squeaked assuredly in response, causing her to smile.
"Lurantis, can you still keep going?" Erika questioned to the Bloom Sickle Pokémon as she shook her head again.
"Luraaahhh!" she screeched in response, taking a ready stance.
"Okay, then use Leaf Blade!" her trainer commanded, pumping her right fist forward. Lurantis had both of her sickle-like arms glow a bright green as she charged forward, letting them sharpen and extend. She swung her right one out to slash mightily at Minior, shattering its rocky shell. However… Pyrrha cracked a grin.
"Now Acrobatics!" she ordered while pointing forwards.
"Meemeemee!" the Meteor Pokémon excitedly responded, making a bluish light shroud its body before it zipped around and struck Lurantis upside the head several times. She couldn't even find an opening to counter as her foe was continuing to bombard her. Minior then dove down and struck her square in the face, crashing into the ground in a flurry of dust. It floated out safely afterwards, spinning slowly as it was beside its trainer. The dust settled to reveal the swirls in Lurantis' eyes as she'd been defeated.
"Lookzzz like that'zzz it!" Rotom pointed out. Erika let out an exhale of disappointment, but she smiled.
"Great battle, Pyrrha!" she complimented to her friend, who was still registering the fact that she and Minior actually won.
"Meeor?" the Meteor Pokémon squeaked, getting her attention. She then smiled.
"Thanks for all your hard work, Minior!" she exclaimed with gratitude.
"Mee!" it responded delightedly.
"I didn't know Minior was so strong…" Erika mentioned while returning Lurantis to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"That'zzz another effect of Shieldzzz Down!" Rotom buzzed, getting her attention, "When a Minior losezzz itzzz shell, itzzz defensive power switchezzz to offensive power," it explained.
"So that's why you were using Cosmic Power and not attacking with Acrobatics…" Erika realized, putting her right fist into her hand, "Wow, that was really smart!" she complimented, making Pyrrha giggle.
"You know… I think I've figured it out…" she admitted, much to the Ketchum girl's confusion as she tilted her head to the side, "Hey, Minior?" she said, catching the Meteor Pokémon's attention, "What do you think of the name Starlight?" she inquired of it.
"Meee…" it squeaked out, glancing down in deep thought, "Meeeorr!" it exclaimed delightedly, looking as if it was nodding. Its trainer beamed.
"Then from now on, your name's Starlight!" she decided proudly. Erika chuckled. She almost forgot about how her friend would nickname her Pokémon. Moments later, her Minior was returned to its Poké Ball as she gathered her things.
"Are you gonna stay on Ula'ula much longer?" the Ketchum girl asked of her. She shook her head with a small grin.
"I'll train here for a little while, but then I'll head back and challenge Olivia again," she vowed firmly, "After that, I guess it's up in the air for what's next…" she admitted while looking towards the bright blue sky, "Erika, you're gonna do great," she assured confidently, "And I promise I'll catch up to you soon!" she added as a firm vow.
"And I'll be waiting," the Ketchum girl assured, holding her right hand out for a handshake. However, Pyrrha ended up embracing her warmly as she yelped in surprise. But she then grinned, hugging her back. Afterwards, the Eucliffe girl waved goodbye as she trekked down the mountain.
"You've got great friendzzz, Erika," Rotom pointed out.
"Yeah," its user agreed with a nod, "I think Pyrrha's gonna be just fine," she assured confidently. She then pulled out the shrunken Moon Ball holding her newly caught Cleffa.
'And you know… I think I should take a page out of her book…' she admitted to herself.
"Anyways, back to getting to the top!" she declared with a pump of her right fist, "We shouldn't be too far from that observatory place, right?" she inquired to the Pokédex.
"Actually, we're only halfway up the mountain, zzt," it replied, showing off a map upon its screen.
"HALFWAY?!" Erika repeated in disbelief. Her mouth gaped open as she looked towards the roadway leading up the remainder of the mountain to the peak.
"You could wait for the bus thizzz time…" Rotom mentioned as a suggestion.
"Ugh…" Erika groaned in defeat as she hung her head. Once again, her stamina was going to be tested…
ENDING
Insert "Fushigina Fushigina Ikimono" by Tortoise Matsumoto
Opens in a hospital, with the newborn Calvin and Erika lying in separate cribs as they snooze soundly. Watching from outside the window to the nursery is Leslie, who's excited about having both a little brother and sister. Her father comes up behind her and puts his right hand onto her shoulder, giving her a warm smile.
We cut to the Ketchum family returning home. Leslie spends a lot of time with the infant twins, helping her parents feed, bathe, and put them to sleep. As the years go by, we see that she struggles to keep up with trying to take care of the rambunctious twins. At one point, Erika actually refuses her baby bottle and tries getting her milk from her sister's breast, much to her shock and embarrassment.
We cut to when the family started vacationing in Alola, with Leslie having drifted somewhat apart from her twin siblings. It saddens her that most of the good memories she had with them are now fleeting. We see her put on her new dress as she goes to the Iki Town festival, where she witnesses Calvin and Erika attempt to battle for the first time. Though they both lose, she's happy that they tried.
From Ash and Mirajane's point of view, they've had a wonderful life with their three children. Ash and Pikachu had helped teach Calvin how to walk, while Mirajane showed Erika how to garden as they water plants together. There's another scene of the twins getting to see their sister in a tournament as her Krookodile goes up against Benga's Garchomp, countering a Dragon Claw with his own.
We cut to the present day, where Leslie contently watches the highlights of the Aether Tournament. As she sees the final match between her twin siblings, she doesn't even realize that she's crying happily for getting the chance to witness it at all. Her parents take notice of her emotional state and venture over to give her a comforting hug.
As the ending slowly winds down, we cut to the twins camping together on Ula'ula. They both glance up at the stars and smile. They're grateful to be on a journey that they never thought they would enjoy in the first place.
END ENDING
I don't know why I like putting Erika in situations where she gets super exhausted, but I hope you guys enjoy it. Anyways, this chapter was mainly meant to give Pyrrha and Paige some moments to shine after the Aether Tournament. And I'm glad with how things turned out. Plus, I added some moments that people were hoping to see from the reviews, so thank you for your suggestions!
Now let's get into the summary for the next chapter!
SUMMARY
Erika finally arrives at the Hokulani Observatory for her first trial on Ula'ula Island! There, she's tested in Sophocles' experimental trial! Will she emerge victorious?!
And back in Malie City, Calvin and Hau decide to pass the time by training at the Kantonian Gym! There, they meet a very rockin' and supposedly strong gym leader…
END SUMMARY
See you guys next time!