Alola readers! Ready for the newest chapter? Here we go.
I suppose Elio was okay with us…sleeping together. To be fair; I get how hesitant he was and all, but I trust him and I don't want that trust or friendship ruined between us. After all, relationships and friendships are built on trust. Right? I feel this whole thing has done nothing but bring us closer together.
We decided to head out to both the trial site at Kia'i Point and the Ruins of Hope. It just happened to have Hapu's place along the way.
They were not kidding when they said the lack of paved roads made going around the island a lot more difficult.
Once they left town that morning after a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon, lilikoi juice and malasadas, Elio and Lillie started down the embankment of dirt paths that were barely wide enough for two small sedan cars abreast. Dark green grass blades were nearly their height and thick enough to conceal many types of pokémon, including the kind that liked to lurk unseen to ambush. Elio hoped that none of them had a particular taste for human flesh, but as a precaution, the two teens sent out their own pokemon to either spot or defend against any of the wildlife that got too curious. Akela casually walked in front with Kalua while Rufflet circled above. Elio could tell that his little bird was itching for a fight the way he had glared at the wingull and pelipper that were minding their own business.
It served another purpose too, one that Elio was more than wanting to keep his mind off.
When he had awakened that morning, in an arguably better sleep than he had when he was in the previous day at the hospital ward in the Aether Paradise, it felt unfamiliar feeling the presence of something else.
Sure, Meowth had occasionally slept at the foot of his bed, but he seemed to prefer the company of his mother. Most of his time, he slept in his own bed alone, sprawled out on the sheets with his mouth firmly closed.
That morning, his eyes slid open to the familiar presence of Lillie sleeping right next to him. Or rather her arm had been draped across his chest as part of her body leaned onto his side. Her pale blonde hair was fanned out covering his arm and she had rested her head in the crook of his neck under his chin. The part that he considered comical was that her legs were bent as if she was squatting to prevent her feet from sticking out over the edge.
He didn't hear her at all overnight, but after sleeping side by side, she had shifted her sleeping position so that they were cuddling. Rotom Dex had been powered up and he didn't put it past the mischievous device if it had snapped a photo of them whilst they snoozed through the night.
Well it could've been worse…sleeping with a girl…like Lillie.
Elio wouldn't admit it out loud now, but he found it nice and comforting. The way he and Lillie had been acting felt like it was taking another step forward.
Like they were dating.
But neither of us had asked the other on a date. Like officially. What does that make us?
The feeling was blissful. Lillie fit perfectly in his arms as he held her overnight and he relaxed with a slight scent of the milk and honey soap she had used in the shower. Her skin felt silky soft and whenever it had touched him, it sent him into shudders.
Stop. We're here to rescue Lusamine. Not to romance.
Neither of them really wanted to touch on the subject.
Elio had a feeling it was going to come up sooner or later. The more he tried to keep it under wraps, the harder it was fighting to get out.
No way I'm in love with Lillie. There's no way I can destroy our friendship we've built so far. I won't.
The weather was in a good mood today, a blazing sun remaining behind the few clouds that blanketed out and kept the strong UV rays from hitting their skin. The teens had still put on a light layer of sunblock since the amount of trees and abundant shade was a lot less than the other islands.
I'd rather not be peeling. That is nasty as hell. Just as painful too.
Lillie kept pace behind him as they stayed to the side of the road, but out of the tall grass. She gripped her backpack tightly with both arms, only letting go when the path turned into a slope. As it flattened out again when they had gone past the outskirts of the Seafolk Village, the tall grass was enough to completely conceal them if they had walked through just a few feet. Cries and sounds of wild pokemon echoed in the air the further they went away from the Seafolk. The whole thing reminded Elio of a school field trip to the Safari Zone Nature Reserve in Fuschia City.
This is really the wilds. In a way, it's kinda neat.
After an hour of walking, the tall grass finally gave way to wooden perimeter fences that held gigantic fields of loamy soil. Flora of all shapes and sizes were lined in orderly rows and columns with a nexus of irrigation hoses and pipes to provide water if the rainfall wasn't sufficient. As they got closer to the house situated at the end of the property, Elio could see trees and bushes further along in their cultivation stages with the last few having plants with a bright yellow and bluish colored fruit. Passho berries.
Lilikoi; what he had remembered Hau and Leilani calling them.
"Hapu's house should be fairly close." Elio fiddled with Rotom Dex, using the map feature to navigate with the address given to him by Seafolk Chief Marv. "Not too far and both the Kia'i Point and Ruins of Hope are within walking distance."
He looked back at her. "How are you holding up?"
Truth be told, she had been just as nervous as she suspected him. Her actions yesterday in sleeping close to him and the subtle gentle touches of affection were something she considered rather brazen, but they were the first impulsive things she thought of doing after seeing the boy in a different light. He was extremely fragile, but simultaneously the strongest person she ever met.
She couldn't explain it, but she wanted…no needed to be close to him. It couldn't be love, but it damn sure felt like it.
At least he's not super opposed to all this. I bet it's weird for him too.
"Good, I guess." She stared at the ground, suddenly finding things a bit awkward. "I never expected the walking was going to be this bad."
"This is nothing. Wait until we have to cross the Vast Poni Canyon. We'd have gone an eighth of the supposed way."
Lillie was about to answer him, but they were cut off by a fierce caw as Rufflet executed a perfect aerial ace on a trumbeak that had wandered too close. The larger bird squawked loudly, retaliating with a volley of glowing green objects spat from its beak like machine gun fire. Rufflet lopped to avoid the bullet seed and slashed with another aerial ace to knock it out. The trumbeak plummeted into the grass and disappeared as Elio's pokemon flapped his wings above them proudly.
"You've been itching for another fight huh?"
Elio smiled at his little bird. "You keep an eye up there in the sky for us okay? It's good to have you back on the team."
He watched him take off and glanced back at her, causing her heart to betray her and flutter again. "You sure you're going to be okay? The walk is going to be a challenge, even for me. There's spots where a ride pokemon might not be able to get through, so the majority of it will have to be on foot."
"I'll be okay." Her eyes blazed with a newfound intense focus. "For my mother's sake I have to be. I can't fail. We can't."
"Well let's focus on what we can do now. Hapu can get us some answers, maybe find the kahuna and see about how we're going to get to the Altar."
They resumed walking and Lillie realized the conversation had jolted her out of the fantasy she had been daydreaming about with the boy next to her. She had thought of him approaching and slowly putting his arms down to her back and leaning in for a kiss.
Romance was one of her favorite types of books she liked to read and immerse herself into. While some of the things the authors had written in was far more out of proportion, Lillie always wondered if living like one of those books was possible. Finding a handsome boy, finding herself completely relaxed and at ease. Laughing and spending time together. Fall in love, get married and have a family.
I wonder if he'd want that. Would he be happy at being a father? I know he didn't have the greatest one growing up and I can't say that for myself. My own mother is…very complicated.
One small little quote from one of those romance flicks had always stuck out to her, when the author likely didn't even mean to make it one.
Don't fall in love with the person you can live with. Fall in love with the person you can't live without.
Lillie blinked and glanced at the boy that had been by her side for months. Elio definitely qualified as that. Imagining life without him in it was something she didn't want to think about.
Her heartbeat betrayed her and only began to quicken.
It took another hour passing more and more patches of land that belonged to farmers and people living in the backwater countryside of Alola before they arrived at the house that the Rotom Dex map told him was the place.
"Huh, it's kind of nice." Elio admired the fazenda style home, which was slightly bigger than the others they had seen though the modest architecture looking straight from a bygone era. "Really nice for the simple life."
"I'm not sure I'd be really keen on having minimal electricity." Lillie tried to suppress a laugh from being honest. "I like my air conditioning too much."
"In this heat? I'd hard agree. Though I imagine a lot of them have small generators or make use of the wind." Elio laughed with her and she fought the slight blush that tinged her cheeks. "You already know what I think about humid weather."
Still though, the people here have lived with the bare minimum of electricity and other things that we take for granted in the cities.
They glanced at the fields. Unlike the others that had been abundant with nurturing plants or those already bearing fruit; the fields at Hapu's plantation were barren almost as far as the eye could see. However he did see that much of it was freshly plowed and metal posts driven into the ground had small ribbons that were in an array of colors, all of the same ones segregated together. Elio imagined it was to denote which crops grew where.
The opposite side of the house seemed even more restrictive than the open field. Though the ground was just as freshly plowed; fencing was notably higher with a fine mesh between each of the posts. Part of this one had a couple rows of shrub-like plants that had bright vivid green leaves dropping.
A cry got their attention as they saw a large green winged pokemon take off from the middle and circle above. Rufflet's flying increased in speed as he warily eyed the newcomer. Elio wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to fight this one. He was fairly sure that pokemon wasn't going to go out as easily as the aggressive trumbeak he had faced earlier.
"Oh look, there's Hapu!" Lillie brought him out of his thoughts as she pointed across the open field. He saw the girl's short figure just behind Miles the mudsdale as they continued to drive a large bladed metal object into the ground.
Elio recognized it as a plough; a simple yet effective tool that combined both human and pokemon power to till and sow the soil of farmland. The leading edge that was several inches underground was called a share and would be led by a small device in the middle known as a coulter that would initially break the soil. Ploughs had been used for centuries and it seemed that while modern versions were far more easy; simplicity was what Hapu preferred. She leaned forward and guided the device with years of honed precision as Miles casually walked in rows along the field as if she were on another stroll.
Hapu heard her name called out and glanced over, throwing a hand up in a wave before turning to resume her work.
"Bzzt! Poni Island here we are!" Rotom floated between the two teens, stopping as it had noticed them holding hands. "Zo I zee my operation hazzzz been a succezzzz! Wunderbar!"
Wunderbar?
"Well I am out here becauzzze there'zzz a new pokemon detected! I've mizzzed this a lot!" Elio watched as the display linked to a static rendered image of the winged pokemon that circled above. "Flygon. Mystic pokemon. It is the evolved form of vibrava and trapinch's final evolved form. This pokemon flaps its wings and creates powerful sandstorms. The flapping also creates a noise that resembles singing and the sandstorms conceal krookodile, which it has been observed working with to catch and split prey. Flygon is a ground and dragon type. Additional information is available upon capturing this pokemon."
"It's alright Bantay." Hapu called out from the field. "Elio and Lillie are friends."
That brought a bit of relief to him. Not just because it was Hapu's pokemon, but Rufflet was starting to have that old habit of his in picking fights with foes a lot bigger than him. He may be powerful, but Elio knew his pokemon's limits and he was no match for a flygon. It was an even bigger surprise that the baby stage of trapinch was prey to krookodile's own baby form sandile. As they evolved, they would learn to work together in a mutual symbiosis.
Bantay the flygon kept itself circling lower until Hapu finished the last row with her plough and unhooked Miles, the two of them striding out of an opened section of the fence together. The girl smiled warmly at them, shaking Elio's hand and hugging Lillie tightly.
"You folks made it!" Her smile never waned and she brushed some loose dark hair away from her forehead with a glove. "Sorry I couldn't come and say alola to you two right away. The wet season is only a few days out and I was trying to get ahead of myself."
"It's all good." Elio shrugged. "I'm just glad we did manage to recognize you before we weren't sure about the flygon here."
"Oh Bantay?" The creature settled to the ground, giving Elio a better look at its thin insect body as it chittered softly, staring back at them with narrow eyes shielded by bulbous ruby shaded lenses. If he had to guess, they acted as sort of a visor membrane to help it see clearly in a thick sandstorm it might cast up. Rufflet arrived and squawked proudly, puffing his small chest out. Both him and Bantay made a couple of communicating noises before they both flapped their wings and took to the sky in a race to see who was the faster flier. Elio knew the answer already despite what his own pokemon might think.
Hapu waited until they were gone. "Bantay's one of the pokemon I use to watch…you could say for the plantation. I'd hate to have damage done to valuable crops that have to be carefully grown."
"What are you planting here?" Lillie asked. Miles neighed softly and leaned her head over Hapu's side to curiously sniff the taller girl. Both her and Elio gently patted the horse's side to earn a snort of approval. "This part looks more protected than your other field."
Wow. Pokemon trainers really do amaze me. It seems like you all walk down a hard path and you don't let yourself be held back by fear of seeing them get injured or hurt.
"Kope." Hapu smiled. "Specifically Poni Kope."
Kope was the alolan word for coffee. That alone had explained the security and added effort she was putting into cultivating. Elio had heard distantly of it in the past, but he hadn't yet made the connection that the signature Poni coffee meant it was grown specifically on a certain area along south Poni Island.
Elio didn't know the specifics either, whether it was because the island had extremely fertile soil, the rainfall was consistently perfect in a year-round cycle or if the diverse crops created certain bacteria, fungi or nutrients in the soil that made it incredibly rich and smooth in taste. What he did know was that the coffee berries and beans that grew here were some of the most valuable and sought after in the world due to its extreme rarity. Limited to a little more than nine hundred hectares as the only place it could be grown, the land was constantly sought after and the industry produced over three million pounds annually. A consistent supplier of Poni coffee could make some incredible revenue with the right tools and team.
What he did know was that Poni coffee was also incredibly expensive, averaging roughly five to six dollars per ounce after the costs of labor, roasting, shipping and distribution. That price was just for wholesale beans. Tack on an even bigger purchase fee if it was ground to specifics. The expense and value meant a grave possibility that thieves and robbers targeted coffee farms.
Team Skull wouldn't do that…would they?
That also explained Bantay's quick flight into action. Hapu's main pokemon Miles may be very gentle and amicable, but he knew that its power was to be respected from the incredibly lean and durable frame. Mudsdale were said to be able to kick down the door of an armored car with little to no effort. Bantay's rapid attack from the sky, aided by its ability to kick up a standstorm to mask its approach made it a formidable surprise foe for anyone trespassing on the kope plantations.
"The really good kind." Elio said. "Some of the best coffee in the world are grown on plantations along Poni's southern coast."
He gestured to the gigantic flygon who was still in an aerial race with Rufflet. "I'm guessing he's also for security?" It was hard to imagine anyone would try much with both Bantay or Miles keeping watch.
"That and then some." Hapu answered him. "I also use them and some other close pokemon of mine to patrol and keep an eye on things."
"Yeah, I imagine Team Skull wouldn't try their luck too many times."
The girl put her hands on her hips. "Actually Team Skull rarely ever come here. Poni is quite remote and I imagine not having enough folks around would drive them up the wall. Same with thieves. As funny as it sounds, there are still people who think they can pull off a heist when the beans are shipped out. While they may be the same as grown in pure Poni coffee, it's the roasting of it where it really gets the value. Most of the process is done away from the farms at the roasteries and thoroughly checked. Anyone who snatches a bag that isn't roasted and leaves here will be in possession of the same grade of coffee you can get for cheap at Tanaka's."
Smart. Elio had to admire the amount of prudence that was put in. So not only would the would-be thieves show their hand, but also the coffee beans they'd be stealing would be virtually worthless. They'd stick their necks out for nothing.
"And it's not just that too." Hapu went on. "Everything is constantly inspected. The quality of the bean just prior and after roasting determines the grade of Poni coffee. The highest possible grade is Hopeloa, or prime. Followed by Plus and Select. Any batch of beans that don't pass Select are considered an offbrand and are instead known as standard Alolan coffee. Much of the time, the brands you see at Tanaka's and the other stores that sell coffee are blends with a small percentage as kope."
Lillie smiled in amazement. "Wow Hapu, you really know your stuff!"
"Of course. I'm one of the thirty or so people who can issue a grade for Poni coffee." Hapu's proud expression brightened as she took in Lillie's change of attire for the first time. "Not to change the subject, but look at you Lillie! You look ready to go all out into something new!"
"Y-yes Hapu! Mahalo…I've finally discovered what I need to do. And I'm going to put my all into it!"
"Ho! Then do your best Lillie. I bet it's because you admire Elio so much right?"
"Wha-" She stammered in shock before looking down. Hapu had noticed that the two of them were still holding hands when they approached her house.
That smirk on the shorter girl's face returned. "So you're a bit more than friends now eh?"
I guess? I haven't asked her and neither has she. I guess we're testing the waters, so to speak.
"Actually that's why we came to see you." Elio said quickly, not realizing he hadn't given anyone else a chance to interject. Strangely, even when called out on it, the two of them still continued to hold hands together as if the claim didn't bother them. "We were wondering if you knew where we could find the kahuna of Poni Island."
Hapu's lips pursed as she closed her eyes in thought. "The kahuna? We don't have one here."
"What?!" Both of them had exclaimed at the exact same time. Lillie's face fell while Elio's mind jumped to conclusions he knew better than to make.
So what…does this mean my island challenge is on hold forever until a kahuna is appointed? And how long has this island been kahuna-less?
The optimistic face that Lillie had kept since leaving Aether Paradise fell and she shook her head in confusion.
"Elio…what do we do now?"
"I honestly don't know." He softly said. Like her, he had banked on the fact that they'd get answers once they found the chief. "Gladion said that the kahuna would provide us answers…so maybe if we pay the tapu a visit, it could help us. After all, Nebby was able to open the womholes to Ultra Space."
"Oh!" Hapu's face had perked up. "That's what I was going to do! I was just getting some extra work done while I waited for the ruins to open up! I had meant to check on Tapu Fini's shrine! I had already finished up my battle against the odd thing in the sky."
Odd thing? An Ultra Beast was here?
"I'll head on down there and see what's going on." Her eyes flickered to Elio. "I assume you'll also be here for the island challenge trial at Kia'i Point?"
She didn't need him to answer to know she had been correct. The boy took out his trainer passport anyway, showing one for Melemele, three for Akala and two for Ula'ula, followed by kahuna stamps for each island. Only one of each was left on the unmarked corner to indicate that the trials at Poni Island had yet to be completed.
That still begs the question of how I'm going to get the Poni stamp once I finish the trial here? I ought to see about making things run a little more smoothly if I can manage to finish this. We're almost there.
"Maika'i loa. I will give Mina a call and she'll have the trial set up when we return." Hapu reached up to grab the saddle on Miles with impressive strength and agility for her size, had deftly climbed up to mount her back. "You stick close you two."
"Right."
"And now to call a ride ourselves," Elio had the ride pager out when Hapu disappeared heading east and was in the middle of a request when another woman appeared from the front of the house having heard the chatter.
"Oh Alola!" The woman shared many features with Hapu, umber skin that was weathered from age, but did little to hide her beauty. She wore thin wire rimmed glasses and was dressed in a light Alolan shirt and shorts. "I wondered what all the ruckus of my apo Hapu was talking to."
"Alola!" Elio and Lillie waved in the traditional greeting. "I…uh don't think we've been introduced, but if I had to guess, you are related to Hapu?"
"Most people call me Lola." The woman answered. "It's not A-lola, but rather what everyone else calls me these days in the land where we originally came from. Same with our last name of Encarnación."
"Related to the late kahuna." Elio remembered that an old kahuna of the same name had once defied. Lola didn't say anything about it, so he had to guess that the issue must've hit her hard.
"Are the two of you good hoa with my girl?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
Lola laughed softly. "Traveling around the islands and making new friends and relationships." Like Hapu had; the sight of the two of them holding hands did not escape her notice. "You kids are a lot luckier than you know. Though if you're headed after Hapu to the Poni Island ruins, you might need some help from ol' Lola."
She gestured for Elio to hand over his ride pager and fiddled with the controls. In the few seconds she had it, he had wondered if she had really knew what she had been doing.
"There we go." Lola handed him back the device. "Try it out."
Elio peered at the new feature, indicated by an exclamation mark over "machamp shove" and activated it. Since Poni Island was a lot more remote than the others, there were no pens or stations where ride pokemon remained based at. Thanks to ride pagers being able to work almost any part of the region, an adapter was made to summon a pokemon just as quickly as a hailed ride. Within seconds, a large four armed machamp stood between them, proudly flexing its ropey muscles.
"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Machamp. Superpower pokemon. It is the evolved form of machoke and the final form of machop. It can grasp a foe and twist it in an intricate hold known as the "Machamp Special" While strong enough to lift heavy dump trucks, the lack of dexterity makes it a poor choice for precision work. Machamp is a fighting type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Elio had already donned his ride gear and was in the middle of wondering where he was going sit when the tall pokemon knelt forward, effortlessly scooping the boy up in its lower arms and cradling him as if he were a newborn baby.
He saw Lillie's mouth drop open in complete surprise before her eyes glistened and she burst out into a fit of contagious laughter at seeing him. Even Lola Encarnación couldn't help the smile breaking out on her wrinkled face.
"Oh my goodness!" Lillie turned away, burying her face in her hands as she tried to avoid embarrassing him even further, but unable to hide the growing smirk. "That…that can't be it. That's too good and I can't believe that!"
It took him a couple moments to realize his posture from another perspective and the blood immediately drained from his face. Neither he nor Lillie were expecting the method of riding a machamp to be carried like a newlywed bride.
"You look so uncomfortable!" Lillie said in fits of laughter. "Quick Rotom, take a picture!"
"I'm on it! Bzzt! You'll have to unlock the photo feature firzzzt!"
Elio's eyes went wide as he considered the ramifications if such a photo was taken. "Oh crap…uh…let's go big fella!" The machamp snarled loudly before he took off in the same direction Hapu had gone, still carrying the boy.
Lillie was still laughing as she unlocked the camera feature and sent the haunted Dex zipping off after his trainer.
"You're not sending that to my mom." Elio crossed his arms and frowned.
Lillie wouldn't, but she found it fun to tease him as she held the Rotom Dex and kept it out of his reach when he made a half assed attempt to snatch the device back.
They were finally at the area where Hapu had left Miles and traveled on foot down towards where she had memorized the location of the Ruins of Hope.
Going further down the coast, the rows and plowed farmland began to give way back to the tall grass and reeds. To their left, the walls of the Vast Poni Canyon stretched far above, an impassible dominating presence that left what little civilization on the island situated on the perimeter. Elio realized that it was a lot bigger than he had initially thought, especially walking for hours and seeing it as he got closer. The top plateaued out and the face of the cliffs were riddled with jagged rocks that appeared both razor sharp and unstable. Scaling it without protective gear or a pokemon capable was ill-advised.
That didn't stop people from attempting it.
Closer to them on their other side was the Poni Breaker Coast, a wide stretch of sharp dark rocks that remained from the island's million year history of active volcanic activity. Poni was the oldest of the four main islands and it almost puzzled him on why it was more prevalent here.
The waves were much more fierce as they approached, mercilessly battering the cliffs in an unending cacophony that seemed to pierce through even their own thoughts. Each wave surged forth with tremendous energy that was broken by the rocks seen just below the visible waterline and crashed in a roaring explosion of white foam. Even from far away, Elio could see the sharpness of the rocks combined with the water's turbulent power would shred anything it carried to ribbons. Even a warship wouldn't be able to get away without suffering serious gouging wounds to its armor belt.
He was about to wonder if this place was habitable for pokemon when he spotted the slight movement of a large clamshell pokemon that had sat behind a particular large rock. The coarse shell was a dark purple; a different shade from the rocks, hence how he was able to spot it.
"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom Dex had put away the scandalous photo of Elio's bridal carry by their ride machamp, going back to its information mode. "Cloyster. Bivalve pokemon. It is the evolved form of shellder. Cloyster's shell is harder than diamond and cannot be shattered even by bombs. The spikes on the edges of their shell have also been used since ancient times as tips for spears and traps. Cloyster is a water and ice type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokémon."
A cloyster's presence made sense due to it being away from potential predators in an area where few such could go. Nearby were also a pair of mareanie and a toxapex, their own strong legs able to withstand the tide's strong pull.
Lillie's own heart started to beat faster as they neared the location on Elio's map where the Ruins of Hope was located. A sign showed them that they were near the destination along with a stark warning of the unpredictable tides. All along the coast as they traveled, there had been more signs that indicated swimming, surfing or any other on-water activity in this area was forbidden.
Miles huffed as he waited next to the sign, heading over to the teens upon sensing their presence. She lowered her head and happily received a gentle pat from both. Overhead, Rufflet and Bantay circled lazily, apparently having settled their race.
Here, the tide was much lower separating multiple rocky paths that spiderwebbed out towards the sea. A breaker rose about six feet above the current waterline, battered by foamy spray. Other lagoons surrounded them, still full of water when the tide went out for the day. In a matter of hours, it would return and completely submerge it all again.
The path led down, sticking to the inner wall and disappearing around the corner. Though it was midday, thick fog would roll in around the evening time and make this area even more dangerous. Nobody could prove whether the mysterious fog was natural or the protecting goddess Tapu Fini's work.
"Watch your step." Elio knew that the way down was going to be treacherous. He put a foot in front, immediately feeling it shift. The rock surface was slick with seawater and scum that hadn't been dried. With a path barely wide enough for the two of them walking abreast, he gestured for her to follow directly behind.
As a child, Elio had grown up on the coastline of Cerulean City and often accompanied his father's vaporeon Blu when they spent days at the water both when he was in his possession and when he was released. The two of them spent hours walking along the tide as it had pulled away, finding sea shells, sand dollars and a number of other interesting things that washed up in the shallows. Some days he'd find some pokemon that had been beached and unable to get to the water. At first, his father, Blu and him would work to haul the majority that they could back to the ocean, but when Cal's behavior changed and Blu released, it was just Elio by himself. He had lost count of how many staryu, goldeen and magikarp he had tossed back into the ocean to revive during his trips there.
There was one day after Blu had been released when Elio had gone down to the shallows. His mother knew he had been going to see his favorite pokemon and made damn sure that he was back in an hour. The water receded back farther than he had ever seen before, allowing him to go even farther out. More pokemon were discovered such as shellder and horsea.
Blu had been particularly fussy that day, despite the water drawing back, he constantly nudged Elio's side back towards the shore and didn't relent even when the boy gave him his favorite snack of dried seaweed and fish.
He didn't know how long or far he had walked out, but a rumble immediately alerted both him and the pokemon soon after.
The water had receded because of an oncoming rogue wave, the very top of the twenty footer and growing had just appeared over the horizon. No sooner had he realized it when the city's tsunami sirens echoed their shrill call.
Blu was in a panic, constantly trying to push Elio back in the direction of land and he finally had figured out his best friend's abnormal behavior. He was attempting to discourage him from going further due to the danger of the wave.
With him hot on his heels, a fearful Elio had to run more than a quarter mile back to the shore driven by adrenaline. He remembered nearly tripping at one point, but his own mind screamed at him to keep moving. The roar had filled his ears and mind and he didn't dare look back.
The wave had crashed down early, the immense power unable to hold up and it had crashed down just a couple hundred feet behind Elio and Blu. That resulting splash caught up to him in the blink of an eye and he was thrown off his feet.
It was thanks to Blu that kept him on the shore as people who witnessed the wave had noticed the boy and his pokemon, rushing forth to help. Not wanting to involve himself any further; Blu made for a quiet exit as everyone's attention was on a sopping wet Elio.
He had spat seawater from his mouth and coughed up what felt like lungfuls more. His legs had hurt as in his hasty run back to shore, he had stepped over sharp limestone that made over a dozen lacerations on his calves and through his water shoes, which were basically totaled.
But he was alive. And despite his mother's well-deserved scolding that night, it was overlooked by her fear and worry that she could have very well lost her only child that day. Elio had been truly scared at the time. He thought he was going to drown, a thought that terrified him.
He didn't dare look down, even as the thoughts swirled around his head. The drop twelve feet down had drained the water level almost equal with that of the seas outside, leaving the rocky walls surrounding them, ensconcing the hidden ruins. Had the sign earlier not pointed out its location, Elio would have assumed it was just another unremarkable lagoon.
The path began to narrow as it wound to their left. He moved slowly and deliberately, not going too quick since Lillie would be following him just as carefully. The further they descended down the treacherous path, the slicker the surface became until it felt as if he were skating on greased ice.
"You doing okay?" He asked Lillie after a few minutes of moving.
"Y-yeah." She bit her lip and her eyes drifted down, an immediate regret at seeing how far of a drop it would be.
"You're doing great." Elio reassured her. "We're almost there."
He had no idea how long the path went.
They kept to the wall as the rock platform narrowed to half its size. Here, they had to press their backs against the stony wall, shuffling their feet from side to side with less than an inch of wiggle room. Hands groped against the porous face which was also just as wet and slippery as the surface they stood on. When it came time to turn the bend, Elio peered over, seeing the angle around was wide enough that he could swing a foot out and around. There was even a stalagmite just within arm's reach where he could balance himself. The sound of a waterfall up ahead could be heard around what he guessed was another bend.
He had gestured for Lillie to wait until he completed the turn before helping her over. Her hand clasped his as she just as carefully swung her legs around. The grip had tightened and loosened once she was over.
Now around the bend, he could see that the waterfall was directly across from him on the opposite cliff and gushing over a cascade that looked about as wide as his house. Despite it hitting the lagoon at the bottom and throwing up a fine blanketing mist, it was amazingly crystal clear. The gap looked short enough for one to simply leap over, but Elio knew better that to even entertain the idea.
Hold on. Is that the ruins? Elio had to squint through the waterfall, now seeing that the bend curved inward and dropped down another ten feet in a descent to a wider rock platform that could barely be seen behind the wall of water. Just on the other side, he saw a dark mouth of a cave. Aside from maybe flying in on a pokemon ride at the lowest tide, he was more than happy to never go to the place this way again.
"The Ruins of Hope." Lillie had stared across. "This place, the air feels so oppressive."
Elio ignored her musings, glancing over to make sure she was still keeping pace with him.
"Lillie, pay attention."
"I know. But we're so close."
"Let's get to a spot where the risk of slipping to our doom is a lot less likely."
"Elio, do you think if we go in there…then Nebby could perhaps return to normal?"
He honestly didn't know. As much as he cared about the little cosmog in its vegetative state, their focus should be on themselves. He felt like a spy infiltrating the outside of a building by walking on the eaves.
Lillie felt it too. They were close. So close.
Her heart surged with excitement and pride at her accomplishments. Maybe there was a breakthrough that was waiting to happen and all she had to do was to seize it for herself.
She took a step forward and her shoe met nothing but air.
The scream was halfway out of her mouth when her brain suddenly realized that she had taken a step right over the abyss and was about to plunge ten feet down onto the raging waters and razor sharp rocks below. Her fall was arrested by Elio who had just seen it happen out of the corner of his eye, acting in a split second to lunge and wrap his right arm firmly around her waist. His left arm swiftly pulled them both back up despite his limbs shaking from a combination of adrenaline and lactic acid. The entire thing lasted three seconds.
Lillie's breathing quickened and she leaned against the wall, shaken up over how close she had just been to getting seriously injured or even killed. It had been Elio's quick thinking…no, his quick acting that had saved her yet again.
"You're okay." He whispered, still holding onto her as she held back the tears threatening to spill over. "You're okay."
"I'm sorry. I…I thought that-" Somehow, he didn't seem to notice the furious blush that had made its way to her cheeks. Same with the feeling of his hand being held directly over her stomach.
"Come on. We can think about that stuff when we're not walking on something that's as wide as a balance beam."
It took them a few more painstaking minutes to cross the narrow path around and behind the waterfall where the above roof acted as a canopy to hide the entrance.
Unlike the Ruins of Life which had an elaborate wooden trim with pink lines around a symmetrical entrance, the Ruins of Hope were much more unspectacular. The mouth of the cave appeared as a teardrop shape on its side leading ever slightly downward. Compared to the air that held the sea's salty tang surrounding them, the cave seemed to almost "breathe" and create a pocket of cleaner and crisper air in the small vestibule that was shielded by the waterfall. Elio wondered if the water from there was actually fresh.
If it is; it probably isn't drinkable straight up. Microbes and all.
"They say that this is where Tapu Fini lives. The protecting goddess of Poni Island, who's mystic water is said to wash away any impurities. Physical, mental…and spiritual."
"Where life ends its journey in one and begins anew in another." Elio said. He stopped suddenly when he realized that Lillie had said the same thing under her breath at the exact same time in perfect sync.
"I mean that does sound promising. You think it'll work?"
"Maybe." Lillie swung her backpack and opened the zipper. The disk that was once Nebby still remained immobile and unresponsive no matter what she had said or did to it. "I'm still going to give it my all so that it gets Nebby back to normal!"
Just you wait. I'm gonna be the one to save you this time.
Elio had expected the interior of the Ruins of Hope to be dark enough to require a flashlight. But to his surprise, the water below the stone path was emitting an eerie natural glow that bathed the entire cavernous space in a luminous blue light. It danced and shimmered with the water on the ceiling, almost reminding him of the documentary taken in the underwater sections of the Cave of Origin in Hoenn's Sootopolis City.
Woah. The spectacle was both mistifying and incredible. Few people ever got to see the ruins where a Tapu resided. Elio saw a band of lighter shade on the walls under the waterline through the glow. Though they had been there for a couple of minutes, the tide was now slowly but steadily starting to come back in. He didn't know how much time they had, but he had no intention of being here once it raised up to the surface they stood on at the moment.
Hopefully it takes a while.
The first chamber had been just a straight way down. The next one showed that getting through was going to be a bit more of a challenge.
Lillie grunted as she tried to lean her weight into one of the gigantic rocks that were leaning on the path that significantly blocked them from going forward.
If Hapu went in here, how did she get past all this?
She gasped for air and leaned against the slab of stone. She scowled at Elio's smirking from her attempts.
"You laugh, but it's heavier than words can express. You think you can use that machamp that Lola let us use?"
He shrugged, enjoying watching her being a bit flustered. "I can. But no pictures."
To his surprise, she returned his smirk from earlier. "No promises."
Damn. Not only can she take this banter, but spin it around and throw it right back.
Elio summoned the ride machamp, who flexed its four arms and gave him a curt nod. As it brought its lower arms together to link the saddle, he hopped in and quickly snapping on the protective straps.
Both him and the machamp got to work, the large superpower pokemon thrusting its burly arms onto the side of the rock and pushing. He could see that the surface was porous like the rock walls outside and there was a fine dust that kicked up as the machamp finally got it to shift with a loud scraping noise. Elio suspected the large rocks were pumice, less dense enough to actually float in the water when the tide brought them up.
The machamp had shoved the large boulder to the edge and with one final effort, heaved it over the side. Lillie had stopped hearing the scraping sound, followed by a massive splash just moments later.
"Alright that's one down."
They took another few minutes to remove three more slabs of the pumice rocks that were just as big and weighing close to ten tons. While the weight wasn't the problem for a machamp, the bulk and only using two of its four available arms made it more tedious than necessary. Each one was pitched over the side and the volume they had taken up had caused the waterline to rise up even more. Elio had to guess they had about an hour before the tide came in to submerge the stone path.
"Thanks big guy." He returned the ride pokemon to its rental poke ball and sent it back into the database, hoping that he wouldn't need to use it again.
Before them lay another chamber, the entrance narrowed at the threshold. Like at the beginning, the water pooled at the bottom and continued to naturally illuminate the cavern. Elio was certain his mind was playing tricks on him, but the glow in the final chamber seemed even stronger like they were getting closer to the source.
Is it something like photoluminescent microbial life like plankton or bacteria? Or something else?
This chamber was nearly twice as wide as the first one that had the rocks needed to be shoved aside. The ceiling rose a few feet as the path finally stopped at a flight of stairs that led to a shrine in the middle. It was the first prominently manmade object they had seen since entering the ruins. At the bottom, the water swirled and churned, flowing to the back corners and draining into a tributary. Unlike the outer chamber where there was indication of a rising and falling tide, the walls of this one showed no such thing. That had explained why the shrine didn't have the same weathering of being above and submerged by seawater constantly.
"I've read about them before." Lillie whispered in awe as they were still taking in the sight. "Alola's most sacred ruins and the guardian deities worshiped in them."
"The Tapu?" Elio asked. For some reason, he felt the need to whisper as if talking out loud would anger the guardian.
"They go and do wherever and whatever they want, so it's not easy to meet them as the books say. But if they are summoned at the ruins, sometimes they do appear."
"Like what?"
"I…I don't know." Lillie looked dejectedly at the ground. "Some people go to see if they can do something about sickness, resolving family matters, there was even a mention of a couple who visited and prayed to them in hopes of being able to have a child."
All people who want to improve their lives or make it better for others.
"The books say that they are…uh capricious."
Elio nodded. Their behavior was definitely unordinary compared to the other pokemon. What was universal among them was the fact they all seemed to steer clear to avoid provoking them from using their incredible power.
"An encounter with them may not end in the way it's hoped."
"I'm certainly glad mine with Tapu Koko was good." Elio whispered. "Especially now knowing that little tidbit."
"Could that be why even coming to these ruins hasn't evoked a response from Nebby?"
Before either of them could say anything further, an ethereal cry resonated through the cavern. After having twenty minutes of an eerie quiet, the noise sent them on high alert. Lillie yelped in a panic and the hairs on Elio's neck raised up. His hand went to a poke ball in a flash, ready to send out Hakamo'o.
"Look."
Lillie's eyes were drawn to the shrine, past the series of carved idols and other objects that seemed to be a mix of iridescent volcanic rocks and bleached white bones as tips of hooks and spears.
A small mermaid-like creature was floating in the middle with an ovoid purple and white shell. Angled fins lined the top and sides and the upper part had a pointed prow.
Tapu Fini.
Another figure was seen moving. Elio recognized Hapu's bushy hair as she stood with the same hesitance they were having about entering the shrine's chamber. He wondered if the tapu had noticed their presence yet.
Child.
He stopped. The voice was aged…feminine.
Do not be afraid child of Alola.
The voice came from his left, but Lillie was to his right and that definitely did not sound like her at all. Hapu couldn't have said it either.
"Did you hear that?"
She looked confused. "Hear what?"
A piercing harsh glow illuminated the entire cavern, instantly blinding out the bluish green glow of the water. Its source was a single gold glowing object that floated in the center.
Hapu stood calmly; facing Tapu Fini as she reached up to take the object. She held it close to her chest, nodding her head down and muttering something they could barely hear.
"E pili mau na pomaika 'Iia oe." A slow exhale. "Mahalo wau. K'ou hoomaikai. As kahuna, I will do my best for the people and the pokemon of this island and all of Alola. Expect nothing less."
Hapu slid the ring onto her left wrist. Moments later, a flash of light and Tapu Fini vanished.
Child. Child of Alola. Again, the female voice from his left.
Elio jumped as the flash returned, Tapu Fini had appeared in a swirl of fine mist that flowed onto the ground as if an opening of a show. She was mere feet away from the teens.
"Tapu Fini?"
The guardian deity ignored Lillie and stared at Elio, unblinking and gently bobbing up and down in midair at eye level.
"Me?"
Yes.
"You?" Lillie asked. "What do you mean you?"
Elio realized that only he was able to hear the voice and to his surprise, it had come faintly from his Z-Ring like some sort of parabolic microphone. Tapu Fini's voice was like any other, but the way she spoke and how he was able to perceive it felt like it was just as passive as him thinking to himself.
Could this be how the kahunas communicate with the tapu? Or is this just an exclusive to Z-Ring holders?
So. Tapu Fini's smooth voice echoed in his head and froze any movements in his body. This is the waeia kekahi of my kai'kuana. How…curious.
The deity's eyes centered on Elio's own ring and for some reason, he felt compelled to take it off. His hands were already undoing the clasp before he even had a conscious thought of doing so.
Elio's Z-Ring had a few scuffs from earlier adventures, but the sparkling stone and slot for the Zenith crystals was just as he had found it.
If only I could use that Lycanium Z.
Tapu Fini floated the ring between them before it clamped its large purple shell over it.
"Hey!" Elio cried, in protest. "That's mine! Gi-"
Wait, there has to be a reason it took it from me. Lillie could only watch in surprise at the entire thing. Tapu Fini remained inert, lying in wait.
Then the same glow began to emanate from the seam parting its shell. Whether it was actual power or just for show, he wasn't sure.
Elio saw his Z-Ring as Fini opened its shell once more, but instead of the pearly white band he had previously, it was jet black just like the surrounding igneous rocks. The socket to insert a Z-crystal was different and he realized that the Lycanium he had received earlier would fit perfectly.
His hand reached out like Hapu had done and he took the Z-Ring, noticing that it was slightly warm to the touch.
"Mahalo." He whispered softly as he strapped it to his wrist once more.
Tapu Fini said nothing, only swayed gently from side to side. Another flash of light surrounded it and a fresh wave of mist spread out from behind. As it swirled around, the mist dissipated as soon as it had appeared. The protecting goddess of Poni Island was gone as if it had never existed.
"Oh!" Hapu was walking to them, a new confidence in her strut. "So you two were watching?"
She reached them and turned back around to stare up at the shrine. "The kahunas of Alola are chosen by the tapu, the very pokemon we worship here as our guardians. They are chosen from among the island each of them watches over. A haole such as yourself receiving a gift of a sparkling stone from Tapu Koko is really something."
"Yeah it is. Thank you."
Hapu continued. "My grandfather…he was chosen for the honor of being kahuna…and he…was well, you could say rather radical. He was struck down from his title and died years back. I tried to follow in his footsteps; to amend our family legacy that he had willingly tainted. Bring a sense of honor back to the Encarnación name. But I was not chosen for the honor. As much as it pained me, I wondered why we were even left without a kahuna on Poni for years. So I went all around Alola, balancing my duty to my family, our farm that we've held for generations and my own personal island challenge to grow stronger in understanding."
She turned back around, the newfound confidence of her own in her demeanor. "Lillie. The kahuna you wished to meet…now stands before you."
"Woah." Elio couldn't help that. Excitement flooded his own veins, not only had they witnessed something that was extremely rare, but the new anointed island kahuna for the last bit of his island challenge meant completing it was no longer just a pipe dream.
As much as he wanted to challenge her right then and there for his Grand Trial, he restrained himself. There was still a regular trial on the island that he had to finish first.
"That's amazing Hapu! I'm so happy for you!"
"Thank you."
"Please." Lillie said to her. "Tell me about the legendary pokemon of Alola."
"Um, not to put a damper on the awesomeness and all." Elio interjected. "But we may want to make our exit. The tide is starting to come back in."
Lillie and Hapu looked down and saw that he was right. The water was beginning to rise in the forward chamber, more than what the shrine was going to be able to drain off. Soon enough, it would completely submerge the entire ruins. They began to walk back the way they had come towards the cave's mouth.
"So you wish to know more about Lunala?" Hapu asked her. "The beast that we pay tribute to at the Altar of the Moone? It hasn't been seen for as long as people can remember. Less and less believe it even exists. Legends can only be passed down for so long before they're nothing more than something to tell children at bedtime stories.
"My mother disappeared into the beast's world. Willingly. And I have to go and bring her back. Or at least try. I know that she did terrible things, but she's still my mother. I know I can help her see reason. That's why…why I want to ask the legend…Lunala for its help. It's the only one that can go back and forth between the worlds."
Hapu pursed her lips, likely wondering if the creature she had seen earlier was one such beast. "I see. I'll go ahead and tell you what I know, how little it may be."
"Any little bit is helpful, even if we do find it useless." Elio said.
"There's a ceremony, a ritual of sorts held by the ancient Alolan people at the Altar. I only know it from my own grandfather's tales. He had heard it from his own grandmother who had been the kahuna of Poni Island more than a century ago. As I had said, legends like these get muddled for so long without concrete proof as they're passed from generation to generation. Eventually it can barely resemble their original telling."
"We've come too far to turn back now. I feel like we're so close."
"Right." They had finally reached the mouth of the ruins and heard the rush of the waterfall from before. "The ritual had two particular flutes when sounded together, could summon the legendary pokemon to give it the power it needed."
"Flute?" Lillie's eyes widened in recognition and she gasped. Rummaging through her bag, she pulled out the gold and orange Sun Flute that Gladion had given them back at the Aether Paradise. "This one? This is the Sun Flute. It seems like my mother had it, like she had wanted to add the legendary pokemon-"
Elio noticed that her voice trailed off and he knew what the end of the sentence was going to say. That didn't matter now.
"Ho!" Hapu reached over, taking the instrument from Lillie and examining it over. "What fine craftsmanship and the olopua wood is like none other! That looks a lot of like the flute that lies at the lake on Ula'ula Island! There's some other flutes made with olopua called hanoihu that you actually play with your nose."
"Your nose?" Elio stifled a laugh while imagining someone trying to blow a flute in that manner.
Hapu's smirk grew, a little too quick for his liking. "Yes, they were mainly played during ceremonies of courtship and marriage. Hundreds of years ago the marriage celebrations involved a lot of this particular thing in front of the whole village."
The new kahuna's hands made a certain gesture that made Elio wrinkle his nose in disgust and Lillie scoffing. How does she know that?
"That's a bit more than what I wanted to know."
"So Hapu," Lillie was fighting another blush, yet despite the revelation of the courting tradition moments earlier, she hadn't yet released Elio's hand. "Is there any way you can find out where the other flute is located?"
"The Moon Flute? Yes I can. It's on Exeggutor Island. I don't know why there of all places, but it has been passed down from generation to generation where it is kept."
"Exeggutor Island? I think I've read about it before. It's an uninhabited island off the west coast of Poni. But Exeggutor isn't its actual name."
"No it's not." Hapu answered her. "The actual name is Keokeo Island, though many of us have gotten used to calling it the former over the years. Unlike what the books probably told you, it is the true oldest island of Alola. Poni Island is the second."
She took a deep breath. "However, Exeggutor Island also holds incredible reverence to Alolans back to ancient times. The ka haku frequently visited it as a neutral site, forming pacts, conducting prisoner exchanges and parleys with rival ka haku. As that era came to a close, it became a place where village chiefs and kahunas went to be alone, to meditate and the like. Under normal circumstances; outsiders such as the two of you would normally be forbidden to enter."
Elio raised an eyebrow. "So I'm guessing it still is?"
"Yes. Though you will have my permission as the new kahuna of Poni. Any of the other kahunas would be able to give you permission as well."
They were interrupted by a bit of splashing at the waterfall. Now they could see the impact where it hit the surface, just a few inches below the rock platform they were standing.
"Time to go." Hapu waved her hand. Moments later, a blast of wind parted the veil of water just briefly for Bantay the flygon to enter and land. His long green wings kicked up a storm of dust as he settled and leaned down for Hapu to climb on. At the same time, Elio had a ride charizard ready to take them out.
"I will inform Marv the Seafolk chief of your journey over to Exeggutor Island. It will take the majority of the day to traverse the seas, so he'll be expecting the two of you tomorrow."
Bantay let out a loud cry and took to the air.
Hapu had leaned over her pokemon's side. "In the meantime, I believe you, Elio, have a trial to complete before you can challenge me in an island kahuna grand trial. Why not use the rest of today to complete that and rest up for tomorrow?"
"That actually sounds like a good idea." The promise of both the trial and the grand trial being achievable had spurred newfound energy in him. It was now feasible and all he had to do was win both of them.
"I shall duly prepare for you." Hapu said. "And as the island kahuna, I will not lose."
He didn't have a chance to reply before Bantay flapped his wings again to create a blast of air that split the waterfall again. With a whooshing noise and a whip of wind that nearly took the 'Canes hat off his head, Bantay shot through the small opening like a missile and disappeared.
So! The new Kahuna of Poni Island has been appointed and awaits Elio at the end of the island's Grand Trial. More to come in the next chapter, which includes the fairy trial. While it didn't have one in regular Sun/Moon and something a little unexpected in the Ultra versions, I've got an idea of how I can make it a bit different than what we got in-game.
Hawaiian Translations:
Maika'i loa - Splendid
Hopeloa - Prime/Ultimate
Lilikoi - Passionfruit
Kope - Coffee
Hoa - Friend
E pili mau na pomaika 'Ila oe - My blessings ever be with you
Mahalo wau - I thank/I give thanks
K'ou hoomaikai - Your blessing
Waeia kekahi - Chosen one
Kai'kuana - Brother
Ka haku - Warlord/War chief
Haole - No breath. Usually referred to a non-native
Olopua - A species of olive tree that is prized for its wood and only found on the Hawaiian islands. Olopua wood is an excellent firestarter and when treated, can be used to make various tools and instruments, including flutes.
Hanoihu - A type of flute found in the Hawaiian Islands and much of Polynesia that is played by exhaling from the nostrils. Hano ihu is often played during ceremonies of courtship.
Kona coffee, pokemon-ified into Poni coffee is one of the most valuable and expensive coffees in the world. The Kona District on the island of Hawai'i has favorable conditions for growing coffee plants and the industry brings in billions of dollars annually. Most kona named coffees are blends with varying grades. Today, a cup which is between an ounce or two can cost between $4-$9 dollars depending on the brand and quality of the bean harvested.
Filipino Translations:
Bantay - Guardian/Sentry
Apo - Grandchild
Lola - Grandparent
As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose and I'll see you guys next time.
Brav