Chapter 15
Today is finally the day we head to Akala Island, and everyone is buzzing with excitement as we joyfully board the ship. I mention, "That reminds me, Kiawe hails from Akala Island, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, my family runs a farm at the Paniola Ranch," Kiawe replies.
Upon our arrival at Heahea City and disembarking from the ship, we spot Hau waiting for us. "Hey, Hau, how are you?" I inquire.
"Great. Whenever I arrive here, I can't help but shout to Akala Island, 'Land ahoy! Alright! Akala Island, here I come!'"
"Lillie, isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' after you've already arrived onshore?" Lillie asks.
"What a stick in the sand! Come on, Ash, back me up here! That was hilarious, wasn't it?" Hau asks.
"I'm not sure, was that meant to be funny?" I inquire.
Hau glances at me before turning to Professor Kukui, "What do you think, Professor?"
"The land is certainly ahoy, oh boy!" Professor Kukui quips, and even Nebby seems to agree. Now that's surprising for all of us.
"Anyway, how was your trip on the Mantine?" Selene asks.
"It was quite enjoyable," Hau replies, and Professor Kukui adds, "That's what I like to hear! Carry that same attitude into tackling your island challenge!"
""Hold on, so Mantine's even faster than that old boat of yours, Professor?" Hau asks.
Trenor comments, "The professor's sailboat is... well... It has seen better days."
"Still haven't managed to find a shirt that goes with your lab coat, hmm, Kukui?" A woman approaches us. "I've told you, you're gonna scare off strangers looking like that..."
Kiawe immediately recognizes her and exclaims, "Olivia!"
"Kiawe! You're out of my sight for five seconds and look how much you've grown!" Olivia hugs Kiawe, who seems a little uncomfortable.
Lillie turns to Nebby and says, "Nebby, back into the bag."
"Don't worry about it, Lillie," Professor Kukui reassures her.
"Hello there. Nice to meet you all—I'm Olivia. I was on my way to see who was pulling into port," Olivia introduces herself. Kiawe adds, "She's the island Kahuna if you didn't know."
"The Island Kahuna?" We gasp. "That means I'll be able to get a Grand Trial with you..."
"I'll be in charge of you guys this month. It's so nice to meet you!" Olivia moves forward, but much to our surprise, she trips and falls to the ground. We stare at her in shock until she gets back up, saying, "Nothing to see, nothing to see."
Then, she gives each of us a piece of jewelry, which triggers my memory of our Rock Type Manor. Olivia notices our Pokémon and inquires, "Are you the ones who are attempting the Island Challenge?"
"Yeah! I'm eager to undergo another Grand Trial!" I express.
"Really? This field trip might just grant your wish." Olivia attempts to interact with our Pokémon, while Kiawe mentions how unique Olivia is. Once that's done, Olivia continues, "There isn't just one trial on Akala Island, of course. I will also need some Trial Captain Volunteers to assist me with the trials. So enjoy your time on your island challenge, kids, along with your Pokémon. I'll be waiting for my chance to face you in battle when the time comes. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got!"
"There are three trials here on Akala Island. If you decide you want to take on the trial straightaway, head up Route 4 there and keep on goin' until you get to Paniola Town," Professor Kukui informs us.
"Shoots, I know where I'm going first, and that is straight to the Pokémon Center!" Hau declares. "I wonder what kind of malasada they make on Akala, eh?"
"Maybe we'll see about some shopping of our own... And we should find out about the ruins for Nebby's sake, too..." Lillie suggests to me.
"That sounds like a plan," I reply.
As we move forward, Professor Kukui and Olivia decide to let us separate so we can look around Heahea City for ourselves. We also have booked a room in the Tide Song Hotel to accommodate stuff in this region.
On our way, Nebby is visibly excited about visiting the ruins. I remark, "Nebby can hardly contain its excitement... I think it might be interesting to visit the Ruins of Life. It's said that they shelter the sacred guardian of Akala Island, a creature called Tapu Lele."
"Yeah... there are four Tapus, and we're on the island where Tapu Lele resides," Nate mentions.
"I recall how much Minami enjoyed reading about them," Rosa reminisces.
Nebby bounces around, and Lillie remarks, "And you! You need to stay in your bag, mister. There's a group of terrible people around who attempt to steal Pokémon. They're known as Team Skull. We have to be cautious if we want to avoid attracting the attention of such a group of villains... Right, Ash?"
"Yeah," I respond. But as we make our way to Tide Song Hotel, we are taken aback to find two unexpected individuals.
"Stop right there!" I exclaim as I recognize them. "Sina and Dexio!"
The others look puzzled as they approach us. Dexio chuckles, "Ah ha ha! We didn't mean to startle you. You must be undertaking your island challenge, Ash?"
"Yeah, it's surprising to see you two here," I reply. Lillie inquires, "Ash? Do you know them?"
"I'm Dexio," one of them introduces. "And I'm Sina! A beautiful name for a beautiful lady!" the other adds.
"Both of them are Professor Sycamore's assistants from the Kalos Region, although I haven't seen you guys since the incident with the Ultimate Weapon," I explain.
"We're here to see the sights in Alola. It's a unique tradition of the island challenge... It's quite fascinating, I must say," Dexio mentions.
"Oh, I've got an idea! How about testing your skills with us?" Sina proposes.
"A battle? Sure, we'd love to battle you," I accept. "Lillie, are you in?"
"Absolutely." And so, we decide to engage in a battle with the two of them. They employ an Espeon and a Glaceon, but with the assistance of Litten and Meowth, both Pokémon are defeated.
"That's precisely what I'd expect from a Trainer undertaking the island challenge. I could sense the strong bond between you and your Pokémon!" Dexio comments.
"I feel like I've caught a glimpse of the island challenge! Let me heal your Pokémon as a token of gratitude!" Sina offers as she heals our two cat Pokémon.
"You and your Pokémon make an incredible team! There's no doubt about it! This battle reminded me of our past... and that group of young Trainers. Take this as a small token of our new friendship!" Dexio hands us a Full Restore, and by 'young trainers,' I believe he means Shuna and the others in Kalos.
"Perhaps honing your skills on Route 4 will further deepen your understanding of your Pokémon. We'll be taking our leave now! Bon voyage!" After they depart, Selene remarks, "They sure are peculiar..."
"But they're also hardworking," I note as we enter the Tide Song Hotel.
After entering the hotel room, Lillie and I are startled to find our Dad there. "Dad? What are you doing here?" I inquire.
He greets us warmly, "Hello to both of you, Ash and Lillie. How are your studies and the Island Challenge?"
"They're going well. I've collected four Z-Crystals so far," I inform him. "Lillie has three."
"In that case, I'm here to give you two more," he says, pulling out two Z-Crystals. I recognize one as the Snorlium-Z since Oluolu from the Pokémon Base showed us once, but the other one is unfamiliar. Lillie asks, "What's that Z-Crystal?"
"That's a Mewium-Z. If you use this with Mew's Psychic move, it can unleash a move known as Genesis Supernova," my Dad explains. "And since you're here on Akala Island, your mother is going to Paniola Town for the upcoming Contest. I hope you'll be there."
As we watch him leave, I gaze at the Z-Crystal and murmur, "Genesis Supernova, huh..."
When we venture onto Route 4 the next day, we stumble upon Pikachu Valley. Mallow remarks, "Wow, look at all the Pikachu!"
"You're right... this place seems like a paradise for Pikachu," Lana observes.
Suddenly, a girl approaches us and cheerfully exclaims, "Alola! Pika!" She's dressed exactly like a Pikachu, and upon spotting our Pikachu, she rushes over to hug it. "Welcome, Pika, Pikachu! What an amazing Pikachu! Wait a second, its front legs, its cheeks! This is a Kanto Pikachu!"
"Wow! How do you know that?" I ask.
"The gleam of its Pika-fur gives it away. A Kanto Pikachu reflects sunlight with a Pika-sparkle, while a Pikachu from Alola gives off a Pika-glossy reflection," the girl explains.
"That's quite interesting," Rosa comments.
"Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you. Hi! I'm Pikala! Pika!" the girl introduces herself.
"Nice to meet you! We've heard a lot about this place, so we wanted to visit," Lillie says.
"That's Pika-great! You want to immerse yourselves in Pikachu, too! The first thing we do..." Suddenly, she insists we all wear Pikachu ears and tails.
"That's peculiar... seems like we're temporarily donning Pikachu attire," Selene remarks.
"What do you think?" We're actually able to manipulate the tail and ears. There are some specific rules here, including one where every sentence must include 'Pika' tucked in somewhere within it. It's quite odd...
We're required to introduce ourselves using 'Pika' in the words. However, my Pikachu has been attempting to greet the other Pikachu, but they seem to avoid it. Pikala believes it's from Kanto, so the Pikachu here are unfamiliar with it.
We also meet Pikala's partner, a Pikachu named Curly. She's the one helping our Pikachu become acquainted with the others. We're surprised by how the Alolan Pikachu tries to interact with the others, but there are some misunderstandings.
There's also a Shiny Pikachu who seems to have developed a fondness for Curly. He appears to be jealous of Curly's interactions with my Pikachu, even though my Pikachu doesn't have any romantic interests in Curly.
The shiny Pikachu has been teasing him, which prompts Pikachu to engage in a battle with him. Amidst the cheering of the other Pikachu, Pikachu uses Electro Web to trap the shiny Pikachu, securing victory in the match.
As much as we're relishing the vibrant atmosphere of Pikachu Valley, the time has come for us to bid adieu. Professor Kukui and Olivia are awaiting our return, and our commitments elsewhere beckon us.
Despite the impending departure, we're delighted to discover that we can take the Pikachu costume with us. It's a delightful memento from our time spent among these electrifying Pokémon. The prospect of keeping these costumes feels like an exciting and unexpected bonus, adding a touch of joy to our departure.
Here is a new chapter, and we get to see Sina and Dexio again, not to mention that there is also a new Pikachu Valley that appear in the Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. I hope you like it and the next chapter will be Paniola Ranch.
Ash and Lillie's Pokemon:
Charizard, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Rattata (Alolan), Pikachu, Raichu (Alolan), Vulpix (Alolan), Meowth (Alolan), Grimer (Alolan), Lapras, Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Steelix (Crystal), Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Togekiss, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Zoroark, Hydreigon, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, Pikipek, Yungoos, Grubbin, Crabrawler, Oricorio, Cutiefly, Rockruff x3, Wishiwashi, Mareanie, Magearna (Shiny), Kleavor