Foul Play

Your efforts towards retooling this so it flows better have paid off, I think – I particularly love the part where Grimsley meets some fans at the airport, because it really sets up a great contrast between Grimsley's life in Unova and his holiday in Alola. You get the sense that to do anything in Unova he has to wade through this exhausting pool of people who either know him or know of him, and then when he arrives as an anonymous stranger in Alola you can really see how he'd start to feel freer. That's a really good idea. And I think the flow from decision to deliberation to departure is better than it was, too.

I also think that the biggest issues with the fic are things that, well, you get better at mostly just by writing more – and it's always a good thing when something like that is the worst you can say about something. It's little inelegant bits of prose, like where you pack too much into one sentence (like “body sprawled across the green carpet floor reminiscent of a poker table”, where the floor is described in too much detail for what is an aside in a sentence primarily about Grimsley's liepard), or when your phrasing is a little odd (“drew out a deep breath”, where this usage of 'drew' wouldn't normally require you to use 'out'; “fixed his gaze at the colorful posters”, where normally you'd say “on the colorful posters”; “his claws slashed onto his opponent”, where this usage of 'slash' doesn't require you to use 'onto'). They're things that you get a feel for the more familiar you become with ways of using language, and I think the only thing I could recommend in terms of ways to speed that process up would be to perhaps read what you write aloud to yourself when you come to editing it; that can be a good way of catching things that don't quite sound right.

But your ideas and characters are as solid as ever. I've said before how good your characterisation of Grimsley and Nanu is, and that's obviously just as true here as it is in the original version. Lines like the one where he calls the Plasma takeover “a rather unpleasant experience” are just so darn Grimsley; he's laconic, understated, and constitutionally incapable of being uncool. I'm looking forward to rereading this as you bring it over here, and to finding out where it's ultimately going when it's up to date!

eldestoyster: Glad to hear you thought the airport scene is fine! Yeah, when Jax commented on the transition from Unova to Alola a bit rushed, I went and wrote that scene there to show that yeah Grimsley's feeling pretty detached now heh.

Phlanx: Hey nice to see you here! So, I skimmed the conversations and the beginning I noticed a few parts that could use contractions, but otherwise I think 90% of dialog has people use them hahaha. I can smooth out some of the dialog to sound less formal for some characters probably.

Yeah, I've been getting some comments on my version of Nanu a bit more aggressive. I mean, he tells a 11 year old "at least I'll make sure to bring your body back to your family" lol. That, and he was in the International Police once upon a time. Once he and Grimsley meet that side of him will be shown more oops.

Now, concerning the awkward prose still lying around, real quick I appreciate you guys pointing that out and I'm still working on that. However, this is like the third revision of this chapter, so for now I'll leave Chapter One alone. Maybe in the future I'll try to fix the nitty gritty mechanics.

Okay, I think that's it for replies and time for Chapter Two!

For those that read Chapter Two in other sites, I made a few changes. Originally I had a flashback scene with Grimsley at his father's funeral, but I took that out in this version. For those interested in the original Chapter Two, I have it at Dreamwidth for comparisons shake.

Chapter Two
Brutal Swing

The next day Grimsley went to the Hau’oli City Mall. It was a little smaller than the malls back in Unova, but there were still a variety of shops and restaurants to explore here. He frequently had to squeeze past people. Several movie posters popped up all over, including ones that starred Champion Diantha of the Kalos League and Brycen of Icirrus City Gym. Grimsley in particular had enjoyed the Bryceman series, so it was amusing to see that Bryceman Strikes Back Harder was being shown here. He wanted some new clothes, so Grimsley went inside in an apparel store called Gracedia.

Like the few other apparel stores he had been into, there was an assortment of colorful clothing that suited the region well. He continued to check through more of the racks, seeing different kimonos in various colors and sizes until he found one that caught his eye. It was a simple white kimono, with black patterns, and a black scarf. His stomach flipped when he checked how much this kimono was.

“Alola! I see you really like that kimono there,” someone said to him from behind. Grimsley turned around to see a man, most likely working here from the uniform he was wearing, smiling at him. He offered him a low chuckle.

“My mother came from Johto, and I would wear them on special occasions.”

“Ah, I see. Yeah, we have a lot of Johotians living here, especially in Malie City! I think you would look good with the one you’re holding now.”

Grimsley stared down at the kimono, thinking further on whether to take this new piece of clothing. He decided to have his coin decide for him, so Grimsley pulled one out from his jacket and flipped it in the air. When he caught the coin on his palm, it landed tails. Buying the kimono, it was. After he grabbed a few more clothes, Grimsley went to the cashier and paid for all them including the kimono.

He wandered around the mall for another half hour or so. When it was mid-afternoon, Grimsley grew hungry and a restaurant called the Battle Buffet caught his interest.

Upon entering, he was greeted by the waitress who told him that trainers would battle if they wanted the same dish. Grimsley had heard of some restaurants in Kalos and Hoenn having trainers gamble for food through Pokémon battles, but none in Unova had done that. There was also a “battle damage fee” that was included with the meal cost, which had Grimsley stared blankly at the waitress for several seconds. He hoped the battles here would provide some entertainment.

After the waitress had shown Grimsley to his seat, he headed to the buffet line of a dozen people already. A few tables had been set up with an assortment of desserts and refreshments like cake, cookies, juices, and coffee, and another table that actually had food reserved for Pokémon. There were around four chefs in front of the buffet table, each one serving a different dish. Grimsley checked to see the Take Down steak, Milktank cheese pizza, Vanillite parfait, and Tamato pasta were being offered at the moment. The smell of the pizza’s cheese satisfied Grimsley’s senses the most, so he reached over and was about to grab that first until—

“Hey, that last piece is mine!” someone yelled. Grimsley looked over his shoulder to see a young boy, probably in his teens, glaring at him. He stared back.

“I was here first, so I should be the one to have it.”

“Well I think there’s only one way to settle this,” the boy said as he pulled a pokéball from his belt and tossed it in the air. “Go, Oricorio!”

The pokéball cracked open and released a small pink bird Pokémon that was dressed in a skirt. The Pokémon moved her hips and chirped a sweet melody, and Grimsley was reminded of the dances he saw videos of in the Tourist Bureau. With no other choice, he sighed in resignation and released Queen, his Bisharp. She raised her bladed arms above her head, locking her gaze at her opponent. Almost everyone that was in the buffet line stopped to look at the battle about to take place.

“Almost forgot, I’m Ricky. That’s a cool Pokémon you got there.”

“Grimsley, and thank you,” Grimsley said with a proud smile. “Queen has been my faithful companion since the beginning.”

The boy, Ricky, grunted, indifferent to how long the two had been together. He thrust his arm forward. “All right, let’s start out with Air Slash!”

Upon command, Oricorio let out an upbeat chirp and soared up in the air. She flapped her wings and a sharp gust of wind rushed at Queen, but the Bisharp didn’t flinch and only took a few steps back. She looked at Grimsley to await his command, but he shook his head and wiggled his finger to let her know to not act yet. Meanwhile, his opponent’s face and shoulders stiffened.

“Try Revelation Dance instead!”

The little bird landed on the floor, shrilled an angry chirp, and twirled around. After several spins, Oricorio started to sway her hips and her eyes glowed blue. The Bisharp’s body was surrounded by an aura with the same color, but within a few seconds, the light faded. The boy’s eyes grew wide in puzzlement.

“Huh, what just happened?”

“Queen here is part dark type,” Grimsley said as he pointed a finger up in a manner someone would when they would give a lecture. “Psychic moves won’t do anything to her.”

Ricky growled and clenched his fist. He next commanded Oricorio to use Double Slap, who obliged by slapping Queen hard three times on the face. A slap mark was left on both of Queen’s cheeks, and she glared at Oricorio. Knowing that his opponent was at a disadvantage, Grimsley let out a bored grunt and snapped his fingers.

“Psycho Cut,” he told her. Queen raised her arm, which glowed pink, and slashed at Oricorio. That caused the psychic bird to cry and shoot up in the air like a baseball after a home run. Seconds later, Oricorio crashed on one of the buffet tables and did not get back up. Some of the cakes had splattered on the tablecloth, and the bird Pokémon herself was smeared with the frosting. The other trainer grimaced and returned his Pokémon.

“You did your best, Oricorio,” he said to her pokéball, and then pulled out another one. “Graveler, you’re next!”

After his Pokémon was released, the boy’s Graveler fell on one knee and flexed his muscles. Queen crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, unimpressed by his pose. Grimsley, on the other hand, raised his brow with curiosity. Black and yellow crystals poked out from the Pokémon’s body and a uni-brow above his forehead. Grimsley also noticed this Graveler lacking defined fingers on its hands compared to the ones he had encountered.

“Impressed?” Ricky said and smirked, catching Grimsley’s expression.

“Your Graveler looks somewhat different from the ones I’ve seen.”

“Oh right, I heard the Graveler in other regions aren’t like the ones here.” Ricky’s smile widened. “But no matter, we can take you down. Spark now!”

A large stream of electricity cloaked Graveler’s body, and he rammed onto Queen. The Bisharp was shaken slightly and grunted, but she immediately went back to her battle stance. Queen retaliated by smacking Graveler on the forehead with her arm and made him drop on the floor. Graveler bounced back up and balled his fists like a boxer. The boy tensed up for a second, but he regained his composure.

Grimsley ordered Queen to use Sucker Punch while his opponent told Graveler to hit hard with Thunder Punch. Both Pokémon rushed at one another, Queen’s right fist meeting with Graveler’s that sparked with electricity. A small explosion occurred between them, and the blast sent them back a few feet. Queen flicked her hand and rubbed her wrist while Graveler shook his arms. Grimsley and the other trainer gave out their next commands at the same time.

“Rock Blast!”

“Sucker Punch, again!”

Graveler hurled several boulders at Queen, but each one she punched and shattered into several pieces that glittered on the floor. She then punched her opponent’s face that sent him flying where the tables were. A young couple had to stop eating their steak and rush out of their seat before Graveler slammed into the wall and fainted. His opponent rushed to his Pokémon’s side and cradled him in his arms. Several people from the crowd erupted with cheers and claps.

“Graveler, are you alright?” he asked. When his Pokémon groaned, the boy sighed in relief. He told him that he did a great job and returned him.

“Are you done, or do you want to continue?” Grimsley asked when he approached him. The crowd also followed and gathered around them.

“Yeah, I think that’s enough.” Ricky gazed down at his pokéball with a frown, gave Grimsley a sideways glance, and began heading out toward the exit.

Grimsley stared on in confusion. While he had experienced trainers being upset like that before, that boy’s behavior there still rubbed him the wrong way. That wasn’t the right way to lose, that was for sure. He was distracted from his thoughts when someone tapped on his shoulder, and in front of him was a middle aged man that looked at him with great interest.

“Aren’t you the same Grimsley of the Unova Elite Four?” the man asked, and Grimsley smiled a little. He didn’t think someone in this region would recognize him, so this came as a pleasant surprise.

“Looks like I have fans overseas too. Or were you a former challenger of mine?”

The man shook his head. “I never went to the Pokémon League, but my niece did.” He raised an eyebrow at him. “You looked much older than how she described you, especially with your hair.”

Upon hearing that, Grimsley tensed and he scratched on the hair on his temples. He had been aware of the white streaks for a while already but kept forgetting to change that. He should’ve done that before he left Unova. Grimsley cleared his throat.

“I’ll pretend that you didn’t say that,” he said, and the man laughed.

“I take it that you’re on vacation now?” he asked, and Grimsley said that he was. The man patted Grimsley’s shoulder and grinned. “Well, I’m Ronald. Welcome to Alola!” he said, and left him alone.

Grimsley wasn’t sure what to think of that interaction, so he just shrugged it off. He grabbed the cheese pizza, the Tamato pasta, and the Vanillite parfait, and went back to his table. The pizza grew cold due to him battling with his opponent longer than he had liked and the pasta was as dry as the matches he watched while eating, but the parfait was sweet and fluffy. Queen also grabbed some food herself, eating cupcakes and meat made specifically for the Pokémon. After half an hour, Grimsley left a tip on the table, returned Queen, and headed out of the restaurant.

By the time Grimsley reached the beach’s shores, there were a lot of people upon the sand. He spotted a few of them playing volleyball and a man playing frisbee with his Herdier. Several more people lied down to sunbathe while others just strolled around. He stopped near the ocean and Grimsley thought how one of his Pokémon would like some fresh air, so he released his Sharpedo, Blackjack.

Blackjack swam around like a jet ski but stayed near him. Grimsley stroked his snout and fed him the pokébeans he had bought from the Pokémon Center yesterday, and the shark Pokémon crunched on them with loud bites. While Blackjack continued to swim, Grimsley gazed onto the sparkling ocean and smiled a little. He remembered one time Caitlin and Shauntal had invited him to their resort in Undella Town and everyone there either wanted their autographs or to battle them. The day before they returned to the League, he battled against the two ladies and it wasn’t a surprise that he defeated them. Hau’oli City was a much bigger community with many more houses and shops compared to Undella Town.

Grimsley shifted his gaze, and he tensed when he spotted the boy from The Battle Buffet on the beach too. He sat down and pulled his legs in his arms, glaring at the water. The way the trainer acted there still puzzled him, so Grimsley approached him and tapped his shoulder. Ricky turned his head and stared at him with wide eyes.

“Mind if I join you?” Grimsley asked. The boy shrugged.

“Sure, whatever,” he said, and Grimsley sat down next to him.

“You were in a hurry to leave after our battle. I find it funny you would be upset over stale pizza.”

Ricky looked over his shoulder and glared at Grimsley. He hung his head down, picked up a pile of sand with his palm, and let it sprinkle into the ocean. “This is like the fourth battle that I lost this week. You’re the toughest trainer I’ve gone against so far.”

As Grimsley fixed his stare at the trainer, he thought about mentioning that he was from the Elite Four. He remembered that Alola didn’t have a Pokémon League, so the boy probably wouldn’t know that. He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking of something positive to say to him.

“I was surprised by your Graveler there. I didn’t know there are ones that can use electric attacks. And your Oricorio has a certain charm, too.”

“You really think my Pokémon are good?” Ricky asked, his grin stretching across his face. Grimsley got up and dusted the sand off from his clothes.

“You’ve got the right cards, it’s only a matter of mastering them and to stay calm.”

Ricky titled his head and looked at him with a puzzled face. “So you’re saying I should work on my Pokémon’s strengths more and keep my cool?”

Grimsley had his gaze up at the sky, and the side of his lips twitched. “You can say that.”

With a satisfied grin, Ricky got up and put his hands on his hips. “That helps a lot, thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He and Ricky shook hands. When they were done, Grimsley noticed his Sharpedo latched onto a Slowpoke that was sitting on a boulder. His brow furrowed and he yelled out, “Blackjack, that Slowpoke’s tail isn’t for dinner!”

Upon hearing that, Blackjack let go of the Slowpoke’s tail and growled in disappointment. The Slowpoke moved its head with a blank stare, as if he didn’t feel any of that. The shark Pokémon soon swam back to shore, and Grimsley returned him back inside his pokéball.

“Wow, that’s your Sharpedo?” Ricky asked, looking impressed. “I thought it’s one of the Poke Ride ones.”

“Poké Rides? That’s one of your region’s services, right?” Grimsley recalled the brochures and posters back in the Tourist Bureau advertising that.

“Yup. The Pokémon help with all kinds of stuff like flying, breaking boulders, and surfing.”

“I see. I’ll take full advantage of that then while I’m here.” Grimsley glanced down at his bag of clothes and picked them up. “I need to put these bags away, so I’ll be leaving now.”

“Hey, that’s cool. I’m glad that you came to talk to me!” Ricky said and grinned at him.

“It’s my pleasure,” Grimsley said with a nod of acknowledgment, and left to go to his hotel. He reflected how his battle with Ricky didn’t fully satisfy what he was looking for but the trainer still has some potential.

xxx

Inside his room, Grimsley dressed in the kimono and black scarf he had bought earlier and looked himself in the mirror. His hairstyle was kept the same save for some white streaks; Grimsley reminded himself that he would need to find some hair dye soon. The clothing felt much looser and cooler than his suit and pants. He had only been in the region for two days, and already the tropical climate had him sweating and his skin burning. Unova had its hot days during the summer, but the air wasn’t as humid or dreary as it was here. The kimono didn’t look too bad on him, so he decided to keep it on. He later left the hotel and headed to Route 2 for a stroll.

In front of him was a large hill with a dirt road path stretched across from afar. Thick palm trees, bigger and taller than the ones in Humilau City and Undella Town, loomed over Grimsley like streetlamps. As he surveyed around his surroundings, he noticed a few people and Pokémon picking some berries from the trees and bushes. He passed by a kid running with his Growlithe and an elderly couple gazing at each other while holding hands. After Grimsley reached over the hill, he noticed the sign “Hau’oli Cemetery” pointing to the right. He headed there out of curiosity.

Grimsley stepped through the large black gate that was the cemetery’s entrance. His shoes sunk into the grass and soft ground that contained the buried. He often glanced at the names engraved on the gravestones as he passed through them, some with normal human names and others that fitted better for a Pokémon. Several people were already in front of the tombstones, some sobbing while others set aside flowers on the ground. Seeing this bleak atmosphere before him reminded Grimsley of his experience with mourning.

He remembered this about his father’s funeral. He could feel this about it. The Mistralton City Cemetery was next to the Celestial Tower where more people would visit there due to its significance as a resting place for Pokémon, but the other cemetery would have several visitors too. Many of his father’s friends and relatives had attended his wake and a good amount of them stayed for his burial, too. He and his mother had stood in front of the gravestone with their hands squeezed together, the both of them uncertain what the future holds for them.

Grimsley’s guts twisted and his throat ached now like it had back then. He shook his head and found himself back in Hau’oli Cemetery. He looked around to see most of the mourners were still around, and the ones that left had at least set aside flowers for their late loved ones. After gazing at the sunset that hung low against the orange tinted sky, he decided that it was time to head back to the hotel and left the cemetery.

On Route 2, Grimsley surveyed the area to see a few people still hanging around. He was about to head downhill until he noticed two people in dark clothing were approaching him. One of them bumped into him, and they crashed onto the ground. Grimsley sat up and grunted in annoyance as he began rubbing the bruise on his side. He only had a few seconds to have a good look at the other man in front of him.

He wore a hat that resembled a skull and a necklace with the letter “S” hung around his neck.

Team Skull. Grimsley’s brow wrinkled and his jaw set.

The man flinched, got up, and tried to catch up with his friend. When Grimsley managed to get up, another person ran passed him shouting, “Hey, get my pokéballs back!” Without hesitation, he rushed at the Team Skull grunts that were getting away.

Grimsley was able to catch up with the bypassers after sprinting for several seconds. His legs were burning and his throat started to tighten, but he was able to pull out a pokéball from the sleeve of his kimono and release Dice, his Scrafty. The lizard Pokémon pulled his shed skin as he awaited his trainer’s command. Pointing at the grunts, Grimsley ordered Dice to stop them immediately.

He watched as his Pokémon screeched and leaped up into the air like a rocket. Dice soon descended down, still gripping onto his shed skin, and kicked the nearest grunt’s back which caused him to collapse on the ground. The other grunt stopped with a confused stare on his face. Dice took that opportunity to strike him with an uppercut punch to his right cheek and he too fell down. The Scrafty held his chin up proudly.

As soon as Grimsley approached the fallen grunts, he noticed one of them holding a belt with three pokéballs on it. He grabbed the belt from the grunt’s hands. He gazed at the pokéballs for a moment until the trainer that those belonged to came up to him with deep breaths.

“Oh wow, thanks for stopping these guys for me,” he said once he was able to regain his breath.

“It’s no trouble at all. They’re from Team Skull, so I know they’re up to no good.” Grimsley handed the belt back to him, and then raised an eyebrow as he recognized him. “You’re the man from the buffet earlier. Ronald, correct?”

Ronald nodded. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “This is kinda embarrassing encountering you again like this.”

Grimsley did wonder how Ronald crossed paths with Team Skull. Before he could ask that, though, the two grunts were getting back from being unconscious and sat up. They glared at Grimsley.

“Hey man, your Pokémon didn’t have to knock us out like that,” the first grunt said. He did a pose where he stuck his arms out like a rapper in a music video.

“Ah, but I beg to differ,” Grimsley said. Beside him, Dice screeched in agreement. “You two were stealing that trainer’s Pokémon, so I think it warrants getting them back to their rightful trainer.”

“The way they did it was horrible,” Ronald said as he clipped the belt around his waist. “I was just getting out of the Pokémon Center and they approached me. They wanted me to give them my Pokémon, and when I said no, the grunts grabbed my belt and made a run for it.”

“If you just gave us your Pokémon, then we wouldn’t have had to do that,” the second grunt said, doing the same silly gesture like his friend.

“And yet you wanted to take his Pokémon anyways,” Grimsley said. His face hardened. “I’m all for playing dirty, but stealing is a low standard even for me. Now I suggest you leave before I have my Scrafty beat you up again.” On cue, Dice stepped forward and clenched his fist.

The grunts exchanged frightened looks at one another. They got up and hurried off. Grimsley stared at their backs until they ran at a far distance.

“Hmph, good riddance,” Grimsley said. He looked down at Dice, who nodded at him, and then he faced back at Ronald. “Are your Pokémon all right?”

“I…I think so,” he said with a worried look on his face. “I’ll check on them now.”

The man released his Pokémon from their pokéballs. His first two, Drowzee and Granbull, blinked at him in confusion. The third Pokémon, a Toucannon that Grimsley remembered seeing a plush toy of, narrowed its eyes and squawked.

“Hey, you guys are all right?” Ronald asked, and all of his Pokémon responded positively. Granbull barked and licked Ronald’s face, Drowzee folded its arms and nodded, and Toucannon chirped and spread its wings wide. Their trainer laughed and sighed in relief, and he returned his Pokémon back to their pokéballs.

“That’s great all of your Pokémon are all right.” Grimsley smiled for a second, but then he frowned. “Does Team Skull do this often?”

“Yeah. They often would harass other people into giving their Pokémon or something else.” Smiling, Ronald then said, “I would’ve gone to the police, but thank goodness I found you.”

“I happen to be at the right place at the right time, I suppose.” Realizing he was going back to the hotel before all of this happened, Grimsley said, “It’s about to get dark and I should be heading out now.”

“Me too. But hey, it’s great seeing you again!” Ronald flashed him a grin.

“Same here,” Grimsley said, smiling a little.

Ronald waved goodbye and began heading out. He took several steps, but then he stopped and turned back to Grimsley. “Oh, the kahuna of Ula’ula Island specializes in dark type Pokémon like you. Maybe you’ll get to meet him!”

Grimsley’s stomach dropped when he heard that. He only knew a few dark type specialists, like Karen from Johto and Sidney from Hoenn, and he wouldn’t mind meeting another one.

“I’m about to head to that island next,” he said. “Perhaps we’ll cross paths once I’m there.”

“Hope that happens, then!” Ronald chuckled, waved to Grimsley once more, and walked off.

Grimsley stood still for a minute. He sighed, a little overwhelmed by today’s events. Looking down at Dice, he said, “Come on, we should go back to the hotel.” That earned him an agreed nod from his Scrafty, and the two made their leave.

It took less than half an hour for Grimsley and Dice to reach the hotel. The instant they stepped inside the room, Dice jumped onto the bed and collapsed there. Grimsley shot him a sharp frown.

“You can stay on my bed for a little while, but then you’ll need to move to the sofa,” he said. His Scrafty responded with an indifferent grunt and flicked his wrist at him. Grimsley sighed, shaking his head.

He caught the time on the clock, almost six o’ clock. Unova should be a few hours ahead from Alola if he did the math correctly, about the time his mother would be getting ready for bed. Grimsley decided he would give her a call, so he turned on the videophone on his desk and dialed his mother’s number.

Several seconds passed until the screen lit up, his mother greeting him with a grin. Minato Katsu was a woman in her mid-fifties with visible wrinkles underneath her eyes and graying wavy hair that barely passed her shoulders. While Grimsley had his black locks and angular face from her, he took his blue eyes and pale skin from his father, and why he was passed off as a Unovan on occasion.

“Oh, hi Grimsley! Did you have a safe trip on your way to Alola?”

“Yes, my plane ride to here went without any problems. I must say, the weather here is slightly warmer than Unova’s.”

“Is that so? Sounds better than the constant rain in Mistralton City.” Minato chuckled, and then her eyes grew wide. “Are you wearing a kimono now?” she asked, and Grimsley nodded.

“One of the stores I went to was selling them, so I bought this one to cool off from Alola’s tropical sun.”

His mother let out a pleased hum, and she chuckled. “I remember the first time your father wore a kimono we were visiting a summer festival in Goldenrod City. Oh, it was such a romantic night for us, I couldn’t stop looking at him!”

A sad smile curled around Grimsley’s lips. His mother and father had always been one of those parents that would show affection in front of their children and embarrass them. He didn’t like that sometimes when he was young, but he knew how much they had cared about each other.

“Today I went to the city’s cemetery, and I was reminded of his funeral,” he said, and the nostalgic look on Minato’s face faded. She shifted her head, lowering her gaze.

“Yes, I remember. I had you promise me to not fall into bad gambling habits like me.” With a proud smile, his mother said, “You did get yourself in ridiculous situations a few times, but you made a name of yourself in the end.”

Grimsley blinked in confusion. “You don’t give out praises all that often.”

“Only because you need to work on your poker face more,” Minato said, smirking.

Grimsley pouted, his arms folded against his chest. “My poker face is just fine, thank you very much.”

In that instant, a loud noise that resembled thunder boomed outside. Grimsley bounced off from his chair and hurried to the window. His gaze locked at the swirling wormhole that cracked open the dark sky, streaks of lightning shooting out. The thunderous noise and wormhole grew louder and louder, and then a few seconds after it disappeared. Down below, several people were shouting in confusion and a startled dog Pokémon kept barking. The bright crescent moon became visible once more.

Dice, also startled from the commotion, jumped out of bed and approached Grimsley. His Pokémon tugged on the fabric of his kimono and titled his head, but Grimsley didn’t respond as he was just as perplexed over what had just happened.

“Grimsley? Grimsley? Is everything all right?” his mother yelled from the videophone. Grimsley immediately sat back down and looked at the screen to see his mother’s worried face. He inhaled and exhaled to calm himself.

“Sorry for being away like that. I don’t know how to explain it, but I think a wormhole just appeared.”

Minato raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Wormhole? Aren’t those things only in movies?”

“Well, I did experience Team Plasma taking over the Pokémon League and Kyruem freezing half of Unova, so anything’s possible.” Saying that had left a bitter taste on Grimsley’s tongue.

“I suppose so. But still, be careful.” Minato’s face softened. “I need to go to bed now, so you can tell me more of your trip the next time we talk.”

“Of course. You have a good rest.”

His mother thanked him for that and wished him goodnight too. She hung up, and Grimsley stared at the blank screen. After a minute, he got out of his chair and sat on the bed with his elbows on his lap. Dice sat next to him and rested his head on Grimsley’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but smile a little, only for it to fade soon after.

Encountering a criminal organization and seeing a wormhole in action. This wasn’t what he expected on the first couple days of his trip. Now he wondered what else Alola has in store for him.

This review is just for the first chapter.

I think this fic is off to a really solid start, and you do have a lock on exactly how you want to portray Grimsley and Nanu. To be honest, I never really got a good sense of what Grimsely's character was except for having a penchant for gaudy decor, because he was mostly just a speedbump in the Unova elite four for me, so I can't really speak to how well you've captured his character, but I do like your interpretation. Nanu is a bit more of a clear cut case, because he does get a decent amount of screentime in the games, and I think you've locked down on writing for him really well. There's the persona he affects of not really caring about anything and staying aloof from it all, but it's balanced well with the sense that he does care enough to be dangerously effective when he wants to be.

Despite having distinct voices for (and nailing the characterization of) Nanu, Grimsley, Iris and the Skull grunts, I did feel as though the minor characters (Kelly, Rachel, the kids at the airport) sound a little same-y. I can understand not wanting to invest too much effort in developing minor one-off characters, but sometimes only sketching them out as opposed to shading them in means they come off a bit like props that are only there to give the important characters someone to talk or react to.

Like Oyster mentioned in her review, there were also a few noticeable points where the prose came off as clunky, but that's just the kind of thing you get better at identifying and fixing the more you write. I get that your voice for Grimsley is very proper and verbose, but sometimes it can come off as too verbose to the point that it doesn't feel like natural dialogue. I run into this myself a lot, and the best thing for it is to just read your dialogue aloud after you write it. If it sounds clunky to your ears, it probably will to the reader's as well. After a little practice, writing naturalistic dialogue became a lot easier for me.

Those nitpicks aside, I think you've certainly got your fundamentals down, and it's clear you've given a lot of thought into how these characters act and react to the world around them. Your naming scheme for the chapters is really cool too!

Time for some replies!

Cutlerine: Haha funny enough US/UM did kinda give a reason for Grimsley's apperance in Alola, which boils down to... Mantine Surfing. =x Otherwise, I did have fun giving little explinations for other things and, as you put it, causing chaos in the buffet lol. Thanks for dropping by again!

Firebrand: Thanks for checking out the first chapter! Yeah like with Grimsley the games didn't give too much screentime for him so you're more or less free to go wild with him (though I'm kinda also going with how he acted in the manga). Before US/UM reveals his motivation being Mantine Surfing, I imagine him flamboyant with shades of tiredness haha.

I admit the voices of the minor characters could use work and probably give them better roles. For later chapters I posted elsewhere I don' think I'll go back and change them atm, though I'll try to work more on two particular characters Becky and Iokua.

As for your readling aloud advice, I did read aloud at least once, but I still can't seem to catch those awkward sentences. I was rereading Chapter Three though and oh man so many filler dialogue I took out.

Dramatic Melody: Hey, great to see you! Yeah I decided to add a scene with his fans to show just that. Glad you noticed the parellels I'm showcasing between him and Nanu!

Hm, you're probably right Grimsley and Ricky's conversation could be expanded more. Maybe if I decide to do another revision I'll be doing that (not for a long while because I need to make more progress with the story first lol).

Okay, about time I post Chapter Three here! For those that read this chapter from other sites, I made some revisions here. Content wise all the events stayed the same, however I made some changes to the prose and dialogue. Here's the original draft of the third chapter for comparison's shake.

Also, what I've been thinking is I will have some references to US/UM in latter chapters, so there will be some spoilers. But don't worry, I'll warn for those if that's the case. Thanks to bobandbill for looking over this chapter for me!


Chapter Three
Flatter

The morning he was supposed to leave for Ula’ula Island, Grimsley made it to the Marina twenty minutes early. He waited inside the terminal until the intercom announced the ferry to Ula’ula was about to leave. He boarded the ship and stole a seat next to the window. Once all the passengers were inside, the ferry took off. During the ride, Grimsley looked outside as the water splashed in small waves. Sometimes a water Pokémon jumped out, and flocks of Wingull and Pelipper went soaring by.

The ship made it to Ula’ula Island when it was close to sunset, stopping at Malie City’s terminal. He got off the pier and headed out, as the other passengers from the ferry passed around him. Grimsley ignored the Pokémon Center and Malie Gardens, and when he reached the city gates his jaws dropped.

The city’s architecture gave off a Johto vibe, which astonished him. He first checked in an inn to drop off his bags, and then walked around city square. His shoes slapped against the cobbled streets, and the light posts lit up as he passed them. As he continued to stroll, Grimsley glimpsed at the various shops and restaurants still open. He eventually stopped in between the Malie Community Center and the Malie Library. Grimsley remembered the receptionist at the Tourist Bureau back in Hau’oli City had talked about this place. He let out a breath and stepped inside the library.

Bright lighting washed over inside the building, like sunlight hanging over the beach. Many shelves filled with books stretched across the hall. The library clerk at the desk watched as the patrons read their books or used the computers in silence, several of the tables and couches already being occupied. Grimsley went to the male clerk to ask where he could find books about Tapu Bulu, and he told him to go to the second floor. He headed upstairs, and more bookshelves loomed over him. More tables and couches were scattered.

Grimsley found the section on Alola‘s guardian deities after looking for a few minutes and flipped through some of the books. There was one book, Tapu and the Kahunas, that mentioned how the tapus choose someone as a kahuna, that acted like a leader of sorts, for their island and grant them with sparkling stones that were used to activate Z-Moves. He then picked up another book, The Guardian Deities of the Islands, that had some brief mentions of each of the deities—Tapu Koko, Tapu Fini, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Lele. Grimsley skipped the other tapus and read Tapu Bulu’s section.

Guardian Deity of Ula’ula Island, dual grass and fairy type. Considered one of the laziest deities, but it could control plants and use its horns to do heavy damage. A drawing of Tapu Bulu depicted the Pokemon having a large shell with different marks and two large horns. Its lower body had a bell-like tail, and it strikes a huge resemblance to a bull. Grimsley absorbed that information for a moment, his finger tapping at that particular page. He was reminded of one of the legendary musketeers, Terrakion, also known for their great strength.

“I see you’re taking a great interest towards Tapu Bulu,” someone asked from behind, pulling Grimsley from his thoughts. He shifted his head to see a man dressed in a vest over a shirt and pants. His brown hair was kept neat and slicked, and his grey eyes sparkled with great interest in him. Grimsley chuckled.

“I just dropped by Alola recently, and I was very curious about this guardian deity of yours. In one of the brochures I read, Tapu Bulu resides in the desert and caused destruction on several sites.” Grimsley handed him the brochure he got back in the tourist bureau, and the other man looked through it for a few seconds before he nodded.

“Indeed, you’re right Tapu Bulu did that.” The man’s eyes then grew wide. “Oh, silly me, I haven’t introduced myself! I’m Iokua,” he said, stretching his arm.

“Grimsley. Nice to meet you, Iokua,” Grimsley said, and the two shook hands.

“Since you’ve only just visited, there’s a lot more books on Alola’s history and culture that I can recommend.” Iokua gave out an awkward chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m the librarian here, but this library was founded by a late friend of mine. He and his daughter moved the books here, and they let the public read them at their own leisure.”

Grimsley hummed in acknowledgment. “Ah, I get it. That’s very generous of them to do that.”

Iokua grinned, then his eyes lit up. “Say, I’m heading to the Sushi High Roller for dinner now, would you like to join? That restaurant has some top class food.”

After taking a minute to consider his offer Grimsley said, “That would be lovely.” He put the book back in the shelf, and then he and Iokua left the library together.

They entered the Sushi High Roller shortly after. The smell of steam rice, fish, and other foods invaded his nose. A sushi bar was set aside on the left— where one cook was making the food in front of the people occupying there— and the regular tables spread out on the right, a small bridge in the middle of the restaurant. Most of the seats had been taken by the other customers. Iokua went to the man at the cashier stand and asked for a table for two.

The both of them ordered the z-kaiskei samurai set, and over half an hour later, the waiter brought out a tray of miso soup, tea, and other dishes in nicely patterned square plates. Taking several bites of his meal, Grimsley liked how the soup warmed his throat and the sushi and vegetables firm but easy to chew. The meal reminded him of his mother’s cooking.

“Oh wow, so you’re actually an Elite Four member from Unova?” Iokua asked during their conversation. He gulped another piece of his sashimi dish, which consisted of salmon, octopus, and tuna. “I thought I recognized you from somewhere.”

“Perhaps from the news, since I’ve been in the limelight on occasion.” After he finished sipping his soup, Grimsley lowered his head and had his lips in a grim line. “My family used to be immense in great wealth, but that all fell apart after my father died.”

A frown crossed Iokua’s face. “I’m sorry to hear that. That must be tough for you and your family.” He ate the last pieces of his sashismi, then said, “Alola demolished the monarch system generations ago and we have kahunas instead looking over the islands. Like the Elite Four of your region, they’re strong trainers respected by many.”

Having finished his main dishes, Grimsley started chewing on his cake, which was sweet and soft against his tongue. “Yes, one of your books did mention that. Who’s the kahuna of your island?”

“Right now that would be Nanu, and he’s a dark type trainer. He’s actually my father!”

Grimsley almost choked when he heard that. Back in Melemele Island, Ronald had told him this island’s kahuna specialized in dark type Pokémon. And right now he was having dinner with his son. He swallowed his tea to wash the food away inside his throat. Iokua looked at him with wide eyes and asked Grimsley if he was all right, only for him to wave it off and regain his composure.

“To be honest, I came to Alola in the first place so that I can find some interesting battles to partake. Perhaps he could be the opponent I’ve been looking for.”

“Could be.” Iokua chuckled and took some bites of his own cake. “If you’ll be sticking around Ula’ula for a while, Acerola is one of the trial captains here. She’s the daughter of the friend I mentioned earlier.” He then asked Grimsley if he knew about trial captains and the island challenge, and after he said yes Iokua continued. “She lives at the Aether House, so you should go there to see her. It’s not that far from Tapu Village.”

“Aether House?” Once more, Grimsley blinked in confusion.

“It’s a residence that belongs to Aether Foundation, an organization that protects endangered Pokémon and promotes conservation. Acerola can tell you more about them.”

“That’s fine with me,” Grimsley said. He then asked directions to Tapu Village and Aether House, which Iokua told him he could take the bus from here to Route 12, but once he reached that route he could either ride a Mudsdale to get through that area or ride a flying type to get to Tapu Village faster. After that, just a little further until he reaches Aether House from there. When Iokua had finished, Grimsley smiled in satisfaction. “I should be able to make it there with not much trouble. You have my uttermost gratitude.”

“Hey, it’s no problem at all.” Iokua’s face then softened. “Once you make it there, do say hi to Acerola and my dad for me!”

“I’ll make sure to tell them that then.” Grimsley glanced at the clock on the wall, now 9:05pm. “I think I should head out. I would like to catch an early morning bus tomorrow.”

“Oh, absolutely! I need to get back home myself. And don’t worry, I’m paying for all of this,” Iokua said and winked.

They left as soon as Iokua paid for the meal. Once outside, both men said goodbye and shook hands. Grimsley watched as some people passed by Iokua while he headed home. After a minute or so, Grimsley started to go back to his inn, musing how Iokua was a nice gentleman. He looked forward to the next part of his trip tomorrow.

xxx

After Rachel's Golduck had rested in the police station overnight, Nanu went to check on the Pokémon to see that he looked much better. Almost all of the cuts and bruises had been healed, his forehead wasn't as hot as yesterday, and he regained some of his color. During breakfast, Golduck was able to gulp down his food, which pleased Rachel greatly. His package of potions and other items did come in earlier than expected, but Nanu suggested to her that Golduck should relax one more day to regain his strength more, to which she agreed.

The next day after lunch, he and Rachel had their battle, a three on three battle outside in Route 17. Dark clouds formed the sky, but there was no rain yet. Nanu had used Sableye, Krookodile, and Persian while his opponent's Pokémon were Manectric, Turtonator, and Golduck. They were on their last Pokémon, both Golduck and Persian staring at one another and with cuts and bruises all over their bodies. A darted gaze swept over Rachel’s face while Nanu remained calm. They gave out their next commands.

Golduck's tail was shrouded in torrential waters, and smacked Persian on the side. Persian screeched and fell on the ground, but she picked herself up immediately, and shook the grass off her fur. Nanu's Pokémon lashed out her head and the gem on her forehead glowed, which shot out a beam of purple and black circles that laced together and scorched Golduck's chest. Golduck wobbled for a moment before he was able to regain his balance.

“Shadow Claw, now!” Rachel ordered. Nanu could tell she was desperate with the way her voice choked up and how her jaws clenched. He didn’t go easy on her since the start of the battle, and he wasn’t going to do that now.

“End this with your own Shadow Claw, Persian!”

Both opponents had their claws surrounded in a dark aura, and they rushed at each other like two swordsmen in a duel. After they raised their claws and slashed at one another, Persian and Golduck stopped at opposite directions from when they started. A breeze started to pick up, and several more seconds passed until Golduck collapsed and not getting up. Persian's legs shook, but she managed to lift her head and grinned in satisfaction.

Rachel gasped and rushed to her Pokémon’s side. She cradled him in her arms and stroked his forehead. “Are you okay?” she asked, and her Pokémon gave her a weak thumbs up. Relieved, she nuzzled her cheek against Golduck's.

“Here, he'll need these,” Nanu said when he and Persian reached her. He handed Rachel a few potions and berries, which she accepted. She sprayed one of the bottles onto Golduck's skin, and like a couple nights ago his marks and cuts started to fade. He looked to be in much better shape than when he got beaten up by Team Skull.

“You did an awesome job out there, Golduck! You deserve a long rest,” she said and recalled her Pokémon. Rachel stood up and faced Nanu, beaming at him. “That was a great battle and I learned a lot!”

“You aren't too shabby yourself there, kid. Get a little stronger, and we can do a rematch soon.”

“Of course!” Rachel said, and silence fell between them. From a near distance someone was clapping, and Nanu turned around to see Acerola beaming at them.

“That was a great battle, you two!” she said. “I couldn’t take my eyes off when I first started watching it.”

“What are you doing here?” Nanu asked, the pitch in his voice slightly high.

“I came here to visit you, Uncle Nanu, but it’s great to see Rachel here also!”

“Acerola!” Rachel’s face brightened. “You’re not going to believe what had happened to me recently!” She explained the incident to Acerola, Nanu listened in as he sprayed some potion on his Persian. His Pokémon purred and rubbed onto his leg.

“Uncle Nanu scared those Team Skull grunts and helped make Golduck feel better?” Now facing Nanu, Acerola said, “Wow, that was very generous of you to do that.“

Nanu shrugged. “Eh, it’s part of the job description.”

“Oh?” Acerola craned her head and offered him a closed lip smile. “Police officer, kahuna, or both?”

“Doesn’t matter. Depends on what needs to be done.” Nanu’s eyes darted and his shoulders hunched.

Rachel was taken aback by his response, then she said, “Well I’m happy that my Golduck is safe and sound thanks to you. I’ll be leaving now, but I can’t wait to rebattle you!” She grinned at them and made her leave. Nanu watched her go for a minute, frowning.

“Is something wrong, Uncle Nanu?” Acerola asked, tilting her head. After he released a shuddered breath, Nanu faced her.

“I don’t know. I should feel good helping that kid out and she’s a decent trainer. And yet…”

“Hm, maybe you’ve been working too hard being both this island’s kahuna and police?”

Nanu shook his head and bent down to scratch Persian’s chin. “I’m sure it’s not that. Team Skull mostly kept themselves inside Po Town, and I don’t see trial goers make it past this island as of late.”

Acerola pursed her lips and tapped her chin. “When was the last time you visited Tapu Bulu?”

That caused Nanu to flinch. He stopped petting Persian, the cat Pokémon growling in disappointment, and stood back up. Rubbing his head, he said, “Don’t know. Perhaps six or so months ago?”

Acerola pouted. “Isn’t one of your jobs as island kahuna to make sure the island tapu’s altar is looked over?”

“It is, but I don’t think there’s nothing to worry about. You know how freaking long it takes to get through Haina Desert?”

Her hands on her hips, Acerola stared at him in disbelief. “Uncle Nanu…”

Running his fingers through his hair, Nanu asked, “You want me to go to the Ruins of Abundance, huh?”

“Yup!” Acerola said, grinning. “Besides doing that as your duty as kahuna, perhaps Tapu Bulu can give you some guidance, too.”

After he pondered over Acerola’s suggestion for a moment, another long sigh left him. “Fine, you win. Tapu Bulu is probably angry at me for not visiting for so long.”

Satisfied, Acerola cheered and twirled around. “Great! You can even drop by the Aether House to see Becky and the kids!”

Nanu groaned. “Well, I’m not looking forward to those brats playing with Persian’s head like last time.” As if agreeing with him, Persian hissed and her fur bristled.

“I’m sure the kids will be well behaved,” Acerola said with a chuckle. Her grin grew bigger. “Oh yeah, before I forget, Uncle Iokua told me that Aunt Cora and the baby are doing fine!”

Upon hearing that, Nanu’s stomach sunk. Iokua and his wife were expecting their first child within a few months, but Nanu hadn’t talked to his son much about that. He pulled in a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder at the police station. “You wait here, let me get some stuff before we leave.”

When he was chosen to be this island’s kahuna several years ago, Nanu knew he wasn’t allowed to turn it down. And now it was time for him to pay back his due once more.

Xxx

The next morning, Grimsley took the 8 am bus from Malie City to Route 12. Only a handful of people occupied the seats. A couple conversed in low voices while everyone else was quiet. During the forty minute bus ride through Route 11, he looked through the window, seeing several trainers and Pokémon already up training outside with the tall grasses and palm trees towering over them. He also spotted some wild Pokémon flocking around; some he recognized, like Ledian and Paras, while others he didn’t, like the one that looked like a mongoose and another that resembled a koala. Grimsley overheard from the people behind him that those were Yungoos and Komala.

When the bus made it to Route 12 and stop, Grimsley got off his ride. Compared to Route 11’s lush grass and trees, Route 12 looked more barren with rolling hills and rugged boulders up ahead. Dust and sand swirled in the air, causing Grimsley to cough. To his right, he spotted a stable with a fenced large field, a variety of Pokémon staying around. Some like Ponyta and Tauros ran around in abandon while other Pokémon slept through the afternoon. Flying types like Pelipper and Flygon flew up high, making sure to not stray from the area. Several people were getting on large horses that Grimsley assumed would be the Mudsdale Iokua had mentioned to him last night. He approached to a woman in riding gear looking over a Flygon and a Skarmory.

“Excuse me, Miss, but would this happen to be where I can borrow a Pokémon to take me to Tapu Village?”

“Yup, you have come to the right place!” the lady said as she faced Grimsley, flashing him a wide grin. “Route 12 has steep hills and Route 13’s climate is just as rough, so you’ll need flying Pokémon like Flygon and Skarmory to help you.” She patted the Flygon’s forehead, the dragon nuzzling against her cheek. Behind her, the Skarmory squawked and flapped her wings.

“Well, that’s a relief. I’m Grimsley.”

“Hanna,” the woman Hanna introduced herself. She and Grimsley shook hands. “So you wanted to go to Tapu Village? I’m more than happy to take you there!” she said, then Grimsley told her that would be appreciated.

Hanna helped him hop onto the Skarmory, and then she took one of Grimsley’s bags and jumped onto her Flygon. With everyone ready, Hanna whistled and both her and Grimsley’s Pokémon began flapping their wings and took off, Grimsley holding on the reins tightly.

While they were riding their Pokémon, Grimsley’s body shook uneasily and his stomach flipped whenever the warm breeze picked up. Sweat rolled down on Grimsley’s forehead and back of his neck. He often glimpsed down below, seeing some trainers and Pokémon gathered around the dry grass. Grimsley could see Blush Mountain and what looked like to be a power plant on top from a far distance. An hour into their ride, he heaved out a long sigh.

“I must admit, this route is very bare for my taste. There isn’t much to see here save for Blush Mountain?” Grimsley asked, and Hanna shook her head.

“There’s a secluded beach here also, but nothing special compared to Hau’oli’s beachfront. Most people come here to train and catch Pokémon.” Hanna jerked her head away for a second, then she asked, “Curious, any reason you’re going to Tapu Village?”

“To be honest, Tapu Village is a short detour before I head to my true destination, the Aether House. I want to meet with this lady named Acerola.”

“Oh, so you want to see Acerola?” Hanna titled her head and pressed her lips. “You look too old to be participating in the island challenge.”

Grimsley grimaced for a second, and then he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Oh no, I’ve never even heard of that until I came here. I just want to talk with her some things about this island.”

“Oh, I see. But yes, she’s usually at the Aether House or that abandoned supermarket. Acerola’s a very sweet girl, I’m sure she’ll be happy to talk with you.”

Grimsley made an indifferent grunt, and then went back looking at his surroundings. He made sure to straddle onto his Skarmory tightly.

Eventually Grimsley and Hanna passed through Route 12 and onto Route 13. Route 13’s terrain looked just as dry as the last route, but there was still some vegetation on the ground and trees growing. There was a small oasis where several folks gathered, and up ahead was Haina Desert, which he and Hanna ignored for now. He and Hanna also passed by an area where several trailers parked. A short time later they finally reached their destination. As soon as their Pokémon landed on the ground, they hopped off.

Most of Tapu Village looked empty saved for several houses and small shops, some large totems, and the ruins of a stone wall or building. There was more green life here than the last two routes with grass and palm trees growing in several spots. Despite not much to see, Grimsley could see several people here basking in the scenery. He took several steps, and then halted a moment to see several guys in hard hats and uniform blocking the path to Mount Lanakila. Grimsley assumed some kind of construction was going on, so he and Hanna ignored that and moved further along.

They passed by the Pokémon Center. He looked at his left to see a large patch of grass where some Pokémon hid themselves in. He spotted two Pokémon that caught his interest. There was one that looked like a Sandshrew but was light blue instead of the yellow ones he was used to seeing and his body structure similar to an igloo. He sat down on the grass chewing a berry. The other Pokémon, a blue furred Vulpix, kept trying to catch a Snorunt. Like the Sandshrew, Grimsley never saw this particular type of Vulpix before.

“Say, Hanna, are those Vulpix and Sandshrew?” he asked her, pointing at those Pokémon for her to see. She turned her head in his direction and nodded.

“Ah huh. Alola has some Pokémon like Geodude, Vulpix, and Meowth that may look different from the ones you’ve encountered, so they’re often called Alola forms.”

“Alola forms? Similar to like Sinnoh’s Shellos and Gastrodon and Unova’s Deerling and Sawsbuck?”

“Kinda. The majority of the Alola form Pokémon have typings vastly different from the regular Pokémon. Take Meowth for instance. Usually they would be normal type, but here ours are dark type.”

“A dark type Meowth, huh? Then that means there are more dark-type Pokémon than I anticipated.” Grimsley smirked. “Come to think of it, I battled against a trainer with an Alolan Graveler a few days ago.”

“Oh, you did?” Hanna grinned. “But yeah, there’s plenty more Alolan Pokémon you have yet to see!”

Grimsley only nodded, believing that would be the case. He and Hanna began heading back to where Flygon and Skarmory had been waiting for them. He gazed around his surroundings, and then he sighed and shook his head. “There isn’t much going on in Tapu Village. Such a miserable state.”

Hanna chuckled, unoffended by Grimsley’s statement. “Maybe so, but this site still attracts tourists due to a story how Tapu Bulu destroyed that village. Because of that, most of the people here are mindful of keeping this region clean.”

“I read about that not that long ago. Also, apparently Tapu Bulu resides in Haina Desert, am I right?” Grimsley asked, and Hanna shot him an impressed smile.

“Yes, that would be so.” Hanna placed her hands on her sides. “I’ve never been to the ruins, but I’m sure Kahuna Nanu can show you if you happen to find him.”

Grimsley swallowed and his mouth twitched. Forcing a smile, he said, “I’ll be sure to talk to him about that, but first I need to see Acerola.”

“Right,” Hanna said with an acknowledging nod. “Anyways, you’ll need a Mudsdale to help you get through that desert’s tough boulders and nasty sandstorms. There’s a stable close to there that you can borrow that Pokémon from. Just ask for either Carlos or Yvonne.”

“Carlos or Yvonne, got it,” Grimsley said, then a short silence fell between them. While he pondered over about Tapu Bulu and Aloan Pokémon, Grimsley started tossing his coin up in the air. After several tosses, Skarmory screamed and caught the coin with her beak. He glared, and pointed his finger at her. “Hey, that’s my coin you slimy bird!”

“This Skarmory likes shiny objects, so be careful showing anything like that to her.” As Hanna faced Skarmory, she said to the bird, “All right, Skarmory, give the gentleman his coin back.”

The Skarmory flapped her wings and let out a disappointed squawk, but nonetheless she obliged by spitting the coin out onto Grimsley’s palm. His mouth twitching in disgust, Grimsley wiped the spit out with his sleeve. He put the coin away.

“The Aether House isn’t too far, only less than half an hour bus ride from here. There should be one stopping here soon.”

With an appreciated smile, Grimsley said, “You’ve been wonderful guiding me through parts of this island.”

“Not a problem!” Hanna’s grin widened, her teeth showing. “Oh, before I go, you should have this.” She pulled out a small device from her pocket and handed it to Grimsley. “It’s a ride pager where you can call out Pokémon to help you out in all kinds of areas you won’t be able to get through yourself. For instance, some Pokémon like Mudsdale can get through places like Route 12, but you might want a water Pokémon to help you get through Alola’s seas.”

“A ride pager, huh? Well I’m sure this will come very handy,” Grimsely said, putting the ride pager away.

“It should!” Hanna said as she hopped onto Flygon. She then offered him best wishes on the rest of his journey and took off with both Flygon and Skarmory. Grimsley gazed up at the sky for a while until he couldn’t see her and the two flying Pokémon anymore, then he decided to get something to eat from the Pokémon Center first before waiting for the bus.

After Grimsley finished his meal, he caught a bus ride that was traveling through Route 15. There were only a few people taking seats, so this ride too has been a quiet one for him. This route wasn’t that much different from Route 11 in which there were some tropical greenery and Pokémon running around. When the bus driver announced that they stopped at Aether House, Grimsley jumped off of the bus.

He could see a lone white building, with a star symbol on top, situated on a hill. The “Aether House” sign was pinned from several feet across of him. He trekked through the path upwards, his shoes slapping onto the soft ground. Grimsley reached the building and faced the doors, which slid open automatically for him, and stepped inside.

“Hello, is anyone here?” Grimsley asked as he looked around. Some couches and tables had been spread out, white lights shrouding everything inside the hall. Several doors stood in front of him, and in the middle of the hall there was a reception area where a woman in a white uniform and a large ape-like Pokémon covered in white and purple fur overlooking the computers. When he approached them, the lady offered him a warm smile while the Pokémon stared at him in great curiosity and grunted.

“Alola, welcome to the Aether House! I’m Becky, one of the employees from the Aether Foundation. What brings you here to our shelter?”

Grimsley’s eyes shifted, his palm resting on the back of his neck. “Yes, well, I heard that Acerola lives here, and I wonder if I may have a word with her.”

“Oh, Acerola? She’s away at the moment, but should be here very soon. You want some water while you wait, Mister…?”

“Grimsley. And if that isn’t much trouble, that would be appreciated.” Grimsley took one of the seats, his elbow plopping on the table’s surface. Becky handed him a glass of water a minute later and he gulped it down, the liquid cooling his slightly dry throat. Becky’s Pokémon was behind her.

“Has Acerola returned yet?” someone with a child voice suddenly asked, and Grimsley looked over his shoulder to see two children approaching him and Becky. Three Pokémon trailed behind them, Grimsley recognized one of them as Elekid and the other Yungoos. The last one he never saw before, the Pokémon covering itself in a white cloth, as if pretending to be a Pikachu.

“Not yet, Hunter,” Becky told him. “This gentleman, Mister Grimsley here is waiting for her, too.”

“Oh, okay! I’m Hunter, and this is my friend Gracie!” the boy Hunter said, pointing at the girl next to her. Gracie greeted Grimsley with a cheery “Hi!” and both children beamed at him. He smiled a little back at them, but then he blinked when he felt his black scarf being tugged. Grimsley looked down to see the Yungoos chewing on the fabric.

“No no no, my clothes aren’t for you to eat,” Grimsley said, glaring at the moongose. He pulled the scarf away from him, and Yungoos cried in disappointment. That was when the other Pokémon disguised as Pikachu used her shadowy claw to yank at his hair, causing him to scream. “Stop this strange creature from grabbing my hair!”

Becky gasped and immediately picked the Pokémon up, then set it down on the floor. Before Grimsley had a chance to relax, he grimaced when Hunter and Gracie grabbed his long scarf and began to wrap it around his face like a mummy. He and Becky cried out for them to stop, but they didn’t listen and went ahead with their prank. His face now covered with his own scarf, Grimsley grumbled over how he couldn’t breathe and waited for Becky to finish with unwrapping it. Once she was done, he gasped for air and glared at the two children. Hunter and Gracie giggled while Becky heaved out a deep sigh.

“Sorry about that,” Becky said. “Mimikyu and the kids just wanted to play.”

“Ah, so the Pikachu look alike is a Mimikyu.” He glimpsed back at the Mimikyu, who skidded on the floor while making some scratchy voices. Grimsley then fixed his gaze at the large ape Pokémon in front of him. “And what species is that Pokémon?” he asked, pointing at the beast.

“That’s an Oranguru.” A proud smile pulled on the corners of Becky’s lips and she patted his shoulder. “He can tell the difference between an experienced trainer and an inexperienced one.”

“Is that so?” Grimsley lifted his head and stroked his chin. “They can tell by the way a trainer behaves, I assume?”

Becky nodded. “Usually, yeah, though I heard Oranguru will already know the minute a trainer comes to them.” She looked over her shoulder at Oranguru, who just grunted.

Grimsley gulped more of his water, then said, “A friend had mentioned to me that one of the Aether Foundation’s goals is to protect the Pokémon from any harm. I take it this is the purpose of this shelter?”

“Ah huh.” This time it was Gracie who responded. “Acerola and Becky have been super nice to me and the Pokémon here!” Next to her, Hunter grinned and Becky nodded in agreement.

“They’ve been sweethearts in return and I love watching over them. I wouldn’t trade this job for the world.”

Upon hearing their praises, Grimsley frowned and his fingers tapped on the table. Memories of Team Plasma resurfaced as he was reminded how several members preached over Pokémon’s freedom and safety above all else. Then again, Team Plasma’s agenda was a ruse thanks to their leader, and the people within Aether Foundation probably do want to save Pokémon out of the goodness of their hearts. It was still too early to judge at this point.

“Heeeey guys, we’re home!” another voice said, distracting Grimsley’s thoughts. He rose out of his seat and turned around to see two people entering the building. One was a teenage girl dressed in a tattered dress and a golden bracelet on her arm, her unruly purple hair barely above her shoulders. The other person she brought with her looked to be several years older than Grimsley from his grey hair and sunken face. He was dressed like a police officer with a badge attached on the sleeve of his shirt, and a small stone hung around his neck that sparkled with the lighting in the hall. For some reason, he couldn’t stop staring at the man and his presence made his skin tingle in electrical spurts.

“Acerola!” both Gracie and Hunter cheered. They rushed over to hug her, Acerola embracing them back. Yungoos and Mimikyu joined them also, the Pokémon tugging at Acerola’s dress.

Grimsley soon approached them, and when Acerola noticed him she grinned and place one hand on her hip.

“Oh, a visitor? Alola, I’m Acerola, and this guy here is Uncle Nanu!”

Grimsley’s mouth fell open and his shoulders stiffened. He didn’t expect to see the kahuna himself this soon. Nonetheless, he smirked at them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you. I’m Grimsley.” He shook both Acerola and Nanu’s hands. “Iokua from the Malie Library told me a little bit about you two,” he told Acerola when facing back at her.

“Oh, so you’ve met Uncle Iokua!” Acerola said, her smile widening. “Did you get to check out my father’s books back there?”

“I did, and his book collection is marvelous. I’m glad I had dropped by there.”

Nanu snorted, his hands in his pockets. “Huh, I don’t think we’ve ever met before. Are you from this region?”

Grimsley shook his head. “I’m just merely a tourist wanting to know more about Alolan culture and maybe find a good battle or two.”

“Wait, so you’re a trainer? And those pokéballs are yours?” Gracie asked, pointing at the pokéballs attached on the knot tied around Grimsley’s waist.

“Oh, oh, can we have a battle?” Hunter asked, bouncing up and down.

Giving him a sad smile, Grimsley said, “Unfortunately, I’ll have to kindly decline your offer there, Hunter.” He folded his hands on his lap. “I’m actually a very strong trainer and I don’t seek battles that will net me an easy win.”

“I don’t care!” Hunter pouted, clenching both of his fists. “My Elekid and I are always seeking out battling so we can get stronger.” Beside him, his Elekid jumped up and down in anticipation, tiny sparks coursing out from his body.

Becky approached Hunter, squeezing his shoulders. With an awkward laugh, she said, “I think the kids and I should leave you three alone. Let’s go!”

Both Hunter and Gracie let out upset noises. Becky gathered the children and Pokémon, taking them back inside one of the rooms. Nanu dragged in a sigh and shook his head.

“Kids, I tell you, always eager to battle,” he said as he sunk himself on one of the couches. “I’ve had my fair share of Pokémon battles where trainers think they’re all hot stuff but ended up embarrassing themselves.”

“But you still enjoy doing those, don’t you Uncle Nanu?” Acerola flashed him a grin. “Battles are one way a Pokémon and trainer bond together!”

Nanu responded with a side glance at Acerola and a “hmph” under his breath. Grimsley stared at him for a minute, his fingers jerking. He was then reminded of his conversations with Iokua and Hanna, and said, “Say, Kahuna Nanu—”

“Just Nanu is fine,” he interrupted him, a bored expression on his face. “I’m not all that wild on formalities.”

Grimsley made a fake cough, then said, “Right, Nanu. Anyways, I had met someone who told me about Tapu Bulu’s residence over at Haina Desert, and that you’re the perfect person to ask. Perhaps you could bring me there and show me around?”

Acerola gasped in shock, her eyes wide, while Nanu grimaced. The kahuna rose out of his seat and approached Grimsley, glaring at him.

“You think I’m gonna just take some random trainer to one of Alola’s most sacred places? I recall you saying you’re ‘merely a tourist’ only a few minutes ago.”

Smirking, Grimsley wiggled his finger and said, “Ah, but I’m no ordinary trainer. Have you heard of Grimsley Thomas of the Unova Elite Four? You’re looking at him right now.”

Both Acerola and Nanu narrowed their eyes at him, as if not believing him at first. After Acerola gave a closer look at Grimsley, she beamed.

“Silly me, I didn’t recognize you at first because of your white streaks and you looked several years older now. So you’re really Grimsley of the Elite Four!”

Grimsley let out an appalled gasp, crossed his arms, and said, “Oh come now, I don’t look that old!” This was the third time he had been called that, so of course his pride got hurt a little.

Unlike Acerola, Nanu didn’t look impressed, his lips pressed flat. “Even if you’re a king of some faraway kingdom, I’m still suspicious. The Tapus aren’t Pokémon to be taken lightly.”

Having calmed down from Acerola’s comment about him looking older, Grimsley said, “While meeting your island’s guardian would be a treat, that is not what I desire. I just want to see how the Ruins of Abundance looks, nothing more, nothing less.” When Nanu didn’t respond and still stared at him, Grimsley said, “Still not convinced, huh? How about we let chance decide for us, then.”

“Huh?” Acerola blinked, tilting her head in confusion. Nanu raised his eyebrow.

Grinning in amusement, Grimsley pulled out a coin from the sleeve of his kimono. “Heads or tails. The one you choose will be us not going to the Ruins of Abundance while the other option will be us going there.”

“Oh, a coin toss? Sounds fun!” Acerola said.

Nanu stared at him funny, as if he was insane. He then said, “You know what, I’ll play your little charade. Tails.”

In that instant, Grimsley tossed his coin up and grabbed it in the air. He opened his palms to reveal the coin landed on heads and chuckled. “Looks like I win! That means you have to take me to the Ruins of Abundance.”

Nanu folded his arms against his chest, his brow furrowed. “Haina Desert can be confusing to get through, so I think it’s best if we wait until tomorrow to head out.”

“Are you staying anywhere?” Acerola asked. Grimsley told her that he might be staying at the Pokémon Center over at Tapu Village. Her face lit up. “Since it’s getting late, why don’t you stay here for the night? That way, we can leave together in the morning and I can even show you my island trial site.”

After pondering over Acerola’s offer for a minute, Grimsley said, “That sounds like a shining idea. Sure, I’ll sleep here for the night.”

“Great!” Acerola clapped her hands and her feet bounced. “You can take the room at the far right, and there should be some fresh pajamas in the drawers. We can just order some pizza for dinner.”

“I appreciate it, thank you very much the both of you,” Grimsley said with a small smile and bowed his head. Today he did travel for a while and was already overwhelmed upon his visit in the Aether House, so some rest would be good.

Huh, I didn’t expect the two to meet so early! But their meeting was as rough as I thought it would be—two people with strong personalities won’t get along that easily.

I think the most interesting part of the chapter for me was Nanu’s and Acerola’s talk, and the small peeks we get into Nanu’s life that introduces some points for conflict. That bit about Iokua in particular is really curious, especially since we do get the chance to see how he’s doing earlier on. And since he seems to be doing fine financially (or, well, fine enough to be able to afford to pay for Grimsley’s dinner), there’s definitely something going on that I can’t wait to find out more about! (I admit, going into this I didn’t expect family to be an important aspect of Nanu’s character, but it’s a welcome plot point.)

That bit about Tapu Bulu in their conversation was an interesting point, too, and I like how you’re using Acerola to ground Nanu and bring him to his senses. Their interactions in-game was always pretty funny to watch, so I’m curious how you’ll be tackling that here.

Not much else to say other than good job with it, and I can’t wait for the next chapter!

New Foul Play! Oh, and it's a much improved chapter since I last saw it, too, so that's double the treat. Reading it through again with the new structure, it works really well. There's a great tension throughout that conversation where Colress turns up between how obviously uncomfortable Grimsley is getting and how obliviously cheerful everyone else is (although I guess some notice and are just being polite; I can't imagine this gets past Nanu), and then the mystery deepens with Colress' line at the end about being around if Grimsley wants to talk. When we do get the answer, towards the end when Grimsley and Nanu trade information, it's very satisfying. Really nicely done!

I think this chapter also really shows your skill in handling certain kinds of character dynamics. I hadn't really noticed it till you put them in proximity to Zossie and Dulse, who have a similar dynamic of their own, but you write the relationship between Acerola and Nanu really well: one energetic and exuberant, one lethargic and withdrawn, but somehow managing to meet more or less halfway. Zossie and Dulse are quite similar, with Zossie's excitement and Dulse's rather stern rectitude, and even though they only appear briefly here I'm left with a strong sense of the relationship between them.

More impressive still is the fact that these are pretty much exactly how these characters act and relate to one another in-game. Like, it's one thing to be able to write a good character dynamic, but it's another to do that for canon characters, especially ones from a game where all the characters have very definite personalities. I've gone on before about how good your Nanu and Grimsley are, but the same is absolutely true of your other characters too; when you read fic, you kinda expect some deviance from your expectations, because everyone interprets canon differently, but all of yours feel so much like the ones I'm familiar with from the games: Colress' careless, slightly superior distance, Acerola's bounciness, Dulse's ambassadorial, slightly stuffy reserve.

Some other little details I liked: the way Nanu has heard of Plasma, since of course we know he's still in touch with his old colleagues in the International Police, and the Plasma investigation was headed by Looker; the way Grimsley is able to size up Nanu's sableye and detect all the differences between it and the wild one in an instant, as someone who's seen a lot of pokémon in general and a lot of dark-types in particular; Nanu's open derision at the fact that the International Police hired the guy who keeps inventing horrible machines to fuse pokémon together instead of arresting him. There are a lot of cool touches here, and they do a lot to add a sense of breadth to the world and the people in it.

Finally, some typos and other things I noticed as I read through{

The way you've phrased this sort of implies that the softness and slickness are somehow oppositional, like it's soft, except it's also a little slick. Maybe just cutting 'but was otherwise' and putting a comma after 'tongue' would read better?

That should be 'grin' rather than 'grinned'.

It looks like two versions of the same sentence have got a bit tangled up here – it should either be 'There was no mistaking him' or 'There was no mistake; it was him'. (Also 'strange hairstyle' is the understatement of the century, haha. But I guess I wouldn't expect anything else of Grimsley!)

Missing a line between these two paragraphs.

'With' is missing here, between 'them' and 'the'.

That should be 'on', not 'in'.

Missing a space between 'said' and 'nothing'.

I think that's meant to be 'Carlos', rather than 'Carols'.

You've elsewhere called it 'Aether House', so I think this one's a typo?

That should be either 'He wanted me to battle him' or 'It wanted me to battle it' – I think the second one, since Bulu is otherwise referred to as 'it' in this passage, but I'm not sure.

Missing a line between these two paragraphs.

That should be 'Hokulani'.

Anyway! This is a great chapter, I think. Poor old Grimsley gets turned down at the end, but I guess it is a bit soon! I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him and Nanu yet, and I'm looking forward to more!

Ok, so CHAPTER FIVE IS HERE! First though, some replies and author musings under spoilers!



Chapter Five
Snatch

Nanu was relieved to be out of the desert. He felt like a Magikarp being cooked in a frying pan, and the sand on his clothes and sandals irritated him. He could tell Grimsley didn’t look comfortable out there too, especially with him carrying that black scarf around.

The orange sunset sky faded as stars slowly popped up, and a cool breeze kicked in. He, Grimsley, and Acerola returned the Mudsdale to Carlos and Yvonne, the two glad the Pokémon were a great help and more than happy to lend them again whenever they want. After that, they waited until Becky came to pick them up. Everyone took their seats from before.

“So how was the trip through Haina Desert?” Becky asked as she was driving them back to the Aether House.

“It was great!” Acerola said. “Before going to the ruins, Nanu saved a Sableye from being eaten by a Gabite. Grimsley and I helped healed it!”

“Really? Sounds like an adventure.”

“Going through the desert was icky, but we managed to make it to the Ruins of Abundance and pay our respects to Tapu Bulu.”

“Did you guys get to see Tapu Bulu, then?”

“Nah, the big guy didn’t show itself up, but it did communicate with me when I touched its totem,” Nanu said. When he had touched Tapu Bulu back in the ruins, bright light shrouded his whole body like a silky robe and his skin tingled. The island deity’s voice reached him, appreciating that he came to visit him even if had been a while. The tending the ruins part of his kahuna duties was at least done and over with.

“That’s still pretty great though!” Becky said, beaming. “How about you, Grimsley? Did you enjoy the trip?”

“I did, yes,” Grimsley said. “I told Acerola and Nanu how much the desert reminds me of the one I went to in Unova, and the Ruins of Abundance was lovely. When we get back to the Aether House, I’ll take a nice hot shower.”

“I think we all will.” Nanu glanced over his shoulder to see Grimsley staring outside with tired eyes and his arms folded against his chest. Acerola meanwhile hummed blissfully, her feet kicking up in the air.

Becky chuckled. “Well, you two looked exhausted, so I’ll whip you guys up something for dinner in the meantime.”

As Nanu leaned back against his seat with his arms behind his head, he gazed at the starry night sky in front of him. Shower and dinner did sound nice after that trip through the desert. The rest of the car ride went on in silence.

Xxx

He found himself in Poni Meadows again. The streaming waterfall and Oricoro’s cries rushed through his ears, and the sweet nectar from the purple flowers hanging from the trees clung to his nose. Cold mist began to form, almost obscuring his vision. Next to him, his Persian rubbed her head affectionately against his leg.

“I’m ready when you are, Triple Zero.”

He recognized that voice like one would with a former lover. Nanu turned around to see Resolution Cave, and outside its entrance stood a woman in a dark suit.

“Sana, what are you doing here?” he asked with a slight croak in his voice.

“Did you forget already? We need to get to Glutton.” She pressed her lips and folded her arms against her chest. “And you’re supposed to be my superior.”

Sana, always with the sharp tongue. Nanu pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

“We can throw insults at each other later. Right now, I need you to get away!”

“Huh, why?”

A sharp pain pushed through Nanu’s chest. He frowned.

“I shouldn’t be saying this, but you’re being used. Interpol is sending you to your funeral.” He took a couple steps forward, his hands gripping on her shoulders. “Please, run while you still can.”

Sana’s eyes shot wide open with horror. After a long stare, she dropped to her knees and a bitter laugh left her throat.

“So you knew all along that I was a Faller. Even if you had warned me beforehand—”

The sounds of the waterfall and Oricorio were replaced by wind and static. The sky darkened and mist thickened to smoke. Persian moved her gaze all over and let out a worried meow.

Just then, a large crab-like beast burst out from the cave. It opened its jaw, which was stuck in the middle of its torso, and screeched. Both the bigger eyes on Glutton’s face and the tinier ones on its much smaller head glowed the same blue color like its insides. Two tendrils with large pincers sprouted out, one of them grabbing Sana’s waist. Nanu urgently called out her name despite his voice being drowned out by Glutton's roar.


(By now Sana would’ve screamed for help and he and 100KR had their Pokémon fight off that creature. After the fight was over and Sana was long gone, he would see his partner pale and shake so it was up to him to snap him back to reality. Where was 100KR now?)

As she was hung upside down like a lynched victim, she cracked a wicked smile. More static, Sana’s voice distorting.

“—it’s already too late.”

Glutton threw Sana into its mouth like a berry, and snapped its jaws straight through her midsection. Blood dripped onto Sana’s mouth and on the ground. It crunched on her several more times before swallowing her up.

Nanu stood in frozen horror. His arms shook and he gritted his teeth. He snapped his head to his Persian and ordered her to attack with Power Gem. Persian hissed and the gem on her forehead lit up. She released a bright beam straight at Glutton’s mouth, only for it to swallow the assault and scratched its smaller head. The beast used one of its tendrils to yank Persian and crushed her with its pincers. Persian howled in pain and got tossed to a nearby tree before collapsing to the ground. Glutton roared and stomped, shaking the earth.

After returning Persian, Nanu grabbed another pokeball from his belt, but Glutton swatted it from his hands and snatched his arm. Nanu struggled to wiggle out of the beast’s grip, and before he could scream Glutton closed its jaws shut and everything went red.

Nanu’s arm slammed onto the coffee table the instant he jolted awake. He screamed in pain and cursed as he rubbed his arm. He glanced around to see he was inside the Aether House and that he slept on the couch. His breathing grew heavier with each second. The commotion caused Oranguru to stir from his sleep and growl in confusion. Acerola, Grimsley, Becky, and the kids rushed out of their rooms.

“We heard both you and Headmaster screaming, is everything all right?” Becky asked, panic in her voice.

“I just had a bad dream and I scared the Oranguru, that’s all.”

“That must be a really bad dream if you woke up Headmaster like that,” Gracie said, frowning. Behind her, the Oranguru growled as if in agreement.

This wasn’t the first time he had that nightmare. It would sprung up to him like a cat’s claws digging into his shoulders. Over ten years now, and it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. He sighed, sat up straight, and rubbed his forehead.

“Do you need a glass of water? You look kinda pale there,” Acerola asked.

Nanu shook his head. “Not thirsty. I’m fine, really.”

Both Becky and Acerola exchanged worried looks at one another.

“We all should go back to sleep,” Becky said. “Let’s go.”

Acerola and the kids followed Becky back to their rooms while Oranguru went back to the reception area. Grimsley, who had been raising his eyebrow at him the whole time, stayed behind.

“Is there something that you needed?” Nanu asked, giving him a vacant stare.

“Oh, I was just wondering something.” A hesitant look crossed Grimsley’s face. He shifted his gaze away from him and scratched his neck. “That nightmare you had, would it happen to be about that late colleague of yours?”

Hearing that made Nanu grimace. He jerked his head and glared at him.

“What I told you back at the desert was all you needed to know.”

Grimsley shot him a funny look, and he sighed. “Fair enough. Well, I’ll be going to sleep now. Good night.” He waved goodbye at him and went inside his room.

When left alone, Nanu collapsed back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Between that and how Grimsley wanted to have a Pokémon battle with him, he wondered why that man had a great interest in someone as messed up as him. He hoped that Grimsley didn’t plan to stick around too long now.

His thoughts were interrupted when one of his pokéballs from the table burst open and Persian appeared. She approached him with an upset look on her face and growled. Nanu frowned.

“Perry...” he said in a low voice. Usually he wasn’t one for nicknames and was content calling her Persian ninety-nine percent of the time. Perry, short for the periwinkle flower and what Iokua would often call her. Perry was saved for whenever he was his most vulnerable, like right now.

Persian let out another sad growl, had her front paws on Nanu’s stomach, and nuzzled against his neck. Her silky fur was warm against his skin. Nanu couldn’t help but crack a smile and scratch her forehead.

“Just another one of those nightmares buddy, don’t worry about me.”

Nanu continued petting her a while longer until she decided to rest her head on his stomach. He smiled, fine with her company for tonight. He soon drifted off to sleep.

xxx

By morning, Grimsley woke up to see how Nanu was doing. In the living room he approached the couch the kahuna had slept on, but only a pillow and unmade blanket were left behind. He then went inside the dining room to see Acerola was eating while the kids playing were playing with their Pokemon. Becky and Nanu weren’t around.

“You know where Nanu and Becky are at?” he asked Acerola.

“Becky is taking care some of the Pokemon now and Nanu’s taking a walk outside. Want to join me for breakfast?”

“Sure, since I’m here.” Grimsley took a plate of pancakes and sausages from the counter and joined Acerola at the table. While eating, he thought back to Nanu having a nightmare last night. He swallowed a piece of his sausage and put his fork down. “Say Acerola, did you know about Nanu having bad dreams?”

After Acerola finished swallowing a piece of her pancake, she frowned and gazed down at her plate. “I’ve seen him been woken up by nightmares before, but he never wants to talk about it. Maybe that’s why he’s taking a walk now.”

“How about him working for the international police? You know about that too?” Grimsley asked, and Acerola nodded.

“I’ve overheard some people that knew him say that, and when I asked him he only told me he had retired. Are you worried about him, too?”

That caused Grimsley to stop drinking his milk midway through and almost choke. He set the glass down and said, “Not exactly. Moreso bothered how he reacted last night.”

“Oh, okay.” Acerola flashed him a grin. “He’s the type of person that likes to keep things to himself, so I got used to it!”

Grimsley blinked, taken aback by Acerola’s expression there. As he continued eating his meal, his mind switched to when he asked Nanu to battle with him. The kahuna declined the offer, but Grimsley still desired to have one with him. He cleared his throat.

“There’s one other thing I wonder. Do you know any way to convince Nanu to battle me?”

Acerola’s face perked up, and she hummed in deep thought. “Why don’t you take up the island challenge?”

“Aren’t I a little too old for that?” he asked with a furrowed brow. When Acerola realized his point, she frowned.

“Oh, right. It would be silly for someone from an Elite Four to do it. Still, if you have a Z-crystal, perhaps Nanu will let you battle him!”

Grimsley stared down at his plate while chewing the last few bites of his breakfast. He wondered if there were other ways to get a Z-crystal besides being in the trial challenge, but he wasn’t so sure how to go about that.

“Perhaps he’ll change his mind once we get more acquainted with one another. That’s the only approach I can think of.” After wiping his mouth with his napkin, he leaned back on his chair with his arms behind his back. “For your trial, you need to take some pictures and then battle a large Mimikyu, correct?”

“Yes. Mimikins’s a fierce one, but she’s also sweet and fun to play with like the one we have here!”

Grimsley gave her a puzzled look. “You gave the totem Pokémon a name?”

“Ah huh!I knew Mimikins long before I became a trial captain, and I thought it would be cute to give her one.”

Grimsley blinked, and then he glanced over his shoulder to see Gracie laughing and twirling around with Yungoos while Mimikyu tried to keep up with their pace. He now imagined that Pikachu look-a-like being several times its size, and that made him shudder.

“Can’t believe there’s a bigger version of that strange Pokémon,” Grimsley said, pointing at the Mimikyu. That earned him a giggle from Acerola.

“Oh, can we do your trial?” Gracie asked excitedly as she and Hunter approached her. Their Pokemon followed them from behind.

“Not yet as the totem Pokemon will be too strong for you guys. Also you can’t do trials until you’re eleven.”

Both Gracie and Hunter groaned in disappointment and their shoulders slumped. Behind them, Yungoos and Elekid let out upset sounds too while Mimikyu jumped and screeched. With a grin, Acerola got out of her chair and squeezed the kids’ shoulders.

“Tell you what, later today I’ll teach the both of you my Z-move!” she said, and the kids’ faces lit up. “I can even teach you too, Grimsley!”

“Really?” Hunter asked. When Acerola reassured them that she would, both children cheered and bounced up.

Grimsley smiled a little and crossed his arms against his chest, and thought it was sweet of her to do that. “I never tried Z-moves myself, perhaps I’ll take your offer on that.”

“Hey, what’s with all that cheering?” someone asked in a stern voice. Grimsley turned his head to see Nanu stepping inside with a gray cat Pokémon beside him. The feline looked very similar to the white furred Persian he fought on occasion in the Pokémon League, but she had a much bigger head and a blue jewel on her forehead.

“Acerola’s gonna teach us her Z-move later today!” Gracie said, pumping her fist in the air.

“Huh, is that so?” Nanu looked down at the children and shrugged. “Guess it won’t hurt for them to learn those early.”

“How’s your walk this morning, Uncle Nanu?” Acerola asked.

“Eh, it was okay I guess. Persian wanted some fresh air, too.”

The Persian let out a low growl and began walking. When she reached Grimsley and rubbed her head against his hip, he scratched her chin. Her fur was soft and silky, like Raz’s fur.

“An Alolan Persian, hm? She’s very lovely.”

Nanu gave him a blank stare, and then a small smile pulled on the corner of his lips. “She has been with me since I started my island challenge.”

“I also have a cat Pokémon. My Liepard, Raz.” After Grimsley finished petting Persian, she walked back to her owner’s side. “I find it interesting we both raise dark type felines.”

Immediately Nanu’s face went back to a flat expression. “Us being dark type trainers is probably the only thing we have in common.”

“Of course, I don’t expect us to have many similar interests,” Grimsley said, frowning. So much for being acquainted with him. He looked up at the clock on the wall. While it was morning here, it would be mid to late afternoon already in Unova. “I’ll need to make a phone call now.”

Before Grimsley left, Acerola let him know he could ask Headmaster the Oranguru for the tablet at the reception desk as Becky was busy at the moment. He thanked her for letting him know and did just that.

xxx

Grimsley went back inside his bedroom to use his tablet to call his mother. When he reached her, she was overjoyed to talk with him again. He mentioned everything that happened in his trip including meeting up with Colress, which shocked his mother. Back when they dated, she was very supportive of their relationship and even teased that they would get married someday. Thinking about that now left him drained.

“Will you talk to him before you leave?” she asked. That made Grimsley clench his fist. Colress’s words before he left with the Ultra Recon Squad echoed back in his mind. He told her that he didn’t want to think about him right now; that left his mother confused, but she respected his wishes and didn’t pursue further. After that, he continued talking about his adventure through the desert with Nanu and Acerola and what happened in the Ruins of Abundance.

“It’s not surprising that Kahuna Nanu rejected your request. You only just met him!”

“I’m well aware of that. I’ll trying to get to know him better, but it might prove to be difficult.”

His mother hummed in understanding. “From what you told me of him, he’s not very social. Give it time, and he might warm up to you.”

“And if he doesn’t want to battle with me?”

“Then don’t force him to. You already had him take you to the desert with a coin toss.”

Grimsley tensed. She was right that he did force Nanu to take him to the Abundance of Ruins. Doing that same trick to get him to battle him wouldn’t work.

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”

“I hope so. Wouldn’t want you to get kicked out of the island for that!” She paused, then asked, “So, any plans you have for today?”

“I might explore Ula’ula Island a bit more. I heard there’s a power plant and observatory here that might be interesting. And you?”

“Well, I plan to go see your father soon since today is our anniversary.”

“Really? I was so busy in Alola I totally forgot.”

“Thought so. You have his ring with you at least, right?”

Grimsley’s eyes widened. His father had given him his wedding ring before he died as a token to remember him by. Every year on the anniversary of his parents’ wedding, his mother would visit his grave and he would wear his ring. He believed he didn’t forgot to bring it with him on this trip, so he told her to wait a moment and checked his bag. After almost a minute, Grimsley found the ring and slipped it on his finger.

“See, I have it with me!” he said with a grin, showing the ring on his finger to her.

Minato’s face lit up and she clapped her hands. “Wonderful! Now keep it close with you at all times.”

Grimsley rolled his eyes and sigh. “I haven’t lost it yet, so I think I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so. I need to head out now, but it was great talking with you again!”

Smiling a little, he gave a single nod. “Enjoy your upcoming visit with Dad. I’ll give you another call soon.”

He hung up on her and gazed at his ring that gleamed with the morning sunlight. His father would be just as excited how he was doing on his trip if he were here today. Grimsley rose out of his seat and left the bedroom.

xxx

After Grimsley went back to the lobby and returned the tablet to the Oranguru, he went outside without letting anyone else know. There was a beach just down the slope, so he headed toward the shore. As he got closer he spotted Becky there with a Gorebyss and another pastel colored fish he never saw before. When the Aether employee noticed Grimsley, she beamed and waved at him.

“Hey, Grimsley! Taking a walk too?”

“You can say that. Just a lot on my mind now.” He shifted his head for a second. “I’m curious, how well do you know Kahuna Nanu?”

Becky looked to be taken back by that question. “Er, I know he has a family and is both a policeman and kahuna here, but otherwise not much really.”

“I see. Acerola told me he’s someone that keep things to himself.”

“Yeah, I get that vibe from him, too. When he was outside earlier, he didn’t want to talk about his dream last night.” She shrugged, but then her face brightened back up. “Do you want to help me feed the water Pokémon?”

Grimsley responded that he would be delighted. Becky handed him a bag of shrimp and he approached the Pokemon. Both the Gorebyss and the other fish Pokémon swam up to him and raised their heads, waiting for their meal. He fed them the shrimp and watched as the Pokemon chew on their food in satisfaction. A large wave crashed onto the shore, almost reaching up to Grimsley’s shoes.

“This is another interesting looking Pokémon here,” Grimsley said when the pastel colored fish rubbed its rough skin against his hand. He spotted several cuts on its body that looked to be healed.

“That’s a Bruxish, and she has strong psychic powers and an even stronger jaw! I found her and Gorebyss injured, so me and a few scientists here helped them recover.”

Grimsley let out a low hum, already figured Becky would do that. After he finished feeding them, he picked himself back up. The two fish Pokémon began to swim, not straying too far from the shore. He faced back at Becky.

“You seemed very passionate with your work. How did you end up in the Aether Foundation?”

“I always wanted to do something like this, so a friend of mine referred me to one of the higher ups. I first worked in one of their stations in Akala Island, but then I transferred here.”

“I bet it isn’t easy protecting all the Pokemon from harm,” Grimsley said, and Becky shook her head.

“No it’s not, and there are occasions where we were too late saving them.” As soon as she finished saying that, the Bruxish and Gorbyss reached to her and she patted them. “We saved more Pokémon than losing them, however, so it all works out!”

“I see. Well, that’s good to hear.”

After swimming near the shore a while longer, the fish Pokémon finally moved further into the ocean and dived down. Grimsley gazed at Becky to see her wave at them goodbye. The late morning sunlight bathed her face like a spotlight on stage.

“Alola, Bruxish and Gorebyss! Come back anytime!”

Grimsley stared at the ocean a brief moment before a cawing noise caught his attention. He glanced around to see three Murkrow on top of a palm tree squawking and flapping their wings. They stopped and gave him keen stares. A cold sensation crawled through the back of his neck.

“That’s a nice ring you have there,” Becky asked, and that caused Grimsley to whirl his head at her. He gazed down at the ring on his finger and gave a sad smile.

“It’s my late father’s, and I wear it on special occasions. Today was supposed to be my parents’ anniversary.”

Becky’s eyes grew wide, and her gaze fell on the sand. “Sounds like you got along with your parents. I haven’t spoken to mine after…”

“After what?” Grimsley asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Let’s just say they weren’t happy that I only wanted to date women.”

So Becky was unfortunate to have close-minded parents, Grimsley mused. Frowning slightly, he felt sorry for her.

“I told Nanu this already, but you remember the scientist Colress from a few days ago? We actually dated for sometime, but went through an unpleasant breakup.” It felt weird saying that to her after his conversation with his mother, but he felt it would comfort her that he too prefer someone of the same gender.

Realization hit Becky’s face, and she nodded. “I totally get that, must be tense meeting with your ex.” She rubbed the back of her head and let out a sheepish laugh. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to let out my sad story like that.”

“Seems you did well on your own in the end, you should be proud. Also, if you ever want to talk about relationships and such, let me know.”

A shocked gasp left Becky’s throat. She relaxed and said, “Thanks, that means a lot.”

Grimsley smiled back, touched by her response. He remembered how he comforted the boy he had battled in the Battle Buffet back in Melemele Island, and he did the same to Becky. Sometimes he would say kind words to trainers that went through the Pokémon League, but he couldn’t recall the last time he did that in a genuine manner.

In that instant, the Murkrow’s caws grew louder and Grimsley’s expression changed. Becky screamed for him to watch out, but the birds were already pecking at him. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out two pokéballs from the knot around his waist and released them. Raz and Roulette, his Liepard and Absol respectively, gave out determined glares and readied themselves.

“The both of you, get these pesky birds out of the way!”

The two dark types sprang into action. Raz jumped up as her tail shined into a white light, and she used it to hit one of the Murkrow on the face. Roulette meanwhile waited until the scythe on her forehead glowed purple and slashed the other two Murkrow. All three birds cried in pain and flew away. Grimsley sighed in relief, Raz and Roulette approaching by his side.

“Are you all right?” Becky asked with a worried face. Grimsley noticed the ring on his finger was missing and his throat went dry.

“I’m fine, but the birds got my father’s ring.” He looked down to see his Liepard and Absol giving him sad gazes, as if they recognized what had happened.

“Maybe Kahuna Nanu and Acerola would know where the Murkrow went. Let’s go talk to them now.”

Grimsley grunted in agreement and nodded. He returned his Pokémon back in their pokéballs, then he and Becky rushed back to the Aether House.

Once they made it there, both Acerola and Nanu were in the lobby. Acerola was teaching the children some sort of dance move while Nanu sat on the couch and watched with his Persian curled up on the floor sleeping. Grimsley assumed it must be the Z-moves he and the girl talked about before.

“There you two are!” Acerola said cheerfully when she saw them. “I was teaching the kids my Z-move!”

“You wanna see?” Gracie asked. She and Hunter kneeled down, moved their bodies like a floating ghost, and had their arms forward as if they were about to grab them. Grimsley blinked in confusion while Becky beamed and chuckled.

“Woah, you guys scared me there!” she said, and both children grinned in satisfaction.

“Thanks!” Hunter said. “We still gotta practice more, though.”

“You kids are still very young, so there’s no rush to get it perfect,” Nanu said. “It took me some days until I was able to get my own Z-move right.”

“Oh, can you teach us your Z-move, too?” Hunter asked. Both he and Gracie gave hopeful expressions, but already Nanu shook his head and raised his arm.

“Black Hole Eclipse is too advanced for you kids! I would wait at least another year or so before attempting it.”

“Uncle Nanu’s right,” Acerola said when Hunter and Gracie pouted at his response. “I tried that Z-move during my island challenge and I almost got caught in that black hole! Don’t worry, it won’t be long until you guys can use it!”

Grimsley’s face perked at the mention of Black Hole Eclipse. He was very interested in learning that Z-move, but knew Nanu wouldn’t let him if he didn’t want to battle him. He pushed that thought off for now and cleared his throat.

“Do any of you happen to have lost something to the Murkrow here?”

Nanu quirked an eyebrow at him. “Not really, but I have a Honchrow that sometimes bring back a shiny bottlecap or the like. Did that happen to you?”

“A few Murkrow got his ring while we were outside,” Becky said. “We’re wondering if either of you would know where they went.”

Tapping her chin, Acerola looked up at the ceiling deep in thought. “Actually, I do see Murkrow hang out at the Thrifty Megamart sometimes.”

“The same one we visited a couple days ago?” Grimsley asked, and she nodded.

“Ah huh! I often go there to do some preparations and see that Mimikins’s doing okay.”

Immediately Grimsley’s face twisted into a disgusted look. She did talk about a large Mimikyu earlier this morning and he hadn’t like the sound of that. “So there’s a chance I might run into that Pokémon.”

“Maybe, but as long as you don’t disturb her you should be good. I can come to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

An impish grin pulled on the corners of Nanu’s mouth. “You scared of some Mimikyu coming behind you?”

“No!” Grimsley said defensively. He crossed his arms and looked away for a second. “I rather not deal with it, that’s all.”

“Well in either case that’s where we should go,” Becky said. “Acerola coming with us will be a big help.”

“Does this mean the kahuna man will watch us while you’re away?” Hunter asked, and Nanu’s eyes went wide.

“Ah huh!” Acerola said with an enthusiastic nod. She looked up at Nanu. “You’ll take good care of them, right?”

An annoyed look crossed Nanu’s face, but then he sighed. “Seems I have no choice.”

“Okay, great!” Acerola cheered and clapped her hands.

Besides dealing with the Murkrow once more and the possibility of meeting an overgrown Mimikyu, Grimsley would be reminded of his meeting with Colress a few days ago. The thought of going back there made his skin crawl.

Acerola told everyone that they would be back in a few hours and he followed her and Becky outside. He hoped that they would be able to find the ring there.

Xxx

Becky took Grimsley and Acerola to the Thrifty Megamart once more. As soon as everyone got out of the jeep, he tensed upon seeing the ruined building once more. It was already in such a poor state outside, so inside would be even much worse.

This was where he talked with Colress not that long ago. To think he would cross paths with him in this very region. His hands grew clammy as he tried to push that thought away.

“I found them!” Acerola shouted, and he and Becky turned to see the three Murkrow fairly close to the entrance. When the birds spotted them, they cawed angrily at them and flew inside one of the cracked windows above.

A lump formed inside Grimsley’s throat. “Do we have to go in?”

“We do if we want to get your ring back,” Acerola said with a grin, her hands behind her back. Becky gave him a funny look.

Grimsley stared at them and sighed in irritation. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

He, Becky, and Acerola stepped inside, and it was as bad as he imagined. Several boxes and carts, some of them with toys, were left behind. Torn flyers and shattered glass scattered all over the floor. As they slowly made their way through the store, dusty shelves sometimes would block their path and it was fairly dark to see.

“Man oh man, can’t believe you have this sad place for your trial site,” Grimsley said when they squeezed themselves through another few shelves.

“This is my first time coming in here,” Becky said as she glanced around. “When I was younger my friends and I would hear stories of real ghosts living here. I thought it was just the older folks scaring us.”

“There’s some truth to it, though,” Acerola said, cracking a smile. “Some of the ghost Pokémon are thought to be souls from humans that passed on. But don’t worry, the ones used for the trial won’t hurt you!”

Grimsley’s lips twitched as he listened in on their conversation. In Johto there was a lot of respect for the souls of the deceased and heavy warnings to not disturb their graves. The night after his father had passed away, his mother set aside his picture and incense on the corner of the living room and whispered a prayer for the legendary Ho-Oh to carry his soul to a better place. He looked down to see no ring on his finger and his frown deepened.

They continued to move a few more minutes. When a loud crash was heard, everyone stopped and saw carts and boxes being thrown in the air. Grimsley and Becky flinched while Acerola pouted.

“All right you guys, that’s enough!”

Upon being screamed at, a Shuppet and a Haunter appeared. Both Pokémon glared at one another.

“You know those two?” Grimsley asked, blinking in confusion.

“Yeah. They don’t get along all that well and I often have to stop them from fighti--ahhh!”

Before Acerola could finish, she dodged an incoming box being thrown at her direction and the ghost Pokémon resumed throwing objects like catapults.

“Um, do you want me to help you calm them down?” Becky asked.

Acerola let out a deep breath and nodded. “That would be appreciated! Grimsley, you go find the Murkrow while Becky and I deal with those ghosts.”

Grimsley made an acknowledging grunt, and left Acerola and Becky to confront the ghosts. While moving he could hear Acerola arguing with Shuppet and Haunter from behind, but he didn’t pay particular attention as to why that fight had occured. Eventually he stopped when he saw a room and stepped inside.

He found himself to be inside what would be the store’s backroom. It was mostly bleak and empty except for the several pictures and drawings of Pikachu on the walls. Several caw sounds were made, and Grimsley whirled around to see the three Murkrow near a pile of trinkets. One of the birds held a golden ring on its beak while the other two fought over a bracelet. He needed to approach them with caution, so Grimsley took a couple steps forward and waved at them.

“Hello, there! It seems that you have stole something very important to me.”

The two Murkrow that were fighting earlier stopped and dropped the bracelet. The other Murkrow still had the ring on its beak. All three birds titled their heads and stared blankly at him. Grimsley gave them an icy glare.

“I know you guys love shiny things, but that ring isn’t yours to keep. If you would return it back to me, that would be appreciated.”

After a few seconds had passed, the Murkrow cawed in laughter and flapped their wings. With a scowl, Grimsley stepped forward and pointed his finger at the birds.

“Now listen here you little thieves! Either you return my ring right now or I’ll have my Pokemon hurt you once more!”

While he spoke, the Murkrow glared and looked as if they weren’t going to listen to him. Shortly after, their expressions changed to panic and launched themselves in the air, flying towards the door’s exit. Grimsley blinked in confusion but noticed his ring had been left behind. He picked it up and put it on his finger.

“Looks like my threat worked,” Grimsley said with a proud grin. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and when he whirled around he froze.

In front of him was a large sized Mimikyu. It--no, “she” Grimsley remembered Acerola referring her as--made sharp hisses and wobbled like an inflated balloon. Two shadowy claws lashed out from underneath her rag, ready to strike. So it wasn’t him but the Pokemon that scared the birds away. Grimsley’s chest tightened in shock.

“You’re Mimikins, right? Acerola has told me a lot about you.”

Mimikins tilted her head and stared at Grimsley for a moment, and nodded.

“I apologize for intruding here, but a few pesky Murkrow stole my ring and I came to get it back. It won’t happen again.”

Mimikins continued to sway back and forth. When she hissed once more, Grimsley shot her a baffled look.

“What is that? I don’t understand.”

Seemed to take offense by that response, Mimikins screeched and made several slashing movements with her claws. Grimsley blinked, but he had an idea what she requested now.

“You want me to battle you?” Already Grimsley shook his head. “I would have to decline. I’m only here to get my ring back, that’s all. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.”

He took a few steps forward, only for Mimikins to skid in front of him and jeered. That made him flinch for a second. More hissing noises came out from her.

While staring at the totem Pokémon, Grimsley bit his lower lip. Mimikins seemed very insistent in wanting to fight with him. He wondered how the young trainers had fared going against this monstrosity; she could be a good challenge.

“A Pokémon like that taking a gamble on me? Fine, I’ll play along!”

Grimsley pulled out a pokéball and released his Liepard. Upon seeing Mimikins, Raz tensed and growled.

“Don’t let that Pikachu wannabe fool you, Raz! Shadow Ball, now!”

Raz shook off her anxiety, giving out a confident scream. A crimson ball was formed in front of her, and she tossed it at her opponent. The attack hit Mimikins’ chest, but she didn’t flinch and her head tilted slightly as if her neck was broken. Both Grimsley and Raz looked on in confusion.

As soon as the Mimikyu whipped out a shadowy claw towards Raz, Grimsley told her to watch out. The cat Pokémon was able to avoid a few instances of that, but Mimikins eventually grabbed her leg and slammed her at a nearby shelf. Raz growled in pain and picked herself up slowly, but otherwise she was fine.

“That Mimikyu’s stronger than I anticipated,” Grimsley said, taken aback by that Pokemon’s strength. A realization occurred to him, and he grinned. “Use that to your advantage with Foul Play!”

Raz turned her face at her trainer and nodded. Mimikins threw her claw at her once more, but she dodged and grabbed her opponent with her jaws and front legs. She flipped the Mimikyu in the air, causing her to hit the ceiling and crash on the floor. Proud of what she had done, Raz held her chin high.

A few seconds passed until Mimikins picked herself up. She let out an urgent growl, as if calling for someone. Sure enough, a Banette popped up from thin air and cackled, which caught Grimsley off guard.

Both ghost Pokémon already let loose their assaults. Mimikins lashed out her claws at Raz, scratching her several times. Banette meanwhile vanished through the floor for a moment and then became visible and punched Raz on the face. Grimsley narrowed his eyes at the opposing Pokémon.

“Well that’s a bit unfair. In that case, I’ll bring in another Pokémon, too!”

Grimsley took out Roulette’s pokéball and released her. After shaking her fur, the Absol turned around and shot Mimikins and Banette a sharp look.

He ordered for Raz to focus on Mimikins while Roulette take care of Banette. Mimikins approached Raz and about to use her wooden tail at her, but the feline was able to block the hit with her own shining tail that then caused them to back away.

While that happened, the Banette released several white flames at Roulette, only for her to wave her scythe and set up a rainbow forcefield around her. The Will-O-Wisp bounced off from Roulette’s Magic Coat and hit back at the Banette, burning it in the process. The Banette screeched as small flames began to lick all over its body.

“Great! Iron Tail once more, Raz. Roulette, Night Slash go!”

Before Raz made her move, she readied a pouncing stance and licked her mouth. Her tail glowed and she slammed Mimikins on the face. The Pikachu look-a-like hissed and retaliated by crossing her claws, which lit up a faint green color, and sliced her like a gullentione. Raz gritted her teeth and her legs shook, two deep cuts visible on her body.

Roulette’s scythe turned purple and she slashed at the Banette, leaving a large cut on its body. The marionette winced and its eyes and body glowed. It fired a series of crimson rings at Roulette, and when she got caught in that her eyes grew wide. The Absol kept shaking her head and growled aggressively, as if seeing a disturbing scene in front of her. The Banette held its belly and laughed, then stopped when it got burned once more.

“Whatever you’re seeing isn’t real!” Grimsley yelled out to Roulette. He knew that was Night Shade as he had seen Shuantal used it on her opponents on occasion. Not as deadly as the move Nightmare, but still a concern for him if not handled quickly. “Shake it off and fight back!”

Upon hearing her trainer’s voice, Roulette stopped thrashing around and barked. She leapt onto her opponent and sunk her jaws onto its stomach. The Banette screamed and struggled to get out from her grip. A moment later, Roulette tossed her opponent like a yarn ball and the Banette collided onto a cart. The ghost Pokémon was about to prepare a small Shadow Ball between its hands, only for the flames finally taking a toll on its body. It dived and sunk through the floor, disappeared just like that.

Roulette’s expression switched from grinning in satisfaction to horror when she turned around and noticed Raz visibly tired from her fight with Mimikins. The Absol howled, rammed onto the Mimikyu with great speed, so fast she almost became a blur, and left a large gash on her disguise. Just as Roulette approached Raz’s side, Mimikins screeched and dark vapors poured from her. She swung her tail at them and they flew in the air and crashed on the floor; the force of that attack caused her to recoil and scream in pain. While seeing all of this, Grimsley’s eyes grew wide.

Both of his Pokemon slowly picked themselves up, breathing heavily and their legs trembling. Mimikins didn’t wait for them to recover as she went and jumped in the air, and that caused Grimsley to yell at them to get out of the way. Roulette was able to leap out of the way while Raz struggled to move and got pounced by Mimikins. Thick white smoke exploded and obscured Grimsley’s vision, Raz’s growls tugging at his chest. When the smoke faded, Raz collapsed and lied on the ground.

“Raz!” Grimsley rushed to Raz’s side and let her head rest on his lap. Beside him, Roulette looked down and whined. “You deserve a good rest,” he said with a sad smile and returned her into her pokéball.

Mimikins hissed and waved her claws around, more dark mist surrounding her body. Grimsley’s face tensed and he faced Roulette.

“All right, it’s all up to you now. Think you can handle it?”

Already Roulette gave him a determined look and barked. A pleased smile touched Grimsley’s lips.

“Good, now go and grab that ragdoll like you did with that Banette!”

Mimikins stretched her claws out and tried to grab Roulette, but she was able to dodge her assaults and leaped on top of her. She sank her teeth onto the Mimikyu’s head, causing her to screech and trash around. Roulette hung onto Mimikins, like a trainer on a Rapidash, until she grabbed her with her claws and threw her away.

As soon as Roulette got herself back up, Mimikins’ claws lit up a green color and she made a large gash on her side that caused the Absol to howl in pain. She countered by having her scythe lit up and left another deep cut onto Mimikins’ rags. The Mimikyu hissed and backed away.

Roulette snarled and followed up by having one of her paws be surrounded by dark vapors and slashed Mimikins with her claws, tearing another piece of the ghost type’s clothing. Mimikins screamed and lashed her own claw onto Roulette, only for the Absol to block the attack with her own. After a short struggle with them pushing their claws at one another, Mimikins let go and smacked Roulette’s face with her tail. Roulette yelped and took deep breaths, as a large bruise appeared where she was hit. Like last time, the Mimikyu recoiled and cried in distress. Realizing the totem Pokémon was close to collapsing, Grimsley grinned and stretched out his arm dramatically.

“Finish this right now!”

His Pokémon barked and rushed at Mimikins with a high burst of speed. She slammed onto the Mimikyu, her scythe going through Mimikins’ clothing. Mimikins gave out strangled noises and crashed on the floor. When her opponent didn’t get up, Roulette winced but grinned and held her chin high. Grimsley wiped his forehead and sighed in relief.

“You and Raz are marvelous,” he told his Pokémon, scratching her chin. Roulette gave a joyful bark and rubbed her cheek against his hand.

After he finished petting her, Grimsley noticed that Mimikins wasn’t in the room anymore. He assumed she vanished like any other ghost Pokémon, so he grunted and mentioned to Roulette that he would heal her and Raz back in Aether House. He returned Roulette in her pokéball and left the room.

Still inside the abandoned supermarket, Grimsley had tried to find Becky and Acerola the last few minutes. Fortunately they caught him first near the store’s exit.

“There you are!” Acerola yelled as she and Becky rushed at him. “After dealing with the ghost Pokémon, we tried to find you.”

“Well I managed to find the Murkrow and got my ring back. After that, I stumbled upon Mimikins and she wanted me to battle her.”

Acerola’s mouth dropped and her hand close to her face. “Really? Oh dear, I could’ve prevented that from happening!”

“You’re right that she’s a tough foe, but the battle was a good experience as to how your region’s trials work. Now that I have my ring back, it’s time that we leave this wretched pl--”

Before Grimsley could finish, he screamed when Mimikins reappeared behind the ladies. Becky jumped while Acerola giggled.

“Hi, Mimikins!” Acerola greeted, waving at her. “How are you doing?”

Mimikins made clicking noises while swinging back and forth. Acerola grinned and nodded.

“Oh, you mean Grimsley? He just told me you two had a battle!”

Grimsley shot Acerola a funny look. “You can understand what she’s saying?”

Acerola nodded. “I can talk to ghost Pokemon since I was little. My father and many of my ancestors were able to also.”

“Really? Huh, sounds like the royal family is more interesting than I anticipated.”

“Acerola talks about Mimikins a lot, but this is the first time I’m seeing her myself,” Becky said.

Mimikins continued to sway back and forth. When she hissed once more, Acerola listened what she was saying and she gasped.

“Mimikins wants to give you something before you leave.”

Before he could respond, Mimikins approached him and dropped a small crystal on his palm. He and Becky shared baffled looks.

“Is this a Z-crystal?”

Acerola beamed and nodded. “A Ghostium-Z to be specific!”

With a small frown, Grimsley shook his head. “I can’t have this. I’m not taking part in the island challenge.”

Mimikins spoke again, and he waited until Acerola translated it for him.

“Mimikins says you’re a nice change from the kids she has battled, and wants to give it to you as a thanks!”

Like how gym leaders would give badges to the winning trainers taking the Pokémon League, Grimsley believed the Z-crystal should be given to the trainers participating in the island challenge. On the other hand, this was a good opportunity to try out Z-moves and perhaps have Nanu take him seriously and battle him. He would keep it for now, maybe give it to Shauntal as a souvenir like he promised her. He gave Acerola a firm nod.

“All right, I’ll accept this,” he said, and that made Acerola cheer. Grimsley slipped the crystal inside his kimono. “Since I have a Z-crystal, you think this will convince Nanu to battle me?”

“Maybe! We should go show it to him right now!” Acerola faced Mimikins and patted her. “My friends and I have to leave now, but I’ll come back to see you soon!”

Mimikins sounded upset at first, but then she nuzzled herself against Acerola, causing her to giggle.

“Congratulations on getting it!” Becky said to Grimsley, grinning. He smiled back.

The large Mimikyu waved goodbye to everyone with her shadowy claw. Everyone did the same to her, and they left the store.

Outside the sunlight hit Grimsley’s eyes and face, but he was grateful for that after being stuck inside for a while. As they headed back to the jeep, he thought about those posters in the backroom and it bothered him once more.

“Say Acerola, do you know anything about Mimikins having posters of Pikachu?”

Both Becky and Acerola stopped and they gave him odd looks.

“Huh? What you mean?” Acerola asked.

“The ones in the backdoor. There were many posters of that Pokémon on the wall.”

“That’s not possible, because there isn’t another room on the back of the store!” Acerola beamed at Grimsley, her hands on her hips. “For a dark type trainer, you’ve to come up with something better than that!”

“Maybe one of the ghost Pokémon created that backdoor,” Becky said, though she didn’t sound too sure herself.

“I know there are Pokémon that could pull off small illusions, but a whole room sounds a bit of a stretch,” Acerola said. Right after, she shivered. “Brrr, I feel like I’m getting chicken skin. Let’s hurry up to the jeep and get back home!”

Acerola walked a few steps ahead of them with he and Becky followed suit. Grimsley gave the building one last look and winced. The sooner they leave, the better.

xxx

As he got older Nanu hated babysitting more and more. He didn’t mind watching over Acerola when she was younger, annoying as she was, but any other children and his head would explode. And this afternoon he was stuck watching over the two Aether House rascals.

“Can we play with your cat?” Gracie asked. She leaned closer toward Nanu, who was sitting on the couch.

“For the fourth time, no.” Nanu rested his elbow on the armchair, his palm pressing his cheek. Persian was curled up on the floor and glanced up for a second. “Now let me and Persian get back to our naps.”

“I’ll only just pet her a little bit!” Hunter said. Before Nanu could respond, the boy dropped on his knees and cupped Persian’s cheeks. Gracie too approached her by giving her a tight hug. The feline growled uncomfortably.

“Hey, stop that!” Nanu already got up and pulled his Pokemon away from the children. Persian glared at them. “How many times did I have to tell you? Her head is not a toy!”

“Aw, but her fur is soft and face is fluffy!” Gracie said. Behind her, Hunter nodded in agreement.

“You kids already have Pokemon you’re taking care of. You should know better than to do that to ones not your own.”

Both children hung their heads and their shoulders slumped. Hunter then said, “Fine we won’t do it again.”

“Good. Now go play somewhere else. Maybe the Oranguru there would like some company.”

“You mean Headmaster? Okay!” Gracie said, and then she and Hunter ran off to the Oranguru at the receptionist desk.

Nanu sighed and rubbed his temple. He sat back down and watched as the Oranguru drummed his chest and lifted the children up onto his shoulder, much to their delight. Someone then stepped inside, and Nanu shifted his head to see Professor Kukui approaching him.

“Hey, Nanu!” Kukui said with a grin and waved at him. When he saw Nanu with the children, his eyes went wide. “Oh, did I interrupt anything?”

“Nah you didn’t. I’m just babysitting these rascals right now,” Nanu said, scratching the back of his head.

Gracie and Hunter noticed Kukui here, so they jumped off the Oranguru’s shoulders and hurried toward the two men.

“Alola!” both Gracie and Hunter cheered. They moved their arms like a rainbow sign.

“Alola to you, too!” Kukui said and greeted the same way. “I’m Professor Kukui, a researcher from Melemele Island. And who you guys might be?”

“I’m Hunter, and she’s Gracie!” Hunter said. “We both want to become trainers and take on the island challenge when we get older!”

Kukui chuckled. “That’s a tough but awesome goal to strive for. I wish you the best of luck!” He dropped halfway to his knees to be at their level. “I take it you two live here?”

Both children nodded, then Gracie said, “Aether House is our home!”

Kukui glanced around for a second and whistled. “This is some fancy living space you got here, yeah! The Aether Foundation sure went all out.”

Nanu rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. “Went all out” was an understatement. This building, the employees, the headquarters, and even the Ultra Squad he encountered a few days ago. Everything about the Aether Foundation was too white, too bright, too pristine. Maybe it was the dark-type trainer side of him talking, but he didn’t like that at all.

There was a loud beastly grunt, and Nanu turned around to see the Oranguru pointing to one of the rooms. Terrified looks struck the children’s faces.

“Ah oh, looks like Headmaster wants us to clean our room now,” Hunter said. He faced back to Kukui and beamed. “Nice talking to you, though!”

“Same here, cousin!” Kukui said, grinning. “We can talk more next time if you like!”

The children cheerfully said goodbye to Kukui and rushed to their room. Kukui let out a blissful sigh and sat down on another couch across from Nanu.

“They seem like sweet children, yeah?”

Nanu snorted and shook his head. “You think so? Earlier they tried to play with Persian’s head and that made her angry.”

His Persian growled in disgust, as if responding, “Yes, that had happened.” Kukui chuckled.

“Hopefully they learned to not do that next time.”

“Same here.” Nanu then asked, “What brings you here to this miserable place?”

“Well, first, there is construction going on over in Mount Lanakila because of the new Pokémon League being formed.”

“The Pokémon League, you mean with the gym leaders and Elite Four?” Nanu asked, and Kukui nodded.

“Like that, but without the gym leaders. The island challenge will still be here, and the League will be similar to our region’s kahuna gauntlet that was usually the final test.” Kukui leaned back against the couch, his grin widening. “I’m rounding out our strongest trainers for the Elite Four, and so far Molyne and Olivia agreed to it! Our former Island Champion Kahili is coming here to help too, woo!”

“How about Hala? Did you ask him?”

“I did, but he declined also. He didn’t want to get too distracted from his kahuna duties.”

Nanu gave him a long stare. “Let me guess, you’re gonna ask me if I want to join as an Elite Four. If so, then I’ll have to reject your offer.”

“Oh, but why?” Kukui asked, his eyes blinking in confusion.

As he rose out from the couch, Nanu crossed his arms and squeezed his eyes shut. “I had no choice in the matter when I was chosen as the kahuna of this island, so I’m not gonna let you force me into more responsibilities I’m not interested in.”

Kukui regard him in silence, then he offered him a supportive smile. “Well, it’s awesome that you were honest with me there. No need to worry, yeah! However, if you can think of someone who should take your place as the Elite Four, then let me know, all right?”

“Sure, I’ll let you know if I think of someone,” Nanu said, his lips twitching. Even if he wasn’t interested in those high profile trainers, he would still choose one carefully. “Speaking of the Elite Four, not sure if you’ve heard but we have one visiting now.”

Kukui’s face lit up. “Yeah? And who might that be?”

“Grimsley from Unova’s Elite Four. I recently gave him a tour to the Ruins of Abundance, and he wants me to battle him.”

“Really?” Kukui grinned and chuckled. “He’s a dark type trainer like you, yeah? Perhaps battling him will be a good Power Trip experience!”

Nanu cringed at that move pun and grunted. “I initially declined, but something tells me he’ll keep persisting. We’ll see if I later change my mind.”

“Hey everyone, we’re baaack!” Acerola yelled out all of a sudden. She, Becky, and Grimsley entered the lobby.

“Oh good, you guys are back,” Nanu said in a bored voice. “Professor Kukui’s here now.”

“Alola, Professor!” Becky said. “I’m Becky, one of the employees here.”

“That’s great!” Kukui said, smiling. “Well nice to meet you, cousin!”

“Professor Kukui?” Acerola looked toward where Professor Kukui was and gasped. “Oh my gosh, long time no see!”

“Indeed it has, Acerola!” Kukui flashed her a wide grin. “You’re as bright as always, like a Dazzling Gleam!”

“Why thank you! I always try to keep a positive attitude, especially with me being a trial captain.” Acerola glanced around and asked, “Huh, where are Gracie and Hunter?”

“The Oranguru wanted them to clean their room,” Nanu said and shrugged. “Guess the kids respected him enough to do just that.”

“Yes, they love Headmaster very much,” Becky said. “I’ll go and check on them now.”

As soon as Becky left, Kukui rose out from his seat and approached Grimsley. He smiled and pulled out his hand in front of him.

“And you must be Grimsley, Unova’s Elite Four! Welcome to Alola, cousin!”

“An Alola to you, too,” Grimsley said and shook Kukui’s hand. “So you’re a Pokemon Professor, hm? What’s your main study?”

Kukui’s grin grew larger. “I specialize in Pokémon moves! Nothing gets my blood pumping more than two Pokemon battling all out, woo!”

“Pokémon moves? My, that sounds fascinating,” Grimsley said, sounding interested.

After waiting for them to finish introducing themselves, Nanu asked Grimsley, “So did you managed to get your ring back?”

“Yes, I have. I didn’t have to fight against the Murkrow again for it, but the totem Mimikyu didn’t want me to leave, and so I battled her.”

“He did!” Acerola said and nodded. “After the battle, Mimikins gave him a Ghostium-Z as thanks!”

Nanu raised his brow, his face pulling in a shocked expression. “Hold up, that Mimikyu gave you a Z-crystal?”

Grimsley seemed hesitant at first as he glanced at Acerola, who beamed and gave him a thumbs up. He showed Nanu on his palm a small dark purple crystal that gleamed like a star. The corner of Nanu’s lips twitched and he placed his hands on his sides. Kukui approached behind him and whistled.

“Well, I’ll be!” Kukui said. “It’s not often a Pokemon gives you a Z-crystal. Doesn’t the Kommo-o totem often give them out?”

“He does, but not as often as you think. Even when using a Ride Pokémon, it’s still a pain to get there.” Due to the trial in Vast Poni Canyon not having a captain, Nanu was the one to make sure the trial goers didn’t get eaten by the totem Pokémon or anything else that might go wrong. At least he didn’t have to make the trip to Poni Island all that much.

“Since Grimsley has a Z-crystal now, perhaps that’ll convince you to battle him!” Acerola said with a grin, and that made Nanu’s eyes grow wide.

“What?” he asked, an edge in his voice, and glared at Grimsley. “So all of that was a ploy to battle me?”

Both Kukui and Acerola flinched upon witnessing that reaction. Grimsley didn’t tense, but a frown did tug at his lips and forehead.

“I did admit to wondering about a way to battle you, but going to the Thrifty Megamart wasn’t my initial plan. I genuinely just wanted to get my ring back.”

Nanu continued to furrow his brow at him. A part of him wanted to yell at him to get off the island and never come back, but for some reason he didn’t have the heart to do that. He dragged out a deep sigh.

“I’m still not going to battle you, but you can keep that Z-crystal. That can be a souvenir at least.”

“Right, that is fair.” Grimsley’s voice was firm, only for him to lower his head and broke eye contact from him. Nanu already expected him to be a little disappointed there.

Acerola made a disapproved hum, but then she faced Kukui and smiled. “Oh, I wanted to ask Professor, how’s the forming of the Pokémon League going?”

“It’s going great, yeah! Right now I’m recruiting some folks to be the Elite Four, but Nanu here declined the offer.”

Acerola gasped and she turned toward Nanu. “Really? But why?”

“This was before you guys came here, but I told Kukui that I couldn’t refuse Tapu Bulu choosing me as kahuna. And I’ll be darned if I’m forced into the Elite Four in because some guy asked me to.”

A disappointed look crossed Acerola’s features. “Aw, that’s too bad. I think you would’ve been a great Elite Four!”

Nanu’s face twisted into a grimace. That girl was always over optimistic, bless the tapus.

“Wait, you’re the one establishing this region’s Pokémon League?” Grimsley asked Kukui.

“That’s right! I want to show the world Alolan trainers are just as great as trainers from other regions, and thought a Pokémon League is a perfect opportunity to do so. In fact, since you’re from the Elite Four, I was wondering if you’re up with giving me and the Elite Four a few pointers on what it’s like to be in the League.”

Grimsley pressed his lips and scratched his chin, looking to take his request seriously. Shortly after, he gave Kukui a small smile. “I see no harm in doing that. All right, I’ll do it.”

“Awesome! If you like I can show you the construction site at Mount Lanakila and introduce you to my chosen trainers.”

“I would like that, thank you,” Grimsley said with a nod.

Nanu folded his arms against his chest and watched their exchange. When they finished, he gazed down at Persian and scratched her cheek.

“Well, I think it’s about time I head back to Po Town. The Meowth there probably finished eating the food I left them and are waiting for me.”

Both Kukui and Acerola reacted normally while Grimsley gave Nanu a blank stare. His reaction there also didn’t surprise him.

“Oh, okay!” Acerola said, beaming. “Thanks for taking me and Grimsley to the Ruins of Abundance! I’ll come visit you again soon!”

“Indeed I appreciate you showing me that sacred place,” Grimsley said with a genuine smile. “Hopefully we can meet again soon.”

“You have a safe trip, yeah!” Kukui said.

Nanu turned around and did a lazy goodbye wave without facing anyone. After he and Persian stepped outside, he glanced at the building and grunted.

He felt this wouldn’t be the last time he saw Grimsley.

Hoo doggy, this was a long one. I'm just going to start off by saying that I honestly think the point where Grimsley's ring was swiped would've made for a decent stopping and splitting point. Then you could've had a second chapter focused solely on the "trial" Grimsley went through to get it back. As it is, it does strike me as a little bit out of place, given the rest of the chapter has a bit of a slice of life feel. It's not a huge deal or anything, but perhaps in the future you might want to keep that in mind if you're getting frustrated with longer chapters.

But the actual content of this chapter is solid. I can't really go on a long spiel about it, but I think Nanu's nightmare was handled very well given the really vague summary we get in the SM postgame. Packed a good emotional punch and the static elements gave it that suitable creepy slasher/horror vibe... which is perfect for grizzly, UB-related trauma. And I think the follow-up with Nanu have a bit of a freakout moment was good as well. My only gripes with this opening content came from two smaller moments. The first being that, when Grimsley's talking to his mom, you take a moment to give a paragraph of exposition about his dad and the origins of the ring. I don't think it's necessary at all, since in the next scene with Becky, he explains the ring. This second version feels much more natural, since it's a part of the conversation. The first time it's introduced feels shoehorned in. I also have a similar problem with Becky's confession as I did with the original version of chapter 4: it kind of feels like it's just casually being dropped out of nowhere. Becky doesn't have any reasons to distrust Grimsley, but she put that secret out there very quickly and it did catch me off guard.

Like oyster said, the battle was great. Mimikins never overwhelmed Grimsley, but just took a lot of smaller hits from neutral attacks before she finally gave up. Grimsley never seemed to completely panic and held his cool through most of the fight. I liked the choreography, especially the grabbing Roulette did with his mouth. If I had to fault anything, I'd say you're a bit too eager to use numerous epithets for Mimikins. Likewise, since Banette (and Oranguru in the slice of life scenes) are the only members of their species in their respective scenes, having the narration refer to Banette as "The Banette" and the characters talk about Oranguru as "The Organguru" read awkwardly for me.

All that aside, nice work and congrats on getting this out! ^^

(Chapter 2)

Looks like I was right about the titles. I like it.

Nice shout-outs with the movies. And there’s the kimono! I had a feeling you’d cover how he got it, and even though I was wrong about him getting it in Malie City, we still got to see him buy it.

I didn’t expect the Battle Buffet, and I notice you introduced a new trainer to act as his opponent instead of using one of the existing ones. I like Grimsley’s manner during the battle.

Oh, this is interesting, that he has two Pokemon instead of just one. This and the way you use the environment are good ways to spice up the battle. That young couple who had their meal interrupted probably wish that the battle area was somewhere separate.

Oh, a note of how his hair has been graying. I didn’t think for a moment that you’d cover that, too, so it’s pretty neat. I guess this is the Ronald who appears in the Battle Buffet in the games? Grimsley’s thoughts about his meal gave me a smile.

Grimsley spending time talking to Ricky was nice. It was pleasant to see his generous side, and him taking actions to help a younger trainer that would hopefully be something Elite Four members would do.

That was a rather dark glimpse into Grimsley’s psyche at the cemetery, but I think it was fitting.

Wow, Grimsley really dealt with those Team Skull members effectively, didn’t he? Bringing Ronald back is a nice touch to keep continuity in the chapter.

While reading over the next part I did stop and begin to think that the description could be a bit clearer, so please try to work on that.

That’s an interesting way to introduce Nanu to Grimsley’s awareness for the first time. It makes me think that maybe there is a connection between Nanu and Ronald, too. Why would Grimsley’s stomach drop, though? Usually that’s a reaction to bad news, but he seems to treat it as good news.

Ah, Dice is really cute.

It’s nice to see Grimsley’s mother. I do think that the conversation about the weather could be a little smoother – they first say that Alola’s weather is ‘slightly warmer’ than Unova’s but then the subsequent discussion makes it sound much warmer.

I didn’t expect the appearance of an Ultra Wormhole. It seems like a major event that Grimsley’s mother would want to hear more about, but it does raise some new possibilities for where the story can go. Did a UB come through it? If so, which one? It will be interesting to find out.