Alola is a beautiful region. It's normally associated with peace, tranquility, and warm friendliness. To the rest of the world, Alola is a dream with the narrative of perfection. Yet, though Alola may be a paradise, even a paradise has shadow's cast by its trees.

You open an Alolan pamphlet, and you are greeted with images of sunny beaches and divine bars. Grimy streets, worn buildings, and hefty amounts of grafiti have no presence on the ideal depictions of Alola, as to be expected. But in reality, there is Po town, overrun by a gang who gave themselves the name of "Team Skull." In reality, there are the "underbellies."

The title of the "Alolan Underbellies" refer to three specific areas on the islands. These areas are plagued with higher rates of both poverty and crime. In short, they are far less than the desired place to call home. Each of these troubled neighborhood are positioned on different islands, individual of each other. One is located on Akala Island, one is located on Ula'Ula island, and the last one is located on Melemele island.

Melemele island is where today's story takes place. Today's story is about a girl, both living and trapped within Melemele's underbelly.

One morning at the Pokémon school, the air was more lively and energetic than ever. Lillie sat at her desk, while Snowy laid within her lap with its eyes resting shut. Happily perched on Lillie's finger was the shiny Pikipek, newly named Lucky. Her peers, as well as her teacher, gathered around her, quite surprised about the new Pokémon's inclusion. Saki was the exception, as she was the only one in the class to remain at her own desk, arms folded. Her eyes were glued to the floor, a downtrodden air pressing against her back. Her current state mostly went unnoticed by the others, the perceptive Mallow being the only exclusion.

"I'm glad you've managed to find it! I could see why you named it Lucky," Lana mentioned.

"Lillie?" Sophocles asked the timid girl, taking a step closer to her while holding Togedemaru in his arms. "You think you could touch Togedemaru now? Give her a pat!"

Unsure, Lillie went to shake her head. However, before the girl could properly refuse, Sophocles shoved the peppy Togedemaru into Lillie's face as it cheered and waved its stubby arms. The girl let out a fearful gasp, right before a loud shriek, her body thrusting back into the chair. Her body weight, although there was not much weight to be mentioned, was enough to tip the chair over to the ground. Of course, she went down with it.

"Awe, geez! Sorry Lillie! I didn't think you'd go down like the titanic!" Sophocles rapidly blurted. "That was stupid of me, I'm sorry!"

Kukui and Kiawe both ran to Lillie's side, offering her assistance. They helped her stand, which was quite easy. She was unharmed, though, a little bit shaken.  Meanwhile, rotom floated to Sophocles's side, a smug look on its face. "Sooooooo, do youzzz admit that I'mzzz the smarter one aroundzzz here? The true brainzzz of the group? Youzzz did a 'stupid' thing, after allzzzzz.~"

Sophocles's apologetic look fell flat within an instant, unhappy with Rotom's teasing. "I will never admit such a thing. I'm the brains of this group!"

Mallow felt a twinge of awkwardness watching the modestly chaotic scene unfold. Twisting her head away from the performance, she noticed the absence of a previously present classmate.

"Saki?" Mallow blankly called. An immediate sense of worry poured into the girl's mind, wondering what could have made her friend leave without a word to anyone. She was aware of Saki's somber mood and loaded mind. She has become familiar enough with the girl to decipher her behaviors, and she noticed that her state of mind was poorer than usual. That fact alone made her very, very concerned.

Without a moment of thought, Mallow exited the classroom without telling the teacher or the rest of her classmates. She regretted not confronting the girl beforehand, though she had little opportunity to do such. She carried a feeling of responsibility, as Steenee followed behind her loyally, not quite understanding the reasons for its trainer's actions. The girl's eyes darted all around the hallway, searching.

Wandering aimlessly, Mallow couldn't find the troubled girl, until she peeked out one of the clear, clean windows. Outside, she saw Saki walking away from the school and exiting the property, Akemi trotting behind her. She walked with a pathetic posture, bent forward as if she were a hunchback, while dragging her bag across the ground. Mallow pressed her hands against the window, focusing on the sight that gave her a feeling of shock.

"Steenee..." Mallow slowly began to confide. "Why would she just... leave school like that? What's wrong? Something must be incredibly wrong... the way she's been acting today. Goodness! I can't just stand here! I've got to go after her!"

She ripped her hands from the window and dashed down the hall. Unfortunately, her pathway was soon interjected by a teacher who possessed short, red hair.

"No running in the halls," the woman began to scold. Mallow tried to sidestep and dart past the woman, but she sidestepped right back into the girl's way. "Hey, where are you going in such a rush? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Well, yes, but I've gotta go after my friend! Now if you excuse me," Mallow said, attempting to excuse herself from the conversation. Once again, she tried to sidestep away from the obstacle, but the woman stepped right back in her way.

"I've heard such an excuse like that before, more times than I could count. And I fell for them every time... anywho!" The woman blurted, for an instant breaking her stern facade. "You can't just ditch school in the middle of the class. Did you sneak out? Tell me your teachers name, and I'll personally guide you back to your classroom."

"No!" Mallow spat, her patience wearing thinner and thinner. "I did not sneak away from Kukui! ... At least not intentionally. Gah! That doesn't even matter right now, I'm sorry but I really gotta-"

"Kukui you say? Ah, what a dreamboat," the women cooed, interrupting Mallow's statement. The woman shook herself out of her admiration for the professor, and switched back to her uptight teacher persona. "P-pardon me for that! Anyways! Listen, young lady, you-"

"I don't have time for this!" Mallow interjected, before shoving the woman out of the way. She continues to run in an effort to catch up to her friend, while her Steenee paused. The uncharacteristic action caught the green Pokémon by surprise, tilting its head in confusing thought. Yet, It didn't have much time to ponder. It began to jog, assuring Mallow wouldn't run too far ahead without it close by.

"Well..." the woman murmured to herself, watching to girl leave her sight. "Guess this is a good excuse to talk to that hot man..."

After leaving the teacher behind her, Mallow sped down the path she believed she saw Saki walk down. Her efforts proved to be to no avail, as she never came across the brunette or her little Mimikyu. Eventually, her pace slowed and her head hung in defeat. Steenee slowly approached behind her, and pulled at the bottom of her shorts.

Mallow stopped and turned her head to see the wide, toddler-like eyes of Steenee. Its lip quivered, it wore a childish pout, making the girl's heart ache as if it had been directly stabbed.

"Oh dear, I'm okay Steenee. It'll be okay. I'll be okay," Mallow consoled, picking up the Pokémon into her arms. "I'm just a little disappointed is all... I was certain she went this way. I skipped class to make sure she was okay, but I don't even know where she is! If only that teacher didn't stop me... then maybe... well that doesn't matter anymore. How am I supposed to find her now?"

Mallow's eyes shifted from place to place, looking for an answer, but there was no answer to be found. She was left to her own devices. Her forehead puckered as the wheels within her brain turned. "I would go to her house to check up on her, but I don't exactly know where that is. So aside from that, how could I?... Oh! That's it! Steenee! I figured out a plan! Steenee!"

Mallow began to spin Steenee in her arms, exciting the playful Pokémon. As Steenee giggled, the girl proceeded to describe her thought process. "I'll just stop by the Pokémon mart! She works there! Maybe the people there know where she might be headed! Or maybe I'm just worrying to much, and she really just went to go work a shift, and we'll find her there! Ah, hopefully I'm not being too optimistic here."

Mallow placed Steenee back onto the ground, before slapping her hands onto her hips. "Now enough fooling around, we've got somewhere to go!"

After a short walk, Mallow entered the local Pokémart, opening the door with a squeak. Poking her head inside, she noticed there was a single shopper scanning through the shelfs, and a single employee wiping the counter with a cloth.

The employee looked about fourteen, and possessed a rough appearance. Her hair was spiked and dyed with neon blue streaks. She wore a piercing on her lip, her nose, and had multiple on her ears. Her eyes were sharper than glass shards, and she popped her gum without a care.

The less than welcoming appearance was off-putting to Mallow, who bit on her lip. Carefully, and painfully slowly, Mallow took steps towards the counter and the employee. When she stood right before the counter, the girl didn't even notice her. With only a modest sound of choking hesitation in her voice, Mallow made herself known.

"H...Hi," Mallow simply greeted.

The employee looked up, the cutting glare immediately making Mallow sweat. With a spit, the girl asked, "Whaddya want?"

"Oh! Uh... well you see," Mallow began, twiddling her thumbs. "I'm kinda looking for a friend of mine? She works here, you see. ... So if it wouldn't be a bother-"

"Just spit it out," the employee snapped.

Mallow paused for an instant, before collecting herself with a quick breath. "Alright? Do you have an idea where Saki might be currently? Might she be here?"

The employee pried her eyes away from Mallow, and stood wordless, releasing the cloth from her fingers' grip. She fully turned her head away, and began to chuckle a rueful laugh. "That little fool? She won't be coming back here for a while, I don't think."

Mallow placed a hand to her chin. "She's not coming back here? What do you mean?"

"Heh, not too suckish of a question, little Miss Midori. So here's a little background for ya. My boss here, he likes hiring desperate people," the employee explained, looking back at Mallow while once again popping her gum. "I can't say I know exactly why. Maybe he likes to give people second chances, but he don't strike me as that kinda guy. I think he likes to use desperate people because they'll tolerate more, and work for less. And that hothead definitely falls into the desperate category, no problem."

Mallow remembered the day she took Saki to the mall, a day that ended in disaster. Particularly, she remembered Saki pushing away the skirt Mallow wished for her to try, shouting about not being able to even feed herself. Questions began to flood into her mind, one after another, creating a horrible stress. How desperate was Saki? Was she in trouble? How could she have not realized before? How could she have not done something before? How could she? She was supposed to be her friend.

Not observing or bothered by Mallow's turmoil, the employee proceeded with her elaboration. "See, it's really hard to get booted out of this joint, the manager barley ever kicks anyone to the curb. But hothead? Hah! She managed! Only some many times you could argue with customers and make a scene before you destroy an employer's tolerance."

"She... she was fired?" Mallow questioned, wrapping her head around the girl's explanation.

The employer nodded her head, showing a dejectful, knowing grin. "Yup. Fired. Relieved of duties. Let go, you know, whatever fancy term they call it. She flipped-"

"She screamed at your boss?" Mallow asked.

"No," the employee corrected. "She broke down into tears, and begged him to reconsider."

For a split second, the breath left Mallow's body. She could envision Saki breaking down, she could imagine her voice wailing as she made hopeless pleads. Even the mental image of seeing her friend in such pain made her chest throb with ache. "How... long ago was this?" Mallow questioned with a sheepish voice.

"Two days ago? Or was it yesterday? I dunno," the employee answered, popping her gum yet again. "Haven't seen her since. She's probably moping somewhere."

"Do you have any idea where?" Mallow asked with a grave tone, speaking loudly and quickly. "I've got to find her! I'm worried about her... and I don't know where to look!"

"Oh? Why not look around her home turf?" The employee inquired.

Mallow's eyes darted away from the girl, almost ashamed of the statement she was about to make. "Her... her home turf? I'm sorry but... I don't know where that is. Do you?"

The employee stopped chewing on her gum, and raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know where she-"

"Just answer me!" Mallow shouted with embarrassment, her rosy cheeks growing brighter.

The air fell silent. The employee's sharp, piercing stare returned, once again creating an unsettled feeling within Mallow's stomach. Though her first impulse was to apologize for her behavior, and leave as quickly as possible, she couldn't. She had to stand her ground, keeping her resolve.

"Please. Just tell me," Mallow requested.

"Heh. You've got guts asking that after raising your voice at me, Midori. But fine. I've seen her around my neighborhood before, I don't think she lives far from me. I'll bet you five bucks she lives somewhere in the Underbelly," the employee explained.

"T-the Underbelly? Melemele's underbelly?!" Mallow exclaimed in shock. "Isn't that a... a..."

"Shitty place to live? Meh. It's far from divine, but home is home, you know? You shouldn't judge. I don't know what you've heard about the place, but I'm willing to bet that you don't know a thing about the Underbelly, or the people who live there." The employee turned her head away with a snort. She crossed her arms, and her demeanor sunk to its lowest at the flip of a dime.  "I told you what you wanted. Either buy something or leave."

Mallow recoiled, taking a step back, before nodding her head in understanding. "I'm... sorry if I offended you, or bothered you. But thank you! Thank you for your help...miss."

With those being her final words to the girl, Mallow exited the Pokémart. Steenee scurried behind her, following its trainer to its new planned destination. Meanwhile, the employee began to wipe the counter once again, and the Pokémart returned to the way it was.

Mallow remembers, once, as a little child, she went adventuring all on her own. She found herself wandering through unfamiliar streets, decorated in only dull browns, grays, and yellows. It was unsettling, yet exciting to the bold girl. When her father found out about his travels, he was extremely unhappy. He gave Mallow a warning she has not yet forgotten:

"Mallow, sweetheart, do not wander the Underbelly by yourself. Especially not at night. It's not a safe place for you, crime is pretty bad over there. Promise me, don't do that again. Please."

And here she was now, wandering Melemele's Underbelly once again, with only Steenee by her side. She was hyper aware, and skittish, due to the anxiety inducing surroundings. Grime, vandalism, and unpleasant sounds surrounded her, making her weary. It was almost like a warning to head back, but she couldn't. She couldn't.

She walked along the worn pavement of the street, keeping her eyes open for her friend. Different types of people caught her attention, from young children innocently playing, to men staring at her with intimidating looks. No one she spotted, unfortunately, was the person she actually wanted to see.

"Stee..." Steenee tugged on Mallow's hand, uncertain of its new surroundings. Mallow's own nervousness spread to the impressionable Pokémon, who felt an urge to abandon the search. Of course, Mallow was stubborn, squeezing the Steenee's hand in an attempt of comfort, but not giving up on her quest.

It took nearly a half an hour of the pair walking in circles, completely aimless in the unfamiliar setting, to finally find success. Steenee began to call out to Mallow, and pointed to a shabby bench with chipping paint. Sitting on said bench, her knees tucked to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs, Saki buried her face away from sight. Akemi leaned against her side, its eyes closed, making light whimpering sounds. There was little noise, aside from the distant sound of sirens, which created a contagious sensation of melancholy.

"S-Saki? Saki!" Mallow yelled. She quickly began to run towards her, relieved to finally discover the girl. Her shout, and her speedy footsteps, caught Saki's attention. She lifted her head, her mouth hanging open with surprise.

Before Saki had a chance to say a word, Mallow threw her arms around her in a hug. "Oh, Saki! Are you alright? I've been looking all over for you! You seemed so... upset, and then you left without a word. I just had to check up on you!" She pulled away, making direct eye contact with her friend. "Please answer me. Are you alright?"

Saki averted her damp eyes, shoving her hands into her pockets. She was silent, not uttering a word.

Mallow frowned, gripping Saki's shoulders. "Tell me, what's wrong? I stopped by the Pokémart while I was looking for you, and I found out you lost your job. Is that what has you down?"

In response, Saki released a hefty sigh. Once again making eye contact with Mallow, she meekly spoke. "Sorta."

"Sorta?" Mallow echoed, making an earnest attempt to understand. "What do you mean, Saki?"

Saki closed her eyes, tears beginning to slide down her red cheeks. Her breathing became unsteady. "I mean... I don't know what to do now. It's not like... like... any other place would hire me. So I'm... I'm not going to be able to get... get... get the money I need. I don't know what to do... Mallow. I don't want to start... pickpocketing again..."

Saki thumped her head against Mallow's chest, beginning to lean on her friend. Mallow placed a hand on her back and rubbed, attempting to offer what little comfort she could.

"Pickpocketing...?" Mallow stammered. "Why... why would you have to do something like that? Why... why are you so concerned about money? Saki... don't your parents take care of that for you?"

"..." Saki's voice fell silent. Her tears grew more heavy, and her sobs grew louder. "No... he... don't care. He don't care at all. He hates me..."

"That can't be true!" Mallow gasped. "That just can't be true! I doubt... 'he' hates you! You can't be right..."

Naive to possible circumstances, and lacking knowledge of the girl's situation, Mallow shook her head vigorously. Continuing to stroke Saki's back, she tried to develop a way to solve her issue. "Maybe we should go talk to 'him', I'm sure we could-"

"No!" Saki shouted. "No way! I... I don't wanna see him! I don't wanna go home!"

Saki shoved Mallow away, wide eyed like a deer caught in bright headlights. Tears were continuing to drop, her eyes and face were cherry red. Mallow couldn't help but feel sick.

Mallow knelt down to the sitting Saki's eye level, a gentle touch to her expression. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to... upset you more. Maybe you could come over to my house. It'll give you a chance to calm down and... we could continue to talk about this once you're more relaxed."

Saki slowly nodded.