A Vacation, an Adventure, and the Story of a Lifetime

Chapter 50.5- Shall We?

Back on schedule, and with another tribute chapter to some old friends! Hope I did 'em justice!

       -Luna the Space Fox

Key:

Author's notes

Thoughts

"Telepathy or emphasized words"

"Speech"

"{Pokemon speech}"

Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, this wouldn't be a Wattpad fanfiction and the Sun/Moon anime would have the same animators as X/Y~

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"I didn't know she'd go all out just like that," Mystic hummed. She and Taiyo had seen the Champion's message live from a distance, but had quickly slipped away from the media's prying eyes before anything bad could happen. They had walked pretty deep into a meadow, where they had taken a seat at one of the picnic tables.

Taiyo ran a hand through his white and red hair. "For a champion, I expected her to be bold, but that was quite the speech. She's dedicating her life to what she cares about while staying true to the people who helped her reach her champion status. I can see how she's won over the people's hearts."

"What really caught my attention was that winged Pokemon in her arms," the girl across from him sighed. "A never-before-seen species? I'm still honing my," she lowered her voice, "legendary powers, but that 'Lunalox' had an aura akin to a mythical!"

"Really?" Taiyo's strikingly-deep blue eyes widened, and his usually-neutral expression was turned uncharacteristically excited.

Mystic noticed this immediately. "Don't go getting your hopes up, Taiyo, and don't act like you also didn't notice the girl herself. She had the identical wings, ears, and tail of it, and I couldn't see any place that they were taped on. They moved as if they were attached to her. You have wings; didn't hers look... too real to be fake?"

He put a hand up to his chin, feeling the low pulse of his own wings under his shirt. "Now that you mention it, you're right. Does that mean she could be related to it? Is she... like us?"

"I don't know. This is uncharted territory, even for us. I'm Tapu Fini, you've got a Volcarona's life force, and she could hold the key to a brand new mythical. And this is Alola," Mystic reminded him, "so I must protect its inhabitants. The 'Lunalox' seemed very tame, but all legendaries, mythical and non-mythical, must be tended to and properly cared for, or else the risk is run that they could have an outburst."

"And an outburst of legendary proportion is nothing a fledgling guardian needs to deal with right now," he finished for his white-n-blue-haired friend. "So is it settled? We keep an eye on the champion girl and her Pokemon. Make sure everything is going smoothly."

She took a moment to take in her surroundings, the cogs in her mind probably turning at full speed. Mystic was always lost in thought to some degree, but this was even more than usual.

Finally, she turned her attention back to Taiyo. "Yes. Our guesswork and goals would be for naught if we don't follow through. It is my job as Tapu Fini's chosen one to make sure all of Alola is safe, and that anything out of the ordinary is accounted for and nonthreatening. Regardless of how new to this job I am, my duties to this world are the number one priority."

"You take this really seriously. We've known each other for weeks, but it never ceased to astound me how willing you are to abandon your own life and make sure this region is in good hands- well, fins. And whatever other limbs the other three guardians have," he said.

"You met my... friend, Shane, the new Tapu Koko?" She asked suddenly. So this is what she was thinking about for a moment there, I assume.

Taiyo nodded. "Yes, the blond, I remember him. He didn't seem to like me too much, but he seemed like a good candidate for an island guardian. What about him?"

"Well, he and I were talking about our lives as Tapus not long ago, and he told me how he had helped this boy get a Z-Ring after he learned how to transform into his island guardian form. Not long after, a new girl, the boy's half-sister, arrived, and he sensed a lot of potential in her. He gave her a Z-Ring and Z-Crystal as well, and taught her how to use them. Shane said... she turned into a Pokemon after she battled him with her shiny Umbreon."

"Pokemon features? Shiny Umbreon? New girl in Alola, with a lot of potential? This matches the Luna girl, and solidifies part of our theories, doesn't it?" Taiyo realized.

"Exactly. I didn't think too much of it at the time, since Shane is the type to help out strangers on their island challenge, but the more I've thought about it, the more it makes sense that this is what happened to the Champion. He also said she could understand Pokemon speech, as well as learn Pokemon moves thanks to the unusually strong bond between her and her Pokemon."

"She's like us in more ways than one, it seems," Taiyo breathed. "Then it's settled. We definitely should keep an eye on her, and once the time is right, maybe even introduce ourselves. If she has as much potential as your friend says, then we may have a powerful ally."

Mystic's face stayed blank, but there were mixed emotions shining through her eyes. "..."

Taiyo blinked at her unresponsiveness. "I understand; it's gotta be jarring. But it's also wondrous in a sense. We aren't alone in this, and there's so many new things to learn. Battles. Experiences. Heatran has been getting antsy, all cooped up in his Pokeball. I promised him that one day I'd find somewhere he could let out his energy without exposing us or harming the environment, and I'm sure you feel trapped in that shell you have; your sense of duty to your homeland split between your duty to your gym. It's all uphill from here."

"She came to me some time ago, and she beat me in a battle," Mystic said quietly, breaking the silence that fell over them. "How did I not notice anything? I remember it more clearly now... She was fearless and would do anything for her Pokemon. Her Umbreon and Glaceon defeated my team in minutes, but it felt like slow-motion. I faced challengers day in and day out, but... she was different, yet it never occurred to me..."

"Don't sweat it, Mys. We learn and grow over time, and since then it seems both of you have done a lot of it. You've got another chance, so let's take it."

For the first time in a while, Mystic smiled. "Alright, let's do it."