"Skreee—!"
Braviary descended from the sky carrying Peter and Whitney before landing steadily on the southern beach of Melemele Island, instantly attracting the attention of many vacationers nearby.
"Honey, where are we going now?" Whitney asked softly, looking a little uncomfortable under the gazes of so many people.
"Hmm…" Peter glanced around before speaking. "Rotom, navigate us to the Pokémon School!"
"Roger that, Rotom~!"
The Rotom Phone floated in front of him and immediately began leading the way.
Before arriving in Alola, Peter had already contacted Professor Oak.
Oak's cousin, Samson Oak, was a professor specializing in regional forms in Alola and also served as the principal of the local Pokémon School.
Having him introduce Peter to the island kahunas for the Island Challenge was naturally the perfect option.
As they walked, Peter and Whitney looked around curiously like country bumpkins entering a grand city for the first time.
Coconut trees, pineapple juice stands, hibiscus shirts, beach volleyball courts…
Everywhere they looked, tropical scenery filled their vision, making the inland-born couple feel endlessly fascinated.
"Honeyyy~ Later, can we come back and sunbathe too?" Whitney asked excitedly while looking at tourists relaxing beneath parasols with iced fruit drinks in hand.
"Sure," Peter replied with a grin. "But you'll need sunscreen first. Otherwise my little Whitney will turn into little tanned-skinned Whitney."
"Then you'll have to apply the lotion for me~" she whispered teasingly into his ear. "The very careful kind of application~"
Looking at her slightly flushed cheeks, Peter squeezed her soft hand.
"Deal~"
Perhaps it was the tropical atmosphere—
but Whitney seemed noticeably bolder than usual.
Just then, a middle-aged man riding a Tauros approached them. Behind Tauros was a wagon fitted with passenger seats.
"A↘Lo↗La↘~ You two aren't locals, are ya? Need a ride? I know this island like the back of my hand!"
"Al…ola?" Whitney blinked blankly at the enthusiastic man.
Peter chuckled softly.
"That's Alola's special greeting. It can mean things like 'hello,' 'goodbye,' or even 'I love you.' It's basically a blessing representing hope, love, peace, and happiness."
Then he turned toward the driver.
"Alola~ Sir, could you take us to the Pokémon School? Thanks."
"Haha! Didn't expect a young guy like you to know Alolan culture so well! This ride's free then!"
After the two boarded, the man patted Tauros lightly, and the wagon began rattling up the mountain road.
A short while later, they arrived at the school gates.
However, the person greeting them wasn't Principal Oak.
Instead, it was a slim brown-skinned teenager.
He had stylish golden hair, wore a checkered short-sleeved shirt with white cropped pants, and sported a clover-shaped earring. His demeanor radiated confidence and elegance.
The boy bowed politely.
"Greetings. I am Ilima. You must be the guests Principal Oak asked me to receive, correct?
The principal asked me to apologize on his behalf. He's currently occupied with an important research project, so he could only send me instead."
"That's right." Peter smiled and extended a hand. "I'm Peter, and this is my girlfriend, Whitney."
"Hello~" Whitney waved sweetly.
Ilima nodded.
"Please follow me."
As they entered the Pokémon School grounds, numerous students could be seen participating in different activities.
Some rode Tauros around the track.
Some practiced diving in the pond.
Others observed the horizon from lookout towers.
But without exception—
whenever they saw Ilima, they would immediately stop and respectfully greet him.
Some even looked downright fanatical.
For example—
"Ahhh! It's Mr. Ilima!"
"Mr. Ilima, would you like to go to a café with me tonight?!"
"…"
A crowd of girls instantly surrounded him with sparkling eyes.
"He's really popular…" Whitney whispered.
"Yeah," Peter replied casually. "He's an exceptionally talented student."
At the same time, Peter finally remembered more details about Ilima.
In the original story, Ilima was the Pokémon School's most outstanding graduate.
Ever since the school's founding, no student had surpassed his achievements.
He skipped grades continuously after enrollment and graduated in an unbelievably short amount of time.
On top of that, he excelled in academics, sports, battling, and personal charisma alike.
In the games, he also served as the captain of Melemele Island responsible for Normalium Z—essentially an assistant to the island kahuna.
His specialty was Normal-types, and he possessed a powerful Eevee.
At this point in the timeline, however, Ilima had not yet graduated.
While Peter was thinking, Ilima finally managed to escape the surrounding fangirls and awkwardly continued leading them toward the principal's office.
The moment they entered—
Peter saw two tanned men sitting across from each other on the sofa.
One looked nearly identical to Professor Oak.
The other had a beard and wore a baseball cap, with a white lab coat hanging loosely off his shoulders, exposing his muscular chest and abdomen.
They were:
Principal Samson Oak
and teacher Professor Kukui.
"Alola! Peter, Whitney, I'm Samson! I already heard about you two from Samuel—welcome to Alola, Groudon!"
As he spoke, Samson Oak suddenly put on a ridiculous Groudon hood.
(P.S. Samson liked ending sentences with Pokémon names while imitating them. It was his unique style of humor.)
"Alola, Principal Oak."
Peter shook hands with him before turning toward Kukui.
"Nice to meet you, Professor Kukui~"
"Ohhh? I didn't expect Professor Peter to know me too!" Kukui replied excitedly.
As a professor specializing solely in Pokémon moves, Kukui was an exceptionally strong battler.
But compared to Peter's research achievements, his academic contributions were clearly on a lower level.
Nearby, Ilima observed Peter curiously.
After all…
there weren't many young people more outstanding than himself.
The group chatted casually for a while.
Peter also explained the purpose of his visit—
he hoped they could introduce him to the island kahunas so he could participate in the Island Challenge.
"Didn't expect you to be interested in the Island Challenge too!" Samson laughed. "No problem! I'll call Hala right now, Camerupt~!"
With that, he walked out to make the call.
Hala—
the kahuna appointed by Tapu Koko, guardian deity of Melemele Island.
"Oh right, Ilima," Kukui suddenly said. "Didn't you say you wanted to become a Normal-type specialist?"
"Yes, Professor."
Ilima nodded seriously.
"Compared to other types, Normal-types may seem unremarkable, but they possess very few weaknesses. The stronger they become, the more dependable they are."
Kukui grinned and pointed at Peter and Whitney.
"Well, you're in luck. These two are both top-tier Normal-type specialists~"
"Hm?! Really?!"
Ilima instantly stood and bowed deeply toward them.
"In that case… would it be possible for me to learn from the two of you in battle?"
"About that—"
Peter had just begun responding when loud laughter echoed from outside the room.
"Hahaha! I arrive just in time to hear there's going to be a battle! A match between Normal-type experts… now that sounds exciting!"
At the doorway, Samson returned alongside a powerfully built white-haired elder.
The old man wore a blue compression shirt beneath a yellow patterned jacket.
Despite his age, his muscles remained clearly defined.
This was Hala—
the kahuna of Melemele Island and future Fighting-type member of the Alola Elite Four.
"This is Hala," Kukui explained. "The island kahuna of Melemele Island."
Peter and Whitney exchanged a glance before greeting respectfully.
"Alola~ Mister Hala."
"Alola~!" Hala replied warmly. "Samuel already told me about you two. Peter, Whitney—Melemele Island welcomes you!"
Then he pointed toward Ilima.
"Ilima recently completed the Island Challenge himself and is currently the Pokémon School's finest student.
I believe he's more than qualified to oversee your first trial…"
Hala smiled broadly.
"Peter—why don't you battle him?"