Steve's Alola Travel Journal

[OffRoadSP]

Aloha, Alola!

October 18, 2016

I've taken a short break from Pokémon training. Last month, after failing to complete my National Pokedex, I wanted to have some downtime so I wouldn't be burned out for a new adventure. But now, it's time to start a new journey!

Professor Sycamore had told me about the Alola Region a few months ago. It's a group of islands much like Hawaii. He explained that as well as there being new Pokémon there, existing Pokémon take on different forms and typing due to the environment of the islands. I can't wait to explore all that Alola has to offer!

Professor Rowan, Professor Juniper, Professor Sycamore, and Professor Birch will still take care of my shiny Pokémon scattered across the Pokémon world regions for a little while longer. Although I really wanted to start my Alola journey with my Wailmer from the Hoenn region that I caught over a decade ago, there was still too much left to do to transfer it. It will happen someday!

Before leaving Kalos, Professor Sycamore gave me a Poké Ball with a special Pokémon inside. He explained that it's a Greninja that has a special ability never seen before. It allows it to form a bond with its trainer and increase its power by changing form, in a process much like, but completely separate from, mega evolution. Since I was leaving all my partners behind, at least I wouldn't have to travel without a Pokémon.

I boarded the plane and watched as the Kalos region faded into the distance. Next stop: the Alola region!

October 19, 2016

I landed in Hau'oli City, and quickly learned that "Alola!" is a common greeting that they use on the islands. On the journey over I met a mother and son who were moving to the Alola region from the Kanto region. I went with them to city hall, and we met a dude named Hau who seemed to be expecting the new visitors. When we stepped out of City Hall though, these guys with bandanas over their mouths threatened us and wanted us to hand over our Pokémon. Looks like they call themselves Team Skull. Well, I sent out the Greninja I had with me, and made short work of their Pokémon, which were… wait, who's that Pokémon? Well, I don't have a Pokédex with me, but Hau said it was called Yungoos. I'm guessing it's the Alolan region's Ratatta/Sentret/Zigzagoon/Bidoof/Sentret/Bunnelby.

Hau showed me the local Pokémon Center, run by none other than an Alolan Nurse Joy. After stepping outside, Hau introduced me to Professor Kukui, who I'm assuming is this region's Pokémon Professor! He researches Pokémon moves, even going so far as to allow himself to get attacked to see various moves' power. I introduced myself and explained my Pokémon goals and he suggested taking part in one of the island trials. I asked more about these trials.

"Trials are a custom we have here in the Alola region," Professor Kukui explained. "People go through them to get stronger as Trainers and to get closer to their Pokémon."

I was directed to head over to a place called Ten Carat Hill when I was ready to take on the challenge.
On Ten Carat Hill, I saw a new flying-type Pokémon I never saw before! It was called a Pikipek, which I think is safe to assume is this region's Pidgey/Hoothoot/Taillow/Starly/Pidove/Fletchling. Then I battled a trainer who had a puppy-like Pokémon called a Rockruff, which almost seems like a rock-type Lillipup. I then entered the Ten Carat Hill cave where Professor Kukui was waiting for me.

"There're four Pokémon on Ten Carat Hill," Kukui said holding up four fingers. "Two are called Jangmo-o and two are called Hakamo-o. Your goal in this trial will be to photograph all of them, yeah!"

He gave me a device called a Poké Finder that would allow me to take pictures. The professor also lent me his Pikachu to accompany me on the challenge. So I went deeper in the cave and found the dragon-type Jangmo-o and took its picture… and then it attacked! It wasn't too difficult to defeat. But I can't wait to start catching these new Pokémon!

I found the other Jangmo-o, and then the Hakamo-o. The last Hakamo-o ended up being much, much larger than the first, and it was glowing with a powerful aura! It also called a wild Rockruff to help it in battle. By using Water Shuriken to defeat the Rockruff, it triggered the Greninja's special ability of Battle Bond, and it changed form, gaining a huge Water Shuriken on its back! It helped us easily defeat the large Hakamo-o. By defeating the challenge, Professor Kukui rewarded me by letting me test out something called a Z-Ring, and some Electrium Z for the Pikachu to hold. Just then, the Team Skull grunts from earlier showed up, and had an Admin with them by the name of Plumeria. She attacked with her Golbat. I sent out Pikachu. The Z-Ring was reacting with the Electrium Z, and allowed the Pikachu to use a powerful move called Gigavolt Havoc, which decimated the Golbat! Plumeria and the grunts left in defeat, but I am sure that is not the last I've seen of Team Skull.

I gave Pikachu back to the Professor, and then returned to Hau'oli City, where I was offered some malasadas, which I declined since I remember not caring for from when I was in Hawaii years ago.

I was very pleased with this taste of Alola. I look forward to seeing more of the region next month when I officially start my new adventure!

October 20, 2016

In the days and weeks that followed, I discovered a few unusual characters dotted around the city's district. Some were very odd encounters, like a pair of guys looking shady with some Slowpoke, while others were a bit more interesting, like a girl who was hiding something alive in the bag she had with her.

November 18, 2016

Aloha, Alola! Although today marks the official first day of my Alola region adventure, my cat had to have surgery today, so I do not have a lot of time to focus on Pokémon. I did arrive in Iki Town where I learned a little about Alola. I also ran into that mysterious girl from a few weeks ago, and it was apparently a mysterious new Pokémon that she was carrying around in her bag. It got away from her and was being attacked by some Spearow on a wooden bridge. I jumped in to help, but the bridge broke apart and we started to fall! We were rescued by a cool looking Pokémon, which I later learned was the guardian Pokémon of the island, Tapu Koko.

The Alola region is made up of four islands, each with a powerful island guardian Pokémon. I learned the timid girl with the mysterious Pokémon is Kukui's assistant named Lillie, the small Pokémon hiding in her bag she calls Nebby, and that Professor Kukui was once a trainer who challenged the gym leaders in the Kanto region years ago. I was introduced to Hala, who is Hau's grandfather as well as the Kahuna of the island, and he showed me the three starter Pokémon for the Alola region. All three are adorable, but for some reason I was really drawn to the grass Pokémon, Rowlet! The way it "chose" me as its Trainer was so cool that it made me break tradition and actually decide keep Rowlet with me as the first official member of my Alola team!

I was finally given a Pokédex, so I scanned in my new friend. I can't believe I'm starting over, again. Will I actually "catch 'em all" this time around??

"Rowlet, the Grass Quill Pokémon. Rowlet use photosynthesis to store up energy during the day, while becoming active at night. Silently they glide, drawing near their targets. Before they even notice them, they begin to pelt them with vicious kicks."

1. Rowlet

November 19, 2016

I had a quick Pokémon battle with Hau, who used the water-type starter, Popplio. I got to try out Rowlet in battle, and see a new move called Leaf age, a basic physical grass-type move.

"Popplio, the Sea Lion Pokémon. Popplio can control water bubbles. They snort body fluids from their nose, blowing balloons to smash into foes. They practice diligently so they can learn to make big bubbles. They are famous for being hard workers."

Later in the evening (which is actually early in the day, since Alola is 12 hours apart), I decided to do a little exploring. I stepped onto Route 1 of a new region once again. It's always exciting to begin a journey! Professor Kukui had given me ten Poké Balls to get started, so I figure it's time to catch some new Pokémon! The first wild Pokémon I encountered was a Pikipek like the one I saw last month. I sent out Rowlet and had it use Leafage to weaken it, and then tossed a Poké Ball. I caught my first Pokémon in Alola, a Pikipek!

"Pikipek, the Woodpecker Pokémon. Pikipek can peck at a rate of 16 times a second to drill holes in trees. They use the holes for food storage and for nesting. They feed on berries, whose leftover seeds become the ammunition for the attacks they fire off from their mouth."

2. Pikipek

I saw a few more wild Pikipek, and then on my way back to rest up my new Pokémon, I ran into a much more familiar Pokémon in the tall grass. It was a Caterpie. So there are some familiar Pokémon here in Alola also.

"Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Caterpie are easy to catch, and they grow quickly, making them one of the top recommendations for novice Pokémon Trainers. When attacked by bird Pokémon, they resist by releasing a terrifically strong odor from their antennae, but they often become their prey."

I decided to have one more wild Pokémon encounter, and found a wild Yungoos! This time I had Pikipek battle to weaken it, and tossed a Poké Ball to catch it!

"Yungoos, the Loitering Pokémon. Yungoos wander around in a never-ending search for food. With their sharp fangs, they will bite anything. At dusk, they collapse from exhaustion and fall asleep on the spot. They did not originally live in Alola but were imported from another region."

3. Yungoos

I wonder what region they originally came from?

 

[OffRoadSP]

Is there a way for me to edit the name of the thread?
Nevermind, figured it out.

And Sun is not a separate journey, but will be used to complement Moon (exclusives, etc). If that doesn't fit the forum let me know. :)

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 20, 2016

I did some early morning exploring (meaning about dusk in Alola… this is going to get confusing), and caught a few more Pokémon. They are some familiar bug-types that were early captures in my previous Kalos journey as well.

"Ledyba, the Five Star Pokémon. Ledyba are timid and grow uneasy when not in a swarm with others of their kind. The patterns on their backs differs slightly from one to another. They communicate with one another using bodily fluids that give off odors. When they're angry, their odor smells sour."

4. Caterpie

5. Ledyba

I then had a battle with a nearby Trainer. He must be related to Joey from Johto, because he had a Rattata. When he sent it out, though, I was shocked. It looked very different. It wasn't a regular Kanto Rattata nor was it a shiny Rattata like mine. This one was a much darker color, and had a kind of mustache too. Apparently this is normal for the Alola region!

"Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon. Rattata become active when the sun goes down. With their incisors, they gnaw through doors and infiltrate people's homes. Then, with a twitch of their whiskers, they steal whatever food they find. They run around town on a chase for good food for the boss of their nest, Raticate."

And according to the Pokédex, it's also dark-type as well as normal. Very cool! Though I did easily defeat it with a single critical hit from Rowlet's Leaf age. Since they come out at night, I should be able to find one along this route a little later.

I returned to Iki Town where the locals were celebrating an island festival, during which they have Pokémon battles to honor Tapu Koko. Hau was there, so we decided to have an official battle as well. Hala acted as judge for the match. It was two-on-two, and Hau led off with a Pichu! I thought I saw a Pikachu among the crowd, so apparently they are native to Alola.

"Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. Pichu are not skilled at controlling electricity. Despite their cute appearance, those who want to live with one should prepare to be on the receiving end of its electric jolts. If you take your eyes off them, they may shock themselves."

I sent out Yungoos, which managed to win despite being paralyzed. Then it was a rematch between Rowlet and Popplio, and the result was as expected there.

Hala presented me with a Z-Ring as a prize, like the one I got to test out last month. Hala and Kukui explained that there are four islands with various island challenges that trainers partake in to become the island challenge champion. So… I guess there's no Pokémon gyms in Alola? This is going to be new! Professor Kukui said to meet him at his lab a little south of Iki Town and he'd help me get started.

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 21, 2016

Lillie escorted me to the Pokémon research laboratory where Professor Kukui studies Pokémon moves. The building itself looks like it's suffered from a fair amount of destructive Pokémon moves, based on the many patched up areas. Lillie has been staying there in a loft, in exchange for being the professor's assistant. When we entered, Professor Kukui was being hit by attacks from a Rockruff! He stopped his research to talk to us.

There were a lot of different Pokémon around his lab. Most were ones I had seen before, like Snubbull, Murkrow, and Poliwhirl. Then one popped up as I was talking to the professor: a Rotom! I scanned it with my Alola Pokédex.

"No data."

Professor Kukui explained that Rotom are not native to Alola, but through his research, he discovered a new device that Rotom could possess. He asked to see my Pokédex. After a few adjustments, he told Rotom to go into it. My Pokédex now has a Rotom living in it!

I decided to head out and explore the tall grass outside the professor's lab. It's right along the coast, and despite still being part of Route 1, it had a different assortment of Pokémon. First I came across a wild Slowpoke! I thought that was an interesting find; in all the other regions, I don't think wild Slowpoke were encountered until much later in the journey. So finding one on Route 1 is exciting! It took a couple Poké Balls, but I managed to catch it.

"Slowpoke, the Dopey Pokémon. Slowpoke have a long tail that often breaks off. They don't really feel any pain, though, and the tail grows back, so they aren't particularly bothered. Alolan home cooking involves drying Slowpoke tails and then simmering them into a salty stew."

6. Slowpoke

Wow, that Pokédex entry remind me of when Team Rocket was trying to steal Slowpoke tails back in the Johto region. It seems more acceptable here in Alola to use their tails as food!

I walked along the coast some more and also saw some wild Wingull flying by. It makes me remember my shiny Wingull that I caught along the coast of Kalos a few years ago.

"Wingull, the Seagull Pokémon. Wingull spread their wings to the wind and soar away into the sky. Their hollow bones enhance their lightness. Fisherman keep an eye out for them in the sky, because wherever they're circling, the ocean is sure to be teeming with fish Pokémon."

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 22, 2016

I wanted to catch an Alolan Rattata, so I went back out to Route 1 to see if I could find one. It was the first wild Pokémon I encountered! I easily caught it, and added it to my team.

7. Rattata

With that catch, I now have seven Pokémon. Rotom, through the Pokédex, told me that instead of transferring a newly caught Pokémon, I could transfer a current Pokémon from my roster. That's a handy feature! Professor Kukui said he would take care of my Pokémon at his lab, so I sent him my Yungoos.

As I got closer to Iki town, I ran into a wild Pichu! I didn't catch it, but at least now I know where to find one. I did catch another familiar Pokémon. Much like in the Johto region, where you can catch Ledyba by day, you can catch Spinarak by night!

"Spinarak, the String Spit Pokémon. Spinarak wait intently until their preferred prey, Cutiefly, gets caught in their webs. In fact, they are quite patient Pokémon. Some fishermen weave their sturdy threads into nets to catch fish Pokémon."

8. Spinarak

What's a Cutiefly? Anyway, I had Spinarak replace Pikipek on my team. While I was continuing to search for a Pichu, I came across a wild Metapod.

"Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Caterpie. Metapod have a hard shell filled with soft innards. The bug shell has been known to break, so intense battles with it should be avoided. They don't move much because of the risk they might carelessly spill their innards out."

As I continued to search for a Pichu, it gave me an opportunity to train with my Pokémon team. But then I came across another new Pokémon! It was quite obviously a bug-type, and had pincers coming out of its mouth. Who's that Pokémon?

"Grubbin, the Larva Pokémon. Grubbin often gather near places frequented by electric Pokémon in order to avoid being attacked by bird Pokémon. Their strong jaw enables them to scrape trees and slurp out the sap. They normally live underground."

A short while later, I finally found a wild Pichu! I had Slowpoke use Yawn to put it to sleep multiple times, but it still took over half a dozen Poké Balls before I finally caught it! I had it replace Caterpie on my team.

9. Pichu

 

[Snorl.ax]

Reminds us that the Genertion I is the best

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 23, 2016

I finally caught a Grubbin near Iki Town, and then I caught a Wingull and much later a second Slowpoke along the coast near Professor Kukui's lab.

10. Grubbin

11. Wingull

Once daytime arrived in Alola, I decided to move on in my journey. My team of Pokémon consisted of Pikipek, Yungoos, Rattata, Ledyba, Spinarak, and my second Slowpoke. There was a Pokémon Trainer School just off of Route 1, so I stopped by there at the invitation of Lillie. I had some battles against a few of the students. One used a little Bonsly as her partner.

"Bonsly, the Bonsai Pokémon. Bonsly do not deal well with water, so they live in dry locales. Since their surroundings tend to lack greenery, they stand out noticeably. From their eyes, they can expel excess moisture from their body. This liquid is similar in composition to human sweat."

The next student I battled had a surprise in store for me. When he tossed out his Great Ball, out came… a green Grimer! At first I thought it was a shiny Grimer, but then I realized it was distinctly different than my old partner from the Unova region. And… it has teeth? Ouch, apparently because of that it can use Bite attack, since they are part dark-type in Alola!

"Grimer, the Sludge Pokémon. Grimer which had been brought in to solve a problem with garbage developed over time into this form. The crystals on their body are lumps of toxins. If one falls off, lethal poisons leak out."

After battling the students, I had one final battle with a teacher named Emily. She used a Magnemite and a Meowth, and although the Magnemite was exactly what I was used to, the Meowth was very different! It had a much slicker look to it, and it was a darker color. And also dark-type instead of normal!

"Magnemite, the Magnet Pokémon. Magnemite send out electromagnetic waves, which let them float through the air. They gather in places where electricity is available. They can be found clinging to the steel towers used to support power lines. Touching them while they're eating electricity will give you a full-body shock."

"Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. Meowth were not originally found in Alola. Human actions caused a surge in their numbers, and they went feral. They're prideful and crafty. When their delicate pride is wounded, or when the gold coin on their forehead is dirtied, they fly into a hysterical rage."

After the battle, I met Ilima, who is one of Melemele Island's captains. The captains are the people who are in charge of the island challenges. I think in many ways they are the Alola region's equivalent of gym leaders. He invited me to his challenge further along on the island. I accepted, but first, I want to catch some more Pokémon, since I was told most of the new ones I battled could be found in the wild right here outside the Trainers' School!

Before going to sleep (which I desperately need), I caught myself a Magnemite at the school.

12. Magnemite

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 24, 2016

Once I woke up, I did a little more searching at the Trainers' School for wild Pokémon. I caught a Meowth fairly quickly, and after a little while of searching, also caught a Grimer. Magnemite were definitely the most common wild Pokémon in the area, and also posed quite a challenge for my team to train against.

13. Meowth

14. Grimer

I then stopped by the Pokémon Center to give my team a rest, and rotated out for a new team. I took Caterpie, Pichu, my other Slowpoke, and my newly caught Meowth, Magnemite, and Grimer.

I learned about a fun new place off the coast of Melemele Island called the Festival Plaza. It was run by a dude named Sophocles, and host a variety of facilities that sell food and items, and also places to train your Pokémon. In many ways, this seems very much like the old Join Avenue from the Unova Region, which I enjoyed very much. I'm still fumbling around and learning all there is to offer at the Festival Plaza, but I did gain a few ranks in it, and even took part in a mission.

After Thanksgiving dinner, I followed Hau and Lillie to Hau'oli City. I got to explore this city a little bit last month, but now I'll take the time to check it out more fully. I stopped in the Tourist Bureau, where my Rotom Pokédex was upgraded to include a function called the Poké Finder! It basically allows my Pokédex to double as a camera. It allows me to take pictures of Pokémon in the wild and have them get "thumbs up" a number of times if they're good photos. It's reminiscent of a long while back when I was taking photos for Professor Oak. I tested out the Poké Finder in some spots around Hau'oli City. First I found a wild Pikachu behind a rock wall, and then I snapped a photo of a Pelipper on the beachfront.

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu naturally store electricity. They feel stressed now and then if they're unable to fully discharge the electricity. A plan was recently announced to gather many of them and make an electric power plant."

"Pelipper, the Water Bird Pokémon, and the evolved form of Wingull. Pelipper store food in their capacious beak and carry it back to others waiting in the nest. The spacious beak is large enough for a small child to fit right inside. Gathering food is the work of young males."

I then stopped in one of the apparel shops and changed bought some new clothes, and eventually made my way to the Pokémon Center. I enjoy the fact that the Pokémon Centers here in the Alola region have cafés in them. I met a woman who asked me show her a Drifloon from the Hau'oli Cemetery just north of the city. She said she'd even pay to see one, so I'll keep that in mind.

I found that there were some wild Abra that lived in the city! A few teleported away from me, but I eventually was able to get lucky enough to catch one! Not only that, but my Caterpie evolved into a Metapod!

"Abra, the Psi Pokémon. Abra sleep 18 hours a day. Even while sleeping, they will teleport themselves to treetops and pick and eat berries there. When they wake, they don't know where they are, so they panic."

15. Abra

16. Metapod

I then joined Hau for some malasadas. Not that I had any, but I did give one to Grimer. It didn't care for it though because it was too sweet. I did pick up a Big Malasada, which is the local specialty that, like the specialty in every other region, cures any status effect. Looks like they only make a few each day, so it's one per customer per day.

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 25, 2016

I walked down to the Marina area of Hau'oli City, where I found Captain Ilima outside the Ferry Terminal. While we were talking, some thug-like characters showed up. I immediately recognized them from a few weeks ago. They call themselves Team Skull, and it looks like they were trying to steal people's Pokémon again. Well, they picked the wrong two people to battle! One of the grunts sent out a Zubat, which I battled back with my own poison-type, Grimer.

"Zubat, the Bat Pokémon. Zubat sleep in caves during the day because they suffer burns when exposed to sunlight. They have no eyes, so to check their surroundings while flying, they emit ultrasonic waves. The frequency of their ultrasonic waves can differ slightly from colony to colony."

After sending the Team Skull Grunts running, Ilima wanted to challenge me to a battle! He used a Yungoos and, surprisingly, a Smeargle to battle me.

"Smeargle, the Painter Pokémon. Smeargle draw symbols all over the place to mark their territory. Their unique creations are painted using the fluid that oozes from their tail. In towns where many of them live, the walls are covered in graffiti."

Unfortunately I lost. His Smeargle had a diverse move set and was just too strong for my team. Time to do some training on Route 1!

November 26, 2016

After a fair bit of training against the wild Pokémon living in Hau'oli city, I battled Ilima once again. This time, my Magnemite put up a much better fight against his Yungoos, though it was close. I still had trouble with his Smeargle. Grimer missed with Poison Gas and was quickly knocked out. I tried to put it to sleep with Slowpoke, but it ultimately lost as well. It was my Meowth that finally was able to defeat the troublesome opponent. After the battle, Ilima invited me to take is trial challenge in the Verdant Cavern nearby along Route 2. So I brought my Pokémon to Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center, and planned my next move.

Professor Kukui stopped by the Pokémon Center. I was in the waiting area having just brushing my Rowlet. The professor said he had a gift for me. He handed me a Cherish Ball and a Z-Crystal. The Cherish Ball had a Munchlax inside! And he explained the Z-Crystal was Snorluim Z, which will allow Snorlax to use a powerful Z-Move once it evolves from this Munchlax. My Rotom Pokédex snapped a picture of my new Pokémon!

"Munchlax, the Big Eater Pokémon. Munchlax need to consume their own weight in food every day. As far as flavor is concerned, they're indifferent. When they find something that looks like it might be edible, they go right ahead and swallow it whole. That's why they get fatter day by day."

17. Munchlax

This Munchlax is special because it know two very rare moves. Hold Back is a normal-type move that will never knock out an opponent. It makes it useful for weakening Pokémon for capture. It also knows Happy Hour, which somehow increases prize money from battles.

I decided to keep Munchlax with me, and also take my second Slowpoke and my Pichu. That leaves plenty of room to catch some new Pokémon!

I exited Hau'oli City and began my journey on Route 2. I had barely taken a step into the tall grass when I encountered a wild Drowzee, which I immediately caught! Right after that, I saw something rustling in the grass, and it suddenly came charging at me. It was a wild Makuhita! It was a little tough, but I managed to catch it too.

"Drowzee, the Hypnosis Pokémon. Drowzee nourish themselves by eating dreams. They find really fun dreams tasty. When they make friends with people, they may show them the most delicious dreams they've ever eaten. They are thought to share common ancestry with Munna and Musharna."

"Makuhita, the Guts Pokémon. Makuhita were originally brought in from another region, but now the ones from Alola are more famous. Their daily routine consists of training together first thing in the morning, eating and napping in the afternoon, and then more training afterward."

18. Drowzee

19. Makuhita

Interesting. Drowzee are related to Munna? It makes sense, but it's something I had never considered. I wonder if Munna can be found here in Alola?

I then had a battle against a trainer that I passed by on the route, and she used a Gastly.

"Gastly, the Gas Pokémon. Gastly are barely visible, but when they're near, a faint sweet smell lingers. Should a strange light be seen flickering in an abandoned building, they are lurking there."

I then returned to the patch of tall grass, and came across a wild Smeargle! I foolishly battled it, but because the only move it knows is Sketch, it knocked itself out with Struggle before I could catch it. I spent more time searching, and eventually found another one. This time I threw Poké Balls right from the start, and caught it right before it knocked itself out!

20. Smeargle

Now I just have to decide which moves I want it to Sketch. And having the ability of Technician helps too!

After a bit more training with that team of six, I then returned to the Pokémon Center, gave my Pokémon to Nurse Joy to treat, and then had Grubbin, Abra, my other Slowpoke, and Rattata sent to me.

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 28, 2016

I did some afternoon (Alola time) exploration of the Hau'oli Cemetery. There were a few Pokémon trainers paying their respects, and I battled a few of them. One sent out a Pikachu… wait, was that a Friend Ball? That would be awesome if Kurt's Poké Balls from the Johto region made it out here to Alola! I did find a wild Drifloon shortly after that, and managed to catch it.

"Drifloon, the Balloon Pokémon. Drifloon grab the hands of small children and drag them away to the afterlife, according to stories. They dislike heavy children. If for some reason their body bursts, their soul spills out with a screaming sound."

21. Drifloon

Geez, Rotom. Where are you getting these 'Dex entries?

I did show my Drifloon and its Pokédex entry to the girl in the Pokémon Center who was asking about it. It didn't seem to be what she was hoping for, but she did give me a good chunk of money for it anyway. It wasn't until later that night (Alola time) that I got to go back to the cemetery to explore some more. I saw that wild Misdreavus seemed to come out at night! I had Slowpoke battle it, and I caught it with little problem.

"Misdreavus, the Screech Pokémon. Misdreavus will use any means necessary to frighten people and absorb their life energy. If you hear a sobbing sound emanating from a vacant room, it's undoubtedly a bit of mischief from Misdreavus. They practice constantly to hone their skills in causing fear."

22. Misdreavus

 

[OffRoadSP]

November 29, 2016

I rotated my team for Meowth, Grimer, Pikipek, and Ledyba. I did some more exploring of the Hau'oli Cemetery after work, and caught a Gastly and Zubat to complete my team of six!

23. Gastly

24. Zubat

I feel like there have already been a lot of Kanto Pokémon here in Alola, although some do have regional differences. I then battled a trainer that used another familiar Kanto Pokémon, a Diglett. Wait… does… does that Diglett have hair?? Rotom, explain this!

"Diglett, the Mole Pokémon. Diglett sport an altered form of whiskers made of metal on their head. These golden hairs function as sensors. They poke them out of their burrows to monitor their surroundings. When in communication with their comrades, their whiskers wobble to and fro."

That's an odd adaptation. I sent out my newly caught Zubat, thinking it would be an easy battle with a super-effective Absorb attack, but… it wasn't super-effective!

"Diglett in Alola are both ground and zzteal-type," Rotom offered, although too late. Between Growl and Sand Attack ruining our timing, Zubat was defeated. I have to get used to these new type adaptations!

I then found a spot to use my Poké Finder to take some pictures. I found a Gastly in the distance floating around looking all happy. I asked Rotom to post the photos, and I got a bunch more likes. And apparently, I got enough likes on my photos to have my Poké Finder upgraded to Ver. 2, which now adds a zoom function to it. That will help me take much better photos!

November 30, 2016

I swapped out my Pokémon team and took Spinarak, Yungoos, and Metapod with me. My Festival Plaza is now Rank 10, and I'm starting to get better shops and stuff to work with there.

December 1, 2016

After work, I went back out to Route 2 to do some further exploring. There was a motel with a Slaking sign above it that was fairly unremarkable. But while I was battling some wild Pokémon, my Metapod evolved into Butterfree!

"Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokémon, and the evolved form of Metapod. Butterfree defend themselves by scattering their poisonous scales and fluttering their wings when attacked by other Pokémon. Close examination of their large eyes reveals that each eye is composed of a myriad of tiny eyes."

25. Butterfree

I then found a Trainer to battle, a preschooler who sent out a Spearow! I guess it should be no surprise that there are Spearow in Alola, since I saw some attacking Nebby the day I saw Tapu Koko.

"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Spearow have short wings that make them inept at flying. They move about hurriedly and peck at bug-type Pokémon in tall grass. Farmers whose fields are troubled by bug Pokémon appreciate them for their vigorous appetite."

A little further up the road, a Delibird flew over to me somewhat frantic. It was trying to get me to follow it. It led me to some fields where I saw the same two Team Skull grunts giving grief to the man who tends the berry fields. They recognized me immediately, and sent out a Drowzee to battle me. Butterfree easily defeated it, and they turned and ran, saying something about going to Verdant Cavern to steal some Pokémon. I'm sure Captain Ilima can handle that. The berry farmer thanked me and rewarded me with an Oran Berry, and told me to help myself to the berry trees in the area.

I left the berry fields and continued along Route 2, where I met a backpacker who wanted to battle. She used a Cottonee! Finally, I encountered a non-Kanto Pokémon.

"Cottonee, the Cotton Puff Pokémon. Cottonee all stick together if they find others of their kind. When enough of them have collected, the mass resembles a cumulonimbus cloud. Pillows and beds stuffed with cotton exhaled by these Pokémon are soft and puffy, light and airy- altogether top quality."

My Butterfree easily won that battle. But seriously, I am a little shocked at the large number of Kanto Pokémon there are in Alola, and how few new Pokémon I've seen.

My break from encountering Kanto Pokémon was over, though, because I stumbled upon a wild Growlithe in the tall grass! I'm not too upset about this one though, as it has been quite a while since I trained a Growlithe. It knocked out my Butterfree, but Yungoos was able to weaken it enough for me to capture it.

"Growlithe, the Puppy Pokémon. Growlithe look cute as well as being clever and loyal. If a stranger tries to invade their territory or approach their Trainer, they will bark threateningly and bite."

26. Growlithe

I then got to test my Growlithe out in battle against a Pokémon breeder's Butterfree. Wait, I think that was a Friend Ball he used, too! I really hope I can get some of those around here.

I came upon a Pokémon Center near the northern end of Route 2. Hau was there as well, getting ready to take on the trial in Verdant Cavern. Before turning in, I found and caught a wild Spearow outside the Pokémon Center.

27. Spearow

Later that evening, I was training my team, and met a preschooler who had a Pokémon I never saw before. Finally, a new Pokémon! Rotom, who's that Pokémon?

"Cutiefly, the Bee Fly Pokémon. Cutiefly feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers. Because they're able to sense auras, they can identify which flowers are about to bloom. Myriads of Cutiefly flutter above the heads of people who have auras resembling those of flowers."

It's tiny, but cute! I would guess that it's a bug-type, and it looks like it's also a fairy-type. When I was at the Pokémon Center, there was someone who asked me to show her a Cutiefly, so I'll have to see if I can catch one!

Before taking a break, I rotated out my Pokémon for the last three left to have a turn: Rowlet, Magnemite, and Wingull. I decided it was time to meet Ilima at Verdant Cavern, but first I some training near the Pokémon Center, and I found and caught a wild Cutiefly! It's so adorable!

28. Cutiefly

I entered Verdant Cavern. At first glance it looks like a really cool, fun place that I can't wait to explore. Ilima greeted me as I entered.

"Let me formally welcome you to Verdant Cavern!" Ilima began. "I am your captain, Ilima. Allow me to explain the basics of your trial. What you should attempt to do, is…"

He turned, and motioned towards a Rattata that darted into a small mound. "Defeat three of the Pokémon that lurk here in their dens! Then reach the pedestal deep within the cave, and collect the Z-Crystal there! You'll need to be completely in sync with your Pokémon to succeed."

We then hear a Pokémon growl from the back of the cave. Ilima went on to explain Totem Pokémon, which are larger and stronger versions of their respective species. So this must be like the giant Hakamo-o that I defeated in Professor Kukui's unofficial trial last month. He also instructed that during this trial, I cannot catch any Pokémon. I will have to defeat this Totem Pokémon at the end of the trial.

With all that sorted out, the trial of Captain Ilima has begun! I'm excited for something different than a gym battle!

I ran up to the first mound that the Rattata ran into, and it attacked! Since it is part dark-type, Cutiefly's Fairy Wind was super effective in defeating it. I continued along the path towards the next mound, but this time the Rattata rushed out to ambush me! Two down, one to go. So far so good. The final one was playing hide and seek. It was moving between three mounds and I just couldn't catch it.

Unfortunately, it was at this point that those two bumbling (but amusing) Team Skull grunts showed up, talking in their usual "Yo homie!" lingo. The one grunt sent out his Drowzee to battle me, but it was once again easily defeated. They then went after the Rattata that was part of the trial, blocking two of the three mound holes. I used that to my advantage to startle it in the remaining mound, but was shocked to find out that it wasn't a Rattata, but a Raticate! A… very, very, fat-cheeked Raticate, too… wow.

"Raticate, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Rattata. Raticate form groups of Rattata, which they assume command of. They are particular about the taste and freshness of their food. Restaurants where they live have a good reputation. Each group has their own territory, and disputes over food happen often."

Well, that explains why they're so pudgy!

It was a more difficult battle, but Cutiefly was still able to defeat it, and learned Struggle Bug, which will be even better against dark-type Pokémon than Fairy Wind.

So all that's left now is to see what's in the back of this cave. It opened up into a clearing surrounded by the hills. There was a pedestal in front of the far wall, and something was glowing inside. That must be the Z-Crystal! As I approached though, another Raticate jumped down from the ledge, and this one was huge! Its Totem Aura increased its defense. Cutiefly did well weakening it with Struggle Bug, but the Totem Raticate called a Rattata for some reinforcement. I had Cutiefly paralyze it with Stun Spore and substituted Magnemite, who defeated the Rattata. The Raticate knocked out Magnemite with a Bite attack, so I sent out Rowlet to finish the job with a few Leaf age attacks. I defeated the trial of Captain Ilima, and was awarded my first official Z-Crystal, Normalium Z!

Ilima informed me that in the Alola region, many wild Pokémon will call for help much like the Totem Raticate did. He said these Pokémon tend to be stronger than the original Pokémon that summoned them. He also said that since I have completed a trial, I can now challenge the Kahuna of Melemele Island. It looks like Route 3 wraps around the island and leads back to Iki Town, so I'm going to do more exploring on the way there!

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 2, 2016

I added Munchlax to my party, and returned to Verdant Cavern. Munchlax's Hold Back was helpful in catching a Diglett! It looks like Alolan Diglett have an ability called Tangling Hair, which reduces an opponent's speed if they make contact. That hair isn't just for style it seems!

29. Diglett

I then decided to do some backtracking. I returned all the way to Route 1, giving my Diglett some battle practice and experiencing wild Pokémon calling for reinforcements in what are known as S.O.S. battles it seems. Usually Pokémon would call the same species to help them, but I had an interesting battle with a Pichu. Not only did it call Pichu and Pikachu, but it also called a Happiny! I had Magneton use Thunder Wave to paralyze it and Munchlax use Hold Back to weaken it, and then I easily caught it! It unfortunately was not holding an Oval Stone, so I'll have to find one later.

"Happiny, the Playhouse Pokémon. Happiny are too small to lay eggs yet. As a surrogate, they search out round white stones in their belly pouch. If they get along well with someone, they will sometimes give that person the rock."

30. Happiny

I then did some sightseeing and tested out the new zoom function on my Poké Finder. In Hau'oli City, I got an awesome picture of a Rockruff, which gave me lots of likes and points towards the next upgrade. I saw Professor Kukui with a Rockruff, so I'd definitely like to catch one of my own!

"Rockruff, the Puppy Pokémon. Rockruff have lived with people since times long ago. They can sense when their Trainer is in the dumps and will stick close by their Trainer's side. Their considered to be good Pokémon for beginners because of their friendliness, but their disposition grows rougher as they grow up."

I eventually returned to the Pokémon Center on Route 2. I think that's some good progress for an Alolan afternoon, so I think it's time I get some sleep!

After midnight (still getting used to the Alola time difference), I decided to plan my next training rotation of Pokémon. I'll count the team I have with me right now to start it off, so I did a lot of training on Route 2 with Happiny, Diglett, Cutiefly, Rowlet, Magnemite and Wingull. I then gave my Poké Balls to Nurse Joy to have them treated before sending them to the professor, and selected Drowzee, Meowth, Makuhita, Zubat, Pikipek, and Munchlax to have transferred to me. That team and I are moving on to Route 3!

I started off later in the morning. Upon entering the route, I had a Pokémon battle against a Trainer who used a Psyduck!

"Psyduck, the Duck Pokémon. Psyduck are troubled by constant headaches. The more pain they're in, the more powerful their psychokinesis becomes. As a result of headaches so fierce they cause them to cry, they sometimes use this psychokinesis without meaning to."

I then started to explore the tall grass off to the side of the path, and encountered a wild Mankey! Yet another Kanto Pokémon, but at least this is one I haven't seen in several years. I caught it with my Zubat's help.

"Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. Mankey can spontaneously become enraged. Their raging tires them out and causes them to fall asleep, but the anger resonating in their dreams cause them to wake up, which infuriates them all over again. Everyone near them clears out as they rampage, and the resulting loneliness makes them angrier still."

31. Mankey

After wandering around a bit more, I found a whole bunch of wild Delibird! It was really hard to capture one, even with Munchlax's help, but I was eventually able to isolate and catch one. Although this seems like an odd habitat for an ice-type Pokémon like this…

"Delibird, the Delivery Pokémon. Delibird have a generous habit of sharing their food with people and Pokémon, so they're always scrounging around for more food. Although they naturally prefer colder locales, Delibird in Alola seem able to withstand the heat to a certain extent."

32. Delibird

Well, that explains that a bit. It's not like my shiny Delibird I caught along the Mamoswine Path in Kalos. I wonder if it would like it here?

I then explored along some of the cliffs. I saw the shadows of some Pokémon flying overhead. It reminded me of crossing the bridges in Unova where wild Ducklett and Swanna would fly over. A closer look showed that the Pokémon here were Spearow and Vullaby! I passing backpacker told me that Rufflet could be found here too at times, but never at the same time as Vullaby. I sent out my own flying-type Pikipek to battle some of them, and caught one of the Vullaby!

"Vullaby, the Diapered Pokémon. Vullaby can't fly yet and must wait until their wings have developed more. They protect their plump posterior with the bones of prey they have consumed. As they grow, they replace the bones. Since they're still at a playful age, they hop around friskily."

33. Vullaby

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 3, 2016

I was on my way back to the Pokémon Center on Route 2 just after noon, and I saw that some more berries had fallen off the nearby tree. When I went over to pick them up, a Pokémon jumped out from the pile of berries! I don't recognize this Pokémon though, so it's an exciting new discovery! It looks kind of like a crab, but the claws look more like boxing gloves, and its eyes look like it went a few rounds in the ring. Hey, Rotom, who's that Pokémon?

"Crabrawler, the Boxing Pokémon. Crabrawler punch so much, their pincers often come off from overuse, but they grow back quickly. While guarding their weak points with these pincers, they look for an opening and unleash punches. When they lose, they foam at the mouth and faint. What little meat they contain is rich and delicious."

Pikipek was pretty worn out, but managed to weaken it enough for me to toss a single Poké Ball to make the capture! I can't wait to try it out later. Oddly enough, it's not a water-type despite being a crab; it's strictly a fighting-type. But its ability is Iron Fist, so I'm expecting it to learn some powerful and diverse moves!

34. Crabrawler

After a short break at the Pokémon Center, I returned to Route 3, and found a Trainer who had a Petilil!

"Petilil, the Bulb Pokémon. Petilil can be grown into fine plump shapes by pruning the leaves on their head with regularity. Although these leaves are bitter enough to cause dizziness, they provide relief from weariness, and even more so when boiled."

Later that day, I finished training the current team of Pokémon I had with me. After a particularly tough battle with a wild Mankey, my Pikipek started to evolve! Who's that Pokémon?

"Trumbeak, the Bugle Beak Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pikipek. Trumbeak eat berries and store their seeds in their beak. When they encounter enemies or prey, they fire off all the seeds in a burst. By bending their beak, they can produce a variety of calls and brand themselves a noisy nuisance for their neighbors."

35. Trumbeak

Awesome! And it looks like the end of its beak is fairly flexible, almost like a mouth. It should be much more powerful now too.

I rotated out my Pokémon and took Gastly, Ledyba, Rattata, Misdreavus, Spinarak, and Butterfree with me. Since it is early morning in Alola, I figure now would be a nice time to take a stroll through the Melemele Meadow. The sign that leads there from Route 3 says it's a paradise where Oricorio dance. I wonder if that's a new Pokémon? It didn't take too long for me to see a large group of them dancing among the yellow flowers! I was trying to catch one, but they kept calling for help, and they also broke out of Poké Balls fairly quickly. Thankfully, Misdreavus was up to the task, and after a long, long battle against many Oricorio, I managed to catch one! (Misdreavus gained 4 levels from the battle… they gave good chunks of XP!)

"Oricorio, the Dancing Pokémon. This Pom-Pom Style Oricorio has sipped bright yellow nectar. Their bright, cheerful dances melt the hearts of their enemies. They create an electric charge by rubbing their feathers together. They dance over to their enemies and deliver shocking electrical punches."

36. Oricorio

What do you mean by "Pom-Pom Style," Rotom? And it looks like it's an electric and flying-type, which is a tough combination. Well, I'll check it out further later. I spent a large part of the morning training my team fully. During this time I found a wild Petilil, and caught it easily after Butterfree weakened it.

37. Petilil

Something I neglected to mention earlier. After obtaining the Normalium Z, I tested it out on some of my normal-type Pokémon like Happiny, Munchlax, and Rattata. The Z-Ring allows them to use a powerful move called Breakneck Blitz, where the Pokémon charges at its opponent at full speed and essentially runs them over. It's a very powerful move, but only useable once per battle. It also powers up any non-attacking normal-type moves as well.

I gave the team that had been training all morning in the Melemele Meadow a rest at the Pokémon Center. The next group to come with me is Grimer, Spearow, Grubbin, Drifloon, Growlithe, and Abra. I returned to the meadow where I found a spot to take some pictures of a dancing Oricorio among the followers with my Poké Finder. When Rotom posted the pic, I received a record breaking amount of Likes! It also gave me enough points to receive yet another upgrade to the Poké Finder. Ver. 3 has a much better zoom function.

I saw Lillie near the entrance to the meadow. She seemed worried about something. She said Nebby had wandered off again. Hoping that I don't nearly plummet to my death again, I searched the area for Nebby, and eventually found it. I escorted it and Lillie back to Route 3. Lillie was explaining to me about Oricorio, and how it changes its form depending on what kind of nectar it eats. Interesting, so that's what Rotom was talking about.

As we exited Melemele Meadow, Hau came running up to us very excited. He said he also completed his island trial, and now wanted to challenge me to a battle. It was to be two-on-two like our last battle in Iki Town, which is perfect because I have two Alolan Pokémon with me that I'd like to use.

Hau led off with his Pikachu. So it looks like his Pichu evolved since our last battle. I sent out Grubbin, because it's my only Pokémon with a ground-type attack. I was hoping the accuracy loss from Mud Slap would be enough to help us get lucky, but despite using Breakneck Blitz, Grubbin was knocked out. I sent out my Grimer next, who finished off Hau's Pikachu, but not before taking significant damage from Electro Ball. So when Hau sent out his Popplio, it only took a single attack for Grimer to be knocked out.

Hau was excited that he won, and said he was going to train for his next island trial. Looks like I better do some training with my team before I move on!

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 4, 2016

After spending more time in the afternoon training my team, I asked Hau for a rematch.

"Here comes Pikachu!" shouted Hau excitedly.

"Grubbin, let's try this again!" I sent out my Pokémon.

"We're too fast for you!" Hau said. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Careful, Grubbin!" I advised. "Use Mud Slap!"

This was going to be close. Each Pokémon landed two attacks. When Pikachu tried for a third Electro Ball, it was having a hard time aiming…

"Grubbin, now, dodge and use Bug Bite!" That was the opening I needed, and Grubbin won the battle!

"Thanks, Pikachu," Hau recalled his Pokémon. "Wow, Steve, your Grubbin got better! Ok, now for my Popplio!"

Popplio used a single Water Gun, and that was all for Grubbin.

"Great job, Grubbin," I said. "Return and take a well-deserved rest. Ok, Grimer, maximize!"

"Maximize?" asked Hau.

"Uh, never mind," I replied. "I'll explain later. Grimer, use Poison Gas!"

"Oh, no, Popplio!" cried Hau. "Get 'em back with Disarming Voice!"

The attack was not very effective.

"Now, Grimer, follow that with Bite!" The Quick Claw it was holding allowed it quickly get in the first hit, and it was enough to knock out Popplio!

"Not bad, Steve!" Hau commented as he picked up his Popplio. "Aw, man, but I wanted to show off my Pokémon's best side more! I think you're ready for the grand trial against my gramps!"

I said I'd meet him in Iki Town later to challenge his grandfather Kahuna Hala. For now, my Pokémon near some care from Nurse Joy. I also switched out for the last group of Pokémon in this rotation, as well as a new capture: Smeargle, Yungoos, both Slowpoke, Pichu, and Mankey.

Before heading to bed, I took Smeargle out to Melemele Meadow. I was searching for a Petilil, and very carefully timed it so I could have it Sketch the move Sleep Powder. Now I just have to decide which moves to Sketch next!

December 5, 2016

I didn't have a lot of time to Pokémon train today, but I did get to wander around the southern part of Route 3 a little, and I ended up running into a Bagon! That's another shocking Pokémon to encounter so early in my journey. I thought it was going to be tough to catch, so I led off with Smeargle using Sleep Powder. I tossed a single Poké Ball, and caught the Bagon!

"Bagon, the Rock Head Pokémon. Bagon headbutt indiscriminately with their steel-hard stone head. This is because of the stress they feel at being unable to fly. Their belief that they will be able to fly one day is apparently the influence of information carried in their genes."

38. Bagon

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 6, 2016

While training my team on my lunch break at work, my Pichu evolved into Pikachu!

39. Pikachu

December 7, 2016

After finishing up with that team, the only Pokémon I have left to train are the new ones I've caught over the last week. So I brought along Delibird, Vullaby, Crabrawler, Oricorio, Petilil, and Bagon. Time to train for my battle against the Kahuna!

December 8, 2016

While I was out training my team, I discovered a few interesting things. In Melemele Meadow I found some Yellow Nectar that Oricorio seemed to really like. And while I was wandering around there I noticed something partially hidden among the flowers. It was a cave entrance! I went inside. Rotom informed me that this is Seaward Cave, and has a lot of winding tunnels. I explored a bit and encountered an annoying amount of wild Zubat and a few wild Diglett. It got to the point where I just used a Repel, and that's not typical for me. I eventually found an exit from the tunnels, and it opened up to a beautiful bay. According to Rotom, this was Kala'e Bay, and is considered to be among one of the top 100 views in Alola. Since I don't have a Pokémon to Surf on the water, there wasn't much more I could do there, so I headed back to the Pokémon Center.

I enjoyed a nice hot cup of Tapu Cocoa (I see what they did there) at the Pokémon Center, and then decided to continue along Route 3. I eventually reached Route 1 and finally Iki Town, where Professor Kukui and Lillie were waiting for me. The professor informed me that the kahuna uses fighting-type Pokémon. Looking at my team, it should be ok, but I stopped by the nearby Pokémon Center to think about it more.

I reviewed the Pokédex, and the only fighting-types I've encountered on Melemele Island are Mankey, Makuhita, and Crabrawler. All of them are pure fighting-type. So Oricorio should be a good match-up. I'd like to use as many new Alola Pokémon as I can, so I decided to take Rowlet and Trumbeak with me as well.

Back in Iki Town, I approached Hala and told him I was ready to challenge him to battle.

"I have been waiting for this!" exclaimed the excited kahuna. "Allow me to properly greet the young adventurers embarking on their island challenge. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Shall we begin?"

A few people gathered around the battlefield, including Professor Kukui and Lillie. Hala continued. "The final trial here on Melemele Island will be a Pokémon battle against me, the kahuna! It is known as the grand trial! Well, Steve! You have been entrusted with the Sparkling Stone by Tapu Koko! Now show me you and your partner Rowlet and your team's full power!"

Hala sent out his first Pokémon, a Mankey. "Old Hala here will be going all out! Let the Grand Trial begin!"

I sent out my own Pokémon. "Let's go, Rowlet! I know you got this!"

Rowlet appear across the field from Mankey. Both Pokémon looked ready for battle!

"Mankey, Focus your Energy!" Hala issued the first command.

"Rowlet, strike first with Peck!" The attack was super effective, and did some good damage!

"That's some power!" commented Hala. "Now, Mankey, use Pursuit!"

Mankey charged at Rowlet. "Stand your ground! Intercept with another Peck attack!"

The two attacks collided, but Rowlet was still flying after the impact, while Mankey fell to the ground!

"Mankey, return, you battled well," Hala called back his Pokémon.

"Great job, Rowlet!" I complimented my Pokémon as it twisted its head around to look at me. "You take a rest, you earned it."

Hala sent out his next Pokémon. He tossed his Ultra Ball and said, "Your second challenge will be against my Makuhita! And who will you choose?"

"Oricorio, maximize!" My Dancing Pokémon took the field. "Let's try your new move! Air Cutter, let's go!"

"Ha ha!" Hala bellowed. "Makuhita, use Fake Out!"

Makuhita struck before Oricorio could move, smacking it hard and causing it to flinch!

"Hang in there, Oricorio! Recover from that and use Air Cutter!" This time the attack worked, as sharp blades of wind struck Makuhita.

"We kahunas don't lose that easily!" Hala commented. "Press through that and use Arm Thrust!"

Despite taking damage, Makuhita charged through the wind, and landed five Arm Thrusts. Thankfully, they were not very effective.

"Now, while it's in close, use Air Cutter one more time!" The close range caused Oricorio's attack to land a critical hit, knocking out Makuhita!

"You are indeed a good trainer, Steve, and worthy of Tapu Koko's attention!" The kahuna recalled his fallen Pokémon. He pulled out his last Ultra Ball. "Crabrawler, let's give this challenger a good final battle!"

"Oricorio, return, and thank you. My last Pokémon will be Trumbeak… maximize!" I sent out my flying Pokémon.

"Why does he say, 'maximize'?" I heard Lillie ask Professor Kukui, who shrugged.

"Ok, Trumbeak, use Peck!" I called out.

"Allow us to show you our Z-Power!" The kahuna yelled.

…I didn't notice he had a Z-Crystal….

"Here we go, Crabrawler! All-Out Pummeling!" Hala's Pokémon landed unbelievably powerful punches to my poor Pokémon, who was not able to withstand the pummeling.

"Trumbeak, return," I said disheartened. "I'm sorry, I underestimated our opponent. But now that they used their Z-Power, we should be able to finish this! Rowlet, it's up to you!"

"Crabrawler, weaken it with you Leer!" Ok, a little defense lowering, that should be okay.

"Rowlet, use Peck!" The attack was super effective, but didn't do much damage.

"Now, use Power-Up Punch!" Crabrawler is pretty strong even without its Z-power, and landed a critical hit on my Rowlet. This isn't looking good.

"Crabrawler, one more Power-Up Punch!" That was all it took. Rowlet was knocked out.

"Rowlet, return, you did your best." I called back my Pokémon.

"Got a little too over confident, did you?" Hala taunted me. "Did you think just because you won a few Pokémon Leagues that the island challenges would be a pushover?

"Maybe. But it's not over yet!" I tossed my last Poké Ball. "Oricorio, go! Use Air Cutter!"

That was just what I needed. Crabrawler's defense was high, but the special attack was able to do enough damage to knock it out, and win us the grand trial!

"Whoa! Well played!" Hala shouted as he called his Pokémon back with a big smile on his face. He gave a hug belly laugh, then cleared his throat. "Hmmph! The results come as no surprise to me. What a fine Trainer, and what fine Pokémon, too!"

"Tapu Ko-ko-ko!" came a cry from above.

"Ho!" Hala looked shocked. "And our mighty Tapu Koko agrees! Perhaps Tapu Koko is hoping that a day may come when you will grow strong enough to battle it as well. Accept this Z-Crystal! It allows Trainers to share their power with their partner Pokémon!"

Looks like my first grand trial is complete, and I got my second Z-Crystal, Fightinium Z! These are like gym badges that actually have a use in battle!

After leaving my Pokémon with Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center, Professor Kukui and Hau explained to me the concept of "Ride Pokémon" in the Alola region. Instead of Trainers using their own Pokémon to do things such as Rock Smash or Surf, certain wild Pokémon will help Trainers do these things. For example, wild Tauros can break rocks blocking the way. I actually got to test it out on Route 1. While I was exploring the small new area, I found a wild Bonsly! I had Petilil use Sleep Powder on it, and then I caught it in the first Poké Ball I threw.

40. Bonsly

I was told that I had completed all the island trials on Melemele Island. Professor Kukui told me that when I was ready, he would take me to another island to continue my trial challenges. Lillie had also asked if she could come with me. She said that she wants to take Nebby home, but that its home is pretty far away. So she would like to go to the next island. I agreed to help them in any way that I could.

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 9, 2016

Before leaving Melemele Island, I wanted to do some more exploring. In Hau'oli City, I checked out the new mall that opened, and found a place called the Battle Buffet. What is it with restaurants that also host battles? I remember similar places in Sinnoh and Kalos. I also visited Captain Ilima at his house, where he asked me to have another battle with him. I accepted, and I met a new Pokémon, because his Yungoos had evolved! Rotom, who's that Pokémon?

"Gumshoos, the Stakeout Pokémon, and the evolved form of Yungoos. Gumshoos adore having Rattata and Raticate for dinner, but as they're diurnal, they never encounter them. When they find a trace of their prey, they patiently stake out the location, but they're always snoozing by nightfall."

I continued riding Tauros across Melemele Island, looking for areas I hadn't previously discovered. I even had a very sad and touching meeting with an old woman carried by a Machamp in the Hau'oli Graveyard. I then lightened the mood by playing around in the Festival Plaza for a while, which is now at Rank 18. Then I returned to Professor Kukui's lab, and left all my Pokémon there except for Bonsly, Crabrawler, and Oricorio.

The entrance to Ten Carat Hill was nearby. This is where I competed in Professor Kukui's practice trial a month ago. He said I won't find Jangmo-o or Hakamo-o there any longer, as they are not native to Melemele Island, and were only there for the trial. He did say I should find some new Pokémon there, including wild Rockruff like the one that runs around his lab.

I entered the cave, and the first wild Pokémon I found was a Roggenrola! This is three regions in a row to have wild Roggenrola, but I guess I should be happy it's not another Kanto Pokémon! I tossed a single Poké Ball and immediately caught it.

"Roggenrola, the Mantle Pokémon. Roggenrola compare themselves with similar species born deep within the ground, such as Geodude and Carbink, to settle which has the hardest bodies. The hexagonal cavity is their ear. They walk in the direction of sounds they hear, but if the sounds cease, they panic and topple over."

41. Roggenrola

The cave has a lot of wild Zubat, which became annoying, but then I found another surprising Pokémon, a Carbink! I immediately started tossing Poké Balls, but it kept breaking out. I had Oricorio start to weaken it, and then it called for help. Another Pokémon appeared, but it wasn't a Carbink, it was a wild Sableye! And even more surprising, it used Night Shade on the Carbink, and knocked it out. So I decided to catch the Sableye instead!

"Carbink, the Jewel Pokémon. Carbink are not especially rare, but their glittering, jewel-draped body draws attention from people. Born from the high temperatures and pressures deep underground, they defend themselves by firing beams from the jewel part of their body."

"Sableye, the Darkness Pokémon. Sableye are feared. They're fiends for gemstones, so they stalk Carbink. Unfortunately, Gabite almost always grabs them first. When their gemstone eyes begin to glow with a sinister shine, it's believed that they will steal people's spirits away."

42. Sableye

Well, that explains why it attacked the Carbink. And hey, does that mean there are Gabite in Alola? Anyway, I made a quick trip back to the Pokémon Center, then returned to the cave. I immediately saw another wild Carbink, and this time snagged it with my first Poké Ball!

43. Carbink

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 10, 2016

With my team of six Pok?mon, I entered the Farthest Hollow of Ten Carat Hill. It was mostly unchanged from the last time I was here. I walked around a bit, and ran into a wild Machop! I caught it pretty easily.

?Machop, the Superpower Pok?mon. Machop love working out. As they gaze at their muscles, which continue to swell day by day, they become more and more dedicated to their training. With superhuman strength, they?re able to throw a hundred people at the same time. Their strength comes from lifting Graveler every day.?

44. Machop

I had Machop replace Crabrawler on the team. And that?s the second time that the Geodude evolutionary line was mentioned in the Pok?dex, so there must be wild Geodude around, too! After a little more exploring, I found the Pok?mon I was hoping to catch here most of all, a cute little Rockruff of my own!

45. Rockruff

I was about to finish up, when I spotted a high cliff to explore. I climbed to the top and found a patch of tall grass there. It was there that I encountered another familiar Pok?mon, a wild Spinda! I tossed a Pok? Ball immediately and caught it!

?Spinda, the Spot Panda Pok?mon. Spinda take steps that are staggering and unsteady, but they think they?re walking in a straight line. Each and every one has a slightly different configuration of spots. There are collectors who enjoy the tiny differences in their spot patterns.?

46. Spinda

Rockruff and Spinda replaced Oricorio and Bonsly on my team. Since that finishes up my exploration of Ten Carat Hill, it was time to prepare to leave for the next island. I decided to do one final sweep around the island, doing things like play the lottery, battle at the Battle Buffett, and pick some berries.

December 11, 2016

I decided the team I had with me would be the team that I would go to the next island with. So I took all six Pok?mon that I caught in Ten Carat Hill and met Professor Kukui at the marina in Hau?oli City. Lillie and Hau were there too. Hau was ribbing the professor about how old? I mean, classic? his boat looked. Nebby was moving around in Lillie?s bag.

?So, Steve, are you ready to head over to Akala Island?? asked the professor. ?Did you find everything you wanted to here on Melemele Island??

?I think I did, yes,? I responded. ?I caught seven new Pok?mon since my grand trial against kahuna Hala. By the way, how many Pok?mon are there here in Alola??

?Well, here on Melemele Island, there are 120 Pok?mon,? Kukui informed me. ?Akala Island will have 130 different Pok?mon. But there?s a lot of overlap between the two islands, so you?re looking at about 200 total.?

?Ok, so it?s no Kalos, which is actually a relief,? I commented with a sigh.

?Come on, let?s go!? shouted Hau. ?I?m anxious to see what Akala Island is like!?

We boarded the boat, and after a short while we docked at a port in a rather touristy city.

?Well, well, if it isn?t Professor Kukui,? said one of two women who greeted us as we got off the boat.

?Hey, Olivia, Alola!? waved the professor. ?I?d like to introduce you to Steve and Hau. They?re going to be undergoing the island challenge.?

?Ah, then I look forward to battling you both,? Olivia stated. ?I am kahuna of Akala Island. And this is Mallow, one of the trail captain. We?d like to welcome you to Heahea City.?

?Alola!? Mallow said cheerfully. ?I can?t wait to see what ingredients you would bring to my trial. Here on Akala Island there are three trial captains, so good luck!?

Everyone started to head off in their own direction. Kukui upgraded my Pok?dex for Akala Island before leaving. Hau went to check out the city?s malasada bakery. Lillie said she was going to explore some old ruins with Nebby.

As I started to explore the city, I saw a huge hotel not far from the Pok?mon Center. I approached and saw two people dressed very much like tourists standing near the fountain outside. Then I realized I recognized this pair!

?Sina, Dexio? How the heck are you guys!? I said as I ran up to them. ?What are Kalos?s superhero duo doing out here??

?Hey there, Steve,? Dexio replied. ?We?re here taking a little vacation? and doing a little research for Professor Sycamore at the same time.?

?And hush about that superhero stuff!? added Sina as she pressed a finger to her lips. ?You?ll blow our secret identities!?

?Right, sorry about that,? I laughed. ?So what research are you doing??

?Well,? began Dexio, ?Remember that Zygarde you caught in Terminus Cave? Well, it seems that the Zygarde you caught wasn?t the complete Zygarde.?

I looked at them confused. ?What do you mean??

Sina held out a small device that showed an image. ?Zygarde is made up cells that look like this. Depending on how many cells come together, Zygarde can take many different forms. Your Zygarde is only its 50% form.?

?And Professor Sycamore?s research showed that the Alola region may hold more secrets to Zygarde,? added Dexio. ?Take this cube. It will help you locate any Zygarde cells or Zygarde cores that may be scattered around the region. Though typically invisible, this will help you spot and collect them.?

?Actually, before you go,? Sina said as she pulled out an Ultra Ball. ?How about a battle? I?ve been training near Dendemille Town, and what to test out these Pok?mon!?

So we had a quick battle, and I almost got destroyed. I easily defeated her Delibird, but her Glaceon took out FIVE of my Pok?mon. Thankfully Carbink finally took it down. Hey, Rotom, are there Glaceon in Alola?

?Checking data?.zzzzttt?.?

?Glaceon, the Fresh Snow Pok?mon. Glaceon can control their body temperature at will. This enable them to freeze the moisture in the atmosphere, creating flurries of diamond dust, as well as to freeze their fur into icicles, spiky and sharp, to tackle their prey.?

Before leaving, I asked them to say hello to my Cubone, Pancham, and Delibird, who were still in Professor Sycamore?s care in Kalos. I hope to find a partner Pok?mon here in Alola too!

I then entered the hotel, which was called Tide Song Hotel, and found that Lillie was planning on staying there a while. She said she hear Team Skull was seen nearby, and did not want to risk them seeing Nebby and trying to steal it. Then I saw something glowing out of the corner of my eye. The Zygarde Cube Sina and Dexio gave me helped me identify one of those Zygarde Cells they were telling me about. The cube absorbed the cell and showed ?1%? on the display. Wow, are there that many cells scattered about?

I then did a little exploration of Route 4 just outside the city. I saw some wild Yungoos, but then I saw a Pok?mon I never saw before. It looks like a little donkey! Rotom, who?s that Pok?mon?

?Mudbray, the Donkey Pok?mon. Mudbray have a stubborn, individualistic disposition. Eating dirt, making mud, and playing in the mire all form part of their daily routine. The mud stuck to their hooves enhances their grip and their powerful running gait.?

I want one! Unfortunately, I wasn?t able to catch the two that I saw. I kept exploring and found another wild Pok?mon, one more familiar to me, but one I haven?t seen since I was in Unova!

?Lillipup, the Puppy Pok?mon. Lillipup don?t yelp, so they?re extremely popular with Trainers who live in apartment buildings. The long fur surrounding their face functions as radar, enabling them to probe the condition of their battle opponents.?

I failed catching this Pok?mon too! But before I returned to the Pok?mon Center, I did run into one more Mudbray, and this time, successfully caught it! It has an ability I never encountered before called Stamina, which increases its defense every time it takes a hit. That should be fun to try out! But for now, I sent Mudbray to the Hau?oli Outskirts to be with my other Pok?mon.

47. Mudbray

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 12, 2016

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday. My Festival Plaza reached Rank 20, and Sophocles allowed me rename it. In honor of Green Grimer Avenue from the Unova region, I named it ?Green Grimer 2!? My Join Avenue in Unova was named after the shiny Grimer I caught in the Castelia Sewers early on my second journey through the region.

I had some battles at the Battle Buffet, and one of the people there had a Diglett. What was unusual about this was that I did not notice it was missing the steel hairs until after Machop?s fighting-type moves weren?t super effective against it. That Diglett wasn?t from Alola! Rotom said the Pok?dex does have separate info on the non-Alolan forms of these Pok?mon.

?Diglett, the Mole Pok?mon. Diglett chew on plant roots underground. Farmers whose vegetables are vulnerable find they can be quite the pests. Other farmers cherish and nurture them because their droppings enrich the soil they live in.?

The next day I was training my team on Route 4, when I found my first wild Eevee in Alola! I caught it in a Net Ball.

?Eevee, the Evolution Pok?mon. Eevee possess an unbalanced and unstable genetic makeup, concealing many possible evolutions. Current studies show they can evolve into an incredible eight different species of Pok?mon.?

48. Eevee

So it does not seem like Eevee has any new evolutions in Alola. In some ways that?s a relief. Previously, I caught all eight Eevee in different Pok? Balls to distinguish what they would evolve into. Sadly, at this point in my journey, I do not have eight different Pok? Balls. After giving it a lot of thought, instead of catching them in different Pok? Balls, I will catch them all in the same Pok? Ball, likely Great Balls. Then, I?ll look to see which among them have stats best suited for each of their evolutions and decide from there.

When I returned to Route 4, I found a group of wild Igglybuff, along with what was likely their parent Jigglypuff! I battled them, and looked for the Jigglypuff?s approval before tossing a Luxury Ball at one of the Igglybuff my Carbink had weakened. That Luxury Ball should help it evolve faster.

?Igglybuff, the Balloon Pok?mon. Igglybuff move by bouncing along. As they move a lot, they sweat, and their body gives off a sweet aroma. They like to sing but are not yet good at it. With praise and encouragement, they will get better little by little.?

?Jigglypuff, the Balloon Pok?mon, and the evolved form of Igglybuff. Jigglypuff hugely inflate their stomach and sing a mysterious melody. If you hear this melody, you?ll become sleepy right away. They possess a vocal range that exceeds 12 octaves, but each individual?s singing skill depends on their own effort.?

49. Igglybuff

Back at the Pok?mon Center, I was thinking about how to rotate my Pok?mon over a hot cup of Tapu Cocoa. I remember how long my Kalos journey took me, consistently rotating through one of each evolutionary chain among 450 Pok?mon. I quickly fell far behind my fellow Pok?mon Trainers and never completed my ultimate goal of a living Pok?dex. Although Alola seems to have merely two-thirds of that number, I still feel like I could get left behind just as easily if I rotate through every Pok?mon each round. In Kalos, as my number of Pok?mon grew, I did break that down a bit and train them based on regional Kalos Pok?dex, to speed things up. I think I?m going to do something similar right from the start here. While exploring Akala Island, I will only rotate among the Pok?mon I have that are in the Akala Pok?dex. That cuts the current number of Pok?mon I have to train in about half, which should make the grind a lot more bearable. After I complete the grand trial on this island, I?ll have the rest of my Pok?mon catch up at that point.

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 13, 2016

After playing in the Festival Plaza until it was Rank 22, I returned to Route 4. I found another Zygarde Cell, which brings the cube to 2%. I then found an Eevee which I caught in a Great Ball. Shortly after that, I caught a Lillipup as well.

50. Lillipup

After a bit more training, I finally gave my Ten Carat Hill team a rest. Now for my first Akala Island team: Oricorio, Wingull, Happiny, Diglett, and the Eevee I just caught.

Over the course of the day, I caught seven more Eevee as I trained on Route 4, for a total of eight. So Eevee 1 and 2 are with me for now. As I continued along the route, I battled a few trainers. One was a sightseer not from Alola, and the Rattata he had with him was not the Alolan form, but rather the one I?m more used to seeing!

?Rattata, the Mouse Pok?mon. Rattata can live in dirty places without concern due to their strong capacity for survival. Left unchecked, their numbers multiply rapidly. Their incisors continue growing until their death. If their Trainers don?t offer then files to gnaw on, they will gnaw on door frames, table legs, and so on.?

Finally I reached the end of Route 4. I felt that I had left a tropical island and entered the old west. That? that?s even a tumbleweed rolling by! This little western town was called Paniola Town. Before I could do much exploring, though, Hau ran up to me and wanted to have a battle!

Excited as always, he sent out his Pikachu. Luckily, I have the perfect answer for that, and I sent out my Diglett. I easily won that round with a single Magnitude.

Next we pitted out water-types against each other. I sent out my Wingull and he sent out his Popplio. No wait? his Popplio must have evolved! Who?s that adorable Pok?mon?

?Brionne, the Pop Star Pok?mon, and the evolved form of Popplio. Brionne are skillful dancers, and they create a sequence of water balloons as they dance, then briskly bombard their enemies. They care deeply for their companions. When their Trainers are feeling down, they perform cheery dances to try and help.?

Brionne was very strong and after a few Disarming Voice attacks, he finished my Wingull off with a Z-Move, Breakneck Blitz. So we decided to call it a draw for now. Hau told me that Paniola Ranch was just past the town, so he was going to mosey on over there to check it out. I decided to follow.

Paniola Ranch had wide open fields where Tauros and Miltank roamed free. Where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the skies are? ahem.

I saw Captain Mallow standing near some Miltank and a Stoutland. She waved me over and welcomed me to the ranch. She was going on about how Miltank?s Moo-Moo Milk make great ingredients when she cooks. Although the white sauce she was talking about sounded delicious. She then explained to me about another Ride Pok?mon in the Alola region: Stoutland. She said Stoutland can sniff out hidden items. That seems a lot more fun, if not a little less efficient, than the ol? Itemfinder! She added Stoutland to my Ride Pager.

Y?know, I was just thinking how the Ride Pager reminds me of how Pok?mon could be called for assistance when you?re a high ranking Pok?mon Ranger. Ah, those were some fun times. Capture on!

I rode around Paniola Ranch on Stoutland and found a few items. Most notably though was that I found an Oval Stone. Perfect! Since I had Happiny with me, I gave the Oval Stone to it. I also found another Zygarde Cell near one of the fences of the ranch, bringing the Zygarde Cube to 3%.

I then returned to Route 4 where I did some training with my Pok?mon team, and Happiny evolved into Chansey!

?Chansey, the Egg Pok?mon, and the evolved form of Happiny. Chansey are fast runners, but they?re also few in number, so anyone who finds one must be lucky indeed. The eggs they lay are rich in nutrients and a favorite food of many Pok?mon.?

51. Chansey

I spent a lot of time training the rest of the team in the early Alola morning, and then returned to the Pok?mon Center in Paniola Town. I gave that team a rest, and had my newly captured Igglybuff and Mudbray sent to me, so I can work with them. I can?t wait to see how Mudbray battles! I also added Butterfree, Yungoos, and two more Eevee to the team.

 

[OffRoadSP]

December 14, 2016

Paniola Ranch has a Pokémon Nursery. They were raising a group of Pokémon eggs for Professor Kukui.

I decided to stick around the ranch a bit in the evening. I battled a few trainers, took a picture of a cute Lillipup on top of some hay stacks, and trained my team a little bit. I found another Zygarde Cell near the ranch (4%), and even helped with an ornery Tauros that was giving the workers there some problems.

"Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokémon. Tauros in the Alola region are said to possess a measure of calmness despite being known as fierce Pokémon. Historically, people in areas all over the world have ridden them, but the practice is said to have started in Alola."

After calming down the Tauros with help from "The Mistress" (a Miltank), I decided to take a break from Pokémon training. There is a lot to do between now and Christmas, so I will be busy.

December 27, 2016

Merry Kalikimaka! That seems to be the appropriate way to say Merry Christmas in Alola. But now it's time to get back to my Alola island challenge!

Paniola Town was all decorated for the holidays. The smell of baked goods and Komala Coffee filled the air. I was asked to come to the Pokémon Nursery at Paniola Ranch. As a Christmas gift, I was given three Pokémon eggs. Since I already have a team of six Pokémon, I opted to leave them at the nursery for the time being.

I trained with my team against the wild Pokémon at the ranch, and eventually found a wild Miltank to catch! When I found another Miltank, it eventually called a wild Tauros to help it (after a loooong time stalling). I was able to the Tauros as well! Butterfree's Sleep Powder and Stun Spore was very helpful in both captures.

"Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon. Miltank are raised for their milk, but they're quite tough and strong, so they're also well suited for battle. Their milk is high in calories and packed with nutrients. Therefore, if you drink too much of it, you may wind up with a body like one."

52. Miltank

53. Tauros