章 32: 28
The wind whipped Leo's hair back as he leapt from the boat onto the docks, the salty breeze filling his nostrils as he surveyed the area. There was very little in the way of people on Poni Island – in fact, what he remembered as a small town of ocean-faring folk from the games was nothing more than a small dock with a pokemon center sitting on the beach. Even that was faded, with peeling paint and being maybe a quarter of the size of the standard center.
Clearly, this place did not get a lot of traffic.
"Welcome to Poni, the greatest wild place in Alola," Holly said, anchoring her boat and tying it to the dock. "Here is where tradition stands strong, and history is preserved," a hint of reverence entered her voice at that, and Leo nodded along, squinting and shading his eyes as he looked up at the tall volcanic mountain that rose from the center of the island. A large stretch of plain-like wilderness lay directly in front of him, dotted with palm trees, vast swaths of greenery, and ending with tall cliffs that rose in the distance.
"So where are we headed?" Leo asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. Everyone was talking Poni up so much, his expectations could not be higher.
"It's about half a day's walk along the trail to the Ancient Poni Path. That's where Sofu, the Kahuna, lives with his family," Holly said, pointing towards a small path that lead East. "Stick close to me, so you don't get challenged by anyone. The trainers here are a bit strong for you…well, for most of your team," she amended, walking down the dock and pulling out a pokeball, releasing an Alolan Persian. The black, panther-like cat yawned and stretched, sniffing Holly as she passed it by, then plodding along silently behind her, completely ignoring Leo.
He was fine with that. Alolan Persian or not, he still held a deep-seated wariness for Persian thanks to Victoria's, Prince. It "hunting" him all the time while he lived at the Oak ranch was one of his more terrifying memories.
They walked for a little way, following what were essentially game trails – trails made in the ground by wild pokémon, not humans – and only occasionally running into a trainer. And they were all trainers, usually with camps set up right on the side of the trail with their pokémon out. Some waved at Holly and she waved back, while others tried to challenge her but were turned away. Her Aether uniform was useful in that sense, she could turn away the more battle-hungry trainers by saying she was on a mission for Aether, and couldn't risk her team in battle.
The further they got from the docks, however, and the rarer trainers became. Wild pokémon became more prevalent, Alolan Raticate scuttling about in the slowly thickening plant life, while Exeggutor wandered about and bird pokémon flew overhead. The heat of the day hit Leo like a freight train, the sun beating down oppressively, the humidity of the air skyrocketing. Thankfully Leo was getting used to the heat; when he first got here from Kanto, the weather made him want to die.
The two walked in silence for the most part, Leo bending down to pick up interesting rocks as they walked, only to toss them away, and running his hands along the myriad of plants that lined the path. Once he accidentally grabbed the flowers of a sleeping Comfey, the fairy type glaring at him before floating off deeper into the wilds.
After a few hours of walking the scent of the ocean returned, the path they followed winding along cliffsides the butted up against the ocean. The salty spray threatened to drench Leo at times when the now-rocky path narrowed, squeezing travelers between the sheer, dark-stone cliffside and the ocean waves beating on the rocks below. It was at this point that Leo released Diana, who happily wiggled, looked up at the few puffy white clouds in the sky, and immediately shot straight up into the sky. Leo sighed and prepared her pokeball, watching closely as she shot up, up, up…then stalled and tumbled back toward the ground. He waited until she got in range, recalled her before she hit the ground, then let her back out right next to him.
"Are you done?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She wiggled happily, caught sight of the sun glinting off the ocean, and bolted out to sea in a plume of dust. Leo recalled her before she could get too far out this time, skimming over the water though she was. He let her out again, this time laying a hand on her shell to keep her from going anywhere. "Stick next to me, ok girl? No wandering off this time, you need to learn to go slow," he chided. She wiggled happily, squinting her eyes and leaning into Leo's touch. He just shook his head.
"What was that about?" Holly asked once they started walking again, her Persian plodding along next to Diana, who slowly drug her shell across the rocky ground thanks to her pressurized air vents. She constantly echoed a low hum, but Leo was slowly learning to tune it out.
"She's been wanting to go touch a cloud since practically day one of her evolution; doesn't have the power to do so yet, but she wants to. And I guess the ocean looked pretty, too," Leo said with a shrug, looking back at Diana in a mixture of exasperation and fondness. Holly snorted and shook her head, once more falling silent.
From there it was another good hour until, finally, the path widened into a clearing filled with what could only nominally be called a village.
There were maybe five houses, all made of a pale adobe-like material, though only one of them looked lived in. Smoke curled from the chimney, the smell of cooking food mixing with the scent of the ocean, while clothes hung out to dry and a child was playfully chased by a Mudbray. The little girl laughed joyfully whenever the horse pokémon caught her, while an old woman watched over them.
"Seems Hapu is here today," Holly muttered to herself. "This is Sofu's, the Kahuna's, home. They're one of the only families to truly live on the island anymore; the rest are trainers or tourists," she explained. Leo nodded.
"What should I expect?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said. "You stay here for a minute while I go say hello," With that, she headed off towards the house. Leo stood there awkwardly until Diana moved over to him and pressed her face into his side – which was very much like living granite trying to give him a hug. He chuckled and pet her, scratching her spines as best he could and earning himself a pleased rumble. Who knew if she could actually feel it, but she seemed to enjoy it. After a few minutes of waiting she started to get twitchy from standing still for too long, so Leo started walking her around.
That is, until a little girl with poofy purple hair and wearing blue overalls walked over and stared at Diana in wonder. She couldn't have been older than ten, which was still very young by his books, and had one hand on her hip and the other on her Mudbray's neck.
"Hello," Leo said with a smile. "Cool, isn't she? This is Diana," he said.
"Hiya," she said with a bit of a drawl. "This is Popsy. What is she?" she asked, patting her Mudbray then gesturing to Diana. The colt whinnied at his name being said.
"A Pupitar," Leo said, Diana turning to face Hapu and carefully, very carefully moving closer. Her air vents blasted rock and dirt all over the place, forcing him and Hapu to squint and shield their eyes until she got close enough to her that she could pet her. "Sorry about all the dust, it's how she moves around. You can pet her, by the way. Of anyone in my team she's probably the one who'd enjoy it the most," he said with a chuckle.
It felt ironic to him that Diana, the one destined to grow up to be a giant green rock monster, was arguably the most social of his team. Zuko and Link were ok, but…they preferred Leo's company, and not much else. Santiago was too quiet and Spiritomb was Spiritomb.
Hapu laid and hand on Diana's carapace, and the Pupitar wiggled in greeting. Hapu giggled, withdrawing her hand.
"Are you here to see gramps?" she asked.
"I think so," Leo said.
"He's been kind of weird lately. Something about the Tapus being restless," she said. Leo nodded.
"I heard about that. Tapu Koko came out of nowhere and fought me," Leo said. Hapu scrunched her face up in doubt, crossing her arms.
"Liar," she said. Leo shrugged, preparing Diana's pokeball as she rotated her body to look up at the sky. He could see the gears turning as she contemplated the clouds; it was only a matter of time before she tried to take off again.
"It's true! He tried to zap me and my team, but Diana blocked it. I've also met Articuno, a legendary ice bird in Kanto," he said, tone sounding like he was joking even though it was the truth. Hapu crossed her arms and squared her feet.
"Nuh uh!" she said.
"Yuh huh!" Leo countered. Diana's "engines" revved up, oxygen being sucked into her carapace and creating a whoomph sound, and Leo immediately recalled her, shaking his head. Silly girl. Rocks don't fly.
Or, well, she doesn't yet. He'd had nightmares about Diana truly learning to fly before. He could only imagine how terrifying a flying rock monster would be to his opponents, let alone a flying rock monster who knew martial arts…once she evolved. And if she kept that ability to move using her air vents. Leo hoped she did, because if he considered a flying Diana terrifying he could only imagine what his opponents would think.
Hapu, in the meantime, stood there blinking in surprise at Diana's sudden recall. Leo just shrugged at her, unsure what to say.
"Leo!" Holly called, exiting the small adobe house followed by a short, white haired old man walking with a cane. "This is Sofu. Sofu, this is Leo,"
"Alola. It is a pleasure to meet you," Leo said, giving the formal Alolan greeting and extending a hand to the man. He really was very short, maybe an inch taller than Leo, but when Sofu gripped Leo's hand in a firm, iron-like handshake, any notions that the man could be losing his touch with age flew out the window.
These were the hands of a man who had worked hard all his life, and would continue to work until the day he died.
"Leo, huh," Sofu said. "So, you're here to help out around the ranch? Muck the stables, tend to the 'mon? Holly here says you'd make an excellent helper,"
"Uh, I mean, sure, I can help out around the place. I've got experience working at Professor Oak's ranch," Leo started. "But I was kind of hoping that you'd also help me train,"
"Help you train what?" Sofu asked gruffly. "Your body? Your mind? Your pokémon? Do you even know what you're asking? Do you even know who I am?"
"Um," Leo said, taken aback. "No, I don't actually. I just know you're a Kahuna, and that you trained Victoria Oak,"
"Little miss Oak? Train is a strong word," Sofu said, shaking his head. "I gave her some advice and that's about it. A few words of encouragement is all it took for her. What'd she say about what she learned from me?"
"She didn't?" Leo said, as more of a question. Now he was getting confused.
"Of course not. Trust an Oak to throw a kid into something without telling them anything," he grumbled. "And you're just coming here on their word? What about me, what do I get out of training you?" he asked.
"Uh," Leo spluttered.
"Didn't even think about that, did you?" Sofu continued.
"Didn't really have the chance. Holly drug me here as quick as she could. Is there anything you need or want?" he asked.
"Of course she did. These brats, coming here and trying to dump another project on me. You don't even know what you're asking, do you, kid? What if I can't even train you?" he asked, not expecting an answer.
"Stop being mean, gramps," Hapu interjected suddenly, frowning at her grandpa from atop her Mudbray. When did she climb up on its back?
"Quiet, Hapu," Sofu said with no heat to his voice. "I'm talking to the boy here," he said, and suddenly fell silent, studying Leo contemplatively. "Fine. Tell you what; I've got some projects around here that need finishing up. Fences to be fixed, pokémon taken care of. You help me for the next week or so, and we'll figure out if I want to train you or not,"
Leo contemplated that. "Deal," he said finally. "Er, well. Holly, will Aether make a fuss about that?"
"No," Holly said. "You have no obligations to go on any missions yet, and I'll tell Lusamine what's going on. Just don't forget to call her, or she may show up here looking for you. She can be really neurotic about some things,"
"I don't want that, so I won't," Leo said with a sigh. His pokedex got upgraded with a call function at Aether, so now he didn't have an excuse to fall off the map completely. Unless, of course, he was somewhere ridiculous without any signal. Like in the heart of Poni Island. But this close to the ocean should be fine.
"Good. Now let your team out and come on, we're wasting daylight," Sofu said, turning on his heel and marching back towards the house. Leo hesitated for a moment, glancing at Holly. She nodded to him.
"Go on," she said, jerking her head toward the house.
"Let your team out! They'll be helping!" Sofu shouted, making Leo jump. He said a quick thank you to Holly, said goodbye, then let his entire team out and hurried after Sofu.
He wasn't sure what he had been expecting today, but it wasn't this.
Sweat poured down his body and muck flew as Leo shoveled, cleaning out the Mudsdale stalls as best he could. He didn't have much thought beyond cleaning, allowing the monotonous labor to clear his mind as his body moved, the carts full of muck carted off by Diana, who was hooked to the wood constructs like a beast of burden. They would then be dumped in a pit Sofu indicated, to be spread out and used as fertilizer at a later date. Or not at all. It didn't really matter to Leo.
The rest of his team were off doing whatever else – Link was chopping wood with his leaf blade, Santiago was helping Sofu's wife fluff and fold laundry, while the man himself had taken Zuko away to help him with pottery. Or something. Leo wasn't exactly sure and, as he looked up at the midday sun wiping sweat from his brow, he hadn't really thought about it for a few hours. For all he knew they had all moved on to different chores by now.
"I'm about done here," he muttered, looking out over the pens he had cleaned up. The entire thing had been a bit of a muddy mess – from excrement, so not the kind of mud Mudsdale actually enjoyed – but now it was looking far better. Next would be to shovel clean, loose dirt back into the pens, and let Santiago spray it down with a bit of water. Mudsdale and Mudbray loved mud, as their name suggested, so it was healthy to keep the stalls a little muddy. Unlike for regular, non-pokemon horses.
One of the Mudsdale neighed, tossing its head at him and stomping its feet from the other side of the wooden fence, getting his attention. Leo waved at her, the mare snorting and glaring at the ground. The pasture she roamed was wide open and large, a few other of her species milling about munching on grasses or standing beneath the shade of the few trees. On particularly energetic Mudbray pranced about in the small watering hole in the middle of said pasture, splashing water everywhere.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll make it nice and pretty for you before the day's out, don't you worry," Leo said dismissively, waving at the ornery mare that was still glaring at him. She snorted again but moved off all the same, giving the closed gate into the pens a wide berth. Leo sighed and took off his shirt.
He was absolutely drenched in sweat, and the heat of the sun was only making things worse. Thankfully he had plenty of water to drink though.
"Diana! When you're done meet me over by the mudpit!" he shouted, marching in the direction of the area Sofu told him to pull fresh dirt from. He had a lot to do, and little time to do it in, so he'd better get to it.
Leo pulled on the wire fencing, stretching it as tight as he could with Santiago's help. "Hold it steady," he said around the thick, u-shaped nails in his mouth, Santiago gripping the wire with his meaty paws and heaving with a grunt. With practiced ease Leo pulled the u-shaped nails from between his teeth, grabbed his hammer from where it lay at his feet, and pounded it into the wooden fencepost. He did this five more times in different spots, until the chain-link fence was tightly secured, then stood up and surveyed his handiwork.
He and Santiago had spent the past day and a half fixing this fence, replacing the wire. The many hundreds of feet of fencing had been a pain, but he'd persevered and gotten it done. It was a good thing this wasn't his first fence fix though; not only had he helped repair the Oak ranch from time to time, but he'd also built animal pens when he was much younger.
"Leo! Lunch is ready!" Hapu called happily, the little girl coming running up with her Mudbray trotting along behind her.
"Great timing! I just finished with the fence," Leo answered, taking a swig of water and patting Santiago's arm. The Slowking stretched his arms and rolled his neck, unused to using his muscles this way. In a way, it was actually good muscle training for him. He'd been focusing too much on training his psychic abilities, and after figuring that out, Leo had actually forbidden him from using his psychic powers to help. As a bonus it did wonders on the Slowking's mental state as well. He was far less space-cadety at the moment; there was nothing like a little manual labor to clear the mind.
"Awesome! Maybe now gramps will let me teach you how to ride a Mudsdale," Hapu cheered, earning a chuckle from Leo.
"After lunch, and maybe after a nap, but yeah, that'd be fun," he said, ruffling Hapu's hair and starting the long walk back to Sofu's house. He'd ridden horses before, but never a horse-like pokémon.
The fence he'd fixed wasn't really there to keep the Mudsdale in – a sufficiently determined Mudsdale would plow right through the stupid thing – as much as it was to deter wild pokémon. Not keep out, just deter. If a determined pokémon wanted it, it would get in. According to Sofu, however, eventually the fence would be covered with the special mud Mudsdale spat and made much stronger. But that was a job for another time, and apparently that was a project he'd had "in the works" for many, many years.
After lunch, which was just sandwiches, Leo was eventually cajoled by Hapu to go ride the Mudsdales. She, of course, rode her Mudbray, while Leo was saddled with the grumpy mare that had been glaring at him the whole time he'd cleaned their pens out. Mostly for Hapu's amusement, of course, because Leo couldn't tell her where to go despite having ridden horses before. She just went.
And go she did. The powerful beast didn't go anywhere fast, but she plodded along without a care in the world, be it up and down hills or over streams. She also purposefully ran him into tree branches that were just high enough to hit his face, which not only seemed to amuse the Mudsdale, but also made Hapu laugh.
By the end of the two hour horse ride Leo had come to dislike the mare that he had ridden. The feeling was mutual, he could tell. Don't get him wrong, he enjoyed the ride, but if only his ride hadn't been so…mean.
The week passed much like this; Sofu giving him various tasks to complete around the ranch, and Leo doing so to the best of his ability. He still had time to train his team during the mornings and evenings, and figured out ways to train their talents even while working. But it wasn't the same, and he grew more and more agitated the longer he worked on the ranch. So, when Sofu finally came to get him on the night of the seventh day of his time on the ranch, Leo sitting out by the campfire he had built in the courtyards of one of the abandoned homes with his team splayed out, Santiago trying to master the guitar, he felt relieved.
He still wasn't sure what to expect from Sofu if the man did agree to train him, but the man knew his pokémon and was Kahuna of the most wild island in Alola for a reason.
"Follow me. Leave your team," Sofu said, appearing through the darkness, hobbling forward on his cane. "Don't return them, just leave them here. Including your ghost," Leo hesitated for just a moment, meeting Santiago's eyes before nodding, pulling Spiritomb's keystone out of his pocket, and laying it on the ground next to the fire. Thankfully it stayed quiet, allowing Leo to follow Sofu without raising a fuss.
He was led to the coast, looking out over the ocean with the full moon shining down on the water. It was beautiful, watching the light reflect off the waves and feeling the cool ocean breeze, and Leo just took a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet. He was without his team for the first time since…well, in forever, and in a way it was nice. Quiet. Without anyone he actually knew to disturb his thoughts – just a callous old man who stood next to him, and made him do work stuff.
Eventually though, Leo had to break the silence. His curiosity was killing him.
"So, training," Leo started, and Sofu sighed.
"Kid, what have you seen so far that would convince you that I would make a good teacher?" he asked, and Leo was silent. Honestly, not much. Sofu lived a simple life, feeding his animals and acting as a rancher. Sure, he had a way with pokémon but anyone who has spent time with pokémon tended to pick up a few tricks. Which was basically everyone. But he was Kahuna of Poni Island, and that had to count for something, right? "You're expecting something, and I don't know what. You don't know what,"
"No, I don't," Leo allowed. Honestly, so far he wouldn't be all torn up if Sofu decided to not teach him. Poni seemed like a great place to train anyway, and he'd probably stick around for a while. Go do some missions for Aether, battle some people, things like that. He wouldn't arrogantly claim that he knew the best path to training his team, but there were plenty of other people out there with advice to give. Some good advice, some not.
"You're a good kid, Leo. Got a strong heart and you work hard. Pokemon like ya, and you're good with Hapu," Sofu said. "I can see why Victoria likes you; you're like a miniature version of her,"
Leo wasn't sure what to feel about that. Awkward? Proud? He owed a lot to Victoria and Professor Oak and loved them like family, but they weren't his parents. Leo settled on feeling gratitude towards the statement. It was a compliment, and he would treat it as such.
"Unfortunately that also means you've got her fire to do things. You could just be a farmer, like me. Live a life like this, make a living tending the land. The world will move on even if you sideline yourself. Shoot, that Professor of yours would probably gladly take you in if you're the sciencey type. Teach you how to be a researcher," Sofu said.
Leo thought about it for a moment. He would love that life, if he was honest. Probably wouldn't be a farmer, but a ranger? A hermit in the mountains, living off the land and living in a cabin he himself built? That would be so much fun. He was a simple man, he didn't need much to be satisfied, but…maybe that's what was killing him too. Because as he thought about the mess in Kanto, he thought about the visions he'd seen from Celebi, and he thought about the ultra-beasts, Lusamine, and all the things he sort-of knew was coming, he found he couldn't sit still.
It was a simple feeling in his stomach. A firm sort of determination that came from when he didn't like what he had to do, but knew that he had to do it. He may not be able to change the world completely, but he could just a little, right?
"I can't," Leo said simply. Sofu nodded, as if he had been expecting that, and looked out over the ocean again.
Silently Sofu drew a knife from the sheath on his waist, and examined the blade in the moonlight. Satisfied, he showed the knife to Leo.
"Look here, kid," he said finally. "See how sharp this is?" he held out one arm, covered in fine silver hair as it was, and scraped the edge of the knife at an angle along his arm, shaving off a good chunk of hair with ease.
"Nice," Leo said, not sure what else to say. Nodding, Sofu immediately pressed the blade down as hard as he could against his skin and drug it across his arm. Leo yelped in surprise and horror, reaching out to try and stop the bleeding that…didn't come.
There was no blood. There was no cut. Only Sofu's whole, hale arm.
"Wh-what?" Leo stammered.
"That is a party trick," Sofu said, grabbing ahold of Leo's arm and pulling it out, pressing the blade against Leo's arm. Leo stiffened at the contact, and met Sofu's eyes. "Trust me," he said simply. Rationality warred within Leo's mind, but slowly he relaxed, and eventually he nodded to the man. The moment he did Sofu nodded, a tingling sensation ran up Leo's arm, and he drug the blade across Leo's skin, doing no harm. He could feel the sharpness, but it just didn't…cut.
"What in the world…?" Leo said, eyes wide as he examined his skin. The only damage done was a thin white line that showed something had touched him, peeling back already dead skin.
"Aura, boy, aura. If anything, that is what I can teach you," Sofu said quietly, and Leo's head snapped up. "Like all people, you have the ability to use aura. You can already feel it, can't you? When you practice in the mornings and dance with the Bellossom you unconsciously are using it, throwing it everywhere with your punches, your strikes, your movements, everything. Everyone does this as aura is a natural energy, used by all, but you, for whatever reason, unconsciously let it flow through you more naturally. You open yourself up to it more,"
"I do?" he asked.
"Yes. But like I said, what I just showed you is just a party trick. A showman's tale. And what you're doing is unconscious, unrefined. Aura is so much more than that," Sofu said slowly. "It is the bond between pokémon and human, the will of the universe, the life and death of all things. It is neither good nor bad, it simply is. And it has a will of its own,"
"How do you know all of this?" Leo asked, furrowing his brows.
"Doubting me, are you? Boy, there are very few who know aura like I do; maybe three in the entire world can see the world as I can see it. Among humans, that is. I cannot speak for the Lucario or other aura-attuned creatures. When I look at the world, I do not see the physical shapes – I see it in aura. I can see the bonds that bind humans and pokémon, the symbiotic relationship that has defined our species together for hundreds of thousands of years. I can hear the intents of another's actions, and feel the emotions of others if I get too close to them. It is almost too much at times," he said with a sigh. For a moment his eyes glowed in the night, flashing with power, and he levitated and inch off the ground before he settled back down.
"And you, Leo, have much aura at your command. You simply need to be taught to use and control it," he said, but something in the way he said it made Leo frown. It didn't sound like he wanted to be the teacher.
"Will you train me?" Leo asked.
"No," Sofu said firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because you are not ready for it," Sofu said softly. "We are having this conversation so you can understand a little of where you stand, but…you are not ready for it yet,"
"When will I be ready for it?" Leo asked. It wasn't really a question anymore of whether or not he wanted Sofu to teach him, to train him. It wasn't quite the training he had in mind when he first arrived, but this was just as cool if not cooler. Aura training?! Who in their right mind would pass that up? Plus, he can train his team while he's at it! It's a win-win!
Sofu was silent for a while. "Once you reach the Altar of the Sunne, beyond the Vast Poni Canyon. Do that, and then you'll be ready," he said.
"That's all?" Leo asked, furrowing his brows. "I don't have to, I dunno, grow older or something? Fight a dragon with my bare hands? Learn the secrets of the aura guardians?"
"Your aura is not that of a child, Leo, so you do not need to grow older. Yes, as you grow older your aura strengthens, but that is not the only method. As I said before, pokémon and humans have a symbiotic relationship. Once you bond with a pokémon, you share your aura with it, which fuels their growth. For trainers, that could mean sparking evolutions or simply letting your team become more powerful; and in return, that bond strengthens our own auras, and gives us deeper insights to the world. Many do not recognize this growth, but most all of your truly powerful trainers will be aware of aura in some respect," Sofu said slowly.
"So climbing to the Altar of the Sunne will get me to where I need to be for you to train me," Leo said, as more of a statement than a question. "Does that mean I need to complete the Island Trials?"
"That's up to you," Sofu said dismissively, turning and heading back. "Alola is a land of freedom. If you think the Trials are what will get you there, be my guest. If you think throwing yourself at the mountain over and over until you reach the top is best, do so. But I will not train you without you reaching the Altar – and not by teleporting there either. I don't expect it will take you any less than five years," and with that, the old man walked back towards his house, leaving Leo alone at the coast.
The fire that was burning in his gut, urging him onward, intensified with newfound direction. All he had to do was reach the Altar of the Sunne which, if he remembered right, was the altar on Poni Island where Lunala and Solgaleo could be summoned. He'd show Sofu. By the end of the year, he'd be at the Altar.
Leo left early the next day, saying goodbyes to the family that housed him for the past week – Hapu wasn't very happy he was leaving, wanting him to "stay and play for just a little longer!" – and carefully headed into the Vast Poni Canyon. The canyon itself was, like its name suggested, vast and glorious. Deep ravines and steep cliffsides dominated the landscape, scraggly trees growing out of cracks in the stone while small tufts of grass or bushes grew where they could.
Pokemon were scarcer here, though Leo did see a midday Lycanroc running across the top of the ravine once. But otherwise? There wasn't much. The land here just seemed to be bare, and he was nearly forced to dip into his emergency rations on occasion as food was scarcer. There were cactuses he could eat, and a few tubers and some berry-like things, but it wasn't a whole lot. Thankfully most of his team was self-sufficient. Not only did pokeballs slow down a pokemon's metabolism, and therefore their need to eat, but Link mostly only needed sunlight, water, and a little bit of food, Zuko hunted small Rattatta and veggies on his own, and Santiago could find food wherever he went.
That, and there were a few ponds to fish from. Even one of the most sparse area of Alola was, honestly, abundant in food compared to many other places. Despite being more difficult to procure it, and to find fresh water.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the fifth day that Leo finally made his way to the end of the canyon. They hadn't run into very many aggressive wild pokémon, the few that did try to attack were repelled with relative ease – except for one particularly angry Honchkrow. It took Zuko repeatedly blasting it into the canyon wall with a heat wave to finally get it to leave them alone. Nor had there been any trainers in the area, though there was some sign of human activity.
Leo hesitated upon seeing the two multicolored pillars rising on either side of the cavern walls, and the carved stone monument that stood just beyond them. This was the last stretch of the canyon. He could practically see where the path led out, the steep walls giving way to open skies while the volcanic mountain loomed not too far away. Above, natural bridges of stone criss-crossed through the canyon, creating a latticework of natural stone.
"Zuko," Leo said calmly, calling the Quilava back from where he had been sniffing the monument. "Stay next to me," Zuko ambled back over to Leo, and after a moment's thought he let out Diana as well. The Pupitar appeared in a flash of red, wiggled happily, and promptly tried to "hug" Leo by falling at him. He casually stepped out of the way and, shaking his head in amusement, placed a hand on her back as she lay face-first on the ground.
"C'mon, silly girl. Up and at 'em. I think we've got a fight ahead of us," he said, helping her push herself back up into a standing position. She wiggled happily, squinting her eyes at him. Taking a breath Leo crossed the threshold of the multicolored pillars and approached the stone monument, running his fingers over the words etched into stone.
It read:
Ahead lies a sacred ground of trials. None who do not take part in its trials will be allowed to walk upon this earth. Those lacking the courage to defeat the totem guarding this land will be denied entry. But those who believe in their Pokemon and walk beside them shall gain great power!
Leo looked further into the canyon, now certain he was being watched. So, he had to go through the last trial of the Alola region to get to the Altar of the Sunne? If he was remembering his games right that meant fighting a Kommo-o and its pre-evolutions. Not just any Kommo-o, but a totem Kommo-o – a pokémon that was bigger, stronger, and overall just better than your average pokémon of its species. For a pseudo legendary, that meant a lot.
"Well crap," he muttered, looking down at Zuko. "We could push on ahead, or try to circle around, but…I get the feeling that this will be the test either way. If a pseudo-legendary is guarding these grounds, and I assume that means the Altar of the Sunne as well, then I'd have to be pretty lucky to sneak by. What do you two think?" he asked.
Zuko looked up from where he was sniffing at a bug crawling across the ground, and Diana just blinked at him before slowly dragging herself forward, deeper into the canyon. Zuko sneezed from the dust she kicked up and followed after.
"That answers that question. Let's see how strong we are compared to the strongest totem Pokémon," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "It's a good thing I brought plenty of potions,"
It only took a few steps further into the canyon for Zuko to tense up and look around for threats, even though Diana happily continued on without a care in the world. The layered stone walls of the canyon echoed with the sounds of her air vents, and the sound of metal banging rhythmically against stone began. Leo palmed Link and Santiago's pokeballs, keeping his eyes peeled as they continued deeper.
Shapes began to appear from indents in the walls above them, a few Jangmo-o, small quadrupedal dragons with thick yellow scales, poking their heads out and hissing at him threateningly, stomping their feet. The beat of the banging picked up, and this time even Diana seemed to notice. Slowly more noise was added, until it reached a crescendo as they rounded the final bend in the narrow canyon.
Five pokémon stood before them and the canyon exit; two Jangmo-o, two Hakamo-o, and a single Kommo-o. The Jangmo-o stomped their feet and snorted agitatedly, while the Hakamo-o beat their chests, producing loud clanging sounds from their scales. And the Kommo-o glared, its tail swaying back and forth, its large, round, armor-like scales rubbing against each other and creating a ringing beat that bound together the noises its pre-evolutions made.
It was the beat of war drums, and Leo found himself smiling as the primal sound set his blood to surging through his veins, white-hot adrenaline pumping into his system and driving him excitement up to the absolute maximum. There was no doubt what was coming next – and the sudden stop of the pounding noise had him clutching Link and Santiago's pokeballs in anticipation.
A roar ripped through the newfound silence, sending a thrill up Leo's spine even as fear tried to pierce into him – and from the top of the canyon jumped another Kommo-o. It fell a hundred feet or more to the bottom of the valley, landing with a boom that shook the ground itself. Leo's breath caught in his throat as the pseudo-legendary rose to its full height, absolutely dwarfing the Kommo-o that stood behind it. It was at least twice as tall, its scale armor scratched, chipped, and beaten from the many intense battles it must have had. Yet they still gleamed in the light that shone down from above, speaking of the care that went into maintaining said armor.
This was Leo's first time meeting a totem pokémon. It did not disappoint.
"We gonna battle?" Leo asked, and the Kommo-o snorted, flexing its massive, clawed hands and grunting. From behind it came the two Jangmo-o, glaring and snarling as they plodded forward on all fours. The totem pokémon growled, drawing Leo's attention as it pointed directly at him, held up one finger, then pointed at Zuko and Diana. It took him a minute for the reason for this to click. "You want me to use one pokémon at a time?" he asked. Kommo-o nodded, rearing its mighty head and staring Leo down imperiously.
Who first? Leo wondered, chewing his lip. None of his team members were particularly strong against dragons, in fact most were offensively weak to them. In the end, however, Zuko made the answer for him, snarling and flaring up as he walked forward to meet the Jangmo-o. Leo laid a hand on Diana's shell as she rumbled.
"You stay back for now, girl. Let Zuko have first go," Leo said. Zuko snarled, the Jangmo-o growled, and the fight began.
Immediately the Jangmo-o charged in, the tiny dragons thirsting for battle, only to be met with a barrage of swift stars as Zuko darted out of the way of the first one. He didn't account for the second, however, and was tackled from the side, sending him sprawling.
"Will-o-wisp, then heat wave!" Leo ordered. There was no need to codify his commands here, but using Agni Kai to have Zuko will-o-wisp the totem pokémon might be a good strategy. It was intelligent, and a burn against that monster of a 'mon would be great to force it out of close quarters.
Zuko huffed and flared his back fires, the Jangmo-o that was advancing on him backpedaling at the sudden display, then spat out a flurry of ethereal blue embers at the two dragons. Only a few hit as they scrambled to the side, but it was enough to slow them down a bit. They did not, however, get out of the way of the heat wave that soon followed, making the little dragons grimace from the intense blast.
They screeched back at him, the noise rattling Leo's ears and forcing him to take a step back as Zuko winced – but they didn't just screech. One kept up the shrieking, while the other charged in to hit Zuko. He barely leapt out of the way, shaking off the disorientation, and responded with an ember – but in the process forgot about the second Jangmo-o, who crashed into his side with a headbutt.
Leo winced. They hadn't trained much in two-on-ones, except against hordes of weaker pokémon like Zubat, so Zuko wasn't doing all too hot handling two at once. The other Jangmo-o came charging in while the Zuko duked it out, headbutting his backside. He flared up, fire coating his form as he growled and bit at the Jangmo-o in front of him, tossing the little dragon to the side and kicking away the second one.
"Close quarters, Zuko! Headbutt, flame charge," Leo called, changing up the strategy a bit. Zuko was great at one-on-one targets at a distance, with heat wave being a powerful crowd control option, but he was at a disadvantage here with his fire attacks being not as effective.
Besides, Leo mused, watching as Zuko charged into the two dragons as a furious ball of fire, he does appear to be stronger than these two. As if to punctuate the thought Zuko bodily slammed into one of the small dragons, sending it skidding backwards while the other spun and slammed its tail, covered in a blue glowing energy, into Zuko's head. He snarled and pounced on the dragon, not biting or scratching, instead just heating up the fire that was already surrounding him and blasting embers at the one he had rolled, now coming at him for more. It pushed through the fiery attack, ramming its armored forehead into Zuko and forcing him off of the one he'd been standing on.
That one did not get up.
From there it was child's play for Zuko to defeat the last Jangmo-o, despite his type disadvantage. He just ran circles around it, blasting it with embers and swift stars until it conceded defeat by lying on the ground and lowering its head. Zuko snorted triumphantly between pants, his fur scuffed and his back-fires flickering weakly as he stood there, watching as the conscious Jangmo-o drug the unconscious one off the battlefield.
"You take a rest, bud. We'll need you for the last fight," Leo said, recalling him and looking at Diana. "You up for a battle?" She vibrated in excitement, pushing herself in front of Leo and letting out a burst of air that sent dust and pebbles flying everywhere. A Hakamo-o scoffed in response, stepping out of the crowd and staring Diana down, beating its clawed hands on its chest.
Leo glanced at the Totem pokémon, who was watching the battle unconcerned. That was the final boss, and he had to save as many team members as he could for it.
"It'll be coming at you for close combat, Diana, so either keep it at range or don't give it a chance to get started. Got it?" he asked. Diana hummed, and the ground trembled beneath his feet. The Hakamo-o stumbled, stones rattling on the ground next to it, and suddenly Diana was off in a blast of air that nearly sent Leo flying. A terrific smack! Sounded out as Diana smashed directly into Hakamo-o, sending the bidpedal dragon tumbling across the ground as she kept going, straight at the herd of Jangmo-o and Kommo-o.
Almost casually the massive totem Kommo-o reached out and stopped Diana with one paw, muscles flexing as it turned her around and set her on the ground, gesturing at the Hakamo-o that was picking itself up off the ground. Leo's breath caught in his throat at the display, eyes widening as he stared at the totem pokémon in newfound respect. He knew Kommo-o were strong, but to stop Diana with barely a grunt of effort? That's insane!
The totem pokémon grunted again, and Diana blasted off at the Hakamo-o once more. This time, however, the dragon was ready for her and shoved both hands out to catch her.
The moment she impacted the Hakamo-o spun, redirecting her momentum and judo flipping her face-first into the ground, where it stood over her, on foot stomping on her shell and claws glowing with blue light. It slashed once, twice, ineffectual dark pulses blasting out from Diana and washing ineffectually over the dragon's scales.
"Spin!" Leo commanded, a bead of sweat running down his brow, despite the coolness of the canyon. Diana immediately responded, the vents on one side blasting air and sending her into a violent spin that sent the Hakamo-o flying away, and a veritable storm of sand and dust swirling into the sky like a tornado. The Hakamo-o dug its claws into the ground and righted itself, growling at the growing debris in the air – only for a spire of rock to burst from the ground and slam into its side, right before Diana blasted out of cover and tackled it into the wall.
It roared in anger but did not kick her away, instead headbutting her, and raking its claws all up and down her armor – doing very little visible damage. It wasn't until Diana tried to back up, only for the Hakamo-o to grab onto her and proceed to punch her into the ground, that Leo knew she was in trouble. The Hakamo-o did not let up, pounding her shell with its fists and slashing at her with claws of blue energy, preventing her from escaping.
A rock shot out of the ground and smashed into Hakamo-o's head to little effect, another dark pulse washed over it – and still the dragon continued its brutal onslaught.
"Diana, fly!" Leo ordered, gritting his teeth. They'd have to make a sacrificial play here, if this didn't work.
Diana's air vents fired at full blast, sending her shooting into the sky with Hakamo-o holding on for dear life, a surprised yelp barely audible over the roar of Diana's "engines." She banged against stone bridges and the walls as she shot skyward, her ascent petering out as she flipped back around, and blasted straight back at the ground with Hakamo-o still holding on. Leo wasn't sure why the dragon didn't leap off; perhaps it was too surprised, or perhaps it was too stubborn to let Diana go. But either way, when Diana and the dragon slammed into the ground at full speed, neither of them got up.
Leo recalled Diana even before the dust settled, the awkward spluttering of her air vent making it clear to him that, while she was still conscious, she was fading fast. She was done for the fight – which was just as well. She probably wouldn't have been able to do much against a Kommo-o. Not yet. She'd get there, probably after she learned earthquake or evolved, but not yet. Hopefully. A fighting-type was a bad matchup for her.
The totem pokémon moved this time, and Leo almost reached for Santiago's pokeball – but he hesitated. Instead of moving aggressively the great dragon walked to where Hakamo-o lay crumpled on the ground and scooped it up in one paw. Its unconscious form flopped limply in the totem pokemon's grasp.
"Uh, would you like a few potions or something for them? I brought a lot," Leo asked after a moment's hesitation. Kommo-o paused and looked at Leo, shook its head, and turned back to its little herd of followers, laying the unconscious Hakamo-o at the feet of one of the others. Leo blinked. The number of dragons had increased – there were at least a dozen of the Kommo-o line now watching.
"KOOOOOOOO!" Leo flinched at the roar, sliding into a fighting stance unconsciously as the smaller Kommo-o, the one that wasn't a totem, suddenly leapt over its fellow dragons to land in the field, beating its chest and jingling its scales. It was like a shockwave hit him, his hairs stood on end, his eyes narrowed, and Spiritomb hissed from where it sat in his pocket. Another shot of adrenaline renewed its presence in Leo's bloodstream, a giddy, yet somehow determined smile making its way onto his face.
"Santiago, you're up," Leo said, letting him out. Santiago appeared in a flash of red, squaring his shoulders and regally looking at the dragons arrayed before him. He met eyes with the totem pokémon and inclined his head ever so slightly, earning himself as respectful nod in return, then turned to face his opponent. The smaller Kommo-o snorted and stomped its feet, armor clanging together rhythmically as it stomped forward, not rushed, but calmly approaching Santiago with claws ready and teeth bared.
Santiago glowed with ghostly energy as he used curse, a water pulse firing at Kommo-o only to splash harmlessly against its scales. The dragon responded with dragon pulse, the beam catching Santiago in the chest as the dragon advanced.
A dim light shone from Santiago's forehead gem, and Kommo-o pushed through the disable with little effort. Finally it came to loom over Santiago, who was completely unconcerned, and raised one clawed hand to strike him – only to be literally tossed away by a blast of psychic force that send it hurtling into the canyon wall, followed closely by a shadow ball that detonated on its scales. Kommo-o roared in fury, pushing itself off the wall and barreling towards Santiago, ignoring the second psychic blast that threatened to toss it away, and punching at Santiago's face.
He met the blow with his crown, deflecting the blow with the hard coral and taking a step into Kommo-o's stance, surprising the dragon. He jerked upward, crown glowing, and slammed the spikey top into the underside of Kommo-o's jaw, jerking its head upward.
"Psychic, then keep it down!" Leo commanded as Kommo-o took advantage of their close proximity, grabbing Santiago with both hands. He blasted it with another psychic, and ineffectually tried to restrain the dragon with his psychic powers. Kommo-o grunted and lifted Santiago, breaking free of his psychic hold with sheer strength alone, and slammed him into the ground. Leo cursed as he tossed Santiago away, already preparing a pokeball, but for the umpteenth time in the Slowking's life he surprised Leo.
Santiago landed on his feet, stumbling backwards and breathing heavily, hands clenched at his side as he glared at the Kommo-o. The dragon stared at him as Santiago took a few steps forward and said something, straightening his back and tilting his chin up, glaring down his muzzle at it. Kommo-o did not snort or scoff, but it did smile. The toothy grin overtook its face and it roared out a challenge, Santiago matching with a bellow of his own and charging headfirst into the fray.
Glowing green energy encased Kommo-o's arms and tail as it moved to meet Santiago, no longer playing around. It punched Santiago in the face, but he did what he did best – kept on trucking as he bodily tackled into Kommo-o, his crown practically glowing with psychic power. The dragon grunted and swiped at his back with glowing claws, then just grabbed him and tossed him away again. Santiago tumbled through the air, caught himself with a psychic, and blocked the beam of greenish-purple light that blasted from Kommo-o's mouth with a stream of water pulses. His feet had barely touched the ground when Kommo-o was on him once again, snarling and spinning, slamming its tail into Santiago's stomach and smashing him into the wall.
Leo's stomach dropped as Santiago fell – but once more he exceeded expectations, catching himself and standing tall, one paw on the canyon wall to keep himself upright.
"Santi," Leo said, and his starter looked over at him – and he was smiling. This was fun for grinned back, a feral smile that had his blood singing. Kommo-o was not going to let him get another hit in, however, and finished the job with another dragon pulse. It struck Santiago in the chest and he fell to the ground. This time he did not rise, and Leo recalled him. "Thank you, bud. That was amazing,"
Kommo-o snorted, drawing Leo's attention. It bowed, and Leo bowed back, unclipping Link's pokeball.
"Link, it's up to you and Spiritomb now," Leo said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice. The little Bellossom appeared on the cavern floor kneeling, head bowed as if in prayer. Kommo-o grunted and stomped its feet, making Link look up. Leo could feel his excitement from where he stood, drawing a leaf blade, and green energy building up in his head flowers. Kommo-o roared and fired a silvery beam at Link, who spun out of the way as he continued to power up a sunny day.
What happened next was a bit of a blur; Kommo-o charged, but had already given Link enough time to fling the sunny day into the air, the energy he had been gathering hanging as a small ball of orange light halfway up the canyon walls, illuminating the valley. It was maybe half as big as the one he and Zuko had used against Tapu Koko, but it was enough. Link turned into a blur of green, leaping into the air to avoid Kommo-o's dragon claw and retaliating with a leaf blade, sparks flying from the dragon's armor-like scales as he danced up the dragon's arm, narrowly dodging away from its snapping jaws and scoring another line across its scales.
With a furious roar Kommo-o shook itself, scales clanging together in excruciating loudness as purplish energy blasted off of it in radiating waves. Link was sent flying, flipping through the air and landing nimbly before darting back into the fray, throwing magical leaves like boomerangs. The leaves carved lines into the dragon's scales, and Kommo-o roared to the skies.
This time, there was a response. An excruciatingly loud screech filled the canyon, forcing Leo to cover his ears as a shape descended from the sky, screeching the whole way down. Link leapt away from Kommo-o and wasted not time turning himself into a grass-type anti-aircraft gun, blasting solarbeams at the incoming form as fast as he could charge them. But he didn't forget about the Kommo-o, who retaliated with a dragon pulse. Link leapt to the side, blasting another solarbeam and landing right as the flier slammed into the ground where he used to be, kicking up as much dirt as possible.
Leo scowled, gripping Spiritomb's keystone and preparing to toss it out into the fray. Right. He forgot about this part.
Totem pokémon called for help from their allies. This Kommo-o may not be a totem pokémon, but it was still capable of calling for help.
"Spiritomb, help out Link!" Leo commanded, hurling the ghost's stone at the newly landed Noivern. The wyvern-like dragon screeched, shockwaves of sound blasting Link away and into the canyon wall – only to stop as Spiritomb's keystone hit it in the side of the head.
But the ghost did not reveal itself. To all the world, it looked like Leo had just thrown a rock at the dragon, and he gulped. Slowly Noivern turned to glare at Leo, taking a single step toward him when, suddenly and without warning, Spiritomb burst from the stone with a cackle, surprising the hell out of the dragon and engulfing it in darkness.
Leo glanced at the totem pokémon, who didn't budge. Good. It wouldn't intervene if he sent out two pokémon. That was good news.
"Link, substitute and strength sap! Offensive to defensive! Spiritomb's running interference, so you need to hit hard, we don't know how long its focus will last," Leo shouted over the noise of Noivern screeching into Spiritomb's purple and black body. The two were literally just a blob of darkness that thrashed about, and it gave Leo a headache just looking at it.
Link nodded and levelled his leaf blade at Kommo-o, who looked torn between fighting Link or going to help Noivern. In the end it chose to trust its companion, and advanced at Link. The Bellossom stood there for a moment, concentrating as an opaque white substance poured from his body and made a round shield in his free hand. Substitute was a weird technique. Some pokémon used it to create physical decoys of themselves, kind of like a higher-tier double team, while Link used it to create a literal shield in his hand.
Kommo-o charged in, thrusting its palms at Link in a controlled, swift motion, giving him no room to make a play. Link leapt and dodged and deflected blows with his shield, getting visibly frustrated as the fight continued, Kommo-o not allowing him to close the gap or get away to create distance. He was still getting hits in with leaf blade, but the damage was minimal and he wasn't able to use strength sap. It was a little too intensive of a technique to handle while being pressured so closely. Leo scowled and glanced at the Spiritomb vs Noivern fight as the dragon finally broke free of the entrapment, hurtling itself skyward with a few powerful wingbeats. A dragon pulse shot down from the sky and cut through Spiritomb's body, earning an agitated hiss from the ghost, but otherwise neither seemed too badly injured.
"Spiritomb, help Link," Leo commanded. The ghost cackled and moved in a wave of purple shadow, darting with surprising speed over to Kommo-o and slamming into the dragon's side. It grunted in surprise and Link took his opportunity to dart into its guard and press his hand against Kommo-o's leg, suffusing himself in a red glow. Kommo-o roared and kicked him away, swiping at Spiritomb with its claws, swiping through the swirls and tendrils that currently made up Spritomb's body like butter.
The ghost hissed and formed its face off to the side, breathing out a wave of frigid air, ice collecting on Kommo-o's armor. The dragon wasted no time in punching said face with a dragon claw though. By this point Link had recovered and was running in again, firing a solar beam at Noivern as it swooped in again – just in time, too, as the sunny day he had set up flickered out of existence – and threw a couple of leech seeds onto Kommo-o. Spiritomb lashed the dragon with shadowy tendrils, the two focusing their efforts on the fighting/dragon type for the time being.
Noivern shrieked once more, this time the sound accompanied by shockwaves of air that blasted down into the cluster of pokémon. Kommo-o covered its ears, resisting the boomburst without much damage, and Spiritomb didn't even seem to notice, but Link was heavily effected. The Bellossom winced and fell to his knees, nearly dropping his sword and shield in the process. But, like the trooper he was, he swiftly stood up again and dodged out of the way of Noivern's follow-up air slash,
Leo's eyes grew wide when Kommo-o growled in fury, finally having enough of Spiritomb's harassment. Shadowy tendrils wrapped around the dragon, the ghost itself breathing a constant stream of icy wind into the dragon's face and lashing at its limbs with the ghostly energies. A blue glow burned in Kommo-o's mouth, waves of heat distorting the air around him, and Leo panicked.
"Spiritomb, shadow sneak away!" he roared, but it was too late. Angry blue flames burst from every crevice, every scale, every inch of Kommo-o's body. The leech seeds Link had placed burned, while Spiritomb shrieked and flailed helplessly as the dragon fire scorched it, overwhelming the ghost and forcing it back into its keystone. The square stone dropped to the ground lifelessly, but Leo didn't have time to pay attention to it. "LINK! PROTECT!" Leo shouted, the little Bellossom ceased his stare down with Noivern.
The other dragon had leech seeds all across its body, and magical leaves stuffed down its ears – when had Link managed that? – but all fight was momentarily forgotten when Kommo-o leapt through the air, flames still wreathing its form as it brought its fists down into a mighty hammer arm that shattered the green protect shield Link erected. Acting on pure instinct Link raised his substitute shield, Kommo-o's next fist sending him hurtling into the wall – it was the only thing that saved him, and he tossed away the smoldering shield to glare at the two dragons across from him.
Noivern didn't seem to care much about the furious Kommo-o, eyes focused solely on Link as the other dragon panted in rage, blue flames shooting from its nostrils with every breath.
Outrage. The Kommo-o had used bloody outrage.
"Link; dance, fight, win," Leo ordered. Link nodded solemnly, whipping his leaf blade to the side and spinning gracefully as Kommo-o charged. Noivern hissed and shot a dragon pulse from its mouth, which Link spun away from. Kommo-o charged right as Link completed his dance, leaves rapidly sprouting from his flowers and petal skirt – kilt – and flying into a veritable storm of leaves encircling him. Petals danced and sang, the symphony of Bellossom petals clashing and mixing with the roaring, thunderous sound of Kommo-o's scales clanging together.
The draconic titan crashed into the wall of leaves, petals ripping through the fire and coming out burning, transforming the tornado of petals into a tornado of draconic fire. Leo lost sight of what happened next, but the tornado surged and burst apart in the end, Link hurtling through the air as a burning comet – a comet that landed on Noivern and proceeded to cut the ever-living crap out of it. Noivern thrashed and shrieked, the leaves that clogged its ears bursting out as Link flipped and slashed with his leaf blade like an energizer bunny from hell – globules of green energy occasionally flying from Noivern to Link, whose burns slowly healed from each drain.
Kommo-o roared, the flaming tornado ceasing as it barreled out of the flames and crashed into Noivern, a single swipe of its claws blowing Link away from the dragon. Link landed, crouched and holding onto his leaf blade with both hands, breathing heavily and flowers singed. Kommo-o didn't give him time to breathe, Noivern launching into the air as it charged at Link, who levelled his leaf blade. Power surged, and Leo suddenly felt an urge – a need, to move. To fall into the Bellossom dance. Link took a step, and so did he. He twirled, and Leo planted his feet, pushing his palms together. Link raised his sword, the green blade elongating and growing until it was twice the size of Bellossom, and Leo pushed his hands upwards, following the feeling that surged through his chest.
The gem on Leo's wrist glowed, and grass bloomed beneath Link's feet.
The green blade clashed with the flaming behemoth of Kommo-o, and burst into an explosion of green and flowers. When the dust settled, the connection Leo felt was gone, and Link fell to the ground, unconscious. Kommo-o still stood, the flames that suffused him dying out as he turned towards the fallen form of Link, and bowed in respect. Leo sighed, recalled Link, and stepped out onto the field to retrieved Spiritomb's keystone.
"Thank you, both of you," he whispered, pocketing the keystone and clipping Link's pokeball to his belt. Zuko was still able to fight, so technically he could keep going, but there was no way he would send out the already injured Quilava out against two dragons that looked relatively ok. At least now they knew where they stood in terms of power – there was still a bridge to gap before they were ready to complete this trial, but it wasn't that big a gap. They had pushed the dragon, there at the end. But what was that last thing? Leo wondered, glancing down at the Z-crystal on his arm. He had an inkling suspicion, but…
A shadow looming over him suddenly stopped that train of thought, and Leo looked up at the totem Kommo-o, who stared at him imperiously. Next to him the Kommo-o they had just fought stood, breathing a little labored, while the Noivern sat on the other side, nibbling on a berry and looking none the worse for wear.
"Uh, right. Thank you for the battle. I'll be leaving now," he said, bowing slightly. The totem pokémon snorted, and stepped aside, revealing a Hakamo-o. It was not the one that Diana had fought, looking far cleaner and, dare he say, younger than that one. Leo blinked, and cocked his head to the side. Then the Hakamo-o took a stance, the mid-evolution pokémon growling and clenching its fists. It slowly dawned on Leo that he had willingly stepped into the battlefield of pokémon, and that maybe, just maybe, the trial wasn't over yet.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked, looking at the Hakamo-o, the totem pokémon, then back at the Hakamo-o. The totem Kommo-o grunted gestured towards the Hakamo-o, then pointed at Leo and made a fist. "You want me to fight?" he asked. The Kommo-o nodded and slammed one fist into its chest, indicating the start of the battle.
Only one thought entered Leo's mind as he shed his backpack and slid into his own stance, the Hakamo-o charging forward with arms spread. That thought was; finally!
Pain lanced through Leo as he was struck in the face, his ears ringing as he spun away from the Hakamo-o's clenched fist. Pain that instantly turned to determined anger, clearing his mind and driving him to action. Instead of just falling he turned with the momentum, flinging his foot up into a backwards roundhouse that caught Hakamo-o in the jaw and snapped her head to the side. Leo grinned as his adrenaline kicked into full gear, planting his feet and hands snapping out in palm-strikes against the Hakamo-o's chest armor. She grunted and lowered her shoulder, stepping in to shoulder check him.
Leo accepted her gift of close proximity, grabbing onto the dragon and twisting, following her momentum and flinging her away. He chased after her as she stumbled, jumping up and driving a knee into her back, arms wrapping around her neck. That proved to be a mistake, as she simply reached back and, with strength far exceeding that of a human's, threw him over her shoulder. He twisted and tumbled on the ground, popping up back in a fighting stance even as the Hakamo-o charged once more, this time taking a lower stance and not rushing in blindly.
Leo brushed away her first jab, slapping her fist to the side and retaliating by punching her in the maw. His fist stung from the impact, having hurt himself more than the dragon, but grinned nonetheless. Far too often he watched his pokémon fight without being able to join in. Sometimes he just wanted to get into a fight himself. Which is why, when Hakamo-o's next strike laid him out on his back, he couldn't help but laugh as he rolled over and stood, ready for round two.
"That all you got?" he taunted, beckoning her forward. Hakamo-o grinned and charged, and Leo returned the gesture by waiting until she was close enough, then stepping to the side and kicking at her knee, the impact driving her to the ground.
What followed next was a dangerous dance of Leo ineffectually hitting Hakamo-o, while the dragon hit him like a truck. Even though the dragon was holding back her strength, it still hurt like hell to be punched. But every time he fell he got back up, until his knuckles were bleeding and he couldn't see right. Only when his legs betrayed him and he could no longer stand did Leo eventually concede defeat, his consciousness fading as he watched the dragons approach him. He was hurting, he was tired, and he was beat to pieces. A part of him was pissed that he had to fight a Hakamo-o like that; something so far out of his league it wasn't even funny. But deep down, he knew the truth; he had enjoyed that.
Lusamine listend to Leo's story silently, staring at the computer screen the young boy had appeared on. The connection to his pokedex was tenuous at best, his face flickering in and out of view; but what she could see almost drove her to fly to Poni island and drag him off of that rock herself. He had a black eye, scratches all along his face, and his hair was an absolute mess. Yet despite it all a persistent smile danced on his lips, his eyes almost gleaming with excitement as he finished his tale of fighting with the Hakamo-o.
She remained silent throughout it all, just staring at him long enough to make him feel uncomfortable.
"So where are you now?" she asked.
"Dunno. The Kommo-o left me here while I was unconscious – left the Hakamo-o I fought beside me until I woke up. She ran off the moment I did, disappearing back towards the main mountain, but there is one distinct feature nearby. This big old tree – must be hundreds of feet tall," he said, and turned the pokedex camera so a giant tree was visible in the background. Truly it was massive, probably the size of a skyscraper with boughs that covered the land below in shadow.
It wasn't the Battle Tree, the place on Poni that was where the strongest gathered to duke it out, but Lusamine knew what that tree was either way. Dragonite lived there. She knew the exact area Leo was in, and was once again tempted to send a team after him and extract him. But a part of her whispered no, and for whatever reason, she listened to that part.
"Are you ok? Do you need anything?" she asked instead.
"I'm great. This is great. It's going to be a great place to train and just live for a while. My team needs a little bit to heal, but they're not actually too banged up. They'll be back to fighting form in no time. I'll probably need to add a few more members to my team though – I'll have to see what's around to catch. Maybe I'll be able to catch a Jangmo-o!" he said excitedly. Lusamine frowned.
"Well, just be careful. Poni is dangerous, but as Holly said, you have the ability to survive there. I will be calling you soon for a mission of some kind though; we are your sponsor, and you need to have a presence here," she warned.
"Oh, yeah. Absolutely. You're…not going to send a team after me though?" he asked. Lusamine shook her head, and he stared at her for a moment. Really stared at her. "Thank you for that. I need this," he said. Lusamine smiled thinly, and he narrowed his eyes further. She didn't know what it was, but in that moment it appeared as if he was looking through her, not just at her. It was…strange. "Are you ok?" he asked, and Lusamine smiled genuinely at the concern in his voice.
At least someone cared for her well-being, even if the rest of her family didn't seem to at times. Even if said boy didn't really know her well yet. But that would change, given time.
"Yes. You take care, Leo. I'll be in touch soon," she said, and hung up the call before the darkness in her skull forced her to do something rash. Lusamine took a deep breath and reigned in the irrational thoughts that threatened to take over her mind. Her finger slowly tapped the arm of her chair as she sat in her little office, surrounded by trophies and pictures of her family. Trophies she had won in her days as a trainer, back when she earned eight badges; even if she didn't advance much further. What a beautiful time that had been…though she wouldn't trade her life now for the world.
She had two beautiful children, despite them being so young and starting to reach a rebellious age, and though her husband had disappeared he had given her a wonderful, beautiful life. She wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by beautiful things, and she still felt like she was…
Lusamine turned her attention to the second computer in the room, a laptop displaying information about ultra-wormholes. The experiments to temporarily open a few in the lowest levels of the Aether Paradise were continuing smoothly, though little information remained on what was on the other side. Sure, they could identify what had come through the wormholes and when they opened, so long as there were powerful enough sensors in range, but precious little was actually known about them. In fact, there were very few ultra beasts that had been seen, let alone that were available for study. Lusamine frowned as she recalled a rather disturbing file from just about half a year ago. Leo found a number of ultra beasts encased in a nevermeltice glacier in the heart of the Silver Mountains…negotiations were still ongoing with InterPol to gain access to said beasts, and they were still struggling with getting in there to retrieve them.
Hiding what was in the Silver Mountains from the Indigo League was proving to be difficult. Even Lance wasn't to be allowed to know. The beasts were too dangerous, and the dragon tamer too ambitious.
She shook her head and clicked away from the current data display, trusting that Faba, her lead scientist, was hard at work with figuring out what caused wormholes, and how to control them. She frowned when her mouse hovered another file open on her computer, a proposed experiment by Faba to create an ultra-beast killing weapon. Or, in this case, to genetically engineer a pokémon specifically to fight ultra-beasts. One with the ability to change into any type, so as to best combat whatever came out of the wormhole.
Lusamine scowled and minimized the research proposal, but didn't trash it like she had before. This was the fifth time Faba had proposed this idea, and while she didn't find the idea of engineering a pokémon for war so heinous anymore, it still left a bad taste in her mouth.
There was a line between studying gene therapy to heal, and studying gene therapy to twist and corrupt. Weapons of war were not the way of Aether; healing and discovery was. It was what she believed in. What Mohn, her husband had believed in before he vanished into an ultra-wormhole. And she would continue to uphold that belief.
For now. A small part of her mind whispered. Shut up. Another part of her brain whispered, but it was overshadowed by the other part. The darker part. The part that dwelled in what-ifs and possibilities and spiraled down, down in to darker and darker thoughts.
I should recall Leo, put him in the research team. He reeks of ultra-energy; if he's at Aether Paradise something may decide to come through the portals we open to see what he's doing here. I have to make sure he never leaves, he's too important. What if I gave him a pokémon? Indebted him to me? I already sponsor him, but a little extra leverage wouldn't be bad. Hm, and at the rate he's going he could be Elite Level in a few years. I could use another Elite Level trainer in my hands. Hmm. Yes, I think I will recall him…
He could help me keep Gladion and Lillie in line too. Honestly, I wish my children would just listen to me. They could be so successful if they just listened to me; Gladion has the smarts to take over my seat as CEO, and Lillie, beautiful Lillie…she should just stay where she is. A cute, adorable little doll forever. If only I could preserve what beauty I can see forever…Ah, how I wish the world was as beautiful as my children. Maybe the world beyond the ultra wormholes is more beautiful. Maybe that's why Mohn never returned.
She didn't notice when Mismagius released itself from her pokeball on the table, caught up in her thoughts as she was. Nor did she notice when the ghost furrowed her brows in concern, waved its ghostly appendages, and chanted softly. Ghostly magics wove into the air, filling Lusamine's ears and soothing her thoughts. Her agitation fell and the dark thoughts receded, replaced by more rational thoughts.
Rational thoughts, and a general disgust towards the direction her thoughts had turned. No, Leo should stay where he is; he seems happy there, and is that beautiful in and of itself? Joy? And what of her children? So they were starting to disagree with her a little, Gladion most of all. Children did that, it was part of growing up.
Lusamine smiled and opened her eyes, just barely missing Mismagius sinking into her shadow with a satisfied smile, and glared at her computer screen again. Sometime during her little…depressive state, she had reopened Faba's Type: Full proposal. This time she trashed the proposal and emailed a simple response back; never bring that up again.
With a sigh and a stretch Lusamine stood, shaking her head and leaving her office. She should visit her children. Yes, that's what she should do. They were growing a bit distant as of late, and she should treasure their youth while they were still young. Her thoughts drifted back to the conversation she had with Leo in the boat about a week ago, about communication.
Maybe she should have a chat with them too. She'd been working hard lately, with the ultra-wormhole experiments ramping up and dealing with production issues of full heals, and deserved a little break. Spending time talking with her children seemed like a wonderful change of pace.
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