Very little to say this time other than time for the next trial. It was a tricky one, and I'm still not sure it's the best, no matter how much time I spent on it. Hopefully you enjoy Chapter 20!
Chapter 20
A Stalking
"This. Is. Ridiculous!" Jessie's screeches were not the most comfortable way to wake up in the morning, especially with a balloon full of sand, yet that was exactly what James heard when he did. Well, that and Crabrawler diving into the sand for some random reason.
"What's ridiculous, Jess...?" Meowth groaned out, taking his face out from the pile of sand that was there. Jessie stomped her foot down, and quickly got their attention. Crabrawler popped his head out of the sand, clamping to his collection of berries. He quickly dropped one in James' lap before systematically delivering them to each of the rest of the crew. Bewear got more than her fair share, mostly on account of being large. Jessie bit into hers before responding to Meowth's query.
"This! Following the twerps without stealing anything," she snapped, spit flying from her mouth as she ate. Bewear looked at her and shoved a berry inside her own mouth. James surveyed their esteemed "leader" and decided to keep eating breakfast, meager as it seemed. The sun was rising overhead, making the air very hot, though they weren't moving. Wobbuffet was still sleeping!
"But Jessie, dat's what we said we was gonna do," Meowth pointed out to the woman. Jessie scoffed. "Look, you know dat da twoips have only powered up in Alola, like da twoip's Decidueye. Actually, trying ta attack dem would kill us."
"Well, right now we've been up mountains, been janitors at that stuffy observatory, nearly got killed by those Team Skull idiots, snuck away from that whole debacle and then crossed rugged terrain before dealing with a sandstorm!" Jessie snapped. James nodded his head, recognizing each of Jessie's grievances. Truth be told, he had hoped for them to do more against Team Skull, but that whole thing was full of so much chaos, it was all they could do to keep their heads above water, and escape when the time was right. "And let's not forget that emotional parting we had to watch between the twerp and his Greninja!"
"Dat was da hardest ting ever..." Meowth sobbed out, suddenly tearing up. Jessie had practically joined him. Their combined tears were almost making James have his own, but he held it in. He hadn't thought that the twerp saying farewell to a Pokémon of his would be so heart-wrenching, even if it wasn't permanent.
"Point is, we've gone a lot of places and have nothing to show for it!" Jessie snapped, slamming her hand on the balloon basket. It wobbled, but James was too focused on his breakfast to think it was an issue. "We didn't even try to confront ARC in that city! That's ridiculous and uncalled for! The boss would have our hides!"
"So?" James asked. Inkay was upon his head, eating his berry in tandem with some of his croissants. Jessie and Meowth looked at the blue-haired man like he was absolutely crazy, and that perhaps his brain was a little heat and sand-addled. However, he was thinking quite clearly. "I just don't think we should always do what the boss asks when he's not watching our every move."
"You're sounding crazy, James," Jessie said. She was shaking her head, but James waited a little longer to see if she'd say more, polishing off his breakfast once and for all. Once he had, and she hadn't said anything else, James stood, stretching his arms upward.
"I don't think it is!" he stated positively. "Personally, I feel we've been doing better when we're doing things like the Ceremonies or helping the twerps. Trying to impress the boss usually just makes us fail. And I don't think we should try to take down ARC. I mean, they're in the shadows, right, old chums?"
"Jimmy, ya brain's gone numb."
"Or he's just had too much fun..."
"Wobba wobb..." Wobbuffet agreed, nodding up and down, clearly awake now. James decided to stroke his chin, thinking of the best way to explain this all to his compatriots.
"Think of it this way: we battle the twerps, we get beat. ARC is friends with the twerps," he said. They nodded, indicating he had their full attention. "So, if we battle ARC, we might go blasting off. The boss wants us to get rid of them, but sending us here to find them means he didn't even know where they were. So, those chums are pretty sneaky, and if we just ignore them, they'll remain sneaky. We can tell the boss we defeated them and then everyone's happy."
"And if dey decide to attack Team Rocket?" Meowth asked skeptically.
"Well, we can switch sides, of course!" The declaration caused Meowth to flop back on to the sand, rocking the balloon base a little more. James felt he was rather brilliant about the whole thing, but Jessie looked skeptical. At least it was better than Meowth's reaction.
"I'm still not sold on it," Jessie huffed out. "I'd like to think we're just as good at thieving as we are at world saving heroics. And we already top the twerps at that."
"If you say so, Jess..." Meowth mumbled out. James continued to tap his chin, and his face soon blossomed with a grin.
"All right, then how about this: we make one last attempt at thievery in Alola!" James told them. Meowth perked up at that and Jessie raised her eyebrows, listening. "If it goes well, we get back to hunting down ARC. If not, we focus on taking out Team Skull instead, and helping Jessie train for the Hope Leilani."
Jessie looked absolutely shocked by James' belief in her for the Hope Leilani. Sure, she still needed another Lei, but James knew she could win it in time. Her eyes became calculating as she considered the multiple options before her, and she, too, stretched with a grin. "Well, if we're going to show my unending beauty to the world, then perhaps we need something that could exemplify it, such as one of those Z-Crystals."
"Yeah, but where do we get one a dem?" Meowth's question was certainly a challenging one, but James already had the answer.
"The twerp does those trial things, right? So, we break into one of them and snatch it!" he said. "Not to mention, we know one is in that Megamart by the nearby village thanks to our twerp reconnaissance, so it would behoove us to go to that Megamart."
"Hey, dat's smart!"
"We can carry them all off with a cart!" Jessie said, jumping up and down with her fist raised. The balloon rocked, causing a horrible wrenching sound to be heard. The three and their Pokémon grimaced...and then the balloon tipped over, knocking them off the rock face they had been upon and sending them plummeting down below to the desert sands. Their infiltration would have to wait a little more.
X X X
"I'm so sorry!" Clemont's voice sounded panicked and upset as he bent low to the ground in front of the three girls. Ash scratched at his nose, just watching the whole thing. The sandstorm had since subsided, and with the sun now raising high above in the sky, he could begin to feel the heat rising in the area. Hapu, therefore, had busied herself with disassembling the tents. "I ran off without telling everyone and I must have made you so upset."
"It's fine, Clemont," Serena laughed out, her eyes twinkling with a smile at him. That was always to be expected for Serena, so Ash stopped scratching at his nose to put a hand around his friend. "I don't know why, but you're back here safely, and that's what counts."
"Rotom is happy to have Clemont back, too! Did Clemont see Tapu Bulu? Rotom must know!"
"Rotom needs to shut up," Bonnie said, tossing a handful of sand at the machine. She then rounded on her brother, hands on her hips furiously. She stomped forward through the sand, causing Ash to disengage from Clemont and back up as much as he could. "Clemont, you're stupid!"
"B-Bonnie!" Clemont whined out, but his sister was having none of it. She stomped down on his foot, and Dedenne leapt forward to nuzzle him, leaving him twitching with paralysis.
"You're a liar, too!" she snapped at him viciously. Ash quickly snaked around, joining back up with Serena and Lillie, who were pretending to not watch the scene. "I asked you what was wrong, and you lied to me!"
"I didn't want to make you worried."
"Well, you worried me anyway, you dumb older brother." Clemont looked, if possible, even more apologetic by this point, hanging his head in defeat. Bonnie sighed, and then stepped forward, clasping him in a tight hug. "I love you, Clemont. So, don't do something like that again!"
"I...I won't. Promise." That seemed to be good enough for Bonnie, and it was good enough for Ash and the others as well, who laughed a little. Ash was pretty sure that Clemont was still struggling inside, worried about falling behind them, but he was determined to make sure Clemont knew he was fine just the way he was. He just didn't know how, especially with trying to figure out his own answers.
"Well, if you're all done forgiving each other, how about we get moving? It's only going to get hotter," Hapu said with a smile, grinning from ear to ear at them.
"On it!" Ash said energetically, and he led the others in packing up for the road ahead. He was surprised at how long they'd had to wait until the sandstorm had decided, catching sleep as needed within the shrine. Thinking of the road ahead, however, Ash refused to let himself get fatigued, and he quickly prepared for departure.
Their second day of slogging through the desert proved much easier than the first. Sure, Rotom was about as useless from the heat as ever, something Bonnie never failed to comment on, but each of them was now used to trudging through the thick sands. In particular, Ash decided to stick close to Clemont. The inventor picked up on that pretty quickly.
"I'm not going to run off again," he stated sheepishly sometime later in the day, wiping at the sweat on his glasses. Ash slung his arm back around him with a grin.
"I didn't think you would," he answered back. Huffing out a breath as he watched Serena and Lillie converse up ahead about Komala's fur (Nebby was back in the bag, acting as innocent as ever). "Look, Clemont, I have no idea why Tapu Koko gave me this thing, or Serena got one from Tapu Lele, but I don't think it means I'm better than you."
"Really? Because I'm definitely not at your level," he insisted. Ash wasn't sure for a moment on how to answer that. The air was starting to grow cooler, even though it wasn't quite close to nighttime.
"I don't think you need to be," Ash spoke wisely. Pikachu nodded, this day traveling on his shoulder. "Because there are ways I could never even match you. You're so much smarter than me, and creative when it comes to building things. All I can really do is battle people. Kinda makes me useless, huh?"
"I don't think so..." Clemont began chuckling after that. "Look at us, Ash. I think I'm useless but you think I'm not. Then you think you're useless, and I'm the one encouraging you."
"That's what friends are all about!"
"Pika!"
"Chaja chaja!" Ash noticed that Charjabug had emerged from his pokeball to feed on Clemont's backpack once again. Even Jangmo-o, who was getting used to the group by trotting in front of Serena and Lillie like a protector, practically barked back. It made the two girls look back and smile at the boys.
"Of course!" That appeared to settle the issue. Clemont firmed himself up and allowed himself to look forward with a more positive expression. Maybe there was something else on his mind, Ash figured, but the blond seemed to be determined to not let it upset or worry him. Bonnie suddenly cried out.
"I can see grass!" she cried out. Ash ran a little forward, Clemont latching on to him in order to reach the point that Bonnie could see. Sure enough, when they reached that point they saw that little sprouts of grass were emerging as the desert began to die off. Part of Ash had to wonder if Tapu Bulu was actually the one responsible for the harsh desert that protected him, considering the way its wastes seemed to suddenly end, replaced with cool air.
"Mount Lanakila, which is relatively snowy, borders the Tapu Village," Hapu was explaining. Ash could feel his blood beginning to race. Just hearing about the Tapu Village made him excited about his next trial. Just this one, and then the last one and the Grand Trials...He was so close. "It makes the air cool around the area. A great place for any number of Pokémon. There's also a Pokémon Center there."
"Awesome. Then we can heal up before taking on the trial tonight!"
"You don't want to rest?" Lillie asked, clutching to Komala. The sand was now transitioning to grass beneath their feet. Serena shook her head, removing the hood from around her face as the air was becoming much nicer. Ash did so as well, feeling relief on his skin.
"Come on, Lillie, you should know Ash by now," she laughed out. Lillie looked a little sheepish, and nodded her head. "If there's a trial to be had, he'll take it. Especially if Acerola is waiting."
"Well, I'll wish you luck," Hapu said with her own little grin. "I'd love to stick around and watch, but I do have a meeting to be getting to, after all."
"It's no problem with me. I'll be battling against you as soon as I'm done with the trials on Ula'ula, after all," Ash reminded her. The woman's talk on being a Kahuna in name only had not changed the fact of her role in the trial system. Hapu laughed at that. The crunch of desert sands was now completely replaced with the grass beneath their feet, and each one of them were removing their cloaks, caked with sand all over. At least they weren't sunburned, though.
"Wow, these are so cool!" Bonnie sounded out, suddenly hopping from Mudsdale a few feet in front of them. What she seemed to be talking about was another set of ruins, though these looked more like buildings from the past. It was a town in its own right, really, with what looked like a destroyed fortress, or maybe a castle.
Weeds were growing up in its place, lacing the walls with ivy. Whatever had happened here to send these homes into disarray, it had happened a long time ago. They were a relic from some bygone era. Clemont appeared slightly interested in them, examining, in particular, the way that the plants had grown up around it, along with the general construction of the buildings.
"These vines are most certainly not normal..." the inventor noted. "One would think that over time they'd look almost dead, but these look fresh, as though they grew up the buildings yesterday."
"You remember what Acerola told you all, right?" Hapu noted to all of them. Ash did, nodding, and it seemed Serena did as well. Seeing that, he moved close to her and took her hand; it had been a long time since they'd been able to do this with one another. "This is the effect of Tapu Bulu. Long ago, in its rage at the conflicts, it wiped this place off the map...yet now, it flourishes. Hope inside of despair. So, people built a settlement here years later, partially to remind themselves of the tragedy, partially to serve as a waypoint for trial-goers. Not that all of it recovered..."
Ash had to wonder what Hapu meant by that as they cleared the ruins, entering to the more thriving part of the village. It was definitely quieter than most other towns Ash had visited, with just a few buildings and houses, combined with the Pokémon Center. The reason why became somewhat obvious as they neared the Center.
"Oh my!" Lillie gasped out, causing all of them to turn. Ash's eyebrows flew upward as Pikachu also gasped in shock.
The town may have been built in the space that had once been destroyed, but there was one area that had not recovered in the slightest. The beach that bordered the town was scorched black beyond any sense of recognition. Roads that looked to have been built there were crumbling in decay from disuse because of how difficult it looked to reach. Traveling along the coast, Ash noticed there was a building sitting atop a hill, looking like a Megamart, as they'd seen on Royal Avenue, though it looked entirely abandoned.
"That would be Acerola's trial site," Hapu told him, pointing in the direction of the Megamart. "Don't ask me how or why, but that's what it is. She's always been a free spirit."
"It looks like reaching the trial might be a trial in and of itself," Lillie noted. Ash was inclined to agree with her observation. He had to figure that this was a result of Tapu Bulu's wrath as well, or rather a long term-consequence. A reminder about how there could be hope, but despair was also there, keeping one from getting too prideful. Ash felt a sudden tap on his shoulder from Serena and he turned to face his girlfriend, only to find her pointing upward.
"Look," she whispered in his ear. He obeyed her, looking up and seeing the majestic view of Mount Lanakila. It was so close to him...So close to the Pokémon League that he would most assuredly be competing in. Even the others were awestruck; so awestruck that it jolted them all when the cry of a Fearow pierced the air. Pikachu got defensive while Serena reached for a pokeball and called out Sandshrew without thinking.
"Shrew?" he asked in confusion and Ash noticed he was looking more seasoned than he used to be. Serena had been hard at work with him during her journey. However, it soon proved that she didn't need him, because the Fearow was more than friendly.
"Alola, cousins!" cried the jovial voice of Professor Kukui, descending down upon them from the height he was at. Ash now saw he was riding atop the Fearow with a grin, a satchel slung against his figure and his lab coat flapping out behind him.
"Professor Kukui!" they all called out at the same time. Ash was the first to step forward to the professor, who landed smoothly and hopped off Fearow in the same movement, raising a hand. He was holding a box under his other arm. "What are you doing here?"
"Heading for the meeting!" Kukui explained. Ash could have slapped himself for not realizing that before he asked it, though it didn't explain why he was here in the Tapu Village instead of heading straight up the mountain. "The Kahunas are meeting to determine a date for the League and Hope Leilani."
"The Hope Leilani?" Serena asked, herself registering surprise at this particular development. Ash was, as well, though he tried to not let it show on his face. "What does that have to do with the League?"
"Guess Akela never mentioned it. We're holding both events at roughly the same time. Well, the Hope Leilani will be first, but we'll be going straight into the League after. Pretty exciting, if I do say so myself." Kukui looked pleased with this notion, shifting the box under his arms. Next to Ash, Clemont was peering mysteriously at the box and then at Kukui, while the professor acknowledged Hapu.
"You didn't just come here by coincidence, did you, professor?" Clemont suddenly asked. Ash blinked a little and looked between the two, stopping on Kukui when the professor's grin grew practically gigantic. At this, he made a large flourishing movement to present the box.
"Is this it? Is this what Rotom has been searching for? !" Rotom exclaimed excitedly. From that, Ash had a sudden inkling as to what could be inside the box, and he chuckled. Clemont appeared to know as well, though Bonnie was more than oblivious.
"Ooh! What is it? What's in the box?" she asked. Rotom sniggered at her ignorance, causing the lemon blonde to swat at it. At her insistent questioning, Kukui opened up the box. It seemed to shine bright, like some kind of treasure inside, before the light faded to reveal two crystals sitting inside the box, with an empty space for where a third one was.
"Z-Crystals!" Rotom exclaimed enthusiastically. It quickly snapped pictures of the crystals excitedly, but was yanked back by Bonnie.
"That they are, delivered from Samson Oak. He had to confirm their contents before giving them to me, but figured I was the best to hold on to them until he could test his theory with trainers," the professor commented with a sly expression. "We have one theory proven thanks to Hau, so I wonder if you two can prove the rest of it."
"Why us two?" Serena asked, leaning in to look at the differently colored crystals, one green and one blue. There was a sudden loud noise from both of the trainers belts, combined with a bright light, and Ash was surprised to see that Decidueye had emerged from his pokeball. He wasn't alone; Brionne had, as well. Kukui laughed.
"Sai sai," Decidueye responded insistently, pointing with his wing to the green crystal in the box. Brionne didn't do the same, but she did bound over to Kukui and flap her flippers together. Clemont made a noise of recognition.
"It's like with Greninja...so..."
"They are mutations in the Z-Crystals, brought about by Tapu Bulu's power!" Rotom announced gladly. Ash's eyes narrowed and he leaned in towards Kukui.
"Were you really just heading for that meeting on Mount Lanakila, professor?" he asked. Kukui once more laughed, rubbing the back of his head. Decidueye was still pawing at the Z-Crystal, going so far as to pick it up and turn to Ash with a smiling expression; at least he wasn't trying to eat it.
"Of course, I was! But no one said I couldn't make a little detour first," he told them. "I was planning on actually giving it to you when you cleared your trials, but Samson called up and mentioned that Dartrix had evolved. We both knew we had to test it right away! And it appears not even that evolution mattered in response to our theory..."
"Koo koo!" Decidueye hooted out cheerily. Ash grinned at his Pokémon, and since Kukui was giving no objections, Ash took the green Z-Crystal from him. It felt special, with a marking that looked a bit like his Grass type; it had a feeling quite similar to Greninja's Z-Crystal, sparking a connection between him and Decidueye. Likewise, Brionne seemed to bound upwards to slap the blue crystal out of the box and into Serena's hands. She caught it with surprise and held it to her chest.
"Decidium-Z, and Primarium-Z...that's what we had figured on naming them. They looked different from your standard crystal, and when they wouldn't work with any of the Pokémon that offered to test them with us, we knew it was similar to your Greninjium-Z," Kukui commented. "I'd given Hau his when his Incineroar reacted to the other crystal on my way here."
"So, Hau must have completed his other trial, then," Ash noted. He felt glad for that. "Decidium-Z, huh?"
"Kooooo!" Decidueye cried out, his wings extending large. As he did so, Kukui appeared to check his watch, like he was making sure he wouldn't be late. Of course. He only intended this to be a brief experiment.
"Right, thanks, professor," Ash spoke, and he placed the Decidium-Z upon his Z-Ring. Serena did the same with her Primarium-Z, and they both sunk into the surface. At that joining, their Pokémon cried out happily, with Brionne jumping into Serena's arms while Decidueye thought it was a good idea to smother him with his wings. "Okay, okay, Decidueye! I love you, too!"
"Sai sai!"
"And you as well, Brionne!" Serena laughed out. Down on the ground, Sandshrew was sharing in her happiness and dancing around a little bit cheerily. Suddenly, Rotom was in Ash's face.
"Ash, you must show Rotom the new Z-Move! You must!" it said insistently. Ash recoiled from that, looking rather alarmed. "Rotom must record results!"
"Rotom needs to calm down!" Bonnie snapped, once more grabbing the Pokédex before she looked to Kukui. The man was stowing away his box and walking towards his Fearow again. "Aw, you're leaving so soon?"
"Duty calls!" he said "I hope those Z-Crystals fare you well. No finer trainers to get them! Perhaps I'll get to see them in action at the League and Hope Leilani!"
"Definitely!" Ash and Serena called out at once, punching their wrists and Z-Rings forward. Kukui laughed yet again, mounting himself on the Fearow. Once he was settled, he turned to Hapu first and foremost. Hapu nodded, prodding Mudsdale forward.
"Well, cousins, good luck, and keep an eye out for those announcement dates!" he said. "Miss Hapu, race you to the top."
"I think I'll take a more leisurely pace. Just be sure to tell Kahili I'm on my way," she said. Ash wasn't surprised in that request; given Kahili's usual attitude, she was ridiculously competitive. Kukui nodded, gave another "alola" and was off as quickly as he came, giving them barely any time to wave back. Lillie just looked stunned into silence, as if she hadn't found a way to bring her own words into the conversation with Kukui at all. "Well, I guess the time has come to part ways, Ash."
"Oh, yeah," Ash said. He noticed that Hapu was holding a gloved hand out to him, one he gladly took. "I look forward to battling you."
"And I, you. Serena, I'll look for the announcement of your participation in the Hope Leilani," Hapu said with her usual bright smile. Serena returned it. The Kahuna then looked to each of them in turn, smiling at them. She lingered on Ash for a fraction of a second later, and he recalled her words to him, about the path before him, deciding what things meant to him. However, that was about the extent of it all. She soon turned around. "Be well! Alola!"
Then, with a loud "yah!" she and Mudsdale were galloping their way towards the base of Mount Lanakila. The traveling group was finally on their own at long last. Ash breathed in and turned towards the site of the trial. Part of him thought of making sure his Pokémon were all fit at the Pokémon Center, but at the same time, none of them were communicating that. Decidueye was staring sternly at the site of it, peering through the encroaching dark as evening started to approach. Likewise, Jangmo-o was on his legs, almost growling. Pikachu, too, seemed determined.
"Guys, I know this is going to seem selfish, but I want to take my trial now," he told them. After what had happened in Malie City, he worried for a moment that it would be rejected by them. However, what he found instead were looks of encouragement. Bonnie was holding Rotom up, the Pokédex's screen displaying a thumbs up; Clemont nodded and Lillie pumped her fists, but Ash was most interested in Serena. She stepped forward, and put a hand on his shoulder.
"This time, we'll do it together," she said with her own little grin. Ash reached up to take her hand, feeling its warmth in his. They were together once more. That gave him every encouragement he needed, jumping forward and catapulting himself onto the blackened sands before him. Serena (still holding on to Brionne) and his Pokémon traveled with him, while the others were behind him, joined by a spinning Sandshrew. The sand crunched underneath his feet as he carefully made his way towards the broken road that seemed to lead up to the abandoned Megamart.
The sun started to sink a little on the horizon, making it appear even creepier than it was before. A loud creaking noise from up at the top of the hill emanated over the empty and open space, and Ash suddenly realized that they hadn't seen a single soul since entering the town, like they were all sequestered inside the buildings. Not that he was scared, but it was definitely creepy. Beyond the slope of the hill seemed a separate path that led to somewhere else on the beach. Regardless, the closer they got to the hill, the louder the creaking became, causing Serena to grip at him tighter, like she was actually scared. Clemont was doing the same to Bonnie while Lillie looked remarkably relaxed.
As their approach turned into an uphill one, climbing over the broken road and stones, Ash noticed exactly what was causing the eerie creaking noise, it being revealed as part of a chain-link fence that was broken off and swaying in the slight sea breeze. It probably didn't help that Acerola looked to be sitting atop said fence, kicking her legs back and forth. She didn't notice them, too busy humming a song. That was fine with Ash, as it allowed him a chance to observe his trial site. It certainly lived up to its status: an abandoned Megamart that was dilapidated. If the fence was any indication of the whole of the store, it had nothing on the actual exterior of the building with shattered windows that were then boarded up, and electronic doors that were stuck in a slightly open position. He let go of Serena's hands to continue upward and she returned Sandshrew and Brionne, knowing both would have a hard time getting up.
He had to wonder just what kind of trial could be had here. And how it'll help me...if at all. He shook his head, shaking that negative thought from the last couple trials from his head. This particular action appeared to garner Acerola's attention.
"Ashy! Reena! Leelee!" she cried out, hopping down from the fence and landing perfectly, not even a layer of dust popping up. Ash found it impressive, if a little strange. She also hung back, just grinning. Ash finished climbing the rest of the way, and when he reached the top, helping the others up, he raised his hand to her.
"Everything set, Acerola?" he asked. There was definitely some excitement within him, waiting with anticipation for her response. She placed her hands behind her back, part of her dress fluttering in an almost ghostlike fashion.
"Sure is!" the girl said and she faced the direction of the Megamart. "The Totem Pokémon is waiting for you..."
"That's it?" Ash asked in confusion. Pikachu, who was on the shoulder nearest Acerola, crossed over to his other side before his gaze was transfixed inside. He looked interested by something, prompting Ash to look and catch a flash of yellow through the boarded windows.
"Yup!" Acerola answered cheerily. "You just have go inside the store and find the Totem Pokémon, then defeat it. Shouldn't be too hard, right?" She was definitely right, but something unsettled Ash. It was way too simple compared to most trials. Acerola began skipping over to an abandoned coin-operated horse, sitting upon it. It started to move right away. "Oh, and you have to go with everyone! Makes it more fun!"
"All of us?" Lillie asked in surprise. However, whatever surprise she was wearing on her face gave way to a sense of adventure as she nodded. Nebby even popped out, liking the idea of the adventure.
"Yeah. Ashy might be the trial-goer, but there's nothing saying you can't all help him complete it," she said cheerily. Her hands flew behind her head, and the horse continued moving. Ash looked to the open doors and reached up to bring his hat down a bit, glancing to Pikachu. Finding the Totem Pokémon would be no problem for the two of them, especially with all of the others. He walked forward, and though the others were more than apprehensive, they followed him in.
"Jaaaaang..." Jangmo-o growled out at Ash's feet, like he sensed something dangerous inside of the store. Ash figured it was just a reaction to the Totem Pokémon, and he forged inside, through the weirdly gaping doors. Decidueye was apparently gallant enough to let the others pass first, his head swiveling around, rather attentive to his surroundings. Perhaps his senses weren't honed to the level Greninja's were, but Decidueye was definitely very sharp.
"Oh, before I forget, make sure Rotom takes pictures of as many ghosts as you can find...if it can!" Acerola shouted. That more than got their attention.
"Ghosts? !" Clemont and Serena squeaked out at the same exact pitch. Ash turned, seeing Acerola giggling and waving at them before the doors suddenly slammed shut, cutting off much of the light (whatever could be gotten in the now setting sun) from entering the Megamart. It was silent.
"Um...well...let's just search the store," Ash chuckled out, trying to give a sense of levity after what Acerola had just said. He tried to move forward, only he found himself held back by Serena. Her mouth was clamped shut, and she was shaking her head. "Oh, come on, Serena, ghosts are nothing to be afraid of."
"That's easy for you to say!" she blurted out. Then, in a whisper, "Ghosts can possess you and make you do unspeakable things."
"Yeah, I'm sure you think of those things fine on your-"
"Bonnie, don't speak such scandalous things!" Lillie chastised her, slapping a hand on the blonde's mouth. Ash was surprised, though, to see that Lillie didn't look frightened at all. If anything, she looked positively fascinated. Clemont, by comparison to those two blondes, looked to be freaking out.
"A-A-A-Ash is r-r-right," he knocked out through his chattering teeth. "T-t-t-there's no such things as ghosts!"
"That's what you said last time," Bonnie drawled. Ash was starting to get frustrated with his friends, split between freaking out and the sense of adventure.
"And I was right! They were Pokémon!" Clemont asserted. He clearly decided to assert himself even further, though Ash diverted his attention, noticing another flash of yellow flitting through the store. He swallowed, wondering if anyone else but Pikachu saw it. Jangmo-o clearly did, if his growls were anything to go by. "The future is now thanks to science! Clemontic Gear on!"
"Feels like it's been so long since I heard that," Serena joked, though it came off as so nervous, it was like she was trying to convince herself. Ash just looked at the small, portable device that Clemont was now holding, two antennas on it.
"I call this the Paranormal Spot Detector! It indicates any cold spots or signs of life within a given area and senses the Pokémon hidden within!" Clemont called out, pointing it towards the bulk of the store. From the pulsing blue wave on the monitors, it seemed to detect something.
"Well, whatever it is, science is amazing. Let's head further in!"
"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Clemont and Serena shared a look of absolute fright, but Ash wasn't stopping for them. He decided to push past the broken conveyor belts on the ground at the cashier station, remarking on them in his head as pretty cool for a convenience store. A low groaning sound suddenly filled the air, causing Serena to scream and practically jump on him. For all of her confidence in battle and everything, she really was a scaredy cat. Ash ignored it and pressed on, as much as he could with Serena's legs wrapped around his figure.
"Serena, am I going to carry you through this whole trial?" he laughed out. She just gripped tighter and buried her face into his hair. He shook his head and moved on.
"Hey, a light switch!" Bonnie called, running over to said observed light switch. She examined it a moment before flicking it. Nothing happened, not that Ash was really that surprised. Regardless, she continued to toggle it a few moments, even having Dedenne use Thunder Shock on it, for all the good it did. "Guess there's no lights."
"Spooky!" Lillie said giddily. Serena removed her face from his hair to stare at Lillie like she was completely insane. "I used to love those kinds of scary stories as a little girl. Now it's like experiencing them for one of my own!"
"You're a brave girl, Lillie," Serena expressed, trembling on Ash's figure. Deciding that there was no way Serena would be letting go, Ash hooked his arms around her legs and decided to keep moving forward. Clemont drew even with him, his hands shaking something fierce.
"Anything yet?" Clemont didn't answer, watching as his blue waves seemed to be dying down a little before suddenly spiking red. There was another load groan, closer in the distance, though it sounded more like screaming. "Uh, what does that mean, Clemont?"
"Life forms!" he shuddered out, though he sounded relieved. "See, Bonnie, it's not a ghost!"
"Then what's that?" Bonnie asked, pointing forward with a bored expression. Ash whipped in that direction and saw what looked like a completed blob of shadows moving towards them at a rather swift pace, heading directly for the conveyer belt that split the two areas. They looked like they were about to attack.
"Decidueye, get ready with Leaf Blade," Ash ordered. His Pokémon acted right away, calling forth the shining green blades with his wings and holding on to them. Ash noticed that he seemed to blend into the surroundings, almost hidden from even his sight. The blob moved closer as the sun seemed to fade away entirely, dousing the room in complete darkness. That's when Ash realized: the screaming and groaning was coming from the blob. What was more, it was talking.
"This was a bad idea! A bad, bad idea!"
"Dis was your idea!"
"Stop arguing! Is it still after us? !"
"Is that Team Rocket?" Lillie asked, peering into the darkness. Ash narrowed his eyes and Jangmo-o trotted forward. The blob seemed to have familiar shapes, if the hair was anything to go by.
"The twerps!" screeched the voices of Jessie and Meowth. Ash rolled his eyes; definitely Team Rocket.
"We're saved!" James called out. Ash stepped forward once again, Clemont behind him as they stepped on to the conveyor belt.
"Team Rocket! What are you doing here?" Ash demanded. He didn't like the idea of them interfering with his trial. Pikachu's cheeks sparked angrily at the interlopers.
"Never mind that, twerp!" Jessie snapped, finally coming in to view. "It's after us!"
"Rotom does not sense anything..." Suddenly, Rotom grew silent. Ash whipped around to it, seeing its expression go blank, like it was suddenly hijacked by something. "No! No! Bzzt! Bzzt! Error! Err-or!"
Rotom slumped, going dark. It continued floating in the air, sparking a little, but was otherwise completely unresponsive, as though whatever had taken it over had forced it to shut down completely. Clearly it wasn't going to be taking any pictures; Acerola's warning was spot on. Ash's heart started pounding.
"Maybe a ghost tried to possess it, and is going to possess us!" Serena squeaked out. Clemont jolted, his Paranormal Finder tumbling from his hands and on to the ground. "Did I say that out loud?"
"Guys, just calm down. There's nothing to worry about, okay," Ash laughed out, hoping to diffuse the tension. Bonnie and Lillie still weren't worried, the former having grabbed the now unresponsive Rotom. Clemont was practically paralyzed in position from the thought of whatever made Rotom shut down. Team Rocket, specifically Jessie, was simply in panic mode.
"Easy for you!" she snapped, barreling past Ash and Serena well ahead of her comrades and off the conveyor. Ash would have faced her, but he suddenly felt his surroundings start moving, only he wasn't. He looked down, realizing that the conveyor belt had started to move, carrying the couple towards James and Meowth. In fact, they were all moving backwards, trainers and Pokémon alike, away from Clemont and the others.
"Ash!" he cried out alongside Lillie and Bonnie, but it looked like there was no way for them to get there, back to the group of blondes. Ash and Serena suddenly tumbled off the other side of the conveyer belt, Serena disengaging from him with a flailing motion, and as soon as they hit the ground there, the system reversed itself.
"We're okay!" Ash called, standing up as he pulled Serena with him. A faint grumbling next to him said that James and Meowth were there as well, being watched carefully by Jangmo-o and Decidueye, who had traveled with the couple. "Looks like we're on the other half of the store. You'll have to find a different way around to meet up with us!"
"Is the Paranormal Finder still intact?" Clemont asked worriedly. Ash looked down, finding Clemont's invention at his feet. He bent down to pick it up. "Oh, good."
"Why don't you guys go on ahead?" Lillie suggested. Ash nodded, agreeing with the idea as each of those on the other side began to look for another path. "We'll catch up with you. Promise."
"James, wake up! You know what to do!" Jessie also screeched from the other side, though it didn't take long before Bonnie had Dedenne use Nuzzle on her so they could drag her along. Her Gourgeist and lumbering Bewear acted with alarm, but seemed to follow the exploring group, already heading off tremulously. Clemont was shakily in the lead, but Ash felt they had to deal with issues on their own side. All of the matters with the others settled, Ash now gripped the invention and turned to James and Meowth.
"Talk," Serena commanded sharply. The two companions, along with Wobbuffet, Inkay and Crabrawler all clasped to each other out of unadulterated fear. "Tell us what you're doing here or we leave you behind."
"Anyting but dat!" Meowth cried out, his eyes wide and shaking. "Look, we just wanted one a dem Z-Crystals..."
"But this place is freaky!"
"Wobba wobba Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet agreed, nodding wildly. James stood up, Inkay and Crabrawler both still clinging to him. Ash leaned in, continuing to peer suspiciously at the man while Pikachu's ears perked up and he stared into the distance.
"You guys never learn, do you?" he said, folding his arms. James actually appeared to cower from that, his face sweating a bit.
"Well, we were planning on making it our last job so Jessie could focus on her Ceremony career..."
"What?" Serena asked, and even Ash raised an eyebrow. Meowth jumped up and slashed across James' face, causing the man to howl loudly. The feline ignored his companion and faced Ash seriously.
"Look, twoip, we obviously can't find one, and now we're trapped wit you here," he said. That was something neither of them could deny. "Hows about a truce until we get outta here?"
Ash still regarded Meowth suspiciously, but nevertheless agreed on it, bending down to shake the cat's paw. As he drew back up, Decidueye nudged his shoulder. That brought immediate attention to the fact that Pikachu was no longer there. He blinked and looked around, soon finding Pikachu staring down an aisle of soup cans. Ash walked forward to join forces with his best buddy, turning his head to see just what he was staring at, when he stopped. There was another Pikachu there, but something was off with it.
"What's wrong with its eyes...?" James asked, shuddering. Serena also seemed to "eep" within the moment. Pikachu tilted his head, and the other Pikachu did so in the opposite direction, emulating him, his pure black eyes like completely bottomless pits. Ash looked to the device in his hands. The blue waves were spiking dramatically.
"Uh...um..." Ash couldn't articulate the words, and suddenly, the Pikachu turned right around, heading for the back of the Megamart. The waves started to calm down, but Ash hid the device, not wanting Serena to see the results of it all. "After it!"
"Kooroo!" Decidueye agreed, surging forward with Jangmo-o. The two of them led the group forward, darting down the soup aisle swiftly. Pikachu recovered from his moment of curiosity and surged with them. Ash swallowed down as Serena gripped his hand and they walked forward. James, Meowth and the other Pokémon remained cowering behind them. He almost allowed himself to get distracted by what James had said earlier about Jessie's Ceremony career, and he could tell that Serena was just as thoughtful about it, but now was not the time for it.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out to the other Pikachu, but it didn't respond. Clemont's device was off the charts, though. Ash turned it to a different area of the store, but it died down, yet in the direction of the Pikachu, it was wildly erratic. There was something going on with that Pikachu.
"Jaaaang..." Jangmo-o growled out, hunkering down.
"Do you see something, Jangmo-o?" Serena asked of the little Pokémon. She looked at what he was gazing at and gripped Ash tighter. There were some boxes floating around for a moment before they slammed on to the floor.
"It's just a gust of wind," Ash said with a laugh. He let go of Serena's hand and wrapped an arm around her. James sighed in what sounded like disgust.
"Why did we have to be the ones stuck with the lovebirds?" James said.
"Better us dan Jessie. She'd just be jealous, though I've been tinkin' you two should hook up for years," Meowth stated nonchalantly. James started yelling at Meowth to take that back, but Ash was more focused on the creepy Pikachu. It had stopped moving near a set of doors that looked to lead into an elevator. This time, Ash let go of Serena, and walked forward with his three Pokémon.
There was a horrible screeching noise, like nails on a chalkboard, and a scritching with a scratching. Then the Pikachu walked backward...and melted into the doors, disappearing. A shiver ran up Ash's spine, especially when the Pikachu's eyes suddenly glowed yellow before it disappeared. He was unsure what to think, especially as he stepped into the wide-open area. His eyes were growing heavy, as if exhausted. How long had they even been here? Now that he thought on it, it felt like it had been an extraordinarily short time. His head whirled a moment, and he and Serena nearly fell against each other, struggling to keep their eyes open. Sleep seemed like such a good idea as it began to fade from reality.
"Pikapi! Pikachuuuuuu!" Ash jolted upright, reacting from the Thunderbolt. He righted his vision. Those yellow eyes had disoriented him, and it had done the same for everyone else. Decidueye was shaking his head, as though he had actually been asleep.
"Sai sai!" Decidueye hissed out, looking around, focusing on the shadows in the walls. Ash wondered if he had seen something, and he took a step forward. A large shadowy claw flew out from one of them, and Decidueye grabbed Ash to pull him back. The claw slammed into the ground, tearing at it, but leaving no marks behind. Ash instantly hedged his bets, not knowing what was hiding in the shadows, and he threw another pokeball out.
"Trumbeak, use Drill Peck, Jangmo-o, Dragon Tail, and Decidueye, find the targets with Leaf Blade!"
"Brionne, go with Trumbeak and use Aqua Jet! Sandshrew, Ice Ball!" Ash hardly realized that the two Pokémon had been called out by Serena, and he wondered why he hadn't seen them for that moment when she did, despite the fact it should have been obvious. Though, now that he considered it, his head was still feeling a little foggy.
Each of the Pokémon leapt for their targets as more Shadow Claws flew from spots on the wall, a gigantic one from the elevator door. Ash and Serena grabbed on to each other, leaping back as a Bubblebeam came from Crabrawler. However, try as they might, none of their attacks did anything. Perhaps they had blocked the Shadow Claws, only to be responded with by Shadow Balls, but nothing seemed to be all that hurt or damaged...not even the walls...
"Koo!" Decidueye hooted out, raising a wing in the direction of the elevator, as though he sensed something there. Ash wasn't surprised at all; there was something very off about that place. Deciding to test his theory, he pitched Clemont's invention into Serena's hands and ran for the elevator doors. Pikachu was with him and he placed his hands in between them as best as he could, attempting to move them, but they didn't.
"Use Iron T-t-tail..." Ash felt his head growing foggy again, and cold...so cold...Pikachu wedged his glowing tail in the door and attempted to open it, but it wouldn't move. He then tried to strike it, but it left not a single mark. Ash, despite how cold it was getting, grinned. "It's an illusion...Trumbeak, heat it up with Flame Charge!"
"Kerrrrrrra!" Trumbeak trilled loudly and her body sparked with all manner of flames. She burst forward, slamming into the shadows, heating up the area around her. That's when Ash saw it, her burning wing clipped into a Gengar and carried him out.
"Keep going! We're going to burn that illusion up! Everyone, attack!" All of his and Serena's Pokémon cried out, even Team Rocket as well. Trumbeak kept going, not letting her flame falter for even a second. The large Shadow Claw suddenly erupted from the elevator, making Ash and Pikachu step back. First it tried to savagely attack Pikachu, but when that failed it aimed for Trumbeak, phasing through it. "Right for the elevator!"
"Turum!" Trumbeak shot forward as sudden purple globules of some Poison attack fired out. Trumbeak dodged them, picking up more and more speed, starting to glow. Ash's eyes widened, recognizing the familiar process, even if the flames didn't stop. Her beak grew even larger, same with her body, and before the process finished, she slammed into the doors, causing it to ripple. The flames receded with the light, revealing the full form of Toucannon, though looking slightly different from Kahili's as her eyes weren't as scrunched, but rather wide with enthusiasm. Not that there was any time to admire Trumbeak's evolution in the slightest.
"See? This is why I said we shouldn't mess with the twerps!" James argued loudly with Meowth. "They get power-ups like candy!"
"Right now, I could go for some candy..."
"Gengar!" cried one of the Ghost Pokémon, sailing right for Toucannon. She whipped around to face it and Ash grinned. They shared a look that said exactly what command to give.
"Beak Blast!" Ash yelled, throwing his fist upwards. Toucannon waited for the attack to hit, her beak starting to glow a powerful red that shined throughout the darkened store. Gengar didn't stop, and it made a collision with the beak. There was a second where its face changed, and then the beak's force exploded outward with heat, consuming the area. Ash grabbed on to Serena, who had picked up Sandshrew and returned him swiftly. It was beyond hot, now, definitely with no spaces left for anything to hide in its consuming wave. So, when the heat began to subside, he pulled away.
There was no elevator there. There wasn't even a wall. It was a door...and the door was open, with Acerola visible atop a towering Pokémon with a blaring orange aura around it. "Nice job, Ashy! Almost no one figures it out before Mimikyu roughs them up a little."
"Mimi...kyu...?" Ash questioned. Beyond Acerola, the sky was lightening outside; how long had they been there? Had their sleep spell kept them trapped for so long...? It could certainly explain some of the gaps in his memory. This trial had certainly been a test of a different sort if that was the case. Ash shook his head, realizing that the point was moot now that he was faced with the ultimate foe of the trial. His gaze was drawn upwards to the Pokémon towering above them. It looked like Pikachu, but not, wearing a sack cloth over its body as it made screeching metal sounds. More than that, though, Ash, Pikachu and all of his Pokémon could feel the bloodlust from it, aimed at his very best buddy.
"Oh yeah, and Mimikyu hates Pikachu. Super jealous," Acerola said, still with her smile. "Good luck against it and the ghost army. Take Mimikyu down, and the trial is all yours!"
Then the fake Pikachu struck with a vengeance.
X X X
Gary honestly couldn't believe where he was standing. Or rather, he could believe it, but he never thought this would have happened. When he'd come to Alola on his research trip, he'd imagined that he would have figured out whatever was needing figuring out and then he'd go home or report to the League, or something...
What he didn't expect was to now be standing in a room filled with some of the highest ranking people he could ever meet. Steven was next to him, conversing with Cynthia, while at the large round table in the room, seemingly made of stone by his estimations, were a number of other people that he had never seen before. It made him a little nervous, but not enough to wipe any smugness from his face (rather, the smugness he was putting up). Deciding to deviate for a moment, Gary walked away from the two Champions, over to the large windows that overlooked the peak of Mount Lanakila.
His hands gripped to his notebooks and his breath misted up the windows as he stared out. It was a majestic sight in the burgeoning light of the day, even with the snow falling. A large stadium was being constructed around what looked to be an old dais, likely where some sort of ceremony was once held. From the way it looked, it seemed like they wanted to put a dome atop it, to keep the snow out. This was definitely going to be the site of the upcoming Lanakila Conference.
"Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself," spoke a woman now standing next to him. Gary looked to her, noticing that she carried herself differently than the others in the room. Less importance, he assumed. "I'm really looking forward to everyone who will be battling."
"I guess," Gary noted, clutching at his notes a little tighter. The woman, her blue hair falling in tresses around her face, smirked a little at him.
"Let's just hope Alola holds together until it does, huh?" Gary nodded, his face stern. A voice called to the woman before any more could be said, identifying her as Kahili. The researcher watched her approach a shorter woman, and from all the names being thrown around, he quickly identified them. Taking one last look at the in-progress stadium, Gary walked back towards the round table as Cynthia and Steven took their seats. He joined them, noticing he was sitting next to the woman, Kahili. Every chair appeared to be filled but one, and a shirtless man stood, a woman with long violet hair gazing at him lazily for all of a second.
"Well, looks like everyone's here, more or less," Kukui said, clapping his hands together. "Of course, I'm glad the League was able to send two esteemed individuals such as the Champions to help us figure out our commencement date and all."
"We're happy to be of assistance," Cynthia spoke, brushing some of her bangs back. Kukui nodded, and then seated himself back down as another man, Hala, stood, holding what looked like a very large coconut in his hand. Upon closer inspection, Gary determined it was just a gavel, shaped like a coconut.
"Well, then, for the safety and security of our great region," Hala spoke, slamming the gavel on to the stone table, "I now call this meeting of the Kahunas to order!"
Author's Note: I'd like to think this was an interesting chapter, but it's really a prelude for the next one. Nevertheless, I liked the idea of Team Rocket being forced into doing the trial alongside Ash, for all the help they've been. Of course, it's just as important for Ash and Serena to have gotten their special Z-Crystals and Trumbeak's evolution! My goodness, this only leaves Jangmo-o as unevolved! Other than that, not much to say beyond the Kahunas (and guests) beginning their meeting at last (after teasing it for how long?). Well, that and the weird sleepy phenomenon, which was made for transitional purposes, ha ha.
That said, time to thank everyone who gave a voice to the story: Gintoki for favoriting; riku-soncazenosee for following; and the usual huge thanks to Tenzalucard123, Vivian Gray, FantasyLover88, Cottonmouth25, Gehatik, Nina The Fangirl, Omegaz, AdvancedAlto, Armorshipping, thatsmybusiness, ultimateCCC, Nega Mewtwo, jlogan2748, The Aura Gardian, aliensinnoh, PokeGirlPG21, AmourshippingCanon, David Wilsberg and 1 guest for reviewing. Closer and closer, we're a decent chunk of the way through Trials, and I hope you're all enjoying. If you are, well, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.