"Battling Tapu Koko?!"
Professor Kukui immediately grew tense.
As the guardian deity of Melemele Island in the Alola region, Tapu Koko rarely fought other Pokémon unless it was facing Ultra Beasts.
Any Pokémon capable of engaging it in battle would undoubtedly be extraordinary.
He hurriedly asked, "Where is the location?"
But before he could receive an answer, a live video feed was sent to him.
In the footage, one side was Tapu Koko. The other was a pink, humanoid Pokémon he had never seen before.
"This is…"
Kukui was stunned.
As a professor, he was confident in his knowledge of most Pokémon, including those from other regions. Yet he had absolutely no information about this one.
Moreover, this Pokémon's strength…
Lightning split the sky. Their guardian deity, Tapu Koko, was wrapped in crackling electricity like a bolt of thunder as it charged toward the humanoid Pokémon at incredible speed.
This was Electric Terrain!
Yet in the eyes of the humanoid Pokémon, such lightning-fast speed was easily avoided.
"Teleport? No… there was no flash. That was Agility!"
Such astonishing speed!
Kukui could hardly believe it.
That reaction time had been almost instantaneous.
"Koko!"
Tapu Koko was momentarily stunned when its attack missed. It had not expected the opponent to be so fast.
It prepared to turn and attack again, but at the moment it moved, its body suddenly seemed to lose control and froze in place.
In the next instant, the humanoid Pokémon that had just vanished reappeared with a green sphere of energy condensed in its hand.
Psychic control, combined with a sphere of energy formed from natural power.
Before Tapu Koko could fully respond to this combination technique, it was struck directly.
The energy sphere exploded into thick smoke.
Watching the first exchange, Professor Kukui was left speechless. Tapu Koko had been completely overwhelmed by this Pokémon.
Was this real?
"Koko!"
Tapu Koko waved its hand, instantly dispersing the smoke.
It fixed its opponent with a wary gaze.
The moment it had been seized by psychic control, it had realized what was happening and struggled to break free. But before it could spread its arms to form a defensive shield, the energy sphere had already struck its body.
Meanwhile, the humanoid Pokémon seemed to recognize Tapu Koko's strength. A faintly condescending expression appeared in its eyes.
It even spoke, "You still fall short."
"Koko!"
Tapu Koko clapped its hands together and let out a deep, thunderous roar.
Rumble!
At that moment, the entire sky darkened.
Dense storm clouds gathered overhead.
"It's over. Tapu Koko is getting serious," Kukui muttered, his expression growing grave.
He could sense dark clouds spreading across the skies above Melemele Island.
As the storm clouds expanded, residents throughout Alola began to feel that something was wrong.
"Strange, why is there thunder at a time like this?"
Kiawe, who had just finished delivering Moomoo Milk, lowered his Charizard's flight as he returned home.
"Why would it rain now?" he muttered.
On other islands,
Tapu Fini, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Lele also opened their eyes simultaneously, gazing curiously toward Melemele Island.
They could all sense the powerful energy fluctuations coming from Tapu Koko.
They did not understand why it had suddenly unleashed such immense power, but that did not stop their desire to investigate.
Thunderclouds roared, and serpentine bolts of lightning writhed through the sky.
Under Professor Kukui's watchful gaze,
the humanoid Pokémon looked around calmly.
A trace of interest appeared in its eyes.
So this is your true power?
At this moment, Tapu Koko was completely enveloped in blazing yellow electricity, enhanced further by Electric Terrain.
The thunderclouds above began to gather even more intensely.
Thunder.
Discharge.
A massive pillar of lightning, several meters thick, descended like the end of the world itself. The electricity surrounding Tapu Koko surged toward the humanoid Pokémon, encircling it in a sweeping ring.
The deafening thunder seemed ready to swallow the Pokémon whole.
This time, it surely can't escape… right?
The thought suddenly crossed Kukui's mind.
After observing for a while, he had noticed something. Though the two Pokémon were battling fiercely, their attacks were extremely controlled. They never recklessly allowed the aftermath of their attacks to affect the ground.
Instead, they subconsciously controlled the battlefield, keeping the fight in the sky.
This did not look like a battle between enemies. It resembled a Pokémon battle between trainers.
Although this reassured him somewhat, he still silently cheered for Tapu Koko.
After all, regardless of anything else, Tapu Koko was the guardian deity of the Alola region.
Before the lightning swallowed the humanoid Pokémon, Kukui saw a layer of pink energy form a protective barrier around it. Then it vanished completely within the storm of electricity.
Professor Kukui stared at the screen without blinking.
Tapu Koko panted lightly, staring at the area engulfed in lightning.
That final attack had used all its strength. If even such a strike could not defeat its opponent, then the outcome of the battle was already clear.
Though the lightning was intense, it eventually dissipated.
As the electricity faded, the humanoid Pokémon slowly revealed itself.
Its hands bore scorch marks, but its fighting spirit burned stronger than ever.
"Wonderful! I can't even remember the last time I was injured!"
"Hahaha…"
It laughed arrogantly, its voice echoing across the sky. With a casual wave of its finger, psychic power seemed to radiate from its body.
Within the thunderous storm clouds, it was as if a giant invisible hand stirred the heavens, tearing apart the dense clouds until they scattered, revealing the setting sun once more.
Tapu Koko stared at the scene in shock.
As the sole guardian deity of Alola, yet at this moment…
It could not even contend with this Pokémon for control of the sky.
Before its shock could fade, an overwhelming sense of danger surged through its heart…
…