Alola readers! I'm back from my trip and yeah...unfortunately wasn't able to get enough of this chapter done to get it out before I left. That was my intention, but there was just a lot on my plate that it couldn't happen and I'm not rushing myself in order to meet my own deadlines. If it's late...it's late. Nothing much I can do about it while writing like this.

Couple of awesome people I want to mention before I get started.

FlygonNick has been an awesome reviewer and avid supporter of my story. His own work of Pokemon: Radiant Sun is among one of the best Sun & Moon novelizations on this site in my honest opinion with a gritty and more dark twist on things while remaining true to the story's roots. Thank you for giving me a shoutout on there man! Appreciate the faithfulness! And anyone who enjoys my work should definitely check out what he's got!

Second is jmoul18. Thanks for your support man. I'll go ahead and announce that he and I will be doing a crossover/collaboration chapter down the road for this story and his: Brendan's Journey...another amazing novelization of Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.

Again...if you enjoy what I write, I recommend the mentioned fics of these two awesome guys 110%!

Now how about we get on to the chapter?

I can't believe Elio defeated the totem! So he thought he was fighting one huge fish but it turned out to be hundreds of tiny little wishiwashi! They're definitely food for a lot of other people and pokemon, but it makes sense. Alone they're powerless, but they can stand up to bigger enemies if they band together.

Wish I could say the same about myself. I feel so powerless on my own. I'm not a trainer and seeing pokemon get hurt is so scary! How do people like Elio and Hau do this? When I look at their pokemon, it always seems like they're having fun battling. What's so fun about being hurt? Can it be the bond between them?

Elio clearly likes hanging out with Leilani. And he even asked for advice from me! Except the advice wasn't really what I was hoping he'd ask.

Dear Lillie,

Second regular trial is done! The totem was a huge wishiwashi that was really scary! It was big like a wailord, just even more aggressive! Here's the crazy part! I thought it was one huge pokemon, but it turned out to be hundreds of them! Rotom 'Dex says that they can band together to stand up to bigger enemies and their huge school form even scare the temperamental gyarados! A school of wishiwashi is something not to be messed with.

With that out of the way, Leilani and Lana are going to take me fishing. She's saying something like I need a remoraid in order to learn how to surf. When I did find one, how am I supposed to surf on that?! The thing can fit in my hand!

One thing remoraid is pretty good at…water gun fight. I got Leilani pretty good while we were practicing on the longboard. The girls then decided to team up against me and it turns out remoraid can shoot water out at a good amount of force. Ever been sprayed by a hose? Yeah, that's what it feels like.

Surfing is fun for sure! Leilani is teaching me the basics and I'm starting out on a longboard. She's very helpful and I feel like I'm learning a lot. Then Lana's teaching me how to fish.

I have to ask and am probably going to be aboard the same bus as all those other schmucks that tried to woo her, but do you think I should ask Leilani out on a date? I have no idea how to really talk to girls. Why not start by asking one to begin with?

Sincerely,

Elio

Sun was grateful for his namesake to shine through the parted puffy cumulous clouds.

It had been two hours since his battle against the totem wishiwashi. The golden rays and heat had dried out his gear enough so that they remained just slightly damp instead of soaked as if submerged in the water for hours on end.

There was enough medicine and a few revives that Hau gave him before they parted ways after Gladion's encounter that he used up. In no time at all, Torracat and Rufflet were back to their old playful selves and Grimer stretched out his slimy arms, more than happy to be free of the constraining sheets of ice.

Torracat glanced up; his cheerful expression was fading to one of self-disappointment. As Rufflet and Grimer played around a bit behind and Charjabug made good measure to stay a fair distance from his eaglet, his starter pawed impatiently at the ground, avoiding eye contact with his trainer.

"Hey." Elio noticed him pouting and knelt down to his level. "What's up?"

"Tor."

"Don't shut me out buddy. We're here to relax and play around." He looked over where the other pokemon were playing around. "Why don't you go and join then?"

"Tor."

"There was nothing you could've done."

"Tor?" His starter pokemon glanced up at him with widened eyes.

"Yeah you think I got you yesterday? I know that look." Elio gave him a reassuring ruffle on the head. "Hey…we beat the totem. That's all that matters."

"Torra! Torracat!"

"The trial was a water one. The island challenge is a team effort buddy. I'm not able to win them by myself and neither are you. Neither any other of your teammates. We lose as a team and we win as one."

"Torra."

"I take it you want to be my strongest pokemon. Well you are! And so does everyone else! You all play a role in my team…well not a team. We're not all a team buddy. We're a family and when things get tough, no member of a family can go through it alone. Trust me, I've been there."

"Tor."

Elio stifled a laugh as Torracat moved forward, rubbing the side of his head against his trainer's side. The matter settled.

"Just remember that you have me…you have the other pokemon as teammates. We're in this together."

"Tor!"

"Good! Now go take a load off! That battle we did today was really hard. You've earned the rest!"

With a nod, his pokemon ran off into the sandbar, more than happy to play around with Grimer and Rufflet.

"You're a real sweetheart." Elio looked up to see Leilani Taula in her signature hands on hips pose watching the entire display. "I take it your Torracat didn't like losing?"

"Yeah." He stood up, wishing for the tenth time that day that he could be taller than her. "I told him just as I would anyone else. We win as a team and we lose as one too."

"I had to do that to my Machop too." She pointed to where her three party members, the one in question, Brionne and Bounsweet were all engaged in some strange looking game.

Elio cast it an incredulous look as Machop literally grabbed Bounsweet in midair and slung it back towards Brionne as if it were a baseball pitcher. Leilani's starter quickly formed a large clear bubble from her nose, cushioning the fruit pokemon's impact. The bubble's flexibility made a jiggling sound and noise before the bouncing force propelled the grass-type right back out.

Machop was there, jumping up again and catching her in order to throw again.

"Does that hurt Bounsweet?"

"It did before and she gave him a nasty rapid spin. Machop never forgave himself for that and she still likes to tease him."

"Is that why he's so tough on himself?"

Leilani nodded. "Machop are all species that keep trying to improve themselves. He's no different. But there were time where we lost battles." She sighed. "Like any other trainer, we win and lose our share of them."

Elio nodded, knowing he was just the same.

"Machop took each loss hard. Every time I bring them out so that we can work on whatever…be it battling or surfing. He puts a hundred and ten percent into it."

Sun looked back at her. "That isn't necessarily a bad thing though."

"Maybe from a stance of getting stronger, but even after he's all exhausted himself, he keeps trying to go." She glanced back as Machop caught Bounsweet again and threw it again against Brionne's bubble. "At least he isn't a crabrawler. All the trainers on Festival Plaza have said that its competitive and haughtiness make it a real pain."

"We do the best we can right?" Elio suggested. "For our pokemon?"

"For our pokemon."

"Oh there you guys are!" Both teens turned to see captain Lana Haukea at the top of the gulch's sandbar. "I finished stringing the fishing rods, so we're ready to roll!"

"Alright!" Leilani put her arm around the younger boy and pulled him next to her side, making his face flush in the process. "You ready to catch some pokemon?"

The trio decided on a quick lunch first. Lana had packed some extra meals in case she had to stay for additional trials, but figured with the weather's unpredictability this late in the day, Elio was likely to be the only one. She distributed out mini fish salad sandwiches, consisting of a canned water type on top of white bread. There were three onigiri balls, wedge shaped patties of rice that were held by a strip of nori and seasoned.

Elio loved having one of those in his lunchbox when he went to school and knew that it was a popular snack item back in Kanto. The ones Lana had brought were filled with a squid, specifically malamar according to the packaging.

"I tell you girls what." He said after taking another bite. "My personal favorite is the ones with prawns and mayonnaise in the center. Mmm." Closing his eyes and thinking about it made his mouth water. "Cerulean City is so close to the ocean and you can catch them tiny clauncher there with your bare hands."

"Too bad." Lana said. "You make it sound amazing."

"Mom loved to pack it in there for me when I went to school. She knew it made my day."

The trio finished their lunch and Lana dug back into her pack, handing out a purple snack bag of chips to her companions.

Elio scanned the label. "Akala Chips…huh."

Leilani smiled at him. "Best chips you will ever eat."

The deciding spot was close to the hill's bottom where they could all sit comfortably on an isthmus of land that enclosed the lagoons from the sea. A few large waves would pound the rockier section further outward, but this was a leisure spot and they figured it they would only notice by a few showers of spray that would rain down on occasion.

Elio could see the totem's den enclosure from there in the next pool over, but he saw no sign of the gargantuan wishiwashi school or the gyarados that it had scared off prior to their battle.

"Lana I have to ask. Where does the totem pokemon live?"

"Hmm." She put a hand to her chin while separating the three fishing rods she was carrying. "To be honest, I don't really know. Although I trained the totem myself, how it lives and eats is its own thing."

Lana pointed out to the large reservoir. "I introduced it to that one right there. Any other body and it would be too small for the trial or it would eat most if not all the fish in that particular one. We'd have to stock it and Brooklet Hill has never had any problems of fish population."

She gestured to the rod. "Now first thing's first. You want to put your bait on the hook before casting it out." Pointing towards a small white box next to another two tiered one, she continued. "Make sure it's secure because there's a chance it might come off when you cast it and no fish will notice it."

The bait looked to be these squishy gelatinous cubes that fit onto the hook easily. It had an oily residue covering all over them as well as a foul smell.

"Now," Lana walked over to him. "Unlock your reel with the bail. The spool of line right there will then unravel once you cast it." He did as she instructed, flipping the tiny metal wire above the reel. It was a guard to prevent the entire line from going loose and tangling.

"Be careful when you cast. Always remember to have the hook at the top before you cast." She opened her hand up and Elio could see a trio of dark red scars on two of her fingers. "You don't want it to snag on your hand because it's very painful to get it out. And make sure everyone knows you're casting as well."

"Got it." He reeled it just to be safe.

"Good. Now think of the rod as an extension of your arm. You try to cast it out as far as possible, it won't do that. Use a bit of finesse, precision. Technique over strength."

Elio watched as Lana latched her spool and brought the rod up close to her face. She had her eyes closed for just a couple of moments before they opened again. She held it gingerly before casting it with a flick of her arm. The motion was incredibly fluid and flawless. The line zipped out smoothly, landing with a tiny plop in the water close to the rocky bottom about twenty feet out. Elio could see that there were a few bubbles around there.

"Oh and also," she added. "Bubbling areas are were fish like to congregate. You might have a chance at hooking a better pokemon if you cast your line close by.

Leilani's turn was next and although she didn't seem to have Lana's technique nailed down, it was still quite good.

Okay. Here goes.

Elio was right handed, so he decided to cast it with the same one. Holding the line with a free finger, he drew back, releasing his grip and letting it fly.

The nylon wire zipped out and he saw the bobber in midair sail outward.

Only to land right at the edge of the shoreline.

Aww man.

"Hey don't beat yourself up about it." Lana encouraged. "It was only your first time. I'd hate to have to be perfect if it was mine."

He sighed. "Lana, you make it look easy."

"That's because I've been fishing since I was seven. Ten years and counting. You think I got this good when I started?"

No you didn't.

"Hey! I got a bite!" Leilani cried. She had been watching her bobber and reacted quickly as soon as she saw it disappear underneath the surface. Elio watched with amazement as the pole was starting to bend. The girl spun the reel, grunting in concentration while the fish on the other hand was vigorously fighting underneath to break free.

"Remember when you've got a bite; you have to wrestle it in gradually. If you're too aggressive, then you'll end up tearing the hook through its mouth and it'll get away!"

"Come on!" Leilani had planted her feet in the sand, using her arms to do the bulk of the reeling. Elio couldn't believe the size of her well-toned muscles.

"I see something!"

He glanced back out, now noting that there was a creature that was primarily greenish in color swimming rapidly just underneath. It darted to the left just moments before the line won, dragging it out into the air.

The fish thrashed wildly, its fins flicking droplets of water as she brought it up. It had strong looking jaws with a row of triangular jagged teeth. Its eyes were bluish and narrow with a second stripe of the same azure hue running down its body. The fins were neatly curved, which Elio assumed made it more aquadynamic.

"Whoa!" Leilani shrieked just as the fish managed to free itself and flop on the ground.

"Sweet!"

"New pokemon detected!" They heard Rotom shout, flying as fast as his ghost self could go to arrive by their sides. "Basculin. Hostile pokemon. A highly invasive species; this pokemon has two distinct forms with red or blue stripes. Known as the "thug of the lake" the different striped pokemon will mercilessly attack one another over territory. Basculin is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

"Sweet!" The three of them were cut off as Leilani's Bounsweet jumped in front, twirling her calyx. The fish had briefly righted itself and charged forward in a take down.

Bounsweet's spinning top unleashed a volley of sharp leaves, slashing their way into the target. The fish was blown backwards, lying at the base of the waterline in a heap.

"Now's my chance!" Leilani ditched the fishing rod, grabbing a poke ball from her belt. "Poke ball go!"

The device thrown; it opened up midway through the quick toss and locked onto the basculin's signature. It landed in the shallow part of the surf with a splash and rocked from side to side. Shaking once and then twice.

The three were anticipating a third shake and clicking of the button to signify a capture. When it didn't happen, the rhythm was caught on immediately.

The poke ball burst open, explosively freeing the pokemon inside. Basculin didn't seem to take too kindly to being captured when it jumped back in the water. To add insult to injury, its tailfin skimmed the surface, sending a wave slash splash in their direction.

Behind him, both girls let out a piercing shriek of horror and Elio found himself grabbed from behind just as the wave crashed down on him.

Aww come on!

"The hell was that for?!"

The girls were giggling at his wet self and he looked back out to the water to see the basculin watching the display with what he thought was a bemused expression before slipping under the surface for good.

Damn fish.

"Oh I see how it is!" Elio yelled out to the water as if the pokemon could hear him. "I just dried my clothes!"

"And now you're all wet again!" Leilani said through her fit of laughter.

"No thanks to you. I should've dived out of the way." Even though he was still somewhat angry at the fish, he couldn't stop the grin on his face. "I'm going to find a way to get you back."

Lana held up her hands in innocence when he looked at her.

"Don't think you're getting away with this either."

"It was her idea!"

"Then I'll find a way to get both you back."

Great. It's humid like crazy which means my shirt is going to take another week from eternity to dry out.

Oh well. Not like Leilani's going to mind.

He thought he saw a slight smirk cross her face as he reached down to grab the bottom of his shirt and yanked it off in one swift motion.

Almost instantly, the coolness of the soaked shirt vanished, replaced by welcoming warmth…and stares by the two girls accompanying him.

So he decided to stare back.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." Lana said, her face reddening and she had to forcibly look away. "It's nothing."

"Sure."

"I'll be upfront with it since my friend here is at a loss for words." Leilani smirked again. "Remember how I said that you look nice without a shirt. Well I meant it. You are in amazing shape Elio."

Am I supposed to say you're hot too? I really wouldn't mind it.

"I…uh thanks. I think…you're uh really hot too. I think."

Thank you hormones and awkwardness.

"Really?" Leilani laughed again, joined by Bounsweet. "Thanks! You're such a goof! And a total sweetheart! I love it!"

Hang on a moment. I see the subterfuge behind all this.

It was now his turn to smirk back at her. "You know that doesn't put you off the hook for making me shield you from the splash. I blame that basculin though. It just jumped to the top of my list over spearow for an asshole pokemon."

"And good reason too." Lana quietly said from behind them. "Basculin are highly aggressive fish and they're notorious for being invasive. There's been a lot of concern with conservation groups that the introduction of them has damaged Brooklet Hill's biodiversity."

"I've read stuff about that." Elio said, spooling up his fishing rod again. His next cast still hadn't gotten the technique down and earned a growl of frustration. "Some species being introduced to new environments can do more harm than good. Grimer in Kanto is a big example, they're huge pollutants."

"Grimer?" Leilani asked. "But I thought grimer ate trash. They're really beneficial here."

"In Kanto they're different." He explained. "Grimer are a different type and their body composition is this viscous toxic waste that got pumped out of factories when Kanto was heavily industrializing its economy. Grimer lived on the seabed and if we weren't careful, their numbers could multiply to almost double in a year."

"Wow." Both girls said, amazed.

"It really is. There was even an incident in Kanto where a ship transporting an entire colony of grimer to one of the remote disposal sites. Why the company decided on this beats me, but story is that it ran aground and the entire hold spilled open, releasing this entire colony onto the ocean. The spill was insanely disastrous and the poison was enough to seriously kill off a good amount of corsola and the other pokemon inhabiting nearby. There's not a lot of pokemon who can survive in such poisonous waters and it screwed the fishing industry pretty bad. In fact, they're still cleaning the mess up."

"I'd hate for that to happen in Alola." Lana said. "All of this has been so pure and virgin."

"Lana if I may ask." Elio popped open the cup of bait and stuck it on the hook to try again. "Basculin is fairly common right? So why aren't there so many around?"

"Couple of things. As 'Dex had said; the two known subspecies of red and blue striped basculin are extremely hostile to one another. When schools of the two happen to meet, it's usually a bloodbath."

"A bloodbath?"

Lana nodded. "Literally a bloodbath. They're native to the Unova region and some of the pictures fishermen get of their fights are very gruesome. Parts of the water turn red from all the blood that's drawn."

"Nasty." Leilani made a face.

"Indeed. So in a way, their feud helps keep their swelling numbers in check. And having so much blood in the water attracts one of its biggest predators; sharpedo."

Another hour passed by as the sun lazily made its way across the horizon westward. Strangely, even though Lana had pointed to the cooler temperatures being a sign that fish hooked could be abundant, there was hardly anything biting any of the three's hooks.

Elio had finally managed to get a little more proficient at casting the line. It took a little practice and an accident where he had gotten it tangled with Lana's. It had been right when he had managed to hook his first catch, however them both having to reel it in simultaneously at a slow pace gave it an opportunity to free itself. Sadly he didn't get to see what it was.

Leilani was a little more successful in snagging bites. In the timespan Elio had managed to get the hang of casting his line, she had reeled in three catches.

Unfortunately, they were all magikarp…too weak to even kick up a furious splash like the basculin had done. She released them, but not before having 'Dex snap a picture.

"And done! It's all on my FP account!"

"Yup! Bzzt!" Rotom had buzzed. "Your photo hazz been uploaded! And the commentz are already pouring in!"

"What?!" Elio asked as he managed to cast an even better attempt than before. "You just uploaded it. Are there people sitting at their computers or whatnot with a comment pre-typed or something?"

"Beatzzz me."

"I guess it works then." He raised an eyebrow, already seeing that the photo of her with the largest magikarp she had caught was already garnering a dozen likes and comments apiece. "Holy hell, how many followers do you have?"

Leilani shrugged. "I don't exactly know. Rotom?"

"According to your account recordzzz, you have five thouzand, zeven hundred and twelve followerzz! Bzzt!"

"And what about me Rotom?" Elio asked.

"Uh…one. And it'z your mother." Rotom stopped before a static buzzing that resembled laughter emanated from the device. "Nah I'm juzt kidding! Your account haz barely been touched Elio! But you have eighty one zubzcriberz. Bzzt! You gotta ztart somewhere! Bzzt!"

"Yup! I didn't have all those people when I started!"

"Elio." Lana started.

"So what other kind of stuff can you put on Festival Plaza?"

"Elio!"

"Uh huh! I have one of those cool bodycams I strap on myself when I go through the barrel! It seems that people like that the most!"

"I'd love to do that! Barrel is that tunnel thingy right?"

"Yup!"

"ELIO!" Lana was practically screaming. The sudden change in her normally passive demeanor had shocked her two companions out of their ardent conversation.

"What?"

"Your line! You've got a bite!"

Elio glanced down at the stand where he had set the rod aside. Sure enough; the line was taut going into the water and the thinner section was beginning to bend forward as whatever was on its end was tugging it along.

Sun scrambled to his rod, snatching the pole up. He yanked sharply, using his free hand to spool the reel. The fish pokemon was fighting hard and he could feel it pulling with an incredible amount of strength.

Arms burning with lactic acid, he gritted his teeth and fought back. The reel was spun again, gradually drawing it closer while gently enough not to completely lose his quarry.

"Remember Elio!" Lana encouraged next to him. "You want to wear it down! It's gonna fight you for as long as it can!"

This thing feels like it's going to pull me into the water!

He let out a grunt of concentration, doing as Lana had advised in letting the fish tire itself out.

"You've got this." The trial captain encouraged. "Trust me, this is nothing. I've had to duel with some catches for hours on end!"

"Hours?!"

"Yeah! How do you think I got that red gyarados?"

"I thought you were kidding! AH!" Elio let out a shriek as the fish went into another vigor of trying to free itself. It almost tossed the pole out of his hands and he had to plant his feet firmly into the sand in order to resist.

This one's a fighter!

Slowly but surely, he reeled it in, almost forgetting the immense length of nylon line he had let go. If he estimated right, two thirds was already gone, leaving roughly ten feet of line left.

The fish was darting wildly underneath the water's surface, dragging the ultra thin wire to the left. To counter the movement, Lana showed Sun the proper method in the matter.

Working perfectly, the catch had been taken off guard as he finally brought the hook above water, with the pokemon still wriggling to it. Tiny bits of the bait were flying around in the water, causing another kind of pokemon to rapidly chase it and gobble the tempting food down.

The fish at the hook was roughly one and a half feet in length and the same in height. It had mottled tannish brown scales covered in a shiny sheen and dull blue fins that looked as if something had bitten it multiple times. It had a very shabby and ragged appearance that made Elio almost want to look away.

That has to be the ugliest pokemon I've seen.

"Ooh! New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom was instantly there to register the new find. "Feebas. Fish pokemon. This pokemon is rarely ever predated upon or caught by trainers due to their unattractive appearance, so their numbers are steadily growing. Despite its unpopularity, Feebas is notably very hardy and able to survive in immensely dirty waters. Feebas is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

Wait a second…that guy working for the Aether Foundation said he needed to see a feebas or its entry? Here's one right here!

Elio reached for a poke ball.

"Wait." Leilani put a hand over his before he could activate it. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to try and catch it."

"Catch that?" She glanced at him incredulously. "Feebas are just like magikarp."

"Yeah but don't they evolve into gyarados? The super powerful one?"

"Are you sure you'll be able to control whatever it evolves into? Provided it even can?"

"I have no idea."

"Well then- AH!" Everyone shrieked as a burst of bright green energy erupted from the struggling feebas. It crackled with arcs before suddenly exploding in front, snapping the fishing line apart and causing the hapless fish to fall right back to its domain.

On instinct, Elio tossed the poke ball; only for it to land fruitlessly without capturing the pokemon. He had to admire that it had been very hasty to escape despite its mangy look.

"Aww come on!" Out of his frustration, he seized the red and white device and threw it across the lake as far as he could.

"I was so damn close!"

"Elio, do you really want a feebas?" Lana asked.

"No…I want THAT feebas." He pointed back out to the water. "Did you see that crazy energy attack it just did? There's no way it's an ordinary one."

"I can catalogue pokemon attackz!" Rotom piped up above them. "That feebas uzzzed dragon pulse! It'zzz a powerful dragon type move! Bzzt!"

"Oh dragon moves are really good!" Leilani exclaimed. "They're rare to come by, but it is pretty much effective against anything except the fairy type!"

"Well if it's a powerful move, then I gotta have it."

"But it's still a feebas. Just because it knows dragon pulse doesn't mean anything if you can't use it in battle. For all we know, it could've just used it to escape." Leilani pondered aloud. "It's just like magikarp, uselessly splashing around."

Sun stopped to think about it for a moment. He knew that neither of the girls would try to steer him wrong.

Every pokemon has its potential. What's a feebas'?

Something just nagged at him. Nagging enough that he wanted to cast his fishing pole back out into the lake to attempt in catching it once more.

Plus he had that favor the Aether field employee had asked for him. He had said that the 'Dex data was enough for him to establish a focal point on his report, but he wondered if bringing a live specimen would earn extra credit.

He did say I'd be paid pretty handsomely.

"Well I'd still like to catch one." He softly said. "There's someone who works for the Aether Foundation…I said it right? Yeah, he has a report on feebas and asked if I could help."

"Huh." Lana put a finger to her lower lip. "Normally your pokedex data would be enough."

"I know, but for all they know I could've just seen a picture and Rotom could've downloaded the data!"

"You are zo incorrect! Bzzt!" 'Dex was quick to jump out with a narrow eyed angry expression over its facescreen. "That izz not very nice! I can only record new pokemon when detecting a new zpeciezzz! Bzzt! How dare you inzult my amazing abilitiezz!"

"Nobody said I was insulting you." Elio shot back. "I just want to be thorough. And it has escaped my find for forever until now, but how are you able to detect and come up with this new information of new pokemon?"

Rotom 'Dex saluted, "It'zz all preprogrammed! Done by zomeone who izz awezome, cool and bada!" The final part of his speech was cut out by a burst of static.

None of them seemed to understand why. "Uh Rotom, are your circuits loose?" Leilani asked curiously. "You got cut out there."

"Zorry! That zomeone izz awezome, cool and bada!" Just as he finished saying bad, the static appeared again.

What is going on? Some filter?

"I still get it regardless." Elio pointed out. "And Rotom's right. Whoever made all the pokedex information is one awesome writer."

The haunted 'Dex nodded excitedly. "Zomething we heavily agree on! Now chop chop hotshot! We got a feebas to catch!"

"You sure you want a feebas still?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to let anyone down just because it's quote on quote undesirable. Every pokemon has potential somewhere in the world. Even if it's food for something else."

He chuckled when he saw her expression. "Yeah I know that some feebas don't live in the cleanest of waters. Probably a good thing for them if they're trying to avoid being a meal. At least I'll see if the Aether employee wants to use it for his research. If I don't want to keep it by then, I'll bring it back here to release it."

Leilani seemed fine with that answer and gave a consenting nod. "Okay. Then let's catch it again."

They spent the majority of the afternoon continuing to fish. Elio found himself catching a handful of other species as his pokemon arrived to help partake in the fun. Grimer and Charjabug didn't seem all that interested, however Torracat was more than happy to snatch the dozen or so small wishiwashi he had reeled up for a snack.

Lana showed him how to dislodge the hook from the fish's mouth. On occasion it went in between their jaws and gills, so it had to be carefully pried free as to not hurt the pokemon too badly.

"You know I'm still a little nervous since I feel like it's going to bite me."

Lana only laughed at his statement. "Most fish species have teeth too dull or small to seriously hurt you, but there are still ones to watch out for like carvanha, basculin and bruxish."

The process to unhook them was simple, not counting the part of sticking a finger in their mouths. The trial captain also pointed out that holding it by its lower jaw would render it unable to bite down and could go for safer handling.

It was on the next hook, when the sun was now lazily sinking west in the later afternoon, when Elio finally hooked a fish he hadn't seen before. As he used Lana's techniques, which the latter had noted that he had significantly improved since trying it for the first time. The line came up, showing a small green two finned pokemon that was clamping eagerly at the bait and hook inside its mouth.

Leilani had been wrestling something else and when she reeled her catch in, it was shown to be the same thing.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom swiveled around close to his trainer as he retrieved the line. "Remoraid. Jet pokemon. This pokemon is known for its incredible accuracy with water gun attacks! Known as the sniper of the seas, it has an effective range of more than three hundred feet. Remoraid is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

"Elio! Catch that remoraid! You need it for you to help surf!"

"What do I do?" He asked back. "Just throw a ball?"

"Yes!"

"Whatever you say." The boy spun one of Lana's dive balls into his hand and popped the release button. "Here goes!"

The three of them held their breath as the thrown capsule locked onto the small pokemon's signature. It settled onto the sandy ground, wobbling one time, then again, a third before snapping to indicate a successful capture.

"Gotcha!" Rotom exclaimed, playing a catchy little tune from its speakers. "Ya got yourself a new pal! Let'z take a look! Analyzing! Bzzt! The remoraid in your party is female and knows the moves; water gun, lock-on, psybeam and aurora beam. Its ability is sniper, which can increase the power of critically hit attacks!"

"Interesting."

"Sure is." Leilani held another poke ball in her hand that now held a remoraid of her own. She released it out. "You'll want to have your remoraid close to a mantyke. That's the first step in being able to learn how to surf."

"Or can I just give it to you?"

"Yeah that's fine. Let me just see if I can send it back to the center."

Remoraid was a friendly enough pokemon. Elio had seen toy plastic water guns sold at some of the convenience stores in Heahea and Hau'oli City for tourists to use while they played in the pool or beach.

Sure enough; she did feel comfortable when he grasped her lower fin. He had also noticed that it felt similar to holding a pistol grip and a pair of longer fins on her sides slanted upwards on the dorsal plane to form something similar to a set of iron sights.

It was almost as if he was holding an actual handgun.

Leilani was crouched over her lunch box, likely rummaging through to make space.

Considering that she had used him as a shield from the basculin splashing around earlier…it was time to return the favor.

Leilani's piercing shriek was loud enough to cause some large flocks of wingull in flying up from the disturbance.

To his surprise, the surfer girl had snatched up her own remoraid and squeezed its lower fun. Immediately, its mouth opened up, shooting out a fine and accurate jet of water. Her aim was dead on, striking Elio right in the center.

"What was that for?" She asked incredulously.

"That was for making me shield you from that splash earlier."

"You're going to pay for that!"

A knowing grin spread across his face. "Make me."

Elio let out a yelp of surprise as Leilani shot him again with another blast of water, knocking him down firmly on his behind in the sand.

"See?" She casually held the remoraid in her right hand and approached him with a knowing smirk on her face. "I'll make you."

Sun was fast to react, having kept his own arm that held Remoraid-gun from her view. He drew it out, striking the creature's top fin rapidly as if it was a revolver. All six shots of his hit his target.

Leilani moved to attack him again, but them both were stopped when each of them were blasted by another spray of water.

Looking up, they were greeted by the sight of Lana expertly spinning a pair of her own remoraid in hand as if she were an expert.

"I see you've decided to play gunslinger. While I may have never fired one in real life, there's nobody on Alola who can beat me when it comes to remoraid dueling. Care to challenge the expert?"

Elio and Leilani gave one another a nod, effectively putting an end to their rivalry. They then sprung to their feet, bringing their weapons up and returning fire.

The duel lasted a good ten minutes before three soaked teenagers were still laughing over the memories while sitting down again at the beach with fishing rods cast out. Lana had stated that usually the late afternoon, around that time was among the best for snagging rare catches.

To his surprise, Lana was a very surprising duelist in holding remoraids akimbo style. She always kept her guard up and used rocks, trees and the hills for cover. Even when Leilani was drawing fire from her, she made sure Elio wasn't able to get a good shot in by keeping him at bay.

All in all though, it had been purely for fun and they finally returned their jet pokemon back to their balls once interest in the little game had waned.

It was almost immediately when Elio had cast his line out when the bobber suddenly dunked underneath the waves.

"Got a bite! Woah!" The rod tugged sharply as the fish was now beginning to fight on its end.

"Get it Elio!"

"Yeah you can do it!"

He let out a strained grunt. "Hot damn, this one's a fighter!"

The quarry kept at it, still swimming hard enough to try and free itself. Elio did act accordingly, slowly wearing it down while gradually reeling it closer. Eventually it would run out of energy and area to swim and that was the opportunity he would have to finally bring up the catch.

However his catch apparently knew it, as the line continued to go taut with firm resistance. This fish was going to give him everything it got.

"Come on." Elio growled, now starting to struggle. The pole's thin wiry end started to curve downward as the tension line began tightening its grip. He gently gave it a pull, managing to release a slight bit of it before finally spinning the reel again to resume their battle.

Wow. The reeling part is just as intensive as the upcoming battle itself!

The fish by now could be seen underneath the surface. As soon as he spotted the light brown blur and familiar ragged blue fins, his heart stopped.

Feebas.

With one final heave, complimented with a roar of determination, Elio hauled the heavy creature right out of the water. Both Lana and Leilani gasped as their eyes widened like dinner plates.

"Rufflet!"

With a screech, his eaglet pokemon was by his side and ready to do battle.

"This ain't a snack buddy. Use peck!" He jumped forward, extending his beak and jabbing the feebas right in the side. Like the basculin before, it was quick to retaliate, firing off another erratic green orb of a dragon pulse.

This is the same one!

Rufflet went on the attack again, using a second peck and approaching from above. The damage from both peck attacks had already weakened it enough so that it weakly splashed about on its left side at the base of the surf.

I guess Leilani was right in that it's not a powerful pokemon. I'll just release it once I show it to the researcher.

He dug into his backpack, finding a poke ball he had found while traversing the hill. It was teal colored with a net pattern over the top.

"Go!" He spun it out, arming it for capture.

The feebas was still flopping around in the water when the ball locked onto its signature, opening itself up and sucking the creature inside. Like Remoraid just an hour earlier, it settled onto the sand and shook once, twice and a third time before he heard it click.

Gotcha.

"Aww yeah!" Rotom buzzed happily as Elio sprinted forward and scooped up his newest capture. "You caught yourzelf a new pokemon pal! Bzzt! Analyzing! Your feebas is a female and knows the moves splash and dragon pulse. Its ability is swift swim, which can increaze itz zpeed in rainy conditionz!"

"So you finally caught it!" Leilani smiled at him after walking over to greet him. Elio saw that she had changed out of her other tanktop that he had soaked during their water gun fight earlier.

I wish I could've seen her change...and I have to stop thinking about that kind of thing.

"Heh. Yeah." He gently held up the net ball it was inside. "She was a fighter too! But I got it!"

"That's awesome." Her face was beaming at him and he swore he was about to melt from it. "You're awesome!"

She's just…wow. She's absolutely gorgeous.

"Well I hope the researcher gets some much needed data from it." Elio glanced back down. "Even if I'm not going to get paid much, it'll make his week that much easier."

"And that's what I like so much about you Elio." Leilani reached over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're such a selfless person and go out of your way to help other people. That's why I want to help teach you how to surf."

"Really?"

"Surfing is more than just standing up on a board and looking cool. It's about how family and friends can bond over something in common…and in all of that we make new ones to bring into our ohana. I want you…I want you in it too."

"And Hau? Lillie?"

"Hau loves to surf. We used to go together to the beach."

"That's pretty awesome." Sun reached back into his pack and handed over the dive ball with Remoraid inside. "So I'll entrust this to you."

"Mahalo. I'll be sure to pair it to one that suits you well! You'll be surfing like a kumuhana in no time!"

"I hate to break it up," Lana said cutting in, "But I think we should call it a day. I better get the roads open since someone said they were blocked by sudowoodo and there's a guide at the Hill's front who says the trial has another challenger in Hau. I could probably squeeze him in tonight."

"Hau?" Sun's face broke into another smile. "He's doing the trial! Oh it'll be fun!"

"Yup!" Leilani added. "I do hope he passes!"

"I'll go ahead and see to the two of you out then." The trial captain said, already making her way up the slope. "I've made sure you both have rooms at the Hillcrest pokemon center just in case it got booked up."

"Awesome! Thanks Lana!"

With a trial complete and two new pokemon added to his team. Elio quickly followed the two females up the hill back to where a warm shower and dry bed awaited his arrival.

That'll do it for this chapter! Once again, apologies for not getting it out on time. I'll do my best to make sure the next one doesn't share that same fate...or at least isn't as badly late.

Translations:

Kumuhana - Professional

As always guys, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.

Brav