After Nanu and his friends had found Grimsley, they all searched for Anabel until after dark. When she was nowhere to be found, everyone went back to the Pokémon Center. Nanu made a few video phone calls to find her location, and fortunately he got a lead when contacting the receptionist over at the Battle Tree.
"Why yes, there's a woman with a Salamence here!" the receptionist Carla said, beaming through the video screen. "She battled several trainers earlier today and won every single one of them."
"Really?" Nanu sighed in relief and smiled a little. It wasn't surprising to him that Anabel had won those battles. She was an experienced trainer in another world and proved she was more than capable of watching herself. It sounded like she stayed in the Battle Tree to let out some steam. "Glad to hear Anabel's all right. Is she around now?"
"I believe she's in the middle of a battle now. Would you like me to let her know that you called and have her get back to you?"
"If you can, that would be great. Thanks for letting me know she's safe."
"No trouble at all! I'll let her know then the next time I see her. You have a good evening, Kahuna Nanu."
"You have a good night, too," Nanu said and hung up, the screen blacking out for a second before returning to the home page.
He moved towards the lounge, where Grimsley, Looker, and Charlotte sat on the couch watching television. The group turned their heads when Nanu approached them.
"Any luck finding Anabel?" Charlotte asked, and Nanu nodded.
"She's at the Battle Tree doing some battles there. I have the receptionist let her know I called and have her contact me if she wants."
"The Battle Tree, hm?" Grimsley said, scratching his chin. "You mentioned that the last Ula'ula kahuna liked to go there a lot."
"You think the chief will call you back?" Looker asked.
"Don't know. I'll give her a bit more time to herself before making any moves."
"I can go to the Battle Tree tomorrow and talk with Anabel if you don't hear her back," Charlotte said.
Nanu considered her request a moment. Anabel was more likely to listen to Charlotte than him or Looker. This would be their best shot.
"That's probably a good idea, actually. Sure, you can do that."
After he said that, the automatic door opened. Nanu turned to see Mina approaching the group.
"Alola, alola! Found your friend yet?"
"Yeah. She's over at the Battle Tree, so we will see if she calls me back first."
"You're not going over there now?" Mina asked as she tilted her head.
A lump formed inside Nanu's throat. He stole a glance at Looker and Charlotte, both of them frowning.
"Let's just say she's not at speaking terms with me right now. Wicke will come see her tomorrow."
"Oh, I see. At least you know she's safe." Mina gave out her easy going smile. "There's another reason why I'm here. You're all being invited to Hapu's coronation."
"Coronation?" Grimsley asked, raising a brow.
"When the tapu has chosen a new kahuna, they both perform a special dance in a ceremony in front of a small audience, in one of the kahunas from other islands are expected to join." Nanu faced back at Mina. "You're already going ahead with that?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Grandma Eli called both Hala and Olivia to tell them the news. They'll be coming sometime tomorrow."
"Guess I have no choice since I'm here, huh?"
Mina's smile grew wider. "Nope!"
Nanu stared at her and sighed. He was never a fan of the coronations including his own. Wearing the costume that resembled Tapu Bulu and dancing in front of people made him uncomfortable.
"Well I'm interested in how this ceremony works. "Could be a new learning experience for me!" The smile on Looker's face disappeared and he hung his head down. "Although, it would be nice if the chief comes too…"
"I also look forward to coming to the ceremony," Grimsley said.
"Great!" Mina clapped her hands. "I'm gonna head home now. See you guys tomorrow at the ceremony!" She waved goodbye to everyone and left the Pokémon Center.
Nanu stared at the ceiling, annoyed that he needed to stay in Poni Island for longer.
xxx
As Nanu expected, Anabel didn't return the call. When morning came, Charlotte had asked Nurse Joy if the Pokémon Center had a Pokémon that could take her to the Battle Tree fairly quickly. It turned out the place did and she was lent a Skarmory for her to borrow.
Charlotte and her Pokémon then left for the Battle Tree.
Morning rolled into late afternoon, and preparations for Hapu's coronation were made. Several tables with food and drinks had been set up in the courtyard, purple tablecloths used because of the island's official color. Chief Akoni stood in front of a barbeque cooking ground beef, the smoky smell lingering inside Nanu's nose. Selene and Lillie sat on the bench playing with Poppers while Grimsley leaned against a lampost, the young dark-type expert flipping his coin. At the edge of the cliff, Looker stared at the ocean with his arms crossed against his chest. Nanu joined with Looker.
"I hope Charlotte will be able to convince the chief to come back," Looker said, not tearing his eyes from the sea.
"I think she will. Charlotte's pretty good with that kind of thing."
Looker turned his head to look at Nanu and frowned. "She's right that we betrayed her trust. I'm ashamed of myself for that."
"You and me both." Nanu lowered his chin on his palm. A small breeze picked up, stinging his face. As he and Looker went silent, a familiar boy's voice called out to him.
"Nice to see you again, Kahuna Nanu!"
That caused Nanu to flinch and twist around to see Hala, Olivia, and Hau approaching him. He forced himself to not roll his eyes.
"Hello, you guys." Nanu gave him a lazy wave.
"Didn't expect to see you here!" Hala chuckled. "I thought Acerola would take your place instead!"
"I'm actually here on important business. I'll be leaving after the ceremony." Nanu paused. "You guys came here quickly."
"I came with a Charizard from the PokéRide service while Hala and Hau used a ferry." Oliva grinned at Looker, her hand on her hip. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your handsome friend here?"
A stunned expression crossed Looker's face and he pointed a finger at her. "You're the Ms. Olivia that I bought the Thunderstones from!"
Olivia blinked, and after a moment she burst out laughing. "Oh, I remember now! I was confused why you bought those despite not having a Pokémon that evolves from a Thunderstone. I forgot your name, though."
"Then let me introduce myself once more." He gave a slight bow. "Looker is my name, a member of the International Police. Nanu and I are good acquaintances."
"An old friend of Nanu's, hm?" Olivia's grin grew wider, and she stepped closer towards Looker. She pressed a finger on his throat and batted her eyelashes at him. "If you come back to Akala Island, I can give you another discount in my shop and we can have lunch together." When she said that, a blush formed on Looker's cheeks.
Nanu's eyes flew wide and his mouth grew dry, taken aback at Olivia advancing on Looker like an Alolan Persian pouncing on prey. If he were drinking, he would choke. He glanced at Hala and Hau, the two having blank stares.
"Um, Ms. Olivia?" Hau asked in confusion, which made Olivia step away from Looker and shift her gaze from him.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I stepped out of bounds here. That won't happen again."
Smiling, Looker said, "Not to worry, Ms. Olivia. It is a lovely offer, but I have to politely decline on both accounts. I am on this island for professional business, after all."
Olivia smiled back and nodded, quickly recovering from that initial embarrassment. "Right. I wish you luck on that."
After a short silence, Hala faced his grandson and asked, "Why don't we go meet with your friends now, Hau?"
"All right!" Hau said, pumping his fist in the air. He, Hala, and Olivia moved out first. Nanu made a few steps forward before turning around to see Looker staring back at the ocean.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked with a raised brow. Looker turned around, a slight smile curling on his lips.
"You go ahead. I'll wait here in case Charlotte and the chief returns."
Nanu narrowed his eyes at first, and then he shrugged. He went to where everyone else was.
Selene and Lillie were still playing with Poppers, so when they noticed Hau their faces lit up.
"Hau!" Selene rushed over towards Hau and hugged him. "What are you doing here?"
"Gramps got a call from a friend that Hapu's the new kahuna. He's letting me join him for the ceremony."
"Oh, you mean her grandmother," Lillie said, smiling. "She's helping Hapu with her gown right now. We should be ready to leave for the ceremony soon."
"It's nice to see you girls again!" Olivia said. "I take it you got through your third Grand Trial?"
Selene beamed and nodded. "Ah huh! Nanu wanted to do a double battle with me and another trainer for his trial. He kept saying how we're not good enough, but we managed to beat him!"
Hala put his palms on his stomach, letting out a hearty laugh. "Not surprising. Several trainers would tell me the same thing."
"I wanted to push their training skills further by giving them some tough love. It worked in the end."
"Maybe," Selene said as she held her chin high. She faced back at Hau and Lillie. "You wanna hear how Hapu became Kahuna, Hau?"
"Of course!" Hau cheered, and the three friends began talking amongst themselves.
Nanu glanced at Grimsley, who was still flipping his coin. He still wasn't sure why that man was obsessed with that coin. It might be a good idea to introduce him to Hala and Olivia.
"Hey, Grimsley! There are a couple folks I want you to meet."
That caught Grimsley's attention as he stopped playing with his coin and turned to Nanu's direction. He moved to where the group was.
"Oh? Are they friends of yours?"
"You can say that." While Nanu continued to talk, he pointed to Hala and Olivia. "This is Hala and Olivia. They're kahunas of Melemele Island and Akala Island, respectively."
"Kahunas, ey?" Grimsley shook Hala and Olivia's hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
"Professor Kukui told me that you're an Elite Four from Unova," Olivia said with a smirk. "How are you liking Alola so far?"
"Alola isn't what I expected, but it's been a good experience for me. I've been told you'll be this region's Elite Four."
"Yes, and I'm excited for that. Representing Alola on the big stage is a huge honor."
"I admit that our culture takes some getting used to, but I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it here," Hala said.
While Grimsley was being introduced to the two kahunas, Nanu remained quiet and stared at the sky. Up ahead shadows of two Pokémon were zooming in and they let out strong cries. He squinted his eyes, trying to make them out through the blinding sunlight: one a Salamence, and another a Skarmory. His heart plumented.
"They have arrived!" Looker said excitedly, pointing up at Anabel and Charlotte. That caused everyone to also look up at the sky and gasp.
A moment passed until the two ladies and their Pokémon landed. Once Anabel and Charlotte jumped off, both Nanu and Looker rushed off to them.
"You're back," Nanu said, his mouth gaping.
No smile came from Anabel. Before she could speak, the whole group including Akoni, who finished with the barbeque, joined them.
"Alola, you two!" Hala said, doing the Alola rainbow sign with his arms. "I'm Hala, kahuna of Melemele Island."
"And I'm Olivia, Akala Island's kahuna."
With a welcoming smile, Charlotte said, "Oh, I heard about you two! I'm Wicke Santana and I worked for Aether Paradise." She paused and glanced at Nanu, as if hesitant to reveal their connection. When he nodded, a relieved smile formed on her lips. "Nanu and I are good friends."
"And I'm Anabel, an Interpol agent. Nanu used to be my superior for a short time."
"Good friends? Superior?" Olivia grinned and poked Nanu's shoulder with her elbow. "Didn't think of you as someone who's into younger women!"
Nanu's face fell. "What? No, nothing is going on with either of them."
A short chuckle escaped from Grimsley. He opened his mouth, but Nanu's glare stopped him from responding. Grimsley pressed his lips and faced away from him.
"It's great seeing you again, Ms. Wicke!" Hau said, beaming. "Nice to meet you too, Ms. Anabel! Mr. Looker is an Interpol agent too, does that mean you two work together?"
"We are indeed," Looker said. Despite some cheerfulness in his voice he remained reserved. "She's actually my superior."
When Looker said that, Anabel lowered her brow and shifted her gaze away for a second. She had one hand rubbed her arm.
"Will you two be staying for the coronation of Kahuna Hapu?" Lillie asked, and Anabel blinked in confusion.
"Coronation?"
"This island just got its new kahuna after several years without one," Akoni said. "Today we're holding a celebration for that."
"From the look on your face, you're not here for the coronation," Grimsley said.
Upon hearing that, Nanu's heart jumped in his throat. That man seeing through other people like a poker game got him uncomfortable. Anabel gasped, as if feeling the same way.
"No, I'm not," she said, shaking her head. She fixed her gaze at Nanu and Looker. "We need to talk."
"Of course." He sighed and looked back at everyone else. "You guys go ahead. My colleagues and I have some stuff to work out."
"Trying to weasel out of coming to the ceremony, hm?" Olivia said, earning her a glare from Nanu. She held her hands up. "I'm only teasing. Do make it for the barbeque, though."
An indifferent grunt left Nanu's mouth. Depending how long this talk might be, he might come in time for food. He and his Interpol friends headed toward the Pokémon Center.
xxx
The rooms in Seafolk Village's Pokémon Center weren't that different from the ones in other Pokémon Centers. They were fairly small, but there was enough room for him and his friends to talk and Looker sat on the bed, Charlotte took a chair next to the desk, and Anabel leaned her back against the wall next to the window with her arms crossed. There was a moment of awkward silence between everyone until Anabel cleared her throat and spoke.
"You already know how I stayed in the Battle Tree for a bit."
"Yes," Nanu said. "I let the receptionist tell you to talk to me when you're free. You didn't call back, so I assumed you're still upset with Looker and me."
"You're right on that assumption, and to be honest I'm still hurt." Anabel gazed out at the window, putting her hand on the glass. "It was funny, each time I battled there I got hit with a wave of nostalgia."
Nanu's forehead shot up. "Is it because of how you're reminded of the Battle Tower?"
"Maybe. I'm grateful I can recall my time there at least."
"I take it though Charlotte had persuaded you to come back to us," Looker said, and Charlotte nodded.
"I told Anabel more about Sana and how much she reminded us of her. Sana's passing affected us all."
Pursing his lips, Nanu reminisced about his reunion with Sana last night. She had said she didn't regret her time with her friends, and it stung his heart. At least he got some closure with her.
Looker hung his head down and said in a low voice, "There's no denying the loss of Sana is why we kept you in the dark for so long."
A sad smile formed on Anabel's lips. "It was cruel, but I understand you and Nanu did that to protect me." She dragged out a deep sigh, and her face grew serious. "I've been thinking of what I want to do next. I want to change Interpol from the inside and not have another Faller be used as bait anymore."
Looker and Charlotte gasped while Nanu furrowed his brow. He rose up from the bed, standing up with one hand on his hip.
"That's a huge undertaking there, kid. How are you going to do that?"
"The first thing is to fix the way the Ultra Task Force has been handled. It would require a lot of support from other agents. If it all goes well, I'll take it to higher staff."
"What if that causes Interpol to let you go?" Looker asked.
"Then that's a risk I'm willing to take. I would rather try to make a change than do nothing. Will you three help me?"
"Well, I'll support you in any way I can," Wicke said, smiling. "I don't want Sana's death to go in vain."
Looker stood up also and flashed her a grin. "I believe this is the best path towards justice. Count me in, Chief."
"I'm always up for dismantling Interpol." Nanu grunted, offering her a crooked smile. He didn't need to think twice whether he was in support of Anabel's cause or not.
"Thank you everyone," Anabel said with an appreciative smile. "This will be a long process, but will be worth it in the end."
Author's Note:
So on AO3 I put up how many chapters until have at the end. Yes, I'm confident to say that this story will end at 35 chapters, or well 34 chapters and an epilogue. So we're almost there!
Thanks to bobandbill for betaing as always. This was originally one chapter but decided to split it into two shorter chapters to have better pacing. One more chapter until the Poni Island arc ends, which should be ready in September. See you then!