"So Gladion, it seems you mostly train Pokémon that evolve through affection? Kanto's Professor Oak would probably love to hear your insights." The three were seated outside the bakery, chowing down on the sugary confections. Ash was feeding little bits to Mirae, who was perched on his head.
Gladion dragged his fingers through his Alolan Meowth's fur and nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, even though Lycanroc was my starter, I was fascinated by the idea that Pokémon needed friendship and companionship to evolve. Naomi, my Golbat, is close, I've had her for a while. Kaholo here is my newest, I got him from the Ula'ula Island Kahuna."
Hau gasped, already on his third helping. "Wow, from Nanu? My Grandpa says he's a bit on the rough side."
Gladion scoffed. "You mean he's a major prick? Yeah. But hey, Tapu Bulu chose him, so there must be a reason." Hau chuckled and handed a piece of his malasada to his Pikachu.
Ash nodded along. "Yeah he is a prick. Anyone know what his problem is?"
Hau looked around and leaned in dramatically. "Yeah, my grandpa says Nanu used to be part of the International Police, really high rank. But something happened, I've heard anything ranging from an undercover bust to a Pokémon rampage that forced him to quit. He was in Alola, trying to get away from everything, when Tapu Bulu chose him."
Eyebrows furrowed, Ash thought about that. Nanu did seem pretty jaded...
"But enough of that! What are your guys' stories? I grew up on Melemele, my grandfather is the Island Kahuna, chosen by Tapu Koko itself!" Hau puffed up his chest, but seconds later deflated. "I'm trying to take on the Island Challenge and hopefully the new league to prepare myself to be a Kahuna."
Ash had never met anyone so open and emotive. He ignored the trepidation that rose in him at the mention of the Island Guardian, and decided to jump in. "From what I've seen, you're doing pretty well. Your Dartrix obviously adores you. What others do you have?"
Hau beamed at him, and Ash felt awkward from the attention. "You've seen Dartrix and Sada, here, but I also have a Crabrawler, Poliwhirl, Aipom, and I'm getting an Eevee soon from my Grandpa."
Ash sighed. "Is everyone getting an Eevee now?" Mirae took that moment to reach down and boop his nose. Gladion smirked and Hau laughed.
"Alola is leading in Eevee numbers right now. If you pass a background check, you can buy one. They're super expensive because the money is funding the breeding program. Everyone who buys an Eevee has to be willing to offer it a chance to breed post-evolution." Gladion didn't offer up who got him his Eevee, so Ash didn't ask.
"How'd you get your Eevee, Ash? You mentioned you're from Kanto, there are practically no Eevee there." Hau looked curious, and Ash was somewhat ashamed that he didn't expect Hau to have knowledge like that.
"I'm helping a researcher. He gave me Mirae's egg. He's studying how certain environments influence evolution. So I have very specific instructions on how to raise Mirae here. He's over a month old."
"That's so cool! I thought he looked small, but I didn't want to say anything." Ash didn't have to see Mirae to know he was giving Hau the stink eye. Mirae was small, but he was still growing. He was three times the size he'd been when he hatched. "But Gladion, I gotta know, what in the world was that last Pokémon you used?"
All lightheartedness died an instant death when Gladion tensed up. Ash shot a quick look at Hau before turning to the blonde. "You don't have to tell us. I understand it's probably a touchy subject. I got my Zorua after he escaped some poachers, so I know you have to stay under the radar. Only share what you're willing to share."
Ash felt some pride seep into his bones when he saw Gladion relax. He was so used to using his words as a weapon, he never really realized they could be helpful.
"Silvally… he's called Type: Null. He's… an experiment. I ran away with him. I've been trying to figure out how to get the mask off for months. I'm not too worried about being found, but it's always a possibility."
"Man, you're a good person, Gladion. You probably saved Silvally." Gladion honest-to-Mew blushed at Hau's words.
"Yeah, well, he's a good friend." Ash smiled and realized he felt a certain camaraderie with these two.
"We got off topic! Ash! What's your story?" Ash withheld his grimace and sighed, setting his chin in his palm. He was now picking at his malasada.
"I'm from Kanto, as you guys know. We're big on affinities there, which Pokémon types work best with each trainer. I… I work best with Dark, Dragon, and Fairy. The Chaos types. Dark and Dragon don't… don't have the best reputation over there." He picked up a piece of pastry and fed it to Mirae. "I'm traveling through some different regions to gather the Pokémon I want before I get the rest of the badges. I'm trying to change the stigma, but I gotta get stronger first."
Hau and Gladion shared a look. "It's so weird that there are types that get a bad rep in other regions." Hau stated.
"Yeah well, you guys didn't have the pleasure of being overrun with Team Rocket."
Hau flinched. "Right… I forgot about that. They used Dark types, right?"
Ash huffed. "Yeah, but they also used Poison types, but because Poison types are super common and easy to train, they didn't get crucified. It's bullshit. I literally can't capture the Pokémon the executives used because I'd be arrested or beaten on the spot. Had to pass up the dozen Houndour that followed me on Ula'ula."
Gladion grimaced while Hau awkwardly patted Ash's back. Mirae brushed his tail along his trainer's cheek.
"It's whatever. Whining about it won't change anything." Ash shook his head. "What about you, Gladion?"
The blonde leaned back and crossed his arms, Kaholo flopped across his lap. "Shitty family, got out as soon as possible. Been avoiding them since. Joined a gang for a little, helped take down the asshole boss 'cause he was trying to turn everyone towards actual crime. Still friends with most of them. Rescued Silvally. Now, working with my friends to fight some corruption, you know how it is." Hau and Ash chuckled.
Ash raised his hand to Gladion. "Here's to shitty families." Gladion gave a bark of laughter and gave Ash a high five. The two were surprised when Hau raised his hand for a high five.
"What? My dad left 'cause he couldn't handle being the son of a Kahuna. Don't even know my mom." The three shared high fives all around, suddenly feeling closer due to their similar situations.
"But Ash, I gotta know, how'd you get that cool scar on your cheek?" The Kanto-native reached up to gently brush his finger against the mostly-healed scar tissue.
"Well, that is an interesting story. So I got Hemlock as an Impidimp right?"
With the return of the light atmosphere, Ash told his story and the three continued chatting well into the night. Ash completely forgot about the Battle Royal.
The group of three hadn't left the bakery until it was closing, and by then it was pitch black outside and lightly drizzling. They all had rooms in the center and bid each other goodnight at their doors. Ash's Pokémon, fully healed, surrounded him in sleep, but he stayed awake longer, the events of the evening running through his head. He fell asleep with a perplexed smile.
The next day brought heavier rain. Ash didn't really have a schedule, he just needed to be in Konikoni City in five days for the tournament. It was in the opposite direction, but he could rent a ride-Pokémon to get there faster.
After his fulfilling battle with Gladion, Ash wasn't as interested in the Battle Royal. He wanted to get to Wela Volcano by this afternoon to give him time to search around, but he found himself remiss to leave Hau and Gladion.
The three had met up for breakfast, their full teams on display out on the covered patio that was attached to the cafeteria. In an extremely funny turn of events, Gladion's Leavanny was utterly infatuated with Hau's Dartrix. Dartrix kept flicking his leafy fringe out of his eyes to the swooning sighs of Leia.
Mirae was quite taken with Umbreon and was gazing in awe at the Dark type, much to the consternation of Sagitta. He must have some intrinsic memory of his mother.
The group of friends, and they were friends by now, chatted about their next steps. Gladion was staying up north and working with his 'gang', but had been traveling around lately. Hau was actually planning on entering the tournament, so Ash would see him in Konikoni City in a few days.
Ash looked at the time and frowned. "I gotta get going, guys. Feel free to call whenever. Hau, I'll see you in a few days. Gladion, I'll see you around." He shared a fist bump with both and wove his arms through his bag.
"Gladion, want to travel together for a little? You said you don't have anywhere pressing to be." The blonde blinked at Hau, a little bit of pink dusting his cheeks.
"Uh, sure, that'd be great."
Hau lit up. "Awesome! Then we'll all be together for the tournament!"
Ash chuckled and waved as he walked away, leaving the two to their plans.
All squared away with his room, he and his Pokémon walked through Royal Avenue, the rain already soaking his clothes. He eyed the Battle Royal dome as they walked by, noticing most of the challengers all had wrestling masks on. Distaste crossed his face. To be honest, the only reason he was going to try it was to get a good challenge. The Island Challenge had only recently reopened in Alola, and the trainers he encountered weren't exactly Ace Trainer material.
A big poster plastered to the side of the dome depicted The Masked Royal, the undefeated wrestler of the dome. He was posed with his Incineroar that looked oddly familiar…
He was distracted by Hemlock tugging on his pants and pointed to a street performer juggling bowling pins and simultaneously sneering at another performer. Even if he wanted to, Ash couldn't say no to Hemlock's pleading expression.
"Fine, but wait until we're almost out of sight." The Morgrem patted his trainer's leg and eyed the performer. As the group entered Route 7, he heard the telltale crash of Hemlock's prank coming to fruition.
He couldn't find it in him to be guilty when he was faced with Hemlock's half happy-half mischievous grin.
Wela Volcano Park was hot. The rain had been left behind on Route 7, and now steam was rising off his damp clothes. Ash was constantly taking off his hat to wipe his forehead and pulling at the collar of his tank top. The air was thick and heavy and suffocating and suddenly Ash very much disliked Alola.
He returned everyone except Styx, knowing the wild Salazzle here were very free with their pheromones and would try to lure in prey. Plus, she could handle the heat, she was cold blooded afterall. He would have left Sagitta out, but she had elected to rest.
It was actually kinda nice to only have Styx out. He loved his whole team, but Styx was his starter. He was pretty sure she felt the same because her heads weren't arguing nearly as much as usual.
There were a myriad of Pokémon here, Fire, Ground, Rock, Poison, and Normal. Turtonator could be found here, and although the Fire and Dragon wasn't his first choice, it was the only viable Fire type for his team. Unless, you know, he got a Litten. Houndour was obviously out of the question.
So he walked through the pale straw grasses and passed farmers and their crops; the volcanic soil was very rich in nutrients and able to hold water better than other soils. He saw Salandit watching from the shadows and Fletchinder fluttering above. He hadn't even realized he'd been walking for hours until he was at the bottom of the stairs that led to the Totem's Den.
He looked around and saw the wonderful view. Sparkling ocean water as far as the eye could see. Melemele, Ula'ula and Poni were all scattered equidistant from each other. Ash took a few minutes to appreciate where he was before he was headbutted non-too lightly.
"Alright, alright, we'll keep moving, sheesh." Rolling his eyes, Ash gestured to the steep stairs. "After you, your majesty." Styx snorted at his impertinence, lifting her chins and starting up the stairs with all the dignity of a Tsareena.
Ash was sweating up a storm by the time they reached the top. Styx was trying to hide her panting and instead took deep steadying breaths. When Ash stood tall, he realized they weren't alone.
An older teenager was there, hands on her hips, looking around with a harsh frown on her face. Her leather pants and black midriff top mixed with her fuschia pink and yellow hair gave her a badass appearance, not unlike Gladion. Heavy makeup was dripping slightly in the heat, but it looked purposeful.
But leather? In this heat?
Her foot was tapping in what could only be annoyance and her eyes were darting around, looking for something.
In a move very unlike him, he spoke. "You looking for something?" Her light brown eyes latched onto him and her lip pulled up in a sneer before she caught herself and almost looked… chagrined?
"Yeah, I've been looking for a female Salandit or Salazzle for days. Was hoping the Totem would come out and have a few as backup. No sign of her."
"Do you have any male Pokémon? They could probably guide you to a female."
The woman sighed forcefully. "Nah, all my Pokémon are female."
"Want some help?" She side-eyed him distrustfully.
"What's in it for you?"
Ash shrugged. "I'm looking for a Pokémon too, not much of a problem to look where you're looking." The woman paused for a few seconds before relaxing her stance.
"Fine, as long as it isn't a Salazzle. Thanks. I'm Plumeria."
"Ash. Do you have a fast Pokémon to release just in case we lose mine?" Plumeria nodded and soon a Crobat was released. "You are the second person in two days I've met with a Pokémon of the Zubat line."
Plumeria merely smirked before Ash released Hemlock. The Morgrem waved, but then his eyes turned glassy and his pupils dilated. "Huh, that was fast. Must be one nearby." With a soft nudge to his back, Hemlock started stumbling forward. The group followed him to the stairs and Ash groaned.
After many, many stairs, Hemlock veered off into the tall grasses. Crobat was hovering above, keeping her eye on the Morgrem even when Ash and Plumeria lost sight. Both were quiet for a while, only the rustling grass making a sound, before the girl spoke up.
"Dark type specialty?"
"Dark, Dragon, and Fairy. Poison speciality?"
"Yup. What else do you have?"
"Rather not say, I don't exactly know you, do I?"
"Fair enough. But you're helping anyway?"
"I was in a giving mood." Plumeria rolled her eyes good-naturedly. They fell back into silence and soon pushed aside some weeds to see a large clearing with volcanic rock scattered around. The center showed dozens of male Salandit surrounding berries and food that were probably stolen. A few other Pokémon were loitering on the edges, a Magby here, a Cubone there. Hemlock was about to breach the circle of Salandit before Ash returned him.
Standing atop a large slab of volcanic rock was a Salazzle, with two Salandit flanking her. She was lounging on her stomach, overlooking her harem, tail swishing behind her lazily. Ash spoke out of the side of his lips to Plumeria.
"Which one do you want? The Salandit on either side of her are female too."
"I'm going for her." Ash smirked in the face of her ambition.
"We're going to need to handle the Salandit. Release some of your Pokémon to help me out with them, you go after her." The two nodded to each other, Plumeria whistled quietly at Crobat, who had been hiding behind her in the grasses.
"Box the Salazzle in, don't let her escape, on my signal." As she spoke to Crobat, Ash turned to look at Styx.
"Ready to wreck some shit?" Twin feral grins responded. Looking at Plumeria, he mouthed three, two, one then go.
Crobat sped over to the lounging Salazzle, locking her in place with Mean Look. Styx launched herself forward and released an ear-splitting Hyper Voice, giving Plumeria time to release a Toxapex and a rare Gengar, which skittered away at the sight of Ash.
Dozens of Salandit were caught unawares, and many were taken out just from the preliminary attacks. Ash didn't give Styx direction, just let her have her fun. Instead he watched Plumeria and her battle.
The Salazzle was spitting mad. Literally spitting out flecks of acid and ember. Crobat was fast, but Salazzle had remarkable reflexes. They were almost evenly matched, but Crobat had a trainer. And that made all the difference.
Confuse Rays and Aerial Aces and Steel Wings knocked the Poison and Fire type back. Protects and Light Screens, moves that are rarely learned without a TM, annoyed and exhausted the Salazzle.
A Fire Lash caught the Crobat on a wing, but she pushed past the pain and landed a Zen Headbutt that the Salazzle just couldn't take. Kissing a Great Ball, Plumeria tossed it at the downed matriarch. Even unconscious, she fought, but ultimately it was a successful capture.
Ash turned back to his own Pokémon and laughed. Male Salandit were all over the place, knocked out. Nothing too bad, they'd probably wake up with some bruises at the worst.
Styx trotted over, tail wagging behind her happily. "Nice job, girl." The Toxapex and Gengar made their way over to their trainer and congratulated her. Ash was always happy when he saw trainers with good relationships with their Pokémon.
Ash jogged over to her and smirked. "Nicely done. She's tough."
Plumeria tossed her multicolored hair over her shoulder. "Only the best." She clipped the great ball to her belt and put a hand on her hip. "But seriously, thanks a bunch. I was gonna go meet up with some friends, wanna tag along?"
Ash shuffled his feet, a little conflicted. He wanted to keep looking for Turtonator, and wasn't really up for meeting a bunch of new people, but at the same time, he thought Plumeria was pretty cool.
"Sure. I'll come back tomorrow to look for a Turtonator." Plumeria grinned. She thanked her Pokémon and returned them. So Ash, Styx, and Plumeria made their way back through the park. The two humans chatted idly about where they've been and where they're going.
Plumeria apparently wanted to take the Island Challenge, but had recently come into a new leadership position at her job that needed her attention. Ash in return told her he's from Kanto, and that a girl he knew was specializing in the Poison type as well.
After a little while, Ash returned Styx. The left head had started goading the right and he didn't want to worry about bloodshed. The pair took the short walk from Route 7 to Dividing Peak Tunnel. They went quiet in the dark of the tunnel and came out to Route 8 to a setting sun and orange glow.
The silence was comfortable, and Ash was happy to realize Plumeria was like him and didn't need a lot of chatter.
"Only a little bit further, I bought up the motel along this Route a little while ago. I renovated it into an apartment complex. All my friends are renting from me." Ash was impressed. From what he'd learned, Plumeria was only nineteen and already a landlord.
"That's really impressive, Plumeria. Ambition and all that."
The teenager laughed. "Like you're not just as ambitious as I am." Ash shrugged. The motel-turned-complex came into view. It had white siding and black shutters, with one wall dedicated to beautiful graffiti art. It was a unique mix of modern and traditional.
"Come on, we'll head to the common area, that's where everyone will be." Ash followed behind as Plumeria pulled out a key. He was relaxed and ready to introduce himself… until he caught sight of Plumeria's 'friends.'
Baggy black clothing, bandanas resting around their necks, skull printed beanies covering hair dyed all the colors of the rainbow.
"Huh. So Team Skull." The dozen teens in the room all tensed in their chairs, couches, and bean bags. From his side, Plumeria huffed and turned towards him, hands on her hips.
"We don't do the shitty shit anymore. That was all Guzma. Each of these guys are hardworking individuals and I'll kick your ass if you start shit."
Ash held his hands in front of him. "Woah, woah, I'm the last person to judge. But I've heard some rumors, just want to make sure they're not true."
One of the girls in the group, with bright bubblegum pink hair called out, "Yeah mom, chill, we can protect ourselves." The group laughed lightly. "We don't do anything illegal, if that's what you're wondering. I'm Priscilla, by the way." Ash gave a single wave.
"Anyway Plume, who's your new friend?" The same girl trailed her hooded eyes up and down Ash, a slow smile stretching her lips. Plumeria chuckled and walked around to flop down onto an empty couch, patting the cushion next to her for a wary Ash.
"This is Ash, he helped me catch a Salazzle. He's visiting from Kanto." One of the teens jerked forward, neon green mohawk peeking out from under his hat.
"No way! I just got accepted to Saffron University, you been? Oh, I'm Duncan, by the way." And that broke the tension. A big discussion on Kanto versus Alola took place; a couple Skulls were either from Kanto or had visited before.
At some point, Ash wasn't sure how or when two girls had snuck behind him and distracted him with talks of the Kanto and Johto Elite Four while they styled his hair. He didn't notice Plumeria lean over and whisper a suggestion in their ears.
"We all know Karen was only inducted into the Elite Four to try and fix the stigma on Dark types. She's a Master, don't get me wrong, but she's the weakest Dark Master in generations." Ash was ranting to a few active listeners.
"Man, the Johto Elite Four is terrible. Lance doesn't give a shit about Johto Elite Four, he's just the only one with the credentials to be Champion. He's not dedicating time to cultivating their leadership abilities, but maybe he's just stretched too thin." Murmurs of agreement to Haru's words spread through the room. Haru was born and raised in Olivine City and had strong feelings.
Rose nodded along, her hair matching her namesake. "Oh I agree, Karen's not even the worst. Don't get me started on the other three! Will doesn't know how to take a hit, Casey is immature, and Liza only seriously trains her Charizard."
Chetan nudged his brother, Kartik's, arm and leaned forward. "Kanto Elite Four, though, they're the best of the best. Honestly, I think they're the strongest of all the regions. Lorelei, Bruno, Koga, and Agatha? Powerhouses, the lot of them."
"Did you idiots forget about Sinnoh's Elite Four? Cynthia has a Species Mastery, She forced Alder to take his Eelektross off his Champion team! She's half his age and her Eelektross took his down like nothing. Plus, every single one of her Elite Four has a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve. I mean, did you see Aaron's Mega Heracross demolish Karen's Honchkrow?" Rose shot back.
"But what about Lorelei managing to defeat Bertha's Mega Steelix with her Gigantamax Lapras in the Coronation Series battle two years ago?" Chetan argued, glaring heatedly at Rose.
"Lorelei could step on me and I'd thank her." Priscilla leaned back and fanned herself, successfully smothering the fight that almost broke out. Laughter rang through the room and shouted agreements.
Aiko was about to say something, but tilted her head and looked at Ash. "Wow, Ash, your hair looks great!" Ash furrowed his brows and reached up to touch his hair. The sides had been pulled back, the longer hair on top left to hang. Aiko took out her phone and took a picture, showing Ash.
"What in the Nether did you do to my hair?" He blurted, causing the group to laugh at his shock. Right where his hair parted naturally, one streak of violet purple and one of light pink hung down into his eyes. "How did I not notice you doing this? You would have had to bleach my hair first!"
Missy and Tia leaned around from behind him to smile widely. "Once you got going talking about the Leagues, you were blind and deaf to anything else." Tia chuckled, Missy nodding sagely along to her friend's words.
Ash fingered the colored strands for a few more seconds before shrugging. "Well, you got the colors right." Honestly, Ash couldn't be too upset, he felt… included, like part of the group. It was a nice feeling.
Plumeria kicked his legs off the ottoman and playfully glared. "Yeah, you're welcome."
Ash waved her off. "Yes, yes, you're a gift." When he smiled at Plumeria, he caught sight of the window and startled. "Oh wow, how'd it get so late? Is there a Pokémon center around here?"
Missy smacked his head. "Crash here, idiot. We have plenty of room. We're all going to the beach tomorrow morning if you want to tag along."
Ash leaned his head back to look at her. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks." He looked at the rest of the group. "I'm not imposing, right?" Responses composed of "nah" and "course not" filled the room and Ash relaxed.
"Great. I'm going to go feed my Pokémon real quick, they never got dinner." He got a couple of exaggerated salutes and he stepped out to the parking lot. He pressed the release button on his five Pokéballs. Everyone shook, not used to being in their balls for hours on end.
"Sorry about that, guys, we got side-tracked. Give me a few minutes to get dinner ready. We're going to the beach tomorrow morning, then we need to train a little for the tournament."
Mirae and Bane bounced over for some affection, somewhat delaying their dinner, much to Styx's consternation.
Finally, the five were digging in, Ash munching on some sandwiches he swiped from the last Pokémon center cafeteria.
He spent longer than he needed outside. It was warm, and his Pokémon were feeling affectionate. Styx and Sagitta were wrapped around Mirae and Styx was allowing Hemlock to rest against her side. Bane, with no illusion, was curled up in his lap. Ash ran fingers through his steadily growing tuft of fur on his head.
Plumeria eventually peaked her head out and her curious look softened at the sight. "Sorry, just checking in. The couch is a pull-out bed, and we got it set up for you."
Ash smiled. "Thank you, Plumeria."
"Call me Plume, Ash, all my friends do."
From atop a small and quick Charizard, Ash looked down at Akala Island as it rushed by underneath.
The last two days with the Skulls had been… really good.
He was sad to leave the group, but he had gotten a few of their numbers to keep in contact. Ash spent most of yesterday morning with them all at a small beach close to the apartment complex.
Bane and Mirae had gotten a few adoring looks, but nothing else. His Pokémon, after an hour of trying to keep up appearances, had finally given in and played in the surf and sand. The hours of grooming last night were worth it for the looks of contentment on their faces.
He had managed to sneak a few answers out of various Skulls during his time with them. Haru told him there was another leader, directly under Plumeria, who had gotten access to a machine that tracked Ultra Wormhole radiation.
That's how they knew where the Ultra Beasts had shown up.
Priscilla had looked proud when she told him Team Skull had sent over a dozen Ultra Beasts home since they had started. Whenever they tracked a wormhole, they brought the UBs just in case it was still open when they got there.
Chetan let slip that the other Skull leader had a personal vendetta against Aether, and they were all supportive of the entire endeavor. None of them condoned Pokémon abuse.
Missy and Tia were more than happy to talk shit about Guzma, their old leader. He had been bribed by Aether to keep people off their scent, and he did that by causing as much havoc as he could.
Eventually Plume and the other leader defeated him and turned him in.
Unfortunately, no one knew much about Aether or how they opened the first wormhole. He felt like that was the missing puzzle piece.
But despite all the heavy questions, Ash truly enjoyed his time with the Skulls. The most entertaining part of the morning was watching Plume and Salazzle figure each other out. The two had faced off, Salazzle with one clawed hand on the ground, and Plumeria with arms crossed and an indifferent expression. Five minutes passed in this vein, until Salazzle nodded and gently bumped her new trainer.
But he only stayed half the day, having reached the end of his social quota. He spent the rest of the day and night exploring Route 8 and training.
He never made it back to the volcano. To be honest, he didn't really want a Turtonator, he didn't feel their battle style fit with his, but he knew Fire types were incredible additions to any team. He couldn't find it in him to care that he didn't catch one.
It seemed every time he went out to catch a new Pokémon, something happened to prevent it. First with the blizzard, now with Turtonator.
The wind tore through his newly styled hair, his hat tucked safely in his bag. Konikoni City was on the opposite side of Akala, but flying on a Charizard? Takes a mere half hour.
Training went well, but now it was time to focus. The tournament started at noon, and his Pokémon were ready.
Ash knew he needed a good win. His last three big challenges had ended in defeat, even if his battle with Gladion was a tie. Giselle had wiped the floor with them, and he'd forfeited to Surge due to Hemlock's cruelty.
This tournament was for trainers who've been training for a year or less. Even though he'd only been at it for two months, he was confident. He had never been closer to his Pokémon, and their skills were being honed beautifully.
The Charizard angled downward at a sharp decline. The adrenaline flooded Ash and he had to tamper down the wild smile that threatened to split his face. Flaring her wings, the Charizard slowed down and touched down on the old stone road of Konikoni City.
Ash jumped down and patted the pseudo-Dragon's side before she took off. He looked around the cobblestone streets in interest at the just-opening merchant stalls selling various goods. He was pretty sure he caught sight of a stall selling the less-rare evolution stones; Fire, Water, Leaf, and Thunder.
Once in the Pokémon center, he trotted up to the nurse behind the counter, who was blearily reading a magazine trying to stay awake at the early hour.
"Can you check over my Pokémon please and can I get a room for a night?" The nurse, whose name tag read 'David' nodded and took his Pokédex and tray of Pokéballs.
He had over five hours to kill before the tournament started. He had registered online, so he didn't have any other pressing matters. The tournament would last two days, assuming he lasted that long.
Deciding to look through the marketplace, he wandered through the various stalls. He found some deals on single-use TMs, and picked up Aerial Ace and Shadow Claw. He browsed the evolution stones and shook his head. Incense, herbs, spices, geodes, and a few deep sea scales and teeth that were fished up.
He spent an hour in the marketplace until he heard the alert that his Pokémon were ready for pickup. Clipping his Pokéballs to his belt, he decided to head to Route 9 and relax with his Pokémon until it was time to go to the stadium.
"Alola! Welcome to our sixth annual Konikoni City Tournament! If you didn't know, I'm Olivia, Akala's Kahuna! I started this tournament to give new trainers the chance to test their skills and maybe get a little somethin-sometin' out of it!" Olivia Shale laughed with the crowd.
Ash watched her speech on the TVs mounted backstage. He was surprised by the number of trainers here. 64 trainers showed up. A good chunk of them were actually from the Orange Islands and Unova.
"We've got some exciting prizes for our winners today! But it's going to stay a secret for now." Olivia winked, playing up the dramatics. "But I will tell you one surprise! The winner will be able to battle me in an exhibition match!" The crowd roared, it was like all of Alola was here.
"But enough of that, without further ado, let's get this tournament started! First and second round battles will be one-on-one, third and fourth round are two-on-two, while our semifinal and final matches are three-on-three! Let's give it up for our first battlers, Regina Lopper and Ci Chen!"
From his spot beside Hau, Ash watched the Passiman decimate the opposing Kantonian Raticate. The two friends kept up a constant stream of commentary, talking about strengths and weaknesses.
Ash had met up with Hau and Gladion an hour before the tournament started. He got some shit about his new hair but both guys eventually conceded that it worked on him. Gladion had found a good seat in the stands to cheer for (or quietly encourage) them.
Soon it was Hau's turn. As he walked out, Ash could see from the screen he waved to Gladion, who had Mirae in his lap so he could watch. Hau's Aipom was versatile and managed to take down a Trumbeak.
Ash took his place across from his opponent, Xavier Miller from Unova. He looked up at Mirae and Gladion and nodded.
He didn't bother listening to the ref, instead readying his Pokéball. He and Xavier tossed at the same time, and Ash smirked.
The Duosion bobbed nervously in the face of Hemlock's grin. As soon as the ref's flags came down, Hemlock was in motion. A dozen clones circled the Psychic type and Xavier paled.
"Light Screen!"
The true Hemlock's Feint Attack slipped beneath the barriers, disrupting Duosion's power with the Dark energy.
"Thunder Wave!"
"Dark Pulse." The stronger Dark attack overwhelmed the weak electrical charge, washing over the poor mitosis Pokémon. Already it seemed to be on its last legs - uh - cytoplasm?
"Energy Ball! Quick!"
"Finish with Sucker Punch." Ash didn't want to say he was disappointed by the battle, but he was definitely disappointed by the battle. He and Xavier shook hands, and soon Hemlock was returned to the excited chanting of the crowd.
Ash made it back to his seat, Hau giving him a proud thumbs up. The remainder of the 32 battles finished quickly, many Pokémon not yet having the stamina for long-lasting battles. Ash was telling Hau about his day at the volcano, unable to finish the whole story due to the other teen's questions.
Olivia came back to center field. "What an incredible first round! I have my eye on a few trainers, what about you?" The Rock trainer grinned at the enthusiastic response. "Well, it's far from over! Let's see next round's matchups!"
Ash's next opponent hadn't stood out during the first round, using an Emolga to take out her opponent's Tranquill.
He was the second to battle this round, and so accepted Hau's good luck and headed for the field. The teen was rather short for her age, and must have been from Unova from the flag printed across her shirt.
"One-on-one battle between Emily Lewis of Nimbasa City and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" Readying Sagitta's Pokéball, she appeared against Emily's Cubchoo.
"Gusty, use Icy Wind!"
"Match with Shock Wave, then Safeguard." The Cubchoo wasn't very old, so his Ice attack lacked the power it needed to overcome the Electric attack. But Ash wanted to protect against getting frozen just in case.
The Cubchoo was frowning from its miss, and fired off a red Hidden Power. Without needing to be told, Sagitta released a Fairy Wind that disrupted the orbs, continuing on to knock the cub back.
"Aerial Ace!"
"Up." It looked like he wasn't the only one interested in that particular TM. The Flying type attack cut into Sagitta's foot just as she flew higher into the air. Ash winced, that would sting.
"Frost Breath, put power into it!"
"Fairy Wind." The two attacks clashed, Fairy Wind almost getting overpowered until they canceled each other out. The Cubchoo was exhausted after putting most of its energy into that one attack. A final Shock Wave finished the battle.
"Once again Ketchum prevails!" Sagitta chirped and beamed, flying into his arms and letting him gently brush her feathery cheek. He shook Emily's hand and left.
Of the 16 battles in round two, only Hau's and surprisingly Lana's were of any interest. He had seen Kukui's student battle with a Brionne and a Dewpider, so he guessed she was a Water trainer. He didn't expect to know anyone else in the competition.
Hau's Poliwhirl was stupidly strong and knocked out his opponent's Boldore. When the green-haired teen came back from his battle, Ash turned to him curiously.
"Poliwrath or Politoed?"
Hau chuckled and shrugged. "Honestly, I'm leaning towards Politoed if I can find a King's Rock. I already have Crabrawler, and I'm not looking to specialize in Fighting types like my family." Ash nodded and left it at that.
Round two ended with little fanfare. Round three would have two-on-two battles and Ash looked up to see his opponent was Lana. Hau was against some muscled dude named Ricky.
This time around, Ash had to watch the other seven battles before it was his turn. Hau had barely managed to defeat the guy's Mankey and Machoke, but his knowledge of Fighting types came in handy.
As Ash walked up to his spot, he watched Lana. He hadn't checked to see when Alolan trainers got their licenses, but it had to be 12 or 13 based on Lana's height and demeanor.
"Two-on-two battle between Lana Dew and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"
"Come on Wishiwashi!"
"Hemlock."
Hm, Wishiwashi was an intriguing Pokémon. No matter where they were, other Wishiwashi could be called to them to create their School Form, boosting their attack and defense, but only until they took significant damage. Then their comrades flee.
Its shadow overtook the field.
The Wishiwashi was gigantic, casting looming over Hemlock with a menacing mask. Ash felt a wild grin take over his face.
This would be fun.
"Brine!"
"Master Fake Out." It had taken some time, but Ash and Hemlock had worked on his technique used against Surge's Blitzle to make it more acceptable. It was a genius strategy. Confuse the opponent with Double Team, randomize attacks and Fake Outs so the Pokémon couldn't predict which clone was the real one, and repeat.
This was perfect for a Wishiwashi, because by the time it or its trainer figured out a counter, their energy had already been chipped away. More and more of its comrades were fleeing after a few Drain Punches and Feint Attacks.
But Lana still had one more trick up her sleeve while she still had the power of School Form.
"Earthquake!"
Yeah, wasn't expecting that.
The field shook and broke, and Hemlock's clones dissipated, leaving him as a bright magenta target. The Morgrem's knees buckled, and he had to brace himself against the roiling earth.
"Scald!"
"Protect!" The dome of energy formed just in time, hissing steam bouncing off. As soon as the stream of water ended, Hemlock dropped the barrier, panting with exertion. Wishiwashi had returned to its Solo Form, and was looking around fearfully.
"Hemlock, Dark Pulse." Dark energy burst from the devious Pokémon, and took down the Water type. Lana returned her single Wishiwashi and gave Ash a contemplative look. Her Brionne took the field, and Ash resisted a scowl.
"Do what you can to wear it down." Hemlock nodded, even though his legs were shaking. Ash knew using Protect would eventually get better, but until then, it was draining.
"Disarming Voice."
"Sucker Punch." Hemlock was able to land the attack, but the Fairy energy struck him and sapped the last of his energy. Ash lifted his painted Pokéball and returned his downed partner. With whispered thanks, Ash traded out his Pokéball for Bane's. It wasn't an ideal matchup, but it would be a good test. Even if Bionne wasn't a Fairy type, it had access to a whole arsenal.
Ash and Bane had decided Torracat was the best cover for a televised tournament. Similar movesets, similar body shape, and relatively easy to keep up the illusion due to their species being quadruped. Bane was almost at the point where he could keep up the illusion even after a few hits.
The 'Torracat' landed on the field and Lana gave him a perplexed look, but he didn't explain himself. His hopes came true when Lana called for a Water Gun. She would be so focused on Bane's perceived Fire type that she would disregard her Fairy type attacks.
Perfect.
She might have known he had a Zorua, but she didn't know if he had managed to get a Litten somehow in Alola. Kukui's students knew he was training Darks, so hopefully she wouldn't dig too deep.
"Swift. Make it dance." Bane even made his illusion grin. Stars bombarded the Brionne at all angles, making it jump and weave and send out attacks to detonate the Normal energy early. But the thing about Brionne is that they're much better suited for water battles.
A slightly battered Brionne glared at Bane and gladly responded to Lana's command to use Aqua Jet.
As Bane slipped into Agility, it became a game of speed. He had to figure out how to disrupt it somehow…
Oh, maybe that would work.
"Copycat!" It showed how much Bane trusted him when he immediately spun on his front feet and propelled himself in a blast of water to meet the Aqua Jet head-on with one of his own. The two canceled each other out and sent the Pokémon flying. Ash couldn't express how proud he was that Bane's illusion didn't tremble.
"Taunt." Ash smirked when Bane chose Shadow Ball as his weapon of choice when the agitated Brionne closed in. The spectral energy knocked it back, and even though it sent out one last Bubble Beam, the Swift took it out.
Ash finally relaxed his clenched fists and caught the already airborne 'Torracat'. "You were absolutely incredible. Thank you for trusting me." Bane nuzzled his neck before being returned.
Lana met him in the middle and shook his hand with her tiny one. "That was a really good battle. Thank you."
"You too." Lana's lips quirked and she nodded, turning around to walk away.
Back in the waiting lounge, Ash sighed. He had been warring with himself whether or not it was safe to use Bane. This tournament was televised, if his illusion dropped, they'd be screwed. But Bane wanted to fight, so Ash would let him. One more battle left for today. Tomorrow will be the semifinals and finals.
"Ash, that was such a good battle! That strategy your Morgrem used, Master Fake Out? It was genius!" Hau clapped him on the back.
"Thanks, we had to tweak it a bunch, we ran into a problem with it causing psychological trauma." That brought Hau up short and he swallowed awkwardly. Ash patted him on the shoulder and dropped off his Pokémon at the healing station. Healing unconscious Pokémon really only took a few minutes, but Ash usually liked to get the full check up when he went to Pokémon centers. He kept each of his Pokémons' electronic files saved in his Pokédex. Bloodwork, body composition, urine results, everything.
The one thing it wouldn't heal is mental exhaustion. Hemlock would be sleeping well tonight. Battles were mentally taxing, no doubt.
Since Ash's was the last battle of round three, there were now only eight contestants left. He looked at the screen and saw his next opponent was a teen who had an impressive Zangoose and Seviper, ironically.
Hau was in the third battle against an androgynous trainer who'd created waves with their Golett and Frillish. Dartrix quickly incapacitated the Ground and Ghost type, but fell to Frillish's Ice type attacks. Ash expected Hau to use his Pikachu, but instead his Poliwhirl was sent out.
Oh, Water Absorb. Smart.
It was a close match, but Poliwhirl was a powerhouse and took out the jellyfish with a well placed Mud Shot.
Ash was up right after, last to go again. He already had a plan. Hugo Underhill stood at the other side of the field. He had only used a Zangoose and a Seviper, and both were vicious Pokémon. Might as well have an equally vicious matchup.
The Zangoose cowered when Styx appeared. By now, she had surpassed Ash in height, and glossy feathers had started to cover a majority of her head. She looked demonic with her twin heads snarling and baring razor sharp fangs.
As soon as the ref gave the signal, Ash put his hands in his pockets and let Styx run unrestrained. Zangoose were built for close combat, and even though they could learn various elemental long-ranged attacks, their strength lies in the physical. But Styx's reflexes were dutifully sharpened.
A tail to block a Crush Claw, her soon-to-be wing to divert a Brick Break, a well-timed Hyper Voice to throw off focus.
Ash could see the rising fury in the Normal type. Its moves became sloppy and wild. Styx was baring her teeth in an approximation of a grin. She was toying with it. Oh, don't get him wrong, the Zangoose was strong and well-trained. But Styx was better.
Finally, Zangoose swung a Brick Break only to cry out as its arm was caught between a set of electrified teeth. Its other arm lashed out, but that one was soon frozen in ice. Heads working in tandem that truly showed how far she'd come since meeting her at the Ranch, Zangoose was launched away, bouncing and rolling before being struck with a Dragon Pulse.
Styx's tail was flicking side to side in smug appreciation. She was barely breathing heavily.
Hugo returned Zangoose in stunned amazement, eyes locked on the ferocious Dragon. Ash was expecting his Seviper to be released, but instead, a massive Tropius shook the ground as it landed.
The Tropius was a marvel. Its head had to be nine feet off the ground, its leafy wings extending far from its body. He had no idea how Tropius achieved flight because that thing had to weigh a ton.
Not many people bothered specializing in single-stage Pokémon, but they had impressive strength and a lot of room to improve, even without having the ability to evolve. He wondered what other Pokémon Hugo had.
Styx would have a little trouble fighting an airborne opponent. Luckily, he had a plan.
"Sweet Scent and Gust!" Ash was somewhat impressed; he was uncertain if Hugo knew Zweilous relied on scent and sound or if it was just a preset strategy.
"Light up Fire Fang and keep it going, get in close." Styx's flammable saliva would hopefully create a strong enough scent to block the pungent attack. The Gust was strong, but it was a double edge sword. It might get the Sweet Scent across the field faster, but it also made it dissipate at a higher rate.
Styx was nothing if not stubborn, so even as the Gust raged on, she got closer and closer to the Fruit Pokémon, Fire Fang flickering aggressively in her maws.
"Into the air!"
"Distract." Scary Face and Hyper Voice overwhelmed two of the major senses, and Hugo found his Pokémon grounded and thrashing. Styx was only a few meters away at this point, and to optimize her opportunity, she shot a few small but dense Dragon Pulses at the junctions where wings met spine.
Tropius must have had a high pain tolerance, because it immediately heeded Hugo's call for a surprise Dragon Pulse that knocked Styx back. The Dragon snarled, pissed that her own attack had been used against her ('Styx, you don't own Dragon Pulse'), and sent a wave of darkness from her body. It didn't do much damage, but the winged Grass type shuddered and flinched from the uncanny energy.
Not wasting time, Styx used her hind legs to propel her the remaining distance. The Tropius released an unholy shriek when the twin Ice Fangs clamped around its neck. If Styx had been the size of an average Zweilous, she would have been comically hanging in the air. But as it was, with her legs planted, she yanked.
The Fruit Pokémon stumbled forward, too distracted by the ice spreading up the long neck. One foreleg buckled, allowing Styx to twist her heads and throw the massive Hoenn native onto its side, crushing a wing beneath it as the ground shook.
Styx didn't like being the smaller opponent.
Tropius managed to launch a few Magical Leaf attacks that cut into Styx's hide, but when Ice Fang turned to Crunch and sent the revolting Dark type energy into the Pokémon's system, Tropius could fight no more.
Proving she wasn't controlled by her instincts, Styx immediately let go and roared her victory. It took the crowd a moment to recover from their shock before roaring along with her. The Hostile Pokémon made her way back to her Heart-Soul, understanding that his smirk of pride was all that needed to be expressed.
As Ash and Hugo met in the middle, Hugo grasped Ash's hand and shook his head. "Wow, your Zweilous is incredible. I've never seen one so… obedient."
Ash shook his head as Styx growled at the comment. "Oh, I wouldn't call it obedience. But we do trust each other. Also, why Pokémon with no evolutionary line?"
The other teen nonchalantly put his hands in his pockets as he replied, "Oh, I don't believe in evolution." And walked away.
With the most befuddled expression he's probably ever worn, he returned Styx and handed her over to the nurse at the healing station. She didn't take much damage, but that Dragon Pulse to the chest left a dark bruise and scorched fur/feathers.
When Ash turned around, he found Hau staring at him with wide eyes.
"What?"
"Dude." Ash raised an eyebrow. "Styx is a beast. How can anyone take her down?"
Ash slid hands into his pockets. "She's lost twice before, Silvally and a Donphan. She gets cranky when she loses. But I've been training her for a long time, so I have that to my advantage."
Hau shook his head. "Damn, well, I'll do my best if we get to face each other. It looks like we're the final four." He jerked his chin over to the other two trainers waiting in the room.
Ash hummed and looked at the two teens who had won their third round battles. The girl had a spiky purple pixie cut and was lounging against a wall, looking utterly impassive about her win. The other teen was tossing a ball at the wall and catching it as it bounced back. The guy was broad-shouldered with close-cropped blonde hair. He had purple hearing aides tucked into his ears. The ball was striking the same spot on the wall each time.
Cheering from the speakers drew Ash's attention from the two, and the screen showed Olivia walking out.
Hau nudged Ash with his shoulder and grinned. "Semifinals, here we come." The Kanto native smirked and elbowed him lightly.
Olivia glided across the field, making it look effortless in pink heels. "What incredible battles! After a day of intense competition, we've found our semifinalists!" She let the audience express their excitement. "Yes, our four semifinalists have all been a delight to watch!
"Hau Keli'i of Iki Town, grandson of Melemele Kahuna, Hala, has wowed us with his energetic battling style, his Dartrix, Aipom, Crabrawler, and Poliwhirl putting on a show!
"Clint Bishop of Mistralton City, cousin to Gym Leader Skyla, has barrelled his way through the competition with his precision and aim! His Unfezant and Braviary are toppling those that stand in their way!
"Sophie Ivy of Valencia Island, daughter of Orange Islands Professor, Dr. Ivy, is too fast to catch! Voltorb, Scyther, and Dodrio barely take any damage with how fast they move!
"And lastly, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, sponsored by both the illustrious Professor Oak and genius Dr. Bill Richards, has steamrolled this tournament with a mixture of strategy, sneakiness, and all out strength! His Morgrem, Togetic, and Torracat were all impressive, but his powerful Zweilous has really shocked us all!"
Ash was surprised that all four of them had some important background or connection. It made him uncomfortable to realize nepotism might play a role in trainer success.
He watched as Olivia gestured to the large screen above the field and watched as four slots spun like a slot machine. When the slots slowed and their opponents were shown, Ash and Hau side-eyed each other.
"I'm not going down easy."
"Didn't expect you to." Ash and Hau grinned and clasped hands.
On this episode of: Ash making human friends
Kanto and Johto have different Elite Four, but share a Champion.
Long chapter with the stereotypical tournament.