Hello guys and bienvenidos to the next update! I do apologize for the bit of tardiness on this one. That plus the final champion battle of A Hui Hou Kākou taking extra time. Trying to balance things out best I can with a hectic schedule that I have.

Anyways, onto the chapter.

The twins found Nemona at the front gates to her manor next to their parents who had stood outside the family car.

For a moment Rian had wondered to himself if his parents were also catching on to his obvious crush on the upperclasswoman. He was still contemplating his loss and getting used to the fact he was now a trainer. Lifelong dream achieved.

I lost even with a type advantage. That's not good. Not good at all.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Jules asked him after a few minutes of silent walking. Rian was the quieter sibling of the two, but when he caught onto a subject that he enjoyed, he was a nonstop chatterbox.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "The battle I guess?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. She's a champion ranked trainer and you just battled for the first time ever."

"I know. But I got distracted. Wondering if I was making the right decisions."

His sister furrowed her brow. "Rian, what are you talking about? Like your choice of pokemon?"

"No it's not that." Dammit she knows. "Okay maybe I did choose the wrong pokemon. Like I wanted to be careful and I'm not even sure why I chose quaxly when I had my mind all but completely set on fuecoco," he let out a slight laugh, remaining a bit annoyed with himself. "I guess I was probably overthinking things."

Woah. I didn't realize it's eating at him this much. I've never seen him like this when we split stuff. Did I really mess it up for him by picking first? Jules watched him knock his temple with his knuckles. "Can't be going around doing that huh?"

She did agree that he had a point, but there was clearly more to it than what he was letting on. Allowing it to pass for now made sense.

"How come you didn't want to battle Nemona?" He asked her. It was an effort to dodge his own problem on hand.

"I don't really know either. Maybe I'm just overthinking things too. I'm just excited to have my very own pokemon." Her smile came back. "It's not like we're playing with Hector and pretend battling at recreo like we're still kids. This is really happening. We're trainers. Basil and Baron are our own pokemon now."

"I know. It's an awesome feeling and we've waited our whole lives to seize whatever opportunities we get. Whether it's being the strongest trainer in all of Paldea…or completing the pokedex…or whatever floats the boat."

"It seems like you've made up your mind already." She knew that the competitive scene was his goal.

"That's why I have to get as good as Nemona! Can't be a champion if you can't beat one."

"And estar segura that I'll be sure to look after them at Uva Academy! They are both in good hands!" Nemona beamed at their parents and put a hand on her hip. "They chose some really great pokemon and I know for a fact they'll become strong trainers!"

Standing opposite her, both Gabby and Tavo gave a thoughtful nod. Their mother was now in her full Navy whites uniform that was clean and pressed with no visible wrinkles present. The left side of her chest had several medals pinned and her hair was neatly tied back in a bun that was in the regulation for the Armada.

"Ay, mi amor!" Gabby smiled at seeing her two children approach behind Nemona. "I hear Seniorita Nemona will be taking the two of you to school tomorrow! How exciting!"

"Si. Leave it to me!" Nemona declared beside them. "And we made sure that they both picked a pokemon partner to accompany them!"

"Oh?"

"Shall we show them?" Jules asked, with Rian hesitantly nodding in agreement.

They're going to see me dissatisfied.

Both twins tossed out their pokemon. Basil mewled softly and stretched his forelegs, enjoying another dose of warm sunlight while Baron immediately went over to stand right next to Rian's leg at rapt attention.

"Oh tan lindo!" Gabby gushed, leaning down to pet them on the head. Basil nuzzled her softly and Baron nodded. "They're amazing! I'm so glad that you are now finally trainers. Such fine choices!"

"Indeed." Tavo gave a thoughtful nod. "And you are both happy with the pokemon?"

"Yes! Very much so!" Jules said, giggling as Basil jumped up on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm happy." Rian's expression didn't mirror his words, but he didn't want to give away that he still felt like this wasn't what he had in mind when he became a trainer.

Losing my first battle. Not my greatest start.

"So you finally got your pokemon and managed to make a friend." Tavo's voice was much more measured, though they could see that he was just as happy for his children as his significant other. Gabby giggled at seeing Baron continue to stand erect at attention, reminiscing on something of her earlier days in naval school.

"We've been reading about all the wonderful teachers you'll have looking after you at school. Plus so many handy facilities you can use as much as you like!"

"Add in your new friend Nemona and school life is already shaping up to be a wonderful time!" Gabby clasped her own hands together, just briefly breaking her prim and proper attitude when she usually donned her whites. "Now you'll be staying in the school dorms, so I want you both to promise me you will eat proper comidas. Your father and I have a little bit of spending money for you. And also a packed lunch for your first day!"

Rian and Jules each accepted a brown lunch sack along with a wad of pokeuros and peered inside. Just like when they had gone to school from time to time, each one held a well-wrapped homemade sandwich, a bag of baby carrots and a small bar of chocolate.

Jules had opened hers when the smell of grilled meat and fried pepper hit her nose. One of the things she shared in common with her brother was their favorite sandwich being the serranito, among the most popular types available in the Paldea region.

Grilled jamon, fried peppers, tomato and garlic aioli. Can't beat that.

"And you better take these as well." Tavo reached into a bag at his side, handing each twin five small white and purple colored bottles with spray nozzles. "Be sure to use them on your precious little partners!"

"We will!" Rian and Jules had said in unison. Nemona laughed, unaware that such a thing was not uncommon when hanging around them at all.

"I know every day, your school life is going to be full of exciting experiences far from home. Your father will admit that the casa is going to be very lonely now that we are all gone!" Gabby said. "Just remember to always savor them all, the good times and the hard ones too. But if either of you ever want to come back home for a break, your beds will be waiting for you!"

"We'll be back Mom!" Rian laughed. "There's still Natal-Navidad!"

It would be many months, close to the end of the year's holiday Natal-Navidad to celebrate the creation to be before they would return to school. While their mother unlikely going to be back in time for that; their father would be home and they planned to spend the three weeks off gift giving and relaxing until the second semester started just after the new year.

Tavo stroked his moustache. "You three better be off then, take care on the way to school!"

He gave each twin a hug and kiss on the cheek before Gabby stepped forward.

"I'm going to miss you both so much!" She held them tighter than their father had. "Not one day is going to go by where I don't think about what you are up to and the wonderful adventures you will be having while at the Academy."

"Mom."

"It will be challenging, but always remember what I've been taught while in the Navy. Focus."

"Plan." Their mother's motto was drilled into them since childhood and Jules recited the second part.

"Attack." Rian said to finish it.

Focus. Plan. Attack.

One last set of goodbye hugs and kisses from their parents and they watched them pile into the car, igniting the engine and driving off down the road towards Cabo Poco's port. Rian, Jules and Nemona waved until they turned the corner and disappeared.

"Your parents are so nice!" The upperclasswoman said before something dawned on her. "Oh wait a second! I forgot to show you guys on how to catch a pokemon! Come on! Vamos!"

So many memories. Jules glanced at the kitchen, reminiscing when she was a little girl as her mother's kitchen helper preparing things like her signature gazpacho or torta de Basque. Other than the occasional vacations to places like Mesagoza, Levincia or even that trip to Unova, neither sibling spent quite as long of a time away from home as they were about to be.

Am I going to get homesick? Rian asked himself. What if I realize this isn't what I wanted?

No. It is.

They knew that once they got back, they'd see the newly taken picture of both of them in their school uniforms added to the wall of carefully displayed frames showing key moments in their family's history. From their own parents' meeting to their wedding, to a joyous expression on both Gustavo and Gabriella's faces as the latter proudly cradled a newborn swaddled Rian and Jules in her hospital bed.

Time to make new memories to add.

Like she had said, Nemona led them at the beginning of the Poco Path; a natural walk beside a main road that went to the next town over, Los Platos. Through all the years of living in quaint Cabo Poco, they had never walked it before, instead using the family's car to drive over in less than an hour. For those trips, Los Platos was home to the various transportation options through Paldea including rail, roads and the airport that served both cities for those traveling by air.

The afternoon heat was starting to set in as Rian and Jules took a drink from their water bottles. Nemona looked fresh as ever, standing with a confident hand on her hip and awaiting their arrival with a good amount of patience.

"All right!" She pumped an excited fist above her head as the twins stopped at the entrance next to her. "You made it! This here is Poco Path, the place where adventure will begin for you and me!"

"We're not gonna take the road?" Jules asked in curiosity.

"Nope!" Nemona grinned. "Now that you're trainers, you get to walk the path of one! So things are gonna be a little different than when we were back in town. You're gonna see wild pokemon out and about."

"Wild pokemon?" Rian asked, peering behind her down the dirt path as if he could see some. There was no movement as far as he could tell, but that didn't mean there was none.

Calm down. It's just wild pokemon. Not like there's a shortage of them I'll be missing anytime soon.

He had to just guess he was eager to see and try to catch one for himself.

"Yup! They'll be on the paths, grass and such. Now if you get too close to one, you'll have to battle it! But now you both have your pokemon!"

She knelt down to unsling her backpack and reached inside. "So to catch, you'll need some good ol' fashioned poke balls. I've got plenty on me at all times! Have a few! You never know when you'll run across a pokemon that's too good to pass up!"

She handed them five each. Like the ones they had kept their starter pokémon in, they were smooth with a fiberglass, metallic coating. The bottom half was white and included the base and capture/release button and the top was a bright cherry red.

Rian opened one of them with a tap on the button, showing the inner workings of a peculiar nest of metal and wiring. On the sides of its clamshell design, there were two smaller buttons that could be pressed in while holding where it would activate the recall feature to put them back inside the capsule.

Nemona laughed. "You're very curious Rian, it's really cute to see!"

The light blush that went across Rian's face didn't escape Jules' notice. She knew already.

Oh I'm starting to sense he's got a bit of a crush!

"Once you go into Battle Studies, I'm sure Miss Dendra is going to teach you a lot more about how to capture a pokemon and give you the best chance! But here are the basics!"

She started down the path. Rian and Jules glanced at one another before nodding together.

This is it.

First steps as a trainer. "Okay."

They took that first step together.

Jules held her breath as the first few paces through the treeline seemed no different, but the farther they went away from civilization into the backcountry, the more evident it became that this was home to more wildlife than any humans. Twenty feet of walking and the vegetation got thicker, quickly covering up any sight of Cabo Poco's buildings on the other end of the thicket.

Before long, they heard the wild pokemon everywhere. From cries unseen to the crunching of grass and vegetation, it felt as if the reality of being a trainer was setting in more and more with even greater anticipation.

Nemona led the way, her head furtively scanning left and right as she hunched over slightly. Together the trio trudged down the path, heading deeper into the brush. The trees got taller and their leafy branches crisscrossed overhead, blotting out patches of the sun that filtered through the gaps. Jules sighed with relief at the much more abundant cool shade.

On the next round, Rian and Jules gasped.

Before them in the clearing, they saw dozens of wild pokemon moving about. Some by themselves, some in groups.

Woah.

Nemona flashed another toothy grin at them. "Pretty hala isn't it? The world of pokemon is something else!"

She gestured to her RotoPhone. "Like when I explained back at my house; you can use your pokedex to scan wild pokemon and gain data on them. Once you've run across them in the wild, you'll come prepared for every other chance you run across another!"

Rian pulled his own out, pointing the camera to a familiar quadruped pig pokemon that was brownish gray in color with a long pink snout. On four stubby legs, it held its head down, sniffing the dirt furtively.

Lechonk. I know that one everywhere.

Throughout Paldea, lechonk were among the most abundant in the entire region. Renowned for its superior sense of smell, it was just as important to their culture. He knew back from basic school that lechonk have been domesticated and relied on for a mixture of labor, battle and it was an important source of food for both humans and other pokemon on the food chain.

Scanning…match found. Lechonk. Hog pokemon. Normal type. It searches for food all day with its keen sense of smell, but seldom uses it outside foraging. This pokemon gives off an herblike scent that bug pokemon detest.

"I guess that makes sense," Jules had read the information scrolling across his screen and gestured to the other end of the path, where there were two different groups of bugs milling about at the trunks of trees. One was an eight legged arachnid creature with a bright yellow body and an entire mound of silk finely spun into an orb on its back. She centered the camera on it first.

Scanning…match found. Tarontula. String ball pokemon. Bug type. The ball of thread wrapped around its body is strong enough to deflect the blades of its natural enemy scyther. The strength of the thread is as strong as braided wire and research into its durability is ongoing.

Jules moved her phone so it centered on a gray larvae pokemon that seemed to be trying to go by the tarontula, likely some prey not wanting any trouble.

Scatterbug. Scatterdust pokemon. Bug type. Any poison this pokemon takes on is converted into black powder and secreted. Because of this ability, scatterbug can eat various poisonous plants and roots without suffering harmful effects compared to other bug types. This pokemon will consume different plants depending on where it lives.

"I see you're having a lot of fun with the new pokedex app." Nemona told them. "Be sure to log every new pokemon you see. You'll never know when you'll have to see it again."

She crept forward some more. The closest pokemon, notably a scatterbug and a couple lechonk sensed the humans and quickly vanished into the brush. It seemed that a lot of them didn't particularly welcome their foreign presence and chose to hide or flee.

"Ah perfect." She stopped, opposite of a small rodent pokemon that stood on all fours. Its orange fur waved in the wind and small sparks of electric energy crackled along the circular sacs on its cheeks. It spotted the humans and tensed, sensing that it was about to be challenged.

Rian already had his new phone out to scan the pokemon.

Scanning…match found. Pawmi. Mouse pokemon. Electric type. The pads on its paws contain electricity discharging ducts. Pawmi can fire electricity with its paws outstretched while standing unsteadily on its hind legs.

"So! In order to catch pokemon," Nemona started while awkwardly throwing out Saeta again. The fire croc landed on its feet and growled softly at the pawmi. "You have to arm the capture mechanism on the ball. Hit the button until it clicks and the rim glows green! Then you throw it. Once the ball recognizes the signature of your target pokemon; it'll activate that capture matrix and pull the pokemon inside. If it shakes three times and the button snaps, it's a successful capture!"

She gestured and on command, Saeta opened his mouth to shoot an ember. The pawmi squeaked and was thrown back upon getting struck. However, it was quick to roll up and rush forward at blindingly fast speed to hit Saeta back.

"Oh wow, that's a feisty quick attack!" Nemona was already getting excited. "Ember again Saeta!"

The fuecoco once more opened his mouth and launched another small ball of fire that was once again on target. This attack took a lot more fight out and the pawmi showed a bigger struggle to continue the fight.

With her free hand, Nemona showed them an empty poke ball, holding down the center button with her thumb. The twins heard an audible clicking noise and a faint green glow in the dark spot surrounding the button's front. The device was armed.

She threw it, not exactly in a swinging overhand throw like most of them had seen trainers do, but rather in an upward motion as if shot putting. While it looked rather awkward to do, her effort had gotten the job done. The poke ball spun as it sailed into the air, landing on the ground as the clamshell action opened up. The capture matrix recognized the target pokemon, drawing it inside in a flash of light before sealing shut.

All three watched as it settled upright, wobbling on the ground as the pawmi inside attempted to break free. The ball bobbed to the left, then the right and back to the left a second time and then the button made an evident snapping sound; an indication that the capture attempt was successful.

"Woah." Jules's eyes were wide with excitement. "You caught it!"

"That was amazing," Rian whispered. His blood was already flowing and he was raring to give it a try himself. "I've seen videos on how to do it properly, but Nemona made it look so easy!"

The upperclasswoman stepped and scooped up the ball, patting Saeta on the head for a job well done. "And that's that. Again, you can throw a ball right away, but you'll have a much better chance by battling and weakening it! You'll get a lot more insight on how to capture a pokemon when you take Miss Dendra's battle studies course!"

She laughed, "Because actually I'm pretty crummy when it comes to catching pokemon…heh, you know with throwing balls and stuff. But man, when I catch it and train it, that's where it gets awesome!"

Nemona scanned the captured pawmi for a second with her RotoPhone. "Oh, it's a boy and I can tell he's going to be very strong! I think I'm gonna name him Palmer. So what do you guys think? Want to battle some wild pokemon or catch them?"

"I…uh yes!" Rian answered almost immediately. "I'm ready to go!"

"That's the spirit! I know you're really wanting to go too, Jules!"

"You bet I am!"

Nemona and Jules watched Rian immediately take off onto the side where a scatterbug frantically tried to run and escape. Baron appeared in a flash of light and the duo immediately went to work. The scatterbug's fight or flight reflex caught on and it spat a long thread of gooey clear spit that ensnared the duck's wing and stopped it from using a pound.

"Baron, use water gun!" Rian cried.

Baron opened his bill and shot a fine stream of water that blasted the scatterbug into the brush. Rian grabbed one of the empty poke balls from his pack and flung it forward. He didn't see it open or anything and waited for a few seconds. Nothing happened.

"Huh?"

"I don't think you caught anything bro." Jules almost laughed out loud. "Baron was a little trigger happy."

Rian knelt down by the bushes and peered inside, seeing the poke ball lying in between a couple branches. Careful not to cut himself if there were any thorns, he slowly reached down and drew it out, face falling in disappointment when there was no pokemon inside and the capture matrix depleted. Baron puffed his chest out proudly for his first official win against another pokemon with his trainer.

Ay por dios! The fact didn't register with Rian. Still feel like picking this pokemon was a mistake!

"Ah, que fuerte." Nemona sighed from behind them. "You won't be able to catch everything."

"I guess I should give it a try." Jules said. Though she hadn't done much with Basil other than pet him, she was itching to see how well she could battle.

I've watched Rian and he makes it look almost as natural as Nemona, even though he's just as new as me. How hard can this be?

Basil emerged from his poke ball as she threw it and he immediately stuck to his trainer's side, nuzzling her ankles with his head and meowing softly.

"Hey buddy," She greeted. Similarly, Baron walked over and the two pokemon seemed to enjoy their company as well. "How about we try our hand at battling?"

Basil squeaked for a moment before he gave a firm nod.

"Perfect." Jules and Rian started walking again. Nemona had already gone ahead, telling them to go at their own pace and that they would meet at the base of the Luz Sur in about an hour.

"What should I try and catch? Or should we try to battle?"

"Maybe battle?" Rian was suddenly pulled away as Baron seemed to start one with a lechonk. The large swine barreled into his side with a powerful tackle. Baron didn't seem to like that, so Rian ordered a retaliatory pound. The lechonk grunted and tackled him once more.

"Finish him with water gun!" Rian called. The pig was struck by another blast from Baron's bill and slumped over in the dirt, knocked out.

"Oh man!" He made a fist in frustration, his other hand about to go for a poke ball just as Baron had made the final blow. "I was about to catch it!"

Baron quacked softly and turned around, putting his wings on his hips and puffing his chest out proudly. After losing their very first battle

The boy shook his head as Baron maintained his posture. "You saying you're the only pokemon I need?" He got a nod from that. "Heh. Maybe. But I want to catch some other partners and friends. As tough as you may be, we won't be able to be champions alone." And keep convincing myself that I made the right call in picking.

"Basil use scratch!" He heard from his right. Looking over, he saw Jules and her pokemon locked in a fight with a small pink floating pokemon. The sprigatito lunged up, slashing with claws on his forelegs. The other creature gave a cry of pain before the leafy stem on the top of its head began to spin rapidly, causing a gust of wind to batter him. Basil hissed loudly as he skid across the ground and shook it off once he was able to regain his footing.

A new pokemon? Rian brought up his phone to scan it.

Scanning…match found. Hoppip. Cottonweed pokemon. Grass and flying type. Aside from cold regions, hoppip can be found nearly anywhere in the world thanks to its ability to ride wind which carries it to wherever.

He realized that it was the first dual-typed pokemon they had encountered. Though just taught the basics so far, he knew that dual-types could play a part in helping or hurting different strategies in battle based on which combination of two types the pokemon possessed.

"Okay, time to throw the poke ball!" Jules hurled the device straight at it. The hoppip braced to be captured, only for the ball to smack it on its side. The impact actually ended up knocking the creature out and the ball's top half cracked as soon as it hit the ground.

Rian jogged over as his sister gave a defeated sigh. Basil meowed softly, looking up and trying not to feel bad for his trainer.

"Dang, I thought we would've had it." Jules almost laughed at herself in spite of her own failure. "But I forgot to arm the capture matrix!"

"You what?! Ha!" Rian was just as surprised, yet he couldn't help but laugh himself. The exact same mistake he had made, aside from possibly Baron just being too powerful and knocking out the scatterbug outright. Jules could only smile and shake her own head in embarrassment.

"I guess it's a lot harder than I thought. Nemona made it look so easy."

"Well look on the bright side," Rian told her. "That probably wasn't a missed catch worth crying about anyway. I mean if you did, you'd have two grass types. It'd probably be better if you balanced out the typing of pokemon in your team."

Jules nodded. Minus type specialists, it was good as a trainer to remain versatile. "That's true. Is that why you haven't caught anything yet?"

"Nah," he gestured down to Baron who was busy chasing Basil around their legs. "He just wants to show off his strength and how good of a fighter he is. But give yourself some credit there sis. You're just as good of a battler as me."

"We're rookies, so that doesn't carry much sentiment." The twins laughed for a moment before settling down.

Okay that was good.

"But no, I'd like to at least capture one pokemon before we reach the school today." Rian declared. "But I'm gonna be selective. I'd rather get a few pokemon on my team rather than try to catch everything in sight."

"Funny you say that." Jules said. "I had the exact same thought."

The twins decided to call it and head through the path with their pokemon following loyally behind. By now, the sun had shifted to the late afternoon and they had walked enough that their hometown was just a small dot in the distance. Neither of them had put any thought into how far they were from home, there was just too much to learn about being a trainer. The path quickly cleared of dense trees and ended much quicker than they had expected, joining up with the main road that ran to the north on its way to Los Platos.

"Hey you two!" Nemona waved at them a ways up the climbing hill. Further up the slope, they could see the tall red and white structure of the gigantic lighthouse that overlooked Cabo Poco and much of Paldea's southern coast. The Luz Sur. "Did you two catch any pokemon?"

"Uh no?" Rian said quietly, but she didn't seem to hear.

"At least you're getting the hang of battling! Jules I saw you fighting that wild hoppip with poise!" Nemona grinned again. "You may have not fought against a trainer like Rian yet, but I know you'll be just as good!

"Thanks."

See? Her brother shot her a knowing glance. I wasn't wrong.

"So let me see, you've caught," Nemona narrowed her eyes as they approached and only saw just one ball on their belt and the two starters beside their respective trainers. "Nothing?! Neither of you caught a pokemon?"

"Well first up," Rian turned away to hide the growing redness on his face. "Throwing an empty poke ball is a lot harder than I ever expected. Second, Baron just wants to plow through anything that stands in his way. He's knocked out anything that he's come across in two or three attacks."

And at this rate, it'll be single hit knockouts.

"I tried to catch that hoppip. But same problem. I forgot to arm the matrix." Jules sighed, remembering that it wasn't that much of a missed opportunity. If she wanted another hoppip, running into one was almost guaranteed in a windy area.. "Next time."

"I'd think you'd have at least two or three apiece." Nemona told them. "But staying with one is completely fine too! Just so you know, there are good and bad parts to having fewer pokemon. You can devote a lot more attention and care to them for sure."

Rian looked to be deep in thought after hearing that. "And I'm assuming that's the good part?"

"Yeah. It could be better for you to have a stronger pokemon at your side. However if either of your only pokemon is seriously hurt, you can be in a lot of trouble. I've seen trainers train the crap out of one pokemon and neglect the rest. Then during a battle, once that big strong pokemon goes down, the rest fall like dominoes. So it's probably for the best to keep things balanced."

"Balanced."

"Mhmm. And so you know, there's going to be a lot of people who like to challenge others to battles at the Academy and even around Paldea. Moiself included!" Nemona pointed to herself proudly, causing Rian to laugh at her little Kalosian anisomorphism. "So make sure you have more pokemon ready to be used. On equal terms of their strength, a trainer with five pokemon often wins against a trainer with two or three.

"We can carry six pokemon maximum right?" Jules asked.

"On hand, si. Some trainers have special licenses and permits to carry more such as breeder specialists. Though if they're battling, they're still limited to six."

"Oh," Rian almost groaned. "I guess that can't really be much of an advantage after all."

No doubt that rule had to be put in because someone tried to circumvent it.

"But enough of that chit chat, let's get going to U-"

Nemona was abruptly cut off by an earsplitting roar suddenly pierced through the air, startling the three trainers. Everyone visibly flinched. Rian felt his heart stop.

What was that?!

Jules had jumped before her hands instinctively grabbed onto her brother's arm. "Rian what was that?"

"I'm not really sure." Glancing at Nemona, the look of surprise on her face told him she had no idea either.

"I've never heard that before." She whispered as if whatever made the noise was capable of overhearing them. "Could it be a really strong pokemon or something? Let's take a look around."

There wasn't much else to do yet, so they agreed and started searching.

Jules was pretty sure that something that made a cry that loud wasn't going to be small. She glanced up in the sky, expecting to see a large pokemon, but the only thing that happened to be up there were some orange and gray birds that had taken off from being startled by the noise. She had seen them before, but they were too far away for her to scan with her dex's camera.

"Do you think it's the same thing that made that loud crashing noise this morning?"

"I don't know. We'll keep looking. Be careful, there's a dangerous cave somewhere around here too."

"The Inlet Grotto." Rian said. Jules knew of it too; home to some of the more aggressive wild pokemon species that lived in south Paldea and they were taught to stay away from it since childhood when they went to play in the fields and beaches.

The Inlet Grotto was located underneath them at the end of a long cove that was a bit of an open secret among the locals. It was far from the touristy area of Cabo Poco, but right next to the Luz Sur. Rian could see the sand below and smell the salt from the ocean already as he neared.

The boy slowly approached the edge, having a hunch that the loud roar he heard had come from somewhere down below.

"Rian be careful," Jules warned, seeing him out of the corner of her eye approaching the cliff. "Please."

I will.

He slowly moved so that he was right along the edge, keeping a little crouch in case something spotted him. Aside from the dark specks in an otherwise flawless sandbar and a couple of tall palm trees, the Inlet Beach was deserted. Since the pokemon were kind of dangerous living in the cave behind and its seclusion being surrounded by the tall cliffs, people rarely ever went down despite its popularity for being much more low profile.

More softer growls caught his attention as he saw motion out of the corner of his eye.

There.

A pack of small dark quadruped canine pokemon were surrounding a much larger pokemon that Rian didn't recognize. He had to blink and refocus before finally seeing that the creature was lying down on its belly, just out of the surf.

Huh? I've never seen anything like it.

Maybe if he could get a closer look.

The pack of dogs closed in and the larger pokemon finally extended an elongated neck and roared again in that same warbled revving noise that sent chills down Rian's spine. It didn't matter that the temperature was quite warm either.

"Rian," Nemona's voice took on an urgency that he hadn't heard before. She and Jules were approaching behind him, worry evident on their faces. "Get back from the cliff."

"Y-yeah." The boy took a step backwards.

Just as the rumble shuddered underneath and he felt the ground give way, no longer able to support his weight. Thankfully, his swift reflexes let him be able to reach back and grabbed onto a rocky outcropping and hold on. Like a switch flipped, adrenaline coursed through his veins before his own mind could register it was falling down.

"Rian!" Jules cried, almost running to him. "Hold on!" At the same time Nemona ducked underneath the railing, sliding onto her belly to try and grab him.

"I'm trying!" The fright was replaced by the fear, there was nothing to stop him from a sixty foot drop and he was pretty sure it would seriously mess him up once he fell.

If he survived.

Hurry Jules.

Nemona was above him in a matter of seconds, one hand on the railing and the other reaching down towards him. Both his own hands clung to the small rock and he feared it would give way if he shifted his own weight. To help, he planted his feet lower on the cliff, finding less than an inch of purchase. He hoped that it would alleviate some of the pressure off his arms, because not even a few seconds elapsed and they were already beginning to burn with lactic acid and he visibly shook.

"You have to grab my hand!" Nemona cried, fear etched on her face. "I can't go out any farther!"

Slowly Rian took one of his hands away, fearing that his only arm clinging to the rock now would have to support his entire weight.

He grit his teeth, reaching up and leaned forward. Her fingers were just inches away. Nemona grunted and strained as she stretched as far as she possibly could.

Hurry! I can't hold on!

Then the rock finally gave way.

Rian shared one last look with Nemona and Jules. The fear on both their faces was going to be one that would haunt him for the rest of his short life.

I'm sorry.

"RIAN!" Jules gave a horrified scream as he plunged out of sight down sixty feet to a crushing death.

A thousand thoughts raced through Rian's mind as gravity took ahold of his body and he plummeted down. The wind felt as if it was rushing out of his mouth and despite the overwhelming fright, he refused to scream.

Jules was another story and he'd never forget the terrified look on her face and her own reaction as she saw her brother for the last time.

The air rippled at his clothes and his own instincts took over, curling himself into a ball for a drop that would only take a couple of seconds and his best chance of surviving.

What would my parents think?

He felt something move in his pocket and instinctively reached down to find that his RotoPhone suddenly yanked itself free and hovered in the air. His fingers tightened around the edge and the sudden arrest in momentum had just about ripped his arm out from its socket and it caused a yell of pain to burst from his lips.

Rian let go of the phone, still dropping several feet and landing on the sand with an explosive whoosh that knocked the wind out of him.

Sand burst in his face, falling all over his school uniform and went straight into his eyes and mouth. Despite his body trying to cough it out, his lungs still hadn't reinflated and he doubled over in pain.

Ah por dios! Did the phone just save me from an embarrassing death?

Despite the overbearing pain, Rian couldn't have been more relieved. If he was hurting, that meant he was still alive. What was more relieving was the fact he and his sister had just gotten those RotoPhones earlier in the day.

"Rian!" Jules cried from somewhere up top. She leaned over, but couldn't see him. "Rian, please be okay!"

I'm not dead. His limbs shook as he croaked like a frogadier with his mouth partially open in trying to answer. With his uninjured right arm, he managed to brush the rather irritating grains of sand out of his eyes and face as he finally began to catch wind again. A few more blinks cleared them out.

"Ah!" His body shuddered as he rolled onto his back and sat up, now able to cough out the wet sand that had gotten into his mouth. "That really hurts." Even trying to spit didn't seem to get rid of it entirely.

The RotoPhone hovered just above him, showing a red warning screen with a wall of text highlighting dangers of standing close to sheer cliff drops. It shook back and forth as if trying to emphasize a point. He took a closer look at what the smart phone was showing him.

While RotoPhone's SkyDrop feature is intended to save the user from long falls; it is not meant to be used for recreation or horseplay. There is a chance of an incomplete save which involves severe trauma, massive internal hemorrhaging and compound fractures. Dismemberment and permanent extremity damage is also possible along with multiple other various environmental hazards. If you are satisfied with your RotoPhone's life saving capabilities, be sure to give a like and a review. Huh?

"Rian!" He now heard Nemona joining in with his sister. "Rian!"

"I'm okay!" He tried to yell, but descended into another coughing fit from more sand. "I'm okay!"

"He's okay!" Nemona told Jules. They must've heard him. The two girls sighed with relief before the younger one embraced her in a firm hug.

"Thank you."

Nemona was just as relieved knowing that her new friend wasn't seriously hurt.

"He's alright. We'll be right."

"But now what?" Jules asked her. "Is he trapped down there? Or," her voice trailed off when she saw the cave at the end of the beach.

Inlet Grotto was a spot the locals tended to stay away from due to particularly fierce wild pokemon inhabitants from the cave. It wasn't like some of the gentler ones like lechonk, scatterbug or hoppip like they encountered earlier. A lot of species that lurked inside were a lot less welcoming to humans wandering into their home.

Three dark furred dog pokemon wandered close to the stranger's front, growling and lunging to attack, but none seemed to dare strike it. They wouldn't be seen on Poco Path, instead lurking within the grotto.

Rian saw them too and finally mustered enough strength to stand once his breathing rate had calmed down. His limbs still shook, whether it was from adrenaline or the buildup of lactic acid, he couldn't quite tell.

The dogs yipped and darted in between one another, snapping their small jaws at the larger pokemon. One moved a little too close, which provoked a reaction. It raised a smooth head and growled loudly, almost as loud as the one that nearly sent him toppling to an early death.

The noise was both bestial and almost sounded like it was synthetically warbled. It was unlike anything Rian had ever seen or heard. Clearly the noise the creature had made spooked the dogs as they quickly retreated back towards the cave.

Rian managed to snag a scan of them with his RotoPhone.

Scanning…match found. Houndour. Dark pokemon. Dark and fire type. It communicates with others of its pack in a variety of cries and hunts their prey together. They are known for being loyal and obedient pokemon.

He took a closer look at the other pokemon that was still laying in the sand. It was primarily a dark violet color with hints of gold and silver trim. Its neck was long, ending in an ovoid shaped head that seemed to lack proper eyelids. The most striking feature was the fact he didn't see any scales or organic body parts. A mix of purple and silver surfaces gleamed in the sun and he thought he could hear it giving off a soft humming noise.

Definitely a lizard or dragon of some sort. As if it were a machine built to resemble a pokemon that came from a laboratory. When the word dragon had crossed his mind, he immediately saw its striking likeness to a pokemon that was very familiar to most Paldeans.

It looks like a cyclizar. Like a cyclizar that took a trip through time into the future.

He figured maybe the pokedex would have some information.

The device scanned the target pokemon for a few seconds, but the app told him that no match was found, locked in a loading state with a spinning icon.

"No data?" He looked over at it, a mix of confusion and wonder. "What exactly are you?"

Rian didn't want to approach in case of danger, but curiosity got the better of him.

The mysterious pokemon sensed him coming, giving off a soft rumble and looked up at him observantly upon detecting his presence. He saw the top of its eye squint and its expression looked a bit more threatening.

Probably thinking I'm here to pick a fight too.

"Hey there amigo." Rian said nervously. Almost as if it was studying him. "Are you okay?"

Analyzing. Human male. Age: Unknown. Age estimated adolescent. Current status unknown. Possible threat. Directive: Seek safety. Directive status: completed. Directive update: Seek safety. Reposition to Luz Sur.

He took a step forward and the pokemon's intense gaze seemed to get more threatening.

Human male threat status heightened. Initiating offensive subroutines. Offensive subroutines offline…execution failed. Error code: Sneasel.

"It's okay." Arms were held up, showing that the boy had nothing to hide. He had no idea how to approach a pokemon like this and every instinct was telling him that this was a very bad and dangerous idea.

Avoid looking at it directly in the eyes. It doesn't trust me. There's no reason to yet.

For the most part, the mysterious pokemon seemed too weak to move on its own.

Maybe I have something I can use to help.

The pokemon tried to move, but its limbs twitched sluggishly in response.

Mobility of limb R1 impeded by 44%. Hadron Engine functionality 12%. Emergency standby mode. Replacement energy source required.

Under its watchful eye, Rian knelt down in front of it, ruffling through his new school backpack, specifically the side that held the potions and medicine. But somehow he didn't think that was what was needed. Some sand from the beach had gotten in through open pockets and he made a note to clean it out later when he had a chance.

There's got to be something else.

Of all places, Rian's mind went to the beach. When they were kids, their parents took him and Jules down to the water in Cabo Poco where they'd spend hours on end playing around in the water. Their mother was constantly frustrated by their unwillingness to sit still so she could apply sunblock.

But often he remembered being so fixated on all the playing and running, by the time he was hungry, he was starving. Practically laying down in the sand like this pokemon in a dramatic need of food. Luckily his mother would pack their favorite serranito sandwiches for a scenario just like that ever happening.

Maybe it's hungry?

Rian took the bag out, unwrapping his sandwich. Already it was getting more of a reaction from the mysterious pokemon who sniffed the air and centered its eyes on the food. Already it was more of a reaction than before. Maybe food did solve all the problems.

Analyzing. Source of sustenance located. Analysis indicates a match to Trainer's identification of "sandwich" Acceptable source of energy. Reunite again?

"Want a bite to eat?" He held it out, watching as the pokemon moved its head closer. It sniffed the sandwich again, then opened its mouth wide and snatched the entire thing out of Rian's hands.

"Woah!" He flinched, yanking his hand back in time as if it was going to snap at his limb.

The pokemon snarfed the sandwich down, bobbing its head from side to side. It ate rather noisily as Rian watched his serranito disappear in a matter of seconds whereas it would take his much smaller mouth several minutes to finish it off.

Aaaand there goes my lunch. I said a bite, not the whole damn thing! He supposed he could get by with the carrots and chocolate bar for now. If the latter hadn't melted already.

Sandwich energy accepted. Hadron Engine functionality restored to 28% percent. Rebooting all critical systems. Initiating repairs to limb R1 for mobility restoration. Upholding Protocol Two is now possible thanks to sandwich offered by human male.

But the food seemed to do the trick. The pokemon's reaction was slow and it shakily stood up, where he now saw that it moved on all fours just like a common cyclizar would. The forelegs were counter locked with hinges while the hind legs were larger and contoured cylindrical in shape, almost as if it seemed to look like functioning booster engines. The pokemon purred softly, shaking off the sand that clung to its underside.

"Heh, feel better?" Rian asked.

Analyzing. Human male's clothing matches uniform worn by students of Uva Academy, Trainer's former institution. Poke ball attached to hip belt indicates a Trainer. Enaction of Protocol One possible. Separated from Trainer. Trainer status unknown.

It ignored him and slowly took a step forward and then another. When it looked as if it could walk properly, it sauntered past him with its gaze fixed on the Inlet Grotto entrance at the end of the beach.

Course set for Luz Sur. Must uphold Protocol Two.

"I don't know if I'd go in there if I were you." Rian called after the creature. "There's some stronger pokemon that don't like visitors."

To his credit, the pokemon actually stopped and reared back on its hind legs to let out another bass boosted earsplitting roar. While still loud, the sudden shout had caught Rian off guard and his hands flew to his own ears to cover them.

Sandwich energy providing drastic influx. Hadron Engine functionality 72%. Flight capabilities online. Initiating Ultimate Form "God Mode" Initiating offensive subroutines. Execution successful, commencing transformation. Error code: Sneasel. Status: Resolved.

He saw it close its eyes and begin to glow.

Woah.

Bright lances of energy surrounded the pokemon as it jumped into the air, the glow turning harsher and shaping into a surrounding sphere as parts were heard shuffling and locking with relative ease. The huge amount of sand that suddenly billowed up and the glare was harsh enough that Rian had to shield his eyes with his arm. Within moments the shell of light had burst open and the new form of its metamorphism was much more formidable looking than when he had just encountered it.

The legs had folded inwards, staying close to its body with the outward ends forming nozzles of long jet engines. Its neck went upward and the silver bulge was now bluish white in color. The gray accents on the sides of its head now had changed into wicked looking lightning bolts to further add on to its already intimidating appearance. Despite the engines looking like they would be used on supersonic planes; they made hardly any noise, possibly around the same volume as the engine of an everyday car.

Critical systems nominal. Running diagnostic check…nominal. No abnormalities detected. Status: Combat ready.

The pokemon roared again, proudly with its newfound power. Rian's mouth hung open as he gaped in amazement. It sounded much more powerful, enough to make him involuntarily shiver.

Wow. This is awesome! And strange…almost like it's not supposed to be here. I've never seen a pokemon like this at all.

He shared one last look with the pokemon as it glanced back at him before moving effortlessly towards the cave using its jet engines. The smooth, effortless way it hovered off the ground reminded him of some of the aircraft his mother worked around while she was onboard her ship in the Armada.

"Woah," he ended up whispering to himself. "I guess papa's sandwiches even perk up pokemon we've never seen before."

Was that a legendary pokemon or even a pokemon? Rian wondered to himself. Legendary pokemon were present in every known region, some as just extraordinarily powerful beings while others were integrated into the culture or legends passed down from old. As far as he knew, not many existed in Paldea.

Surely if that was a legendary pokemon then Rian's dex app would've identified it when he tried scanning earlier.

The creature halted at the entrance of the cave and he saw it crane its elongated neck around to observe him.

Course set for Luz Sur. Duty bound to Protocol Two. Reposition to Luz Sur. Sandwich received from human male Trainer suggests trustworthiness. I wait until Trainer accompanies through cave system. We will do this together.

"Is…is it wanting me to follow it?" The boy kept seeing that it remained at the mouth and swiveled its claws in place idly.

"Rian!" He glanced up to see Jules waving at him from the top of the cliff. "Rian!"

"Jules!" She got a wave back. "I'm okay!"

"Thank goodness, but how are you going to get back up?"

I…I don't know. Well he did know, but it wasn't going to be a way any of them were going to like.

"I'll head into the Grotto." Judging from what his sister had said, she hadn't seen the mysterious creature. "There might be a way up from there!"

"Okay! Nemona and I will see if there's an exit up here and we can guide you out! Be safe, please!"

Right. Rian watched her dash off in search of any access to the cave. Now to follow this…thing…whatever it is.

"Follow that thing," He gave a nervous chuckle and let Baron out. The quaxly stretched its small wings and glanced up at his trainer expectantly. "Sure. Into the cave. The cave where we were explicitly told not to go for the longest time. Perfeito."

He glanced down at Baron, who stood rigidly at attention and was already eager to battle again. The time to decide on whether he was the right choice all along was past. Now they'd have to work together in order to get back up to the others. "Let's go." With that, the two of them took off towards the mouth.

The mysterious pokemon saw them approaching and lowered its head.

Sandwich offered qualifies as link. Enaction of Protocol One possible. Proceed?

Affirmative.

Protocol One: Link to Trainer. Status: Complete.

That's gonna be it for this chapter! We've got yet another very important character formally introduced with another one in the very next chapter!

Logged 'Dex entries: Lechonk, Tarontula, Scatterbug, Hoppip & Houndour

Spanish Translations

Estar segura - Be certain/have faith

Casa - House

Tan lindo - How cute

Recreo - Recess

Que fuerte - Too powerful/strong

Comidas - Meals

Armada - Navy

Hala - Great/awesome

Portuguese Translations

Perfeito - Perfect

Spanish Food & Drink

Serranito - A warm sandwich popular in Seville. Fillings include grilled chicken or pork, cured ham, fried green peppers and tomato slices. Often served with a spread of mayonnaise.

Stay tuned for the next update! As always, thank you for reading and reviewing! You give my writing purpose!

Brav