Alola readers! Here's another early chapter! Not that anyone is going to complain as it's a few days from two weeks interval I've set up. Normally it takes me a little while to get another chapter rolling, but I hope this puts me back on track.
I see through the reviews that much of the love story/triangle is going as I've planned. In no way did I ever say that Lillie and Elio getting together was going to be a smooth ride. This is one of the walls and it's certainly not going to be the last either. Definitely glad people do enjoy the HeavenlySunshipping. (My own term for Elio X Leilani) The term comes from both Leilani's and Elio's names with the former meaning: Heavenly Star in Hawaiian. Yup. Poor Lillie...but rest assured. She'll get her chance again.
Another portion of the story has a bit of a darker turn as is about the flashback midway through. While I know I've been lighthearted up to this point, do note that this is not all going to be sunshine and smiles. It won't just be for Elio either, there's quite a few characters who I have grim and serious things planned for.
This is unrelated news, but my younger brother also formally received his Eagle Scout award on Sunday afternoon! Braviary fly in the family now!
Now let's get to the chapter. We've got a lot of ground to cover. (that's a hint by the way of a new character debut)
So what do I do? Elio clearly likes Leilani enough to ask her out on a date. I guess that means she's going to be the girl he hangs out with a lot.
I should be happy for him, after all we're still friends right and we support one another. But for some reason I feel like I've been rejected again and am all alone with Nebby here, even though I know it's not the case. Elio has every right to be with Leilani.
Maybe I'll look on the bright side of this. He got a new team member although I'm kind of wondering why he decided on a feebas of all things? But if I know my Sun, he has a knack for discovering potential in every pokemon or a way to make them useful. I just hope it's not for a meal!
One thing I also noticed Elio had stopped abruptly in doing in our letters is say "I miss you" at the end every time he wrote. I miss that…
Sometimes boys are so strange. Mother did say that they were simply not worth my time. Is that true? I do like Elio, but I've just been so unsure on how to tell him and if he's so focused on Leilani, then how will he notice me?
I wish I could go and meet up with him, but Team Skull has been lurking around Heahea City for a while now and I still don't feel comfortable going out on my own. Sina and Dexio were more than happy to escort me wherever I needed to go, but they had to go back to Kalos on orders of their regional professor. Sina did say they'd be coming back soon and they had given Elio something to unlock the power of a very special pokemon.
Dear Elio,
It sounds like you had a lot of fun with Leilani and Lana. I didn't have much experience with fishing except hearing about the time my mother and father went on a trip doing something called flyfishing in northern Sinnoh in the summertime. I'm glad you got the hang of it with Lana's help! And be careful of the hook! It's really really sharp!
I…I don't know what to say. I guess just be yourself. If it's something you really want to do, then go for it. Also just remember to be ready if she says no…even though she will probably say yes seeing how you keep telling me how beautiful and amazing she is. Remember there are plenty of fish in the sea too.
So will you be going to see your next trial or going on your date? Either way, I hope you have fun! You tell me all the time to relax, but since you're going through these trials like what Professor Kukui would call just like "flare blitz" you deserve some downtime don't you think?
I miss you Elio. I want to see you again…
Sincerely,
Lillie
Hau Kealoha was patiently sitting beside the Hill's entrance when the trio arrived. He was already beaming from ear to ear and jumping up and down the moment he noticed them.
"Alola! Aue! It's Elio!" His eyes shifted over and seemed to sparkle in the afternoon light. "Leilani! And mystery blue haired girl!"
"Hey Hau." Sun waved his hands in the traditional Alolan gesture. "What's going on?"
"Oh nothing!" The kahuna's grandson sauntered over and put his hands behind his head, cracking his signature grin. "Just training my pokemon like usual! Dartrix and I are gonna take this trial down!"
"Hell yeah you are." Automatically, the two high-fived, raising their arms up and swaying their hips. They stopped, clasped hands firmly to bring one another in for a hearty pat on the back,
Their signature handshake complete, they had stopped to see the girls eyeing them with amusement before leaning back and laughing.
"They're probably like; what in the world right?!" Elio grinned at his best friend.
"Yeah! But it's what makes us all so special brah!"
Sun was glad that the thought of Gladion had seemingly escaped Hau's mind. He was all for a good competition and rivalry, but that edgy blond teen seemed to take things way too seriously.
If you want to get strong and go serious in your battles, go to the Indigo League. He dryly thought to himself. Those trainers don't fool around and if you let your guard down; they'll tear you a new one you didn't know you had. I'd like to see him and that experiment go up against those merciless trainers.
Gladion had done nothing but jab at Hau ever since the two had crossed paths and that irritated Elio to no end.
He has no right to tell Hau how to battle.
It didn't help much that Hau lost pretty easily. He could've contributed it to the lack of effort like the latter had pointed out, but there was nothing at stake except maybe a small amount of prize money that was transferred upon victory. Most of which Elio had received and given through his victories and losses weren't large enough to put a dent in the savings he accumulated, but it was the rules and losing meant that the loser had to pay up.
Most of the trainers he had lost to were fairly humble. A lot of them took the brief time afterword to discuss strategies or further find a way to improve battling skill before parting ways. Sure some were a bit arrogant, but in reality it was nothing worthwhile for him to lose his temper over. Losing did make him feel as if his reputation had been sullied, but there was no such thing as a perfect trainer.
At least not yet.
I have a feeling we're going to be seeing that Gladion person again. When we do…I'll beat him and that experiment again.
"I'm here to take on the trial. One more step until I can beat tutu!"
"Well perhaps I can lead you there Hau." Lana smiled, gesturing to the entrance to Brooklet Hill. "After you."
Hau glanced back at Elio, "Hey you coming brah?"
The other boy made a hang-loose sign. "Actually I'm going to run some errands. But if I miss you, then keep on going. I'm sure we'll catch up somewhere."
"We could try Royal Avenue." The kahuna's grandson suggested. "It's a huge entertainment area here on Akala just down the road. Maybe a Battle Royale or something!"
That's where Ed said he was coming soon.
"Well I'd be more than happy to come and watch you take on the trial," Elio said glancing back up at the center and at the three compatriots. "But I've got a date with a shower and the buffet."
"Suit yourself brah. You definitely look like you need a break."
"I'll come with you." Leilani said. "Have to make sure all my friends progress through the island challenge."
"Aww thanks Leilani!" Hau jumped up and down. The girl let out an excited squeal as he grabbed her with both arms and squeezed tightly in a hug.
Although Sun smiled at Hau's affectionate display, he felt as if something was making him upset.
I have no doubt that Hau likes her too.
"Then we shall be off." Lana pointed to the Hill's entrance once again. "I think I do hear some vigorous splashing. Do you Hau, the brave grandson of Hala, kahuna of Melemele Island have the ability to assist me?"
"Wha…I mean yes! Of course!"
"We'll see ya Elio." Leilani sauntered over and gave him a gentle hug, indirectly causing him to furiously blush again. "Hope you're ready for surfing next time we're together by the water!"
As she and Hau happily went back into the path that led to the trial site; Elio meanwhile saw Lana casting him a smirk as she turned to follow them.
"You may want to confess nā manaʻo soon Elio. Like what you just saw here; my friend Leilani is a very pretty girl and you're not the only one after her hand."
"Aaand done!" Hau snapped a picture of himself, holding his brand new sparkling Waterium Z with a big grin on his face. Just for kicks; he decided on a second one with Dartrix doing some silly poses behind him. He and Leilani shared a laugh at some of the comical antics captured through the lens before putting the formal one on his Festival Plaza page. Almost immediately, there were a few likes that had popped up just minutes after him posting.
"The one with Dartrix is definitely worthy of being put into the photo club." Leilani remarked as Hau scrolled through the half-dozen pictures.
"I agree." By now, the two of them were watching the low waves roll in from the ocean onto the sandy beach. Fishing rods were propped up beside them and they opted to go to the small drink stand back by the public entrance for refreshments. It had that unique Alolan vibe, a small bamboo tiki hut locally owned and operated to provide something cool for trainers and visitors alike.
What was really neat; the drinks being served in the biodegradable coconut shells similar to the tropical cocktails that advertisements and other media painted in the paradise image. Once they were finished, the shells could be thrown onto the beach where the abundant population of crabrawler used their tough pincer fists to smash it into smaller fragments for an easy meal.
Hau sighed, leaning back onto the slope and closing his eyes. The evening had approached, with the bright sun radiating a beautiful orange glow through the shadows of puffy clouds in between.
He glanced over at Leilani, as she closed her eyes, mouth curled slightly upwards as the breeze gently swept her long locks of hair behind.
The kahuna's grandson couldn't deny that he continued to harbor feelings for the girl who started living in Iki Town when he was four. Leilani lived with her older cousin Rey next door to his house and commonly had a good playmate in Hau.
Not very many children populated Iki, so they did everything together after growing up so close. Go to school, homework, lunch and even dancing lessons. Leilani continued to be impressed at how quickly Hau had picked it up. Of course when he was overjoyed, all of that was all pitched out the window for jumping up and down to swing his arms wildly about in a euphoric rush of pure excitement. His amounts of boundless energy was contagious like a plague, causing others to dance just as easily with smiles just as big plastered on their faces.
Of course as he grew up and became educated on the changes that came along as he transitioned from a child to a teenager, he now noticed that he was starting to behave differently and not look at her in the same manner when they were kids. It was a big leap from wanting nothing but to happily skip along the beaches to sitting down on one, staring into her gorgeous brown eyes and planting a kiss on her lips.
Hau just had it…that hunger to hold Leilani close and have his arms around her as they intimately kissed with no other sense in the world.
"Hau?"
The kahuna's grandson was jerked out of his fantasy by the same eighteen year old who stared at him while sipping tentatively from her coconut cup.
Ah man.
"You okay there?"
"Uh yeah." He scratched his head nervously. "Just thinking about things. That's all."
"What kind of things?"
"My gramps."
"Your gramps is fine!"
"I don't know about that."
"Oh come on Hau!" She playfully smacked his arm. "I've known you since you were four. There's been nothing recently! He's going to be okay. It's something else."
Guess I should just come out with it. He saw that she wasn't going to stop pressing the issue, so he sighed again and stared at her in the eyes. "It's Elio."
"Elio." Leilani let out a happy sigh, much to the boy's dismay. "What about him?"
"Do you…um…you know."
"I'm afraid I don't."
"Do you like Elio?"
"What?!"
"Yeah." Hau softly said. "Do you like Elio?"
"Of course I like him! How can anyone not?!"
"That's not what I meant. Do you like him?"
Silence enveloped the two of them. Leilani's face turned red and she forcibly looked away.
I guess that means I have no chance. Hau thought sadly to himself. As much as he liked Elio and considered him a brother, it was absolutely heartbreaking to find out that his new best friend was winning over his heartthrob.
It's not fair. It's just not fair. But I have to remain positive. Gramps always said there's more fish in the sea.
"I honestly don't know." She said quietly, almost unheard over the sound of the crashing waves. "I really don't."
Hau nodded.
Leilani let out a light laugh. "You got me Hau. I do have a crush on him. But what girl wouldn't? He's kind, smart, funny, really good with his pokemon and incredibly handsome."
"That's my best friend."
"Truth is; I don't know if I'm ready to ask someone out or get asked. Dating just seems like something else and I just don't want to mess up. Elio…I…I don't know Hau. Why? Why do you ask?"
"I'm...I'm just curious. That's all."
He had never seen Leilani like this. All the time she was bubbly, cheerful and confidant like him whenever it was on her pokemon journey or surfing. She was that role model to the even younger kids who were more than eager to go out with her whenever she took up a board to surf.
The worst part was that he had no idea how to console her on the matter. At least any way without revealing his more intimate feelings.
I have no idea how she would react. Probably in the same manner of not being ready to date. Leilani is my dream girl, but I don't want to rush anything even if she says yes.
"Well uh…I know that when you do decide to go and date, you'll have no shortage of suitors! And you'll pick the right one."
Redness crept up on her tanned cheeks as she embarrassingly looked away. "Mahalo Hau."
He could only stare further into her warm eyes, drawn by their charm for a girl he had continued to harbor a crush for. "And maybe the right one is a lot closer than you think."
The night passed by too quickly for Elio. A hot shower followed by writing a quick letter to Lillie and sending it off through the Alolan Fearow Courier Service took another exhausting half hour, amplified by the arduous walk back to the Hillcrest pokemon center.
There's always room for food. Which was why he was lying on his bed with a stomachache after hungrily returning to the buffet table multiple times.
I don't want to eat another speck of food for the rest of my life.
That led to a long night that was complimented to a couple of midnight trips to the bathroom.
In the morning, he felt hungry, but instead he opted to go out for his morning jog before having something light to eat.
Liked Hau's image on Festival Plaza, wrote back to Lillie. I don't see him or Leilani here, so I imagine they went on ahead.
The halemai was relatively quiet in the morning when he finished a breakfast of cage-free eggs, sausage, some really good tasting Parmesan cheese potatoes and a frosty glass of moomoo milk. He noticed that the food from last night and today tasted different and fresh.
His suspicions were confirmed when a sign indicated that all the food were from local farms close by in Akala Island.
Kahananui Ranch was among them.
That's an interesting touch for sure. I'm glad to see Dallas, Jerry and Georgia do their part in helping us trial-goers.
"Mister Northstar?" He was brought out of his thoughts by the local nurse. "Your pokemon."
"Yup. Thanks."
"Oh and I have a message for you from Mister Kahananui."
Speaking of which.
Elio signed for it and slit open the envelope, discarding it into the recycling bin.
Elio,
Word has it going around that you've finally passed your trial. One of my students was one of your guides from yesterday. Ho'omaikai'ana my friend. Best of luck on your other trials here on Akala, you'll definitely need it for sure!
I was wondering if you had some time to talk? I'll be in Royal Avenue around the time of the FBC Pro Day. Come if you can.
-D
Elio nodded as he slipped the letter away. Pro Day is the one after tomorrow. I can make it.
Now I just have to wait for that Aether employee. What can I do to pass the time?
It was nearly an hour before Elio saw the man walk into the pokemon center's lobby with a cup of komala coffee in hand. He was busy on his tablet, reading something and absentmindedly sat down at one of the tables close by.
"Hey!" He had glanced up to see the young boy waving all the way from his seat.
"Hey." The man looked as if he had a bit of a rough night with some patches of hair disheveled and him burying his face in a hand did little to conceal the evident fatigue. "I remember you. The kid who listened to me about the feebas."
"Yup." Elio held up her ball. "And lucky for you, I caught one last night."
The Aether employee's eyes widened and he shot up, nearly spilling his coffee and staining his crisp white uniform. "What? You caught one?"
"Yeah. Took me two tries and some time, but I got it!"
"No way."
"Yes way." Elio brought Rotom 'Dex out and pulled up his pokedex's feebas page with an additional poke ball icon that showed that he had successfully caught one. "I can show her to you if you want."
"Actually I just really need most of the 'Dex entry. Besides, I don't think that the staff here would appreciate you with an ugly fish flopping around on their commons table."
Ugly fish huh? "Yeah, that is a good point."
The Aether employee opened something up on his tablet and typed for a couple of minutes. "So I'll just take your notes and findings of its habitat and submit the report to my boss. Once that's done I can call it a day."
He stood up and quickly packed his stuff, forming a triumphant fist. "That means I have three days off in a row! Yes! Oh right." Glancing back down at Elio, he dug into his pocket for a wallet. "Forgot about your pay. Here kid. You've earned it."
Sun went wide eyed at the wad of cash. "Hold on, you're giving me five hundred dollars?!"
"Yeah. You really saved my skin out there. You can go ahead and release it now."
Another one about releasing it huh? Is feebas really that undesirable?
"Release it?"
"Yeah, hardly anyone really cares about that pokemon. It's hard to find and doesn't do much."
Elio nodded. "Yeah some of my other friends told me that when I went to try and catch one to show you. I'm glad I did because I feel it was worth the money. Why all the interest?"
The employee shrugged. "Could be a dozen different things. Some study my colleagues did was an analysis about their population for some reason their numbers seem to be growing. Its ugly appearance means there are few predators that deem it as food and its meat is substantial, but there's other fish that are better tasting and even more plentiful. Considering all of that, the only thing that we suspect is keeping their numbers from growing is their fertility cycles. The rising population around Brooklet Hill means that either they or something in the environment is affecting their breeding patterns."
"That's really interesting sir. The Aether Foundation in general seems awesome!"
"No sir needed. You've just made my day ten times better!"
"Nice….uh I forgot your name."
Sun found himself on the receiving end of a smile, the first time he had seen the man do so since meeting him and he stuck out an eager hand. "Call me Jul."
"Elio."
Useless pokemon.
Ugly as hell.
All it does is splash around.
All those words continued to echo in Elio's mind as he trod on the winding path back through Brooklet Hill. Lana was nowhere to be seen and he didn't see any other trial goers around, concluding that the trials were either not being held today or at a different time.
More wingull flapped overhead, soaring in flocks as they caught the updrafts that carried them along. A group of psyduck played by the water and he saw an entire school of magikarp swimming idly in one of the lagoons. A poliwag stared at the trainer curiously, only to jump back into the pond when he had gotten too close.
The weather was a sunny contrast to the drenching downpour he had experienced just twenty four hours ago. His pale skin, lathered plentifully with sunblock was kissed by the golden rays, sparkling off the beautiful water from the lagoons and ocean further out.
He spotted another pokemon he hadn't seen before. It had a small bluish body with a light blond hair on its top. It skated gracefully across the water's surface as if it were solid on four thin spindly legs.
"Rotom?" Curiosity got him.
"Yezz? Oh right! New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Surskit. Pond skater pokemon. Surskit in Alola frequently dispute with Dewpider over common food sources. It uses its flexible legs for impressive agility and moves as if it skates over the water. Surskit is a bug and water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
Interesting.
He continued down the trail, finally stopping at the same body of water where he had caught the feebas. The place where he had reeled it in with the fishing rod and thrown the net ball was further towards the ocean.
Elio shook his head, still contemplating the release.
It's still bothering me. I know why, but this feebas might be better off back where I found it. I captured one and helped Jul out with his research. That's all there was to it.
He held the net ball in his hand and hit the activation button, causing the hideous pokemon to emerge into the shallow waters with a flash of light.
This beach…just like the one in Cerulean City. The one where…Dad released him. Then he started ripping my family apart. Piece by piece.
Blu.
Ten-year old Elio tried to fight the newest barrage of tears as he stood by his father's side. They were standing in the wet sand opposite a somber looking vaporeon who pawed the ground in confusion.
"Blu. Why?" Sun sniffled, still determined to remain strong. Recently his father had begun to say that showing all emotion to others was a form of weakness and people would use that to their advantage. Being young and looking up to the man; Elio took his advice to heart although this moment was threatening to break him down.
"Vap!"
"I'm sorry Blu." Calvera held out Blu's poke ball in his hand. "The station determined that my actions were enough to have us separated as partners. I have to either turn you back in for reinstatement or release you."
"Vaporeon."
"I learned my lesson." His father went on. "I was foolish. Reckless and all those people were depending on me. I let them down with you because my emotions had gotten the best of what I had. That won't happen again. It will never happen again."
"Dad." Elio glanced up. Calvera was nearly an identical older copy of himself, dark hair and the same shade of steely gray eyes. His jaw and facial complexion were focused like lasers and he could charm an entire room with his smile or fill it with dread with a grim.
He ignored his son. "So you're free. You're free to go back where you belong Blu. I don't need you anymore."
"Dad." Elio pleaded, grabbing his pant leg. "Please. I don't Blu to go away."
"I don't have a choice son." Calvera glanced sadly down at him. "Even if I don't release him, the department has rules that have to separate firefighters and their partner pokemon. They'd take him away."
"No! You can't! Blu is my best friend!"
"Vap!" The vaporeon bounded right back to the two humans. Elio suddenly broke off contact with his father and threw his arms around the pokemon, clinging fiercely to its side. Blu let out a low whine of sadness, comforting the boy as best he could.
"Dad please! Don't let Blu go! He can be my pokemon!"
"I can't do that son." Calvera squatted down. "Sometimes if we have a weakness…we have to let that thing that causes us our weakness go out of our lives."
"It's not fair!" Elio protested, still burying his face into Blu's skin. "It's not fair!"
"You're right. It isn't fair. And I know how much he means to you; which is exactly why we have to let him go."
"No!" Elio fiercely said. "I won't let him go!"
He went to a pleading mode, just clinging to a single sliver of hope that maybe his father would change his mind. "Blu is my best friend dad! We do all sorts of fun things together and I don't want to leave him!"
"It's too late son." Calvera held the open poke ball in front of him, removing a tiny device situated at the bottom before he curled his hand into a fist, crushing the capture matrix in it.
Elio's eyes went wide with horror. "NO! DAD! WHY?!"
"It's my decision to make son. Now stop crying." Calvera's tone was surprisingly calm as he opened it and let the shattered fragments slowly spill out onto the wet sand. "Say goodbye to Blu now or I'm dragging you to the car."
"NO DAD! PLEASE DON'T TAKE BLU AWAY FROM ME!"
"You're showing weakness again."
"I DON'T CARE!" The boy had screamed, uncaring about the insane amount of hot angry tears that streamed from his eyes. "I DON'T CARE ANYMORE ABOUT THAT! YOU TOOK MY BEST FRIEND AWAY FROM ME!"
Blu let out another sad whine, staring right at Calvera…his longtime partner before finally shutting his own eyes, understanding that nothing was going to change his mind.
Sun's father cursed under his breath. He had to leave before he started breaking down too.
"Let's go Elio."
"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT BLU!"
"Let's go!" Calvera's tone quickly became snappy and he grabbed Elio's forearm, dragging the bawling boy along. Elio's feet dashed on the sand floor, since he was being pulled at a faster pace than his legs could keep up. A lance of pain shot up his shoulder strong enough to make him visibly wince.
"Dad stop!" He cried in protest. "You're hurting my arm!"
It was close to eight in the evening when Elaine had arrived from work. Calvera was in no mood after releasing his pokemon to make any food and she simply opted for takeout.
The amazing aroma of custom bento boxes from Tanaka's wafted through the dining area of their Cerulean City home in the Orinda suburb, but strangely Calvera wasn't aware of it. That or he didn't care.
Elio was nowhere to be seen.
"Hi sweetie." She cautiously approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around his well defined torso. Calvera was wearing an athletic shirt and black shorts with his head down.
"Hi." He didn't bother to look up at his wife.
Elaine set the food on the kitchen counter, now noticing the half-empty bottle of sake seishu liquor and sakazuki glass in front of him. She knew that the colorful red and black label as one of the cheaper brands. It was also the third time in the week she had seen him heartily consume at least a glass.
"Rough day?"
"Yeah." He sighed. "Just a lot of things happening with the aftermath."
"Cal." Elaine leaned forward, reaching across to gently clasp his hand in her two smaller ones. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
The curt answer did all but steer away Elaine's curiosity. Ever since the aftermath, she had found her husband to not be the same person. His behavior changed from a man brimming with confidence to someone who seemed hollow, only filled by self-doubt and uncertainty. Calvera grew distant from her and her son. His attempts to make things seem as if everything was completely fine were failing.
And then there were the drinks. They started out as beer with him bringing home twelve bottle cases and she was mildly surprised when its supply had run out in merely a week. Several weeks ago, it was turning into something much stronger in the form of sake seishu.
"Cal." She whispered, using his nickname when it was just the three of them. "Cal. It's okay. Please tell me what's wrong."
"I can't."
"Yes you can." She leaned across the counter, gently kissing him on the lips. Right upon contact, he made no move to passionately reciprocate like he normally did and she received a strong taste of alcohol from him. This was clearly not the first or third drink he had. "Please love. I'm here for you."
"I can't." They tenderly broke away and Elaine gave him another deeply concerned glance. "I can't Elaine…I just can't."
"Where's Elio?"
"In his room. He already finished his homework."
While Elaine was certainly happy to hear her son completing all of his school stuff, the fact that Calvera was so nonchalant about it began to set off another alarm.
"Cal, why was he crying when I came home?"
Her husband sighed, reaching over to pour himself another glass.
Elaine was quicker than him, sliding both the tokkuri bottle and sakazuki cup out of his reach. "Please no more Cal. I just want to know why I come home to him crying and you drinking like this."
"Give me the bottle back."
"I won't." Her eyes sharpened and a thousand different scenarios began to form in her head. None of them looked very promising. "Cal, you've been drinking for a while now. Please just stop and tell me what's wrong."
Calvera looked at his wife. Her strong gaze belied something even more vulnerable. Concern, fear and desperation to understand him. She loved their family and would do whatever she could in order to keep it safe and happy.
Knowing that she wouldn't stop prying and see through a lie of his, he decided to spill the news.
"I released Blu today."
Elaine gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. "Cal…what? You released Blu?!"
He nodded. "Elio and I were beginning to show too much emotional attachment to him. And that's a weakness I won't have anyone exploit."
"Weakness?" Elaine looked back towards the hallway where Elio was still inside of his room. "What do you mean weakness? You know that Blu has been your partner for as long as you've known me! Plus Elio loves him!" Realization suddenly hit her and her eyes narrowed. "Why would you torment your own son like that?"
"It's best for everyone Elaine."
"Best for everyone?!" She couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. "Because it shows vulnerability?! Weakness?! There was absolutely nothing wrong with the fire department! It's more like best for you! You just released Blu because it was reminding you of everything that happened!"
Calvera's brow furrowed, a sign that he was getting irritated. Elaine had seen him angry before and it was definitely a very frightening sight. She never thought of herself being scrutinized this way.
"You know what? Fine! You're right! Blu just reminded me of my failures! And I'll be remembered that way too! Nobody's going to give a damn about my successes, only my failures to ridicule on!"
"That's not true." Elaine's voice was shaking. "That's not true! I know how good of a firefighter you are! Elio knows! You're his hero! He looks up to you so much in spite of what happened! Now he's sobbing his eyes out because you couldn't look at yourself when his best friend was around!"
"That's exactly right! And why I had to release him! Elaine, it comes down to weakness! I won't let it get me again. Pokemon friends can be replaced. As much as I hate cats, Elio has other pokemon for friends like that damn meowth!"
"Cal…did you ever consider how else releasing Blu was going to affect everyone?" Tears began to pool in her eyes too. Angry tears. "You didn't just cut him out of your life, but Blu touched everyone in this family. He was Amp's mate! A dear friend of mine and the world to Elio! I can't believe that someone with such a selfless profession as yours would end up doing something so selfish and hurtful to your own family!"
Calvera's voice was now starting to shake as well. "You can't see it right now Elaine, but it was only going to drag me down."
"You talk all about this weakness Calvera, but I see weakness tenfold with Elio in his room right now."
She moved forward, putting herself in his arms and burying her face in his neck.
"Cal…please. Help me understand what is wrong! I want to help you, but I can't if you're going to keep me out! Please just go back to the man, the husband and father that we loved! I love you…I love you so much! Please!"
"No. I have to do this by myself."
Elaine separated from him and stared at him with wide disbelieving eyes.
"It's the alcohol…isn't it? You've been drinking all of this to escape the reality and cutting ties with your pokemon and family because you don't think you're worthy to live with yourself right now. I can't help or support you if you're not willing to change or let me listen to you."
She moved away, now seeing that the time was far too late to enjoy a dinner. Tears streamed out of her eyes, not just for Blu, but how what a possible simple night that could've had plenty of happiness turned so sour in an instant.
Shaking her head and wishing she had seen the signs earlier; Elaine closed the fridge and walked right past him.
"I'm taking Elio to school tomorrow and once that's done, I'm telling my father to pick him up and have him stay there over the weekend while we sort this out. He doesn't deserve to see or hear any of this and there's no way he will be staying in this house if you're going to drink as much as you did today."
"You better not tell your father about anything!" Calvera snarled.
"Oh really?" Elaine's face flashed with defiance. "You really think that Elio or I would keep something like this bottled up merely in the household?"
"If you know what's best for you, then you'll shut up."
"That's not happening." She turned tail. "I'm going to bed. I've had a long day today and one that will probably be just as long and stressful tomorrow no thanks to you."
Calvera shook his head, still unable to comprehend anything his wife had said to him thanks to the white hot anger burning through his head.
"Bitch." He murmured. "I'm getting the final say."
Elaine was halfway to her bedroom when she felt Calvera's strong arms grab her from behind. She gasped, unsure if it was from the surprise or the sensual feeling she was experiencing as her intoxicated husband began to brand her neck with his hot lips.
"Cal stop!" She firmly said, trying to wrestle out of his grip, but he kept a firm hand on her arm, pinning it close to him so that she couldn't escape. Her second protest was silenced by another sigh and she cursed herself for turning into putty since he knew where and how to intimately please her.
"You want me to turn back into the man you loved?" His voice had taken something else in tone. It was a very husky, animalistic one that would've been alluring in any other scenario. For the first time ever since marrying him; Elaine felt the icy flow of fear beginning to flood her veins.
"Then I'll do that."
Calvera hungrily captured Elaine's lips, overloading her with the disorienting sensation of alcohol that threatened to spell her with insane dizziness. His incredibly strong frame firmly pushed her back to their bedroom where she found herself shoved down onto their king sized mattress.
He pounced on her like a stalking arcanine, barely giving her enough time to breathe. There was no way she was going to be able to fight back or resist. The alcohol controlling her husband had become a dominant force that she was powerless to stop. Everything felt completely foreign, as the man that she loved invaded all her senses without relent.
Her only hope through it all was hoping that Elio was asleep through all of it to avoiding seeing or hearing any of it.
Hours had passed, but Elio hadn't kept track of it. He had started hearing both of his parents yelling angrily at one another before it abruptly stopped and they passed by his bedroom into theirs. A few muffled sounds had come from it, but he had been too tired to investigate and thus crawled into his bed to sleep.
The other pokemon that commonly resided in the house, Meowth was also wondering where his dear friend Blu was located. After a tear filled revelation by the young boy, he hugged the scratch cat pokemon close, crying constantly into his fur.
Losing Blu was just too much for the little boy to handle and he sniffled and wailed himself softly to sleep.
What scared him the most wasn't losing his best friend.
It was his father. The firm determination in his eyes to separate the two of them and then grabbing his arm, forcefully pulling him back to the car. Elio had never seen his father so livid and angry before and it frightened him. It was a new experience from the other times when he had gotten stern about something trivial in nature. This occasion seemed like he was trying to deliberately hurt Elio.
Even when Calvera commanded the boy to go to his room and do his homework, he was already halfway there, not wanting to experience any further bouts of anger.
The door to his bedroom creaked open. Being a little sensitive to sound that night caused him to shoot up, quaking with a bit of fear that it was his father coming back to yell at him.
"Elio?" A big rush of relief coursed through him as he heard the softer soothing voice of his mother.
"M-mom."
"Hi there my little angel. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to get you something to eat."
"It's okay Mom." Elio softly said. "I'm not hungry anyway."
Elaine knew that he had a loss of an appetite whenever he was very upset about something. Normally she'd at least encourage him to eat at least some substance, but considering everything that had happened over the night, she brushed it aside.
His arms instinctively reached out and she took him in, holding his shaking form close in an attempt to keep him calm. In spite of hearing close to nothing, he had fussed and worried nonstop because neither of his parents were close by to provide any hint whatsoever or tell him what all was happening.
Elio would never realize for a long time that the symbolic embrace between mother and son that night was just as comforting to her as it was him.
"Mom?" He saw the look of worried fear etched on her face. "Are you okay? What's going on between you and Dad?"
Elaine's heartstrings felt like they were going to snap. He had no idea that such an innocent question could possibly lead to her breaking down. She felt it too; how their family structure she had thought was impregnable…now crumbling into powder between her fingers.
It was the way he stared at her with that same innocent eyes and facial complexion. He had truly inherited most of his father's physical traits. She was almost staring at an identical younger copy of her intoxicated husband.
Both of his parents had that silent vow to protect him from any threat either external or internal. Elaine was now starting to wonder if the boy's father was beginning to become the newest one.
"Your father and I," she swallowed, trying her best to find a positive from the roughly handled "conversation" they had in the bedroom. "Your father is having a very hard time right now okay?"
He nodded, still not understanding everything. "Is it because of Blu?"
Elaine nodded, now seeing the tears and sadness from Elio of how the vaporeon's absence really affected him. "Maybe sweetheart. But I think we should give him some space."
"Okay. But Dad didn't come tuck me into bed."
"I don't think he will be able to." Elaine had made certain that Calvera's alcohol induced deep sleep wouldn't rouse him awake while she went to console her son. "I'll be taking you to school tomorrow and your grandfather is going to pick you up. You'll stay with him for the weekend."
"Mom." Elio always enjoyed staying with his grandfather, but was still wondering why. "Are you and Dad fighting over something?"
"Elio."
"If you're fighting, I don't want it to last. I liked it better when you and Dad were happy."
"Me too. We will talk about this another time okay?" She leaned down and gave him a tender kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight my little angel. I love you."
"Goodnight Mom I love you too." He lay back down, waiting quietly for his mother to leave. Once she was gone, he sat up and bowed his head, facing the ocean and his best friend.
"Goodnight Blu. I love you."
Elio glanced down at the capture matrix in his hand, nearly in an identical moment that he had been six years ago during his meltdown after the loss of his best friend.
Feebas was swimming around just in front of him curiously, still relatively unaware of the dilemma that her new trainer was going through.
If I were to release Feebas…how would this be different than when Dad released Blu?
There was a wide margin of things to consider. Feebas was a relatively weak fish that he had just captured. Many people, including Leilani and Jul, the Aether employee had already discouraged him from adding it to his team. The shabby, mottled appearance of the fish deemed it undesirable, which was a likely culprit on why their numbers were starting to rise. Its apparent ugliness was another means that most predators avoided it.
Blu in comparison had been his longtime friend. As a young boy, Elio and he did everything together. Play around in their backyard, swim at the community pool. One of his favorite things was to "pretend" battle, doubling as a means to exercise him in his fire suppressing attacks like water gun. Sun had wanted for the longest time to be his trainer whenever his dad decided to retire.
Dad had so much going for him. His hat was in the ring for the station's chief…he just had to let the pressure of everything drag him down.
Will I cave too? Will something come up and I can't meet those expectations?
Feebas circled the shallows and emerged with half her body above the water. Her white beaded eyes glanced curiously at her trainer. While she may have never known what it was about, the creature had enough to understand that its species were not a favored pokemon because of their mangy looks.
She couldn't help it. She couldn't just change species and be done with it.
Elio found her staring at him and it was just like seeing the desperation on Blu's face when he and his father were abandoning him all those years ago.
Feebas may be a useless pokemon, but I can't just abandon it. I worked so hard to catch it and got some money, but it would just be selfish of me to dispose of her once she's served her purpose. I can't...I just can't.
Would it remain useless forever? Some pokemon do have hidden potential.
Feebas' becalming gaze told him everything. In spite of that ugliness, he found the pokemon strangely able to subconsciously suppress his angst and sadness with a newfound determination.
I see it now. Elio thought to himself. If I don't give up on you, then you won't give up on me.
He slowly slipped the capture matrix back into her net ball, the matter decided. "Feebas, return."
Sun's next destination highlighted by Rotom was the illustrious Royal Avenue. Located at the heart of Akala Island, it was among the most popular areas for tourists visiting the island region.
The district was a large portion of the town called Pa'ani and the tourism industry had dominated so much of it that it was rarely ever called by its name, going instead to; Royal Avenue or simply the Avenue.
Elio did manage to catch a glimpse at the visitor's area in the Tide Song Hotel when he met up with Lillie. Like many of the resorts had in their lobbies, there was a large shelf that held dozens and dozens of brochures depicting so many different things to do at various points around the Island. Compared to Melemele, Akala seemed to have fewer manufacturing firms, instead relying on its alluring tourist market to provide its industry. And it was only a fraction of what other fun things that could be done.
The highway roared with cars on the midday traffic and he spotted a sign up ahead while trudging on the walkway that Royal Avenue was going to be another couple miles east…to his left.
Don't think about Feebas right now. I made the right call. Just get to Royal Avenue…Dallas is waiting for us and Ed needs me as the man behind him. It's going to be great.
Sun saw that the path up ahead was abruptly blocked off with a solid wall line. For some strange and inscrutable reason, it seemed to move minutely.
Definitely odd for an inanimate object.
The wall's height was still another head taller and he couldn't really see a way around by circling or leaping over.
Maybe I can smash my way through. Except none of my pokemon know rock smash.
Torracat's double kick it is.
"Elio!"
Lana ran right up to greet him and skidded to a halt, bending over and putting her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.
"Lana." He smiled, before it turned to something more concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah." She huffed with exhaustion. "Sorry. I forgot to tell you that there is a pokemon called sudowoodo that likes to block the way for trial goers down to Royal Avenue at times. Looks like they're at it again."
A very soft "Pilikia." Was muttered under her breath.
"These are sudowoodo?" Elio peered closer, now knowing what they looked like.
It made so much more sense now. He spotted their slender trunks and thin arms with three bulbous fingers at the end. A pair of small legs moved subtly about while most of their faces were devoid of any expressions at all.
They look like bonsai trees.
"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed in front before shuffling his screen to show off his most recent entry. "Sudowoodo. Imitation pokemon. It is the evolved form of bonsly. A particular favorite among collectors and the elderly, there is a magazine devoted to this pokemon over the length and angles of its arms. Sudowoodo with greener fingertips are considered more valuable. While it can easily camouflage itself in a green forest, it can easily be exposed as a fake in the wintertime. Sudowoodo is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"So they like to make a treeline just to screw with trial goers or something?"
Lana laughed. "I guess so. For some reason they like this particular spot and every time I clear them out, they're right back at it causing pilikia. You'd think they would know better by now."
"So uh, how do you get them out of the way?"
"Easy." The trial captain pulled out a poke ball. "Shellder come on out!"
The device exploded open to reveal a relatively small pokemon. Its shell was a dark purple shade with a few spikes and spines lining its smooth surface. The two halves were barely open showing a pair of large white eyes and a long pink tongue that stuck out from the crack. In the broad daylight, Elio still couldn't see what the creature looked like inside.
"Another new pokemon?! Thizz izz awezome! Everything izz awesome! Shellder. Bivalve pokemon. Its shell is extremely hard and ancient Alolans often used it to make heavy shields and armor during times of war. Shellder's tongue can dig through the seabed with great dexterity for filter-feeding and will remain stuck out even when closed. Yanking the tongue can cause it to open its shell back up. Shellder is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"One way to get sudowoodo out is to realize that their biggest fear is water."
Lana slid a familiar Z-crystal onto the ring on her left arm. "And now that we've got a waterium Z, it's time we show those sudowoodo what happens when they block the path!"
The crystal in the ring was activated and it began to emit a harsh glow. In contrast to the whitish effect from the normalium Z that he had, this one was a bright blue, flashing an icon of a teardrop before vanishing. That same brilliant energy erupted from the ring, curling through the air to surround Shellder. Its eyes narrowed as it absorbed the intensive boost.
Lana formed an X with her arms, then performing the waving motions to her left and finishing the pose on her right side.
"Shellder!" She shouted, "Let's show them the potential of your Z-Power!"
"Su?" One of the fake trees glanced with unease at the spectacle unfolding in front of it.
Slowly, more and more of the sudowoodo in the path blockade started to watch with fearful expressions.
"Go Shellder! Channel your water gun into HYDRO VORTEX! Z-Move unleash!"
"WOODO!" Just moments before the bivalve pokemon let loose with its ultimate attack, one of the tree imposters let out a earsplitting cry, jumping up and flailing its limbs about. It broke the wall's integrity, sprinting behind the rest of its comrades further into the thicket of trees.
It didn't take long for the rest of its gang to follow suit and the pathway had been cleared within seconds.
"Shellder stop!" Lana cried, hitting her Z-ring to abort the powerful move. Her pokemon complied, dissipating the amount of excess energy stored up within her frame.
"Wow. That seemed pretty easy. They were scared no doubt."
"Heh," Lana giggled. "It never gets old and they never learn. By the way, did you happen to show that person that Feebas of yours?"
Elio nodded. "I was gonna release her once that was done."
Lana saw his expression grow distant and she knew that there was more to the story than what he let on. "And?"
He solemnly stared at the ground in front of him. "And I changed my mind. I just couldn't do it."
The trial captain looked even more curious at his musings, but he cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I grew up with daddy issues. It's no big deal."
"I know." Lana sweetly put a hand on his shoulder. "Leilani told me. E kala mai iaʻu."
I know what that means. "Mahalo, nui loa."
"I know that your father may have given up on you, but you did the right thing in keeping her. It may not seem like it right now, but if you raise Feebas right; she'll pay you back in spades. I remember seeing one for the first time back with a man from Hoenn. He had named her Minerva."
"Thanks Lana. Alohaʻoe i ka nui mai iāʻoe."
This earned him a deep red blush from the trial captain. "Well I bid you Alola Elio. I'll be cheering for you on your island challenge!"
"Right." Elio turned to her, offering a hand. "Thanks a lot Lana. You've been a big help."
"It's my pleasure." Instead of taking his shake, she slowly moved forward and enveloped him in a hug. "E kōkua mau au i kahi hoaaloha."
After parting ways with Lana, Elio continued down the trail, walking for a good hour and stopping for a quick break around each twenty minute mark. Similar to the rest of the day, the sun's heat beat down on the island, forming sweat under his brow. Soon enough, he felt his scalp become itchy and he took off his 'Canes hat to douse his long hair with a spray of water to cool him off.
I keep forgetting how ungodly humid it is out here. That was really what made the heat index pretty high all the time. Elio had been to a steam room when on his recovery period after basketball workouts and the entirety of the steamy air was completely oppressive.
Here in Alola it was the same way. And he knew that not all homes here were air conditioned like back in Kanto.
I have to thank Mom later for making sure we have a good running unit. I don't know what I'd do without one.
Another nice luxury he had taken for granted, especially in the summer months.
The path snaked to the left, now showing that the highway featured an exit that allowed heavy traffic to pass on the road into a large open space. Sun could see a massive dome structure in the distance that had bright gray metal columns crisscrossing in a trestle format surrounding the main building.
A growl of some pokemon also caught his attention and he rushed forward, seeing a little bit of a commotion.
Oh fantastic. These guys again.
Two familiar black and silver uniforms of Team Skull grunts stood at the path's entrance, clearly up to nothing good. Standing opposite her was a short girl, roughly a head below him in dirty brown clothes. She wore a purple bonnet that covered the top of her hair, letting two bushy braids fall out from either side. A small sash hung out from beside her hip.
Next to her was a large brown equine pokemon similar to a rapidash. In contrast, its hooves looked sturdier and its elegant mane of fire was replaced with shiny dark hair hanging in ropes that flowed down the side of the neck. Its height was also much bigger, easily almost twice the size of him and the girl. Between the two groups, he could see the familiar balloon shape of a driftloon, floating over to her side with a frightened expression on her face.
"Yo, yo girlie!" One of the grunts said waving his arms in that silly dance. Elio wanted to laugh at its ridiculousness every time, but kept it to himself. "Don't ya go turnin' ya backside on us! Y'hear?!"
One of them noticed Elio and his eyes went wide behind the slit between his white cap and bandanna covering his face. "And it's you again! Ya that numskull trainer on dat stupid island challenge from Melemele yo!"
"The island challenge is called a challenge for a reason." The girl stated firmly, turning around. "You there trainer! Will you be willing to assist me?"
"Sure!" The answer came from Rotom first as he nearly jumped right out of Elio's back, floating in between them. "Right after I give another recording of a new pokemon! Mudsdale. Draft horse pokemon. It is the evolved form of mudbray. Mudsdale's endurance is second to none, able to pull ten ton loads for three days and nights nonstop. Its spit creates a special kind of mud when mixed with dirt that provides an incredible resistance to wind and rain, popular insulation for frontier homes. Mudsdale is a ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"Yo put dat talkin' cellphone away. It's annoyin' the hell outta me!"
At the mention of the familiar device, Rotom stopped and turned around, now suddenly having glowing reddish eyes and a furious expression on its normally playful screen.
"Why doezzz EVERYONE have to call me a talking cellphone! I am nothing like that lower lifeform!"
"Well you kind of are," Elio said, breaking that tense moment. "You take my calls. Take pictures…behind my back I might add, give me information and can look up stuff on the internet."
"Don't you dare zay it! Bzzt!"
"You my cell phone!" Elio said bursting out laughing. "A talking cell phone that's a pain in the butt!"
"Careful! Bzzt!"
"Alright I kid…I kid." He waved it off. "Calm down."
"Nobody zayz Rotom izzz a cellphone again! You all hear? Bzzt!"
"These scoundrels here are pokemon thieves." The girl said after Rotom's irritated rant had worn off. "Are you on familiar terms with them?"
Sun nodded, quickly finding another way to jab at the duo. "Yup. They made good target practice for my pokemon."
"Yo what?!" It had the desired effect and angered the two grunts. "We ain't no target practice for anybody!"
"Then explain how I took both your pokemon down with one attack at the berry farms."
"I…I."
"Heh." Elio snickered. "When you're doing that, it means you're stalling to find some excuse that neither of us will buy."
"I wouldn't buy anything they come up with as long as they continue to steal pokemon and make life miserable for the rest of us." The girl stepped forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you trainer. My name is Hapu. Hapu Encarnación. I must say you two, life in the big Hau'oli City sure is something else. Thieves and crooks roam about brazenly. Miles and I have this one and I shall leave that one to you."
"What?! We ain't no thieves yo! It's a legit business!" The second grunt said, waving his arms again. "We're too legit!"
"TOO LEGIT TO QUIT! YO!"
"Whatever," his partner added. "Anyway, this stupid trainer screwed us from Melemele and the kahuna exiled us out, so now we gotta build back up in Akala! But we ain't goin' out like that."
The first grunt turned to Elio as his partner released a zubat to face Hapu and her Mudsdale, now named Miles. He could only watch amused as the tiny creature attempted to use wing attack on the massive horse, only to receive a pair of battering double kicks from hooves with enough force that sent it careening right back at the grunt's horrified feet at seemingly little effort.
"I'm still winnin' yo!" The skull facing Elio tossed out a long purple and gold snake pokemon, who coiled around and hissed threateningly.
Rotom beat him before he could "New pokemon detected! And maybe I can finish my information without being called one of thozze lower lifeformzzz known as cellphonezzz! Hint! Hint! Ekans. Snake pokemon. Ekans' favorite food is the eggs of small bird pokemon. It is also capable of consuming prey larger than itself by dislocating its jaw voluntarily. After swallowing a large meal, it slithers into a safe spot to rest and allow its body to break down the food. Ekans is a poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."
"Let's go Charjabug!"
"Ekans, start out with a mad poison sting!"
The creature hissed, opening its mouth and firing a pair of barbs at his battery pokemon. Charjabug had taken the hit, not being very mobile enough to avoid it incoming.
"Charge beam!" With impressive grace, the snake sprung out of the way, closing in quickly and encircling her with his longer body.
Elio heard her let out a pained cry as the wrap attack began to slowly whittle at her health. It sensed that she was beginning to weaken, doubling his efforts.
"Spark!"
"Quick, get off it!"
Ekans had been just a tad too slow, as Charjabug immediately cloaked herself in brilliant sparks of electricity, hurling her entirety at it. The attack collided, knocking it down.
When the ekans recovered, Elio saw that a few stray arcs of electricity were dancing across its scaly skin.
Paralyzed. Perfect.
And then to his horror, he saw that the creature's skin became clear. Ekans effortlessly slithered out, leaving a molted shell behind that remained upright while it coiled back up to face Charjabug, completely free of the paralysis condition.
What?
"That izzz ekans' ability shed skin. It allowz it to heal itself from ztatuz conditionz over time."
"Good to know."
"Ekans, use bite yo!"
Elio pointed, "Charge beam. Into the mouth!"
As the creature lunged, jaws widening for a fanged attack, she gathered electrical energy again in between her mandibles, more than enough thanks to some being previously stored on the prior one. It didn't take long for her to reach her optimal strength and the shot threaded its way right into the maw of the snake's large mouth. Ekans was blown back in a pop of smoke, collapsing the moment it hit the ground.
"What just happened yo?!" The grunt shook his head in disbelief after recalling his defeated pokemon. "We can't be takin' all these losses! We just gonna anger our bosses!"
"Yeah. It ain't fair at all. Tears taste like salt! It's all your fault!"
"Salty much?" Elio made a sprinkling motion as if seasoning some food.
"Ni-hiii!" A loud neigh from the mudsdale startled everyone…except for Hapu.
She stepped protectively in front of the scared driftloon. "So what do you say Miles? We stomp these scoundrels? I will be a mess to clean up afterward, but I am willing if you are!"
"Ni-hii!" Miles took a menacing step forward, causing the skulls to stagger back.
"Yeah it's time for us to break out yo! Gotta tell y'all peace out yo!"
"I totally agree B!" Grunt "A" said before turning to Elio. "I ain't gonna tell you this anymore…except when I tell you this! Ya better listen to what my homie G says and drill it into dat thick skull of yours! Ya better stay outta our way trainer! Otherwise ya and your friends are gonna get hurt real bad!"
"Try me."
All that earned him was a very appreciative gesture in the form of a middle finger before the two grunts quickly ran off down the path. They would most likely be going to cause mischief somewhere else.
Next to him, Hapu let out a relieved sigh before crouching down to the driftloon's level. "Hey there. No need to be scared anymore. Will you be fine getting back to your trainer? Or shall Miles and I escort you home?"
"Floo-on!" The small ghost type waved its small arms happily before turning back to Royal Avenue and floating towards the groups of buildings.
I do hope it gets where it needs to go.
"That driftloon…I'm happy she is confident enough to go home on her own. Those skulls took her from her trainer at Royal Avenue just an hour ago and I couldn't stand by to watch it happen. So I tracked them here and thankfully you were here to lend me a hand. Mahalo for that."
Elio nodded. "You are right. I've seen them more and more often around Alola. They're nothing but a pain in the rear."
"Perhaps. Say trainer; give me your name…especially since I have given you mine."
"It's Elio." He stuck his hand out. "My mother calls me Sun and you can say whichever."
"Elio is nice. It's quite a fine name indeed. And you handled yourself very well in battle."
"Ni-hii." The mudsdale behind her stepped forward, reaching out with her head and gently nuzzling the boy.
Elio laughed. "It's nice to meet you too!"
"Miles here and I are wandering about Alola, trying to achieve our goals. It is possible we may meet again in the future someday. I am indebted to you for your aid after all."
"I'd like that." And he did. He liked this Hapu character. "And there's no need to pay me back. I'm just doing what any trainer should do."
"At least let me return the favor for you. I may not have anything at the moment that can be useful, but I will think of something."
"Ni-hii!" Miles neighed.
"Ah yes. Just down the road here is Royal Avenue with its most famous event as the Battle Royale. You may want to try your hand at a Royale or two. Seeing how strong you are, Miles here thinks that you can be well suited for it."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Kamaha'o!" Hapu exclaimed before she reached up on Miles to pull down a strap. A large spot on her back unfolded to reveal a neat looking saddle that was firmly set in her center body. "Then it is time I bid you Alola!"
"Alola!"
With an incredible jump that he didn't think was possible for her size, Hapu scaled Miles' side, sitting firmly on the saddle and gently trotting off.
Elio watched them as they vanished into the distance before turning back to the big entertainment area and resuming his journey towards it.
Whew. Didn't expect this to bang into a 12k long chapter! I hope everyone enjoyed it and we're about to go to Royal Avenue, where I've got a handful of things planned!
Translations:
nā manaʻo - Feelings (typically intimate)
Pilikia - Troublesome
E kala mai iaʻu - I am sorry
Mahalo nui loa - Thank you very much
Alohaʻoe i ka nui mai iāʻoe - That means a lot to me
E kōkua mau au i kahi hoaaloha - I will always help a friend
Kamaha'o - Splendid!
Sake or rice wine is a traditional Japanese drink involving rice which turns into sugar and then fermented in alcohol (similar to beer). It is usually between 17-20% alcohol undiluted. Seishu is a common term in Japan for the beverage. It can be served warm in a porcelain bottle called the tokkuri and there are special designed saucer-like cups for its consumption called sakazuki.
As always thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you guys next time.
Brav