The World Flows Through Me

by Social Coyote

Alola is a region of beauty and connection, but how much can spirituality and scenic views really fix? Moon must find out whether or not Alola can truly solve the pains life has thrown at her, or if she's beholden to fate after all. She's not the only one with something to run from however, and soon she may question whether she's running from fate, or towards it.

5. The Island Challenge

Chapter 5: The Island Challenge

---

Every challenge along the way

With courage, I will face.

I will battle every day

To claim my rightful place.

~ The Trainer's Creed ~

---

"Lillie, you can't go to Lenny's Malasadas and not order a malasada."

"I assure you, I very much can. They're grievously unhealthy and wouldn't provide the proper nutrients I need for the day. You do know we're to hike around the island, don't you?"

"Unhealthy? They're like, two-hundred calories max!"

"There are precisely two-hundred and seventy five! And you have had seven! Have you any idea how much exercise it will take to burn those?"

"Well, you did say we'll be hiking around the island..."

Moon watched the back and forth between Lillie and Hau, quietly sipping through the straw of her iced-tea lemonade. She, like Hau, had ordered a plateful of haupia stuffed malasadas for breakfast as a sign of their newfound independence in taking on the trial. She, unlike Hau, was not devoted enough to the sugary doughnut to enter a debate with the girl who knew calorie levels off of the top of her head.

Professor Kukui, who sat next to Moon and had graciously paid for said breakfast, was slowly shaking his head as the two continued their little disagreement. At first he had agreed with Lillie that such a sweet breakfast may not be the most nutritional considering what lay ahead of them, but he too had also bought a plate of seven and seemed content to simply watch from the sidelines.

"Just remembered why I have pokemon instead of kids." He murmured, though he wore a smile as Moon sipped her drink in agreement. "When my pokemon eat breakfast, at least I don't walk away broke and self-conscious. Hahaaa, aaaah…" He looked down at his set of unnecessarily visible abs and slowly pushed his remaining malasadas towards Moon, who nodded her thanks as she took a bite of another.

Across from her, Lillie sighed and tactfully cut off a piece of what she considered the closest thing to healthy on the menu: a slice of apple pie. Moon thought it looked rather sad, all things considered. Lillie patted at her lips with the napkin she had folded over her lap, and glanced up towards the professor who had tuned out the conversation in favor of drinking orange juice.

"Calories aside, where exactly do they start the island trials, Professor?" She asked, grimacing as Hau plunged another entire malasada into his mouth. The professor frowned at that and scratched his head, craning his neck out to glance through the store's window as if waiting for something. Outside, there was only backed up traffic. After a moment he let out a small, "Huh." and turned back to Lillie with an easy smile.

"That's more or less up to them. Was hoping old Hala would have made it here by now – he has something for you, Moon – but I can take over the reins a moment longer before cutting you all loose. So!" He clapped his hands together, gathering the attention of all three before interlocking his fingers and pointing at Moon and Hau. "Trial-goers, you have a long and arduous journey ahead of you. I'm sure you already know this, Hau, but since Moon is still adjusting I'd like to give the explanation just so you all are clear. That good?"

Hau's neck was leaned over the back of his chair, and he rubbed his stomach contentedly. "Shoots, Professor. I'm in no rush after that. Got me a mad kanak attack coming on." Both Moon and Lillie turned to face Hau.

"What's a 'kanak attack'?" They asked in unison. Lillie blinked and looked mildly bemused, while Moon grinned and chuckled to herself as she glanced over at Lillie.

"Jinx." She called proudly, leaning over to nudge Lillie's shoulder. "You owe me a soda."

"The pokemon?" Lillie asked, her eyes flickering around the restaurant in both confusion and expectancy. Moon's smile tightened; this girl was a national treasure.

"A kanak attack," Hau began wisely while raising a finger, "is after you eat something that's so ono you gotta take a good nap afterwards." Moon was just about to interject how she too would like a 'kanak attack', when the professor roped them all back in.

"Aaaaanyway, back on topic. Geez, like herding meowths with you kids. So, Moon." Kukui managed to hold his smile fairly well at their antics, and here he turned to face her fully, leaning on the table. "Across the four islands of Alola, you'll have seven trials that you must face that are set by the Trial Captains. Now these trials are not strictly battles, many will challenge your ability to problem-solve, to compromise and sacrifice. The trials are a test of your endurance, your reflexes, and your willpower. It will put you to the test as much as it will your pokemon, make no mistake."

Moon glanced over and saw Lillie scribbling notes down beneath the table. At least she wouldn't have to remember all of this herself. "Alright, so seven trials, seven captains. Gotta beat them all. Got it."

"On top of this, before you can move onto the next island, you will be tested by the master of the island themselves." The Professor's face twisted into an eager grin, one that was almost sinister as he stared Moon down. "Oh yes, you know exactly who I mean, cousin. Your final challenge will be a culmination of what you learn on the island, dished out by none other than-"

"MRRRRROOOOOOO!" There was a mighty bellow from outside as every head in the establishment turned out the big glass windows to see a blur of orange speeding down the street. Moon turned just in time to see as the blur suddenly slowed, pushed to a stop as a great hulking mass of a man stood in the middle of the street to meet it. The man's hands gripped the horns of the tauros as its hooves slid against the ground in an attempt to gain traction. The man, with his bristling mustache and bushy eyebrows, strained against the weight of the beast before letting out another roar and digging his rubber sandals into the asphalt below.

"Heuagh!" In an instant, the tauros was rolled to the side, its own strength used against it as its horns were twisted over. The man pivoted and rolled into the blow, pushing with all of his might as he threw the tauros into the pavement with one fell swoop and a mighty crash. The ground shook ever so slightly, enough for the plates at their table to rattle as the kahuna rested his hands on his knees for a moment before dusting them off and looking at the row of cars down the road, a satisfied expression on his weathered face.

"That. You'll have to face off against that." Professor Kukui said, letting out a small chuckle as he stood up from the table. "Check please." Apparently this was a normal occurrence in Melemele, because it was mere seconds later that everyone went back to their meals as though it were but a mere change of the weather. All except for three children who were staring out the window with wide, excited (Or in Lillie's case, alarmed.) eyes. Hau's "Kanak Attack" seemed to have been subdued with the tauros, and he followed directly behind Lillie and Moon as they pushed through the glass doors and out into the street.

Outside, a stream of cars that had been blocked by the rampaging tauros was slowly beginning to flow once more, each one honking or even voicing their thanks with rolled down windows as they all passed by the kahuna.

"Hey, thanks Kahuna! Thought I was going to be late for work again."

"Eh, Hala! Da skills you jus' pulled off, unreal, yeah? Stay kickin' off da mornin' strong!"

"Yeah, well, I've seen better."

Kahuna Hala nodded as they passed, waving his hand in recognition and acknowledgement as the traffic began to move once more. Moon was the first to reach the scene of the action, and barely contained her grin as she saw the kahuna sitting atop the now subdued approached a second later, while Lillie seemed more than content to stay by the doorway of the Malasada shop.

"Yo, gramps! What'd you do to get ol' Amoka worked up, huh?" Hau asked, hands thrown leisurely behind his head. The kahuna turned his head towards them, surprise raising his eyebrows enough that Moon could have sworn she actually saw his eyes for a moment before a small smile of recognition flashed across his face. He held a large hand to stop them from getting too close, his other hand planted gently atop the tauros' neck as it gave an agitated snort.

"Alola Hau, Mahina, and young Lillie to boot." He greeted, to which all three returned the traditional greeting. "Not too close now, not too close. Something has agitated old Amoka something fierce, and I've spent most of the morning herding him away from the more populated areas of the city. As to what though, I cannot be sure…" His face turned serious once more as he craned his neck over the pokemon, brushing aside its fur while keeping enough pressure against it to stop it from rising.

Moon raised an eyebrow as the kahuna continued giving the tauros a once-over. "Why didn't you just catch him? Putting him in pokeball would've solved the issue quicker, wouldn't it?" The speed at which the kahuna's head snapped to face her startled Moon, as his serious demeanor gave off the distinct impression she'd said something wrong. The only hint that she hadn't was the brief hum he let out before turning back to his quarry, rubbing its head gently like it was a lost child.

"I forget you're still learning our ways, young Mahina." He said, though not unkindly. "Old Amoka here has roamed Melemele for a long time now; he was headbutting the palms when I was but Hau's age. He is what you would call a 'free spirit', though while I suppose you could say that about many of the pokemon here in Alola, he is without a doubt the living definition." As if in response, Old Amoka let out a long winded "Mooooo!" that earned a nod from the kahuna. "Indeed. It is a widely accepted, though unspoken, rule for certain pokemon like this tauros to remain free. To try and capture him would be an insult to his spirit."

From behind them, Moon heard approaching steps and turned to see the professor with a to-go box in one hand. "That's right. Heck, it wasn't until about twenty years ago that people started using pokeballs at all in Alola. I remember as a kid folk would just have their pokemon out and about, following them around and playing solely because of their bond." He gave a little shrug and handed the to-go box to Hau who took it with utter reverence. "'Course, that changed once tourists started showing up and centers started installing advanced restorative machinery to accommodate the large influx of new pokemon."

"Ah, young Kukui. Excellent, excellent." The kahuna murmured, still staring intently at the tauros. "Forgive me for my tardiness, a kahuna's work is never done. Have you given them the run-down of what is expected of them?" Professor Kukui chuckled and glanced over at Moon, who was bouncing on her heels, Hau who was trying to eat a malasada without Lillie seeing, and Lillie who was trying to look at anything else.

"ʻAe, I think they get the picture. At this point, all that's left is to send them on their way." He said. The kahuna nodded, finally tearing his eyes from Amoka and turning to Moon. There was something in the way he looked at her that made Moon think he was assessing her, though the squint of his brow kept her from seeing his eyes properly. Despite this, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something gray and circular that he held out to Moon. An armband. Yet the weight with which he bequeathed it to her told her this was no normal accessory.

"This, young Mahina, is what is known as a 'Z-Ring'. It-"

"But it's an armband, not a ring." Moon said before she could stop herself. The kahuna blinked at her and Kukui sighed, to which Moon quickly bowed her head in apology. How quickly she had forgotten she was speaking to the most respected man on the island. "Sorry, sorry sorry. Force of habit, that's how me and my mom interact so- you know what, don't worry about it. Please continue Kahuna Hala." The kahuna stared at her for a moment more before letting out what she almost dared to believe was a chuckle before continuing on once more.

"As I was saying, this is a 'Z-Ring'. The art of refining stones into these bands is a sacred tradition passed from kahuna to kahuna, a gift given to us by the Tapu themselves." He nodded for her to extend her hand and she did so, the kahuna unclasping the armband and wrapping it around her wrist. "This one in particular came from the stone Tapu Koko gave to you; a sign of your bravery, perhaps. Or maybe our island deity has a purpose for you that we have not yet devised, for they are without a doubt a mysterious set of pokemon." The kahuna clasped the band, and Moon held it up to get a closer look.

The Z-Ring was a little clunky looking at first if she was honest, with lots of divets and diamond shaped holes that circled the entire band. In the middle was something almost like a little carving of what looked to be "Z", and in the center of that was another diamond hole, though this one was more pronounced. She waved her wrist back and forth a few times before lowering it back to her side; a part of her wished he had put it on the other wrist so that it could cover up the ribbon her mother bade her wore.

"Thank you, Kahuna Hala." She bowed her thanks again, an old habit from her time in Kanto, but the kahuna merely nodded. "What does it do, exactly? I mean- not that it has to do anything, I guess I meant like, what does it symbolize? I figure there must be significance to it for you to spend the time making it for me. I'm sure making this out of that stone wasn't done in an hour." This seemed to be the correct thing to say, because the kahuna nodded.

"You'd be correct in that. The 'Z' in those terms stands for 'zenith', and that band is indeed no trinket; it is a medium between the one who wears it, their pokemon, and the essence of everything beneath them. The land, the islands, the sea, the world itself. The ancient light that is said to have once bore onto the islands long ago, what we call 'Z-Power', will unleash your potential, as well as your pokemon's, if you can channel it properly." The kahuna smiled now, and it was just a tiny bit disconcerting to Moon as she stared back at him. It was not entirely one of warmth, but of challenge. "Do you think you can channel the energy of the world, young Mahina?"

Moon frowned, unsure how to answer. There was a lot of vagueness in that explanation, especially for something that seemed so important. She wanted to know more, to ask how to channel it, especially if this was something that allegedly tied her to the power of the islands, of the trees and the air around her. Was that really the kind of power that someone like her, a fourteen year old girl, should hold? However much of it was just exaggeration or prose, Moon suspected that there was at least some ounce of truth to the kahuna's words. She remembered what Hau had told her on the Mahalo Trail, of Alola finding more value in the nature of a thing.

Perhaps that was the case here? As the kahuna stared her down, she thought about what he was asking her. Could she channel the energy of the world? Maybe not. Could she learn about Alola, connect with the culture, the pokemon and the people, to the point of understanding and being in harmony with the world around her? That was why she had come home after all: connection. She thought back to sitting on the beach a week prior, thinking of how she wanted the lifestyle and customs of her home presented to her in a hand-carved bowl like a native, not a flashy flower-stamped plate from some tiki bar.

And that was when she realized she had been thinking about her connection to Alola the wrong way.

"I do." She said, meeting his stare with her own. "And I will." She didn't want her traditions and heritage served to her at all. She wanted to go out into the woods, carve a bowl from scratch, and cook the damn thing herself. The kahuna nodded, and the twinkle in his eye was not missed by Moon as he stood from atop the tauros and dusted his hands before he turned to Professor Kukui.

"In that case, young Kukui, I do not think we need to hold these three up any longer." The tauros, now considerably less ready to charge across the road Moon noticed, gave another groan before shaking its head. The kahuna rubbed at it behind the ears, murmuring softly to it while the professor clamped something to Moon's purse; an amulet, identical to Hau's containing four shards of colored glass in a golden border, tied to a string that wrapped nicely around her strap.

"Well cousins, the last bit of advice I can give you is to head to the school down next to the eastern pokemon center." The professor stated, standing back and crossing his arms as he looked at the three of them. "They offer one-day courses during the summer specifically for trial-goers to help you get acquainted with your pokemon and with battling more; the staff there are some of the best on Melemele when it comes to helping you find your footing. In fact," He paused and looked to the kahuna for confirmation, "I believe the first captain is actually a graduate there, yeah? Captain Ilima Sida?"

The kahuna nodded, but he was staring at the tauros. Old Amoka was leaving the group to walk down the street once more, and though it had calmed down considerably there was still an agitated manner in it as it snorted and huffed at the ground. Moon frowned; who wanted to go start a life-changing adventure just to go to school for a day? In the middle of summer no less.

"Well," Professor Kukui continued, "This is where I'm supposed to tell you that we can no longer assist you, and that you must use your own skills to succeed in the coming endeavors." He paused for a moment, rubbing the back of his head. "But uh, your mother promised to waterboard me if I didn't tell you all that if you are hungry, tired, or hurt in any manner, that you are more than allowed to come back home at any time to rest and recuperate. That apparently goes to you two as well." He nodded to Hau and Lillie, who had finally managed to approach now that the tauros was wandering away.

"Heck yeah, impromptu sleepover." Hau grinned, while Lillie remained silent and stared at the ground. Kahuna Hala turned once more to them as he patted Moon and Hau on the shoulder, looking at each of them directly in turn.

"For all life on our islands, and for those who undertake these trials with such joy in their hearts, we pray for your protection. For you, and all of Melemele." He bowed his head, and the two of them returned the gesture. He looked at the professor and the two nodded before turning and heading in opposite directions; the professor to his truck, and the kahuna to the tauros. "I look forward to seeing you both in Iki Town once more, to show me what Alola has taught you, and what you have taught Alola."

Moon watched as the kahuna strolled away without another word, following the tauros down the street as though this was just another Sunday. Looking around, Moon figured it probably was for the old kahuna. Turning around she saw that Lillie had bolted off towards the professor, and the two were exchanging a quick hug before the professor turned and waved to each of them. Moon raised her arms in farewell, while Hau grinned and threw up a shaka. Lillie returned to the group, and the professor rounded the corner to the parking lot of Lenny's Malasadas.

For a moment they were silent, the three of them looking around at the bright sunlit streets of Hau'oli, the traffic passing them by with the heat of their exhausts only raising the temperature around them, or even the spare wingull crossing just overhead. Anywhere but each other. Hau kicked his toe against the sidewalk, and Lillie fiddled with her bag. Finally, Moon sighed and forced herself to meet their eyes. Hau may have been sociable, but even his lax charisma couldn't keep the three of them afloat if none of them talked. They were going to be traveling together, so they would have to start talking eventually.

She was a sociable person, she could do this. She just had to mean it this time.

"Well," She said cheerfully, "Let's get this show on the road." She turned and started walking down the sidewalk, leaving both Hau and Lillie behind her. This might've seemed counterintuitive to the whole 'making friends' business, but Moon figured that nothing brought about talking like walking, and her hunch was rewarded when she heard the two following behind her. She turned and glanced at Hau with a smile, nodding towards the path they had taken which was slowly filling with more people as the day went on.

"So, school huh?" She asked, immediately feeling lame. Who wanted to talk about school? She needed something more. "Kinda ironic that we get the go-ahead to start our awesome journey based on freedom and self-reliance journeying around the islands, only to get told, 'Hey, go take an afternoon class before you do!', right?" Hau chuckled; it was a very light and airy laugh, the kind that was rich with joy and contentment despite the prospect of education.

"Yeah, it's a little backwards, I won't lie." He admitted, walking up beside Moon so that they were in step with one another. "But Gramps says you can never know enough about pokemon. Besides, it's just one afternoon, yeah? Sure hope they don't try and quiz us at the end or something. I was kinda hoping to leave that stuff behind once I became a trainer." The sidewalk was only wide enough for the two of them to stand comfortably next to one another, and as a passerby made to walk past them Hau retreated back behind Moon to allow some space. "Ah, but the free lunches, now those I'll miss."

"Oh dude, me too!" Moon sighed. Reminiscing about the school lunches back in Kanto was surprisingly easy. "School food is so underrated, like sometimes out of nowhere I'll randomly get a craving for the specific kind of sweet curry we'd serve- oh! Or the strawberry mochi squares we got some days!" A little chuckle escaped her lips and she shook her head as they slipped past an elderly couple. "The hardest part of serving the food was having to look at it and wait until everyone had some before I could dig in and- wait, what do you mean free lunches?!"

"What do you mean you had to serve the food? Like, prison style?" Hau stared at Moon, and Moon stared back. The two's exchange of culture shock was interrupted only when Lillie looked at the both of them and spoke her piece.

"I've never been to school before. What's it like?" She asked, her expression innocent with curiosity as Hau and Moon slowly turned to look at her. Her cheeks tinted slightly and she drew out another pout. "Really, must you two do that everytime I say something? It isn't that abnormal for one not to go to school, surely!" Moon and Hau swapped glances as Lillie decidedly stared them both down.

"You mean like, public school, right?" Moon asked, trying to keep the incredulity from her voice with little success. "You went to some fancy prep school or something, like Uva up in Paldea. Right? Homeschool? Cram?" With each listing Lillie's frown grew stronger and stronger, but Moon simply looked bemused at her. "You radiate super smarty-pants energy but you've never been to school? How does that work?" She was about to ask more when Lillie stopped past her with a huff, and Moon found herself grateful she didn't bump her with her oversized duffel-bag. A minor collision with that thing would easily knock her into oncoming traffic.

"I don't remember." Was all she murmured in a low voice, leaving Hau and Moon behind as she continued down the sidewalk, though it wasn't as effective with her having to carefully weave between the growing numbers of other pedestrians. Moon's jaw dropped as she watched Lillie leave, and she turned to look at Hau who was giving her a pitying smile as he shook his head. She had completely forgotten Lillie suffered from amnesia.

Hau patted her shoulder from beside her, swapping the takeout box to his other arm as he popped another malasada into his mouth. "Ah, don't worry sister. Girls are notoriously hard to talk to, and being a girl doesn't give you any bonuses to making it easier." Moon wasn't sure if he knew about her amnesia, and decided to play it safe by remaining silent. "C'mon, let's go show her what a public school looks like, eh? I don't think she knows the way anyhow." He gave her shoulder a quick double pat and began to follow the way Lillie was heading, picking up speed so he could take the forefront.

Moon watched them walk on for a second before groaning and running her hand through her hair. How was she bad at this? Everyone told her she was a social butterfree, she made acquaintances and got along with every lifeguard and storefront owner near her house, but making friends with an actual girl her age? She was out of practice big time, considering she had already forgotten the one vital piece of information regarding Lilliet that would have to dictate how most conversations were approached. She would have to apologize at some point.

Apologizing is for lameasses, and I am the lamest of all the asses.

Moon blew a tuft of hair out of her eyes and began to follow Hau and Lillie, her mind awash with brainstorming on how to best remedy something like a minor slip-up of this caliber. The good part about this was the school was on the eastern side of town, giving them a decent walk that gave her more than enough time to reassess her social strategy for Lillie. The crowds got thicker as the day wore on closer to noon, causing them to have to hop streets every now and again just to be able to tell where exactly they were going.

It was as the sun reached its peak that they finally caught sight of the chain link fence atop brickwork that surrounded the premises of the school. The school itself was three stories of solid dark oak against emerald shingles, and a single domed skylight above the entrance that reflected the sun's glare directly into Moon's eyes, because no matter what region she was in, school was determined to aggravate her. This school at least had two proper battling arenas, albeit outlined with chalk, a set of metal bleachers, and a full on paved parking lot. That was more than most schools in Kanto already.

As they turned the corner of the fence and stepped onto the premises proper, Lillie stopped to stare at the building in all of its glory, or as Moon considered, mediocrity. She walked over to an engraved piece of black marble, reading the etching aloud to the group as they approached.

"Let's learn and grow, let's grow and train. Unsullied, enjoyable, and academic. Everyone starts at the beginning." She stared at the text for a moment before turning back to them, and Moon was glad to see she was smiling as she wiped sweat beneath her hat. "That's rather encouraging, don't you think? It must be quite nice for a young growing mind to eagerly come each morning and be greeted with such positive encouragement." Moon almost thought there was something wistful about the way she spoke. She decided to use her classic Moon relatability to even the playing field between them.

Be cool, sensitive but not too sensitive to her predicament. Talk normal, like you do to everyone else in the world.

"Yeah, although in my almost nine years of education, no student has ever walked into school eager or encouraged." She said, stepping up beside Lillie. Lillie frowned at her, huffed, and continued walking towards the school's entrance.

That wasn't cool or relatable at all. You just sound like a jerk, except now you're being insensitive to her passions instead of her amnesia. Woohoo, two for two, Moon. Let's go tell her she looks fat in that dress while we're at it!

Moon didn't bother looking at Hau this time, she didn't want his consoling or cheery disposition, she just wanted to get this cram school styled afternoon out of the way. The sooner they got out of the city and into Alola, the better. She was glad, however, when she saw a woman in a white blouse and a red ascot waiting for them at the door, holding it wide open for the cool and refreshing breeze to waft out en masse to them. Her tank top was already sticking to her back beneath her shirt, and despite their light wear neither Hau nor Lillie looked to be faring any better.

"Hello hello, welcome to the Hau'oli Trainer Tuition Center! I'm Ms. Emily." She greeted in a cheerful tone that could only be used by people who worked in air-conditioned environments. All three sighed in unison as the crisp cool air washed over them, drawn to the prospect of relief from the summer sun like venomoth to a flame. "Professor Kukui said there was a chance we may have one or two trainers swing by for some assistance! I take it you're Hau, and one of you must be Moon, I didn't expect three though – not that that's a problem, we're more than happy to have you all!"

At this Lillie stepped forward, carefully curtsying as though she had meticulously rehearsed this exact encounter a hundred times. "Good afternoon, Ms. Emily. I apologize for the intrusion, I myself am uh, not a trainer, exactly. But I am tagging alongside them during their challenge." She raised from her polite greeting stance, looking around the entrance hall as though it were a castle, and she its princess. "I've never actually been to a school before. W-would it be possible for me to peek into a classroom or two? I'd hate to impose or interrupt, but I am awfully curious."

Moon had to give Lillie credit, the way she asked for something as simple as a look around was so endearing and genuine that Moon would probably have given her the shirt off her back if she asked. Ms. Emily seemed surprised, but no less enthusiastic at the request as she beamed at Lillie; Moon figured not many kids actually showed investment in the layout of a school or what went on inside.

"Oh, it's not a problem!" She assured. Ms. Emily adjusted her glasses and glanced off in thought for a moment before continuing. "I'll be a little preoccupied with helping these two get their footing, but perhaps during lunch I could-"

"Périssez cette pensée, Mme Emily!" A voice, high and clear, rang from within the school. Moon turned to see a young man stepping out towards them, though he remained just within the entry hall as opposed to stepping outside along the rest of them. His skin was toned like Hau's, though his hair flowed in waves of pink like bubblegum that kept well clear of his eyes, silver and surprisingly piercing. He was dressed in what Moon assumed to be the school's uniform; blindingly white chinos and a brown sweater vest against a similarly eye-burning white polo. The fanny pack on his back, Moon hoped, was a personal touch.

Ms. Emily clapped her hands. "Oh, Mr. Sida! Would you mind? That would give me more time to focus on helping out these two. They're probably anxious to start their journey, so every minute counts." She turned back to Moon and Hau, smiling at the both of them. "This is Ilima, he graduated last year and has been volunteering during the off-months as a teacher's aide for summer-school attendees. He's also the Trial Captain for Melemele Island as well! We're very lucky to have such a dedicated student grace us with his energy and passion. Are you sure you don't mind, Mr. Sida?"

"Not at all. But do come in, it's positively scorching out there today." Ilima said, beckoning them inside. Moon wasn't about to pass on the offer, and the four of them quickly stepped into the refreshing atmosphere of the school's entry hall proper. As they did, Ilima glanced back at her and Hau, raising an eyebrow at them. "These are the trial challengers, hm? Magnifique, it's been too long since I had the opportunity to test Alola's youth on something harder than a math quiz. I do hope you two will impress, assuming Alola's hiking routes don't beat you first."

Moon frowned; this guy couldn't have been more than two years older than her. Three, maybe. Four? Regardless, the phrasing irked her. Ilima turned away from her and Hau however, instead turning to Lillie who was walking beside Moon.

"So, did I hear correctly that you've never been to school before, mon cher?" Ilima asked. Lillie jumped a little at being addressed, but she managed a small nod that made Ilima shake his head. "Quel dommage! A simple peek into a classroom will not do, non. Perhaps a tour of the facility? As a teacher's aide I'm quite comfortable in explaining the seemingly mundane, and would be happy to tell you about everything we have to offer here at the H.T.T.C." His smile was wide as he bowed to her, and something in Lillie's eyes sparked as she listened to him speak. Her fingers darted to her lips, and then she pointed at Ilima in recognition.

"Vous parlez aussi le Kalosien!" She said, earning a frazzled shake of the head from Moon. Moon watched as Lillie jogged over to him, trying to ignore the pit of disappointment in her stomach that seemed to well up out of nowhere. Maybe it was because she hadn't got to apologize yet. "I would love that very much, thank you Mr. Sida-"

"Oho, please, call me Ilima."

"- Ilima, is it true that schools have libraries inside of them? Would it be possible to visit it? How many books are in it, do you know?" Lillie asked, her eyes gleaming as Ilima slowly led her deeper into the heart of the school. He chuckled, nodding to each question as they left the group behind "I apologize, I just have never had such an opportunity before."

"If there is one thing one mustn't apologize for, it is the desire for knowledge." Ilima countered with a smile that Moon kinda wanted to punch. "I'm amazed someone so well-spoken has never been to school before, you must've studied abroad, or taken online classes surely? I myself took a year in Kalos quite recently." When Lillie gave a little half shrug in response, he merely beamed at her once more as they turned towards a set of stairs. "Tell me, are you considering taking classes here once term starts? We'd be lucky to have you, I'm sure of it."

"Oh! Well, I'm not sure… maybe!" Lillie said, hopping up the stairs and out of sight as Ms. Emily cheerfully waved the duo off. Moon watched the entryway to the stairwell where they had disappeared for a few moments, blowing a small gust of air through her nose as their guide explained exactly what they would be doing, but Moon didn't hear her.

Not even a backward glance. Ouch.

She sighed and shook her head, turning as Hau and Ms. Emily began to walk down the hallway to the left and gave a quick jog to catch up with them. Hau glanced at her, but didn't say anything as they followed down the long hallway, for which Moon was grateful. Ms. Emily turned back to her as they walked, nodding towards the pokeball that was stuffed unceremoniously into her pocket.

"So, Ms. Kanoa, isn't it? Have you much experience in battling with pokemon prior to taking on the island challenge?" She asked. Moon looked up, thinking back on her week with Chlorine. Most of the time, the little popplio slept on her bed or hung out in her buggy whenever they went shopping, but battling?

"I had a small duel during the ceremony in Iki Town." Moon recalled as they walked. "Uh, I don't think I won though. It was kinda a tie?" Ms. Emily nodded, turning them another corner and Moon took this as a sign to continue. "She's very musically in-tuned, though. I can get her to slide and fight to a rhythm when I play my ukulele. Otherwise, she's kinda just been a scratching post for my mom's meowth." It was admittedly a little lame sounding out loud, but Moon gave herself a pass on the grounds she didn't even think she'd be a trainer this morning.

Ms. Emily held up a finger and peeked her head inside a classroom door.

"Ms. Hiromi, Mr. Joseph? Could I get your assistance with something for a while? It'll count double towards your credits." There was an immediate scraping of chairs and a small chorus of groans from within the classroom as Ms. Emily turned back and winked to Moon and Hau. A second later two students stepped out into the hall, looking eager to escape the classroom and even more so to double their credits. "Excellent, if you four will follow me, we'll be taking this outside."

Both Moon and Hau swapped unpleasant faces upon hearing that, though the two newcomers didn't seem quite as despirited as they all followed Ms. Emily to the end of the hall where a set of double doors led back outside. The blazing sun greeted them all once again with open arms as Ms. Emily led the group to the two chalk arenas. On the left court, their guide had Hau and Joseph stand on opposite ends of one while Moon and Hiromi took the other. Hiromi, an athletic girl who wore a white blouse and a green skirt, smiled at Moon.

Huh, she's not wearing a uniform, Moon noted. She looked over at Hau's partner and saw that he also wore casual clothes of completely different colors. So, schools don't really do uniforms out here? Alright, little weird, but I can respect- wait… that means Ilima wore a sweater vest in this weather by choice? Aw man, what a persnickety bidoof. Heh, 'persnickety'. That's a fun word, I should use that more often.

"Right, so I would like all of you to just treat this as a normal battle." Ms. Emily announced to both sides. "No need to go full force, we're just here to assess where you are. I'll step in as needed, but for now go on ahead and bring your pokemon out. Begin whenever you're ready!" At the call, Moon pulled out her pokeball and threw it into the air as Chlorine erupted from a beam of light and landed in front of her, her little tail tapping out a rhythm against the dirt. Across the arena, her opponent had released a pikipek, Joseph an Alolan grimer, and Hau his Litten.

"Alonzo, spit embers at him!" Hau wasted no time in urging his litten forward, and Moon felt the same excitement that had gripped her during the ceremony take hold of her once more. She focused on her own fight, pointed at the pikipek that was soaring her way, and sent out her own command.

"Chlorine, slap that bird out of the sky!" Moon ordered. Chlorine gave a determined "Bwark!" as she skipped across the dirt and leapt into the air. As she did so, her opponent ordered a counterattack.

"Packy, dash and ram!" Hiromi called from the opposite end, and in an instant the pikipek flapped its wings for a gust forward that completely threw off the timing of Chlorine's attack. Rather than reach it just as the pikipek flew overhead, Chlorine was met with the bird's beak right in the stomach and sent careening back to Moon. Moon grimaced.

Oh, shoot. Lillie said popplios are musically intuitive, which is why I'm always using her as a metronome, but like, can I even do that here? Is that against the rules? Pretty sure it's at least not allowed. Thinking of Lillie made her scrunch up her face though. She needed to order Chlorine to do something. But what kind of attack? Pikipek was circling overhead, far from Chlorine's reach who had got back on her paws.

"Uh, can you squirt water at it? Sneeze a water bubble at it, or whatever works!" Moon called out. Popplios could do that, right? Chlorine leaned her head back and, sure enough, began growing a watery bubble from the tip of her nose. Hiromi clearly saw this as an opening, ordering her pokemon to dive downwards.

"Packy, supersonic! Then peck it!" Hiromi called, a confident grin plastered across her face as her pikipek let out a near silent cry mid-dive. Chlorine's eyes grew glassy and dizzy, and Moon saw what was happening seconds before it came to be. She had seen this kind of thing on television several times before.

"Oh, uh shoot it! Shoot it with water, hurry hurry hurry!" Moon cried, but it was too late. Chlorine held the bubble too long, and as it popped it sent her poor pokemon tumbling backwards, perfectly vulnerable for Packy the pikipek to land atop of her and start pecking at a rapid pace. Moon watched in dismay for but a second before Ms. Emily raised her hand and called for an end to both battles. Hiromi called her pikipek back, flashing an apologetic smile to Moon as the little bird perched on her finger. Across the way, Moon saw Hau and his litten, Alonzo, bouncing up and down in victory.

Ms. Emily pulled a small spray bottle from her bag and took to Joseph's pokemon first. He looked admittedly about as pleased as she did, but he managed to smile at Hau who came over and gave him a fist bump. It was just too hard to be mad at Hau, no matter who you were. When Ms. Emily came over to their arena and knelt down to spray Chlorine, she looked up at Moon with a thoughtful expression.

"Don't feel so down, Hiromi is a bit of a star student." She explained gently. "But I'd be lying if I didn't notice your hesitation in the midst of battle. Do pokemon battles make you anxious?" The question wasn't accusatory, merely curious, and Moon fiddled with the straps of her purse as she watched the teacher heal up her pokemon.

"Not… really? I mean, I guess I do freeze up a little, but it's just cause I feel like I don't know what I'm doing." Moon admitted. "I don't know like, strategies or tactics or anything like that. The moment one thing goes wrong I kinda stumble and can't get my rhythm back going, and everything crumbles. When I had my first battle in Iki Town, someone suggested I should use music to keep my popplio moving, but… it's kinda weird." She shuffled her feet, unsure of how to explain her singing. She had never been shy of it before, if anything she loved to bother people with it, but in a battle it felt different.

Battling was not her comfort, but music was. Bringing her comfort into a completely different stage felt like she was breaking some kind of rule in an activity that wasn't hers to interfere with..

Ms. Emily shook her head to get the hair out of her eyes, looking up at Moon. "And did that work? You said you can get your pokemon to move around more when you play, would doing that help you be more confident on the field?" The way Ms. Emily spoke held no judgment or disapproval, which surprised Moon. She wasn't used to a teacher encouraging the use of a different method, even when it worked. "Your pokemon isn't just in tune with music, but your emotions as well. If you don't have faith in what you're doing, it'll know."

"I guess, yeah. I can chain lyrics together pretty well, and when I infuse commands into those lyrics I don't feel as… panicked. I don't know why, it just makes more sense to me like that since I'm already used to making lyrics-" Moon stopped as Ms. Emily raised an open hand to her, with only a smile of encouragement to accompany it.

"If that's the way that works for you, then that's the way that works." She said in a tone that was firm but not unkind. "I tell my students the same thing: it doesn't matter how silly the method is, so long as it gets you the result. That goes with most things in life, be it mathematics or battling. Let's go on ahead and swap partners, and see how you do against Joseph, alright?" She gave Chlorine's head a gentle pat (Whose eyes were now unglazed and shining once more.) and Moon a nod before announcing the change to the others.

Well, if she said it's okay… Moon took out her ukulele and gave it a test strum. Oh Arcues, ow, why is that one so out of tune? That's one way to ruin a battle. She finished her tuning just as Joseph strolled over, rolling his arm as their eyes met. It was a tradition as old as time itself; when two eyes meet, with battle one must greet. Moon looked down at Chlorine, took note of the rhythm her tail was setting down, and started a high run. One and two and one and two. Like a heartbeat.

From across the arena, Joseph raised his eyebrows but didn't object. He called forth his grimer, and issued it to rush forward. She was okay, she was in her element. She didn't even bother looking over to see how Hau was doing, she was focused now. The grimer wasn't fast by any means, but she wasn't quite sure if it had any range to it. There was only one way to find out.

One and two and one and-

"Slide and move to get in the groove, he's on the attack so watch your back." Moon sang, her fingers plucking the strings to bring out her ukulele's usual high pitch tones. Chlorine sprang into action, sliding around the edge of the arena as Joseph called out his first attack.

"Don't let it outrun you, poison gas it!" He called across the arena. His grimer reared back and let loose a spew of toxic air that Moon was positive was some kind of safety hazard, shaking his disgustingly sludgy head back and forth to cover as much ground as possible. "Cut off all of her exits, she can't leave the arena! More gas! More!" That was unfortunately true, Moon was bound by the arena's outlines in this instance. But the song was coming alive by her fingertips, a quickened melody that put pep in her step. She didn't know why this worked so well, but boy did she like how it felt.

"Keep your head low and spray it away, I know we're not scared of playing 'Keep away!' Spray and spray, spray him front to back; oh I'd like to see him win if he can't get close to attack!" Moon felt a smile creeping across her lips despite herself; the cloud of gas seemed to hover a foot above the ground, giving Chlorine just enough room to maneuver underneath. She could weave in and out, spraying torrents of water to wear down the grimer while inhaling minimal amounts of the gas until he realized. What was better, Moon realized, was there was so much of the stuff now that the grimer couldn't see Chlorine beneath the haze! A better plan had presented itself, it was time to rush in!

"Swirl baby swirl, leave him in a spin! Hose him down and spin him around, because that's how we'll win! Slap-"

"Harden!" Joseph called, flinging his hand out desperately. The mass of sludge stiffened as though paralyzed, but Moon saw that a thick layer of crust was forming around the grimer just as Chlorine went to slap it in the face. Her flipper bounced off almost harmlessly, and suddenly her eyes opened and bulged before spiraling into a coughing fit. Moon tried to keep playing, calling for her pokemon to retreat, but with a jolt she realized that her coughing was causing her to breathe heavier, and most of the air around her was noxious.

But why did she lose her composure? Did touching it sting? Or- Moon suddenly felt her nostrils burn like fury, and she too felt herself let out a harsh cough that left gasping. It was the smell, the grimer's sheer odor was so bad once it reached her that it made her flinch from the sharpness of it. It was like the smelling salts she and a friend had tried from the medical kit in school one time for a dare, but worse.

"Alright, that's enough! Go on and head and recall your pokemon!" Ms. Emily's call rang through the courtyard, and Moon's concentration was cut short. She blinked a few times, her hands fumbling as the melody died out, and Moon looked around at the arena. The one she and Joseph had used was covered in the toxic cloud, stopping at the perimeter and just short of the trainers themselves, and Moon understood why Ms. Emily had called an end to the battle before it spiraled out of control. "Well done everyone, well done! Let's go over that one, okay?"

Ms. Emily approached Moon first, grinning as she checked a still coughing Chlorine for any injuries as the cloud dispersed. "Deftly done, Ms. Kanoa. You've got the knowledge and vision for battle whether you're aware of it or not, you just have to find what helps you focus. In this case, music! Beautiful melody by the way, I can tell you practice." Patting Chlorine on the back to help her airways,, she stood and put her chin between her thumb and forefinger in thought. "Do you always play fast paced tunes like that one?"

Moon shrugged; this was only her second time using music in a battle after all, and in the end it still hadn't netted her a victory.. "I guess? Battles are always fast paced and actiony, aren't they? Just makes sense to go hard and fast to fit in with how the pokemon move." Ms. Emily nodded at that, but when she adjusted her glasses she was looking at both Moon and her popplio in a curious manner.

"I see, I see. What if, and forgive me for my lack of musical knowledge here, but what if we adjusted the music to fit the battle?" She pointed at the ukulele, motioning for Moon to hold it up as she did so. "So for instance, last battle you probably would've benefited more from a more calculated, defensive plan of attack. Joseph took control of the arena to force you in his grimer's circle where you'd be weakest, but if you had your popplio skirt around the edge of the outskirts for a bit before it closed in, attacking with water from afar whenever an opportunity showed itself, you might've fared a bit better."

Moon thought about that, giving her strings a gentle strum. She had almost done just that, but she had wanted to keep moving, keep attacking, to keep in beat with her song. It was her music after all, who was to say she couldn't change it up mid-battle?

"A slower song for a more defensive style. Huh, alright, yeah." Moon grinned, already picking out the melody in her head. "I can do that! Can we go again?" Ms. Emily smiled at Moon's enthusiasm, nodding her head as she left to speak with the others. From afar she saw Hau giving her two thumbs up, and she couldn't help but return them. There was a certain thrill to battling, but to be good at it was probably an even better feeling.

"Right then, Joseph, that was a very good strategy, but you're still relying too heavily on area control without the 'control' part. Try predicting where your opponent might send their pokemon, where your most vulnerable areas are…" As Ms. Emily left to give the others advice, Moon felt a surge of actual joy in her heart. She hadn't even left Hau'oli City yet and already she was learning something that was actually valuable to her journey. Perhaps she hadn't been giving school and education enough credit.

As she stretched her arms and leaned down to give Chlorine a noogie well done, her eyes drifted off towards the school as a glint of white caught her eye in one of the upstairs rooms. Moon guessed it must've been the library, because she could see the reflective light of Lillie and her bright white dress tracing her fingers along the contents of a bookshelf. Even from the courtyard, Moon could see she was smiling. That was good, she wanted her traveling companions to be happy if they were to be together for a while. So why couldn't she smile?

As if on cue, Lillie glanced out the window and out towards what was likely the sea from her height. Her eyes traced the courtyard for a moment before finally meeting Moon's. Her smile faded, and she turned her head to someone else that Moon couldn't see. Probably Ilima.

Moon turned back to the arena, and tried to put the image out of her mind. It didn't work.

---

"Who speaks a foreign language when they know they're the only ones who can speak it? It's so… pretentious!" Moon grumbled, throwing her hand outwards in exasperation as if the trial captain were standing before her. "That's like- okay, so you know how everyone says it like, 'ukulele' even though it's actually pronounced 'yookoo-laylay'? See, I know how it's really pronounced, but if I went around calling it that, I would look like a pompous le asshole, or… whatever it is."

"Bwark bwark!"

"Yeah, I know she could speak Kalosian, but he didn't!" Moon argued. "Just because it worked that once doesn't mean it justifies it, he got lucky. Also, he wears a flippin' fanny pack. That's reason enough for me."

"Bwark."

"Hey, you watch your mouth. I mean you're right, but we don't use that word."

Moon was sitting on the top seat of the bleachers overlooking the courtyard, munching on one of the professor's malasadas from the to-go box he had bequeathed to Hau. Lillie's half-eaten slice of pie was still inside, buried beneath the sugary leftover doughnuts that was to be Moon's lunch. The sound of cars whizzing by on the road behind her was strangely serene in the moment, reminding her briefly of car trips when she was little. Took her away from the now, in a way.

After nearly an hour of practicing, Ms. Emily had called for a break as other students came out to play or practice their own battling skills. Hau, whose appetite was only dwarfed by his desire to have a good time, had decided to play with some of the kids during their downtime as they flocked to the newcomer, petting his pokemon and asking what his grandfather was like once they found out who he was.

Moon watched from the distance of the bleachers, covered in sweat after her training. Whoever had installed them had the foresight to install a tarped awning overhead to shade the bleachers, but the fact that they were metal meant they were still hotter than a half-roasted fennekin in a forest fire, leaving Moon to sit right on the edge where contact between her shorts and the metal was minimal. Since Hau was busy dancing in the gush of water from one of the student's wingull, she had decided to regather her energy with a quick lunch.

Also whine to her pokemon. What was the point of having pokemon if not to complain about feelings she didn't fully comprehend?

"Also, did you see how he said almost the same stuff I did, but she was all goo-goo eyed for it?! I'm not like- I'm not jealous." Moon assured herself and Chlorine, who was staring at her with wide curious eyes. "We're barely acquaintances, and even if we were besties, who says she can't have another friend? It's not like that, it's… augh, words are stupid. I guess I thought…" Thought what, that because she got tasked with being your 'carer' and you hers that you two would be tight-knit? You saved her pokemon, big deal. And she helped you escape embarrassment by giving you advice to win in the Iki Town ceremony. And… Moon turned to Chlorine.

"Ugh, thank Mew you're here, Chlorine. I can't imagine arguing with myself in my head all day, that'd get so annoying so fast. I'd go crazy." Moon let out a breath, laying her head in her palm. "Guess I just thought my natural charisma facade would carry me to be on decent terms with everyone like it usually does, but being friends means you have to be a whole lot more genuine than with some neighbor you chat with every couple of days." She snorted and pulled out a water bottle from her bag shaking her head. "Who knew, huh?"

"Bwaaark! Bark! Bwark bwark!"

"I concur, Ms. Chlorine. Excellently put indeed."

As Moon uncapped her water bottle and took a swig, she caught sight of a familiar flash of white calmly and gracefully crossing the courtyard towards her direction with a duffel bag hanging from her shoulder, and several books under her arm. Moon lowered her bottle and stared, watching as Lillie slowly approached while readjusting her bag every few seconds. and took small steps up the stairs leading to where she sat. When she finally reached the top, she turned and stared at Moon and she in turn stared right back. The wind blew through their hair, flapping the rim of Lillie's hat gently as she finally looked down and spoke.

"Um, excuse me…" She said, as though she was a stranger on the street. "Hau mentioned that he had given you the leftover breakfast from this morning. Would it be alright if I had my pie?" Moon was still stuck staring for a moment longer before she snapped out of it.

Oh. Of course that's what she came up here for, what other reason would she have? Moon went to work quickly putting the remaining malasadas in the other end of the styrofoam container and leaving just the pie, holding it out to Lillie.

"Here you go. Uh, sorry, there might be some crumbs from Malasada on there, I- uh, those are Hau's. Probably." They were absolutely hers. Lillie raised her eyebrows, but took the takeout box with grace, as she seemed to do with every action she took.

"Oh, that's um, that's quite alright. I suspect a few sparse crumbs will not harm me any. Probably." Moon saw her glance out in the field to where Hau was, and her nose did a little twitch. "I cannot express explicit excitement at possibly eating after someone, but it's quite minute and the professor did warn me that going on this journey would likely strip me of most of my creature comforts."

Perhaps it was a mean thought, but Moon could not wait to see Lillie stuck out in the muggy Alolan jungle with nothing but rain and bug-type pokemon for company. She shook it away, and looked at Lillie with her head cocking as she realized something.

"You still came, though?" She asked. "Or, well, maybe you didn't. Did Kukui just put you up to this?" Lillie shook her head, and though she stared out at the field Moon had the distinct impression that Lillie's stare was far beyond that. When she answered her voice was soft.

"I did this of my own accord, yes. Some things are more important than creature comforts and… toiletries at one's convenience."

Well now Moon definitely felt like a jerk for her earlier thought. Being deprived of amenities that were always within an arm's reach was a big deal for normal people, it was usually only plucky youngsters like her and Hau who probably didn't care if they washed their hair only once a week who accepted the lack of easy comfort so readily. Lillie did not strike her as that type. Frankly, if Moon was being honest, Lillie gave her the impression of someone who just didn't have to ever struggle for much. If she hadn't known her to be living with the professor, she'd have assumed she was a tourist for a number of reasons.

To put something so much higher than one's comfort was a big deal, she knew that. She wondered what it was, but judging by their interactions outside the malasada shop, she thought it might not be appropriate. She had been "assigned" to look after Moon though, did that mean she knew? Moon looked at her, thought of how she had acted around her, and decided that wasn't the case. People always acted different once they found out, and nobody ever hid it well. No, this was something more personal.

Moon could respect that.

"You want to take a seat? It's hot enough as is, might as well relax." She offered, though she didn't expect Lillie to take her offer. She probably just wanted her lunch and then to go back to her tour of the school, which she guess she couldn't blame. Moon was surprised when Lillie nodded, moving to sit beside her.

"You know, I think I will, yes. If I don't start to acclimate to the temperature now, I'll- ow!" Lillie bolted up as quick as a flash, rubbing at the back of her dress with a scrunched up wince on her face. "Ow ow ow, that's practically burning! How on earth are you sitting down on that?!" She stared at Moon, dumbfounded, while Moon merely blinked and looked down at herself.

"Uh, I'm just like, sitting with my butt right against the edge." Moon admitted, glancing back up. "It's not really comfortable or anything, but my shorts are thick enough it's only really warm after a minute. Your dress on the other hand… probably gonna want to put a cover down or something, or you're to be on a first name basis with mister sun up there." She took another sip of water and pointed at the books, motioning for Lillie to set it down. "Could sit on one of those-"

"I would sooner throw myself from these stairs than sit on a book!" Lillie said, looking particularly affronted. "Especially as these are most certainly not mine. Ilima offered to check these out in his name for me, and I will not be putting them nor his trust in me in danger."

If I speak before I think one more time, I'm going to throw MYSELF off of this bleacher, Arceus… Moon pointed to the duffel bag hanging from Lillie's shoulder. It was camping supplies, clothes, maybe some chips. That was safe, right? "Got anything fragile in there? Could work, provided you don't roll off of it."

WAIT, HER POKEMON IS IN THERE, SON OF A-

Lillie looked at her bag as though scrutinizing its effectiveness, before nodding and setting it down on the bleachers much to Moon's surprise. When she sat down, she didn't look entirely comfortable with her lopsided posture, but it seemed a small price to pay to avoid third degree burns from a metal bleacher. She looked at Moon and gave a little shrug of indifference.

"I suppose… I made sure to wrap anything remotely breakable in my clothes, and the bag is quite firm. My only real concern is…" She pulled at the zipper to her duffel just barely, and a small dark face with glowing eyes and a bright smile peered up at the both of them, letting out a noise like some kind of futuristic chime. .

"Pe-e-ew!" The little bundle of cosmic clouds chirped happily at the brightness of the outside rather than hiding from it, and immediately began to try and squeeze through the hole Lillie had opened.

"Nebby, no!" Lillie whispered, trying to close the zipper with surprising difficulty. "You can't right now, if you get seen we're gonna be in big trouble, okay? There's too many people!" She glanced out furtively, as though expecting prying eyes to have climbed the bleachers just to see what they were hiding. "Neb- no, we do not bite the zipper! Nebby! Pleeeease, not now!" Nebby either failed to understand Lillie's logic, or simply could not withstand the sheer temptation of testing Lillie's patience. "Ugh, he's… very compact! I taught him to… squish himself down, and he hasn't shown any ill responses yet, but he still… won't… stay!"

Moon let out a low chuckle and leaned back, glancing over the edge of the bleachers to the sidewalk below. Despite the fact that the lunch rush crowds had dwindled, there were admittedly a good number of people still walking around, including a couple of guys in matching low hanging tank-tops, and big white beanies with two black spots that resembled eyes from a certain angle.

Who'd be crazy to wear a beanie in this heat? She wondered, shaking her head upon which sat her toque. As she watched the people pass by beneath her she pursed her lips and thought to herself. The two guys pointed across the street, heading down the way and out of sight. She glanced back at the field with the students and Hau enjoying their recess, then down at the bleachers, and finally turned back to Lillie who was slowly losing the battle in keeping her pokemon contained.

"Hey, I got an idea. Follow me!" Moon said, heaving up her purse and Chlorine. After a moment she heard Lillie carefully following behind her, still struggling with the zipper as Moon descended from the bleachers. She jumped off the last two steps and stomped on the grass, strolling to the underside of the bleachers where the bricks gave them cover from the street, while the bleachers acted as curtains to the rest of the school field. When Lillie finally followed in behind her, Moon threw up her arms.

"Tada! Privacy à la mode!" She said proudly. "This oughta keep the sun off, and you can let your pokemon out without risking anyone seeing it." Lillie was busy looking at the hidey-hole as though she were stepping into a luminescent cave, but when she turned to face Moon there was a sort of hesitant smile slowly spreading on her face. Moon thought it looked a lot better than her frown.

"I uh, don't think that means quite what you think it does." Lillie said with a light chuckle. "But, thank you… this is certainly preferable, though it does feel a bit like I'm breaking a rule of some sort by being here." She looked around once more before finding a soft spot on the ground and plopping her duffel bag down, sitting beside it with her knees bent and legs to the side. "Ugh, forgive my complaining, but you haven't any idea how heavy that is… my shoulders are incredibly sore already from it." Her eyes flickered down to her bag, and she gingerly pulled back the zipper as a familiar ball burst through the gap in a flash of light, and began to float around them joyously.

"Pe-e-ew!"

Moon grinned and sat Chlorine down in front of her, allowing her to slowly approach this new pokemon friend. "Well, hello there!" Moon greeted, reaching out to tickle the pokemon's strange little puff-ball antennas as Chlorine sniffed it. "Look at this little guy, he's sure happy to be out of that bag. Do you always keep him locked up in there with all your stuff?" She asked with a glance towards Lillie. Lillie shrunk a little, glancing away with a familiar petulant look on her face.

"I… try to let Nebby out when the option is available." Lillie said slowly. "It's easier when I'm at the lab where such things hold no risk, but out here in broad daylight?" She exhaled and slowly leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the little pokemon and holding it close to her chest, meeting its chipper smile with her own soft melancholy. "I wish I could carry him in comfort, but unfortunately it is a sacrifice we have had to make for safety's sake."

Moon stared at the pair, scratching Chlorine's head and nodding as she popped another malasada into her mouth. Just what was this pokemon that everyone seemed so keen on keeping a secret? "Nebby. Nebby-Neb-Nebster. I don't think I've ever seen a Nebby before. Is it rare then? Is that why we're keeping it all hush-hush?" She asked. Lillie looked at her strangely, as though trying to assess whether or not she was throwing another witty zinger at her.

"Nebby… is his name." She said slowly. "Not his species. I… in fact, I don't know – or perhaps, saying that 'I do not remember' is more fitting – what species Nebby is exactly. But, yes… he is indeed quite rare-" As Lillie was in the midst of talking and Moon was feeling like the biggest idiot on the island, something else zipped out of Lillie's bag at such a rapid speed and with such a loud buzz that everyone beneath the bleachers jumped back.

"G-goodness!"

"Pe-e-ew!"

"Bwark!"

"Shit!"

Floating just between the two of them was the pokedex, a rotom's face plastered on the brightly lit screen as it looked between the two of them. With a smug little smile, it began to twirl around Nebby as a series of clicks and beeps began to emanate from it in rapid succession. As Moon sat up from where she had toppled, she saw words and a picture of Nebby beginning to form on the screen. The rotom-dex itself was still moving too fast for her to read, but as she unfortunately learned mere moments later, this was not an obstacle.

"Zzrrrt! Cosmog, the nebula pokemon! Weight: 0.2 pounds! Height: 7.8 inches! No footprint has been found for this pokemon! Zzrrrt! Diet-"

"Oh god, why is his voice coming out in 144p?" Moon asked, throwing her hands over her ears. "Is he going to talk like that the whole journey, all compressed and stuff?"

"- Its body is gaseous and frail. Even though its helpless, gaseous body can be blown away by the slightest breeze, it doesn't seem to care. It slowly grows as it collects dust from the atmosphere and in ages past, it was called the child of the stars. It's said to be a Pokémon from another world, but no specific details are known. It's natural habitat is unknown-"

"I'm not sure, oh dear…" Lillie murmured as she grasped the rotom-dex by its handles and pulled it over. She began swiping through the screens, evidently searching for a volume button of some kind. "It's not that bad, but goodness is it loud." As Moon called threw up a rather rude hand gesture at the living pokedex, the back camera of the rotom-dex activated and a familiar beeping began to quietly fill the air.

"Zzrrrt! Moon, the sassy-type human! This human relies on dry wit and humor to mask their lack of proper social skills! If provoked, it will immediately begin to either play a song, or dish out scathing insults it stole from the internet-"

"Ooooh my god, shut it up!" Moon groaned. Even Chlorine held her little flippers over her ears until finally Lillie's eyes widened and with an uneasy smile she slid her finger across a part of the screen, taking the rotom-dex's volume with it.

"- refuses to acknowledge negative feelings. Zzrrrt! You can silence me but you can't silence the truth!" And just like that, silence prevailed through their little under-bleacher hideout for a few seconds in the calm that followed. Moon, who had been laying with her back against the grass, let out a slow sigh and slowly raised herself up into a sitting position. The words from the rotom-dex hung in the air, Nebby's physiology forgotten as a tension so thick Moon wanted to put her foot through it claimed the air. Lillie was staring at the ground, purposefully avoiding Moon's eyes as she reached for her pie and cut a piece off for Nebby.

Moon plucked a blade of grass, twiddling it between her fingers as each agonizing sentence of silence passed them by. It was like Moon could hear the ticking of a clock, counting the seconds until the silence was over and one of them would surely, finally, have to speak. Why couldn't she say anything? Why was saying sorry to a girl she barely knew so hard? Why was understanding why she was sorry even harder? It grew in her chest like a balloon; she had never been one to be able to move on from arguments with her mother until they sorted it out, and that seemed to apply here as well.

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. She took a breath. This was stupid.

"I wanted to say sorry for earlier." Moon said, but her voice was not the only one that spoke. Across from her, Lillie looked just as surprised as the words faded from her lips. Moon's face betrayed her confusion, and Lillie's, her shame. One beat of silence. Then two. Moon felt like she was at an intersection, and both drivers were waving for the other to go ahead.

"I-"

"Please, do not apologize." Lillie insisted, her voice firm but defeated. "I've done you a great disservice in how I've interacted with you. I… uh, I don't… Oh, why is this so hard?" She clenched her fists and threw them down to her sides, frowning to herself. "I have tried so very hard this past week, ever since I found out I would be following you and Hau along your journey, to study and practice everything I can remember, which isn't much, about formality and speaking to strangers! I practiced in front of the mirror, I tried it out on the professor's pokemon, but… I wasn't prepared at all!"

Moon was now completely caught off guard by this little outburst. She raised a finger to interject, but Lillie continued by tugging on the edges of her hat.

"I said to myself, "You have to make a good impression, Lillie! You're going to be traveling with them, so you'd best give it your all!' but I've gone and messed it up! I tried to be conventional and conservative-"

"Ew, gross." Moon murmured as she took another swig of water.

"-because I- I don't know how else you do this stuff!" Lillie huffed and rubbed between her eyes, pinching at her nose. Moon could tell that this was probably something a little more than just their brief spat with one another; she recognized a minor breakdown when she heard one, and decided it was best to just let her get it all out. "I tried to do what I knew, but you and Hau are so… casual! Your table manners are unceremonious, your conversations frivolous, and I just… don't know how to deal with that. So, I…" A gust of air blew from her nose as she leaned her chin atop of Nebby. "I got frustrated that you didn't act like I did. But I don't even like acting like that, it's… ugh."

"Oh, well…" Moon scratched at her nose, shaking her head side to side. "I mean, I was kinda crass. I'm way too open with people when I first meet them, because like, that's how I normally act around people, you know? I figure it's better to just let people know how I'm going to talk and act up front, that way I'm not like, hiding myself or giving a false impression." She paused and tapped at her chin as a thought struck her. "Well, I mean, I'm all polite when I meet my mom's coworkers or something, or a stranger at the supermarket, but that's different I guess."

Lillie however shook her head. "I should've clued in to your social cues and adapted better. The professor told me to just be myself around you all, but… I don't even know what that means." Her eyes flicked up from where they had been studying the grass, though she didn't raise her head. "I didn't ever thank you… for saving Nebby. Did you not realize? You risked your life, you nearly died, for me, for Nebby, and not once did I ever express my gratitude. On the Mahalo Trail, no less." She chuckled dryly, pushing her ear past her bangs so that Moon could see the stitches that now zigged from the back to the top.

Lillie buried her face into Nebby's fluffy flank, which for all of her dejection looked insanely comfy. Moon sighed awkwardly and scratched her head at the increasingly uncomfortable turn of conversation. Such dedication to apology and lament was commendable and expected in Kanto, but in Alola? She didn't want all this gush and mush. That wasn't how… well, maybe they weren't friends, but they were traveling companions, and this wasn't how makeup should go for them, especially over what was really such a tiny thing. She knew that much.

"Man, I don't… I didn't care that you didn't say the word 'thanks'. You didn't have to, I could tell you were glad when you got Nebby back. Or when you put band-aids on me, or helped carry me back all the way to Iki." A memory of her scanning the crowd and seeing the firelight flicker off of Lillie's eyes in a sea of a hundred others reach out to her, to help her when she needed it most. She smiled. "Honestly? I suck at making friends too, it's been so long for me that I straight up forgot how to do it, heh! Let's like… can we just, forget me saving Nebby and this morning, and just do this over?"

Lillie kept her head down against Nebby. That was fine, as impatient as Moon was she could tell this was important to Lillie. At least, in the sense of how much it was bugging her, and words were hard after all. Finally she raised her head, and Moon was pleasantly surprised to see a soft smile that was gentler than the sea at slack tide. She held up the rotom-dex and swiped at it a few times, a flash emitting from its camera before she turned it over to show Moon the selfie she had taken.

"Lillie, the uncertain-type human." She said, mimicking the electronic from hell with ease. "This human is… very unsure and has never had a friend before. It's recommended that assistance is provided so that it can adapt to its environment. It's a generally docile creature with a love for literature, history, and warm tea when it rains. It dislikes watching pokemon fight, and is rather terrified of um, of heights."

Moon looked at rotom-dex, slowly taking it into her hands as she stared down at the picture of Lillie. It was a pretty goofy way to say, "Sorry for being weird, let's make up!", but Moon liked it because it was goofy, and Lillie didn't strike her as a goofy person on the regular. Or maybe she was, and like her faux-entry stated, just needed some help getting out of her shell and adjusting to her new climate? It wasn't exactly an entry on her to-do list for Alola, but heck, she could make an exception. She smiled and met Lillie' eyes.

God, what a dorky but adorable way to start over. Adorkable, even. We should all introduce ourselves like pokedex entries, this girl is a frickin' genius.

"Entry registered." Moon said, returning the pokedex. Chlorine crawled into her lap and Moon gave her a gentle kiss on the head as Lillie bowed her head somewhat bashfully, stuffing the pokedex away without another word and instead bringing out one of the books she had borrowed from her bag. Moon could have sworn she saw the volume icon turning back up as she put the rotom-dex away, but she ignored it. A sudden thought struck Moon and she asked, "Wait, you're scared of heights but you sleep on the loft in Kukui's lab?"

Lillie pouted again, and for a second Moon worried they had floundered back to the beginning. "Really, Moona – oh, goodness, apologies – Moon! Ten feet off the ground is quite different from a bridge a hundred feet over a rushing river." Then she smiled and propped open her book, resting it on Nebby's head who didn't seem to mind in the slightest. "But, yes. Heights terrify me, I've never had to go anywhere high before, or at least I don't remember having to, but I know without a doubt that after a certain height it brings out a reaction from me. How flying pokemon do it astonishes me, quite frankly."

Moon smirked at that. She wondered how Lillie would have reacted to being in a plane like Moon had done? A sudden stroke of inspiration struck her, and she immediately reached into her bag to pull out her ukulele. Lillie glanced up at her curiously, but Moon put her hand up to wave off any concern.

"Don't worry, I won't interrupt your reading, I just- there's this song I absolutely love and I haven't played it forever. You mentioned flying pokemon and- well, you'll see. Hear. Whatever." Moon set it against her lap and cleared her throat, her fingers lining up against the strings like second instinct. "Okay, it might interrupt your reading a little, but I'll strum really quietly. Ready?" Before Lillie could answer Moon began, her fingers brushing gently as a soft melody began to rise from the ukulele.

C, Em, F, C… yeah, I know this.

"Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up-"

Her strumming fizzled out as the unmistakable sound of a car horn erupted from the other side of the wall, causing both girls to jump. Moon glanced at the wall and frowned, shaking her head as she tried to readjust her fingers. It was fine, everything was cool. She could start again. Her fingers hovered over the strings and she let the silent beat play in her head once more, and she opened her mouth once more.

"Some-"

Another car horn, but this time accompanied by the not so comforting sounds of tires screeching against the pavement outside. An accident? Moon's hands slowly lowered the ukulele as she looked at the stone wall to their right. Lillie's eyes met hers, and she saw a glint within them. Was that curiosity, or trepidation? A part of Moon really wanted to go up and see what had happened from overhead as she stuffed her ukulele into her bag and picked up Chlorine.

"Moon?" Lillie whispered, and glint made itself known as fear as she too slowly stood up, but Moon had stopped and was now holding a finger up. She could feel it. What was that? No, not just feel, she could hear it. Approaching. Faster. Close. Shockwaves going through the ground and vibrating the metal of the bleachers. A car? Truck? No. More skidding.

HOOOONK!

"MRRRRROOOOOOO!"

"MOVE!" Moon's voice left her lips just as the wall beside them exploded into dust and debris, and suddenly Moon could not see as she launched herself at where she had seen Lillie a moment before. Everything was shaking and she was thrown to the ground as her arms collided with something – no, someone. The dirt below was hard and took the wind out from her in an instant, but she wrapped her arms around Lillie and tried to keep her as close to her chest and stomach as possible as rock and long dried mortal rained down on her like hail. Nebby and Chlorine were squished between the two of them. Uncomfortable, but safe.

She heard the stomping ahead of them, the cracking of more stone as hooves collided with solid rock again and again. Her breath was silent in the din, but her heartbeat was a belligerent force against the noise around them. Was that Lillie shaking beneath her, or merely the rumbling from whatever had forced its way into the walls mere feet away from them? Maybe she was the one shaking. There was no way to tell.

Finally the stomping grew fainter, however slightly, and despite the urge to simply stay there and feel safe, she knew that they were not. Moon raised her head, glancing up at the hole that had been plowed through by the raging tauros right by where they had snuck under the bleachers. The tauros had gone further in; she could hear screams now from the other side of the field now. The students.

"Get up. Get up get up get up get up, go go go." Moon ushered. She stood from the ground, her hands shaking like leaves as she brought Lillie up with her. If Moon was only slightly shaking, then Lillie was practically vibrating.. Moon tried to hold her steady, but it immediately turned into a push as she urged Lillie to the opposite end of the bleachers. Being underneath the bleachers would keep her out of sight until she could get more distance, and hopefully escape.

"W-w-what was- what-" But Moon didn't let Lillie stop to ponder. She pointed at the end of the bleachers again.

"Go, go now!"

"W-what?! Oh god, oh my god…" In all of her panic and confusion, Lillie was still of sound mind enough to listen. Nebby was already stuffed in the bag, with Lillie muttering to herself in an organized panic as she swept up her borrowed book from the ground because of course she did, and only stopped to turn back once. "M-Moon, where- come on! What are you doing?!" But Moon did not listen. She held Chlorine against her chest and ran out the side of the bleachers they had entered, gazing out onto the field as the glare of the afternoon sun briefly blinded her.

There. In the middle of the field, flailing about in an absolute rage, was the tauros. Its short gallop outside of the malasada bakery was a temper tantrum compared to how it looked now; seething with rage, eyes bulging, practically frothing at the mouth as its legs bucked in the air every few steps forward, as if it expected something to attack it from above or behind. It let out another howl that belted across the field, stomping its foot in rage as it looked around. Searching.

Its eyes landed on what was moving around and causing the most noise; the students. Moon watched, frozen in place as she saw Ms. Emily hurriedly trying to push kids back towards the school, but some of the kids were just like Moon. Petrified at the aspect of imminent danger that they had never before been faced with. It was simply human to be scared of death, and when people get scared, they freeze up. There was Ilima, grabbing two such children and giving them the push to run towards safety. Hau, pushing past the students with a frantic look of determination, but not towards the school.

There was a quiet lull in the back of her head; a thought that kept her in place. Someone would come forward, they had to. Ilima would show his prowess as a trial captain. Concerned bystanders would pour in from the street to lend a distraction. Somewhere, someone would come and save the situation. Someone would stop this tauros, yes, someone else would stop it from charging and goring the students.

But the tauros' attention had shifted to a new noise; the children were far, but the young girl in blindingly white clothes sprinting across the field to its left was much closer. Its hooves kicked into the dirt, and through the overwhelming uproar all around there was the unmistakable sound of a single determined snort. It was going to charge, and she could only watch as Lillie fell prey to the same terror that had gripped some of the students; had gripped Moon.

Moon felt her limbs move once more.

Fear of death causes you to freeze up, Moon recounted as she tossed Chlorine forward. What do I, of all people, have to fear? Throwing a rock would be quicker, but she wasn't close enough. You can't wait for someone, you have to be the someone that everyone else is waiting for. "Bubble that bull NOW!" Let it be enough, and if it isn't, do more. Chlorine rolled like a ball and sprung off of the ground with her tail, a single bubble the size of Moon's fist already sprouting from her snout. A quick one as opposed to a bigger one; speed was vital.

The bubble soared through the air like a firework, faster than even Moon had anticipated as it rocketed right into the tauros' cheek like a sucker punch. Its jaw rolled with the bubble as it popped, and when it turned with eyes ablaze with more ferocity than a charizard's core, she knew she had its attention.

Keep it.

"Old ass dulled horn looking moo-ronic pile of ground beef!" Moon shouted, her voice cracking as she skidded beside Chlorine. The beast turned to her, and whether or not it understood her words exactly she did not know, but she knew even an enraged pokemon could pick up on tone. It snorted and dug in a hoof once more, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Lillie start to stumble away, but not nearly fast enough for Moon's liking.

God, go faster you goof, I'm literally risking my life for you!

"Spit embers, double time!" Moon hadn't even realized Hau was on the other side of the tauros, his litten bearing fiery wads of spit and brimstone right onto the tauros' flank just in time to turn its attention once again. Excitement welled in her chest; they could hold its attention together. Moon's eyes spent a fraction of a second to glance at Lillie, watching as she started to run once more as third voice split through the air.

"Madame Lillie, run! That thing is dangerous, you need to get to safety!" There were still children being herded into the school, Ilima at their backs as he urged Lillie to follow. Some part of Moon would later be more than a little annoyed that she was distracting the tauros while he herded the students, but for now she was glad that one of her traveling companions was safe. But to Moon's horror and frustration, Lillie slowed once again.

Her attention focused back on Old Amoka.

"Uh, bubble! Bubble!

"More embers - yikes! Back up, back up!"

She and Hau were dancing around the tauros, but it wouldn't last forever. Neither one knew how to deal with a pokemon this size; they were out of their depth. Her eyes glanced over for another brief second to see that Lillie was skittering back and forth. To his credit, Ilima looked just as confused and frustrated as Moon felt. There was being struck with fear, and then there was whatever this was, and Moon didn't have the breathing room to worry about it but she did anyway. Focus back on tauros.

"MADAME LILLIE, THAT IS THE WRONG WAY!"

WHAT DOES HE MEAN WRONG WAY?!

And there she was, sprinting through the grass faster than Moon had ever seen her, her hand digging furiously in her bag as she reached in and tossed something up in the air like a frisbee. A book? It spun, bright and orange and brimming with life as it straightened out in midair and began to circle the tauros from above like some kind of satellite dish.

"Rotom, k-kindly scan that pokemon and find out how they can subdue the poor creature!" Lillie's voice, quiet and firm despite the shaking and fear that was so evidently hiding just beneath the surface. The three of them made up a triangle around the tauros, with Moon and Hau an even distance from it and Lillie easily double theirs to keep it from focusing on her. It was clever for a plan concocted in mere seconds by three teenagers.

"Zrrrt! 360 Aerial Scan now in effect!"

Moon took a breath as the tauros, now snapping its head and snorting at her, Hau, Lillie, and the rotom-dex snapping pictures above it, tried to decide who was aggravating it the most, and who was likely the easiest target. It was too late to calm it down peacefully, they had already fueled its anger and would have to end things the only way rash and inexperienced teeangers like them knew how: with a pokemon battle.

Hau rolled his shoulder in the brief lull, a nervous but determined smile meeting Moon's own as the two nodded at one another. She looked to Lillie who seemed to be considering whether she weighed her options properly, but nodded at her nonetheless as the first cool breeze of the day whipped through their hair and ruffled the fur of the tauros' neck. Their pokemon stood at the ready, and Moon pulled out her ukulele; it was time to put out her brief battling lessons to the test. The brief respite lasted barely five seconds.

Then the tauros charged.

---

Another piece of fanart, this time of Moon whacking the heck out of that mean-ass bird while being overseen by an alternate universe grown version of herself, who belongs to JunoSongs. Courtesy of ButterCatRho on twitter! You can find the link on my profile, so go check it out and show them some love for the amazing work they did!