The early morning sun shone through the window glass, stirring Nanu from his sleep. He yawned and stretched his arms, his bones cracking. Most of the Meowth were awake, either playing or eating. While still on the couch, Nanu glanced around to that see no one else was inside.
Last night was very draining. Usually, he let Team Skull do whatever they wanted in Po Town, but after talking with his Interpol colleagues, he needed answers. He had several Z-Crystals under his disposal, and during his battle with Guzma, he used Never-Ending Nightmare because Black Hole Eclipse would be too much. It annoyed him that the children didn't want to listen to him and he would have to do his Kahuna duties, but at least Tapu Bulu would stop pestering him.
After he, Grimsley, and the children had stepped inside the police station they called Becky. She confirmed that Team Skull had indeed came back and Lillie went with them willingly. Selene then told her that she, Hau, and Gladion planned to rescue Lillie but left out any mention of going to Aether Paradise. As expected, Becky was worried but wished them luck and the conversation ended. Nanu gave everyone potions and let them stay inside the police station for the night.
A loud cry interrupted Nanu's thoughts, and he turned to see one of the Meowth tapping his paw on the empty plate. He grunted and rolled his eyes.
"All right, all right, just give me a moment," Nanu said as he rose from the couch and went to grab a box of cat food on his desk.
Once Nanu was done with taking care all of the cats' needs for the morning, he stepped outside to see everyone there. Both Hau and Selene were talking in quiet voices, their friend likely on their minds. Gladion gazed upon the sky and had his back rested on Null's side. Grimsley was a little farther from the children, and Nanu moved closer to where he was.
Grimsley was attempting the pose for Never-Ending Nightmare with his Liepard and Absol. Nanu raised a brow at his second Pokémon, finding it amusing he also owned an Absol. When Grimsley finished his pose, dark vapors curled around both him and his Pokémon. The vapors grew bigger for a few seconds, and then they puffed away. A confused look struck Grimsley's face, and his Liepard whined. His Absol tilted her head and made a noise.
When he and Grimsley attempted that Z-Move together, Guzma's Golispod had struck their Pokémon first and caused them to lose concentration. Nanu now wondered if Grimsley would've failed to do the Z-Move if that didn't happen.
"Practicing that Z-Move there, pretty boy?" Nanu asked, and that made Grimsley flinch. He faced him, frowning.
"For about half an hour or so. I'm wondering why my Z-Move isn't working."
"Maybe you did the pose wrong," Nanu said, and Grimsley glared at him. "I'm joking. Actually, I think it's because you and your Pokémon aren't strong enough yet."
Grimsley's face fell, looking just as offended as before. "That shouldn't be the case. Roulette and I can do Mega Evolution."
"Wait, really?" Nanu shouldn't be surprised; he was an Elite Four trainer, after all. He cleared his throat. "Z-Moves are more powerful than even a Mega Garchomp or Mega Salamence's attack. I mentioned before it took me some attempts until I perfected my Z-Move. Maybe it'll be the same for you."
Grimsley seemed to regard him for a moment. Both of his Pokémon walked to his side and rubbed on him. Their trainer smiled and kneeled down to pet them.
"You're being oddly nice to me," Grimsley said. He picked himself back up, giving Nanu a suspicious brow.
"Well, you helped me with Guzma and Team Skull. I'm letting you keep that Z-Ring, but I won't battle you until you get Never-Ending Nightmare down."
Grimsley's eyes grew wide, as if he was surprised to hear that.
"So wait, does that mean you're seriously considering a battle with me?"
"Only so you will be quiet. But again, won't happen until you do that Z-Move fully."
Grimsley blinked, and then he chuckled.
"Perhaps your Grand Trial today might inspire me." Grimsley turned quiet for a moment, and his smile faded. "Did you know how Guzma had his Pinsir's Mega Stone?"
A lump caught inside Nanu's throat. He furrowed his brow and pressed his lips.
"I heard the last kahuna got the Mega Stones from Poni Island and gave those to his daughter and Guzma. They held him in high regard."
Grimsley's eyes grew wide. "Poni Island? So Alola has Mega Stones too?"
"Yes, but they're reserved as prizes over at that island's battling facility, the Battle Tree."
He knew the last kahuna's daughter well. Like Guzma, she too had a Mega Stone but rarely used it. After the formation of Team Skull, she was by Guzma's side, through thick and thin.
"The Battle Tree, hm? Perhaps I'll check that out before I leave." Grimsley raised a brow and asked, "Do you know anything about the last Kahuna? I recall you mentioned he did something bad."
Nanu gave a single nod. "He formed a group that would later inspire the creation of Team Skull. Like Guzma, he wasn't fond of Alola's old traditions and thought Alola was behind on everything. He approved the construction of the Thrifty Megamart, but Tapu Bulu didn't like that at all. Apparently, he got caught in the deity's wrath while trying to calm it down, and hadn't been heard from since."
He watched Grimsley's face as he let all of this sink in. Nanu had been shocked when he first heard that story, but as the years passed he came to not underestimate Tapu Bulu's power.
Nanu looked over his shoulder to see the children still where they were. "I think it's time for their Grand Trial."
He moved at a leisurely pace, Grimsley and his Pokémon following behind. When he approached the children, Selene and Hau stopped talking and Gladion picked himself up.
"Oh, we're gonna do our Grand Trial now?" Selene asked eagerly. Gladion joined her.
"Right, kid." He paused. "Now, after seeing you two battle yesterday, I decided on your guys' Grand Trial. You guys are going to work together in a double battle against me."
"Is that all?" Gladion asked, a smirk pulling on his lips. "Shouldn't be too difficult."
"Hold up, I'm not done yet. The catch is you guys have to knock out both of my Pokémon while your guys' Pokémon are still standing."
Both Selene and Gladion exchanged baffled looks. Even Hau and Grimsley had similar reactions.
"How come that's our Grand Trial?" Selene asked.
"Yeah, that sounds harsh," Hau said.
"Since you guys want to go to Aether, I want to see how well you two work together under adversity. This Grand Trial is the perfect opportunity for it."
"And if we think this is unfair?" Gladion asked.
"Then there's the exit," Nanu said, pointing to the other side.
Selene and Gladion looked at one another.
"Can you give us a moment?" Selene asked. She grabbed Gladion's arm, and they whispered to one another.
While waiting for their response, Nanu wondered if they would actually walk out and be sensible for once. He wouldn't mind doing their Grand Trial under different circumstances. The two children soon finished talking and faced Nanu.
"All right, we'll agree to your terms," Gladion said.
Nanu's face tensed. He shook his head and scratched the back of his neck.
"Geez, you guys don't know when to quit, huh? Fine, get in positions, you two."
"Oh, oh! Can I be a referee?" Hau asked, jumping up and down.
"Eh, sure," Nanu said with a shrug. He was on the left side of the field while Gladion and Selene went on the right. Grimsley, his Pokémon, and Hau were on the sidelines.
Nanu pulled out his poké balls and released Persian and Honchkrow. Persian growled and stretched under the morning sunlight while Honchkrow threw his head up and cawed. Selene and Gladion took out their own poké balls and released their Pokémon.
"Okay Poppers, time for you to shine!"
"Let's go, Null!"
Both Gladion and Selene's Pokémon were out also. Poppers barked, twirling around and clapping his flippers. Null shook their head and crouched down in a battle stance.
Hau stepped forward and raised his arm. "This is the Grand Trial between Kahuna Nanu and Selene and Gladion." He dropped his arm and shouted, "And begin!"
The two trainers said their first commands. Selene called for her Brionne to use Bubble Beam while Gladion told Null to strike first.
Poppers inhaled, firing off a series of bubbles from his nose instead of his mouth. Persian's blue gem on her forehead glowed, and she countered Popper's Bubble Beam with glowing two attacks collided, creating an explosion.
Honchkrow swopped down to get closer at Null, but they acted first by rushing in a blur and slamming him hard. The bird squawked as the wind was knocked out of him, and backed away.
"Use Swift at both of them," Nanu said.
Persian held her head up high and her gem glowed. She shot multiple stars with golden sparkles at Poppers and Null, hitting them both. Poppers covered his face while Null shook and turned their head away.
Selene directed her Brionee to use Disarming Voice. Raising his arms up, Poppers sang in a sweet but high pitched voice. Several heart-shaped vapors passed through Honchkrow and Persian, and both Pokémon cringing at the noise. Hau and Grimsley also flinched upon hearing Popper's voice.
"X-Scissor, Null!" Gladion commanded, clenching his fist.
"Steel Wing!" Nanu told Honchkrow.
Honchkrow shirked, diving down with his wings shining a metallic color. Null's claw glowed light green and he swiped at Honchkrow's wings. The two bounced their attacks off each other like that several times until Honchkrow managed to smack Null's face and left a cut there. Null shook their head and snorted.
"Icy Wind at both Pokémon, go!" Selene said, thrusting her arm forward.
Poppers inhaled, blowing out a blast of chilly air at Nanu's Pokémon. Both Honchkrow and Persian winced and moved their heads away from the shards of ice showered at them. Some of the trees nearby had its leaves stripped away, while their trunks were impaled by ice. On the sidelines, Hau's face and teeth shook while Grimsley narrowed his eyes and tugged at his scarf.
"Using Icy Wind to slow down Nanu's Pokémon," Grimsley said. "Good choice in this stage of the battle."
"Both Selene and Gladion are something, huh?" Hau said, grinning.
When Nanu overheard their conversation, he grunted and his lips twitched. No matter, one Icy Wind wouldn't stop his Pokémon from their tracks.
"Night Slash!"
With a squawk, Honchkrow's wings flashed purple and he struck Poppers. Poppers fell but picked himself up and let out an annoyed bark. Selene gasped and glared at Nanu.
"Use your claws at Persian!" Gladion called out. His Pokémon's claw shone brightly, and Null charged.
A faint smile pulled on Nanu's lips. "Keep moving, and wait until your foe gets close."
As soon as Null got close at Persian, she dodged at their swipe. Null made several attempts with their claws, but Persian kept jumping away and avoiding being caught by them. Another swipe, an opening, and Persian grabbed Null's leg with her jaws. Null cried in pain, only for Persian to flip them over with all the strength she could muster. Persian panted hard while Null got up and growled.
"Null!" Gladion screamed, his voice trembling.
"Woah, what is that?" Hau asked.
"That's Foul Play," Grimsley answered. He looked down at Raz, who meowed. "Using a Pokémon's strength to your advantage."
Nanu frowned and folded his arms against his chest. So far he wasn't impressed with their performance today. These children needed a wake-up call.
"What's wrong, you two? Your Pokémon still tired from yesterday?" he taunted, and that caused Selene and Gladion to glare daggers at him.
"Maybe if you let us go to Aether instead of stopping us, then our Pokémon would be in better shape!" Selene countered.
"And let you guys go unprepared? You're going to have to do better than this. Persian, Play Rough! And Honchkrow, Brave Bird!"
Both of his Pokémon made their moves. Persian pounced at Poppers and the two rolled over. A cloud of thick white smoke covered them, and while Nanu couldn't see he could tell by their noises that the Pokémon were fighting each other. As soon as the smoke cleared, Persian and Poppers were still standing with scratches and dirt all over them.
Meanwhile, Honchkrow burst into flames and accelerated. He crashed onto Null, causing them to drop down, and flew back up. The bird cried in pain and flapped his wings slowly, hurt from using that move. Null picked themselves up, but barely as their body shook.
Back in the sidelines, Hau and Grimsley watched with keen interest.
"Strike again," Nanu said without elaborating further. Honchkrow released a crimson-colored orb from his mouth while Persian blasted off multiple sparkling gems. Selene and Gladion called out their commands urgently.
Poppers opened his mouth wide and fired off a blast of water that passed through the Shadow Ball and hit Honchkrow right in the chest. Honchkrow was pushed back and his feathers were soaked.
Null was bombarded by Persian's Power Gem, but they pushed through and rammed into her. Persian backed away and dug her claws into the ground.
Nanu's brow furrowed. The children were more awake now, but this was still not enough. Time for more taunting.
"Just because you went against an Ultra Beast and beat up some Team Skull grunts, you think you're all that, huh girl?" Nanu said, and a pensive expression crossed Selene's face.
"Well, encountering that Ultra Beast was a big deal to me. And Team Skull has been bothering me since I started my island challenge."
"Fair on both accounts. However, that overconfidence of yours will be your downfall." He shifted his head towards Persian's direction. "Swift, Persian."
Selene commanded Poppers to act quick, and he shot out several high-pressure bubbles from his nose. Persian lifted her head and her gem glowed. She blasted off multiple shining stars, which popped all of the bubbles and hit Poppers and Null. They turned their heads, backing away.
Nanu fixed his stare at Gladion. "And you, Gladion. You call that strong? Pathetic."
Gladion's face tensed, tightness in his eyes and face.
"Null is not pathetic! We've been working hard to get where we are today. X-Scissor!"
Nanu grunted and ordered Honchkrow to use Night Slash. Green claws collided with purple wings, tiny sparks flying. Honchkrow kept diving down while Null went on the defensive.
"Maybe the problem isn't the Pokémon, but their trainer," Nanu said, putting his hands on his sides. "Null would be better off with someone else. Same goes for the girl and your Brionne."
"Are you saying we're not good enough for our Pokémon?" Gladion asked, his eyes wide.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Nanu said with a shrug.
"You take that back!" Selene snapped, glaring at him. Gladion gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
Nanu's lips curled into a smirk. Hook, line, and sinker.
"Another round of Swift, girl."
Persian obliged, and Poppers and Null were caught in a storm of sparkling stars once more. They fell and slowly got up back, both Pokémon catching their breaths. Selene and Gladion gasped and their faces fell.
"Hey, that's not nice at all!" Hau complained, narrowing his eyes at Nanu. Next to him, Grimsley folded his arms against his chest and pressed his lips.
"Do you think a Dark-type trainer cares about being nice?" Nanu's smirk widened.
"Nanu is right," Grimsley said, giving an indifferent expression. "Us Dark-type trainers don't mind playing dirty."
Her shoulders slumping, Selene dropped her gaze on the ground. When she looked back at Nanu, a spark of determination filled her eyes.
"You're right that I can be overconfident at times. However, this island challenge taught me a lot in bonding with my Pokémon and trusting each other." She turned towards Gladion, flashing him a soft smile. "Gladion can be overdramatic, but I think he's a great trainer and cares deeply towards his Pokémon."
"Selene…" Gladion said in a low voice, his eyes growing wide.
Nanu gave her a shocked look, and then he grinned. Grimsley and Hau also seemed to be taken aback by her response.
"Gotta admit, I respect you for defending yourself and your friend there. This is a Grand Trial, though, and we're not done yet." Nanu raised his arm high. "Persian, Play Rough at Null. Honchkrow, Steel Wing at Poppers."
"Icy Wind!" Selene ordered.
As Persian and Honchkrow charged at their respective foes, Poppers blew out a blast of cold air which pushed them back. Persian meowed in irritation while Honchkrow squawked and swung his head around. Satisfied, Poppers barked and clapped with his flippers.
Gladion grinned and raised his fist. "X-Scissor at Persian!"
Null howled and jumped at Persian, swiping her face with their green claws. Persian let out a painful cry and shook her head. A deep cut was left where Null had hurt her. Nanu and Gladion yelled out their commands.
"Brave Bird, and make it count!"
"Hold Honchkrow off with Crush Claw!"
Both Pokémon launched at each other, Honchkrow in a burst of flames at high speed and Null stretching his glowing claw wide. An explosion came in between them, the smoke obscuring everyone's vision for a moment. When the air cleared, Honchkrow laid on the ground and muddy while Null stared down at him.
Raising his arm, Hau announced that Honchkrow was unable to battle. Selene and Poppers cheered while Gladion sighed in relief. Smiling a little, Grimsley closed his eyes and lowered his head. Nanu grunted and returned his Pokémon.
"You did good work there, birdbrain," he said in a low voice. He faced the two island challengers. "Don't celebrate this yet. Remember, if either of your Pokémon can't battle anymore then that's it," he said, and that made Selene and Gladion expressions turn back to serious.
Everyone made their commands, and the Pokémon sprung into action. Persian fired off Power Gem at her foes while Null and Poppers used X-Scissor and Disarming Voice to block off her attack. When they were near her, Persian would move away from Null's claws and Popper's pink vapors. Power Gem didn't have the same wide range as Swift, so she divided her attention between the two. Selene and Gladion would often give encouraging words to their Pokémon to keep up the pace.
While not smiling, Nanu's expression grew less stiff. This was what he wanted to see, the two at their fullest and not holding back. After Persian, Poppers, and Null bounced off several more blows, they stopped to catch their breaths. This Grand Trial was nearing its end.
"Looks like everyone is on their limit. You ready to finish this, girl?" Nanu asked, and Persian responded with an agreed meow. He grinned, tearing the Darkinium-Z crystal out from the cord around his neck. "Then let's prepare our Z-Move."
His warning caused Gladion and Selene's eyes to grow wide.
"Z-Move?" Hau said, his voice cracking. "Watch out, you guys!"
Nanu slipped the black crystal into the slot of his Z-Ring, and it sparkled into a multitude of color of lights. Like when he did Never-Ending Nightmare with Absol, Persian assumed a menacing stance while he did his movements for the pose. He dropped down to touch his feet, slowly picked himself up, and stretched out his hands. Bend down to touch his feet, slowly picking himself up, and then outstretching his hands.
Gladion and Hau stared blankly at how silly the pose looked. Grimsley raised a brow and his face tensed.
"Hey, Selene, have Poppers use a Z-Move while I have Null retreat to safer ground," Gladion suggested. Selene was caught off guard by Nanu's Z-Move also, but she then hummed and nodded.
"Right!" she said and performed her own Z-Move. She and Poppers moved their arms like an ocean wave, and a bright light covered them both.
A black hole hung above the trainers and dark mist formed around the battlefield. Raging winds blew over with the leaves and rocks being sucked inside the black hole, causing everyone and their Pokémon to brace themselves. Null backed away several feet while Poppers spun around and unleashed a swirling torrential of water.
The two Z-Moves clashed, the Black Hole Eclipse sucking in the water from Popper's attack like a drinking straw. Soon the black hole exploded and all of the water burst out, splashing onto Persian and soaking her fur.
Poppers was still standing but barely, and Selene took deep breaths. They were still getting used to Hydro Vortex, but Nanu thought the two already progressed pretty fast.
"Finish off with Iron Head!" Gladion screamed.
Null let out a howl and slammed onto Persian hard. She was pushed back against a tree and collapsed upon impact.
"Persian is unable to battle!" Hau declared, raising his hand. "The winners of the Grand Trial are Selene and Gladion!"
Poppers fell backward and lay down, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Selene rushed to his side, picking him up.
"We did it, Poppers! We won our third Grand Trial!" she told him. Poppers gave out a happy bark, and they touched noses.
Gladion grinned and approached Null, scratching their chin. "You also did well today, Null."
"All right, you guys did it!" Hau cheered, pumping his fist in the air.
"Congratulations, the both of you," Grimsley said with a small smile.
Nanu stared at them for a second, and he followed up with a chuckle and shook his head. He approached them.
"I gotta admit, your guys' Pokémon really worked hard for you. Here, these are yours."
He pulled out two Darkinium-Z crystals from the pocket of his pants and handed them to Selene and Gladion. Gladion nodded at him and put it away while Selene held it up to Poppers and beamed.
"I got another Z-Crystal! Pretty great, huh?" Selene said, beaming. Poppers barked in response.
Facing back to Gladion, Nanu said, "I also have one other thing to give you."
He pulled out a Z-Ring from his shirt's pocket, giving it to Gladion. This one was different from his and Grimsley's, the strap being purple instead of black or red. Gladion locked his gaze at the Z-Ring and then back at Nanu.
"Thank you. I'll make sure to use it well," Gladion said, grinning.
"I have no doubt you will, kid." He paused. "Congratulations or whatever on finishing your Ula'ula trials. You kids got somewhere else to be, right?"
"Wait, before we go, I got a surprise!" Selene put Poppers down, and she pulled out three Z-Crystals from her bag. They were light green with an insect insignia on it. Everyone including Nanu gave her stunned looks.
"Did you steal those Buginium-Z from Guzma's room?" Gladion asked, and Selene hummed.
"It's not right that he gets these to himself, so I grabbed some for us!" Selene gave each one to Gladion and Hau, the latter saying thanks. She faced Grimsley, handing him one too. "This is for helping us with Guzma!"
Grimsley blinked in surprise, and then he smiled. "I'll keep this safe."
Gladion, Selene, and Hau offered one another determined faces.
"Team Skull has a few boats in Po Town we can use," Gladion said. "We should be able to get to Aether Paradise by nightfall."
"Once you guys get there, go see the Assistant Branch Chief. She should be able to help you." Nanu believed mentioning that wouldn't hurt, and to let the children know whom to go to if they were in any sort of trouble.
"You mean Ms. Santana?" Gladion raised a confused brow, and then he nodded. "All right, we will."
"Let's get moving then," Selene said. She gave Nanu and Grimsley appreciated smiles. "It's nice talking with you, Grimsley! And thanks for the awesome Grand Trial, Kahuna Nanu!"
"The next time I come back to Ula'ula Island, I'll challenge you, too!" Hau said, a wide smile stretching across his face.
Selene and Gladion returned their Pokémon, and the three children headed out. Nanu stared at them for a moment, remembering his conversation with Gladion several days ago. There were some words of wisdom he wanted to give him.
"Hold up, Gladion," he yelled out, and that made Selene, Hau, and Gladion stopped. Nanu moved several steps forward. "Tell me… If you're really trying to get stronger as you say, then what are you depending Team Skull for?"
Gladion's face fell. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He turned around and left with Hau and Selene.
With a chuckle, Grimsley crossed his arms and grinned.
"I was amazed at how powerful Black Hole Eclipse was," he said, and Nanu stared at him.
"Are you trying to lick my sandals?"
"I'm just genuinely impressed, that's all." Grimsley's expression changed. "So, what now?"
"You remember the Interpol friend I told you about when we were in Haina Desert?" he asked, and Grimsley said that he did. "He and his partner are staying in Poni Island now. I need to tell them what I found on Guzma's laptop."
"Is it alright if I come with you? I would like to speak with the Interpol agent about Colress." Grimsley paused. "Also, I'm interested in seeing Tapu Fini."
"You want to see Tapu Fini?" Nanu asked in shock, raising a suspicious brow. "What for?"
"I read that Tapu Fini can create spirits of those who were deceased. I'm curious if that is true."
Nanu gave Grimsley a pinched look. First, he wanted to go to the Ruins of Abundance, and now to see Tapu Fini. That man truly believed this was supposed to be a nice holiday. He dragged out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.
"You can come with me to Poni Island to see my friend. I also know someone there that can teach you the Buginium-Z's pose. Tapu Fini is out of the question, got it?"
Grimsley frowned. That was the same disappointed face he gave before Nanu left the Aether House. His expression then changed to one of understanding.
"Fair enough."
"Good. Let me get a few things from the police station, and then we'll go."
It wasn't afternoon yet, and already today was interesting. A Grand Trial with two reckless but good-hearted trainers. He hoped the children didn't destroy all of Aether Paradise in the process.
And now, to Poni Island.
Author's Note:
Quick annoucnement: I edited Chapters 16 and 17! Both chapters I fixed some prose and Chapter 17 I fixed the beginning scene with Grimsley and Gladion. A reader pointed out Gladion giving out personal information was too quick and so I changed to him being more hostile.
Yes, a lot of the battle was inspired by Nanu's Grand Trial in the anime. Gosh I love anime!Nanu haha.
As always, thanks to bobandbill for betaing. Sorry for the delay, my beta and I got busy with some personal stuff (also I got distracted with SwSh and Fire Emblem 3 Houses lol). Next chapter we're starting the Poni Island arc! Due to wanting to get a head start on backlog for the final arc and planning another project, expect updates resuming on late January or February next year. See ya then!