Alola readers! Brav is back with an update that got done within the formerly normal two week interval! I hope everyone is doing well!
Last time we finished the kahuna battle and we're onto the Hano Grand Resort with the Kumu Reef Triple Crown and more things that our heroes will have to experience! This was a fun chapter to write!
A little explanation before I begin about my decision to evolve Akela into the midnight form. Yes, I'm well aware that the midnight is arguably the least popular of the three, however I find that it is the polar opposite of the midday form with the dusk being a hybrid of the two. The midnight is the way it chooses to embrace its bestial instincts, opting to use fighting as a thrill and how those instincts make it grow excited for battle. The midday form emphasizes loyalty and calmness, the contrast to the midnight while the dusk form incorporates a medium between the two sides. I wanted to keep things as vague as possible, trying to convince all of you that he could be any of the three.
Even though Akela is the midnight form, he's a bit of the abnormal within the subspecies, exhibiting calmness and a bit of the leader of their team as we go on. We're going to delve a little more in his backstory the closer we get to the Aether Foundation.
Anyways, I'm off to spend Christmas with my family back in California, so this could very well be the final update of the year. Happy holidays everyone!
The news people didn't exaggerate on the heat that came to Alola.
It. Was. Hot!
Let me start by saying that I love the Alola warm weather. Lots of wonderful Sun-shine…yes, pun fully intended! Elio is the Sun after all and he shines bright and hopeful! The people are nice and I love the big diversity of pokemon here. You almost can't find an ecosystem like this anywhere else in the world!
But it's soooo hot. Sure enough, Kahuna Olivia had the weather station put the entire island on a heat advisory! They almost were going to cancel the surfing competition, but whatever officials were running that didn't see it as a reason to postpone any activities!
I know Burnet took me out shopping for a swimsuit. The color is nice I guess. White. But almost everything else I wear is white, so maybe it won't be as bad? I don't know. I'm just worried that people will look at me differently. People can see a lot of my skin.
But I'll admit that going to the beach in this is much better than sweating it out in my dress. Don't want it to get all stuck to me.
Today's the day that I finally get to go and take Elio snorkeling! I admit I don't know that much, but it's definitely something to do while we wait to cheer Leilani on. I'm sure Hau is going to be super excited for that!
The first thing that registered in Elio's mind was the slick layer of sweat on his arms and legs.
He awoke with a start, slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. The action had the blanket fall down from his broad shouldered and well-muscled frame. His chest visibly rose and fell with each breath while he stopped rubbing his eyes and went to fix his hair, which was tousled wildly with the crisp pillow being the special stylist.
Ugh, I feel nasty right now. What gives? I took a shower before I went to bed.
Throwing the covers off, he glanced at the clock as he rolled out of the bed. Nine twenty-six in the morning.
Shit! He was supposed to meet Lillie and Professor Kukui at the Heahea City Marina by ten thirty!
I did it again! Didn't leave enough time! Go go go! Hurry!
Elio hadn't registered in his mind that taking the blanket off his body didn't make things any cooler.
He was in and out of the shower, grabbing a change of clothes this time around. His favorite shirt and shorts needed to go into the wash along with other garments, so he opted for the Maple Apparel tanktop he had bought at Royal Avenue titled "Become Legend" and silver basketball shorts from his high school. Underneath those shorts were his swim trunks, colored dark amber orange with white Alolan style flower pattern all along the sides.
Lillie told him to meet up with her and Professor Kukui and bring nothing except for himself and some swimwear. Although she seemed rather reluctant to have him tag along, they were still minors and neither had a boating license.
Or maybe she wants a different boat? Elio asked himself, remembering her uneasiness when they made the trip on his vessel from Melemele Island.
I guess we can now take the ferry since my trainer passport does allow me to escort a guest on my behalf. Or we fly by charizard. But that means she'll have to ride behind and hold onto…me.
The thought made him blush as he quickly dried himself off and went back into the stuffy bedroom.
Geez, I thought it'd cool off from the shower.
He moved over to the large metal air conditioning unit at the end of the room while pulling on his shorts and tanktop. It actually felt extremely comfortable with the sleeveless top, allowing for even more ventilation. He had sizeable deltoid muscles thanks to both his athletic regimen and the inheritance from his father's similar lean figure.
Waving his hand in front of the dusty vents that looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in weeks, Elio frowned when he didn't feel the rush of cool air coming from it.
Glancing down, the thermostat built into the machine was already indicating an error of some kind since it was set to sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. It was at least ten higher.
He was no expert on heating and cooling, but he knew that keeping the system on would simply overwork and possibly break it even further. So he disengaged the automatic setting and made a mental note to put a ticket into the pokemon center for a maintenance request. Not that it mattered much anyway, since he was set to check out in the morning anyways.
"Rotom, how hot is it outside?" He groaned.
"Bzzt! Temperature izzzz too hot! Bzzt!" The haunted 'dex stuttered. "Pleazzze cool down your Roto dexxxxxx before azzzzking any more questionzzzz! Bzzzt!"
Too hot.
Elio wondered if it was wrong that he was happy his room wasn't the only one affected.
By news from another trainer spending the night in another room, nearly the entire residential ward of the center had overworked air conditioners. He was just another person to put a ticket in for a maintenance request. Of course the nurse and receptionist had assured them that they'd get repairmen on the job as soon as possible, but things may take a while.
Many trainers had the same idea as him in vacating the residential halls.
The main area seemed a little warmer than when he arrived and it remained its usual busy state. Trainers were still coming and going like usual and it seemed that not a single trainer that came in from the outside wasn't sweating. Out through the glass doors, Elio could see heat shimmering in waves on the concrete paths and even more so on the cars moving on the main street.
Over at the lounge area, he could see sets of televisions all with the news or projections of the latest weather. Judging by the weatherwoman's analysis, the heat wave was set to peter our close to the beginning of the next day.
The island challenge was also put on hold. Kahuna Olivia Rios had met with the others in Hau'oli City on Melemele Island where they made a unanimous decision to suspend all trials and grand trials until the worst of it had passed.
Elio saw that the news outlet was now switching over to some of the other methods the news anchors were using to stay cool and beat the heat. Overall, activity on the outside was to be kept to a minimum, everyone was to stay indoors.
However for some reason, the Kumu Reef Triple Crown surfing competition had yet to say anything about whether or not the event was going to be postponed or canceled.
It's at a beach after all.
His thoughts were interrupted when his phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Ed.
Oh crap! I totally forgot today is draft day too! AHHH!
Despite kicking himself in his head for forgetting so soon, he couldn't help smile at the uplifting words his friend had said.
Ed: You staying frosty out there bro?
"Ed you snarky bastard."
Elio: Heh, yeah. The air conditioning in my room at the pokemon center broke. I'm moving out already.
Ed: Lmao. You're too hot for that room! Or was it the fact gorgeous was in there too?
Elio: Shut up.
Ed: Funny you say that. Excessive heat often makes people even more angry.
Elio: Maybe. Actually I'm meeting up with Lillie and Professor Kukui later today. We're beating the heat by going scuba diving at the Kumu Reef.
Ed: Oh that's awesome. Isn't that also where your surfer friend who has a crush on your island friend is participating?
Elio: Yeah it is. You should totally watch it, she's been practicing hard!
Ed: I'm about to get drafted in like six hours though.
Elio: Oh right. My bad. Excited to go pro?
Ed: Hell yeah I am. I'm just wondering what team I'll go to.
Sun had thought about it too. He enjoyed listening to the FBC's podcasts where "experts" debated on who teams would pick and how they'd be utilized. He grinned as he typed yet another reply.
Elio: All these people say you're a top 5 pick and arguably the best small forward coming into this draft. I can name TEN teams who are thin and desperate for that position. The ones that have it as their utmost priority? Chargers, Drapions, Stantlers, Rhyperiors, Marksmen.
Ed: How about our 'Canes?
Elio: Yes, them too. But they're picking ninth this season, no way they can reach you.
Ed: Trade?
Elio: We don't have anything to trade! We give up who? Our point guard is a rookie and might break out this year, the shooter? Maybe, but I thought we were going to give him an extension. All we need is a small forward to make a big three if everything falls into place!
Ed: Damn bro, you fired up. That Alolan heat sure makes you hella competitive!
Elio: You bet it does. I'll try and sneak a look at the draft as it happens. We'll either be still playing in the water or watching Leilani outsurf everyone else.
Ed: That's all good man. We can celebrate later. I'll talk to you later, they've got guys out here to interview me…you know…pre-ceremony stuff.
Elio: I get it. Knock them dead bro. And congrats.
Hau said he was busy with Leilani and getting ready for her big day to accompany Elio. He did say to be at the Kumu Beach where the competition would take place in the afternoon. That left them with two or so hours to snorkel or scuba dive or whatever.
Getting to Heahea was easy thanks to a ride charizard cutting the long trip through Diglett's Tunnel down to mere minutes. He had to hit the page button before even stepping out.
When he did step out from the parting glass doors, the heat instantly invaded the cooler area, bathing him in an invisible wall of steam. He felt it envelope his entire body and his skin pricked from the sudden temperature spike.
Feels like I'm standing inside a rice cooker.
He checked his water bottle, knowing that it should be full before he left the city.
Charizard's flight path was lower than the higher altitudes it normally took for inter-island travel. There was not a cloud in the sky and he found his namesake mercilessly glaring at him through intense rays as the lone item in an otherwise unblemished blue.
Even though it was still quite hot, he found himself not even requiring the insulated layer to protect him from the cold wind drafts while airborne. The visor he flipped over his eyes, nose and mouth was a necessity to prevent his skin from getting red from the abrasive winds as well as regulate his oxygen. He may not be at an altitude where planes flew, but there were many reasons in the past where charizards had carried unconscious riders to their destinations. Although the winged flame pokemon was in control of the flight, it was also the rider's responsibility to assist if it came to such a drastic measure.
Elio pointed to the long wooden marina as soon as he saw the familiar skyline of Heahea City come into view. Across the long roads that began to wind into Akala's backcountry he could see the line of a dozen or so resorts that were beside the long creamy white sandbar of the beach. Tiny little dots of people the size of his fingernail could be seen moving close by.
Gazing out, he saw the water was a deep sapphire blue with patches of dark and turquoise. Some boats were even further away from land, skimming long cones of foamy wake as they sped on the waves. He could even see an even larger narrow dark gray ship heading along the west coast of the island. Getting a closer look, there was the familiar red winged alpha dragon insignia of the Hoenn division of the Navy.
Hala said that seeing warships of other navies isn't uncommon here. There's a huge harbor base by Hau'oli City.
Elio had to guess it was a frigate or destroyer.
Yeah I paid attention in history during the naval warfare tests. I know my ships. Corvettes, frigates and destroyers are light escort vessels. Cruisers and battlecruisers are heavier warships and can be used as a flotilla. Carriers are the biggest ones, capable of carrying all sorts of war machines long distances. Those are the flagships and command vessels. Lastly, we've got the submarines, huge ships that can go entirely underwater to stealth their way around without being noticed.
The warship disappeared over the ocean's horizon as Elio lowered their ride to a hundred feet off the ground. Charizard moved to the designated landing zone where he could see Kukui and Lillie's white apparel stand out against the salt-stained piers.
They both waved as Elio planted the beast's feet into a sturdier looking part of the marina. He quickly undid the straps, freeing himself and sent the massive flier on its way with a poke bean and tap of his ride pager.
Lillie was first to greet him, bounding down the side and throwing her arms around his entire body in another hug.
"Hiiii." Elio stopped mid-greeting to return the embrace, again savoring the feeling of his crush in his arms.
"Hi Elio!" She broke the hug and then wiped some sweat off her brow. "It's hot out here isn't it?"
"Not as hot as you."
The words were blurted out of his mouth before his mind even registered what he had just said. Lillie was about to ask him when Professor Kukui stepped forward, inadvertently breaking up the awkwardness.
"Wow cousin! It sure is overheat out here! Woo!" He raised a fist. "Are you ready to go soak up and have some fun?!"
"Yeah," Elio grunted. "Let's do it. I'm burning up already!"
"What are you so down about? This is nothing! Nothing compared to the fire blast of a match I've been through."
"Professor, I just won one of the hardest battles ever fought in my career as a trainer. Can we just relax for a little bit?"
"Well of course we can! Where's Hau at?"
"Hau's busy."
"So that means it'll be just me and Elio!" Lillie said. "Can we go now professor?"
"I don't see why we can't put a hustle on it. Hopefully our boat won't have that slow start like last time."
"Last time?"
"Don't worry about nothing! I've got it all under control!"
Thankfully it didn't take long before all three of them were on his catamaran. Kukui yanked on several ropes that held the massive rigged sail, spiraling it out where the wind easily caught on, spreading it to its fullest. As soon as they went to open water, the winds took the boat to an incredible speed.
Elio admired the sail design, a different one than the time they all took his boat over to Akala for the first time. It was a special silver and gray trimmed design with a small logo at the bottom of twin gold olive branches just behind the black anchor.
"You like my new sail yeah?" Kukui asked as he steered the helm to turn the ship down the island's east coast. "Just came in a couple of days ago from a master sailsmith in Canalave City. We ride these tailwinds to wherever we want and they have a lot of defense curls! Enough to withstand an aeroblast! Woo!"
"That's awesome."
The wind began to pick up as they moved out from the cover of the land. Elio felt it tug on his hat and reached up just in time to prevent it from being snatched away. He thought it was best if all his pokemon were there to enjoy the fun as well. Even grimer remained still as he had instructed to enjoy the breeze.
Nani dove into the water after glancing at him, Torracat and Akela played a loose game of tag. Charjabug saw the abundance of wingull and pelipper flying close by and opted to shrink into the helm. Kukui glanced down to the scared bug and could only chuckle.
Lillie was less fortunate.
He saw the wide brims on her signature headwear flap mercilessly at her side before a particularly strong gust ripped it right off her head.
Elio was already in motion before she could even say something. Rufflet was tossed out and he pointed at the flying hat the moment pokemon and trainer locked eyes. He got the message and quickly flapped his wings to gain altitude.
His weight was simply not enough to take full control of the winds coming his way, but he let himself drift with the currents, spreading them out to maintain balance and streamline to increase his speed.
Elio smiled as Rufflet closed in on the runaway apparel.
Right before he could outstretch his talons, a dart seemingly out of nowhere snatched the hat out of the air. Rufflet stopped, spinning around to look at who had stolen his target.
A flock of wingull were flying at a perpendicular angle away from the boat, one of them with Lillie's white hat in its beak.
"My hat! I lost my hat!"
"Don't worry, we'll get it back!"
"But that wingull took it!"
"I know!" Elio had to almost yell over the rushing wind. It rippled mercilessly at their clothes, "Rufflet and I are working on it!"
In the sky, the eaglet knew he was outmatched against an entire flock. The wingull who had taken Lillie's hat had the smart idea to fly close to the flock's center. There was no way he could intercept it without possibly angering the entire colony.
He had to try; his trainer and his mate were counting on him.
Rufflet vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing to strike at the center with a perfectly timed aerial ace. His attack took out several of them, their fainted forms plummeting into the waves with a splash. Off to the side of his vision, he saw a lance of electric energy. Looking closer, Charjabug had come out of her hiding spot to briefly try and shoot down some of the thieves. She didn't succeed, but the colony scattered, leaving a group exposed for his attack.
He spread his wings out in a wing attack, but this time they flashed a metallic white to cut another swath through the colony. As the wingull scattered, he surprised the one holding the hat. The moment its expression turned to anger and it opened its beak to shoot a water gun in defense, the hat dropped.
As much as Rufflet wanted to continue battling, its mission was the hat, so he took off after it, swooping down and grabbing it in its claws just moments before it hit the water's surface.
Another thirty seconds and he made it back to the boat, gently setting the hat down on the deck before perching himself on the starboard gunwale.
Lillie looked wide-eyed at her article. "You…you got it back?!"
The eaglet had heard her words, puffing up his chest in pride with a smug expression.
Elio shook his head and scratched him just at the top of the bonnet of feathers, the bird's favorite little spot. "You're just so full of yourself aren't you?" He heard no reply other than a caw of delight as he savored the massaging feeling. The bird looked around, wanting to thank Charjabug, but she was nowhere to be seen after briefly helping him.
"And Rufflet hazzz learned steel wing againzzzt thozze wingull! Bzzt!"
"Steel wing?! How come you couldn't have learned that when I battled Olivia yesterday?"
"It's all right." Lillie said, trying to calm the situation down. She didn't know Elio was messing around with his pokemon though. "Thank you Rufflet. Thank you so much."
"Yeah thanks buddy. Maybe next time I lose something in the wind you get off your lazy butt and go get it."
Professor Kukui sailed their catamaran close to the edge of the seabed, reading the depth of roughly twenty feet above where the colorful reefs lay. At the back; Elio slid off his shorts, tossing them into a trunk inside one of the seats to keep dry. Lillie had gone into one of the covered sections in front of the pilothouse to change.
As he finished pulling the tanktop off, he saw Lillie emerging back outside and he literally lost his breath.
Lillie glanced around apprehensively as she slowly uncovered the white bikini with both her arms that she was wearing.
Damn you Ed. Elio couldn't tear his eyes off her. Her figure was petite, but quite shapely for someone his age. She had undone the two long braids in her blonde hair, causing it to blow perfectly in the wind. His gaze lingered on her endowed chest and he quickly averted it as soon as it registered in his mind. She wouldn't even know it but he was more than certain if they were in a crowd, she'd be a definite head turner…especially with other boys.
For some reason he hated that thought.
"Elio?"
"Y-yeah?" Ah she caught me staring! Act cool!
"Are you okay?" She bent down to meet his gaze. Elio had been drawn to her perfectly curved midriff and his mind raced at that thought. Just to reach out and…
"Elio?"
"What? Oh sorry." He couldn't shake the rising heat in his cheeks after being caught red handed.
"I went shopping with Professor Burnet for a swimsuit since it'd be hard to swim in a…dress."
"Yeah." He covered his face, feigning heat exhaustion. "That's great."
"How do I look?"
Oh hell no. I see a trap coming miles away! What do I say? If I say she looks beautiful…which she does, she's going to think I'm a creep or pervert. If I say the opposite, she'll think she's ugly. I hate these damn catch 22s, it's a no win for the guy in this scenario.
"Um…good. I guess?"
"Oh really. I guess it's better than looking really bad right?"
Oh you don't look bad at all. In fact, that bikini looks amazing. What would Ed say?
Oh right. He'd hate it; take it off!
Little did he know, Lillie was having the same breathlessness upon seeing Elio like that. Sure, she knew he never slept without a shirt on, but she found herself staring dreamily at his bare chest an instinct surfacing that made her want to reach out…and touch.
Her eyes widened as she saw small hints of defined abdominal muscles.
Wow. He's just like Professor Kukui.
"All right! Woo!" The man in question interrupted both their staring contests as he pulled on some other ropes to slow down the boat. Looking around, the teens could see that they were just off the island's coast with the rows of beautiful resorts preceding the valleys behind. Mauna Wela could be seen even further away, its peak visible from nearly the entire island.
"This is the perfect spot to go dive and swift swim around."
"You seem to know a lot about these areas!"
"I certainly do! My old man used to threaten to take me out here all the time yeah! It's an absolute captivate! Oh yeah! But the reefs here in the Akala Sea are second to none! Woo!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Elio asked as he fitted on his mask. The snorkel mouthpiece dangled just beside his lips. He glanced over at Lillie. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"No go ahead."
"I can't." Elio shook his head. "I gotta play the chivalry card."
"I don't know about that." Lillie was still flattered he was letting her first.
"Pew."
"I don't know Nebby." He put a hand in front of his face to shield his eyes. "Not sure what's gotten into Lillie, so waiiiiiiit!" His words had been abruptly cut off as he sat down on the boat's gunwale when Lillie moved forward with a devious smirk on her features. Her hands shoved Elio over the side and his scream of surprise ended with a splash that sprayed white foam everywhere.
Even though she was worried he would end up hurt, part of it was just so immensely amusing. Professor Kukui thought so, since he was the one to suggest the idea before he had even arrived. According to him, he had taken Burnet out on a similar trip of snorkeling. He tried being chivalrous since they weren't married at the time and it ended up with her shoving him playfully overboard.
Elio surface, spitting out seawater as if it were a water gun. He shot her an irritated look as soon as he heard their laughter at his expense from above. The one thing he was grateful for was the soothing cool feeling of the ocean that slowly erased the heat buildup within his body.
"Lillie!"
"I'm sorry! It was just too irresistible."
"Oh so I AM irresistible." Elio's eye rolling gave way to a smirk of his own. "For that I'll forgive you."
"Aww thanks. Give me a second to put my mask on and I'll be in!"
Elio swam to the side of the boat, just in the shadows.
"I'm so sorry about that." Lillie apologized again. "Are you okay?"
Oh I'm fine. But you're not playing all innocent so you can get away with that!
"Elio?" Her tone got a hint of worry in it.
"Apology accepted." As soon as her head turned to see him lurking right underneath the curve of the hull, he lunged out, using the rail at the side of the gunwale to help propel himself upward. With impressive speed, he had an arm around Lillie's left side, using gravity to pull her with him into the drink.
"Elioooooo!" She loudly shrieked before both humans vanished under the waves in an even bigger splash than before. Neither of them had noticed Professor Kukui's expression as he was beginning to mirror the comparisons of the two of them to him and his own wife.
Elio was still in a laughing fit as Lillie surfaced. Strands of her long blonde hair fell in her face and she had to repeatedly wipe them towards her back.
"That wasn't funny!" His giggles were cut short as she swept her arm across the ocean's surface, splashing him.
"Oh you want a splash fight huh?" His smirk grew again. "You just started a war you can't win."
"Oh yeah? Try me."
Lillie was good with her splashes, but every time she tried to get him again, he'd sweep his arms forward in a little wave to catch her by surprise. It was a heartwarming display of laughter, squeals of joy and shouting as they continued to cool off in the hot sun's gaze.
Professor Kukui leaned over the gunwale, "Okay that's enough you two. Don't want to attract any aggressive sharpedo."
Both teens nodded in agreement. Elio spoke first as they treaded water. "Okay, ready to see the pokemon?"
Lillie nodded back at him and together they disappeared under the waves.
"I guezzz I better tag along. My caze izzz waterproof right? Bzzt!"
Surprising the two, Rotom Dex was able to move effortlessly underwater, tagging alongside Elio's left as Lillie kept a short distance to his right.
It took a couple minutes for him to adjust to the unusual sort of breathing through the snorkel's tube. The long top had a small mechanism that covered the hole allowing air through if it were to ever submerge.
Like any other day, the water was crystal clear and a deep blue, allowing the two to see a wide rainbow of colors down below.
The coral reefs had many colors, yellow, red, blue, green, orange and they could see multiple species of fish pokemon swimming about all at a depth of maybe ten feet down. Elio pointed out some of the species he knew and encountered since the start of his journey.
Lillie liked the school of finneon that swam just below them. Their rear fins fluttered together beautifully as they chased one another in schools flashing in various neon colors when they hit the sun's rays. At the front, there was an even larger fish with similar fins to the finneon and a more distinct black trim across its body.
Rotom floated in front of them. Since it was unable to properly distribute sound waves through the water, he had switched to a previously unknown text feature akin to a dive board.
Lumineon. Neon pokemon. It is the evolved form of finneon. They traverse dark deep waters as if crawling over the seafloor. Their fantastic lights of its fins shine like stars in the night sky. Lumineon is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon.
Lillie tapped his side and pointed at the lumineon. She then curled her index fingers and put her thumbs together in a heart shape.
Glad she loves them.
Parts of the coral moved and the teens could see that they were actually a colony of pokemon. They were mostly pink in color with white bellies, but he could see that several of their thorny protrusions were actually long branches of the naturally formed coral.
That looks like corsola!
Corsola. Coral pokemon. The pink color of corsola living in Alola is deep and vibrant, thanks to the seas filled with nutrition. Pursued by mareanie for the coral thorns atop its head, this pokemon can voluntarily snap them off to distract the predator for it to escape. Corsola is a water and rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon.
Elio was amazed at seeing the diversity of the marine life just underneath the mask of the water. He saw Nani slither at the surface, sliding effortlessly past a school of magikarp. Just like how he could see beautiful women in a crowd, it seemed as if many other pokemon subtly turned to eye her as she passed.
It's like a completely different world down here. Maybe we'll find a mermaid?
He saw two closed shells of shellder resting on the edge of an outcropping. A long snakelike pokemon approached one of the shells, tapping it with its long finned tail. It had bits of orange around its body and a pair of strong looking jaws that had some nasty teeth.
Lillie seemed a little uneasy with a pokemon this terrifying close up, but she remained calm since she knew that Elio was ready to have Nani come to their aid at a moment's notice.
Huntail. Deep sea pokemon. It is a final form of clamperl. It's not the strongest swimmer. It will wag its fishlike tail to lure its prey close enough and then gulps them down. There is an old legend that says if huntail wash ashore, then something bad will happen. Huntail is a water type. Additional information is available upon capturing this pokemon.
Elio had to guess that it was going to try and make a meal out of the shellder. They watched as it wagged its tail in front of the bivalve pokemon in an attempt to get it to open its shell.
It did, just not in a way the creature expected.
The shellder opened itself and clamped the two halves down right on top of the end. Neither of the humans could hear anything over the water, but it was a frenzied display as the huntail threw itself into a mass panic, flailing about wildly in a vain attempt to dislodge its intended prey. The entire commotion caused much of the nearby fish population to scatter.
A flash of light caught their eye as Nani swam rapidly up, igniting her iron tail and slicing right through. The shellder, still closed tightly was now free of the huntail's rear and floated back down right beside its partner.
The huntail looked rather annoyed that he had proverbially bitten off more than he could chew as Nani came face to face with it. After a couple of moments, the creature found another hole in the side of the reef to slither into and start recovering its bruised pride.
Wow. Was the only thing either teen could say as they swam further, careful not to go too far from the boat.
More species could be seen as they ventured closer to the edge of the shelf. It was like looking into a void abyss with the water quickly turning dark over the sheer drop not a hundred feet away. Aside from a school of large amomomola that moved towards it, he saw nothing else. But apparently that was where even larger water types lived such as the massive wailmer and wailord.
Another flash of movement caught their eye as he saw a brownish fish, even larger than the lumineon lurking at the edge. It swam upwards before disappearing, but not before Rotom detected the presence of the new pokemon.
That's a relicanth! They're incredibly rare!
Relicanth. Longevity pokemon. Its form has remained the same for nearly one hundred million years. Its body is filled with fat to withstand the water pressure of deeper seas. Relicanth is a water and rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon.
Elio was wondering what a relicanth was doing this far up. Either way, the species had originally been rediscovered in Hoenn and he read that its name came from a variation of the person who had made the extraordinary find. He admittedly didn't know much about the large region to the south of Kanto and Johto other than the fanboyish admiration for its champion.
Rotom was back again, floating with a message from Professor Kukui saying that they needed to surface and return to shore if they were to catch Leilani's surfing tournament.
Sun spun around in the water to see Lillie next to him. He slowly approached, ecstatic to see her normally somber green eyes filled with joy and happiness. It didn't occur to him much that it was merely the activity as the person she was doing it with.
She couldn't smile without taking off the mouthpiece, but her heart only hammered even more in her chest as he moved even closer to the point where the visors of their masks touched.
He's so close…I could…kiss him. I want to…kiss him.
Elio was glad the water cooled his face and hid the blush that was threatening to overtake his cheeks.
From her perch beneath her trainer and his mate, Nani watched with curiosity. She was well aware of the affection towards the young female her trainer often traveled with. Judging by the other members of her team, they all agreed that the two were very much a mated pair. Even the little one they called "Nebby" had grown to see Lillie as a mother.
And they all agreed that their own trainer had seemed to take on a role of a father.
She wanted them to have the very best. Looking around, Nani had conveniently spotted her target and swam forward to make haste and not waste the opportunity.
Elio pointed up to indicate they should surface. He grabbed Lillie's hand to help her first as they neared the boat.
Nani swam behind to greet them, bringing her trainer a sigh of relief from wondering where she had wandered off.
Lillie tapped Elio's shoulder and pointed behind them. As he turned, he was greeted with one of the biggest schools of fish he had ever seen.
The pokemon were all of varying sizes, some the size of his palm and others nearly equal to them. But each one was the same, flat with tiny fins and a bright pink in color.
They swam past Elio and Lillie as Nani shepherded them in their direction. Neither teen could say anything, bewildered by the spectacle. Each one was in the shape of a perfect heart making their way past the boat towards the open water. The larger ones moved about outside while the smaller ones darted in between the two. Elio felt more than one brush against his side and suppressed a giggle from the ticklish feeling of their smooth scales. He could see several of them going face to face with one another and engaging in a strange fight of their lips sealing over one another.
Luvdisc kiss each other?
Rotom 'Dex saw this coming, looking over to Nani. Her expression didn't change, but the device was far too smart to know the affection between the two humans and the sudden release of the rendezvous pokemon was intentionally done. If it had feelings; the device would have the biggest shit-eating grin on its face as it displayed the new information about the new discovery, making sure that both of them saw it.
Luvdisc. Rendezvous pokemon. It has been long said that any soulmates who encounter a school of this pokemon will be blessed with unbreakable eternal love. Loving couples always have a soft spot for this pokemon, so honeymoon hotels often release it into their pools. Luvdisc is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon.
Elio looked at Lillie, who glanced back at him with uncertainty after reading the newest bit of information.
Are we really soulmates? I mean…it doesn't sound bad. I like her…I know that. But how do I know she doesn't feel the same way? What if I do something too early and she sees it as being pushy?
Neither of them could really find the words to say to one another as they grabbed the side of the boat to finally surface after nearly two hours of snorkeling.
"Well?" Kukui asked with a big smile as they took of their masks, leaving a distinctive red mark around their eyes and nose where the hard rubber had dug into their skin. He leaned over the gunwale and the teens could see a half drunk beer bottle in his hand. "How did it go?"
I hope this comes off fast. No way I'm walking around looking like a half zigzagoon.
"It was really fun." Elio was a little bit saddened to know he was going right back into the steamy heat. "I saw a lot of pokemon I've never seen before."
"Well that's wonder room full! Oh yeah! I got my research done?"
"What research?" Lillie asked as she brushed more wet hair that had fallen front again. "How much fish pokemon can drink beer without getting drunk?"
"Drunk fish." The two teens shared a laugh at that.
"Well I may be a professor yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't have a rock blast of fun oh yeah! And a mix of pleasure in it too. Akala Brewing makes the best stuff in Alola!"
"I bet."
"Oh!" Kukui waved to Rotom. "Before I forget; your mother would want to see some pictures of the things you're doing while on your island challenge! So stay there and I'll take a snapshot of you two!"
"Sure!" Lillie treaded water by Elio as he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady them. She put one around his shoulder, a particular part of her endowed chest brushing against Elio's that caused yet another blush. With their spare arms, they extended their thumbs and pinkies out in a "hang loose" gesture, iconic of Alola's slow paced, carefree lifestyle. "Alola!"
Kukui snapped the pictures, sending one to Elaine at the Northstar residence. Unbeknownst to them, he had sent a second one to his own wife, pointing out the striking similarities during the date of their own at this location.
"That was so much fun!" Lillie exclaimed, nearly wanting to bounce up and down in the ocean with excitement. "So many new amazing pokemon species! It was crazy! And FUN!" Her jubilant shout surprised both males, neither having seen Lillie this happy in their lives.
"Then I guess we'll do it again sometime?" Elio asked. They were done for the day, as he saw that his bare hands and feet had shriveled up to resemble the surface of a prune.
"You bet!"
After drying off with a towel, Elio and Lillie gathered all his pokemon together as Professor Kukui adjusted the sails and set a course right back to the Heahea City harbor. As they passed the long sandbar, they could see even in midday that there had been plenty of beachgoers despite the sweltering heat. Children splashed around, playing tag in the shallows. Others swam and snorkeled closer to shore and they could see a few surfers, some on their own and others receiving lessons from paid instructors.
The two teens sat by one another in silence, a bit stunned over the revelation of the luvdisc entry.
Elio probably just thought of me as the friend. I knew he had a crush on Leilani, but me? How? I'm not that good looking? My mother always told me it was every bit to make me beautiful. How can you love something or someone who isn't beautiful?
What do I do? Should I tell him how I feel? Say something about the fluttering in my heart whenever he looks at me and smiles? I hope he doesn't take it the wrong way.
She glanced at Elio, who had closed his eyes and leaned back into the seat. His mouth remained closed and his hat shifted slightly in the breeze. Her own eyes drifted down to his core muscles, taut and the hints of abs just barely visible underneath his skin. His complexion on his face and arms were just slightly darker than his stomach, indicating that he had gotten just a little bit of a tan.
Lillie couldn't do that as well. Not without using an entire bottle of suntan lotion or a bed. The spray option didn't really sound appealing. Tanning shouldn't be artificial.
But it didn't matter to her, even though her skin was an alabaster white and nothing like Hau's, Kukui's, Leilani's or any other native Alolan's.
Even Elio is starting to look like them…He walks like them as a trainer going on the island challenge, he's learned some of their language. He's really gotten to love his new home. I remember he said he hated it and wanted to go back to Kanto all the time.
Look how far he's come.
Kukui maneuvered the sailboat into the inlet of the harbor and hopped off. Elio had awakened and together the two boys began to tie up the vessel, mooring it on the pier.
Lillie was about to climb out when she saw her crush reach out with a hand. Although she was hesitant, thinking that he was tricking her again, she was genuinely surprised as she took it and he helped her onto the higher level of the pier.
He showed the pass to the harbormaster in the office before turning back to the teens. "Why don't you kids go ahead to the Hano Grand Resort? I should be there later today to see you and Hau off."
"Yeah sounds good." Elio had still been holding Lillie's hand as they walked down the Heahea streets.
Great. I'm already hot as hell again. Elio grumbled to himself as they walked along the street. Most passerbys stayed in the shade, by misting fans, drinking cool refreshments. More than once, they saw traffic build up at stoplights with the orchestra of horns blaring without pause. All along their right side were the towering buildings of the resorts they had spotted earlier while at sea, but their destination was the furthest one away as well as the most luxurious and famous of Akala's vacationing scene.
I guess people do get angrier when it's hot outside.
It was a walk just over the Alahaka Bridge when the two gaped at the building before them.
The Hano Grand Resort was a beautiful building, painted in a creamy peach color that would've made it glow brightly in the signature Alolan sunset. Its trim was a whiter tint and as they got closer, each section was ornately carved with indigenous Alolan art giving off an incredibly subtle meaning.
The carvings varied slightly on a quarter of the building, each one done by different artists as mentioned by the plaque at the entrance.
Elio began to hear the sounds of pop music drifting from the resort's far side and they did see a lot of people in swimsuits heading in that direction.
That must be where the surf tournament is going on.
Event staff were directing people around and he rushed to the balcony of the greeting courtyard to witness the spectacle.
Hano Grand Resort had an entire beach as their property with creamy sand stretching almost half a mile where there were beach chairs, towels, sticking umbrellas, a pair of lifeguard towers close to the water. Closer to the actual resort's floor area were a bunch of the facility's bars, restaurants and rentals. In the latter, he could see everything in storage from volleyball nets to jet skis.
To his right was a long private marina with boats of various sizes, from small speedboats to the enormous three story yacht at the very end.
That's a party boat.
But a big portion at the beach was cleared away, replaced by a stage where a band was playing the music heard over the speakers. Elio smiled at the crowd raising their hands and jumping around all carefree, enjoying themselves.
That looks like a lot of fun.
"Hey, you guys made it!"
Both of them turned to see Hau bounding up to greet them. Unlike before, he had undid his hair so it fell loosely around his back nearly to the top of his shoulder blades. Elio had to blink once, not used o seeing him like that. Lillie was the first to really notice he wasn't wearing his shirt either, but unlike Elio; he didn't have any sign of ab muscles on his sleek stomach.
Hau does eat malasadas every day.
"Hey there Hau." The boys bumped fists and gave each other their ritualistic slap on the back as their personal greeting. "What's happening brah?"
"Just finding ways to beat the heat man." Hau frowned when he raised his drink. "But the Pelipper Pool Bar just ran out of things for their smoothies. I'd get back in line, but it's like crazy long!"
"Yeah this heat's no joke."
"Soooo," The kahuna's grandson took both his friends in for a crushing grip, much to their protests. "How did your snorkeling trip go? You know Professor Kukui took you both to the same spot where he took his wife?"
Him revealing that elicited another furious blush on Elio's and Lillie's faces.
"Uh," Lillie muttered. "Yeah…it was really cool."
"Then did you and Elio…you know…do anything?"
"What do you mean?"
C'mon man, I'm trying to help a brother out here. I'm trying to make you profess your undying love to Lillie! Do I need to slap you in the face with a magikarp to get the point across?
"Have fun, maybe tell each other how you feel?"
"Feel what Hau?"
"Oh never mind! I'm wasting my breath here!" Hau dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "Then are you guys coming? The Kumu Reef Triple Crown is about to start!"
"Leilani is in it right?"
"Yep!"
Lillie stopped short of the sand as Hau led them towards the gathering on the beach. "Um…I'm kind of thirsty…and hot again. I think I might go and see if there's a cool drink somewhere around. A smoothie perhaps?"
"Yeah about that." Hau jerked his head to the growing line of irritated patrons at the bar.
Guess we can't go there.
"They're out of supplies to make drinks…at least the cold kind. But they did say that you're more than welcome to buy ingredients at the shops in the resort or outside…honestly I dunno."
Isn't bringing in outside sources of food for resort refreshments against policy?
Elio looked back at the road again. "So you're saying that we could go and buy some frozen fruit and yogurt and they'll blend it into a smoothie for us?" He glanced at Lillie. "Now that you mention it, I'm kind of hot too. I could use something to cool me down."
"That's what the people at the bar said. I say we go do it before everyone else gets the same idea." Hau looked at his phone. "The tournament starts in an hour, so I don't think you'll get to see the first part of it…but you'll still catch Leilani if you hurry!"
"Okay, let's get going!" Not wanting to miss their friend compete, Elio briskly walked towards the exit with Lillie following close behind.
There was a lone car driving up the roundabout that circled the courtyard. As they were about to leave, both teens were swarmed by a mass of cameras, reporters and journalists.
Elio was about to protest they were simply going for refreshments off the resort grounds when he realized that their attention was not directed at him, instead on the car that approached. Lillie saw the logo on the front, quickly knowing the reputable brand for having among the most expensive in the world.
"Look!" One reporter exclaimed excitedly.
"She's here!"
"I can't believe this!"
"Sabine Joyeux has arrived!"
So, we've got our favorite couple going for smoothies and a surf tournament is going on! And a ship sailing!
Surprisingly, I have no translations this chapter!
Although it doesn't say it in its own lore, I decided to make Luvdisc with the kissing habit since it's sorta fitting. I used to own a pair of kissing gouramis when I had a little aquarium as a kid. Kissing gouramis were pink in color, but their most distinctive trait was their habit of trying to close one another's mouths with their own in an intraspecific aggressive behavior known as a mouth fight, but it resembles kissing on the lips. I figure a pokemon associated with love and affection could adopt this kind of behavior perceived by everyone else as nothing of what it really us.
As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. Happy Holidays everyone.
Brav