Pokémon: Helping Pokémon Pays Off [32]
Kala'e Bay is located in the northeastern part of Melemele Island and was once ranked among Alola's top 100 scenic spots. It remains one of the island's best attractions, though it has become rather secluded, with fewer visitors in recent years.
Hoshino rode his Cyclizar along the highway for over an hour before finally reaching the area. He kept his speed moderate, fearing that Gengar—who was sitting on Cyclizar's head enjoying the view—might get thrown off.
"The weather is really nice today. As long as it doesn't rain, we're good."
"Gengar~"
Gengar nodded. She hated rain, but aside from that, she seemed fine with any weather.
Cyclizar hit the brakes and came to a stop. Not far from the roadside below lay Kala'e Bay.
The seawater was crystal clear, shimmering under the warm winter sun. Apart from a few small floating islands, the bay was dotted with jagged rocks jutting out from the ocean.
A few Octillery lounged among the rocks, basking in the sunlight. The bay's terrain made it difficult for boats to navigate, so few people came here to catch them—making it an inefficient fishing spot.
"I still don't get why Octillery would go after other octopuses. I mean, I know it's a thing… but Pokémon and regular animals are kinda different, right?"
Hoshino wasn't exactly against the idea—it just felt like the setup for a dark joke.
Besides, he was genuinely curious. From Hau'oli City to Kala'e Bay, there was a whole mountain—Mahalo Mountain—in between. If Octillery didn't take the long way around, the only option was flying.
But how did it get here so fast? Sure, it had eight legs, but even if it could run on land at a decent pace, that didn't mean it had good mobility outside of water.
With these questions in mind, they packed up and headed down toward the bay. Hoshino opened his map to track nearby points of interest—Kala'e Bay was quite large, and finding a single Octillery wouldn't be easy.
Very quickly, he realized that there was no need to search. The wooden boat near the reef was far too conspicuous. An Octillery with a bandana tied around its head emerged from the water, using its tentacles to toss a bunch of colorful octopuses into the boat.
"…This scene is straight out of a dark joke."
Standing on the shore, Hoshino waved and called out, "Hey, Octillery! If you can hear me, make a sound! Boss Slowking sent us over—"
"Pwooh?"
Octillery snapped its head around, its expression turning hostile. Without hesitation, it fired a powerful Octazooka, spewing a thick blast of ink.
"Gengar!"
Gengar flinched in surprise, but Cyclizar reacted instantly, stepping in to block the attack. Unfortunately, He got a face full of ink. The move barely did any damage, but it left Cyclizar's entire front half covered in black.
"This guy's got a serious temper…"
Hoshino frowned slightly before mounting Cyclizar again and riding straight into the sea. Thanks to its amphibious nature, Cyclizar could move both on land and in water—though in water, it was more like swimming while dragging his rider, making him slower but still functional.
Seeing them approach like a jet ski, Octillery scrambled back onto the boat, gripping the hull with its tentacles to steady itself. Then, it unleashed a barrage of Octazooka shots!
Hoshino activated his riding instincts, maneuvering Cyclizar to dodge the attacks while closing the distance. At the perfect moment, just as they neared the boat—he lashed out with a tail strike!
After a brief but decisive beating, Octillery finally calmed down. With a fresh bump on its head, it reluctantly apologized after realizing they weren't there to steal its octopuses.
"Pwooh-pwooh!"
"…And now we've entered the realm of complete gibberish."
Hoshino could usually understand Pokémon cries he was familiar with, learning to interpret their meaning over time. But when an unfamiliar Pokémon spoke too much at once, comprehension became impossible.
"…Come back at five in the afternoon to collect them?"
"Pwooh-pwooh!"
"Got it. And the payment?"
"Pwooh-pwooh-pwooh!"
Octillery raised several tentacles. Hoshino's eyes widened slightly before he flashed a thumbs-up and grinned. "Consider it done!"
Watching Octillery swim away, he felt a surge of excitement—this payment was worth three weekends of work at the claw machine arcade!
The request required catching at least three hundred octopuses, but that wasn't really a problem…
With the mission confirmed, Hoshino rode Cyclizar into the reef area. At the same time, he hadn't forgotten about Gengar's training!
Punching practice could wait—the main priority was mastering its ability. At the very least, Gengar needed to learn how to float properly. Her small body wasn't built for running.
"You ready?"
"Gengar!"
Gengar clenched her tiny pink fists and nodded seriously.
"Alright then. The sea breeze here is pretty strong—just ride the wind and let yourself float. Don't worry about falling, I'll catch you."
Hoshino had it all planned out. Since Gengar was lightweight, the strong winds should be able to lift her if she didn't resist. By experiencing the sensation of floating, she could gradually learn how to control her Levitate ability.
And so, their work began—catching octopuses while training Gengar at the same time. The only thing to watch out for was potential toxicity, but thanks to Nai-chan's lessons, Hoshino had learned how to identify which ones were safe.
Time flew by. They had octopus for lunch, and by around 4 PM, they reached their quota.
They had practically emptied this entire area of octopuses—finding any more in the next few days would be tough.
With the request completed, Hoshino shifted his focus to guiding Gengar's Levitate training. Everything was going well. Gengar could now ride the wind freely, though she still couldn't float without assistance. That would take another two days.
"Alright, come down for now. Octillery should be coming soon to collect the catch. Time to head home."
"Gengar~"
Gengar gleefully soared through the sea breeze. But just as she was about to descend, a sudden bolt of lightning crashed in the distance!
"!!!"
The thunderclap startled Gengar, causing her to lose balance. A sudden, powerful gust of wind swept her away!
Seeing this, Hoshino immediately sped after her on Cyclizar. But in the distance, the ocean was churning violently—waves surging, electricity crackling—signs of an ongoing battle.
"…A field of Electric Terrain this big?"
Hoshino was stunned. Fortunately, as the Electric Terrain spread, the chaotic winds subsided. Gengar fell from the air, and he managed to catch her. They were about to leave when—
A black-bodied Pokémon with a spiky orange mohawk suddenly burst from the ocean! Its hands formed a shell-like structure that resembled a bird's head, adorned with intricate totem-like patterns.
"!!!"
Hoshino froze—it was Tapu Koko, the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island!
Shouldn't it be at the Ruins of Conflict? Why did it just spawn out of the ocean?!
He couldn't figure it out. But based on his previous theories, Tapu Koko was likely one of Kabukicho's Four rulers. That would explain why the area had remained undisturbed for so long…
But before he could process it further, a massive pillar of water erupted from the sea. From within, a giant bear-like Pokémon with a pink head shot out—launching a punch straight at Tapu Koko in midair!
BOOM!
A massive splash exploded outward. The Electric Terrain vanished in an instant. Tapu Koko's eyes spun in circles as it drifted along the waves, completely knocked out.
"???"
"One of the Four Tapu just got one-shot?!"
Hoshino's face was a mix of disbelief and horror. That was a Legendary Pokémon—Alola's Guardian Deity—wiped out in a single punch?!
He turned to look at the culprit—Bewear.
As the giant bear crashed into the ocean, sending waves surging into the sky, Hoshino suddenly found himself questioning who the real Guardian Deity of Alola was.
Then—before the waves even settled—a shadow burst forth from the water. A figure sprinted across the surface at breakneck speed, heading straight toward them!
"That… that's a freaking MONSTER!"
Panic surged through Hoshino as he floored it, speeding away on Cyclizar. A Bewear strong enough to one-shot a Legendary Pokémon? He'd never seen anything like it!
He accelerated, Gengar and Cyclizar equally panicked. But strangely, the sound of pursuit vanished. No more footsteps, no more splashes—almost as if the threat had disappeared.
Hoshino remained on high alert, but an instinctive urge made him glance back—just to confirm whether it was still there.
And then—
He saw a bear's face.
----
To Unlock Bonus Chapters:
10 Powerstones - [1 chapter]
50 Powerstones - [3 chapters]
100 Powerstones - [5 chapters]
500 Powerstones - [7 chapters]
1000 Powerstones - [10 Chapters]
All bonus chapters will be released on friday!
Resets every Friday!
------------------------------
Check out my patreon for more chapters
patreon.com/phaeron