Alola readers! Brav is here again with another chapter and hoping everyone's doing well! I've been surprisingly productive with the downtime recently and got this chapter out ahead of my usual updating schedule! So that's good right?

Who's ready to see some threads tied together? As well as some more news on our favorite ship?! This was a fun chapter to write. Enjoy and wash your damn hands.

So Elio left on his journey again. I wonder how many more times this is going to happen. As much as he is his own person with his own agenda of things to do, it feels strange to actually keep on saying goodbye to him.

I keep hearing the saying when friends and family say goodbye to each other when they part ways for a long time. It goes like "Makani 'olu a holo malie?" maybe I should say something like that next time we actually part ways for a while? As much as there's that...I kind of don't want to. It's becoming that part of me where I don't ever want to leave his side again.

Elio would find out that Ula'ula Island's terrain and climate were among the most unpredictable he had ever imagined within a landmass that was less than a hundred miles in diamater at its widest point.

Vibrant green with plants of all sorts one moment, then rocky, dust the next. Because of the huge marginal changes in the landscape, it was a very rare opportunity to see vastly different pokemon types and habitats coexisting.

Some of them apparently didn't get along.

The route he was taking started to bend around the far side of Malie City's harbor where the top of the taller buildings began to vanish. All other signs of the urbanization slowly disappeared as he walked further and he was in the midst of the wilderness once again, surrounded by the sounds of wind rushing through the trees and the concert of cries from pokemon unseen. A glittering thing caught his attention and he saw it was a tiny creature that subsequently got sucked right into the Zygarde cube.

Few trainers lined the pathways, which Sun battled and easily defeated. Jangmo'o was frequently used in the engagements, which he was more than ready to get back into battling opponents. Elio was proud of his growth, but the fact he still didn't seem to be ready to make amends with Torracat was worrying. For what it was worth, it didn't seem to bother the little pokemon as he stunned opponents with his bulldoze and then gave a nasty headbutt into those that didn't submit while in their daze from the ground quakes he set off.

He found a new pokemon, one that slept up in the high reaches of the palm trees next to the coconuts. It was a small gray, bearlike pokemon that clung to a short stubby log that was somehow able to hang despite the fact it looked asleep.

"Rotom?"

"Yezzz?"

"There's a new pokemon. Aren't you supposed to do your thing?"

"Huh? Oh right! Bzzt! New pokemon detected!" The haunted Dex gave a curt bow. "Komala. Drowsing pokemon. It is born asleep and it dies asleep. All of its few movements are the result of it tossing and turning in its dreams. The log it holds is given to its parents at birth. If the log is absent, it is known to cling to the arm of its trainer. Komala is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

"Looks cute."

"I heard therezzzz a region where komala eat the very bezzzt of coffee beanzzz. People go trail it and zcoop itzzz droppingzzz to make the mozt valuable coffee in the world! Bzzt!"

"Is that komala coffee?" Elio hoped it wasn't the case. At least he hadn't ordered it in the past, now that he learned that. Is there any way I can rewind back five seconds so I didn't have to hear that?

"No. Don't you worry! Bzzt! Komala'zzz zaliva can be watered down and ingezzzted, if you do, you can zleep very well! Bzzt!"

Huh. I don't know if I particularly want to drink pokemon spit though.

He recognized most of the other species that inhabited the grasslands here. Gumshoos, trumbeaks, pikipeks. Some of them gave him odd looks as he slowly crossed into the tall grass, scooping up a quick ball that somehow got neglected and left behind.

"Waste not want not."

However one thing did seem out of place as he walked. Tucked away in a small corner he could see makeshift tents and tarps that acted as a sort of shelter. There were a few of them, all with open doors where he could see piles of raggedy clothes and belongings.

Homeless.

Elio didn't know that Alola had among the highest rate per capita of homeless people. Considering it's high expense of living and lack of overall space, he didn't find it surprising.

To think people live in squalor like these...I can't imagine it. Maybe they do like the simple life of being away from everything. Maybe some of them are down on their luck. Either way, I'm extremely grateful I don't experience that. It could very well be me.

Slipping past them, he continued down the path where there was a wooden fence erected alongside the edge where the coast lay. In the distance, he could see that it was just like Junior had described, turning rough almost right away. It was small compared to the mountains that dominated the center though, but his hike would take him around the entire part of Ula'ula Island's east coast to the south and going up the west slightly.

There were only two other sizeable towns along the way; the Tapu Village and Po Town. Tapu Village would be his first stop and then it would be only a few miles to the Aether House, the place where he could find the captain. It was the smaller settlement, but it had a pokemon center, lodging and stores to restock on supplies to continue.

A few small bearlike pokemon ran in front of him, all chasing one another in what looked to be a game of tag. All of them had leaves sticking out of the side of their mouths as their playing also seemed to be having an effect to one-up the others in looking flashy.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Pancham. Playful pokemon. There's no point to the leaf in its mouth, other than to look cool. It's a rather mischievous pokemon, so it's not well suited to inexperienced trainers. Pancham is a fighting type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

Elio waited until they were back in the tall grass again before continuing.

He wasn't sure how long he was hiking for, but it felt like at least a couple of hours. Just a little further inland, he could hear the occasional car pass on the highway just to his right. He couldn't see it, but the fact that there was an avenue of traffic was pretty comforting in case he did need some help and could flag down a passing vehicle. He wondered how many hitchhikers did that when they found out how tough some of the walks really were.

Elio got to work, keeping a steady pace and sticking to the path. He used the collapsible trekking poles to his height and used them to egress through, giving him leverage as well as an indication of his presence so that any smaller pokemon that were hiding would scurry away quickly, not wanting to have contact with a human. Small wimpod were common to inhabit areas like these and their handiwork was shown that there wasn't as much as a candy wrapper anywhere to be seen.

Doesn't mean I can openly litter though. That's just bad manners.

Ten minutes after the terrain suddenly changed, he found himself at an impasse. The vivid green vegetation had disappeared, leaving everything to be craggy, rocky and dark brown with streaks of black. Dust was more prevalent too and he found that it would get in between his socks and leg, causing it to itch. The dubwool material didn't help matters either. He could already feel a series of welts starting to form around his ankles.

Dammit that sucks.

In front of him was a seemingly endless field of sharp dark rocks that seemed to go right over where the trail led. Patches of browned tall grass were scattered here and there, but it was as if something had come and pushed everything out.

Must be a lava flow or something.

There was no heat waves shimmering off its surface, nor an amber glow to indicate it was still hot. So Elio had to guess this one had cooled off since.

But there was no way he was going to try and attempt to egress it. The jagged edges and irregular shapes meant he would have awkward footing and a misstep would mean he could injure himself.

Could I call a ride pokemon? Tauros might be able to cross, but he's built for speed. Not to mention they get jittery when they're uncomfortable with things like this.

Elio found his answer approaching him at a very convenient time.

"Alola Elio!" He glanced around, fixating his eyes on the shorter figure of Hapu Encarnaçion walking up from behind. Her trusty steed Miles trotted alongside another smaller mudsdale that had a saddle harness affixed to its back.

"Hapu." He smiled and gave a curt bow of his head. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"It was well met!" She returned the gesture and pointed to her companions. "I had forgotten to tell you about the rougher terrain on Ula'ula. It's best you cover ground on this 'A'ā astride a mudsdale!"

"Ah ah?" Elio's mouth twisted as he tried to replicate the pronunciation.

"Yes! It's a form of lava that flows down that is rough with a bubbly surface. It's very dangerous to go across, but mudsdale has powerful hooves that let it cross these types of hindrances with ease!"

Without warning, she had taken his ride pager and fiddled around with it. "There is no call for hesitation! Consider it my thanks for your aid at Akala Island!"

"Well um...thanks." He glanced back at the dried 'A'ā in front of him. "Guess there is such a thing as good timing."

"As it is always." Hapu said. "It was remiss of me not to register the mudsdale gallop feature when we last met. I was so taken aback by Lillie and how lovely she was that it escaped me!"

He had to agree with that. "Yeah. She is lovely for sure."

Hapu's smirk returned. "I see our young trainer has quite the crush and it's well founded too! Well then, be sure to greatly impress her on your next trial! It's not far and you'll be home free once you use the mudsdale here to cross these! I shall be cheering for you on your island challenge!"

As Hapu turned to leave, Elio stopped her.

"Wait."

He opened his mouth again. "Um...Professor Kukui told me about Team Skull and Guzma...how he followed your grandfather...who was a revolutionary."

Hapu's face fell to sadness. "Yes. My grandfather was so disgusted by everyone's staunch clinging to tradition, he tried to return Alola to the older dark days."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's a thing of the past. Whatever happens, I will make sure whatever legacy I leave behind won't be altered by my grandfather's...better or worse."

Elio waved her farewell and held out a hand to allow the second mudsdale to approach slowly. He nuzzled his palm and knelt down, allowing the trainer to mount him on the back saddle. As he nudged it forward, he was able to input the pager into the socket and program a destination that went past the long fields of the cooled lava in front of a motel that was close to the beaches. The ride across was pleasantly smooth and he looked down to see the pokemon's thick armored hooves effortlessly sliding through and pushing aside the sharp lava edges as if it was a casual stroll through the woods.

Okay...okay now we're getting somewhere.

As he continued, he saw some of the charcoal shapes actually moving in some areas. Upon closer inspection, they were actually tortoise pokemon with orange limbs and specks of red with the shell that was the same color as the rock. From what he saw, they looked to be communicating with one another by huffing smoke from their shells and mouths.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Torkoal. Coal pokemon. You can tell how it's feeling by the smoke it's spouting by its shell. Tremendous velocity is a sign of good health. This pokemon burns coal as its main fuel source. Torkoal is a fire type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

"Nice." Elio admired the group as several of them blew puffs of smoke from their nostrils again. He did think about trying to catch one, but ultimately opted against it. Probably best to leave them alone.

Then again, I'm not exactly wanting to get blasted by soot from smoke by it all the time.

"Hey Elio!"

Hau?

Having finally passed all the impassable lava floes, Elio had dismounted and terminated the ride, sending the pokemon to the closest station with a poke bean as thanks. He had only been going for another thirty minutes when he began to see a couple of buildings and parked trailers that were clustered together in a flat area that was just off the highway towards the waterfront.

Elio had heard footsteps rushing closer and the kahuna's grandson almost barreled into him had he not sidestepped in time.

"Woah there wheels." He calmed the energetic boy down. "You good?"

Hau put his hands on his knees, still panting heavily as if he had run a sprinting event. "Y-yeah. I'm...I'm okay!"

"Well take a drink," Elio unlatched the bottle on Hau's smaller daypack and offered it to him. Hau practically tore the lid off before chugging thirstily, droplets of water running down the side of his chin.

"Easy Hau. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Sip...don't gulp."

He finally stopped, grunting and wiped his mouth. "Sorry. I just saw you heading this way and just had to catch up. I uh...heard the news from Sophocles! You helped him with testing da kine yeah? That machine that calls the totem?!"

"Yeah. Wait...machine that calls the totem? What are you talking about?"

"Oh well Sophocles had me activate something called the Ping totem pokemon machine, but it overloaded the electrical power and he was complaining that the other trialgoer took pretty much the rest of the juice while battling. I guess it was you. Hui pū if you ask me. All the more to get a bit stronger!"

"Yep. I can't let you sneak up on me."

"Oh is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

"Then how about we have a battle?! It's too late, you've already pumped me up and it's a challenge you can't refuse! One day, you're going to be losing to the future island kahuna!"

"You only have one volume...don't you. Have you ever heard of the phrase; silence is golden?"

Elio almost groaned out loud at the voice coming from the motel right as he was about to agree to the challenge. He looked up to see Gladion leaned up against a wooden column, giving them a rather disinterested stare.

"Gah!" Hau almost jumped up in fright. "Oh no! That depressed manchild is back!"

Elio had to fight himself to suppress laughing out loud. I never thought Hau had it in him to nonchalantly roast him like that.

"I have a name. It's Gladion Rafe Hya-" He stopped short before it finished.

"Oh, so weak-ass bitch was already taken? That's a shame." Elio asked without missing a beat. Unlike him; Hau couldn't contain himself and snickered out loud.

"Will you two just shut up for once! Listen," He glanced up and down the road as if to look for people eavesdropping on their conversations. His expression turned from angry to a more grim outlook. "Team Skull is looking for a pokemon called cosmog."

Cosmog? Nebby?

"Do either of you know anything?"

"What?!" Hau jumped back. "Well...I. No! Ouch!" He jerked to the side and rubbed his ribcage right where Elio had subtly jabbed him in the side. "No! We know nothing! Not that we'd tell you anyway."

We should've just went with the plausible deniability. We can neither confirm nor deny any knowledge about Cosmog. Way to go Hau, that's all you had to say to get this prick to move on and complain some more about his miserable life to someone who actually cares. Maybe my knuckles? Elio smiled to himself at that thought.

"So you two do know something. Look...cosmog isn't even a strong pokemon. But it has the power to summon pokemon that are so terrifyingly strong that you can't even fathom."

"What? Like ultra beasts?"

Gladion's glare sharpened as he looked dead at Elio in the eye.

Those green eyes. They're just like Lillie's! Are they...related?

"How do you know that?"

"Because we encountered one." There was no sense in hiding anything from Gladion now that Hau gave it the slip. He wasn't being completely nasty, so Elio smothered the urge of thought to uppercut the blond boy's face into the building. "We took a tour of the Aether Paradise and one just happened to appear in this glowing portal."

Wanna hear this badass story about me? I stabbed that thing with a knife! Fought it off with my bare hands!

"Both of you?" He stammered, glancing at them both with wide eyes of surprise. For someone who remained edgy and abrasive, this was clearly out of his character. "So you met the President of the...Foundation? And you've been to the Paradise?"

"Yes we did." Elio said. "You should meet her too. Miss Lusamine would probably give you a much needed makeover, fashion change and instill some actual kindness. You'd be surprised at how much not being an ass can get you."

"Well unlike you," Gladion said acidly. "I don't have the luxury or the time to make friends or be kind. Not while there's too much at stake. If cosmog summons something like that; it would be a disaster for Alola!"

"A disaster?" Hau asked. "Like a real...disaster? Iki Town, Hau'oli, Heahea City all burning? What...what are we supposed to do about it?!"

"Protect it! Keep it safe and hidden!" Gladion snapped. "If either of you know where cosmog is or if you do find anything out, you need to keep it safe!"

He stopped, suddenly taking on a worried expression and shaking his head. "I know I might be working for Team Skull right now and not exactly the nicest person. So I get neither of you care or trust me...but I'm going to tell you this just once. You have to protect cosmog. At all costs, no matter what!"

He whirled around as if brooding to himself and struck that strange pose Elio found amusing and odd.

"I still don't know how Team Skull found out about cosmog in the first place."

Huh?

"And if I find out something happens and either of you are responsible." Gladion turned dead serious again and stalked up to them both. Hau let out a little whimper, but Elio glared daggers right back. There was no way he was going to be intimidated by the Enforcer.

"I will find you...and I will make you pay."

Okay. Elio thought to himself. This guy's a prick. He's really asking for it.

Instead of giving into that wanton violence his mind was craving; Sun only gave a dismissive smile as he stepped closer, coming right within striking distance. Although his own demeanor was still calm and even keeled, his tone was just as dead serious as Gladion's moments ago.

"Are you threatening me?"

Gladion stopped, finally realizing and not expecting someone to actually be pushing back.

Elio saw it and resisted the urge to beam at him. Yeah...all of a sudden you're not so condescending. Wake up blondie...not everyone's going to just roll over just because you said someone is soft.

"Maybe," he lowly said. "I don't care what kind of vendetta you've got,"

Elio clenched his teeth. "My vendetta is that you've been nothing but condescending ever since we crossed paths. Now honestly, if you want to be that guy pissed off because the life owes you, fine...I get it. Misery loves company. But don't you dare drag me and Hau down to it. I don't care what you think of him, you ever bother or harass him again, you're going to have to deal with me. And both of us would hate that. I'm far less pleasant of a person."

"Hey!" The three boys looked up to see an older heavyset Alolan man peer out from the motel's office entrance. "Do you need me to call the cops so you can settle your differences elsewhere?"

"No." Hau shook his head as he walked over, trying to diffuse the situation between the two alpha males. "We were just leaving." His answer seemed to satisfy the motel manager as he closed the door behind him, shaking the rickety blinds on the other side.

"One of these days," Gladion seethed. "I'm going to hit you in the face."

Elio actually chuckled at that, which ended up making him angrier. His smirk didn't fade even after he stopped laughing.

"That's funny. I'm actually impressed at how bold you said that. But...you don't have the balls."

"Oh yeah? Test me."

Please. By all means exceed my expectations. "Yeah. See I've already figured you out and it annoys you. You're exactly the kind of person who would say something scathing or hurtful to someone else with no problem. Now once someone refuses to take it and they start pushing back, you flake on them. You have no problem dishing it out, but you can't take it."

"Hmph. If you say so. You think you're the only one who's figured someone out? I'll tell you right now you're an entitled kid who is unimaginatively ignorant of others around you. You've got no idea how hard people have it."

"Is that it?" Elio asked him. "Kinda hoping there was more to that. If I was such a stuck-up, I might have been offended."

The blond gave an annoyed huff. "Screw you. This is a waste of my time. Remember what I said."

Gladion pushed past both of them and strode down the path with his hands jammed in his pocket without looking back.

"Waste of time." Elio muttered under his breath. "Eyesore's all talk and no do. Why don't you actually push me or something instead of just talking all that shit?"

He glanced back at Hau, who had watched the whole confrontation with a look of confusion and shock etched all over his face. The kahuna's grandson had been wordless, aghast that his friend could be so vicious in a conversation like that.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Hau said irritably. "You didn't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Stand up for me. I'm not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself."

"I know. Don't change okay?"

"Don't change? Okay." Hau shook his head. "But you...I've never seen you that fierce with anyone before. It made me feel uneasy. Calm down brah."

"There's no calming down. Not with him. Don't let him get under your skin okay?"

"Elio," The other boy stopped him. "Listen to yourself. Are you getting under his skin? Or is it the other way around?"

Sun paused, finally listening to Hau's words. He's getting under my skin. And I'm letting it happen.

"It's fine to have a disagreement and all," he said. "But you're making it too far...too personal. That's inaina. I think you just need to let him be."

Maybe.

"Gladion was right about one thing." Elio said, brushing aside what was growing as a sort of self-proclaimed feud. "We have to keep Lillie and Nebby protected."

Hau looked confused at him. "Just two minutes ago you were ready to tear his throat out and now you're saying he's right?"

"Yeah I am. Just because I hate the guy doesn't mean he's automatically wrong. Lillie has always kept Nebby in that bag of hers, trying to hide it. I'm starting to think people are on her trail now."

"What, like Gladion? Could he be someone after Nebby?"

"I don't know. Wouldn't make sense since he is madly pursuing strength with that strange Null pokemon of his. Cosmog isn't a powerful pokemon...Gladion said that himself. So I think he's more along the lines of trying to keep it hidden rather than use it for his own personal gain."

"So what? We tell him about Lillie?"

"Absolutely not. I'm not letting that haircut close to her at all."

"Then what do we need to do?"

Elio sighed. "This might mean we have to actually stagger our trials. We almost have to stay with Lillie at all times."

"Until what?"

"I don't know...until we can maybe find a way for Nebby to get home. Where nobody can hurt or abuse it."

I really hope you've made a breakthrough Lillie. We can't keep hiding it forever.

"Do we tell Lillie?"

"No." Elio said firmly. "That's already putting her in harm's way. I'm not doing that."

"But she deserves to know right?" Hau pressed. "If Lillie and Nebby are in real danger, we can't just withhold secrets from them."

"I don't like it any more than you do. But it's a risk we have to take. There's no telling if she'll do something reckless that may put them in an even worse situation."

The other boy shook his head. "I'm still not comfortable with that. If my life was in danger and in the hands of someone else, I'd want to know too."

"This is for her own good."

"Are you sure it is? Because from my perspective, you're doing it because of your personal feelings. Again, she deserves to know what's at stake and you have no right to keep it from her."

"What like you did from Leilani when she almost drowned?"

Hau's expression turned to hurt and Elio knew he had struck a nerve. It wasn't intentional, but he didn't want to take any chances at all.

Crap.

"That's a low blow brah."

"You're right. I'm sorry about that." Elio apologized. "But you think I like where this is going? You're wrong. This has so much potential to be a disaster that blows up in our face! Lillie's going to be absolutely broken if someone takes Nebby away. You've seen how she's acted around us; happy, carefree and someone who actually didn't have to worry about all those shadows chasing behind." He made a fist. "I'm not going to let them undo everything we've done for her. You should know this by now."

"But how? We can't just have her with us all the time."

"Actually that's what we're going to have to end up doing. I don't see an alternative unless you have a better idea."

Hau was silent.

"We do this discreetly. No telling Lillie."

"Wait, does that mean we can't enjoy the island challenge?"

"No. It just means we need to be extra careful, keep her close and make sure nothing comes for her or Nebby." Elio cautioned.

And just like that, it felt like an endless wall of dark ominous clouds had appeared over the horizon, threatening to black out the fun sunshine of his pokemon journey. Under most normal circumstances, he would've thought it better to continue getting stronger.

But the threat was all too real. It felt as it loomed and lurked over his shoulder, already poised to put a stranglehold on everyone he knew. The feeling of it all was cold and unrelenting.

That's not going to happen. Nobody is going to get to Lillie. Not while I'm still breathing. When this is all over...we got nothing but blue skies ahead of us.

"Then we better get going to the next trial." Hau said. "Acerola said to stop at the Aether House first."

After agreeing to travel together the rest of the way, Elio and Hau continued to hang around the south side of Ula'ula Island. Despite the foreshadowing that Gladion had said, talk was still lighthearted and the boys' laughter as they swapped jokes and stories from their travels could be heard well beyond eyesight.

As soon as they had left the motel area and continued on the trail, it began to grow rougher again. Vegetation vanished within just a couple hundred yards, replaced by shifting, cracked dirt that mottled the landscape like some sort of eczema. The variety of color went to a reddish brown, similar to the red dirt shirt that Elio had bought back at Paniola Town.

Never judge a day by the weather. Amen.

The population of pokemon were much sparser as Rotom Dex confirmed that the next bend connected both Ula'ula's signature kahiki beaches.

"I heard you can walk around one of the beaches here without any clothes on."

I wish I could rewind ten seconds ago when I never heard that.

"I hate to break it to you Hau. The people you usually find at a nudist beach aren't the ones you're expecting."

"Come on, you're not at least curious brah?"

"No."

What I am curious about is seeing Lillie in a bikini again. And maybe I hold and...kiss her and then make...okay, stop it. Rotom would probably remind me some author hasn't upped the rating yet.

"Ah well. Suicide Gulch is down that way too."

That's where Leilani was supposedly practicing.

"I thought about going to see her." Hau said, "But I think you're right. Maybe I just need to give her some space. That kiss I gave her was spontaneous and neither of us were in the right state of mind."

"Want to take a little detour there?"

"And see her?"

"Yes. Why not? What's the worst that could happen?"

"She rejects me and sends me even deeper into a pit of kaumuha."

"Wouldn't you rather know it now?"

"Yeah, but I thought about what you said. Now exactly isn't the time to confess feelings like that. We're just two trainers on their island challenge. With that news we got from Gladion, our priority must be to protect Lillie and Nebby."

"Yeah. You're right."

Perhaps we should reach out to the Aether Foundation. They specialize in the care of different species and seem to have some knowledge about the ultra beasts. President Lusamine even said they were going to start looking into their conservation.

It all seemed right on paper. But something was amiss. Every time he attempted to bring up the Foundation as a subject around her; she had shied away from it, avoiding and trying to deflect the conversation to other topics. Any of his attempts to engage her in a conversation about the Foundation or maybe bring her into a visit ended up stalling out.

But why? The one place that sounds like it might help is the one place she seems to be avoiding by all means necessary.

Elio initially thought it up to pride, that she was out to prove herself as someone capable. While he was proud of her for finally starting to take initiative and becoming more assertive, she wasn't overly prideful.

Is she running from them? Von Kaiser is Aether's manhunter and she did say he was one of the people after Nebby. Is she protecting its existence?

"Hey Hau."

"Yeah?" The two of them finally came to a break in the highway where the road diverted away and led into a large parking lot that was half full of vacant cars. A sign pointed to multiple directions in the oceanside in front of them towards a variety of beaches.

"So where's Suicide Gulch?"

"Down that way." Hau pointed to one of the beaches. "There's a tiny crevice between two big rocks that leads all the way around."

"Want to take a look?"

He thought about it for a second before nodding slowly. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt, plus I love its secret location."

"I thought you said you never been to this island before."

"I did. Leilani told me where it was and said it can also be a place where she just wants to be alone and relax."

"Sounds like she meditates," Elio suggested.

They made their way down towards the crevice, passing by many casual beach-goers. Some were locals who Hau seemed to recognize, throwing up "hang-loose" signs while others played in the surf or lay on large colorful beach towels to sunbathe. Children and small pokemon were throwing a beach ball around while others build enormous sand castle fortresses and engaged in a foam gunfight. Further down the other direction was an erected volleyball net where two teams of six were facing off.

Elio noticed a sign, warning people to collect their belongings, especially shovels and destroy sandcastles when done. Apparently sandygast were known to pop up on the beach and both of those neglected items could spawn one. And they were a pain to root out.

The crevice into Suicide Gulch was barely noticeable, but as they got closer, Sun could see the trail lead into a winding step down before it vanished around the bend up ahead. Hau looked back to make sure nobody was watching before he slipped out of sight.

"It's kind of a hidden gem." He explained as they fell into single file, the only way to really get through. "More of something that us locals don't want the tourists to find out about."

"Because they would invade it," Elio finished. "Makes sense."

The many twists and turns the trail made were even more difficult from the way some rocks were angled, raised and lowered. He had no doubt that someone must've injured themselves on more than one occasion.

"How are your pokemon doing?"

"Oh they're great brah!" Hau's cheeriness came back. "We've learned so many new moves and I finally caught another pokemon! When we get there, you can see!"

"Can't wait!"

"What about you?"

"So far so good."

"How's Jangmo'o?"

Sun almost groaned out loud. "Not sure. Back in Malie City, he and Torracat got into a really big fight and they've shown no signs of ending it anytime soon."

"Oh. What happened?"

"Jangmo'o intervened on Torracat's battle without any warning or sign. You know how temperamental he can be in battle. He always wants to win by himself and I think Jangmo'o just got so excited, he wanted to jump into the fun too."

"Wow."

"Yeah right. Now I feel like I have to play principal. Torracat knows better than to pick a meaningless fight like that and Jangmo'o still doesn't exactly know that all battles aren't meant for him and he often jumps into one he's not ready for yet."

"Guess we'll find out soon."

"I'm training him. It's not exactly the easiest thing to have five veteran pokemon and one baby that just hatched. Have I told you he eats constantly?" Elio thought about his remaining packs of feed and figured he still had an adequate amount left. The blend he had gotten for Jangmo'o was an omnivorous, fatty formula that was tailored for dragon-types. More expensive as a specialist one, but Elio didn't really want to feed him excessive amounts of filler food that he digested much quicker.

"I bet."

"He's growing. A lot."

It'll be good practice when I actually do have a baby of mine. If that ever happens.

They reached a pass area that had such a sharp turn, that a surfer bringing a board would have to raise it above their head and ease it into the wider spot little by little.

As they made their way past the curve, they were greeted by a sheer wall of dark rock that stretched up at least forty feet before it arched over, providing both shore and cover right underneath a flattened section of rock supported by many large thick columns.

Elio recognized it as a part of the pathway just minutes after continuing north of the motel and trailer park. He never would've guessed that he passed it by.

The waves crashing against the thinner sandbar were much harsher, slamming into the rockwall with unrelenting force. Every time one did, they saw fragments of it shatter off and get carried back out to sea until another one would come.

He blanched at the sight. Guess that's how this place gets its name.

A loud cheer interrupted their thoughts and eyes went to a handful of figures sitting down in the shaded section. Part of it had lowered down with more sand dipping under the water level.

They saw a slender figure start to paddle towards shore, watching closely as it stood up on the board as the wave took control and powered it to shore. It sliced through the water, white foam erupting behind like a rocket.

The figure wobbled and Elio gasped as the wave's raw power finally overtook the board and the surfer. They put their arms out in front as the person tucked their head in towards their body to cover them just before impacting. He let out a collective sigh of relief as the person climbed back on. He saw them shake out a long head of dark hair, realizing it was a woman.

"Leilani." Hau breathed, seeing the surfer roll back onto the board and make for shore. "She's surfing again?"

Elio was actually impressed about it. And also a bit irritated that she was clearly violating her rest and recovery period she was supposed to have entered.

I get this is your passion, but it's not worth the risk in the long run.

He watched as she dragged her board out of the water, strapping off the leash and running over to hug a pair of other surfers who immediately cast out their own boards to catch a wave.

"She looks good."

"Yeah, but what is her dad going to think of this?"

"That's probably why she is here. Not to train, but rather to show and tell him she can do whatever she wants."

Elio could see why it was called Suicide Gulch, with the treacherous conditions, slippery surfaces, it wouldn't be hard to misjudge any movement and then fall to one's doom. Supposedly, someone had said that the rocks just under the waves were extremely sharp and someone could potentially bleed out in a matter of minutes if they were cut severely.

They quietly made their way across the sand and over the larger rocks as they got to the outcropping in front of the small beach. Leilani and several others, looking like young adults were all lounging around, laughing or going back out to catch another wave.

She turned around with the others, sensing their approach. Her expression turned to one of surprise. Both boys could see her appearance had changed since they last saw her.

She was still dressed in a tight dark surfing bodysuit with the Kavs Neos logo just above her waist. However this one exposed her long tanned legs, something that had already caught Hau's attention before he was poked lightly to be brought back to reality.

Elio saw the wide band that covered the mottled part of her thigh where the worst of the tentacruel's sting had affected. It looked pockmarked and disfigured as if it had been badly burned. Her hair was a bit longer than normal and her overall expression was more frustrated than anything.

"Elio? Hau? What are you doing here?" She thought about it for a moment and shook her head, "Don't tell me you're here because my dad wanted you two to."

"Actually,"

"Because I won't!"

"Leilani," Hau held out his hands, trying to calm her. "Your father has no idea we're here."

"Hey sistah," One of the other surfers called out to her. Elio didn't particularly like her tone. "What do you think you're doing bringing this haole here?"

Oh come on. When is this haole crap going to stop?

"Hey!" Leilani Taula glared back at her irritably, "Enough of that. He's no haole. He saved my life and is also the chosen one of Tapu Koko." At the mention of the protector of Melemele Island, the other surfers fell silent. "He's more kama'aina now."

Elio watched as they nodded amongst themselves and resumed their normal tasks, but he was starting to get looked at with a mixture of awe and reverence.

"Mahalo." He started. "You didn't have to stick up for me like that."

Leilani didn't seem to hear that as she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Elio made a startled squeak, his arms hanging limp and trying to gasp for air. There was no denying she was incredibly strong, both physically and mentally.

"For someone who saved my life. How can I not?" She didn't let up on her hug, burying her head into his shoulder. Elio finally found himself in control of his limbs again, able to wrap them around her back as he leaned into the contact.

"Mahalo. 'A'ole e poina." Leilani grabbed the side of his head, gently touched their foreheads together as they both breathed in at the same time while closing their eyes. She finally leaned in close to his face, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Sun just hoped Hau wasn't fuming by the time she released him, other than his own face already burning up with heat. While he did have a sense of attraction to the surfer, it didn't quite feel the same...not like the same he did with Lillie.

Maybe she is for him after all.

"Hau," She said, quietly, still having an arm around Elio's shoulders. "Alola."

"Alola." He waved back, still staring at the ground. "I...I'm glad you're okay and all."

"Me too." Looking back at Elio. "What are you guys doing here? This is supposed to be a secret for the locals."

"I kind of wanted to check it out. You said you told Hau how to get here when you were younger and he remembered the way. I'm sorry if I interrupted anything."

"Oh no it's fine. I've been wondering about you and your travels."

"Hau and I have been worried about you too."

"I know. But I can't just give up surfing."

"I never said you had to give it up. Why not just rest, recover and go back for the next season even better than ever?"

Leilani's beautiful features hardened. Elio gave her credit for the stubbornness, which was one of her greatest strengths. She'd never stay down.

"I can't lose my touch. I won't let anyone stop me."

"What about just for now?" Hau asked, stepping forward. "Listen...I have to apologize for...what I did to you. I guess I'm really someone who just wears all his emotions on his sleeve. I didn't mean to push you away."

She shook her head. "You...you're not entirely to blame for that Hau. I...I don't know yet. About us. It's hard to come to terms with...I've never had a relationship like this with anyone for that matter. I just want to make my family...my mother proud of what I could accomplish and it feels like all of that and my frustrations, plus your...kiss made everything feel so confusing."

Hau opened his arms and wordlessly drew her into a hug. "I know. But I want you to be happy."

"I know. But promise me one thing. If I do figure things out...get my life straightened and I want us to be a thing...kali no ia'u?"

Hau sucked in a breath, as if he wasn't expecting something like that.

"Hau?"

"Yes. Without question. Forever if that's what it took. Oeoe makepono."

Sun could see the faintest hint of a blush on her tanned features. "Thank you for being that friend Hau. You deserve to be happy too."

Both islanders glanced over to see Elio, crossed arms and a rather pleased look on his face. "Well. I think this was rather enlightening. Hau, would you be a brah and get some good groomsmen?"

This brought a round of unexpected laughter from the two of them.

"Brah, what about the best man?"

"You're looking at him for the tapu's sake!"

Since it was close to the evening; the three of them decided to set up camp in the dry section of the gulch after all the other surfers had gone home. Leilani didn't have much intention of leaving that day. Although they were welcomed by the others to spend the night there, it was always considered a mandate by the local surfers to make sure the place was in better condition than it was found. No trash or litter.

Elio figured the large rock would protect them from any wind on the oceanside and set up the pad where he would use the silken liner. Hau and Leilani had something similar close by.

We can definitely make it to the Aether House by mid-morning.

Torracat and Hau's Larvesta joined in on lighting a small fire where Elio boiled canteens of water and poured them into the bags of freeze dried food, giving them a few minutes to rehydrate and heat up. As he ripped them open, Hau and Leilani came over, already smelling that dinner was done. Off to the side, the three trainers had let out their pokemon to go play and distributed food for their own meals. He made sure Torracat was eating away from Jangmo'o to minimize another incident happening.

Elio wasn't used to eating a full meal out of a plastic bag, but the beef stew that he was eating had to be among the top ten things he had eaten on his journey so far.

I never thought freeze dried food in a plastic bag would taste this good.

"Wow Elio, where do you get this stuff?" Hau asked through a mouthful of chicken dumpling soup. Leilani wasn't picky and went for the pasta primavera.

"The outfitter shop in Malie City. Lightweight, just needs boiled water and we're done."

"This is amazing." Leilani said. "I'll admit I've never had pasta primavera before. But I might actually take up cooking if something this good can be easily made."

Yeah. I kind of need to start learning how to cook. Mom isn't going to be here forever. But if I can make something like this by just adding boiling water...that's a start I suppose.

"You guys should try my mom's garlic bread. I swear there's nothing like it in this world."

"Oh really?"

"They serve it in heaven."

"I believe it."

"Don't believe it until you see and taste it."

Night came quickly and the three had settled into a sound sleep with the waves crashing against the shore to produce a lullaby that easily drifted them off.

At dawn, they had already packed everything up and did a quick sweep of the area, discarding the ashes of the fire in the ocean and collecting trash in a bag that he would dump at a collector barrel at the beach to prevent littering.

"Morning!" Both boys were interrupted by Leilani bounding down from further, holding a large, dark coconut and a handful of golden bananas in her hands. "Hungry for some breakfast?"

"Yeah." Hau was too busy paying attention to her blue tanktop and rather short shorts as she shook her head with the chocolate brown hair swishing behind.

Stop drooling Hau.

"I'm starving." Elio said. "Need some help? I've heard that coconuts are pretty tough to crack."

"Nah." Leilani and Hau said at the same time. "It's easy. Watch."

They both found a decently sized rock that had a pointed edge. Leilani put her finger on one of the holes, tracing it halfway down the shell and stopping.

"Right here. You trace it from the face, those three grooves down halfway. That's the weakest point."

She raised it up, slamming it down at her mark on the pointed edge of the rock and Elio heard a popping sound as two jagged irregular halves clattered to the ground.

With Elio's knife, they peeled away layers of its white flesh. He had to admit that he quite liked it, having a slightly sweet taste and dense texture like a melon. They filled their canteens with the milk inside and were already pretty much sated as they each had a banana afterwards.

"Felt good to get out there." Leilani said as they exited the beach area. By that time, the normal amount of beach-goers were already flocking down and the parking lot was beginning to fill back up. The trail to the Aether House kept going up hills, leading across a large mound that was right next to the closest mountain that rose above like an ominous tower. Unlike Mauna Hokulani that was on the other side of the island and Mauna Lanakila which was even higher, Blush Mountain had seen a steady increase in activity as active lava floes sometimes streamed down this area of the island. As it dribbled on the slopes, it cooled once it hit the ocean or on its own. Because the biggest lava pocket came from the summit; canals had been dug to divert the majority of it into the barren areas, away from both the vital vegetation the island needed and the homes. Apparently, living on southern Ula'ula Island was amongst the cheapest in Alola, but it had the highest insurance as a sort of tradeoff. Parts of old lava floes could be seen with dark gashes that ran down its side.

"I'm glad you did." Hau said, although there wasn't really much sincerity in his voice. "Still happy you're chasing it."

"Me too, I ugh!" Leilani let out a sharp groan and stopped short. Her fingers swept down and she hit a button on the plastic band that circled her thigh right where the sting had hit. It glowed white and she let out a hiss of pain and slowed her breathing as relief settled in. "Sorry about that."

"What is that?" Elio asked her.

"It's an inhibitor band. The toxin from a tentacruel can be in your system for a long...long time. Whenever it flares up, I hit the button and it dispenses an antidote."

"How long do you have to wear that?"

"Until I feel no pain for six months." Leilani sighed. "Doctor Hansen said it could take as little as that or as long as six years. But he did say there was going to be some aftereffects too."

"Oh. Like...what?"

"He wasn't sure. But the last sting victim he treated was declared sterile years after. We just have to monitor and see from here on out."

That basically blew the wind out of their sails. If she was having any plans of families and children of her own, saying something like that to them would've been a knife to the heart. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't worry about it. It was also my choice to continue going surfing and put myself at risk. I'm fine and am going to be better than ever." She gestured down to it again. "Just sucks that my leg is going to look like it got burned in an accident. So much for all those lotion and skin cream I spent hundreds of dollars over the years for."

Elio glanced down, noticing the irregular blemish on an otherwise pair of...flawless shapely legs. Both her calves were slender, just perfectly toned with enough muscle to catch anyone's attention. Aside from the sting's aftermath, it was smooth and had a healthy caramel color.

"Well I don't think it was for nothing. You took a lot of pride in making your skin and staying in shape. One sting isn't going to kill it entirely and if it did, you still took that risk."

He didn't want it to sound harsh at all, but it was the truth.

"So you like it still?"

"Of course we do!" Hau piped up, a little too enthusiastically than he expected. "You've got great legs!"

Bravo Hau.

"Aww well mahalo Hau!" She shook her hips and put a hand on it as if to strike a pose. "I try my best!"

"But the good news is that as the toxin dissipates, that scar will go away?"

"Yeah it's possible. Within a few years, Doctor Hansen said it might be virtually completely gone."

Sun noticed another bit of concern in her voice. There still wasn't something she was telling them.

"But that doesn't include the long term effects."

The trio were cresting another hill, showing a gradual descent down. Unlike the other landscapes, it seemed to almost change dramatically. Vegetation was present, but in charred, ashy husks of trees and shrubs that seemed to dot the landscape. Additionally, the path was moving more inland, as some large rocks and plateaus separated this area and a much more lush section that looked like it was miles away.

It feels like I'm in the middle of a wasteland.

Anything and everything looked either brown or gray and the sun poking through the trees had visible rays of light as if a fine dust was freely floating through the air. No way breathing this all the time was going to be healthy.

"I'm getting a bit of interference! Bzzzt!" Rotom Dex said from inside Elio's pack. "Large...amountzzzz of ztrong magnetic wavezzzz detected! Bzzt! Oooh! Yezzzz! That feelzzzz zooo good! Ahhhh!"

What is Rotom doing in my backpack? I'll have to check later.

"We're most definitely on Blush Mountain." Hau said, pointing out to their higher altitude than before. "Despite all the active volcanic activity in the lava pockets here, you can still find a few pokemon species found nowhere else in Alola. So I'm told."

Elio could see long floes of cooled lava, which was likely the cause of most of the vegetation burning up. As they got closer to it, his boots crunched on rocks and gravel underneath his feet. Glancing down, he picked up a flat piece, admiring its rough, coarse texture, but smooth and rounded at the same time.

"Basalt." He said, remembering the type from geology class in school. "Comes from volcanic rock."

"Pāhoehoe." Hau finished for him and pointed up the hill. They could see long ropy rocks that gradually came down towards them almost resembling braided hair. It was a charcoal gray in color. "It's very smooth and all those strands are already cooled."

I wonder how it feels. He reached for one of the closer ones.

"I wouldn't." Leilani warned him.

"What? Why?"

"Because lava could still be flowing inside like a tube even though the surface has cooled. You could get third degree burns even if you touch it for just a moment."

Okay good point.

"You know where we are right?"

"Blush Mountain."

"Yes." Leilani glanced back. "But we're also on a large part of the western side of the mountain. It's called the Alanui o nā iwi a lauoho."

Elio saw Hau's face turn white as soon as Leilani said that. "You mean that we're?"

"On sacred grounds? Yes. It goes from here all the way to the Tapu Village, which is our next stop right?"

"Well...yeah. It is. What is the Alanui o nā iwi a lauho?"

"It means trail of bones and hair." She said quietly. "While it is sacred ground to the Alolans...it's considered to be one of the spookiest and most haunted places in the region."

Haunted? Elio felt his own blood run cold, even in the heat and middle of the daylight.

"You know about the alolan dugtrio?"

"Yeah. I faced one when I battled Molayne."

"It's a thing in Alolan culture to never touch someone else's hair without their consent. So touching an alolan dugtrio's hair brings bad luck." She pointed to the lava ropes. "That is a representation of Pelei's hair. The Alolan goddess of fire."

"Ah." Elio said, remembering the name from Kiawe's trial back at Mauna Wela. "So it will bring bad luck if you touch the lava floes too."

Leilani nodded. "Plus it's common sense. You don't want to get needlessly burned and all. You'll also strangely notice that this is a good place for diglett and dugtrio to inhabit."

"Well they mainly do caves."

"Diglett and dugtrio live in the Haina Desert, but as long as they've been discovered; nobody has ever seen them here on Blush Mountain or the Alanui o nā iwi a lauoho."

"Strange."

"Right?" Leilani flashed a crafty smile, which seemed to put Hau in an even more uneasy mood. He glanced up and down as if wanting the topic to change. "Um. Can we keep going guys?"

"Oh right." The trio took a quick water break and continued walking.

"There's one more thing too. You know the story of Kamalono'a and Pelei?"

"Yeah. Where Kamalono'a battles the mo'owahine and rescues her after they fell in love and lived happily ever after."

"So that's the Akala Island version of the story."

Elio raised an eyebrow. "Akala Island version?"

Before Leilani could reply, they heard a thunderous clap that rolled over the hill. It was so abrupt and spontaneous that all three of them jumped in shock and felt another uneasy chill run down their spine in addition to the adrenaline pumping.

Hau looked up around them, not a single cloud to be seen in the sky. "They said it hardly ever rains on this side of the island? What in the world was that?"

"I don't know." Even Leilani herself looked a little scared. "But if it rains, it could be bad. It's true that this place doesn't see much, but it becomes slick and the sudden weight means big chunks can break off and go down in a landslide. That means this place can be unstable and dangerous."

"How's that possible?" Elio glanced up too. "There's not a cloud to be seen."

Another rumble of thunder resonated, this time much closer.

"That's definitely not thunder."

"What makes you say that? We are still on Blush Mountain. It's known to have unusually strong magnetic fields."

"And volcanic activity. It's inactive. Right?"
"Uh guys?" Leilani's voice quavered with the same nervousness from before. "We might have a bit of a problem."

Elio and Hau ran up to the top of the hill to join her.

They were greeted by a sign that was blacked out by acrid smoke that curled into the air. Close to the bottom, they could see massive blankets of tall orange-yellow flames already licking at the dead foliage and spreading rapidly...right towards them.

And that leaves us set up for one of my more anticipated chapters! It's been a bit of a challenge in thinking of ways to get around a rather uneventful route trek to the Tapu Village, Aether House and the eventual trial. Took the liberty of looking up some of the characteristics that were closer to the actual island of Hawaii and one thing that struck out was how backwater and rural it was compared to the more modernized islands of Oahu and Maui. Although the island in real life is one of the more volcanically active, it isn't so in the games and I had to find a way around it by having molten rock pockets close to the surface that ruptured and flowed down the side. The south side of the island of Hawaii is also very dry, having maybe 3 inches of rainfall a year...as opposed to Malie City's counterpart of Hilo receiving almost 300. The dryness also means that there's a danger of wildfires and frequent unstoppable lava flows...which will be a big part in this next upcoming chapter.

Translations:

Da kine- Da kine literally means "the kind" in pidgin. It is usually used as a placeholder for something. A similar analogy can be like; thingy, whatchamacallit. It can refer to anything from a person to an object to a concept. Basically the word you use when you don't know the word.

Makani 'olu a holo malie - Fair winds and following seas. Often said when friends and family part ways for a significant amount of time.

Hui pū - Coincidence

Inaina - Hateful

Kahiki - Black/Dark. The big island of Hawai'i is known for having black sand beaches. This particular one located on the southern end of the island is one of the few that actually allow nudity.

Kaumuha - Sadness

'A'ole e poina - I won't forget this

Kali no ia'u - Wait for me

Oeoe makepono - You are worth it

Alanui o nā iwi a lauoho - Trail of Bones and Hair

Pāhoehoe - Smooth. Refers to a type of lava found on the active volcanic areas of Hawaii. Pāhoehoe is smooth, ropey and has an appearance similar to braided hair. It has a low volume flow rate, low viscosity (silica content, more viscous lava is found in the more explosive eruptions of other volcanoes)

'A'ā - To burn. Refers to a type of lava found on the active volcanic areas of Hawaii. 'A'ā is thick, irregular shaped with a rough surface like rubble or crumbly crust. It has a low volume flow rate and higher viscosity.

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

Brav