A loud crackling erupted from the second-hand speakers, quickly followed by a jumble of incomprehensible words that the recipient couldn't make out over the garbled static.

The narrow screen shone to life as the webcam of the person on the other end of the line flickered on. The sound also cleared up, allowing the receiver to better make out the others side of the conversation.

"Hang on, now. Gimme a sec..." The man on the screen mumbled, voice riddled with the occasional crackle here and there, but still perfectly understandable. The large tan hand retracted from the screen once it was done adjusting the webcam, revealing an equally tan face hidden behind green rimmed safety glasses and a stark white cap sporting a sun and rainbow pattern on the front.

"Hey there! Good afternoon!" The man waved in greeting towards the screen, a large smile easily breaking through. "So the day has finally come that you're moving to Alola!"

"It has, I've heard so many amazing things about Alola. Like there being plenty of rare Pokémon!"

The man nodded along, reaching for a nearby map and pulling it up to the screen beside him. "Alola is made up of several islands. That could be the reason the region is chock full of nothin' but rare Pokémon, yeah!"

He grinned widely when he received an exasperated eye-roll from the person on the other end, a smile pulling up the edges of her lips despite herself.

"There's no shortage of cool Pokémon out here in Alola, either!" He continued on, retrieving a Poké Ball from somewhere deep within his lab coat pockets and holding it up to the webcam. "Such mysterious creatures!"

A light toss of the Poké Ball was all it took to call out the Pokémon waiting within, a boisterous, fluffy brown and white pup landing with eagerly tapping paws on the cluttered desk. "You'll find 'em all over. In the grass, in the caves, in the sky and sea." The young Pokémon no longer able to hold still, he began sniffing around the surface of the desk, knocking pen holders over and scattering roughly stacked papers as he nosed around without a care. "Here in Alola we love our Pokémon, and we depend on them heaps, too." The Pokémon, having decided it'd caused enough chaos to the unsuspecting desk, lifted it's head in eager anticipation of hopefully getting to play with his Human.

"Some of us even battle with 'em, if we call ourselves Pokémon Trainers! Which I've heard is something you're interested in, am I right?" The man barely managed to catch the nod of the other person before having to gently push away the ever insisting Pokémon pawing at his chest in demand of receiving attention. "Rockruff! Can you wait until I'm done talkin' to play?!"

He smiled gratefully as Rockruff let out an understanding yip before diving off the desk, landing spectacularly on his stomach before picking himself up and chasing after one of the nearby Pokémon, full of never-ending energy.

"I'll be sure to let everybody out here know you're on your way," The man turned back to the screen, scratching at the back of his head with a huge grin that rivalled even that of a Gengar. "Can't wait to see you in person, cousin!"

The recipient ended the call, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms high above her head, fingers linked. The phrase "cousin" had taken her by surprise, but she summed it up to just being a casual form of address in the native tongue of Alola. Her gaze fell on the wallpaper of her desktop, eyes sparkling with longing as she took in the picturesque beach and thought about how, soon enough, her feet would be standing on the very same pristine white sand she'd admired and dreamed about ever since she was little.

"Miana!" Came the call of her mother, causing the girl who was lost in her own little world to turn in her seat, the metal wheels squeaking as they slid across the floorboards. "Come help me with these boxes!"

A hypnotic rich blue that sparkled like a thousand sapphire jewels as the sun shone upon from high above, white sand so bright it was almost blinding to look at, soaking up the harsh rays and reflecting it back at all who dared to peer at its beautiful surface. Leaning palm trees so green and vibrant, gently swaying in the ocean breeze.

These were Miana's first thoughts as soon as she'd stepped off the plane which could fit no more than twelve people, the airport small and humble, yet architecturally standing out like a sore thumb against the other much older, more fitted buildings of the island. One of the islands, that is.

The eager pre-teen had set off without missing a beat, barrelling head first for the ocean which beckoned her with its enticing waves, only to be pulled up short by her very flustered looking mother who'd chased after her, arms full to the brim with suitcases and duffel bags hooked on almost every available finger that wasn't currently clutching her daughter's arm.

Miana had smiled apologetically and taken a portion of the travel bags, glancing longingly over her shoulder as she was forced to turn her back to the shore, the unfamiliar scent of salt in the air tingling in her lungs as she drew in a deep breath and hiked it back up the inclined road behind her mother.

After dropping off the bags at the waiting Machamp – who apparently would be the ones to take everything to their new house instead of a moving van, which Miana found peculiar yet fascinating all the same – the two new residents of the island had the entire afternoon free to do whatever their hearts desired.

And Miana's mother was pretty set on exposing her daughter to as much of the Alolan culture in the span of five to six hours they had left of daylight as possible.

Miana of course wasn't complaining, having always been engrossed in the fantastical, almost fantasy-like tales of her mother's home region.

The first place they visited was Hau'oli city, an expanse of semi-modern buildings with the occasional traditional structure thrown in here and there, the city line hugging the narrow boardwalk that trailed along the shore of the ocean.

Miana stared in awe of the view, racing across the road at a breakneck pace so she could stand on the boardwalk. She was excitedly leaning over the railing and gazing out at the hypnotic waves as they caressed the compact, damp sand when her mother finally caught up to her.

Smiling at her daughter's ever-growing fascination of the ocean, she gently pried the pre-teens fingers from the wooden railing and coaxed the girl into following her once again, much to the disappointment of Miana.

The first shop they visited was humbly small in comparison to its neighbours, almost run-down, one would say, if you looked at the exterior alone. But after stepping inside Miana realised that the heart of the shop was truly inside.

Rich varnished timber wood made up the walls, floor and ceiling of the shop, a wicker weaved fan spinning lazily above to try circulate the hot summer air. Hanging from racks and hooks were Alolan traditions of all types, though it mostly consisted of the clothing variety.

Miana carefully stepped her way around the cluttered floor space until she was within arms reach of the long grass skirt that'd caught her attention. She moved her hand to glide it through the many thin pieces, surprised to discover it was actually real grass, something her mother had said wasn't as common to find these days.

Suddenly called for, Miana released the bottom of the skirt and stepped back, almost tripping over as her heel caught the jutted fin of a surf board leaning against a stand. She was quick to reach for the wobbling board, slowly retracting her fingers and hurriedly skipping her way to her mother's side with an apologetic smile once she thought it was safe to let go of.

"Miana, sweetheart, I'd like you to meet a very good friend of mine," Miana's mother began, gesturing to the smiling lady behind the counter who seemed to be of a similar age. The lady's hair was like many of the other native's; dark, long and flowing well passed her shoulders in delicate waves. Her skin resembled the year-round tan her mother had, eyes a wide dark brown that seemed to sparkle with silent greetings. "This is Malia, she was my best friend during our school years."

"And still am, right?" Malia not so subtly hinted, playfully nudging the other woman in the side with her elbow.

"Of course," Miana's mother agreed with a whole-hearted chuckle, before turning to face her daughter. Miana was shocked to see the shine of pride brimming behind the surface of her mother's dark eyes as she now gestured towards her. "Malia, this is my precious keiki(1), Miana."

"Alola, miss." Miana brung her hands up and swung her arms in a wide circle, greeting the woman in the way of Alola, the way her mother had so insistently taught her.

"Oh come now, there's no need to be so formal, Auntie(1) Malia will do just fine!" The woman waved away the formality with a dismissive hand, straightening up from leaning over the counter and promptly handing over an opaque white bag that Miana hadn't noticed was resting in front of her until now. "Now Aloani, you be sure to come visit me, won't you? You've neglected me for too long!"

"Count on it," Miana's mother laughed at the prominent pout on her old friend's face, embracing the woman in a final hug before shifting herself around the counter and taking her daughter's hand with the one that wasn't carrying the mysterious bag. "See you again Malia, Alola!"

"Alola!" Miana echoed as she trailed after her mother, pushing through the grainy brown beads hanging in front of the doorway. Her eyes immediately drew to the waiting ocean before them after stepping out into the street.

"Ready to play in the sea?"

A wide smile stretched her pink lips across her cheeks as Miana's transfixed gaze shot up to catch the knowing look in her mother's eyes, a bud of hope blooming in her chest. "Really?" A single nod to let the girl know it wasn't a joke. Miana couldn't hold back the excited laughter as she eagerly pulled her stumbling mother along, racing off towards the beach.

When the two arrived at the sand, Miana was once again pulled to a stop, earning her chuckling mother a confused pout and stomped foot as the pre-teen glanced back over her shoulder.

She followed the pointing finger of her parent, the confusion only further settling in when all she saw was a white shack, the roof beginning to cave in on itself and the paint chipping and peeling away from long exposure to the weather.

With much reluctance, Miana trudged along with her mother, throwing sceptical looks at the smirking woman who seemed highly amused by her daughter's frustration.

A man suddenly appeared within the shabby shack, long black hair tied up in a simple bun behind his head, burly arms holding onto a freshly waxed surfboard. Miana stared at the board for a moment, her eyes flicking up to her mother, who gingerly pointed behind them with her chin.

Miana released the woman's hand to spin around, the puzzle pieces falling in place when she turned back to the shack with renewed eagerness, seeing the man's amused smile as he held the surfboard out over the counter.

With surfboard in hand, the two finally made their way to the beach, Miana revelling in the feeling of silky soft sand squishing between her toes, tearing her gaze from their destination to glance down when the feeling beneath the soles of her feet changed. The damp sand was cool to the touch, toes and heels leaving faint imprints before quickly washing away with the tide, not a trace of evidence of her presence in sight.

Aloani laid the board flat against the surface of the water once they were knee deep, wiping a gentle hand across the gritty minty blue board. Miana needed no further encouraging, eagerly throwing herself on top of the carefully crafted surfboard. Her mother was soon to join her, and then they set off, hands paddling in the deep blue of the ocean as they glided easily over the playful curls of waves.

Miana leaned over the edge, experimentally placing her hand in the water and leaving it there, enjoying the refreshing feeling of salty water washing over her heated skin.

When it came time to stand up Miana struggled to stay upright, constantly teetering whenever the surfboard wobbled from side to side, riding the currents of the large wave as it crashed over them to create an enclosed loop of vibrant sea green walls.

Stumbling back on clumsy feet, Miana was quick to cling to her mother's waist – which earned her a quiet smile from said woman – deciding it was for the best until she became better at balancing.

As the hours passed, Aloani had migrated from riding the arching waves to standing closer inland, currently knee deep just off the shore as she carefully guided her daughter into climbing to her feet on the still board.

Miana wobbled the first few times, even going overboard on the second attempt, but with every try the pre-teen would get a little better, able to find her footing a little sooner then the last time. Her mother, once deciding her daughter had nailed the first part of surfing, began to move the board, dragging it forward with her as she slowly tread through the gently swaying water.

Their water fun was soon over however when the man from earlier yelled out to the two, signalling it was closing time for his shack.

Miana helped her mother return the surfboard with difficulty, her legs the consistency of jelly after paddling in the sea for so long. Something her mother said she'd grow used to with time.

Slipping on the clothes they'd draped across available lounge chairs over their wet swimsuits, the mother daughter duo made their way back to the city, slippahs(3) – as Miana had heard her mother call them many times – squelching with every step, grains of sand rubbing against the soles of her wet feet, yet it wasn't uncomfortable.

As the sun lowered from the cobalt blue blanket, the natives as well as the tourists drifted from the waterlines and more towards the landscape of the city, finding new activities to delve in within Hau'oli.

Which is exactly what Miana and her mother were doing, attending the first luau(4) of the year. They were seated at a round table, made of deep rich wood with dark tones running throughout it's entirety.

A bowl of Poi sat in front of the pre-teen, her brown eyes – as equally dark as her mother's, the only physical trait she seemed to share with the older woman – staring at the gloopy purple contents with apprehension, despite seeing her mother chowing down on the thick paste like there's no tomorrow.

"What did you say this is made out of again?" Miana questioned, poking gingerly at the bowl with the end of her spoon, cringing away upon contact as if she expected it to suddenly jump up from the table and run rampant through the streets.

"Taro, shweetheart," Her mother mumbled around a mouthful of food. The woman swallowed before placing her spoon back inside her bowl and looking over at her hesitant daughter. "It's just a root mashed up, much like mashed potato, and you love mashed potato."

"I do..." Miana agreed slowly, yet still seeming reluctant. Despite her worries, she scooped up a teeny tiny portion of the gloop with the end of the silver utensil, watching with distaste as the underside of the food fell back to the bowl with an unsettling 'plop', leaving a thin strand still attached to the bottom half of the spoon. "Well, here goes nothing, I guess..."

Mouth open, spoon disappearing inside, pink lips closing around the utensil as she made to pull it out, being sure to get every last bit of the Poi. Miana swung her gaze upwards, looking at nothing in particular as she let the taste and texture of the foreign food settle on her tongue. It was mildly sweet, yet held a very rich, earthy flavour that almost over-powered everything else. Despite that, it wasn't half as bad as the pre-teen had expected it to be.

Deep brown eyes swivelled back to meet the similar gaze of her mother's, face lighting up with pleasant surprise as she dove her spoon back into the bowl, this time pulling out with a substantial amount that flowed over the silver edges.

"Like it?" Aloani mused, leaning her chin against her fisted knuckles as she watched her daughter hungrily spoon the rest of the gloop into her waiting mouth.

Finishing in record time, Miana slammed her bowl back onto the table with more vigour than really needed, having lifted it up in hopes of scraping out the last remnants clinging to the brown porcelain onto her out-stretched tongue. With a satisfied grin and flecks of purple decorating her cheeks, nose and corners of her mouth, Miana eagerly thrust her spoon across the table, holding it steady in both hands as she gave her best Lillipup eyes, "More?"

"If I buy you anymore, you won't be able to move!" Her mother laughed, placing a hand over her daughters extended ones and slowly guiding them to rest on the table before wiping away the mess on the girl's face with a provided napkin. "And that's something you're going to need to do for what I have planned next."

"And what's that?" Miana's curiosity peaked, she was quick to abandon the spoon, placing it back in her spotless bowl and scooching off her chair to walk around to her mother's side.

"Let's just say it has something to do with what's in this bag," Aloani hinted coyly, dangling the opaque white bag they'd picked up from Malia's store hours ago, which Miana had completely forgotten about until now.

Before she could fire another question at her mother, something was suddenly pulled over her head, the new object coming to rest around her neck and falling until the end of her ribcage. She grabbed at the mysterious item, pulling it up into her line of sight. Large flowers strung to a twirled piece of string, the centers of them bathed in a deep magenta pink that faded out into the palest shade of coral, the occasional vibrant green leaf scattered within the sea of floral.

"A lei?" Miana breathed, stunned by it's beauty. There were many times her mother and her had made their own versions of lei's with whatever flowers were available within the Kanto region, but this was the first time she'd ever properly worn an authentic one, and it didn't disappoint. "But what-"

Miana's tongue caught on the next word as she glanced up, blinking in surprise upon seeing two very green, very real grass skirts hanging from the bent arm of her mother, one smaller in size then the other. She shared a knowing smile with the woman sending her an expectant look, finally understanding what the last day's activity was.

"I-I'm not so sure if I can do this after all..." Hidden behind the makeshift stage of the luau, Miana was suddenly feeling the pressure as she was surrounded by native Alolan women, all ready and waiting to walk into the spotlight.

"Nonsense, my petal," Aloani turned to her daughter, seeing the layer of fear that'd overcome her only child, something that didn't often happen to Miana. She bent down until she was at eye-level with the pre-teen, gently pinching the girl's chin between her thumb and index finger and guiding it away from the growing crowd. Miana's trembling gaze met with the confident stare of her mother, feeling a tiny part of the worry slip away as a wave of comfort began to envelope her. "You've been learning the traditional dance of the island since you could barely walk, training under the guidance of one of the previous crown-holder Hula dancers herself; your mother."

Seeing that her daughter still wasn't convinced, Aloani allowed a soft smile to grace her features as she placed her palm against the pre-teen's upper chest, just beneath her semi-prominent collarbones, feeling the erratic heartbeat lying below. "You may not look like me, but inside you have the same Alolan blood running within, the same passion," Miana tore her lowered gaze from her sandaled feet to meet the ever confident gaze of her mother, seeing the tender smile that not once faltered. "You may not have been born here, but Alola runs deep within your veins, and no one can ever take the island spirit out of you."

Miana allowed her stare to once again shift, but this time it was taking in the ageless beauty of the woman before her. Her mother was right about the physical aspect, they couldn't be anymore opposite. Where Aloani was sun-kissed, with silky long black hair, gracefully tall and curved in all the right places, Miana was as pale as a sheet, with thick dark brown hair cut into a bob, an awkward fringe which she kept swept to the side and out of the way and a short, thin bony body shape that resembled that of a banana rather than a curvaceous pear. "...you really think I have what it takes?"

"I don't think," Her mother said with a shake of her head, carefully tapping her index finger to her daughter's nose in a playful manner. "I know."

"Thanks, mum." Miana grinned despite herself, feeling the jitters in her hands and legs slowly ebb away as she embraced her mother tightly, before backing up and readjusting the grass skirt hugging her non-existent hips. "Okay...then let's do this!"

Out on the stage, Miana swallowed back the rising lump in her throat as she gazed over the many heads of the watchers, each and every one of them with their attention focused on the aligned dancers. Seeing as Miana was the smallest – and youngest – she'd been placed in the middle of the line, her mother positioned on her left.

Unfortunately for her, being stark white and incredibly short while standing beside the rest of the tall, tanned beauties of the island meant a good majority of the attention was zeroed in on Miana specifically.

But what she hadn't expected was the uplifting calls from a few of the people below, bellowing words of encouragement at the miniscule girl with knobbly knees. They were no more than strangers to Miana, but for some reason receiving the support of people she's never even met before was able to curb the remaining bits of fear within her, lifting her heart from the dark box it'd closed itself in and steadying her quivering insides.

Taking a deep breath, she shot the crowd a weary smile as the music began playing. But soon enough she was drawn into the steady beat of the drums and singing, pulse echoing the rhythm of the island as her hands and feet moved without consent. Her hips swung in tune with every strum of the ukulele, keeping in perfect time with the other dancers as they all spun to Alola's enticing call.

Miana's face lit up with mirth as she followed along to the music, the cheers and clapping eventually drowned out as everyone else within the crowd joined in on the song, their voices melding into a perfect harmony with one another's.

Ducking into a perfect squat before bouncing back up again, Miana's muscles moved without thought, relying completely on instinct and memory as they twirled her around the stage, heels raised and toes flexing as she spun with the group, grass skirts flicking out in hypnotic twirls as carefully timed hands reached towards the darkened sky before coming back down, gliding through the air with the grace of water itself.

It was only when the singing fell to a hushed ending and the drum fell silent on it's final beat did Miana realise the Hula dance was over. Her arms were raised along with everyone else's, one foot slid forward across the varnished wood and toes pointing out towards the crowd as the other was tucked carefully beneath her to act as a balance beam, knees slightly bent.

They straightened up and thanked the crowd with a curtsy, causing the already boisterous islanders to erupt in a complete uproar of whistles and cheers.

Miana's cheeks were aching from the huge grin she couldn't seem to wipe away, but the rest of her was tingling with glee, a prickling numbness entering the tips of her fingers and toes as she slowly came down from the crowd-induced high she'd been riding.

A quick glance to her left and she caught the ecstatic look of her mother, Aloani's eyes gleaming with unshed tears, clearly having deeply missed the thing she was raised on and having enjoyed the moment to the fullest.

Miana took hold of her mother's hand, earning a grateful squeeze from the woman as they shared overwhelmingly happy smiles before bowing once more to the crowd.

This was something Miana could definitely get used to.

It'd been a long, tiresome day of training. Slaving away in battle under the relentless rays of Alola's Summer sun.

The duo had been going since the break of dawn, and it was only when the sun finally met with the horizon did they think to call it a day. And now they stood at the edge of the world, staring out across the great expanse of sea, watching as the waves danced beneath the purple, pink and orange hues of the setting sun, an enchanting palette of vibrant colours that would inspire any artist.

This was a place the boy's Pokémon often liked to come after their usual rigorous work, which seemed to be less and less often as the days passed by.

The Pokémon let out a low growl as it exhaled, every visible muscle twitching and flexing as it's powerful legs brought it closer to the sand, laying amongst the shallow tide and enjoying the feel of the cool water lapping at it's disfigured body.

The Trainer stayed standing, yet laid a caring hand on the Pokémon's head, earning muffled purrs of contentment as it's eyes closed. He grimaced as he looked down at his friend, wondering just how long it would really take for the two of them to become stronger.

Strong enough to return.

The echoed ruckus of celebration drifted along the winds to the motionless boy, his covered head turning to catch the distant lights and sounds of a luau further up along the beach. The onlookers were calling out and whistling in anticipation of the show about to start.

He was just close enough to make out a line of women, all dressed in grass skirts and cropped fabric tops that left their lower torso's exposed. It was the night's main event, the hula dance.

The Trainer was about to turn away, but then he caught sight of something unfamiliar, something that didn't look like it belonged amongst the picturesque scene of the native islanders. There was a single girl within the line of women, standing no taller then their shoulders and as painfully white as the sandy beaches that hugged Alola's islands. Her rounded face and baby-like features made her look no older than ten, but he couldn't really be sure of her age due to the distance he was seeing her at.

The music started, and the line of dancers began to move. Hips, hands and feet swaying and stepping hypnotically across the floor as they edged towards the front of the stage, ducking down to greet the watchers before gracefully weaving their way back up like the motion of the tide and spinning away again.

Despite looking like a tourist amongst the professionals, the girl admittedly danced better than any other caucasian he'd seen trying to attempt the Hula. Her moves weren't executed with half as much grace as the older women and her short legs made it hard for the steps to look breezy and effortless, but what she lacked in fluidity she more than made up for with passion. Even from so far away he could see the burning fire alight within her wide doe-like eyes, dark orbs beaming with unrestrained glee as she swung her hips and spun her body to the beat of the song.

When the song came to an end, the ladies all circled back to the line they'd started out in, finishing off in the finalising pose before straightening up and ducking down in polite curtsies.

The trainer found his analytical gaze lingering on the singular girl, the corner of his lips morphing into a muddled frown as he tried to make sense of the overwhelming joy he could see pouring off her in waves.

The girl's face was flushed a bright red, dimpled cheeks stretched wide as she grinned wholeheartedly out at the chorus of cheering people. Her chest heaved with the effort of catching her breath, clearly too excited during the dance to focus on keeping a constant rhythm of breath like one should. Her legs shook bneath her, visibly weak and untrained in the traditions of Hula dancing, and yet she still smiled on, wide eyes swimming with happiness as she looked up to share the joy with the woman she was now holding hands with.

A relative, perhaps?

The boy shook his head sharply, roughly turning on the spot and pulling the hood further over his head to better conceal himself, even though there wasn't a soul around to see. His Pokémon groggily crawled to it's feet again, sensing the change in it's Trainer's mood and readying itself for a long night of further training.

"Let's go, Null."

The two didn't dare to stop and rest for long, knowing that they were running out of time. They had to become the strongest, and soon. All of Alola depended on it.

(1) Keiki; child, offspring.

(2) Auntie/Uncle are words commonly used by younger Hawaiian natives who are addressing anyone older than them, relatives and strangers alike.

(3) Slippahs; thongs/flip flops.

(4) Luau: A party or feast, typically accompanied by some form of entertainment. Hula dancing, for example.

A/N: This story will have a slower pace when it comes to the romantic side of things, and does follow along with the game's plot, so if you're looking for an instant feel-fest of fluff and love with no character development or story progression then this story isn't for you, sadly. But I can guarantee that there'll be a lot more Miana/Trainer/Moon and Gladion encounters then the games provide us with.