Alola readers! Brav's here again with what most likely will be the final chapter to A Hui Hou Kakou for 2017. It has been quite an interesting year with a lot of ups and downs for me and it honestly felt like it started two months ago...time flies for sure. I imagine that 2018 will be much different for me in terms of what I want to do with my life and future ambitions. Some of it's coming with high risks...but also high rewards. We'll see what happens.
In the meantime, I'm off to Hawaii with the family to meet up with the rest of our extended one to celebrate Christmas and finish out the year in the real-life Alola! We'll be on the big island of Hawai'i for the first three and a half days and then the rest of the trip on Oahu at Waikiki Beach. I shall be sure to enjoy my time out there and take some of your advice whilst out there. There is no better opportunity to re-calibrate myself with the culture and transition it into the pokemon world.
Sadly this means that while I have the majority of the next chapter made up, it's doubtful to get out before 2018 hits. After all, I return on the 30th and there's still at least 4k more words and a big chunk to be written and ironed out. Might be able to sneak it in, but we'll see what happens.
I trust you all will be patient with me...as you always are. It does make me feel bad especially when I had previously promised everyone that I'd have weekly updates...rather than the big jumble of unpredictability. However real life continues to hit me six ways to Sunday with a gravity hammer so it's made it difficult to adhere to the schedule, even if I write ahead. Writing out one of these chapters isn't easy (even though it seems that I make it look so) and takes a good chunk of time to edit, spell check, look for grammar mistakes and anything else that needs to be polished before I send it out the door. And even then I still may not catch everything.
Needless to say; I'm deeply appreciative of all your patience as well as your faithfulness while I try to balance out my priorities . It really puts a smile on my face when I read all the heartwarming comments everyone gives after I post.
Family's literally running everyone's suitcases out the door as I add this AN. Soon enough, I'll be in the air, touching down and swapping jets at the zoo better known to most as LAX and then a 6 hour flight to Kona. I feel like a vacation is well deserved for me after working my ass off these past couple months.
Better stop this before it gets longer than the actual update. It's a helluva long one and I ended up adding a couple bits in after putting this to the upload manager on the site. Regardless...enjoy the chapter everyone.
I kind of wish that I could just tell Elio about Gladion. That would make things so simpler and maybe they'd stop all that petty quarreling. He sounded so aggravated when talking about him like "he needed to be put in his place" but there's just so much going on you don't understand! I guess I have to pretend like I have no idea who brother is.
How am I supposed to tell him and Hau about what's happening? I feel like eventually the litten is going to be let out of the bag.
Speaking of bags, Nebby seems really sad. I told it that we wouldn't be able to see Elio for a while and it hasn't done much aside from sleeping. I even left the zipper open once and it didn't even try to escape.
I know Nebby. I miss Elio too.
Dear Lillie,
Yeah as you can guess, I met this strange boy on the way to Brooklet Hill. He called himself Gladion and it's safe to say that we parted on pretty bitter terms.
Most of the time I'm a fairly nice person and together, Hau and I have made a lot of friends on our journey, regardless of if we won or lost.
This guy…man, he's a piece of work. Gladion's mood and attitude made me think that he doesn't want to make any friends. All he wanted was a battle and he was pretty fuming or salty as some people say, once I put him in his place where he belonged; right on his ass. He's got this strange pokemon…I can't really describe it other than the fact that Type: Null looks like some experiment reject that went awry. Either way, it was still really tough to take down with this strong battle armor and I managed to win with Troy's help.
Have a feeling that I haven't seen the last of him, but next time there's no more mister friendly Elio. I'm just glad you don't have to deal with someone like him. He'd probably call you weak for not even trying to be a trainer. You've got your own struggles to worry about anyway.
Sadly, I had to leave Troy, Rockruff and the egg at the center for Dallas to pick up. He said someone from this strange Internal Affairs thingy was looking for it, so I brought it up here just as a precaution. I'm going to miss them since I really am finding myself liking the little buddy. He's been a great traveling companion. It's too bad he's Dallas' pokemon.
I'm headed off to Brooklet Hill for the trial! The captain's name is Lana! Wish me luck.
I miss you a lot.
Sincerely,
Elio
The memory of the encounter just yesterday of the blond boy Gladion was all but forgotten in Elio's mind. Hau had arrived later that day, managing to get the room next door. The two of them met up in the lobby for a quick breakfast before going their separate ways.
The kahuna's grandson didn't seem overly upset about losing to the Team Skull enforcer, but he did say that he wanted to continue striving to improve himself in battle. As much as they wanted to take the trial together; Hau still felt as if he wasn't ready. He even waved Elio off when his best friend offered to wait.
"Don't you worry about me brah! You get plenty strong and it'll be even better when I beat you!"
Elio sipped at his steaming mug of tapu cocoa, savoring its velvety chocolate flavor and slight hint of cinnamon spice. The drink was among his new favorites upon moving to Alola and he found that many of the pokemon centers he had been to advertised it on their café menu as its most popular item.
Mom apparently said there was a section in the drinks aisle that had packet and jar mixes of the instant kind.
He had already gone out for his morning jog before meeting up with Hau and had a chance to look at the surroundings. The roads that led from Kulou to the north and Heahea City to the south always constituted this as a busy route between the settlements. Brooklet Hill was a region-renowned fishing spot where several fish species resided, some only being found in certain reservoirs that led deep into the caves at the lagoon's far end. Traffic was already heavy with tourists in their rental cars along with trucks who were starting to bring their hauls back into town.
The area around was lush with plenty of tall trees and small streams that trickled west in the direction of the Hill. Even at the rest stop there, he'd have roughly a half hour's trek to enter the actual grounds for the trial.
It's only nine-thirty in the morning. Elio thought to himself as he drained the last of his tapu cocoa mug. I've got plenty of time.
"Rotom who called me yesterday?"
"Hello?" A half groggy voice groaned into a pitch black screen on Rotom's display.
"Hey man!" Elio waved, in spite of not seeing someone. "What's up?"
"Elio? Are you seriously calling me at five thirty in the morning?"
"Oh stop being a wimp," he jeered back. "That's nothing compared to what coach was getting us up at."
"Yeah yeah I know." Elio saw the light on the other side illuminate the disheveled familiar face of Edmund Dahm. "Guess you're not letting me go back to sleep huh?"
"Nope."
"Figures. You're probably wondering why I called you yesterday."
Elio nodded, not wanting to share his encounter with Gladion being the reason behind him forgetting to pick it up until recently.
"Did you see the FBC's announcement?"
The Federation Basketball Cup was the highest governing league of the sport. Commissioning twenty eight professional teams across the four regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, the all-men's most popular sport attracted billions of dollars regardless of on or off the season. Many of its members, players, coaches and managers were among the highest paid and recognized people in the world.
Both Elio and Ed were huge basketball fans, playing through high school with the hopes of many others that they could one day be called up on the famous stage at the league's headquarters in Goldenrod City to show off their jersey as one team's newest member. Their favorite team; the Cerulean Hurricanes.
Rookies in the league went through a long process before they could bear the uniform of a club. One of the biggest perquisites was that a draftee had to have completed at least one year of college education and participated in the collegiate level of basketball in a sub-league that also served to showcase many professional scouts of future players. They then had to go through medical tests, show off their skills and meet with the owners of some clubs on what was called Pro Day.
Even though many draftees would state their preferred team, it ultimately came down to the FBC's professional draft, a big elaborate ceremony where many would finally achieve their dreams of being professional players.
"I haven't. Island challenge has been taking up a lot of my time man." Elio sheepishly grinned. "Sorry. Any news for you?"
"Well yeah! The Pro Day is coming to Alola!"
Sun's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Whaaat?!" His shout caused a few others lounging about in the center to give him indignant stares.
"Okay sorry." Elio calmed himself down. "Holy! Wow! That's amazing Ed! Are you declaring?"
Ed's big smile told him everything.
"No way! No freaking way!" The boy seemed ready to bounce off the walls in excitement. "I can't believe it! You're coming here! To Alola! Holy crap!"
"Figured you'd be pretty happy about that. I've never been to the islands, so I'm fully expecting you to come to show me around. Maybe even teach me how to say hello in Alola."
Elio had been sipping on his drink again and burst out laughing again, nearly snorting it through his nose in a nasty, uncomfortable process. "Hey man, you just did!"
"What? Like hello? Alola has to be something else!"
"You just did it again!" By now, the other boy was clutching his stomach and leaning back in his chair, dying from laughter.
"Okay stop it!" Ed was beginning to get irritated. "You're just screwing with me!"
"Oh really? Like the time you scrubbed the top of my deodorant with your leftover pignite bacon grease?"
"It was a joke. I already apologized for it."
Elio mock scoffed. "And I was actually planning to ask Jadyn out that week! The one girl I might have had a half chance with!"
"Okay man, just take it easy. Say, since you're going onto girls, how's Gorgeous doing?"
"Gorgeous?" Sun raised an eyebrow, already not liking where this was going.
"Yeah. Gorgeous." Ed's smirk returned. The one he used to frequently embarrass his point guard. "You know, that amazing blonde hair and those eyes. Just like Jadyn's. It must be me or you've got a thing for blondes. Hot damn."
"Ed."
"Sound familiar? She was in your bedroom just a couple weeks ago! Only better thing is for her to lie on your bed without any clothes on and-"
"Okay I've had enough." Elio snapped. "You keep it up and I'll just tell everyone that when you come that you're very much a haole."
"What's a haole?"
"All you need to know is that the natives will poke fun at you mercilessly. And you'll never hear the end of it. Taking all that back?"
"Heh, fine. All I'm saying is that you need to ask her out on a date sooner or later. Just like you were going to do with Jadyn."
"Ed, I haven't seen Lillie for a week. What am I supposed to do? Just call her and ask; will you go on a date with me?"
"Well yeah." Ed finally put his teasing manner away. "Unless you prefer a middle man like myself. You'll think of something. I know of it." When he received no response from his friend, he kept going. "C'mon Elio, I've known you for what…nine years since I made you cry to the teachers by snatching that basketball away. It's obvious you have a massive crush on that Lillie girl."
"Yeah no." A thought made its way back into Elio's head. "Oh by the way, shouldn't you be getting ready for the Pro Day? Y'know, the skills showoff?"
"Yeah, but I have to get with all these sponsors and organize these parties."
"Parties?" Sun asked. "Parties for what?"
"Parties for when I become a star man! I can't wait to see all these hot girls bounding up to my beach house in Lilycove City! Here's one for ya, if you haven't asked her out by the time I become a star, I'm inviting her to my party as a special guest!"
"No! Ed, why are you so fixated on that part? You need to be smart!"
"Smart?"
"Yes!" Elio raised his hands in exasperation. "You've seen what happened to all those hotshots who are all gone out of the League right? They started out as extremely talented, top five and top ten draft picks. Each one of them had everyone talking like they were going to be game changers and one of a kind player! Earn millions of dollars from endorsements and contracts! What do they do? They go blow it all off or get into trouble! After that, the team releases them and nobody wants him! He's jobless and all the fame he once had gets flushed down the toilet!"
"Elio I-"
"No. I'm going to play that same card here with you Ed. I've known you since I was seven and you nine. And there's nothing wrong with thinking about all that glamour, money and girls. In fact, embrace it since I think it's really your thing." he pointed to himself. "Less so for me, but that's beside the point. Focus on getting there to the pros first! You're so close! I've seen all the articles talking about you! A rare one-of-a-kind talent who could possibly be the face of a franchise one day! Hold off on those awesome parties and stuff. Worry about making a roster and a name for yourself in the League. That's going to start with the Pro Day!"
"I guess so man."
"Ed," Elio started. "Have I ever tried to steer you wrong out of seriousness?"
"No."
"You may be eighteen, but take some damn advice from a sixteen year old for once! I'm really pulling for you and the last thing anyone wants is for you to have that one in a lifetime opportunity and screw it all up because you decide to have some fun. There's plenty of time to do that after you're a superstar."
"Can I at least-"
"Do you want to take that chance? Trust me in that there are tons of basketball players who would KILL to be touted as such a desirable player like yourself. I'm telling you man, DON'T do anything stupid and everything will be fine."
Ed sighed. "There's no arguing with you on that."
"Trust me. It's for your own good. Again; I know you like to have fun and I'm all for it! But there's a reason that they say that the pro leagues aren't for everyone. You and I have seen how cutthroat they can be."
"I know man. I'm just excited."
"You have every right to be." Elio said. "We've worked so hard to get you here and it's finally happening."
"That's kind of why I called you. I need a favor."
"Yeah sure. Name it."
Ed took a deep breath. "I want you to be my partner for Pro Day."
"What?!"
"Yeah," he started. "I want someone familiar with me as my one on one partner."
The one on one drill during said Pro Day involved the professional hopefuls going up against fellow players, some pros and others teammates to showcase their skills in driving and shooting to show if they were able to run with the big league. This was one of the prime opportunities for both clubs and the media to get a good idea of what strengths and weaknesses they had prior to their entry. It was essentially a hands-on job interview.
"Ed I can't. I'm not in college basketball."
"Yeah but you're still my teammate." He said. "Nothing's going to change that. And I want to be at my best, so it means the person going against me needs to be the best. I'd take you over any one of those other players anyway."
Elio drummed his fingers on the table, considering it for a moment. It didn't take long. "Well if I'm in the area, definitely! I'd love to see and hang out with you again! Where's it at?"
"A place called Royal Avenue. They have some wrestling events going on before we get to go. But let's meet up next week! Bring Gorgeous too! I'd love to meet her."
"Sounds awesome Ed." The two boys exchanged smiles. "I'll see you here. Alola!"
"Oh so that's what it means!" A light laugh ensued. "Very well. See you man! I can't wait! Alola!"
I guess I better be brushing up on my basketball skills. Elio thought to himself as he leaned on the front desk in the halemai's reception lobby, awaiting the nurse to return his pokemon. Ed's good, so I have to make it look like I'm putting in an effort too.
Why does he have to call Lillie gorgeous? And the nerve of thinking that I have a crush on her! She's my friend…and I like her, but not like that.
Right?
"Mister Northstar?" The nurse asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Elio had to chide himself for the umpteenth time for daydreaming about Professor Kukui's blonde…kind, gorgeous assistant.
"Sorry." He looked down embarrassingly. Can't be serious right now! I just thought of her as gorgeous! And I know what Ed means when he calls a girl that! "Just nervous for the trial." It was better to lie in this regard.
"Lots of goers are," she reassured him. "Just have faith in your pokemon and you'll do fine. And if you fall, just stand back up, figure out what you did wrong and go after it again! We'll always be here if you need us."
He nodded. "How are Rockruff and Troy?"
"The lycanroc took a couple of hits and we were able to quickly get it back up to speed, but your Rockruff had some complications." She glanced back down. "It still had traces of salandit poison gnawing at its body along with minor paralysis. Both conditions have been completely cured however I do highly advise that he gets an extra day of bedrest. Some of the wounds are still recuperating and the evidence of paralysis and bite marks look like he was fighting grubbin in the pit."
"Okay thanks."
"And I've already gotten ahold of paniolo Kahananui. He said he will be by to pick up Rockruff, Troy and the egg later this morning."
"Excellent."
"Good luck on your island challenge."
Just as Elio retrieved his four pokemon and clipped them back to his belt, he felt a pair of warm soft hands gently clasp themselves over his eyes.
"Guess who?" A girl's familiar sing-song voice came from behind.
"Can't really do much if I don't move."
"Aww you're no fun." She let go of his eyes and he spun around to the smiling figure of Leilani Taula, hands on hips that betrayed her easygoing mood. Just behind her were three pokemon, her trusty machop, lugging a long surfboard over its shoulders as if it were made of foam. The other two, he didn't recognize.
The larger one was light blue colored with a sea lion appearance somewhat similar to a popplio. It had white frills along its torso resembling a dress and long flippers that made it stand upright from its finned tail. A pair of braids came from either side, flowing majestically behind a long nose and face that continued to keep on smiling.
The second pokemon was much smaller, almost like a walking fruit. Its body was mainly reddish, a little bit of white trim with a large green calyx and stem atop its head. Elio wasn't sure how it got so high when it jumped from the two small stubby legs that barely seemed to carry its weight.
"We've got two new pokemon! Bzzt!" Rotom said, floating between the two and bringing up renders. "Brionne. Pop star pokemon. Brionne always gets excited when it sees a dance it doesn't recognize and works diligently to perfect it. This pokemon uses it for multiple purposes from improving its trainer's mood to confounding its enemies. While the foe is in a trance, Brionne will blow explosive balloon bubbles and launch them like grenades. Brionne is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Rotom shifted to the second pokemon. "Bounsweet. Fruit pokemon. Bounsweet are common food for avian pokemon and they emit a sugary scent that attracts predators. The sweat it produces is both a sweetener and popular drink in Alola however it must be diluted due to the excessive fructose being too much for human tongues. Bounsweet is a grass type and an all-female species. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Interesting. Sun thought as 'Dex gave a customary salute and returned right back to his pocket in the bag. "I must say I didn't expect to see you. Same with your pokemon. I see Popplio evolved. Ho'omaikai'ana iāʻoe."
"Really? Mahalo nui loa Elio. He maika'i'oe." She put her hands on her hips again and gave him a pouting stare although he saw that her expression was strained. Looked cute nonetheless. It was clear that she was trying to mess with him. "Here I am trying to be nice and you're saying that you didn't want to see me?"
"No no no! That's not what I meant!"
"I know." Leilani took that moment of surprise etched on Elio's face to burst out laughing. "ʻO wau wale nō e'ōkō ana meʻoe! It's always good to run into you Elio! I see you're getting a grasp on the Alolan language!"
"Likewise." His face turned a little red. "You know...the uh, running in part. I still have no idea what you're saying sometimes."
Smooth Elio…real smooth.
Sun glanced at her again. He could already see why Hau had said that many of the other young boys roughly their age in Iki Town wanted to ask her out.
Leilani was virtually the epitome of those "Alola Tropic Girls" that he saw advertised at the stores. The Alola Tropic was a brand of suntan lotion and other body care products widely available at just about any store on the island region. While it could be found elsewhere, it sold most prominently here.
The company was famous for the Alola Tropic Girls, advertising attractive young female Alola residents in colorful bikinis on scenic beaches and backgrounds.
Elio was pretty sure that Leilani's status as a proficient surfer would land her a spot for a photo shoot and one of the brands' iconic models.
She certainly has the body. He found himself inadvertently gawking again at her sleek dark surfing bodysuit. Standing half a head taller than him, she had a pronounced jawline with long black hair that flowed down her back to the bottom of her scapula. Much of it was concealed underneath said defined bodysuit, but he could see that her body was slender, curving perfectly at the stomach in an hourglass figure, superseded by a pair of breasts that briefly caught his attention before snapping out and making things awkward.
Leilani was bubbly, outgoing and clearly not afraid to openly flirt. It didn't help in making Elio flustered either.
"Everything okay?" He found her bright amber eyes peering into his.
"Yeah. Sorry." Elio couldn't deny that he felt attracted to her and kept breaking that promise that he'd never get caught staring…at anyone. "I'm just wondering what you're doing here?"
"I uh, practice surfing here sometimes. The waves can get unpredictable on Akala's west coast. Decided to go out for a quick ride and I ran into you here! Going to take on the trial?"
"Heh. Yeah." Elio put a hand behind his head. "It's a nice morning when I went out for a jog, so Brooklet Hill here I come!"
"Good!" She smiled at his enthusiasm. "You'll ace that trial! I know you will! Oh," Leilani stopped when she remembered something. "I forgot to tell you about this. Well…um, maybe I'll just show you."
"Show me what?" The boy felt just slightly uncomfortable when the taller girl edged closer.
He got another eager smile from her. "We here in Alola are all very close to one another, so in addition to saying; Alola! We also give honi."
"Honi?"
"It's easy." Her hand gently eased its way to the back of his head. Elio felt his heart race as Leilani brought her face close enough to be inches apart. She was leaning down just slightly due to the difference in their height. Unconsciously, his mouth parted as if it was anticipating to receive something.
What is she doing? Is Leilani?
Their foreheads and noses made gentle contact with one another and eyes fell shut at the same time. Sun felt flustered with all the closeness, but the girl across from him displayed nothing short of being perfectly calm.
"Now." He heard Leilani whisper quietly in their closeness. "Just breathe. Slowly. In through your nose and out through your mouth."
Elio did as instructed, inhaling through his nose and gently exhaling through his mouth. As he did the latter, he felt a cool rush of air caress his face. Leilani had done the same.
She let go of him and the two friends faced one another. Her hands held his.
"Did you feel it?"
Elio had no idea what it signified, but clearly it was another one of those close greetings Alolans exchanged and that it held a deeper meaning than just simply touching foreheads. He had seen it in moves and television where two characters (often lovers) would gently lean on one another in a similar manner of comfort and being with someone they cared deeply about. It was usually done after something harrowing had occurred that endangered one or both. He had no idea that he had given her an agreeing nod.
This…this is all new. Never would I have expected something like that. Especially from someone as pretty as Leilani.
"Now don't go doing that to everyone silly." She joked playfully. "Honi is usually done between close friends and we breathe in and out at the same time to exchange the breath of life or the sharing of souls. After I shared it with you, you are no longer considered a haole. You are now truly kama'aina. One with Alola considered being native."
"I feel honored." Elio said. "Really. I do."
"I think it was a long time coming and wish someone would've shared it with you much earlier. Elio, Alola is isolated so far away from the rest of the world and our culture is never truly experienced by the haole. That's why I want to win the Kumu Reef Triple Crown event in a couple of weeks! Once I win that, we'll show the world how great the Alola region is! You too Elio! I'd like to tag along to your trial!" Leilani was already bounding back to the lodging area. "Once you're done, I'm going to teach you how to surf!"
The prospect of learning how to do Alola's favorite sport greatly intrigued the young Kanto native and he couldn't wait to start learning.
Finish a trial AND learn how to surf all with a beautiful girl by my side? How can I not say no?
As she left to go and change clothes, Elio sat at one of the chairs, going through with Rotom on the weather and other news in Alola. Sure enough Ed was right in that the Pro Day Showcase was coming to Royal Avenue due to a last minute change with some sort of scandal at its previous Sinnohan location.
A storm of muttered curse words caught his attention and he glanced up to see a young man, likely a in his early twenties shaking his head at a portable tablet he had in hand. He wore a stark white uniform with gold trim, a hat and well-boots that looked similar to the rest of his clothing. His arms were covered with long gloves that reached about halfway up his forearms.
The man's hair was slightly long and he could see that it was a bit of a bedhead behind the cap.
Curiosity got the better of the young trainer.
"Excuse me sir." He glanced up to see Elio in the chair next to him at the lounge. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah." In spite of reassuring, the man kept a scowl whenever he glanced back at his tablet. "Everything's fine."
"Oh, you seemed to be cursing enough to make a sailor proud."
The analogy made the young man smile thinly. "It's just been a long day and my reports are far from done. I have to turn them in by the end of the week, so that gives me...three days." He studied Sun for just a moment. "Oh, are you a trial goer?" There was a smile that crept onto his face when he had received a nod. "Excellent. Well I know it may be too much for me to ask, but would you like to do a little bit of work on behalf of the Aether Foundation? I'll be sure to pay you for the expenses and more."
"Um, sure. What do you need? And what's the Aether Foundation?"
"The Aether Foundation, my employer is an organization that's dedicated to the conservation and research of pokemon in that we as humans can understand them better and vice versa. See, my assignment requires me to head to Brooklet Hill to find a specific pokemon called feebas for my report. Sadly, I've been in a bit of a pinch since Team Skull likes to lurk around here and the one day I did attempt at finding one was basically fruitless. If you happen to catch or just see a feebas, the information off your pokedex as a source for the report, if it's the R-zero tee-zero-Model should be enough."
Elio had no idea why the R0T0-Model sounded familiar, but he was fairly sure that any information would suffice. "I have no idea, but I'll definitely see if I can find you a feebas, whether just seen or caught."
"You would? Oh thank you so much! I will be sure to pay you well for your expenses!"
Leilani took twenty minutes to change out of her surfer bodysuit into a white and pink luvdisc tanktop and white shorts. She was smoothing a few unruly locks of her dark hair and gave it a swish.
The action captured just about every male's attention in the pokemon center regardless of their age. Including Elio.
No wonder Hau's got a huge crush on her.
Okay, I'm lying if I deny it too.
Elio noticed her elongated tanned arms; they were contoured with a surprising amount of muscle and broadened shoulders that bulged out of the sides of her tanktop. There was another little skip in her step when she locked gazes and headed right over.
"Okay! Ready hoa?"
Leaving the pokemon center meant having to say goodbye to Rockruff, Troy and the egg. The former was especially upset and looked ready to cry when Elio explained what he was doing. The puppy pokemon was quick to perk right back up when he promised a visit when he was done with the trial.
"Thanks Troy." He ruffled the midday lycanroc's softer part of the mane with a hand. "You did awesome in that battle. Gotta say, if you're ever tired of being Dallas' right hand man...or mon, then there's a spot on my team if you'd like."
Troy happily huffed, but shook his head and gently nudged Rockruff towards him.
Talk between the two trainers was filled with laughter and exasperated exclamations as they noisily made their way down the road to the entrance of Brooklet Hill. Torracat and Brionne were just beside them, playing a casual little game of tag that had them encircling the feet of the two humans who were laughing at their silly antics.
They could now see parts of the craggy rocks that began the landmark just beside a large parking lot with a gate at its end and a long concrete ramp that dropped down to the waterline. It led right into a channel that stretched about a quarter mile before reaching the open ocean. One could barely make out some of the walls of the few lagoons that surrounded the cove it was situated inside.
There were some people coming about at its entrance; two trainers talking about the new pokemon they just caught while a trio were in the process of fastening a speedboat onto a dark heavy trailer attached to a pickup.
Skies were still remaining a deep azure blue, although Elio and Leilani could see a few darkish clouds approaching from the southwest.
"So Leilani," he began as they stopped at the front of the trails. "It's been really fun traveling with you. Even though we've only been together for maybe twenty minutes."
The girl giggled at his quip. "Well thanks Elio. And to be honest, I really do enjoy your company. You're one of the easiest people to talk to and it seems like you're enjoying living in Alola. I can't help but admire that in you."
"Wasn't always that way." When she cocked her head at him in curiosity he went on to elaborate, "Had a lot of nice memories from Kanto…that's where I moved from."
"I figured. Your accent is just slightly Kantoan."
"I honestly thought I was going to hate this place y'know? It's hot, steamy as hell, palm trees everywhere, people speak this impenetrable language with a bunch of slang I still barely know and by now, you should be used to foreigners since this is a touristy region, but you act like you've never seen one before."
If Leilani looked offended by his stereotype of the typical Alolan behavior, she didn't show it. All he got was an understanding nod.
He decided to go on. "Maybe it was because we had a lot of things happening in Kanto. My mom went through a nasty divorce when I was eleven and it became clear that even though my dad was out of our lives; Kanto just didn't feel like home anymore."
"What happened with your father?" When she saw him hesitate, a pang of regret immediately surfaced. "I'm sorry Elio; I didn't mean to pry too much."
"It's fine. I feel comfortable enough to tell you." He sighed. "My father was a firefighter. Orinda Fire Department, station number thirty-seven. I don't really know everything, but they officially married after I was born. I was what…maybe three at the time? Anyways, things were pretty good all the way until I turned eleven. We didn't see it at first, but my dad started being moody and high-strung all the time. I get that his job could be stressful, but then he started drinking. Kept an entire stash of hard liquor locked in a cabinet that ended up costing a good chunk of his paycheck to the point where it was starting to interfere with the payments on the house. I couldn't tell it right away either…the relationship between my mom and dad began to change, grow tenser. She was certain he had developed a drinking problem."
"Why didn't you address it?"
"My mom still supported him. We both did. And he couldn't get past that hump of whatever put him in that pit of depression. Over time, he started to treat Mom very badly." Elio brought his voice down to a whisper. "So it reached its breaking point and Dad had to make a choice…he chose to get a divorce. Packed up his bags and left to live with one of his firefighting partners. That was the last I saw him."
"E kala mai iaʻu." Leilani whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I don't know what it would be like to lose a father, but I can't imagine it."
"Mahalo nui loa."
Elio's usage of Alolan immediately brought another infectious smile to the eighteen year old's face.
"So," he smiled right back, leaving the upsetting conversation behind. "I gave you the cliff notes of my life story. What's yours?"
"There's really nothing to it. My own father taught me how to surf when I was eight and I'm just your regular ol' kele kaikamahine who one day is going to win the Kumu Reef Triple Crown and go on the World Surfing Tour!"
"Oh come on," Elio have her a playful elbow. "You must've had some childhood friends or siblings."
"Nope. Only child and even though I was born here on Akala, I went to live with my older cousin Rey. Really Hau is the one I really remember playing with a lot growing up. He's all that's really in my age group besides you and Lillie and the two of you didn't start showing up until four months ago."
By now the two of them had passed through the gate that led to the hill's path and were in the middle of cresting a hill. As soon as they reached the top, Elio's eyes widened.
Brooklet Hill was nothing short of stunning. They stood at the pinnacle of several large rocky outcroppings surrounding multiple lagoons with a stepping stairs of falling waterfalls. The constant sound of rushing water in the background was ever subtle yet alluring enough to have Sun feel just a little sleepy. The sky was bluish gray with overcast weather, however he could see many rays of golden sun penetrating through the cloud coverage.
I'd love to have that as white noise. Well even the sounds of waves crashing against the beach can be heard at our house in Waimanalo. Puts you right to sleep.
There were a couple of small boats in the initial lake with the stream seen earlier leading out to sea. Lines had been cast and the people on the decks cast an eye at the two trainers before waving or hang loose lazily and receiving the respective gesture in return.
All of the water everywhere was a beautiful sapphire blue, with a lot of the shallower areas clear as crystal. He could see the smooth pearly white rocks at the bottom with blurs of motion as fish pokemon swam past. There was a small mammal pokemon with a cream colored bill and gold body lazily swimming a freestyle stroke close by.
"Wowzee!" Rotom chimed as he emerged out of the bag. "You've got zzzo many new pokemon detected! And Alola Leilani! Bzzt! Nize to zee another friend of Elio'zzz tagging along for the adventurezzz! My zenzezzz are going craaaaazy! Bzzt! New pokemon detected! Psyduck. Duck pokemon. A psyduck's brain cells and psychokinesis power can increase in activity tenfold whenever it is experiencing a headache. They constantly trouble it, thus it spends much of its time doing as little as possible. Psyduck is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"There's a lot of psyduck back in Kanto." Elio said. "I had no idea that they suffered from headaches that intense. I'd hate to be one of them. I hate headaches."
"Me too."
"So let's get going to the trial then. You know where it is?"
Leilani only giggled at his curiosity, causing Elio to once again glance away with a blush on his face.
Can I just put her against the ground so I can kiss her in private until tomorrow?
Oh come on! Damn it Ed.
She led the way, pointing out another couple new pokemon in the lakes which Rotom was more than happy to describe. 'Dex first started with a small gray and blue pokemon.
"Barboach. Whiskers pokemon. The whiskers have many nerves and can serve as a sensitive radar and allows it to detect its prey's location even in the murkiest water. Barboach's body is notoriously slippery that there are competitions to see how many people can catch barehanded. Barboach is a water and ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
He moved onto a second one that had long insectoid green legs with a larger head that seemed to be encased in a glass helmet of sorts.
"Dewpider. Water bubble pokemon. Dewpider can only breathe oxygen dissolved in water, which is why it has the bubble on its soft vulnerable head whenever it walks on land. The bubble is notoriously hard as well and it smashes it into prey whenever it attacks. This pokemon uses the bubble as a status; as when two meet, they display the size of the bubbles and the one with the smaller bubble yields to the other. Dewpider is a water and bug type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"Poliwag. Tadpole pokemon. This pokemon isn't ready to walk on land yet, so a newly caught poliwag must be given time to learn by trainers. The swirls on its belly differ slightly by region and can be easily identified by aficionados. It is also affected by disease if the swirl is tinged white. Poliwag is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"Wow." Elio glanced around at the entire place as Rotom retreated back into the bag. "Makes sense, given that there's a lot of water here. You're bound to find water types."
"They're the most common of all types." Leilani said. "And once this trial is done, I'd recommend you catch one for the next. Well, we're going to have to catch one called remoraid if I'm going to teach you how to surf."
While walking and talking, the two trainers were approached by another girl. She seemed to be roughly Leilani's age with close cropped blue hair and soft azure eyes. She seemed a little shy, but friendly enough when she cast a small wave.
"Alola Leilani. maikaʻi eʻike iāʻoe hoa."
"Same to you!" The two girls quickly embraced and she parted to face him. "Hey, this is one of my closest friends I had while growing up on Akala."
"Alola." Blue hair stepped forward. Her lips were curved upward in a shy smile. "My name's Lana. Lana Haukea. I serve as the captain for the trial at Brooklet Hill." She extended her hand out and he gingerly clasped it for a shake. "It's very nice to meet you."
"Alola ʻauinalā." Elio replied, a little surprised that he nailed the pronunciation right. "Same to you."
"You look like quite the able-bodied trainer." Lana said. "Could I ask for your help with something?"
"Yeah sure. Whatever you need."
"Maikaʻi!" He actually saw her lips part to show nice white teeth underneath. "Please…please follow me."
With that, the girl turned around and began to walk towards the sandy beach.
Elio didn't see Leilani's growing smile of her own as he followed.
"I wonder if we're doing the trial here. Bzzt!" Rotom mused as they marched up another slope where the large rocky struts rose out of the ground, containing higher reservoirs that spilled down towards them in tiny trickling streams.
"I wouldn't know. Maybe?" He had caught up with Lana at the water's edge of another pool. By now, he could see the edge that led out to the ocean in the distance.
"Look at that vigorous splashing!" Lana pointed out to the center of the lake. He saw that about halfway out, there was something that was indeed splashing and creating unrest of foam.
"I wouldn't be surprised to find a fearsome pokemon being the one to cause all that ruckus. Brave trial-goer, I ask that you go out to investigate the splashing there and find out what's causing it."
Elio glanced back out. "Uh it looks a little far. I know how to swim, but isn't that kind of extreme?"
Lana and Leilani both laughed lightly at his confusion.
"No! Of course I wouldn't ask you to swim out there! I have a lovely gift for you instead." Lana extended a hand out. "Your ride pager."
Wordlessly, the trial-goer handed it over.
She thumbed a few buttons on it and hit another. "There! Now call the pokemon."
As soon as he did, there was some more splashing, much larger than the one he was going to check out. A blob rose from the surface into a much larger pokemon, light blue with four flippers, the two in the front bigger. Its belly was khaki colored, going all the way up a long neck. On its dorsal side, there was a spiked shell that had some riding harness that resembled a movable throne mounted on top.
"Bzzt! New pokemon detected!" Rotom jumped out again. "Lapras. Transport pokemon. Lapras is a crucial means of water transportation in the Alola region. Once overhunted in the past, protective laws in many regions including Alola have restored their numbers back to an unconcerned status. Lapras is a water and ice type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"Put on your aquatic ride gear and climb atop Lapras here." Lana gestured to the saddle. "You will now be able to easily sail over any bodies of water. So go and see what those splashes are over there!"
Thought of everything huh? Elio wondered to himself as he pulled a pair of orange sun swim trunks over his shorts and stripped off his shirt to put on the life vest. He immediately felt self-conscious when the two girls glanced at his shirtless torso.
"Sorry. I'll be more discreet."
After realizing that he had already earned its trust, Lapras' skin felt slick and scaly when Elio's hand touched its side. Approaching the large pokemon made him realize that it was quite a bit bigger than he had expected.
The saddle at the top featured a large chair that was strapped to the pokemon's back. Hardly a comfortable ride as he felt its flexible plastic frame when he sat down on it.
My butt is going to be numb when I'm done with this.
Thankfully, the controls to move Lapras about were fairly intuitive. He could steer the handlebars to prompt the same and the right one could be twisted forward akin to a motorcycle's throttle. It didn't take him long to learn. Like Tauros and Stoutland; Lapras' saddle had large slots where he could place objects such as goods or his own gear for storage. At the top next to the handlebars was a socket specifically for the ride pager.
Using the acceleration feature, he managed to traverse to the center of the lake.
As soon as he reached to its left around five or so feet, the splashing subsided. Looking down through the crystal clear water, it was still obscured enough but he saw several fish underneath scatter upon his approach. They swam rapidly towards the waterfall before disappearing over.
One of the fish had remained behind and it leapt out, surprising the young boy.
The pokemon was slightly shorter than a foot in length. Its dorsal side was blue in color with a white and gray belly. Small stubby pectoral fins swayed in the air and its large eyes seemed glossy…almost as if it was crying.
Elio barely had enough time to bring out Torracat before the fish launched a volley of water expelled from its maw. His feline starter glared back at his trainer before staying right beside Lapras' side on the large flipper. Water lapped at his paws and he didn't fancy getting any wetter than he had to.
"Hang on buddy. Wait until it comes back up again."
"Tor." A nod from his starter belayed that order.
He glanced down at the water, seeing almost no dark forms of fish pokemon lurking underneath. It was almost like it was scouting them.
Then a shadow darting back towards them caught his eye. Before Elio could issue another order, Torracat sprang up with his hind legs. His timing was perfect. Fangs open in a bite attack, his jaws snatched the little fish and in an instant, gulped it right down. He landed back on the front flipper with the grace capable only by a cat.
"Did…did you just eat that?"
"Tor."
"You're unbelievable." Elio rolled his eyes. "So Rotom, what was that pokemon?"
"We did detect a new pokemon there! Wishiwashi. Small fry pokemon. It's known for being weak and notably tasty to human and pokemon tongues alike and thus is a common food source wherever it is found. One can locate others of their kind by shining their moistened eyes that can be seen as far out as twenty-five miles away. Wishiwashi is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"Weak huh?" Elio said to himself. He waved back to the two girls. "Hey Lana! We're good. It was just a wishiwashi!"
"What?! So it was a wishiwashi kicking up all that water?"
"Yeah!" It didn't register in his mind that a mere small pokemon was capable of creating such a splash.
It wasn't.
And then Elio heard it again.
More splashing. Even louder than before.
"I hear more splashing." Lana called back out to him, cupping her hands over her mouth. "It's even more ferocious than before! Could it be a pokemon or person?"
If it's a person they might be drowning!
Sun made his way over to the far end of the shore that went deeper into the gulch. By now the few rays of sun were beginning to fade and give way to the dreary overcast. Parts of it reminded him of Kanto during the rainy April, September and October months.
He had to dismount Lapras, who then swam automatically over to one of the falls at the lake's west end and jumped off, landing below in a huge splash that he saw from up top.
I so want to do that! CANNONBALL!
Lapras, Lana and Leilani were already there to meet him at the beginning of the next lake.
"There it is again." The blue haired girl glanced back out to the center where an even larger spray of white water was erupting like a geyser. "Hang on a moment, I didn't get your name."
"It's Elio."
"Elio." Lana tapped her chin and nodded. "That's quite a lovely name! Just lovely! Anyways, I need you to go and check it out. Perhaps it's a strapping young swimmer?"
I certainly know it's not a swimmer. Sun thought to himself as he mounted Lapras again and secured the safety cords. I'm pretty sure they'd be screaming for help rather than splashing madly about like that.
As he eased the ride pokemon back out to the center of the lake, another fish pokemon jumped out of the water at him. Barely bringing out Torracat in time, they repeated the process, only this time being more prepared and dodging an incoming water gun attack.
When the second wishiwashi surfaced once more, Torracat did what he did last time. Biting down on the fish's body, chewing once and then swallowing it as a tasty meal.
Guess I can't stop you there buddy.
"Hmm." Lana said as Elio dismounted yet again once he crossed the lake. "How unfortunate. It wasn't a strapping swimmer after all."
"Torracat ate it as a meal. Do you think there's another one?"
"Possibly. I think I can hear it even farther in…sounds almost as big as if it were a wailord."
"Guess we better find out huh?" Lana agreed and they took off down the pathway. Elio felt a drop of rain on his arm, but thought little of it while running along.
Hold on a second…how did she get across the lake without me noticing?!
"Brooklet Hill." Lana said as she and Leilani led the way. They were now at the hill's "bottom" where they could see the majority of the cliffsides and pooling waterfalls that slowly made their way to the sea. By now the rain was starting to pick up, pelting the ground in comparison to its little drizzle just a few minutes ago. For once, Sun was pretty grateful that his backpack was waterproof. He'd hate to have a wet shirt that was liable to shrink.
"Legends say that within it lies a resting place for the legendary pokemon said to be the embodiment of the sea itself. The mighty Kyogre."
Sun's eyes widened in recognition of the name. "Really? I've heard of Kyogre! Couple years ago, someone accidentally unleashed it in Hoenn and it fought against the embodiment of land Groudon. It was all over the news in that the champion and top coordinator of Hoenn managed to break up their fight."
"Oh dear. You're not one to get tricked easily are you Elio?" Lana sighed. "We are near the sea nonetheless. It's very possible that the splashing sound is now coming from it."
"Are we going to have to fight the legendary pokemon?"
He still didn't get an answer from her…at least not the one he wanted.
"Manaʻo i ka mea i manaʻoʻoleʻia."
"The way people switch between Basic and Alolan really annoys me sometimes. And all I've had to battle so far is those weak wishiwashi."
Lana glanced back at him when they reached a clearing. Two large ornate poles lined either side of its entrance to a large lagoon that stretched several hundred feet long. At the far end were huge rocks where the ocean waves broke upon impact, spraying the lagoon with seawater. The rain continued to pick up with it beginning to seep through the cracks in his ride gear and shorts. To his left, Leilani had pulled out a raincoat and quickly zipped it up over her tanktop. "Just remember that it's raining now as well. Any rain will immensely boost the power of water-type moves."
"You've come all this way with me." The captain started. "And as you can tell, by passing through those captain's gates, you are now about to undergo my trial!"
Hold on another second…I was doing your trial this whole time?
"Before we get started." Lana stepped forward, reaching over to grasp the back of Elio's head. Her own came closer and the two exchanged honi. Now more ready for such a close gesture, he could feel the trial captain as she slowly and gently breathed in and out perfectly in sync with his own while their foreheads and noses made contact. Any closer and he swore that he was going to get kissed.
"E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi."
I felt it that time. Being more in tune with Alola with both the pokemon and the people. It feels…just…amazing really.
Lana pulled away from him. "Now in order to pass my trial, you must defeat the great Totem pokemon of Brooklet Hill. The locals fear and respect it, giving it the name diabolo ke kai."
"What!" They heard Rotom pipe up from Elio's backpack. "A trial izzz about to ztart?! Thizzz callz for epic music! Bzzt!" No sooner had the haunted pokedex said that, a catchy little tune began playing from his speakers.
Really Rotom? I've only heard the damn song once in Verdant Cavern and it's already annoying me!
"You can probably find it in a spray of water somewhere in this pool. And perhaps those wishiwashi your torracat had ate earlier will want to also avenge their fallen brethren. Also know that you cannot catch any pokemon here unless the trial is completed! Leaving the trial site will also disqualify you and you will have to restart once more in order to complete it. So defeat whatever comes at you and prove your strength to me! Elio! If you accept, your trial starts…NOW!"
Not wanting to waste any more time, Sun had begun to ride out on Lapras' back when he was involuntarily shivering. The rainclouds above refused to let up on their unrelenting onslaught, pouring down big sheets that soaked everything. Minus the coldness, his fingers held a tight grip on his poke balls in worry that they would escape his grasp due to their slick metallic surface.
Runnels of water continued to wash down the front of his ride gear's visor, blurring his vision and he eventually gave up in trying to wipe it away.
Screw it.
He hit a button, causing it to slide back into the helmet and squinted his eyes forward, ignorant of the rain that was dripping down his entire face towards the rest of his body.
From where he stood, he could see that the gray ocean waves had grown to much larger proportions with swells rising up that made the boy feel just a little more uneasy.
His hands absentmindedly wrapped themselves around the ride handlebars in a death grip, praying they wouldn't let him get tossed overboard.
This is REALLY making me nervous.
As if things couldn't get any worse, a loud clap of thunder resonated across the sky, causing both the ride pokemon and its driver to jump in fright.
If there was one thing that really got him scared and fearful…it was the exploding clap of thunder and lightning. Many times as a child when the rainy season hit Kanto, the storms would pass over, drenching the outside with heavy rainfall and illuminating a dazzling display of lightning bolts through the sky. The loud booms came shortly thereafter with some coming from directly overhead.
It frightened him so much that he often fled his own bedroom into Elaine and Calvera's for comfort even when he was well into his teens.
Okay. Elio thought to himself. Don't think about the thunder. Don't think about the lightning. Don't think about being thrown overboard by a freak wave. Just focus on finding the totem pokemon.
The really…big totem. I still don't even know what it's going to be.
As he continued his train of thought, a shadow of movement beneath the water's silvery blue surface caught his eye.
Oh boy…there's the totem.
The shadow suddenly dilated in size, rising up and emerging from the depths in a low growl. At the same time, another massive wave smashed right into the breakers, showering him and Lapras with another spray of salty water.
A serpentine draconic creature towered over them. Its body was scaly, covering it entirely in a blue and tan pattern that resembled something warlike and barbaric. Through the clear water, he could see a long tail flicking about easily underneath and ignorant of the pressure working against it. There was little doubt that one swing of it would easily wreck many foes. A crown of fins adorned its head and the two enraged crimson shaded eyes glanced furtively around before its gaze rested on the Lapras and the boy riding on its back. Elio's calm ride kept composure, yet glanced back at its rider for guidance.
That…that's a…
"New pokemon detected! Yikezzz Elio! Ya better ztay calm! Bzzt! Gyarados. Atrocious pokemon. It is the evolved form of magikarp. This highly aggressive pokemon has a hair trigger temper and fires hyper beam attacks in all directions with the intent to raze anything and everything to ash. Known to some as the "deity of wrath and destruction" those people believe that its sighting is a bad omen and fated for total annihilation. Gyarados is a water and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Okay…this is a pokemon we don't want to piss off.
Back on shore, both girls suddenly covered their mouths in concern. Lana specifically knew that this could get really ugly and dangerous fast. She wanted to scream out to Elio to flee, however turning tail and running away would only incite such a ferocious pokemon like gyarados to attack with extreme prejudice.
"Easy." Elio whispered to his mount, knowing the tension in the rainy air was just as thick as the sheets pouring down on them. "We're just swimming along. Not a threat."
The gyarados growled and turned its head as he slowly eased off to the left. For just a moment, Sun thought he was in the clear before the large serpent lowered its head to the top of the water's surface and it overtook them, cutting right in between them and the shoreline where Lana and Leilani were watching with bated breath.
The latter's heart was hammering in her chest when she saw the massive creature snarl threateningly again. Her hand went close to Brionne's poke ball, maybe if she distracted it for a moment, it would buy Elio the time to escape.
Beside her, Lana fingered a small island challenge amulet attached around her wrist.
Sun's own hand was over the gold pendant around his neck and all the thoughts about Tapu Koko watching over him raced through his mind.
The gyarados growled again, traces of whitish energy coalescing around its jaws.
Elio's look of fright made Leilani want to scream at him to move.
And then there was another roar.
It came straight from the depths of the water, loud and menacing enough to send an uncontrollable wave of shivers down the spines of the three trainers. And it wasn't because it was cold and wet.
Elio thought his luck had ran out when the temperamental monster's eyes narrowed and it let out a feral roar of anger. He was just moments away from hitting Lapras' throttle that would've taken them on a dive underneath the surface, the only viable way to quickly get out of the way from a destructive hyper beam attack. There had been times where gyarados attacked without warning and provocation and most of the survivors who found it less violent happened to be fortunate. Sun thought briefly about using his pokemon, but he was pretty sure that raw strength was going to pummel whatever strategy he had into pulp.
And the subsequent responding call from underneath the surface of the lake did something he did not expect at all. That is…besides shoot up another fresh spike of terror to course through his veins.
Gyarados…the entire quarter ton of it had stopped cold with an expression he never saw on such a ferocious creature.
Fear.
Almost as quickly as it registered in his mind, it dived right back underwater with an urgency he had seen like none other. Sun wasn't sure what was more shocking, the roar from some unseen beast or the fact that the gyarados was terrified and swam off that fast.
Gyarados are aggressive pokemon. They don't get spooked for no reason. So then what scared it enough to run away like that?
Glancing back down through the rain, he suddenly began to notice large dark ribbons flowing underneath the waves. They were all centered on a huge mass right before them that was growing in size.
What is happening?!
"ALERT!" He heard Rotom screech in a tone that he hadn't heard before. Even his device was beginning to get scared. "ALERT! BZZT! Totem pokemon approaching! Bzzt!"
The totem's here?
Before his thoughts could go any further, a massive creature broke the water's surface. It was unlike anything Elio had ever seen, bigger than some of the wailord he had read about in the books. It kept rising up, towering over the terrified duo of the boy and his Lapras ride with streams of water continuing to cascade down its slimy sides. The leviathan was fishlike in appearance, with a large gaping maw, white eyes and elongated fins that frayed outward.
There was just something else about the monster that really unnerved Elio as well. The entirety of its body seemed to be alive, as if some sort of creature…or creatures were crawling underneath the blue skin. The iridescent coloring of it all shined in a variety of hues.
So much adrenaline was pumping itself into his body when he began to feel its effects. Sure…some of it was frightening, but the rush of excitement of a battle invigorated him to do his very best. All of it would be heard across the entirety of Akala island.
His held his first pokemon within its poke ball in hand.
Ready guys? Prepare yourselves! Here we go!
Whew. Wasn't kidding when I said this was a long chapter. I probably could've split this into two, but there were a lot of interesting things I wanted to pump out before whisking myself to real-life Alola. I'll have a bunch of awesome reviews to read once I land...right guys?
(There's a lot of them here!) Translations:
Mele Kalikimaka - Merry Christmas
Haole - Haole literally means "no breath" in pidgin. Native Hawaiians use the term in a derogatory manner towards people not native to the islands (mainly towards those of Caucasian descent) It is a similar racial slur to gringo which is used in some Latin American countries, geared towards Caucasian Americans.
Halemai - Hospital (The Alolan nickname for a pokemon center)
Ho'omaikai'ana iāʻoe - Congratulations to you.
Mahalo nui loa. - Thank you very much.
He maika'i'oe. - You're incredibly sweet.
Paniolo - Cowboy
O wau wale nō e'ōkō ana meʻoe! - I'm just screwing with you!
Hoa - Friend
E kala mai iaʻu. - I am sorry.
Honi - Honi is a corruption of the hongi custom greeting. Although it's most commonly associated with the Maori of New Zealand, honi is also practiced in many of the islands in the Pacific, including Hawaii. It is done by two individuals (usually close family members, but also recently with foreigners) gently pressing their nose and forehead against one another. It is believed that this allows them to exchange the breath of life that comes directly from the gods. Once this custom is complete; the foreigner would now be considered as a member of the people. (They would now be obliged to assist in the duties and responsibilities of their host...in ancient times; even as far as taking up weapons if they were under attack!)
Kama'aina - Refers to a native resident regardless of race of ethnicity. Anyone born in Hawaii/Alola is considered kama'aina and on occasion given to foreigners who have lived there for a long time or done something heroic to be deemed in that manner. To be considered kama'aina is a very special honor.
Kele kaikamahine - Surfer girl (Often refers to female surfers)
Alola Leilani. maikaʻi eʻike iāʻoe hoa. - Hello Leilani. Nice to see you again friend.
Alola ʻauinalā - Good afternoon
Manaʻo i ka mea i manaʻoʻoleʻia. - Expect the unexpected.
E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi. - May the tapu watch over from the heavens and guide you through the trial you are about to surmount.
Diabolo ke kai - Sea demon
So anyways, Mele Kalikimaka everyone! Happy holidays and see you guys next year! Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.
Brav