Alola was experiencing a heatwave, which Ash didn't even think was possible until now. Alola's heat was already overwhelming for the foreigner to handle, but now Alola just felt like a giant grill ready to prepare a well-done Ash.

Ash had the house to himself for the day, as Kukui left to complete a set of field studies. He was half-convinced that Kukui left Alola to spend the day in Sinnoh's Snowpoint city, leaving him behind to slowly melt into a sludgy goop. His only weapon of defense against the heat was a small fan, blowing a piffling air in his face as he laid stomach down on his room's floor.

Rotom repeatedly swarmed around him, and to Ash's annoyance, kept pestering him with its boredom.

"Azzzzzzzh let'z go do something! You're the onez who's alwayz talking about adventure, bzzt!" Rotom spun in circles above Ash's head. "C'monnn! I'm so bored! And it'z gorgeous outside today! Drop-dead gorgeous!"

"Yeah, and it's also a trillion degrees outside." Ash's laid his head face-down on the carpet. "My shirt's soaking in my own sweat."

"Seriously? That'z not the Azh I know! You don't ever let anything stop you, bzzt! You aren't acting like Azh, Azh!" Rotom tugged at Ash's shirt, trying to make him stand. "On your feetz! On your feetz!"

"Ugh..." Ash didn't move. Rotom kept persisting.

"Azh! Think of all the things you could do today! You could look for some new memberz for your team!"

"No."

"Or you could take a boat and go to one of the different islandzzz! Go sightseeing likez a tourist!"

"No."

"Your Torracat evolved the other day! Wouldn't it be a good idea to trainz it up a bit so it can get used to battling in itz new form?"

"No."

"You could—"

"Oh dear gosh, Rotom! No, no, no, and no!" Ash swatted Rotom away like an insect.

"How rude," Rotom grumbled. "I bet today is an action-packed day for Alolazzz! You're not going to do anythingzz?"

"Yup," Ash said.

"Ughz!" Rotom zoomed away in its disappointment, but not before giving one last opinion. "Just so you knowzz, Azh, I have a feeling today is a very busy Alolan day! You're missing out by, well, missing it!"

"It's too hot for anything," Ash whined. "I doubt anything is even happening today."

Ash was very, very wrong. Alola was as lively as ever, even amidst the heatwave.

Kiawe figured, at this point, it must've been an hour. One entire hour passed by as he sat with a fishing pole in hand, surrounded by the crisp air of Brooklet hill. One entire hour has passed without a single nibble on his bait. Lana sat beside him with a smile on her face, having just caught her third Magicarp of the day. She tossed it back into the water, alongside all of the other water Pokémon she had caught and released. Between all the Wishiwashi and Goldeens, Kiawe lost count of just how many fish Lana has managed to reel in.

"You're killing me." Kiawe hung his head.

"Hm? Is it because I don't suck at fishing?" Lana asked.

"..." Kiawe hung his head further.

"Oh, don't be like that. You've never really been fishing before, after all."

"But what are you doing that I'm not?"

"Well, you could say I'm an expert..." Lana stood up, looking out at the water glistening under the Alolan sun. The wind gently tousled her hair and her clothes, but she stood firm with a soft expression on her face. "You could also say I have become one with the water itself."

"...Lana. Don't give me that nonsense."

Kiawe scoffed while Lana snickered. The girl plopped herself back onto the ground, tucking her knees into her chest.

"Impatient, aren't we? The fish could sense that."

"I'm not impatient."

"Um..." Lana watched as Kiawe's feet continuously tapped against the ground. "You're impatient, Kiawe."

"Well, who wouldn't be? The fish just don't like me!"

"Shush. Don't raise your voice or you'll scare this fish. You want to catch one, don't you?"

There was a long, silent pause.

"Does it even matter if I raise my voice?" Kiawe mumbled. "Yeah, I want to catch a fish. But it's just not happening."

"It will happen if you just follow my lead, and become one with the water."

"Lana—"

"In other words, you need to be calm from the inside out. The fish will be drawn to your aura. I know fiery passion is your thing, but it's not the fishes' thing."

"How am I supposed to—"

Lana leaped back onto her feet, stepping behind Kiawe and interrupting him by pushing his shoulders down. She was giggling for a reason Kiawe couldn't figure out for the life of him.

"Bend down," she said. "It'll make you less intimidating."

"How's that supposed to help? It's not like the fish could see me from underwater."

"Just trust me. And take deep breaths, that will also help you stay relaxed. And clear your mind, too. Think about nothing, absolutely nothing."

Although Kiawe felt silly bending forward like a hunchback, he tried his best to follow Lana's advice. He steadied his breath and chased out every last thought lingering in his brain. He kept mentally repeating to himself that he needed to empty his mind, empty his mind, empty mind—

Kiawe zoned out completely.

"Kiawe! Kiawe!"

The sound of Lana's voice snapped him back into reality.

"Kiawe!" Lana shouted. "Kiawe, what are you doing?! Reel it in! Before you lose it! Reel it in!"

"O-oh!" Kiawe reeled in the line as fast as he could, feeling a weight tugging back at the other end. He could hear splashing, but he kept his sight locked on the fishing pole, thinking of nothing but finally finding success. Soon enough, the splashing stopped, and he looked up to see a reeled-in Feebas hanging in the air. He clenched the pole tightly in his hands, shaking as he saw the results of his best efforts.

"Feeeee." Feebas cried as it kept wiggling at the end of the line, it's jaw caught on the hook. Lana and Kiawe studied it in silence.

"..."

"..."

"It's... so beautiful!" Kiawe removed the Feebas from the hook and hugged it close to his chest. Manly tears fell from his eyes. "I'm so happy, I think I might just die! I love him!"

"... Such an amazing catch Kiawe!" Lana beamed. "A super rare catch, too! I'm so jealous!"

"Feeeeee."

"Ladies. I've invited you here for something very, very important."

Hau folded his hands on top of the table; his eyes narrowed yet still burning with zeal. Saki and Sapphire stared at him from across the table, saying nothing. Hau didn't say another word.

Earlier that day, Hau's invitation blindsided the two girls. The way he acted came across as suspicious from the get-go, and it was obvious that he was plotting something. What wasn't apparent, however, was why he chose a malasada-specializing restaurant as their meeting place.

And even as they sat there in the middle of the restaurant as requested, Hau didn't offer any explanations.

"Um..." Saki opened her mouth to speak but found herself speechless.

Sapphire, on the other hand, had plenty to say. "What the heck is this all about? Don't tell me you're trying to act all mysterious and cool or whatever, because you're failing miserably. And it's annoying."

Hau froze. The critique did little to dishearten him, as he rebounded with a cheerful laugh and a shake of his head. "Tough crowd, tough crowd. I'll cut to the chase. Today, we're tackling a massive enemy. An enemy thought to be undefeatable by the masses, a monster taunting humanity with its tall, delectable might. Today, as a team, we'll tear that monster apart!"

"..." Saki was still speechless.

"What on God's green earth are you going on about, Hoppy?" Sapphire asked.

Hau fell silent, shutting his eyes with a toothy, complacent grin. The girls heard footsteps approach their table, and before they could theorize why Hau was so self-satisfied, a server stood before them while balancing an ungodly amount of malasadas on a plate. The malasadas were stacked on top of one another, forming a tower that was over four feet tall. The server carefully set the malasada monstrosity on their table without disrupting the tower's stability.

The server saluted the three like soldiers. "I wish you luck as you climb the malasada tower. May the odds be in your favor."

The server walked back towards the kitchen, leaving the girls gawking at the tower's intimidating figure. Saki's jaw nearly dropped to the ground; Sapphire covered her mouth as she tried to bury her urge to gasp. Hau was still smiling, rubbing his hands together.

"For a long, long time, I dreamed of taking the malasada tower challenge! Now, my day has finally come!" Hau shouted, drawing the attention of several onlookers. "Honestly, I was kinda too nervous to think about tackling it all by myself. But with you two, my friends by my side, I can wholeheartedly say I'm ready to slay this monster and become a malasada champion!"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on. Back up. What's all this mushy talk about friendship for?" Sapphire asked.

"That's what you're asking about?" Saki raised a brow. "Not about the unholy horror that we're supposed to eat?"

"It's so damn cliche that it's hurting my eardrums." Sapphire crossed her arms. "Do you really think we'll be able to eat this entire thing with something as stupid as 'the power of friendship?' Our stomachs will explode."

"We'll be able to do it! I know we can!" Hau stood up, pumping his fist in the air. "If all three of us work together, have the understanding to accept this tower as a whole, the knowledge to set a proper pace, the courage to attack the fried goodness, and the dedication to keep on eating, we'll tear down the malasada tower like it's nothing!"

Sapphire rolled her eyes. "Was that your attempt at a motivational speech? Our stomachs will still explode."

Watching Hau's enthusiastic gestures and seeing the bright look on his face, Saki couldn't bear the thought of disappointing him. "I mean, I guess it's worth a shot. How much did this tower cost anyway, Hau?"

"Well, it's free if we finish it in the next forty minutes."

As soon as Hau finished his sentence, both Saki and Sapphire began to dig into the base of the tower. They ate as fast as possible, not bothering to savor the taste or even chew. The sudden shift in action startled Hau.

"You guys...?"

"It's free food," Saki answered with a mouth full of malasada.

"You should never waste free food." Sapphire chimed in, also having a mouth full of malasada.

Their answer was enough to satisfy Hau. He hopped into the fray, beginning to cram in one malasada after another into his mouth.

A half an hour later, all that was left behind was an empty plate. The three laid their heads on the table, queasy and dizzy. They all wanted to head into a restroom, but their bodies felt too heavy.

"We did it..." Hau muttered.

"We're never doing that again," Sapphire said.

"Agreed," Saki said.

Everyone in the restaurant clapped for their group's accomplishments, but the three felt too sick to take pride in the praises from others.

Ever since he conquered the trial at Verdant Cavern, Len found himself drawn to the boy who served as its trial captain. Ilima was easy to talk to, kind and mild-tempered, and most importantly, patient. His overall calming aura was a comfort to Len. The anxious boy sought to spend as much time in Ilima's soothing presence as he could.

The two sat in a diner, Ilima sipping on a glass of iced tea and Len's hands wrapped around a hot cup of coffee. It wasn't a particularly busy day at the restaurant, so the pair were able to enjoy the peaceful quiet while chatting.

"Mr. Ilima?" Len's voice was shaky, as always.

Ilima raised his head, taking another sip of his tea. "Mmhm?"

"What's a simp?"

Ilima choked on his ice tea, covering his mouth to keep himself from spitting it out. Coughing and hacking, Ilima's eyes darted upwards to meet Len's naive expression.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Ilima? Was it something I said?"

"No! No, don't you worry." Ilima put down his glass and caught his breath from his coughing fit. "Just went down the wrong pipe is all. Anyways... Len, my dear friend. Have you just discovered Reddit?"

"Reddit? What's Reddit? W-wait, am I supposed to know that? I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I don't—"

"Easy, Len. Easy. Nevermind Reddit." Ilima spoke in a soft tone. "I was just curious about where you could have heard that word."

"Simp?"

"Yes. Simp."

"Well..." Len pressed his thumbs together. "Miss Lynn called me a simp the other day, but she wouldn't explain what it meant. I didn't want to keep pestering her about it because that would be rude, but I can't stop wondering what it means. Did Miss Lynn compliment me? If she did, t-then... it was rude of me not to thank her immediately!"

"Uh..." Ilima, with every fiber of his being, tried not to laugh at Len's innocence. He knew it would most likely send Len into a nervous frenzy, and that's the last thing he wanted. He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the humor of the situation and keep a straight face.

"You like Lynn quite a bit, don't you?"

"Yes, I really, really do!" Len bounced in his seat like a perky puppy. "She's so strong and fun! And she's always herself, no matter what! I admire her a bunch! But what does that have to do with the word 'simp'—?"

"Ah, such a pure sentiment. As a humbly self-proclaimed love expert, I wish to assist you in your journey to claim her heart."

Ilima leaned against the table with a wink. Len, on the other hand, leaned back with his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.

"H-huh?! Claim her heart?! And you still haven't answered my question—!"

"That is correct, Len. I wish to offer my advice to your cause."

"But I—"

"Play hard to get."

Ilima clapped his hands together as he nodded to his own statement, grinning like a villain who just unveiled his master plan. Len went to protest.

"But—"

"Make Lynn come to you," Ilima persisted. "Not the other way around. Just act like you're a little too busy for her. If she's interested in you, she'll start putting energy into spending time with you and furthering the relationship."

"That's great and all, Mr. Ilima. It really is, I give you my thanks! Really! B-but how can I play hard to get when I'm trying to get her to battle me? I have to keep asking her! I... I need to kick her butt in a Pokémon battle!"

Ilima blinked a couple of times. "Well, that escalated rather quickly."

"You think so? I-I'm sorry!" Len put his palms together and pleaded. "D-don't be angry, please! I-it's something I need to do! It's just that I want Lynn to see me as an equal! You know, like a rival! She's always bragging about being a tier above me or whatever, and it might be rude to say but it's getting super annoying! I want her to know I'm not just some pushover! And... I want to show myself my strength, too!"

"...You don't need to apologize Len. I hear what you're saying." Ilima smiled. "I think you're quite respectable."

Len lowered his hands and raised his head. "Respectable?"

"Yes," Ilima said. "You have the respectable mindset of a strong-willed trainer. I'm impressed."

"Wow. That means a lot coming from a trial captain."

"It's simply the truth. You have plenty of potential, Len. However, I highly suggest you

stop acting so desperate to battle around Lynn. Or desperate in general."

"...You think I've been acting too desperate—"

"Yes."

"...Does that have something to do with the definition of 'simp?'"

"...Well. Okay. Let me explain it to you this way..."

Rose, the aspiring Pokémon professor, always felt distant towards her extended family. Her aunt, in particular, had become a sour subject for her mother. Rose herself hasn't seen her aunt in what felt like ages. However, she has managed to keep in contact with her aunt's recently estranged teenage son.

Rose didn't spend time with her cousin often, but occasionally they would meet and catch up with one another. And every time, without fail, Rose would beg to play with his hair. Even now, when they sat on a bench in the middle of Malie City, she whipped out a brush and rubber bands from seemingly out of nowhere. Her lab coat's pockets held ribbons and hairpins for the sole purpose to accessorize the boy's hair.

"No, no, no, no, no. Why do we have to go through this every time?" Rōzu raised his arms defensively. "I'm not letting you touch my hair. How many times do I need to tell you that?"

"I'd quit pestering you about it if you'd just say yes for once!" Rose pouted her cheeks, "Besides, it's your fault for having such long hair! Especially long for a guy!"

"... I don't judge your life decisions, now do I?"

"Oh, don't get all sour at me! Besides, you have no reason to refuse my generous offer! I'll make you absolutely adorable! I mean it, you've got an expert in adorableness here!"

Rose poked the boy's forehead, giggling. Rōzu was unphased, muttering the first thing that came to his mind with sheer bluntness.

"You'll make me look stupid."

"No." Rose shook her head. "Adorable."

"Stupid."

"Adorable!" Rose's cheeks puffed out further, tensing up with pride. "I'm an expert! And if you let me do it right here and now, I'll never ask you ever again!"

"Right here and now?" Rōzu asked. He scanned their surroundings and all the people that were passing by. "Is this some elaborate scheme to put me through some sort of public humiliation?"

Rose dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand. "Since when were you the type to care about what other people think? Either you let me play with your hair, or you cut it!"

"I'm not cutting it."

"Then turn around."

With a defeated huff, Rōzu begrudgingly turned his back to Rose. She squeaked with eagerness as she untied the boy's ponytail. She went straight to work.

Roughly ten minutes later, Rose beamed with satisfaction and declared her masterpiece finished. Rōzu's hair was tied into pigtails with a pair of ribbons, and his bangs were swept aside by an excessive amount of decorative pins.

"Yup," Rōzu muttered. "I look stupid."

"You mean, adorable." Rose took out her phone and readied her camera. "Alright, smile!"

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you seriously taking a photo of me like this?"

"Of course! I need to immortalize this moment!"

Rose held out her phone. Rōzu knew she wouldn't relent, so he played along, striking a pose and wearing a smirk.

"Fine then," he said. "Make sure you get my good side."

Rose paused. She slowly lowered her phone and tilted her head with wide, curious eyes.

"Rōzu, why are you so extra?"

"We have taken to the streets to ask people their thoughts on the impossible whopper! It's made entirely out of plants, no Miltank meat!"

In the middle of Heahea City, a man spoke into a microphone in front of a camera crew. Most of the people on the street kept walking past them, too busy to stop and stare. That included OZone, who didn't bother to give the crew a second glance.

Then, all of a sudden, OZone found the camera crew pointing their cameras at him. The man holding the microphone held a burger wrapped in blank paper in his free hand. He gestured for OZone to take it.

"Hello, sir. We would like you to taste this Whopper and tell us what you think."

The man's wide, clearly forced smile unnerved OZone. He shook his head and took a step back, trying to excuse himself as politely as he could.

"Sorry, I'm not interested." OZone attempted to walk away, but the man stopped him. He shoved the wrapped burger in OZone's face.

"It's a free whopper, sir. Who could reject its juicy, moist, succulent goodness?"

"I'm sorry, I already ate."

Once again, OZone tried to walk away. The man raised his arm to block OZone's path.

"Sir, this is an extra moist Whopper you're rejecting. Extra moist," the man said. "You're making a big mistake walking away from its fresh, moist, right off the grill goodness."

"Fresh my ass, that thing was probably cooked an hour ago." OZone was losing patience at high speed. "And stop saying moist. Now, if you'll excuse me—"

OZone, once again, tried to walk away. The man, in desperation, unwrapped the burger and shoved it right back in OZone's face.

"Take in the moist scent, sir," the man said. "Don't you want to take a big giant bite from it? Don't you want to chew and swallow this beautiful Whopper from Burger King that totally isn't vegan?"

"..." OZone took the burger from the man's hand.

"Yes!" The man cheered. "I knew you couldn't resist! Now take a bite!"

OZone threw the burger to the ground. He stomped on it, the condiments leaking out from between the buns. Both the man and the camera crew were speechless, their jaws dropping simultaneously.

"Fuck Burger King." OZone spat on the crushed burger before storming off.

As he stormed off, OZone prayed that they wouldn't use that clip for whatever project they were making. Unfortunately for him, that clip eventually ended up being used in a Burger King commercial for everyone to see.

The words of some lowly Skull grunts shouldn't have bothered him. The title of "outsider" shouldn't have bothered him, either. Yet, Gladion still found himself brooding on the roof of the abandoned mansion.

It began with a group of noisy Skull grunts. In the main room within the mansion, one grunt brought out a radio and blasted rap music at full volume. Many of the grunts started to holler or chant along to the music, which ended up waking a napping Gladion. He stormed down the stairs, prepared to unleash his rage on his unsuspecting roommates.

Before he had the opportunity to scream at the grunts to quiet down, he was met with a chorus of groans and bitter remarks.

"Look, the homeless kid's here to ruin our fun."

"Shouldn't he just be grateful that the boss likes him enough to let him live here?"

"Doesn't he realize he's just some hired help to keep around? What a pain in the ass."

"It's not like he's an actual member of Team Skull."

"Bet the kid doesn't belong anywhere. He seems like a total loner, anyway."

"With that attitude he has, he's going to be forever alone."

Gladion left without a word.

He retreated to the roof, where he could still hear the music's beat faintly pounding. He wrapped his arms around his backpack. All his Pokémon were inside it, tucked away in their Pokéballs. He wasn't alone, right? He had his Pokémon, right?

But still, he felt like nothing more than an outsider. He didn't know what a sense of belonging felt like, nor did he remember what it felt like to be welcomed. His family was in shambles, his father was missing, and just the thought of his mother made him sick and resentful. He abandoned his baby sister without a second thought...

He abandoned his baby sister to cope on her own. He abandoned his baby sister to loneliness.

Then, he told himself, the emptiness he felt was well-deserved. Then he shouldn't ask for anything more. He shouldn't hope to be anything more than an outcast condemned to solitude.

But who wanted that? Who wanted to be cursed like that? He tried to swallow all of his remorse, and leave the pain and the past behind him. He didn't want to look back. He only wished to force himself to accept the situation and persevere, even though he knew solitude wasn't true strength.

He heard footsteps approach from behind. He turned and saw Plumeria holding two cans of root beer, coming to join him as if it were the natural thing to do.

"What are you doing here?" Gladion asked.

"You looked lonely up here by yourself, so I thought I'd join you."

Plumeria sat next to Gladion and handed him a can. He wouldn't meet her eyes, not that it bothered her. She looked out towards Po Town's landscape, the worn, abandoned buildings illuminated in the moonlight.

Gladion grimaced. "So you came up here because you pitied me?"

"Please. I'm not that generous."

Plumeria's voice, Gladion noticed, sounded much more hollow than usual. He couldn't read her expression. A stony, withdrawn sort of calm appeared to overtake her. In a muffled voice, she confessed:

"I was just feeling lonely, too."

Gladion was shocked by the admission but knew better than to pry. He nodded his head and kept his mouth shut.

The lonely, empty kids enjoyed each other's company in silence.