Love in the Time of Trials

Chapter 22: A Performance

It's been a long while since I had to write Ceremonies...have I mentioned how much I hate them? I hope you enjoy this, though. Time for Chapter 22!

Chapter 22

A Performance

"Well, there they go!" Acerola said in her usual perky voice, watching from the top of the hill. In the distance, she could see Serena and her friends all departing from the Pokémon Center. If she looked a little closer, she felt she could see all of their Pokémon playing with each other, maybe even discerning a few particular shapes. What she was more interested in, however, was the older man rocking back and forth lazily beside her. "But why did you refuse to battle him at first, Uncle Nani?"

"Hmm?" Nanu asked. His eyes were closed as she looked at him, but one of them opened, peering at her in question. She flounced over to him, twirling a little as she did so. As a result, she thought she caught sight of the boy from earlier on the beaches.

"I know you love a good battle when you can find one; really get into it," she chirped out, smiling at him. He went back to ignoring her, or that was what it seemed like, at least. "So why didn't you want to battle Ashy?"

"Like I need to give a reason," Nanu stated. He opened his eyes fully and leaned back against the rocking horse, looking up at the sky. Acerola followed his gaze for a moment. It felt like a storm was moving across Ula'ula for some reason, the sun growing dimmer overhead despite the lack of clouds. Part of her wondered if it actually meant something, but the other, far more capricious self, chose to ignore it. Instead she drew closer to the man and leaned in to observe his face.

"There has to be some reason," she pushed. Nanu didn't answer, but he didn't push her away, either. So, she waited, until at last a small smirk stretched his face.

"Who said a Grand Trial has to be a battle?" he grunted out. Acerola drew back at that, surprise dotting her features. "I have something far more important in mind for his trial; one that I think only he could handle."

"So that's why you wanted to come here!" she cried out, slapping his leg as though she was scolding him liberally. "You're so tricky. You knew he'd be here at my trial and you waited just to do this."

"Meh, maybe," Nanu replied with a half-hearted shrug. "I don't know much about the kid, but I saw him in Malie Garden. I could care less about Hala's opinion of him, but he seems to have what it takes to break the trial system right in half."

"You've been talking about that for ages..." Acerola complained, rolling her eyes at his statement. He'd always been talking about destroying the trial system ever since she'd known him, when he became a Kahuna. She never understood why, though, and she never asked. Now, however, knowing that the Kahunas had been meeting, she decided that she wanted to know very much. "Why do you want to break the trial system, though?"

"Because you've seen what it led to," he dismissed. Acerola frowned, dropping her happiness for a moment. She knew rather well what he was talking about. "I may not care about much, but I won't stand for another Guzma being created because of the system we have in place. That's on my honor as an officer of the International Police."

"Hmm..." Acerola mused, thinking about how fervent he was. It showed in the way he hunted down rogue Team Skull members. He always tried to pretend that he didn't care, but those who seemed to have been abandoned by the trial system were always a point of emotion for him, for whatever reason. Maybe it was the events six years ago, or maybe it was his position in Po Town; whatever it was, she knew she'd never understand. "Then...why Ashy?"

To this, Nanu stopped rocking, and he looked upward yet again. It took a second of reflection, but he answered. "Because that boy's on the verge of losing himself, even if he doesn't know it. And if anyone can prove what I'm saying or expose the darkness that's festering in our region because he can connect with that...it's him."