//------------------------------//
// Chapter 23- Deserved Rest and Exceptional Night 
// Story: Pokémon Ultra Luna. 
// by Lieral 
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Making physical effort has never been a problem for me. Seriously, I could run a marathon and still fight two rounds of boxing with a pro without the slightest complication or extreme tiredness.

But in return, fighting a Scizor may not have been the smartest of ideas I ever had, (Even if it was not the stupidest idea I have ever come up with either). The many bandages on my arms are an unnecessary reminder of my fight considering the pain I feel in them.And after that I still had the brilliant idea of trying the Water Trial right away, and this trial involved pretty decent leg activity, after all, an 8-meter homicidal whale is not something I fish often.

And now that my blood has cooled I can finally feel the extreme pain and fatigue that day has given me. “I will sleep until tomorrow,” I knocked on the door of my 'rented' hotel room with a tired sigh. I usually like to train at night, and my Pokémon do not usually complain about it either, but today there will definitely be no training at all.

"I'm going," An extremely sweet and familiar voice answered me in her usual reserved manner and shortly afterwards Lillie opened the door to let me in. "Oh, Luna, good to see you! How was your Trial? Got another Z-Crystal? And how ..." She greeted me with a small volley of questions in which she stopped in the middle for some reason, and following her gaze I understood why, I think I will have to calm her before she kills me. “WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR ARMS? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? WAIT, YOU HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AGAIN, DIDN’T YO…”

“Okay, before you take my leather off, know you are a little late. Nurse Joy has given me a lecture hour on this," I interrupted her and gestured for her to let me into the room, and she allowed without much drama. "As for the Trial, we defeat the Totem. It was not easy, I had to take Midnight to the pokemon center urgently, and yes, I know it was stupid to take a Rock type pokemon for a water Trial, but in the end we are all fine. Oh, and friend's advice: Scizors are very hard,"

She stared at me for a few seconds as if trying to process everything I said, but in the end, she just sighed and decided it was best to drop the subject."Well, it's nice to know you won. I think Hau will be the next to arrive then,"

"I think so, but please let the little traitor out for an hour, okay?" I looked around the room. Despite the scowl, the manager kept her part of the deal and gave us a very large room with three beds, one double and two single. "I will take the big one,"

Without the slightest regret I let myself fall heavily on the soft mattress. It looks like this place really isn't the best hotel around for nothing. Just by falling into this bed I can feel the many aches in my body begin to subside. “Pew?”  Apparently others had already decided this bed would be theirs, so little Nebby made a small protest for waking him so abruptly.

“I am sorry little guy, but we deserve a rest too. And I am sorry Lillie, but I think we'll have to share the bed, because it's going to be hard for something to get me out of here," I heard a squeak of surprise and turned my head to face the only other person in the room. For some reason her features were as red as a tomato. What the hell happens I will never know, because honestly, I am not being the one to ask. “Good night,” I close my eyes right here and now.

I am sure it will not take me long to sleep. And shortly after I closed my eyes little Nebby cuddled beside my head and I felt something soft and warm covering me. "Rest well," I heard Lillie's voice next to me after she covered me with the sheet, but what really surprised me was the little fraternal kiss I felt on my cheek ... Well, I guess I will not complain about that either.





‘STUPID, STUPID, STUPID, BAD LILLIE, BAD!’ I screamed at myself inside my head. My face is so hot that I could be a fire-type pokemon, but I know very well it's only because I realized the incomparable and totally unnecessary idiocy I did. Where did this idea of kissing Luna out of nowhere come from? Okay, I know it was just a kiss on the cheek, but she was still awake and well aware.

Luna and Nebby are sleeping comfortably in the double bed. The little troublemaker decided on his own that this would be our bed, and honestly, who am I to complain about it?

Kukui and Hau are about to return from whatever they were doing, so I think I'll soon have company to distract me at night, if they don't sleep as soon as they come, of course, which I definitely won't be able to do now.

As if combined I heard three knocks on the door. I rushed open it and found Professor Kukui's already familiar smile holding a sealed bottle of wine. “Yo, how’s our guests?” He entered the room and soon saw Luna sleeping in the largest bed with Nebby by her side. “I think I can see the answer, yeah, "He managed to make his smile get even bigger and put the bottle in the fridge. He saw that I was watching him and hurried to explain." I bought one of these with the intention of drinking with Burnet, But someone drank before we arrived. So I bought another one, "

"Do you think we'll be able to see her tomorrow?" He sat on the couch and sighed heavily. Looks like he's pretty tired too.

"Late afternoon, yes. Until then, I thought I'd show her the Battle Royale Dome. It looks like Masked Royal will be playing a presentation match tomorrow," He looked at Luna for a few seconds and nodded. “It’s good that she managed to get some sleep,” He put his hand over his mouth to hide a yawn, and his Z-stone bracelet seemed to glow with moonlight, a mystery I could never decipher. And this bracelet is apparently the opposite of the Mega Evolution bracelet on the other wrist... Wait...

“Since when do you have a Mega-Ring?” My question was asked automatically. I've been living with him for months and never seen him wearing one.
"Huh?" He looked at his own wrist as if he had forgotten it was even there. "Actually I've had one of these for years, but it's true that it's hardly used outside of official games. But this one is a gift for our friend here," He pointed at Luna with his thumb.

"For Luna? But she doesn't even have a Pokemon that can Mega Evolve,"

"And neither does Hau, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't give them options," He shrugged.

"But they're kind of hard to get, aren't they?" I remember my mom took some time to get hers.

"Not when you have reliable contacts," He said as nonchalantly, but I know it's not a simple contact that will achieve two Mega Rings in a few days. But I had to stop my moment of suspicion by hearing a distinct howl from the woods outside.

"What was this?" I opened the window and looked out at the forest at the foot of Wela Volcano.

"Lycanroc," He stared out the window with an expression mixed with interest, respect, and perhaps even melancholy. "The Lycanroc are famous for having a kind of tournament at night to train themselves and to define who is the strongest of the pokemon, especially the Midnight Forms, but many other pokemon will also participate. And..."

Before he could finish his sentence one of Luna's pokeballs began to tremble and little Rockruff came out of her with a determined expression on his face. But that determination shifted to surprise upon seeing us awake and watching him. 

For a very weird seconds we stared at each other in silence, only Professor Kukui smiled with an understanding expression. "You want to go there too, don't you?" He bent down near Midnight.

"Come back before sunrise, or I will pick you up in person," A totally unexpected voice spoke straight from the bed. Luna didn't even open her eyes but her voice was wide awake. "Have fun, I will not stop you,"

Little Midnight looked at her in surprise, but then nodded and ran to the door barking once. Kukui opened the door and soon he darted down the corridors toward the exit, but as we are in the middle of the night I doubt anyone will try to stop him.

"It's very common for Rockruff to go out at night while their coaches sleep to train, but usually the coaches don't even know," Kukui closed the door and came back to sit on the couch. "But I think this guy is unlucky to have a trainer who never rests,"

Luna pulled the sheet over her shoulders and tried to sleep again.





As a Kahuna is very common I have to lose a few nights sleep. Sometimes some strong Pokemon try to fight each other at dawn and we have to intervene before there is destruction, or sometimes some unfortunate poor get lost and we are responsible for locating them.

But today is an exception. 

There is no specific reason for me to be awake, but it is simply my instinct that tells me that I must be out here today. And I can't complain too much, the night is really beautiful, but that's common here on Melemele Island, not to mention the entire Alola Archipelago.

One trail of light after another cuts through the skies. It may seem strange, but it makes me think of Tapu Koko. Our guardian has a simply stellar speed in combat.

The Kahunas are known as the chosen of tapus to protect the island, but nobody almost knows the trials to become one, and the fact that all Kahuna has had to face their respective Tapu is not disclosed to anyone apart from themselves Kahunas and the Captains or those who wishes to become one of them.

But that doesn't mean we see them often, more than the opposite actually. Tapus hardly ever fight with the same person more than once, and there was only once in history when all Tapus fought with their chosen Kahunas more than once, and it happened in my generation.

Hala, Olivia and Nanu, as well as the late Koni Island of Poni Island will surely be in history for their successors.

But today is an exception.

Like a ray of light Tapu Koko himself descended from the skies and landed in front of me.

His eyes flared with such iron determination as his untamed will to fight, but that was not what caught my eye.

In his mighty arms was a girl. She is unconscious but has no visible injury. His hair is the color of rainbows and his skin is so white that he is pale as a dead man, but his chest rose and fell signaling her breathing.

"What does that mean?" I questioned as I approached. Tapu Koko laid her gently on the floor and stared at me in silence. He made a silent request to take care of this girl. I sighed and nodded. He looked at me with respectful and even tired eyes, nodded as well and disappeared into the heavens again toward one of the other islands of the archipelago.

I took the girl in my arms. She may not be more than fifteen, but despite being light I can feel an aura of strength around her, almost like that girl Kukui found. On her right shoulder I can see a large scar like a knife, but normally it would be easily hidden by the sleeve of the garment.

“Lu…” She tried to say something in her sleep. I brought my ear closer to her lips and heard her whisper a name. "Luna..."

I stared her for a few more seconds. Usually I have a very peaceful night with no surprise at all.