Professor Kukui is usually a man of free time – studying Pokémon moves requires little paperwork and more on-the-field observations. Being locked in the lab is more of his wife's area rather than his. He might be one that looks after the house most of the day but when it comes to being a Trainer, he is the one to take the lead between the two of them.
Ultra Wormholes appearing out of the blue is not a confidential information in Alola. In fact, everyone is reminded regularly to be vigilant and be on the lookout for these interdimensional portals. Since the massive Ultra Beast outbreak six years ago, a proper response procedure has been crafted to deal with the occasional Ultra Wormholes. The Aether Foundation volunteered to become the central communication center and with the help of his wife, they created a powerful system that can detect the burst of Ultra Aura that these interdimensional rifts emit. A team composed of trained Aether employees and any available Trial Captains and Kahunas will be sent out to capture the Ultra Beasts, if there is any, and send them back through the same rift they came from. The team will be led by Gladion, who has the most experience in dealing with Ultra Beasts from his short time with the Interpol years ago. Once the place is secured, Lillie will call out Nebby to close the Ultra Wormhole immediately. It may be simple but the battle that occurs is not. Fortunately, encounters with Ultra Beasts have been rare for the past five years and people have been cooperative with the task force.
Now, with the new Ultra Beast crisis and the ongoing Alolan championship, Professor Kukui has little time to spare and that little time is being spent with collaborating with Professor Elio. Since the start of the tournament, the number of reported cases of Pokémon going berserk has climbed from two to twenty-four in a matter of days. More and more Pokémon that were attacked have been admitted to Pokémon centers, transferred to the Aether Paradise - all of which sporting wounds dripping in a violent shade of purple - and have been bedridden since their arrival.
But that is not the worst part. Their first victim they had has gotten worse. Kahuna Hala's Machamp has fallen into a deep coma and black crystals has crawled over his skin from the wounds where the berserk Alolan Persian has slashed him. His transgressor has showed no signs of improvement either, and has been lashing out every time an employee came by its isolation cage. The police detained and interrogated the trial goer, but all they could get from him was that someone gave him the black Z-Crystal that he used before his Pokémon went berserk. The Z-Crystal has yet to be found and the details regarding the one who handed the Z-Crystal have been vague. The trial goer admitted he did not see the face but told that it was a woman.
"Kukui-kun." The professor shook out from his thoughts and turned to the approaching Kahuna. Hala has been going to the Aether Paradise every day to visit his Machamp. Kukui could not remember a day that the old Kahuna missed visiting his ill Pokémon. "Any news?"
Kukui shook his head apologetically. "'Afraid not." He placed a hand on the glass window overlooking Machamp's room. "He's...getting worse. I'm sorry."
"Do not be, my boy." Hala placed a firm hand on Kukui's shoulder. "None of us wished for this to happen. I worry for Machamp, but there are things I must attend to. I know that he would agree with me."
Kukui respects the old Kahuna and right now, he admired how Hala has remained calm and rational despite the dire situation one of his partner Pokémon is in. "Professor Elio has given us the results from his colleague in Orre. Unfortunately, it did not match the aura signature found from these 'Shadow Pokémon'. We are back from square one."
"We can wish for all the answers to land on our hands," Hala told him. "but the time for them to be at our reach will not be in our will. "
Kukui placed his hands inside the pockets of his lab coat. "Time sure has flown fast. Hau has been the Champion for five years now and my former assistant is on her way to become a Pokémon professor. All the Trial Captains have grown in their own ways and some, if the Tapus chose to, will become the next generation of Kahunas someday."
YOU ARE READING
The Guardian of Alola
FanficShe was the First Champion and Hau is the next. She was her protector and now Lillie is the one who protects. She was once at his reach but now Gladion can only chase after her phantoms. Two years they spent growing together and five years spent mou...
