Ash wandered into the Malie Library, only Eevee outside, mind still reeling. Aether, Team Skull, interdimensional beasts, whatever the fuck else.
This was not what he expected to encounter in Alola.
He literally got here not even two hours ago.
Suspicion itched like a bug beneath his skin and he knew he couldn't ignore this. It would come back to bite him.
Despite the wild event that preceded, Ash was a few minutes early to the library. He caught sight of Kukui, who was waiting just inside the revolving door. He was greeted with an easy grin that seemed characteristic of the professor.
"Ash, glad you could make it. I'd like to apologize for Mallow."
Oh, right. He'd almost forgotten about that after everything. "I'm sure she won't do it again." Kukui gave a short bark of laughter and nodded his head.
Gesturing with his head, Kukui said, "Come on, we have a room upstairs for the presentation." The two made their way to the stairs. "Have you ever met Samson?"
Ash shrugged. "Only in passing. Sometimes Oak would be on video call with him when I walked through." They veered off to the side and Kukui held the door to allow the trainer passage. Within the room was a semi-circular table facing a large projector screen.
Samson Oak was up behind a podium and he looked like an older surfer-dude version of Samuel.
The Alolan Form of Samuel.
Ash chuckled to himself and waved off Kukui's glance. Eevee looked around in boredom before snuggling deeper into his arms. He was tuckered out from the excitement of earlier mixed with ten days at sea.
The students were all seated next to each other and whispering softly as Alolan Oak got everything ready. Mallow caught his eye and immediately looked down with shame. If she was going to let their earlier exchange consume her, that wasn't his problem.
"Ash! It's good to finally meet you!" The teen in question gave a polite smile to the older professor and shook his outstretched hand. "My cousin can't sing your praises enough! If there's anything I can do to improve your stay in Alola, just let me know!"
"Thank you, Professor. It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Samson clapped Ash on the back, missing Ash's grimace, and waved his hand to the trainer to sit down.
Ash took his seat beside the younger Alolan Professor and waited for the presentation to start.
"Alola! I'm glad you all could make it today, the Malie Library is the largest conglomeration of knowledge in Alola. The presentation today will outline what makes Alola such a hot spot for researchers and trainers!" Oak beamed at the group and pressed a button that brought up a slide on the projector screen. This slide held images of the known Alola variants next to their Kanto counterparts.
"Even though Unova is the closest mainland region, Kanto-native Pokémon are the ones that migrated here thousands of years ago and adapted to fit their new environment." His next slide showed Alolan Rattata and Raticate. "Alolan Rattata and Raticate evolved to become dual Normal and Dark types when their methods for food gathering had to change. Due to their rivalry with Yungoos and Gumshoos, Rattata and Raticate had to resort to scavenging and stealing food at night. Eventually, with their newfound skills in sneaking and stealth, they gained the Dark typing."
That was an oversimplification of evolution, but sure.
The next slide showed Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales, causing Ash to lean in. "When Kanto's Fire type Vulpix migrated over, they were quickly corralled to Mt. Lanakila when Malie Island's various Water types pushed them away. Their red fur made them targets on the mountain to the many Crabominable that patrol the mountains. They had to adapt quickly, or die. Their evolutions, Ninetales, gained the Fairy typing to become the new Monarchs of the Mountain, driving Crabominable from Mt. Lanakila. Now, Ninetales are seen quite often leading people out of the wintery barren landscape and saving their lives."
Ash withheld a snort. Alolan Ninetales disliked people being in their territory, and they found leading trespassers out was easier than killing them.
The trainer stayed invested as Oak went over the origins of Alolan Sandshrew, Grimer, Meowth, Diglett, Geodude, Exeggutor, Marowak, and Raichu. The professor kept each description short, but with enough fascinating info to keep it engaging.
Pausing for questions, Samuel's cousin answered a few from the students before he turned to Ash. "Ash, I know you've studied Alolan and Galarian Forms, do you think regional forms are weaker, on par, or stronger than their counterparts?"
Typically Ash would be annoyed being called out like this, but this was a topic he had given much thought.
"Evolution doesn't have an endgame, it only occurs to make an organism better suited to its environment. With that theory, technically regional forms are equal because they're fit to their environment. In battle, however, that's different. Many are equal, but a few stand out, primarily Alolan Exeggutor, Raichu, and Ninetales, along with Galarian Weezing. In these cases, weaknesses have decreased based on abilities and new typings have improved offensive capabilities. Galarian forms have the added benefit, in many cases, of leading to new evolutions and a power boost."
Samson grinned and thanked him. "That was very well said. Evolution never works towards something, merely adapts an individual to particular circumstances. Moving on, we'll talk about our Island Deities and Kahunas." The slide showed four blurry images of Pokémon whose bodies were fused with mask-like extremities.
"The Island Deities have been worshiped for generations by our ancestors. They bring luck, good climates for our crops, and protect us. However, long ago, the Guardians warred amongst each other, causing chaos and destruction, and soon Alola split into four islands. Seeing the destruction they wrought, the deities each took an island to protect.
"According to legend, two beasts of unimaginable power fell from the heavens, clashing and fusing. The world grew cold, and even the Guardians could not stop them. However, something split the two beasts, returning warmth to Alola. Instead of conquering Alola, the two beasts granted the deities powerful tokens. It is believed these were Z-crystals."
Ash's eyes narrowed.
"Each Guardian anoints a person to represent them to the island. This person, the Kahuna, tends to the Guardian's home and place of worship. Currently, Hala Kali'i, chosen by Tapu Koko, is the Kahuna of Melemele. Olivia Shale was chosen by Tapu Lele on Akala Island. Nanu Nassar was chosen by Tapu Bulu for this island, Ula'ula. Lastly, Hapu Barros was recently chosen by Tapu Fini on Poni Island.
"Each Guardian has a different personality trait that sets them apart from the others. Tapu Koko's is confrontation, Tapu Lele's is cruelty, Tapu Bulu's is laziness, and Tapu Fini's is indifference. Historians have been speculating on whether these traits have a correlation to who's chosen as Kahuna, or how they rule their islands."
Lana, Mallow, and Kiawe were all somewhat indignant about their island possibly being ruled by cruelty, and thus Ash tuned out the resulting discussion (argument). It was a common misconception that Legendaries were good. Nature wasn't good or evil, it merely was.
"Now, let's talk about what Alola is known for; The Island Challenge. A right of passage among native Alolan children, it has been remodeled to be accepted by the Pokémon League after Alola was accepted into the ULA. Now, trainers from all over come to take the challenge.
"I know most of you are training to take over the title of Trial Captain from family members and mentors. Trial Captains act similarly to Gym Leaders from the mainlands. They pose trials and challenges to the challenger. Once the challenge has been completed, they then must defeat the Totem Pokémon or the Trial Captain in battle.
"Totem Pokémon are larger and more powerful than others of their species that pass their strength down in their family. Look at this comparison between the average Lurantis and a Totem Lurantis." Ash's eyes widened. The Totem Lurantis had to be four feet taller than the other.
"No one knows why Totem Pokemon are so much larger than the rest of their species. Some speculate there is an energy around Alola that allows them to grow to incredible sizes and gain glowing red eyes.
"Trial Captains have the choice to either send their challenger to battle the Totem or they can battle the challenger themselves. Sometimes this is necessary, as Totem Pokémon can be caught if they choose. Here is a list of all Alolan Totem Pokémon."
Ash's eyes raked over the various unique Pokémon. He couldn't imagine a school-form Wishiwashi that was larger than it already was. Some weren't as impressive, like the Togedemaru or the Ribombee, but the others were sure to be a sight to behold.
"Once all challenges on one island have been concluded, the challenger must complete the Grand Trial, set forth by the Island Kahuna, which ends with a battle against the Kahuna. Now that Alola is part of the ULA, after all seven Trial Captains and four Kahunas are defeated, trainers can immediately challenge the Alola Elite Four. Our Elite Four is made up of Molayne Wyre; the Steel Master, Acerola Olana; the Ghost Master, Ryuki Ito; the Dragon Master, and Kahili Lani; the Flying Master."
Sophocles raised his hand. "Who's the Champion?" Samson and Kukui shared a glance.
"He keeps his identity hidden. He had not yet had a challenger. No one has made it past Ryuki." The preteens whispered to each other, and if Ash's hunch was correct, the Alola Champion was in the room with them.
The teen was content with the presentation and was happy to have a brief history lesson on Alola. He would be here for a month, at the very least. He should have some understanding of their culture and beliefs.
Ash pushed his chair back and walked around to thank the professor for his lecture. "I learned a great deal, so thank you for allowing me to sit in."
Samson waved a hand. "It's no issue! Was happy to have you. Anything you need clarified?"
"Yes, the beasts that fell from the heavens, is there any record of where they originated?" Samson had a look in his eye like he knew what Ash was asking.
"Ancient scribes thought the beasts came from a celestial world. Modern day scientists think it was another dimension."
Second time in a few hours someone believed in the existence of alternate dimensions. Lovely. "I see. My other questions…"
The two spoke long enough that the rest of the class was staring at their in-depth discussion over the timeline of regional variances.
By then, the sun was setting and the students had to get home. Apparently, Lillie stayed with Professor Kukui and his fiance while her mother was away on business. Which was all the time. At least she had Snowy, her Vulpix.
"Remember Ash, come find my lab when you get to Melemele. Is there a date I should expect you?"
The teen pursed his lips in thought. "I'll be here for a week, at the very least. I'm headed to Mt. Lanakila, and it'll be a few days trip."
Kukui nodded. "Careful up there, the blizzards can get bad."
Ash nodded his thanks and shook the professor's hand. He gave a short wave to the five students. All gave some sort of gesture goodbye. The teen made his way out of the library and to the Pokémon center.
The Nurse Joy in Alola were much tanner than those in Kanto, which was to be expected. Their hair was also in a few smaller loops due to the humidity, if he had to guess.
The Nurse smiled softly at the sight of a sleeping Eevee. "Check up or a room?"
"Just a room for a night." His Pokédex was scanned and his card key was handed over.
"Dinner started a few minutes ago. They'll be serving until 8:30." Thanking her, he carried the sleeping bundle up to his room and deposited him against the pillows. He gave a look of trepidation at the large bathtub and braced himself.
He started with Bane, who was always pretty chill outside of battle. The water ran pink with the dried blood from his fur. Blue eyes were blocked by red eyelids while Bane relaxed in the warm spray. Cocooning the fox in a towel, Bane was soon deposited next to his little brother.
Now the tricky one.
Ash had to strike the left's snout four times and the right twice before they calmed down enough to let him wash her in peace. It was much more difficult to get flaky blood out of scales than fur. He winced in sympathy for the janitors that would have to get all the thick black fur out of the drain. Was that gray fur between her teeth?
Styx looked like a pissed-off drowned Rattata and Ash made a valiant effort not to show any amusement, lest he get a new bruise or wound. The Dragon got riled up as Ash toweled off her heads and soon he had one smug Dragon and one tattered towel.
With the bathroom now having the pungent tang of iron, he released Hemlock and recruited his help to bring everyone their dinner. It had only been four hours since lunch, so it'd be a light meal.
All five of them were absolutely drained from their hectic day. Finally arriving in Alola, being bombarded by a professor and his students, narrowly avoiding the loss of a limb, encountering a creature from another dimension, listening to a two and a half hour long lecture, and now they could finally go to bed.
His head barely hit the pillow before he was dead to the world.
The Alolan islands were much, much smaller than any mainland region, which made it easy to get around. His leisurely stroll on Route 11 only took a day, his craggy hike through Route 12 another day, with an afternoon spent lounging on Ula'ula Beach.
Route 11 came with a surprise when there was a ripple in the silken veil always at his fingertips.
Another void, wormhole, opened up above his head. This time, a tiny little origami-looking creature came out and proceeded to spin around him. He was only given a few minutes with the curious creature before a Flamethrower forced it away.
How did Aether know where they were coming from?
Ash shared another scowl with Faba as he made his escape.
His whole trek though Route 12 was him simultaneously worrying about Aether while dodging and avoiding Houndour who had caught his scent and liked him. He'd eventually had Bane illusion himself as a Ursaring, their natural enemies, to keep the tabooed Pokémon away.
Ula'ula Beach was much better, having a few shops that sold unique items and a few TMs. Ash coughed up a good chunk of money for reusable Iron Tail and Thunder Punch.
He even got a surfing lesson, he wasn't great, but it was a fun lesson and Eevee enjoyed it.
Speaking of his little kit, as they were camping on the beach that night, he had been telling stories of the stars above their heads.
The constellations were different than the ones in Kanto, but he spoke of the ones he knew.
"Up there is the constellation Aries, the Gogoat. Hamal is its brightest star, Bharani and Botein are there and there." Ash pointed, feeling Eevee's head shift beside his own as they lay there on their backs.
"Over there is Cassiopeia, the Queen. Its brightest stars are Schedar, Caph, Ruchbah, Navi, and Segin. And over there is Delphinus, only recently named the Palafin. The brightest stars are Sualocin and Rotanev, named after the two astronomers that discovered them."
Ash moved his finger across the sky, pointing out the next constellation. "Over there is Cetus, the Wailord. Do you see that star, right there?" Eevee trilled happily at the brightest star in the constellation. Swallowing, Ash tested the waters. "That star is called Mira, or Mirae. It means 'wonderful' or 'astonishing'. Would you… do you like that name? Mirae?"
Eevee didn't respond right away, his red eyes locked on the gently pulsing star. Trilling softly, the little Pokémon's eyes were bright with surety.
"Mirae?"
Wiggling in place, the Evolution Pokémon rolled over and bounced in place, trilling loudly in a way that sounded like agreement.
Ash bit his cheek, feeling… something. It was like something warm was unfurling in his chest. Eevee had chosen a name.
"Mirae, then."
The newly named Mirae bounded around the campsite, rubbing against Styx. The left head grumbled but the right leaned down to drag a barbed tongue through toffee fur. Hemlock groaned when Mirae went over to him, but patted the fox on the head and pushed him towards Bane.
Bane shimmered and was replaced by a larger Eevee, and he joined Mirae in his excitement. The two chased each other around the flickering flames, Bane letting the smaller mammal tackle him to the ground.
For the first time, seated around a homely campfire surrounded by his Pokémon and the stars, Ash was happy.
Sure, he'd been alright in Kanto, especially after meeting Styx, but he'd always had the weight of Gary's dislike, his mother's indifference, and the citizen's distrust on his shoulders.
It was nice to just exist with his Pokémon, knowing they were a family and growing stronger.
Yeah, he had many things to worry about; having only another eight days to get a Fairy type, Sabrina's prophecy, the whole dimensional Pokémon situation, but those could be pushed aside for a little to just enjoy being in the moment.
That night, surrounded by Styx, Hemlock, Bane, and Mirae, Ash slept peacefully.
The next day, when he passed through Route 13 and saw the entrance to the Haina Desert, he contemplated a trip there to train. The perpetual sandstorm would be good practice for his Pokémon, especially Bane who'd need to keep his focus even with the pelting of sand.
The few trailers and motels set up around the small oasis were dirty, but the researchers, archeologists, and extreme campers all seemed upbeat and happy. He even got into a wonderful battle with an older trainer, managing to take down her Bruxish and Palossand using Bane and Styx respectively. The trainer, Monique, had certainly put up a fight. Although her Palossand had been almost too timid to battle him.
Finally, on the morning of his fourth day, he made it to Tapu Village. It had started raining late last night, and he knew this wouldn't bode well up on the mountain. But he was nothing if not obstinate.
With his winter clothes donned, his Pokémon withdrawn, and a safety flare packed, he was ready to go. Nurse Joy knew that if he wasn't back by 9:00 tonight to send a search party. There was no way he was risking death just to search a little longer.
Even as he walked up to the massive industrial lift, the rain was turning to sleet. His sunglasses were still planted on his face, now with a strap to avoid losing them, but the melted sleet still dripped into his eyes.
His Pokéballs were tucked safely into his bag. After the incident with catching Bane, he knew the belt wasn't as secure as he thought. He made a mental note to find sturdier clips.
Leaning against the lift railing, Ash watched as the main entrance to Lanakila and Tapu Village got smaller. The air got a little thinner and his breath was producing large puffs of condensation. Mew, he hasn't been this cold in a long time.
When the lift clunked to a stop, Ash had to squint his eyes even behind his glasses. Snow was everywhere. The mountainside was one white expanse. He'd have to be careful or he'd tumble right over the side, despite the railings.
Already he could see a few trainers, a few Vanillish, and two Glalie and Snorunt families. He was pretty sure an Alolan Sandshrew curled up and rolled into a den the moment he stepped off the lift.
Before he'd caught Bane, he was going to try and find the rumored Absol up here. He was honestly somewhat relieved he didn't have to. Instead, he was hunting for either a Sneasel or a Vulpix. He knew Drampa existed somewhere inside the mountain, but they were gentle giants, not preferring to battle unless provoked.
Sneasel weren't huge battlers either, which is what he was worried about. They preferred to go in, get food, and get away without having to engage. Which sucked because Sneasel was the easier of the two to find.
Vulpix were elusive, and most stayed with their mothers until they were ready for an Ice Stone of their own.
How Lillie got one was anyone's guess.
Ash waded through the calf-high snow as he thought about the weirdest of the evolutionary stones.
See, Ice Stones were created when a Pokémon that used one to evolve, died. The energy from their bodies was recycled, and created a new stone upon passing. It was a very rigid, objective cycle. Like life.
Interestingly enough, it was encouraged to evolve a Pokémon with an Ice Stone from the same species. While an Ice Stone created from a Sandslash can be used to evolve a Darumaka, the resulting Darmanitan would not reach its fullest potential.
Many species have taken to hoarding their Ice Stones, bestowing them to their young upon earning them.
Naturally, only a handful of Ice Stone evolutions have been seen in leagues. Stephen Stone has a Sandslash, and Gym Leader Melody has a Darmanitan, and he was pretty sure Lorelei just got her hands on a Ninetales recently.
If a trainer couldn't get their hands on an Ice Stone, they could evolve their Pokémon at a few key spots, but it was extremely dangerous for humans.
The pits of Seafoam Cavern.
The peak of Mt. Coronet.
The basement of Frost Cavern.
But very few people could survive that cold.
Because of that, hunting Pokémon that evolved from Ice Stones was rampant. Poachers sold the Ice Stones for absurd sums. It was an ongoing issue for the ULA.
He was pulled from his musings by an older teen in snow shoes, tossing a Pokéball with a wild grin on his face. Ash smirked.
'Fuck.'
That was the only thought in his head right now, like a broken record. He could barely see two feet in front of him with how bad the blizzard was.
With the low visibility, he had fallen off the beaten path long ago. Ash couldn't say how long he had been wandering at this point. His hands had gone half numb along with his toes, and he felt like he was going in circles.
Snow and sleet were falling so heavily, his footprints were covered within minutes. Ice engulfed trees, making it impossible for him to leave markings in his weakened state.
He cursed and prayed to Articuno as he put one frozen foot in front of the other. He was actually getting scared. Hemlock had lost a battle after getting frozen by a Beartic, and Bane was exhausted after defeating a Sealeo by the skin of his teeth. Styx would freeze to death the moment she was released in this weather.
There was no way he was submitting Mirae to this, even if he might somehow evolve from the temperatures.
Ducking his head in the biting wind, something flickered at the edge of his sight.
Through the mist and haze and storm, he saw something between the trees… something that momentarily gave him a heart attack.
Ash could have sworn it was a ghostly Bane.
A white coat instead of black, wispy smoke flickering away from its head, and sad, sad eyes staring at him through the blizzard.
Ash had scrambled after it, not even confirming Bane's presence on his belt. His breaths were coming in wheezing gasps, his head whipping around in every direction as he lost sight of it. He once again found himself alone in a wintery wasteland.
Lost into the depths of the mountain, Ash was quickly losing both feeling and faith in finding his way out.
Now, because he couldn't move his fingers and was afraid to take off his gloves, he couldn't open his Pokédex and find his way out. The blizzard had come out of nowhere, had pretty much engulfed the mountain with severe winds and stinging sleet.
He was alone, he was lost, he was cold, and he was getting tired. A search party wouldn't be sent until 9:00, and by then…
So he kept walking, seeing flickers of red wisps at the edge of his vision. He lost track of time, just kept putting one foot in front of the other. His fight or flight, which had been on full blast since the blizzard started, was draining out of him, leaving him colder and more exhausted than before.
His heart pounded in his chest when he caught sight of the haunting specter skittering into a hollowed out base of a tree. Falling to his hands and knees and crawling inside, he looked around.
The hollow was empty, but it was protected from the winds.
His back to the frozen innards, he wrapped his arms around his legs and bowed his forehead, trying to wait out the storm. He was really kicking himself over sending those dozen Houndour away. Their heat would be nice right about now.
Once again, time became irrelevant. He was only aware of the permeating cold and the loss of feeling in his fingers. He huffed warm air onto the gloved-digits and tried to create as much friction as possible. Now that he was out of the wind, the cold was a bit more bearable.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but when an unexpected gleam caught his eye, he was stirred from his fuzzy thoughts. Muscles took a few moments to respond to his brain's signals, but he cautiously crawled forward to look out from his hollow.
And oh wasn't that a sight.
The Ninetales staring down at him was probably the most beautiful Pokémon he'd ever seen, and Daisy Oak had a Milotic. Glistening icy blue fur reflected light all around it like some sort of crystal chandelier. Its trademark tails were voluminous and barely ruffled by the harsh gales.
The eyes, though, looked ancient despite this fox's youthful appearance.
So enraptured was he by this incredible Pokémon, he almost didn't notice the three tiny kits weaving around their mother's legs. They were barely bigger than a Nidoran.
Two kept their distance, but the third was all righteous indignation and willful pride despite being no older than Mirae.
The Vulpix kit took a step back and made to charge, but was halted by its mother's paw. Ash, despite his exhaustion, saw the mother's fond amusement in her ancient eyes. The Ninetales huffed out a breath then looked back at Ash and gestured with her snout.
Oh thank Mew.
He didn't even care if the Ninetales wanted him out of its territory, he'd take whatever help he could get.
So he followed the mystic looking mammal, her grace contrasting his stiff, jerky steps. The blizzard folded around them like they were within a bubble, sparing Ash its cruel, biting cold.
The kits dashed around and played in the snow regardless of the raging hailstorm. In the right light, the kits looked to have shimmering pinkish fur. A genetic quirk?
The bold sibling constantly headbutted Ash's calf, and the trainer would dramatically flinch and rub his leg, even though it felt like a tap, and hide his smile when the Vulpix bared its teeth and walked away with its chest puffed out.
The mother kept a sharp eye on him the entire time, but Ash wouldn't abuse her generosity (ha) by harming or trying to capture her obviously young children. Ash played along with the single kit that 'attacked' him and walked through thick snow and ice until he saw the steel of the lift in the distance. Relief punched him in the gut.
The storm was dying down, or at least moving on, when he stepped onto the metal platform.
"Thank you for saving me." The Ninetales dipped her head and ushered her kits back. The strong-willed sibling stared back at him until they turned and scampered after their mother.
Ash descended from the mountain, not even that upset he didn't catch a Sneasel or Vulpix. He could have died, and he would rather be thankful for surviving than whine about going home empty handed.
He slowly felt the bitter cold drain to a calm chill against his cheeks. Maybe the cold finally dispelled the last of his bruising from the boat.
Like a wounded soldier returning from war, Ash hobbled into the Pokémon center at 7:52pm, starving, tired, and borderline hypothermic. Nurse Joy must have been working a double shift, catching sight of him and gasping.
"Ash Ketchum what in the world happened to you?" She grabbed a blanket from behind the counter and draped it over him as soon as he was within reach. He huffed a laugh and sniffled as his sinuses started clearing up.
"I got stuck in a blizzard. A Ninetales led me out."
Joy's expression of disapproval didn't lessen but she did turn to put a keurig cup of tea into her nearby machine. "Must have been Euryale. She's a legend around here; helping hundreds of trainers and hikers get home. She's been around for generations, must be at least half a millennium old. Some say she was here when the islands split." Ash listened with rapt attention, his hands curled around the steaming mug of jasmine tea.
Nurse Joy busied herself with some files as she continued. "A documentary was actually filmed a few weeks ago. A crew went up to the mountain and of course, got stuck. She made an appearance and got them home. The film should be out in about a month. Keep your eye out, I think they're calling it 'Diamond of the Peak'."
She looked up and frowned at the pathetic sight Ash made. "Oh, sweetie, go get dinner. I didn't mean to talk so much. Do your Pokémon need healing?" Ash gave a brittle smile and handed her Hemlock and Bane's balls.
All he grabbed for dinner was a big steaming bowl of Farfetch'd noodle soup. Styx and Eevee appeared in front of their bowls and dug in. It wasn't until they finished that the two turned concerned eyes to their trainer.
He was still bundled under the blanket with all his snow gear still on. He gave a shaky grin. "Got stuck in a blizzard. I'll be fine."
The next morning he was most definitely not fine. His head felt like it was going to explode and his throat was like sandpaper. Hemlock had taken a note for him down to Nurse Joy who had come up to check on him with an exasperated frown.
A large pitcher of water, a light soup, and medicine was left next to his bed along with breakfast for his Pokémon. Bane and Eevee stayed curled up beside him through the worst of his shivering. Styx was in a right mood, angry at herself. Ash knew her better than he knew himself. She felt useless. It wasn't her fault a blizzard like that would send her into hibernation the minute she was released, and death maybe a half hour later. She didn't have enough control of her Fire energy yet to protect her from a brutal cold like that.
He had gotten lucky, though. Euryale saved his life. A few more hours he probably would have lost his fingers and toes. His left pinky and right big toe were still white from constricted blood vessels.
At noon, Styx led everyone outside for a training session. Ash, despite his half-dead state, was filled with pride. That's exactly what he'd hoped for her, to take up the reins when he couldn't.
Mirae had stayed behind, half dejected-half happy to look after his trainer. His training had officially started their day traveling Route 11, but Styx had relegated him to 'Ash Duty'.
At the moment, his heart was currently melting because Mirae was lying beside him, trying to use his not-at-all mastered egg move Wish to 'heal' Ash.
It was precious and he wanted to cry.
But that might have been the illness talking.
He had four more days to get a Fairy type. Of course he wasn't stressing, why would anyone think that?
Bill had been texting him every day since Mirae turned three weeks old with the same message.
Dr. Bill Richards
Received 07/11/xxxx at 12:00
Did you get one yet?
Received 07/12/xxxx at 12:00
Did you get one yet?
Received 07/13/xxxx at 12:00
Did you get one yet?
Received 07/14/xxxx at 12:00
Did you get one yet?
So yeah, that was annoying and not at all anxiety-inducing, especially because he WAS SICK and couldn't exactly go out Pokémon hunting at the moment.
Luckily, by the next morning, he was feeling like a human again. Nurse Joy wanted him to stay one more day, but he had to get going. His nose was still a little runny, and he had a cough, but it was doable.
His bag was packed and his Pokémon were antsy. He had his summer clothes back on and was going to head to Route 15 because he'd heard some trainers talking about Azumarill and some Snubbull living by the ocean.
He stepped out of the Pokémon center and looked around. It was a sunny day, thank Mew, and it fought off the chill of Tapu Village. He headed West towards Route 15. But before he could get very far into the route, a bored, drawling voice greeted him.
"So you're the idiot training Dark types." The man standing there had to be in his 40s or 50s. He looked absolutely bored with life, except for the hard gaze in his rusty brown eyes. He was wearing what looked like a casual rendition of a police uniform. A weathered face full of stress lines matched his cropped gray hair.
Styx growled lowly but a hand on her head quieted her. "That'd be me, yes." Ash kept a straight face and merely raised an eyebrow from beneath his sunglasses. His voice was scratchy and weak still, but Ash didn't let it bother him.
"Tch, you're going to get people killed."
Ash shrugged. "Well, I haven't yet."
That finally got a bigger reaction out of the man. He scowled and stalked closer, looming over Ash, casting shade over the teen's face. "Your attitude is going to get people killed."
Ash looked down, taking off his sunglasses and pretending to clean them on his shirt before sharply looking up. "You've got enough attitude for the both of us."
When the asshole caught sight of Ash's eyes, his own flew wide open from their previously half-lidded glare and he took a step back. The man looked like he'd seen a ghost.
"What are you doing here?" The words were spit out in a whisper that Ash would deny scared him.
He frowned deeply, his heart pounding, and he was sure his bewilderment showed in his eyes. "What in the world are you talking about, do I know you?"
The man paused for a moment, lips pursed like he bit into a rowap berry. His expression cleared, but recognition didn't fade from his eyes.
"No… No, I don't think you would know me."
Talk about cryptic. "Look, I don't know who you are, but I've never been to Alola, and I don't know anyone else, other than Professor Oak, that has been either." Something in his statement got through to the man, making his hands unclench suddenly.
"I thought people here were supposed to be more accepting of Dark types, anyway. But just for your information, I'm a Chaos Trainer, not just a Dark specialist." Ash was sure he looked petulant, but he was still sick, so sue him.
"Hmph, well, I don't know any Dark types owned by a trainer that hasn't hurt someone at least once, but I'll let you live in your little fantasy world a bit longer. Maybe it won't hurt as much when it happens."
Ash rolled his eyes, his Pokémon getting agitated from this guy's bearing. "Gee, thanks so much for your thoughtfulness. I'll be sure to-"
He paused when he felt a familiar sensation against his skin. Only a few seconds later, his ears were overwhelmed like he was standing beneath a waterfall. Sharply looking up, the next moment he saw the telltale black and purple rings fill the sky directly above them. Ash shoved the man to the side just as a tiny little figure flew out of the wormhole.
Oh gosh, it was cute.
It had a large head and relatively small limbs, like Hemlock did as an Impidimp. Its head had three spikes: one in the front and one on each side. A large gray needle protruded from the top of its head. It had bright oval eyes that gave off a cyan glow along with its mouth. A long tail wagged excitedly when the creature saw Ash. While most of its body is dark purple, it has several fuchsia spots at certain points.
It smiled widely and suddenly darted over to Ash, his Pokémon were growling and snarling in response, but the little creature barely noticed. It waved its arms around and floated about Ash's head, crying out happily in a distorted voice.
Cautiously reaching out a finger, he ignored the other man's hiss of apprehension. The little creature grabbed onto his finger with both paws and cried out again. Ash couldn't help but grin in response to the happy creature.
How could this thing turn aggressive and dangerous? It let go of his finger and did a little spin midair. It greeted each of his Pokémon, Mirae was delighted at this equally excitable creature, Bane was unsure, Styx was wary, and Hemlock sniffed it. But when the little thing cried out in delight and pointed to Hemlock's skin and then at its own scaly shiny underbelly.
Ah, they had the same color. Almost.
Ash laughed, enchanted by this weird creature. It was so different from Darks he almost had whiplash.
The creature heard his laughter and darted over, honest-to-Mew nuzzling his face. Unable to help himself, he reached out and scratched the creature's sides, eliciting echoey giggles.
He didn't see the man's glare finally lighten.
"I'm Ash, what's your name?"
The purple creature spun around and cried out, "Poi! Poi poi!" Ash just smiled.
He wasn't sure how long he stood there, tickling and grinning at the little beast. Its glowing blue eyes and mouth seemed to amplify its delighted expression. At one point, it squeezed his cheeks between its hands and giggled uproariously. Ash couldn't help but join in, face still smooshed.
It wasn't even a minute later that a Hydro Pump struck the giggling Pokémon and sent it tumbling.
Ash gasped and turned to see a Pelipper flapping in the air in front of an Aether employee. He heard a cry and whipped his head around just as a Machoke was restraining the struggling creature, pressing it into the ground. Another employee strode forward and tapped one of those unknown Pokéballs to its forehead.
This was the third time Aether has shown up.
"What are you doing?" Ash knew he sounded a little desperate, but they had just attacked that creature without provocation, just like the last two. A hand on his elbow held him back. The man slightly shook his head. To be honest he forgot he was there. It was a little weird he hadn't left.
The two Aether employees stalked forward, Pokémon out and the newly captured creature secured. "We're glad you're alright! You're lucky it stayed docile for so long, usually they're belligerent by that point." The two had easy smiles on their faces that belied their actions.
"It was giggling! That's not something aggressive Pokémon do!"
He got twin stern looks. "These things are from another dimension, they don't follow normal rules. Don't worry, we'll take care of it! We need to make sure we gather them up, we don't need Team Skull getting their hands on these things." A squeeze on his elbow had him biting his tongue.
The one with the Machoke smiled politely at the man. "Alola, Kahuna Nanu, thanks for protecting this young man."
"Of course, just doing my job." The two white-uniformed men nodded and walked deeper into Route 15. Nanu kept a hand on his elbow until they were out of sight. Then Ash whirled around, ripping his arm away.
"What was that about?! They took it away! It wasn't aggressive, I know it wasn't!"
Nanu's eyes were once more half lidded in boredom, but his voice was direct. "Kid, you don't want to cross Aether."
Ash snarled, his Pokémon picking up on his distress and mirroring his expression. "Like Nether I don't! That creature didn't deserve that! I knew there was something shifty about those guys!" Ash threw his hands in the air before letting them fall to his sides. His fists clenched as he remembered the scared look on the creature's face.
He turned back to the Island Kahuna to see the man with an eyebrow lifted. "You done?" Ash refused to blush, just sneered back. "Good. Here's the deal, kid, we know something's shady. But there are hoops we have to jump through before we can do anything. There are laws, contracts, dodgy dealings, but I'm looking into it okay?"
Ash ground his teeth together, but ultimately nodded. Nanu sighed and looked up like he wanted Tapu Bulu to grant him patience and muttered under his breath, "Kids these days, don't have an ounce of self-preservation." Shaking his head he looked back at Ash.
"You shockingly have good instincts. Aether has a shining reputation among people that know of it. Seems like you didn't fall for their false platitudes." Ash decided the jab and underhanded compliment canceled each other out, so he just huffed.
While his anger didn't abate, Ash did get it under control. He eyed the man, Kahuna Nanu. His face was worn and tired, the bags under his eyes like twin bruises. Small white scars littered his neck and fingers, three rather knotted and gnarled lines slashing diagonally across his neck. Claw marks, and something like that should have been fatal.
The man's outer appearance may be curious, but it's his story, or lack thereof, that really invited inquisition. He had overheard the kids in Kukui's class talking about him.
Apparently Alola as a whole was given a shock when Tapu Bulu chose Nanu as its Kahuna.
The man, while born on Ula'ula Island, disappeared after his Trial completion, only to return and lock himself away. The story goes he was spending his days at the bottom of a bottle until Tapu Bulu itself ripped him out of his house.
He was a curt, apathetic man layered in uncertainty and mystery. Which made it rather obvious he was a Dark Master.
But why was he giving Ash so much shit?
Nanu 'tched' and rolled his eyes then held out his hand. "Give me your Pokédex. I have a feeling you're going to get into some deep shit, so I'd rather you're able to call me." Ash bit his cheek but still handed the dex over. The Kahuna fiddled with it, staring at something on the lowered the device to look at Ash.
"Ash Ketchum, huh?" The teen warily nodded. Nanu handed the device back. "Interesting surname. Almost sounds fake."
Ash's eyes bore into Nanu's, his heart pounding uncomfortably, and even the hardened officer shifted uneasily. "Yeah. Interesting."
He turned abruptly to continue his trip, but Nanu's voice stopped him once again. "You said you were a Chaos trainer, right? Well, there'll be a rare Fairy type making its way from Poni Gauntlet to the Ruins of Conflict on Melemele this week. They should be there for a few more days." Ash turned sharply, a question on his lips, but the Kahuna was already walking away.
Well then. He had a ferry to catch.
Ash doesn't catch a Pokémon, does catch a cold
Eevee gets a name and Ash will get his fifth Pokémon next chapter
In my mind, Mirae is pronounced like 'Meer-ray'