CHAPTER 19: Killer Instinct
New
GingerTheBarnOwl
Bug Catcher
- Pronouns
- she/her
"Diglett'zzz Tunnel again? I dunno, bucko...He's a Rock-Type, and the Diglett are both Ground AND Steel-Types. It might be a bit too much!"
{Don't worry, Rotom. It looks like most of the Diglett have gone back underground, so they shouldn't be much of a problem. And the Zubat we run into should be a cinch for him, right? He's got a MAJOR advantage there.}
"Well, that's true. Bzzt!"
A shrill screech pierced the quiet cave atmosphere, and the image of fluttering membranous wings came into view.
{Here's one of those flying pests now. Tyrunt! Show this Zubat who's boss!}
I chucked his Poké Ball, and the scaly brown Pokémon materialized on the ground in front of me, seeming slightly dubious about his opponent.
{I don't like the look of this thing,} he grunted.
{Just do your best against it!} I called out to him. {You're the one with the double type advantage here, so it should be easy!}
{Well...Alright, then...}
He assumed a fighting stance and let out a low, threatening growl at the Poison-Type fluttering before us.
{What kind of moves do you know?}
{Well...I know how to Bite.}
{Let's start off with that, then!}
He nodded back at me, then charged at the Zubat, mouth wide open. Before it could zip out of the way, he clamped down right into the small Pokemon's middle, and it emitted a pained squeak before falling to the ground, completely motionless.
{That's how you do it! Excellent, Tyrunt!}
{Um...What do we do with it?}
{What do we...do with it?} I repeated back to him. {We just leave it. It should get back up on its own soon and fly away.}
{...I don't know about that, Alpha.}
I tilted my head in confusion as I peered down at the Zubat...A crimson puddle was beginning to form around the Pokémon, spilling from the gaping holes in its caved-in middle, which sat without a rise or a fall in sight.
{Wait...Did...did you...?}
"Ah, yup. Looks like it's pushin' up daisies," Rotom confirmed. "Thingzzz like this just happen sometimes..."
{Isn't that what you wanted me to do, though?} he asked me.
{What, I...? No,} I answered him, glowering down at the Royal Heir Pokémon, not at all happy with this. {What gave you the idea to flat out KILL it? You were supposed to fight it and only make it faint, not do something like that.}
"Ah, hey, come on, g-go easy on him, boss, " my PokéDex buzzed. "I mean, h-he's only been restored for half an hour. And that was how Tyrunt fed themselves back then! So a Zubat bit the dust...It could have been worse, right? There are too many Zubat in here, anyway! Besides, lotzzz of other Pokémon eat each other, too, remember?"
I sighed deeply.
{...I suppose you have a point, Rotom,} I decided. {But still. Unless I give you specific instructions to do so, you aren't allowed to kill other Pokémon under any circumstances, Tyrunt. Understood?}
{But...What are we supposed to eat, then?}
{There are lots of things we can choose from. You should see what they have at the Thrifty Megamart. It's a PARADISE of food. And the best part is you don't have to kill anything.}
{Can we go there after this?} he asked.
{Ah...Maybe wait until after the Grand Trial. In the mean time, I guess...well...I guess you can eat the Zubat, since it's already dead? May as well not leave it here to rot.}
{That works alright.}
I watched him, a bit apprehensively, as he picked up the dead Pokémon in his jaws, flung it into the air, and then with one quick snap, slid it down his throat. Something panged deep inside of me, despite my initial concern over the situation.
...Was I right to be upset with this?
It was food, after all.
Don't shun what he was made to do.
...What YOU were made to do.
The phantom voice in my head caught my attention, my eyes still glued onto Tyrunt eating the unfortunate Zubat. That voice...I wished it would just go away and never come back ever again. It'd almost lead me to do terrible things in the recent past...But I'd changed since my days of ripping strange creatures that found their way into the Paddock to shreds. I was a civilized creature, now...Right?
Well, one thing was for sure; whenever I found just what or who was behind me gaining the ability to understand such concepts in the first place, I'd be sure to thank them.
{Alright, Tyrunt. Let's see if we can find more Zubat. But make sure not to KILL anymore, understand?}
{Yes...I understand.}
"Say, bucko. Since we're on the topic of hunting and stuff, I wanted to ask you. What exzzzactly was it like hunting the way you did back in your old home?" Rotom asked, seeming curious about the whole ordeal.
{Well...Usually something would be let out loose into our Paddock...Most often, it was some sort of pink creature that ran around on all fours and...It made the most awful-sounding squeal. Especially whenever we were right on top of them, and when we caught them...We always thought they were stupid, but looking back, it seems to me that those things were at least smart enough to know just how much danger they were in.}
"Oh, wow...How'd you guyzzz do 'em in?"
{We had...a lot of ways of doing it. A bite to the head paired with a quick jolt to snap the neck, a swipe of the hand to the throat, throwing it against the wall...Once it was down, one of us, usually Beta, used the big claw on her foot to slice it's stomach open. She got to eat first; she was the Beta, after all, and Alpha didn't partake in our hunts...He was a human, so he didn't eat in such a manner.}
{And then, when Beta was done, what did you and your old pack do?} Tyrunt asked, sniffing into a crevice and disturbing another Zubat. I sighed at the question, and answered them grimly.
{We...tore whatever was left to shreds like we hadn't eaten in days. Flesh ripped, bones crunched...Blood flew all over the place.}
I breathed in through my nostrils, almost able to smell the heavy, metallic scent of the red liquid that spilled from everything me and my sisters ever killed. What was worse was that the mere thought of it made me hungry.
{To think,} I continued. {At one point in my life, I saw that as nothing more than what I had to do to survive...Now that I know I have other options, I can't help but feel shame over it.}
"Aw, come on, Echo. Sure, it was pretty brutal, but like I said it'zzz how the food chain works! In fact, didn't the Professor feed you with big ol' slabzzz of meat for a couple days while we were there? They probably came from something like a Raticate, or something! Bzzt!"
{Did it?} I chittered.
"Yep! Hey, you know, we actually have a lot of Rattata and Raticate in these partzzz! So much that people are actually concerned they'll overpopulate and eat up all the food. Then there wouldn't be enough to go around for other Pokémon, and they would...um...Well, a lot of them would starve to death, probably. The Yungoos and Gumshoos prey on the Rattata themselves, but...only during the day, when there aren't as many around, so it'zzz not quite as affective as people thought it'd be. Call me crazzzy, but I don't think people would mind you helping to pick some of them off! Kzzrt!"
{You...think so?}
"Wouldn't surprise me! " he exclaimed. "Hey, next time we see one, let'zzz take it out! I don't like those things much myself..."
{I'll...think about that,} I answered. {In the mean time, let's keep it up and battle out way out of the cave.}
"Got it! Hey, there's another Zubat right up there!"
Sure enough, there was, and we engaged in combat. As we continued to fight our way through Diglett's Tunnel, it turned out that Tyrunt did know a few other moves besides Bite; Stomp, Tackle and Dragon Tail to be exact. I was pleasantly surprised at just how powerful his Dragon Tail was compared to his other moves, and it was able to knock out most Zubat in just one hit. The only problem was that with those it didn't one-shot, the Pokémon became disoriented, and flew after us...in the opposite direction we were in. So we got no chance to beat them if they toughed it out. Therefore, we resorted to using the move only after we'd inflicted a bit of damage with his other attacks already, and with every battle, Tyrunt continued to get stronger and more adept to the battlefield.
Zubat weren't the only Pokémon we ran into, however. There were still a few Diglett roaming around, and with Tyrunt having a bad type matchup against them, I opted to return him and use either Red or Dartrix in his place. Being my two strongest Pokémon, they were able to handle them without a sweat. I was pleased by their strength; despite both being part Flying-Type, their Fighting and Grass Type Moves would give Olivia's Rock-Types something to watch out for. Surely at this rate, the next Grand Trial wouldn't prove much of a challenge for us, either, would it?
But a quick stop at the Kokikoni City Pokémon Center would do us some good before the fight; as tough as we'd gotten, I wanted everyone in peak condition, just to prepare for any tricks Kahuna Olivia might have up her sleeve. That, and the fact I needed a drink. And some potions...And maybe some more Poké beans, if the barista had any for us this time around. My to-do list had suddenly become longer again; at that rate, I wouldn't be battling the Kahuna until the evening. Not that it was a bad thing, but if I took TOO long, Olivia might head home for the night and I'd have to wait until tomorrow.
{Rotom, what time is it?}
"According to my internal clock, it'zzz 5:12 p.m.!" he buzzed as we turned down Route 9 and headed into the city again. "Oh, way to time our pit stop; having a battle like the Grand Trial during the hottest part of the day might do a number on ya! Zzt!"
I nodded, then continued down the road and turned into the Pokémon Center. I knew the drill; heal the team, buy some potions, and order something from the cafe. On paper, it sounded like we'd be in and out, but I wanted to take my time a little; I'd rather arrive at Memorial Hiil right at dusk when it started to cool down. With that in mind, I stocked up on more Super Potions than I expected to, and then Rotom and I got into a conversation with the barista on how me and the Tyrunt we'd just restored could communicate with each other and how I could utilize that in the Grand Trial. Upon hearing all of this, I got my wish of having my supply of Poké beans replenished, since he was just as hopeful that I would complete the trial as I was.
{I think I remember someone else saying something about an island where I can collect my own Poké beans for my Pokémon. Is that the case?}
"Oh, the Poké Pelago! Yes, yes, Pokémon stored away in PCs are transported over there, and they enjoy themselves on the islands until their Trainer calls them back out! It's to the far north of Ula'ula Island. You can only get there via flying, though, so it'd be useful to have a glide Pokémon on your ride pager."
{I do have a Charizard I can call; I want to be at Memorial Hill at dusk tonight, so I shouldn't spend too much time walking around in the heat of the day...I might see if I can restock on beans there at some point, then. With five Pokémon on the team, I'm may need a lot.}
"Yep! Frankly, I can't wait until then! Bzzt!"
{I can see that...} I chittered. {Well...It's about time to head down there. Thanks for the drink and beans, mister.}
"Good luck against the Kahuna!"
With that, I headed out the door, turned back south and trotted along the side of the road, leaving Konikoni City once more and taking Route 9 towards Memorial Hill. As we headed towards a curve and into a valleyed section of the road, I caught sight of a maze of hedges up ahead. And when we entered into the maze, I saw that the path was lined with smoothly cut stones in several places, decorated with intricate engravings and flowers placed in front of some of them. They each had someone's name written into them as well.
{So, Rotom. Why exactly is it called Memorial Hill? What are we remembering?}
"Well, Memorial Hill is a cemetery! The old, mighty families of Alola were buried here when they died, so it'zzz sort of a historical landmark, you know?"
{Oh...Is...That what you do with friends and family that've died?}
"Sure is! And there's another cemetery back on Melemele Island, too! A lot of Ghost-Type Pokémon tend to linger around places like those...Probably becauzzze they like to give people the spooks, and graveyards sometimes give off that creepy aura. Especially during the night...Guess it's a good thing Tyrunt knows Bite! That'll teach any Ghost-Type that triezzz to tangle with us, won't it?"
{I would think,} I replied. {...Hey, wait a minute. Didn't you say you were a Ghost-Type too, Rotom?}
"Well, yeah, but I'm not one to find enjoyment in scarin' people out of their skin. Other Rotom, though? I hear they like to sneak into houses, possess whatever machine they can on the sly and play poltergeist! Soundzzz freaky, huh?"
"Eesh..." I hissed, shuddering a bit at the idea of such a thing. {But you're different from them. You wouldn't do that, would you?}
"Never to you, bucko! Now, an unsuspecting Team Skull grunt on the other hand..."
{Ha! That'd be fun to watch!}
"No kidding! Hey, it'd teach 'em for threatening to give me a toaster bath! I might be an Electric-Type, but if this Dex went in that water, I'd be fried with it! Hey, maybe I should possess their toaster! Then they might-"
{Be here right now.}
"Huh?"
We'd just gotten out of the cemetery. Blocking the path were two of those familiar-looking skull grunts, and it looked like two other people had beaten us to a confrontation with them. By the looks of their own uniforms, I guessed that they were members of the Aether Foundation...That gave me some reassurance.
But even so, it didn't look like the grunts would be giving up the Pokémon without some convincing.
"Team Skull! For the last time! Give back that Pokémon!" the first demanded. The squabble must have been going on for a bit before I arrived.
"Lo-o-ow...?"
When I tilted my head to see where the noise came from, I realized that the grunts had a hostage in the form of a Slowpoke: I recognized it by the look of its tail, which I'd seen all over the place in the Thrifty Megamart.
"Hey! Yo! Don't gimmie trouble! I'll reduce you to rubble!"
"That's right! We gon' sell this Pokémon and make bank, and we won't make no bones about it! You want it back? You're gonna have to get past us to take it!"
The one Aether employee was starting to look nervous about the situation, and the other turned to face her.
"Stand firm! Think of what the president would say!" he ordered. He had a bit of a different styled uniform, accented with green, and looking more slick and business-made than meant for field work.
"That's what you always say, Chief, but you don't lift a finger yourself!" she snapped back, seemingly annoyed with him.
"You haven't a clue what you're talking about. Why, I am the Aether Foundation's last line of defense! What would become of it if something were to happen to me now?"
His snobbish aura even captured the attention of Team Skull. They hadn't said anything themselves, but the look in their eyes told how unamused they were better than any words could...And frankly, that was the one thing I'd ever agreed with them on.
The 'Chief' turned slightly, seeming to think for a moment about what he should do, and was quick to spot me out of the corner of his eye. He nearly jumped right out of his lab coat upon seeing me, and once he did that, everyone started looking in my direction.
"Aw, naw..." one of the Team Skull grunts muttered. "That's Scarface, ain't it?"
"Looks it, from what I heard. Hear 'bout what she did to Grunt?"
"Which grunt?"
"The grunt with the marks on his face!"
"What'd she do?"
"She gave him the marks, you bonehead!"
"Oh..."
"You know what this creature is?" the Chief asked them.
"Oh! Allow me to explain, Aether Foundation members!" Rotom stepped in. "Believe it or not, she'zzz a trial-goer! We were just on our way to meet Kahuna Olivia now! Word about us has been spreadin' around the islandzzz lately, so a lot of people already know about her, but if you wanna know more, Professor Kukui is your best bet!"
"Ah...And how strong is your team, Miss, eh...What's her name?"
"Scarface," the other grunt chimed in without skipping a beat.
"Would you two stop with that for once!? It's ECHO! Not Scarface! Get your facts straight! Bzzz...!"
Rotom slid away into my bag for safety before the hooligans had a chance to threaten him again like the last time.
"Echo, you say...Ah...Well, then!" he perked up, regaining his composure. "If you're a trial-goer, and you've made it to Akala Island, that must mean you have a fairly strong team on hand! I ask that you fight in my stead and rout these Team Skull ruffians. I will bestow honor upon you, if you do!"
{I don't know why these thugs aren't afraid of me by now,} I growled. {...I intend to change that, though.}
"Ready to know what defeat tastes like?" the first grunt challenged, pulling a Poké Ball out. "I was born ready for this, yo! Raticate! Show 'em!"
He tossed his fighter out into the field, and upon seeing the Raticate, I cringed. It was worn and battered from previous battles, not to mention quite a bit older-looking than most of the other Pokémon I'd seen in the wild so far. It was safe to assume that its Trainer was not taking care of it right, but knowing Team Skull I wasn't that surprised.
"So who you gonna send out to get beat, huh!?"
{...The newest member of the team. He needs to practice showing you guys a lesson, anyways.}
With that, I tossed the capsule into the air.
{Tyrunt! Let's go!}
The ball opened, and the Royal Heir Pokémon materialized on the ground before its opponent, letting out a sharp snarl of a battle cry.
"Raticate! Take 'em down with Pursuit!"
The Pokémon huffed, then got down on all fours, pursuing its target at a not-so-impressive speed. I wasn't really sure if it was it's natural weight dragging it down or the fact that it barely had the strength left to fight.
It would make it an easy opponent, at least.
{Try your Dragon Tail on it, Tyrunt!}
He turned and readied his tail, and it started to glow purple as he drew it back. The enemy Pokémon was nearly upon him when he sent it flying into its face, and upon the impact, the Raticate was thrown in the opposite direction and rolled to a halt on the ground right before its Trainer's feet.
It got back up within seconds, but it was obvious that it was struggling.
"Come on, Raticate! Don't be such a bag o' bones!"
"Rrrr..." it growled back at him.
"Don't just stand there! Take 'em down with Tackle!"
It started running at us again, and Tyrunt lowered his head as the Raticate approached, readying a headbutt.
{Get up to speed, Tyrunt! Counter-Tackle! You're head is harder!}
At my command, the fossil Pokémon began to charge at his opponent head on. Each of them were readying a collision against the other, skulls pointed forward, and finally, the two fighters made contact.
...There was an echoing CRACK, and with a flick of his head after the initial hit, Tyrunt flung the enemy to the side.
Again, the Raticate rolled limply across the field before tumbling to a stop...But this time, it lay there motionless except for the shallow rise and fall of its middle as it struggled even to breathe.
It tried to lift itself back onto its feet, a dazed, hollow look in its eye, and it scanned the battlefield looking for its attacker. Despite Tyrunt standing merely a couple yards away from it, the Raticate took several long moments to acknowledge his presence. When it finally did, the black and tan Pokémon fell on all fours and stumbled forward, though it seemed to get weaker and weaker every second.
...I knew that glazed look in the creature's eyes all too well.
It didn't have much time left.
It's on its way out.
...Finish the job.
I tensed. No. Not that again. I shook my head in denial of what it was telling me to do. I couldn't do that. It had a Trainer, anyways. I couldn't...It was...Besides, it was only a matter of time before...
...But seeing it suffering like that, getting worse every second...Was that what its last moments were to be like? With increasingly worse pain until it finally lost its last bit of life...?
...Maybe it's not as wrong as I think.
I took a deep breath, and let it out as a shaky gurgle, and I called out to the fossil Pokémon still awaiting my next command.
{Tyrunt...} I chittered.
{Alpha...Is it...?}
I nodded, emitting one more sigh before I gave out the final order.
{...Use Bite.}
He nodded grimly in understanding, then approached the Raticate, locking eyes with it for just a moment as he drew near and placed his powerful jaws on its head.
{...I'm sorry it had to be like this,} I heard him growl.
The Mouse Pokémon let out a sigh of its own, almost sounding content as Tyrunt steadied it with his foot and jerked his head off to the side. There was another crack, and the Raticate twitched its toes ever so slightly before falling completely still.
Everyone stared at the scene playing out on the battleground. The grunts, the Aether employees, me myself...None of us really wanted to believe what'd happened, but we'd all witnessed it with our own eyes.
There was no denying it...That Raticate was dead.
Its owner was staring directly at me now, eyes wide and his form as still as stone. I simply shook my head at him, and he staggered backwards.
"Yo...I...What'd you...?"
"Dude, snap out of it! We ain't got no more Pokémon. She could do THAT to US with her OWN snappy jaws if she wanted, if her puny Tyrunt can do that!"
"Screw it, then! Take your dumb Slowpoke! Good luck and good riddance! Come on bro, let's scram!"
The two grunts scrambled past us and disappeared into Memorial Hill, thoroughly intimidated. The owner of the Raticate didn't even bother paying respects to it; he simply abandoned the dead body where it lay.
The Slowpoke that'd been behind them wasn't really aware of the situation at hand, but Tyrunt approached it anyways, nudging it and examining it with his keen nose just to make sure the Team Skull grunts hadn't done anything to harm it, either.
He nodded back to me, letting me know that it was fine. And to show the (still shocked) members of the Aether Foundation that I meant no harm to this Pokémon, I went over myself, carefully scooped the pink Pokémon up in my clawed hands and brought it over to them, passing it on to the field employee.
"Uh...Thank you. For that," she told me, still a bit shaken. "Yeah...Those Team Skull thugs have been after Slowpoke a lot lately. They...cut off their tails and sell them to try and make a profit, since they're so valuable. It doesn't really hurt them, and they grow back quickly, but...It's still not right to just hack them off without any consideration for the Pokémon. Especially with wild Slowpoke like this one, since they need their tails to fish."
{...You're absolutely right,} I nodded, Rotom re-emerging from my pack to translate for me. {Team Skull couldn't care less about the wellbeing of the Pokémon they train. Or steal, in Slowpoke's case. It seems like they have a history of it, judging by...}
The two of us looked back at the Raticate corpse on the ground, then turned back to face each other. The human sighed, the expression on her face softening.
"...I watched you out there. I-it's not your fault. Really, it isn't. Tyrunt are only so strong, and Tackle isn't a very powerful move anyways. If that Raticate had been well looked after, then you...You wouldn't have had to do what you did. And I'm sorry it came down to that."
{In all honesty,} I chattered. {I'm at least glad that it's not suffering anymore. Not under Team Skull or from that head wound.}
"Yeah...In this line of work, it's not uncommon to see neglected Pokémon having to be put down."
"Hmm...There are too many Raticate on these islands anyways," the Chief remarked, not seeming to care much for the deceased Raticate himself. "And the same goes to their pre-evolved forms. Overpopulation can be just as much a problem as dwindling population, you know...And maybe what you did will teach those ruffians to finally wizen up a bit. As for you...Despite the performance I just beheld, it seems to me that you are a very skilled Trainer who cares deeply for other Pokémon like yourself."
"'Other?' Uh, pardon us, mister, but she'zzz not a Pokémon herself."
He rose an eyebrow at Rotom's claim.
"...No? Well, then what on earth is she?"
"Something called a 'Velociraptor,' according to her. Like I said, the Professor can tell you more about it! He's the one who found and studied her in the first place, after all! Bzzrt!"
"Professur Kukui, ah yes...But anyways, where was I...? Oh. As I was saying, Miss, erm...'Echo,' if I remember right?"
I nodded.
"Well, then. For your vigilance in the face of danger, I should like to reward you. When you complete your Grand Trial, meet me at Hano Grand Resort in Heahea City. From there, we will board a ferry to the Aether Foundation Headquarters, and I shall grant you a tour. Sound good to you?"
{The Aether Foundation Headquarters, you say...? I might be interested. You do help Pokémon, after all, and that's one thing I can get on board with.}
"Excellent. See you there. Come along, Intern! We have things to do!"
"You mean I have things to do..."
The Chief simply rolled his eyes and headed off, the employee following not far behind.
"Hey, thanks again for the help. Good luck with the Grand Trial! Although, I might, ah...do something about that Raticate. I'd take care of it myself, but it seems like the Branch Chief here has other plans for me."
{I'll think of something.} I assured her. {Good luck with the Branch Chief.}
"Heh, yeah...See you, then."
She ran to catch up with the Branch Chief, who was already halfway through Memorial Hill, seemingly unaware that his underling was not following him.
"Well, that wazzz certainly something, " my PokéDex buzzed. "Your thoughts? "
{The intern was okay, but I don't really know about that Branch Chief guy,} I remarked, sending a bit of a glare in his direction. {There's something about him that just rubs me the wrong way.}
"Yeah, I know what you mean. And if what she was saying about him not actually doing anything to help anyone is true, then that's an extra red flag goin' up there."
{It seems that way...Now. The Raticate. Should we bury it in the cemetery, Rotom?}
"I don't think people are being buried in Memorial Hill anymore, much less Pokémon. I don't think it'd be a good idea to disturb the grounds...And another thing; it looks like Tyrunt's thought of another idea."
{What? What do you-}
I turned back, and watched as the Fossil Pokémon rose his head. Both the Raticate's now gaping side and Tyrunt's jaws were spattered with blood.
{...Are you EATING it, Tyrunt!?}
{Yes...What about the conversation we all had in Diglett's Tunnel?}
{Yeah, I remember, but...I was talking about WILD Rattata and Raticate. This one was TRAINED. Eating a trained Pokémon isn't right, is it Rotom?}
"Well, probably not...But to be fair, I don't think that Team Skull grunt isn't coming back for it. And Tyrunt's already started on it, so if you're hungry then now'zz your chance to grab some grub!"
{Well...It'll fill us up and energize us for the next battle, I guess. And didn't you say it was Raticate meat that the Professor gave me in the Lab?}
"That'zzz what I said!"
{Well...Alright, then.}
I shrugged, then approached the already partially-eaten Pokémon, steadied it with my foot and tore a chunk out of its side. I smacked my lips a bit at the sensation of the creature's fur in my mouth; back when we lived in the Paddock, my sisters and I had always eaten the fur on a creature, be it fine or thick. But having not eaten anything that still had fur on it since my arrival in Alola, it looked like it would take some getting used to again.
"So, I'm actually kinda curious myself...What's it taste like?"
{Hm...I'm only now realizing how fatty this is. The actual meat doesn't taste half bad, though.}
"A Rattata would probably be a bit leaner, since they don't sit around their nest all day. Keep that in mind when you start lookin' for stuff in the wild!"
{Why do you ask? Did you want any?}
I tore a small chunk from the Pokémon's ribcage and held it out towards him, but he floated backwards away from it.
"Ah, no, that'zzz fine," he assured. "I'll stick to the beans."
{Once we're done here, I'll have to get those out,} I growled. {...I hope nobody we know sees what's going on here. They'd probably get the wrong-}
"Um...Is this a bad time?"
I rose my head, and there stood none other than...
"Uh-oh."
{Oh, no...} I chattered. {I just...It...It's not what it looks like, Hau.}
He continued to stare at our meal, eyes wide.
{...Okay, it's exactly what it looks like. But it was a mercy kill! I swear! Besides, this is what the Professor fed me while I was at the lab, and...! And...Ah...}
I gave up there, certain that Hau wasn't at all convinced. To my good fortune, however...
"Uh...Well, I mean...You can't live of malasadas, I guess. And the Professor feeds a lot of Pokémon he looks after Raticate meat, so..."
He shrugged.
"Eh. I'm not one to judge."
"Phew..." I breathed. {For a moment there, I thought you were gonna freak out.}
"Well, I almost did," he admitted. "But, like, that's a Raticate. Not a person. No way you'd ever do that to me or Lillie, I know that much."
{Certainly not. Ah...What brings you this way, Hau? Off to battle the Kahuna, too?}
"Actually I heard you were headin' this way over at Olivia's shop, so I wanted to watch the fight! See what you and your Pokémon have got up your sleeves! I probably won't battle her myself until tomorrow morning, so if I can take a few notes while I'm at it, that oughta be good!"
{Not a problem with me. Rotom. You still have the time?}
"The time right now izzz 6:25: p.m.! And according to my internal thermometer, the temperature's starting to drop!"
{Perfect. We'll be on our way, Hau.}
"Awesome!"
{Right after we finish dinner.}
"Oh."
He deflated slightly.
"Eh...You guys are halfway done anyways, so that's fine."
"Hey, Echo. Make sure you clean up your face before we head out. If the Island Kahuna saw you like that, she'd probably have a lotta questions for ya! Kzzt!"
{Noted...But if we walked up to a couple Team Skull grunts like this...}
"Ha! We're terrible, aren't we?"
{To Team Skull? Wonderfully terrible. But to our friends? I'd rather be terribly wonderful.}
"Heh heh...Well put, there, boss."
{Don't worry, Rotom. It looks like most of the Diglett have gone back underground, so they shouldn't be much of a problem. And the Zubat we run into should be a cinch for him, right? He's got a MAJOR advantage there.}
"Well, that's true. Bzzt!"
A shrill screech pierced the quiet cave atmosphere, and the image of fluttering membranous wings came into view.
{Here's one of those flying pests now. Tyrunt! Show this Zubat who's boss!}
I chucked his Poké Ball, and the scaly brown Pokémon materialized on the ground in front of me, seeming slightly dubious about his opponent.
{I don't like the look of this thing,} he grunted.
{Just do your best against it!} I called out to him. {You're the one with the double type advantage here, so it should be easy!}
{Well...Alright, then...}
He assumed a fighting stance and let out a low, threatening growl at the Poison-Type fluttering before us.
{What kind of moves do you know?}
{Well...I know how to Bite.}
{Let's start off with that, then!}
He nodded back at me, then charged at the Zubat, mouth wide open. Before it could zip out of the way, he clamped down right into the small Pokemon's middle, and it emitted a pained squeak before falling to the ground, completely motionless.
{That's how you do it! Excellent, Tyrunt!}
{Um...What do we do with it?}
{What do we...do with it?} I repeated back to him. {We just leave it. It should get back up on its own soon and fly away.}
{...I don't know about that, Alpha.}
I tilted my head in confusion as I peered down at the Zubat...A crimson puddle was beginning to form around the Pokémon, spilling from the gaping holes in its caved-in middle, which sat without a rise or a fall in sight.
{Wait...Did...did you...?}
"Ah, yup. Looks like it's pushin' up daisies," Rotom confirmed. "Thingzzz like this just happen sometimes..."
{Isn't that what you wanted me to do, though?} he asked me.
{What, I...? No,} I answered him, glowering down at the Royal Heir Pokémon, not at all happy with this. {What gave you the idea to flat out KILL it? You were supposed to fight it and only make it faint, not do something like that.}
"Ah, hey, come on, g-go easy on him, boss, " my PokéDex buzzed. "I mean, h-he's only been restored for half an hour. And that was how Tyrunt fed themselves back then! So a Zubat bit the dust...It could have been worse, right? There are too many Zubat in here, anyway! Besides, lotzzz of other Pokémon eat each other, too, remember?"
I sighed deeply.
{...I suppose you have a point, Rotom,} I decided. {But still. Unless I give you specific instructions to do so, you aren't allowed to kill other Pokémon under any circumstances, Tyrunt. Understood?}
{But...What are we supposed to eat, then?}
{There are lots of things we can choose from. You should see what they have at the Thrifty Megamart. It's a PARADISE of food. And the best part is you don't have to kill anything.}
{Can we go there after this?} he asked.
{Ah...Maybe wait until after the Grand Trial. In the mean time, I guess...well...I guess you can eat the Zubat, since it's already dead? May as well not leave it here to rot.}
{That works alright.}
I watched him, a bit apprehensively, as he picked up the dead Pokémon in his jaws, flung it into the air, and then with one quick snap, slid it down his throat. Something panged deep inside of me, despite my initial concern over the situation.
...Was I right to be upset with this?
It was food, after all.
Don't shun what he was made to do.
...What YOU were made to do.
The phantom voice in my head caught my attention, my eyes still glued onto Tyrunt eating the unfortunate Zubat. That voice...I wished it would just go away and never come back ever again. It'd almost lead me to do terrible things in the recent past...But I'd changed since my days of ripping strange creatures that found their way into the Paddock to shreds. I was a civilized creature, now...Right?
Well, one thing was for sure; whenever I found just what or who was behind me gaining the ability to understand such concepts in the first place, I'd be sure to thank them.
{Alright, Tyrunt. Let's see if we can find more Zubat. But make sure not to KILL anymore, understand?}
{Yes...I understand.}
"Say, bucko. Since we're on the topic of hunting and stuff, I wanted to ask you. What exzzzactly was it like hunting the way you did back in your old home?" Rotom asked, seeming curious about the whole ordeal.
{Well...Usually something would be let out loose into our Paddock...Most often, it was some sort of pink creature that ran around on all fours and...It made the most awful-sounding squeal. Especially whenever we were right on top of them, and when we caught them...We always thought they were stupid, but looking back, it seems to me that those things were at least smart enough to know just how much danger they were in.}
"Oh, wow...How'd you guyzzz do 'em in?"
{We had...a lot of ways of doing it. A bite to the head paired with a quick jolt to snap the neck, a swipe of the hand to the throat, throwing it against the wall...Once it was down, one of us, usually Beta, used the big claw on her foot to slice it's stomach open. She got to eat first; she was the Beta, after all, and Alpha didn't partake in our hunts...He was a human, so he didn't eat in such a manner.}
{And then, when Beta was done, what did you and your old pack do?} Tyrunt asked, sniffing into a crevice and disturbing another Zubat. I sighed at the question, and answered them grimly.
{We...tore whatever was left to shreds like we hadn't eaten in days. Flesh ripped, bones crunched...Blood flew all over the place.}
I breathed in through my nostrils, almost able to smell the heavy, metallic scent of the red liquid that spilled from everything me and my sisters ever killed. What was worse was that the mere thought of it made me hungry.
{To think,} I continued. {At one point in my life, I saw that as nothing more than what I had to do to survive...Now that I know I have other options, I can't help but feel shame over it.}
"Aw, come on, Echo. Sure, it was pretty brutal, but like I said it'zzz how the food chain works! In fact, didn't the Professor feed you with big ol' slabzzz of meat for a couple days while we were there? They probably came from something like a Raticate, or something! Bzzt!"
{Did it?} I chittered.
"Yep! Hey, you know, we actually have a lot of Rattata and Raticate in these partzzz! So much that people are actually concerned they'll overpopulate and eat up all the food. Then there wouldn't be enough to go around for other Pokémon, and they would...um...Well, a lot of them would starve to death, probably. The Yungoos and Gumshoos prey on the Rattata themselves, but...only during the day, when there aren't as many around, so it'zzz not quite as affective as people thought it'd be. Call me crazzzy, but I don't think people would mind you helping to pick some of them off! Kzzrt!"
{You...think so?}
"Wouldn't surprise me! " he exclaimed. "Hey, next time we see one, let'zzz take it out! I don't like those things much myself..."
{I'll...think about that,} I answered. {In the mean time, let's keep it up and battle out way out of the cave.}
"Got it! Hey, there's another Zubat right up there!"
Sure enough, there was, and we engaged in combat. As we continued to fight our way through Diglett's Tunnel, it turned out that Tyrunt did know a few other moves besides Bite; Stomp, Tackle and Dragon Tail to be exact. I was pleasantly surprised at just how powerful his Dragon Tail was compared to his other moves, and it was able to knock out most Zubat in just one hit. The only problem was that with those it didn't one-shot, the Pokémon became disoriented, and flew after us...in the opposite direction we were in. So we got no chance to beat them if they toughed it out. Therefore, we resorted to using the move only after we'd inflicted a bit of damage with his other attacks already, and with every battle, Tyrunt continued to get stronger and more adept to the battlefield.
Zubat weren't the only Pokémon we ran into, however. There were still a few Diglett roaming around, and with Tyrunt having a bad type matchup against them, I opted to return him and use either Red or Dartrix in his place. Being my two strongest Pokémon, they were able to handle them without a sweat. I was pleased by their strength; despite both being part Flying-Type, their Fighting and Grass Type Moves would give Olivia's Rock-Types something to watch out for. Surely at this rate, the next Grand Trial wouldn't prove much of a challenge for us, either, would it?
But a quick stop at the Kokikoni City Pokémon Center would do us some good before the fight; as tough as we'd gotten, I wanted everyone in peak condition, just to prepare for any tricks Kahuna Olivia might have up her sleeve. That, and the fact I needed a drink. And some potions...And maybe some more Poké beans, if the barista had any for us this time around. My to-do list had suddenly become longer again; at that rate, I wouldn't be battling the Kahuna until the evening. Not that it was a bad thing, but if I took TOO long, Olivia might head home for the night and I'd have to wait until tomorrow.
{Rotom, what time is it?}
"According to my internal clock, it'zzz 5:12 p.m.!" he buzzed as we turned down Route 9 and headed into the city again. "Oh, way to time our pit stop; having a battle like the Grand Trial during the hottest part of the day might do a number on ya! Zzt!"
I nodded, then continued down the road and turned into the Pokémon Center. I knew the drill; heal the team, buy some potions, and order something from the cafe. On paper, it sounded like we'd be in and out, but I wanted to take my time a little; I'd rather arrive at Memorial Hiil right at dusk when it started to cool down. With that in mind, I stocked up on more Super Potions than I expected to, and then Rotom and I got into a conversation with the barista on how me and the Tyrunt we'd just restored could communicate with each other and how I could utilize that in the Grand Trial. Upon hearing all of this, I got my wish of having my supply of Poké beans replenished, since he was just as hopeful that I would complete the trial as I was.
{I think I remember someone else saying something about an island where I can collect my own Poké beans for my Pokémon. Is that the case?}
"Oh, the Poké Pelago! Yes, yes, Pokémon stored away in PCs are transported over there, and they enjoy themselves on the islands until their Trainer calls them back out! It's to the far north of Ula'ula Island. You can only get there via flying, though, so it'd be useful to have a glide Pokémon on your ride pager."
{I do have a Charizard I can call; I want to be at Memorial Hill at dusk tonight, so I shouldn't spend too much time walking around in the heat of the day...I might see if I can restock on beans there at some point, then. With five Pokémon on the team, I'm may need a lot.}
"Yep! Frankly, I can't wait until then! Bzzt!"
{I can see that...} I chittered. {Well...It's about time to head down there. Thanks for the drink and beans, mister.}
"Good luck against the Kahuna!"
With that, I headed out the door, turned back south and trotted along the side of the road, leaving Konikoni City once more and taking Route 9 towards Memorial Hill. As we headed towards a curve and into a valleyed section of the road, I caught sight of a maze of hedges up ahead. And when we entered into the maze, I saw that the path was lined with smoothly cut stones in several places, decorated with intricate engravings and flowers placed in front of some of them. They each had someone's name written into them as well.
{So, Rotom. Why exactly is it called Memorial Hill? What are we remembering?}
"Well, Memorial Hill is a cemetery! The old, mighty families of Alola were buried here when they died, so it'zzz sort of a historical landmark, you know?"
{Oh...Is...That what you do with friends and family that've died?}
"Sure is! And there's another cemetery back on Melemele Island, too! A lot of Ghost-Type Pokémon tend to linger around places like those...Probably becauzzze they like to give people the spooks, and graveyards sometimes give off that creepy aura. Especially during the night...Guess it's a good thing Tyrunt knows Bite! That'll teach any Ghost-Type that triezzz to tangle with us, won't it?"
{I would think,} I replied. {...Hey, wait a minute. Didn't you say you were a Ghost-Type too, Rotom?}
"Well, yeah, but I'm not one to find enjoyment in scarin' people out of their skin. Other Rotom, though? I hear they like to sneak into houses, possess whatever machine they can on the sly and play poltergeist! Soundzzz freaky, huh?"
"Eesh..." I hissed, shuddering a bit at the idea of such a thing. {But you're different from them. You wouldn't do that, would you?}
"Never to you, bucko! Now, an unsuspecting Team Skull grunt on the other hand..."
{Ha! That'd be fun to watch!}
"No kidding! Hey, it'd teach 'em for threatening to give me a toaster bath! I might be an Electric-Type, but if this Dex went in that water, I'd be fried with it! Hey, maybe I should possess their toaster! Then they might-"
{Be here right now.}
"Huh?"
We'd just gotten out of the cemetery. Blocking the path were two of those familiar-looking skull grunts, and it looked like two other people had beaten us to a confrontation with them. By the looks of their own uniforms, I guessed that they were members of the Aether Foundation...That gave me some reassurance.
But even so, it didn't look like the grunts would be giving up the Pokémon without some convincing.
"Team Skull! For the last time! Give back that Pokémon!" the first demanded. The squabble must have been going on for a bit before I arrived.
"Lo-o-ow...?"
When I tilted my head to see where the noise came from, I realized that the grunts had a hostage in the form of a Slowpoke: I recognized it by the look of its tail, which I'd seen all over the place in the Thrifty Megamart.
"Hey! Yo! Don't gimmie trouble! I'll reduce you to rubble!"
"That's right! We gon' sell this Pokémon and make bank, and we won't make no bones about it! You want it back? You're gonna have to get past us to take it!"
The one Aether employee was starting to look nervous about the situation, and the other turned to face her.
"Stand firm! Think of what the president would say!" he ordered. He had a bit of a different styled uniform, accented with green, and looking more slick and business-made than meant for field work.
"That's what you always say, Chief, but you don't lift a finger yourself!" she snapped back, seemingly annoyed with him.
"You haven't a clue what you're talking about. Why, I am the Aether Foundation's last line of defense! What would become of it if something were to happen to me now?"
His snobbish aura even captured the attention of Team Skull. They hadn't said anything themselves, but the look in their eyes told how unamused they were better than any words could...And frankly, that was the one thing I'd ever agreed with them on.
The 'Chief' turned slightly, seeming to think for a moment about what he should do, and was quick to spot me out of the corner of his eye. He nearly jumped right out of his lab coat upon seeing me, and once he did that, everyone started looking in my direction.
"Aw, naw..." one of the Team Skull grunts muttered. "That's Scarface, ain't it?"
"Looks it, from what I heard. Hear 'bout what she did to Grunt?"
"Which grunt?"
"The grunt with the marks on his face!"
"What'd she do?"
"She gave him the marks, you bonehead!"
"Oh..."
"You know what this creature is?" the Chief asked them.
"Oh! Allow me to explain, Aether Foundation members!" Rotom stepped in. "Believe it or not, she'zzz a trial-goer! We were just on our way to meet Kahuna Olivia now! Word about us has been spreadin' around the islandzzz lately, so a lot of people already know about her, but if you wanna know more, Professor Kukui is your best bet!"
"Ah...And how strong is your team, Miss, eh...What's her name?"
"Scarface," the other grunt chimed in without skipping a beat.
"Would you two stop with that for once!? It's ECHO! Not Scarface! Get your facts straight! Bzzz...!"
Rotom slid away into my bag for safety before the hooligans had a chance to threaten him again like the last time.
"Echo, you say...Ah...Well, then!" he perked up, regaining his composure. "If you're a trial-goer, and you've made it to Akala Island, that must mean you have a fairly strong team on hand! I ask that you fight in my stead and rout these Team Skull ruffians. I will bestow honor upon you, if you do!"
{I don't know why these thugs aren't afraid of me by now,} I growled. {...I intend to change that, though.}
"Ready to know what defeat tastes like?" the first grunt challenged, pulling a Poké Ball out. "I was born ready for this, yo! Raticate! Show 'em!"
He tossed his fighter out into the field, and upon seeing the Raticate, I cringed. It was worn and battered from previous battles, not to mention quite a bit older-looking than most of the other Pokémon I'd seen in the wild so far. It was safe to assume that its Trainer was not taking care of it right, but knowing Team Skull I wasn't that surprised.
"So who you gonna send out to get beat, huh!?"
{...The newest member of the team. He needs to practice showing you guys a lesson, anyways.}
With that, I tossed the capsule into the air.
{Tyrunt! Let's go!}
The ball opened, and the Royal Heir Pokémon materialized on the ground before its opponent, letting out a sharp snarl of a battle cry.
"Raticate! Take 'em down with Pursuit!"
The Pokémon huffed, then got down on all fours, pursuing its target at a not-so-impressive speed. I wasn't really sure if it was it's natural weight dragging it down or the fact that it barely had the strength left to fight.
It would make it an easy opponent, at least.
{Try your Dragon Tail on it, Tyrunt!}
He turned and readied his tail, and it started to glow purple as he drew it back. The enemy Pokémon was nearly upon him when he sent it flying into its face, and upon the impact, the Raticate was thrown in the opposite direction and rolled to a halt on the ground right before its Trainer's feet.
It got back up within seconds, but it was obvious that it was struggling.
"Come on, Raticate! Don't be such a bag o' bones!"
"Rrrr..." it growled back at him.
"Don't just stand there! Take 'em down with Tackle!"
It started running at us again, and Tyrunt lowered his head as the Raticate approached, readying a headbutt.
{Get up to speed, Tyrunt! Counter-Tackle! You're head is harder!}
At my command, the fossil Pokémon began to charge at his opponent head on. Each of them were readying a collision against the other, skulls pointed forward, and finally, the two fighters made contact.
...There was an echoing CRACK, and with a flick of his head after the initial hit, Tyrunt flung the enemy to the side.
Again, the Raticate rolled limply across the field before tumbling to a stop...But this time, it lay there motionless except for the shallow rise and fall of its middle as it struggled even to breathe.
It tried to lift itself back onto its feet, a dazed, hollow look in its eye, and it scanned the battlefield looking for its attacker. Despite Tyrunt standing merely a couple yards away from it, the Raticate took several long moments to acknowledge his presence. When it finally did, the black and tan Pokémon fell on all fours and stumbled forward, though it seemed to get weaker and weaker every second.
...I knew that glazed look in the creature's eyes all too well.
It didn't have much time left.
It's on its way out.
...Finish the job.
I tensed. No. Not that again. I shook my head in denial of what it was telling me to do. I couldn't do that. It had a Trainer, anyways. I couldn't...It was...Besides, it was only a matter of time before...
...But seeing it suffering like that, getting worse every second...Was that what its last moments were to be like? With increasingly worse pain until it finally lost its last bit of life...?
...Maybe it's not as wrong as I think.
I took a deep breath, and let it out as a shaky gurgle, and I called out to the fossil Pokémon still awaiting my next command.
{Tyrunt...} I chittered.
{Alpha...Is it...?}
I nodded, emitting one more sigh before I gave out the final order.
{...Use Bite.}
He nodded grimly in understanding, then approached the Raticate, locking eyes with it for just a moment as he drew near and placed his powerful jaws on its head.
{...I'm sorry it had to be like this,} I heard him growl.
The Mouse Pokémon let out a sigh of its own, almost sounding content as Tyrunt steadied it with his foot and jerked his head off to the side. There was another crack, and the Raticate twitched its toes ever so slightly before falling completely still.
Everyone stared at the scene playing out on the battleground. The grunts, the Aether employees, me myself...None of us really wanted to believe what'd happened, but we'd all witnessed it with our own eyes.
There was no denying it...That Raticate was dead.
Its owner was staring directly at me now, eyes wide and his form as still as stone. I simply shook my head at him, and he staggered backwards.
"Yo...I...What'd you...?"
"Dude, snap out of it! We ain't got no more Pokémon. She could do THAT to US with her OWN snappy jaws if she wanted, if her puny Tyrunt can do that!"
"Screw it, then! Take your dumb Slowpoke! Good luck and good riddance! Come on bro, let's scram!"
The two grunts scrambled past us and disappeared into Memorial Hill, thoroughly intimidated. The owner of the Raticate didn't even bother paying respects to it; he simply abandoned the dead body where it lay.
The Slowpoke that'd been behind them wasn't really aware of the situation at hand, but Tyrunt approached it anyways, nudging it and examining it with his keen nose just to make sure the Team Skull grunts hadn't done anything to harm it, either.
He nodded back to me, letting me know that it was fine. And to show the (still shocked) members of the Aether Foundation that I meant no harm to this Pokémon, I went over myself, carefully scooped the pink Pokémon up in my clawed hands and brought it over to them, passing it on to the field employee.
"Uh...Thank you. For that," she told me, still a bit shaken. "Yeah...Those Team Skull thugs have been after Slowpoke a lot lately. They...cut off their tails and sell them to try and make a profit, since they're so valuable. It doesn't really hurt them, and they grow back quickly, but...It's still not right to just hack them off without any consideration for the Pokémon. Especially with wild Slowpoke like this one, since they need their tails to fish."
{...You're absolutely right,} I nodded, Rotom re-emerging from my pack to translate for me. {Team Skull couldn't care less about the wellbeing of the Pokémon they train. Or steal, in Slowpoke's case. It seems like they have a history of it, judging by...}
The two of us looked back at the Raticate corpse on the ground, then turned back to face each other. The human sighed, the expression on her face softening.
"...I watched you out there. I-it's not your fault. Really, it isn't. Tyrunt are only so strong, and Tackle isn't a very powerful move anyways. If that Raticate had been well looked after, then you...You wouldn't have had to do what you did. And I'm sorry it came down to that."
{In all honesty,} I chattered. {I'm at least glad that it's not suffering anymore. Not under Team Skull or from that head wound.}
"Yeah...In this line of work, it's not uncommon to see neglected Pokémon having to be put down."
"Hmm...There are too many Raticate on these islands anyways," the Chief remarked, not seeming to care much for the deceased Raticate himself. "And the same goes to their pre-evolved forms. Overpopulation can be just as much a problem as dwindling population, you know...And maybe what you did will teach those ruffians to finally wizen up a bit. As for you...Despite the performance I just beheld, it seems to me that you are a very skilled Trainer who cares deeply for other Pokémon like yourself."
"'Other?' Uh, pardon us, mister, but she'zzz not a Pokémon herself."
He rose an eyebrow at Rotom's claim.
"...No? Well, then what on earth is she?"
"Something called a 'Velociraptor,' according to her. Like I said, the Professor can tell you more about it! He's the one who found and studied her in the first place, after all! Bzzrt!"
"Professur Kukui, ah yes...But anyways, where was I...? Oh. As I was saying, Miss, erm...'Echo,' if I remember right?"
I nodded.
"Well, then. For your vigilance in the face of danger, I should like to reward you. When you complete your Grand Trial, meet me at Hano Grand Resort in Heahea City. From there, we will board a ferry to the Aether Foundation Headquarters, and I shall grant you a tour. Sound good to you?"
{The Aether Foundation Headquarters, you say...? I might be interested. You do help Pokémon, after all, and that's one thing I can get on board with.}
"Excellent. See you there. Come along, Intern! We have things to do!"
"You mean I have things to do..."
The Chief simply rolled his eyes and headed off, the employee following not far behind.
"Hey, thanks again for the help. Good luck with the Grand Trial! Although, I might, ah...do something about that Raticate. I'd take care of it myself, but it seems like the Branch Chief here has other plans for me."
{I'll think of something.} I assured her. {Good luck with the Branch Chief.}
"Heh, yeah...See you, then."
She ran to catch up with the Branch Chief, who was already halfway through Memorial Hill, seemingly unaware that his underling was not following him.
"Well, that wazzz certainly something, " my PokéDex buzzed. "Your thoughts? "
{The intern was okay, but I don't really know about that Branch Chief guy,} I remarked, sending a bit of a glare in his direction. {There's something about him that just rubs me the wrong way.}
"Yeah, I know what you mean. And if what she was saying about him not actually doing anything to help anyone is true, then that's an extra red flag goin' up there."
{It seems that way...Now. The Raticate. Should we bury it in the cemetery, Rotom?}
"I don't think people are being buried in Memorial Hill anymore, much less Pokémon. I don't think it'd be a good idea to disturb the grounds...And another thing; it looks like Tyrunt's thought of another idea."
{What? What do you-}
I turned back, and watched as the Fossil Pokémon rose his head. Both the Raticate's now gaping side and Tyrunt's jaws were spattered with blood.
{...Are you EATING it, Tyrunt!?}
{Yes...What about the conversation we all had in Diglett's Tunnel?}
{Yeah, I remember, but...I was talking about WILD Rattata and Raticate. This one was TRAINED. Eating a trained Pokémon isn't right, is it Rotom?}
"Well, probably not...But to be fair, I don't think that Team Skull grunt isn't coming back for it. And Tyrunt's already started on it, so if you're hungry then now'zz your chance to grab some grub!"
{Well...It'll fill us up and energize us for the next battle, I guess. And didn't you say it was Raticate meat that the Professor gave me in the Lab?}
"That'zzz what I said!"
{Well...Alright, then.}
I shrugged, then approached the already partially-eaten Pokémon, steadied it with my foot and tore a chunk out of its side. I smacked my lips a bit at the sensation of the creature's fur in my mouth; back when we lived in the Paddock, my sisters and I had always eaten the fur on a creature, be it fine or thick. But having not eaten anything that still had fur on it since my arrival in Alola, it looked like it would take some getting used to again.
"So, I'm actually kinda curious myself...What's it taste like?"
{Hm...I'm only now realizing how fatty this is. The actual meat doesn't taste half bad, though.}
"A Rattata would probably be a bit leaner, since they don't sit around their nest all day. Keep that in mind when you start lookin' for stuff in the wild!"
{Why do you ask? Did you want any?}
I tore a small chunk from the Pokémon's ribcage and held it out towards him, but he floated backwards away from it.
"Ah, no, that'zzz fine," he assured. "I'll stick to the beans."
{Once we're done here, I'll have to get those out,} I growled. {...I hope nobody we know sees what's going on here. They'd probably get the wrong-}
"Um...Is this a bad time?"
I rose my head, and there stood none other than...
"Uh-oh."
{Oh, no...} I chattered. {I just...It...It's not what it looks like, Hau.}
He continued to stare at our meal, eyes wide.
{...Okay, it's exactly what it looks like. But it was a mercy kill! I swear! Besides, this is what the Professor fed me while I was at the lab, and...! And...Ah...}
I gave up there, certain that Hau wasn't at all convinced. To my good fortune, however...
"Uh...Well, I mean...You can't live of malasadas, I guess. And the Professor feeds a lot of Pokémon he looks after Raticate meat, so..."
He shrugged.
"Eh. I'm not one to judge."
"Phew..." I breathed. {For a moment there, I thought you were gonna freak out.}
"Well, I almost did," he admitted. "But, like, that's a Raticate. Not a person. No way you'd ever do that to me or Lillie, I know that much."
{Certainly not. Ah...What brings you this way, Hau? Off to battle the Kahuna, too?}
"Actually I heard you were headin' this way over at Olivia's shop, so I wanted to watch the fight! See what you and your Pokémon have got up your sleeves! I probably won't battle her myself until tomorrow morning, so if I can take a few notes while I'm at it, that oughta be good!"
{Not a problem with me. Rotom. You still have the time?}
"The time right now izzz 6:25: p.m.! And according to my internal thermometer, the temperature's starting to drop!"
{Perfect. We'll be on our way, Hau.}
"Awesome!"
{Right after we finish dinner.}
"Oh."
He deflated slightly.
"Eh...You guys are halfway done anyways, so that's fine."
"Hey, Echo. Make sure you clean up your face before we head out. If the Island Kahuna saw you like that, she'd probably have a lotta questions for ya! Kzzt!"
{Noted...But if we walked up to a couple Team Skull grunts like this...}
"Ha! We're terrible, aren't we?"
{To Team Skull? Wonderfully terrible. But to our friends? I'd rather be terribly wonderful.}
"Heh heh...Well put, there, boss."
Now that is very useful.