Naranja
The multitudes of students seated in the Naranja battle grounds chattered excitedly. The topic went all over the place, from gossip about the Paldea gym leader's lives, to Mesogoza's unfolding political scandal. One particularly juicy bit of gossip was discussing the revelation that the now-disgraced mayor had frequented the illicit red-light district in the southwest portion of the city.
Auronaku, Brisallan, Bonnie, Max and Nanda were seated together. They were absorbed in their own conversation regarding their plans.
"When we're finished with Paldea, we'll go to Hoenn. After that, Johto," Auronaku explained, "I'm doing the gym circuit. Nanda's doing contests."
"We're also doing the gyms as well. Ours is Kalos. We'll meet up in Johto," Max answered.
"I'm joining Auronaku and Nanda," Brisallan added, "I intend to capture some Hoenn and Johto Ghost-types to add to my future gym roster. I already have Misdreavus, he's my starter. I have already purchased books on Ghost-type training techniques, and I hear that a new Ghost-type gym has recently opened in Rustoboro City after Roxanne retired. She announced that she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a year ago."
"That's true. I've heard from her that her diagnosis is familial; her mother died of it, as well as two uncles," Max added, "Her two daughters doesn't have the mutated gene, but her oldest brother does."
"Yeah, I want to go there. I want to learn how a Ghost-type gym is really run, perhaps do an internship there," Brisallan added.
"It's a good idea, though. My dad is going to begin showing me the ropes as soon as I turn eighteen," Max took a quick swig of his water bottle.
"Nanda, your thoughts?" Bonnie asked, but looking at Nanda's spaced-out face, she sweatdropped.
"Oh, great. Just when I thought her weird space-outs had disappeared, they have re-surfaced again!" Auronaku did the same.
"Really?" Brisallan and Max chimed in simultaneously.
"Yeah! I remember one bizarre daydream Nanda had that involved one of my old classmates' pigtails being detachable and she fantasized about using them to fly," Auronaku answered in embarrassment, "It occurred when we were in grade four. The reason I even know about that shit is that Nanda often talks in her sleep."
"Wow, that's new. I remember that Ash would also talk in his sleep, too. Some of the things he says there were pretty funny, now that I think about it," Max said.
"Same here," Bonnie added.
"I remember one boy from my grade school who talked in his sleep during summer camp," Brisallan said, "He mumbled something about a long shopping list that involved of all things, fire, trash, chicken and a bottle of arsenic. I was pretty freaked out about it at the time."
Now that the entire group thought about it, it was both hilarious and creepy as fuck.
Nanda broke out of her spaced-out state as Director Clavell walked up to the microphone.
"It has been an annual tradition each year to hold a Treasure Hunt. Your Treasure may not be somebody's. But what is constant is on this hunt, there's always something for everybody. It may not be the same for every of you, but the treasure you'll receive on this journey is something earned through trial and error.
It could be physical or metaphorical. What truly matters is what you make of it. It's through these things that we attain growth.
Now let the Treasure Hunt start!"
Auronaku looked through the supplies in her backpack satchel.
Pokeballs? Check.
Potions? Check.
Antidotes, Paralyze and Burn Heals? Check.
Revives? Check.
Koraidon's Pokeball? Check.
Auronaku hadn't forgotten about Koraidon. Every evening, she would release them on the battleground at the top of Naranja, to give them time to run freely. And they had been a remarkably patient audience for her rants, which involved aspects of her life that she had admitted that she truly hated.
Like the harsh training that Alin had been putting her through since the day she had turned six, with the intention to turn her into a Demon Hunter. And these had reminded Auronaku how different she truly was to the people around her. Many times, she had tried to evade these sessions so she could do things with her friends in Alola that she found to be far more interesting, but Alin had always intuited out where Auronaku was going or what she was doing at that moment and dragged her back into the sessions.
The Hau'oli Battle Buffet incident was perhaps the most memorable incident. David Widget had invited Auronaku to an outing at the place. He had mentioned that the latest special was Hoennian Spicy Shrimp Pilaf, and this dish had intrigued her, to the point that she had joined in the frantic Pokémon battles over the dish. She had won that one easily with Rowlet, as the trainer who faced her was a Swimmer who sent out a Magikarp. She had then headed straight for the Rindo salad; It was in that moment that a furious Alin had marched onto the scene. Her withering gaze had made Auronaku flinch in that moment.
"Box up the meals you won, now," Alin's order was direct and clear. Auronaku had reluctantly obeyed. As she was led away from the Hau'oli Battle Buffet, she looked back at the place.
"That place isn't good for your Discipline," Alin snarled, "The ample food and competition drives people to behave recklessly. You acted similarly there."
"But I was there for the special and the battle experience," Auronaku's protest was promptly met with another withering gaze.
"I don't care. You have a long road ahead when it comes to restraining yourself. Nanda and I will take the other two portions of the meal you won," Alin answered sternly.
As the memory faded from Auronaku's mind she cursed the life path that her master had set out for her. Why couldn't she be a normal person once in her life? Picking up her satchel, she left her bedroom.
Her Rotom phone rang. Picking it up she saw the text message from Nemona.
'Please meet me in front of the school', it read.
Auronaku typed out the words 'I'm on my way. I'm waiting for Nanda,' on her phone.
As Nanda emerged from her room, she pulled her gray hair into a ponytail and bound it with a rubber band.
"I'm ready," Layering her ever-present amaranth purple ribbon over it, Nanda picked up her bag.
As the duo left their dorm apartment, they met up with Brisallan.
"The man from my dream keeps insisting I push Essence into the corpse! I don't wanna do it!" Brisallan rubbed their eyes. They wept waterfall tears that made Auronaku think of the episode of Demon Slayer that the trio had watched together the previous afternoon. The character Agatsuma Zenitsu in that anime was definitely the king of overdramatic crying.
"I know. I don't like my training, too," she replied.
Nemona waited out in front of the Naranja school entrance. People watching was interesting. In one corner, a raven-haired girl was practicing her flute while her two male friends bickered endlessly, crescending in the thinner of the boys chasing his companion around the grounds. Another pair of girls was giggling over a shirtless photo of the trainer-turned-model Alan Ribeiro, a local Mesogoza celebrity. She had seen that kind of antics on Nanda and Auronaku whenever they were chatting about men and boys they found to be sexually attractive.
Two grown men were bickering over a soccer match that Mesagoza had recently lost to Motostoke. They were debating which players ought to be traded off to improve the team. It was common knowledge that both cities were passionate about soccer, and they were infamous for their hooliganism to the point that the governments that governed Galar and Paldea had given their judges carte blanche to bar violent and abusive fans from travelling overseas to soccer matches.
Looking over the Tera Orbs that she had acquired for Auronaku, Nanda and Brisallan, Nemona had asked for the casings holding the Tera crystals to be made in their favorite colors. Auronaku's was midnight blue, Nanda's amaranth purple and Brisallan's slate gray.
As the trio emerged from the tall entrance of Naranja Academy, Nemona stood up.
"Hey, guys!" She waved to the trio.
"Hello!" Auronaku waved back as she and her friends approached Nemona, their Pokémon riding on or hovering over their shoulders.
"I want to give you something," She said, and picked up the box holding the Tera Orbs, "What do you remember from your classes about them?"
"They could be recharged at PokeCenters and crystal formations,"Auronaku answered, "Dendra told me about it in battle class."
"Correct," Nemona added, "Nanda?"
"The crystals are sourced from formations from Area Zero, from what I've heard in science class," Nanda answered.
"Good answer!" Nemona clapped.
"And if the Pokémon is Terastallized, it can unleash enhanced energies of its Tera types," Brisallan added.
"You're a smart cookie, Brisallan!"
Opening the box, the trio could see their Tera orbs. As each person took their designated orbs, they inspected them.
The orbs were small and could fit easily in one's palm. The Tera symbol hovered in the transparent half of the sphere, and there were openings inside it that were activated when Terastallization was activated.
"I'm aware that you're on the gym circuit, Auronaku. The first gym is in Cortondo, and to get to it, you'll have to use the East gate of Mesogoza," Nemona explained, "The gym leader there is Katy, and she's the owner of Patisserie Soapberry."
"Thanks for the info," Auronaku smiled, "We'll be off on our way."
The trio pushed Mesogoza's east gate aside. As they walked out, they could see the distant rolling fields of olive trees on the horizon. As they began the long hike to Cortondo, they could see Hoppip and Starly frolicking in the skies, while groups of Mareep plodded through the grass, grazing on a few tender shoots here and there.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?' Nanda commented as her Popplio yapped in agreement.
"Rowlet loves the breeze. She's gliding so easily on it," Auronaku answered as she watched her starter fly around, doing a few loops and rolls.
"Misdreavus is in a good mood," Brisallan added, watching their Pokemon do the same.
"Yeah, we can see that," Nanda nodded. Putting her index fingers close together, she began playing around with the lightning she emitted from them. The electricity cycled through a variety of forms, from forked lightning, to one that resembled a normal EKG graph, then a zigzag one.
"I see you have an innate talent for elemental magics," Brisallan observed.
"Yeah, I've always had these powers growing up. The man we met in the Iron Mudsdale sealed most of the power away when I was young," Nanda explained, "He said that without someone with the proper knowledge to teach me, I was a risk to others. He said uncontrolled magic attracts demons, and there's been cases of untrained people with these powers being possessed by one."
Brisallan was pretty freaked out by these revelations. The thought of demonic possession sent a shudder up their back. The thought of losing your body to an otherworldly intruder was the stuff of horror movies. They had watched a few movies that had this plot line, and the man in their dreams had said that all these movies had gotten one thing correct; the characters in these stories shown on-screen encountered or dabbled in materials related to the demonic.
"Although in Alola, the ice powers were dead useful," Auronaku added, "I've lost count of how many times Nanda had conjured up ice cubes to cool us and our friends down on a hot day."
Nanda blushed in embarrassment at the mention of her conjured ice cubes. Even if she knew how useful they were, she didn't like having them mentioned because it marked her as different from others.
As Rowlet and Misdreavus returned to Brisallan and Auronaku's shoulders, they began chatting.
{The journey is off to a good start,} Rowlet hooted, {I see all these Pokemon and wonder what Auronaku'll get next? She has Tarountula, but an Electric-type or Flying-type would be nice.}
{Yeah, I wonder what Bris'll get next. There's Greavard, and a Gastly would be the most likely candidate,} Misdreavus answered with a metaphorical shrug.
{When I evolve into a Decidueye, my secondary typing'll become Ghost," Rowlet answered, {Although that event is likely years away, my master's training as a Demon hunter has given me an idea of what to expect of my final form.}
"If my master manages to get their hands on a Dusk Stone, I'll become a Mismagius. And that means my incantations will become more powerful. But from what I've learned from Bris's dreams is that they is powerful, but they don't even know it. They's an Arcesian human/Nephalem hybrid. The Nephalem portion, although small, awoke when they was a baby,} Misdreavus explained.
{And the fact that we've met Bris' ancestor makes for some interesting stuff. They do look pretty alike,} Rowlet's observation made some sense, when the two Pokemon stopped to think about it.
{Both are tall and skinny, but Brisallan's face and hair colour is something they inherited from their mom. Their hair is thin and stringy, like their ancestor,} Misdreavus added.
{Auronaku looks more like her mother. From what little she could remember of her mother, she had the same brown eyes, and facial features as her mother,} Rowlet shrugged.
As the sun began to set, the trio began looking for a place to set up their tents.
"That tree seems like a good spot!" Nanda gestured to an old cork oak that stood strong on the plain the trio were transversing on the way to Cortondo.
"Agreed," Auronaku and Brisallan chorused in union. Taking off their bags, the trio began work on their camp. Three went up, each one in midnight blue, amaranth purple and slate gray. All were pop-up tents that could sleep 1-2 people each, and easily available where camping supplies were sold.
The picnic table followed soon afterward. It was a square piece of furniture that folded easily; it was made of lightweight aluminum that was also durable and weather resistant, followed by a light gray and bubblegum pink gingham tablecloth. Matching benches soon followed and afterward, a portable cooktop.
Nanda took out a packet of Galarian red curry paste and got to work on the dinner. She added a Rawst berry Popplio had found and some smoked fish she had on hand. An addition of canned pineapple finished off the curry she was cooking, and she put it on a slow simmer.
Meanwhile, Auronaku released Tarountula and Koraidon from their Pokeballs. Koraidon went off to the nearest corner to nap, while Tarountula was bouncing up and down in anticipation of his training. His enthusiasm was undeniable.
"Cortondo's gym leader is Bug-type, so we'll be working on counters to these moves. Rowlet, we'll be working on attaining Drill Peck. With this you could break through their defenses. We'll also work on endurance and evasion as well.
Tarountula, we'll work on ambush-style tactics. It seems to be your species' biggest strength. We'll work on strengthening your webbing in preparation. The stronger your silk is, the more difficult for your opponents to slip out, and it could even turn the tide in some battles," Auronaku explained to her Pokemon, who nodded in determination.
Brisallan released Greavard from their Heal Ball. The Ghost Dog Pokemon ran excitedly around Brisallan's legs, barking in joy. The good mood Greavard was in was undeniable and they couldn't help but grin.
Holding up the Rotom Phone, they took a gander at Greavard's information. Their sex was female, and their nature was Quirky. She was impervious and at times outright hilarious. The tendency to burrow into warm laundry was one aspect. Another was her tendency to steal random things to present to her master. So far, Brisallan had returned three pairs of Auronaku's socks, an embroidery project Nanda was working on, Nemona's old stuffed Fuecoco toy, and two of Arven's ladles.
Calling their pokemon forth, Brisallan crouched down.
"After observing some of Auronaku's training sessions with Rowlet and Tarountula, I'm taking a page out of her playbook. Since you guys are weak to other Ghost-types, I want to begin building up your physical and special defense. I also read that in theory that speed would also augment defense by allowing for some evasive maneuvers where possible.
Now Misdreavus, do you remember the game of hide and seek we played when I was a child? I used my Essence Vision to find you," Brisallan looked at their Pokemon.
Misdreavus chanted in agreement as they had remembered it. They had known for a long time that Brisallan could see the essence of living things. At the time they didn't have a name for it. But upon meeting Nanda, the name the grayette had given it made it easier to describe what his master experienced. He knew of Aura. But the thing was that Aura and Essence were two different things. Aura were waves of guiding light and had various abilities, while Essence was related to necromancy and the cycle of birth and death. Brisallan had once called it the Great Cycle of Being when they was a child because the flow of it felt like one.
"I want you to try and weaponize it. Try various strategies relating to vanishing and reappearing at the least unexpected times," Brisallan's explanation made sense.
"Greavard, like Auronaku's Tarountula, you're young and reckless. From what I know of the Demon Hunters, they have this saying. Discipline restrains Hatred. It's such a big thing among their order, and for good reason. According to her, people who have too much hatred in their hearts burn out very young because they cannot restrain themselves. It's the same with your enthusiasm. Your excitement could cloud your judgement with disastrous results, and it's the same with Tarountula," Brisallan turned their head to Greavard, "Your thieving antics is one of these things that need to be curbed for you to become an effective battler."
Greavard looked very contrite when Brisallan had mentioned this aspect. She loved her master, but they could be pretty strict when required! But she understood what they were talking about. Even if Greavard liked finding pretty things to share with her master, she couldn't resist the urge to steal them, much to Brisallan's embarrassment and annoyance.
Nanda let Hoppip out of their Pokeball. From the information she had read up on Hoppip, they were female and had a Bashful nature. Indeed, Nanda and Hoppip were quite shy to the point that they avoided certain interactions they found uncomfortable.
It was a well-known fact among the trio and their friends that Nanda was quite attractive both sexually and physically. She was developing a rather callipygian butt that had striking similarities to one internationally renowned Unovan singer and actress called Jessie-Marie Lopez; the woman was known as the Queen of R&B there.
Because of this fact, Nanda would have been subjected to sexual harassment by lecherous men if Auronaku wasn't so damn protective of her. The undershorts under her miniskirt also provided an added deterrent against upskirting, which was a common problem on the Mesogoza transit systems to the point that a Paldean law had been written to outright ban the practice three years ago.
Looking over her Pokémon, Nanda could see their enthusiastic mood.
"We'll be working on the performance portions of the Contests. We'll begin by trying out various combinations, then we'll refine the two best combinations into a workable format for the performance rounds," She explained. Popplio yapped in understanding, while Hoppip nodded.
As Popplio and Hoppip worked together, Nanda could see the embryonical vestige of one combination. Popplio was trying to blow a bubble to encase Hoppip, who would steer it before bursting it with a Fairy Wind. That was an excellent performance and battle combination. But for it to work on the battlefield, Nanda would need Auronaku's feedback and suggestions on what tactics it would entail.
A Skowet watched the camp from afar. The food smelled so good, and the people there were interesting. The pretty gray-haired girl moved and danced beautifully, too! Sneaking up to the pot at the campsite, the Cheeky Pokemon dipped a paw in the curry and licked it. It was DELISH! He dove into the pot, but a strong hand grabbed them before they could reach the food.
"A Skowet?" The gray-haired girl held him by the scruff of the neck. Gently dropping Skowet on the ground, she gave the pot a quick stir before she plated the dishes with the food. Turning to the Popplio and Hoppip training on these weird combinations, he found them intriguing. Trying a Tackle on the bubble, he missed and crashed into a tree.
Shaking his head, he realized it didn't work. Perhaps a Tail whip would work better? Moving it, it didn't get the desired result. Perhaps Tail whip combined with a Tackle? Leaping in the air, he did so, and the combo impressed the trio of girls.
"This little one has a good sense of tactics," The auburn girl commented, "He has the potential to be a well-rounded powerhouse."
"And by adding him to your team, you'll get a versatile member. There's all kinds of moves you could teach him. For instance I would suggest Mud Slap, it could lower accuracy of your rivals' pokemon," A teal-haired boy with glasses said to the grayette as he set up his tent nearby.
"I agree," The purple-haired person added, "He seems to be a golden opportunity, don't waste it."
The grayette girl was hesistant to speak as she blushed in nervousness.
"I don't think he is a good fit for the team," she admitted.
"We think so otherwise. Look at how he covers the other two tactically. Popplio is high Special attack, Hoppip is high Special Defense, and the Skowet line is high in HP, Attack and Defense. They're known for their resilience," The auburnette said.
Skowet observed the conversation between the trio. He liked the idea of training under the gray-haired girl. Perhaps he could capture himself in one of her pokeballs? It was beginning to become a tantalizing idea.
The roaring campfire crackled as the quintet of Auronaku, Bonnie, Brisallan, Max and Nanda encircled it.
"Thanks for bringing the stuff to make s'mores," Auronaku commented as she toasted a marshmallow over the fire. Once she saw it was nicely browned, she grabbed some milk chocolate and graham crackers, and then sandwiched the toasted marshmallow between them.
"Yeah, a campfire isn't complete without them," Bonnie added, "A Unovan cousin taught me how to make them when I was eight."
"They're delicious, though," Auronaku took a bite out of her s'more.
"I like mountain pies better," Brisallan was holding a camping pie iron over the fire. They had filled the bread they had put there with apples and a light sprinkling of cinnamon.
"Me too," Max chimed in. The mountain pie he was eating had ham and pineapple inside.
"Some people don't like Alolan pizza. There's been some rather... heated debates about the ingredients on it," Nanda observed, "Some people say they go together like PB & jam, others say they don't. I don't like the combo, but not as much as Arven does. He hates it with a passion."
"REALLY!?" The rest of the group exclaimed.
"I overheard him ranting about it to Penny the other day," Nanda admitted.
"Interesting tale," Auronaku commented.
"Indeed," Brisallan took their mountain pie out of the pie iron, before passing it to Nanda.
"Nemona's a fan of the combo," Nanda observed as she put the bread in first, followed by ham and feta cheese. She then enclosed the cheese with another piece of ham and topped it with another piece of bread. After the pie iron was closed, she held it over the fire.
"I'm not surprised by that. She's such a big eater!" Auronaku sweatdropped.
"I think Arven and Nemona would make a cute couple," Bonnie added. The other four promptly face-faulted.
"That was the STUPIDEST remark you've made so far!" Max had a popped vein on his forehead, his annoyance clear on his face.
"I don't think they're compatible romantically," Nanda added, "From what I've heard, Arven has little interest in romance and sex."
"He's definitely aroace, even if he doesn't realize it," Brisallan agreed.
Meanwhile, their Pokémon was conversing while they plucked Berries from a pile that the quintet had put together from the berry supplies they had gathered up together.
{Our masters made Nanda put a hidden Pokeball in this berry pile,} Dedenne commented, {Apparently, they wanted her to capture this Skowet that had tried to get in the curry!}
{Yes, I want him on our team. He may be gluttonous, but he has a good heart,} Hoppip chimed in.
{Max and Auronaku are spot on regarding their observations about the Skowet line,} Misdreavus chimed in, {I once saw a Greedent take a beating from a pack of Poochyena, and she outlasted them all.}
{Riiiiiight. Same here, we were in Hoenn at the time,} Ralts added, {Max's dad captured his Skowet while visiting Kabu in Galar. He's a powerful Greedent now.}
{How did it happen?} Greavard yipped.
{Some former Team Magma bastards were bullying an innocent shopkeeper. Norman Maple put a stop to the bullshit,} Max's Grovyle answered.
{Interesting tale,} Rowlet hooted, {I've seen Arven's Skowet tanking blows that would have make others faint during battle practice.}
{Yeah, me too,} Ralts added.
{I once saw a Greedent take a beating from a Machoke and he withheld it all. It was on TV,} Popplio chimed in.
{Yeah, I saw that one, too,} Grovyle added.
Later that night, the Skowet snuck into the campground. Looking around the site, he could see the tents, the table and the ashes of the extinguished campfire. A lit electric lantern hung from one of the tree branches, and beneath it, a pile of Berries. True to his species, he saw an ample opportunity to stuff his cheeks with one of his favorite things.
But before he could make a beeline for it, two figures showed up. One was a red-haired female with glowing green eyes, while the second one was a tall, skinny man with silver hair slicked back in a low ponytail.
"This campground doesn't look like much," The latter said simply.
"I agree. But we need to train our apprentices, though," The woman answered.
The two went off to the blue and gray tents respectively. Unzipping the entrance to the tents they went and roused the occupants of these tents.
"Abso-fucking-utely great, another training session," The auburnette's voice was dripping with sarcasm; The death glare the older redhead woman sent her was enough to shut her up. The girl wore a midnight blue with gray trim tank top and matching sleep shorts. The outfit showcased her agile musculature well.
The purple-haired person rubbed their eye with a fist. From what Skowet could see of the subject's sleepwear, they was wearing gray pajama pants and a slate gray and light green striped tank top. They also resembled the man pretty well, bodywise.
"I don't want the training. I already told you my ambitions! There are other people who are more suited to this stuff than me," They told the man as they turned back to their tent. They were about to enter it, but the man dragged them away from it. He sighed in annoyance. The way he moved spoke of untold frustration with his student.
As Skowet observed all this scene he could see the quartet move to another area. As soon as they were out of the way, he made a run for the berry pile. As he begun stuffing his face with the berries, he didn't notice the hidden Pokeball activating; he was promptly sucked into it. The ball shook a few times before it came to a standstill.
The following morning, Nanda picked up the Pokeball holding her captured Skowet. Releasing him, she could instantly tell that he had an insatiable appetite, judging by how fast he was going through his designated Berry pile, much to the amazement of the other Pokémon.
"Arceus, looks like I'll need to contact Professor Oak for that pink Pokeblock recipe that May used for her Snorlax when he was a Munchlax," Max sweatdropped as he watched the scene, "You need it ASAP, Nanda."
"Story?" As much as the whole story of May's awful purple Pokeblocks embarrassed Max, he knew that the rest of the group were begging to hear the story behind it.
"When I was travelling with Ash, Brock and May in Hoenn, she made an awful recipe she called May's Purple Surprise. The pokemon we had on hand hated it. The only one who could stomach it was the Munchlax she got on that day. Oak gave May the pink recipe to suppress his enormous appetite," His explanation made sense.
"Really!?" Auronaku, Bonnie, Brisallan and Nanda said in unison.
"Yes, it's true," Max was getting increasingly flustered.
"Arceus help us all if Oak's recipe doesn't work," Brisallan added.
"Agreed,"
The group began packing up the campsite. As the tents went down, Brisallan's Rotom phone rang.
Holding it up, they could see their eldest brother was calling. Turning on the video option, they let the phone hover.
"How's your Pokémon journey going," He smiled.
"It's kinda fun. I made some new friends," They replied. Turning their phone they showed Kalan their friends, who waved back at Kalan Mortimer.
"The girl with the curly auburn brown hair is Auronaku Vahalkin. She is aspiring to become a Champion. She's on the gym circuit. She's also training to be a Demon Hunter," Brisallan explained.
"Vahalkin? I don't get that name," Kalan commented.
"Auronaku told me that she chose it when she was first registered for school. The woman who raised her and her friend went through many variations on the Smith surname, since Auronaku's mother was a blacksmith. They all didn't feel right. But when she found some children's tales from the Noord region, one term stood out to her. Vahalla was the mythological place where all Vikken warriors struck down in battle went to. She then combined it with the word kin to make Vahalkin, which roughly means Kin of Vahalla."
"Ah," Kalan nodded.
"And the others?" He asked Brisallan.
"The gray-haired girl with the dark skin is Nanda Liurmien. She has some pretty strong elemental magics, though. Her ambition is to become a Top Coordinator. She's timid and shy, though.
The blonde girl Is Bonnie Tesla, she's the younger sister of Clemont Tesla, the gym leader of Luminoise City. She's energetic as hell. Please don't give her any sugar or caffeine, please. We learnt the hard way why we shouldn't!" They replied.
Kalan raised an eyebrow. There must've been quite the story if Brisallan had mentioned this rule about the latter.
"The boy is Max Maple. He's May Maple's younger brother. Their father is Norman Maple, the Petalburg Gym leader," Brisallan added, "He's an intelligent guy, though."
"All excellent choice in companions," Kalan answered, "I have to go, Father is calling me back to work."