Chapter Text
My name is Lei. I am a soon to be ten year old from Melemele Island of the Alola Region, and I just love Pokémon. When I was younger, I had always loved Pokémon, I enjoyed seeing Pokémon battles up to Pokémon preformances. Pokémon are just amazing!
I live with my parents at a house on the beach. There we have Mom and Dad's Pokemon, Incienroar, Braviary, Munchlax, Rowlet, Lycanroc,Torracat and Pikachu. While Mama and Papa go to work, the Pokémon were always there to keep me company and safe.
Incienroar and Braviary were always so cool and nice to hug.
Me, Munchlax, Rowlet and Lycanroc had always enjoyed eating berries that nice Grandma Anela bring when she came to visit.
Torracat always acted a bit distant, but he always was there to company me when I had bad nightmares, which reassured me that he did care about me.
Pikachu on the otherhand was a bit different, while he spent almost all of his time with us, he would somtimes act tired and would stare outside through the window. He also always wears a red cap with some white markings on it. He must really love the hat, because I almost never see him without it unless we are washing the Pokémon.
I also have lots of siblings! Like big Sister Lillie, Mallow and Lana and big Brother Kiawe and Sophocles.
Big Sister Mallow's cooking is always on par with Mom and Dad's cooking, sometimes when Dad is too busy to take me back home and Mom staying late at work, Big Sister Mallow picks me up at school and brings me to her family restaurant, it even gives me a chance to try out dishes she is testing for the menu.
Big Sis Lana travels the many seas meeting lots of Water type Pokémon, while she leaves for months she always came back with gifts and tells me stories about the Pokémon she saw and helped at Sea.
Big Bro Kiawe is training to become a Island Kahuna like his Grandfather, he is training super hard but always comes to our house once per week to show me the new moves his Pokémon have learnt.
On the other hand, big Brother Sophocles is an amazing Pokémon scientist, who is apparently focusing his studies on Pokémon that originate from Space, he comes often to visit Dad to discuss about what he has been doing.
Big Sister Lillie unfortunately is too busy to visit us as often as the others, the reason is because she is a travelling Pokémon trainer! You know? Like those Pokémon trainers who leave home in search of adventure. I always asked her about her travels and she would always show me pictures and trinkets she got from the places she has gone to. One time when she was travelling, I asked her about the reason for her travels, as she has somehow chosen to not partake in the Gym challenges or any Pokémon related showcases. She always smiled softly and stared at the sea talking about wanting to meet the legendaries from the stories in her books with her focus on Celebi, a Pokémon that can travel back to the past and Jirachi, the Wish Pokémon.
My parents always told me about the wonders of Pokémon, ranging from their abilities to the stories about them that have been passed on from the past which just made me love Pokémon even more and wanting to learn more about them. So when I just turned 4, I begged for my parents to enroll me at the Pokémon school where my Dad works.
I loved the stories of every Pokémon. It always made me more amazed at their capabilities. My favorite stories were always of the Island Guardians, as the stories written about them had always potrayed them in a caring manner.
I knew every legendary story that happened in Alola. I believed that. I truly did, until one day in class....
"Did you hear that there was once a foreign trainer that came to Alola 11 years ago who was so interesting that Tapu Koko chose to challenge him and his Pikachu instead of the other way around" a girl claimed while we were having break.
I was shocked at the sudden statement that was spoken.
'That story does not sound so convincing, maybe she got tricked by another student'
It has always been tradition for Pokémon trainers who originate from the Alola region to have the opportunity to do the island challenge, and since my tenth birthday is coming soon, I get to have my first Pokémon. However as I heard the story the girl in my class was retelling, it simply made no sense. In order to get a Z-ring, you had to participate in the Island challenge, not by Tapu Koko simply passing such an item.
It could be a possibility as Tapu Koko has challenged the people of Alola to Alolan Sumo, but I always heard that Pokémon battles against Tapu Koko always started because the Island Guardian accepted the request of battle. So it just seemed like a false story made to attract attention or to trick gulliable students.
'Would a Island Guardian actually show up after so many years to just meet a foreigner and to challenge him to a Pokémon battle?'
"Its true! My brother told me that the trainer had even attended the Pokemon School and stayed in Professor Kukui's house for a while"
'What?'
'Dad always enjoyed telling me stories of the legendaries of Alola, so if it actually did happen, wouldn't he have told me about the trainer that stayed at the house?'
'There is no sense here'
I just couldn't get it out of my mind and I didn't know why.
'I will ask about it later to my Dad about the mysterious trainer '
"Hey Lei, how was school today?" said a voice that stopped the thoughts flowing into my head.
I looked up to see my dad waiting for me by the school gate while holding his bag.
"Hi Dad! School was awesome as always!" I replied with a large grin.
"Great! Lets go home now! I need to start cooking dinner before mom gets back from work."
"Okay!" I yelled out of enthusiam as soon as I heard it was Dad cooking for dinner.
"So how was school?" He asked me with a small chuckle following.
While we were walking back home, me and Dad were talking about what we were doing for the day, with Dad talking about his students and with me talking about the new things I learned in class. However it stopped as soon as we reached the beach, which is when I started to run. I couldn't help it, I can't wait to go back home to see our Pokémon and while I do enjoy studying at the Pokémon School, I can't help but miss them. So I ran even faster when I saw a glimpse of our home. Right beside me, I can hear my Dad's footsteps beside me getting faster when I got faster. I only stopped when my feet were right infront of the home, we smiled and Dad took a key from his pocket, placed it into the keyhole, turned it until it clicked and held onto the handle as we both shouted.
"We are home!"
In just a matter of seconds, we got trampled by the Pokémon in the house by their hugs. Dad got out of the hug pile to start making dinner with Pikachu, Lycanroc and Incineroar following behind to help him with the cooking.
"Lei, dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes, make sure you do the homework you got assigned from your teacher."
"Okay Dad!" I shouted back as I went to the table with my school bag and grabbed papers filled with questions that were handed out by my teacher.
While I do want to ask him about what I heard back at school, I rather focus on my homework right now rather than a rumor that might as well be a baseless rumor.
So I did my best to answer the questions as fast as I could and just as I finished I heard the door open. I turned my head to see my Mom with her Munchlax holding a bunch of papers with a tired look on her face.
"Hi Mom! How was work today?" I questioned her just as I was cleaning up my mess.
"Hello Lei, as the Aether Paradise scientist, we had just calculated a lot of different data that may lead to a breakthrough in science. " she replied as her stomach started to create a large noise.
"I do not understand what you mean Mom, but it sounds like things went well at work today, however your stomach may be asking for something right now"
My Dad heard the discussion we were having and chimed in.
"Burnet, I am just about to finish cooking dinner so you can sit down and I will be right there."
She slowly set down her papers and equipment onto the sofa and sat on the chair right next to me as we waited for Dad to finish his cooking.
In a matter of seconds, Dad had came from the Kitchen with 2 large bowls of berries and Poké food and set it down for them to eat while he came back to the kitchen and returned with a tray with 3 plates of food.
"Lets dig in" Mom cheerfully cried out as soon as Dad sat down on the table to eat with us after cooking dinner. The food consisted of fried chicken with steamed rice and some vegetables. While I did not enjoy vegetables, my Mom had always told me that eating vegetables would help me to grow big and strong.
Me and Mom marveled at the delicious aroma the food left while Dad was just smiling at us enjoying the food. While we were eating, I heard Mom and Dad talk about their day. I always was interested in their days as they had always shown a lot of care and interest towards their jobs.
After what felt like 20 minutes, we finished eating dinner and as Mom and I were about to stand up to pick up the dishes to help with cleaning, I realised I almost forgot to ask Dad about the story I head at school.
"Hey Dad, I almost forgot but I wanted to ask you about something I heard back at school."
"Oh sure, what is the question Lei?"
"I heard back at school that you took in a trainer several years before, did they really get a Z-ring from Tapu Koko and did they get challenged by the Guardian himself? Also if it was true, why haven't you told me about him?"
After some minutes of silence from my Dad and Mom who was silently picking up the plates and utensils from our meal. My Dad finally responded.
"Lei, I am sorry but I am afraid it isn't true."
"Okay Dad, but I-"
"Come on Lei, I think it is time for you to sleep now, its way past your bed time" Mom softly said as she gentle led me to loft where I slept.
I took a look at Dad right before looking at Mom's face.
Dad looked sad, while I have seen him cry a lot of times when we watch sad movies, this face was different. Mom gave a soft look, but it looks not real. I do not know how to explain it, but it looks like she wants to tell me something but she can't.
"Okay, night Mom, night Dad!" I said out loud as Torracat climbed the ladders right after I went onto the loft.
I put on my pajamas and went onto the sofa bed. I put the blanket ontop of me as I stared at the ceiling processing everything that happened today.
'Dad wouldn't lie to me about this right? Besides, why would he? I don't want this false rumor to go around if it makes Dad and Mom upset.'
'Why do I feel like they are hiding something from me ?'
"Are you sure that the mysterious trainer actually existed?"
The red haired girl who told the story yesterday looked up from where she was sitting from and replied to my questions with an offended look on her face.
"Of course I am! I wouldn't lie about this type of thing. Besides I have proof if you are calling me a liar!"
"I am not saying that you are lying, I just doubt the idea that it actually happened, besides I asked my Dad about whoever you were talking about. He said that he never met the 'trainer' you were talking about. Besides would Tapu Koko actually have given him a precious part of Alolan Culture and challenge him?"
"Don't ask me, ask why the Island Guardian why he chose to do it,"
"Still I doubt your story."
"Lucky for me, my Brother who was 5 years old during the time took pictures when he saw the trainer battle Tapu Koko. He was so proud of the pictures he took of that day that he swore to dedicate his life to taking pictures of rare moments that happens in his adventures." She said with a smirk as she took out a old small piece of paper from her backpack.
I looked at the old photograph which was suprisingly well preserved despite her claim that it happened before we were even born. It was a picture that was a bit blurred but I could see a young trainer infront of Tapu Koko with what looks like to be his partner Pokémon, Pikachu.
I swear the hat the trainer was wearing looks so familiar.
I took a closer look at the background of the picture to see six people cheering him on. There three young girls, one with long green twin tail hair, another one with short blue hair and the last one having long blonde hair with two braids. There were two boys in the back, one who was rather tall with brown red hair and the other being quite short and had orange hair. The last person was a tall man with brown hair wearing a white cap.
Wait... isn't this Dad, Mallow, Lana, Lillie, Kiawe and Sophocles? They look way younger and it looks like they are cheering for the trainer battling Tapu Koko.
"Speechless huh? You can keep this picture, my Brother has a lot of other pictures that he took of their battle, he won't notice this one being gone. We should get ready for class soon because I think it is starting soon." She replied as she went back to look at her bag to get her supplies ready for class.
I quickly went to my desk and grabbed my school supplies. I had then proceeded to put my mind on school. However, despite the fact that I was in class, I felt as if I was somewhere else entirely.
'Who is he?'
My day at school went past like a blur. I just couldn't keep my mind off everything that happened recently.
As soon as the bell rung, I quickly picked up my backpack with my school materials and made sure I still had the old photo of the strange trainer. I want to ask Dad about him and he probably just forgot who he is so maybe this photo will help him remember.
"Oh Hey Lei, over here!"
I looked up in curiosity as I did not hear my Dad's voice and saw a tall green haired woman with a Tsareena right beside her.
"Hi Mallow, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working at the restaurant?"
Mallow smiled brightly and answered question.
"Well your Dad asked me to take care of you for this afternoon as he has some extra work to take care of and your Mom is still busy at Aether Paradise."
"Ohhh, I guess that makes sense..."
"Then lets get going to the restaurant, I am worried that more customers may have arrived there and my Dad and Brother wouldn't be able to handle it without me. While you are waiting at the restaurant, how about you do some of your school work and I will give you some new dishes me and my Brother have been testing recently, we do need some feedback if there is anything to improve with them"
"Okay, lets go!" I replied as I ran out to the direction of Mallow's family restaurant.
"Wait up, Lei!"
As soon as we arrived, I met Mallow's Brother and Dad who looked at Mallow with relief as soon as she got back. Mallow looking at the large amount of customers sitting, had quickly set me to a table in the corner as she ran to the back to help her family get through the orders with Tsareena helping with the orders.
I sat at the corner taking out the work my teacher had assigned my class for the day. As soon as I took the textbooks out, the old photograph had fallen out.
I quickly picked it from the floor and looked at it again.
'Wait, since Mallow is in the photo, how about I ask her about the picture? She might be able to tell me more about the trainer'
I looked at the back of the restuarant where Mallow and family were working. I could hear a lot of orders being called out while they were scraming to fufill the orders. They sounded really busy.
'Maybe I should focus on my homework first then I can ask her about it'
I grabbed the photo and placed it in my pocket so I could take it out easily later.
The work was quite easy, there were some parts that I was confused in but I was able to look back at my textbook to find the information I needed. As soon as I closed my textbook, a plate of fried bread that was drizzled with what seems to be syrup and glass of fresh pinap juice was placed on the table. I looked up and saw Mallow who looked extremely exhausted from what I can assume was cooking a lot of orders.
I looked around the restaurant to see a lot of customers to have already gone. I then glanced at the clock on the wall to check how much time it has been.
"It has been one hour and a half?"
"Yeah, there was so many orders to fufill and serve. Much more than normal, but here is one of the new dishes me and my brother are trying." Mallow said with a tired gesture pointing to the new menu item.
"Woah! It smells so good!" I said as I was about to hold one of the pastries.
"Ouch! It is so hot" I cried in pain as I retracted my hands away.
Mallow took my hand and checked it. "Lei, stop being so careless, you should have waited for the food to cool down or..."
She took a tissue from the table and wrapped the pastry around it.
"Tada! now if you touch the tissue part of the pastry, you won't burn your hand if it is steaming hot, but remember to blow on your food and tell me any feedback on anything that needs to be changed"
"Woah! Thank you Mallow!"
I blew on the hot fried bread not minding the sticky syrup going onto my hands and took a bite hearing the crunch sound that followed it.
"This tastes amazing. I can't think of any words to describe it..."
"Thank you for your kind words Lei! Is there anything you can think about that makes the dish better?"
"No, not really. Besides why would you ask me? Wouldn't it be better to ask people who are also really good at cooking too?"
"Cooking is meant to be enjoyed by everyone so I want to get everyone's opinion before I release this dish."
"I guess that makes sense, can I get some tissue please to wipe my hands?" I asked as I was wiping off the crumbs from my mouth.
"Sure, let me go get some." She said nicely as she went to the back of the restaurant where there were a pile of tissues.
'How do I ask her about the events around the old photo? I know I should ask Dad, but since Dad isn't around, I might be able to get some answers by asking her'
"So what do you want to ask me?" She asked in a soft voice as she held out the tissues infront of me.
"Thank you for the tissues..." I replied back while thinking of what to say at the time.
I continued as Mallow remained quiet.
"I was talking to some people at school and a girl from my class was talking about some trainer that once went to my school...."
I took out the old well kept photo from my pocket.
"Did you know him? Does he really exist?" I softly asked.
Mallow's emerald eyes looked at the photo. She took it out of my hand as she had stared at the photo as if she was scared to have been seeing something different.
"Lei, I am afraid I do not know who this is in the picture if that is what you are asking me about." She told me with a follow of nervous laughter as she shoved the picture back to my hands.
"But, isn't this you in the background of the picture? It looks exactly like you from your pictures of you back when you were a student of the Pokémon school," I exclaimed as I passed back the paper and pointed to a person in the picture that looked like her when she was younger.
From that moment, her hands started to tremble with sweat coming down her face.
"Lei, I- I have to go. I think I hear my Dad needing help from the back to clean up the dishes." She blurted out.
"But Mallow.. I don't hear any noises from the back" I replied puzzled.
'Is my hearing okay? I swear I didn't hear Uncle Abe calling out for Sister Mallow from the back of the kitchen.'
"I will be right back Lei, I think your Dad will be back soon to pick you up I just need to finish more chores and the mess that was left." She said as she placed down the photo faced down and turned her back in a rush.
'First it was Dad telling me that the mysterious trainer was just some rumor, now when I have proof of the mysterious trainer actually being real, one of the people in the picture just leave me with no answers to my questions.'
"Okay, see you Big Sister Mallow..." I said in a defeated tone as I slowly took the picture she left from the table and waited on the table until Dad arrived to pick me up.
When he did, he thanked Uncle Abe and Brother Ulu, Mallow's Big Brother for taking care of me while he was busy. I took a peek at Dad who had dark circles underneath his eyes and papers in his hands. He looked exhausted.
As soon as we were about to leave, we heard a sudden noise with a tone of desperation behind us.
"Professor Kukui, if you don't mind, can we talk for a moment in private? My Brother and Dad can take care of Lei while we talk. It is kind of important."We turned out heads to see Big Sister Mallow who looked as if she had been crying hard just moments before with her eyes being red and the tissues she was holding on her right hand to wipe her tears with.
Dad agreed and responded with worry to Mallow's request of a private talk then turned down to look at me with a pat on my head.
"Lei please wait for me, it will only be for a few minutes. After that we are going home and we can even pick up some tasty Malasadas on the way"
I waited and used the time to think about the day to come up with only one conclusion.
'I think... they are hiding something.'