1. Ash's Story (Part 9: Alola)

Chapter 52: Rough Ground

Route 12 looked like the land had folded its arms and decided no one deserved an easy road. Pointed rocks rose from the ground like broken teeth, and narrow paths twisted between them with just enough space for careful steps. After Route 11's bamboo calm, the roughness felt almost rude.

I tested one stone with my boot and felt it shift under me. Lillie moved slower beside me, watching the cracks with careful eyes while Snowy's Poké Ball rested against her bag. Selene's Charjabug crawled close to her feet, humming anxiously whenever the ground tilted too sharply.

Trenor walked beside his Mudbray, not riding yet, because he wanted to read the route before trusting it. His Sandile kept nosing at the dusty gaps between rocks, and Stoutland stayed alert behind him. The terrain did not scare Trenor's team, but it demanded respect.

Mudbray pressed one hoof into the stones, his ears lowering with stubborn focus, "This road is heavy, but I can learn its weight."

Trenor rubbed his neck. "That is the right answer. We do not beat this route by pretending it is flat. We beat it by listening to the ground."

Nate looked ahead and then back at Rufflet, who had climbed onto a high rock like he wanted the road to look smaller beneath him. Rosa's Vullaby watched from a lower point, testing the wind between the stone ridges. Everyone could feel Route 12 asking for stronger legs, sharper balance, and steadier pride.

Before we could choose our first careful line through the rocks, heavy hoofbeats sounded from the bend ahead. A familiar Mudsdale stepped into view with Hapu riding tall in the saddle, her posture calm even over ground that had already made us hesitate.

"Greetings, everyone," Hapu called. "Well met. I was seeking you."

Hapu guided her Mudsdale down the rough path as if Route 12 had been made for them personally. The Pokémon's hooves struck the stone with deep, confident sounds, and even the loose rocks seemed to settle under her weight. Lillie watched with quiet admiration, while Trenor's Mudbray stared with open concentration.

Hapu stopped near us and lowered her gaze toward our Ride Pagers. "If you are going to travel about Ula'ula, you ought to do it while astride a Mudsdale. There is no call for hesitation. Consider it my thanks for Akala Island."

I handed over my Ride Pager first, and the others followed. Hapu entered the Mudsdale option with practiced hands, then returned each device as if she had merely corrected something that should have been settled earlier. The new icon glowed on the screen, promising safer travel across the broken road.

"It was remiss of me not to register her for you when we met one another in Malie," Hapu said. "By no means was I just waiting for a time when you were in trouble."

Selene blinked, then nodded with a polite seriousness that made Rosa hide a smile. "I see. That is a very specific denial."

Hapu cleared her throat and changed the subject with the dignity of someone who had decided the matter was finished. "Let me pose a question. Do you know of the Ultra Recon Squad?"

"Of course," I answered. "Lillie and I are members. What is the matter?"

Hapu's expression softened, but her eyes stayed serious. "They seem to be here to investigate some ill that weighs heavily upon them. Luckily, it is quite in keeping with the people and Pokémon of Alola to help those in need. If you seek the next trial, go straight on through here to Tapu Village."

Lillie folded her hands at her chest. "Then we will keep watching for them. They helped us before, and we should not forget when someone else is carrying fear."

Hapu nodded once, satisfied. "I will be cheering for you on your island challenge." She turned her Mudsdale back toward the bend, and her partner's steady steps showed the route's answer before we even called our own ride.