Writing Cynter's Adventures in Alola - An Ultra Moon Playthrough (Updated: 22 May - Chapter 3)

Athena

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Cynter's Adventures in Alola
an Ultra Moon playthrough by Athena

Hello, and welcome to Athena's playthrough of Pokémon Ultra Moon! As first mentioned back in this earlier thread, I recently got my hands on a copy of Ultra Moon, and I've been feeling in a writing mood, so I figured I'd put the two together. This will be a fully-written playthrough from the point of view of Cynter, a character I purposefully designed to be the narrator of the story. You can see a version of her in the banner up above. Doesn't she look excited to be here? :p

Playthrough Information

It's worth noting that this playthrough will be blind. As much as I enjoyed the original Moon, I hardly remember it, and I barely followed along with any of the pre-release information and news for the sequels. Hopefully nothing that I write will contract any of the established plot, but if it happens, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

There are no planned gameplay restrictions or other goofy mechanics that I'll be taking part in during the playthrough. For reasons of my own, I will, however, use only Alola Pokémon, that is, pokémon that are either new for Gen VII or Alolan forms of other Pokémon. For character-related reasons (which you will learn as the story progresses), I will also likely catching and using a very small number of Pokémon throughout the game.

Any suggestions, ideas, or questions are, of course, very welcome! :D

My current goal is to update at least once a week, possibly as much as twice or thrice, depending on what else I have going on. Similarly, I may take breaks from updating for some time if I have other things going on (like heavy grinding events in Granblue).

Because the writing schedule will be somewhat infrequent, I would suggest Watching this thread if you'd like to make sure to catch any updates.


 
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Athena

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Introduction: Flying to Alola

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign, and you may now move around the cabin. However we always recommend to keep your seat belt fastened while you’re seated. In a few moments, the flight attendants will be passing around the cabin to offer you hot or cold drinks..."

I let out a sigh of relief and tuned out announcement as I unfastened my seat belt and stretched my legs out under the seat in front of me. Recommendations be damned, these seats were close enough as it is without being literally strapped into them. I grabbed my phone from the pouch in front, flipped off Airplane Mode, and turned on the in-flight wifi.

I'd barely loaded up my game when Mom started tapping eagerly on my shoulder. "Cynter, put that thing down for a moment, would you? You have got to try this. Can you believe it? Fresh pinap berries this time of year!"

I turned to look at her, her face flushed from what was clearly not just the amazingly fresh pinap berries. She had begun chatting up two of the stewardesses while we were waiting to board, and already it looked like they were shaping up to be fast friends. Apparently that entitled us to some extra-fast refreshments.

She held out a plastic tumbler to me and I took a polite sip of the bright yellow juice. The tartness of the pinap berries hit me like a punch in the face and I had to shake my head and squint my eyes a bit. My mom and the stewardess laughed jovially at the no doubt amusing look on my face. I had to admit, though, once the initial sour wave passed over me, the juice was very delicious, giving me a nice warming sensation. I took another sip and savoured it a bit more slowly.

"Thanks," I said quietly, but Mom's attention had already wavered. She was now involved in a three way discussion with the stewardess and an older man across the aisle. The man had said something during my reticent response and was greeted by another round of raucous laughter.

An unkind thought brushed through my head before I could stop it: This is why Dad left you.

A social butterfly all her life, Mom was always happy to meet new people, a cheerful smile on her face, a laugh in her throat, and a drink in her hand. She could made more friends in an hour than I had in my whole life, and she dropped them just as easily. I'll wager P500 to anyone who will take it that she won't remember either stewardess's name by the morning. Not that it mattered to her much. There were always new friends to make and new sights to see.

Her social instincts and complete lack of attention span had led her to numerous careers throughout the years, one of which had led let her into the life of my father. He must had adored her spontaneity and joie de vivre at some point in the past, though his patience had worn thin eventually.

Admittedly, it doesn't take a genius to tell that I took more after my dad. We're both quiet and reserved, preferring to think before we speak. I even look liked him, with my fair hair and skin, and my thin lips. No one in Viridian batted an eye when I chose to move with Dad to Veilstone after the separation. It wasn't like my mother ever acted like much of a mom to me anyway. Some days it seemed that I inherited from my mom was an X chromosome, a love of sweets, and a propensity for getting into trouble.

Despite our differences, though, I really love my mom. She could have left me high and dry in Sinnoh after the disaster of last year, let me cool my heels in detention until I hit eighteen, but she didn't. That day was several months in the past now, and I still don't know exactly why she did it. I guess, when you get down to it, it's probably because she loves me too.

I sighed again, finished the rest of the juice in a single gulp, and turned back to my phone. Let Mom do her butterfly-thing; it wasn't harming anyone.

I turn the screen back on and resumed my game, but my heart wasn't really in it. My mind kept wandering back to my mom, and the sacrifices she'd been making for me since last year. She wouldn't admit it, but I was convinced that this move to Alola was for me, too. It was no secret that the Viridians started giving me the stink eye as soon as I moved back home. My face was plastered in the papers, and although Viridian may be considered a city by technicality, it was still pretty small. Everyone knew everyone else, and now everyone especially knew me.

I was startled out of my reverie by a vibration in my hands. Who could be calling at a time like this? I pressed the button to accept the video call and nearly dropped the phone out of my hands when a loud, cheerful voice erupted from a somewhat familiar-looking face at max volume. "Hello there cousin!"

"Alola, Kukui!" My mom suddenly popped over my shoulder, reaching across me to the phone so we could both be seen in the phone's camera.

"Alola, Alani! Good to see you again, cousin!" Suddenly, the familiarity kicked into place. This Kukui was very definitely related my mom; they both shared the same wide smile and happy wrinkles around the eyes. I knew Mom had family in Alola, I just hadn't expected them to video call during the flight over.

"We'll be landing in a couple hours, cuz," Mom replied, obviously thinking the same thing I was.

"Yeah, I know, I've sent a couple guys down to the airport to help bring your stuff back to the house."

"Oh, lovely! Thanks, cuz."

"Not a problem! I also wanted to chat with this little lady for a bit, if I could."

"M-Me?" I cleared my throat and turned my attention back to the man on screen who was now staring at me.

"Yep! You're Cynter, right?"

"Yeah, that's me..." You were the one who called me, bud.

"Great! Alani, would you mind popping out of the camera for a moment? I want to get a nice shot of Cynter here for her Trainer Passport."

"My what?"

"There, hold that pose. Perfect!" Before I knew what was going on, there was a small flash and Kukui winked at me.

"What did you say this was for again?" I asked, wondering how awful and confused I must look in my new photograph.

"Your Trainer Passport, of course!" He flashed another wide grin. "Can't be a Pokémon Trainer in Alola without one, of course. I wanted to get the photo ahead of time so I could have the passport all ready when you land. See you soon, cousin! Alola!"

My phone made a small click as the phone disconnected. I continued staring at the blank screen in shock, blinking my eyes slowly. A Pokémon trainer?

Mom tapped on my shoulder and I nearly jumped out of my seat. "You okay sweetie?"

I turned towards her. "What did he mean by that? What is this about?"

Mom slumped back down in her seat and took a long drink from her class. "Well, this isn't exactly how I planned to break the news to you. Good old Kukui was a bit ahead of the game as usual."

"The news? What news? What do you know about this?"

"I signed you up to become a Pokémon Trainer in Alola. Isn't this going to be fun?"

So, there it was. I hadn't misheard or misconstrued. Mom had signed me up to become a Pokémon Trainer for... some ungodly reason, and her cousin was handling the paperwork.

Becoming a Pokémon Trainer was the last thing I wanted to do. Of course, that didn't seem to matter much to Mom. There she was, smiling there and drinking her spiked pinap juice as if she had just given me everything I asked for for my birthday. To her, of course, this would be just another adventure. For me...

I'd never given much thought to Pokémon, to tell you the truth. Growing up in Viridian, it seemed everyone in my school wanted to work with Pokémon in some way when they grew up, either as a breeder, or a trainer, or most commonly, the leader of the Viridian City Pokémon Gym. To me, they had always just been smelly and dangerous creatures that lived in the woods. I'd always been more interested in things I could build, work on, and explain. While everyone was playing with stuffed Pokédolls, I was building robots with my dad. While they were showing off the cute floofy thing they'd convinced their parents to buy for them, I'd been learning to program the school computer to do my homework for me.

How could she have thought this was anything I wanted to do?

My disappointed must have shown on my face. Mom touched my shoulder, and when I turned to look back her, the big smile was gone. Instead, her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her eyes looked deeply into mine. With that serious expression on her face, she suddenly looked twenty years older. "I know this probably isn't what you had in mind with moving to Alola. I was going to try and spin this as a fun adventure thing for you, but it only takes a single look at that crestfallen face of yours to know that isn't going to work."

Yes, my disappointment is definitely obvious as I'd thought it was.

"The truth is," my mom continued, "the Sinnoh authorities said I needed to sign off to agree to putting you in a rehabilitation program in order to take you home with me. Most of the options they gave me brochures for were little better the detention you were already in. But... when I was bitching to Kukui about it over the phone one night, he'd told me that an accredited Pokémon training program could count as a rehabilitation program for a minor." She smiled softly, tears glinting in the corner of her eyes. "Doesn't that sound a bit better than picking up trash by the side of the road with a bunch of convicts?"

My heart sank. Here I was, thinking the worst about my mom all over again, but she really had been thinking of me and wanting the best for me all along. She hadn't asked to have a juvenile criminal as a daughter, after all. I reached across the arm rest as best as I could and pulled my mom into a tight bear hug. "Thanks, Mom. It'll be great. I promise I'll make you proud."

For her sake, I'd give this Pokémon training thing a shot.


Author's Notes:

Hello, and welcome to Cynter's Adventures in Alola! I'd like to take a bit of time to discuss my thought processes in creating this narrator and predict a bit about we can expect to see with her in this story.

When I first entertained the idea of making a new OC as the narrator for this playthrough, I immediately had (what I considered to be, anyway) a novel idea: making a narrator who isn't actually interested in Pokémon and has no real desire to be a Pokémon trainer. After all, not everyone in the Pokémon world can be expected to be super into Pokémon, just like there are some strange people in this world who don't like chocolate, or pizzas, or puppies.

From there, I had a few directions I could go with the character, but there was one other connection I wanted to make first, a connection to Team Rainbow Rocket, the only real aspect of this game sequel that I do know. As everyone here probably knows, I've always been a fan of the various evil teams in Pokémon games. I thought it would be pretty fun to have a character with a connection to one of the old team bosses, and I was already coming up with a few ideas. In the end, I narrowed it down to Team Galactic, and it wasn't long before the core of Cynter was created. Most of her personality and backstory were written by me in my head in the shower over the last few weeks.

Cynter's travels through Alola are going to be interesting, in part because I expect her to be somewhat challenging to write. I know her personality and her backstory, but she's quite a bit different from me, and also from other characters that I've written in the past. Although I have some things somewhat planned out, I frankly don't know exactly how she's going to react to the story, and what kinds of choices she'll make. It should be an interesting journey!

One other thing I would like to mention is a small change I am already making to the Pokémon Ultra Moon canon: ageing up the characters. Personally, I just feel a lot more comfortable if the main characters in Pokémon games are aged up a bit, and they're all older in my own personal headcanons. Characters in Pokémon games being so young is almost certainly done for meta reasons anyway (given the intended age group of the game's main audience) and doesn't actually have any bearing on the plot.

So, for the sake of this story, Cynter is 17. Hau and Lillie and Gladion and others of the same generation will similarly be aged up to match.

Obviously, there will be other small changes throughout the story as well, such as Kukui calling Cynter on the plane instead of when she and her mom were still in Kanto. I don't want to change the core story all too much, though I will where I find it fitting.

If you have any feedback or questions, you're more than welcome to step up! In the meantime, expect an update that includes, you know, some of the actual game with Chapter 1 likely sometime next week.
 

Robin Aisaga

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Becoming a Pokémon Trainer was the last thing I wanted to do.

You didn't!!!

After all, not everyone in the Pokémon world can be expected to be super into Pokémon, just like there are some strange people in this world who don't like chocolate, or pizzas, or puppies.

They exist yes, but we chose to ignore these ''abnormalities'' ;) In all seriousness, this is an interesting take and I'm really interested to see where this is going!
 

PMJ

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Nothing like a refreshing dose of actual talent to make you feel inadequate :D

Good shit, Athena. I skipped ultra dumb and ultra dumber so everything I will learn about this game will come from your story.

Writing first person isn't something I've experimented with very much. Kinda wanna do it once for a chapter but afraid that it might be kinda weird with the tense shift. Maybe for interlude 4 since it's small? I dunno. Anyway GREAT WRITE \m/
 

StarlightSearcher

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A good introduction Athena! I'm looking forward to seeing more.

While I find it a little interesting you aged up all the characters; considering how old your character is supposed to be, it makes sense.
 

Athena

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They exist yes, but we chose to ignore these ''abnormalities'' ;) In all seriousness, this is an interesting take and I'm really interested to see where this is going!

Sometimes I find that the most interesting of story hooks can explicitly come from those places that people tend to ignore. It doesn't always work, obviously, but I think it's got a good shot in this particular case. Heroes can come from the most unlikely of places, after all.

Nothing like a refreshing dose of actual talent to make you feel inadequate :D

Good shit, Athena. I skipped ultra dumb and ultra dumber so everything I will learn about this game will come from your story.

Writing first person isn't something I've experimented with very much. Kinda wanna do it once for a chapter but afraid that it might be kinda weird with the tense shift. Maybe for interlude 4 since it's small? I dunno. Anyway GREAT WRITE \m/

I was tempted to skip the sequels myself, but it was on sale for a good deal, and I was feeling particularly rich at the time. We'll see if it ends up being worth the investment, but hey, at least you guys get a fun story out of the deal if nothing else.

I think I got the first person idea from my recent reread of The Handmaid's Tale, which is probably the best example of first person narration that I've ever read, and one of my favourite novels to boot. It's great for situations where the narrator speaks little but instead conveys opinions and observations as thoughts, both direct thoughts (as shown here in italics), but even indirectly in the things they choose to notice and describe. It adds an extra level of humanism to things (as well a higher potential for unreliable narrator issues, which present their own intrigues and challenges).

One of the biggest downsides, of course, is that you're very limited in the things that you can show and tell. It can work pretty easily for single-character video games like Pokémon, but becomes a lot more difficult when you're writing things from multiple perspectives, like in MotFI. I could certainly see you pulling one off for an interlude or so, even something unofficial from a particular character's perspective just to play around and have fun with it.

A good introduction Athena! I'm looking forward to seeing more.

While I find it a little interesting you aged up all the characters; considering how old your character is supposed to be, it makes sense.

I don't think the ageing-up will cause all too many issues, or even many changes for that matter, but I felt it best to be up front about it. The game characters in question generally look and act more like teenagers than ~11 year-olds anyway, at least in my opinion/memory.
 

StarlightSearcher

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I don't think the ageing-up will cause all too many issues, or even many changes for that matter, but I felt it best to be up front about it. The game characters in question generally look and act more like teenagers than ~11 year-olds anyway, at least in my opinion/memory.

I always assumed the age restriction was ambiguous. You needed to be at least 11 years old; you could have still decided to do the Island Challenge a few years after turning 11.
 

GrandPanacea

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Excellent Athena!! I'm greatly looking forward to the adventures of a delinquent kid who doesn't really want to be a trainer.

Also, the description of the mother reminded me a bit too much of my father... Which served to give me an excellent idea of what kind of person she is!
 

bbninjas

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I am liking this! I haven't played dumb either, so I'll be learning more about the region from you than even PMJ. (And, by the way PMJ, I'll getting to you fic... slowly!)

A very important question: are PokeBalls allowed on the plane?
 

Athena

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A very important question: are PokeBalls allowed on the plane?

The airlines have pretty stringent security for this sort of thing. PokéBalls are a "checked luggage only" item, with the contents examined before hand to unsure no shenanigans. Pokémon outside of PokéBalls can either be transported in checked crates or brought into the cabin so long as the Pokémon is under a certain size/weight/danger limit and can safely fit underneath the seat in front during takeoff and landing, the same as current pet traveling rules. Transporting Pokémon between regions also requires certain health and safety checks to make sure the Pokémon isn't bringing any dangerous diseases to the new region.

Cynter's mom went through all of this when bringing her Meowth with her to Alola, vaccinations, check-ups, the whole nine yards. Rather than shoving him under the seat, she opted to crate him for the duration of the flight, as she figured he'd be more comfortable there.
 

Athena

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Chapter 1: A Terrifying Encounter

With a smile, I sat down at the small desk in my room and flipped on the monitor. The PC, my most prized possession, seemed to have weathered the move just fine and booted up like a charm. It had been a gift from my dad for my sixteenth birthday, and although it was a bit outdated already, it did everything I wanted to with grace and style. My new battlestation was a bit smaller than my previous one, but it would serve fine.

I swiveled around in the chair and surveyed the rest of my new domain. There wasn't all too much to see; aside from the PC, I didn't have all too much from my old home yet. Mom and I each packed a couple suitcases for the flight, and the rest of our belongings would be coming later via a moving company. The PC and monitor had taken up an entire bag by itself, packed around with a few t-shirts to keep it from shifting too much. Everything else I wanted to bring was squeezed into the smaller luggage and my carry-on tote bag. There wasn't space for anything more than a few changes of clothes and some essentials, but I'd make do.

Everything else in the room had been provided by my cousin Kukui and a few other local relatives. They had furnished the house for us with spare beds and chairs and such from their own homes so that we wouldn't be too uncomfortable until our own furniture arrived, which might not be for a few months. It seemed strange to me that people I'd never even met before would go to such lengths to make our life here comfortable, but Mom seemed to accept it as a matter of course. Maybe it's just a local culture thing. Regardless, I had a small bed to myself as well as a TV, the desk, and a very strange-looking large cushion that appears to depict some type of Pokémon that I'd never seen before.

I turned back around and thought about booting up my game, but before I had a chance, I heard a soft scratching at the door. I turned back around to see Mom's Meowth grinning up at me. With a soft "mrowr", he made a beckoning motion with one paw and immediately turned around to head back down the stairs. Mom must want something.

I watched Meowth's tail flipping back and forth as I followed the Pokémon downstairs. We'd never had any Pokémon as a pet when I was growing up, not even a Magikarp in a tank, but Mom had decided to adopt this Meowth after Dad and I moved out. I guess she must have been feeling lonely. It took some time to adjust to having the creature around in the house after I moved back in with Mom. It smelled, it was noisy, it begged for food from the table, and, worst of all, it even tried to crawl in bed and sleep with me. I tried closing my door to keep it out, but then it would scratch and howl at night and keep me awake.

Mom seemed to think the whole situation was hilarious, but when she realized how serious and upset I was, she finally began taking the situation seriously. I guess I was hoping she'd kick it out or punish it or something, but instead, at her recommendation, I sat down with Meowth and set up some ground rules. It seemed strange to talk to a Pokémon like a human, but I was desperate for sleep by this point and willing to try anything. I told Meowth that it could sleep in my room, but not in my bed. Instead, Mom and I had bought it a special Pokémon bed that I could keep on the floor for it to sleep in. The creature seemed to understand and agree, and ever since then, it spent about half the nights curled up in the cushion at the floor by the foot of my bed, and half the nights in bed with mom.

It was strange, but now I consider the experience fortuitous practice. It seems that Pokémon can be reasoned with like people, at least to some extent. I can't help but wonder if I'll have to sleep with the Pokémon I'm given as part of my training. Maybe it, too, would accept a cushion on the floor as an adequate substitute.

Mom was standing in the kitchen, looking out the large windows towards the sky in the south. It wasn't very late yet, but the moon had risen above the horizon and was large in the darkening sky, which seemed both wider and fuller than it had back in Kanto.

"So, Cynter, are you excited for your Pokémon adventure in Alola?" She turned around from her position near the window to face me and gave me a sly wink.

I groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Oh, come on, it's not going to be that bad. You almost seemed excited on the plane." She gestured to a carry out bag on the kitchen table. "I got us some plate lunch from a place nearby. I thought you might be hungry after all that unpacking. I know I am!"

"Plate lunch? Isn't this more like dinner time?" We sat at the small kitchen table and I unpacked the bag, passing my mom one of the plastic containers and keeping the other for myself. Inside was a large portion of what appeared to be some kind of fish, a giant pile of rice, and macaroni salad.

"It's not on a plate either," Mom observed wryly. "It's a local thing. Tasty though. Try some!"

I did, grabbing one of the plastic forks in the bag and digging. The food was rich, plentiful, and delicious. I didn't think I'd be able to eat even half of what was there, but I must have been hungrier than I thought, since it wasn't long before I'd finished the whole thing. Mom finished hers too, feeding a few choice pieces of fish to Meowth as she went, and we sat in companionable silence, looking out the window towards the moon. We were a bit outside the town limits and had a gorgeous view of the rainforest to the south, all the way to the coast.

After a while, Mom gathered up the plastic containers and cutlery and set about tidying up. "Why don't you go stretch your legs and visit the town a bit? I'll take care of the rest of the unpacking, but I don't want you cooped up in here all the time, playing your games."

"Alright," I said, not bothering to argue. Azure Reverie could wait; my clan knew I would be busy for some time anyway. Also, to be honest, I was kind of looking forward to exploring Alola a bit. I hadn't gotten to see all too much of the island during our trip from the airport, and it was such a different place than I'd ever been before.

"And don't forgot your hat!"

I rolled my eyes at the reminder and turned direction to head back to my room. As Mom had told me several time, I was a pale girl from Kanto, and my skin wouldn't be able to withstand the forceful Alolan sun, at least not yet. I felt like a dork with the giant, wide-brimmed hat on my head, but it was better than a scalp full of sunburn.

Finally ready, I waved goodbye to Mom and headed outside. I only had the vaguest knowledge of the surrounding area, but I knew enough to start off heading west in the direction of Iki Town, the nearest town on the island. I didn't want to wander off much further than that, especially in the evening, and risk getting lost.

Mom really had the right idea; it was a wonderful time to be out and about in Alola. Back in Kanto, we'd still be wearing coats this time of year, but it was as warm as a summer evening here, with a pleasant scent on the breeze. A few birds were flying off away from the setting sun, perhaps returning to their nests for the night. A young boy played with his Pokémon in the grass. It was peaceful, calm, as if all the troubles in the world were a million miles away, and everyone could take their time.

I didn't notice the creature stalking me from the grasses until it was practically on top of me, a growl deep in its throat. It was a Pokémon of some sort, a nasty one with large sharp teeth contorted in a fowl grimace and countless black shiny claws. I shrieked and stumbled backwards, frantically looking for the boy with his dog, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, my salvation came from an unlikely source: three colourful Pokémon that bounded between me and the murderous interloper. They were all small and relatively harmless looking compared to the terrifying menace that had attacked me from the grass, but they must have scared it off with their sheer numbers; three to one is rarely good odds for anyone, Pokémon or human. The beast fled back into the grass leaving me on the dusty ground with my trio of saviors.

"Hey there, cousin!"

Kukui had appeared on the route behind me and was happy to help me back up to my feet. "You okay, cuz? I saw that Yungoos pop out at you."

"I've never had such a horrible fright in my life! I didn't know such ferocious Pokémon would live so close to a town like this."

Kukui smiled embarrassingly. "I don't quite know if I've ever heard a Yungoos described as 'ferocious' before, but I guess there's a first for everything. In any event, my Pokémon certainly smelled your fear and were happy to come help you out."

"These are yours?" I looked back at the three Pokémon who had come to my rescue and, sure enough, watched as they trotted up to Kukui and sat comfortably at his feet.

"Well, I'm just looking after them for now." He grinned and snapped his fingers as if he just had an amazing idea. "Here, why don't I introduce you?"

"Oh, um, sure." I crouched down closer to the ground and stared at my benefactors. After all, if I were going to learn about Pokémon, I'd much rather meet the helpful and cute ones.

"This guy here is Rowlet, a Grass-type Pokémon." Kukui gestured at the Pokémon to my left, a small, brown, fat owl with a growth on its chest that looked like a leefy bow-tie. Based on what little I knew of Pokémon, he seemed like he'd be more of a Flying-type to me, but I guess the wings could be for show. At Kukui's gesture, the owl turned around in a circle with its feet and cooed.

"And this fellow is Litten, a Fire-type." This was the Pokémon in the middle, a black and red cat type that reminded me a bit of Meowth. It was much smaller, though, with a large head in proportion to its body, large red whiskers, and a poofy black ball on the end of its tail. It jumped up and purred at Kukui's point.

"And then here's Popplio, a Water-type obviously." Ugh, Water-types. This one was rather cute, though, something like a Seel but with a blue body and a frill around its neck. Thankfully, it didn't look particularly wet as it flopped on its front paws and waves its tail in the air.

"So, what do you think? You like 'em?" Kukui flashed his grin my way and spread his arms wide, presenting the group of Pokémon to me with a flourish.

"They're okay, I guess," I said, my happiness dampened. I had a feeling I knew where this was going...

"Excellent!" Kukui clapped his hands together, oblivious to my lack of enthusiasm. "Because one of these is going to be your first Pokémon as part of your trainer program. Go on and choose the one you'd like to keep as your partner, cuz!"

Mouth set in a grim line, I stood and looked at my options. The Water one was definitely a no-go, leaving the Grass and the Fire. I looked back and forth between them for a moment, then realized my choice was obvious. "I'll take the Litten."

Becoming a Pokémon Trainer wasn't a choice I would have made for myself, but I was still determined to do my mom proud and make a serious go at the endeavour. That meant catering to my strengths. I didn't know much about Pokémon, but I did happen to get at least a bit of experience living with one these past few months. I didn't expect Litten to be quite the same as Meowth, but it was close enough that hopefully it would give me a bit of an advantage.

"Awesome choice, cuz! Come say hi to your new best buddy!"

I stepped forward cautiously, crouched down close to the ground, and held my hand out towards Litten. It stepped forward and nuzzled my hand before jumping into my arms. Startled, I fell backwards and landed in the dirt once again, this time with my new Pokémon mewing and licking my face."

"Man, I really think he likes you," Kukui said as he helped me up from the road for the second time, this time with a small Pokémon clutched in my other arm. "So, are you going to give him a name?"

"Hmmm." I looked down at the small Pokémon as I thought. "How about Popoki?"

"Aha! I see you've been doing your Alolan research!" Kukui pulled both me and the Litten in for a tight hug. "And now that you have a Pokémon of your own, you're all ready to start your journey as a Pokémon Trainer! So, are you two ready to come meet the Island Kahuna?"

I froze. I really didn't think this would be moving so quickly. I'd hardly landed at the airport more than a few hours ago!

Kukui must have seen my hesitation as he quickly moved onto explain. "Truth is, little Popoki here is a gift from the kahuna, not me. So, why don't we go give him a proper thank you? He's a crazy strong Pokémon Trainer, too, so he might be able to give you some tips to help you start your journey."

"Alright..."

"He's hanging out in Iki Town just up Route 1. If anymore Yungoos jump out at you, Popoki should be able to tackle them for you. Good luck!"

With a smile and a wave, Kukui and the other two Pokémon continued on up the route, leaving Popoki and me alone. He meowed at me softly as I set him down on the ground, and we walked out into the grass together.

Pokémon Get!

Popoki
Lv 5 Litten, Male
Nature: Mild (+SpAtk/-Def)
Ability: Blaze

Author's Notes:

I spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of Pokémon Cynter should choose for her starter. Litten definitely seems like the right choice, though, primarily for the reasons Cynter herself outlined above. Someone who neither knows nor cares much about Pokémon but is determined to at least try to be a successful trainer would likely choose a Pokémon that gives them any kind of advantage. Cynter's familiarity with her mother's Meowth is one of her few Pokémon-related experiences and really the only thing she has to draw from, so it makes sense to lean on that.

As I mentioned in the original interest thread, I'm planning on nicknaming all of Cynter's Pokémon based on Hawaiian names/terms. Popoki is the Hawaiian word for cat! You may have noticed that I listed his gender and nature in the info box above as well. I do hope to actually use this information when writing about the Pokémon as well throughout the story, though "mild" isn't exactly the most interesting nature to start off with, I suppose.

Once again, we have a chapter that's very long compared to how much time they events take up in game. I've hardly got any time at all clocked on the save. At this rate, I suppose I'll finish up in a couple years. :p That said, I can imagine there will be a fair amount of gameplay that doesn't get all too much writing attention, like random battles and such, so we'll see how it goes.

For now, poor Cynter is being pushed onto her Pokémon journey a bit faster than expected.
 
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PMJ

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Good shit as always. Got some errors for you:

Thankfully, it didn't look particular wet

but I w as still determined

my new Pokémon mewing and licking my face."

When I was writing my Emerald nuzlocke, I remember how much it sucked to write so much and actually progress so little. After looking at the thread again I see I opted to write in first person, although my story was a lot more casual than yours and didn't take itself too seriously. Still mega fun to write. Shame I never got to finish it and modern Pokemon games are a bore ;o

Looking forward to the next installment, you and everyone else should head on over to motfi because I should be finished with chapter 7 by the end of this week.
 

GrandPanacea

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I greatly enjoy stories where big ole grumps meet something tiny and adorable, which wears away at the grumpiness.

I'm really enjoying how this story is unfolding so far. :D I'm particularly amused by the Meowth bed.

(Also, noticed a typo)

appears to depict some time of Pokémon that I'd never seen before.
 

Athena

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Just popping in quick to say that there won't be an update this week since I have a bunch of other important shit to write over the next couple days, and hubby has a long weekend so we'll be doing stuff together for the most part instead of me derping around playing video games.
 

Athena

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Chapter 2: Who built this stupid bridge, anyway?

I walked into the grass nervously, crossing my fingers that we'd make it to Iki Town without any mishaps. I glanced down frequently at the little Pokémon by my side. Popoki seemed to want to stick close to me, his little nose twitching as he sniffed the air. I figured he must be on guard for another potential ambush.

His diligence was rewarded shortly after when a rustling in the grasses altered us to the presence of another Pokémon. I stopped dead in mpaty tracks, uncertain of what to do.

I'm a Pokémon Trainer now, right? Doesn't that mean I have some training to do? Or something...

Thankfully for me, Popoki didn't seem to need much direction or training. With a tiny growl, he pounced ahead, startling the lurking Pokémon. It wasn't a Yungoos this time, but instead some kind of greyish rat thing that looked equally repulsive. Popoki swatted at it with his foreclaws, leaving a nasty gash on the creature's side, but it insisted on fighting back. It slammed its body into Popoki's side, knocking the poor Litten down into the dirt.

"Popoki!" I cried out, fearing for my new little companion. He didn't seem to be too badly hurt, though. He just shook his head and swiped at the rat again, growling a bit more loudly this time. After that assault, the rat clearly had enough and went scampering back into the grass.

With the foul beast gone, I knelt down to inspect Popoki for injuries. His side seemed a bit tender, but otherwise he wasn't much worse for wear. I patted him on the head. "Thanks for helping me out, buddy." He purred at my touch and nuzzled my hand. "Let's get back on the road."

We continued on our way towards Iki Town, carefully skirting around the grass as much as we could. It seemed those little ferocious Pokémon live everywhere you look! I even happened to spot a couple children battling a Yungoos with an oddly-coloured Meowth. Such an odd contrast to the otherwise serene beauty of this island.

Popoki and I managed to make it a fair ways towards the town without any more dangerous encounters when a lanky youth approached us. He had tan skin, wild hair, and a wide smile. "Hey, which Pokémon are you gonna choose as your partner? Have you decided?"

"Ummm..." I looked down at Popoki.

"Man, I just couldn't wait for us to pick our Pokémon together, and..." his gaze dropped to the Litten by my side. "Aww, geez, don't tell me you've already got one."

"Sorry, Hau." Kukui popped up behind us, nearly giving me a heart attack. Does that guy just not make any sound ever?! "It's my fault Cynter got her Pokémon early, so don't blame her, okay." The professor turned his attention towards me, gesturing at the youth. "By the way, this is Hau, another prospective Pokémon Trainer. You'll both be starting your trainer journey together!"

"It's nice to meet you, Hau." I extended my hand, but instead Hau surprised me by pulling me into a tight bear hug.

"Alola Cynter, and mahalo for not taking Rowlet!" The exuberant trainer released me from his grasp and beamed at the small bird Pokémon at Kukui's feet. "I've wanted a Rowlet for so long, so I'm super excited that we'll get to be partners!"

The Rowlet hooted up at Hau and hopped up towards him. It seemed like the Pokémon and its Trainer were already becoming friends. I couldn't help but look back down at Popoki and wonder. Meowth and my mom always seemed close, but I figured that was because they'd been together for a while by the time I came back home. Perhaps Pokémon and their humans really do bond quickly?

While I'd been woolgathering, I hadn't seen that Hau was looking back at me with a wicked grin. "So, what do you think, Cynter? Shall we start off our journey together with a Pokémon Battle?"

A battle? Already? A bubble of anxiety flared up in my gut. Sure, Popoki handled that rat thing with ease, but we've hardly had a chance to train or prepare or anything. Hell, he hadn't even gotten had a chance to rest up after that! Frantically latching onto that excuse, I shook my head. "Popoki had to fight this rat thing on the way here, so I'm not sure he's up to--"

"Oh, you've already had wild Pokémon battle together?" Hau exlaimed. "Niiiiice."

"Here, let me heal him up for you quick." Kukui pulled a small bottle out of his pocket and sprayed Popoki's side with it. The Litten mewed and shook itself, but the spray seemed to help him. "Pokémon Potion," Kukui explained, putting the bottle back in his pocket. "Never leave home without it."

"Great! Now we can have a proper battle together. Rowlet, let's go!"

I guess I don't have much of a choice. "Already, Popoki, let's give this battle a shot."

The two Pokémon squared off, each looking the other up and down. Although both had been under the care of Kukui only recently, they didn't seem to have much of a problem battling each other so quickly. Perhaps they didn't have much history together, or maybe they were eager to show off their bonds with their new trainers?

I wracked my brain, trying to remember what little I knew about Pokémon battling. Hadn't Kukui mentioned their types when he introduced me to the Pokémon earlier? Popoki was a Fire-type, and Rowlet Grass... surely there was something here I could use to my advantage. "Hey, Popoki, use a fire move!"

Popoki meowed to acknowledge my request, then spit out a small burst of flame at Rowlet.

"Yeowch! That hurts!" Hau yelled back at me. "Come on, Rowlet, don't let them treat you like that! Use your Leafage!"

Sadly for Hau and his new friend, the small leaves that Rowlet spat out at Popoki hardly seemed to even slow the Litten down. It only took one more burst of flame before the Rowlet was knocked out cold.

"Our first battle, and our first defeat..." Hau sheepishly ran his hand through his messy hair. "That was fun, though, thanks!"

Was it, though, really? Popoki certainly seemed pleased by the outcome, strutting around like a wrestler in the ring. I was proud of winning my first battle, but I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it fun.

"You're pretty good for a newcomer, Cynter." Kukui clapped me on the shoulder. "Sure you didn't do any Pokémon training in Kanto on the sly?"

"No, I just... Fire beats Grass, right?"

"Haha, yeah, I guess you had an advantage against me from the start." Hau held out a Poké Ball and recalled his Pokémon. "I guess we should head on up to Iki Town then, huh?"

"Yep, it's just up the stairs. Though, that reminds me." Kukui handed me a Poké Ball of my own. "That's Popoki's ball; I forgot to give it to you earlier."

I looked at the ball, then down at Popoki, then back at the ball, then back at Popoki. "Thanks, Professor. I think I'll let him walk with me a bit longer, though."

"Come on Cynter, I want to show you Iki Town! Last one there's a rotten egg!" Hau turned around and ran up the stairs ahead of us. Kukui and I looked at each other, then followed at a bit more of a sedate pace.

At the top of the stairs was my first Alolan village: Iki Town. It was pretty small compared to the towns and cities I was used to from both Kanto and Sinnoh, but it had a unique charm. The brush was trimmed back, so there'd be no need to worry about Pokémon attacks, but a few palm trees and shrubs artfully decorated the spaces at the edge of the paths and around the few houses. Ahead and to the left was a large open space, and behind it was a tall house with a sloped roof. It was beautiful, in a quaint way. Looking at it almost made me feel as if I were going back to a more primitive time.

Kukui watched and followed my gaze. "This town is where folks come to worship the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island, Tapu Koko." He stroked his chin. "Doesn't look like the Kahuna is around at all, though."

Hau sighed and scratched his head. "Yeah, Hala wandered off a little bit ago. You know how he is. Anyway, I need to go show Rowlet to my mom! See you later, Cynter!" And, like the kahuna, Hau ran off without another word.

"Why don't you go up to the ruins?" Kukui suggested. "It's just a bit past the village and up the hill. Popoki will take care of you in case you run into trouble, and seeing the ruins might help teach you a bit about Alolan culture."

"Sure, that sounds nice." And it did. Some nice empty ruins and a rewarding cultural experience would be a calming end to a hectic day. I didn't really know all that much about Alola, after all.

"I'll stick around here in case the Kahuna comes back. Enjoy your visit, and say hi to Tapu Koko if you happen to see him, alright?"

I grinned. "I will." Since I didn't actually expect to see any mythical, guardian Pokémon today, it was an easy promise to make.

Before heading to the ruins, I decided to look around the town for a bit. It was warm and peaceful and the setting sun made me feel almost a bit sleepy. Just like in other regions, it seemed most of the people in town had Pokémon that they kept with them, for work or as companionship. I sat and watched a young girl play with a small dog Pokémon before moving in towards the center of the town and the big clearing I'd seen. It had a small stage in the center and was flanked by carved stone statues on all sides. The large building I'd seen appeared to be the home of the local "Kahuna" Hala.

Iki was a rather small town without all too much to see and do, so it didn't take me all too long to finish taking in the sights and continuing on my path towards the ruins. The northern exit of the town led back into wild lands. A path had been carved out of the rock, with cliffs to either side. As I progressed onward, the land rose in a winding path, and my thighs began to burn as I marched up and up. At least the path was kept clear of grass and other plant life, so there were no wild Pokémon waiting to ambush us.

As I reached another tall set of stairs, groan, I happened to catch a glimpse of a young woman on the trail in front of me. Unlike the others I'd met on the island so far, she looked a bit more northern, like me, with fair hair and skin. She also wore a wide brimmed hat, likely to shield her paleness from the harsh sun. She didn't seem to notice me, but instead was intent on something in her bag as she continued onward.

After I finished catching my breath I continued onward up the steps in the same direction as the girl. It had taken me several minutes to rest and make my way upwards, so I expected her to be long gone by the time I made it to the top. Instead, she was only a short ways beyond the stairs, intently watching something happening on the bridge ahead. She turned at the sound of my my steps on the dusty path.

"Please help me!" she cried desperately, reaching her hands out to me. "You're a trainer, right? You have to save Nebby!"

I looked beyond towards the bridge to see what was happening. It appeared that a strange blue Pokémon was stuck in the middle of the bridge being viciously attacked from above by three bird Pokémon.

"I'm not a trainer. I can't..." the girl continued. "I can't do anything, but you can, please! Save him!"

"Sure, no problem." I laid my hand on her shoulder and felt her visibly relax in my presence. There's no way that she could know I'd just gotten my first Pokémon less than an hour ago and had no idea what I was doing. But, well, Popoki was able to take care of the rat and Hau's Rowlet. How difficult could a few birds be?

Mustering my confidence, I nodded to Popoki and we headed out together onto the bridge. One of the birds saw us coming and flew closer. "Get 'em, Popoki! Use your Fire attack thing!" He spat out a few small fireballs at the closest of the birds, and although they weren't as effective as they were against Rowlet, it was good enough. One ember happened to catch on its wing, and it screeched and flew off for the hills.

One down, Popoki and I continued further onto the bridge. It creaked and groaned under our weight, but I couldn't stop now. Two more birds were still diving and pecking at the small Pokémon, presumably named Nebby, and more were on their way. As we approached, I came up with a plan. "Popoki, I want you to attack the bird furthest away, see if you can drag them off. I'll see if I can shield Nebby enough to pick him up, then we dash back to land. Got it?"

I had no idea how much of the plan Popoki understood, but it wasn't exactly like I had the time to make a diagram or anything. I'd just have to trust the Pokémon more or less understood was I was going for.

Popoki dashed ahead and started attacking one of the birds on the right side, spitting Fire like a tiny lighter. The others were distracted and began to direct their attention towards him. The plan was working! I crept forward crouching over the small Pokémon. Close up, it really was something to behold, a sort of blue fluffy cloud with winking sparkles. It was one of the most unique Pokémon I've ever laid eyes on! Sadly, it seemed as if I wasn't quite sneaky enough. The other approaching birds veered towards me instead of Popoki. I learned forward, shielding the small, cloudy sparkle Pokémon from the screeching birds, and I felt their talons digging into my back.

Then everything went white and I was falling.

My heart leapt into my throat as I stared at the sky above, the stars blinking into existence in the evening sky as I plummeted downward, Nebby still clutched in my arms.

As I fell, one of the stars seemed to grow brighter, then it suddenly streaked across the sky, headed... for me? No, this was no falling star, it was... a Pokémon? Faster than I could process, it swooped down, grabbing me and Popoki from the air, then placing us gently back on the ground near the girl.

I stared at the Pokémon, my mind and body still numb with shock. Like Nebby, it was a highly unusual Pokémon, unlike any species I'd ever encountered previously or seen on TV. Its body was almost human-shaped, with a dark body and yellow and orange adornments. It started back at me for a moment, electricity crackling around its body, before it leapt upward, disappearing as fast as it came.

From the bridge failing to the strange Pokémon's appearance, not even a minute must have passed.

Now that everything was over, I broke out in a cold sweat, my arms and legs shaking. I could have died! In fact, I almost did! The bridge that led out to the ruins was completely destroyed and it was a hair's breadth away from taking me with it. The bridge was very high, suspended over a chasm of water and rocks. There's no way I would have survived a fall from that height. Popoki seemed to be similarly terrified. His body was flopped up against mine from when the Pokémon had dropped us off, and I could feel his chest heaving with deep, shaky breaths.

"Oh, Nebby, you tried using your power again, didn't you?"

I turned and looked over at the girl talking to her Pokémon. Unlike Popoki, the strange cloud creature didn't seem all too perturbed by the fall, though it seemed as if it had at least limited flying powers. The girl was looking at the Pokémon with a mixture of concern and annoyance on her face. "The last time you did that, you couldn't move for ages! What were you thinking?"

"Pew!" The Pokémon garbled a response that sounded like a cross between a dial-up modem and bells tinkling.

"Oh, you know I can't stay angry with you." She sighed and smiled down at her Pokémon. "I know you were just trying to protect me... since I can't protect anyone, not even myself. I'm sorry, Nebby."

"Pew pew!"

"Oh, what is that you have there, Nebby?" The girls started forward towards her Pokémon then suddenly seemed to remember that I was there. "Oh, thank you so much for saving Nebby! I hope you'll please forgive me for putting you in such a dangerous situation, I had no idea..."

"It's okay, I'm not hurt, just..." Terrified? Scarred for life? Unable to stand? More confused than I've ever been in my whole life? Instead of finishing the sentence, my voice just kind of trailed off.

"I'm Lillie. Let me help you up." Lillie extended her hand and with her assistance, I was able to get back on my feet.

Poor Popoki seemed to be still recovering, so I picked him up as well, holding him in my arms as I faced Lillie. "Nice to meet you. My name is Cynter."

"I suppose this stone must belong to you?" Lillie held something out to me, a small, sparkling stone. I pocketed it without even thinking about it. "I know this is going to sound strange, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about Nebby here. He's... a secret, okay?"

"Umm, sure, okay, that's fine." The less I thought and talked about this whole event, the better it would be anyway.

Lillie smiled and nodded. "Would you mind seeing us back down to the town? I'm afraid we might get attacked again."

I felt like I wouldn't be able to challenge a crumbling leaf let alone fight a Pokémon battle at that point, but I couldn't exactly decline, could I? "Alright. It's not to far anyway, and at least it's downhill."

"Thank you so much for all of your help." Lillie smiled at me then turned her attention back to the little cloud Pokémon. "Nebby, get in the bag. It's time to go home."

Cynter's Pokémon

Popoki
Lv 7 Litten, Male
Nature: Mild (+SpAtk/-Def)
Ability: Blaze

Author's Notes:

It's been a little while, but we're finally here, another long chapter with hardly any action, woo!

Admittedly, I was a bit surprised when I saw Lillie in her standard Nihilego-inspired outfit instead of the more sporty look that I recall seeing from promotional materials. Based on that, I'd expected that Lillie's character would undergo more of a change this game compared to the original S/M, but I guess that could still be coming in the future.

Otherwise, not all too much to speak of this chapter, since it's mostly just my interpretation of a few cutscenes.

I'm not quite sure yet if Cynter keeping Popoki out of his Poké Ball will be a long term thing or not. I felt that it made the most sense in the immediate circumstances for her to want to keep him out and available in case of wild Pokémon shenanigans. So I guess it's just one of those things that I'm going to wait on and see how the characters react in the future.

For now, hope you enjoy! I'm aiming to get another chapter done next week, though I'll probably take the following week off for Guild Wars.
 
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PMJ

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"This town is where folks come to worship the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island, Tapu Koku."

All I could find this time.

Also this is kinda nitpicky but would you be willing to put the team specs inside the spoiler? I don't wanna be like oh hey new chapter and then immediately see Cynter's new catch without having read a word.
 
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