A week quietly passed since Alex and his family arrived on Akala Island, marking the end of their time at the beach. They packed up, mounted Alex's Mantine, and set off west, following the coastline past the Hano Grand Resort before continuing along Route 6 and taking in the scenery along the way.
They took in the sight of Hano Beach in full and were thankful they had stayed in a more private section of the shore. The number of tourists, beachgoers, and visitors clamoring for space to set up their beach towels and umbrellas was simply too much. There were easily over a hundred thousand people, their Pokémon packed just as tightly among them, filling the sand and shallows with constant motion, chatter, and color. It was worth missing out on the chance to partake in the Hano Grand Resort's hospitality given the circumstances.
Once they passed the crowded stretch of beach, the view shifted to the quieter underbelly of the coast. A narrow road ran alongside the shoreline, lined on both sides with wooden houses painted in the soft pink hues of Akala Island, as well as wet markets, stores, shops, and other small amenities. This was where the locals lived, taking advantage of the steady presence of tourists to secure their livelihood.
Following the road, they reached the end of Hano Beach and flew over Route 6, heading north through a mix of forest, grasslands, and pasture fields. This area bordered Paniola Ranch, which explained the abundance of grazing land for the Miltank.
Lillipup, Mudbray, Pikipek, Rattata, and Grubbin were the most common sightings, along with the occasional fully evolved form moving through the taller grass or tree lines. Farther out in the wilder patches, rarer Pokémon appeared in brief flashes. Eevee darted between shrubs, Igglybuff wobbled near flowered clearings, and Oricorio cut through the air in sudden bursts of color before vanishing.
"Is all of this land domesticated?" Alvera asked.
"No… well, yes, sort of," Malia replied. "The entire island is under the protection of Tapu Lele, who oversees the strongest Pokémon and corrals them into three main danger zones. There's the mountainous forest to the south, the Akala Outskirts; the volcanic northeast, Wela Volcano; and the northwestern Lush Jungle. Places like Route 6 still have wild Pokémon, but they're all too weak to cause any real trouble."
"Yeah, it's not like in Kanto, where cities are the ones separated from the wilderness," Nohea said. "We hardly get any Pokémon floods here since any disturbance is immediately quelled by the Tapu. Well… except for a few decades ago when the Ultra Beasts rampaged across all of Alola and we lost sunlight in the region briefly. Things have been fine since then, though."
Halfway through Route 6, the group took a sharp right and headed for Royal Avenue. It was already late afternoon, with the sun slowly receding, but they eventually reached their destination. It was a wooden mansion with a large pond behind it, where Marlo and Leilani raised their children.
Royal Avenue was best known for the Battle Royal Dome to the north, but there was more to the location than just its trainer-focused landmark. It featured a sprawling urban area with plenty of space to raise Pokémon and allow them to battle. Across Akala Island, this was the city that had grown out of necessity to accommodate the steady flow of visiting trainers.
As with any place that attracted a steady flow of visitors, businesses had naturally sprung up to accommodate them. Bars, nightclubs, cafés, general stores, and local specialty shops lined the streets, along with a wide range of eateries catering to every taste. On the outskirts, the atmosphere shifted again, where quieter residential areas sat, home to the locals who lived there.
It was in this area that Marlo and Leilani lived as trainers, along with many other families who made up their neighbors. It was also where a budding gang presence was slowly beginning to take hold, though it seemed the more powerful residents remained unaware of it.
"Here we are, home sweet home," Marlo said. "Now, I know there aren't enough rooms to house all of you, but I'm sure we can make enough space for everyone to be comfortable. You'd just have to share some beds."
"Actually," Alex said. "Can we use your backyard? We have a house that can fit all of us. It just needs some space to set up."
"Really? That's great. Go ahead, yeah. Help yourself."
Alex made his way to the backyard, which was large enough to host small Pokémon battles, before releasing his personal house, the one he used to sleep in back in Galar. With his Pokémon off on their own vacation at Poké Pelago, there was more than enough space to accommodate all the girls and the kids, making it no issue for them.
After Alex finished unpacking the house, the girls quickly began settling in and making themselves comfortable. They unpacked beds, arranged their belongings, and claimed their spaces with a mix of chatter and satisfaction, turning the unfamiliar building into a place that felt lived-in within minutes.
The twins, however, had other plans. They wanted to show Alvera Royal Avenue's nightlife; all they needed was permission to head out.
"Dad, can we take Alvera out for a night on the town?" Malia asked.
"You're both grounded for the recent Dragalge incident," he replied. "Go to your rooms and reflect on why you shouldn't start Pokémon floods out of nowhere."
"Hold on," Alex called out. "Why don't we just forget the incident ever happened? No one was hurt and nothing was destroyed, so there's no reason to be so harsh. Besides, my daughter was the reason for the incident, so why don't you cut them some slack? Also, it is a vacation, so it would be good for Alvera if they showed her around."
Marlo turned to Alex, questioning why his parenting was being undermined, when he caught the look in Alex's eyes. It wasn't defiant in the expected sense; it was more subtle, an unspoken suggestion to let it go for now.
"Alright," Marlo said after a brief pause. "We wouldn't be good hosts if we punished our guests for your mistakes, yeah."
The twins exchanged suspicious looks but ultimately let it go. Alex and their dad had a point. Alvera was a guest, and she should be allowed to enjoy her vacation.
"Um… okay then," Nohea said, turning to Alvera. "Wear something sexy but easy to move around in. We're going out dancing."
A short while later, the twins emerged dressed in matching emerald-green bikini tops that beautifully complemented their rich dark skin, paired with short white skirts that hugged their hips and swayed playfully with every step, teasingly revealing their plump, smooth asses.
Alvera followed after them in a more modest yet still alluring variation, a simple sky-blue bikini top that highlighted her full bust, paired with a long, flowing white wrap skirt that sat low on her hips. The soft fabric clung gently to her curves and shifted smoothly with each step, offering subtle, tantalizing glimpses of her thighs.
They rode out on Malia's Gyarados, who carried them from the suburbs to the city before dropping them off in front of a high-end nightclub. From above, the building stood out with its polished exterior, glowing signage, and a steady line of people waiting outside under pulsing lights. Music thumped faintly even from a distance, bleeding into the street where groups lingered near the entrance.
The place looked sketchy, as far as Alvera was concerned. It was the kind of spot where dealers would hang around looking for clients. She had heard enough stories from veteran bounty hunters to recognize places like this, whether to avoid them or to target them.
That didn't seem to stop the twins though as they pulled Alvera along with them, passing by the bouncers who didn't even try to take a good look. These three were young, hot, and sexy, exactly the type of people they needed in the club so their beauty was the only payment they needed.
Once inside, they were met with a loud, crowded interior. A dance floor filled most of the space, with a DJ set above it driving the music. Holograms cast shifting flashes of light and color across the room, washing over the crowd as they moved, with projected displays of dancing figures and scantily clad women moving in smooth, continuous loops as part of the show.
To the side sat a long bar serving drinks, while tall tables lined the edges for people to gather around. Beyond that were roped-off VIP sections, and above the main floor, a second and even a third level overlooked the crowd, reserved for higher-paying guests.
People were dressed across a wide spectrum, from sharp suits to fancy dresses, while others wore swimsuits or casual Alolan shirts and sundresses. The girls fit right in, looking fairly average for the setting despite the amount of skin they were showing.
It was a bustling scene that Alvera had to admit she wasn't familiar with. At most, she had danced with her girlfriends in dim rooms with holograms and loud music. Now, she found herself in a completely different environment, surrounded by so many people and so much energy that it left her both overwhelmed and excited.
The twins made their way through the crowd with ease, shoving past dancers and brushing away eager hands before reaching an empty VIP section with a large table and couches that could seat a dozen people. They sat, ordered drinks, and settled in while Alvera watched, taking in the experience, her lack of familiarity showing in the way her eyes wandered, her body swayed gently, and her head bobbed as her feet tapped to the music.
"When are we dancing?" Alvera asked, raising her voice over the music.
"We're waiting for our friends to get here," Malia answered.
"Okay," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.
Soon, their friends arrived, nearly a dozen of them, an assortment of men and women with varying physiques. Some were as striking as Malia and Nohea, with long black hair and dark skin, dressed in bikinis and skirts. Others were even paler than Alvera, their complexions bordering on unhealthy. There were burly men with sturdy builds, attractive ones showing off their rippling abs, and even shy types with stick-thin frames.
They made for an interesting group, one that Alvera slowly got to know over drinks. They came from all walks of life, Pokémon trainers, engineers, clerks, and even personal trainers. Despite their differences, they blended together and got along without issue.
"Let's dance!" someone in the group shouted as Malia led Alvera toward the dance floor, with Nohea right behind them.