Alola readers, Brav is back with another chapter! We are starting to get the hang of things as the main part of the story gets kicked into the climax. There's a lot to cover up ahead and I'll be sure to do my best to remain motivated, it's been a struggle for sure. As you may have been able to tell from the last update more than two months ago that I've went through some difficult times in trying to write this out, sometimes I just didn't feel it. Didn't help that we're being slammed at work.
But one chapter at a time. Without further ado.
Elio was hoping that once everything was taken care of, he could enjoy a relaxing ride back halfway around Ula'ula Island on the back of a charizard.
But no. Fate had to intervene and lock his account out.
The authorities were still dealing with the eruption of the volcano, but the weather gave a brief clearing of the mountainside, showing an entire face had been blown off in a muddy, gray landslide that broke through the dead treelines. Ash still hung low in the air, making it nearly impossible for aircraft to operate. Still; he could see a helicopter or two bearing rescue colors flying above to look for survivors or offer assistance.
I hope I never have a brush that close with death again.
The pawniard kept its pace with him, glancing around curiously but she stuck faithfully to his side. Elio wasn't sure why, but he wasn't going to question it.
"We're nearly there." He told his pokemon when they were just an hour outside the Tapu Village.
The pokemon center on the edge of the town opened its doors as he rushed in. A receptionist manning the front desk was immediately alarmed at his pace and stepped forward, recognizing him from Arclight already being treated there.
"My pokemon's hurt," he said before she could even ask a question about a soaked trainer. "He's been badly beaten in a battle. The other trainer interfered."
She nodded and got on the phone, gesturing for him to put the pokemon in question on the table. Before long, Torracat was brought out and put on a gurney to be wheeled into the medical ward.
Elio sat on a seat in the lobby, head bowed as he mulled over the fate of his starter pokemon.
And his injury is on your hands.
Elio's hand tightened into a fist, his nails digging into his palm and leaving crescents.
He may not have knocked out Cicindel, but he still didn't beat Guzma. If anything; he was being stalled.
Stalled for what?
One thing was for certain, rubbing Torracat's attempt at evolving and then snatching it out was a punch in the teeth.
Am I a bad trainer?
Of course he wasn't, but he still felt the guilt of having two of his pokemon seriously injured because of his actions bubble up from within like nasty bile. Their own lives and bodies had been put on the line and now hung in the balance.
At least Torracat's seemed survivable, but Arclight's prognosis suggested that her lifespan may have been shortened from her own evolution and her absorbing ungodly amounts of electricity in the process from that Raijin hoodlum.
His phone rang and he numbly thumbed the answer button.
"Yeah?"
"Elio," Hau's voice squeaked. "You need to get back to Aether House right now!"
The tone in his normally cheerful voice immediately put the other boy in alarm. "Is everything okay? What happened?"
"No time to explain. Just get your butt over here now!"
He hung up before Elio could ask anything else.
What a strange day.
Nothing was really uplifting his spirits, not the lively island music that drifted from the center's idle speakers or any other form of optimism.
His thoughts were broken as one of the proper looking nurses emerged and walked up to him.
"Are you the Torracat's trainer?"
He nodded. "Is he okay?"
She nodded back to him, but remained unsmiling. "Interference caused his muscle system to experience extreme soreness. It's a common symptom if a pokemon experiences this. He's going to have an agitated urge to fight to relieve this kind of stress, but his body will hurt and continue to experience the soreness for a day or two."
"Does it stop when he evolves?"
The nurse nodded. "He's still recovering from his wounds, which will take a couple of hours and the aftereffects of the painkiller will make him a bit drowsy. After that, aside from the soreness, he'll be ready to battle again. In fact, I encourage it once he's healthy and ready. He's got quite a competitive streak, so it would be good for him to relieve some of that through a battle. He's due evolution almost any time now."
"Okay. Thank you."
"I'd like to keep him here for a little while to monitor his progress. Once I'm satisfied, I'll let you know and turn him back to you."
After thanking the nurse for her help; Elio dashed out of the pokemon center up the road to the Aether House. His feet pounded on the asphalt and he felt the water in his boots squeak and leave small muddy prints in his wake. The air was a bit drier than in Po Town, so his clothes went from being completely soaked to an uncomfortable dampness. It was all cotton too, so if he didn't dry them some other way, they'd shrink against his lanky frame.
The building didn't look that different from when he had left, but he knew that Hau wouldn't call and sound like that for some dumb prank. Something had to have gone wrong.
Kalua and the yungoos peered out from his backpack as the pawniard kept at his pace. For a small pokemon, she was surprisingly fast. Elio hadn't asked why she had decided to stay with him, yet she followed him as if an obedient growlithe.
Was she wanting him to catch her?
Elio's heart hammered in his chest as he bounded up the steps and practically burst into the Aether House foyer.
Holy shit.
The entire room was a ransacked mess, furniture knocked askew, burn marks of pokemon energy attacks marring the otherwise spotless walls. Hau was kneeling down to a few of the kids, hugging them tightly. A tall green and brown cloaked bird pokemon stood next to him, standing vigilant.
"Elio!" Hau patted a girl's shoulder and ran up to him. "This is awful! And it's all my fault!"
"Hold on." His calm demeanor seemed to somewhat relax the kids as Hau launched into a rocket fast recap of what had happened in his absence. "Slow down. Take a breath."
"New pokemon detected!" Rotom popped out from his backpack. Elio wanted to stuff him back inside because this was neither the time or the place. But he paid little attention. The priority was to get Hau to calm down and spill his story.
"Decidueye. Arrow quill pokemon. It is the evolved form of dartrix and the final form of rowlet. It fires arrow quills from its wings with such precision and quickness, it can pierce a pebble at distances over a hundred yards in a tenth of a second. If it is seized by panic if caught by surprise, it can vanish from plain sight and readjust its sight by tugging the vines along the side of its head. Decidyeue is a grass and ghost type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Elio stopped for a second, looking around. No sign of Lillie.
"Where's Lillie and Leilani?"
Hau took a deep breath, still a bit distressed. "Leilani...she arrived a couple hours ago. But Lillie...she's gone?"
His own heart stopped.
"What do you mean she's gone?!"
"That Plumeria girl came back like an hour after you left! She barged in like she owned the place and went right after Lillie. I tried to fight her off...with Auwana here, but she was too much and Lillie said we needed to stop fighting."
Elio realized that Auwana was the name of his newly evolved decidueye. It stared back at him cooly.
"What did Lillie tell them?"
"They weren't here for us." Hau was still breathless. "They were here for Lillie."
"Not just her. Nebby too."
"You mean the cosmog?"
Elio nodded, his anger starting to smolder into a fire inside. "They knew I was the biggest threat and obstacle from getting to her. So they played off the predictability of rescuing those pokemon." He was still adamant that it was the right choice in that one of the pokemon that had been stolen was his. While he succeeded in his mission, he was now having to deal with the consequences of not being in two places at the same time.
Damn it. He cursed his fortune as well as falling into an incredibly crafty trap.
"So now what do we do?" Hau asked quietly.
"We get her back."
Elio immediately tensed at the grating voice behind them. They whirled around to see the tall blonde figure of Gladion occupying the door entrance. His green eyes swept the room and the scowl never left his face.
Oh great. It's haircut again.
Hau made a nervous squeak behind him. "Where did you come from?"
"That's not important." He scrutinized the smaller boy with a venomous glare. Elio watched carefully as the pawniard stuck close to his side. If he did anything…
"Is that what you did? You let those thugs take Lillie?"
"N-no!" Hau denied. "I didn't do anything."
"Yeah that's the point." Gladion said tersely. "You didn't do anything. Lillie took Cosmog and now she's in the hands of the very people she was supposed to stay away from! And it's all your fault! Both of yours!"
Elio stepped. "Hold on a second. The Aether Foundation is after this Cosmog because of its ability to summon Ultra Beasts?" He didn't dare mention it as Nebby.
"How did you know?" Gladion's glare turned from Hau to him. "Or rather; what do you know?"
"That the head of the Foundation wants to protect the Ultra Beasts by bringing them here. Messed up in my opinion. Cosmog is the key and Lillie ran away to prevent that." Elio decided to poke him a little further. "What's the matter? Afraid your girlfriend isn't capable of handling herself?"
Gladion's brow furrowed and he almost snapped. Sun could see he was almost breaking.
"And now we're in an even bigger mess than ever before! You two had one job and you fucked it up. I should destroy you both, for ruining things and making my life miserable."
"And let misery enjoy company? I don't think so."
Gladion's eyes blazed with anger and before he knew it he had taken a wild swing, a bony knuckle connecting with Hau's jaw. The kahuna's grandson fell down to the floor with a look of complete shock on his face.
Then chaos erupted, boiling over from months of tension and loathing.
Gladion was surprised at his own audacity, but even more that he found himself barreled into from the side.
Elio's own rage shot through the roof. Here came the blonde jerk that had done nothing but tormented his best friend and did nothing but ridicule them to try and make himself feel better or superior.
Fuck this guy.
He tackled the taller boy with a bloodthirsty snarl, bringing them both to the floor and elbowed in the stomach for his troubles. Gladion rolled up on his feet, glaring down at Elio, who was just as quick.
"Don't fucking say that to Hau ever again." He crouched low into a fighting stance. "You mess with my friends, you're gonna have to deal with me."
"You're getting on my nerves anyway." Gladion was fast, moving in for a punch.
For a moment, Elio wasn't sure if he had bit off more than he could chew. He was no fighter; other than taking martial arts lessons when he was a kid in Saffron City's dojo next to the gym. Lessons were expensive, so he didn't go for very long. But he still remembered the basics.
One of which was to keep his guard up. He held up his fists; close to his head. His arm deflected the blow.
Gladion on the other hand, appeared to have almost no fighting experience himself. He may be a good battler, but only with pokémon. Maybe all he had to do was mess with his head.
"Are you as bad of a fighter as you battle?" Elio sneered.
That sent Gladion over the edge as he lunged for him again. Elio had the advantage of goading him into anger, which prompted outbursts and dulling of common sense. Despite his own feelings about the situation; he was smart enough to tuck it away and remain aware to keep it from blinding his thought process. He had to guess that Gladion's rather wild temperament meant he had no such control.
It was an easy counter. Elio caught the haymaker fist with his open palm, twisting it to his right. The limb followed and Gladion was forced to his knees.
However in doing that; Sun had left his midsection completely exposed. Gladion's other first came flying in, connecting with his gut before he had a chance to tighten his abs to soften the blow. Air came out of his lungs in an explosive whoosh and his mouth hung open. Elio croaked, trying to reinflate them as he doubled over. The blond didn't give him much of a chance, already pushing him down onto the ground, wrapping a skinny arm around his neck.
Elio had to admit that despite his lanky talk figure; Gladion sure packed a punch. So maybe he's had to fight from experience.
He managed to gain an advantage by slipping his foot on the ground and pushing hard. The sudden overpowering of strength caught Gladion off balance and the two boys slammed into the wall, continuing their tussle.
Gladion's hand snaked out to the poke balls on his belt. He found two of them, flicking them out onto the ground. A golbat and Null emerged, turning and glaring at the two trainers after sensing their own was in danger.
"You're...really gonna use your pokemon to attack me?" Sun asked incredulously through breaths.
"You're pissing me off that I don't care if you're going to the hospital in stitches. You caused all this shit and now you're gonna pay for it."
"Your existence pisses me off, period." Elio shot back. "Loser can't even fight like a man."
Golbat hissed and swooped down, intending to stand in between his trainer. In a flash the pawniard was there, folding her arms together to form a curved blade of vivid purple energy. She pointed it threateningly at the flying pokemon.
Null ran forward at her, unleashing a flamethrower.
Wait, how?
"You wanna make it a fight?! I'll give you one." Elio elbowed Gladion in the sternum, causing the boy to jerk back and rolled out from underneath. His hand smoothly went to a free poke ball at his side, sending out Rufflet, who loudly squawked to challenge the other flier to air superiority.
Gladion sent out a second Null just as pawniard dodged another slash from its claws. Her metal claw slid along its chimeric figure and it suddenly shimmered, revealing itself as a bipedal foxlike creature with dark fur and a long red mane.
A Zoroark. Fine. We'll make this an even fight.
Elio summoned Akela, the werewolf grinning ferociously at his opponents.
Everyone launched into action after a brief lull. Gladion locked arms with the other boy as they grappled on the ground. Pawniard waved its sword threateningly at Golbat while Rufflet battled Gladion's Zoroark. The real Null was in a tense standoff with Akela, the two large beasts circling one another and waiting for an opening. The abomination was the first to strike, lowering its helmeted head and charging forward. Anticipating the contact, Akela tensed staggering backwards before his paws glowed and his counter sent the mysterious pokemon crashing into the wall with a loud bang. The two pokemon went at it again, launching attack after attack at one another and neither one seemed to be gaining the advantage. Null's heavy armor that had been fitted over it had slowed it down, but it also protected it immensely from super effective reversals and dampening any other physical attacks.
The golbat didn't fare as lucky. Going up against an opponent that resisted pretty much everything made it resort to other tactics. A confuse ray had disoriented it and Pawniard slashed with a metal claw in the opposite direction, instead slicing through one of the knocked down pieces of furniture. The bat pokemon swooped in, flapping its wings and attacking with an air cutter, however moments later, Pawniard blinked and snapped itself out of its confusion.
It closed the distance, forming its sword once more and slashing in an uppercut that knocked the aerial foe out instantly.
Meanwhile Rufflet smartly stayed airborne, away from the Zoroark's flamethrowers and dark pulses he fired at. Whenever he darted in, he had to remain wary. The other pokemon had sharp reflexes, so using aerial ace to wear him down had proven the best strategy. It was only a matter of time before he caught on though.
But Pawniard had come in to aid its "comrade", forcing the tricky fox pokemon to have to concentrate on two opponents at once. Ignoring the continued struggle between their trainers, they leapt straight into the fight.
"You don't know anything!" Gladion screamed as he yanked Elio onto the ground again. The other boy put his legs in front of him to protect his soft front from any retaliatory attack as he lashed out, knocking them both to the floor.
"I know that you've been nothing but a pain in my ass ever since we crossed paths. And I know that this is something I've been looking forward to."
Elio lunged for him again, using his foot on an ottoman nearby to kick in a curve. His aim was spot on, it hit the backside of Gladion's left knee and he buckled down. Now it was the other boy's turn to go in, screaming bloody murder. Neither of them were paying attention to Hau who had gotten up and was just standing there, still aghast about the entire thing unfolding.
The two boys circled each other again, just daring the other to make a move. All while their pokemon fought just as viciously behind them.
It was all interrupted by a loud bang into the wall with an instantaneous cracking noise that put his skin on edge.
Elio spun around, seeing that Rufflet had been knocked out thanks to a massive indent in the side of the wall that looked to be about the size and placement of Null. The pokemon had paid no attention to it, instead still locked in their own fight.
Upon closer inspection, he saw that Rufflet's left wing was bent unnaturally at nearly a ninety degree angle, something that should've never happened. In a way, the blow probably saved Rufflet from feeling the immense pain by rendering him inert.
He broke his wing.
Gladion was silent, staring at the carnage. His mouth hung open and Elio could tell that his eyes were sincere, clearly a bit shocked at such a brutal display of violence, even if it was done by his own pokemon.
The anger returned, first a small flickering ember before it quickly evolved into a white hot fury.
Elio launched himself at Gladion again, letting out a primal scream of rage, his movements fast, vicious and fueled by the new rush of adrenaline.
"You motherfucker!" He roared loudly, his heavier frame barreling into the skinnier kid as he launched his fists and elbows at anything he could find.
Gladion at first tried to parry the blows, but Elio kept coming at him like a complete madman. It went from trying to get a hit back to him raising his arms over his head in an attempt to protect himself. All around them, their pokémon had ceased fighting. Even Null had spotted it, looking guilty at hitting the other pokémon so hard.
Elio could not really see much of what was going on. He wanted to hit the blond until he felt a bone break, blood spurt or something. Anything to make this fucking prick pay.
One lucky knuckle struck Elio and he reeled back, temporarily stopping his berserker tirade. The boy wiped a trickle of the crimson blood from his nose, but the rest streaked down his upper lip and chin as if it were war paint.
Sun chuckled darkly and was about to go again when another big body put themselves in his way. Leilani Taula rushed into the brawl and she immediately put her arms around Elio in a nelson hold as he squirmed in protest, demanding her to let him go. Despite his strength, the Alolan girl was bigger and her well-muscled shoulders bulged with the effort of keeping him contained. She shouted back at him while on the other side; Hau had little trouble restraining Gladion.
"What in the hell has gotten into you both?!" She yelled, her voice abruptly halting everyone in the entire room from resuming the fight. "How is this going to help Lillie?"
Elio was the first of the two to stop, still unable to get himself wrested from Leilani's iron grip. He tried to rack his brain for an answer.
I got none.
"If you should be mad at anyone, it's me." Hau said dejectedly, finally getting Gladion go. The blond snatched his arms away and glared back, but he made no retaliatory move towards either of them. "Lillie told me to stop fighting Team Skull because they weren't after me…or the kids. They wanted her."
"Why?" The question was out of Elio's mouth before he even realized it.
"She didn't say. Once she was gone, they kept their word and left us alone since."
"And you let her go?" Both Gladion and Elio asked him at the same time.
"What was I supposed to do? It was either that or risk her and all the kids here." He stared wistfully at the ground. "They've had enough going on for one day and Team Skull seem like the people who would do anything to get what they want. Maybe you are right Gladion. Maybe I am too weak."
"More like worthless."
Elio took a step towards him and Gladion flinched. Luckily, Leilani sensed what was about to happen and grabbed the boy's wrist. She glared daggers at the blond. "You say something like that to piss him off again and I'm not restraining him anymore."
He stopped, opening his mouth to try and challenge the surfer, but snapped it shut. Smarter to save a feud like this for later.
"Alright," he finally said. "I'll admit that was a bit rude of me."
Yeah, a bit.
"But I told both of you! Cosmog in the wrong hands could bring disaster to all of Alola, maybe even the world! I have to get it back from them!"
"Cosmog?" Leilani asked, clearly a bit out of the loop. "What is Cosmog?"
"We call it Nebby." Elio told her. "That small Pokémon that Lillie kept in her bag…at least tried. According to haircut here, if it falls into the wrong hands, it will bring disaster to the Alola region."
"And you believe him?"
Everyone's eyes turned his way. "As much as I'd rather not…yes. I do."
The tension in the air seemed to thin out a little. The pokémon all quietly returned to their trainers' side. Akela gingerly scooped up the still fainted Rufflet, careful not to disposition his broken wing as he made his way over. Pawniard stayed by his side.
"I'm going to need help." Gladion told them. "You two are coming with me, whether you like it or not."
"We're going after Lillie too." Elio sharply reminded him. Gladion nodded in agreement. "How do we know you're not taking us right into Team Skull's hands?"
"You have to trust me." Gladion deserved some credit for equaling Elio's own stare. "I know that might be hard considering we tried to punch each other into pulp not two minutes ago, but if you want any hope of seeing Lillie or Cosmog ever again, I'm your best bet."
"And if you're wrong, I'll hunt you down," he jerked a thumb to Leilani behind him. "And there will be no hot surfer to hold me back like she said."
"Fair enough." Gladion said to them. "I'll wait for you two by the ferry terminal in Malie. Dock number eighteen. We're leaving tonight. Don't make me wait long."
He returned his pokemon back to their balls and briskly walked out down the pathway before anyone could say another word.
Elio watched him go. "Prick." He muttered under his breath.
"We gotta go then," Hau told him. "Back to Malie City."
I know. I can't fault anyone here. As much as it was my fault, we all played a part here.
"And the kids." Leilani said to them. "We can't leave these kids. If you two go, then I can wait for Acerola to return."
Elio nodded. "Okay. I wish you'd be able to join us. You might have to stop me from punching him in the face."
She gave him a knowing smirk. "You have my full permission to do so if he pisses you off again."
"Our ride pagers are also down." Hau said as he slid on his backpack. "If we want to make it to Malie by seven, we'll have to go now."
"Why are your pagers down?" The umber-skinned surfer waved hers in front of them, working as normal with no issues. "Mine works fine, but I can't call a ride for you unless you don't have one period."
I still have no idea. One problem at a time I suppose.
"We'll have to take the long way." All the way down where the volcano started that landslide. Joy.
"Good luck." She said. "Please go and get Lillie back."
Elio nodded and bounded out the door.
Hau moved to follow.
"Hau."
He stopped and turned around. "We'll be fine I prom-" any further words were cut off when Leilani closed the gap between the two of them and pressed her lips to his. The kahuna's grandson stiffened before his arms grasped hers, pulling in closer as his head tilted to deepen the kiss. A soft smooching noise could barely be heard before they pulled apart to stare into each other's eyes.
"I know you'll both be safe." she told him. "But that's for coming back…and not giving up on me. Now don't give up on Lillie. Make sure Elio doesn't kill himself, okay?"
Rather than kiss her back again or ask her to be his girlfriend like he had wanted to, he simply nodded with his brain still processing everything.
What a strange day.
"A hui hou."
Then he turned and walked out the door.
Elio was able to get Torracat back in his party, but unfortunately had to bring Rufflet for proper examination to the pokemon center before he started his journey back to Malie. He was whisked back into the medical ward where he'd be given the proper care to begin healing his wing. Luckily, the current advancements could speed up a pokemon's recovery, along with their fascinating properties to cut the healing process as severe as that to a matter of days.
It kept racking his brain that he was responsible for his pokemon's injuries. First Arclight's overload, then Torracat's Interference and now Rufflet had a broken wing. Luckily, he had other pokemon to rely on as a backup.
Speaking of backups, the pawniard still continued to follow him out of whatever loyalty he had garnered from it. As he prepared to embark on the walk over, it had stood outside, seemingly vigilant for threats.
Elio stopped and kneeled in front of it. "I uh...should get you back to your home, but I'm in a bit of a bind right now. This will have to be where we part ways."
He got a blank stare in return. Then it grabbed the small rock it kept on its hip and offered it up between the swordlike arms.
Huh?
"You want me to have this?" He gently took it, rolling it between his thumb and index finger, noting it as the same one which he had cleaned off the paint when he had confronted Team Skull earlier that day. The smoothness was as if it were a pebble eroded for years on a lakebed. Not as much as a single marr on its satin smooth surface. "It's a very nice rock. I know you've got a liking for them. You should hang on to it."
Another blank stare. Then the creature pointed an arm at itself and then again at him.
"You want to come with me."
I won't say no.
He didn't want to risk any more of his pokemon for battling and was crunched for time as well. As far as he knew; there weren't any rules in a trainer's handbook on where you could capture a pokemon voluntarily wishing to join without engaging it in a battle.
Elio dug into his pack, finding an ultra ball he had found on the island earlier in the day. With a familiar motion, he activated the primer and capture matrix, casually sidearming it towards the unmoving pokemon.
The device easily recognized the signature of the target, opening up and encapsulating it inside. It clattered to the ground, shaking once before the button snapped to indicate a successful critical capture.
"Wow! You finally did it! Bzzt!" Rotom said from inside his backpack. Elio opened the zipper, allowing it to fly out in front of him. "You caught yourzzzelf a pawniard! I guezz it juzzzt happenzzz to be good timing zince I think you will need all the help you can get to rezzzzcue Mizzz Lillie!"
Yeah, yeah I will.
"Your pawniard is female! It knows the moves; metal claw, psycho cut, night slash and retaliate!"
Retaliate? Interesting. Elio knew that using it straightaway when an ally pokemon had been defeated significantly increased its damage output.
It's done. I finally caught one.
"Welcome to the ohana."
"Yezzz! The Eliohana!" Rotom buzzed. "It'zzz very beneficial to have a zteel type on your team! But we needz to get going!"
"We will. But one thing. I don't know if you can help...or am programmed to help."
"What'zzz up? Bzzt!" Rotom saw that his trainer was being serious.
Elio glanced down somberly. "Am I a good trainer?"
"Well of courzze you are! Bzzt! Why do you think you're not?"
He sighed. "Well...I keep putting my own pokemon in danger. I've tried to put an end to threats or at least do the right thing. And they've paid the price. Arclight's been overloaded and there's no idea if she'll ever be the same. Torracat suffered interference right when he was about to evolve and Rufflet broke his wing."
Now I guess I'm starting to see why Lillie didn't like pokemon battles so much. Seeing them hurt is one thing and it hurts just as bad as their injuries that I'm the one who caused all of them...I let them happen.
He found it ironic. Wanting to be a trainer his whole life; compete in the famous Pokémon Leagues, challenge others and himself against the best the world had to offer. He had been given that opportunity and had to learn things both the easy and difficult way.
Being a trainer was more than just being good at a battle. There was the constant care of the pokemon, their training, their health. He never would have expected to feel so down and in the dumps.
"But…you are an excellent trainer! Bzzt!" Rotom floated to the top and looked at him square in the eye. "There are thingzzz you can't help. And you can't go and beat yourzelf up about this."
"I have to. They're my Pokémon. They're my responsibility. I'm leading my team into battle, like Admiral Drake of the Hoenn Navy. His Pokémon fought for him and they took hits, probably more and worse than what he told us during his service. How…how did he cope? How did he become stronger?"
You already know the answer. Because his Pokémon believed in him just as much as he believed in them. They knew the risks, what they signed up for. They knew that going on a journey like this was going to be difficult and changing their lives forever.
"You have all your friendzzz, family and team all counting on you! Bzzt! Don't let them down! Don't quit the Island challenge because you think you're letting your Pokémon down. You've come too far for it to be over."
"You're right."
"And az much as you want to think you're endangering your Pokémon, think of what would happen if you don't rezzzcue Mizz Lillie."
Elio didn't want to think about that. She was gone and it started to nag at the back of his head that he might never see her again.
No. I will.
Lillie needed him.
Gladion said he knew where to find her. As much as the two of them had a rather passionate mutual dislike, they clearly needed each other to get her back from whomever kidnapped her.
I'll have to suck it up and deal with him.
The nurse arrived as he glanced back up. He felt his own stomach flip at seeing the grim look on her face.
"Your Rufflet has been stabilized." She told him. "His wing suffered two major fractures which were likely caused by blunt force trauma. This type is extensive and it may take longer than normal for him to fully recover."
Elio's heart sank. And it's my own goddamn fault.
"There is some good news however," the nurse gave him a wan smile. "He's still quite young and growing and his increased metabolism means his healing process might decrease from weeks to a matter of days. However this means he has to remain stabilized. It's a firm no when we say he cannot battle until his wing has completely healed."
"I understand."
The nurse's expression softened and she knelt down in front of the boy. "Me too. I was a trainer once and it's never a good thing to weigh on your conscience when your own pokémon get severely beaten on your own watch. I've had that happen to some of mine. It's a guilty feeling."
"Yeah."
"But you have to steel yourself past it. You can't take it back. Your pokémon know the risks and I've seen three of yours in here now." She smiled again. "They've all exhibited one common thing besides their eagerness to go back out and battle again. Loyalty to you."
Elio glanced up at her.
"Rufflet was more upset that he couldn't battle more than having a broken wing. Typical of the species, they love to fight when grievously injured to show off their prowess to others of the flock. It was the same with your torracat's interference aftereffects and the same with your vikavolt. You must be some trainer to have that deep of a loyalty and bond with your pokémon."
"I like to think so." Elio told her as a chuckle escaped his lips. "And you…heh, you sound an awful lot like my own mother."
It was the nurse's turn to chuckle. "We're all cut from the same cloth."
"I can tell."
"Would you like to see him?"
Rufflet's entire wing was covered in white bandages as well as a plastic guard on top to prevent him from pecking at it. The staff had given him a good scrubbing, cleaning out all his dirty feathers so that his coat was glossy.
He immediately perked up as Elio entered, squawking happily and showing off the scars he had sustained on the other parts of his body as if they were war trophies.
"Glad to see that's not enough to take down my hotshot flier." Elio held out a knuckle and Rufflet bumped it with his talon. "I'm glad to see you're feeling alright. But I'm sorry, you won't be able to travel with me."
He saw the disappointment in Rufflet's eyes.
"But you get better and we'll be back to kicking ass in no time."
A buzzing sound came from behind and he turned to see a familiar vikavolt fly close to him.
"Arclight!" Elio snatched up the stag beetle pokémon and gave her a tight hug. "It's so good to see you! And you're flying again!"
Arclight buzzed happily and she zipped side to side, showing off her renewed agility. Elio was already quite impressed.
"We've been helping her improve on that. Her heartbeat is irregular after that electrostatic surge complicated things, but she's able to fly and discharge electricity like normal. If all is well, she'll be able to resume battling in a few days."
That's actually great news!
"Just make sure she's separate from Arclight. When I got her as a grubbin; she was nervous and scared around birds."
The nurse shook her head. "That's not what I'm seeing. Ever since we brought Rufflet in to be fixed up, she was close by his side and looking rather worried."
Really? I did not expect that. Though maybe those two have found a kinship in sharing injuries. Perhaps there's hope for them yet.
"If you think it's okay. Then I trust you." Elio told her, watching and basically confirming what she had told him. Arclight hovered close by, her wings reducing noise to a whir that was barely louder than a tower fan. Rufflet glanced at her with appreciation and he was happy to see her not act so afraid around birds. At least that one. If anything; she had the electric type moves to pose a serious danger to any flying type that threatened her. "Thank you. Whatever the bill comes out to get them better; I'll pay it. Whatever it takes."
His resolve renewed, Elio ate one of the to-go sandwiches in the center's takeout bar and set out back to Malie City. Without the aid of the Ride Pager, the trek back was going to take the rest of the day.
Instead, he checked the map and saw that the roads had been closed, so he chose to cut into a section of the Haina Desert.
It wasn't a "true" desert in the manner Elio was expecting. While there were shifting sands, the land was barren, somehow in the middle of Ula'ula Island between two large mountains and the coasts, both of which received more than two hundred inches of rain annually.
The Haina Desert was lucky if it had two period.
New travelers and explorers often went to see the old lava tubes, which were often exposed by the sands. However the eruption of the volcano had brought the activity to a halt as island police and authorities closed off the tunnels, instead funneling traffic going to the Tapu Village through the back roads. It was the same through a trainer's path and Elio had to show his amulet to a trial guide post at the desert's entrance in order to be granted clearance to enter. As much as he didn't quite care for the detour, it was actually a bit refreshing to see a different part of Alola that he wouldn't have dreamt existed.
If anything, it got him to think less about Lillie and stew over her disappearance. Or rather just everything in general. He felt like he needed a break or hiatus to stop having to help people all the time and just enjoy himself.
The sun branded him like a hot iron and he had to end up slathering a layer of sunblock on his pale skin. Unlike his mother who had a slightly tanned complexion; Elio inherited his father's skin tone and like him; turned red instead of browner if he had prolonged exposure to powerful rays. He donned his sunglasses and followed the detour map that took him to Malie City. Unlike the previous one, this route would shave off several hours of commute time. The only reason it wasn't more used was because of the unpredictability of the sandstorms that occasionally whipped up in the area, caused by a pokemon known as flygon. An ill-prepared traveler could easily find themselves lost or stranded in the arid section with limited supplies. While the ground and environment were dry, they still had that stark reminder that they were on an island with the same steamy humidity. Elio found himself drinking a lot more than normal and sweating just as much too.
I probably stink already.
No sandstorms seemed to be in sight, providing the traffic authorities with optimal direction to smoothly reroute traffic.
There were plenty of wild pokemon as well. Elio found several alolan dugtrio, similar to the one he had fought against Molayne. However he found a handful of new species he hadn't seen before.
The first was among the most common; a reptilian pokemon that had a tan back with black stripes and their eyes were barely visible above the sand layer. They were also quite aggressive, giving only a few seconds of notice before they leapt out of their burrows to confront him. Elio had no intention of getting caught in their jaws lined with teeth as big as knives.
"Sandile." Rotom did his usual explanation. "Desert croc pokemon. Sandile conceals itself underneath the sand dunes to both keep it away from predators, find Trapinch as prey and regulate its body temperature from extreme heat. Sandile is a dark and ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Most of them weren't hostile and actually ended up vanishing into the sand upon seeing him. A couple seemed a bit bold and tried to attack, but he had both Torracat and Hakamo-o to keep the group guarded as they moved. Even better was the fact the two pokemon seemed to have put their animosity aside, finding newfound respect for one another. Elio was glad for that. His team was finally starting to bond.
Torracat was clearly impressed at Hakamo-o's new evolution and Elio managed to witness firsthand at a new powerful fighting type move called sky uppercut where the dragon lunged with his armored gauntlet curled into a fist and struck his victim in the jaw. Because sandile were part dark, the move proved to be extremely effective, knocking them out in a single blow.
On the other hand, Hakamo-o seemed to sense Torracat's unhappiness at the interference, but tried his best to cheer him up. The more they walked together, the less down his starter seemed to be getting.
"You'll evolve any time now." Elio said as they had to do battle with a trio of sandile. Hakamo-o took one out with another sky uppercut while Torracat used a double kick to deal with the other two. "I'm sure of it."
As they walked, the rocks gave way to oddly shaped structures in the distance. Elio knew that mirages could happen even to a sharp traveler, but as they moved closer, he could see two new pokemon he hadn't known before milling about in front. Strangely, the dugtrio and sandile steered clear of the place as if they were on a restraining order.
He glanced at the first one, a wide-bodied humanoid pokemon that moved erratically as if it were artificial. It had sky blue limbs and tan lines across its body.
"Golett. Automaton pokemon." Rotom clarified for him. "The source of its energy is unclear and it appears to have been built by people in ancient times. Their sightings in Alola are a mystery given its Unovan origins. Golett is a ground and ghost type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
The other was a small tan pokemon with a large pointed head that moved like it was a spinning top. Rotom scanned and found a match just as quickly.
"Baltoy. Clay doll pokemon. Depictions of pokemon similar to baltoy have been found on cave walls where primitive humans lived. Baltoy is a ground and psychic type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Elio saw a glimpse of another pokemon as well that was smaller in stature with a large oversized maw.
"Trapinch. Ant pit pokemon. It builds a funnel shaped nest and waits at the bottom for unsuspecting prey to fall through. Its jaws are strong enough to crush large boulders. Trapinch is a ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"We're getting the full scoop on a lot of pokemon, aren't we?" Elio mused to himself as they continued to head east. "I think when we do have more time, we'll have to come back."
"Perhapzzz we can convince the writing ztaff to ztop taking ziezzztaaaazz."
Elio was in mid-agreement when he stopped short, Rotom's words hanging in his brain. What writing staff?
It was another couple of exhausting hours as Elio finally made his way back into Malie City. By the time he reached the outskirts, his limbs felt heavy and he wanted nothing more than to just keel over.
"Someone just let me die already." He gasped, relieved to finally be out of the sun with the dark gray overcast skies again. It was closing on six in the afternoon and the city's rush hour was back. Cars surged into the streets and Elio took a breather after stopping at a rest area to refill his bottle from a nearby stream with his filter. The water had a bit of an odd taste, but he figured it was better than drinking something full of dirt and microbes that would have him on the toilet for hours.
However he made his way past the Wo Fat district and to the Malie City marina, easily locating dock number eighteen. But as he arrived, it was quiet. Nobody was at the docks despite it being a half decent night to go boating. Even the larger port had no cargo ship and he usually saw at least a couple either docked or waiting to dock.
Maybe it was just a ploy to get me annoyed again. He thought bitterly, the anger returning at losing Lillie under his nose. Haircut can't even make an arranged time.
Maybe he should just wait. And cut Gladion some slack. Seeing how long it took for him to egress the entire southern part of the island made him realize that either him or Hau could be hours behind.
So I guess this means we're not leaving to rescue her today. And does anyone else know about this? Shouldn't we let someone in charge know what we're doing? Like the kahuna? I haven't seen the island kahuna since I got here. Does one even exist?
Elio had to guess he was there for a few minutes and sat idly, watching the horizon for any sign of boat traffic. Nothing was there to his own interest. He stood up.
"I was wondering when you'd get tired of waiting." A voice said. Elio froze, looking around.
"Up here."
Gladion gave a flippant wave, sitting on top of a rather inconspicuous boat that was jet black in color and the Team Skull signet painted sloppily on the side.
"Nice ride." Elio said, actually a bit glad he hadn't been duped after all.
"It's the best I could scrounge up."
"And you can get us out of here?"
"I know how to drive a boat." Gladion's tone turned icy. "So what's the holdup for Hau?"
Sun shrugged. "No idea. Maybe he's still on the way, maybe he stopped to buy a malasada."
Gladion grumbled something under his breath.
"But he'll be here. He won't let us down."
"Like he let me down?"
"What do you mean he let you down?" Elio's tone sharpened dangerously and he glared equally at the blond. "Just so you know, there isn't anyone to hold me back."
Be careful on what you say.
"Hau never took battling seriously. How am I supposed to expect he'll show up."
"Because Lillie is his friend too. He's not going to stand by and worry if he can't do something about it. And you didn't help his case when you harassed him about trying to grow up in his grandfather's shadow."
Gladion glared back at him. "Is it not wrong to actually take things seriously? If he's going to ever get out of Hala's shadow, he won't stop treating life so carefree?"
"Is it not wrong to act that way?" Elio found himself fed up already. Either Gladion had a twisted view of the world or it was just his own existence that angered him. Maybe it was both. "Do you have any idea how much pressure Hau is under to be as good as his grandfather? I have no idea. I don't want to know. And I hope he doesn't either. Because that will crush you. Having to live up to the expectations everyone places and then you're dirt if you don't fulfill those!"
"I couldn't do that."
Of course you couldn't shitstick. "Then why the fuck are you belittling him for enjoying life and the journey of being a trainer? There's more to that than winning and getting stronger."
"You talk like you have the luxury of that. You know nothing of sacrifice, nothing of suffering like I have." Gladion sneered. "And Hau's worthless ass is only going to drag you down. Why bother?"
"Because he's my friend and unlike you, he actually wasn't a total dipshit when we first met. You know people are a lot friendlier and willing to help if…you know, you're not so insufferable. And if Hau wants to ignore the expectations of everyone else, let him. That's his problem. If anything, it's probably made him a better person than if he adhered to those principles."
Elio stepped forward. Gladion tried his best to get him to back down, but he also realized that the other boy wasn't going to be as easily intimidated.
"And next time you screw with Hau, insult him or even look at him funny, he isn't going to need to ever get serious to have to deal with you."
"Are you threatening me?" Gladion's tone was low.
"Yes. I am. Don't fuck with my best friend. Or me."
"I can tell you're itching for a rematch."
"Trust me, it ain't gonna be much of one." Part of him dared Gladion to try again and give him all the reason more to finish what he started.
"Then I suggest you get out of my face. You want to rescue Lillie right?"
"Of course I do. She's the only reason I'm coming along. Like I'd want to do anything for you after your thing broke my Rufflet's wing. Besides, from the way you pitched it, you need me more than I need you."
Despite the hostility and his coldness brushing it off, deep down, the remark left a scathing cut. And it was true. There was no way what Gladion was about to do, he'd be able to accomplish alone. He narrowed his eyes at Elio's name calling of Null, but seemed to let it slide. They couldn't waste their anger and fight on one another.
He's not the enemy. Gladion thought to himself. Not the real one.
"You're not her boyfriend are you?"
"What?!" Gladion rounded on Elio. "No! Absolutely fuckin' not!"
"Good. Because I'd hate to see her related to you either way."
Gladion's silence told him everything and he saw his green eyes widen ever so slightly. Elio's own tone surprisingly took a soft turn.
"I hit the nail right on the blond head. Didn't I?"
How? How did he figure it out? Oh...blond. We have the same hair, same eyes, same skin tone and facial structure. Ugh. Anyone with a brain could've figured it out. But he deserves to know.
"Yes." Gladion hissed through clenched teeth. "Lillie...she's my...younger sister."
Elio said nothing, but he nodded which all but confirmed that Gladion suspected his intuition. His gaze looked distant, as if he were connecting the dots somewhere else entirely.
I don't know what's worse about this. Me suspecting he was her boyfriend or finding out he's her older brother.
"Lillie is my younger sister." Gladion revealed. "And you're probably thinking the same thing. Yes, our mother is Lusamine Hyacinth; the head of the Aether Foundation."
Elio remained silent.
How?
How?
HOW?
How could I have missed this?! Lillie keeping Nebby hidden. Her hiding from the Aether Foundation. Not wanting to go for a visit when I invited her.
I'm an idiot for doing that. And for not realizing it earlier. Even when it was dangled right in front of my face like bait on a hook.
The only question is why? Why would Lusamine want Lillie and Nebby enough to literally kidnap them both? Elio felt like he should know the answer, yet somehow it continued to elude him.
"Now you see? That's why I have to get stronger. To take it back and make things right! And if I didn't, ruin and disaster could befall Alola!" Gladion looked like he was about to explode in anger. "Do you know how afraid and scrutinized I was?! I had no time for those materialistic luxuries you and Hau enjoyed! And now everything is about to go to shit because of you! You owe me! It's the least either of you can do."
Another voice broke in, belonging to the same person Elio had heard from Po Town.
"I was hoping you two would just kiss and make up already. But it looks like you're back to comparing sizes again."
Heavy footfalls came down the pier as the same dark uniformed man Elio had seen hanging outside Po Town came into view at the end of the pier. His face deepened into a scowl seeing them.
"Officer Nanu?" Gladion's surprised voice had gone up a full octave.
Nanu gave a half-hearted wave. "If only Team Skull kept their ruckus to Po Town. How come they had to bring this mess here into my city?"
His gaze shifted toward Elio, who froze upon being studied by his dark reddish eyes.
"You. Trial goer. You're the kekahi of Tapu Koko right?"
Elio meekly nodded.
"You've done all your trials." Nanu said gruffly. "I'm the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island. Why don't you battle me and get your Grand Trial out of the way?"
"Hold up, YOU are the Kahuna?" Elio asked in disbelief before his brain even had a moment to process the information. "How come you wouldn't help me take on Team Skull?"
"Hey, I've got no problem with them doing what they do. If anything, I know who to go to if anyone gets robbed over there. If you wanted to embroil yourself in their drama, be my guest." He gestured to Gladion beside him. "It clearly looks like you have if you've got this one acting like he's got a soiled underwear. Now do you accept the challenge or not?"
"Yes. I do." He was still a bit angry at Nanu's indifference back at Po Town. But that was done. He was here for a battle he had no idea was about to happen. If anything, he would've come back to challenge the Kahuna if he found him once Lillie and Nebby were both back safe.
Nanu nodded, unsmiling before looking back at Gladion. "Good. Boy, ref us."
Gladion folded his arms. "We're in a bit of a hurry. I think a kahuna battle can wait."
"I reckon you two saying you were waiting for Hau. Is he suddenly not a priority?" Gladion shrank back at that retort, knowing he had been caught lying through his teeth. "We kill some time and wait for Hala's grandson. Knowing him, it could be a while. Now ref."
"I'm fine. I'll watch."
"I can ref uzzz!" Rotom Dex popped eagerly out of Elio's backpack. "If needed! Bzzt!"
Nanu held out a hand. "Your services are appreciated Rotom Dex, but I asked the boy specifically to ref." When Gladion hesitated, he spoke further. "I don't need to explain further how I saw you with certain items bought out of Double U M."
Gladion's face immediately reddened and Elio had to keep himself from laughing. Having to listen to the other boy's tirade and getting glared at right that moment was absolutely worth that single sentence of information.
Okay, I'm getting the full story out of him somehow.
"H-how? No...no way." Gladion gave a defeated sigh and waved his hands out, all of a sudden very eager to comply with the kahuna's request. "Let's get to the field. I'll ref there."
"Good." Nanu said, still looking just as bored and remained unsmiling. "Now you're learning."
So that wraps this chapter up! We've got a kahuna battle next chapter, other things resolved and off onto a daring excursion for even more revelations. Now that I'm free of other writing obligations, I can ideally get this story back on track to make up for that stupidly long hiatus I unexpectedly took.
Translations:
A Hui Hou - Until we meet again
Kekahi - Chosen
As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.
Brav