Alola, Cousin!

      In the middle of an Alolan afternoon, right when their conversation reached its zenith, Guzma’s mind shut down.  He was gone now, transported to another time when he was young and small and scared of the big, bad father who beat him down and beat him down and never let up.  Sniveling pathetically with big, heavy gasps, Guzma wiped his streaming nose on the back of his arm.  He cocooned himself further into his sleeping bag.  In the middle of the night, in his tent surrounded by his two closest friends, he was alone.  No one would hear him cry.

      Stupid, stupid!  How could he let a stupid f-fucking phone call turn him into such a baby?  Guzma pounded his fists against his head.  Pulled a handful of his shaggy black hair until his scalp screamed.  And tried, tried, tried not to cry anymore. He kept it together in front of Cukes, but as soon as his friend left to talk with his folks behind the bushes, Guzma’s grin faltered.

      The phone calls between Kukui and his parents seemed like a rite of passage, of a boy becoming a man, of independence asserted and childhood left long behind.  Though he joked his frustrations out of these check-ups, the boy reveled in it.  Looked forward to them.  Guzma knew because he saw, and he watched, and was envious of it. He’d heard the laughter and the subtle “I love yous” from his friend, and saw the humor in his eyes when he returned, rejuvenated in ways their special bond never did.  Guzma always hid behind the fire.  The darkness hid the truth from his eyes.

      He no longer wished for his own calls.  Those days were long since passed.  He wasn’t smart but he wasn’t an idiot; his mother’s lies fooled no one.  She knew what was happening and did nothing about it.  He loved his mother but it made him so angry that she just—just sat there!  And his eyes would fill with traitorous tears and he’d head back to his tent.  When he dreamed, his father loomed over him, an inescapable force, the heart of hatred and loathing entertwined.  The lessons that man taught were nothing less than cruel, but Guzma wouldn’t be privy to this knowledge as a boy.  It launched upon him, a predator he killed without mercy and without shedding a single tear.

      Guzma became a man in a shower of blood.

      He opened his eyes before Kukui now, his heart a writhing hornet’s nest.  Emotions coiled and tightened its embrace, venom pulsing toxic life into his veins. He unclenched his fists.  His friend—if that’s what they were in the past, they certainly weren’t now, or if they were, Guzma didn’t know, his crew in Skull were his subordinates; there were no friendships in gangs—tried to explain. Comfort him, with words that sounded like a scolding mother’s and blamed him for his emotions.

      “It’s easy to give in and say awful things and lash out and make everyone around you feel as small and shitty as you do.  But…”

      A muscle in his jaw twitched.  A rush of poison surged through his heart.  Kukui had gone on for long enough.  Let the guy talk, Guzma thought.  Let the guy finish and find out just how unimportant his lessons were. None of this was going to make any difference.  Nanu didn’t lecture him with this shit.  Neither did Hala—but that old man knew better.  His moldy old traditions could rot for all Guzma cared.

“       You’re right.  I… don’t know.”

      Despite it all, there was a small part of him that did care.  Nihilego had forced that part out of him, made him relive his past and broken bones, made him see just how much Kukui played an integral of his life and made him part of the man he was today.  He’d seen it all—and more.  Guzma had never admitted to being afraid of anything.  But he feared it then.  And now…

      Kukui was trying very hard to help him.  Make things right, or whatever.  Guzma didn’t know.  He didn’t know anything, not anymore, and that seemed fine.  For a while.  Kukui turned his back away from him, his shoulders sagging.  Felt as if he’d given up.  Back in Malie Garden, where they’d met for the first time in years, hearing Kukui admit to not knowing everything would have thrilled him. Guzma would’ve laughed and rubbed metaphorical dog shit all over his face, force him to his knees, where he’d be down off his fucking pedestal.

      That was then.  Now hearing those words sent dread trickling down his spine.  “Fuckin’…” Guzma started, words jumbling in his throat, getting caught in his Adam’s apple before being swallowed.  “Shit.”  Guzma took a step forward, his scars burning at the betrayal.  He was a pace behind Kukui, could have reached out and touched him if he tried, but he kept his distance.  They guy had always been more emotional than he, but seeing him now, like this, wasn’t right.

      When did he get so soft?  He must be more fucked up in the head than he thought.  Kukui was—… but the thought turned into nothing.  Nanu would have grinned, then.  Smug old man.  Thought he knew everything.  Guzma frowned.  Cursed under his breath.

      “Cut the crap, Cukes.”  He glared at the back of Kukui’s head stonily, his jaw set.  To preserve his dignity or some shit, or whatever the hell remained of it.  “We both know I ain’t cut out fer this touchy-feely bullshit.”

Guzma’s string of curses behind him made Kukui feel a tiny spark of hope. He sounded upset—not angry, but maybe like some of what Kukui said had gotten through to him. Kukui turned just as Guzma spoke again, and as their eyes met Guzma’s harsh words and empty eyes caused the spark to dim. They were standing so close, as close as they’d been back in town when Kukui thought Guzma might actually take a swing at him.

He felt numb as the rest of Guzma’s statement washed over him. It hurt to think about their past, about the trust and friendship they’d shared. He thought he’d laid all that pain to rest ages ago, with help from Burnet and Molayne and the Kahunas. But clearly some part of him still held onto the hope that Guzma would let him back into his life where he’d once belonged.

He was glad, in a way. Maybe Guzma was too proud to ever let his guard down. He’d always been the most guarded of Kukui’s friends, a trait that had apparently only become more pronounced as Guzma got older. Kukui wasn’t a stranger to that kind of insecurity. When he was young he always worried what other people thought and wanted to look strong. He hated the thought of looking weak when everyone had such high expectations for him.

But he’d had people who believed in him. What kind of hypocrite would he be now if he condemned Guzma for that very same trait? If there was one thing Kukui learned as he grew up, it was that the weakest thing you could be was someone who let other people’s thoughts define you. Kukui didn’t shape himself around those external influences anymore. He was his own person, free to live without worrying about perceived strength or weakness. 

Maybe right now Guzma couldn’t admit that he’d done wrong, that he was his own worst enemy. Whatever moment of emotion he’d had while Kukui’s back was turned, it was obvious that he’d shoved it deep down somewhere where he didn’t have to deal with it. But that didn’t mean he was a lost cause.

“You’re wrong,” Kukui said, as confidently as he could. “It isn’t bullshit. Feelings are a part of being human.” He drew in a deep breath. Kukui didn’t think Guzma was going to be any more receptive to this round of discussion than the last, but he couldn’t let a statement like that go, not when it went against everything he believed in.

Lillie followed Kukui inside, glancing around the lab as she did so. The familiar sight of the Luvdisc swimming around in their tank lifted her spirits. Overall, it seemed that not much had changed since she had stayed here, which she supposed was to be expected. Researching Pokemon took time, and last she’d heard Kukui was still working on discovering more about their moves. She set her backpack down by the door and moved to the couch, listening attentively to the professor’s reply.

She’d heard of performance-based Pokemon competitions before. Although they didn’t get much focus in either Kanto or Alola, they were prominent enough in other regions for a beginning Trainer like her to know about them. While they sounded fun, she had only recently become comfortable traveling around in public, and performing on stage would be a pretty big step from where she was now.

“I suppose you’re right about other kinds of competitions, but I don’t really want to abandon my gym challenge in Kanto, either,” she said. “I worry that my team would feel let down if we stopped in the middle. And don’t Pokemon look up to Trainers who have beat more gyms and trials?”

Lillie wanted more than anything for her team to trust her as a Trainer. Some of her Pokemon seemed to enjoy battles even more than she did, and she hated the thought that she might be holding them back from reaching their potential.

Kukui nodded along with her words, mulling them over. Even if she didn’t have much experience in battle, she was already a great trainer for caring about her Pokémon’s feelings as much as she did. As much as Kukui loved battling, he knew that not all Pokémon were suited to it and tried to take care to make sure his team were always having as much fun as he was. Some trainers didn’t give their partners that same consideration, and those trainers were usually the ones who didn’t go far on their journeys.

But Lillie cared so much she was wiling to put herself in a position she wasn’t sure she was comfortable with. Her dedication to her team was touching, and Kukui half-smiled despite the somewhat serious nature of their conversation.

“As long as you love them and care for them, your Pokémon are gonna look up to you no matter what. They care about you just as much as you care about them! The fact that you’re trying so hard for them probably means a lot.” He looked over to Rockruff and Vulpix. The ice-type—and all of Lillie’s team—was lucky to have such a caring trainer. He didn’t want Lillie to worry about a thing, especially whether or not she was a disappointment to her team.

“If you want to continue your gym challenge, I think the best way to train would be to come up with something that’s fun for you, too. If you’re happy, your team will feel the same. Like I always say, the best moves are the ones Pokémon and their trainers choose together!” When he and his team were both in the heat of the moment, hearts racing from the intensity, that was when they were having the most fun. It was no coincidence that it was also when they were strongest.

(x)

Burnet’s cheeks burned. “Kukui!” She tried to chide, but her giggling ruined her sternness. The first kiss made her knees weak and she leaned into him for balance, scrunching up at her nose as he continued to rain kisses down upon her. “You’re so silly, Ku’.” 

Ah..that move looked dangerous.’

The sight of the Snorlax made her scowl slightly as unpleasant memories of Barry ordering his Snorlax to use Earthquake and Body Slam to wreak absolute havoc on her poor pokemon. Snorlax was a pokemon she should take care of immediately.

But she wanted to make a lasting impression on this important person. It’s not like Roary was a fan of playing defensively either. “Attack first Roary use Wild Charge!”

The Luxray let out a confident roar of approval and sparked herself with electricity. She took advantage of her faster speed by running to the side of the attacking Snorlax ramming herself into the side of the Large Pokemon. 

Dawn wondered if Roary could take the combine impact of the Snorlax’s attack and Wild Charge’s recoil.

The Luxray shot toward Nunui like a bolt of lightning, electricity crackling all around it. The energy grew more and more intense as it approached until it slammed into Snorlax’s side, sending a shower of sparks flying out from the point of impact. Kukui’s eyes lit up at the sight, appreciating the technique. Nunui groaned and faltered in his rampage for a moment at the same time as the Luxray was suffering from Wild Charge’s knock back.

It’d been a risky move to choose knowing that Snorlax had a ground-type move at his disposal, but as an opener to their battle it was pretty dang cool. Plus, it looked like Nunui taken a decent amount of damage from the attack. His thick layer of fat protected him against heavy damage from fire and ice type moves, but electric types had no such disadvantage. Still, he wasn’t going down yet.

        Guzma decided long ago that his life as it was was fucking stupid.  Everything he’d ever done, all the plans he’d made, none of it led to anything.  A constant cycle of failures, one after another, full of beatings and scars and unimaginable hatred.  So he left, created his own life.  Started a gang.  Became feared.  For the first time in a long time, Guzma lived.  But all that changed when he met Lusamine.  She’d had him wrapped around her finger like a little bitch, and when she snapped her fingers he did what he was told.  Craving for her attention.

        He’d been such an idiot.  And it’d been his fucking old man the entire time.  Christ.  Who gave a shit about letters and all this other crap when he’d been too stupid to see what was actually happening to him?  Guzma pounded his head with his fists until he was woozy.  What was wrong with him?!  Why the fuck—

        “…why didn’t you tell me?”

        Guzma opened his eyes.  Loosened his grip on his hair.  Turned to Kukui to find him staring at him, misty-eyed and everything. Like he was someone to be pitied.

        “I was so… so stupid and I—I never noticed, I—never thought about any of it—”

        Jesus fuck.  The more Kukui talked the more it was like a knife piercing its way into his gut and scrambling his intestines.  That was a lie.  It was worse than that—every word, every syllable struck him in his black little heart, grabbed him and yanked until it threatened to burst from his chest. Guzma averted his gaze, his hands absently tugging on his hair.  

        “You deserved so much better.  I know people hurt you—I hurt you—but you didn’t deserve it.  Any of it.”

        His scars begged to differ.  The crisscrossed reminders seared into him like a brand, telling him Kukui was wrong.  He deserved this.  Guzma once saw his life through Nihilego’s eyes and knew it was true—why would it lie to him?  Good things happen to good people.  Bad things happen to bad people.  He did bad—that’s why his life happened to him.  He was a bad person.  He deserved every minute of his torture.  But it would have saved him.  All he needed to do was to say yes, give in, let it help him…

        But Christ.  Look at him.  Kukui was always the sentimental one of the group, looking so pathetic with his big doe eyes.  Always talking about how he felt.  Always so fucking happy.  Not once in their childhood did Guzma remember his friend upset. Kukui bounced back from disappointments, with bigger and wilder ideas than before.  And Guzma envied every bit of that.

        This was different.  Kukui turned from his log to really look at him, his whole body facing him and his eyes pleading with his.  Guzma turned his head.  Frowned. Kicked the log with heels.  He wasn’t cut out for this crap.  Men didn’t talk about their feelings.  As far as his old man was concern, there was no such thing.  Stop crying.  Be a man. Guzma once lashed out at his grunts for being whiny little bitches for crying about one thing or another.  He’d laughed and call them all pussies.

        But who was the bitch now?

        With a grace unfitting for a tall man like himself, Guzma heaved himself back on the log and sprung to his feet.  Paced.  Glared at Kukui.  The fuck was he supposed to say?  What the fuck were they, anyway?  They sure as hell weren’t bros.  So what the fuck was his fucking heart doing, throbbing and shit, like he cared.  Which he didn’t.  Or. Fuck.  He did, but he didn’t.  Kukui fucking left his scrawny ass.

        They’d already gone over that.  Snarling, Guzma turned away.  His pacing became aggressive, each step like a monster’s, heavy and leaving deep imprints in the dirt.  Kukui stayed where he was on the log, silent, and watched Guzma pace until Guzma got angry with that, too.

        This was so fucking STUPID!

        “Th’ fuck am I s’posed t’ say, Cukes?!” Guzma exploded, his chest heaving.  “Ya think I’m jus’ gonna talk about my feelin’s like that’s gonna make any diff’rence?  Bullshit!” This was his life.  Years and years of the shit he’d gone through—and Kukui expected him to say something about it?! “Th’ fuck do you know?” he said.  He stormed closer to Kukui, giving him a black look.  “You don’t know nothin’. Ya think ya got all th’ answers, don’t you, professor?  But ya don’t.  Look at me. LOOK AT ME!”

        Guzma flung his arms wide and gestured to his body, from his thin torso to the scars on his limbs.  He ran a hysterical hand through his hair, tousling it further.  “I ain’t hurt, see?”  And Guzma laughed, frantic and crazed.  And he shook his head roughly.  And he took a step back.  His laughter faded, leaving nothing but a hollow gaze behind.

        “I was jus’ a fuckin’ kid, Cukes,” he muttered, breaking his friend’s stare.  He wasn’t going to bitch about his feelings or anything else.  But Kukui almost seemed to beg for it.  And Guzma couldn’t tell him he wasn’t no pussy.  So he didn’t say anything.  He fucking stood there with nothing to say and nothing to show for it. Like the child he used to be.

It was hard to watch as Guzma struggled to process his response. Kukui didn’t want to cause him any more conflict than he was already dealing with, but he’d thought it would be reaffirming to hear. Apparently it hadn’t made things any easier. It was just further proof that he didn’t really know Guzma anymore—if he ever had. The thought was almost physically painful. What else about his friend hadn’t he noticed? He’d always thought they could tell each other anything. What had he done that made Guzma feel like he couldn’t say anything?

Kukui didn’t know what else to say as Guzma paced and glared at him, getting more aggressive and avoidant with each step. This wasn’t going in a good direction; Kukui wanted to say more, but he didn’t know what would help and what would hurt.

It didn’t take long for the tension to burst again. Kukui didn’t cringe at the outburst, but only out of concentrated effort. He understood why Guzma didn’t want to talk about his feelings. Vulnerability of any kind wasn’t his thing, and nothing opened you up to being hurt like baring your emotions. It wasn’t easy for anyone, and with a situation this complicated Kukui knew that Guzma probably hadn’t untangled all those feelings even inside his own heart. But Kukui did believe that talking would help.

“You don’t know nothin’. Ya think ya got all th’ answers, don’t you, professor? But ya don’t. Look at me. LOOK AT ME!”

Guzma wasn’t holding back, and each word cut straight to Kukui’s heart. He did look at him. He stared Guzma hard in the eye and tried to keep himself from falling into anger even as he slipped down the slope of it. How… how resentful could you be? What a bitter, self-centeredass. He clenched his fists. Harsh words wouldn’t make this situation any better and he didn’t really want to hurt Guzma, even if what he was saying hurt him. Still, a traitorous part of him felt a rush of antagonism. Throwing ‘professor’ in his face like it was something dirty and contemptible—as if he hadn’t worked his ass off for it! Or maybe that was the problem. Tryingwasn’t cool. Better to be like Guzma, bullying everyone around you to make yourself look tougher, hiding behind some facade of toughness because without it—without it…

Kukui watched Guzma pull his hair again, that wild look back in his eyes. It was the most on-edge he’d been so far, but even that quickly dissipated in a defeated slump.

“I ain’t hurt, see?”

Could it be more obvious that he was very, very deeply hurt? Kukui wanted to keep being mad, but as Guzma hung his head and all the fight went out of him once more, he just felt sad. Just a kid. Yeah… A kid who’d been pushing away all the pain in his life for so long that he had no idea how to deal with it now, and no one around to help.

Kukui stood up, pushing himself upright in a slow, deliberate motion. He hadn’t had any idea what he was getting into earlier, but as awful as this was, it was a necessary conversation. If it hadn’t meant anything to Guzma, this wouldn’t be happening. Guzma was all those things Kukui had thought of him. But he was also hurting, and that hurt… it turned people ugly. Kukui didn’t have to like that person, but he could help him get better.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Just a kid. A kid who shoulda had people lookin’ out for him.” He sighed. He didn’t want to highlight everything that had gone wrong in Guzma’s life. There was nothing anyone could do about it now, and if he thought about it any more right now the guilt was going to make him useless. “I know I don’t have all the answers. I—” Kukui breathed deeply, trying not to think about too much of what Guzma had said about him lest he get angry over it again. “You don’t have to talk about your feelings.” Would that really be the worst thing in the world, though? It wasn’t weak to feel things, anyone who tried to reinforce that line of thinking deserved— Ugh. Kukui took another long breath.

“You can act like you don’t have them. You can do whatever you want. That’s a choice. If you feel tricked and lied to and hurt by everyone else, no one’s gonna blame you.” If they knew what Kukui knew now, they might even be sympathetic. “What they do blame you for is how you’re choosing to act. If you’re angry—be angry! Be mad! It’s not wrong to be upset about things. Sometimes we can’t control how we feel. But you can always control what you say and do. It’s easy to give in and say awful things and lash out and make everyone around you feel as small and shitty as you do. But…” Kukui shook his head, turning away until his back was to Guzma.

You think you have all the answers. What was he doing but proving Guzma’s point? There were no magic words that would make it all better. Talking at Guzma wasn’t going to make him suddenly change for the better. But if that was true, Kukui was useless here. Guzma was so closed off and defensive, Kukui didn’t know how to help and Guzma thought he’d look weak if he admitted to needing it.

Dawn followed after the Professor feeling the familiar antsy itch on the back of her head whenever she felt uncomfortable or nervous. 

She wasn’t a bad Trainer…she felt that she trained her Pokemon reasonably, she’s defeated many gyms, and she’s defeated an evil group hell bent on abusing Legendary Pokemon.

But her opponent was a Pokemon Professor. Dawn wasn’t sure what kind of research he did, but she was sure he knew a lot of pokemon which meant there would be no surprises on foreign pokemon. Hell Professor Kukui would probably be able to pull off the surprise on her…

She eyed the strange looking Ninetails. It was most certainly an ice type…did Alola have different versions of pokemon here? Dawn was also aware of something that Alolan Trainers had that Sinnoh didn’t. Something based on special moves that they could have their pokemon pull off. What did that mean? How did they do it? Cynthia had recently shown off the “Mega Bracelet” from Kalos which allowed her Garchomp to transform. Did Alolans here have something similar?

……

Dawn took a deep breath. No need in overthinking things…it’s not like she was good at preparation anyways. She’d simply do what she’s always done. What she did best.

Get in and win. She’s defeated Gym Leaders that way, she’s defeated Barry that way, and she’s defeated Team Galactic that way. This battle will be no different…

“I’m ready to begin.” Dawn called out as she stood a distance away from Professor Kukui in the area they had chosen to battle. Roary her Luxray took a step forward.

They took their places, and Kukui nodded his head at Kaona to indicate that she should take a back seat for now. She sat delicately behind him, curling a few of her fluffy tails around her paws. As good as she would look facing off against a Luxray, it would be a messy match up. Kukui prioritized moves first, but style was a close second when it came to how he battled, especially when there were people watching. He wanted to give them a good show, not watch two trainers exchange ineffective moves.

“Alright!” He threw Nunui's Poke Ball up, the Snorlax appearing in a beam of light, then caught the ball as it fell. The massive Pokemon loomed over the field, attracting attention from some nearby spectators. Snorlax weren't the most common battle Pokemon given how notoriously lazy and difficult to train they were. Nunui was both those things, but Kukui got around it by heavily rewarding the Pokemon whenever he participated in a battle. There were lots and lots and lots of berries in their future, win or lose.

put a 💋 in my ask if your muse wants to kiss mine

“Oh. Uh…Dawn. Dawn Platina.” She scratched the back of her head awkwardly…wondering briefly if the name was recognizable in Alola. Dawn couldn’t really imagine why. She let out a deep breath as she stood up and started to stretch herself. Dawn was feeling much better…she could think and breath clearly. 

She reached into her bag and carefully pulled out 3 pokeballs. Hero, Mia, and Roary…3 of her most reliable pokemon. 

“I’m feeling a lot better now. I’m down for that battle now…are we going to do a 3v3? Does Alola do things differently here? I know there’s a region out there which does Double Battles exclusively, which is kinda weird.” 

Kukui didn't think too hard about her name. He'd never been to Sinnoh and had only done a little research on their League while he worked on Alola's. 

“Ready to go? Aw yeah!” He still thought a water wouldn't be a bad idea at the very least, but he wasn't going to push it any more than he had. She was obviously old enough to look out for herself, and Ninetales really did wonders in the way of cooling off. “Some trainers here like double and even triple battles, but singles are the most common. Three on three works for me!” he said, chuckling at the rhyme.

He thought about who he'd battle with, eyeing her Luxray and the Poke Balls she'd taken out of her bag. He didn't have any ground-types to counter it, and a few of his Pokemon were weak to electric-type moves. But Nunui had a few tricks up his sleeve. Kaona was out already, so it would only be fair to include her. That just left... Hm. Decidueye hadn't gotten much action, and just because she was from Sinnoh didn't automatically mean she had an ice-type Pokemon. Kukui picked out the three he was going to use.

Dawn nodded as she felt herself cooling down from the help of the strange ninetails. Now that he had mentioned it…it seemed so clearly obvious. She nodded slowly as her head began to clear up more and more. Normally she’d be incredibly suspicious of an older man offering a girl a drink, but there was something friendly about the man. He reminded her oddly of Barry…

“Thanks…it means a lot. Yeah I’d love to battle with you late-”

Dawn blinked. Professor? This guy was a professor? The lab coat implied that he was a man of science but he was the Professor of the Region? This guy??

She realized she had been staring and cleared her throat. 

“Sorry. I uh…yeah I didn’t realize- cough I didn’t realize you were the Professor. You…don’t really look like most Professors I know.” 

“The one in Sinnoh is much more elderly….he has a sweet mustache though.” Dawn tried to conjure up the mental image of “Professor Kukui” with a mustache.

Kukui was happy to help, and even more pleased that she wanted to battle. He wasn’t sure what had made her so surprised until she spoke up about his appearance. Ah. He scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. He... kind of got that a lot.

When she spoke of the Sinnoh Professor Kukui thought about it for a moment, using the image of a mustache to help him recall the man’s name before snapping his fingers as it came to him. “Professor Rowan, yeah?” From what Kukui could remember, Rowan’s research was focused on Pokémon evolution. He’d written a little about Pokémon learning certain moves after they evolved, but otherwise there wasn’t much overlap in their fields of study.

“Most people assume Kahuna Hala is a Pokémon Professor. He’s a lot older and has a pret-ty nice mustache too.” He put a hand to his chin, stroking his goatee. “Maybe I should grow one...” Might be hard to hide under his mask at the Battle Royal Dome though. 

Dawn blinked as she turned to look at the man who had just approached her. What? He was saying something about how her Luxray has got nice moves? She felt movement to her other side, seeing a strange looking Ninetails approach her. 

She squirmed getting ready to feel a wave of warmth, but to her pleasant surprise she felt nothing but coolness.

“ahhh that feels good.” she muttered before looking at the Friendly Stranger. The first thing that stuck out to her was the big smile on his face…it came naturally and was almost blinding to look at. This person was clearly a naturally happy person…or was just really good at faking it. The next was his shirt or lack of a shirt. Instead he wore a labcoat…was he a Researcher? A Scientist? Do all Scientist in Alola look like him?

Roary in response to the stranger’s friendly words sparked with pride who looked at her own trainer for more. Dawn rubbed Roary’s ears before she realized she hadn’t responded to the stranger’s question.

“Ah yeah I’m………”

“No. I’m not doing okay. The weather here is nothing like Sinnoh…but I will persevere. I won’t get beaten by a stupid thing like the Heat. I’m going to keep battling around here till I adapt…”

Sinnoh! Now, there was just about as different a place from Alola as could be. Not surprising to see a native of the snowy region sweltering in what was, to Kukui, a pretty comfortable temperature. He’d probably have a similar—opposite—reaction if he was visiting in Sinnoh, though. The cold on Mount Lanakila didn’t bother him much, but it was probably nothing compared to what Sinnoh had to offer.

Kukui could admire her resolve and determination to battle, but he’d seen the effects of overheating far too often to let anyone push themselves like that. “All the more reason to stay cool, cousin. Gotta let yourself adjust a little! I could use a break myself, yeah. What say you and I grab somethin’ to drink, and then I’ll help ya adaptwith a battle!” The bar at the hotel side of the beach made a mean smoothie, and Koana was just as wicked and twice as cool. Kukui wanted to watch her go up against the Luxray and see if there were any major differences in the way trainers from Alola and Sinnoh battled.

“Roar!” 

Roary the Luxray dug her claws into the sand bracing herself as she glared at the Wingull that was flying towards her. Roary unleashed a threatening shout which caused the Wingull to flinch and cease it’s charge. 

Dawn huffed as she glowered underneath the Alolan Heat. She wanted to finish this battle as soon as possible and drink something cold. She snapped her finger and pointed at the Wingull.

“Finish it Roary! Thunderbolt!” 

Roary’s fur sparked with electricity before unleashing a bolt of lightning, blasting the poor wingull. Roary walked over and pawed at the fainted bird before triumphantly running towards Dawn.

Dawn sighed as she rubbed Roary’s ears, unable to bring herself to focus on whatever the Trainer was telling her. 

God Alola was as hot as it was pretty. She could feel herself…sweating. She sat down on a bench silently cursing Cynthia for convincing her to come to this Region. 

She couldn’t hear the stranger approach her from behind.

Kukui watched the Luxray and its trainer shut down their opponent, then go on to effortlessly take it down and finish the battle. It was good stuff, and he clapped along with the other spectators in appreciation.

Despite her win, however, the trainer looked somewhat out of it. It wasn’t unusual to get heated during a battle, but people who weren’t used to Alola’s weather could sometimes be taken by surprise—if they weren’t staying hydrated, that could lead to something to worry about.

Not the type to mind his business when it came to keeping people healthy, Kukui watched her sit down, then turned to his Ninetales. “Let’s see if we can help her out, eh?” he said, tilting his head in the girl’s direction. Kaona made a soft sound that Kukui took as a yes, and together they headed over to the bench.

“Ey, that was a nice battle!” he said, moving around the side of the bench into her line of sight. “Don’t see Luxray around here often, yeah, but yours has got some nicemoves!” He looked down at the Pokémon in question, grinning widely at it. Kaona came to a stop at his side, somewhat close to the girl. Kukui could feel the cold air around her, and hoped the girl would get some relief from it as well.