The New Adventures of Raptor Trainer

Akala Island Awaits

There was no telling how long it would take for Hau to complete his go at the Grand Trial, so in the meantime the rest of us decided to use the time we had practically...That evening when we got back to the lab, the Professor told the authorities on Akala Island about me via something called a "phone," which allowed people to speak to one another over very long distances. He also made sure to tell the trial captains and the Akala Island Kahuna about me planning on getting there soon to clear up any confusion they might have had about me...I overheard him speaking to the Kahuna when he was about done and had a listen.

"Yeah, no, I'm not kidding. I'll send you the X-rays and my notes on her...She's already completed her Grand Trial over here; just beat old Hala earlier this evening. She's just waiting for Hau to catch up to her so they can head to the island together...Yeah, y'know, Hala's grandson! They've taken quite a liking to each other...Speak? Ah...no, not really, but she does understand it. That's where her RotomDex comes in handy; he's made himself into a fine translator on top of everything else he can do in there."

It felt like something pricked me right in the middle when he brought up my language barrier. Of course, he didn't mean it in a bad way, but knowing I couldn't directly communicate with the humans without relying on Rotom so much...hurt.

"H-hey, bud. You okay?"

{...I have a question, Rotom.}

"Yeah?"

{Do you think if I practiced, I could...teach myself how to speak like the humans?}

"Well...maybe! Why, does it bother you that ya can't?"

{Sort of. It feels like I'm...dependent in that manner.}

"Hey, d-don't get all down in the dumpzzz about it, bucko; it doesn't matter whether you can or not! You're still our friend, and I'll always be there to give you a hand with that!"

I was comforted in his response, so I decided not to fret over it...The following morning, I opted to train some more to prepare for the next island; I wasn't sure what kinds of Pokémon I'd meet there, and I wasn't about to leave unprepared.

{We'll have to watch out for Brionne's Icy Wind attack in the future, Dartrix,} I informed him as we headed north. {Even if we are at an offensive advantage, so is she with that coverage.}

I left for Route 3 and got down to it...We swept through five Rufflets and nine Spearows within an hour, and came out with nary a scratch thanks to the Potions I still had tucked away. And with such rigorous training, the rewards for it came quickly; Red learned two new moves in the form of Roost and Aerial Ace during our training trek, the former of which I learned could restore Red's health if we got in a pinch. I was pleasantly surprised to find that one didn't always  need to use Potions to heal a Pokémon mid-battle.

He did have to forget a move to make place for new ones though, it seemed, so Wing Attack had to go. Both moves were about the same in terms of power, but Rotom claimed that Aerial Ace had the additional benefit of never missing its target, no matter what; something that would certainly be helpful against Pokémon with a move like Sand Attack.

As we searched for stronger opponents, I happened upon a small opening in the cliffs that I decided to explore...When I went inside to see what it led to, I beheld a small field encased within the rocky cliffs, sweet-smelling yellow flowers covering almost the entire ground. The cries of hidden Pokémon could he heard within the lush plants, making the leaves and petals rustle softly.

{Rotom...What is this place?} I murmured. {It's beautiful.}

"Sure izzz, boss..." he buzzed, equally mesmerized by the scenery. "According to my map data, this is Melemele Meadow! Lotsa different Pokémon can be found here too. Wanna do some exploring? Bzzrt?"