Lunar Eclipse

November 19, 2016

I overslept this morning. To be fair, I was still jet lagged from my plane ride yesterday. Alola has several hours ahead of Kanto time. I jolted awake after my mother’s Meowth yelled in my face. Right, we were expecting a visitor soon. I hopped out of bed and tried to make myself presentable, and then I wandered into the living room.

“You were out like a light, weren’t you?” my mom said with a smile on her face. “You ought to be full of energy by now!”

I shrugged. “Traveling must have taken a lot out of me.”

She chuckled. “I get it. So, Selene, are you pumped to meet some Alolan Pokémon?”

This caused me to smile. “Of course!” I wondered how soon I would be able to have one of my own.

“That’s right! I want to hurry up and meet some too. We’re living in the Alolan region now; the beautiful islands everyone wants to visit! I’m sure the Pokémon in this place must be friendly, right?”

Just then the doorbell rang, and I ran to get the door. It turned out to be Professor Kukui. He seemed friendly and cool enough. He and mom caught up for a bit before he turned to me and said the words I had been waiting to hear:

“Let’s get a move on to the next town over, cousin. Time for you to meet the island kahuna and get yourself a Pokémon, yeah!”

After running back to my room to fetch my hat and backpack, we were off. My mom was right: the humid air did feel good on my skin. All of the new sights and sounds caught my attention as I walked with Kuiki, and my heart lifted every time I saw an Alolan Pokémon. Given a little time, I might come to love this place after all.

“And we’re here!” Kuiki announced 20 minutes later as we stepped into a clearing with houses bordering the sides. “This right here is Iki Town! This town is where folks come to worship the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island. Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy, see!” His smile faded as he looked around the clearing. Huh? What's goin' on here? We were supposed to meet everybody right here, yeah. Maybe they're all back there on Mahalo Trail.”

“Mahalo Trail?” I said. If I remembered correctly, ‘mahalo’ meant ‘thank you.’

Kuiki nodded. “That's where the ruins of our guardian deity, Tapu Koko, are, yeah. Selene! Do me a solid and go find the island kahuna! I'll wait around here to make sure we don't miss each other.”

I blinked but retained the smile on my face. “What does he look like?”

“The island kahuna? You can't miss him. He looks just like a kahuna.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I felt restless just waiting there, so I followed his instructions and headed up a flight of stairs. I then found myself in another clearing with some sort of stage in the center. Behind it was a trail guarded by two totems. I noticed a girl standing near the entrance. She had long blonde hair and wore elegant clothing. Was she talking to herself? Before I could call out to her, she had started along the trail. Figuring this was where I was supposed to go, I followed far behind.

The girl stopped when she reached a plank bridge. On the other side of the bridge there appeared to be some sort of shrine with ruins. Was this what she had come to see? Suddenly, something flew out of the bag on her side. Was that a Pokémon? It was purple and almost appeared to be made of gas. The girl gasped as the creature floated towards the bridge.

She took a step towards the bridge but stopped when a flock of Spearow suddenly swooped down towards the bridge. They were headed straight for the purple Pokémon! I stopped behind the girl and froze in fear. Then she turned around to face me, and I had to say something. “What’s wrong?” I managed to choke out.

“H-help,” she said. “Save Nebby! Those Spearow are attacking it! But... but I'm too afraid to go out there... My legs feel like they might give out...”

The Pokémon named Nebby seemed to tremble in fear. Why didn’t this girl call out a move? Wasn’t she his trainer? She said she was afraid, but so was I! I was not a person who did something impulsive like this. Elio had been, and look where it got him. Then again, if I had been braver that day, maybe I could have saved him.

I took a deep breath. I had to do it. I had to do what Elio would do in my place. I ran before I could think myself out of this. I slowed down when I realized the wooden planks creaked and carefully made my way over to Nebby. Thankfully, I reached him before the Spearow. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close to my body. Then I felt the Spearow attack with their beak.

The pain did not last for long. A bright purple light emanated from Nebby, shooting the Spearow out of the sky. Unfortunately, the attack also broke the bridge, and I held the Pokémon close as we hurled towards the water below.

I never hit the surface of the water. Something caught me in its arms and carried me over to the ground on the original side of the bridge. I looked in surprise at my rescuer – a strange looking Pokémon. It gaze dat me for a minute before flying off. Then I remembered Nebby, and I released him so he could float back to the girl.

“Oh, thank goodness!” the girl said. She proceeded to scold the purple Pokémon for his antics. Afterwards, she glanced at the ground and picked up a sparkling stone. “A sparkling... stone? It feels almost warm somehow.” She looked at me. “Please, forgive me. I am so grateful to you for helping us out of that dangerous spot.”

“Who are you?” I asked.

Instead of replying, she held out the stone to me. “I think this stone must belong to you.”

I took the stone and stared at it for a moment before placing it in my backpack.

“Please, don’t tell anyone about this,” the girl said, “about seeing Nebby. It’s a secret, okay?”

“Sure.” I had no reason to expose her secret. That must be a rare Pokémon if she wanted him to hide all the time.

After returning Nebby to her bag, the girl asked me to accompany her back to town. I was going there anyway, so I agreed. It was then I remembered the kahuna. He must not have come down this way.

Kukui was there to greet us once we arrived. “Hey, Selene!” he said. “Looks like you missed the kahuna, yeah? But you found my assistant, oh yeah! Looks like you already met, but just in case, this is my assistant!”

“Oh... um... yes,” said the girl. “You can call me Lillie.”

“And, Lillie, this here is Selene. She just moved here to Alola! Take good care of her.”

Lillie turned to me with a small smile. “So... you're also one of the professor's acquaintances? It's nice to meet you.”

The people around us started chatting excitedly. I heard the name ‘Kahuna Hala’ thrown around. Then a large, important-looking man entered the area. “Did I miss something?” he said in a booming voice, though his tone was friendly.

"Naw, but where'd you go off to, Kahuna?" said Kukui. "I thought we were meeting here."

"I am kahuna of this island, after all. Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve it." He turned to the girl. “Sorry, Lillie, what were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about."

"Yes, Kahuna Hala," Lillie said. "Nebby was being attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge when this girl helped him get away, but the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine. And that was when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!"

The Kahuna seemed impressed. "Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you. Kukui, my boy, I think we have cause to celebrate!" He grinned at the professor before turning back to me. "It seems I should entrust this brave and kind young girl with a Pokémon of her own. We'll make a fine Trainer out of her! I'm glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island."

"My name's Selene," I said. Brave and kind? Kind maybe, but that stunt with Nebby was the bravest thing I had done in my life. Not very typical of me. I could only do it because I was acting like my brother.

"Welcome to Alola! Young Kukui had told me of your coming. I'm glad we got the chance to meet today. Come, my Pokémon! Let's have a look at you!"

Kahuna Hala released the three starter Pokémon: Rowlet the grass type, Litten the fire type, and Popplio the water type. Excitement lit my heart as I looked at each one in turn. Though they were all cute and cool looking, I already knew which one I wanted as my partner. "I'll choose Litten." I stared at the black and red cat Pokémon. Fire types reminded me of my lost brother, and it would be comforting to have one with me... almost like he was still with me.

Hala nodded in approval. "Only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call each other partners. So let us see if little Litten there also decides to choose you!" He motioned towards the stage in front of us.

I remained calm on the outside while my heart hammered on the inside. What if the Pokémon didn't like me? I scrambled onto the stage while the Litten did the same. We stared at each other for a full minute. I could hardly breathe. Finally, the fire type strode toward me confidentiality. When he nuzzled against my leg, my face melted into a smile. I bent down and scooped him up, cuddling him against my chest.

"So little Litten has accepted you as well, Selene," Hala said. "Having accepted one another, you'll surely be friends for life!"

I held the Litten in my hands and examined him. "I'll name you 'Sun.'" The cat purred in response.

I was a real Pokémon trainer now! I gratefully accepted the Pokedex Professor Kukui offered me. Then he suggested I introduce my new friend to my mom, and I heartily agreed. I thanked everyone and then turned around to head back to my house.

I had not walked more than a few steps when I saw someone blocking my path. It was a boy about my age, and he had a black shirt, yellow and orange shorts, and green hair tied up in the back. He grinned widely when he saw me. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "You and me! Let's have a Pokémon battle!"

I blinked in surprise and instinctively took a step back. Who was this guy and why was he impulsively challenging me to a battle? Sun looked at me from my arms, seeming just as uncertain.

I heard Hala chuckle from behind me. "Where's the fire, boy? And what kind of a Pokémon battle would that be where you don't even give a name first, eh?"

"Fair enough," said the boy. "Then I'm Hau, and my partner's Rowlet. His name is Feathers. Your Litten looks really cool, too!"

I blinked again. "Thanks?"

Hau grinned. "Yeah! So let's battle! I couldn't wait for you to find your way to Iki Town, so I've been all over looking for you!"

I gave him an odd look. "Okay..." He had been looking for me and he did not even know me? I did not know whether to be flattered or creeped out. Was there really nothing going on in this town that each newcomer was a cause for excitement?

"I don't really like to see Pokémon battles where Pokémon can get hurt, but I'll watch for you," Lillie said.

"Oh yeah, your first battle already!" said Kukui. "Just have your Pokémon dish out some moves and see who wins. Woo!"

"I appreciate you being willing to take on my grandson here," Hala said. "I expect a no-holds-barred battle from the both of you!"

"You will battle me, right?" Hau said, giddy with excitement. "I know you will! Right?"

Well, if he was the kahuna's grandson, he could not be a total nutcase. It would not do much harm to battle. Plus, I did have the type advantage. "Yeah, and I won't lose!" I said confidently.

"All Right! This is gonna be great!" He pulled out a Pokeball and released his Rowlet, a tan and green owl Pokémon.

I took a deep breath and set Sun on the ground. I took out my Pokedex and quickly reviewed his moves. Ember, Scratch, and Growl. This shouldn't be too bad. "Sun, use Ember!" I called out.

The Litten sprang to his feet and immediately hurled a series of fire balls at Feathers. The Rowlet took to the air, but he was not quick enough. The fire sent him back to the ground. At his trainer's command, he used Leafage. The glowing leaves sprang from his body and hit Sun before he could react.

The battle continued in this way. After a couple of Scratch attacks and one more good Ember, Sun finally stood victorious. The Rowlet had fainted. "Good job, buddy," I said, smiling and rubbing the Litten's head.

For some reason, after returning his Pokémon to his Pokeball, Hau jumped up and down in excitement. "Hoo-ee! That gave me chicken skin! Selene, right? Your Litten was awesome! Now that settles it! I'm going all out tomorrow!"

I forced the smile to remain on my face. Did this guy have too much sugar in his coffee this morning? I had to admit, he kind of reminded me of Elio. My brother used to get excited about things he was passionate about like Pokémon and adventures. However, Hau took that up several notches and got excited about everything.

"Selene, would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?" Hala said suddenly.

"Sure..." I had no use for the stone, so I handed it over.

Hala's eyes widened as he examined the stone. "Could it be?!"

"Tutu, isn't that..." Hau started to say.

Hala looked up at me. "You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge- isn't that what I heard, Selene?"

I nodded. "That's when I got that stone."

"So it even deigned to give you a stone... Perhaps you are here in Alola, Selene, because this is where you are meant to be. Allow me to borrow this stone for now."

I shrugged. "Sure." I was meant to be in Alola? It did not feel like it at the moment, but maybe it was true. I sure hoped it was true. I was tired of feeling like I had no purpose.

"Fret not! I'll return it to you tomorrow evening. It would seem that you have the makings of a fine Trainer. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival tomorrow!"

"Okay." A festival sounded interesting, and it was not like I had other plans.

"First I'll make sure you get back home safe today, though, Selene," said Kukui. “Lillie, you two should come with us, too, yeah. Wouldn't want to go losing you twice in one day. You or that precious Pokémon of yours!"

Lillie nodded. " Yes... I will keep an eye on..."

"Pew!" said Nebby from beside her.

Lillie turned to him and gasped. "Oh, you! Would you not try to escape the very moment that you were told not to wander off!"

Everyone laughed, including me. This certainly was turning out to be an interesting place. I departed with Kukui and Lillie just as the sun started to set. My Litten padded beside me, appearing to enjoy the nature walk.

After some casual chatter, we arrived back at my house. I thanked my two guides and then bounded into the house, Sun on my heels. "Mom, I'm home!"

"Welcome back, Selene!" Mom said as she walked into the living room from the kitchen. "So, what kind of Pokémon did you get?"

"A Litten," I replied, motioning towards the cat at my feet. "I name him 'Sun.'" I held my breath as I awaited her reaction. 'Sun' had been Elio's nickname as 'Moon' was mine. I did not know if I had overstepped my bounds or not.

Mom appeared surprised at first, but then a warm smile spread across her face. "That's a wonderful name, honey. I'm proud of you. I'm glad you have a friend now to always stay by your side." She bent down and stroked Sun's back, causing him to purr.

I exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Mom." I hoped the very same thing. With Sun, I felt like I could finally overcome my past.

Just then, Meowth trotted into the room. He spotted Sun and bounded over to him. The two cats sniffed each other before meowing in greeting.

Mom chuckled. "It's good to see they're getting along. So, have you had a chance to battle yet?"

I nodded. "Yes, actually. After the kahuna gave me Sun, I met his grandson, Hau, and beat him in a battle." Even though I hadn't been prepared for it, it felt pretty good to win my first battle!

"That's wonderful, dear? And you met a boy?" Her voice had a teasing tone to it as she winked.

I rolled my eyes and let out a groan. "Don't even go there. We just met, and he's not my type." Not at all. I would not be able to keep up with his energy.

Mom chuckled and shook her head. "If you say so. Anyway, how about we get dinner started? You and Sun must be hungry!"

And so that's exactly what we did. It felt good to retire to my room after dinner and crack open this journal Mom got me. She thinks it will help me to write the events throughout the day. I think she may be right. Writing helps me process everything that happened, and today was certainly exciting!

Until next time!


Selene

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A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope this was a suitable first chapter. There is a lot of introductory stuff that needs to get done before I can delve a little deeper. Let me know what you think.