“I... I just don’t get it.”

The silence that punctuated Professor Burnet’s words was palpable.

“If I didn’t have the energy readings right here in front of me, I would never have thought Nebby would start absorbing Ultra Wormhole energy! It’s a complete reversal from what he used to give off!”

She fiddled with her strange, mechanical device and circled around the table Nebby sat on. Her steps came out almost waddling at her current stage of pregnancy, but the Cosmoem didn’t move, staying in one place in his constant rest like he usually did.

“Is that a bad thing?” Lillie asked meekly.

“The opposite,” Burnet said, quick to reply. “Nebby’s at sub-zero energy readings, which means he isn’t giving off energy, but taking it in. If it wasn’t for my recent improvements to this device, I would have thought he had simply stopped emanating anything! Simply existing is reducing the ambient Ultra Wormhole energy around him. Usually it's negligible, but now it’s nothing. Nothing!”

She laughed and put a hand to her head. Her eyes flicked up and down between Nebby and the device in disbelief.

“So if he was attracting Ultra Beasts before—”

“He won’t any longer,” Burnet replied, finishing Lillie’s statement. “As most wild Ultra Beasts in our world tend to be solely focused on hunting down dense sources, they’ll have no reason to approach. If anything, they’ll be repelled by the sheer absence of any of that energy around him!”

Her words caused her to laugh even more—because honestly, this was unprecedented. The study of the Ultra Wormhole energy, so prevalent in Alola but rare everywhere else, was a little-understood field, and seeing a species that interacted with it so intrinsically provided a wealth of data for Burnet’s research.

Lost to her thoughts, Professor Burnet ended up walking over to a desk, where she slumped down into a chair to rest her feet. She took a moment to rub her sore soles before opening up her laptop and starting to furiously write.

Lillie took the opportunity for what it was and walked over to scoop up the tiny Nebby into her hands. She headed back to where Hope and I had been watching this exchange with clear concern.

Overall, it’d been just over two weeks since we met with Guzma. Since then, we’d all received our set of Ula’ula Z-crystals from Nanu, with Lillie having an easy win thanks to both her recent practice and her relative Type Advantage. Hope and I had also fought Acerola for her test for the Elite Four and checked in on Ryuki, who had temporarily closed down his Malie City Gym for “restructuring” purposes. As it currently stood, our detour back to Akala had made us a few days behind the rest of the trainers taking on the Island Challenge. Most had already gone to Poni Island, but we had stayed behind specifically for this visit.

Training a Cosmoem necessitated treading new grounds, as the relatively unassuming Legendary Pokémon had no records about proper care. We had hoped Professor Burnet would shed some light on the situation—and she did—but much of what she said only created more questions.

“Um...” Lillie let her voice trail off. “If Ultra Beasts won’t be going after Nebby—”

“Don’t worry,” I interrupted. “We’ll still travel together. I have to make sure you’re in tip-top shape as my apprentice, after all.”

She met my grin with a smile.

“Right!”

Hope chuckled at the heartwarming moment.

“So, you wanted my advice for Nebby, right?” Burnet suddenly said, speaking up right before anyone else could. “I can summarize everything pretty succinctly: treat Nebby as a Bug Type.”

“Huh?”

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“As far as I can tell, Nebby’s entered a state of great energy conservation, quite similar to what many cocoon-like Bug Types go through,” the Professor said, pushing her desk chair out from the desk to get closer without needing to stand up. “He has limited awareness of his surroundings, but he has awareness, though he’s rather bundled up right now. While no Ultra Beast will be lured closer, they’ll still pose a danger if they discover you. Like most relatively defenseless mid-stage cocoon Pokémon, Ultra Beasts will want to crack him open and slurp up that sweet—”

She stopped, blinked, and quickly censored herself.

“While not detectable, I imagine he contains a great deal of Ultra Wormhole energy inside of himself. It’s still our prerogative to ensure Nebby remains unharmed.”

Lillie nodded along in agreement, either not processing or completely ignoring the implications of what Professor Burnet almost said.

“And as for the Beast Balls...” Hope started.

“Yes! Right! I almost forgot!”

Burnet grabbed her desk to pull herself, still in the chair, back over. I tried to step forward to try to help, but she waved me off, wanting to do this herself. Digging around a drawer, she pulled out a sack. It was unceremoniously dumped on the table, where a small handful of Beast Balls rolled out.

“Right now, the lab’s on low-maintenance mode,” Professor Burnet explained. “With my current pregnancy, there’s not much I can do outside of looking over and signing off on experiments. We set up some long-period tests and not much else. As a result, everyone is basically on an impromptu break.”

And then her grin became almost feral.

“So, not one to have all of my assistants rest for too long, I had them start the production of these balls in greater numbers. Officially, these are ‘prototypes’ and shouldn’t properly work, but from what we’ve seen...”

Kartana was doing fine. The Ultra Beast slotted well into Hope’s team and was rather comfortable inside of its new Pokéball, too.

“Not sure why you need so many, but I trust your judgment,” Burnet finished.

I picked up the sack.

“Thank you. I’ll get these delivered as soon as I can.”

She smiled again, though, there was an air of mild confusion to it. After all, while she knew something was up, I didn’t want to tell too many people exactly which contacts I’d called in and who needed these balls. The more people that knew, the more people that could accidentally leak information. I didn’t necessarily want them to catch Ultra Beasts, either. This was more of a way to give us a non-Aether Foundation method of capturing and containing any wild threats.

“So what’s next for your group?” Burnet asked, sliding back into her normal place. “Ula’ula, I presume. A bit late, though.”

“We’re going to go to the Altar of the Sun and Moon!” Lillie said, forced cheer in her voice.

I didn’t fail to note how she clutched Nebby a bit tighter to her chest when she said that.

“The Altar of the Sun and Moon? Hm.” Professor Burnett rubbed her chin. “You are aware that none of you have the authority to visit?”

“Excuse me?” Hope asked. “What do you mean?”

“Both the Lake of the Sun and Moon and the Altar of the Sun and Moon have deep ties to Alola's history, but they’re treated in different ways. While Acerola has the duty of guarding the Lake, she's much more lax in who's allowed to visit and leave.”

I didn't fail to notice how Burnet saw the need to specify “and leave.”

“As for the Altar,” Burnet continued, “Hapu is much more rigid. Stubborn, more specifically. If you want to visit you’ll have to meet the requirements that everyone else over the past few centuries has gone through; she’ll only let you enter if you pass her trial.”

I rubbed my head.

“And if we say it’s a matter of regional security? And that we’re using our authority as League officials to proceed?”

She shrugged.

“That authority applies almost everywhere—but that’s only almost everywhere. Certain key historical sites have their own traditions to follow, and while the Altar isn’t that well-known, the Poni Kahuna has mandated these actions for a reason.”

I frowned at that reveal. After everything that happened at the Lake of the Sun and Moon, one would think the importance of visiting the Altar would outweigh tradition. But, I had to acknowledge that people were allowed to have local cultures and traditions. I couldn’t just stomp in, waving my Pokémon League authority around, and demand they allow us entry. That kind of behavior was one of the things members of the Wandering Elite were supposed to stop.

“Alright. I guess we’ll have to delay our plans a bit, then,” I said. “So that means we’ve got the final Trial Captain to meet and Poni Island’s Kahuna to deal with first.”

“Sounds fun,” Hope said. “Should be good practice.”

“It’ll help us build the strength we need, too,” I said, pushing down my frustration.

At least, Lillie nodded her head in excited agreement.

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

Just off the coast of Poni Island was the sole settlement of this part of Alola. Seafolk Village was built onto a series of docks—both floating and anchored—that stretched out into the sea. Buildings here consisted of either tied-up boats or floating houses locked in place by the wood of the docks around them. In the distance, colorful ships floated around, either being dragged by the slow, local currents or by teams of Pokémon that looked like they were having fun.

I almost felt like I was walking through a festival.

Without any major roads, most people walked over the docks to get to where they needed to go. It wasn’t the largest of towns, but there were enough people here that there were always a few of them outside. Pokémon poked their heads up from the water to swim alongside those people or to whine to be fed. The floating buildings and boats themselves were all dressed up, too, each one decorated to resemble Pokémon.

The vibe could only be described in one word: cheerful. I didn’t see anyone around who looked sad. This place was originally founded by nomadic people who settled down, and while they occasionally struggled with storms, no one seemed to be in a bad mood.

Yet, despite all these incredible sights, I was alone for once. The local Trial was located just past the Pokémon Center, and Lillie was heading there alongside Hope right now. Normally, I’d have tried to see Lillie off, but we had limited time until the next round of “applicants” for the Kahuna’s test. Not only that, but this last Trial Captain was rather hands-off from the Trial’s usual operations, and she was rather special.

After all, Seafolk Village’s Trial Captain was a Fairy Type specialist, and I was interested for obvious reasons.

The reported address listed the Trial Captain’s official place-of-work as a boat tied to the docks with ropes with a considerable hue of green to them. The boat itself was decorated like a Pokémon—this one being rounded, painted blue, and with decorative whiskers that made it look like a Whiscash. There were a few other boats nestled around it, one resembling a Magikarp, one resembling a Steelix (of all things), and one that was somehow a Wailord-themed restaurant the size of a decent-sized yacht.

Truly, Seafolk Village was a wonderful place.

Knocking on the boat’s door was much less special, though, since all I did was walk up and tap it. Almost immediately after making that sound, I heard a crash from the inside before it swung open a second later.

A young, blond woman opened it up. She wore an oversized shirt that was now splattered with fresh paint.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Are you... Mina?” I replied.

I knew she was. The woman was almost identical to how she appeared in the games.

As I asked my question, Mina frowned slightly and looked me over. It took a second, but her eyes soon widened and she stood up a bit straighter. However, the damage was already done; she had a messy first impression.

“I am. And you’re... Alex? Oh! Wait, weren't there going to be two of you?”

“Hope is bringing a friend to her Trial,” I said politely. “We’re somewhat stressed on time, so she trusted me to test your potential. I’m a Fairy Type specialist after all. When it comes to understanding Fairy Types, well, it’s kind of my expertise.”

Mina smiled and opened the door.

“Nice. Come on in,” she said.

I was a little surprised how energetic she suddenly was.

The curvature of the Whiscash exterior made it so I didn’t realize just how large this place was. Overall, there was only one room and a door, but it was big, taking up the entire ship. Just stepping past the front door, I could see a canvas covered in splashes of paint right under a window, a bed covered in many colorful splats, and what seemed to be an electric stove shoved into a corner that was meant to take the place of an entire kitchen.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

The sole other door here led to what I assumed to be the bathroom, but I still had to pause.

“I’m sorry, did I come to the wrong place? I thought this was where you worked, not your... home.”

I felt awkward for obvious reasons.

“They’re basically the same,” Mina replied. “My duty as Trial Captain is pretty lax since the Totem Pokémon has a large enough family to make sure everyone always has the chance to fight. I just hang out here and paint when I can. I help train the Trial’s Pokémon sometimes, but everything here mostly works out on its own.”

As Mina talked, she walked over to that canvas, which she tore from her easel and laid it out under the window on the floor. There were a few rugs here and there that were more like sheets of cloth spread about, and she started to kick to make room in the center of this large space.

“...Do you want to be a Gym Leader? It’s a lot of responsibility, so I won’t blame you if you turn it down,” I said.

I was already rather unimpressed.

“I’m fine either way, but Poni Island does deserve to have at least one Gym, and I’m the best person for the job.” Her words were spoken both boldly and casually at the same time. “I’d prefer to not have that responsibility since I’d rather just paint, but have you heard of Burgh?”

“The Unova Bug Type Specialist?”

“Yeah. He turned his entire Gym into his canvas! I want to do the same.”

Mina’s eyes were half-lidded with tiredness, but they were also practically sparkling. She moved over to her small kitchen’s counter to pick up a stuffed manilla envelope containing some forms.

“I’ve taken the liberty of laying out my plans. Kukui gave me a heads up so I’ve had time to get everything down.”

I opened up the folder and started to leaf through the papers.

I blinked.

“...Why is this designed so well?” I mumbled.

Unlike the relative chaotic mess of Mina’s home-slash-place-of-work, these documents were written like a professional. They contained pre-filled out forms to acquire land near the Pokémon Center, blueprints for all the buildings that would need to be built, and plans that detailed how the Gym would make its income to supplement any funding provided by the League.

Needless to say, I was speechless as I read them over.

“...I’m only here to test your viability as a trainer and local leader. No one else has gone to this level of detail. Not even Illima, and he had things pretty set up.”

“Oh,” Mina said, carefully taking back the forms. “I guess I’ll just pass it to Kukui, later?”

“Yeah,” I replied, dazed.

The painter ended up placing the folder back exactly where she left it—apparently having a sense of memorized organization to her mess. She moved to stand across from me, paused, then retrieved a satchel from the floor.

“Ready for our battle?”

“W-what? Wait, right here, now?!”

“I’ve had battles inside before. It’s one of the reasons I live here. The place is large enough to support a fight.”

Her bed was feet away. There was a fragile, glass window on the wall.

“Aren’t you afraid things will break?”

“Worse has happened,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t mind. Now, let’s go!”

Mina reached into her satchel and tossed forward a Pokéball, a new Fairy Type Pokémon appearing on the field. It was rather squat and rabbit-like—pink, white, and long-eared.

Upon appearing in the space Mina had cleared out on her floor, her Wigglytuff stretched out and yawned. When its large, blue eyes noticed me, it stood up a bit straighter and hopped back and forth on its feet while throwing practice punches into the air.

“I guess we’re really doing this,” I said, rubbing my head. “Whatever. Tinkaton! You’re up!”

Tinkaton appeared across from it, hefting her massive hammer onto her shoulder. At the sight, Mina’s eyes went wide as a massive grin bloomed onto her face.

“That's so cool! I haven't seen a Tinkaton in person before. What a huge hammer! Mind if I draw it later?!”

Tinkaton immediately tried to hide her hot pink blush, moving her hammer’s handle to half-obscure her face. Wigglytuff, meanwhile, continued to throw punches, and it started to kick once or twice to warm up, too.

There was no referee, and Mina looked at me silently. I took that as a sign that she wanted to begin.

“Let's start by seeing Wigglytuff’s defenses. Use Gigaton Hammer, but be wary of damaging the floor,” I called out.

There was only a brief hesitation as Tinkaton took in the room, but the charge that came after was as confident as always. As she neared the Wigglytuff, her swing never came out. Instead, Wigglytuff leapt off the ground, entered the air, and inflated with its arms flapping to hover above her like some kind of pink balloon.

It looked ridiculous, but it was an effective dodge. The only problem was...

“That probably wasn’t the best idea,” I said. “In Paldea, Tinkaton are known for—”

I was interrupted by Tinkaton’s attack. It wasn’t a true move since there was no Rock Type energy involved, but she ran to the side of the “field” to grab a loose paintbrush and toss it above her head. Mina called for Wigglytuff to use a defensive move, but it truly didn’t matter. Tinkaton’s hammer impacted the paintbrush like a bat hitting a ball, and the pointed object hurtled through the air and jabbed right into Wigglytuff’s stomach.

The impact knocked the air out of Wigglytuff. The force of the exhale sent it crashing into the ground, where Tinkaton chased after it.

“Well, they’re known for sniping the heavily armored Corviknight out of the air,” I finished, grimacing slightly at Tinkaton’s previously unseen skill. “We haven't practiced it much, but it seems like taking out flying opponents is something that comes naturally to her.”

Wigglytuff tried to get up and prepare a punching attack, but Tinkaton’s hammer smashed straight into its face. Despite how rubbery it was, the rabbit-like Pokémon was unable to sustain such a powerful, super-effective attack and fell to the ground, fainted.

“That was so fast,” Mina whispered, left blinking from that exchange.

“Sorry about that. We’ve been working hard to ensure my newer Pokémon like Tinkaton will reach an elite level, and it seems her spars with my Mawile have been paying off.”

Tinkaton slung her hammer back over her shoulder as she let out a proud huff.

“All good. Let’s see you defeat my next Pokémon that easily. Shiinotic!”

Despite the initial, quick defeat, Mina was quick to swap out Wigglytuff for her next Pokémon. This Shiinotic looked a lot like Lillie’s, but it was a bit larger overall.

“Sleep Powder! Cover the field!” Mina yelled.

“Return,” I said.

Tinkaton disappeared before any status could be inflicted on her.

“Quick question, Mina. How serious was your question about defeating your next Pokémon quickly?”

She scratched her cheek in thought before replying.

“If you think you can do it, I want to see it,” she easily replied.

“Got it,” I said. “Togekiss!”

My Pokémon had a lot of practice against this species thanks to Lillie, and I wanted to see both if Togekiss’s counter-Shiinotic strategy was applicable here and how Mina would react. In other words, this would test both my Pokémon and Mina’s ability to adapt.

“You know what to do, Togekiss,” I said.

Mina’s Shiinotic used Sleep Powder again, though it used the move in a different way than I was familiar with. It vibrated, causing spores to shake free from the mushroom that was its head. I took note of that to help Lillie improve in the future.

The end outcome was still the same, though. Air Slash cut through the cloud and the chasing winds pushed any lingering spores away. Thankfully, none ended up affecting either Mina or me.

“Moonblast. Follow it forward,” I called out.

Mina simply gained a sharp grin and pointed towards Togekiss.

“Energy Ball!”

My order of “Follow it forward” was a command to help Togekiss disguise her next attack. As the two Pokémon moves—the pink and green balls—collided, the Moonblast obscured Togekiss’s position to let her zip downwards and slam into Shiinotic with an Aerial Ace.

However, Shiinotic burst with a spore cloud the moment it was hit.

“There we go! That was Effect Spore, Shiinotic’s ability!” Mina shouted. “Going through with that attack was a mistake. You’re under the effect of Shiinotic’s—”

“Psycho Shift.”

The expression on Mina’s face immediately fell.

The ability of Effect Spore had a mostly random effect, as it was difficult to prepare which spores were knocked loose from the force of the impact. In this case, Shiinotic released a Sleep Spore since putting Pokémon to sleep was the species’s specialty.

However, with Psycho shift, Togekiss was able to “swap” status conditions with her and her foe. The energy that left her body cured her of her growing drowsiness, and when a glowing light entered Shiinotic, it slumped forward, already in the process of falling asleep.

“Wake up!” Mina shouted desperately.

Unfortunately for her, we had a solid idea of what Shiinotic were capable of thanks to all our practice with Lillie.

“Air Slash,” I said once more, giving a final order.

With Shiinotic so tired, it wasn't able to dodge the Air Slash that came its way. And then once the Air Slash hit, the flinch the strike caused ensured the second blade ultimately took it out.

“Man, Alex. This isn't going like how I expected at all,” Mina said, rubbing the back of her head.

“I've spent a lot of time both researching and training the Fairy Type. It would make sense I’d know how to face them on a field.”

Mina nodded gloomily and returned her fainted Pokémon. She quickly swapped out its ball for another from her bag.

“I think I can tell,” she said, “which is why I’m going to be swapping to a stronger member of my team. This little guy is the progeny of Poni Island’s Fairy Totem Pokémon. He’s going to take up her role when she retires, and I've been preparing him for that.”

The ball was tossed forward.

“Ribombee!”

Right away, I knew that this Pokémon would be a problem—especially since I’d been training one. This species had the potential to be both difficult and speedy. That, combined with its ability to boost itself with Quiver Dance, meant I had no doubts it would live up to Mina’s hype.

Still, though, the second I saw her Ribombee I knew what I had to do.

“Come back, Togekiss,” I said, recalling her to her ball. “Here we go, Ribombee!”

My nearly identical Pokémon appeared, and a mirror match started in the air of this large room.

“Pay close attention. Watch how your opponent uses his moves and see if you can apply those tricks to do the same,” I whispered.

He buzzed in agreement. Meanwhile, Mina gave commands of her own.

“Quiver Dance into Bug Buzz! Take out the Ribombee, Ribombee!”

I was quickly proven right about her Pokémon’s speed when it burst into action. In a blink of an eye, the Fairy-Bug Type flitted from spot to spot. Each minute shift helped build up its internal stores of energy, the pattern supporting a Quiver Dance that enhanced not just its speed but also its special attack and defense, too.

“Lace your fuzz with Stun Spore,” I whispered. “Try to paralyze it when it gets close.”

Mina gave a new order the second I finished giving my own.

“Go!” she yelled.

Her Bug Type rushed forward.

Not even half a second passed, and Mina's Ribombee was already on us. The Bug Type traveled through the air faster than I could track, yet it still managed to come to an instant halt only inches away.

“Now!” I yelled.

Yellow dust left my Ribombee’s fur, but his opponent was ready, bursting with the previously ordered Bug Buzz. The strength of the vibrations meant all particles were pushed back, and my Ribombee let out a loud cry of pain.

This was a reversal of the two matches before. Where Mina’s Pokémon had fainted quickly, it was just as likely my Pokémon would faint quickly next.

We needed to do something drastic, so I called for a still-in-practice move.

“Quiver Dance!”

This time, I actually wanted him to use it, but he never got the chance.

The second he started trying to apply what he had witnessed, Mina had already called for a Draining Kiss. Her Ribombee rushed to mine and planted its lips right on his side. From there, it pulled back, drawing pink energy out from inside him. His vitality sucked away, he fell to the ground, panting heavily, while Mina’s Ribombee was at full energy.

“Dazzling Gleam?” I offered.

Draining Kiss meant the Pokémon was close, lingering near my Pokémon on the floor. At my command, he weakly flapped his wings to try to build up the energy, but he just ended up collapsing on the floor instead, exhausted of all energy.

“Dang,” I said, rubbing the back of my head and returning my Pokémon. “You put up a good fight, Ribombee.”

Mina had a grin on her face.

“That’s one for me! Finally! Let’s make this the last match between us, alright?”

Her words made me smile.

“Alright.”

From training a Ribombee of my own, I was aware of an acute weakness the species had. For all of its speed and special capabilities, they weren’t great at taking physical hits.

So, the battle ended soon after.

Tinkaton came out again, and I had her stand still to properly angle her attack. The battle ended up being short, as any ranged moves that came her way were knocked back like golf balls thanks to her hammer, and when Mina’s Ribombee got close, Tinkaton was skilled enough to land a glancing blow even through its speed.

That was enough to seal the battle in our favor. The exchange was quick, as Ribombee wasn’t a Pokémon that could last after the next, follow-up attack.

“Man, I really thought I had you there at the end,” Mina said.

“Almost. Maybe if I didn’t have Tinkaton waiting.”

She shrugged.

“I can still sketch her hammer, right?”

“You’ll have to ask her.”

Tinkaton looked away, but the Pokémon had so much pride in her creation that I knew she’d accept.

Now that this battle was over, there was still the fun part left. With two same-Type specialists in the same room, there were only two outcomes: a rivalry, or an exchange of tips.

“You definitely want to ensure any Ribombee you train have a high-honey diet since that’s what the species makes in the wild,” Mina said. “Speed is good on its own, but I find that accuracy combines with speed to make power, which is especially necessary for moves like Pollen Puff and Energy Ball. Quiver Dance is a bit more complicated—I bashed my head against the wall for ages before getting it to work. Want my notes?”

“A copy, at least,” I said.

She nodded.

“I can do that. I’m a big fan of the Cutiefly line. Most trainers vastly underestimate the species’s power.”

I knew exactly what she meant.

As for the information I shared, it was a lot of tips about making sure her Pokémon’s Moonblast was in tip-top shape. I had insights few others had—after all, I hadn’t just seen the Fairy Type Legendary Pokémon, Xerneas, use the move, but I’d also personally witnessed the aspect of the moon, Lunala, use an attack that clearly took inspiration from the same source.

Mina didn’t have many Pokémon that could help sustain lower-ranked Gym Fights, but many of her plans had ideas of how to recruit trainers to help with that. Poni Island also had a few species she could recruit, and she knew that several wouldn’t mind having a more peaceful place to settle.

“I have to be honest, Mina, you’re the strangest Gym Leader Candidate I’ve met, and I’ve interviewed both Guzma and Ryuki.”

She chuckled awkwardly at that.

“I mean it,” I continued. “You present yourself as somewhat lazy and kind of a mess, but you’re really anything but that.”

“No, I am,” she easily replied. “I’ve just figured out how to best manage my time, I guess.”

Her words made me smile.

“A bit misleading, but that’s kind of what Fairy Type specialists are about, yeah?”

She laughed.

“I guess. I’m more into beauty and artwork, but appearances are big when it comes to the Fairy Type.”

She wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped, but like the other Gym Leaders I’d met with in the past, fixing that was just a matter of time. We shook hands with the intention of splitting apart, both of us having got what we were looking for (after a battle in Mina’s home, of all places).

“By the way, before I part, I don’t suppose you have any advice to help an Eevee evolve into Sylveon?”

“A Sylveon?” she blinked. “Sorry, I never got the chance to train that Pokémon.”

“Ah, well, it was worth a shot.”

“Hm. Only thing I could think of is to ensure your Eevee actually likes you instead of just the idea of evolving?”

I blinked.

That’s... Hm.

That was a surprisingly insightful comment, one that suddenly made me doubt my own affection-building strategies. While Eevee’s Everstone currently prevented any accidental, improper evolutions, it was true that he’d been obsessed with the idea of becoming a Sylveon even before I’d met him. Nurses could ascertain which species he’d likely evolve into, but it was possible that fact might have created false results.

“I’ll... I’ll keep that in mind, actually. That’s pretty helpful.”

Mina smiled.

“If I’m going to be a Gym Leader, I have to think outside the box.”

I laughed again.

“Confident, huh? But truthfully, it’s not my decision to make. I just file the reports. However, once Kukui sees your plans, I have a feeling Poni Island will get the Gym it deserves.”

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

Remaining on the Island Challenge, there was a single Kahuna left to fight.

The last stop before the end.

The last trainer to defeat.

The final challenge before earning our place in Alola’s alternative conference.

Two days after meeting with Mina, we gathered down a short route on the main island. Lillie had successfully defeated the Totem Pokémon and earned her Fairy Type Z-crystal. Similarly, Hope had stopped by to meet with Mina, and she didn't have any complaints. If anything, she was impressed with Mina's messy-but-organized style. It reminded Hope of how some Grass Types managed their gardens.

But, right now, us and so many others gathered at the base of a stone cliff with a massive break running down its center. This was the entrance to Vast Poni Canyon. Just off to its side, a large boulder served as a makeshift platform, and the Kahuna herself, the young Hapu, stood on its top.

“Those who seek to challenge me!” she called out, collecting everyone's attention in but a single moment. “You stand before Vast Poni Canyon, the Trial I require all of my challengers to face!

“It does not matter who you are, or where you came from! Those taking on the Island Challenge and those solely seeking to defeat the Kahunas must succeed in this one challenge I will issue forth!

“Survive! The Vast Poni Canyon is a wide range of untamed wilderness! The strongest Pokémon in Alola dwell here, and they constantly seek out fights! To earn the right to face me, you must last a full week in the canyon itself! Anyone forced to leave or call for help will be summarily removed and be required to try again!”

I glanced around as she explained the rules. A few people looked pale, but Hope was grinning. Lillie's expression, however, was unreadable. After all, there was one more rule.

“To add to that, survival in the Vast Poni Canyon is a solo challenge!” Hapu yelled. “Only trainers and their teams may collaborate! Any assistance between groups will warrant an immediate disqualification!”

This was a test of skill, strength, as well as stamina. A week of camping wasn't bad, but a week of camping in a hostile environment under constant assault would push everyone to their limits.

As for Lillie, however, we had inquired earlier, and we had little to worry about her getting in danger. Yes, the canyon itself would be a great challenge, but Nebby had taken on the reverse role of warding off Ultra Beasts, and many of the Pokémon in the canyon worked alongside Hapu and knew to get help if someone entered with malicious intentions.

This was a Trial, and it was only a Trial. No other thoughts needed to be spent.

“At the end of one week, you may emerge, and I will be waiting here to schedule our battle! For those who wish to leave early, we will provide flares for rescue if needed! There are no restrictions on how long or little you can stay, only that you must last at least one week to earn the right! There is no shame in leaving early, only wisdom! To know when you are defeated is not something to fear!”

She went quiet after that announcement, her sharp eyes taking in the crowd. A few people whispered among themselves and others mumbled. Hapu let the discussions continue for a bit longer before she resumed.

“So, knowing these rules, there is one more thing to say and one more thing only,” she said much more quietly this time around. “This may be the most difficult challenge you've had in your life, so I say this one thing with all of my heart:

“Good luck.”

Hapu spoke no more and began to climb down from her rock, ending her speech.

Conversation started up immediately, and people started to push forward. Some ran towards the entrance, grabbing offered flares from a Trial assistant before rushing inside. Others were more calm about it, entering in a much more orderly fashion. Then, there was a select few who held back, their expressions far too bleak to be those of people planning to enter at all.

“Good luck, huh? Remember, Lillie, this is what we’ve been practicing for,” I said.

“I know,” she replied quietly. “It’s just intimidating.”

“A lot of things are until you do them.”

She glanced over to me and I sent her a reassuring smile. With a nod, she turned back to the Canyon’s entrance as we started to move in.

Hope entered first, saying goodbye and charging though.

Lillie entered right after, taking a deep breath and marching on inwards.

As for me, I entered last, the warm presence of my team firmly on my belt.

“And I very much doubt any of us will last a week,” I whispered as I stepped inwards. “This is far too good of a training opportunity to pass up. Between Hope, Lillie, and I, I imagine we’ll be here for a month.”

I smiled as the sight of the canyon fully greeted my eyes.

“A month? No, a month at least.”