Chapter 34:

Kiawe's Trial

It had been too long since Dawn had experienced lounging around with her female friends, chatting and gossiping about anything and everything without worrying about having her opinion judged. She had only known Lillie, Mallow, and Lana for a short while, but their company allowed her to once again experience that teenage delight.

"I haven't been able to do much battling or anything with my Pokémon since I started at my trial," Lana said, absently popping the bubbles her Popplio was making. "I'd like to do a bit more training."

"In that case, why don't we do that after we're done with our trial placements?" Mallow suggested. "We only have to wait until five people have challenged our trials before we can 'graduate'. Afterwards, we can do what we like!"

"That sounds like a plan," Lana said quietly, her natural state; Dawn had only recently discovered her joking and competitiveness, a side of her personality she only showed her friends, Mallow explained.

"I'll help too! I know all sorts of combination moves you can practice. I'd like to create a new routine, too," Dawn said.

"Maybe I can join in too, when my egg hatches," Lillie hesitantly said as if unsure if she was allowed.

"Aww, I hope so, Lillie!" Mallow said.

"Bagon, get back here!" Dawn suddenly heard Ash shout through the windows of her room. Simultaneously, she and the three other girls leaned to glimpse through the open window: Ash's new Bagon clattered into his jaw with Headbutt. Hau laughed, then Ash shouted, "Arghh! Bagon, I swear–"

"Jeez, he's at it again," Mallow said amusedly, flopping back onto the spare bed.

"He caught one stubborn Bagon," Dawn said.

"Tell me about it. He comes back inside with new bruises every day," Lana commented.

"I suppose that shows how committed he is," Lillie reasoned.

"Yep, that's the Ash I know… It's been a few days and he hasn't given up. I'm glad to see he hasn't let this whole situation consume him," Dawn said.

There was a short interlude of silence.

"…I don't want to bring down the mood because spending time with all of you like this, chatting, laughing… it's everything I've wanted. But do you think Ash is ok?" Lillie tentatively asked.

"I hope so," Mallow said, flipping over to lie on her front. "Can any of you imagine what he's going through? I mean, we've all probably been through some tough times, but having your friends do that, even if to protect you… And knowing somebody out there wants to hurt you… How hasn't he completely lost it? How is he still himself?"

Dawn smirked. "I don't think he's even realised it; all that floats around in that head of his is Pokémon. He's worse than a fanatic."

Mallow and Lana shared a light chorus of laughs and Lillie smiled in amusement too. Dawn was relieved; her goal was to lighten the situation a little bit.

"I'm serious, you know," Mallow said, smiling. "If I knew somebody was out to get me… I don't know how I'd be. I definitely wouldn't be able to act normal."

"I think I'd fair alright. After all, I know the secret to catching Kyogre. Nobody can touch me," Lana commented.

"Oh, shush you," Mallow jovially berated, tossing a pillow at Lana.

"To answer you honestly, I think it's because of all Ash has been through," Dawn said. "That, and who he is as a person."

"What do you mean?" Lillie asked quickly.

"We've explained a lot about our adventures to you all, but we've been through some tough situations too, Ash more than any of us. I think he's gotten used to danger because of it, he's used to being himself even during hard times. After how much his situation affected him, I imagine he's gotten even better at it. That was the first time I've known him to be that sad.

"You saw him for the first few days after the trial; he was all in his head. He didn't eat or say much, and his battling was poor. But he overcame it and now he's acting normal again. I don't think he's come to terms with everything, but he's doing better. That doesn't mean I'm not still worried about him. I really am. I agree with you, Mallow: I don't know how he's keeping it together," Dawn explained.

Especially, Dawn thought to herself, with everything that happened with Serena. Brock had held her, Clemont, and Ash back after the explanation the week before and asked Ash about her. Ash explained what happened with Serena and he hadn't even needed to elaborate on his feelings for Dawn to understand. That was hurting him the most. She didn't know how deep Ash's feelings for Serena had been because she knew multiple teens who said they're in love only for it to be fleeting. But Ash was completely broken by it. It must have been very real.

Mallow lay her head on the mattress and sighed. "I'm so worried…"

For a moment, Dawn frowned quizzically. She had noticed that Mallow acted differently around Ash a day or so after she arrived in Alola. Lately, their large group had looked equally as worried about Ash, so it wasn't exactly her worry that alerted Dawn to the possibility, but her actions. She hugged him immediately, and she was always rubbing his shoulders comfortingly, asking him about his wellbeing. It brought only one conclusion to her mind.

"Mallow, I've been wondering this for a few days now… Do you like Ash?"

Mallow groaned and puffed out her pink cheeks. She stuffed her face into the bed, so her reply was muffled. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes," Lana bluntly, humorously, replied.

Dawn didn't laugh this time. She kept her eyes on Mallow, her smile faltering a little bit. Dawn felt an abundance of sympathy for her. Mallow didn't know that Ash was – or had been, Dawn didn't truly know – in love with another girl. Somebody Mallow revered on Poké-Vision.

Dawn didn't know what to do. She couldn't outright unveil that Ash loved Serena without explaining the whole situation. Seeing as Ash had yet to explain himself, he must not want them to know. Dawn completely understood that: his love life was a private affair, especially concerning Serena. She, Brock, and Clemont only knew because Ash had confided in them to determine his feelings. Dawn couldn't just tell Mallow to give up, either. That wasn't right. She didn't know what to say. When Dawn looked up to reply, she saw both Lillie and Lana staring at her.

"That's a tough challenge you've set for yourself," Dawn decided to say. "When we were travelling together, he was denser than a Rhyperior's body– a big Rock Type from Sinnoh. I swear he had the Oblivious ability. I'm not sure what he's like now, but…"

"Is it really that bad?" Mallow asked dejectedly.

Dawn shrugged in response. "If he's the same, then yeah. Starting something with Ash will be… hard at the moment. And not just because of what's he's going through…"

"Seriously…?" Mallow muttered. "And I was planning to tell him soon…"

Strangely, Dawn spotted Lillie fidgeting slightly at that comment. It was quick, barely noticeable because she looked away quickly, stopping. But it was there. Dawn wondered why before Lana interrupted her thoughts.

"Dawn, I've been wondering something for a few days, too," she said. "Ash doesn't – he doesn't have a girlfriend, does he?"

"Huh?" Dawn answered quickly, wondering how Lana had come to such a conclusion. "No, he doesn't," Dawn said.

"Then, has he ever had a girlfriend?"

"Not that I know of, no."

"…Sorry. I was just curious. Mallow here hasn't even thought about that possibility. Can you image she asks him out and he's already got a girlfriend?"

"Ha, ha," Mallow said humourlessly. "That's a relief to know, though. He's had so many companions that I did wonder if he liked any of them."

That was the question Dawn was trying to avoid: does he like any of them. She couldn't tell Mallow yes because Ash didn't want to say anything, but she couldn't tell her no, either. That would only give her some hope that may very well be false. Silently, she cursed Ash's secrecy for putting her in such an awkward position. Thankfully, she didn't have to answer it.

There was one other thing on Dawn's mind. Why did Lillie look so distracted throughout the conversation? And why did she look relieved when she unveiled Ash didn't have a girlfriend?

"Turtonator, Flamethrower!" Kiawe commanded, punching like a practising martial artist. His large Pokémon fired one searing blast of flames towards Brock's Steelix. Without a call from Brock, Steelix slithered through the air, avoiding it.

"Stone Edge!" Brock countered, and his Steelix lurched forwards, slamming its sturdy head into the ground. A long trail of rocks exuding a luminous blue lustre stabbed through the earth towards Turtonator. When the trail reached its target, the stones altered their trajectory: they stabbed inwards at all directions, slamming into Turtonator's shell. The glow faded from the rocks, the dust settled, and Turtonator was revealed to be unable to battle.

"Phew," Kiawe breathed then sighed, kneeling beside his fallen Pokémon. "That was a good battle, Brock. I can see why you were once a Gym Leader."

"And I can see how you've passed the island challenge. You battled well; the only factor there was that I was able to hit Turtonator with more Super-Effective moves," Brock said.

"I see. Was there anything I could have done to protect myself on some of those occasions?" Kiawe asked, not looking at Brock.

"Hmm," Brock muttered, rubbing his chin.

"Could you have used Shell Trap to sort of negate some of the Stone Edge?" Ash asked from the side, where he, Clemont, and Hau was spectating.

"That's quite risky," Clemont interjected.

"Actually, it's a good idea. From what I've seen, Shell Trap is exceedingly powerful. Naturally, if hit by a powerful Stone Edge, the Shell Trap could cancel it out," Brock reasoned.

"I'll have to give that a try," Kiawe said, returning his Turtonator with some kind words. He moved over to the benches Ash, Hau, and Clemont were sat on and grabbed a drink. "Training with you all has been informative today. It's been a while since I've trained with so many people."

"Aww, yeah! It's much more fun that trainin' alone!" Hau said.

"I'd never have considered using Mud Shot and Double Slap to learn Mud-Slap if not for you guys," Clemont added.

"It's been fun, yeah," Ash added with a nod.

"Your Litten finally learned Bite this morning, right? How'd ya get him to learn the move so quickly?" Hau asked.

Before answering, Ash spotted Kiawe raise his head as if keeping highly attentive. "It's an easy move to learn, really; Rockruff learned it in a day and all he had to go off was my memory of it. After seeing it used so many times, you get used to it. Litten had Rockruff as an example, so it was even simpler. And he's been supercharged lately. Now, if only I could get Bagon to cooperate…" Ash said, sighing.

"You'll get there," Brock said.

"I do have a plan. It's a bit wild, but I think it'll work."

"Hah, awesome! Lemme watch?! Sounds like a blast!" Hau asked.

"Sure thing," Ash said. Then, he turned to Kiawe, who wore a distracted, contemplative expression. "Kiawe, I think I'm ready to take on your trial," Ash said. The past few days had been a struggle: his thoughts and emotions had been glass but completely volatile. One day he had been sad, the next confused, then sad again. It was difficult to deal with. However, there was one constant through it all: he was perfectly fine when training and battling. It was his escape. He hoped taking on a trial would take him a step closer to feeling ok again.

"Huh?" Kiawe asked, sitting suspiciously straighter. Ash frowned at his behaviour. "Yes, of course! In that case, meet me outside of Wela Volcano Park tomorrow evening. Hau, Brock, would you like to watch?"

"Count me in," Brock said.

"Definitely! You came to watch my trial against Lana, so yeah!" Hau said.

"Then, I'll see you all tomorrow," Ash said.

The next evening as the setting sun seared a fiery hue into the sky at dusk, Ash weaved through the bustle and bumping arms in Royal Avenue. He moved to meet Kiawe at the stony-paved entryway to Wela Volcano Park on the other side, admiring the sights as he approached.

Wela Volcano was immense, towering higher than any mountain Ash had so far seen in Alola. It looked like it was cropped into three sections; at the lowest level of the mountain grass and moss from the neighbouring forest stuck on and climbed to its last tendrils, then its brown and grey craggy body became unveiled when it couldn't reach any higher. Nearer the peak, the stone gradually became charred, the colour of coal. All along the sloping body smoke was continually being emitted from countless fumaroles of various formation: cracks and holes most notably, and also mounds shaped like tiny cone volcanoes. Two coned fumaroles pumping smoke stood guard on the raised stone beside the entrance. There were even some Pokémon – Magby, Magmar, Cubone, and a black lizard – walking all over the volcanic stone.

Ash walked between the smoking fumaroles to the volcano's base. Beyond was a sign that read 'Wela Volcano Park: The fire burns bright and hot here!', beside which stood Kiawe, his arms folded across his strong chest. There was a stern smile on his face.

"Welcome to Wela Volcano Park, Ash," Kiawe greeted him, "the location of your second trial on Akala Island – the trial of Kiawe!"

Ash had to admit it: Kiawe knew how to amplify his excitement. Restlessly carrying out odd jobs throughout the day – including stopping two Team Skull hooligans – while waiting had already charged his anticipation beyond its cap, and yet the formality and gravity with which Kiawe regarded the trial burst the seal. After Ilima and Lana's somewhat serious frivolity, Kiawe's serious nature felt fitting, especially for a Fire Type trial.

"I hope you are ready. The conditions within Wela Volcano are fierce, the Pokémon even more so," Kiawe said, and Ash loved what he was hearing.

"Let's do this," Ash eagerly declared.

"Very well!" Kiawe said and he nodded fiercely. "For this trial, you have one goal: reach the summit of Wela Volcano. What awaits you atop the volcano is not something that can be described with words, but something one must experience first-hand to truly grasp the greatness of Wela itself and the culture of Alola.

"But the path to such a spectacle is not a straight line. The caverns and pathways within Wela Volcano are a labyrinth inhabited by many Fire Type Pokémon. Make your way through the labyrinth and reach the summit. You may use up to four Pokémon whenever you wish. There are no restrictions such as single or double battling."

"Got it," Ash confirmed.

"Warm up here at the entrance. I will send somebody to tell you when you may begin," Kiawe announced, and he was off, marching towards the volcano.

Ash started stretching, feeling as if he had a surplus of energy. He also let out his three chosen Pokémon: Rockruff, Litten, and Bagon, the third of which he was hoping would put some of its unlimited aggression towards his endeavour. Once again, Ash caught Rockruff admiring at the dusk sky.

A short while later, a muscled blonde man wearing a green tank top, and walking gear approached. "You may begin!" the hiker-looking man cheerfully announced.

Thanking him, Ash set off running, Litten and Bagon returned for the moment, Pikachu contently perched on his shoulder.

Ash rushed through the scorched, wheat-coloured grass at the base of the volcano, quickly climbing the slope curving towards the labyrinth's entrance. He cleared the first patch of tall grass uneventfully; when he rummaged through the second, he confirmed that the unknown black lizard was a Fire Type. A Flame Burst exploded just beside him and Rockruff, forcing him to duck to dodge the spitting fire.

"Rockruff, Rock Throw!" Ash commanded, and his partner effortlessly spawned his halo of rocks. Rockruff released them one after another, catching his opponent once or twice – it scampered agilely between most of them. "Again, and time it to my calls!" Ash called, and Rockruff listened. This time, Ash anticipated the Pokémon's slithering, allowing for Rockruff's move to hit more accurately. Suffering consecutive direct hits, the opponent went down with ease. Ash continued upward.

Ash encountered two other challengers before the cave. The first was a Magby whose Ember couldn't compete with Rockruff's Rock Throw. Damaged by the Rock move, Rockruff leapt in to finish it off with Thunder Fang, but Ash spotted a third-partying Cubone at the last moment. He called Rockruff to retreat – Rockruff did a backflip, landing on Cubone's skull and pushing off. One Rock Throw mid-air knocked out the Magby, and when Rockruff landed, Ash tossed out Litten's Pokéball. A combo of Ember in the face to blind Cubone with the residual smoke and an onslaught of Fury Swipes whilst evading a wild Bone Club, and it was dealt with.

Ash entered the cave, and the first thing he noticed was the sultry air; his skin was melting, he began sweating almost immediately. Along with the heat came a burnt smell like the many times he had been 'affectionately' blasted with one of his Fire Type's moves. Kiawe had been right: the conditions were severe.

The first room of the caves was circular, lit orange by flame torches holstered on the walls. Beyond it was a dark corridor that began the labyrinth, that too lit only by faint orange glows.

Wiping the first layer of sweat from his forehead, Ash dashed into the dim corridor. The minute he chose to turn right at the first corner something leapt out at him from the darkness; Ash dived sideways to avoid it, harshly shouldering the wall. Hearing the frankly annoying cry, Ash deduced that it was a Zubat. However, it merely swooped past him. His slight fright over, Ash shook his head and headed warily along the right path, now attentive to any lurkers in the dark.

Ash ran through the rugged corridors without losing much breath, making quick decisions to turn each corner. Every so often a Pokémon would leap out at him from the darkness, but they were quick to be defeated by Litten and Rockruff, a duo that fought as if they shared a mind. Their movements to his commands were flawless.

Ash fought through the tiring heat and attackers for a few minutes, finally turning right at the next interval into an area that differed from dark red corridors. He stepped into another open area atop a slight slope. This one had clusters of black rocks smoking in the corners and a natural rounded rectangular viewing window in one of the walls. Though the window was a large open cave: a small stream of thick, gooey magma flowed into a lake of the bubbling substance, the rocks around it glowing red with heat; the ceiling had countless thick, spearing stalactites; and a cracked stone path wound around the stream towards a brighter, whiter light shining from one of the corners. It looked like outside light.

Determining that he was going the right way, Ash turned to enter the labyrinth on the other side to find that magma lake. As he did, he heard a yelp from Litten. He spun around to find two Magmar blocking either entrance, the smoke that was once hovering over the rocks vanished.

It must have been a trick, Ash realised as both fired simultaneous Flame Bursts at Rockruff and Litten.

"Litten, pull back, Rockruff, Rock Throw all around you!" Ash called whilst grabbing his third Pokémon. It was risky since Bagon wasn't aiding him completely yet, but in such an enclosed space, his flighty attacks could work well. Moreover, he needed to acclimate Bagon to his battling style or else he would be behind the others.

For now, watching as Rockruff hit both with Rock Throw, Ash held off. It wasn't until Rockruff was hit with two powerful strikes of what looked like Feint Attack that he decided to risk it.

"Bagon, come on out!" Ash let Bagon loose. The first thing he did was stubbornly eye Ash with attitude. Ash grunted, annoyed, but he ignored it for now. "Alright Bagon, two enemies! Use Headbutt!"

Disappointingly, Bagon decided to hit Ash with Headbutt in what appeared to be a sign of rebellion instead, knocking him onto his back. Ash complained aloud as he jumped back onto his feet.

"You know what? Fine! Just let loose! Headbutt wherever you want! You've got two perfect punching bags to vent your anger right there! Let it all out! This'll be the last time!" Ash shouted to Bagon. Conforming to Bagon's temper was a different strategy, but it seemed to work. Bagon's constant sneer switched into a fanged grin, and he pushed off, bouncing around the room with Headbutt, avoiding one puff of Smokescreen and a Fire Punch to hit one Magmar in the chest. Ash mentally screamed in relief and had Rockruff cover with Rock Throw.

The ensuing sight of romping bodies encircled by black smoke and whirling rocks was chaotic. The Magmar tried Feint Attacks, Flame Bursts, Fire Punches but Ash could see that his Pokémon were wearing them down. Although Bagon's inability to discern enemy from ally made him slap a palm to his face – on multiple occasions, Bagon hit Rockruff or Litten. Nevertheless, as one Magmar fell to Bagon's battering ram head and he sent the other spiralling through the air, clattering into the far walls, Rockruff diverted its attacks to the remaining one and it fell a moment later.

"Awesome work, guys," Ash said and ran into the next corridor. This time, Bagon followed, looking content with unleashing its rage. Ash sighed; he was such a hazard at the moment.

Ash found the magma lake without any more encounters. He ran through and exited via what was indeed a hole outside. It led onto an outcrop with a pleasant view over Akala. There, he fought two Magby relatively rapidly and re-entered the cave higher up.

In this next section, Ash was awed by the change of lighting. Rather than warm orange, the holsters on the walls bore ghostly teal flames that illuminated the corridor with an even more dim, eerie ambience. Increasing his caution in the darkened room, Ash carried on, weaving through the paths, turning corner after corner. However, he ended up enclosed in a dead-end for the first time.

After tapping the wall for the possibility of a false dead end, Ash turned to retrace his steps. The moment he did, a woosh of wind hit his ears and the ghostly flames vanished. Thinking quickly, Ash asked Litten to use Ember to light the way. He flinched backwards when two ghostly flames ignited instead, unveiling a spooky pure white mask of a Marowak, engraved with a purple crest between its eyes. Immediately, as it swung its bone which bore the two flames, Ash recognised it as an Alolan variant – he had seen Kiawe's before.

Even Ash had to jump out of the way of Marowak's wide attack, sliding into the wall as he did so. It didn't stop after what appeared to be one Bone Club; it threw the bone in a Bonemerang.

"Bagon, Headbutt," Ash called, hoping he'd obey. Thankfully, he decided to. Whether to cooperate or fight on his own, Ash didn't know.

The bone went spinning back into Marowak's hand. Marowak's eyes glowed teal and the flames changed to a purple hue. That colour reminded Ash of a Shadow Ball, so with a quick deduction, Ash told Litten and Rockruff to use Bite simultaneously. Despite Rockruff being slapped by the purple bone and Bagon getting in the way, Litten's landed. Marowak grunted, collapsed to a knee; it seemed to be Super Effective. Ash was right.

"Rock Throw!" Ash called, making one more quick deduction; since it was in the Fire Trial, it had to be a Fire Type. Ash was proved right again when the Marowak, after batting away multiple rocks, collapsed to its front after the Rock Throw. Ash called Litten to use Bite again.

But the Marowak was bulkier than Ash thought. It jumped to its feet, launching its Bonemerang between all three of his Pokémon twice in succession. Since it was Super Effective on two, Ash focused, not wanting his Pokémon to take any more hits. He gave Litten and Rockruff perfect orders to dodge another Bonemerang and they both hit Marowak with Bite, then a combination of Thunder Fang and Ember. That ended the fight before Bagon could initiate any more friendly fire.

Wiping his brow again, Ash headed back into the corridor, guessing the way at each turn. The deeper and higher he progressed, the less Pokémon he saw – he only fought a few more pesky Marowak – and the easier the maze seemed to become. A few minutes later, he found the exit.

The fresh air of the summit was like he stepped out of a sauna or a hot spring, an Icy Wind in Ash's face. He took a moment to cool down and to let his Pokémon do the same before continuing. He felt a lot more awake now. That was probably a benefit of the sultry air for the trial: to make the challenger feel exhausted.

It was night-time now, the moon and stars glittering nearby from such a height. Atop the summit, as with the other trials, stood the signifying pillars beside a slope up to the peak. Ash walked through the pillars, gazing around him as he did. The rocks enclosing the path were all scorched – some were still molten red on top, glowing beautifully and smoking in the dark night. The volcano plateaued at the very top, bordered by more molten rocks. Kiawe stood upon a circular stone platform, his other friends supportively placed around it, the steps onto which were adorned by flaming braziers nestled on wooden stands. Beside Kiawe were three Alolan Marowak.

"Well done on making it this far, Ash," Kiawe said. "And now, the sight you have been awaiting. As these Marowak and I perform one of Alola's ancient dances, take a moment to gaze upon Akala Island in all its beauty. This is the true majesty of Wela Volcano."

From nowhere, three identical hikers appeared with drums slung over their necks. They began playing and Kiawe began dancing, the Marowak fire dancing in front of him, spinning their ghostly bones in circles and slashes. It was an intricate, polished dance with no move out of place, power and purpose in each spin or turn or arm gesture. Kiawe transitioned flawlessly between his movements, obviously a master of the dance. For a while, Ash was so awed by the performance he forgot to admire the scenery as Kiawe said. When he did, though, Ash's words left him.

From so high up, he could see all of Akala down below. They were just above the clouds, yet the cloudless night allowed him to see the many lights of Heahea and the city he hadn't yet visited waving at him. He could see the dark jungle, Treasure Island, Melemele too in the far distance of the calm, sparkling navy sea. Pikipek and their evolution, Trumbeak he had learned, were swooping around in the sky, a sight Ash noticed his Bagon focused on. It was beautiful.

Ash's admiring of the scenery was ended when Kiawe's drums stopped. Turning around to find the dance finished, Ash was thrown right into the action once again when a large-bodied Salazzle leapt up and over the wall opposite, landing with a heavy crash on the stage.

"Let the Totem battle begin!" Kiawe announced, leaving the stage with two of the Marowak.

Ash darted right onto the stage, two of his Pokémon by his side – Bagon remained staring up at the sky, but Ash didn't mind. He had cooperated enough so far, and he was proud of him. Now, grinning, all he wanted to do was battle the Totem.

To begin the fight, the Salazzle fired a large gloopy Flame Burst between Litten and Rockruff. They instinctively scattered.

"Litten, Bite on Marowak, Rockruff Rock Throw towards the Totem!" Ash called out, a quick strategy forming with type advantages in mind. However, Litten ran in at Salazzle instead, chomping down on its tail. Rockruff's Rock Throw was challenged by Flame Burst; some of the stones powered through, hitting the Totem. Unfortunately, that yellow Totem aura flared up, and Ash guessed it was a Special Defence raising one this time.

"Litten, Fury Swipes!" Ash called, accommodating the strange change of events without pause. His confusion as to why Litten disobeyed was answered when the Salazzle used Double Slap to try and hit Litten away. It used Double Slap with its tail then, and Litten rolled side to side on the stone like a playing kitten to avoid it, striking with Fury Swipes now and again. That familiar scene made Ash realised what was going on: the Totem Salazzle must be the same one from Litten's first battle. His Salazzle being made a Totem must be the 'special' thing Kiawe mentioned.

Ash grinned harder.

"Rockruff, slide and use Bite on Marowak! Litten, keep the Fury Swipes going!"

Ash watched both of his Pokémon land their hits, Litten with multiple. Marowak retaliated with its Ghost Type Bone Club, hitting Rockruff over the head. It rushed back in again without the flames on the bone this time. It was only Bone Club, but for Rockruff, that was more dangerous.

"Sand Attack, Rockruff!" Ash called, sensing the danger, and remembering he could alternate moves whenever. Luckily, a blast of sand in the eyes was enough to make Marowak miss. "Nice! Bite, then Thunder Fang!"

Ash swapped to watch Litten, who was just hit by a point-blank Flame Burst and a follow-up of Double Slap. To avoid the second repetition, Ash called Litten to feint left then jump towards Salazzle's side, his paws readied with Fury Swipes, his jaw with Bite simultaneously. Mid-dodge, Litten slashed at Salazzle's enormous grey body then snagged its tail in Bite, forcing it to cry out and retreat. Litten landed, then darted in again. In response to Litten's proximity, the Salazzle's cheeks puffed up; Ash spotted a sliver of purple gas leak between her sharp teeth.

"Rockruff, jump off Marowak's head and use Rock Throw on Salazzle!" Ash called. Just in time, Rockruff's agile move hit Salazzle's face, averting it away from Litten. The move, Poison Gas, rose into the air and dissipated, leaving it ineffective. In the meantime, Litten ran in and attacked. Unfortunately, Rockruff wasn't able to evade Marowak's Bonemerang while in the air and he fell hard. Grimacing, Ash called, "Litten, grab onto Salazzle with Bite and use Fury Swipes!"

As Litten obeyed, Marowak unleashed a few balls of flames towards Rockruff. Since he was downed after the Bonemerang, they hit. Some of Rockruff's fur turned a black-red colour, evidence of an obvious burn. Will-O-Wisp. That meant Rockruff's attack was lower, so Ash called for Rock Throw. Unfortunately, the burn weakened Rockruff's movements, allowing Marowak to bat away the lethargic rocks with its Bone Club and charge him.

"Bite!" Ash told Rockruff, who sprinted determinedly to meet Marowak despite the burn. He landed the hit, and a second repetition, leaving the Marowak in a similar weak state to his own.

A cry from Litten switched Ash's focus back to the Totem – he heard scuffling behind him all the while. Salazzle's glowing hands and Litten skidding along the ground indicated he had been hit by Double Slap. Salazzle advanced, continuing the onslaught, returning the favour of Litten's Fury Swipes that had left its body heavily scratched. Litten was slapped left and right multiple times, helpless to the burst of speed Salazzle displayed. Afterwards, it reared back its head and fired one thick blast of purple venom at Litten. From his experience, Ash deduced it as Venoshock. After such an onslaught, Litten was floored, and it looked like Salazzle was preparing another Venoshock.

A glance and Ash saw Rockruff trade a hit with Marowak, a Bone Club for a Bite. Both staggered backwards, Rockruff facing Salazzle rather than Marowak. Upon seeing Salazzle towering threateningly above Litten, Rockruff's eyes widened. Ash didn't even give a command for his next movement: despite his burn, despite his injuries, Rockruff dashed across the stage and leapt in front of Litten, a split-second decision that meant he took the Venoshock instead.

"Rockruff!" Ash shouted, watching as he collapsed to the ground. Luckily, it was not-very-effective, but then a Bonemerang curved through the air. It hit, and Rockruff was no longer able to battle.

Ash quickly looked at the Totem, who was pulling back his arm for Double Slap. The hit would likely do a lot of damage to Litten given his state. Ash gritted his teeth, wondering if Bagon would obey him.

But then something happened. As Salazzle slammed its arm downwards, Litten stood on all paws and caught the attack within its jaw, which erupted with scarlet flames. In the next moment, Litten's body was engulfed in flames too, it's cry echoing out over the plateau. Ash couldn't see what was happening through the fire, but he could hear the depth of Litten's high pitched cry deepening to a more wild growl.

When the flames disappeared Salazzle bounced backwards and Litten had changed. It wasn't Litten anymore. He had evolved: Litten's body was longer now, his back black with a reddish-orange underbelly. His yellow eyes were sharper, less innocent, his whiskers and ears and tail longer too. Similar red markings covered its body, and a yellow ball rested below its neck like a collar. Litten's evolution stood tall and proud, his face set in a glare.

"Awesome!" Ash shouted, feeling overjoyed. He couldn't have asked for a better setting to see an evolution. "Litten… uhh…"

"Torracat!" Rotom yelled out.

"Torracat, use Bite on Salazzle!" Ash called out. Instead, however, Torracat's jaw erupted with crimson flames; his Bite seemed to have become Fire Fang. Despite the typings, Salazzle was knocked down when Torracat snapped his jaw onto Salazzle's arm like a vice. As if on instinct, Torracat turned towards Marowak next, who was running in with Bone Club. "Side-step it and use Bite!"

Marowak swung, and Torracat evaded at the last minute. The Bite landed with such power that Marowak was almost knocked out on the spot. Ash spotted Salazzle spit a Venoshock, so he called Torracat to dodge; the evolved cat did so without hesitation. As a follow-up, Salazzle ran in with Double Slap and Marowak did with Bone Club.

"Torracat, Fury Swipes!" Ash called out, spotting his Torracat instinctively look between each opponent. Torracat's paws shone white and he began parrying both Pokémon's attacks. Despite Marowak's type advantage, Torracat blew back his Bone Club, ducked under a Double Slap and landed one powerful Fire Fang on Marowak, eliminating it from the fight.

"Torracat, slide left!" Ash called, and Torracat did, evading an attack from behind without even seeing it. "Ember in its eyes, then attack its body with Fury Swipes!" Ash commanded, grinning like a maniac. As if aided by Lock-On, Torracat spun around and hit Salazzle in the eyes with Ember, blinding it long enough to assault its body with Fury Swipes. Salazzle staggered greatly, and Ash knew he had it.

"Torracat, Fire Fang!" Ash shouted, punching the air enthusiastically. Torracat growled, its jaw ignited, and it bit down on Salazzle's neck. Salazzle screamed and fell backwards, clattering into the ground while Torracat still held on. Torracat jumped off it, took one look at Salazzle, and glanced up at the sky. A mix between a lion's roar and a cat's meow rumbled from its throat: a victory cry.

A moment of silence followed as Kiawe inspected the field, and then he called it.

"Congratulations, Ash, you've cleared the Fire Trial of Akala Island! Please take your Z-Crystal," Kiawe said, gesturing the pedestal on the other side of the stage.

Rousing Rockruff from his unconsciousness first, and calling Bagon over, Ash sidestepped Salazzle and Marowak and jogged to the pedestal, Torracat by his side. With a beautiful view over the sea, he reached in and took the Fire Type Z-Crystal. It felt warm in his hand, as with the rest of the crystals. He glanced at Torracat, and at the same time, they grinned and unleashed two triumphant yells that echoed in the night.

I dunno what it is, but the chapters with battling in them always seem to be longer than I realise. I hope this length isn't too long, but here's Kiawe's trial! I decided to do something completely different to the games, and I'm sure you can guess why. The idea of this type of trial for the Fire Trial just really worked for me, you know? More about it will be explained in the next chapter!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!