Between the Sun and the Moon
Chapter 3: Save Nebby
By first light, Elio was already awake and getting ready. His Rowlet waited on the top railing of his bunk bed while his trainer showered and dressed. When Selene finally awoke, soon after Elio had finished getting dressed, they nodded to each other and readied themselves for the day.
A text sent to both Selene and Elio from their mother explained that Professor Kukui intended to come out to Iki Town by early afternoon and would introduce them to Kahuna Hala.
"What do you think this Kahuna Hala guy will be like?" Elio asked, grabbing his hat and sliding it onto his head.
Selene looked at him through the mirror in their shared room as she tied her hair into pigtails. "Probably some macho bodybuilder as you'd see in a movie… I don't know."
"Not exactly what I meant, but you're probably right," Elio said, retrieving his Rowlet and allowing the bird pokèmon to sit on his hat. "I meant... Aren't you worried that we're not from here and here we are participating in this sacred tradition of theirs...?"
"What?" Selene said, adjusting the final stretch of her pigtail endeavor, pausing at the words of her younger brother. "I'm sure dozens of kids from all over the world partake in the island trial... Right?"
Elio shrugged. "I guess...? I wish we knew more people here."
Finishing up, Selene grabbed her sun hat and placed it neatly on her head before ushering Popplio out. To her dismay, Popplio was sniffing something out of view, so she snatched her water-type friend and rushed out of the room.
Figuring they had time to kill, Selene and Elio decided to shop around at the pokèmon center and other small local shops in Iki Town. At first, they stayed close and didn't go anywhere without communicating, but Selene finally ordered Elio to text her if he found something or ran into Professor Kukui.
Within ten minutes of being alone, Selene found a small clothing hut seemingly run by an older woman and two young adult males. Curiosity got the better of her as she ran her fingers through the neatly hemmed fabrics of the clothing, contemplating expanding her clothing inventory. The elder explained the shop's history, passed down for three generations, and offered her a discount on anything she liked for simply listening to her ramble. Selene happily obliged, purchasing a deep orange sun dress and matching sandals.
Before long, more customers arrived, and Selene waved goodbye to the elder.
Once outside the shop, Selene showed her outfit to Popplio, who clapped to support her beautiful trainer.
"Oh, you're such a sweetheart, Popplio!" Selene said, giggling as she returned her purchased clothing to her bag.
A voice caught her off guard.
"You're a new trainer! You have to battle me!"
Selene turned around to see a tan young adult standing in a relaxed yet aggressive manner, his right hand waving back and forth. He quickly approached Selene as Popplio plunged between Selene and the boy, blasting a small water gun at the ground and warning him. She thought about scolding her pokèmon, but given that she was in an unknown place, having a protective force of nature was excellent.
As the boy stopped in his tracks, Selene noticed his long green hair spun up in a ponytail behind his head. Despite the heat and glaring sunlight, the boy wore a black oversized T-shirt but flanked it with bright orange floral shorts and a matching backpack and sandals.
The boy looked shocked by the protective nature of Popplio and froze.
"S-sorry, she's a bit new to new people," Selene admitted, kneeling and patting Popplio on the head. "We're kind of new around here."
"That you are! You're the new Kantonian girl that moved into Hau'oli, right?" The boy asked, placing his arms behind his head. "I heard about you through Professor Kukui. That's where I got this!"
From behind his legs crawled a fire-type kitten that Selene immediately recognized as Litten from when she received Popplio. The fire type sniffed Popplio and cautiously watched them before returning to the boy's side.
"That means you're on your island trial too..." Selene realized before blinking twice. "I'm Selene. My brother Elio is around here somewhere."
The boy stepped forward now, watching Popplio as he moved. He waved his arms in an arch as if saluting her at a lower point.
"Alola! I'm Hau and plan to become the Island Trial Champion!" He exclaimed. "That's why we should battle! It would be fun, don't you think?"
Selene looked down at Popplio, who clapped twice in encouragement. Whether she wanted one or not, it seemed like a battle to be had. Not wanting to be someone who turned down someone's excitement, she paced backward as Hau did the same, their Litten and Popplio standing off.
"Popplio! Use bubble!" Selene called out, her water-type pokèmon following commands by pumping a steady stream of tiny bubbles toward the Litten.
"Dodge that!" Hau cheered; his friendly demeanor replaced his more focused and confident attitude. Litten seemed to follow his adjustment as it leaped sideways to avoid the super-effective water attack. "Ember, go!"
Litten spat out a cough of fire that hit Popplio faster than she could counter. Popplio recoiled but, all in all, looked somewhat healthy.
"Bubble, again!" She cried, pointing outwards at the Litten. This time, Popplio used her signature move of bounding off the ground with her tail before showering her opponent with a deadly water attack. Litten flew backward but caught itself. The battle wasn't over, but Litten was nearly down for the count.
However, Selene and Popplio watched as Hau's Litten began glowing a dim red. She could recall when that similar effect made Popplio stronger and Elio's Rowlet even more effective.
"Come on, Litten! Show them our strength! Use Ember!" Hau called out, buffing his voice with his hands around his lips. The fire-type cat quickly compiled a powerful fire-type attack and launched it at Popplio, impacting and staggering Popplio backward.
"You can do it, Popplio! Use pound!" Selene commanded, pumping a fist into the air for her water-type pokèmon. Popplio hopped over to Litten and engaged in close-quarters combat, with Litten's claws desperately trying to turn the tide of the battle. But, Popplio knocked Litten backward, sprawling the fire-type starter pokèmon at Hau's feet.
Hau retrieved his Litten and placed the fire-type starter on his shoulders. A grin appeared on his lips as he put his hands behind his head.
"We're new trainers, and you already have a leg up on me!" Hau exclaimed, looking around. "Have you already met the kahuna here in Iki Town?"
Selene shook her head. "No, actually... but Professor Kukui wanted me to meet him. I was looking for both of them." Popplio returned to Selene and was promptly hoisted into the air in celebration.
"Well, I'm looking for them too, so I'd be happy to accompany you until we find them--if that's okay with you." Hau offered, walking closer to Selene as he slid his hands into his short pockets. Selene glanced around briefly before shrugging.
"Why not? The more, the better, right?"
Meanwhile, Elio walked amongst the town, bounding from small shop to hut. His Rowlet zeroed them in on some food so they could recharge their energy before continuing.
They sat on a rock big enough for Elio to sit with his legs crossed and Rowlet to perch on the corner, begging for small bites occasionally. Elio obliged, giving him some of his noodles and petting Rowlet.
"Guess I'll just have to fatten you up to evolve you, huh?" Elio joked, wiping his mouth as he neared the end of his bowl. He stood up and threw his food away but stopped as he saw a woman walking from the town towards a higher elevation. The woman seemed to be in a rush as she fast-walked through while looking behind her occasionally.
Elio saw the woman adjust her sun hat before disappearing around a corner of a pathway far ahead. Exchanging a confused gaze with Rowlet, he offered his arm to the bird pokèmon before hoisting him along.
"Let's go check that out," Elio muttered, jogging over to the path's base and looking around. There was thick vegetation from the ground up as the pathway bent hard to the left into a steep incline with dirt and rocks decorating the way. He couldn't see the girl but pressed on with his Rowlet, following the only logical path upwards.
With every movement of pokèmon, Elio watched and prepared for battle. Yet, all of the native pokèmon avoided him and his Rowlet even as the vegetation thinned out as they neared the peak of the path.
By the time the incline leveled out, the pathway overlooked a cliff face roughly forty feet from the path's edge. There were trees everywhere, but they were dry and surrounded by large rocks, even across the cliff facing the neighboring cliff. Elio stopped as he noticed the woman again, standing at the end of a rope bridge that was aged and weathered to death.
He stepped closer, unsure of what she was doing; however, a rock sliding under his shoe blew his cover, and the woman turned now, her blonde hair and blue eyes in full effect. Elio got a good look at her now. She wore a white dress with her white sun hat, and her hair was clearly well taken care of, and she was brushed patiently. However, the worried look on her face betrayed any other appearance she had.
"H-hello?" Elio's voice cracked, muffled by the sound of the woman.
"You've got to help Nebby... please..."
She stepped to the side, and Elio saw a tiny purple and blue pokèmon posted in the center of the bridge, with two Spearow divebombing the poor pokèmon now cowering in fear.
He looked up and saw two more joining the fray as Elio approached the end of the rope bridge. He could see two Spearow eyeball him as they pecked away at the strange pokèmon.
"That pokèmon's getting picked on; let's take them on, Rowlet! Use Leafage!"
Rowlet launched a small barrage of potent leaves down range, hitting one of the Spearow and knocking it off-camber. Before the Spearow could get back up, Rowlet launched another attack. While Rowlet engaged the Spearow, Elio crawled across the bridge to best support his weight once the bridge started swaying and buckling.
"Hang in there..." Elio whispered.
"Eek... be careful!" The woman shrieked, waving her hands. "Stay strong, Nebby! Help is coming!"
Finally, Elio crawled his way to Nebby and forced himself between the raging crowd of Spearow. He closed his eyes and only opened when he felt less pecking at his arms and legs. He saw one of the Spearow keel over after Rowlet attacked it. Elio wiggled his hands into his backpack, retrieved a pokè ball, and managed to flick the pokè ball at the unconscious Spearow, catching it instantly.
He had enough time to retrieve his pokè ball by reaching out across the wood planks before Nebby started glowing a bright blue. It became too bright, and so he closed his eyes. Even still, the light blinded him through his closed eyes until it dimmed, and suddenly, he was in free fall with his arms latched around Nebby.
"Oh--oh no!" Elio shouted as he flailed, trying to find a lifeline that didn't exist. He kicked and hollered while always keeping at least one hand on Nebby.
"No...!" The woman cried as she grabbed hold of the wooden stake in the ground at her side of the end of the bridge. She looked down at the now-falling pair with fear in her eyes.
In a flash of light, a blur of a pokèmon screamed through the place where Elio and Nebby had just fallen from, electrifying and immediately defeating the Spearow that watched the disaster play out. The unknown pokèmon bolted downwards and snatched Elio and Nebby ten feet from the water's edge.
Elio gasped but said nothing until he was released at the cliff's edge before the woman. Once free from the unknown pokèmon's grasp, the unknown pokèmon made eye contact with Elio before dashing away.
Elio mentally noted the yellow pokèmon's appearance, including the wing-like appendages that also seemed to work as shields around the pokèmon's body.
He let go of Nebby, who didn't run away immediately, and strolled over to the girl. Rowlet, having stopped at the edge of the bridge before it collapsed, swarmed into Elio and knocked him over.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I didn't think that was going to happen," Elio said to Rowlet, looking past the grass-type pokèmon to the girl and her pokèmon. "Speaking of which, your pokèmon is strong. What is it?"
"It's a powerful pokèmon from far away... we were just trying to see the ruins," her eyes looked out across the dangling bridge remains. "I guess we'll have to wait."
Elio followed her gaze over before standing up. "There's ruins over there?"
The girl nodded. "The Ruins of Life. They hold a lot of cultural importance here and are sacred to Tapu Koko. That's what just saved your life."
Remembering his mother talking about how the Tapus chose the Island Kahuna, who then chose the Island Captains, Elio blinked twice in bewilderment.
"You're telling me I got saved by a legendary pokèmon?" Elio cheered, looking around. "I gotta' catch it. It would be the perfect addition to my--"
"I'm afraid Tapu Koko only battles powerful trainers... maybe one day you'll get to battle it," the girl said before walking closer to Elio. "My name is Lillie, and yours?"
"Elio-- sorry, my name is Elio." He introduced himself, extending his right hand out. "I'm pretty new to Alola, but I plan on becoming the strongest trainer."
Lillie nodded, not as interested in the topic as Elio.
"I despise pokèmon battles. I hate to see a pokèmon get hurt." Lillie admitted, looking down at Nebby. "That goes for you, too, mister! Stop trying to get yourself in trouble."
Elio looked at her get up while she scolded Nebby and pondered her lack of pokè balls and pokèdex. She wasn't in the run for the island trial, and given her lack of pokè balls, she must not be a trainer yet. Even so, she possessed a seemingly rare pokèmon.
"Say... where do you keep that pokèmon anyway?" Elio asked, raising a finger to his chin. "Are you a trainer?"
Lillie nervously shook her head, glancing back at Nebby as though it would explain everything. "W-Well... Nebby is a very rare pokèmon, and while I'm not a pokèmon trainer, I take care of Nebby. I'm trying to return it to where it came from--but..."
Elio glanced over to Nebby, who was frolicking in the dirt.
"Don't tell me you keep it in your..." His eyes glanced at her shoulder bag, causing Lillie to frown and embarrassment in her cheeks.
"It sounds worse than it is... I just can't risk bad people finding Nebby, that's all..." Lillie admitted, turning to face her self-entertained friend. "The more you get out and run around, the higher your chances of getting caught."
Elio looked around, taking in the events that had just unfolded. Nebby trailed over and stopped, fondling with some object on the ground. Curiously, Lillie squatted down next to her friend and inspected the object Nebby found.
Naturally, Elio eyeballed it as well.
"What is it?" Elio asked, his Rowlet sniffing from a long way away.
"It looks like a stone of some kind... I can ask Kahuna Hala or maybe Professor Kukui." Lillie suggested, giving the stone to Elio. "It's safer in your hands than mine."
"You know Professor Kukui?" Elio asked. "I was looking for him before I... followed you up here," He said, nervously itching the back of his head.
Lillie smiled. "I do. I'm his assistant, though I'm still learning a lot daily. Did you meet him through the free pokèmon program or...?"
"He gifted me and my sister our first pokèmon. I guess he was supposed to meet me and my sister in Iki Town today... I should probably get back there so I don't miss him." He glances back at Lillie and remembers that outside of Nebby, she doesn't have a pokèmon to protect herself with. "You want to walk back with Rowlet and me?"
Lillie follows suit, glancing between Elio and Rowlet, who happily encourages her to come along. Deciding it was safer to travel with him, Lillie sighed.
"I would appreciate that, actually... thank you, Elio."
"Don't mention it, let's go!" Elio chirped, leading the way down the hill back the way they came.
When they returned to Iki Town, Elio could see Professor Kukui in his white lab coat parted in the middle. He stood before Selene but was surrounded by two others he didn't quite recognize.
Elio, followed by Lillie and Nebby, approached the group before Selene noticed them and made her way towards Elio.
"Thanks for scaring the life out of me--where did you go?" She asked, shoving him half seriously. "Seriously, I was about to get police involved here."
Elio frowned. "I..." He remembered Lillie walking up the hill and not knowing how it would sound, simply following her just because. "I wandered off... and I got lost. But--Lillie here helped me find my way back."
Lillie looked shocked but did her best to follow his lie, unsure as to why he felt the need to lie in the first place.
"Is that so, Lillie?" Kukui asked, smiling with an amused look on his face. "Here you are, showing people around when you usually get lost. I'm so proud, oh yeah!"
This caused Selene to look ever more suspiciously at Elio, but she decided that her line of questioning could wait until later when nobody was around. Instead, she stared at him until Kukui spoke once more.
"While you were gone, your wonderful sister met the only Kahuna Hala." Kukui joked, gesturing to Kahuna Hala, standing next to Professor Kukui. Elio locked eyes with a more prominent and stockier man who matched his body weight with muscle. Even in his grey hair, Elio knew he was a force to be reckoned with. "Elio, this is Kahuna Hala, Melemele Island's only kahuna."
Hala produced the iconic alola wave using both hands and Elio awkwardly followed suit, not quite as proficient in it as others.
"It's great to meet you, boy, and I can tell your Rowlet cares deeply about you. It looks like I made the right choice asking Professor Kukui to gift you three a pokèmon." Hala stated, grabbing his grandson and forcing him forward, nearly knocking poor Hau off his balance. "This is my grandson, a new trainer who's just starting, just like you and Selene."
Hau waved to Elio with a massive grin on his face. "I hope you'll battle me soon!" He chirped.
"I-I'm sure his Rowlet is exhausted--" Lillie interjected, causing everyone to look at her curiously.
"What makes you say that? Have you seen the energy level of this kid!?" Professor Kukui exclaimed. "I'm willing to bet both boys could go a dozen rounds, woo!"
Lillie shook her hands and looked at the pathway leading up to the Ruins of Life. "You see... I was going to take Nebby to visit the Ruins of Life... But Nebby escaped my bag, and these awful Spearow came down and picked on Nebby."
The group shared a sad look as they listened intently to Lillie's story.
"But Elio came to the rescue with his Rowlet here. I can't count how many Spearow his Rowlet battled. He made his way to Nebby, but there were just too many Spearow. Nebby must have felt too threatened because he used his ability and destroyed the bridge!"
"So the bridge will need to be fixed... I can have that taken care of by next week." Hala stated confidently.
"So if Nebby destroyed the bridge... how did Elio and Nebby make it back in one piece?" Professor Kukui asked, placing his hands on his hips.
Selene eyeballed Elio even harder now, realizing that he was missing not just because he was helping someone but also because he had put himself in danger.
"Well, the bridge collapsed, and Elio fell with Nebby. But--before they could fall to the water below, Tapu Koko caught them both and brought them back to the cliff's edge. Isn't that right, Elio?" Lillie explained, gesturing now towards Elio.
"She's telling the truth... I even got this weird stone that Tapu... whatever its name is--left behind." Elio produced the sparkling stone from his backpack and showed it to the group. "I'm not sure what it does... could just be some plain old rock."
Professor Kukui approached the rock and gasped, grabbing it and showing it to Kahuna Hala, who struggled to look at it before laughing.
Selene glanced back and forth between the rock and Elio, curiously waiting for an explanation. Lillie stepped closer, too, alongside Elio.
"So... what is it?" Selene finally asked.
"These sparkling stones are only given to special trainers chosen directly by the Tapus of Alola. If Tapu Koko gave you this, you're specifically chosen to be a Z-move-using trainer." Kahuna Hala explained, looking at the stone closely.
Elio looked between Lillie and Selene briefly before crossing his arms.
"Uh... what's a Z-move?" Elio asked.
Professor Kukui spun around and balled a fist energetically. "Oh, only the best way to use a move in battle, woo! These things, called Z-crystals, hold specific power-ups to move types when used in battle. For instance, you can find a Normalium Z and a Fightinium Z in Melemele Island. These crystals allow you to use mighty moves only once during battle." Kukui showed off an ordinary z crystal and even showed Elio and Selene the pose for activating the move. "You must also do the pose; otherwise, nothing will happen. The dance triggers the crystal to respond to your wristband."
Elio nodded slowly, not entirely understanding how any of it worked. Selene, on the other hand, seemed to be thinking deeply about it.
"How do you get a wristband to use Z-moves?" Selene asked, crossing her arms around Popplio as she held the water-type pokèmon within her forearms.
"That's what this is for," Kahuna Hala interrupted. "If you bring these to a kahuna--it doesn't matter who it is--they can turn these into wristbands. Because Tapu Koko chose Elio, he would bear the wristband. However, it does take time to produce. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to hold onto this until tomorrow."
Elio's eyes glistened as he looked at the rock and then back to Kahuna Hala before nodding happily. "I know it's safer in your possession than mine; I'd be happy to let you keep it for tonight."
Professor Kukui patted Elio's shoulder. "Tapu Koko specifically chose you. You should feel critical, young man! Woo!"
"Well, don't feel that important..." Selene remarked, playfully scolding her younger brother, to which Lillie giggled.
"How about tomorrow? We should celebrate in Tapu Koko's honor! We'll have battles upon battles, and then--you will receive your wristband. Sound like a plan?" Kahuna Hala asked, pulling Hau into a hug. "I want to see you battle my grandson here; he's been itching for another battle ever since he lost to your sister here."
Elio looked surprised. "You beat another trainer!?"
She frowned, rolling her eyes. "I can be a good trainer too, you know. Just because an island deity hasn't chosen me doesn't mean I won't woop you next time." The group laughed, encouraging the sibling rivalry.
"I guess you'll have to prove that tomorrow, eh?" Elio egged her on, a smirk growing on his lips.
"I look forward to seeing your battle spirit tomorrow, you two." Professor Kukui stated, cheering them on.