Silence hung in the air for a while. Roy assumed Caroline was unwilling to accept his offer, so he touched his nose awkwardly.
Roy then braced himself against Blastoise's shell to ensure he wouldn't be thrown off balance by the waves.
"Then we'll head out first..."
Even someone as straightforward as Blastoise sensed that something was off with the atmosphere and began paddling to leave.
In the next instant, Caroline's figure materialized on Blastoise's back, with Gardevoir by her side.
"I'll come with you."
It was the Psychic-type move Teleport.
Both Roy and Blastoise were somewhat surprised by Caroline's sudden action, but it was difficult to say anything about it now.
Roy, who had only been planning to offer a polite invitation, felt a slight twinge of regret.
He decided to remember not to make such courteous offers to Caroline in the future.
Why did you have to take it seriously?
However, Roy didn't show any of this on his face. He simply reminded her to hold on steady for support.
Caroline casually found a spot to sit down, nodded, and then closed her eyes to rest.
The entire journey passed in silence.
Blastoise seemed unable to bear such an awkward atmosphere, and his swimming speed became noticeably faster than before.
The guardian deity of Melemele Island was Tapu Koko, who was quite busy. Since all the Totems were occupied with besieging Arman, they likely weren't on this island anymore.
The first thing Roy saw upon going ashore was Avi sitting on the bank in a dejected manner.
This was different from every other time Roy had seen him. No matter the circumstances, Avi had always been the epitome of strength and confidence. Standing anywhere, his entire being radiated an aura that said, "I am extremely powerful, don't you understand?"
It was quite irritating.
Perhaps due to some natural rivalry between their home regions, every time Roy saw Avi, he had the impulse to want to challenge him to a battle.
However, Roy wasn't a reckless child, so he naturally understood that if they faced each other on the battle stage, his strength would be completely inferior to Avi's.
Avi's Volcarona alone would be more than enough to handle him.
And now, the Avi that Roy was looking at sat blankly on the beach, allowing the waves to wash over his feet.
His face appeared ashen and lifeless.
Roy was somewhat curious, but he didn't approach to ask. After all, why would someone share their troubles with him?
Looking at Avi's current state, no matter what Roy might say if he approached, it would probably only trigger an angry response.
Roy decided not to subject himself to that unpleasant experience.
If Roy was thinking this way, then the empathetic queen was even less inclined to interact.
Caroline stood on the shore with an air of indifference, waiting for Roy to dismount from Blastoise's back.
She looked completely prepared to follow Roy's lead for their next destination.
Thinking about the awkward atmosphere throughout their journey just now, Roy felt a headache coming on.
He didn't understand what had happened. Their conversation when they met last night had been perfectly pleasant, so why had the atmosphere become so uncomfortable in just one morning?
As Roy and Caroline walked forward together, he mentally reviewed whether he had said anything inappropriate.
After thinking it over repeatedly, he couldn't come up with a reason.
He gave up, attributing it to the old saying about women's hearts being as mysterious as needles at the bottom of the ocean.
Avi was feeling extremely confused at this moment. He had already mustered up the courage to request a trial from Kommo-o the moment the Island Challenge had restarted.
"I know there's typically only one chance to attempt the trial."
"But I'm begging you, fight me one more time. It won't count as an official trial."
Kommo-o simply glanced at Avi, who was clenching his teeth with determination.
The dragon let out a long exhale and a snort.
Very well, if you insist.
The trial's content remains the same—defeat me.
When Avi realized his hands and feet had gone cold and his movement while throwing the Poke Ball had become stiff, he already knew the answer in his heart.
In his last battle, he had deployed eight Pokemon and still maintained the ability to continue fighting.
This time, he also released eight Pokemon. Their condition was excellent—last night, he had obtained treatment from Tapu Fini, who had healed them with Scale Powder.
However, the Pokemon, including Avi himself, when facing Kommo-o's overwhelming Dragon-type pressure, all fought with trembling resolve, almost wanting to flee.
This time, in less than an hour, the battle's victor had been decided.
Kommo-o looked down at the small human form before him.
"Kommo..."
You have lost, human.
Weakness is your greatest enemy, not me.
Avi hung his head as bitter and complex emotions gnawed at his chest.
"I'm just... I'm just a little bit frustrated..."
Kommo-o had seen such reactions far too many times. He turned away indifferently and lay back down on the soft grass.
The dragon recalled that exhilarating battle at the Altar of the Sunne.
Darkrai, a formidable opponent...
And that human with the power of Aura—his name was Roy, if memory served—someone who hadn't been able to unleash his full strength in quite some time.
Kommo-o narrowed his eyes and smacked his lips, awaiting the next trial challenger.
Hopefully, the next participant will prove more capable.
Just moments ago, I seemed to sense a relatively strong presence approaching...
By the seaside, Avi lay on the beach like a lifeless fish.
Hearing movement nearby, he initially showed no reaction.
He was reflecting on himself, trying to understand what had gone wrong and why he experienced such fear when facing Kommo-o.
Am I... am I truly a weak person...?
However, when he heard the voices of Roy and Caroline, he unconsciously turned his head.
Seeing the two seemingly chatting together, Avi pulled the corner of his mouth into a weak expression.
A feeling of schadenfreude arose in his heart.
'Heh, don't you like showing off? Then let Kommo-o teach you a proper lesson.'
Due to a miscalculation, Avi had chosen to back down when it came to deciding who would enter the Altar of the Sunne.
Naturally, he hadn't witnessed the perfect coordination between Roy and Kommo-o during that event.
If Roy hadn't obtained the Z-Crystal by chance, Kommo-o probably wouldn't have experienced the wonderful sensation of using his exclusive Z-Move for such an extended period.
Once you've tasted something that good, you never forget it.
Before looking away, Avi's gaze lingered on Caroline's form, but he received a merciless glare from the queen in return.
Avi gave a bitter smile, averted his eyes, and covered his face with his hands.
Bitterness welled up in his heart.
Roy was too busy thinking about how to alleviate the awkwardness to notice the malicious look in Avi's eyes.
But even if he had known, Roy would have happily laughed at Avi internally.
Talking and laughing? Your eyes must be blind and your ears must be broken!
The two didn't linger long on the shore, and Blastoise also climbed up onto land to dry his shell before catching up with his trainer.