Tomorrow is the opening day of the Pokémon School.
The Battle Royal festival is being held tonight at the festival square in Heahea City.
Lu Ye returned to the standalone villa on the cliff of Kala'e Bay to the east, invited Cynthia to accompany him, and headed to the town festival.
Cynthia closed her book and gladly accepted. "Coincidentally, I also have so questions about mythology that I'd like to ask the elders in the town."
"Related to the island deities?" In truth, compared to the myths of other regions, Teacher Lu wasn't very familiar with Alolan mythology.
After all, the Sun &
Moon storyline involved multiverses, other dinsions, and alien beasts. It felt less like Pokémon mythology and more like an Ultraman plot.
Cynthia sat on the sofa, crossing her legs beneath her black wide-leg pants, resting her chin on her hand, her gray eyes gleaming.
"Strictly speaking, it's related to the cosmic Pokémon."
Cynthia glanced at the slightly surprised Teacher Lu and explained, "I discovered in ancient texts that long before the island deities descended, Alola already had records of the Sun God, the Moon God, and the Blinding One."
"These deities bestowed light upon the Alolan islands and endowed the islands with unique auras... Perhaps this aura is the very origin of Z-Moves," Cynthia said calmly.
Lu Ye: "..."
"Don't look at like that," Cynthia lowered her head with a gentle smile. "It's just a conjecture."
Teacher Lu silently gave ngngda a thumbs-up.
Cynthia was a mythology scholar by profession, and this happened to fall within her area of expertise. Her inference was roughly on point.
The four Alolan islands were enveloped in unique auras. These auras originated from the 'Blinding One,' Ultra Necrozma, while the island deities were rely Its agents.
Therefore, Professor Kukui's theory that Pokémon absorb the island's aura to obtain Z-Power wasn't wrong either.
The so-called 'Z-Power' is officially called 「Ultimate Power」, similar to the 「Dynamax Power」 originating from Eternatus.
Since 「Ultimate Power」 originates from the cosmos, its essence isn't Aura, but rather the Ultra Aura. The essence of Ultra Aura is the 'light' emitted by Necrozma.
In the ani "Sun &
Moon," during a critical mont, Ash and his friends gathered all the 'light' of Alola, restoring Necrozma's sanity. It transford into the 'Blinding One,' Ultra Necrozma, and dispelled the darkness over Alola.
Afterwards, Ultra Necrozma returned to the Land of Light (×) returned to Ultra galopolis (√).
Teacher Lu's mood was complex.
This setting felt way too familiar—alien beasts, light, the Ultra Defense Force... It was a clear homage to Ultraman.
Even Ultra Necrozma had shades of Shining Tiga.
One could only say, in the Pokémon world, you can not only be a Trainer, you can even beco the light.
There's only one way to awaken Necrozma... and that's Ash getting cooked into soup! (Scratch that)
Even though Alola's storyline was very child-oriented, Teacher Lu found himself growing more excited.
Let's be honest, what boy doesn't want to beco the light?
Although Ultra Beasts were extrely dangerous, Teacher Lu could call upon the 'Ancient Colossus' Regigigas for assistance.
He even had the chance to seek help from Xerneas, commanding Xerneas in its Gundam form to battle Guzzlord!
"The hype is real," Lu Ye's eyes sparkled.
"Speaking of which, that battle festival," Cynthia's gray eyes fixed on Lu Ye as she said hesitantly, "You didn't... sign up to participate, did you?"
"Cynthia, you know ."
Lu Ye said seriously, "I only participate by invitation. I never fight in Baby Cups."
Cynthia lowered her head with a soft sigh, a helpless smile gracing her lips. "Let's go. For Alola's Trainers, this is also a valuable learning opportunity."
lele Island, Heahea City.
The blue night was cool as water, palm trees rustled and swayed.
Waves from the eastern bay washed over the sandy beach, and the bonfire in the festival square burned brightly.
Drums bood rhythmically. Alolan Marowaks, twirling bone clubs wreathed in blue flas like perforrs juggling torches, danced around the bonfire.
Berries were piled high like a small mountain beside the barn. Long-haired dogs, Rockruffs, Mudbrays, and other Pokémon feasted heartily around the berry pile.
Children laughed and played around an elderly Drampa. Drampa smiled kindly and gently, slowly lowering its neck to nibble on the grass.
The two Champions stood outside the town, gazing towards it, their eyes reflecting the orange bonfire.
"Drampa is a very kind Pokémon that loves playing with children the most," Cynthia mused. "When friendly children encounter bad people or misfortune, it becos extrely angry."
Lu Ye looked up at the sky.
So maybe I should stay away from Drampa...
The towering coconut trees reaching into the night sky weren't trees at all, but rather the necks of Alolan Exeggutor.
Alolan Exeggutor stands up to 11 ters tall, taller than an Onix standing upright, and even has the Dragon-type... Another strange Dragon-type Pokémon added to the list.
The two Champions had changed into casual attire—Alolan shirts and sky-blue shirts, paired with brown sunglasses.
As they paused to observe the local customs, a hearty laugh sounded from behind, accompanied by a greeting:
"Alola!"
Lu Ye turned to see Professor Kukui waving from a distance with a wide grin, a young woman in a white sun hat following behind him.
"Alola!" is Alola's greeting. Derived from the Hawaiian greeting 'Aloha,' it ans good morning, good evening, goodbye... and is suitable for almost any occasion. 'Aloha' is also a synonym for the state of Hawaii.
"Alola~" Lu Ye smiled. "The battles shouldn't have started yet, right?"
"Haha, of course not. Before the battles, Grandpa Hala still has to give a speech."
Professor Kukui introduced with a smile, "This is my assistant, nad Lillie. These two are Champion Lu Ye and Champion Cynthia. Lillie, you should know about them."
Lillie removed her white sun hat. With blonde hair and blue eyes, she offered a shy smile, her brilliant golden shoulder-length hair swaying gently. She placed her hands in front of her, gave a slight bow, and said:
"Champion Lu Ye, Champion Cynthia, it's an honor to et you both."
"Hello, Lillie," Cynthia said with a gentle smile.
Lu Ye gave a slight nod, pondering for a mont.
Lillie was a key character in the Sun &
Moon storyline. From the looks of it, she probably hadn't encountered Cosmog yet.
It's worth noting that Lillie, due to trauma left by her mother Lusamine, was afraid of touching Pokémon. Personally hatching an Alolan Vulpix was the turning point for her transformation.
Despite her fear of touching Pokémon, Lillie perford her assistant duties excellently, a testant to her good upbringing. The Aether Foundation possessed over half of Alola's wealth, and Lillie was the daughter of the Aether Foundation's president. Calling her a young lady was no exaggeration.
"By the way, Lillie," Professor Kukui said, "Starting tomorrow, Teacher Lu will be taking up the position of principal at the Pokémon School, teaching you all the basics of Trainer battles."
"You haven't caught a Pokémon yet, but learn the basics anyway. It'll surely co in handy one day," Professor Kukui said with a laugh.
"Mhm..." Lillie's blue eyes shone brightly as she lifted her head and said earnestly, "Champion Lu Ye, I will study hard."
"Just call Teacher Lu," Lu Ye smiled and said. "I know your brother, Gladion. He's a very talented Trainer. You might not be inferior to him."
"Eh?" Lillie let out a soft exclamation.
Co to think of it, the champion my brother ntioned in his letters must be Teacher Lu...
The group walked towards the festival square as Professor Kukui explained the origins of the festival.
"Alola doesn't have a League or Gyms. What replaces Gyms is a ritual called the 「Island Challenge」. Challengers need to travel across the four islands, challenging overlord Pokémon and captains who have already completed the challenge. The Battle Royal festival in Heahea City is one of the trials on lele Island."
Professor Kukui said with a smile, "It's said that the guardian deity Tapu Koko is very curious and will observe the festival, appearing before challengers it favors."
Lu Ye: "So if I wanted to et Tapu Koko..."
"Ah, then you'd probably need to win the Battle Royal festival," Professor Kukui nodded.
Lu Ye stroked his chin.
The aura of just lele Island alone probably wouldn't be enough for Sylveon to make a breakthrough.
It seems I'll have to et all four island deities and undertake the 「Island Challenge」 as well.
Lu Ye was utterly unaware.
Everyone else was here for the Z-Crystals, but Teacher Lu was aiming for the entire lele Island!
However, having a battle legend step in to resolve Alola's potential risks could be a win-win situation.
The bonfire burned. In the center of the festival square was a wooden battle stage marked with white lines. Teacher Lu was quite concerned about the quality of the arena.
The crowd gradually gathered towards the center of the square. Professor Kukui crossed his arms and said with a smile:
"The festival is about to begin!"
After the Marowaks' morial and ancestral dances concluded, a white-haired old man in a yellow shirt stepped onto the stage to deliver a harvest blessing speech.
"This is the Island Kahuna of lele Island, Senior Hala," Kukui said. "Alola doesn't have an Elite Four;
instead, it has Island Kahunas."
"The one next to him who looks almost identical is Senior Hala's grandson, nad Hau," Kukui said with a laugh, arms crossed. "He's also a challenger in the Battle Royal festival."
Lu Ye: "..."
An Alolan Baby Cup... I'd be too embarrassed to step onto that stage.
However... Lu Ye looked towards Kahuna Hala on the stage.
An Island Kahuna's strength was roughly equivalent to a League Elite Four mber. Challenging a Kahuna still held a certain level of prestige.
"For this Battle Royal festival, the Trainer who gains the favor of the island deity will receive an extra Fightingium Z!"
Hala laughed heartily. "Don't worry about winning or losing! Show your true spirit and capture the island deity's attention!"
"I declare the Battle Royal festival, BEGIN!!"
The first battle comnced, featuring Hau against the bare-chested, red-haired youth Kiawe.
The townsfolk were passionate and buzzing with discussion.
"Kiawe passed the island trial and mastered Fireinium Z. He has the potential to beco a captain!"
"Hau is Kahuna Hala's grandson. This is a clash of the strong!"
Cynthia went to visit the blind elderly woman in town to inquire about the legends of the Sun &
Moon altars.
Teacher Lu watched the baby battle with great interest—Rowlet vs. Turtonator.
The strength of an Alolan captain was equivalent to Gym Leader level, which was already quite impressive in the Alola region.
Co to think of it... Alola, despite being beginner-friendly, offered opportunities like auras and creating custom Z-Moves. One could improve their team's strength during daily life. No wonder Alola was hailed as Ash's 'second hotown.'
Flas roared, drawing cheers from the townsfolk. Lillie looked on with discomfort in her eyes.
"You don't like Pokémon battles?" Lu Ye asked, looking down at her.
Lillie was taken aback and said softly, "I think... it hurts the Pokémon... so..."
That's similar to how N and I initially felt.
Lu Ye felt a slight pang of emotion and smiled. "Kiawe and Turtonator aren't afraid of getting hurt. They're enjoying the battle."
"Trainers and their Pokémon grow to resemble each other. A brave Trainer will have a resilient Pokémon."
Lu Ye paused and said, "In short, don't force yourself to battle, but you can try opening your heart to Pokémon."
Lillie lowered her head, recalling the childhood trauma of being attacked by a Pokémon, and hugged her white sun hat tighter.
"Don't take it to heart. It's just talking to myself."
Lu Ye smiled, looked towards the arena, and said, "I need to get on stage..."
I wonder if Tapu Koko will show up... If it doesn't appear at the festival, I'll have to go to the Ruins of Conflict and look for Tapu Koko myself.
After the battle between Hau and Kiawe concluded, the townsfolk buzzed with chatter.
"What's going on?" Hau said in surprise. "Grandpa himself is walking onto the battlefield!"
Kiawe looked at the grave expression on Kahuna Hala's face, stroked his chin, and murmured:
"The Island Kahuna seems to take this opponent very seriously..."
Kahuna Hala stood on the stage, microphone in hand, and said solemnly:
"The next match will be fought by this old man personally, against a distinguished guest of lele Island..."
"Champion of the Donghua League," Kahuna Hala paused, "Battle Legend, Mr. Lu Ye."
The townsfolk murmured in discussion. A bright light suddenly shone in Kiawe's eyes.
"Teacher Lu!?"
"Is he famous?" Hau scratched his head. "I've never seen him on Alolan posters."
Kiawe glared at Hau. "That's because Alola is remote. News from other Leagues rarely reaches here."
"All you need to know is, there are only four Battle Legends in the current League, and Teacher Lu is one of them!"
"Whoa..." Hau clicked his tongue. "How was I supposed to know? Grandpa won't even give a Rotom Phone."
"I don't have one either..." Kiawe hung his head dejectedly, then shook it and said sharply, "Enough talk! Keep an eye out!"
"For what?"
"Watch for the island deity's appearance!"
The moon was bright, the stars sparse. Waves washed ashore.
A Pokémon with black and yellow stripes, arm-like gauntlets, and a hairstyle resembling a mohawk hovered above the suspension bridge, gazing at the town.
Lu Ye and Kahuna Hala stood on opposite sides of the wooden stage, nodding in acknowledgnt.
"I've been a Trainer for decades," Hala said with a laugh. "To be able to learn from a legend in my twilight years is truly fortunate."
"To be honest with you," Lu Ye said seriously, "My main goal is to get Tapu Koko to appear so I can discuss so matters with it."
"Oh?" A sharp glint flashed in Hala's eyes as he grinned. "In that case, let's use battle to capture the island deity's attention!"
Hala threw a Poké Ball.
"Go, Crabrawler!"
Lu Ye decided to train the younger mbers of his team during his ti in Alola and threw a Dark Ball:
"I'm counting on you, Pupitar!"
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