Alola everyone. This time around, you may have noticed something a little different.

I've changed my name.

While I still love My Wunderwaffle iz missin, I figured I would go for something more correlated than a fictitious electric gun found in Call of Duty's zombie mode. I hardly do much CoD, so that was much incentive. Braviary being one of my favorite pokemon and the Scout part comes from the Boy Scouts of America's Eagle Scout award. I earned the rank five years ago in 2012. This was supposed to be the very first chapter in Lillie's Diary entries, hence why it is labeled as number 1. I added some in between from her escape from Aether Paradise to Sun's move to provide additional character depth.

Although I'm fairly comfortable in these weekly updates, I'm afraid that I won't be able to put another chapter out next week. I am headed out on a work related trip to Miami this upcoming weekend and staying out of town for a handful of days. I may or may not try to get another segment out later this week, but it depends on the time I have to spare.

Enjoy.

Today was certainly an eventful day! Nebby kept acting like it wanted to go see the Ruins of Conflict, but when we did try to visit them, it was attacked by Spearow! It was just terrible.

All I could do was stand by and watch. But then a stranger appeared and helped us. At first I thought it had to be someone from Aether; that they had tracked us down at last. But it was actually a boy the professor knows.

Elio…I won't forget him.

Iki Town was a comfortable looking settlement a ways up the hill that overlooked the bigger city at the base of the tall range. A handful of houses were clustered together on stilts with a fence surrounding the entire area. Palm trees waved in the light breeze as the sun finally dipped under the horizon to cast a dark purple glow over the sky. No clouds were present, giving off a twilight shine of hundreds of stars at the darker points.

"And we're here!" Professor Kukui exclaimed as he and Sun made their way up the hill to reach the town's edge. "This right here is Iki Town! This town is where folks come to worship the pokemon that watches over Melemele Island. Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy!"

"Looks deserted," Sun commented, glancing around the place, "You sure everyone's home?"

"Huh, you're right," The professor said, now seeing that hardly anybody was out, "What's going on here? We were supposed to meet everybody right here, yeah." He crossed his arms in thought, "Maybe they're all back on Mahalo Trail. That's where the ruins of our guardian deity, Tapu Koko are yeah."

"Where's the Mahalo Trail?"

Kukui turned back to me, "Sun! Do me a solid and go find the island kahuna! I'll wait around here to make sure we don't miss each other."

"Who's the island kahuna?" Sun asked.

"The island kahuna?" Kukui repeated, staring at him as if he had come from another planet, "You can't miss him. He looks just like a kahuna!"

"I don't even know what a kahuna looks like," The boy protested, but the professor had already run off to do something else.

"Great," He sarcastically muttered. He knew nobody here and barely remembered the way back home. One wrong turn and he'd end up in the tall grass to get attacked by wild pokemon, completely violating the rule of never going to such a place without a one of your own or with someone who did. Maybe he could ask around for someone to escort him back? Sleep was tugging at his eyelids since the jet lag from the seven hour flight from Kanto earlier in the day was still affecting him. Although Sun was a little excited in coming to a new region to live, he couldn't help but really miss Kanto, despite everything that had happened there. He did have to admit that it was more than what he wanted to like about this place. There was already the steamy heat that he hated.

I haven't even been here a whole day and I already hate this place. My guide has disappeared and everyone's looking at me like I'm from another planet. Why did we have to move to the other end of the freaking world?

With little guidance available, Sun ventured deeper into the town and tried his best to look like he knew what he was doing, but kept getting stares from the few folks just outside their homes as he passed by. Some greeted him in a friendly manner and asked if he was new to Alola, yet nobody seemed to know where the kahuna was at.

Since he was going to be living here, he figured that learning names and faces would be a start to becoming an Alolan. In truth, he had to admit not everything about Alola was entirely bad; he actually liked the close community vibe that Iki Town gave off. Everyone knew everyone and lent a hand when needed. Way different than the bigger sprawling Cerulean City. It was especially helpful when the population numbered around two hundred people.

Sun saw a large house at the far left corner of the main square, where a wooden platform with ornate carvings stood. There were no electric lamps and lighting instead was provided by a few lit torches on the borders. Night was rapidly falling overhead, the sky now turned a deep violet with a couple twinkling stars already visible.

"Really? You want to go up to the ruins? I don't know what you hope to find there,"

The voice came straight ahead and he caught a glimpse of a long haired blonde girl with a white duffel bag slung over her shoulder just in front of a path's entrance that led further up the hillside. He saw nobody nearby and immediately wondered who she had been talking to. Maybe she knew the kahuna.

It surprised him when the bag suddenly shook as if it had a mind of its own. The girl was clearly startled by it, but held the straps with both hands and moved down the open path that led out of the town. He was even more curious now. It seemed like she was hiding a small pokemon inside.

Since nobody seemed to know where the kahuna had gone off; Sun decided to follow.

A sign indicated that he was entering the Mahalo Trail and he remembered Kukui thinking this was where everyone had went, but he didn't see anyone come or go other than the girl.

Although the moon had come out to cast a little bit of illumination; the trail remained quite dark so he dug around his backpack. His fingers groped the object he had been looking for and they snapped it onto the left strap. With a twist, a beam of light quickly showed that the night trail ahead ascended even further up the hilly landscape.

Elio continued to make his way higher, passing various carvings that resembled the ancient Alolan idols or totems he had read about in the moving brochure. The ends of the path were fairly easy to identify by the carefully lined rocks marking the boundaries. Some of the climbs were steeper, so logs had been built into the face. Much of the ascent was tougher than expected, making Sun realize he was a little out of shape when he felt himself panting a bit heavily. The faint roar of a waterfall could be heard. Several diverse cries of unseen pokemon echoed from the foliage.

"You can't come out!" He heard the same girl whisper. Straining his eyes against the light, he saw the figure just a little ways above him. She still hadn't spotted him, even when he was less than twenty feet down. "We'll get in trouble if anyone sees you!"

He waited until she walked out of earshot and slowly made his way up the last of the trail.

Sun was about to say something when he saw her break into a sprint. The view at the summit top was amazing with a huge gorge in front of a clearing spanned by a rope bridge. The waterfall he picked up earlier was to his left, now much louder and creating a foamy layer on the jutting rocks below. Judging by the sound of it rushing against the ground, he knew that the stream was quite strong.

The bag suddenly lifted itself up and despite her attempts to keep whatever inside suppressed, a pokemon emerged from the open zipper, confirming the boy's suspicions.

"Nebby wait up!" The girl cried.

It was unlike any pokemon he had ever seen before, glowing purple with two blue cloudlike appendages above its head and a gold stripe around its back. It happily let out a cry that sounded like it was saying "Pew!" before it jumped in the air and floated across the bridge.

It stopped all of a sudden and Sun knew exactly why. He heard the caws of multiple spearow and caught sight of three of the vicious birds in the moonlight, all homed straight for the mysterious pokemon. Immediately, it dropped to the bridge and shook with fear. The spearow circled their prey from above and lunged at it with their claws, cackling with delight as the tiny pokemon continued to cower beneath.

"Oh no," Sun hated spearow. They were plentiful back in Kanto and were known to be quite vicious birds. Flocks were known to overwhelm prey by sheer numbers and their beaks and talons were sharp enough to pierce skin. Most of the time, spearow and their fearow evolutions were regarded as pests and bullies, taking sadistic pleasure in picking on weaker pokemon who were either too weak or scared to fight back.

He knew it would only be a matter of time before the bloodthirsty birds decided on an opportunity to strike and hurried just behind the girl.

She heard him approach and turned around with a startled gasp, eyes wide. "Ah,"

Elio got just a brief look at her; she had long blonde hair that was braided in the front and emerald green eyes. She wore a wide brimmed hat that matched the white color of her sundress and boots. He noticed that most Alolans usually had a T-shirt and shorts since the weather was warm year-round. This girl's attire looked as if she was going to a formal ball.

"What's wrong?" Sun asked, even though he knew the obvious answer.

"H-Help!" The girl pleaded with worry evident in her face, "Please! Save Nebby!"

The pokemon called Nebby let out a cry of distress as the spearow continued to relentlessly harass it.

"Those spearow are attacking it! But…but I'm too afraid to go out there. My legs feel like they might give out."

"Okay. I'll go. Just hang on…okay?" Sun knew he was going to have to go across, so he passed her and hesitantly stepped onto the bridge. His hands grabbed the side of the rope since it looked quite old and he wasn't sure how stable it was. A visible wince came across his face as he fully expected it to break apart. Thankfully, the plank floor didn't give under his weight, but it did let out a squeak of protest.

He slowly made his way across, knowing that the spearow could dive bomb and seriously hurt Nebby at any moment.

"Be careful!" She cried behind him.

Although he was heeding her plea, Sun picked up the pace and felt his adrenaline spike when he felt the bridge shake about a quarter of the way. He couldn't turn back now. This was getting bad really fast.

Pressing onwards, the bridge shook again and one of the planks suddenly snapped off as his leg pressed down on it, plunging into the water below and he had nearly lost his balance. The stream quickly picked up the splintered pieces and carried them out of sight. His breathing increased in pace as sweat began to lightly coat his palms.

Let's get off this thing!

He was never really afraid of heights or bridges, but the thought that something could happen began to creep in his mind. Focus had to shift to getting Nebby and then off this unstable span.

The pokemon was still shaking from the circling spearow when Sun reached them. He carefully got down on his knees and hunched over Nebby. In school, he had learned that covering a person or pokemon that was being targeted by the spearow would often discourage them from attacking. They'd fly off and he'd carefully make his way back to safety.

"Hey there," Sun greeted gently as Nebby stopped shaking to glance up at the new presence on the bridge, "It's okay. I'm here."

The spearow continued to circle overhead, cawing with annoyance that their prey was being covered. One of the birds extended its claws out and swooped down dangerously close. He felt the tips of the talons rake through the fabric of his shirt and slice right through his back. Although he fought the punishment, the feeling was akin to being slashed with a red hot razorblade. He gritted his teeth, but a cry of pain still managed to escape his lips.

Just a little longer. Hopefully those spearow will think we're not an inviting target anymore.

Suddenly Nebby glowed and a wave of purple energy pulsed out, quickly scaring the spearow away. The sudden brightness in the dark had startled him, causing his eyes to reflexively squeeze shut. It had also blown the bridge apart with incredible force, disconnecting the suspending ropes and sending the floor flying out underneath them. Sun felt himself briefly in midair for a moment before gravity took over his body in a rapid fall down and quickly panicked, grabbing the Nebby and holding it as close to him as possible in a last ditch effort to protect it. A hundred different things ran through his mind and it was hard enough to picture his mother's heartbroken face when she found out that he wouldn't be coming back. He squeezed his eyes shut again and waited for the inevitable.

He hadn't even been on Alola for a full day and right now it seemed as if the dream lifestyle was never going to come true. Just when he was beginning to enjoy his new home, his own life was about to take a turn for the worse.

I'm sorry…I'm sorry Mom for not giving this Alola a chance. Now I guess I'll never know if I truly could call this place home.

Sun was dimly aware of the girl's scream back on the cliff; horrified that she was about to see someone die.

A gleam in the sky caught her eye as they fell and something shot out, zooming down at an astonishingly fast speed.

It was definitely a pokemon of sorts as it quickly released three bursts of lightning that vaporized the three spearow thugs. Its descent never slowed and it swooped just underneath Sun and Nebby, grabbing them just as they were about to hit the deadly stream.

Sun continued to hold the pokemon and counted in his head the time until it took to hit the rapids. Without warning, he felt something grab him on his back and felt an air rush downwards as something had now brought his body up.

He opened his eyes, suddenly finding himself right next to the girl back on solid ground again. Following her gaze, both he and the purple pokemon stared agape at the black and yellow pokemon with a large orange crest facing them. It was about their height, bouncing from side to side nimbly as if ready to charge into a fight. The sides of its arms each held half of what appeared to be an ornately designed yellow shell.

"Koko!" It screeched, lighting up its body with crackling electricity and giving them both a long curious glance before it launched itself back up into the sky.

The silence that followed was long as neither person nor pokemon could speak about what had just happened. Sun was still a little in shock on how he was just saved from certain death by a strange pokemon while trying to protect another strange pokemon. His heart rate was beating quickly like machine gun fire as the adrenaline from falling hadn't worn off yet.

"Pew!" Nebby's coo brought both humans back to reality as Sun dusted himself off. He grimaced for a moment, remembering the cut in his back, but actually welcomed it for a change. As much as it wasn't enjoyable, he had taken more than his share of cuts and bruises in his life. If he felt pain; that meant he was still alive.

"Oh, oh thank goodness!" The girl dropped on her knees to embrace Nebby. "You tried using your power again didn't you?" She sighed, "Oh Nebby. You know what happened last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again!"

Nebby looked rather remorseful, so she lightened her tone, "No I shouldn't say that. I'm sorry Nebby. I know you were trying to save me that time and I couldn't even help you in return."

"Pew!" The pokemon floated over to something sparkling and stared at it for a moment before scooping it up and moving right towards her.

"A sparkling stone?" She gently took it from its grasp and turned the gem over in her hands, "It feels almost warm somehow."

It was then she had noticed the presence of the stranger next to her. She gasped, realizing how rude it must've felt before turning to him and giving a short bow.

"Please forgive me. I am so grateful for helping us out of that dangerous spot."

"Who are you?" Elio finally asked, speaking for the first time since his near-death experience.

"I think this stone must belong to you," She grabbed the sparkling stone and extended her hand out to him. It was gray with a few other colors sparkling in the moonlight and she was right; it did feel a little warm.

"Please don't tell anyone about this. About seeing Nebby. It's a secret okay?"

"Okay," Sun said, nodding and still mulling over the near-death experience, "I won't tell anybody," He was puzzled, still having not gotten her name and already sworn to keep a secret with this stranger.

"Come on. Into the bag Nebby."

"Pew." Nebby seemed reluctant, having struggled five minutes earlier to get out, but she opened the zipper on the duffel and it dove inside.

She closed it and began to walk off but stopped, cursing herself once again for not even acknowledging this boy who almost risked his life for the both of them. "Um, I'm worried we might get attacked again by some wild pokemon or something. I know it's too much for me to ask, but do you think you could see us back to town?"

Sun held himself back from asking if she was afraid of the dark, but nodded. "Sure. I'll lead the way."

The light on his strap was still working and he snapped it on as they descended the hills. He was careful not to go too fast since he didn't know how quick the girl could walk in her dress and shoes.

The downhill walk back was done in silence and she kept to his side, likely not wanting to stray too far from her new escort. Night had now completely fallen over Alola as they saw the familiar orange lit torches on the borders of Iki Town.

Professor Kukui was on the platform's other side and he waved when he saw the two approach.

"Hey, Elio! Looks like you missed the kahuna yeah? But you found my assistant, oh yeah!"

They walked around to stand before him and Sun found himself grateful to see a familiar face for once.

"Hang on a second," He turned around and lifted his shirt, looking back to inspect the injury he received. There was a stain of blood where the fabric had ripped from the claw, but it seemed that the bleeding had mostly subsided. A mental note was made for Mom to take a look at it later.

The girl gasped at the sight and Sun grimaced at the wound, but it would eventually heal.

"It's just a scratch," He assured them, "Nothing I haven't had before."

"Looks like you already met," Kukui continued, gesturing to the girl, "But just in case, this is my assistant."

"Oh…um yes!" She stuttered, "You can call me Lillie."

"And Lillie, this here is Elio. He just moved here to Alola! Take good care of him!"

"Lillie?" Elio repeated, "That's a beautiful name." He stuck his hand out to her, "I'm Elio, although most everyone calls me Sun. I don't care which one you use."

He swore Lillie blushed ever so slightly at his praise, but she just gave a faint smile and bowed, "So you're also one of the professor's acquaintances? It's nice to meet you." As she shook his hand, Sun noticed that there wasn't a lot of strength in her grip and she seemed very shy and nervous. Her skin was amazingly soft to the touch.

"It's nice to meet you too."

Lillie looked like she disappointed of sorts and wanted to say something else, but someone else had interrupted, beating her to the punch.

"The kahuna is back! Kahuna Hala has returned!"

"Our guardian's chosen one is back!"

"Only one of the strongest pokemon users in all Alola yeah!"

So this was the kahuna that the professor was talking about.

An older man with a heavyset build and a yellow robe walked up the steps approaching them. He had graying hair and a moustache with tanned skin. Elio couldn't quite pin down his age, but his eyes sparkled with youth. The vibe he gave off radiated power and respect, but also humbleness. It was not just in his appearance; he also moved with authority, confidence and wisdom. His presence in the vicinity was undeniable.

Sun had to agree with Kukui's claim earlier. He does look just like a kahuna.

"Have I missed something?" The man had a rich buttery voice which added to his apparent status. It was enough for anyone in the area to put their undivided attention on what he had to say.

"Naw, but where'd you go off to, Kahuna? I thought we were meeting here?"

Kahuna Hala nodded, "I am kahuna of this island, after all. Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve it."

So a kahuna isn't just the strongest trainer. He's also sort of the chief of the island.

"Sorry Lillie," He gave a short bow, "What were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about."

"Oh um…yes, Kahuna Hala. Nebby was being attacked by spearow on the plank bridge at Mahalo Trail when this boy helped it get away. But the bridge collapsed and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine! And that was when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!"

There were audible gasps from the crowd that was beginning to surround them and they were loudly talking amongst themselves. Clearly this was an unusual event.

"Woo!" The professor exclaimed after the noise died down, "That's something you don't hear every day!"

Even the kahuna was impressed, cracking a smile, "Ho! Although it's said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you."

"I'm thankful it did." And he was, now knowing that Tapu Koko didn't always appear to help those in need.

"Kukui, my boy, I think we have more cause to celebrate at the festival later this week! It seems I should entrust this brave and kind young boy with a pokemon of his own. We shall make a fine trainer out of him!" He approached Sun and extended his hand, "I'm glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island."

"I'm Elio," Sun replied, noticing a big different in the handshake from Lillie's. While hers felt delicate and nervous, Hala's had plenty of confidence and respect. There was strength in his grip, but it also felt gentle at the same time. "Most people call me Sun. Either one works for me mister kahuna."

"Then please allow me extend the warmest welcome to Alola! Young Kukui had told me of your coming! I'm glad we got the chance to meet tonight! And please dispose of the formal kahuna title…I may be one, but I prefer to simply be called Hala."

"Wait, I'm going to get my own pokemon?" Sun asked, his steel gray eyes lit up with excitement over the big news.

"That's right." Professor Kukui said, "Right here and right now!"

"Yeah!" Elio pumped a fist into the air and practically jumped up, but suddenly realized that this behavior wasn't particularly appropriate just yet. Especially in front of the island kahuna.

He was quick to apologize, "Sorry. Got carried away."

To his surprise, everyone chuckled at his outburst. "There's no reason to apologize," Hala reassured, "When I was your age with my first pokemon, I reacted in the same way. It's a big responsibility, but also very rewarding."

He turned to the platform, "Come my pokemon. Let's have a look at you!"

Hala tossed three pokeballs into the air and three small pokemon that Sun had never seen before, stood in a single line right in front.

"First is the grass-type rowlet." It was a small birdlike one that cooed happily and spun around in a circle.

"Next is the fire-type litten and last is the water-type pokemon popplio!"

The tiny cat litten let out a soft meow and scratched its nose while the popplio, a mammalian creature resembling a seel of sorts bounced happily up and down, waving its flippers excitedly.

"They're so adorable!" Lillie gushed beside Sun.

He moved closer and gave his options a long look. He didn't want to ponder on it too much, but knew once the decision was made; it would be set in stone. They all seemed appealing and while they were far from the bulbasaur, charmander and squirtle trio, things in Alola were going to be quite different.

"I choose Litten." Sun declared, pointing at the cat. He moved his hands towards the respective pokemon's ball, but Hala moved it out of his reach.

The kahuna chuckled at Sun's surprised expression, no doubt expecting him to automatically get its pokeball and be on his way, "Not so fast keiki. Only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call one another partners. So let's see if little Litten there also decides to choose you!"

"What?"

"You may have chosen Litten, but it may not be a mutual partnership. Here in Alola, this type of connection goes both ways. You clearly do see something in Litten there to deem it worthy of a partner pokemon and it is only natural that it must see something in you that deem you worthy of being its trainer."

"What if it doesn't choose me?"

Professor Kukui sighed, "Unfortunately; a litten can be very choosy when it comes to trainers. If it does not select you, there still are the other two to pick from. It's rare that none of the starter pokemon pick a trainer, but I'm sure you won't go empty handed tonight."

Sun figured it could be worse. He thought that Litten was absolutely adorable, but would have been satisfied with any of the three. He was just overjoyed that he had the chance to finally get a pokemon!

Hala directed Sun onto the platform and gently set the fire-type on the floor across from him.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Wait. Give your pokemon a look and see if it wants to have you as its partner."

Elio put his hands on his knees and tried to look as inviting as possible. Litten however, was distracted, having its eyes closed and enjoying the evening island breeze. It then stared at him inquisitively before giving off a light meow and bounding right over to his feet. It gave off a cute smile before nuzzling Sun's leg with his face.

"Aww," Sun gently reached over and lifted his new pokemon in his arms. "You're too cute buddy. What do ya say? Want to go on an adventure with me?"

Litten meowed again as he set it down. There was a round of applause from the crowd that had decided to come and watch the little ceremony. Sun hadn't even noticed them congregating.

"Ho! So Litten has accepted you as well!"

"Having accepted one another, you'll surely be friends for life!" Kukui added.

"Nice to meet you Litten!" Lillie said. Nebby was just beside her, offering its own greeting.

She jumped back, "Oh, when did you get out again? I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight." Turning her attention back to Sun; Lillie smiled again, "I think you chose a wonderful pokemon. Please take very good care of it!"

"That's it Sun!" Professor Kukui said, "Now that you've got a pokemon, you're a real trainer, yeah! And here's a lovely gift from me to help make it special, cousin."

Sun did a double take, "Cousin?"

"That's just something we say to one another. We're practically ohana! You know…family yeah?"

"Oh okay. Good to know."

The professor dug in his coat pocket and handed him a flat device. It was red with a dark screen in the center with rounded edges.

"Is this a pokedex?" It was way different than any other pokedex he had seen before.

"Yeah! A pokedex is a real high-tech kinda tool yeah, that can automatically record facts about any pokemon that you meet. You new partner Litten is already registered, so check it out yeah."

He nodded and activated it. There was already a single pokemon entry recorded in its databanks.

Litten…Fire Cat pokemon. This pokemon prefers solitude and can be difficult to earn its trust. Seldom displaying emotions, it grooms itself, collecting fur in its stomach, setting it alight. The fur produces flammable oils and it burns in a blaze whenever it sheds. Litten in your pokemon roster is a male and has the ability blaze, which will boost the power of fire-type moves when it is in a pinch.

Kukui gave Sun something else. Unlike the pokedex, it had a leather cover containing several blank pages with an Alolan design in the background. "And this is a trainer passport that I had put together for you. Now why don't you go introduce your new friend to your mom Sun?"

"Sure! I'll bet she will be thrilled to meet him!"

As Sun left, he swore that he heard the professor mention that he had forgotten someone else to introduce to him. He remembered one of the main paths from Iki Town's main entrance was a road that led right next to his house.

"Hey! You and me! Let's have a pokemon battle!"

Sun looked up to see a tan skinned boy about his age with long hair, a brown shirt and boardshorts right in front of him. His face broke out into another easygoing smile.

He heard Hala laugh behind him as the others came down to see what was going on, "Ho! Where's the fire boy? And what kind of battle would that be where you don't even give a first name?"

The boy gave off a sheepish smile, "Fair enough. I'm Hau and my partner's Rowlet! Your Litten looks really cool too!"

"Thanks," Sun said.

"Yeah! So let's battle! I couldn't wait to find your way to Iki Town so I've been all over looking for you!"

Lillie spoke up, "Um, I don't really like to see pokemon battles where they can get hurt, but I'll watch for you."

Elio looked back at her, You don't like watching battles?! What kind of trainer are you?

"You will battle me right?" Hau egged on.

"Sure!" Sun took out Litten's ball, excited that he was about to have his first battle. He had waited for this moment since he was a young boy, "And I won't lose!"

Hala offered to serve as the battle referee after saying that he expected a no-holds barred fight from both sides.

Lillie watched as Sun and Litten took on Hau's Rowlet. Even though the new kid had a type advantage with fire; he was still a little clueless on battling. Even throwing out the pokeball looked like it was a sloppy job. Rowlet took an early advantage by hitting Litten with a leafage attack while Sun was still trying to figure out how to even issue commands. Kukui rushed to his side of the field and had to quickly explain that he could use the pokedex to see the general summary of his pokemon, including the moves that were able to be used.

"Okay Litten," Sun pointed at the rowlet, still a bit unsure on how to proceed. The insecurity made him realize how little he had prepared for the actual thing. It was nothing like the manuals and tutorials that he had skimmed as a kid. "Ember!"

The tiny cat blew out a tiny fireball that struck Hau's pokemon, causing it to keel over. Seeing this, Lillie instinctively flinched, knowing that the super effective attack would be painful.

Seeing how good it was against his opponent, Sun commanded two more embers after Litten had to endure additional leafage attacks to knock out Rowlet. His mouth was open in complete shock that he had won. Litten happily jumped into his arms, relishing the praise he was receiving from his new trainer.

"Elio…or Sun right?" Hau didn't even look a bit bummed after losing and went to shake the other boy's hand, "Your litten was awesome!"

"Thanks!" He smiled at the enthusiasm, "Your rowlet was great too!"

"Now that settles it!" Hau declared, "I'm going all out tomorrow!"

Sun was about to reply when the stone he had gotten from Lillie sparkled in his pack.

Hau gasped, "Tutu…is that?"

"Woah." Hala stepped forward when he saw it too. "Hmm, Sun. Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?"

"Uh sure," He grabbed it from his pack and handed it over. It was still a little warm, even though he had taken it more than an hour ago.

The kahuna turned it over in his hand, "Could it be?"

"Is that?"

"You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge. Isn't that what I heard Elio?"

"Yeah, that's when I got the stone."

"So it even deigned to give you a stone. Perhaps you are here in Alola, Sun because this is where your destiny lies. Allow me to borrow this stone for now."

"Of course kahuna, can I have it back though? It looks important."

"Fret not! I'll return it to you in due time! It would seem that you have the makings of a fine trainer. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival in a couple of days."

"First I'll make sure you get back home safe tonight though," Kukui stepped in, "Lillie, you two should come with us. Wouldn't want to go losing you twice in one day! You or that precious pokemon of yours!"

"Yes!" Lillie quickly agreed, "I will keep an eye on…"She reached over to her bag and stopped, realizing that Nebby wasn't inside. "Nebby?"

Sun caught a glimpse of something floating behind her and saw that the pokemon was trying to sneak away. He casually pointed at it.

"Oh you!" Her tone was a mix of worry and scolding, but he found it to be quite sweet. "Would you try not to escape the very moment you were told not to wander off?"

Everyone burst out into laughter as Lillie gestured for Nebby to go back inside her duffel.

After bidding everyone goodnight, they went their separate ways. Kukui and Lillie stopped at Sun's house to see the new trainer off. Sun waved goodbye before heading inside. There was a lot to talk about with Mom.

Litten trailed happily behind his new trainer as they made their way up the steps to their house.

"Mom!" Elio opened the door, "We're home!"

"Hello sweetie!" Elaine was behind the kitchen counter, laboring over a stove. There were some big paper sacks on the top, suggesting that she had found a place to buy groceries. An aroma wafted over that made his stomach growl and mouth water. "So? What kind of pokemon did you get? Don't keep me waiting!"

"Oh yeah," He stepped aside, allowing her to look at Litten, who was gazing curiously at his surroundings, sniffing the floor. "Mom, this is Litten."

The tiny cat let out an adorable meow that made Mom gush. He stuck close to Elio's side and rubbed his head against his ankles, purring in delight.

"Aww! I think I'm falling in love! So why did you choose this sweetheart?"

"I don't really know," He glanced down at Litten, "It definitely was cool."

Elaine put her hands on her hips and smiled at him, "Well then you picked right, because I'd say that this little charmer is definitely cute and cool!"

"It…it just felt right…you know what I mean?" Sun asked, "So after I met the kahuna, he took us both on the stage where we could only call each other partners if we accepted one another. It's just," He paused, "Completely different than Kanto. Over there, you are handed it, a pokedex and then expected to go on your way without a second thought. Here, we had to already make sure that we trust one another, even though we had just met."

Elaine nodded, going back to the stovetop, "That's definitely true Sunshine. Here in Alola, the relationship between people and pokemon are much different and most likely stronger than on the mainlands. The kahuna clearly knows that the biggest factor in being a pokemon trainer is to make sure your pokemon trust you."

Sun's mother had once been a pokemon trainer, so he took her advice to heart.

"The two of you look great together. I feel happier just looking at the pair of you!"

Sun neglected to tell her about the other things; like meeting Lillie and almost dying after protecting Nebby. That was something that she didn't need to know.

"Well dinner is about ready! I bet you two are hungry! There's plenty of broccoli and cheddar soup to go around!"

"Yeah," He agreed, already looking forward to eating something familiar, "I'm starving."

He started for the table, always setting it for the two of them whenever it was dinnertime. He got an extra bowl for Litten, who was busy in conversation with Meowth next to his own eating area.

Unfortunately for him, his mother would almost always seem to find a way to squeeze out any unspoken things that he purposefully chose not to disclose.

"Elio, what happened? Are you alright?"

"Wha-" He started, "What makes you say that Mom?"

"You're bleeding on your back."

Sun completely forgot about the wound.

"Yeah…I scratched my back on some thorns. No big deal."

The weight of Elaine's stare told him that his lie was not convincing.

I hate the fact that Mom can see right through a lie. How in the world can she tell?

"Elio Kai Northstar," She began.

"Mom, it's fine. I'm fine."

"Those look like claw marks…spearow claw marks." She put her hands on her hips, "So, you're going to tell me what else happened while you were out there and we're not going to eat until you do so."

He had been caught red-handed.

No point in trying to get out now.

Elio sighed, "So please don't freak out like you did when I got hit by the tackle okay?" When his mother nodded, he took another deep breath, "Well, while up at Iki Town, Professor Kukui and I were waiting for the kahuna when I saw this weird pokemon up on a trail." He had thought about mentioning Lillie, but decided not to since his mother would completely ignore his near-death experience and "interrogate" him about the girl he was with. "Anyway I followed it up to a bridge over a ravine where it was being harassed by spearow. The bridge was in pretty bad shape, so I went over and covered it like you taught me. That's when one of them hit my back."

Elaine nodded in satisfaction before retrieving an extensive medical kit she kept in the house. Being a nurse; she did have access to higher quality equipment and constant practice of patching various types of trauma. A scratch by a spearow was merely trivial.

"Lay down," She ordered, gently but sternly.

Sun allowed her to slip part of his shirt up to expose his back. Elaine took an antiseptic wipe, dabbing it at the reddish gashes in his side. He let out a hiss of pain.

"It'll eventually heal," She declared, as he sat back up, "You'll have one more scar to impress the ladies."

"Here's the best part though. As soon as this pokemon was protected, it used this strange power and destroyed the bridge."

"So you fell?" Her face blanched.

"Yeah and we were saved by Tapu Koko, the guardan deity of Melemele Island."

"WHAT?!"

Totally expecting her to have a meltdown right now.

To his surprise, Elaine broke out into a smile. "The guardian deity is looking out for my baby! I knew that moving to Alola was the right place! Come on! Let's eat and you can tell me more about what happened!"

Sun thought about all the new people and his new pokemon he had met in the past couple of hours. Professor Kukui, Hala, Hau, Lillie and Litten.

Maybe Alola isn't so bad after all.

I've also decided to update my profile with a roster of Sun's team as the story progresses.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.

BS