As lunch was nearing its end, freeing them to leave, Jason's ear perked at Mallow, seated across from Lillie to his left, submitting, "Well, if you don't have other plans, how about we all head over to my family's restaurant to try our famous Pinap Juice? I can show you my room, and we can all hang out afterward."
"I would like to visit everyone's homes, but it feels a little sudden for you to invite us out of the blue," Lillie contended. Then, glancing at Jason, she asked, "What do you think, Jason? Shall we pay a visit to Mallow's family's restaurant?"
Before Jason could respond, Mallow, blinking in surprise and raising her brows, noted, "Oh. When I mentioned all of us, I was mostly referring to us girls. The more the merrier, of course. But it would feel a little awkward to have a boy I just met visit my room."
"Then, maybe us guys should get together to do our own thing? My home is on Akala Island, but I'm down to visit everyone else's," Kiawe proposed, passing his gaze over Sophocles, Elio, and Jason.
"If that's the case, everyone should come over to my house! It's not that far, and I have a ton of games we can play...!" Sophocles proffered, visibly excited.
"Oh? Like what...?" Kiawe asked, teeing up Sophocles to gush about his console and retro games collection. He evidently had a wall of games for them to choose from, but if that wasn't something they were interested in, he had a ton of inventions to showcase...
...
..
.
With Lillie affirming that they should spend some time getting to know their new friend groups, Jason, accompanied by Ren and Dex, made his way to a bus stop with Kiawe, Hau, Elio, and Sophocles.
"We're taking the bus? Didn't you say your home was close by...?" Kiawe questioned, confused.
"Oh...uh...it really is close by. But with how hot it is, I thought it would be better for us to take the bus..." Sophocles reasoned, looking nervous. He was wearing a pair of neon-green Omnishoes with bright yellow lightning bolts on their sides, but, as evidenced by his pasty complexion and pear-shaped build, he didn't spend much time outdoors.
"What are you talking about? This weather is perfect! The warmth of the sun, combined with that cool breeze blowing in from the south sea—it's these things that bring people from all over to Alola...!" Kiawe asserted, closing his eyes and posing with his hands on his hips as he basked in the Alola sun.
"Melemele, most of all~" Hau hummed, posing alongside Kiawe.
"Now, hold on, Hau...don't tell me you're implying that Melemele is better than Akala Island...?" Kiawe questioned, narrowing his eyes and adopting a cross-armed posture.
"I mean, there's a reason Melemele receives nearly as many tourists as the other three islands combined..." Hau reasoned, prompting Kiawe to, rather abruptly, strike a dynamic pose.
"An island's majesty can't be measured by how many tourists it receives! Did you forget that Akala has the grand and powerful Wela Volcano at its heart...!?" Kiawe exclaimed, his eyes igniting like flames.
Understanding the futility of trying to argue with Kiawe, Hau responded with a whimsical, "As fiery as always~" before turning to Sophocles and stating, "But it would be better for us to walk. You'll struggle to complete your Trials if your cardio is lacking."
"Jeez...you think I don't know that...?" Sophocles groused, his unibrow scrunching and his chin crinkling into a frown as he argued, "But there's only so much time in a day, and exercising to maintain your health is both a massive time sink and a dead end. The moment you stop, all the muscle you spent years building disappears in just a few months. I'd rather spend my time developing technologies that allow people to go wherever and do whatever they want without all that hassle."
'How short-sighted...' Jason thought, paying heed to the exchange but deciding to follow Elio's example by simply observing. He was confident that he could deconstruct Sophocles's argument, but it wasn't his place to correct the orange-haired youth. When it came to mentalities like the one Sophocles was purporting, life and experience were the best teachers...
...
..
.
"And here's my room~!" Sophocles exclaimed loudly, beaming from ear to ear as he led Jason, Kiawe, Hau, and Elio into a disorganized room packed with electrical components, half-completed inventions, a three-display PC setup, two bookcases stocked with hundreds of video games, and a glass display case filled with Pokémon figures and minis.
'Is he planning to launch a rocket...?' Jason wondered, his gaze naturally drawn to a large whiteboard that had some fairly advanced mathematical formulae scrawled on its surface. Specifically, Sophocles had plotted out an escape vector for a multi-stage rocket that used a combination of solid and liquid propellant.
As Sophocles showed off his video game collection, which consisted almost entirely of Pokéfied Nintendo titles, Jason looked around at the many space-themed posters lining the walls and the telescope he had pointed out his window, aimed at the sky. He vaguely recalled from the anime and games that Sophocles's dream was to become an Astronaut, but based on what he was seeing, it seemed more likely that he would be a part of the technical crew sending people into space.
"Check this baby out. I restored my dad's Super Nintendo Entertainment System and all the games he had collecting dust in our attic. The graphics aren't the greatest, but you can't truly appreciate modern game design if you haven't experienced the classics," Sophocles asserted, showing off a console that was identical to the SNES from Jason's world. It even had a copy of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past slotted into the cartridge slot, golden label and all.
'How surreal...' Jason mused, his hazel eyes gleaming with intrigue. He had never played on an actual SNES, but witnessing game consoles that existed in his world in another was fascinating. It made him want to learn more about the connection between the Pokémon world and his own.
Ding!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quest: [Pulling at the Veil]
Rank: F~SSS [Linked]
Description: You have begun to take an interest in the truth behind your current circumstances. Great power and understanding await those who reach the end of this path. But be warned. Not all knowledge brings one fulfillment...
Objective(s): Uncover the truth that links the Pokémon World and Terra(0/1)
Optional Objective(s): Enter into a Provisional or Subordinate Contract with a Major Constellation or higher(0/1), Secure a Patron to sponsor you in the annual Aspirant Games(0/1), Survive the first round of Pruning(0/1)
Base Rewards: 1,000 AP
Optional Rewards: 0-100,000,000 AP, 100,000 AP, 10,000 AP
Notice: This Quest has a time limit of: 184D-16H-41M-19S
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
'So there are ranks or tiers to Constellations...' Jason noted, his brows creasing thoughtfully as he read the Quest window that had appeared before him. He had always suspected that certain Constellations were ranked higher than others based on their interactions. The Dragon That Slumbers Beside a Hearth, for example, seemed to be feared by others despite being one of the calmest, most reasonable voices that appeared in his chat. Even the usually arrogant and confrontational Great Sage Who Peeks Under Skirts would apologize or laugh nervously when The Dragon That Slumbers Beside a Hearth chided them.
Interrupting Jason's reflections, Sophocles asked, "Hey, Jason. Are there any games you like to play...?" in a curious tone.
"I mainly enjoy simulation, sandbox, and RTS games, but it's been a while since I've played any..." Jason answered, tapping the Poké Ball concealed in his shirt as he stated, "I currently spend most of my free time improving my physical fitness, training with Ren, and studying with Lillie."
"I still can't believe the two of you are actually engaged. Not to mention that Lillie is the daughter of the Aether Foundation's President. You must have a pretty incredible background yourself..." Kiawe remarked, crossing his arms and giving Jason an evaluating once-over.
"When are the two of you planning to marry? And what about your Island Challenge...?" Hau questioned, his bushy brows raised and his green eyes glistening with intrigue.
"Have the two of you...you know...held hands and stuff? What did it feel like...?" Sophocles asked, his naturally ruddy cheeks turning near cherry red as he joined the other boys in practically cutting off Jason's avenues of escape.
"Hmn? Have you never held the hand of a girl before?" Elio questioned, directing the question to Sophocles, along with a cross-armed, curious head tilt.
"I-It doesn't count if it's your mom or sister...!" Sophocles stammered in a panic.
"Even if I exclude my mom and younger sister, I've held plenty of girls' hands~" Kiawe hummed, exuding confidence. With his background, build, and job, he enjoyed a fair amount of popularity.
"Same here!" Hau appended with a smile.
"I was pretty popular in my hometown—before my family moved here from Kanto," Elio revealed, hammering one final nail into the coffin that contained Sophocles's self-esteem.
Looking between Jason, Kiawe, Hau, and Elio—each with handsome faces and athletic builds—Sophocles experienced a sudden urge to collapse to his hands and knees, lamenting, "Life just isn't fair..." in a sobbing tone. He didn't actually cry, but he felt like he could have.
"Togetei! Towatoto...!"
While Jason, Kiawe, Hau, Elio, and the latter's Pikachu, Koko, exchanged glances and awkward smiles, Sophocles's partner, Togedemaru, raced to his side and tried comforting him. The impulse to point out that Sophocles would have better luck with girls if he lost weight and took better care of his appearance was overwhelming. Instead, after looking at each other and reaching a silent understanding, they redirected the conversation to which game they would play first...
...
..
.
After an afternoon of playing a version of Super Smash Bros where most of the characters were Pokémon or Pokémon-adjacent, Jason bid farewell to his new friends. Hau and Elio left on foot, with their Pikachu and Litten chasing after them. Kiawe, on the other hand, departed on the back of his Charizard—a certified Flying-Ride Pokémon. His family's farm was located on Akala Island, giving him a 243km commute. But compared to the more than 1,000km he regularly covered to complete his milk deliveries, it was a short, leisurely flight.
'Today was a good day...' Jason thought, sporting a relaxed smile as he and Ren made their way back to the mansion along a dirt path typically used by Tauros, Stoutland, and other Ride Pokémon. There were clearly defined pedestrian footways on both sides of the path, so he just had to keep an eye on Ren to ensure she didn't wander too far while searching ahead and sniffing around the area.
fwsh
'What the hell...?'
Though it was exceedingly brief, Jason was convinced he had seen a flash of yellow and orange in the periphery of his vision. He turned his head and looked around for what it could have been, but there was a cliff to his back and the panorama of Hau'oli City ahead of him.
"Jason...danger..." Ren muttered, confirming that Jason wasn't imagining things as she darted over to him and took up a defensive posture at his front. It was difficult to imagine anything attacking them when there was a second cliff past the railing lining the path, but Jason quickly learned it wasn't a deterrent to what he had seen.
fshaa
Appearing a few meters from the cliff's edge, floating in the air as if it had teleported into position, Jason, Ren, and the recently awoken Dex found themselves being mean-mugged by a Pokémon with a slender black body covered in white markings, yellow rings around its shoulders, and orange, feather-like appendages in place of legs. A prominent, serrated orange comb parted its face, and at the end of thin black arms, it had beak-like claws and yellow, pauldron-like shields that resembled a totemized bird's head.
Though it was his first time seeing it in person, Jason couldn't help but mutter, "Tapu Koko..." in recognition. Anyone from Alola would recognize the strange, totem-like Pokémon as one of the Region's Legendary Four Guardians—an Electric/Fairy-type with immense power. Power that was currently being brought to bear on Jason and Ren in the form of a tense, electrostatic hum...
...
..
.