Sandygast And Palossand

When Yuga entered, Lusamine greeted him warmly, saying, "Mr. Shimizu, it's an honor to finally meet you." She extended her right hand to shake his.

Yuga smiled and gently shook her fingers. "The honor is all mine, Ms. Lusamine. Your reputation precedes you."

Beside them, Faba quickly pulled out a chair for Yuga to sit. Lusamine continued, "You only returned two days ago, so we didn't get a chance to meet. Today, I made a special trip to pay my respects."

At that, Yuga replied, "Speaking of which, I should thank you for coming to help the other day. I didn't get the chance to thank you then."

Lusamine waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, Mr. Shimizu, there's no need. We're the ones who should feel embarrassed for not actually being of help. We're just glad you all returned safely."

Yuga laughed, "You can't think that way. You made the effort, and that counts—no need to pretend it didn't happen."

Looking slightly troubled, Lusamine then said, "Well…then, how about this—I'd like to ask you a few questions."

With a thoughtful expression, Yuga replied, "Please go ahead, Ms. Lusamine."

Unable to hold back, Lusamine asked eagerly, "Since you traveled to the other side of the Ultra Wormhole, could you tell us what it's like over there? Oh, by the way, the Ultra Wormhole refers to the space channel you all used to return."

Concerned that Yuga might not be familiar with the term, she explained it to him.

Yuga paused in feigned contemplation, "Hmm… Honestly, it's not much different from here—just mountains, rivers, trees, and flowers."

Lusamine leaned forward abruptly, a look of urgency on her face, "And what else? Could you be more specific?"

Faba, who had been silent, gave a light cough to bring Lusamine back to her senses. Realizing she'd lost composure, she straightened up and asked, "Ahem… Could you perhaps tell us more specifics, such as how the Ultra Wormhole appeared? Are the Pokémon there different from those here? And are there any other humans?"

Looking conflicted, Yuga replied, "Actually, I didn't get to explore much, so I can't say for sure. The Ultra Wormhole's appearance seems to be a rare occurrence; we were lucky to make it back at all. The Pokémon there, however, are indeed different. I didn't recognize a single one, and I didn't encounter any humans."

In truth, he had seen quite a few human remains at the Guzzlord's territory. According to Luna, those were likely the targets of her and Kaname Hirakawa's mission, but the Guzzlord had devoured them entirely. If it weren't for the remaining clothes, they wouldn't have been able to identify them.

Hearing Yuga's response, Lusamine's face showed visible disappointment, and she forced a strained smile. "We're currently conducting research on Ultra Space—that's what we call the other side—so I was hoping to gather some information from you."

Yuga nodded but remained silent, and Faba stepped in for Lusamine, "Could you explain in more detail how the Pokémon in Ultra Space differ from ours here?"

For Lusamine, researching Ultra Space was largely driven by the hope of finding her missing husband, Professor Mohn. Faba, however, was motivated by pure curiosity and the desire for knowledge as a researcher.

Yuga then provided them with information about Ultra Space, half-truths mixed with lies. He didn't want the Aether Foundation to get too involved with the powerful Ultra Beasts and risk igniting trouble between their world and the other side.

After their conversation, Lusamine and Faba warmly escorted Yuga out of the private room.

"Thank you for your time today, Mr. Shimizu. We'll be sure to show our gratitude another day," Lusamine said.

Unbothered, Yuga waved it off, "No need for that. It's not like I had anything else to do. I'm glad I could help."

Back in his hotel room, Yuga found that Luna and the others were out. After asking a staff member, he learned they had gone sightseeing.

Yuga decided to go exploring as well. It was his first time in the Alola region, after all. Alola was famous as a tourist destination, so it would be a shame not to experience it properly.

Akala Island is located in the northeast of Alola and is quite large, with many cities and towns. The town he was currently in was called Paniola Town, where you could catch a view of Akala's largest volcano, Mount Wela—a distinctive feature of the town.

Walking down the street, Yuga saw tourists everywhere in floral shirts and shorts, a vibrant local touch. Alola's towns had the best greenery he had ever seen, with bright flowers everywhere, a result of the favorable climate.

As he strolled and sampled the local cuisine, Yuga felt very relaxed and at ease.

As he was walking, Yuga suddenly overheard some people talking about a surfing competition happening by the beach. Seeing quite a crowd heading in that direction, he decided to join in, curious to see what it was all about.

Upon arrival, Yuga noticed a large number of spectators. After asking around, he learned that this surfing competition wasn't done with surfboards but rather with Pokémon.

This kind of surfing event was a frequent occurrence in the area, attracting both locals and tourists. It had become a popular activity in the region, and winners could even receive prizes.

Looking around, Yuga spotted numerous people with Water-type Pokémon signing up.

"Why don't I sign up too?" Yuga thought. Since returning from Ultra Space, his Lapras had been sulking a bit, and maybe participating in something fun could improve its mood.

With that in mind, Yuga released Lapras.

"Lapras, they're holding a surfing competition here. Would you like to join me?"

Lapras, still slightly annoyed, glanced sideways at Yuga, pretending not to care, then gave a proud nod.

Due to the high number of participants, the registration line was long, but Yuga and Lapras managed to get signed up after a bit of a wait.

After registering, Yuga found out about the prizes: first place could win a Popplio, a Water-type starter Pokémon, second place would get an expensive fishing rod, and third place a swim gear set.

The prizes were impressive, especially the Popplio, which, though not necessarily a high-potential Pokémon, was valuable as a rare a Pokémon starter.

However, Yuga wasn't too concerned about winning; he was more interested in the experience, as he didn't really need any of the rewards.

An hour after registration, the competition finally began.

The first stage was a preliminary round, where contestants had to ride their Pokémon through massive waves. Only those who could withstand the waves without wiping out would advance to the next round.

The giant waves were a special feature of this beach, rolling in every half hour or so from the distant ocean, making this a popular surfing spot.

Yuga mounted Lapras and, following the staff's instructions, gradually moved out to sea. Around him were contestants riding a variety of Water Pokémon: Blastoise, Mantine, Sharpedo, Whiscash, and even some on Wailord.

Before long, Yuga saw a white line approaching from afar—it was the oncoming wave. At the sound of a whistle, all the Water Pokémon surged forward toward the massive wave.

Overhead, many Pelipper flew, serving as a rescue team arranged by the organizers. If a contestant accidentally fell, and their Pokémon couldn't assist in time, the Pelipper would swoop in to help.

Each Pelipper had the Keen Eye ability, giving them exceptional vision to monitor the entire event area, along with impressive diving skills.

Soon, a massive wave, towering higher than city walls, surged toward the contestants. Yuga quickly called out to Lapras, "Lapras, surf!"

Lapras let out a bold cry and plunged forward into the water. Holding his breath, Yuga submerged briefly, and when he emerged, they were riding at the crest of the giant wave.

Lapras's water control skills were truly remarkable. At this point, most of the other contestants were still trying to guide their Pokémon onto the wave. From his elevated position, Yuga could clearly see their faces—some tense, others anxious.

"Yah-hoo!"

Just then, a bright, cheerful voice reached Yuga's ears. Turning his head, he saw a young girl also riding a Lapras, casually gliding along the wave's peak. Her seamless surfing skills made it look as easy as walking on land, and Yuga felt a little envious of her natural ability.

While Yuga's Lapras could ride the wave effortlessly thanks to its high-level water control, the girl was relying entirely on her technique.

He recognized her immediately—it was Lana, one of Ash's companions in Alola from the original story.

"Alola!" Lana noticed Yuga's gaze and turned to greet him warmly.

"Alola!" Yuga replied, adopting the local greeting.

The competition continued, and as time passed, more contestants managed to climb onto the giant wave, while just as many were swept down by it. Even though it wasn't over yet, Yuga predicted that less than a third of the contestants would make it through the preliminary round.

Besides Lana, Yuga noticed a girl riding a Milotic, a man on a Carracosta, and a young guy on a Primarina—all of whom handled the waves like pros, clearly experienced surfers who spent much of their time in the ocean.

As the giant wave neared the shore, it began to lose its size, and by the time the round ended, Yuga's prediction proved accurate—fewer than a third of the participants remained.

After the preliminaries, the contestants had an hour to rest before the second round. This time, simply riding the wave wouldn't be enough; they would also be judged on the tricks they could perform while surfing.

The most crucial rule of the second round was that Pokémon couldn't use any abilities during the competition.

Upon hearing this, Yuga felt a pang of embarrassment. He knew nothing about surfing tricks—his entire strategy up until now was relying on Lapras's "automatic driving" mode.

Sure enough, the gap between Yuga and the skilled surfers became obvious in the second round. While others were performing stunts on their Pokémon, gracefully cutting through the waves, Yuga was doing his best just to stay balanced, relying on Lapras's water control skills to avoid looking too awkward.

Lana's surfing skills were as stunning as ever. Her Lapras flipped up and down along the giant wave, with Lana standing firmly on its back, unaffected by any of the rough motions.

Before long, the competition results came out. Lana unsurprisingly took first place, the man on the Carracosta came second, and the trainer with the Primarina earned third place.

Yuga placed somewhere in the middle—no prize, but at least he hadn't embarrassed himself.

Lapras, however, looked dejected about not winning. They had entered the competition with a bit of an advantage, and yet they still lost—it was rather humiliating.

Yuga consoled it, saying, "Each has their specialty. We're not professional surfers, so losing is normal." Yuga, with his thick skin, didn't feel even a bit of shame at losing with such an advantage.

Lapras rolled its eyes at Yuga and insisted he quickly return it to its Pokéball; it didn't want to be out in the open to suffer further embarrassment.

After Yuga returned Lapras, he muttered to its Pokéball, "I didn't say anything wrong. What's there to be mad about? We really don't know anything about surfing!"

Not far away, Lana had just claimed her first-place prize, a Popplio. Upon spotting Yuga, her eyes lit up, and she was just about to walk over when a sudden scream broke out.

Yuga, who had been grumbling to Lapras's Pokéball, heard it too. Soon after, chaos spread through the crowd as people began to flee. Yuga quickly saw the cause of the commotion.

It was a Palossand!

Initially, this Palossand was only about the size of a small hut, but as time went by, it grew larger and larger until it became a massive castle-like structure, covering a huge portion of the beach.

"My child! My child! My child!"

"Taro! Taro!"

…

It was then that Yuga noticed several young children, around five or six years old, were trapped inside the Palossand. The parents, crying out, were desperate to rush in and rescue their kids, but other sensible tourists held them back.

If the parents were to run in now, not only would they fail to save their children, but they might also put themselves in harm's way.

The cause was simple: this Palossand had likely washed up on the beach with the waves and had disguised itself as sand. But when some mischievous kids disturbed it while playing, they angered it, leading to the current situation.

Palossand is a Ghost-type Pokémon that absorbs the life force of creatures within it, fitting its Ghost-type nature all too well. People in Alola were aware of this, which explained the parents' desperation.

Several kind-hearted trainers quickly sprang into action to rescue the children, but this Palossand was unexpectedly powerful. Not a single trainer who attempted to help could gain the upper hand.

Leaving aside its offensive capabilities, this Palossand had impressive defensive abilities. Every attack directed at it was absorbed by the sand on its body.

Seeing the parents crying in despair, Yuga pushed through the crowd and released his Venusaur.