Chapter 168 (Patreon)

Eevee was at the head of the pack by a lot. His quadrupedal body granted him a much better control over his speed, while Togepi's wide steps and the toddling gait of Tinkatink's somewhat stubby limbs meant they trailed behind. The trio ran around a dirt field within a private League building while I kept a stopwatch on hand to time their pace.

My mind kept drifting off from the task, however.

"I just don't get it," I said, talking to Hope who was doing her own training not too far away. "Why did Anabel talk to me like that? Why was she so purposefully threatening? I know the League and the International Police have their differences, but nothing about being so aggressive makes any sense.”

As Hope didn't have any new members of her team, she was just going through stretches with her current ones. She was leading a very yoga-like set of movements that encouraged them to straighten out their leaves.

When her Vileplume called for a break, the rest of her team fell to the floor. Tropius moved to lean against Venusaur, who was already drifting off into sleep. Nearby, Bellosom chatted with Sunflora, and Vileploom and Cherrim chose to sit back to back and absorb sunlight shining down from a glass roof.

Hope also took advantage of this moment to lean back up and rest.

“Like I said, it’s a warning,” she breathed, sitting on the dirt and letting herself relax. "There's no way an agent like her goes out of her way just to make a threat."

"But like that? Revealing how much they knew with Faba right there?” I sighed. “Cynthia warned me about them. The League's relationship with the International Police is rocky. Alola might be a League region, but this is technically their jurisdiction. There’s something more to her words that I just keep missing."

“Maybe something with Ultra Beasts? Like they’re getting ready for a fight?” she offered.

“Against Ultra Necrozma?” Dread began to settle in my heart.

In response to my words, Hope laughed.

“Nah,” she said, “that would mean a bunch of people suddenly showing up. I think it’s something else. Just keep considering it, I guess. You might think of something.”

At Hope’s words, I tried to think back to exactly what Anabel said, seeing if there was anything I missed. At the same time, Hope stood up, swinging her arms, and she stood up and put pressure on her lower back.

So what exactly were Anabel’s last words? “Neither of us will get a choice in the matter?” That’s even more confusing. Why wouldn’t she get a choice in what she's doing if she’s supposed to be some kind of major agent?

Unless that was meant to imply something else, but even then, I don’t know what.

“Ugh, I feel like I’m missing something obvious,” I groaned.

“Put it off for now and come back to it later. You already said that we have nothing to worry about until months down the line.”

I sighed.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

With this conversation coming to a close, I called for my Pokémon to stop and let them move off the track to take a break.

Tinkatink and Togepi moved off the field first, quickly falling down into a seated position. Eevee pushed on a bit longer just to jump into my arms, where I caught him and could feel his body heaving up and down with every breath.

A bench against the wall served as the perfect place to sit, and as Togepi and Tinkatink slowly ambled over to sit down closer to me, I took out a brush to start grooming Eevee. Though, right as I started to brush him, Ninetales released herself from her Pokéball. She stared at me with jealous eyes, and I sighed, relenting.

Both my arms became occupied with simultaneous movement. Eevee and Ninetales faced each other on the bench, smiling at one another as I moved two separate brushes over their heads.

For a moment, I thought I heard what sounded like a strangely smug growl, but when I looked down the pair were perfectly content. It returned briefly when I glanced back up to Hope, but I just figured I was mishearing the creaking of the bench.

“You using the field?” Hope called out.

“We’re resting for now. We might do a bit more later.”

Hope nodded in response, and she walked over to the track. Next to me, Togepi tried to start up a conversation with Tinkatink, but Tinkatink mostly listened rather than spoke. She was far too focused on her hammer, which now was the exact shape and size it needed to be when she evolved. I expected her to evolve anytime soon.

“Alex!” Hope suddenly called. “Keep an eye out! We’re going to start our practice!”

Hope waved her hand to motion for Cherrim, and the Grass Type waved a farewell to Vileplume before moving to Hope’s side. As it did, it stepped more directly into the morning light, and its form changed from a closed flower bud to a pink and yellow, smiling Pokémon. It merrily hopped forward before reaching its pointed out position.

“We’ll be practicing by modifying your weakest move, so go with Leafage, alright?”

Cherrim nodded and brought its pink petals back. A pair of round growths on its head glowed slightly under the light, and Hope pressed a hand onto her Z-Ring as she started her practice.

The attempt began by Hope pressing herself close to the ground, squatting and tensing her body. Her hands were held together before she shot up like a stem breaking through the ground.

With that movement, the Grass Type Z-Crystal started to glow, and Cherrim gained a green hue as it braced itself for this attack. The color built brighter and brighter as Hope’s movements continued onwards into a pose with her arms held straight above her head, then she brought them out as if to do a jumping jack in an explosive burst.

The initial dance for the Z-Move finished.

With a blinding flash, the built up energy exploded out of Cherrim, sending out a beam of pure green that sailed into the sky and arced forward. It resembled a Hyper Beam, or some kind of extra dense Solar Beam, but, in the attack’s shadow, the dirt of the field became overgrown with a thick wave of spontaneously appearing flowers.

The path of flowers perfectly tracked the arcing blast of the attack. When the move struck the floor, the flowers almost seemed to be supercharged, and a massive burst of Grass Type energy exploded out in its wake. When the light faded, nothing was left of the Z-Move just used. There were no flowers and no beam, but there weren't any significant markings on the floor, either.

Togepi started to clap furiously beside me. On the field, Hope let out a disappointed sigh.

"Damn," she said.

It was flashy, but the Z-Move hadn’t landed quite correctly. There should have been some kind of change on the ground from the sheer amount of energy released from the blast. With nothing showing up, it had essentially been nothing but an especially flashy burst of light. It was clear that the promised power of the phenomenon hadn’t come to her just yet.

Hope’s eyes briefly glazed over, and she started to fall back, but a step caught her, and she forcibly swung up her arms out to help her maintain her balance. Cherrim, worried, moved over to her side, and a light Heal Pulse entered Hope’s body in an attempt to help her recover.

Hope smiled, kneeled down, and patted her Pokémon on its head.

“Thanks, but it wasn’t needed. You’re a sweetheart like always, Cherrim.”

Cherrim smiled.

After, Hope stood back up to move over to where I was on the bench, having trouble walking in a straight line. She collapsed next to me in a long breath, her head staring up at the covered sky.

"Yeah. I want to practice more, but I’m not doing that again for at least a few hours,” she groaned.

"Draining?" I asked.

"Not in the same way as Mega Evolution,” she replied. “It's different, kind of. Like, Mega Evolution takes a bit of your vitality, but this takes a whole bunch of stamina. If I didn't know any better, I'd call them the same thing, but Mega Evolution feels different. It’s hard to put into words."

Humming, I reached forward to bring out my own bracelet, which I kept in my pack to not crowd my arm. I had a bracer with a keystone on already, and wearing too much would get cumbersome.

"So it's not possible to use this with a Mega Pokémon, then?” I asked.

"I think it is, but I can't see myself being able to think afterwards. I wouldn't be falling asleep, but I wouldn’t have the energy to focus."

"Huh. So then there’s no chance to use it against Ilima when we battle later. We might be able to ask him questions about it, but before that..."

I stood up, bringing Eevee out of my lap and moving Ninetales's head out of the way. Both Pokémon let out a low whine of disappointment, but everyone did glance my way.

I clapped, mostly out of habit than anything else. I had an announcement to make, so it was good to see everyone was paying attention.

"Today, we're going to fight Ilima," I said. "Hope and I will be splitting the fight in two to effectively test his ability to field Pokémon at different levels of difficulty. We'll go from the weakest to the strongest, and I'll be arranging you three based on your experience. This might not be a Gym battle, but it would be the equivalent of one if we were in any other region. We’ll rest until then, but I expect everyone to give it your all!"

Despite being tired, my words made my Pokémon pumped, and the three of them I was talking to stood up to shout. Ninetales, while she wasn’t participating in this, let out her own cheer as well.

For this upcoming fight, Ilima specialized in Normal Types, which made him an ideal trainer for these three’s first major battle. Togepi, Tinkatink, and Eevee hadn’t yet been in the equivalent of a Gym match, meaning this would be the perfect opportunity to test their growth.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hope! Alex!" Ilima said to greet us.

We shook his hand as we met up on this sidewalk on a Hau’oli street.

"Ilima! I hope you're ready for an unforgettable matchup!" I cheered.

He readily agreed and waved us forward. He discussed our current location as we followed.

"Here, we have a space set up for future Gym construction. It's only a flat area right now, but I've been using it for the occasional match of the Island Challenge. Trainers have to get my permission to take on the local Totem, and I find that battles are the best way to check if they’re ready this early on."

We were already at the space in question—it had been our meetup point, after all—and Ilima led us up a small set of stairs into the area. There was a tarp-covered fence that provided a bit of privacy from the street out front, and a set of tall buildings framed it on its sides and back.

There wasn’t a battlefield painted here, but the ground had that same packed dirt consistency that so many fields used. We moved over to the center of the space to discuss exactly how this would go.

“You heard our plan, right?” I asked.

“Yes. You both plan to test me in a battle at once. I’ll send out Pokémon I think serve as ideal examples of team members I would use in a Gym fight.”

There wasn’t much more to say about that; Ilima had basically nailed it in one. After a brief discussion about rules, I moved off to the side, Ilima moved off to stand across from me, and Hope stayed in the middle to serve as the initial referee.

“Make sure you start with your weakest Pokémon, first,” I shouted.

“Don’t worry. I have everything already planned for this matchup.

Hope went over the rules, which were simple: six Pokémon for Ilima, three Pokémon for me, and Hope and I would switch off afterwards to let her battle Ilima’s more powerful, last three. There weren’t any limitations on switching as long as we were reasonable about it, though, Ilima did make sure we promised not to Mega Evolve.

Also, Hope pointed out a camera set up off to the side that we would use to record this match for later analysis. We needed to keep it in mind to make sure no Pokémon moves accidentally hit.

Then, after Ilima requested a limit of three switches each, minorly changing the rules, Hope called for us to send out our Pokémon. Ilima and I complied.

“Eevee, you’re up first. I believe in you.”

Eevee flashed out of his Love Ball, landing on the ground in a hop. He ran in a circle for a moment, bringing his head up in a mimicry of one of Ninetales’s occasional “imperious” stares once he stopped.

I had to hold a snicker at the sight as Ilima released his own first Pokémon. It was as I expected: a Yungoos, a pre-evolved form of Gumshoos, which was the island’s Normal Type Trial Pokémon. Yungoos resembled a ferret with a fanged mouth and a line of yellow fur running down its head, tail, and back.

A hiss left Ilima’s Pokémon’s mouth as it glared at Eevee. Eyeing its teeth, I could tell that Youngoos’s ability, Strong Jaw, was likely to come into play.

“Battle, start!” Hope shouted.

Ilima and I spoke our commands at the same time.

“Show it why it’s wrong to try to fight you, Eevee.”

“Hunting technique: chase and pin, Yungoos.”

Yungoos lunged to the side to start the match off. It used its momentum to carry itself into a roll that let it rapidly change directions. It wasn’t actually too fast, but the movement took advantage of its trained agility to let it zigzag across the field in a hard to predict pattern.

Eevee replied with a Charm rather than an attack, trying to weaken Yungoos before anything happened. With Yungoos’s ability, we wanted to make sure it didn’t use the full power of a usually weak (but now devastating) Bite. Unfortunately, with Yungoos’s erratic movement, Eevee wasn’t able to make direct eye contact, and Yungoos was able to get close while maintaining full power.

It jumped.

“Tail Whip! Eevee, confidence!”

Eevee was almost too slow, but he was only almost too slow. Jerking his body to the side, he snapped his tail at the incoming Yungoos without letting his eyes leave his opponent, following a tip Ninetales and I had figured out long ago.

His bushy tail smashed into Yungoos’s face, who tried to bite down on it only to get a mouthful of fur. It slammed into the ground, spitting out the stuff stuck in its mouth, and before I could even yell out “Tackle,” Eevee was already pressing himself forward.

“Super Fang!” Ilima yelled.

Eevee’s attack landed, but so did Yungoos’s attack. With Yungoos on the ground, Eevee was able to hit its unprotected stomach, but Yungoos was able to curl up and Bite the back of Eevee’s neck. That caused him to let out a heart-wrenching scream as Yungoos’s Super Fang practically cut what vitality he had in half.

But, due to the limits of Super Fang, Eevee didn’t faint. The move could only “sever” the energy in a body in half.

“Roll!” I yelled.

Yungoos was still biting down on Eevee’s neck, clearly intent on converting its Super Fang into that Bite I was so worried about. However, as I called out for a roll, Eevee grit his teeth through the pain and fell to his back, crushing Yungoos underneath him before springing back to his feet.

The unexpected weight from Eevee caused the somewhat fragile Yungoos to release its grip and flail for a second before recovering its stance. Ilima yelled for a “Payback,” but I had something else in mind.

“Swift.”

Eevee grinned. Before now, I’d restricted him from using this to encourage practice with his physical capabilities. Now, he had a chance to show it off. Usually, a ranged move this close up was easy to dodge, but for this move in particular, Swift was all but guaranteed to hit.

His tail swung back and forth in a wag, each swish creating an ethereal, yellow star. Once a small collection had formed, he spun, briefly looking away from Yungoos, but the stars still launched right towards it, anyway.

The Swift hit Yungoos in the face. Yungoos was in the process of trying to get off a bite, but it got smacked with a painful star instead. Swift wasn’t the most powerful of attacks, but Eevee shared a Type with it, and with the damage Yungoos had already taken, it soon succumbed to the ranged onslaught.

“Incredible job, Eevee!”

Eevee was injured, but that didn’t stop him from running off the field. I blinked, and he was suddenly in my arms, rubbing himself against me while purring his name.

Ilima chuckled. Seeing this reaction from Eevee, I did as well while I smoothed out his fur. He winced slightly when my hand touched the injured spot on his neck, and I put him on the floor to apply a potion to his wound.

“I’ll be recalling Eevee from this battle. I want him to watch the rest of the matchups,” I said.

Eevee let out a disappointed whine at the news, but the relief the potion spray gave him seemed to change his mind. He leaned against my leg as I grabbed my next Pokéball, and Ilima grabbed his.

“Trainers, please send out your next Pokémon," Hope called out.

Appearing on the field for Ilima was a Komala, and for me, Tinkatink.

Komala was a strange Pokémon that resembled a koala, except it had the trait that it was permanently asleep. Most of its movements were done through random flailing, but there was clearly some kind of intent behind them. I wasn’t an expert in the Normal Type; I didn’t know how exactly the Pokémon worked. However, I knew it was strong, so in this matchup, Tinkatink with her powerful hammer was a good pick.

The Koala Pokémon unconsciously rolled back and forth, clutching a small log. Tinkatink pressed her lips into a thin line, and glanced back to me as if to ask if the sleeping Pokémon was really her foe.

When I nodded, her grip on her hammer tightened ever so slightly more.

"Whenever you’re ready,” Hope said.

"Weaken it with Rock Smash!"

"Defense Curl, Komala."

Tinkatink hurried forward, dragging her hammer behind her. Komala didn't move—it simply kept hugging its log.

A heave, and Tinkatink's hammer was swung sky high. It sailed over her head, and, making use of its weight, the weapon smashed down onto Komala with a force capable of breaking stone.

"Now, Rollout,” Ilima said.

Komala’s Defense Curl meant it hardly reacted to the attack, and all it did was roll over and half shift out of the way. Tinkatink's second Rock Smash missed as a result, though cracks appeared in the floor where Komala just was. Before Tinkatink could do anything to respond, Komala started to roll off, moving away from her in frequently changing, random directions on the floor. Its log helped it move, but since it wasn’t a sphere, it seemed to have trouble moving in a straight line.

Komala’s lips smacked together as if it weren't doing anything at all.

"Brace yourself,” I called out. “Prepare an Ice Hammer. Don't let Komala overwhelm your defenses."

Frost coated the head of Tinkatink's weapon, and that frost crept downwards and expanded out into a layer of ice. In its random movements, Komala suddenly changed directions and started to rush at her before she could do much more.

"Defend!"

My shout didn't matter. Even though the handle of her hammer helped block it, Komala pushed her back and was already curving around to slam into her once more.

"Try hitting it like a ball! Think of cricket—no, golf!"

This time, Tinkatink didn’t try to block, she instead braced herself for an attack as Komala rolled closer. She gripped her hammer’s handle in her two hands and let it swing, smashing Komala right in its side.

She didn’t send it flying like I had hoped—she was far too small for that—but Komala’s Rollout was deflected, and it came to a halt. A visible welt formed on Komala’s head from the attack, but all it did was uncomfortably whine in its sleep.

"Um. How will we know when Komala's unconscious?" I asked.

"It's a qualitative difference. It's obvious when there's a lack of movement," Ilima replied.

Unlike what Ilima said, Komala was still moving. It was slight, but it was clear it was acting like someone trying to get comfortable while still in bed. Its arms and legs constantly adjusted their spot where it grabbed to its log, and its head pressed closer to the wood, where it rubbed its face.

"Yawn," Ilima said.

"Close your eyes!"

It didn't matter what I said; Tinkatink was already affected. A yawn exited Komala's mouth, and Tinkatink yawned immediately after.

Ilima didn't give a follow-up order. He just waited. With Yawn, Tinkatink was set to fall asleep, and if she did, his victory was secured.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“Return,” I said.

Tinkaturn returned to her Heavy Ball.

Next, I announced “Togepi!” and the Pokémon in question appeared on the field.

When Togepi was sent out, she smiled at her opponent and tried to get its attention with a wave. Unfortunately, Komala was still sleeping—like it always was—but Togepi didn’t seem dismayed at the lack of reaction in the slightest.

Instead, she just widened her stance slightly to prepare herself for the fight. She did her best to puff up her chest, but all it did was inflate her cheeks on the side of her mouth.

"Cute," Ilima said, "but Togepi won't be enough to win. Komala, Stockpile into Spit Up, as many times as you can."

As if forcing down food in a swallow, something large passed down Komala's throat. It wasn't stockpiling food—no, it was stockpiling energy. That energy would prime its resistances while also priming it for a powerful offense.

"Togepi, use Metronome. Do your best, I trust you."

Togepi nodded to me once and finally let out her breath. As part of the attack, she waved her arms back and forth. Energy glowed from both Pokémon, Komala tinting white, and Togepi tinting purple. I blinked as a familiar pulse formed in front of Togepi's stomach and launched itself at Komala.

"Now Aerial Ace!"

"Spit Up!"

With Hustle, Aerial Ace would receive all the added damage of the extra effort with a minimal risk of a miss. The move Togepi just used, Dragon Pulse, sailed forward while she used the slow-moving sphere as a shield.

Unfortunately, Komala finally released the energy it was building.

At first, it seemed nothing happened, but that was just because the Dragon Pulse disguised the attack. A new sphere of energy flew over the field, exiting Komala's mouth and blasting into Togepi.

The Dragon Pulse never reached its target; it hit the Spit Up instead. Temporarily, Togepi leapt up to enter her shell—weathering the weakened attack—then landed on the ground in a roll that hopped up into a run, allowing her to stab her head right into Komala.

It wailed. This was the first time I heard Komala make a noise. One of its arms was flung back before swinging down in an unconscious Slam, but Togepi had already continued forward into a full body Double Edge.

Double Edge was a powerful attack for her level, and Komala was knocked right off its log. The impact scattered the two against the ground, where Komala then lay there with its limbs motionless and its head staring up at the sky with its permanently closed eyes.

I grunted.

"I see what you mean by 'qualitative difference,’” I said.

"Exactly. Komala has fainted. I think it's clear Komala is unable to continue. Hope?"

At Ilima’s notice, Hope waved her hand to signal his Pokémon had fainted.

"Komala is unable to battle. Ilima, send out your next Pokémon!"

He chuckled slightly at her serious actions as he returned his team member. Afterwards, he sent out his third and final Pokémon for this set, another one I was expecting.

Smeargle.

Ilima's Smeargle was somewhat infamous in these parts, as it knew dozens of moves that always put it at an advantage. From what I read in his report, he specifically taught Smeargle moves that could challenge any new trainer's starter. No matter what, it would act with a Type advantage, giving it the threat to allow it to serve as a proper first Trial challenge.

"Smeargle is my Ace for anyone who helps me for trials one to four,” Ilima said. “He's great at modulating his power, and he can serve as a challenge to even the toughest of foes."

I nodded. Smeargle stood on two legs and it grabbed its tail. Its tail resembled a paintbrush, which helped it use its signature move of “Sketch.” It was that move that gave Smeargle its infamy, as it let it mimic and learn any move it had personally seen.

Considering Ilima had fought against hundreds, if not, thousands of trainers in the past, I knew Smeargle was likely to know a decently strong Fire Type move. Togepi didn't have any weakness to it, but if Tinkatink was sent out again, there was a decent chance the super effective damage would instantly remove her from play.

"Togepi, it's all up to you."

She nodded, smiling, giving Smeargle a slight wave. The Normal Type blinked and waved back, a natural paint-like secretion dripping off its paintbrush tail.

"Begin when ready," Hope said.

Ilima and I exchanged a look, then we gave our Pokémon a command.

"Extreme Speed!"

"Metronome!"

Extreme Speed was not what I expected in the slightest. Smeargle moved impossibly fast for a Pokémon of its stature. It held its tail out behind it, and with a flick, it was suddenly flashing forward. Togepi didn't have a chance to wave her arms before Smeargle was on her, and it didn't even slam its body! It used an arm for a punch.

"Extrasensory!"

The impact sent Togepi flying through the air, but she didn't bother to stabilize herself. As she flew, her eyes glowed blue to cause Smeargle pain while Togepi literally bounced across the ground.

With those bounces, Togepi reoriented her eggshell body to land on her feet. Ilima called for an Flamethrower, and Smeargle spun its tail to release a windmill of flame.

Togepi was set ablaze. Still, she didn't let up the Extrasensory, and I knew Rapidash would be proud. Seeing that Smeargle wasn't going to go for a physical move again—it was staying back—I called for one last attack before Togepi would be taken out.

“Metronome!”

After a moment, the flames cut in two.

Somehow continuing her Extrasensory, Metronome molded her weak telekinetic attack into a psychic slash. A Psycho Cut sliced outwards to catch Smeargle in the chest, forcing it to stumble back, taking a critical hit, but it didn't fall just yet.

Unfortunately, Togepi did. The lingering heat from the flames was too much. Suffering from a burn I didn’t notice, she rolled onto her back as she fell into unconsciousness.

Frowning, I returned her, whispering praise as I did.

"Thoughts so far, Alex?" Ilima asked.

I hummed as I clipped Togepi’s Pokéball back to my side.

"You definitely have a good team, with Smeargle being a highlight. I can see your skill shining through to give anyone with a few Gym Badges a challenge. However, with the battle not over, the current issue is determining if you'd be able to hold up to those with stronger teams."

Ilima smiled a very casual yet confident smile.

"Oh? Isn't that Hope's job?"

"She's up next. But for now, Tinkatink! Protect into Rock Smash!"

Tinkatink reappeared on the field, and the moment Hope called for us to begin, she braced herself with Protect. Ilima gave a very approving nod when Smeargle's Extreme Speed did nothing, then a bash of her hammer forward for a Rock Smash caught Smeargle in the stomach before it could start up Flamethrower again.

It was a fast exchange, but it was enough. That single Rock Smash finished what Togepi started, Smeargle’s rushing strategy working against it.

As we returned our Pokémon, I briefly caught Tinkatink eyeing the surrounding metal fence with greed. She was thankfully sent back into her ball before she picked anything that wasn’t hers apart.

"Hope, you're up," I said, walking off the field. Eevee skipped along my side, and I made sure to praise Tinkatink for a great job.

I cleared my throat before I began.

"Trainers, send out your Pokémon," I announced.

Hope sent hers out immediately; a cheerful Sunflora soon appeared on the battlefield with its leaves waving in the wind. However, Ilima didn't send his out just yet. He had a mildly amused smirk on his face as he held out a completely normal Pokéball.

"I do find it a funny coincidence you sent out an Eevee earlier, Alex. I have an Eevee on my team, and I consider her an ideal candidate for catching those with overconfidence off-guard."

"An Eevee? At what level would you use them?" I asked.

"She would face challengers with five to six badges, but she could handle a seven star team, if pressed. Let me show you why."

An Eevee was sent out—one not too dissimilar to Eevee at my side. This one's fur was a bit more neatly groomed, and the white tip on its tail had been groomed into the shape of a heart.

Even though it was clearly well taken care off, my Eevee scoffed, unimpressed. Ilima’s Pokémon rolled its eyes as it leaned down, readying itself to attack.

Ilima spoke the moment right after I called for the battle to begin.

"Wait one moment, Hope. I wish to know: this is your first major challenge on the islands, yes?"

She nodded to confirm his assumption.

"Then, let me be the first to give you a proper Alolan greeting."

Ilima started by crossing his arms, and I could feel my hair suddenly stand on its end. His Eevee, on the field, suddenly leaped back to flip onto the top of Ilima's head. At that, there was a pulse, one that was both invisible yet full of energy. My Eevee suddenly stood up, at alert, and his entire focus was locked onto what was going on.

It looked as though Ilima's Eevee was suddenly aflame. The energy radiating off of it was palpable and seemed as though it was about to evolve.

However, with a grunt, Ilima threw down his arms and Eevee leaped forward. Behind it, I could almost make out shadowed figures of its eight possible evolved forms.

"Presenting the Z-Move: Extreme Evoboost," Ilima said.

The rate Eevee ran at outpaced most unevolved Pokémon, almost reminding me of Smeargle’s Extreme Speed. Its specialized Z-Move drastically enhanced all of its capabilities. Eevee was fighting at a level far above what it could normally fight at.

At the sight of its unexpected power, Sunflora blinked in surprise, and Eevee was already on top of it.

"Swift," Ilima ordered.

This attack was completely unlike the Swift my Eevee used prior. Countless stars seemed to slip out between gaps in Eevee’s fur before rocketing towards Sunflora. Hope yelled for a Razor Leaf, which was able to block most of the shots, but some still slipped through to clip Sunflora in its sides.

"Now, Quick Attack."

"Solar Focus!"

Eevee harried Sunflora with rapid strikes that would have been seriously damaging to anything at its level. It was like something out of a ninja movie with how its body flashed between standing feet away and slamming into Sunflora. Each strike was blocked by a leaf, but Sunflora was still taking damage. I even saw the flower Pokémon's feet grow roots to help stabilize and heal it with Ingrain.

"Now, all out," Ilima said.

Eevee’s assault shifted into a demonstration of all of its moves—Bite, Covet, Double-Edge, Take Down—as it laid into Sunflora. A ball of sunlight was tossed into the sky, and Eevee was forced to use Protect to block the Solar Beam that followed it up.

But, it grinned a toothy grin, and, confidently, Ilima snapped his fingers for an obvious signal. Eevee launched itself forward.

"That's Last Resort," Hope gasped.

I hummed.

Didn't Dachsbun use a strategy like this before?

Eevee was a Normal Type, which meant the Normal Type Last Resort was that much more effective. Not only that, but it had clearly trained its ability, Adaptability, which meant moves with the same Type were even stronger than normal.

With all of that combined with the boost from its Z-move going for it, Eevee looked like a brightly glowing ball of light that slammed into Sunflora's chest. It was incredibly impressive to see the Grass Type be forced to use Protect, especially since Ilima had admitted Eevee was only at the level of a six star team member, just about.

(Hope's team had been rated at a powerful nine, nearly ten stars.)

But, even with everything stacked for this attack, Sunflora didn't fall, and it was able to retaliate. It sent out another Solar Beam to strike the now-vulnerable Eevee head on, which didn’t have quite the resistance of a high-level, evolved Pokémon.

Eevee stumbled, moaned its name, and it looked like it was about to faint. Then, Ilima revealed the second stage of his strategy.

"Now, Baton Pass."

On the verge of passing out, only held up through its own sheer will and the boost provided by the Z-Move, Eevee's energy popped out of it like a ball and was tossed high in the air. Ilima then recalled it into its Pokéball and quickly sent out his next Pokémon.

"Unfortunately, Oranguru might not be able to fight today. I have a sweep in order," Ilima said confidently.

A Kangaskhan appeared on the field, and as the ball of light fell, it snapped an arm forward to grab it in one of its massive hands.

The hulking Normal Type gained the same energy-rich flames that had boosted Eevee before it. However, Kangaskhan’s base power was significantly more than Eevee’s base power, which meant it was now proportionally boosted even higher.

On its stomach, I saw a gray, baby Kangaskhan briefly poke its head out before pulling back in. Kangaskhan’s stomach was the most armored part of its body, ensuring its young would be safe even in a high level battle like right now.

"Kangaskhan is a nine-star rated Pokémon, the only one on my team,” Ilima said. “That, when combined with the boost provided by Eevee, increases her power tenfold. If we had practiced more, I could potentially Mega Evolve here, but I'd be a fool to use both a Z-Move and Mega Evolution without properly hammering it down before a fight." Ilima shook his head. “I do not want to risk a boosted Mega Evolved Pokémon going berserk in the middle of a city.”

I slowly called for the match to continue, my mouth hanging open at Ilima's strategy. If anything, this defined our different goals. His goal here was to impress us, while ours was to test him and, preferably, win.

He definitely impressed me, that’s for sure.

With Khangaskhan so boosted, Sunflora couldn't put up a fight. A Mega Punch took it out, and quickly Hope sent out her Vileplume.

"Toxic and Grass Knot. We're going for pure defense," she stated once I called out to resume the fight.

Toxic sent out splatters of dense sludge that badly poisoned Kangaskhan. The Grass Knot caused it to trip.

In the face of a so heavily buffed Pokémon, Hope switched up her game to not battle her foe head on. She went full defense, putting her Pokémon's powders and tricks to full use. Whenever Kangaskhan got close, it got a face of spores or a lashing of plant matter. Vileplume used the sun to heal what damage it took with Synthesis, too.

Eventually, Vileplume fell, but not without effectively crippling the Kangaskhan. Unfortunately for Ilima, the battle soon ended, as Hope’s Venusaur proved itself strong when it took out the poisoned Kangaskhan, and then Ilima’s Oranguru fainted easily enough after that.

Ilima declined sending out Eevee next. It was too close to fainting to put up any fight.

"Alas," he said, returning his final member. "I pushed to win, but it seemed you have made a fool out of me."

"You kidding? That was incredible!" Hope exclaimed. I called the match in her favor as she spoke. "A Z-Move to buff Eevee, and then a Baton Pass to enhance whoever comes out next? If that's not a way to eliminate cocky trainers, I don't know what is! You're getting high praise from me when I fill out my report."

"I can see that," Ilima said with a chuckle. "And you, Alex?"

"I was a bit disappointed you didn't use your Mega Evolution, but I can see why. Have you really not tried using both a Z-Move and Mega in the same battle? Is it safe?"

Ilima hummed and rubbed his chin. As he did, he walked forward to meet us in the center, and Hope returned her Venusaur.

"It certainly is possible, but it isn't something I'd risk. The combination of the two powers would likely decimate any foes, but there's a chance it's too much."

"For the trainer or for the Pokémon?" I replied.

"Both, I'd wager," he said. "That's a lot of energy to be wielded by a single individual, and I'd imagine a trainer would be likely to pass out."

His warnings made me wary of trying it, but I still wanted to figure it out eventually. Two Mega Pokémon at once was my first priority, and I hadn't even given Z-Moves on their own a shot. Doing both at once would give me an edge up few others had.

This would be big for my upcoming Sinnoh Elite Four challenge. I don't think they'll expect a trick like that kind of a combination coming out of my pocket.

Hope and I asked a few more questions, mostly just about what Pokémon he fielded. He didn't have quite the selection a Gym Leader would need—which made sense, he wasn't a Gym Leader just yet. However, his knowledge and skill was undeniable, and he could easily gain the resources to support a larger team. By the end of our conversation, there was no question he would be high on our list of suggested Gym Leader candidates.

"By the way," he said. "I would be loath to forget to do this. Here."

Ilima reached into a pocket to retrieve a pair of white gems, identical to the one slotted into the Z-Ring on his wrist.

"Those are Z-Crystals," Hope said.

"Yes. Usually challengers need to defeat Totem Pokémon to gain them, but considering your role looking into League expansion, I figured it'd be worth passing them over now."

Hope and I both took them, though there was technically an issue this could be considered a bribe. As long as we reported the gift there wouldn't be any questions raised, and our feelings had already been established with the camera still out, recording our conversation.

“While I know many use Z-Moves to launch powerful attacks, I do recommend using them to enhance some utility moves. Like I demonstrated with Extreme Evoboost, Normal Type Z-Crystals are exceptional at creating powerful beneficial effects for your team.”

“Like Z-Splash,” I said.

Ilima cocked his head to the side.

“Z-Splash boosts the user’s attack by more than what a Swords Dance can do,” I explained. “It’s an incredibly powerful boost that can be used in an instant. Considering Azumarill already knows Splash, this might be a safer way to set her up rather than with Belly Drum.”

“I’ve never heard of anyone enhancing a Splash. How do you know this?”

“I—”

I used this strategy with a Mimikyu in the games.

“I’ve done my research,” I said.

Ilima chuckled, and after saying our goodbyes, Hope and I headed off, now with a new goal in mind. Ilima's capabilities were enlightening about the strength of a Trial Captain, and with no others left on Melemele island, the rest of this next month and a half was ours.

That meant exploration, but more importantly, it meant earning the right to challenge the Island Kahuna.

====================================================
Author Note:

Ilima is such a sleeper option when people think of powerful trainers. Then again, that could just be me putting in my love of the Normal Type and biasedly increasing the power of a Normal Type specialist once again.

Pokémon mentioned in this chapter (contains spoilers):
Bellossom
Cherrim
Kangaskhan
Komala
Mimikyu
Oranguru
Smeargle
Sunflora
Tropius
Venusaur
Vileplume
Yungoos / Gumshoos

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