"We did it!" Hau shouted to Izzy and Lillie as a large arch came into their view. "There it is! Paniola Town! I told you Lillie, I told you we'd get there!"

"Hau, we would've been here an hour sooner if we had taken the main road!" Lillie exclaimed with frustration.

"But shortcuts are always fun-er! Did you have fun, Izzy?"

"Um, well," Izzy began, adjusting her large gray sun hat on her head to avoid answering. "It was exciting, but the hoard of angry Mudbray was a bit... much."

"Hey, we got out alright! Besides, it wasn't my fault they flipped out!"

Hau move closer and whispered to Izzy and Lillie, "Personally, I think that was Omoiyari's fault. There's no getting around the fact that even as a Lurantis, he's still pretty scary!"

"Hau, he didn't do anything!" Lillie said exasperatedly. "He was with me the whole time, remember? He didn't do anything to intimidate them! You two were getting in their space, specifically you, Hau!"

Izzy blushed with embarrassment and gave a nervous giggle. Hau merely shrugged and continued, "Oh well, it's all in the past, at least our first day has been somewhat fun!"

Just as Hau bounded away, Omoiyari had pushed through the bushes with his scythe-like arms. He looked exhausted and still seemed slightly rattled from the Mudbrays. He was still panting heavily and for a second his Lurantis form faltered to his true form.

"Are you ok, Omoiyari?" Izzy asked her guardian with concern. "You're struggling to hold your form..."

"I've been holding this form for several hours," Omoiyari panted as he wiped his forehead with his scythe. "I need to change back and gather myself before the disguise fails at a wrong moment."

"We can try the Pokémon Center," Lillie suggested. "Nurse Joy is aware of his existence, so she could help find a place for him. Otherwise you may need to stay here and change back. That way your chances of being seen by a human are slimmer."

Omoiyari's appearance glitched again before replying warily, "Go on ahead without me then. I'll stay here for awhile longer. I need to recharge. I'll come back in a bit."

Izzy watched as his Lurantis illusion completely disappeared to show his real identity. He swiftly pushed through the trees before racing off into the forest.

"He'll be ok," Lillie assured Izzy as they began to walk into Paniola Town. "Omoiyari is smart, he can take care of himself. He's survived in this world for a long time."

"I know he can, but I still can worry!" Izzy said a little defensively. "I mean, he worried about me back home because it wasn't really my element. Now we're here, and most don't even know what Ultra Beasts are! What if people saw him?"

"Well, it's as you say; he's highly intelligent. He's too smart to be seen. He evaded capture ever since he got here and managed to survive here previously. I'm positive he'll be ok."

Izzy knew that Lillie was speaking the truth, but it was like telling Omoiyari not to worry about her. However she was quickly distracted by the view of Paniola Town. It wasn't like Heahea City at all. The buildings were all made of logs and there were less structures all together. There were a few Pokémon she recognized as cattle Pokémon and a few other farm Pokémon like Mareep and Mudbray. Hau was already running wildly through the street as he took in all the sights.

"Whoo, this place looks like you took it straight out of a wild west movie!" Hau exclaimed excitedly as the two girl's caught up to him. "With the right outfits and attitude, we could be real cowboy and cowgirls!"

"What's a cowboy?" Izzy asked blankly, looking to her friends for an answer.

"Cowboys and cowgirls are people who ride Mudbrays and Ponyta and round up Milktanks and Tauroses! There aren't real cowboys anymore, just ranchers, but I guess they're the same thing."

"I don't think we would be that great," the young girl admitted, remembering the Mudbray herd grimly.

"Well in the movies, towns like these were just plain lawless," Hau told her. "In movies, cowboys would mainly just, well, shoot at each other and what not. They would settle they're differences through duals and such."

The boy's eyes suddenly brightened as he added, "Hey, that's actually a good idea! We should have a dual!"

"Hau!"

"I don't mean like that, Lillie! I mean a Pokémon dual! We haven't battled yet, and Izzy could really use the practice! What if we come across someone who wants to fight? She won't know what to do!"

"I wouldn't mind!" Izzy said quickly, seeing the anxious look on Lillie's face. "I would like to learn how to fight! To be honest, I haven't even seen a Pokémon battle yet."

Lillie looked from Hau to Izzy. The older girl's lips were pursed nervously. Izzy was sure that she was worried of unforseen consequences, but Hau was right. She had to learn how to fight now and prepare for her trials.

"Well, I guess I can take care of Nebby and Rowlet while you two practice," Lillie finished with a sign. "I'll stay on the sidelines. Just make sure you're both careful!"

"We're always careful!" Hau told her proudly before turning to Izzy and declaring, "Alrighty, time to start Lesson One; Knowing Your Pokémon! You have that old Pokédex Professor Kukui gave you, right? Start by taking it out and checking your Pokémons' stats! Since there is a serious lack of angry green bugs right now, I'm guessing Omoiyari went out by himself, so start by just checking your other two Pokémon."

The three trainers sat in the shadow of one of the stores large overhanging roofs as Izzy and Hau tried to get the old Pokédex to work. Before they had left early that morning, Professor Kukui gifted Izzy with a Pokédex, or digital Pokémon encyclopedia, of her own. He had said he got it from Kanto in his travels, and he had updated it to function just as well as an Alolan Pokédex. However it was still drastically different from Hau's, so it took them a few minutes to find the Pokémon party status page. Lillie, meanwhile, had already released Rowlet and Nebby from their respective carriers and was feeding them.

"Ok, this took a whole lot longer than expected but we finally got there!" Hau said as he punched the and with his fist. "So, see those three sprites in the three slots? That's your Pokémon team from least to most recently caught. If you press the summary on Omoiyari, it will show his level of experience, attacks, and ability! Go on, try it!"

"Alright," Izzy agreed, using the cross button to move up to the slot with Omoiyari's name on it and hitting its summary. It showed a pink "sprite" of the Lurantis Omoiyari started taking the form of while listing the known information.

Name: Omoiyari
Gender: Unknown
Lv. 60

Type: Electric/Psychic
Species: Not currently registered
Ability: Not currently registered

Move Set: Thunder
Psychic
Fury Swipes
Protect

"I guess the Pokedex can still tell Omoiyari isn't any registered Pokémon," Lillie explained as she looked over to see the screen. "He's still an undiscovered Pokémon, so some of his data will be missing until we find a way to actually catch him or learn more about him."

"Well I only hope I won't have to battle him!" Hau said nervously as he stared at the level of experience. "None of my Pokémon are even close to level 60! Let's check your other two instead."

Name: Iris
Gender: Female
Lv. 31

Type: Ghost/Flying
Species: Oricorio
Ability: Dancer - When another Pokémon uses a dance move, it can use a dance move following it regardless of its Speed.

Move Set: Double Slap
Teeter Dance
Roost
Aerial Ace

|
v

Name: Buddy
Lv. 5
Gender: Male

Type: Water
Species: Popplio
Ability: Torrent - Powers up Water Type moves in a pinch

Move Set: Pound
Water Gun
Growl

"Well judging by Iris and Buddy's levels of experience, I think we should have a Double Battle!" Hau suggested after going through Izzy's team.

"What's a Double Battle?" Izzy asked curiously.

"A Double Battle is where the two trainers use two Pokémon at once instead of just one. I recommend a Double Battle over a Single because your Popplio is incredibly under leveled compared to my Pokémon. Mine are in the twenties, so Iris will be able to help Buddy gain extra experience. It will be hard watching over two Pokémon at once, but I think it will help! What do you say?"

Izzy thought for a moment before finally answering, "I guess it's worth a shot. If you really think it will help, than I'm for it."

"That's the spirit!" Hau told her encouragingly before jumping up and declaring, "Alrighty, let's get started! We need a lot of room to battle, but I'm sure we'll be fine if we only battle on the street! Not many people are out anyway, so we should be ok! Lillie, you'll be helping, too right?"

Lillie looked suddenly flustered as she looked up abruptly from feeding Rowlet and Nebby berries. She was quick to stammer, "I-I don't know much about battling..."

"But you do know a lot about Pokémon and their abilities and stuff! You already know the basics of battling anyway, even if you don't do it yourself. I'll go on that side of the street, release your Pokémon when you're ready!"

While Hau ran across the street to where he was going to command, Izzy took her only two pokéballs off the special belt she had been given. She took a deep breath before throwing them in the air and yelling, "Iris, Buddy, come out!"

The pokéballs opened immediately and bright white light shot out of them and formed two figures on the dusty earth. The Oricorio and Popplio barked and squawked respectively as they landed in front of their new trainer. Iris was the first to speak by commenting in her dry voice, "Did we leave Cranky Pants behind on accident or something? Such a shame, it's not fun without him."

"Omoiyari just went to, well, gather himself up," Izzy told them quickly. "I was hoping that you two would be up for a battle against Hau! Buddy needs the practice, and Iris, you would certainly help him!"

Buddy slapped his paws together happily while Iris tilted her head thoughtfully. After a moment she sighed, "Very well, if I must. I don't have much else to do anyway. Come on, kiddo, let's get this over with."

Once Iris and Buddy moved to the center of the street, Hau tossed two of his own pokéballs in the air and shouted, "Come on Torracat and Pikachu, let's battle!"

Two Pokémon Izzy had only seen a few times appeared in the light. One was a black cat-like Pokémon with orange stripes and a bell of fire under its chin. The other was a small yellow mouse-like Pokémon with pointed ears, jagged tail, and pudgy red cheeks.

"So first things first," Hau started loudly once the Pokémon settled down. "Trainers take turns giving orders, and either give them an offensive or defensive command. I'll give you the first turn, and I suggest giving a sort of attack."

Izzy paused as she thought about her Pokémons' moves And advantages before calling, "Ok, Iris, start with Aerial Ace on Torracat! Buddy, use Water Gun on Pikachu!"

Her Pokémon gave cries of assurance as they lunged into action while Hau countered, "Torracat, dodge it! Pikachu, use Thundershock!"

Iris was the first to act. She was much more swift and agile than the other Pokémon, and was the first to strike. Blinding white streaks surrounded the bird as she flew straight toward the Torracat. It kept leaping away from the strikes, but Iris managed to land a few hits. Buddy, on the other hand was struggling. He squirted a stream of water from his mouth and hit the Pikachu in the face. It merely shook it off and charged with electricity before shocking the Popplio. Buddy yelped with pain and discomfort as it was electrocuted by the attack.

"Buddy, are you ok?!" Izzy shouted, distracted by her youngest Pokémon. "Can you go on?!"

Buddy whimpered but forced himself up again. Lillie suddenly came to Izzy side and advised her hurriedly, "Remember the type advantages and disadvantages, Izzy. Water is weak to Electric types, but it is strong against Fire types. Have Iris attack Pikachu instead. She may have the type disadvantage, but she has a higher level of experience than both Buddy and Pikachu. Buddy will have more of the advantage against Torracat."

"Ok, I get it now," Izzy replied nervously as she once again looked to her Pokémon and called, "Iris, Buddy, switch places! Buddy, try and get Torracat with Water Gun! Iris, try and avoid Pikachu's attacks but try and get in a few Double Slap attacks!"

Iris cooed as she swooped down and grabbed Buddy with her legs before bursting into the air to avoid a Thundershock. She dropped Buddy in front of the Torracat, which hissed furiously and prepared a Fire Fang. But Buddy was quick acting, and shot another jet or water straight at the feline's face, causing it to splutter furiously. Pikachu was also having a difficult time dealing with Iris's combined speed and power, though the Electric Type still managed to evade attacks using Quick Attack.

"Torracat, use Double Kick!" Hau ordered his Pokémon next. "Pikachu, try an use Quick Attack and then Thunder Wave!"

"Just another word of advice," Lillie offered next as Izzy pondered her next move. "Thunder Wave can cause paralysis, so a paralyzed Pokémon won't be able to move. I recommend using Teeter Dance, it can cause opposing Pokémon to become confused. They'll either attack your Pokémon, or the Pokémon will end up hurting itself."

"Ok, Iris, try Teeter Dance! Buddy, continue to use Water Gun!"

Iris flew back down to the ground and swiftly began to move her wings and legs in an unusual dance. Both the Torracat and Pikachu stopped to watch and their gaze followed the Oricorio's every move. She sped up her movements and twirled around them in circles. By the time she stopped, they were to dizzy to see straight. Taking the opportunity, Buddy sprayed them both with Water once more.

"Please snap out of it, you two!" Hau cried out to his Pokémon desperately. "Pikachu, try to focus and shock them, any one of them!"

The mouse-like Pokémon staggered and squeaked with confusion as it tried to regain its sites. For a second Izzy thought it might hurt itself, but she was wrong. The Pikachu released a surge of electricity that waved over the battlefield. It not only hit her Pokémon, but the Torracat as well. The three Pokémon let out cries of pain, but the two smaller ones were flung across the field. They fell at their trainer's feet, and she could tell that they were already unconscious.

Defeated.

"Hau, Iris and Buddy are unable to battle!" Lillie called to the opponent while Izzy bent down and scooped up the little Pokémon. She didn't understand. She could see how Buddy would get knocked out, but not Iris.

"What did I do wrong?" Izzy asked Lillie anxiously as she stood up. "Why did they both faint so quickly?"

Before Lillie could answer, Hau had returned his Pokémon and bounded over to them and piped up, "Good match, Izzy! You did good for a first go, so don't beat yourself up over it! Not everyone wins first time around!"

"But Iris..."

"Iris is a strong Pokémon, really, but she's only half Ghost Type. She's half Flying Type too, and Electric attacks do double the damage on Flying Types. Teeter Dance was a good call, but confusion has a fifty-fifty chance of success or failure. Pikachu managed to release electricity, and it hit both Buddy and Iris. Sometimes it doesn't matter what level of experience the Pokémon has, it's still going to lose a lot of health from if facing a Pokémon with a type advantage."

He then lowered his voice and whispered the Izzy, "Also, sometimes a confused opponent will have more success while yours fail every time. Don't worry about that, it happens to everyone. As Professor Kukui would say, the grass always looks greener in the other person's Grassy Terrain."

Izzy felt the corners of her mouth twitch before Lillie added encouragingly, "But Hau is right, you all did well for a first time. The more practice you do, the stronger you'll all become. Next time, maybe you should practice on a wild Pokémon since Hau's Pokémon have a little more experience. Here, let me take your Pokémon, Izzy. I can take care of them."

Izzy hesitated before handing her Oricorio and Popplio to the older girl. She felt guilty that her first battle went so badly and her Pokémon were so hurt. She didn't like to think she was responsible for their pain. She couldn't understand why so many people enjoyed this sport when she felt ashamed of Being apart of it.

"Do Pokémon really like battling?" Izzy asked Hau as she watched Lillie's Rowlet fly onto Lillie's shoulder while she began to pull medicine out of her bag.

"Well, I'm not sure about all Pokémon, but a majority of them enjoy it," Hau answered with an encouraging smile. "Pokémon and humans work together as a team to win battles and show their real strength. You just started, so you and your Pokémon aren't quite in sync yet. Once you learn the basics and practice more, you and your Pokémon will get better and stronger! No risk, no reward, and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! So cheer up, everyone has to start somewhere!"

Izzy tried to smile back, but she could feel her smile faltering. Being a trainer wasn't as easy as she thought.

~~~

I'm so sorry about the delayed update. I got sick the day before the update and if you're an old reader from previous books, you already know how much I hate writing most battle scenes. Lack of motivation plus no motivation equals serious laziness and internal tears of frustration because no matter how hard you try you just want to not do the work. Plus I may or may not have begun playing Pokémon Insurgence and Pokémon Reborn in my free time (If you can count fanmade games as one of your favorite Pokémon games, I dub Pokémon Insurgence as my favorite of them all.)

Happy Valentine's Day/Single Awareness Day! I'm single, so I'm just going to speed my day doing school, writing, and watching the premiere of Cupid's Match on CW Seed (DON'T JUDGE ME, IT'S THE ONLY ROMANCE NOVEL I'LL READ AND I'M A MYTHOLOGY NUT). But I do want to let my readers that you all mean a lot to me and I love you all! You all are what keep me writing and doing what I love, and I couldn't get this far without you all! 💜

Despite this chapter taking much longer than it really should have, I believe SWS3 is still on to update tomorrow. I honestly put more effort into that chapter than I have this one, even though less people are reading it anymore. Anyway, please vote and comment, it really helps keep my motivation up when writing!

Next TDOBH update will be next Thursday, February 22nd, so good bye until then!