Chapter 5

Kahuna

A little while later, Mikey, Jun, and Lillie, with Nebby in her bag, made their way down the trail and back to Iki Town, where they quickly spotted Kukui standing on the wooden stage, and he in turn spotted them and called out to them.

"Oh! Mikey! You already met Lillie, huh?" he said as the group joined him on the stage. "She's my assistant, yeah!"

"Really? Huh, small island, I guess."

"You could say that!" Kukui chuckled, then he turned to Lillie. "Lillie, I thought you were with the kahuna?"

"Kahuna Hala? He said that he had something to attend to, so he left town on his own." Lillie explained. "I was just, um, taking a little stroll up Mahalo Trail while I waited for him to return…"

"And that's how you met our new neighbour Mikey, huh?" Kukui surmised, and Mikey nodded. "He just go to Alola yesterday. Help him find his way around, yeah?"

"So… you're also one of the professor's acquaintances?" Lillie asked Mikey.

"Pretty much." Mikey shrugged.

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Lillie said with a smile.

Suddenly, they all heard people nearby, all calling out excitedly.

"The kahuna is back!"

"Kahuna Hala has returned!"

"Our guardian's chosen one is back!"

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

"Man, I wish me and my family could get this sort of reception whenever we get back to New York." Mikey whispered to Jun.

Shortly after, an old and chubby man walked onto the topmost level of the town. He had the same kind of tan skin as Hau, white hair that was mostly tied into a large tuff on top of his head, and a thick, white moustache. He wore a blue shirt under an open yellow coat with white floral pattern, white shorts, blue sandals, and a thick white sash across his large stomach. He also had those strange anime eyes that looked like they were constantly closed shut.

"He'd make a great Santa." Mikey whispered to Jun.

"Seems more like a sumo wrestler to me." the cat said back.

"Have I missed something?" the kahuna asked casually as he walked past the inhabitants, seemingly with next to no care in the world.

"There you are, Kahuna Hala!" said Kukui. "Was there some kind of trouble?"

"Ahaha! Just got caught up in the middle of some brawling Rockruff, that's all!" Hala laughed heartily. Then he turned to Lillie.

"Sorry, Lillie. What were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about…"

"Oh, um…" Lillie stepped forward, not noticing that Nebby was at her side. "Yes, Kahuna Hala… Nebby got attacked by some Spearow on the Plank Bridge. And Mikey and Litten here helped protect it. But the bridge collapsed, and I thought all of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine… And that was when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!"

"Woo!" Kukui exclaimed, him and Hala both being surprised at the events that had transpired. "That's something you don't hear every day!"

"They sure talk a lot." Jun commented. "I thought you were supposed to be the protagonist here."

"Yeah, well, silent protagonist." Mikey responded in a whisper.

"Ah, gotcha. Suits you." Jun added with a smirk, which earned him a bit more forceful nudge by Mikey's foot.

"Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature." Hala said. "Yet our guardian was moved to save you." Hala then turns to Kukui with a wide smile. "Kukui, my boy, I think we have cause to celebrate! Looks like we have a brave and kind new Pokémon Trainer in our midst!"

Kukui grinned and nodded, while Mikey blushed.

'He'd really make a great Santa.' the turtle thought to himself as Hala walked up closer to him.

"I'm glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Welcome to Alola! Young Kukui had told me of your coming. I'm glad we got the chance to meet today!"

"Likewise!" Mikey said with a grin, shaking Hala's hand.

"Pew!" Nebby cheered, making Lillie jump.

"Oh! When did you get out again?" she asked in surprise. "I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight. It's safer that way."

She turned to Mikey.

"Nebby, well… It seems to have taken a liking to you. I-I have read that Pokémon like it when you pet them or take care of them, you know."

"Ain't that the truth." Kukui said as he walked up to Mikey, reaching into his large coat pocket. "All right, here's a lovely gift from me to help make today special, Mikey!"

He handed Mikey a bright red computer pad. It was mostly square shaped, having two round feet at the bottom, and broadened speakers on the two upper corners that formed a slightly rounded upper part. The screen came with two extensions at its top in the shape of a pair of bunny ears, with a black patch between them. All in all, the pad almost resembled a face of sorts.

"A Pokédex is a real high-tech kinda tool, yeah, that can automatically record facts about any Pokémon that you meet. Your new partner Litten is already registered, oh yeah, so check it out!" Kukui explained, then he reached into his other coat pocket and pulled out a small book like object.

"And this is a Trainer Passport that I had put together for you."

"Oh, wow! Thanks a lot! This is better than a birthday!" Mikey say. Then he looks at Jun, and starts up his new Pokédex, reading out aloud what it has on the cat.

"'Litten. The Fire Cat Pokémon. If you try too hard to get close to it, it won't open up to you. Even if you do grow close, giving it too much affection is still a no-no!'"

"It got that more right than I thought it would. The only one that will be getting any cuddles from me is my Dahlia." Jun scoffed.

"Well, you got to meet the kahuna at least." Kukui interrupted. "Ready to head home now, Mikey?"

"You bet. It's been a long day."

"Oh yeah! Mikey! Hold up a sec!" they all suddenly heard Hau call out, as the young boy ran up to them.

"What is it, Hau? Did you forget something?" Hala asked, and Mikey wondered that too.

"You're seriously asking me that?!" Hau half snapped. "Who's the one here who forgot to tell anyone before wandering off for a little stroll and a sing without a word, huh?"

"Oof! Shots fired!" said Mikey, trying not to laugh.
And as he did, the sun light was caught on a piece of something that stuck out from his pocket. It was the stone that Lillie had given him as thanks for helping her and Nebby, and the light made it sparkle, which Hala noticed.

"Hm? Mikey… would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?"

"What? Oh, you mean this? Sure."

"Could it be?!" Hala almost exclaimed as he took the stone and studied it.

"Tutu, isn't that…" Hau began, but Hala cut him off.

"You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge… isn't that what I heard, Mikey?"

"Yeah, it rescued us. We'd been smashed to smithereens without it. Then it seemed to drop that when it left."

"So it even deigned to give you a stone…" Hala said, thinking for a while.

"What's the deal? A stone is a stone, right?" said Jun, but as usual, no one other than Mikey understood him.

"Perhaps you are here in Alola, Mikey, because this is where you are meant to be." Hala continued after some thought. "Allow me to borrow this stone for now. Fret not! I'll return it to you tomorrow evening." Hala then broke into a grin. "You have the makings of a brilliant Trainer. I can see that light within you, too."

"Gramps here really needs to open his eyes." Jun muttered.

"You must do us the honour of joining in our festival tomorrow!"

"A festival! Heck yes, I'm in!" Mikey cheered.

"That… actually sounds kinda fun." Jun admitted.

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

"Yes… I will keep an eye on-" Lillie began, but was interrupted by Nebby squeaking a few metres away, just enjoying itself as it floated around.

"Oh, you! Would you not try to escape the very moment that you were told not to wander off!" Lillie scolded, much like a mother would a toddler, which only made the others laugh.

A while later, Mikey was returned to his home, and his mother instantly walked over to meet her son.

"Welcome back, Mikey!" she said. "So what did you think of kahuna Hala?"

"He was really nice. I like him." Mikey answered, giving his mother a hug. After the hug, his mother spotted Jun, and the cat Pokémon felt a shiver go down his spine.

"Oh! And look who you've got with you!" she said as she walked over to Jun, followed closely by Meowth.

"Uh-oh…" Jun gulped.

"Well, you see… it was like this." Mikey began, continuing to explain how he and Jun met.

"It came running out to help you? What a sweet little thing!"

"That's right!" Mikey said.

"Spare me…" Jun groaned.

"And it saved you! That's amazing! It must have been fate that you met! The two of you look great together… I feel happier just looking at the pair of you!"

Meowth took this opportunity to greet Jun, but much to the former tiger's vexation, he found that all he heard were cat sounds and the different syllables that made up the name 'Meowth'.

He sighed deeply.

With the exception of Mikey, humans couldn't understand him, and he couldn't understand other Pokémon either. For a former human stuck as a Pokémon, that was truly the worst of two worlds.

'This is gonna be one long adventure…' he sighed mentally.

I can't believe that the intro sequence took this many chapters to get through, but starting next chapter, things will get rolling for real.