Cutiefly had a problem.

All Pokémon had different starting points. Some needed more help than others. Florges started out as a vulnerable Flabébé, so we rushed her evolution so she’d be less at risk in battle. Altaria, on the other hand, initially knew no moves, so we had to spend extra time getting him to a decent baseline.

Cutiefly was similar, but to an extreme. He had the drive to train himself, but he had zero battle experience and was incredibly fragile.

If a wind blew too harshly, Cutiefly would be thrown out of the air. Too much force applied when sparring meant he would be knocked out in seconds. As for his moves...

"It's alright. Give it another go."

Cutiefly resembled a bumblebee in that he was a rounded, fluffy bug covered in yellow fuzz. That fuzz was primarily used as a medium for one of his two attacks. For this case, Fairy Wind, pink pollen shook off his body in a cloud, and he rapidly flapped his wings to try to push it forward.

The sparkling mist managed to get a single foot away before dissipating. It didn’t do so with any speed or significant force, either. For what was meant to be an attack, it was almost crushingly bad. Upon his failure to perform decently, he let himself drift to the ground like a depressed piece of paper.

This was the dilemma I was facing—one I wasn’t sure how to solve. Cutiefly wanted to get strong just like how he wanted to compete in battles. The question was, could he?

“Florges, could you demonstrate a Fairy Wind, please?”

Florges had been staying off to the side, keeping an eye on Cutiefly. She’d been quick to heal him whenever he had fallen down. Slight injuries were quickly treated with Wish, and whenever he started to lack energy, a Pollen Puff restored his stamina.

With my request, she nodded, willing, and the move came out as fast as ever. From the flowers on her head, a burst of pink Fairy Wind rushed out from between her petals, forming a cloud fast-moving wind.

Cutiefly pushed himself up from the ground and excited buzzes filled the air. He hopped back up to fly, and off to the side, Eevee started cheering his name in support. The excitable Normal Type was quick to distraction, and while I appreciated his efforts, he shouldn’t have looked away from his spar with Togepi.

A grunt, and Eevee was beaned on the head with a spare stone from a newly learned Ancient Power. Togepi immediately canceled the move and ran over to his side to check on him, and Florges was quick to do the same.

“It’s just us now, Cutiefly. I have to say, I’m not too familiar with where you grew up,” I said. “Melemele Meadow seemed rather peaceful, so I have to know: how many actual battles have you seen? I don’t mean skirmishes for wild Pokémon to claim new territory, I mean actual, dedicated fights.”

In the air, Cutiefly tilted to the side. He buzzed as if to hum. After a moment, he shook his head, telling me he hadn’t seen any at all.

“That’s... Hm. It might be a visualization problem, then. You saw Florges use the move. See if you can use Fairy Wind better this time around. Try to mimic exactly what Florges did.”

Cutiefly’s small eyes narrowed, and I quickly specified “with your fur, not any flowers.” With that cleared up, he nodded once more, and he hovered in place in thought.

At first, his flight became a little erratic. It seemed the energy he was using was being forced into Fairy Wind creation rather than flight. He let out a strained buzz, sparkles starting to drift off his body like pollen, then his eyes snapped open and he tried to send it forward.

“BzzzZZZZZZZZZZ!”

The result was the same: the cloud barely moved, but this time, he didn’t rapidly flap his wings. Instead, he seemed to control it with willpower alone, which meant for it to travel the same distance was actually a significant success.

It was still weak, however.

“Well it’s definitely a visualization problem,” I mumbled. “Maybe a bit of familiarity issues, too. I think you don’t have much experience to draw on when it comes to controlling your attacks, so I think you need to witness some actual matches. Luckily, we have one coming up you’ll be able to watch, but, before then—Ninetales!”

Ninetales had been supervising Eevee and Togepi, or at least she was supposed to, so she was currently in the midst of a lecture from Florges on what seemed to be about dereliction of duty. When I called her name, she easily accepted the excuse to leave, and she bounded over to sit at my side before Florges could stop her.

I rubbed her head as I spoke.

“Ninetales here is a master at control,” I said to Cutiefly. “Since she first joined the team, she’s been working on the command of her Type Energy in one way or another. She’s great with the Ice Type, but her control over the Fairy Type is good, too. While Ninetales doesn’t know Fairy Wind, she’ll be able to help you with tips to train, which is more important than anything more specific right now.”

Cutiefly nodded, and Ninetales grinned. She had been working with Eevee in the past few days, but there was only so much she could do to directly help him with his speed and balance. Working with Cutiefly would be more of the same, as I expected her to help him with his own speed, too, but training him in Fairy Type energy would help her reaffirm her own basics to make sure none of her skills had fallen to the wayside.

I supposed I can ask Florges for help here, but she tends to hold back to not accidentally hurt other Pokémon. Ninetales is a lot more bold when it comes to training, so she'd be better at making sure Cutiefly learns what he needs to know. Once Cutiefly has a good baseline, I’ll ask Florges to help out. I have no doubts her expertise with Fairy Wind will be helpful, it’s just he needs to be at a higher level of skill, first.

There was a slight risk of injury when it came to how fragile Cutiefly currently was, but I hoped to minimize that since these lessons didn’t require touch. Both Ninetales and Cutiefly were almost entirely special attackers; nothing they used needed be be done in melee. The same would be true for speed, so even though Ninetales couldn’t fly, she was almost the perfect trainer.

"We'll work on this till Hope gets back, then after tonight, we'll head out. Cutiefly, I have a battle coming up I want you to watch, so I expect you to pay close attention to everything that goes on once we’re there."

Cutiefly nodded once more, and I could see excited sparkles in his eyes, quite similar to the sight I frequently saw with Rapidash. He flew up to Ninetales, eager to start, and she took one look behind her before seemingly deciding to start speed training now.

Florges attempted to float over to continue her lecture before Ninetales ran off, but she was already off with Cutiefly. Cutiefly glanced back at the distant Florges briefly before Ninetales took him to the edge of the camp, where she started to talk, repeatedly saying her name.

For the rest of our break, Ninetales demonstrated moves to Cutiefly—mostly weak Moonblasts and tepid Icy Winds—before Hope soon returned from her trip into the jungle. Once again, she hadn’t been able to find any new Grass Types, but we both already knew that was the case from her attempts in the past.

She'd given up on catching a Lileep. We spent so long searching for them, and the group we found had sealed themselves back off and would likely be annoyed if she broke the wall down again. The likelihood of finding a different group was slim, so Hope instead vowed to rush to Lush Jungle once we reached Akala, next.

For now, we still had things to do on Melemele, primarily the battle I talked about. Hope and I had our jobs and our journeys, and the next day, we continued traveling towards our destination:

Kahuna Hala.

----------------------------------------

I had Cutiefly stay out with me while we traveled to let him see what was on the island outside the meadow. I didn’t return him to his Ultra Ball, instead, he stayed nestled in the crook of my neck, half covered by my hair. From his semi-hidden position, he didn’t need to spend energy flying, and he had an elevated spot to look around.

It took a bit to get used to, as his soft fur and tiny legs tickled whenever he moved.

Over the course of the next few days, we continued our loop around the island, taking it slow with no explicit rush. Cutiefly didn’t learn or really develop any new moves, but he was getting faster at moving around thanks to Ninetales, and I included some calcium in his meals to help him out with his development, too. Calcium assisted development towards our current goals, and while Cutiefly didn’t eat solid foods, it was still added easily enough to pulped berries or nectar Florges collected from flowers.

After our few days traveling over the eastern edge of the island, we arrived back at the outskirts of Hau’oli and Route 1 itself, moving through the settled roads with the specific intention of locating Hala. As far as we could tell, he spent most of his time in that same central location with the stage, where he dealt with most challengers.

(Also, that location was relatively close to Tapu Koko’s dwellings, which encouraged him to stay nearby.)

Upon walking up to that stage once more, Hope and I got a glimpse of the Melemele Kahuna himself competing in a battle. His opponent wasn’t anyone I recognized, but it wasn’t a beginner trainer, either. It was clear he was one who had earned the right of challenge via King of the Route, and he was currently giving his all.

Too bad that trainer was losing.

Two Pokémon were on the stage: a mohawked Scrafty and a fuzzy Bewear. The Scrafty, partnered with the trainer, was furiously kicking and punching in line with its orders, but Hala’s Bewear stood there and easily took every attack.

“Hammer Arm,” Hala spoke calmly.

Bewear didn’t put much effort into the attack. It simply raised up an arm and swung it like a slap.

There was a CRACK! as Scrafty was practically launched to the side. The Pokémon landed on its back, hard, and though it tried to push upwards back to its feet, its body went slack and it fell into unconsciousness.

“That was a good attempt, but you must remember that Bewear is capable of weathering the toughest of physical attacks thanks to her Fluffy ability,” Hala said.

The trainer hung his head and returned Scrafty.

“Yeah, I just thought... Type advantage, you know?” he mumbled.

Hala kept a cool expression as he approached to shake the defeated challenger’s hand. They talked quietly before they split apart, and Hala turned with a jolly wave.

“Hope! Alex! Alola! For what do I owe the pleasure? Ah, do you wish to visit Dedenne again?”

I smiled.

“Thanks for the offer, but not right now,” I said. “We’re actually here for something else. We’ve earned our own right of challenge, and wish to battle you both for our own journeys and to test you for a potential Elite Four role.”

Hope nodded to affirm she was in agreement, and Hala hummed, rubbing his chin. On my shoulder, Cutiefly popped out to look at the Kahuna before being intimidated by the large man and shifting backwards.

“Do you wish to face a challenge of the appropriate level, or do you wish to face my core team?” Hala asked.

“I’d like to face a challenge of the appropriate level,” Hope said.

“And I’ll face your core team, as you put it,” I replied.

It was hard to truly see Hala’s eyes since they tended to be closed in thought or obscured by his eyebrows. However, when I specified his core team, they shot straight upwards, and I got a clear view of his expression of surprise.

“Are you sure? You will lose. Badly,” he said.

My own expression leveled out.

"Is that a threat?"

"No, Alex, it’s a fact. When it comes to Pokémon battles, victory stems from two main factors: experience and preparation. From my perspective, it can be boiled down even further to just experience. No matter how much one plans, they cannot hold up in the face of overwhelming power. Not only that, but experience grants knowledge, and knowing potential outcomes is preparation in and of itself."

"But I—"

"How many stars is your team rated?" Hala asked, interrupting me.

"Ten stars," I answered.

He grunted.

"Mine is twelve."

Hala let his words settle in as a silence fell over the next few seconds.

"When it comes to ranking a team, it’s generally the total sum of many factors that determines the final score,” Hala said. “That being said, it is possible to eke out a higher-than-necessary total by having one or two Pokémon stand above the rest. Many trainers become overconfident due to this reason, but I assure you, that does not apply to me. None of my Pokémon can be considered an ‘Ace’ Pokémon. Every member of my team has been trained to their fullest, and none are objectively stronger. In a way, every Pokémon I use is my ace.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Hala chuckled slightly at his words before taking a breath.

"You must also consider we have been working together for decades. I am not a new trainer who recently started up—we have honed ourselves through years of conflict, and we have even personally trained those that you may consider your peers. Kukui was once my student, and now he is the lead candidate for this region's Champion."

"But not you?" Hope asked.

Hala chuckled. After that speech, it almost seemed to echo around us.

"No, no," he sighed. "Too much paperwork. I'll be satisfied with my position as the strongest of the Elite Four."

It was hard to explain the sheer amount of confidence Hala was extruding. Not once did he lie or even intend to brag, everything he spoke was spoken as if it were a fact. It sounded arrogant, but there was a difference between arrogance and truth. When he said he would be the strongest of the Elite Four, he meant it. I believed it.

What made this even more intimidating is that he said all of this with a friendly smile on his face.

"Then... Why are we here?" I asked.

"To my understanding, you’re gathering perspective on behalf of the League. My Pokémon’s strength needs to be established. They want you to see if I have a fitting personality and style for the role of an Elite, too. Kukui does not wish to step on any toes, so I suppose if you so wished, you could recommend someone else, and they may very well get the role I so assumed."

He chuckled, as if that were a joke. I had a feeling he was already our best candidate for our role.

Apparently, my expression must have turned grim, because Hala noticed and raised an eyebrow. He clapped his hands together to break the tension, causing me to jump slightly at the sound. He followed that up with a cheeky grin.

"So! Our battle,” he said. “At this moment, I don't have my core team gathered up for a proper full battle today, but my current schedule is free and I’m willing to test your beginner Pokémon, Alex. As for you, Hope, the team I would use to face you is still in recovery from the match just now. Are you fine with waiting until afterwards?”

“That’s fine,” Hope replied.

“Good! Fielding Pokémon at multiple tiers won't be necessary for me if I do become a member of the Elite Four, but even if we create the Alola League, our Island Challenge will not disappear. I am ready for a battle. What say you, Alex?"

"Yes." I gulped down my doubts for now. "I'm willing to try."

He laughed and clapped once again.

"Great! And don't say you'll try! Say you'll win!"

I could have sworn the ground shook from the sheer presence Hala was giving off, but that thought faded away as he turned around. The man might have looked out of shape, but all of his mass likely hid a layer of muscle.

Or he was just overweight, and I was intimidated by his speech. He had incredible charisma, I’d give him that.

Briefly, I looked to Hope, who seemed to be lost in thought. Neither of us had anything to say, so I walked up onto the stage.

"Florges. Cutiefly."

I released Florges off to the side, and Cutiefly left my shoulder to nest in her flowers. She smiled at that and moved around slightly to let him get more comfortable.

Seeing they were settled in, I nodded.

"Cutiefly, I want you to pay close attention to this fight, specifically, the level at which everyone uses their moves. Keep in mind the power being shown here and use it as a baseline of what’s expected at a low level of skill. For now, this battle will set goals, but for the future, remember that you’ll eventually be able to move faster than everyone here.”

Cutiefly’s eyes shined with excitement, and his gaze turned to focus on the space between Hala and I. I turned to face the man in question, and I felt like I was standing before a walking mountain.

"How many Pokémon do you plan to use, Alex?" Hala asked.

"Three," I replied. "In the future, hopefully more."

Hala's hand moved to his belt, where his fingers tapped against a set of Ultra Balls. He hummed, considering, before plucking away one in particular and readying himself to go.

"Before we start, would you mind if I invite a few guests tomorrow?"

"For our full match? Sure."

"Good. And as for this battle, we'll start now. Makuhita!"

"Eevee!"

In a flash of light, our Pokémon appeared. Despite this not being Hala's most powerful team, my heart pounded in my chest.

I want to win.

"Start with Charm."

"Fake Out!"

Makuhita lunged. Eevee yelped. Before he could react, the stout sumo wrestler Pokémon was right in front of his face.

Fake Out had Makuhita clap in a way not unlike what Hala had done to me moments before. Eevee flinched, and as a result, he failed to use his Charm.

"Arm Thrust."

The Fighting Type struck forward. An open palm slapped into Eevee's chest, and he was sent stumbling backwards.

"Baby-Doll Eyes!"

Makuhita didn't stop; Arm Thrust was a multi-hit move. It rushed forward to follow up, but Eevee's eyes flashed pink, and the fervor it possessed before was slightly reduced.

"Rely on Charm. Weaken, then stay at range."

That same pink flash from before shifted into a permanent effect as Eevee landed on the ground. He immediately pressed backwards to leap with Quick Attack, and Makuhita continued to falter.

Unfortunately, we were battling on a stage, and there was only so far Eevee could move. Makuhita cornered Eevee, but thankfully, he was able to use Quick Attack to dodge.

"Hm," Hala hummed. "Interesting strategy. How about this? Makuhita, Force Palm."

This time, when Makuhita attacked, its open palm gained a blue glow. Eevee followed the same motions to shift to the side to dodge, but then a projection of blue force shot out, giving Makuhita the range needed to connect.

That was the second time Eevee had taken a super effective attack, but at least this one was only a graze. Despite being a low level match, not even half a minute had passed, yet Eevee was already teetering.

Stars from Swift left Eevee’s fur. They launched from the coat on his tail, and they spiraled through the air before beginning to home.

Makuhita stopped attacking briefly to weather the attack. It used its own bulk to absorb the damage, bringing its arms in for not any specific defensive move, but just to resist the damage. Once the Swift was over, Eevee was stuck in place, panting heavily. I had hoped his speed would give him an advantage, but it seemed the small stage had canceled that easily enough.

Eevee lunged to the side to get around Makuhita, but a second Force Palm struck out. Once more, he was hit due to the move’s side, and it knocked him back and bounced him over the wood.

He should have fainted here. Honestly, he should have fainted after that last Force Palm. However, Eevee wanted to be a Fairy Type, not a Normal Type. Losing to a Fighting Type like this just wasn’t an option in his mind.

He growled at Makuhita, pushing back to his feet. He stood in the center of the stage, ready to continue the fight. One eye was bruised close, and a leg was held up from pain.

But then, a twitch through his body. He froze, and I realized that the last Force Palm had paralyzed him.

It’s over, I realized.

Hala called out for a Smelling Salts, an offensive move that would cure Eevee of his paralysis but deal extra damage in exchange, but I chose to recall Eevee here, as I could see that he was far past the point of continuing the fight.

“Eevee will retire here,” I announced.

“Good,” Hala said. “I accept your judgment.”

When he said that, I blinked then looked around. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but there wasn’t a referee for this match.

“Please send out your next," Hala announced in a tone that answered my question. He might have been the Kahuna for this battle, but he had the know-how to serve as an impartial judge all the same.

That mingling of roles felt ripe for abuse, but Hala was one of the most trusted people on this island for a reason. Silently accepting his position as the referee, I sent out Togepi, and the match resumed.

"Ancient Power!"

"Force Palm!"

It was a shame about the stage, but Togepi tore up the wood to bring rocks up underneath. Makuhita was able to avoid the rocks, but it had to hop to the side to avoid the newly formed holes where it ran.

"Psychic!"

Forced to dodge Togepi’s Ancient Power, Makuhita was caught off guard when Togepi used Psychic. Space twisted around it like a field of daggers, and its movement halted under Togepi's telekinetic grip.

It struggled; it Endured. Despite it lasting, Psychic was literally named after the Type it was. With super effective damage pinning down the Fighting Type, Makuhita only managed to last a bit longer before it slumped. Eevee had put in work to improve his Swift, and Togepi’s Psychic had once again shown itself to be exceedingly powerful for what was supposed to be a baby Pokémon. Seeing how quickly Makuhita had fainted once Togepi had been sent out, I was glad to see how quickly my team members were improving.

"Surprising!” Hala cheered. “I didn’t expect such a strong attack from a Togepi. She’s strong for her level.”

"Thank you. Rapidash trained her personally."

With Makuhita down, up next was Mankey, a fluff-covered monkey with thin limbs. It saw Togepi and bounced back and forth on its feet, clenching and unclenching its fists in a building rage.

"Oh.” Hala blinked. “I forgot. Mankey has a special distaste for eggs after what happened last July."

"What happened last July?"

Hala shrugged but didn't explain.

"Low Kick,” he ordered.

"Psychic, repeatedly!"

Mankey lunged forward, but it was picked up by Togepi’s attack, then it was slammed into the ground with that same telekinesis.

Afterwards, Togepi did it again.

Then again.

And again.

When Mankey fainted half a minute later, it stayed unconscious on the field for a full ten seconds before Hala spoke.

"I didn't expect that,” he said.

I stared at Togepi, who waved goodbye to Mankey as it was returned to its ball.

"Neither did I,” I replied.

This had to be a record of sorts, because this match felt like it was passing extremely quickly. I wasn't sure if it was just my intense focus or the previous matchups of Pokémon being lopsided, but Hala was already on his last Pokémon, and I had two left.

For this decision, Hala didn't send out his next Pokémon right away. His hand hovered on the third of three Ultra Balls he had recovered at the start of the match, but then he inched it back to the fourth, then the fifth. After nodding his head as if to affirm a silent decision, he tossed forward his selection and sent out his final selection.

"It seems I underestimated the weaker Pokémon on your team,” Hala said. “It’s clear you've trained them all quite well. Unfortunately for you, I came prepared. With all the battles we’ve had in these past few weeks, this Pokémon has had plenty of experience to grow at an incredible rate."

The Pokémon that appeared on the field looked like it was injured from a previous match. An eye was half open, as if blackened, and its blue shell had scrapes on it from battles in the past.

It was a crab, but instead of pinching claws, they were thick and resembled boxing gloves. It jabbed forward a few times in practice, and the Crabrawler positioned itself to more easily scuttle forward.

"Togepi, stay away from its claws and keep back at range,” I ordered.

"Crabrawler, move in and don't let up."

Crabrawler rushed forward, its armored legs pushing it towards her at a rapid rate. Togepi did her best to hop back, and she forced her eyes to glow for Psychic as she did. Unfortunately, Crabrawler was hardly affected. While it had no special resistance to the attack, rather, a vulnerability, it wasn’t picked up like Mankey, and instead it broke through her telekinetic grip.

Crabrawler was easily going to catch up, just like Makuhita had done to Eevee before. Seeing that, I shifted gears. Togepi wouldn’t be able to focus for Psychic if under direct attack, so it was better to rely on a different move instead.

"Get in an Aerial Ace!" I yelled.

It might have been dumb to call for Togepi to move in, but she wasn’t that weak in melee overall. Her ability, Hustle, was a big multiplier, and I hoped the super effective Flying Type attack would be enough to bypass the crab’s hardened shell.

Togepi ran, meeting Crabrawler in its charge. It crossed its thick claws to brace itself for Togepi’s attack. She tilted her head down, pointed her spiked crown forward, but Crabrawler’s Protect completely negated any damage.

“Charm!”

I shouted as quickly as I could, and thankfully, Togepi managed to get the move off. Unfortunately, despite all of her efforts, Crabrawler didn’t even blink, and a claw was swung down.

It must have Hyper Cutter, then. Cutting its attack isn’t possible.

Crabrawler’s Slam attack struck Togepi on her back, and I couldn’t hold back a wince. The sound it made was brutal, as if something important had cracked. The force of the impact bounced Togepi off the wood, and she ended up landing on her side and rolling away.

Crabrawler continued forward, intending to follow that move up, but when Togepi came to a stop, her face was aimed towards the sky and it was clear she had been completely and utterly knocked out.

"Perhaps I overestimated your Pokémon?" Hala hummed.

For a moment, I growled.

"No, you didn't."

Togepi was returned to her Dream Ball, and I clenched the Pokéball containing my next team member. I only had Tinkatuff left to fight, but out of everyone here, she was the strongest. Togepi might have had more training and experience, but her lack of evolution held her back. Tinkatuff, however, had received a massive boost to her strength, and her hammer was looking more and more malicious by the day.

When she hit the field, Tinkatuff gave her weapon a swing, and she twirled it around before letting it hit the stage in a loud, resonating thunk. That was another point of damage to this wooden stage after Togepi’s Ancient Power, but Hala didn’t even blink.

Both Tinkatuff and Crabrawler stared off, Tinkatuff grinning while Crabrawler banged its claws. Both of them were clearly the strongest Pokémon that would compete in the match, and it was clear that they were roughly evenly matched.

"Quite a Pokémon," Hala said.

"Thank you. She's put in a lot of effort,” I replied. “Now then, Tinkatuff, use Rock Smash!"

"Thunder Punch."

While I was relying on Tinkatuff to win, this matchup did reveal a rather embarrassing gap in her move set. For all the variety of offensive Types she had access to, Baby-Doll Eyes was her only known Fairy Type attack. Even more, that move was just a faster but weaker Charm, meaning it was worthless against Crabrawler. Despite being a Fairy Type specialist, I had somehow neglected to teach her an appropriately Typed attack.

That’s it. Tinkatuff is learning Play Rough next time we get a chance.

Without super effective damage, a neutral attack would have to do. Tinkatuff brought up her hammer and charged forward, and Crabrawler paused to let its claw glow. I could tell its Thunder Punch hadn't been fully trained since it took a moment for the sparks to start, but the move itself was still decent enough to use as an attack.

Turns out, Thunder Punch was the right move to call. It might not have hit Tinkatuff, but it hit her incoming hammer. The conductivity of the metal caused electricity to course down the handle, and Tinkatuff jerked around as the Electric Type energy sparked through her body.

"Kick it," I said.

This wasn't a move, but Tinkatuff followed my order anyway.

The hammer-wielding Fairy Type powered through the continuing damage to kick the crab right in its chest. It barely reacted, but the impact was enough to push it back.

Tinkatuff then let her hammer fall before swinging it up right into Crabrawler’s chin. A Protect stopped any damage, but the momentum caused Crabrawler to tip back, unbalanced.

"Follow through!" I yelled.

"Payback,” Hala said.

With that command, Crabrawler let the incoming Rock Smash hit right in the head. There was a crack then a crash, and then Tinkatuff yelled.

A claw slammed into Tinkatuff’s chest with a burst of dark energy behind it. This wasn’t a true counter, but an attack powered by Dark Type-influenced feelings of revenge. Most of Tinkatuff’s defenses came from being able to defend herself with her hammer, and with Crabrawler letting loose a jab right after she attacked, her stubby, pink body was exceedingly vulnerable to attack.

But, that cracking sound? It wasn't from Tinkatuff. Her swing had landed, and Crabrawler’s shell now had a nasty dent.

"Aim at the crack! Rock Smash again!"

"Slam for defense. Squeeze in what attacks you can."

What followed was a furious exchange of back and forth blows between the two Pokémon. Tinkatuff's hammer swung and swung and swung, while Crabrawler's fists jabbed and jabbed and jabbed.

Before too long, it was clear both Pokémon were tiring themselves out. One more attack could win. A decent hit would settle the match.

"Tinkatuff! Use—"

"I'm calling it here."

Crabrawler disappeared back into its Ultra Ball. Tinkatuff and I were left momentarily speechless.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Yes. I believe this is for the best,” Hala continued, nodding his head.

Tinkatuff said her name in the exact tone I had just used, expressing her discontent at the sheer anticlimax of the match. Off to the side, I heard an annoyed buzz, and Cutiefly started to shout at the Kahuna in anger at ruining the end.

“Hold on, hold on, let me speak!” Hala yelled. “This was a good match, but I don’t want it to end here. We have a full match scheduled tomorrow, so let’s maintain this heat overnight. The battle could have gone either way, so let’s carry that ambiguity forward. Let the hunger for victory motivate you, and completely throw yourself into tomorrow’s match!”

His words were at least convincing to himself, and the old man gained a feral grin. I had to admit, his offer was tempting, but there was still a factor just how awful it felt for this battle to remain inconclusive.

“Ah, I see my words haven’t truly convinced you,” Hala said. “I admit, it was anticlimactic, so let me do something in exchange. For our match tomorrow, I’ll put something on the line. Ask for anything, and I’ll do my best to help you obtain it if you win.”

“A bribe, then,” I said.

“A personal one, just to encourage your participation,” he replied.

“So what, I ask for a Fighting Type Z-Crystal?”

He laughed. “No, that would already be given. Instead, have you considered the fact that I'm partially responsible for this region’s starter Pokémon?”

Now that was convincing.

This was an almost explicit statement that Hala would give me a Popplio if I won, though, I still remembered his speech, and I knew it would be an uphill challenge. Still, the more I considered his offer, the more fired up I got.

But then, a thought. What if I asked for a starter, but in a completely different direction?

“I’m still training Eevee, and Cutiefly needs a lot of work to catch up. Adding a Popplio to my team is too much too quickly. I wouldn’t be fair to any Pokémon that joins me.” I shook my head. “No, but I do have a friend who’s been trying to expand her team. And she passed up the opportunity to catch a new Pokémon to help Cutiefly, too. What if instead of Popplio, I ask for a Rowlet? Hope’s been trying to get a new Pokémon for a long time, and I don’t think she’d want to turn this chance down.”

Hope was staring at me, wide-eyed, looking like she was in complete disbelief. Hala saw that, and he chuckled, deeply amused.

“I did say to ask for anything,” he said with a laugh. “I suppose that will do. I know of at least three different Rowlet itching to gain a new companion. We have an agreement! Our challenge is set! But remember, in exchange, you’ll have to completely throw yourself into the match.”

I nodded once, firm, looking Hala in the eye. He nodded back to me, and it was clear the upcoming battle would be a fight requiring our all.

He walked off the stage after that, moving to retire inside one of the nearby houses. Hope approached me, shaking her head as she did.

“You really asked for a Pokémon for me after being told you were going to lose? Way to get my hopes up, like that. You better win.”

I felt the heat rise to my face as her words struck true.

“Ah, uh, yeah. I supposed I kind of assumed I would win. Still, maybe Hala would be willing to give you one anyway?”

Hope laughed once, shaking her head yet again.

“Only someone as dumb as you would pass up a chance for a starter like that. Really, Alex. Thank you. You’re a good friend. I mean it, too.”

I smiled as I said that, and both Florges and Cutiefly returned to my side from where they were watching the match. Cutiefly continued to let out annoyed, buzzing noises, whereas Florges just seemed deeply amused. After spending a moment getting him to calm down, I promised him that everything would be alright, then returned Florges and started to walk back to the Pokémon center, Cutiefly on my shoulder again.

“I’ve received a lot of help from my friends in the past, and this is a way I feel like I can partially pay it back,” I said to Hope as we walked. “You didn’t have to bring me to Ramos in Kalos, and you didn’t have to help with some training against my team. Believe me, Hope, I’ll win the match tomorrow. We just have to make a good plan tonight, or, if not that, prepare a decent argument for him to give you the Rowlet even if I lose. Trust me. These kinds of things are my specialty!”

“I thought your specialty was the Fairy Type.”

“Close enough,” I said with a shrug.