Alola, all! So I apologize for the long wait for the next update. After I posted Chapter 3, I got distracted by holiday stuff, writing The Scent of Roses, and US/UM. Then on January/February I was working on revising Chapter 4. I actually got the chapter's first draft done... months ago, then I added new stuff and well I got carried away. I already thought how I want some scenes to go, but thanks to US/UM and feedback on earlier chapters I got some new ideas I wan to try. Before we get to Chapter Four, some big announcements and other notes!
-This chapter is where we get to US/UM territory, so there will be some spoilers if you haven't played those games yet. Also I played Ultra Sun, so for now Dulse and Zossie will be making appearances.
-Some changes in the tags and chapter titles! With the tags, after some thinking on how deep I want to go more towards Nanu's backstory, added some warnings of PTSD and references to depression. I also decided to name the chapters after Dark-type moves, so right now Chapter One is "Knock Off", Chapter Two is "Brutal Swing", and Chapter Three is "Flatter." This chapter is "Night Daze".
-In one scene there's a reference to Gabite and Sableye's Pokedex entries! Rotom, you're crazy.
-So, I did an art request for my friend to do a Grimsley and Nanu art, and he delivered! Go to his art blog mythirl-warheads and check out more of his art!
-In addition to posting Chapter Four, I also went ahead and revised Chapter One... er, again! More info as to what changes I did over there. I'm planning to polishing up Chapters 2 and 3 also fairly soon.
-Thanks to bobandbill for his edits as always!
Chapter Four
Night Daze
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows and curtains, stirring Grimsley from his sleep. With a groan, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He glanced around and noted his room fairly simple with desks and drawers colored in blue, green, and red. Various toys like trucks, figurines, and Pokémon plushies littered the floor. He wore the pajamas Acerola had given him last night, the fabric soft and warm against his skin. Grimsley bounced off of his bed and went to the restroom to shower and get dressed.
By the time he made it to the dining room half an hour later, Nanu, Acerola, Hunter, and Gracie had already gathered around the table eating bacon and eggs while Yungoos, Mimikyu, Oranguru, and Elekid sat on the floor munching their own food. When Acerola noticed Grimsley, she beamed at him.
"Oh, good morning! Care for some breakfast and milk?"
"Some food would be nice, please," Grimsley said as he joined everyone at the table. Acerola got out of her seat to bring him a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs along with a glass of milk. He picked up his fork and chewed a piece of bacon. The grease slicked against his tongue but was otherwise soft and with a hint of sweetness. He tried the eggs next, and Grimsley could taste the pepper and salt dashed on it.
"Did you have a good sleep?" Gracie asked after she finished chewing one piece of her bacon.
"I did, thanks for asking," Grimsley said. He gulped some of his milk. "I'm looking forward to today's trip."
"Me too!" Acerola said. She explained how she had Becky called the Poké Ride stable over at Route 13 to have them reserve a few Mudsdale for everyone.
Hunter swallowed some of his eggs and asked, "Acerola, can we have pizza again for dinner tonight?" At that moment, his Elekid rushed to his side and pumped his arms up and down. "Elekid thinks so, too."
Acerola put her fork down after she finished chewing her food and wiggled her finger. "Now, now, Hunter, too much pizza can give you stomach aches. It's better to not eat them back to back," she said, and both Hunter and Elekid pouted.
Grimsley hummed in agreement, drank more milk from his glass, and went back eating his breakfast. He had an enjoyable conversation with everyone during pizza last night. Becky, Hunter, and Gracie had mentioned how they met and chatted about some of the Pokémon they took care of in the Aether House. The Aether employee had also mentioned Aether Paradise, a much larger habitat for endangered Pokémon that doubled as a research facility. Acerola meanwhile had talked about what it was like being a trial captain, which piqued his interest. Nanu didn't say much, only offering a few comments on occasion as he preferred to reply with grunts and nods.
While everyone ate the rest of their food in silence, Grimsley looked at Nanu who was chewing on his last piece of bacon slowly. He recalled how he had learned about the tapu deities choosing their island's guardian. There was something about the kahuna that pulled Grimsley towards him already. When the door slid open and someone stepped inside, Grimsley shifted his gaze to see Becky approaching them.
"Good morning, everyone!" she said, waving at them. Everyone said good morning to her except Nanu, who instead mumbled under his breath. "I called the stable and one of the guides, Carlos, reserved the Mudsdale for you guys. Also, you guys should have these." Becky pulled out three goggles from the bag she was carrying and handed them to Acerola.
"That's great, thanks a million, Becky!" Acerola's face lit up and she said, "Oh Uncle Nanu, since we're here why don't we give Iokua a call?"
Nanu almost choked on the milk he was drinking. Grimsley stared at him, thinking it was odd for him to react like that. After calming down, Nanu shrugged.
"Eh, it's been a while since I last talked with him, so sure."
"I wouldn't mind talking with him, too. I think he would like to know that I made it safely to the Aether House," Grimsley said.
"Sure!" After bouncing out of her seat, Acerola closed her eyes and grinned. "Let's start putting the plates in the sink. I can make that phone call."
Smiling, Becky said, "I'll have my tablet ready while you guys do that."
It took a few minutes for Grimsley and the others to put the dishes in the sink and clean the tables. Once that was done, they moved to the front hall as the Pokémon followed them. Becky went to the reception desk and pulled out a tablet from there. She punched some buttons on the screen, and handed it to Acerola. Gracie and Hunter played with the Pokémon while Grimsley, Nanu, and Becky gathered around Acerola. They waited a minute until the screen lit up and Iokua's face was shown.
"Acerola!" Iokua said with a grin. He sat in front of a desk with a pile of papers next to him. Behind him was the window and two bookshelves.
"Hi, Iokua!" Acerola said. "I'm calling to see how you're doing."
"I'm doing great, thanks. You're as chipper as ever, still having fun as trial captain?" When Acerola responded that she was, Iokua grinned. "That's wonderful. Ah, I noticed Grimsley has reached the Aether House. I take it you didn't have much trouble getting your way here?"
"It went smoothly for the most part," Grimsley said, leaning his head closer to the screen. "I passed by Tapu Village, and while it left much to be desired it was still a treat to see."
"I'm glad to hear on both counts," Iokua said, sounding satisfied. When he noticed Nanu, his grin grew larger. "And how are you doing, Dad?"
"Hey, Iokua," Nanu said, his hands in the pocket of his pants. "Not much, really. Same ol' same ol'."
"So the usual patrolling Po Town and Grand Trials, huh? It's great you're still making a difference in this island."
"Maybe," Nanu said with a flat face. With an arched eyebrow, Grimsley stared at him.
"Patrolling Po Town? Is that where you're living?" he asked.
Facing Grimsley, Nanu said, "Ah huh. I'm the only officer there since no one else wants to get close to Team Skull."
"Team Skull?" Grimsley's eyes grew wide. "I stumbled upon them once before. So that group has been causing trouble in this region for a while now?"
"They have," Iokua said, who had been listening in on their conversation. "Po Town got overrun by them several years ago and the police there got overwhelmed."
"At one point some of them used their Pokémon to hurt our own men," Nanu added. "When I agreed to be transferred here, I asked for back up but got nothing. Eventually I just let those guys do their own thing as long as they stay in their tuff." A grunt left his throat and he shrugged. "It's best to not get involved with them if you value even an ounce of your life."
While locking his eyes with Nanu's, Grimsley considered his warning. He wanted to remind him that he was from the Unova Elite Four and could handle himself, but decided against it since Nanu wouldn't care anyways.
"If you're having trouble getting reinforcements, why don't you ask the Aether Foundation for help?" Becky asked. "I'm sure we're more than happy to assist you."
At that instant, Nanu shot her a glare and crossed his arms. "I appreciate the gesture, but I don't think they'll do much good."
Grimsley looked over his shoulder to see Becky frowned in disappointment. He was baffled by Nanu's refusal there. On screen, Iokua had a similar expression as Becky's.
"Nanu and I are actually about to take Grimsley to the Ruins of Abundance right now!" Acerola said.
"Is that so?" Iokua let out a pleased smile. "Well, you three have fun out there, and I'm sure you'll like what you see, Grimsley."
"I have no doubt I will," Grimsley said. Shortly after, Iokua said that he needed to get back to work and everyone said goodbye to him before the application on the tablet turned dark. As soon as Grimsley and the others finished talking with Iokua, the two children and the Pokémon approached them.
"You sure we can't come with you to Haina Desert?" Gracie asked, and Acerola shook her head.
"Sorry, but the desert is too dangerous for you kids. Maybe when you guys are a little older."
Together, Gracie and Hunter let out disappointed voices and hung their heads down. Becky chuckled as she walked up to them and dropped on her knees to touch their shoulders.
"Acerola's right, that desert tends to get sandstorms and you can get lost easily if you're not careful. You guys will get your chance someday."
Both children still didn't look convinced. Gracie pouted and crossed her arms against her chest. "Fine, we'll stay," she mumbled.
"If those two are done complaining, I think that's our cue for us to leave," Nanu said, facing Grimsley and Acerola. They nodded in agreement.
"I can take you guys to Acerola's trial site and to Route 13 where the Mudsdale are. The jeep's outside." Becky turned towards Oranguru. "You watch the kids for a little while until I come back!"
With a nod, Oranguru grunted and punched his chest like a drum. Becky chuckled and patted his shoulder.
The two children wished the three a fun and safe trip through Haina Desert. The Pokémon joined in on sending them off too, with Yungoos and Mimikyu making high pitched growls while Oranguru and Elekid waved their arms. Grimsley and Acerola said their goodbyes while Nanu just flicked his wrist at them. They stepped out of the Aether House and the sliding doors closed behind them.
A tan jeep with the Aether Foundation star symbol was parked outside. Grimsley and Acerola took the back seat while Nanu and Becky sat in the front. As Grimsley made himself comfortable against the leather seat, he waited a minute until Becky started the engine and the car took off.
It was a fairly short drive from Route 15 to Tapu Village, and when they reached there only a few people gathered outside. The construction towards the path to Mount Lanalika was still off limits, so Grimsley was sure he wasn't going to do some sightseeing there anytime soon. Once they reached the arrow signs that either led to Haina Desert or Route 14, Becky drove into the downward path.
"Huh, looks like the construction for the Pokémon League is almost finished!" Acerola said, pointing at the construction site.
"Pokémon League?" Grimsley raised an eyebrow. "I thought Alola doesn't have one."
"It was just recently decided that Alola should have one," Becky said, her eyes still on the road. "Looks like we'll have our own Elite Four and Champion soon."
Acerola hummed in agreement, and she looked up at Grimsley. "You're a dark type expert in the Unova League, right?"
"Yes. I love the mysterious and crafty nature of dark types. Being an Elite Four has its perks."
Grinning, Acerola said, "I train ghost Pokémon and I feel the same way! Plus they're fun to work with!"
Grimsley couldn't help but smirk. "You know a lady named Shauntal? She's the ghost type expert in the same Pokemon League as me. You and her would get along splendidly."
Acerola's face lit up. "I heard of her, yes! I even have one of her books with me!"
After rummaging through her bag, she pulled out a thick blue book and handed it to Grimsely. He looked at the cover with a picture of a trainer and an Articuno. The title "Snowstorm in Johto" was engraved in silver letters.
"Ah, I remember Shauntal bothering me brainstorming ideas for that story because I have family from Johto," Grimsley said as he flipped through several pages. Once he was finished, he handed the book back to Acerola. "Glad she did as it's a good read."
"I know, right? She's great with characters and atmosphere!"
Grimsley nodded in agreement, and shifted his gaze at Nanu's direction. "How about you, Nanu? What's your reason for training dark types?"
"What?" Nanu moved his head slightly without looking at the back. After several seconds, he said, "I somehow just ended up with them. What can I say, misery loves company."
"Is that so..." Grimsley let out a puzzled grunt and scratched his chin. He decided to not ask further and leave it at that.
Route 14 was a small coastal route with dried black sand and broken roads. Large waves crashed onto the shore. Grimsley spotted a few people already there to fish or have a Pokémon battle. When he glimpsed at the ocean through the window, remnants of destroyed buildings underwater flashed before his eyes. There was a large cracked road up ahead.
By the time they reached the top several minutes later, they got out of the jeep. Grimsley stared at the abandoned building in front of him. Pieces of brick from the foundation had fallen apart and graffiti filled with less than appropriate words was sprayed across there. The windows were dirty and clouded with dust, tinted in darkness. Overgrown weed popped up in front of the store and around the fences with some trash that littered the ground. He heaved a deep sigh, facing everyone.
"So this is the site of your trial?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Acerola nodded, a proud smile reaching her lips.
"Ah huh. I thought it would be cool to have a spooky theme trial be held in an abandoned location like this one! I let the trainers take pictures of the ghost Pokémon roaming around, and then they battle a Mimikyu that's larger than usual."
Nanu snorted, one hand on his hip. "Half of the trainers that came to me mentioned how the totem Mimikyu scared them and their Pokémon half to death. I don't blame them."
"Well, what's the use of a ghost type trial if it doesn't frighten anyone?" Acerola countered, lifting her chin up.
Becky chuckled while Grimsley hummed in agreement. That statement reminded him when he talked with Shauntal over her Pokémon League room's aesthetic design. He cleared his throat.
"From what I understand, this region has trial captains and kahunas that work differently from the usual gym leaders and Elite Four from other regions. Iokua had explained the basics to me."
"He did, huh? Did he also tell you how kahunas chose their captains?" Acerola asked, and Grimsley nodded. She continued with, "However, I was the only other trial captain Nanu chose."
"She's not lying," Nanu said. He stared over his shoulder at the abandoned market. "We got one other trial captain here, but I let his cousin do it. There were some unusual circumstances in Ula'ula Island for a while, and Poni Island isn't doing well either as they still lack a kahuna."
"An island without a kahuna, huh? I can see how that poses a problem," Grimsley said. He recalled what he had read on the tapus and how they chose their kahuna. That meant that island's tapu hadn't chosen a successor yet.
"You also look over the trials at Poni Island because of that, right Kahuna Nanu?" Becky pointed out.
"Yeah, but not too many trial goers made it past frilly Mina's trial."
"Oh, I remember trying her trial a few years ago!" Acerola said, her hands on her hips. "That Ribombee of hers is no pushover!"
"So you're actually overseeing two islands," Grimsley said to Nanu. "It must be not easy in addition to being a police officer."
The kahuna gave a slight nod, but with a tight expression that said he wasn't pleased with it. "I had no choice. I was chosen as this island's kahuna, and Poni Island needed someone to watch over the trials there until another kahuna is ready."
Unsure how to respond to that, Grimsley folded his arms and pursed his lips up. He only met Nanu less than a day, but he thought him being a dark type trainer fitted him well.
"Excuse me, but did I hear that there's a trial captain and kahuna here?"
Grimsley flinched upon hearing that familiar voice. He turned around and his heart jumped inside his throat. The visitor was dressed in a gray overcoat that looked to be too uncomfortable for him to wear in this weather. There was no mistake it was him with his glasses and strange hairstyle.
"Yes you did!" Acrola greeted him with a grin. Becky smiled while Nanu had an indifferent expression on his face. "I'm Trial Captain Acerola, and Uncle Nanu here is this island's kahuna!"
"Hi there," Nanu said with a lazy hand wave.
"I'm Becky!" Becky said.
"Wonderful!" He clapped his hand, and said, "My name is Colress, and I'm a scientist conducting my research here." He stopped and his eyes turned wide when he noticed Grimsley. "Well well, what a pleasant surprise, Unova's Elite Four Grimsley!"
"Nice to see you too, Colress," Grimsley said, giving him a sharp look.
"Wait, you two knew each other?" Becky asked.
"We've met a few times before." Furrowing his brow at Colress, Grimsley said, "He forgot to mention that he was once part of a secret organization called Team Plasma."
"Wait, is that true?" Acerola asked, her eyes wide. Becky had the same shocked expression on her face.
"He's right," Colress said, frowning. "However, Team Plasma has long since dissolved."
Nanu titled his head and narrowed his eyes. "I think I've heard of them before. Didn't those guys cause havoc in Unova twice?"
"Indeed they did," Grimsley said, and he faced Colress. "Speaking of which, how are you able to run around and not get arrested?"
"I've struck a deal with the International Police that I do research for them in exchange for my freedom," Colress said without flinching.
"What your research's about, if you don't mind me asking?" Acerola asked
Colress smirked, and he began tapping the buttons on the sleeve of his overcoat. "Ah, yes. I'm researching on what brings out a Pokémon's full power, and I believe it has to do with you and your kahuna's Z-rings!"
"Oh, you mean this?" Nanu held out the bracelet on his wrist, and Colress nodded. Grimsley noticed a slot in the center, and he glanced at the shard around his neck that could fit in it. He wondered if that shard was the Z-crystal he had read about.
"Yes! While conducting my research here, I met a couple strangers who informed me the most fascinating facts about those bracelets." Colress glanced over his shoulder and grinned. "Ah, here they are now!"
Everyone turned around to see two more newcomers. They wore spacesuits that made Grimsley think of them to be astronauts and looked to be very pale. He gazed at the purple-haired man and red-haired girl approaching them.
"Hey, there you are, Mr. Scientist Man!" the girl said, waving at Colress. Her grin widened. "And oh, looks like you have company!"
"I was just talking about you two to them," Colress said. "Everyone, let me introduce to you Zossie and Dulse of the Ultra Recon Squad."
"Alola, all!" Zossie said. She and Dulse attempted to greet them the Alola rainbow sign, but instead they made a more rectangular sign.
"Alola to you, too!" Acerola greeted them with the proper Alola rainbow sign with her arms. She introduced herself and Nanu to them.
"And I'm Grimsley," Grimsley said with a small smile out of proper respect.
"Wait, the Ultra Recon Squad?" Becky said as she stared at their suits. "I've heard of you guys! You're working with the Aether Foundation on some research projects."
"You're correct in that assumption," Dulse said, sounding pleased. "I take it that you're an employee of theirs?" he asked, and Becky nodded.
"I work at the Aether House and watch over the orphans and Pokémon there."
"Dulse and I met with several other Aether employees like you!" Zossie said in excitement. "It's amazing how you guys work hard in keeping the Pokémon safe."
Grimsley glanced over his shoulder at Nanu. The man had that same sour expression like this morning when Becky had praised the Aether Foundation. It seemed there were many things the kahuna didn't like.
"Your scientist friend here said that you guys know a thing or two about Z-Rings," Nanu said as he leant forward and placed his hands on his sides.
"Ah, yes we do." Dulse gave Nanu a blank stare and cleared his throat. "You see, we came from another world that is filled with darkness caused by the beast called Necrozma. Our ancestors were greedy for its light, causing it to run wild and constantly hunger for light."
Grimsley's head flinched back and his breath caught in his throat. Both Becky and Acerola's mouths fell while Nanu gave them skeptical looks. A knowing grin crossed Colress's face.
"Another world? So does this mean you guys aren't from around here?" Grimsley asked.
"Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing," Nanu said, scratching his chin.
"We found Alola by passing through an Ultra Wormhole. Necrozma is able to open wormholes at will, and we need to find a way to stop it before it steals Alola's light."
"Really? Must be cool traveling around space," Acerola said, now grinning.
"We recently visited Tapu Village where Necrozma fought against the tapu," Zossie added. "We believed its light that it lost is what causes your guys' Z-crystals and Z-moves to happen!"
"Oh, I think I heard of that confrontation from one of my dad's books. The tapus got exhausted after battling a powerful Pokémon that caused Alola to be dark. But thanks to getting help from Z-crystals, the tapus fought back and drove that Pokémon away!"
As he let the Ultra Recon Squad and Acerola's stories sink in, Grimsley's eyes flew open. "I believed one Ultra Wormwhole just popped up a few days ago while I was in Melemele Island. You think that could be Necrozma's doing? And how could it be stopped?"
"Most likely!" Zossie said. "Dulse and I keep track of any Ultra Wormholes that appear, and we did pick up one from that location in our readings."
"They've asked for my help in creating a machine for them that would restrain Necrozma, and I accepted their request," Colress said. "It still needs some tinkering, but I'm confident that it'll produce marvelous results!"
Grimsley's scowl at Colress deepened. He told Zossie and Dulse, "I wouldn't trust him if I were you. He could be using it for his own means."
Colress chuckled, sneaking in a grin. "Don't worry, I have no intention of deceiving them."
"Colress proves to be knowledgeable in the ways of Pokémon, so his help will be greatly appreciated," Dulse said. "Before we go, there is one request we would like from the kahuna of this island."
"Huh? What kind of request?" Nanu asked, raising his eyebrow.
"You see, Necrozma is too strong for us, so we've been looking for some Pokémon trainers to help us."
"We heard that the island kahunas here are super strong!" Zossie said. "And we would like to have a Pokémon battle to see how good you are!"
Nanu didn't look pleased hearing that. "I usually only accept battles from trainers taking the island challenge."
"Is that so?" Dulse frowned, but he pulled out what looked like to be a blue pokéball with golden accents on it. It wasn't like any pokéball Grimsley had seen. "Perhaps this will change your mind. Poipole, show yourself!"
Dulse tossed the pokéball up, and a purple creature burst out from it. Three spikes stuck out from its large head, each one having a gray nozzle that could spray any liquid out. It gazed everyone with its glowing blue eyes and chuckled. Grimsley's lips were slightly parted and his breath hitched as he stared at the creature.
"Is that Adhesive?" Nanu asked, his voice on edge. Glancing over his shoulder, Grimsley noticed the kahuna's chin raised and his eyes narrowed. Acerola and Becky gave him concerned looks.
"Ah, so you've met this Ultra Beast before?" Dulse asked with a pleased smile.
Nanu flinched and his face sunk. As he looked away from him he said, "Let's just say it was a long time ago."
Taken aback by that response, Grimsley blinked. He was curious what was Nanu's experience with this "Adhesive", but withhold from asking for now.
"Excuse me, but what's an Ultra Beast?" Grimsley asked instead.
"Ultra Beasts are what we called the creatures in our own world," Zossie said, and the purple creature floated toward her. "We call this little guy Poipole because it likes to spray purple poison."
"What, poison?" Becky asked in shock, and Zossie giggled.
"Don't worry, as long as it doesn't spray on your face you should be fine!"
As if agreeing, Poipole nodded. It began flying around the group, and when it reached to Acerola she grinned and patted its forehead.
"It is cute!" Acerola said, and that made Poipole cheer. The alien-like Pokémon soon approached Grimsley and already he backed up.
"No, you may not spray on my kimono," he said, holding his hand up.
Poipole titled its head at first, but once it got the message the creature frowned. When Poipole hoovered at Nanu next, it giggled and twirled around. He gave it a hard stare and sighed.
"Sorry, but I'll still pass," Nanu said as he faced back at Dulse and Zossie, the both of them frowning. "Funny you want a dark type trainer to go save 'Alola's light'. I have no interest in playing hero for a couple of strangers I've just met."
"Fair enough if you don't want to take this momentous task. Alola has a lot of other trainers we can look into." After Dulse finished saying that, he clapped his hands. "Poipole, back inside."
That caught Poipole's attention and led the little Ultra Beast to fly back to him. Dulse pulled out the special pokéball and returned it inside its container.
"So Acerola, what will you and your group be doing next?" Colress asked.
"We'll be going to Haina Desert to the Ruins of Abundance and pay our respects to Tapu Bulu!" Acerola said.
"Oh, cool!" Zossie said. "Dulse, and I went to the desert a few days ago. It was too hot for us!"
"We visited the altars of your other island guardians, but this one was the hardest for us to get through due to the sandstorms," Dulse said. "We would like to investigate Poni Island's ruins next when given the chance."
"You best wait until a new island kahuna has been chosen there unless you want to cross paths with Tapu Fini's wrath," Nanu said, one hand on his side. "Then again, I don't care if you listen to me."
"We will keep that in mind, then." Dulse nodded, and he faced everyone. "Well, Zossie and I still have a lot of work ahead of us so we must make our leave now."
"I should be going myself, too," Colress said. "I need to continue work on the machine for you two."
"It was great meeting with you all!" Acerola said, grinning.
"Same here!" Becky said, expressing the same enthusiasm in her voice.
Zossie and Dulse gave everyone a nod and did their version of the Alola goodbye sign with their arms. After they headed out, Colress waved goodbye at everyone and began leaving himself. He took several steps, but stopped and spun around.
"Oh, before I leave, Grimsley and I didn't just meet a few times. We actually dated for a while," Colress said in a coy tone, and he finally made his leave.
Grimsley's stomach twisted and an odd noise left his throat. His face flushed as everyone's stares went toward him.
"Hold up, you two ended up together?" Becky asked.
Before Grimsley responded, he bit his lip and tugged at his scarf. "We were in a relationship for sometime, but that's something I don't want to discuss at this time."
Nanu raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. "It's nice that you two didn't have a messy breakup."
Grimsley was glad at least that the kahuna didn't care to bother him about it. He was even more relieved when Acerola told everyone that they should get going to get their Mudsdale at Route 13, so everyone jumped onto the jeep and headed their way out of Route 14.
xxx
The drive from Route 14 to Route 13 lasted several minutes. Many of the trailers that Grimsley had seen were still there, which he assumed belonged to the people that plan to go to Haina Desert, too. Becky pointed out that they're getting close to the PokéRide ranch, so they made a pitstop once they reached there. Like the one in Route 12, it housed several Pokémon to help travelers get through the island.
The ranch was situated in between the oasis and Haina Desert with a few food stands and shops in between. They stopped when they were in front of an open field surrounded by a fence. Grimsley glanced around to see several Pokémon roaming outside and enjoying the fresh air. A man and a woman, who were feeding a Pelipper and Mudbray, noticed the group were here and went up to them, offering their guests warm smiles.
"Oh, hello there Becky!" the woman said. "Carols and I reserved a few Mudsdale for your group here. We'll get them right now."
"Awesome," Becky said, smiling. "Thanks for letting us borrow them, by the way!"
The woman returned with her own grin before she left with the man to get the Pokémon. They brought with them three Mudsdale, each one carrying a bag of supplies on their backs. Grimsley approached his Mudsdale, who greeted him with a cheerful neigh. He looked over his shoulder to see Nanu and Acerola hopping onto their own rides. Beaming, Acerola gazed down at her Mudsdale and rubbed his cheek.
"Cotton here is a cutie!" she said, looked at Grimsley. "Yours is Walnut, I think?"
Grimsley looked at the name tag on his Mudsdale, and indeed caught the name "Walnut" on it. "Walnut, huh? Sounds fine for a horse Pokémon," he said as he hopped onto his ride.
"I got Spindle, but he should be fine I guess," Nanu said, staring at the sky. Some clouds drifted by, but otherwise it was sunny.
Becky faced Grimsley and said, "Oh, Grimsley, these two are Yvonne and Carlos. They and a few others take care of the Pokémon here and make sure they get sent off to travelers smoothly."
"Ah, so you're Yvonne and Carlos? Hanna told me that you two oversee the Mudsdale that help the people through the desert."
The man, Carlos, grinned at him. "You must've met with her back in Route 12. But yes, Yvonne and I let other travelers borrow Mudsdale if they want to go through the desert. We also have more Pokémon for those that want to use them for a different purpose. "
"I take it Hanna gave you a ride pager and told how it works, correct?" Yvonne asked, and Grimsley said that she did. "Well, both Hanna's ranch and ours will get contacted the second you ring it, and depending on availability and location either one of our places will send out a Pokémon for you. Nifty, huh?"
"I see. I'll keep that in mind." Grimsley gave a curt nod while Walnut snorted and shook her head.
"We'll be heading to the desert now, but thanks again for giving them to us!" Acerola closed her eyes and smiled.
"I'll be heading back to the Aether House now," Becky said. "All of you have a fun and safe trip there!"
Everyone waved to Becky, Carlos, and Yvonne goodbye, and their Mudsdale headed out on a full gallop. As everyone was leaving the stable, Grimsley glanced over his shoulder to see Yvonne and Carlos getting back to work while Becky was already inside the car. He faced back forward to see the afternoon sun in the horizon.
xxx
A light sandstorm was already brewing once Grimsley, Acerola, and Nanu reached Haina Desert.
They immediately put on their goggles so that no sand could get into their eyes, but some still got stuck on Grimsley's hair and left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. The Mudsdale's hooves sunk into the heavy but soft sand, slightly slowing their movements. There were some rolling hills and rugged boulders like in Route 12 that he encountered, but Walnut was able to get through them with ease. On occasion a Sandile, Trapinch, or Dugtrio—the Alolan form ones in which luxurious golden hair grew out of their heads—would pop up and startled the group for a second. Grimsley was overwhelmed by the vastness of his surroundings and the sun burning his back.
"I noticed there were several boulders stacked up together next to the exit we took. Is there any significance to that?" Grimsley asked, sweat rolling down on his forehead and kimono. His throat grew dry.
"Haina Desert is very big, so there are boulders to let us know which path to take to the Abundance Ruins," Acerola said. "2-1-4-3, that's what my dad had told me."
Grimsley hummed in understanding. "This desert reminds me a little bit of the Desert Resort back in Unova. We also have Sandile and Trapinch running around, and our own ancient ruins in the middle of the desert."
"Really? Have you been there?"
"When I was around your age. It's an old castle built by one of the twin brothers that founded Unova over two thousand years ago. The ruins now had been buried in sand and an abundance of Pokémon taking residence there." It was also where Team Plasma had tried to find one of the legendary dragons' stones, but he didn't mention that.
"An ancient castle sounds amazing! My family used to be royalty, but we don't have buildings like that here. Instead we have old property."
Grimsley's eyebrow quirked with great interest. He recalled Iokua telling him how Alola didn't have a monarchy anymore, but he didn't expect Acerola to be one. "So your family has fallen from grace too? Iokua mentioned that your father had passed away."
"He got really sick when I was young, and that's how I ended up in the Aether's House. My family haven't been in real power for generations, but they're still well known in this island." Acerola's frown changed to a bright smile. "Anyways, I think you'll like the Ruins of Abundance!"
Grimsley returned a small smile of his own, admiring the girl's spirit. He turned his gaze at Nanu. "How often do you visit there, Nanu?"
"Less than I should have." Nanu stared over his shoulder at them. "I should thank you guys for getting my butt off doing this."
"He just hates the desert," Acerola whispered. She giggled behind her hand, and Grimsley responded with a shrug.
Everyone went silent the next few minutes. Grimsley looked around to see a few Pokémon running around and the sandstorm growing stronger. After he popped open his canister and drank some water, a Pokemon's screech was heard that caused him to freeze and almost drop his drink. That also startled Acerola and Nanu.
"What was that?" Grimsley asked.
"Sounds like a Pokémon's hurting," Acerola said. She pointed to the right. "Look!"
Grimsley turned around to see a short distance from them a Gabite biting a Sableye's chest. The Sableye screeched and tried to pull away from the Gabite's grip to no avail. Grimsley's palm already touched a pokéball, but Nanu raised a hand at him.
"Let me handle this," the kahuna told him. He threw his own pokéball, and his own Sableye came out. Grimsley could tell this one was female as the gem on her chest was bigger than the male ones and her eyes were a darker blue. Nanu ordered her to help the other Sableye out, and she sprung into action.
His Sableye's arm was shrouded in dark smoke and she rushed at the Gabite. She slashed at the dragon's belly, which caused him to open his jaw and release the Sableye he was eating. The Gabite turned his attention to Nanu's Sableye and attempted to ram onto her. She jumped out of the way, and while in the air her eyes glowed and she fired a Power Gem that scorched her opponent's back. The Gabite roared in pain and slashed at Nanu's Pokémon with his fiery claws. Sableye hissed and glared at him, a large cut left on her face. She retaliated by forming cold mist around her arms and punched Gabite's chin. Part of the Gabite's jaw froze, and he collapsed on the ground.
Grimsley couldn't take his gaze off throughout the whole battle. He looked at Nanu, who sighed and stared at the fallen Pokémon.
"Kid, vampire boy, go check on that Sableye there while I fix this Gabite up."
Grimsley blinked upon being called that, but he hopped off Walnut and grabbed a potion from his bag. He and Acerola approached the other Sableye, who had been hiding behind a boulder after being saved. The Pokémon backed away and stared at them.
"Hi there!" Acerola said, stretching her arm at him. "We're here to help you feel better."
When Acerola looked at Grimsley and nodded at him, Grimsley handed her the potion he was holding. The Sableye continued to glare at them, but he eventually walked up to them and Acerola sprayed the potion on him. Most of the scratches and bite marks on his chest and legs faded, and he gave a sound in satisfaction.
"There you go!" Acerola flashed the Pokémon a wide grin and offered him a few berries.
Grimsley couldn't help but smile a little. He looked over his shoulder to see Nanu giving the Gabite several sprays and the ice on his jaw melted. The Gabite stood up and growled.
"Now you don't cause anymore trouble, all right?" Nanu said. The Gabite glared at him for a few seconds, and he headed out.
"Thanks for helping this Sableye out!" Acerola said as Nanu and his Sableye walked up to her and Grimsley.
"That was more troublesome than anything." Nanu scratched the back of his head and said, "Gabite likes to take down Sableye because both of them want Carbink. First I've seen this happen in action."
"What's a Sableye doing alone in a desert?" Grimsley asked.
"Probably a stray looking for crystals or something. Odd for sure, but eh."
"Sounds plausible." He shifted his gaze to see Nanu's Sableye talking to the other one. It seemed like she tried to comfort him as the Pokémon would nod at her on occasion. After a few more exchanges, the wild Sableye grinned and shook her hand. He waved goodbye at everyone, and began leaving.
"Looks like that Sableye is feeling better now!" Acerola said. "Shall we keep going?"
Nanu grunted in agreement and returned his Sableye inside her pokéball. "Come on, we should find a spot to rest before it gets dark."
After everyone jumped back onto their Mudsdale, Grimsley stared at Nanu's tired face. He didn't blame him for being annoyed over needing to break that fight up. The three continued on their way through the desert.
xxx
When the sandstorm died down by sunset, the group decided to set up camp for the night. Their Mudsdale stayed close to them, drinking at a nearby spring. They gathered around a fire and ate malasada that they had brought with them from the Aether House. There were some passing conversations in which Acerola explained more of Alola's sites, and in turn Grimsley described Unova's own cities and attractions to her and Nanu. Acerola often squealed whereas Nanu would respond flatly, "Sounds nice". Shortly after they finished their meal they called it a night and tried to get some sleep.
For over an hour, Grimsley stared at the night sky with his arms behind his head. He thought over how much he had learned about Alolan culture in the short time he traveled through here and how everyone he met so far had welcomed him with open arms. Well, saved for Nanu, his distance already bothering him a little. As he sat up, Grimsley looked around to see the fire crackling and Acerola sounding asleep. Spindle, Cotton, and Walnut rested too, all three Mudsdale curled up together for warmth. Nanu's sleeping bag, though, was empty; he instead leaned his back against a palm tree and he stared down at something he was holding in his hand. Grimsley pulled out from his own sleeping bag and stood up, dusting some of the sand off of his clothes. He approached Nanu slowly from behind, and when he was closer to him he saw that the other man carried with him a police badge that had his photo identification and a second picture with him and two other people. Grimsley's stomach dropped.
"That's an international police badge," Grimsley said and that caused Nanu to flinch and glare at him.
"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"
"I could say the same for you," Grimsley said, his stare locked at him. He waited until Nanu sighed and dragged his hand across his face.
"I had been in the international police for a little while, a pretty sweet gig. However, there was one mission where me and two of my colleagues were involved in but one of them, the woman in the picture, ended up gone."
Grimsley's frown deepened, and he said, "I'm sorry to hear that." He gazed back at the picture. Nanu stared at the camera while one of his friends, a man in the tan jacket, beamed and the other, a woman in a dark suit, made a peace sign with her fingers. There was one person in the picture he was familiar with. "The man in the tan jacket, I recognized him."
Nanu stared at him with a shocked face. "You met him before?"
"You can say that. He and a few of his colleagues had to interview me after Team Plasma had barged in the Pokémon League." Thinking about that incident left a sour taste on Grimsley's mouth. He remembered the officer asking him, in a thick accent, several questions over what happened while N and Team Plasma took over the league. After the interview was over, the man offered him his card and to contact him if he had any new leads but Grimsley didn't bother to, even after he found out about Colress being a member of the new version of Team Plasma. Iris, Alder, and Cheren were the ones to inform the officer of Team Plasma's resurrection two years after.
"You did mention Team Plasma earlier when we met with your ex-boyfriend and his friends there," Nanu said, and he cackled. "Really, Interpol's letting that man with the weird hair work with them? Boy, they suck."
"Not funny," Grimsley said, scowling. He wasn't in the mood for him poking fun at his former partner.
"Fine, fine. But yeah, you have nothing to be sorry about. She and I didn't get along all that well, but I was very upset when that happened." He put both the police badge and photo back inside the pockets of his short sleeved jacket. "Not long after that, I retired from that gig, becoming a regular cop and ending up being this island's kahuna."
Stroking his chin, Grimsley said, "That reminds me, you said earlier that you had no choice as this island's kahuna. Do you mind telling me how you were picked?"
Nanu's eyes grew wide. He shifted his head and shoved his hands onto his pants' pockets. "I'll tell you that story when we reach the Ruins of Abundance."
"Oh, leaving it as a cliffhanger, are we?" A smirk pulled onto Grimsley's lips. When Nanu didn't respond, he told him that he would be going back to sleep and slipped back inside his sleeping bag. Before closing his eyes, he glanced at Nanu to see him deep in thought with his eyes shut and arms crossed. Grimsley eventually drifted off to sleep.
xxx
The next morning, the group packed up their stuff and headed out. There was no sandstorm today, so they could see more clearly where they were going and follow the directions from the rock's formations better. They trudged through more of the desert for another few hours until Nanu informed them the temple was just up ahead. Grimsley and Acerola followed Nanu and his Mudsdale a little further, and they stopped when the group reached in front of the ruins' entrance. Everyone dismounted of their Mudsdale.
They stepped inside a cavern with a large cobbled path that was above piles of sand. Grimsley's shoes echoed through the walls as he followed Nanu and Acerola from behind. The air inside wasn't as hot as outside, but sweat still spilled onto his eyebrows. He spotted two Sandile resting with their mother Krokorok. The larger crocodile Pokémon stared at them before going back to sleep with her children. He, Acerola, and Nanu left them alone.
They entered the next room and stopped in the middle of the wooden floorboard, Grimsley lifting his gaze to see the altar loomed over them. Two wooden stairs branched out, and on top stood a totem with a menacing face painted on it. Piles of stone on the bottom stood as its foundation. Thick vines trailed along the walls like a river.
"I promised that I would tell you how I ended up being chosen as the kahuna," Nanu said, and that made Grimsley tear his gaze off the altar. The other man shuffled his feet as he looked up. "Around a few years before I returned back to Alola, the last kahuna did something bad and was stripped of his title. Turns out, the big guy himself had some other plans for me. One night he appeared and gave me both this Z-crystal and Z-ring. I thought it was a dream, but turns out it wasn't. Wanting some answers, I went to the Ruins of Abundance and met Tapu Bulu here. It wanted me to battle him, and I was like why not even though I didn't stand a chance." He stopped to chuckle. "I did get my butt kicked, but before it could finish off my last Pokémon, Tapu Bulu healed them and chose me as the kahuna. I guess it sensed I was a mess and gave me some sense of purpose."
While listening to Nanu's story, Grmsley's fingers rubbed against his coin. "I must say, that is a fascinating tale there."
"It is!" Acerola said. "I was very young back , but I remember being excited over the island having a new kahuna." She faced Nanu, her smile stretching across her face. "Aren't you going to pay respect to our island guardian liked you said you would?"
"Huh?" Nanu's eyes blinked. "Oh, right. Let's go up the altar right now."
After Grimsley put his coin away, he took the stairs, the wooden foundation creaking beneath his feet, and joined Nanu and Acerola up the altar. He and Acerola were behind Nanu, who stared at the large totem.
"So, it's been a while, Tapu Bulu," Nanu said, scratching the back of his neck. "I've been busy with cop duties and watching over another island, you know? Anyways, looks like everything is in shape. I brought in a couple visitors and we came here to pay our respects. I'm not all into the 'I give my blessings' fluff, but… yeah."
When he finished, Nanu put his hand on the totem, which glowed a light green color. Grimsley gasped in awe while watching the spectacle before him. Soon the light faded and Nanu stepped aside for Acerola to be in front. She squeezed her eyes shut and touched the totem, but unlike Nanu there was no glow. Yet she still looked calm. After Acerola finished, she told Grimsley in a chipper voice that it was his turn. He swallowed, took two steps, and his palm rested on the totem. No light bathed all over his skin, the same way that had happened to Acerola, but the totem's surface grew warm against his fingers. He tried to think of something to say to Tapu Bulu in his head, only to settle with he wished the rest of his trip in Alola was a safe one and that he would find what he was looking for.
"I noticed that the totem glowed when you touched it, but not when Acerola and I touched it," he said when facing back at the two.
"That's because I'm the kahuna and I tend the ruins if needed," Nanu said. "Tapu Bulu doesn't just show itself at random."
Acerola nodded. "Yep, Uncle Nanu is right on that. The tapus tend to not let their presence be known or felt by anyone else unless they deemed you worthy."
Grimsley hummed in understanding. "Do you think I might get to meet Tapu Bulu?"
Nanu said, "Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky."
"Lucky, huh? Hopefully luck will smile upon me." Grimsley shot one last glance at the altar and smirked. Shortly after, everyone headed back down and left the room, leaving the ruins.
xxx
When everyone was back outside, the hot air and harsh sunlight returned to blast Grimsley's face. He wasn't looking forward to going back to the sandstorm, but trekking out of the desert shouldn't be too hard thanks to Acerola and Nanu knowing where they were going.
"Would you like to head back to the Aether House with us, or you're going back to sleep somewhere else?" Acerola asked as they were getting ready to hop back onto their Mudsdale.
"I think it's reasonable for me to return with you. Perhaps I'll drop by Blush and Hounlanki Mountain before I leave the island."
"You definitely should! Both have great science observatories you can check out!" Acerola beamed at him.
"Glad to hear," Grimsley said, smiling back. He looked at Nanu, who went back to his flat expression. Grimsley thought back to their interactions and what he had told him of his past. Despite his less than friendly demeanor, he was the most interesting person he had met.
And Nanu could be what he was looking for in this trip.
"Hey, Nanu."
That caused Nanu to stop Spindle and shift his stare at Grimsley. "Yeah?"
Grimsley flinched, hesitant to say it at first. He cleared his throat. "I felt lost while being in the Elite Four, so I gambled by visiting here. Before I return to Unova, do you think we can have a Pokémon battle?" He glimpsed at Acerola, a stunned expression on her face. With a smirk, Grimsley approached Nanu. "Come on, take a chance."
Already Nanu furrowed his brow at him and grunted. "What makes you think I'll battle you? You were with me when I declined that astronaut man's request."
"Grimsley's from the Elite Four, though! A kahuna versus an Elite Four would make a great battle!" Acerola said in excitement, clenching her fists.
"Honestly, I never cared for the Elite Four and their glamorous lifestyle. Right now, I'm not interested."
"I understand, it was foolish of me to request that on a whim." Grimsley sighed in disappointment. He gazed up at the sky and got up on his Mudsdale.
As he and the others were heading off, he glanced over his shoulder to see the Ruins of Abundance growing farther from him. Grimsley drew another heavy sigh, turned his head back, and looked forward the rest of the way.
Haha, I dropped the bomb on Grimsley and Colress, huh? I admit I haven't considered that pairing until I made some changes to this chapter. The Gen 7 games has them visiting Alola. And um, my mind suddenly went Colress and Grimsley interacted and probably dated too oops.
The two will meet again, so their past relationship will get resolved (story will still mainly focus on Grimsley and Nanu being tired dark uncle grumps together).