The New Adventures of Raptor Trainer

Trial and Terror

...When I awoke, the first thing I acknowledged was the steady, ambient sound of falling rain. And when I finally opened my eyes, I saw that the black sand just outside my temporary shelter was wet and packed, and the morning sun was obscured behind a thick blanket of ashen clouds. It was almost hard to tell that it was daytime at all.

Oh no...I didn't oversleep, did I?

I lifted my head up and peered down at Rotom; he was still asleep. Thankfully he'd been able to, given that this shower didn't come with any thunder and lightning...Part of me just wanted to let him be for a while longer and go back to sleep myself, but I knew that time was of the essence.

Maybe on the next island, I said to myself.

{...Rotom.}

I nudged him gently, and that got him to stretch out his blocky appendages, shut his eyes a bit more tightly and yawn. A moment later, his screen brightened up a bit and his large, blue eyes pried slightly open.

"Hm, what...? Is it mornin' already?"

{I think so,} I chittered to him quietly. {Do you have the time?}

"Oh...Yeah, let'zzz see," he replied, yawning again and pushing himself up onto his feet. "According to my internal clock, the current time izz 7:48 a.m. Huh...Ghee, it doezzzn't feel that late. Sun's not shining."

{Yeah, that's probably why we were asleep for so long. And it's raining, too,} I told him as I stood up myself. {Tuck yourself into my bag until I find some shelter, okay? And if you want, you can go back to sleep for a bit longer. I...felt kind of bad waking you up.}

"Hey, don't sweat it, partner. Although I could set an alarm from now on if you want. How'zzz 7:00 in the morning sound for a set time?"

{Huh. Sounds interesting...I guess we'll see how it works tomorrow morning then.}

"Then it's all set! 7:00 a.m. for every weekday! Oh, and you can change it anytime if you'd like," Rotom informed me. "I'll slip into your pack for now to stay out of the rain, but you're probably gonna need me when we find Acerola, so I'll stay awake. You ready to head out, Echo?"

{As I'll ever be.}

The moment after Rotom disappeared into my leather bag, I stepped out from the shelter of the old road section and into the rain...The sand beneath my feet was cool, damp and firm, and the water droplets falling down onto my combined with the lack of the sun's morning warmth sent a bit of a shiver through me.

I supposed it was a bit of a break from Alola's hotter weather, but I hoped that Acerola's trial site would be in a place safe from the shower.

"Well, look who just got up!"

To my good fortune, it seemed like she'd just arrived herself, a dark purple umbrella in hand and her cheerful smile bringing a bit of brightness to the somewhat gloomy weather.

{Perfect timing, Captain,} I remarked, stepping closer. {How are you so good at showing up just at the right moment?}

"I guess it just comes naturally. Hee hee..." she chortled. "You sure you're ready to start, though? I saw you come out from under the pavement, so I'm guessing you haven't eaten anything yet."

{I'll find something once the trial's over with,} I assured her. {I tend to wait a while before eating anything in the morning, anyways. AND I'm in a bit of a hurry, as you're aware.}

"Hey Acerola. Mind if I take a spot under your umbrella? Might be kinda hard to hear me through Echo's bag, bzzt."

"Not at all~! Y'know, I've seen a lot of Ghost-Types, but this is the first time I've ever seen a Rotom up close. They're not native to Alola, after all."