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"You expect me to work with this idiot boss?" The floating abomination that was half Poke Dex and half Rotom buzzed as it glowered at Naomi with mocking, almost cruel eyes.
"I do Rotom, and please call Naomi 'boss', she's the trainer you'll be travelling with." Kukui insisted as Naomi hugged Mimikyu as tightly as she could, in part because the little Pokémon had been demanding a little attention, but also because it prevented her from grabbing one of the two-by-fours Kukui was using to board up the broken window of his lab, and swatting the obnoxious Poke Dex from out of the sky. "Now Rotom what can you tell me about this Pokémon?" Kukui asked, as he threw the Poke Ball he was carrying, a small green Pokémon emerging, its vine like hands coiled over its pale yellow, almost seed like head.
"That's a Budew, a silly baby Pokémon that spits aggravating pollen around that clogs air filters and causes fevers." Rotom complained, its words causing Budew to start crying. Dropping down on her hands and knees, Naomi placed Mimikyu on the floor and scooped up the crying Pokémon, its crying stopping the moment it was in her arms.
"Well what do you think? Kukui asked, a big grin on his face.
"I love Budew, Rotom however..."
"I hate both of you." Rotom replied in a snarky voice.
"Good, good." Kukui stated as he decided to ignore Rotom and Naomi's comments about each other. "Ah, is that the date today!" He stated loudly, as he ran over to his desk where Grubbin was lying, its jaws crunching on a sap covered tree branch. "I told my friend Lilly I'd take her to Tapu Fest at the Ruins of Conflict, she wanted to compare an inscription from an Alolan history book with one supposedly inside the ruins. The only problem is that I'm over booked, I'm meant to be teaching at the university on Ula Ula Island this afternoon."
"Nice try but we aren’t going to Tapu Fest, it sounds lame." Rotom buzzed as Naomi walked over to one of the chewed book cases in the corner of the room, and ran her hand across the spines of the volumes stored there.
"It's this one right?" Naomi asked, as she pulled a tome emblazoned with a pudgy bear like Pokémon wearing a spiky crown standing on a beach looking thoughtful, the words Alola's Past and Folklore written above the image. Kukui nodded, and Naomi placed both Budew and the book in her hand, the sudden addition of new stuff causing Litten to awaken and crawl out, an annoyed look on its face, one that was seemingly mirrored by that of the Rotom Poke Dex.
"You'll know Lilly when you see her, by her white dress and wide hat." Kukui told Naomi as she zipped her holdall up, and slung it over her shoulder. "Tell her to bring the book back next time she and 'Nebby' wander past my lab" He added, as Mimikyu and Litten scuttled over to Naomi, the latter jumping up onto its trainer's shoulder before shooting the Pokémon on the ground a smug look.
"Thanks Professor!'' Naomi cheered, as she headed out the door to where Seismitoad was sitting, its bulbous face looking upset. "Let's go guys!" She added as Mimikyu walked over to Seismitoad and clutched onto its back, the bigger Pokémon sighing as they followed their trainer inland towards Iki Town and the Ruins.
"Tell me about it." Rotom told Seismitoad. "Stuck for who knows how many issues with you idiots. It's enough to make a Pokémon want to cry." It buzzed as it floated along in its new comrade’s wake.
**
Naomi hadn't expected the Ruins of Conflict to be so grandiose. She'd seen ruins before, but they had been far younger than those Tapu Koko called home, not to mention filled with far more sorrow then any place on Alola. It was almost as if the Ruins of Conflict had been built to be ruins, unlike the multitude of firebombed farms, cottages and lumber camps filled with charred corpses one found in Invictia. The 'fest' part of Tapu Fest, was relaxed, almost routine, with people and Pokémon walking to the mouth of the ruins, and leaving baskets of food for the Guardian Spirit within.
"Hey Naomi" A familiar voice called from one of the tents. Turning to follow the sound, Naomi smiled as she saw Hau sprawled out in a chair, a half-eaten Malasada on the plate in front of him.
"Morning Hau." Naomi chirped as she walked over. "What brings you here?"
"Besides stuffing your face, you fat child." Rotom added, a malicious look on its face, as it buzzed around Naomi's head.
"Doctor Julian, a leading expert on the Tapu's, he overheard me mention our sighting of Tapu Koko and that mysterious black Pokémon while I was buying malasadas, and asked to take my statement back at his field lab." Hau explained, as Popplio stuck its head out from behind a box before knocking the table over and sliding towards the dropped malasada. "Ah man, that was my last one!" Hau exclaimed as Litten dropped off Naomi's shoulder and landed feet first on the spilled pastry.
"Pop...poplio!!" Popplio barked angrily, before blasting Litten with a jet of water, the kitten like Pokémon hissing and snarling, as it retreated behind Seismitoad. Sneering slightly, Popplio waddled forward and sunk its teeth into Sesmitoad's leg, the larger Pokémon looking down at disgust at its attacker.
"Seismitoad no!" Naomi ordered, as Seismitoad bent down to rip Popplio off its leg and deliver a swift dose of payback. Grunting in annoyance, Seismitoad shook Popplio off and stomped towards the ruins, only for the harassing Pokémon to nail it in the back with a high pressure blast of water. With a booming grunt Seismitoad vibrated the warts on its hand before punching the ground, the shockwave sending Popplio flying through the tent Naomi and Hau were in, and into the lap of a young woman sitting on a broken pillar, the Pokémon knocking her bag to the floor sending the contents spilling onto the floor.
"Popplio!" Hau yelled, his voice waking up the Budew sleeping in Naomi's bag and causing it to start screaming and crying.
"Budew!" Naomi gasped, as she removed the crying Pokémon from her bag and held it close to her, just as Hau went to grab Popplio, only for the cheeky sea lion Pokémon to jump off the woman's lap and land on her bag, the force of the impact causing a small blue Pokémon with puffs of gas raising from its body like misshapen ears.
"Nebby!" The woman cried as she lunged for the Pokémon only for it to saunter away. "Get back in the bag Nebby!!"
"Cosmog the Nebula Pokémon," Rotom buzzed, "it's useless in battle, all it does is hop." It added before spinning three times around. "Okay this is embarrassing now." He stated, as Hau grabbed Popplio's Poke Ball and called for the Pokémon to return, just as the young woman grabbed her errant 'Nebby' and shoved it back in her bag.
"All I wanted to do was to wait for the Professor and check out the book he was bringing!" The woman snapped, as she glowered at Hau, her white dress and ling blonde hair somewhat amplifying the malice in her voice. "Now I have to leave in case anyone saw..." She added, as Naomi walked over, followed by Mimikyu, the little ghost type Pokémon scuttling over to the woman's bag and the Pokémon concealed inside.
"Lilly right!" Naomi asked, as she fished out the book Kukui had given her. "The Professor asked me to give this to you." She added, as a surprised yet happy smile spread across her face.
"Thank you...err I don't actually know your name." Lilly stammered, as she took the book and cradled it in her arms.
"It's Nao...Mimikyu that's not our bag!" She screamed as Mimikyu's shadowy claw slid the zipper of Lilly's bag open, and 'Nebby' emerged, seemingly chirping a thank you to its liberator.
"Not again!" Lilly sighed, as Mimikyu and Nebby scuttled towards the entrance of the Ruins of Conflict, with both Lilly and Naomi in hot pursuit, much to the amusement of Hau and the onlookers, with the former walking over to Seismitoad and Rotom, the pair of them engrossed with looking at a small collapsed pillar with a sunburst quartered with a crescent moon emblazoned on it.
"Hmm curious, apparently this symbol represents something called a caged dream. “Rotom mused, as Hau shook his head and sprinted after Lilly and Naomi. "Whatever that means?"
**
Both young women gasped as they entered the interior of the Ruins of Conflict, much to the annoyance of the scientist working inside. Dressed in explorer shorts and a grey shirt, complete with a grizzled face, Naomi was in awe until the man spoke, his voice high pitched and nasally.
"What do you think you are doing in here?"
"Doctor Julian, I'm so sorry but this trainer is looking for her Pokémon, we saw them run in here." Lilly explained, the look in her eyes pleading with Naomi not to reveal Nebby's existence to this man. "I don't suppose you saw them?"
"I didn't sorry" Doctor Julian sighed wearily before yawning loudly. "There are hiding places under the altar area," He added, before pointing across the reflecting pool in the middle of the chamber to a stone figure sitting on a raised dais, "perhaps they are hiding under there." He suggested, before letting out another long yawn, just as Hau arrived in the ruined interior.
"Okay if I take one side, and you take the other, then perhaps we can flush them forward." Lilly suggested as the three of them walked over to the dais.
"If they come out the front I'll grab them." Hau added, as Lilly and Naomi circled round the dais and ducked down to look in the alcoves underneath the platform, only to be greeted by murky darkness. Shaking her head, Naomi walked back round the front of the dais, and scanned the walls for any sign of Mimikyu and Nebby.
"Mimikyu!" She yelled, before walking away from the dais, just as something stirred under the platform, a hint of red gleaming unnoticed for less than a second before fading away.
"Please can you be quiet." Doctor Julian hissed. "I'm trying to decipher this glyph in an ancient folk story regarding a collective nightmare that was shared by everyone on MeleMele Island." He added, as Lilly and Hau walked along opposite sides of the reflecting pool. Everything was quiet, until Budew stirred in Naomi's arms, the baby Pokémon waking abruptly and screaming for some reason known only to it. "Miss, you have to leave!" Doctor Julian ordered. "I can't work with all this noise!"
"Go we'll keep looking for them." Hau sighed, as Naomi trotted out of the ruins and back to her bag. Turning to look back inside, she saw something or someone standing at the alter representing Tapu Koko for a brief second, before blinking, the mystery figure gone. As she reached Seismitoad, Budew stopped crying and looked up at Naomi with worried looking eyes.
"Could you sense something in there?" Naomi asked the little Pokémon.
"Bud...dew-dew!" Budew chirped in response.
"Don't be stupid, that Pokémon isn’t found anywhere near Alola?" Rotom buzzed, as Naomi placed Budew on Seismitoad's lap, and opened her bag, Litten pushing its face past her hand only to recoil slightly as Mimikyu popped its head out through the hole.
"Mimikyu!" Naomi gasped. "I was so worried when you ran off into the ruins with that Cosdog was it?"
"Mimikyu?" Mimikyu purred as Naomi pulled it out of her bag, a stern look on her face.
"It's Cosmog, and Mimikyu says it didn't go anywhere with it." Rotom translated. "It's probably lying though, it looks like the Pokémon that would lie to its trainer." It added, as Naomi walked over to Lilly's bag and peered inside to see 'Nebby' sleeping just where its trainer had left it. Zipping the top back up, Naomi looked over to the ruins, the line of well-wishers now scattered, almost as if they'd fled from some unimaginable force that had gripped the temple complex.
"I guess I should tell Hau and Lilly." Naomi grumbled as she walked to the mouth of the ruins. As she did, she cocked her head in surprise, a coy half smile forming on her face. Hau, Lilly and Doctor Julian were all collapsed on the floor snoring heavily. "I guess its nap time." Naomi cackled, the half-smile spreading wider and wider.
The smile vanished seconds later as the three people inside screamed and writhed in unison, their cries of panic echoing off the walls of the ruins. Rushing inside, Naomi felt something cold pass her and spun around to see the same figure as before blocking the exit she'd just passed through, its spindly legs and dark body contrasting with its red mouth and piercing blue eyes. Naomi was sure it was a Pokémon, but something felt off about it.
"Who are you?" Naomi asked the newly arrived Pokémon.
"The bringer of nightmares!" The Pokémon hissed, its voice sounding like agonised fearful screams. "Now sleep," It ordered, as Naomi involuntarily yawned, "and let your voice join the chorus of sleepers!" It snarled, as her body hit the floor, her eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep.
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