Alola, everyone! It's been a while since I opened with that greeting! We're finally back to the island challenge journey for Calvin and Erika, and they're about to take on the final trial from Mina!
Along with that, Calvin still needs to have his grand trial match against Hapu! So let's see how the twins take on the challenges ahead for them! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime!"
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
Sunlight dawned upon the Seafolk Village as the doors to the Pokémon Center opened, with a pair of figures walking out. Calvin was adjusting his cap, while Erika yawned into her left hand tiredly. She rubbed her eyes with her arm, moaning a little.
"Why'd Mina want us to start the trial so early…?" she complained in question.
"Sounds to me like it's gonna be a long one," her brother noted, "So better to do it now than never," he remarked with a grin.
"Ugh…" Erika groaned, smacking her cheeks to wake herself up a little more as she winced, "Okay, let's do it!" she exclaimed, pumping her right fist.
"Hold on, you two," a voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned to Leslie walk out, dressed in her green sundress with a white shawl, "Aren't you forgetting someone?" she inquired with an arched eyebrow. The twins both gave off confused looks.
"She meanzzz me, zzt!" Rotom buzzed as it floated over.
"Oh, uh… sorry, Rotodex…" Erika sheepishly apologized, "You're always catching up with us, so I figured it wasn't a big deal…" she pointed out.
"Besides, we're not going far," Calvin mentioned, chiming into the conversation.
"That'zzz not the issue, zzt…" the Pokédex complained.
"Anyway, good luck," Leslie said to her twin siblings, "I heard Mina's not gonna take it easy on you two, especially since you've gotten this far in the challenge," she told them, folding her arms over her ample chest.
"We're gonna be fine, balloon boobs…" Erika assured dismissively, causing her older sister to frown at hearing her nickname, "And…" she continued, making her perk up slightly, "thanks for sticking up for us," she said with gratitude.
"Yeah," Calvin agreed as he nodded, "We're gonna make the most of what you gave us," he promised firmly.
"…Hm," Leslie chuckled as she grinned, "Then you better not lose," she advised.
"We won't!" Erika affirmed as she took off down the boardwalk.
"Hey, Erika!" her brother yelled, hurrying after her.
"Wait for me, zzt…" Rotom buzzed out of exasperation, slowly floating in pursuit. The Unova Champion Master felt the breeze rush through her hair as she smiled. Her young twin siblings were more motivated than ever. All that stood in their way was the last trial they'd face together.
OPENING
Insert "Rise Above" by Rainych
Opens with the sun dawning over Mount Lanakila. In spite of its freezing air, Calvin and Erika stand firm alongside their full teams of Pokémon as the wind rushes by. Near the base of the mountain is the site of what will be Alola's first ever Pokémon League, where Kukui stands with an excited grin on his face.
A rainbow of flower petals washes over the logo as we cut to Calvin lamenting on the boardwalk of the Seafolk Village, sitting alone and wondering if he can really take on the rest of the island challenge. At the same time, Erika is lying on her bed upon her side, thinking about the exact same thing. They both clench their fists determinedly, ready to see things through.
We cut to Calvin flying aboard a Charizard, while Erika's aboard a Pelipper. They fly throughout each of Alola's islands, smiling all the while. They see Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, Mina, Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu along the way as they arrive at the Pokémon League.
There, they're greeted by their parents and their big sister, who encourage them as they enter through the doors into the stadium. Inside, they find Hau, Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, and Gladion there. Others like Ryuki, Plumeria, and even Guzma are present. The Ketchum twins both grin excitedly, prepared to engage in some amazing battles.
The scene changes to Calvin commanding his Toucannon to use Beak Blast to take down a Machoke, while Erika has her Lurantis use X-Scissor to down an opponent's Bisharp. Hau's Decidueye goes up against Gladion and Silvally. The Synthetic Pokémon evades his foe's arrow quills before landing a powerful Fire-type Multi-Attack. Decidueye endures it, while Hau prepares a green Z-Crystal with a symbol similar to his partner, cracking a smirk.
We cut to Paige revealing a Key Stone around her neck as she uses it to Mega Evolve her Blaziken, who speeds out to attack Pyrrha's Typhlosion with a Blaze Kick. He counters by using Flamethrower. In the meantime, Trent commands his Alolan Ninetales to use Blizzard on Ryuki's Turtonator. The Blast Turtle Pokémon endures the freezing winds, unleashing a Flamethrower that appears to engulf his foe.
Calvin and Erika are then facing off, with Incineroar and Primarina battling for them. The two collide via a Flare Blitz/Aqua Jet, resulting in a powerful blast. As it clears, we witness Lycanroc slamming his clenched paws against the ground for a Stone Edge aimed to take down Araquanid. However, the Water Bubble Pokémon blasts the incoming stone pillars apart with Liquidation. Oricorio in her Baile Style comes out to unleash the searing fireball of a Revelation Dance toward Toucannon, who endures the attack and retaliates with Hyper Voice.
As the dust settles, we see Lurantis enduring Trop Kicks from Tsareena, gathering sunlight to unleash a Solar Blade onto the Fruit Pokémon. Mimi comes out from the dust, unleashing Shadow Claws onto Starbright, who endures them. She then strikes back with a Meteor Mash, merely busting the costume of the Disguise Pokémon as she chases after her opponent. Finally, we have Marowak using Shadow Bone to bash the incoming icicles of Sandslash, who dives down at him with an Iron Head.
The dust clears again, revealing the Ketchum twins staring at each other confidently with their teams. They're prepared for whatever else is ahead for them as they stand outside the stadium as the sun sets…
Paint a Pretty Picture!
Calvin and Erika arrived at the Whiscash-shaped boat moments later with Rotom, with the former of the group knocking the door. He stepped back, hearing the approaching footsteps. The door opened, revealing Mina there as she blinked in surprise.
"Oh, you're a little early," she noted to the twins, "Well, it's whatever," she assured with a shrug, "Come on in," she beckoned. Both trial-goers and the Pokédex entered the floating home. There was a mess of easels and drawing boards splattered with paint, along with several paintings hung on the walls.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered, marveling one drawing in particular that depicted the ocean with a horde of Corsola docked on a small island together, "This looks so pretty…" she complimented as she got a closer look at the painting.
"Thanks," Mina said in gratitude, "I've been painting my whole life since I was a little kid," she pointed out, "Ever since my Snubbull tore up the first drawing I ever made, I've always wanted to improve," she told the trial-goers.
"Wait, why would your Snubbull tear up your drawings?!" Calvin asked in surprise.
"Oh, she actually really loved it," the trial captain responded as he blinked, "It's just that she got so excited, she tore it up by accident…" she noted, scratching at her right cheek sheepishly, "As a little kid, I didn't understand her happiness and thought I needed to do better," she explained to the twins, "So as you can tell, I practiced a lot," she pointed out, "Sometimes a little too much…" she mentioned admittedly.
"It's still really amazing…" Erika complimented as she looked at the other paintings. Mina smiled, grateful for the Ketchum girl's kind words.
"Anyways, that's enough about me," she said, getting the attentions of the two trial-goers, "You're both here to take my trial, right?" she assumed.
"Yes!" Calvin and Erika answered simultaneously.
"Alright!" Mina exclaimed, "First, let's head outside!" she advised of the twins, causing them to blink in surprise. A moment later, they were standing on the boardwalk outside of the trail captain's home.
"So… what's the trial supposed to be?" the Ketchum girl inquired, tilting her head to the side. She noticed Mina ready an Ultra Ball in her right hand, aiming it towards her and her brother.
"First, you're gonna battle me!" she declared.
"Wait, we're battling you first?" Calvin questioned as he blinked rapidly.
"How come?" his twin sister asked on.
"It's all part of the trial, kids," Mina noted, "Now one of you hurry up!" she insisted with a smile, "I'd love to get to battle either of you!" she mentioned aloud.
"Well, I guess if it's part of the trial…" Erika mumbled, pulling out the Moon Ball on her belt and enlarging it with a press of its button, "Starbright, let's go!" she called out, firing the spherical container up into the air. It popped open, and its light spilled forth onto the boardwalk, dissipating to reveal her Clefable.
"Fayy bell!" she squeaked excitedly.
"A Fairy-type, hm?" Mina said with a grin, "Okay, come on out!" she yelled, flinging her Ultra Ball forward. Burst open, the light from the spherical container shaped into form in midair before dissipating to reveal a Granbull, who landed upon the boardwalk.
"Graaaahhhh!" he barked out, smacking his front paws together threateningly.
"A Granbull, huh?" Calvin noted aloud, while Rotom pulled up an image of the Fairy Pokémon onto its screen.
"Granbull, the Fairy Pokémon," it began, "His well-developed lower jaw and heavy fangs are his weapons. As long as he's not provoked, Granbull rarely bites. Although he's popular with young people, Granbull is timid and sensitive, so he's totally incompetent as a watchdog," it explained thoroughly.
'I can't imagine a Granbull being timid…' Calvin admitted to himself as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head.
"We'll make the first move!" Erika declared, swinging her right hand out, "Starbright, Magical Leaf!" she commanded. Making a green light appear upon her hands and bringing them together, the Clefable unleashed a flurry of green-glowing leaves towards her foe.
"Fire Fang!" Mina ordered. The fangs on Granbull's lower jaw glowed a bright red before they were engulfed in reddish-orange flames. He used them to incinerate the incoming leaves as he charged forward.
"Dodge it!" the Ketchum girl called out. Starbright hopped back, evading her opponent's enflamed fangs as the fire went out. "Now Moonblast!" Erika yelled. Gathering moonlight as energy, the Clefable had a golden, flowing aura shroud her body before she formed a pink orb of light upon her hands. She fired it out, striking Granbull in a fierce blast of grey smoke. It quickly subsided though, revealing that he was just fine as he huffed.
"Now Sludge Bomb!" his trainer commanded as she pointed forward. Rearing his head back and puffing out his chest, the Fairy Pokémon unleashed globs of brown sludge out at his opponent. Starbright didn't have even a chance to evade them as she was struck, crying out in pain.
"Starbright!" Erika screamed.
"Granbull knows a Poison-type attack?!" Calvin exclaimed in shock as he blinked.
"Probably to deal with other Fairy-typezzz!" Rotom pointed out.
"Klehhh…" the Clefable groaned as she pushed herself back up onto her feet, gritting her teeth.
"Now Play Rough!" Mina ordered, swinging her left arm out. There was a glint of light in Granbull's eyes before he charged forward again, about to lunge out at his foe.
"Use Moonblast!" Erika quickly commanded. Starbright formed another orb of pink energy upon her hands again. She launched it, but her opponent moved aside to evade it as it streaked by. He then wrestled her roughly on the boardwalk, causing a cloud of grey dust to shroud them. The Clefable found herself being kicked and punched multiple times by the Fairy Pokémon, tumbling back. She came to a stop upon her stomach in front of her trainer, who grimaced.
"Grah!" Granbull barked proudly, huffing a puff of steam from his nostrils.
"Fay bell…" Starbright grumbled as she rose back up onto her feet, shaking her head to regain herself.
'I feel like no matter which Pokémon I chose, Mina would have some kind of insane counter…' her trainer noted inwardly, 'On top of that, Starbright isn't as experienced in battle as some of my other Pokémon…' she mentioned through her thoughts, looking over at her Clefable as she was breathing heavily. It was clear that she was at a disadvantage in this battle. So it seemed like Erika would have to rely on some other tactics.
"Cosmic Power!" she called out.
"Fayyy~!" Starbright sang as she was suddenly shrouded by a starry aura, causing a reddish light to flow up her body.
"Increasing your defenses, hm?" Mina realized as she let off a small grin, "That won't matter to Granbull!" she proclaimed, "Ice Fang!" she commanded. The fangs of the Fairy Pokémon shined a bright blue as a cold mist wafted off from them. He charged forward yet again.
"Starbright, Metronome!" the Ketchum girl instructed, sticking her right hand out.
"Fay!" her Clefable responded, raising her fingers up into the air and wagging them back and forth. Just as her opponent closed in, a flash of white light came off of her fingers. Her hands then became engulfed in orange-red flames, which she clenched into fists before punching Granbell back.
"That was Fire Punch!" Calvin exclaimed in surprise.
"Nice one, Starbright!" Erika complimented as she pumped her left fist.
'It's probably not a good idea to keep relying on Metronome though…' she admitted to herself, 'At least using Cosmic Power gives us a good chance to set up for later!' she affirmed inwardly.
"Now Moonblast!" she commanded. The flowing, golden energy shrouded Starbright once again as she formed a pink orb of light upon her hands, firing it out. Granbull quickly crossed his arms over his face, taking the incoming orb as it struck in a burst of smoke.
"Way to go!" Calvin cried out.
"But wazzz that enough, zzt?" Rotom wondered aloud. The smoke was slow to settle as both Erika and Starbright narrowed their eyes onto it. Meanwhile, Mina cracked another grin.
"Sludge Bomb!" she ordered. All of a sudden, globs of brown sludge shot out from the smoke. The Clefable didn't even have a chance to react as she was bombarded, crying out in pain from each strike.
"Starbright, no!" her trainer shrieked, seeing her fall onto her back. A purple glow appeared upon her body with sparks and bubbles as she winced.
"She just got poisoned!" Rotom exclaimed in realization. Calvin grimaced, watching as the downed Fairy Pokémon tried to push herself back up.
"Klehh…" she groaned in agony, struggling to get onto her feet. Granbull huffed proudly in front of her, much to her chagrin as she gritted her teeth. "Klehhh FAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!" she screamed into the air as a blue aura suddenly erupted around her body.
"Huh?!" Erika yelped in surprise, while everyone else widened their eyes. They watched as the poisoned Fairy Pokémon closed her hands into fists and stuck them forward. She then launched herself out at her opponent, who blinked in surprise before he wound up struck squarely in the gut, gasping in pain. He ended up tumbling back along the boardwalk to his trainer's side.
"Granbull!" she exclaimed.
"Kleh… kleh…" Starbright breathed raggedly afterwards, enduring the poison as she stood firmly.
"What was that?" her trainer wondered aloud, blinking rapidly.
"That was Meteor Mash, zzt!" Rotom buzzed out, getting her attention, "It'zzz a strong Steel-type move!" it mentioned.
"And it's super effective against Fairy-types!" Erika realized additionally as she grinned, "Starbright, use Meteor Mash!" she ordered, sticking her right hand out. Her Clefable made the bluish aura flare up around herself once again, bringing her hands together and closing them into fists.
"Granbull, Play Rough!" Mina quickly commanded with a swing of her left arm. The Fairy Pokémon hopped back onto his feet, charging forward. Starbright launched herself out at him, and they collided in a fierce blast of smoke and dust, causing their trainers to flinch. When it subsided, it revealed that they were still standing upon the boardwalk… until Granbull fell over backwards with swirls in his eyes.
"Graahhhhh…" he groaned out.
"Hm," Mina huffed with a grin, putting her hands onto her hips, "Not bad, Erika," she complimented.
"Klehhh…" Starbright moaned as she fell down onto her rear end, breathing heavily.
"Starbright!" the Ketchum girl yelled as she hurried over, quickly rummaging through her bag for something.
"Ah, don't worry," the trial captain chimed in, pulling out a Pecha Berry from her pocket, "I train against Poison-types a lot, so I gotta have something just in case my Pokémon get really hurt," she noted, handing the berry to the Clefable. She gratefully accepted it, eating away as quickly as she could. Once she finished the whole thing, she hopped back onto her feet.
"Fayy!" she squeaked delightedly.
"Huh…" Erika exhaled with relief, "Thank you so much, Mina," she said in gratitude to the trial captain.
"It's nothing," she remarked in reply, "Also, here," she offered, handing the Ketchum girl a pink flower petal.
"What… is this?" she asked curiously, while her brother and Rotom came over to look at the petal as well.
"It's part of your trial," Mina answered, holding up all ten of her fingers, "You and Calvin each need to get five flower petals and come back here to get the Totem Pokémon to come out," she explained.
"Wait, where would we even go to find the other petals?" the Ketchum boy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You'll find yours on Ula'ula," the trial captain answered, "And Erika'll get hers from Akala," she mentioned in confirmation.
"That's a little cryptic…" the Ketchum girl noted in reply.
"You'll find out when you head over to the islands yourselves," Mina affirmed, "And once you get your five, you can come on back here for your battle with the Totem Pokémon," she added with a little smile.
"Then I guess I know how we're getting there," Calvin concluded as he pulled out his Ride Pager. A few moments later, a Charizard and a Pelipper were on the dock, both with harnesses upon them. Dressed in their rider gear, the Ketchum twins boarded the two Pokémon respectively.
"Good luck," Mina remarked with a wave of farewell as the trial-goers took off into the air. Rotom held onto its user from behind as they glided through the air aboard Pelipper. She looked to her brother, who looked back and nodded before they went in opposite directions, heading for their respective destinations.
X
Charizard took Calvin to Malie City, dropping him off before being returned to the silvery Poké Ball in a beam of red light. Putting on his hat and changing out of his rider gear, the Ketchum boy quickly ventured into the Malie Garden in search of the flower petals Mina requested for him to find. Needless to say, it was like finding a needle in a haystack.
'How will I even know I'm getting the right petal?' he wondered inwardly, looking around at the flowerbeds about the garden.
"Having trouble, Calvin?" a familiar voice inquired, getting his attention as he turned to see none other than Ilima there.
"Ilima!" he exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here?" he inquired curiously.
"Doing some research at the library around those Ultra Beasts that had shown up," the trial captain replied, "I wasn't able to help much when they arrived and wreaked havoc, so I wanted to learn more about them for the next possible encounter," he explained to the trial-goer.
"That's… really brave of you, Ilima," Calvin commented, causing him to blink in surprise before he chuckled.
"No, it's honestly nothing…" he argued with a dismissive wave of his hand, "But more importantly, I believe there's something you're here for," he pointed out.
"Huh?" the Ketchum boy uttered in confusion as he blinked. At that moment, he saw the trial captain pull out an orange flower petal. "Ah!" he gasped out in surprise.
"I believe this is what you're looking for," Ilima noted, "Mina mentioned that there were many trial-goers partaking in her trial at this time of year…" he pointed out, "So naturally, we have to be prepared," he added with a shrug.
"Hold on…" Calvin uttered out, "Do you mean you and the other trial captains?" he assumed.
"Mm-hmm," Ilima responded with a nod, "This trial is meant to be a look back on one's self and show just how far they've come," he told the Ketchum boy, pulling out an Ultra Ball in his left hand and pressing its center button to enlarge it, "With that said, you'll be battling me to get this flower petal," he confirmed. Blinking out of astonishment, Calvin chuckled.
"I guess that makes sense…" he realized, taking out his own Poké Ball and enlarging it, "Okay, let's do it!" he insisted excitedly. A few moments later, the two of them stood about a dozen yards apart from each other. The trial captain reared his left arm back.
"Come on out, Smeargle!" he beckoned, throwing the Ultra Ball forward. It popped open, and its light shot out onto the grassy ground, shaping into form. It dissipated to reveal the Painter Pokémon.
"Smeer!" he squeaked out.
'Smeargle, huh?' Calvin noted inwardly, 'It'll be tough, but I think she's got this!' he confirmed through his thoughts, rearing his arm back.
"Let's go, Mimi!" he called out, tossing the Poké Ball up into the air. It opened up, letting its light pour out onto the ground before dissipating to reveal his shiny Mimikyu as sparkles flew off of her body.
"Mee!" she squeaked excitedly.
"A Mimikyu, hm?" Ilima inquired, putting his right hand onto his chin, "You've got an interesting Pokémon there…" he pointed out, "But you should know that just as Smeargle's Normal-type attacks won't affect her, the same applies to Ghost-type attacks against him," he told his opponent.
"Yeah, I understand," Calvin responded, "And I trust Mimi to do her best!" he confirmed confidently.
"Meemee!" the Disguise Pokémon squeaked happily.
"Let's start things off with Play Rough!" the Ketchum boy instructed as he pointed forward. With a glint in her eyes, the shiny Mimikyu dashed forward instantaneously, about to wrestle with her opponent.
"Hm," Ilima huffed with a grin, "Extreme Speed!" he commanded. Smeargle surrounded his body in a light green aura, zipping away before Mimi could strike, much to her surprise along with her trainer's. "Now Energy Ball!" the trial captain ordered, sticking his left hand out. The Painter Pokémon readied a light green ball of energy upon his hands, throwing it like a discus. It struck his target from behind, causing her to wince as she faltered forward.
"Mimi!" Calvin cried out.
"I know a lot about how Mimikyu use their costumes as a method of defense," Ilima noted, getting his attention, "So in the event we'd ever have to face one like now, we'd be prepared," he affirmed proudly.
"You really are smart, Ilima…" the Ketchum boy complimented, adjusting his cap by its brim.
"Smeargle, Flamethrower!" the trial captain commanded, swinging his right arm to the side. The Painter Pokémon reared his head back before unleashing a stream of orange flames from his mouth.
"Dodge it!" Calvin exclaimed. Drawing her shadowy appendages from underneath her disguise, Mimi, pushed herself up and over the flames. She found herself heading down to her opponent. "Now Play Rough!" her trainer commanded.
"Extreme Speed again!" Ilima instructed. Just as the shiny Mimikyu was about to strike, a light green aura shrouded Smeargle as he sped off.
"Quick, Mimic!" Calvin called out. Immediately, the Disguise Pokémon whipped herself around to stare intently at her speeding foe, memorizing his movements in real time.
"Meemee!" she squeaked to her trainer, who nodded with a smile.
"Now Surf!" Ilima commanded. All of a sudden, a wave of water built up underneath Smeargle, about to crash down onto his opponent.
"Counter it with Shadow Claw!" the Ketchum boy instructed as he stuck his hands out. Drawing both of her appendages from underneath her cloak again, Mimi had them become veiled in a dark, shadowy aura outlined in purple. She threw them to strike the incoming wave of water, causing most of it to splash apart. What remained crashed onto her and made her slid back a few yards.
"Meee…" she groaned after shaking herself, ridding any water that remained. However, she then noticed that her costume was fraying from getting wet, as the painted face looked smudged. "M-M-Meee…?" she whimpered out, starting to tear up.
"Mimi, are you okay?" her trainer asked in concern, noticing her tremble. Ilima and Smeargle seemed just as perplexed. And then they felt a change in the air. The shiny Mimikyu's glare burned into them as if she was attempting to have them cursed for their transgressions. Calvin sweated a little.
'Even if it's something small, Mimi always freaks out whenever her costume gets wrecked…' he noted inwardly.
"Smeargle, Energy Ball!" the trial captain commanded, sticking his left hand out.
"Smeer!" the Painter Pokémon responded as he jumped up, preparing an orb of green light upon his hands before firing it down at his foe.
"Mimi, Extreme Speed!" Calvin ordered as he swung his left arm. A light green aura shrouded the shiny Mimikyu's body. And just as the energy orb was inches away from striking her, she dashed off in an instant.
"Ah!" Ilima gasped, while Smeargle widened his eyes. Before he could even think to do anything else, he found himself struck squarely in the stomach by the Disguise Pokémon, sending him tumbling back along the grass.
"Nice one, Mimi!" the Ketchum boy complimented as he pumped his right fist up.
"So you copied Smeargle's Extreme Speed to have a move capable of catching up to him…" the trial captain realized, putting his right hand onto his chin, "You've gotten even more clever since Melemele, Calvin," he pointed out in a complimentary tone, "Surf!" he ordered. Hopping back up onto his feet, the Painter Pokémon made another wave of water build up underneath him, carrying him toward his opponent.
"Meee…" she growled angrily, remembering the move as the very one that ruined her costume.
"Mimi, use Extreme Speed to dodge it!" the Ketchum boy quickly instructed. The light green aura returned to shroud the shiny Mimikyu's body as she sped away instantaneously once again, letting the wave of water crash down harmlessly onto the grass. Smeargle grimaced in search of his foe, only to find himself rammed from behind by her, falling onto the wet grass upon his stomach.
"Smeargle, no!" Ilima cried out.
"Now Play Rough!" Calvin commanded. With a glint of ferocity in her eyes, the Disguise Pokémon lunged out at her foe. He took notice of her too late as he widened his eyes, finding himself utterly bombarded with hits as dust built up around him and his opponent, while their respective trainers watched in the background. After a few more moments, the Painter Pokémon was flung out from the cloud, landing on his back and having swirls in his eyes.
"Smeerr…" he groaned out.
"Huh…" Ilima sighed, "I guess I should've known you'd be much stronger," he admitted while putting his hands onto his hips, "Congratulations, Calvin," he complimented. The Ketchum boy smiled, jogging over to Mimi as she whimpered over her ruined costume.
"You did a great job, Mimi," he assured to her, reaching into his backpack for something, "Here," he offered as he pulled out a handkerchief. Moments later, the shiny Mimikyu's costume had been successfully cleaned, now looking as if nothing had happened to it.
"Mee!" she squeaked, happily hopping into her trainer's arms. He laughed, glad that she was back to being cheerful.
"I assume this is your first of the five flower petals, yes?" Ilima assumed as he approached with the orange petal in his hand.
"Yeah," the Ketchum boy responded with a nod as he accepted the petal, "Erika got the one from Mina and is gonna get the rest at Akala Island," he told the trial captain.
"That's so, hm?" the trial captain inquired, "Well, you might want to head on over to the observatory," he advised to Calvin's surprise, "I have a good feeling that you'll find a few petals there," he mentioned with a wink. Hearing that, the Ketchum boy grinned.
"Thanks, Ilima!" he yelled with gratitude, hurrying off.
X
"Ahhh…" Mallow sighed contently as a pink mist washed over her, emitting from none other than a couple of Comfey she was sitting beside, "Aromatherapy is really the best thing…" she proclaimed. She was on the ground of the Lush Jungle, with Lana standing off to the side and watching her fellow trial captain relax. "Lana, you should try this…" she insisted of her.
"Huh…" the Water-type trial captain groaned, "Honestly Mallow, you're being far too relaxed right now," she pointed out, "Remember, we're in the final month of the island challenge," she mentioned seriously, "So we have to be ready for trial-goers to show up here," she stated.
"Oh, relax…" the Grass-type trial captain insisted, "I can't imagine someone just showing up out of the blue and being like—"
"Lana! Mallow!" a familiar voice called out.
"DAH!" the Grass-type trial captain yelped in surprise as she shivered.
"That wouldn't have been so surprising if you weren't so relaxed," Lana noted to her fellow trial captain's chagrin. They looked to see Erika jogging over with Rotom floating beside her.
"It's been a while!" the Ketchum girl pointed out, giggling a little.
"Yeah," Lana agreed with a nod, "Looks to me like you've gotten a lot stronger," she noted, causing Erika to sheepishly blush as she rubbed the back of her head.
"So, what are you doing here?" Mallow asked curiously.
"Miss Mina'zzz trial requirezzz us to get five flower petalzzz," Rotom explained in reply, "Erika got her first after beating Mina in a battle, zzt," it mentioned.
"Oh, Mina's trial!" the Grass-type trial captain remembered, bonking herself on the head, "How the heck did I forget that…?" she wondered aloud ashamedly.
"Being too relaxed can make you forgetful, too," Lana bluntly pointed out, causing her fellow trial captain to glare at her in annoyance.
"Wait, you know about the trial?" Erika inquired, sounding surprised as she blinked.
"Of course," the Water-type trial captain replied, pulling out a blue flower petal from her pocket, "Like Mina, you have to battle us for your petals," she told the Ketchum girl, while Mallow flashed a green petal and grinned.
"So, who do you wanna battle first?" the Grass-type trial captain inquired, readying an Ultra Ball in her right hand as her fellow trial captain did the same. Erika looked back and forth at the two of them, humming in thought. And then, she grinned.
"Why not both of you?" she suggested to their surprise, "From what I heard, Cal got to fight you both by himself and came out on top," she recalled, clenching her fists excitedly, "So why not let me try the same?" she inferred.
"Well… that is true to an extent…" Mallow admitted with a shrug.
"I think it's fine," Lana affirmed as she nodded. A few moments later, the two trial captains stood beside each other, about a dozen yards away from their opponent.
"Alright, let's go!" the Grass-type trial captain exclaimed as she threw up her Ultra Ball, while her teammate did the same. They popped open, with their lights spilling forth onto the ground and dissipating to reveal both Tsareena and Araquanid respectively.
"Sah!" the Fruit Pokémon proudly huffed, brushing her hair-like leaves back.
"Kwahh!" the Water Bubble Pokémon squeaked in greeting.
"Araquanid and Tsareena, huh?" Erika noted aloud, "It's almost like I'm battling Calvin…" she mentioned to herself.
"What Pokémon are you gonna use, Erika?" Rotom asked of its user, seeing her take out a pair of Poké Balls and enlarge them in her hands by pressing their center buttons.
"I think these two'll do just fine!" she assured, flinging them forward. The containers opened, and their lights shot out onto the ground, coming into form. They dissipated, revealing Lurantis and Magmar respectively.
"Lurrraaaahhhh!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon screeched in greeting.
"Magg!" the Spitfire Pokémon exclaimed as he expelled a puff of fire from his lips.
"A Fire-type and a Grass-type, hm?" Mallow said, letting off a smirk, "This could go either way, Lana…" she pointed out to her teammate.
"But we won't make it easy for her," she affirmed confidently.
"We'll take the first move!" Erika decided, clenching her fists, "Magmar, Flamethrower!" she commanded. Puffing his chest, the Spitfire Pokémon unleashed a powerful spray of orange towards his two foes.
"Araquanid!" Lana called out. The Water Bubble Pokémon immediately skittered in front of Tsareena, defending her from the flames as they harmlessly struck her bubbled head. The Ketchum girl blinked in surprise. She watched as the fire subsided, revealing that Araquanid seemed just fine in spite of taking the flames head-on.
"What the heck?" she said aloud.
"That'zzz Araquanid'zzz Water Bubble ability!" Rotom pointed out, getting her attention, "It halvezzz any damage from Fire-type attackzzz done to her!" it explained quickly.
"And it doubles the power of her Water-type attacks," Lana mentioned, sticking her right hand out, "Liquidation!" she commanded. The Water Bubble Pokémon skittered forward, raising her front legs as water expelled and swirled from the bubbles upon them. She swung them toward Magmar, who flinched.
"Lurantis, use Leaf Blade!" Erika quickly called out. Lunging over, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon made her scythe-like arms shine a bright green and sharpen before using them to block off Araquanid's attack, protecting her comrade. The swirling water splashed apart as both Pokémon glared at each other.
"Tsareena, Power Whip!" Mallow ordered. All of a sudden, the Fruit Pokémon dashed over. Her hair-like leaves glowed a bright green before she swung them, knocking Lurantis off of her teammate as she slid back.
"Lurraaahhh…" she hissed angrily.
"Lurantis, Growth!" Erika instructed as she stuck her right arm out. A greenish aura shrouded the Bloom Sickle Pokémon before a reddish light flowed up her body.
"Zen Headbutt!" Mallow commanded. A purple energy started to form in front of Tsareena's forehead before she rushed forward. The energy then turned into a shining blue ball of light, which she was about to strike Lurantis with.
"Magmar!" the Ketchum girl called out.
"Mag!" the Spitfire Pokémon responded, jumping in between the two Grass-types to take his foe's attack, having crossed his arms in order to block it. Both he and Tsareena were in a deadlock, glaring at each other all the while.
"Araquanid, Frost Breath!" Lana suddenly ordered, causing Erika to gasp in surprise. The Water Bubble Pokémon approached, rearing her head back before expelling a cold breath of wind from her mouth. It washed over Magmar, causing steam to erupt and veil the immediate area.
"Lur, lurah?!" Lurantis squeaked out, unable to see her teammate in the cloud they had been engulfed in.
"Stay calm, Lurantis!" her trainer advised, "Blow it away with Petal Blizzard!" she instructed, pumping her right fist up into the air.
"Luranhh!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon responded, making a torrent of pink petals swirl around her body before swinging her scythe-like arms to make them, tear through the steam cloud. It dissipated, much to Erika's relief. However…
"High Jump Kick!" Mallow commanded. Tsareena leapt up, having her tapered legs shining a bright white. She dived down and struck Lurantis squarely in the stomach with her right leg, causing her foe's eyes to bulge open in shock.
"Lurantis!" the Ketchum girl screamed.
"Magg!" Magmar called out. At that moment, he took notice of Araquanid closing in on him.
"Liquidation!" Lana ordered. The Water Bubble Pokémon lifted her front legs, having water swirl around them before striking her opponent. He flew back, landing on the ground hard and sliding to a stop, groaning all the while.
"Magmar…!" Erika gasped, clenching her teeth together.
'No wonder Cal barely held his own against these two…' she noted to herself, seeing the confident expressions upon the faces of both trial captains, 'They're a perfectly synced team…' she mentioned inwardly, balling her hands into fists.
"What are you going to do, Erika?" Rotom asked in concern. It watched as the Ketchum girl took a deep breath and lifted her hands up, smacking her cheeks as hard as she could. "E-Erika?!" the Pokédex stammered out of shock.
"I'm okay," she assured, removing her hands from her reddening face, "Magmar! Lurantis!" she called out, "You two still good to go?" she inquired of her partners, seeing them slowly stand up.
"Mah… magg!" Magmar exclaimed as he fully got onto his feet, while the Bloom Sickle Pokémon managed to do the same.
"Hm," Mallow huffed with a grin, "Guess they're gonna be as stubborn as we are," she noted to her fellow trial captain, who nodded in agreement.
"Araquanid, Leech Life!" she commanded to the Water Bubble Pokémon. Her mandibles shined a yellowish-green as she skittered forward, heading toward Lurantis.
"Magmar, use Clear Smog!" Erika ordered, sticking her left hand out. The Spitfire Pokémon puffed out his chest before expelling a greyish cloud of smoke from his mouth, washing over his foe and veiling the immediate area.
"That's the same plan we used…" Mallow pointed out, blinking in surprise.
"What are you planning, Erika?" Lana wondered aloud, "Araquanid, stay where you are!" she advised, "Lurantis is probably going to attack you next!" she inferred.
"Kwahh!" the Water Bubble Pokémon squeaked in response, nodding from within the cloud.
"Lurantis, X-Scissor!" the Ketchum girl commanded. Araquanid took a ready stance, prepared to endure an attack from the Bloom Sickle Pokémon. But she never came.
"Sah?" Tsareena uttered in confusion, noticing a figure lurking in the smog coming toward her. It was Lurantis, whose scythe-like arms shined a bright yellowish green.
"LURRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" she screeched, slashing the Fruit Pokémon in an x-shaped pattern as she rushed by her. She cried out in pain, keeling over onto her right knee.
"She went after Tsareena?!" Mallow exclaimed out of shock. At that moment, Lana blinked in realization.
"Araquanid, watch out!" she yelled to the Water Bubble Pokémon. She perked up, not noticing Magmar closing in.
"Use Flamethrower!" his trainer commanded as she thrusted her right fist forward. The Spitfire Pokémon slid underneath Araquanid, puffing out his chest and unleashing a powerful spray of orange fire onto his foe's underbelly.
"KWAAAAAAHHHH!" she shrieked in surprise, skittering away as the fire quickly subsided from her.
"Even if Fire-type attacks don't do as much damage, they're still effective!" Erika pointed out as she clenched her fists determinedly, "And there are other ways to deal with Water-type moves!" she mentioned, pointing up to the sky, "Sunny Day!" she yelled.
"MAAAAAGGGGGG!" Magmar bellowed up into the sky. All of a sudden, sunlight beamed down through the trees, with the smog from earlier dissipating.
"So that's your plan, hm?" Lana noted as she let off a grin, "You've adapted quite a bit, Erika," she pointed out in a complimentary tone, "But that's not going to be enough for you to win this battle," she mentioned firmly, "Liquidation!" she ordered, sticking her right hand out.
"Kwah!" Araquanid responded, skittering over to Magmar as water started to swirl around her front legs.
"Lurantis, Leaf Blade!" Erika commanded quickly. However, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon appeared to be absorbing the sunlight from above, having her eyes closed. A ball of golden light formed above her head before she lifted her right arm. The ball morphed into a blade of luminosity that shot up, engulfing the arm of Lurantis.
"LURRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" she screeched, swinging it down onto Araquanid hard before she could attack her teammate.
"That wazzz Solar Blade, zzt!" Rotom buzzed in surprise.
"Way to go, Lurantis!" Erika exclaimed excitedly as she smiled. As the dust settled from the impact, it revealed that Araquanid was lying upon the ground and groaning in agony.
"Guess we're out," Lana concluded, exhaling a sigh.
"Don't worry, Lana!" Mallow assured with a thumbs up, "Tsareena and I'll take this match home!" she vowed, "High Jump Kick!" she commanded.
"Sah!" the Fruit Pokémon responded, leaping up and letting her tapered legs shine a bright white.
"Magmar, Fire Punch!" Erika ordered. Orange flames engulfed the right arm of the Spitfire Pokémon as he closed his hand into a fist. They burned brightly as he thrusted it out to collide with his foe's right leg, resulting in a gust ringing out from the impact.
After a few moments of a deadlock, Magmar managed to ultimately shove Tsareena off of him in a burst of fire. She fell onto the ground in a smoky heap, having swirls in her eyes. Mallow blinked in surprise.
"Wow…" she uttered out, scratching her right cheek, "I knew it wouldn't be easy to try and beat both of your Pokémon at this stage, but…" she started to admit with a sheepish grin.
"The sunlight really shined on you this time, Erika," Lana noted while returning her Araquanid to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"Heehee!" the Ketchum girl giggled delightedly. A few moments later, she obtained the blue and green petals from the trial captains.
"So where do you think you need to go next, zzt?" Rotom inquired as it floated beside her, getting her attention.
"Hmm…" she hummed, putting her right hand onto her chin, "Since I've had to battle trial captains, I'm guessing I'll have to run into Kiawe next!" she inferred as she snapped her fingers.
"Right on!" Mallow affirmed with a wink.
"Tell him that we said hello," Lana insisted as she waved goodbye.
"I will!" Erika promised, returning Magmar to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Hey, where's Lurantis?" she asked, noticing that the Bloom Sickle Pokémon wasn't in the immediate area. She and the others looked around before Rotom spotted something.
"I think I zzzee her, zzt…" it buzzed, gesturing toward a sunny clearing where Lurantis was contently snoozing on the grass.
"Hey, this isn't the time to be napping!" her trainer complained as she jogged over.
"At least she knows when to relax…" Lana remarked, much to Mallow's chagrin again as she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
X
Flying up to the Hokulani Observatory via Charizard, Calvin immediately took notice of three familiar faces. Molayne, Sophocles and Acerola were standing at the entrance, watching as the trial-goer descended aboard the Flame Pokémon. After hopping off from his back and returning him to the Ride Pager Poké Ball in a beam of red light, the Ketchum boy jogged over.
"Hey there, Calvin!" the spectacled man of the group greeted, "Fancy seeing you all the way up here," he remarked, putting his hands onto his hips.
"It's nice to see you again!" the Ghost-type trial captain chimed in happily.
"Yeah, it's good to see you all, too," Calvin responded as he adjusted his cap, "I'm pretty sure you know what I'm doing here…" he pointed out, sheepishly scratching at his right cheek.
"Mina's trial, right?" Sophocles assumed, reaching into one of his pockets to pull out a yellow flower petal, "It's always around this time of year that she gets us going on this…" he pointed out, rubbing the back of his head.
"But it's always fun!" Acerola affirmed, having a purple petal in her hand, "So Calvin," she continued, "I'm sure you know that you that if you want these petals, you're gonna have to battle us for 'em!" she noted with a wink.
"Don't worry, we'll let you decide who you can battle first," Molayne promised, "Although… can I offer a suggestion?" he requested of the Ketchum boy.
"Huh?" he uttered in confusion. He watched as the observatory head pulled out an Ultra Ball and enlarged it in his right hand.
"Why don't you battle two of us at once?" he suggested, "That way, you'll get two petals for the price of one battle," he mentioned with a grin.
"Ooh, I wanna join in!" Acerola exclaimed as she hopped over.
"So, what do you say?" Molayne inquired of the trial-goer. He glanced down for a moment in thought, but then grinned.
"Okay, let's do it!" he decided.
"Alright," Molayne said with a chuckle.
"You gonna jump in and make this a Battle Royal, Soffy?" Acerola asked of Sophocles, getting his attention as he blinked in surprise.
"Uh, no thanks…" he responded, waving his hands out in front of himself, "It's probably not good for Calvin if we all wear each other down…" he pointed out.
"That's true," the observatory head agreed, tossing his Ultra Ball forward. It popped open, and its light spilled out onto the pavement, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal a Metagross.
"Metah!" it exclaimed.
"A Metagross, huh?" Calvin noted aloud.
"Ooh, and here's my cute little partner!" Acerola declared, tossing her own Ultra Ball up into the air. It opened up, with its light shaping in midair before dissipating to reveal a Froslass, who floated down to her trainer's side elegantly.
"Frosss…" she hissed out, bowing her head in a polite manner.
"Froslass and Metagross…" the Ketchum boy listed off, putting his left hand onto his chin in thought. He didn't want to take it easy on either of them, as they seemed like strong Pokémon. After a moment, he reached down to his belt and pulled off a pair of Poké Balls, enlarging them with a press of a button. "Come on out, you two!" he called out, throwing them up into the air.
Both spherical containers burst open. Their lights poured onto the ground, taking form. When they dissipated, they revealed both Marowak and Togedemaru there.
"Mah!" the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon exclaimed, knocking his bone against the ground. Meanwhile, his teammate shivered at the sight of their two foes. Both of them seemed rather imposing. But the Roly-Poly Pokémon steeled himself, taking on a determined expression. Moments later, they stood about a half dozen yards apart from their foes, while Sophocles took his place on the side of the soon-to-be battlefield.
"Okay… begin!" he yelled, swinging his right arm down.
"Froslass, Hail!" Acerola immediately instructed as she snapped her fingers. The Snow Land Pokémon had a cold gust of air expel from her body, going up into the sky. A thick fog formed along with dark clouds, followed by bits of snow falling down. As it hit Metagross, Marowak, and Togedemaru, they all felt nicked as they winced a little.
"Not taking even a moment to get things set up, hm?" Molayne noted, putting his hands onto his hips, "Metagross, Hammer Arm!" he commanded, sticking his right hand out. Tucking its legs in, the Iron Leg Pokémon floated forward, heading toward Togedemaru.
"Marowak, Shadow Bone!" Calvin ordered. The Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon spun his bone around, making violet flames erupt at both ends of it. He jumped out in front of his teammate, swatting Metagross away with ease.
"Togeh!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon squeaked gratefully.
"Shadow Ball!" Acerola commanded as she spun around. Froslass formed a purple-and-black ball of energy upon her hands, having black sparks crackle around it. She shot it forward, and it wound up striking Marowak squarely on the head in a burst of smoke before he could react.
"Marowak!" Calvin cried out. The Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon had fallen down from the impact, wincing in pain. Togedemaru immediately went over to check on him and make sure he was okay, seeing him slowly sit back up.
"Bullet Punch!" Molayne ordered. Metagross floated out again, cloaking its front legs in a silvery white light. It rapidly struck both of its foes, sending them flying back. Marowak managed to get to back onto his feet, while Togedemaru rolled to a stop beside Calvin.
"Ergh…" he growled in frustration, "Marowak, Flame Wheel on Froslass!" he instructed with a swing of his right arm. Igniting both ends of his bone in pale green flames after spinning it across his forehead, the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon somersaulted forward. The fire from his bone engulfed his body as he rolled toward his foe. Or so he thought. Froslass suddenly faded into the fog, evading her opponent's attack. Calvin gasped.
"Heehee!" Acerola giggled, "Isn't Froslass' Snow Cloak amazing?" she inquired of the trial-goer, getting his attention, "Whenever it's hailing, she's a lot harder for trainers to keep track of!" she pointed out with a wink.
"Frahhh…" the Snow Land Pokémon's voice echoed from the fog, causing Marowak to flinch as he looked around in search of her.
"Now Shadow Ball!" the Ghost-type trial captain ordered, sticking her right hand out. Froslass reappeared right behind the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon with another purple-and-black ball of energy prepared upon her hands. He noticed too late as he whipped around and found himself struck again by the ball of energy, resulting in a big blast.
"Marowak, no!" Calvin screamed.
"Mah roo!" Togedemaru squeaked out. His trainer clenched his fists tightly in frustration.
'Marowak's getting hammered out there!' he noted to himself, 'On top of that, Froslass is gonna be a big problem if we don't figure out a way to get rid of the hail…' he mentioned inwardly, 'Or find a way to keep her from dodging our attacks…' he added through his thoughts.
"Tohhh…" the Roly-Poly Pokémon hummed out, trying to think of an idea for his trainer. And then, he blinked upon remembering something. "Toh! Togeh!" he squeaked, getting Calvin's attention.
"What is it, Togedemaru?" he asked of the Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Mah, mahroo!" he responded, gesturing to the electric sacs at his cheeks. The Ketchum boy widened his eyes slightly in realization.
"Good thinking!" he complimented.
"Metagross, Hammer Arm!" Molayne commanded, thrusting his right fist out. The Iron Leg Pokémon floated forward, having both of its front legs glow a bright white.
"Dodge and use Nuzzle!" Calvin instructed. Togedemaru made his cheeks spark with yellow electricity, rolling forward. He evaded getting struck by Metagross' legs, leaping up into its face. With just a mere touch, the Iron Leg Pokémon was zapped by its foe, trembling as yellow electricity sparked around its body.
"Mah!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon huffed proudly, landing atop his opponent's head.
"Nice going, Togedemaru!" the Ketchum boy complimented with a thumbs up.
"So he's resorting to paralyzing our Pokémon, hm?" Molayne noted as he rubbed his chin with his right hand.
"That won't be a problem for us!" Acerola affirmed confidently, "Froslass, Thunderbolt!" she ordered, swinging her right arm out. The Snow Land Pokémon reappeared, narrowing her eyes onto a weakened Marowak as he was standing back up. Yellow electricity crackled around her body before she fired off a bolt aimed for him. But all of a sudden, it veered away, instead striking Togedemaru, who blinked.
"Mah?" he squeaked, completely unaffected.
"Uh… huh?" the Ghost-type trial captain uttered in confusion.
"That Togedemaru's ability is Lightning Rod like mine, right?" Sophocles inferred, glancing over to Calvin.
"Yep," he answered with a nod, "And now, we'll take advantage of that!" he declared, "Use Zing Zap!" he commanded. Making his spikes stick up, the Roly-Poly Pokémon had electricity spark all around his body before he zoomed toward Froslass.
"Ice Shard!" Acerola quickly called out. The Snow Land Pokémon stuck her hands out, having several small pieces of ice form in front of them as they swirled about. With a swing of her arms, she flung them toward the incoming Togedemaru. He managed to evade the first few, but the following ones wound up knocking him off balance as he tumbled to stop, losing the electricity around his body.
"Marowak, Shadow Bone!" Calvin ordered, causing the Ghost-type trial captain to blink in surprise. She watched as the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon leapt up to Froslass, making the flames upon his bone burn a bright violet. He swung it out to strike her, knocking her back into the fog. He landed down, going over to Togedemaru as he was getting back up.
"Mah roh?" he asked in concern to the Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Toh!" he squeaked assuredly as he hopped onto his feet.
"Metagross, Zen Headbutt!" Molayne commanded, sticking his right hand out. Enduring the electricity crackling around its body, the Iron Leg Pokémon had an orb of purplish energy shine at its forehead. It then tucked its legs in before floating forward, heading towards its foes.
"Counter with Bone Club!" Calvin called out. Marowak hopped in front of Togedemaru, rearing his bone back like a baseball bat. He swung it out to strike Metagross, causing a huge gust of wind that blew apart a good amount of the fog. Looking around, the Roly-Poly Pokémon took notice of a familiar figure lurking in what remained of the thick veil.
"Mah, mahroo!" he squeaked to his trainer, getting his attention as he could see Froslass' silhouette.
"Use Gyro Ball!" he quickly ordered. The Roly-Poly Pokémon had his spikes stick back up as they glowed a bright blue. He spun forward, heading past the deadlock between Marowak and Metagross as he closed in on Froslass. Acerola noticed and gasped lightly.
"Froslass, Ice Shard!" she commanded. The Snow Land Pokémon appeared out from the fog, preparing pieces of ice that swirled around her arms. At the same time that she fired them out, Marowak was ultimately able to knock Metagross back. He took notice of the ice shards heading for his teammate.
"Marowak, Bonemerang!" his trainer instructed. The Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon flung his bone, having it spin rapidly. It smashed through the shards of ice, much to Froslass' shock as she then saw Togedemaru close in. "GO!" Calvin yelled.
"MAH ROOO!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon exclaimed as he slammed himself into his target's stomach, causing her eyes to bulge open before she was sent hurdling down to the ground, where she crashed in a flurry of dust.
"Froslass!" Acerola cried out.
"Frahhh…" the Snow Land Pokémon groaned as she tried to push herself up. The thick fog and the hail had finally subsided, leaving her wide open for an attack.
"Now Zing Zap!" Calvin commanded, sticking his right hand forward. Froslass looked up and widened her eyes to see Togedemaru's body crackle with yellow electricity as his spikes were still sticking up. He zipped down and crashed into her stomach again, zapping her fiercely as she cried out in pain. He then hopped off, letting his spikes fold back down. The Snow Land Pokémon had swirls in her eyes as she moaned, no longer able to battle.
"Aw, gee…" Acerola grumbled as she slouched forward, "Should've known Calvin would find a way to win…" she noted with a small grin.
"The battle isn't over yet though!" Molayne declared firmly, "Metagross, Meteor Mash!" he ordered, pumping his fists forward.
"Metahhh!" the Iron Leg Pokémon responded, bringing its front legs up and clanging them together before a blue aura erupted around it.
"Marowak, use Flame Wheel!" Calvin commanded, swinging his left arm out. Catching his bone in his left hand and igniting its ends in pale green flames again, the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon rushed forward. The flames engulfed him as he somersaulted, creating a wheel of fire. At that very moment, Metagross used its back legs to launch itself forward. It collided with its foe as sparks flew wildly from the moment of impact.
Both trainers clenched their teeth, seeing as how the battle could go either way. However, electricity started to spark upon the Iron Leg Pokémon's body, causing it to falter briefly. In that moment, Marowak broke through and slammed into him head-on, knocking him onto the pavement in a flurry of dust. When it subsided, it revealed that Metagross had swirls in its eyes.
"Both Metagross and Froslass are unable to battle!" Sophocles announced as he lifted his left arm up, "So Calvin wins!" he declared, gesturing toward the Ketchum boy.
"Alright!" he exclaimed. Togedemaru waddled back over, exchanging a delighted fist bump with Marowak for their victory.
"Well, I certainly expected the battle to go a little longer…" Molayne admitted as he returned his Metagross to its Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"Teamwork makes the dream work!" Acerola remarked cheekily in reply while recalling her Froslass. She then skipped over to Calvin. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed, "Here's a petal from yours truly!" she offered, handing him the purple petal.
"And one from me as well," Molayne said as he approached, offering a silver petal.
"Thank you so much," the Ketchum boy said in gratitude, bowing his head.
"Hey, you're the one who earned them with your amazing Pokémon!" Acerola pointed out as a retort, crouching down to hug Marowak, who winced in surprise, "These two cuties really pulled through for ya!" she mentioned, nuzzling her head against the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon, who blushed a little. Togedemaru snickered.
"Speaking of earning petals…" Molayne continued, looking over to Sophocles, "I believe it's your turn to battle Calvin for your petal, Soffy," he assumed.
"O-Oh, right…" the Electric-type trial captain stuttered in reply, grabbing an Ultra Ball off of his belt and enlarging it with a press of its button, "Whenever you're ready, Calvin!" he called out to the Ketchum boy, who grinned as he pulled out a Poké Ball of his own.
"Yeah," he responded with a nod.
X
"Flame Charge!" Kiawe ordered.
"Aqua Jet!" Erika commanded. Up in the air, a Talonflame cloaked himself in red flames as he soared toward Primarina, who was engulfed in a torrent of water. They collided with each other in a huge blast of steam, with the Soloist Pokémon falling down to the ground and landing beside her trainer.
"Preee…" she growled in frustration.
"Yeah, he's getting tougher to keep up with…" her trainer concluded as she narrowed her eyes. After making her way to the Wela Volcano Park to meet Kiawe, Erika immediately challenged him to a battle in order to get her fourth petal. It was easier said than done though, as his Talonflame was quite speedy, especially in the air.
"Steel Wing!" the trial captain commanded as he clenched his left fist tightly. The Scorching Pokémon had his wings shine in a silvery-white sheen, diving down toward his foe.
"Primarina, use Icy Wind!" the Ketchum girl ordered. Taking a deep breath, the Soloist Pokémon exhaled a chilling gust of wind with blue sparkles from her mouth. Her opponent flew into it, wincing all the while. However, he broke through and managed to strike her with his left wing, making her slide back along the ground a few feet.
"Preemah!" she barked out determinedly.
"Yeah, use Aqua Jet!" her trainer responded, sticking her right hand out. A torrent of water engulfed Primarina before she rocketed out after Talonflame, who was gliding away.
"Brave Bird!" Kiawe ordered while pumping his fist out. Veering back around, the Scorching Pokémon engulfed himself in an orange, bird-shaped aura. He and his opponent collided head-on again, resulting in another burst of smoke.
"Now Sparkling Aria!" Erika commanded, causing the trial captain to gasp in surprise. Within the smoke, the Soloist Pokémon's ponytail came apart as she formed a sparkling orb of water on the tip of her pink nose. It splashed apart into watery streaks, zipping through the veil and striking Talonflame one after another before he started falling toward the ground.
"Talonflame!" Kiawe yelled, watching as his partner crashed down hard in a flurry of dust and dirt. When it subsided, it revealed that he was in a daze, having swirls in his eyes. Meanwhile, Primarina landed beside her trainer, who grinned excitedly at their victory. Moments later, she was provided with a red flower petal from the trial captain.
"Thank you!" she exclaimed gratefully.
"That's your fourth petal, right?" Kiawe assumed.
"Mm-hmm!" Erika responded with a nod, "And I'm betting you know where I could find the last one on the island!" she mentioned as excitement was building in her voice.
"Well, you'll find out who's got it when you head over to the resort area," the trial captain assured, much to her surprise as she blinked, "As a matter of fact, why don't I join you?" he offered. Moments later, the two of them were flying side by side, with Erika aboard Pelipper and Kiawe riding on a Charizard.
"So you know who exactly I'm gonna have to battle for the last petal I need?" the Ketchum girl inquired of the trial captain.
"You'll find out more once we get to the resort," he assured in reply, causing her to puff out her cheeks in annoyance.
"You have to be patient, zzt…" Rotom buzzed firmly.
"Right, right… I know…" its user grumbled. A few minutes later, they soared down to the Hano Grand Resort. To Erika's surprise, there was a huge crowd of people gathered around the beach. She even spotted Lana, Mallow, Olivia, and Nia. They watched her and Kiawe descend, landing upon the sand.
"Glad you could make it!" the kahuna exclaimed in greeting as she waved to the arriving pair, who disembarked from their Ride Pokémon respectively.
"Hi, Miss Olivia!" the Ketchum girl called out as she jogged over, "Are you the last person I need to face to get the petal?" she inferred, clenching her fists excitedly. However, the kahuna chuckled to her surprise.
"As much as I want to battle you again, someone else graciously volunteered," she pointed out in reply, putting her hands onto her hips.
"Huh?" the Ketchum girl uttered out of confusion as she blinked, not noticing the approaching footsteps.
"She actually wanted to see how far you've come since you last met here," Olivia mentioned.
"Wait… here?" Erika repeated as she raised an eyebrow.
"It's been a while, Erika," a familiar voice greeted, getting her attention as she glanced over and widened her eyes to see none other than Kahili approach alongside Touckey, "I'm looking forward to seeing just how much stronger you've gotten," she remarked, adjusting her visor slightly.
"M-Miss Kahili!" the Ketchum girl stammered out in shock. Back at the Hokulani Observatory, Calvin and Sophocles were in quite a battle themselves as the former's Toucannon and the latter's Vikavolt were in an aerial battle as Acerola and Molayne watched.
"Air Slash!" the Electric-type trial captain commanded. Making his mandibles shine a bright blue, the Stag Beetle Pokémon swung himself around to unleash shuriken-shaped blades of air that were heading toward his foe.
"Dodge and use Drill Peck!" the Ketchum boy instructed. Toucannon barrel rolled aside to evade the air blades, followed by making the tip of his beak shine a bright blue as he closed in on his opponent, spinning around rapidly like a drill.
"Vikavolt, Thunderbolt!" Sophocles ordered. Yellow electricity started to build up around the Stag Beetle Pokémon's body. Just as his foe struck, so too did he zap the Cannon Pokémon as they both fell down onto the ground in heaps as clouds of dust were built up from their impacts.
"Toucannon!" Calvin cried out. Fortunately, the Cannon Pokémon was able to stand back up, shaking his head to regain himself. Vikavolt also floated back into the air as his wings buzzed.
"Alright, Guillotine!" his trainer commanded, much to the surprise of the Ketchum boy. He watched as the Stag Beetle Pokémon's mandibles glowed light blue as he opened them.
"Toucannon, use Beak Blast!" Calvin ordered quickly, seeing Vikavolt dash forward. The Cannon Pokémon closed his eyes, letting his curved beak heat up with energy as it started to shine a bright orange. His opponent was closing in, about to chomp down on him. However, he jolted his eyes along with his beak, unleashing a fiery orange beam of light that engulfed the Stag Beetle Pokémon entirely. When it subsided, he fell onto the ground in a smoky heap as his eyes were in swirls.
"And that's that!" Molayne announced, holding his right arm up before gesturing to the Ketchum boy, "Calvin wins!" he affirmed.
"Huh…" the trial-goer sighed in relief. A moment later, he received the yellow petal from Sophocles. "Thanks for this," he said in gratitude.
"That makes four for you, right?" Acerola guessed upon approaching, "In that case, you'll wanna visit Uncle for your last one!" she pointed out as she winked.
"You mean Nanu?" Calvin inferred as he arched an eyebrow, "Guess it makes sense that he'd be the last one I could fight on the island…" he admitted while sheepishly scratching at his right cheek. He then pulled out his Ride Pager, opening the silver Poké Ball as its light formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal Charizard again. He climbed aboard onto the harness at his back, holding onto the handlebars.
"Tell Uncle we all said hi!" Acerola requested as she and the others waved goodbye to the Ketchum boy, who took off aboard the Flame Pokémon. As they soared by Mount Lanakila, Calvin could notice the construction at work around the base of the mountain.
'What's going on there?' he wondered inwardly. A little while later, he arrived outside of Po Town, finding that the weather wasn't nearly as gloomy as it used to be as there were partly cloudy skies overhead. Charizard descended beside the police station, allowing his rider to disembark and return him to the silvery Poké Ball of the Ride Pager. At that moment, the doors to the station opened up, with Nanu himself walking out.
"Huh…" he groaned, "Of course you're already here…" he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Hi, Mister Nanu…" Calvin awkwardly greeted, "Um… I'm here to get the petal you have…" he pointed out.
"As much as I don't wanna, I gotta battle you before you can get it," the kahuna noted in reply, "But first, can ya come with me?" he requested as he walked toward the entrance to Po Town, "I need to show you something," he said. The Ketchum boy blinked in surprise. Moments later, he followed Nanu into the town, seeing that a lot of it had gotten cleaned up since the last time he had been there.
"What happened?" he asked curiously.
"After those bozos got their boss back, they changed," the kahuna answered, "For better or worse, they just threw away being Team Skull and started doing what they could to make this place welcoming again," he explained as his hands were stuffed into his pockets, "From what I hear, it's thanks to you and that brat of a sister you've got," he mentioned.
"That's right," a familiar voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they stopped. They glanced over to see Plumeria sitting atop the hood of a truck. Calvin noticed that quite a bit had changed about her. She was now wearing a gray bandana with similar colors and patterns to a Salazzle on her head, a watch on her right wrist, and matching pants to her bandana. She lost the Team Skull necklace, tattoo, and bracelet. Her white eyeshadow was also gone.
"Plumeria…" the Ketchum boy uttered in surprise.
"She's not the only one changed…" Nanu pointed out, gesturing with his right thumb. Coming out from some of the buildings and homes nearby were former Team Skull members, who now donned baseball caps and wore bandannas around their necks as opposed to their faces. None of them had any Team Skull-related memorabilia on their persons.
"This is all thanks to you, kid," the former Team Skull admin noted as she hopped off of the truck and walked over to the trial-goer, "You brought Guzma back along with his humility," she told him.
"Humility?" Calvin repeated in confusion.
"Where is that guy anyway?" the kahuna wondered aloud as he looked around.
"Probably sulking over what to say to the kid," Plumeria grumbled in reply, glancing over to the manor, which had yet to be really cleaned up, "I wouldn't worry about him," she assured, "More importantly, you've got other things to deal with, right?" she inquired of the Ketchum boy, causing him to blink in surprise.
"Uh, right," he stuttered in reply, "Mister Nanu?" he said, making the kahuna groan.
"Yeah, let's get this over with…" he muttered, readying an Ultra Ball in his left hand.
ENDING
Insert "Who Are You?" by PELICAN FANCLUB
Opens at Aether Paradise as Lillie is with her bedridden mother, sleeping by her side. In her dreams, she's imagining becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself, journeying through regions with her Pokémon by her side. She starts running along the pathway, excitedly smiling all the while.
Throughout her journey in her dream, she comes across many great things. She encounters amazing Pokémon, strong trainers to battle, and memorable sights. Her Pokémon of choice is a Clefairy which she happily lifts in her hands.
All of a sudden, the area around them darkens as a shadow looms over them. Lillie looks up in horror to see a giant version of Lusamine engulfed by Nihilego overhead. She cowers in fright momentarily, but then notices a bright light shining up above.
It turns out to be Solgaleo, who comes down with Calvin and Erika aboard. They both offer their hands to Lillie, who happily accepts them as she climbs onto the Sunne Pokémon. They hurry off, avoiding the giant rocks Lusamine chucks their way. One is about to strike, but it's destroyed as Gladion appears aboard Silvally, slashing it apart.
Together, they lunge up to attack the Aether Foundation president, engulfing her in a shining, golden light. Lillie opens her eyes, lifting her head. She finds her mother awake in bed, giving her a weak, yet thankful smile.
Lillie smiles back, gripping her hand tightly. As Wicke wanders in to check on them, they turn on the TV as the Alola League is starting. Lillie giggles at the sight of the Ketchum twins in battle once again, happy that they're seeing their dreams through…
END ENDING
And with that, we're heading into the next big arc for the Ketchum twins! I'm really excited to get into the action-packed parts, especially what I'm sure you can guess is up ahead. But before all that, here's a summary for the next chapter!
SUMMARY
The Ketchum twins are both faced with an uphill challenge in the last part of gathering their petals for Mina's trial! Can Erika finally beat Kahili in a battle? And can Calvin triumph over Nanu?
END SUMMARY
You'll find out just sort of chapter you're in for next time, everyone! See you later!