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Okay, catching up. Going to do the 7th's post today and the 10th's tomorrow!
119 words on the ferry
202 words at the hotel
299 words during the five-minute tauros ride
128 words in the Hau rematch
265 words while searching for a pokémon, which means I catch a pinsir!
640 words on the ten-minute sprint
159 words to reunite with Hau, and then
287 words while fighting Gladion
That's 2099 for this crawl post, 5674 total so far!
Words written:
100
200
157 in five minutes
100
237 in five minutes, grabbing Caterpie
343 in ten minutes
150
207 in five minutes
Total: 1501 words!
November 10 event:
100
100
183 in five minutes
150
259 words in ten minutes
100
250 words, and let's evolve... Rowlet! Hello, Dartrix!
198 words in five minutes
150
350 words
Total: 1840 words!
Grand total: 6100 words!
Edit: Oh right, current team:
Dartrix, Caterpie, Slowpoke
I've discovered I never posted my word count for the Nov 7 challenge and also deleted my notes for it. Whoops. I did do it, but I don't even have an estimate for how many words I got in. I did choose Bonsly to join my Rowlet and Grubbin, though.
Onto the November 10th challenge, I guess.
For my first five-minute word sprint, I wrote 236 words, which is pretty wow for this NaNo. Then during the ten-minute I managed 407, and the next five min I maintain my wpm with 236 words again. During the challenge, I evolved my Grubbin into Charjabug. All in all, I wrote 2093 words.
123 words to get to Brooklet Hill
115 words to reach Wela Volcano Park
298 words in the first five-minute sprint
169 words in the battle against Plumeria
392 words in the battle against Lana and Kiawe
118 words gets me through Diglett's tunnel
252 to level a mon, and I'll evolve Litten!
267 words against the Ditto Five
189 in Konikoni City
360 words will take down Olivia and wrap this post up!
That's 2283 words this post, 7957 total.
Current team:
We would be a little short on words yet, but I actually meant for Olivia to be worth 10k, so I feel comfortable saying we were successful on our latest challenge!
just now realized that we don't carry over excess words to the next sub-part of the crawl if we write more than 100 words by accident. still learning lol.
@kintsugi You can roll over words from one sub-task to the next if you like! I usually just write to ~whatever the goal is and then find a convenient stopping place, which is usually a few more words than the requirement. But if you'd rather lump-sum it, that's fine.
November 16th - Trouble in Paradise
Olivia's pokémon put up a rock-solid defense, but in the end they're no match for your team. The kahuna takes it in stride, though. "Brilliant!" she says when her lycanroc finally gives up with a snarl and a furious glare. "How you shone! You and your pokémon are something special, that's for sure. You've completed your trial here on Akala Island--congratulations!"
That's two islands down in what feels like no time at all, despite everything you've had to go through on the way. You really are taking Alola by storm! "You're the impatient type, aren't you?" Olivia says. "Rock-types stand firm over thousands of years, but there's room for spitfires like you in this world, too. I think I have just the thing for a quick trainer like you. Tell me, has anyone ever showed you how to call a charizard with your Ride Pager?"
They haven't, no, and after your experience with the tauros maybe you'd prefer they didn't. But a charizrd flight is easily the fastest way to get back to Heahea, and Ula'ula Island beckons with its own set of trials. It seems the only sensible course of action is to pull on your riding gear, hold your Ride Pager aloft, and do your best to hold onto your lunch while Charizard whisks you into the sky.
Hang on tight and write 150 words during the flight back to Heahea City.
The brisk flight is plenty terrifying, and you spend a few seconds afterwards simply getting used to having firm ground under you again. No sign of Hau, but you imagine you'll run into him eventually. The both of you are headed in the same direction, after all. After taking a few seconds to calm your nerves and your stomach, you set out towards the ferry terminal. Along the way, though, you're distracted by a familiar voice.
"Please, Gladion! You can't do this by yourself!"
Is that... Lillie? Following the sound of her voice, you soon come upon her--being menaced by that mysterious trainer and the hulking chimera from earlier! Your pokémon are ready, and it's time to get that creep back for your battle earlier!
"Hmph," the strange trainer says. "Rushing in and attacking without even taking a moment to understand the situation? I suppose it's no surprise, coming from a trainer like you. Null!"
The hulking pokémon takes a step back, disengaging from the battle, though not without a warning growl.
"Don't fight," Lillie says again. "Gladion, this is my friend--"
"It doesn't matter," the boy snaps. "Keep Cosmog safe. I know what I have to do to save Alola. Now, you." He's addressing you this time. "Get out of my way."
"Gladion!" Lillie calls, but he ignores her, shoving past you and heading off down the street. Lillie starts to run after him, but he hoists himself up onto Null's back, and the mismatched pokémon is much faster than it looks, and soon out of sight.
Lillie's out of breath when you catch up with her. "Oh, Gladion," she says. "He's going to Aether Paradise. I, I... I can't go back there. Not after I went to so much trouble to escape. I have to keep Cosmog safe. But he can't go on his own! He can't stand up to all of the Aether Foundation by himself!" She turns to you. "Please--please stop him! He doesn't know what he's getting into. He's heading for the docks, for the black boat there. Please hurry, I think it's about to leave!"
Well, you don't exactly have a lot of love for Gladion, and it would be nice to get more of an explanation of what exactly's going on here. But beating Gladion in battle should make sure he misses his ship, and you aren't opposed to doing that. Maybe you can scare a bit of information out of him, too. It's time to summon Tauros and beat Gladion to his boat!
Write for 5 minutes while you race to the docks!
The whole world rushes past you while you're clinging to Tauros for dear life; even the view ahead of you is jouncing and frequently obscured by the pokémon's shoulders. There's the black boat Lillie mentioned, though, and you think you can make out Gladion--already climbing the gangplank onto the ship. Tauros slams to a halt on the dock only a few seconds later, and then you're on your way to board yourself. There's only one problem: there's a gaggle of Team Skull grunts looking to board as well, and they don't seem too keen on having you join them! There'll be time later to think about why Team Skull is hoping to visit Aether Paradise, but for now, it looks like there's only one way to get on that boat: through force!
Write 150 words while you dispatch the Team Skull grunts!
As expected, your pokémon easily tear through the Skull grunts' teams. The boat really will be leaving soon--the motor's gunning, and the a last couple of grunts are scrambling away from you, up the gangplank. You hurry up after them and into the passenger area, looking for a telltale shock of blond hair or the looming form of Null.
Gladion's not too far off, in the far back of the seating area and as far from the other passengers as possible. He jerks around when he hears his name, and his eyes narrow when they settle on you. "What are you doing here?" he snaps. "Did you follow me?" Not to your surprise, he's unmoved by the news that Lillie doesn't want him to go. "I'm doing something important," he says. "I have to do it, even if it's dangerous." He's unmoved when you tell him you'll drag him off this ferry if you have to battle him to do it. "I don't know what good it would do you, since we're out on the ocean now," he says, and sure enough, with a lurching motion, the ship's underway. "I guess you're joining me in Aether Paradise, then," Gladion says. "If you know what's good for you, you'll head straight on to Ula'ula from there. I don't have time to deal with you."
It's not too late to get Gladion to change his mind, at least as far as staying in Aether Paradise and doing whatever he plans to do goes. If you're going to be stuck on this ferry the whole time anyhow, you might as well try to get some more information about what's going on, too. Gladion snorts and ignores your questions, but you have the entire trip to wear him down...
Write for 5 minutes during the ferry ride to Aether Paradise.
By the end of your journey, you haven't gotten a word out of Gladion and he, unsurprisingly, seems grumpier than ever. Up on the docks, he once again brushes off your attempts to convince him to take a boat off somewhere else--but it looks as though he's not going to make it far into Aether Paradise anyway. A group of white-suited Aether Foundation workers spot him as he makes his way towards the elevator and move to intercept. "Hey! You there!" one of them shouts. "What's your business here?"
Instead of answering, Gladion sends out Null and gives a simple command: "Take them out." The Aether Foundation employees respond by sending out their own pokémon, and in seconds a battle's underway.
You could let Gladion fight his way out and hope the Aether Foundation employees manage to kick him out, but where's the fun in that? If Gladion's on some kind of mission to save Alola, you want to be a part of that, too! Besides, your team could use a bit of exercise. Send out some pokémon and join the fray!
Write 100 words while you defeat the Aether Foundation grunts.
"I can't get rid of you, can I?" Gladion asks when the last defeated Aether Foundation member takes to her heels. "Well, whatever. Just don't get in my way." He makes his way over to the elevator and punches in a code with casual ease--you have to scramble to get aboard before it takes off.
Gladion doesn't seem at all awed by Aether Paradise, but given the option you'd like to slow down and simply enjoy a bit of sightseeing. The floating complex is huge and starkly white, almost like a floating city made up of labyrinthine halls and unmarked doors. Gladion makes his way around like he knows the place like the back of his hand, but he still won't answer any of your questions about it. Finally you come to a huge pair of double doors, which Gladion clearly expects to open--and which don't.
"Locked," he grunts. "Null, can you--?"
The chimera starts forward and slams the doors with its shoulder. They don't open, but the huge crash of the impact makes you think the chimera has to break through soon. It also brings Aether Foundation employees running--lots of Aether Foundation employees. Gladion lets out a hiss of annoyance as he surveys the lineup. "You want to know what's going on here?" he asks abruptly. "The president of the Aether Foundation wants to bring monsters from another world into Alola. I have to make sure that doesn't happen. Now, will you help me fight these idiots off?"
Now that's quite a hook! Looks like you'll be helping. There's a lot of Aether Foundation employees here--it's probably going to take a little while to clear them all out.
Write for 5 minutes while you fight off more Aether Foundation grunts.
You have a lot more questions after Gladion's strange proclamation, but he's having none of it. "There's more than one key for this door. We can't just break it down, that would attract too much attention. But if I had to guess--down in the labs." He hurries back towards the elevator, and again you're hard-pressed to keep up. Down and down it goes, into the depths of Aether Paradise.
"There are two labs down here," Gladion says once you disembark. "One of the supervisors should have a key to that door. There used to be a big keyring that she would leave around wherever she felt like--not many people ever went down to the labs anyway. That's what we need to find." He points to a couple of doors on opposite sides of the room. "We should split up. I'll search one way, and you go the other. Which one do you want?"
Choose which way you want to go! If you decide to go left and check out Lab A, write 200 words. If you'd rather go right and search Lab B, write for five minutes instead.
Digging around in the basements of Aether Paradise is a bizarre experience. Truth be told, you hadn't thought much about the group before today; they'd shown up around Alola a fair amount, sure, had some good press over their commitment to pokémon and the environment. To think of them as working towards something like "monsters from another world" seems absurd. But the more you uncover down here, records of lab experiments and messages between the organization's higher-ups that allude to beasts and a beast-killer, the more you start to believe that Gladion hasn't just been messing with you. At the very least, you don't know why a philanthropic conservation organization would need all this high-grade medical equipment.
You pore through desk after desk, search drawers and cabinets and look everywhere you can think of for the keys. You're deadly curious now, and the only way you're going to get real answers is to get back to Gladion with these keys he thinks are down here...
Write 250 words while you search the labs for the keys.
Pawing through yet another random desk, you're finally rewarded with a heavy, clanking ring of keys stashed in a top drawer. It might not be the keyring Gladion wants, but it certainly is a keyring, and that's good enough for now. You snatch it up, ready to race back to the elevator, when a voice sounds from behind you.
"My, my. And what do we have here? A child who's lost their way?" Blocking your exit is a man in a long white coat, his eyes covered by huge green lenses, and a contingent of grim-faced Aether Foundation employees. "I heard our long-lost Gladion had returned, and even brought a friend! But I'm afraid access to the labs is strictly off-limits to outsiders. If you won't come quietly, then I, Branch Chief Faba, will be forced to defend our secrets through battle!"
If you chose to go right earlier, Faba challenges you to a multi-battle with an Aether Foundation grunt! Write 100 words to take down the employee's pokémon, then another 300 to defeat Faba's hypno. If you chose left, Faba wants to show off by taking you on alone! Write for ten minutes while you defeat his entire team.
Immersion RUINED!! no but actually how do you find the time to write out this flavor text; I love it all so much
Heahea City - 158
Gladion Best Boi - 412
Ferry to Aether (5 mins) - 653
Aether Grunts - 751
Aether Grunts Part II: Electric Bugaloo (5 mins) - 891
When They Go Low, We Go Left - 1091 (!!)
Even in Fiction I Can't Find My Keys - 1386 Faba Beans (10 mins)/final - 1880
my competitively viable squadron of a sulking kitten, a rock pupper, and a phallus:
I wrote 171 words in the first sprint, 172 in the second, and 204 in the third. I went left and wrote 362 words in the final sprint, finishing with a total of 2252 words.
Ahaha, I knew that had to happen at least once. I'll go ahead and add the tail end of that sentence.
I'm glad you enjoy the flavor! Time? What even is time? Ahahahahaha....
170 words on the flight back to Heahea
343 words while battling Gladion
221 words while heading to the docks
151 words to beat up the grunts
338 words on the ride to Aether Paradise
110 words to defeat the Aether Foundation grunts
301 words fighting more grunts
I'll take the left fork and write 287 words
299 words looking for the keys
446 words, and that'll wrap up this chapter!
To no one's surprise but his own, Faba's team doesn't stand a chance against yours. His hypno puts up a valiant fight, putting your pokémon to sleep and siphoning away their dreams to keep himself upright, but it can't last. Another couple of blows, and the psychic-type will be down for the count.
"Absurd," Faba fumes. "This is absurd! A mere child--Aether Foundation! Apprehend them at once!"
A grunt or two in a multi-battle you could handle, but a dozen of them, after your team's already had to handle a protracted fight? Faba recalls his hypno, smirking, while a couple of grunts manage to pin you down. "Excellent," Faba purrs. "Well done, you two. Now, we're already down in the laboratory level--how convenient! Throw them in one of the containment cells."
It could be worse, maybe--the cell is a blank white, featureless cube with a few narrow windows protected by powerful energy shields. It's not dank or dirty, but it's clearly very sturdy, and with your pokémon exhausted, it doesn't look like there's any way out. The Aether Foundation employees shove you inside, and the door slams behind you with
It's not looking good, but there must be a way out of here. You just have to find it!
Write for five minutes while you search for a way out!
Unfortunately, your initial assessment proves accurate: there appears to be no way out of the featureless room. As you're pacing around, banging on the walls and trying to jam your fingers into the seam around the door, you hear small noises coming from the far side of one wall: shuffling and banging and what might be a curse. And you recognize that voice.
They must have apprehended Gladion, too, and put him in the cell next to you. You yell and bang until you're sure he's noticed you, and soon enough the two of you are huddled on your respective sides of the wall, having a furtive conversation.
"So they got you, too?" Gladion asks. "Great. Old Faba isn't half as smart as he thinks he is, but I guess you don't need to be when you have enough grunts to throw at a problem."
That's true enough. Without some underhanded tactics, Faba never would have taken you down. You're here now, though, and what you need is solutions. Maybe Gladion knows something that will help you see a way out of here.
Write 150 words while you discuss your situation with Gladion.
Even with the two of you working together, the situation looks grim. Gladion's team is as bad off as your own; your exhausted pokémon won't be able to do much, and certainly nothing as dramatic as breaking down the door.
"And I never even managed to find the keys," Gladion says, frustration clear in his tone even through the muffling wall. "If we had those, we might be able to get somewhere."
Ah. You do still have the keys, secure on their ring and in your pocket, with the Aether Foundation employees never searched. "You do?" Gladion demands. "The master key should be able to get you out of there. There's an override panel hidden near the door. Nobody wanted to accidentally end up trapped inside with one of the things they kept in here."
That's a worrying thought, but for now you're better off focusing on Gladion's instructions. A bit of searching near the door finally turns up a concealed control panel. Inserting one of the keys into the hole next to it, and following Gladion's shouted instructions to deal with the keypad, you're sure to have the two of you out of here soon.
Write 100 words while you bust yourself and Gladion out!
In no time at all, you and Gladion are free again. "Come on," Gladion says. "I imagine Faba will have someone down here to check on us soon. There are healing machines in a few of the labs. Once our teams are in better shape, we'll have to fight our way out. Are you ready?"
More than ready! With your team healed up and raring to go, you only hope you get the chance to teach the Aether Foundation a lesson for pulling such a dirty trick on you. You join Gladion on the elevator back to the upper floor, and sure enough, when it pulls to a halt, there are several Aether Foundation employees barring your way, surrounding the door to the outside. It's an alarming number of them, to be honest, but this time you won't be fighting alone. With Gladion and Null at your side, you're ready to take on all comers!
Write 250 words while you team up with Gladion to defeat the Aether Foundation Grunts.
With the Aether Foundation employees behind you and the door unlocked, you come out into a beautiful sunny day. You're out on the deck of the huge ship that is Aether Paradise, looking out on meticulously maintained gardens with the ocean all around. There's a sprawling mansion, somewhat incongruous in the middle of the metal platform, and according to Gladion, that's where you need to head. "The president has a taste for beautiful things," is all he'll say about it, in his usual infuriating way. There's no time to try prying more than that out of him; it looks like you have just a straight shot through the gardens, and you'd better take it before more Aether Foundation grunts show up to ruin your day.
Write for five minutes while you sprint for the mansion!
Of course, the wide-open space and clear path to your goal were too good to be true. You and Gladion are maybe only a third of the way to the mansion when voices rise around you. "Yo, yo, yo! Where do you think you're going, punks?"
What's Team Skull doing here? You remember the grunts on the ferry over here, but there are way too many here for those to explain the ambush. More grunts keep emerging from where they've been lounging around the garden, and the mansion's broad front doors open to admit still more of them. Did someone else get here to complete Gladion's mission before he could?
"Hey! Guzma said to pulverize anybody who tried coming through here," says one of the grunts. "You better step off if you don't want to get crushed, yo!"
There are a lot of them, sure. But there's two of them this time, and by this point it's hard to feel intimidated by Team Skull. You and Gladion exchange a look, then reach for your pokéballs. You've come too far to give up at this point, and the two of you can handle this lot, no question.
Write 250 words to defeat the Team Skull grunts. Once you do, you may choose to evolve one of your pokémon.
The battle's in full swing, with attacks flying and grunts retreating, recalling their pokémon and running off while more of their fellows step up to take their places. "Enough already!" someone roars from the direction of the mansion. The grunts cringe and cower, and the few pokémon still in fighting shape vanish back into their pokéballs. The wall of grunts parts to make way for a man in Team Skull regalia with a pair of outsized sunglasses resting on his forehead. "I've been hearing a lot about you," he says, addressing you directly. "You're the one who's been roughing up my grunts, aren't you? Ha! I was hoping I'd get the chance to pulverize you. Looks like it's my lucky day." He spares a glance for Gladion. "And you. So this is how you
That golisopod looks strong, but you and your pokémon are stronger. He might be the boss, but he's still a numbskull like all the rest!
Write for 10 minutes while you work to bring Guzma down.
Team Skull's boss looks stricken when his golisopod finally falls. "Guzma, what is wrong with you?!" he snarls, clutching his head. The grunts around him only shuffle further away, exchanging nervous looks.
"Come on. We're done here," Gladion says, stepping past the defeated boss and into the mansion. You follow, only to be alarmed when Guzma takes a moment out of his self-flagellation to fix you with an icy look. "You. I'm gonna remember you. And next time you'll get the beat-down you deserve!"
Well, that's something you'll have to worry about next time, maybe. You hurry after Gladion, who hasn't spared Guzma's weird outburst the slightest bit of attention. He's inside the mansion already, frowning up at elegant chandeliers like they've done him a personal affront. "My m--the Aether Foundation president is around here somewhere," he says. "Let's get going. Team Skull wasted enough of our time already."
Write 150 words while you search for the Aether Foundation's president!
The mansion is eerily empty, with room on sterile room of elegant furnishings, crisply-made beds, and not a sign of life anywhere. This time Gladion doesn't suggest you split up, and his face remains set and grim the whole time you're searching.
Maybe the president isn't here? Gladion shakes his head. "No. She has to be. She's been working on something big, somewhere in here."
It's a big building, for sure. But big enough to hide an entire sinister secret plan? It really seems like no one's home.
Even Gladion gives up eventually. Stony-faced and silent, he leads you back towards the entrance--only to encounter, in an impressive study, a person: an impeccably-dressed woman with flowing blonde hair. She seems unsurprised when you come through, and for a moment you're confused. You're sure you searched this room already; how did she get in here without you noticing.
"Welcome, welcome," she says, as though there could be nothing more natural than finding a couple of strangers creeping around in your house. "I am Lusamine, Aether Foundation's president. What brings you to Aether Paradise today?"
"You know why I'm here," Gladion says. "Lusamine. I know what you're planning. You have to stop."
"Oh?" Lusamine asks. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. You happen to have come at the perfect time, though. I've been working on a project that will move the Aether Foundation into the future, to help us create a more perfect world. Wouldn't you like to see it?"
That's certainly a strange thing to say, and the false mirror that Lusamine demonstrates, one that slides back to reveal a teleport pad, makes this all stranger yet. "Wait!" Gladion yells, but Lusamine ignores him, stepping onto the pad and disappearing. Gladion charges after, without even making sure you'd follow. Maybe he's forgotten you're here, too. Following someone who seems a little off into their secret lair inside their gigantic mansion? Doesn't seem like a great plan but, well, Lillie's trusting you to keep an eye on Gladion, right? You step up to the teleport pad to follow the other two inside.
Beyond the teleporter lies a huge room, something like a ballroom in terms of scale. Scattered around it are pillars topped with blocks of ice and what look like pokémon--real pokémon--frozen inside. Your stomach lurches. But that can't be right, can it? They must be some kind of art thing.
"Do you like my collection?" Lusamine asks. "It's beautiful, isn't it? All of them I've collected here... Preserved, forever, eternally mine. And soon I'll have some lovely new beasts to add to my collection."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Gladion says. "Give it up, Lusamine--mother. I'll--"
"Mother!" Lusamine shrieks. "I have no children! No ungrateful, disobedient children who would run away and reject my love! I'll call the beasts, and I'll add them to my collection. Then I can love them forever. Beasts aren't like people. They're perfect. And so beautiful... So much more beautiful than a child who'd go against their mother's wishes. I'll bring all the beasts here! I'll make them mine! I'll--"
It seems like she's working herself up into quite a lather. You might be here for a while.
Zone out and write for 5 minutes while Lusamine rants.
It's pretty fantastic stuff: monsters from another world, runaway children, and apparently Cosmog can open wormholes? At last Gladion manages to get a word in edgewise. "It's not going to work. I'm going to stop you, Mother. You can't do this--you know Alola will be overrun if you bring the ultra beasts through. Give it up now, or I"--he glances your way--"the two of us will have to fight you."
"You?" Lusamine sneers. "You, someone as pathetic as that failed experiment you hang around with? My beasts are perfect! They're divine! And cosmog or no cosmog, I have everything I need right here."
A glowing cube filled with, what--some sort of smoke? Lusamine picks it up, grinning far too broadly. Gladion yells, directing Null forward, but Lusamine releases some catch, and the box releases a dazzling streamer of light. Null grunts and pulls to a halt while the air fills with lightning, a glowing fracture appearing in the air. Gladion's still yelling, but you can't make out the words, shielding your face against the fierce wind that's started whipping around the room. The crack in reality grows wider, revealing a funhouse-mirror tunnel of distorted images and unsettling geometries, and seconds later something comes flying out of it, trailing long, translucent tentacles.
It's... some kind of pokémon? But not like one you've ever seen, more like some kind of blobby floating tentacruel, gurgling and thrashing in midair. You don't get a lot of time to contemplate it--it lunges towards you with a keening screech, and pokémon or not, you have a feeling it's going to take your own pokémon to drive it back. Meanwhile, the wormhole overhead continues to crackle and pulse with light, threatening to spill out more monstrosities at any second. Meanwhile Lusamine's watching the creature with avid interest, another frighteningly wide smile stretched across her face.
Write 200 words while you battle the beast!
Null seems enraged by the presence of the beast, and with its help your own pokémon are able to overcome the strange creature, sending it sailing back through the wormhole with a despairing screech. The rift closing just behind it finally snaps Lusamine out of her reverie. "My nihilego!" she yelps. "You two--you dare--you stand in the way of perfection? Cretins!" After a second she seems to gather herself, her shock replaced by an unsettling condescension. "Not that you've accomplished anything. I hope you don't think that nihilego was the only beast I'd be inviting. No... No, you haven't managed to accomplish anything. Nothing at all. Now, my pokémon! Finish them!"
She casts a handful of pokéballs to the ground, and you brace yourself as the pokémon take shape. Clefable, milotic, bewear... it's a formidable team, and your own pokémon are tired from all the fighting they've been doing. But while Lusamine's team stand between you and their trainer, the Aether Foundation president is flitting around her macabre ice museum, activating computer screens and putting something in motion. "Now, witness true perfection," she says. "Perhaps you could stop one of my beautiful beasts, but one is only the beginning. Come to me, my beasts!" With a dramatic flourish, she starts up some kind of countdown on one of the computers. There's no time to waste! You'll need to fight your way through these pokémon and then stop that machine from going off.
Write 400 words to defeate Lusamine before she can open the Ultra Wormhole!
Final Boss - Aether President Lusamine HP 7323/12500
I wrote 200 words in the first sprint, and 223 in the second. After that, my metapod evolved into butterfree. I continued with 412 words in the third sprint and 238 in the fourth, finishing with a total of 2880 words in this round.
Glad to see you back, GrayGriffin. Good luck catching up!
November 22 - On to Ula'ula
Lusamine's team simply can't stand against you and Gladion working together. They work together remarkably well for the fact that they're receiving no orders, but one by one they fall, and each one that faints makes it even easier to take down the next. When Lusamine's milotic at last collapses, letting out a mournful cry, there's no one left to stand between the Aether Foundation president and the two of you.
Lusamine doesn't seem bothered, grinning another of her too-broad grins. She's been messing with equipment the entire time, and the air thrums with some kind of energy field, the sound growing ever stronger. "Poor Gladion," Lusamine says. "All that effort for nothing. I don't even need your precious cosmog anymore. I've found a new source of power, another beast that wanders Alola. I've already begun opening ultra wormholes all across the region."
"Null, stop her!" Gladion yells, even as another ultra wormhole begins to expand behind Lusamine, weird energy discharges crackling among the machinery. Null charges, but the battered Chimera isn't at its fastest, and Lusamine disappears into the distortion of the ultra wormhole before it can reach her.
Null skids to a halt, claws digging furrows in the tiled floor, while Lusamine's farewell rings around the lab: "In the beast realm, I'll finally be surrounded by my perfect children!"
Gladion growls and balls his hands into fists, and then he's racing for the ultra wormhole himself. There's no way that's going to end well. You've got to stop him!
Write 150 words while you struggle to stop Gladion from following Lusamine!
Gladion struggles mightily when you grab him, but you and your pokémon, working together, are finally able to restrain him. "All right, all right," he says at last when Null comes stalking back over, making anxious rumbling noises. "Let me go. I'm not going to run off anywhere."
You release him reluctantly, but though he stands contemplating the ultra wormhole for a few seconds, he doesn't try to run into it again. "We should see if there's anything useful lying around here," he says. "Any of Lusamine's research notes, anything that might show what she's planning or how she's going to make it happen."
Write for 5 minutes while you look for clues in Lusamine's secret lab.
There's certainly plenty of research material strewn about. Most of it means nothing to you, technical diagrams and research papers in academese, about physics and biology and pretty much every subject under the sun. Still you gather up anything that looks even a little bit interesting.
"We should take these to Professor Burnet," Gladion says, shuffling through a stack of papers covered in what look like pokéball designs. He must not know what to make of this stuff, either.
The lab isn't large, and it doesn't take long for the two of you to gather everything you think might be useful, a pile of paperwork, photos, a couple of USB drives with computer files. Gladion's stuck staring at the wormhole for so long you start to get worried, but he turns to you when you clear your throat. "Let's go," he says. "We have to get back to the docks."
Sounds good to you. Aether Paradise has been an adventure, but you've had more than enough weirdness for one day.
Write 250 words while you sneak back to the docks.
Even leaving the mansion is tricky--Guzma's out front, venting his spleen at cowering Team Skull grunts. Gladion shows you a way out to the back of the building, but you still have to sneak out and around; your pokémon are tired, your healing items are depleted, and you don't fancy having to fight your way back through waves of grunts again. Back inside the main Aether Foundation building, there are then Aether Foundation grunts to worry about, and Faba's surely lurking around somewhere, too. It's a slow, cautious process making your way down to the dock level, but you're rewarded with a largely uneventful trip. Aside from accidentally bumping into a couple of grunts hanging out and playing cards in an out-of-the-way hall, you're able to make it down to the docks without incident.
There are only two boats docked here, and only one that's leaving soon--one bound for Ula'ula, unfortunately, not Akala like Gladion had wanted. Beggars can't be choosers, though; getting out of here is the most important thing, and you can always catch the ferry back to Akala once you've safely reached Ula'ula. You and Gladion soon reach a decision and slip aboard.
At first the atmosphere on the boat is grim, Lusamine's ominous speech and subsequent disappearance no doubt weighing as much on Gladion's mind as it does your own. You can't help but be the faintest bit excited, though. Pokémon from another world... They're terrifying monsters, sure, but how many people get to come face-to-face with completely undiscovered species?
It's a long ride out to Ula'ula island, but you have plenty to think about while you wait to arrive.
Write for 10 minutes to pass the time on the boat ride to Ula'ula Island.
You're up on the deck as the boat pulls into Ula'ula's port, taking in the sight of a new island. Malie City stretches out before you, streets lined with old-fashioned buildings and decorated with paper lanterns. Out on the docks themselves, though, is someone you recognize--it's Lillie, watching boats come into the harbor. Has she been there all day, waiting to see if you or Gladion would make it back okay?
Gladion himself is nearby, leaning against the railing, stony-faced as usual. You see him straighten up when he catches sight of Lillie, but his expression doesn't look either happy or relieved--or maybe what he's actually looking at are the two men standing behind her on the docks. One's tall, wearing a long trenchcoat, while the other slouches in sandals and a high concentration of black, looking horribly tired.
Lillie runs up to Gladion the instant he sets foot on the dock, beaming. "Gladion! You're all right! What happened? Did you... Did you see Mother?"
"Yes," Gladion says, paying more attention to the two men behind Lillie than to her. "We were too late. She'd already figured out how to open ultra wormholes without cosmog's help. Beasts are going to be appearing all over Alola. I have to stop them."
"Oh... Oh, no," Lillie says, covering her mouth in horror. "Gladion, that's awful. But what... What are you going to do? There's no way you can fight those monsters by yourself."
"Right she is," says the trenchcoated man. "Of course, Alola, she has her own defenses. You will not have to fight alone, no. But, come quickly. We have much to discuss."
"Oh," Lillie says, as though only now remembering the man's there. "Gladion, these are Mr. Looker and Mr. Nanu. They're trying to fight the beasts, too. They heard about Nebby from Professor Kukui, and he asked me to come and meet them here."
"We've met," Gladion says, with a particularly foul look for Nanu.
"Good to see you aren't hanging around with Team Skull anymore, Gladion," Nanu says, unperturbed. "Now, why don't you join us for some malasadas? Looker here has a plan for fighting the ultra beasts, and I think you ought to hear about it."
"I would be honored," Looker says with a slight nod.
"You were at Aether Paradise as well, weren't you?" Nanu says to you. "You'd better come along too. This concerns you as well." Without waiting for an answer he turns away, moseying off towards the city. "Or you could keep wandering around without knowing what you're doing and get eaten by some outer-dimensional monster. Whatever works for you, I guess."
Well, that's... quite an invitation. Free malasadas, though. After everything you've been through today, a little break might be nice.
Write 250 words while you join Looker and Nanu for malasadas.
About half an hour later the five of you are crammed into a booth at one of Malie City's largest malasada shops. Gladion hasn't exactly warmed up over the course of the conversation, and Lillie looks miserable sitting next to him, obviously picking up on all the tension at the table. Looker and Nanu are forthright.
"The ultra beasts, we have known of their kind for some time," Looker says. "Alola has always had the beasts. Now the Aether Foundation president has summoned more, too many of them. We have had more fallers and beast sightings in the past week than in the entire previous decade, you see. Nanu has been fighting them with the aid of the tapu, but it is not enough."
"Yeah," Nanu says. "We need the beast killer on our side."
This, apparently, is Null, which is currently lying as far under the table as it can fit. The chimera periodically growls and claws at the metal mask over its face.
"I'm not working with you," Gladion says. "Null and I can handle this ourselves."
"Gladion, don't you think you should let them help you?" Lillie says. "You can't do everything by yourself. Please... You know how dangerous that would be."
And what about you? Nanu said this concerned you too, didn't it?
"That's right. What we need from you is to stay out of this," Nanu says. What? "Ultra beasts aren't like any ordinary pokémon. Even a powerful trainer would struggle against one, much less multiple. I know you've been messing with Team Skull, poking your nose into the Aether Foundation business... What we need from you is to stay out. All you're going to do is become one more person we need to rescue."
That's not fair! You've already fought an ultra beast--yes, it was with Gladion's help, but still! Your team is strong. How are you supposed to just walk away and ignore the ultra beasts, now that you know what's happening?"
"You were taking part in the island challenge, weren't you?" Nanu asks. "Keep going with that. Strengthen your team. Leave the ultra beasts to the people equipped to handle them."
You aren't about to back down that easily. Nanu doesn't believe you're prepared for this? You'll show him how strong you are!
He looks insultingly bored by your challenge. "If you insist, I guess," he says. "Not like I'm not used to kids looking for a fight at the worst times. Let's make this quick."
Write 300 words while you fight Nanu!
Nanu's team is tough. You probably should have been expecting that, if he claims strong trainers are the only ones who stand a chance against ultra beasts. Your team makes a valiant effort, but Nanu's dark-types overwhelm them through underhanded tactics. In the end, you simply can't keep up.
"Not bad," Nanu says, "but not good enough for beast hunting. I'm serious, now. It would be better for everyone if you stayed out of this fight."
It doesn't look as though Gladion and Lillie are having a better time than you. Lillie at least seems willing to team up with Looker and Nanu if it means a better chance of defeating the beasts, but Gladion is stubbornly defiant. Looker is patient, though, and after a great deal of wheedling manages to convince Gladion to at least come with them to get a better sense of the problem's scope. They do have information that he wants, ways of tracking the beasts and predicting where ultra wormholes will open.
That leaves you, then. What can you do? Nanu is firm and Looker is apologetic. There's no place for you here. Lillie and Gladion will be coming with them to whatever secret HQ they have, but you're going to have to stay behind.
So you do. There isn't time for more than a brief goodbye outside the malasada shop before Looker and Nanu hustle your friends away, and then you're all by yourself in an unfamiliar city, left to your own devices. What are you supposed to do now? Go back to being an ordinary trainer?
Well, if there's one good thing about being back on the island challenge, even if unwillingly, it means more opportunities to add to your team. You're on a brand new island now--who knows what kind of pokémon you might find around here?
Write for 5 minutes while you search for pokémon, then check the spoiler below to see what you caught!
- If you wrote fewer than 150 words, choose one of fearow, pineco, or crabrawler!
- If you wrote 150-250 words, choose one of ariados, ledian, Alolan meowth, or psyduck!
- If you wrote more than 250 words, choose one of skarmory, pancham, or araquanid!
The pokéball you threw finally stops twitching, the light fading from its front button. Straightening up with your new partner's ball in hand, you're startled to see someone familiar approaching. Lillie hurries up to you, broad white hat pulled low over her face, duffel bag clutched firmly. Now and again the bag stirs fitfully--Nebby must actually be inside.
Wasn't she supposed to go with Looker and Nanu?
"I got away while Gladion was arguing with the others," Lillie says. "I wanted to find you so I could say goodbye properly. And... thank you. For everything. Nebby wanted to say goodbye, too." She unzips the duffel bag halfway, and the little cosmog pokes its face out, chirping delightedly in its chime-like voice.
Write 150 words while you say your goodbyes to Lillie.
"Well, goodbye," Lillie says at last. "I should go back... I don't want Mr. Nanu to realize I was missing. Good luck on your island challenge. I hope we can see each other again once everything to do with these beasts is over with."
It would be nice, right? With the international police, the kahunas, and Gladion's "beast-killer" on the case, hopefully they'll have everything sorted out sooner rather than later. It's not your problem anymore.
Mount Hokulani stretches far overhead, and the road to its summit is long and winding. It would probably take all day to walk up, but thankfully there's a bus that runs from the end of Route 10. It takes ten, maybe fifteen minutes of hanging around, waiting, for the bus to appear, and when it does it chugs wheezily up to the stop, shuddering and rattling in an alarming fashion. Well, it looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride, but it'll still be better than walking. The bus pulls away from the stop again, loudly climbing what feels like an unsafely steep road. Sophocles' trial lies ahead, and you're back on track with your island challenge!
Write for 5 minutes while you ride to the top of Mount Hokulani!
At last, the bus shudders to a halt. There isn't much going on on top of Mount Hokulani besides the observatory where Sophocles holds his trials--might as well head there first! If you train hard and fast, maybe you'll be able to defeat Nanu in a rematch and convince him to let you join his anti-beast team.
Upon pushing open the observatory's doors, though, you're surprised to find the interior completely dark, the lobby empty. Did you miss something? There's no sign saying the place is closed, and the doors were unlocked. Where is everyone?
You proceed a little further in, calling for Sophocles. There's a low hum from somewhere, the crackle of electricity. Sophocles trains electric-types, doesn't he? Maybe something went wrong in a battle and they managed to short out the building's power or something.
More humming, and then you're forced to shield your eyes as bright arcs of electricity erupt from a nearby hallway. There's something moving over there, some kind of pokémon, presumably. The humming grows louder as it slithers in your direction. Light flickers erratically in a head of dense spikes and harsh blue-white light crackles around what look like hands and feet made of electrical plugs. What kind of pokémon is that? Not one you're familiar with, strange and alien--why does that sound familiar.
The pokémon draws itself up to tower over you, putting out cascades of bright sparks. It glows with a strange aura, almost like what you saw around the island totems. Your pokédex is at a loss for its species, but you think you're beginning to have an idea. Nanu wanted you to stay away from the ultra beasts, but it seems one of them has found you already.
I haven't finished this world craw yet but the month is nearly up so I'm going to post what I have done and hopefully have time to finish it in the next couple days.
178
144 (sprint)
301
336 (sprint)
281
387
197 (sprint, caught alolan meowth)
current total: 1824
No problem! The crawls will stick around, of course, so you can finish them whenever you feel like. (Or use them for future NaNos if you find the framework helpful or whatever.) After this post there will be one more "final battle" to round out the series and the month.
(It is totally November 25th.)
November 25 - Rise of the Beasts
The xurkitree is a slippery opponent, slithering around on its cable-like legs and filling the whole dark observatory with lightning. Even your entire team, sent out to battle against a single opponent, struggles to pin it down long enough to land their attacks. It might be best to try and run and find help, but you don't like the thought of trying to outrun the limber beast.
Fortunately the abandoned observatory doesn't stay that way for long. The front door bursts open to admit Sophocles and--is that Hau? It's such an unexpected sight that with only the uncertain illumination of xurkitree's electricity to go by you aren't sure at first. A moment later his raichu's out and surfing into battle, though, and yup, it really is Hau.
"Wait!" Sophocles yells. "Don't knock it out! I'm going to catch it!"
The xurkitree seems too lively for that to you, but you call your pokémon off for the moment. The xurkitree is moving a bit slower now, fizzing with random discharge, but it's hardly standing still. You wait while Sophocles takes aim and winds up, ready to resume the attack if the capture fails.
Write 100 words while Sophocles catches the xurkitree!
The strange ball Sophocles threw finally falls still, the capture successful. The observatory is truly dark now, and you can barely make Sophocles out while he goes over to pick his pokéball up.
"Hey! Long time, no see," Hau says cheerfully. "Can you believe this? An undiscovered pokémon! It showed up while I was doing my trial and Sophocles had to stop it and run off to get his special pokéball. How wild is that?"
Nothing close to as wild as what you've been through since you last saw Hau. The boy's eyes grow wide as you relate the story of Gladion and Aether Paradise, up through your encounter with Looker and Nanu and the resumption of your island challenge. Sophocles wanders over, listening too, with Xurkitree's pokéball in his hand.
Write 150 words while you explain the situation to Hau and Sophocles.
Hau's a font of giddy excitement over your story, while Sophocles is more subdued, offering you a knowing nod. "I see," he says. "Well, I'm sorry the ultra beasts have disrupted your island challenge once again. I've been monitoring ultra wormholes for Nanu for some time now. There's been a lot of activity recently, a lot of people trying to drive back the ultra beasts, and I've been testing this prototype pokéball for capturing them. Here, why don't we go outside to discuss this a bit more?"
It turns out Sophocles has been involved with Nanu's group for ages; the observatory is in the perfect place to keep an eye on dimensional distortions all across Alola. "It's been the worst around Ula'ula, but just today, a lot of ultra wormholes have started opening all over the region. The tapus and the kahunas are already working overtime to keep things under control. I honestly don't know how we're going to deal with even more ultra beast activity."
What could have happened today that might have caused a whole bunch of new wormholes to open, hmm? Sophocles rebuffs your offer of help, though. "Nanu's right. Fighting the ultra beasts is dangerous. You were doing well against that xurkitree, but I wouldn't feel comfortable sending you off to fight these things. I do think you've done more than enough to pass my trial, though. And you, too." He nods at Hau. "You were doing well in our battle, and you showed courage against that beast, too."
Not the answer you were looking for, and it must show on your face, because once Sophocles has gone back inside the observatory Hau says, "Sounds like you've been having a rough time, cousin. Especially all of that with kahuna Nanu. But you've got to look on the bright side, you know? Your pokémon look great! Let's battle, just for fun."
A pokémon battle? Now? Hau...
"I'm not taking no for an answer! You need to lighten up, and I'm gonna help you do it. Let's fight!"
Write 200 words while you battle Hau!
No surprise, your team can handle Hau's easily enough. He takes it in stride as always, with a laugh and a smile. "Man, you're strong! But just you wait, one of these days it'll be my turn to win."
What do you know, you actually do feel a little better now.
"So what next?" Hau asks. "The next trial is Acerola's, isn't it? That's up by Mount Lanakila, I think. What do you say we head out that way together?"
And why not, really? Hanging out with Hau seems like a good way to take your mind off things.
Write for 10 minutes while you return to Malie City.
It's another long wait for the bus, bus ride, walk back to Malie City, but Hau keeps things from getting boring by regaling you with a constant stream of jokes, anectodes, and speculation about what the rest of your island challenge might bring. With the odd trainer battle or wild pokémon fight mixed in, you actually start to forget about everything that's been going on and feel like you're back on a proper training journey again.
The feeling can't last forever, though. You arrive back in Malie City to find barricades on the streets, attended by police officers and a few confident-looking trainers. When you and Hau inquire about what's happening, one tells you, "The kartana are back. I'm afraid you can't be out here right now. I suggest you wait in the Pokémon Center. They have food and beds there for anyone who needs them."
Food and beds? Just how long is this supposed to be going on? And what's a kartana?
"Oh, man," Hau says once the two of you are out of earshot. "Hala was mentioning this to me a couple weeks back. I think kartana are some of those ultra beasts. They're tiny, but their blades are super sharp! I guess they got rid of them before, but they came back."
Wonderful. Ultra beasts coming along to steal the show again. You're gloomily considering whether to go for food or head to the Pokémon Center straight away, but Hau starts heading off, away down a side street. Where's he going?
"I'm gonna see these kartana for myself!" he says cheerfully. "I know a back way into Malie Gardens. If we sneak through there, I bet we'll miss the police. Come on! Don't tell me you want to let Lillie and Gladion have all the fun."
It's good to have Hau back. Imagine, you were actually considering going on your way like a good little citizen, there.
Write 150 words while you sneak into Malie Gardens!
Hau's back way involves a boost from a friend and a thick branch growing over the back wall of the gardens. The two of you work together to get up and over, and then you're in the gardens, which are empty of trainers, no doubt evacuated. There are still plenty of pokémon around, though, oblivious to the supposed danger. And, allegedly, a bunch of horrifying beasts, but you don't see any yourself.
"Okay, so they're tiny," Hau says, holding his hands up close together. "Real tiny, but they've got blades on them like you wouldn't believe. Let's split up, okay? Holler if you see something!"
Creeping around in the tall grass, you don't run into any ultra beasts, but you do find plenty of pokémon itching for a fight. So many, in fact, that another of your pokémon finally grows strong enough to evolve!
Write 250 words while you search for the kartana. You may evolve one of your pokémon.
Your newly-evolved partner's enjoying storming around, terrorizing the wild pokémon, when a shout from Hau brings you running. "I saw one!" he says. "I'm sure I saw it. Wait--there it is again!"
The kartana's as tiny as advertized and terribly delicate-lookng, but from the way its blades send blades of grass whirling up at what appears to be a casual touch, you don't doubt it's dangerous. A shock from Hau's raichu sends it skating away, but another comes to take its place, and then another. Soon there's a positive swarm of kartana whirling ominously above the grass. Are they coming to attack you specifically, or is this how they always behave? It doesn't really matter one way or another--it looks like you'll need to drive them off somehow!
Defeat the kartana swarm! If your current word count:
- ends in zero: seven kartana arrive! Write 7 * 50 (350 words) to send them packing!
- is even: five kartana appear! Write 7 * 50 (250 words) to send them packing!
- is odd: only three kartana show up! You only need 3 * 150 (150 words) to take them out.
The kartana whirl and disperse, sweeping away across the gardens and out of sight. "All right!" Hau says, pumping a fist in the air. "That's how you do it! Not bad, huh? And there old Nanu was going on like he thought you wouldn't be able to help out with the ultra beasts."
He just had to remind you of that, didn't he? No time to dwell on that, though; you're distracted by a shout. "What are you two doing here?"
Gladion's headed your way, Null stalking by his side. Apparently the police let him through. Did Looker and Nanu send him here to deal with the kartana himself?
"Hey!" Hau says with a cheery wave. "We wanted to check out the kartana for ourselves. You should have seen them! We sent them all packing."
"Did you? Idiot." Gladion rests his fingers against his forehead. "I'm supposed to be here catching them, and here you went and scared them off?"
"Oh, I bet they'll come back eventually," Hau says brightly. Gladion snorts. Looking to you, he says, "I thought Nanu told you to stay out of this. Not that I care. What are you planning?"
Write 150 words while you discuss the situation with Gladion.
Despite your best attempts, Gladion isn't interested in pleading your case to Nanu. "That old guy won't budge for someone like me," he says. "You seem like you have a talent for finding beasts even when you're not supposed to, though. I wouldn't be surprised if you run into them again, even if you're not trying to. Especially if... You're headed for Acerola's trial next, aren't you?"
You suppose so, if continuing the challenge is your only option. "There's something big going on in Haina Desert," Gladion says. "Looker and Nanu were all worried about it. If you're looking for Acerola's trial, you'll be headed out that way anyhow. Here, the police will let you through if I'm with you."
They're a bit confused and suspicious about the fact that Gladion's emerging with two people when he went in alone, but apparently Nanu's word carries considerable weight, because they let you go on your way with minimal hassle. "You'll want this, too," Gladion says, taking out a Ride Pager. "The code for calling a mudsdale. The road up to Tapu Village is pretty rough."
Ah... More ride paging. This is going to be fun.
Write for 5 minutes while you ride a mudsdale to Tapu Village!
Hau looks like he's having a great time with his mudsdale, talking non-stop as usual about how exciting it was to see the kartana and how great it'll be to clear another trial. "After that you get a rematch with Kahuna Nanu! I bet you'll win this time, too."
Well, your pokémon are getting stronger all the time. It's something to look foward to for sure. And the mudsdale ride, while bumpy, is actually pretty pleasant: it's a gorgeous day, and the mudsdale's slow but steady pace gives you plenty of opportunity to admire the scenery. As the path climbs higher, the sky darkens, though, storm clouds gathering as you draw closer to Tapu Village. Lightning crackles overhead, though no rain falls, and even Hau's cheerful patter flags a bit in the face of snarling thunderclaps.
The two of you dismount in Tapu Village, thanking the mudsdale for their time and sending them on their way. Unsurprisingly no one's out and about in the weird weather--you don't even see any pokémon. "Come on," Hau says. "Acerola's out at the Aether House a lot, but we should check around here just in case."
There's not much checking to do; Tapu Village isn't exactly huge. Meanwhile, the weird storm continues to churn above, and if you aren't imagining things it gets noticeably darker and more fierce the closer to Haina Desert you travel. And there, at the entrance to the desert itself--is that Looker? There's someone else with him. You shouldn't head over there, not to try and argue your case again, but it's tempting...
"Hey, that's Acerola!" Hau says brightly. "Come on, let's go challenge her!" He's off like a shot after that, headed for Looker and what must be the trial captain, the girl in a raggedy dress you never would have guessed was old enough to be a trial captain.
Well, chances are Acerola has bigger things to worry about now than a couple of challengers, but you may as well try your luck. Maybe you'll get some insight into this weird situation, too.
Write 150 words while give Acerola your challenge.
"Oh! You two are doing the island challenge, are you?" Acerola says. "Well, I'd love to have you do my trial, but you'll have to wait until the storm blows over. There's loads of scary beasts out and about right now--even scarier than my pokémon! Until they go away, I'm going to have to be here to defend Tapu Village."
So much for doing the island challenge and not worrying about the ultra beasts, right? Looker doesn't exactly look thrilled to see you. "I am apologizing for the inconvenience, but the ultra wormhole is expected to be opening nearby soon. You will be safer elsewhere."
"Ooh, yes, you'd probably better go," Acerola says. "We'll take care of the ultra beasts. Don't worry about it!"
Even Hau looks a bit put out by this, but before you can even start to argue, the air over a nearby trailer starts to hum and crackle. A gash in reality appears, slowly widening to admit an extremely buff ultra beast, possibly the buffest pokémon you've ever seen, looming tall on four spindly legs. It's... some kind of bug, maybe? It has some kind of long, thing stinger for a mouth, almost like a huge mosquito.
"Stay back!" Looker snaps, but you're already running over, following Acerola and Hau with a pokéball already at the ready. There's no way you're sitting this battle out!
Write 400 words while you do battle with the beast!
I'm three challenges behind. Can I sit down and grind them all out tonight? HECK YES LET'S DO THIS.
214 words looking for a way out
151 words talking with Gladion
123 words to break out
264 to defeat the grunts
217 words on the way back to the mansion
280 words takes of Team Skull, and I'll evolve grubbin!
468 words to defeat Guzma
166 words looking for Lusamine
Lusamine rants for bang-on 200 words
212 words takes down the nihilego, and
411 words to take down Lusamine and end this post!
173 words spent on restraining Gladion
213 words looking for clues
269 words gets me back to the docks
456 words during the ferry ride to Ula'ula
255 words at the malasada place
325 words to fight Nanu
250 words exactly when looking for wilds, which means I get a meowth!
155 words saying goodbye to Lillie
261 words while riding to the top of the mountain
401 words facing off against Xurkitree, and that's a wrap!
