A Little Adventure in Alola

Chapter 3
-
Chaotic Team Up - Pt.1

<Nica, Nica? Where are you!?> Ace shouted as he surfed with all the speed he could muster, rounding Akala Island. By following the course of his sister’s flight, he could tell that she was shot over Konikoni City which was located at the south part of Akala, falling somewhere in the sea next to Ula’ula island.

I know the islands of Alola are rather close to each other, but come on! It’s like she got shot from a battleship or something, Ace thought, whimpering as his search seemed to be turning up empty-pawed. While his sister’s landing would be softened by the deep water, it would be up to what strength she had left to keep herself from drowning, assuming she hadn’t lost consciousness yet. Maybe some friendly water pokemon helped her out… Oh please, let her not encounter some nasty Carvanha or Sharpedo!

Ace grit his teeth and closed one eye for a moment, feeling an unpleasant headache blooming to life. His rear legs trembled under the stress of keeping his body upright. Was he getting heavier? Or was it the fault of his aching muscles and stressed mind? One thing was certain, his body had been pushed over its limit by the extreme force of his ultimate attack.

He didn’t dare to slow down despite having such little stamina, using the nearby waves to his advantage. During his frequent visits in Alola, he more than once was challenged by Mantine surfing trainers, a sport he enjoyed and even dominated at one point. This time however his surfing speed would determine the life of his sister.

<Please, Nica, don’t drown…> he whispered, nearing the spot where his sister most likely fell. His heartbeat pounded against his chest, echoing in his ears as he frantically searched for any sign of Nica. He dived underwater, taking a quick peek at the bottom, yet his sister was nowhere to be seen. The moment he flew back to the surface, something orange and blue caught his attention. <Nica…?> As he surfed closer, the image became clearer than before. What was once a blurry blob became his sister lying atop a large, blue creature. Actually, it seemed more like a large number of tiny creatures smudged together, forming one massive beast.

White, long, blue back, able to merge together, Ace recited to himself, watching the creature before him. Must be Wishiwashi. He floated closer, trying to catch up with the merged pokemon. <Wait!> He passed the large creature, now levitating in front of it.

Ace covered his face with his right forepaw as a strong roar flapped his big ears, pushing him slightly away. <You saved my sister from drowning, thank you! Thank you so much!> he shouted before lowering his forepaw, and then looked into holes with one Wishiwashi in each, which most likely were meant to imitate two big eyes. His eyes sparkled as he stared at the creature with a look of pure joy.

Ace listened to at least hundred of voices as tears of joy fell down his cheeks. He smiled widely, spread his forepaws and levitated towards the tip of the schooled Wishiwashi’s nose, embracing it in a hug. He nuzzled it with his nose while careful not to touch it with the dots on his cheeks. <Thank you, thank you, I owe you all a big time…> The stress that was consuming him released, and he sighed as he was allowed himself a moment to pause and untense his aching muscles.

He released the large pokemon before levitating onto its back in panic, now checking on his sister. While Nica looked as if finishing her usual all-out training routine… maybe a bit more creased and burned though, he couldn’t see even tiniest movements of her belly. He pressed his ear against Nica’s fluffy belly, not hearing her heartbeat or breathing.

<N-n-no!> Ace stepped from his tail, now balancing himself on the large pokemon. Using his tail, he tilted Nica’s head back slightly. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his mouth against hers, sending air into her lungs. After giving his sister two big portions of fresh air, he placed his trembling forepaws on her fluffy chest, pressing against it. <One, two, three, four, five, six…> Ace chanted as he followed the standard procedure. His eyes began watering, filing with tears.

He raised Nica’s head again to deliver more air into her throat. <After everything you have endured, don’t you dare to give up now!> He placed his forepaws on her chest again, pressing against it repeatedly as water started to stream from Nica’s mouth. <You can’t die! The water I love to explore and play in so much can’t take your live, I won’t allow it!>

Ace’s body trembled as he felt a chill go through his bones. He looked around in shock, searching for the dark/water pokemon. <D-don’t panic.> He quickly delivered another portion of air into his sister’s throat, causing her to cough up water mixed with blood before gasping for air.

Ace didn’t dare to celebrate as his attention shifted towards the aggressors. <Just swim to the shore, I’ll cover you!> he shouted, his voice lacking confidence. His relationship with Sharpedo was odd, where his electricity gave him an advantage against the water pokemon, but its dark typing left his psychic side at a major disadvantage. They both had an offensive advantage against each other, but with how aggressive Sharpedo were, he didn’t want to take any chances, especially with Nica’s life on the line.

Upon seeing the water spread around five speeding pokemon, he grit his teeth and clenched his forepaws, unleashing bolts of electricity against the attackers. He frowned as the raw power of his ‘Thunderbolt’ seemed to be only a third of what he was normally capable of.

Ace bit his bottom lip before leaping onto his tail and grabbing Nica with his forepaws, preventing her from falling into the sea as the schooled Wishiwashi split. He darted towards the side, watching as the Wishiwashi scattered and created a quick distraction, momentarily confusing the Sharpedos. His sister coughed, casting more blood into the ocean and onto his tail. He pressed his ear against her belly, confirming her weak, but still beating heartbeat.

<Damn, damn, damn!> Ace shouted as he sped up and surfed towards the numerous rocks near the coast, hoping they would stop his pursuers. His face was sweating like a fountain as his and his sister’s life were on the line. Not only was his injured and exhausted sister struggling to breathe, but her condition was anything but stable. My sister may be insanely durable, but even she has her limits. I fear one powerful attack or another drowning situation may be enough to end her life.

He looked over his shoulder at his pursuers as three out of the five Sharpedo decided to feast on him and Nica instead of the Wishiwashi. He attacked with another ‘Thunderbolt,’ trying to slow down his pursuers by targeting the surface of the water. Two Sharpedo jumped over his electricity, using ‘Aqua Jet’ to charge at him.

Ace zipped to the side, evading one of the attackers. The other one however successfully struck his back while pushing him at the nearby rock. He threw his sister up before his head, belly and limbs sank into the stone, causing a few cracks to spread from the impacted area.

Nica landed on top of the rock, now laying flat on it as a few drops of blood fell from her mouth onto the stone.

<While I eat you,> another one said before opening his jaw as his teeth shined, reflecting rays of the sun, only for dark aura to surround them.

Ace pressed his aching forepaws and rear legs against the stone, pushing against it. His struggle ended the moment he felt teeth sink into his backside. He screamed in pain while unleashing ‘Thunderbolt,’ destroying half of the stone while pushing the Sharpedo away.

He climbed up the rock’s leftovers and looked at Nica with watering eyes. <’Bite’ and ‘Crunch’ moves…> he gulped, <hate them so much!>

<Sharing is caring,> the other Shadpedo chanted, casting a snarky grin, before jumping from the water.

Ace grabbed Nica and quickly surfed away while a ‘why me’ was drawn onto his terrified face. Those Sharpedo are a literal pain in the ass! Ace thought as he levitated towards the coast, his adrenaline and willpower being the only thing keeping his exhausted self going, yet his pursuers were catching up while smashing any rock that got in the way. He gasped as a pink orb of power flew over his shoulder, catching his attention. Moonblast? One of the Sharpedo chasing him ended up being struck by the pink orb, pushed away several meters from the recoil before falling into the water with a big splash.

Ace looked towards the source of the firm but gentle voice, seeing a long-tailed water/fairy pokemon. Two big white fins supported the pokemon on a rock. Its nose pink, pink star and white pearls decorated the top of its head. <Primarina?>

Primarina looked at the remaining Sharpedo with a smirk. <So… are we going to battle, or…?>

<That’s what I thought,> Primarina said from his spot on the stone as numerous Wishiwashi gathered around, giving their thanks.

Ace joined, levitating towards his savor with Nica perched on the second half of his tail. <Thank you! You saved us!> He spread his arms and levitated over, only to be stopped by Primarina’s fin which pressed against his face.

Ace pushed aside the fin and answered, <Giving you a hug and kiss of gratefulness!>

Ace blushed before withdrawing away from Primarina. <R-right… Hehe, my trainer has a Primarina on her team, yet I still can’t get used to your misleading genders.>

<Well… thanks a lot anyway. If you ever need any favors, I’m in your debt,> Ace said, giving a bow.

<Think nothing of it. I simply like keeping my territory peaceful. That’s all.> Primarina pointed at the injured Raichu. <Still, what happened to your friend? She… she looks terrible. Is she even alive?>

Ace exclaimed, biting his bottom lip before pressing his ears into her belly, just to check on her slowing heartbeat and breathing. He lowered his head and sighed in relief. <She’s alive,> he muttered to himself before raising bis head. <She’s still alive, but barely...>

He gave an exhausted smile. <Long story short, together with my sis and a little heroic Pikachu, we fought against the giant Ultra Beasts that took over the islands. My sister took an insanely large and deadly double ‘Power Whip’ on herself. She won’t last long unless I get her to the Pokemon Center.>

<No time for the full story,> Ace said before turning around. He waved a farewell. <I was here many times before so I know where a Pokemon Center is. Alola and thanks again!>

<Good luck. I wish your sister good health,> Primarina said as the gathered Wishiwashi gave their good wishes as well.

Ace didn’t look back, ignoring the garbled mutters as he now focused on surfing next to the shore while zipping in between sharp rocks. An unpleasant feeling on his back and fear for his sister’s health was weighing on his heart, not leaving him for a moment. If I remember correctly, the closest way to a Pokemon Center is from this part of the shore. We’re finally getting a rejuvenating, well deserved rest. With a hopeful smile, he surfed towards the beach. On the higher ground he could see burned soil and destroyed buildings, yet those weren’t caused recently. If the rumors speaks truth, Tapu sure get destructive when angered. I wonder if the ghost trial has changed recently.

Ace stopped as a group of suspicious individuals jumped in his way. He narrowed his eyes, his attention on big ‘R’ symbol on uniforms the two humans were wearing. The woman’s violet-pink hair was extremely long while the male’s hair was blue.

Ace tilted his head to the side in confusion. I got no time for this stupidity. He shook his head and rounded the criminal clowns, using their distraction with their silly dances to his advantage.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going!” Meowth shouted as he jumped in front of Ace, his claws exposed and sharp. “No one ignores our motto and gets away with it.”

<Agreed,> said a tall, blue balloon-like pokemon with tiny black tail, one he recognized as Wobbuffet.

“Hey, what are you doing? Drop me immediately!” Meowth shouted while waving his paws in aggravation, only to end up pushed against Wobbuffet. Both pokemon crashed into the Team Rocket members, leaving them piled up atop each other.

Ace shook left and right, feeling a heavy fatigue as each use of his moves seemed to put a heavy strain on his body. He shook his head before regaining his balance. He started levitating towards the city once again, only to yelp in surprise as a long shadowy claw blocked his path. He turned to the side his trembling head as his face became pale. <M-Mimikyu…>

He gulped. If those two clowns were the Team Rocket members that Pikachu mentioned, this fairy/ghost type pokemon no doubt had to be the powerhouse that has been repeatedly defeating the little hero.

The female rocket member pushed herself to stand and started stomping repeatedly against the burned grass. “How dare you interrupt our motto!” Her face turned red. “I’m so livid right now! A first class beating will teach you some manners!”

<W-what do you want from me?> Ace asked as he looked between Mimikyu and the woman. He looked at his injured sister in worry. Ensuring her safety was his top priority.

Meowth crossed his arms and spoke in a sharp tone, “We want some answers from you. We just happened to observe Melemele Island with our binoculars, watching the amazing power of our boss’s gigantic experiment, when suddenly some electric pokemon started attacking it.”

The male rocked member clenched his fist and said, “Boss ordered us to keep troublemakers from interfering with his experiment, so we stayed on this island to keep our eyes on Ash and his dweeb friends.” He pointed accusingly at Ace. “But through our binoculars we saw how the gigantic Ultra Beast that was important part to our boss’s master plan was defeated and captured, and then how one of the electric pokemon was shot into the sea nearby.”

Meowth crept forward. “The boss was this close to completing his experiment,” he snarled, holding his paws apart, “and he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling pokemon!”

The female criminal walked with firm strong steps, her cheeks pink. “We had difficulty recognizing which electric pokemon interfered with our boss’s masterpiece, but something tells me that you two had something to do with it.”

<And I am curious if that third pokemon that helped you win… was Ash’s Pikachu,> Mimikyu said before moving his ‘Shadow Claw’ closer to the levitating Raichu, poking his neck. <Now… will you tell me where I can find that strong and cowardly Pikachu, or should I torture the information out of you?>

Ace levitated to the side, now wary of his ghost opponent. <I… I would rather not fight you...>

<Wise. I hold no grudge against you, but anyone who sides with that Pikachu is my enemy. If you help me find him, I’ll not harm you.>

<As if,> Ace scoffed with a shake of his head. No matter how much he wanted to put his head into sand out of fear, he wouldn’t betray his sister’s hero. He gulped, very intimidated by the screech coming from the angered ghost.

“Mimikyu, catch those Raichu! Use ‘Shadow Claw!’” the woman commanded, anger still present in her voice. “And teach him what happens when one ignores our motto.”

<You gotta get over that!> Ace called, before levitating to the side. He evaded the shadowy hand, only for the black sharp claws to change direction and slash his side. He screamed in pain, crashing into the ground with his shoulder while his sister rolled on the grass, leaving a few tiny drops of blood on the green scenery. Using his trembling forepaws, he raised his head. His ears flashed with power before unleashing ‘Psychic’ against the ghost pokemon, who ended up pushed away as his fake head fell to the side. His attack neutralized by a decoy.

“Mimikyu, attack with ‘Shadow Ball! If he resists, make him suffer,” Meowth shouted while pointing his paw.

Ace grit his teeth, attacking with ‘Thunderbolt’ against the incoming ball of destruction. His weak electricity spread around the orb, not even slowing it down.

Ace’s eyes became wide. Another scream of pain followed as explosion pushed him against a tree, his body cutting the tree in half before rubbing against the ground. The earth trembled the moment most of the tree crashed against the soil.

Ace shook his head before climbing onto his tail. His back had bite-marks, his right arm had clear cuts while his belly and face were covered in bruises. He glanced at the water in distance before looking at his opponent. I… I can’t access my strongest arsenal… while away from the water… How am I going to win? He grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes. I may be fully evolved and have strong offensive… but I used nearly everything I had against the giant Ultra Beast. I can’t win like this.

As much as he wanted to deny it, he lacked skills, stamina and durability. Even at full strength, fighting against such a strong Mimikyu would most likely end up in failure due to Mimikyu's type advantage. Exhausted and away from the sea, his defeat was but a matter of time.

“While Mimikyu is capturing the Alolan Raichu, I will simply pick up the regular one,” Meowth said as he approached the unconscious pokemon. He lowered his head and poked the injured Raichu with his paw. “Wow. Is this Raichu even alive? Even Ash’s Pikachu never looked that bad, no matter the beating.” He took a closer look, seeing movements of Nica’s belly and hearing her weak breathing. “Pity we don’t get to capture Ash’s Pikachu for our boss.” He closed his eyes, shrugged and shook his head. “Oh well… You may not be a special Pikachu, but some inferior and beaten Raichu will have to do.”

Ace clenched his forepaws. Nica is anything but inferior… If I’m going to sink with the ship, I’ll sink alone. Using the move ‘Surf,’ he summoned a wave of water before surfing to the very top. He glanced at the buildings in distance, and as he had hoped for, the Pokemon Center was in his view.

“Mimikyu, attack with ‘Shadow Ball!’ Don’t let him escape,” the woman shouted while pointing at him.

Ace’s ears flashed with power as he caught Nica in his silvery aura, levitating her up and towards the city. Too focused on saving his sister, he let the shadow orb strike his belly, falling off his tail and down his wave. With the last bits of concentration he threw Nica into the window of a Pokemon Center before losing her from his sight. He hit the ground with the back of his neck, then bounced onto his belly. A whimper of pain left his closed mouth as his eyes started producing tears.

<You brought this upon yourself,> Mimikyu said as he approached him, seemingly sliding against the ground.

Ace pushed his forepaws against the ground, raising his head as his every muscle rebelled against him, his breathing heavy as drops of sweat fell down his face. He shouted, attacking with ‘Thunderbolt.’ Seeing as his opponent zipped to the right, he altered the course of his attack, hitting Mimikyu with electricity while causing minimal damage. He followed up with a quick ‘Psychic,’ but his ears stopped flashing as he managed to strike with only a tiny fraction of his strength.

This was it, his body was at its limit. The fact that he even remained conscious despite his exhaustion and agony was already a miracle. Never in his life he pushed himself as hard as today, nor experienced this much suffering, but it didn’t matter as long as his sister survived.

Mimikyu screeched before unleashing ‘Play Rough,’ mercilessly striking his body with numerous devastating blows, stacking bruise after bruise atop another.

Ace raised his head with a great struggle, then struggled even more, climbing onto his levitating tail. The moment his forepaws were about to pull the rest of his body, his tail tilted to the side, causing him to fall off. He hit the ground with a dull thud, wincing as the full force of the fall slammed into him. Vision flashing, the nightmarish view of the vicious Mimikyu looming over him the last thing he remembered, before a ‘Shadow Claw’ struck him and made the world turn black.

A Little Adventure in Alola

by CommanderX5

Ch.3 - Chaotic Team Up - Pt.1