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

Chapter 53: Warnings

Ula'ula Beach gave us open water before Route 13 pulled the journey inward again. Mantine riders cut bright trails across the waves, and for a short while the ocean made our travel feel lighter than the rocky roads behind us. We did not stop long, but the sound of the surf followed us like a last breath of space.

Route 13 waited beyond the beach with dry ground, low buildings, and the quiet feeling of a place where travelers paused before deciding where danger wanted them next. The motel stood near the road like a resting point between choices, and the shoreline glittered close enough that water still shaped the air. Lillie kept Nebby's bag close, though nothing had happened yet. That was simply how she carried care now, carefully and with both hands.

Selene adjusted her bag while Brionne watched the motel sign sway in the wind. Trenor's Sandile kept close to the warm dust, and Nate's Rufflet climbed onto a low roof edge until Nate called him down with a patient look. Rosa glanced across the empty road and said the place felt too quiet for a route that clearly expected travelers.

Hau came running toward us from the road near the motel, breathing hard but smiling with the same stubborn brightness he carried through every hard battle. He waved before he completely caught his breath, and Pikachu's ears lifted at the familiar sound of his footsteps.

His own partners looked tired but proud behind him. That mattered, because Hau sometimes laughed so easily that people forgot he trained seriously. After everything our group had seen, I did not want to overlook another Trainer's growth just because he carried it with sunshine instead of sharp edges.

"Phew, that Togedemaru was strong," Hau said. "But I managed to get through the trial too. Maybe even managed to get a bit stronger, eh? I heard from Sophocles how you just breezed through that trial yourself, Ash and Lillie. You are something else."

"You cleared it too," Lillie said warmly. "That matters more than comparing how quickly everyone finished."

Hau grinned wider and dug through his bag. "I know. That is why I am sharing the happy feeling. You should take this."

He handed us a Max Potion with both hands, like giving away something useful made the victory more real. I accepted it with thanks, and Hau looked ready to say more at the same volume before another voice cut across the road from the motel.

"You only have one volume, do you not?" Gladion asked. "Have you never heard the expression that silence is golden?"

Lillie turned so quickly that Nebby's bag shifted against her side. "Gladion?"

Gladion stepped away from the motel with his usual guarded posture, but his eyes were sharper than his tone. Hau flinched backward and pointed at him as if Gladion had appeared from a shadow on purpose. The tension around us changed before anyone sent out a Pokémon.

"Gah, he is back," Hau said.

Gladion ignored the complaint and looked straight at us. "Listen. Team Skull is looking for a Pokémon called Cosmog. Do you know anything?"

The name struck harder because he did not soften it. Route 13 had travelers, buildings, and sunlit sand, yet Gladion made it feel like someone had opened a door under the road. I did not reach for a Poké Ball, but my hand moved closer to Lillie without planning it.

Nebby stirred inside the bag. Lillie held it closer at once, and the fabric trembled against her arm with a small, frightened motion. Nebby pressed toward the hidden space between Lillie and me, "Do not let the loud ones find me."

Hau stepped forward before Lillie could answer. "What? Not that we would tell you."

Gladion's gaze flicked toward the bag, then back to my face. "So you do know something. Look, Cosmog is not even a strong Pokémon. But it has the potential to summon Pokémon so terrifyingly strong that you do not even know. If something like that happened, it would be a disaster for Alola."