-------------------

Hau’s Final Pokemon appears on stage. And… it’s a lemur as tall as him?

Ping* “Passimian.”

“Um, should I be impressed?” I ask the table.

The pokemon in question cracks it’s neck and pumps his fists in anticipation for the fight.

Shrugs all around so I may as well check the app real quick.

“Thriving via teamwork, these pokemon can emulate their trainer’s other pokemons’ natural abilities.”

May snaps her fingers, “Fluffy! Look how it’s puffing out its fur!”

I think I read that one lets the pokemon’s thick fur absorb some of the damage of physical attacks.

Vermilya throws out a ball. A roar follows the flash as a young Nidoqueen enters the stage. Coming in a about chest height, the bipedal blue rhino/porcupine

Gabby nods, “Well the little miss isn’t using a dex app mid fight so she’s sending out her starter to play it safe.”

While not as flashy, there’s no denying the all out brawl that ensues is intense to watch. The Passimian puts on a brilliant display of MMA style fighting with Low Sweeps, Double Kicks, and Quick Guards. It’s when it goes for a Seismic Toss that things take a turn for the big monkey.

Vermilya’s mostly evolved Nidoqueen hunkers down on all fours and uses Bulldoze to give Passimian the ride of it’s life. Ending with a frontflip, Nidoqueen takes up a stance again while the lemur is lying on it’s back, breathing heavily. Dozens of quills can be seen standing up out of the fur on it’s chest. In fact, they’re all over the stage.

I catch a local grumbling something about Toxic Spikes being a bullshit move.

Who in their right mind would try to grab hold of something covered in poisonous spines though?

Even Hau facepalms as he returns his pokemon to it’s ball, “Well, that’s all for this battle. An extremely well thought out fight by the young lady from Dewford, give another shout for Vermilya everybody!”

Most of the cheers are genuine and the girl holds her long purple hair out of the way while she gives a beautiful smile and waves to the crowd. She rejoins her table with hugs and high fives among the younger teens.

Jane however, she’s still eyeballing some of the rude locals that scoffed at the story of the poor girl earlier.

“Hmm,” I lean over to Lacy, “I think my protege is in the mood to exert some dominance.”

Turning to our media crew friends, “Jane is gonna give yall some nice highlights tonight.”

Before Hau can even announce her, the redhead is standing up and moving towards the stage.

“Up next,” the Kahuna smirks at the older teen stepping up to his field, “We have Jane from LaRousse City, home of the Hoenn Battle Tower.” he faces Jane, “You wanna raise the bar another notch there Missy?”

Not waiting for Hau, Jane pulls out a pokeball, Marble the Onix dominates the stage, “Bring it!”

The Kahuna laughs and glances my way, “How bout something familiar eh?!”

A dark glow grows to nearly match Marble in height as a bulky white Trevenant appears.

Hawaiian Banyan Tree

I get it now, this island is like the Dewford Gym, it’s not strictly fighting type so much as close combat.

“Well shit.” I let out Blue to watch the fight.

May barely manages to take her eyes off the stage to look confused at my odd phantump clad in wooden armor like a toy knight, “Kurt, is that still a phantump?”

“Technically… who knows?” I really can only shrug, “I’m not a professor so I legit, can’t say.”

Back on stage Jane bites her lip, probably kicking herself for the immediate consequence of her brash actions, a double type disadvantage is not a joke.

The ref drops the flag to start the fight.

“Glitter!”

“Seeds!”

Blinding light flickers from the gold veins of Marble as she surrounds the tree with her snake-like body, but Hau is focusing on setting the field.

Seeds scatter from the tangle of vines covering the big Trevenant while at the same time, all the plants in the cultural center start to glow, marbles of soft green light seem to rise from the flowers and start drifting towards the stage.

Every instinct tells me Jane needs to crush her opponent fast.

“Head Smash!”

“Wood Hammer!”

A log of a fist meets a stone face. Trevenant’s right arm is turned to splinters while Marble reels from the blow as well.

“Jungle Healing.” Calls Hau without ever dropping his smirk.

Jane’s eyes go wide as the glowing spores from the garden fuse with the Trevenant, allowing it’s arm to reform rapidly.

She looks at her dizzy Onix, “Rock Slide!”

Marble attempts to full body slam the tree.

Hau shouts, “Bloom Doom!”

This time, both of Trevenant’s arms glow with green power as they slam forward into Onix.

Marble groans in pain and collapses.

Jane returns her pokemon almost in shock.

“Disrespect, shouldn’t go unanswered.” Hau’s expression softens, “Overconfidence… must occasionally be shattered.”

I catch the hint of tears in the torchlight from the girl I’ve watched grow over the last month. However her pale gold eyes are still sharp with anger. I recognise her next ball as the special fossil one.

Her young Aerodactly enters the battle, “Ares, don’t stop till he drops!”

Like a grey cannonball the Aerodactyl takes off.

Hau tries to snare him down, “Power whip.”

The vines draping Trevenant drop to the floor as it begins to swing them like actual whips. A breeze passes through the audience with each powerful swing.

Jane pleads through her anger, “Tailwind, Dragon Dance!”

Vine after vine whips through the air, each one just missing Ares.

The redhead finally finds some momentum, “Wing Attack those vines to shreds!”

Sure enough, the vines start to get pruned back as Aerodactyl slowly reduces Trevenant’s attack range. Assuming Hau stays on theme and doesn’t fight like Blue and I.

The man just nods in acceptance as the vines are shredded apart, “Forest Curse, Will-o-Wisps.”

Once more the garden lights up, the green marbles of grass energy swirl around the stage. It’s mesmerizing and definitely troublesome for Jane. Aeres can’t dodge all the pollen like spores, they cling to his scaly hide. The purpose becomes clear as small white flames bloom like flowers in Trevenants leafage.

Jane urges her pokemon on, “Faster Ares, You can carve him into kindling!”

He is doing damage, cuts score along the bark each time Ares passes the big tree.

May sighs, “Hau is putting on an impromptu Boss Battle, that Trevenant is most likely from his top team.”

Indeed, it’s the Kahuna that opts to assert dominance, “Phantom Force, Fire Punch!”

Trevenant disappears in a swirl of leaves, reappearing right in the flight path of Aerodactyl. Wisp flames coat it’s arm as a blinding white punch, crunches into the small avian dinosaur. The pollen clinging to Ares’ body ignites as he crashes into the stage.

“Ares!”

Jane almost falls to her knees as she returns her smouldering pokemon.

Gabby grimaces, “That tyke was far too low a level for this type of battle.”

Lacy squeezes my hand, “So much for his speech about acceptance earlier.”

“No,” I completely disagree, “Jane walked up there with a swagger and disrespected the tradition of letting the gym leader or Kahuna set the stage. Infront of his entire village, who he just tried to convince visitors should be welcomed. Our girl forced him into looking like a hypocrite. At the same time, I don’t think he would field a pokemon that couldn’t be beaten.”

To her credit, Jane takes a deep breath and bows towards the Kahuna, “I apologize for being rude when I stormed up here. I take it I have one pokemon left for this challenge?”

Hau smiles, “Yes, and I will not use another.”

Betting everything on her starter just like Vermilya, “We can do this Crooky!”

Waist high croc versus a power house tree triple his height.

But ya know, team work makes the dream work.

The Krokorok strikes his claws together and snarls at the opponent. I’ve long since turned off my Dex app, finding it more distracting in these intense moments.

If a tree could scoff, Trevenant just did as it looked back towards Hau. The Kahuna doesn’t react, letting his pokemon decide how to continue.

What would be considered Trevenant’s mouth twists up into a smirk as the wood of the stage erupts with roots looking to ensnare the croc before he even gets a swing in!

“That’s more familiar,” I can’t help but comment. “But I’ve let Jane and Crooky train for this type of battle before.”

Sure enough, Crooky cleverly starts to parkour his way along the roots, each one falling to wrap him before he’s dashing forward on all fours. He may be able to walk upright now but he’s still steadier and more nimble on four legs for now.

Jane finds some rhythm, “Keep moving, Lash Out as you go!”

Crooky jumps over one root while slicing apart the next.

Jane might have a fault in focusing so much of her time on her starter, but no doubt he’s a beast!

Across the maze of wood, the croc finally reaches the tree. I would have Blue Shadow Sneak away. Trevenant actually lets out a booming chuckle. Another Wood Hammer rockets towards his opponent.

“Dig!”

At Jane's command, Crooky dives into one of the many holes now peppering the stage.

She follows up, “Crunch, Lock Jaw, Torment!”

Trevenants arm pulls back from the stage floor with the small crocodile latched on, chomping it to bits.

It’s original dominance falters as the barbaric tree starts flailing his arm about in an attempt to dislodge Crooky!

As the arm passes the tree’s eye, Jane shouts again, “Foul Play!”

The croc leaps for the eye and chomps down at the rim before shredding into the bark with his claws.

Roars of pain fill the stage. In it’s rage, Trevenant manages to punch itself in the face while forgetting to heal up from the surrounding garden.

With a flash, Hau returns his pokemon to it’s ball.

While Crooky flops to the stage in confusion, the audience is similarly stunned in silence.

Hau returns to his friendly smile, “A well fought battle against a much stronger opponent, how about a cheer for the young woman from Hoenn!”

Jane manages to pick up her croc like an overweight and toothy teddy bear. She shyly bows to the soft applause from the crowd before turning back to Hau. “Did I even stand a chance?”

He looks at the trainers in the crowd before patting her on the shoulder, “I don’t know you Jane like I do the children from my island. Had your other pokemon been at the level of your Krokorok, then yes, you should have secured a challenging yet clean win.”

“However,” he leads her to the stairs off the stage, “That isn’t the most important of lessons I’m sure you’ll ponder after tonight.” His attention goes back to the rookies in the audience, “The season is ten months long, rushing from one event to the next will not help you succeed. Even if you somehow defeat each Kahuna or gym in a couple months, the tournament date won't change.”

May sighs, “He’s not wrong, if anything you just risk burning out your pokemon early or getting them seriously injured and losing out on valuable training and development time.”

I watch the girls try to cheer up Jane, “Isn’t that part of why we came to Alola? Take a week to train in a new environment, catch exotic pokemon and all that.”

Gabby starts reviewing footage with Ty, “That normally doesn’t include high intensity battles, stampedes… or plane crashes.”

She turns the tablet pc around to show a still of Jane’s Krokorok flying through the air at Trevenant’s glowing eye, “You weren’t wrong about highlights. Hopefully we find some similar shots for Naomi, she’s supposed to be the star of the show after all.”

May rolls her eyes, “I’m sure the little heiress will have her moment in the Battle Tower on the last day.”

On que, Naomi walks over to me, “Kurt,” I can see the determination in her face, “I’m falling behind.”

“Well then,” standing up and messing up her hair a little, “Let’s get back to the boat and figure this out.”

We all shake the Kahuna’s hand, even Jane. It’s a quiet walk down to the harbor for the kids while Gabby and Ty whisper about how to string together their footage of the night.

A surprise is waiting for us at the pier however in the form of the green haired Miss Mallow standing behind her son Citro. His odd, hazel hair shines in the light of the pier lights. Mallow kisses his head and pushes him forward.

The boy wipes his eyes and approaches Naomi, “Miss Watson, please give me a ride off this Arceus Damned island!”

Naomi doesn’t jump to refuse, “Where to?”

He straightens his back, “All the way to Hoenn, if I can.”

----------------------