The last chapter is equivalent to the scene of Tapu Koko flying off to Pallet Town to give the MC the Ninetalium Z-Crystal, prior to the rewrite.
That felt unnatural, so this way it should flow better. The Tapus are island guardians, so it doesn't make sense why it would leave its island.
This Z-Crystal is original, and not part of the anime/games. This is likely the only original item I will include in this fanfic. For the most part, I want it to remain true to the anime/games.
Don't forget to drop some power stones!
*****
"This...", Ricky uttered to himself, not expecting to find a small icy-blue crystal now resting near his feet. He didn't want the crystal to get gobbled up by the sand, so he was quick to react, and picked it up. It was cold to the touch too, but only cool. It wasn't a biting chill or anything, contrary to its looks.
"Is this a Z-Crystal?", Ricky wondered, taking a moment to observe the crystal now in his hand. It sure had the shape of one. Ricky recalled there were eighteen types of crystals. So this one was likely the ice-type crystal, seeing how it was icy-blue in color. It even had a snowflake pattern inside of it.
Most Pokemon could tap into the power of Z-Crystals, as long as one's Trainer develops a tight knit bond with their Pokemon. Some Pokemon are more special than others too. Depending on which Pokemon it was, they could learn to adapt to the Z-Crystal's power, and develop their own move from it, not just the default Z-Move. But their own unique move.
"That shadow must have been Tapu Koko then...", Ricky mused. Tapu Koko rarely made appearances to the general eye, but if the Pokemon deemed a trainer suitable, Tapu Koko could bless a Trainer with a Z-Crystal. Most are awarded out through the island kahunas, though. It was a special occasion for him to receive one from the island guardian itself!
Now it made sense as to why Ricky couldn't see that shadow that moved at such a fast pace earlier. Of the Tapus, Tapu Koko was the swiftest one of them all. It was an electric-type Pokemon, and most electric-type Pokemon move very quickly.
Ricky realized the shadow was already gone, so he just stared off in the direction he thought the shadow had disappeared into, and thanked Tapu Koko with a silent gesture. Yet at this time, Ricky suddenly heard Lillie call out to him. A creak of the kitchen window reached Ricky's ears.
"Didn't you say you'd only be gone for a second, Ricky? Did something happen? Breakfast is ready.", Lillie said to Ricky standing inside the windowsill.
"I'll be right there. Something did sprout up, but I can show you once I'm inside.", Ricky said to Lillie.
"Oh?", Lillie questioned, not expecting Ricky to say that. After saying that Ricky turned his head and saw the two roosting Skarmory. Ricky smiled at them.
"We'll be counting on you two in a while to carry us to Hau'oli Airport, alright?", Ricky said to the two Skarmory.
"Skar!", The left Skarmory said. The right one kept silent but nodded its head.
Ricky double checked the luggage, making sure it was secure for travelling about. Feeling satisfied, he made extra sure his new Z-Crystal was tightly kept inside his hand. Since it was the icy-blue colored one, Ricky assumed this was for Amber. It wasn't going to target Amber's Fairy-typing, but her Ice-typing instead. Alolan Ninetales was a dual-type Pokemon, meaning it was both Ice and Fairy type. And both types were very strong types.
Ricky wasn't sure if Amber could develop her own Z-Move out of this crystal, only time till for that. For now, Ricky wanted to show this Z-Crystal to Lillie and Professor Kukui.
Ricky entered a dash and headed on inside the lab, joining the two. He could see a full table of food, consisting most of what you would see at a typical breakfast. Bacon, ham, hash browns, eggs, French toast, you name it. The more they ate now, the less hungry they would be during most of the flight. Plus they'll likely do an in-house food service later on in the flight.
Seeing as the two would be flying first-class, Ricky was planning to take advantage of that. He splurged and bought first-class tickets. Why not enjoy the flight to its fullest? Hell, Ricky might even enjoy a drink or two, considering both he and Lillie were at the legal age now!
Seeing Ricky come inside the lab, Professor Kukui called out to him.
"Take a seat anywhere, 'cuz. Lillie said something might have happened?", Professor Kukui asked, gaining interest.
"Something did indeed happen. I wouldn't call it bad by any means. Have a look at this you two.", Ricky began to explain as he took his seat. He took a quick gander at the nearby clock, and it now read 8AM. Their flight departed at 10AM on the dot, and boarding began at 930AM. They were already pre checked and everything, so they could use the fast lane past security. If they left at 830AM or 845AM, they'd have plenty of time.
With some time to spare, Ricky extended his hand out. He also saw Amber, Snowy and Rockruff were also nearby. Amber's eyes immediately wandered toward the table. She felt a sense of familiarity the moment Ricky's Z-Crystal plopped onto the table.
"This...", Lillie uttered in surprise, not expecting to see such a tiny crystal.
"Hey now. That's for sure a Z-Crystal. I'm pretty sure you didn't have this five minutes ago.", Professor Kukui immediately responded with a frown.
"I didn't. I saw a swift shadow enter my view, but it fled too quickly before I could see what it was as I was storing away the luggage. But I think it was Tapu Koko.", Ricky guessed.
"Tapu Koko? You mean the island guardian of Melemele Island?", Lillie asked.
"The very one.", Ricky responded, nodding his head.
"Now that's unexpected. You sayin' Tapu Koko blessed you with a Z-Crystal? Heh heh, you aren't even partaking in the island challenge yet, 'cuz.", Professor Kukui said with a smirk.
"I am not entirely sure why either. Tapu Koko must have done it for a reason.", Ricky said, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't have an answer for this either.
"The guardians typically have reasons for doing what they do. If you got a Z-Crystal out of it, then that means Tapu Koko likes you. You sure you don't want to stay behind and take the island challenge instead?", Professor Kukui asked Ricky.
"Haha. I wish. But no. I got my friends and family waiting for my return. It's best if I start my adventure in Kanto where my home turf is. We can use Z-Crystals outside of Alola, right Kukui?", Ricky asked. He wanted to make sure. Battle styles were always changing as Professor Kukui mentioned several moments ago.
"You sure can. All you need is the Z-Ring to harness a Z-Crystal's power, and a little of something else. I'll show you the ropes once we finish breakfast. Let's dig in!", Professor Kukui exclaimed. Even he marveled at the sight of the presentation of food before him.
"Will we be able to eat it all?", Lillie said with a frown. "It sure is a lot..."
"Haha! Don't overstuff yourself. Kukui can enjoy leftovers if we have anything remaining. I also set aside some berries for our Pokemon too.", Ricky replied.
Lillie nodded her head and the three ate away in a fervor. They spent a good ten minutes or so happily chatting away, enjoying a scrumptious breakfast. Amber and Snowy also stuffed their cheeks, and felt full. Having played around for a good while already, Snowy was beginning to yawn.
Some time had passed since then, and the clock now read 815AM. Most of the plates were emptied. The three made quick work of cleaning everything up. As Ricky stated, Professor Kukui did get some leftovers out of this big meal. Ricky cooked most of it prior to Lillie coming here.
During the meal, Professor Kukui inquired about goals Ricky and Lillie had after touching down in Kanto. After he got a good wrap around things, their breakfast concluded and Professor Kukui took the duo to the living room again. It was there where he took out two completed Z-Rings, and began explaining its features.
"There are two main criteria that you have to meet to use these Z-Rings."
"The first one is Z-Crystals. You can get these crystals as rewards for beating the several island challenges, and by battling an island's kahuna. You can also get these crystals from the four island guardians, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini. That in particular, on the other hand, solely depends on whether the guardians like you or not. In a way, Tapu Koko tossing a Z-Crystal at 'Cuz was Tapu Koko's way of wanting to be friends."
"But just obtaining Z-Crystals is merely the first step."
"To actually use Z-Moves, trainers require a strong bond of friendship with their Pokemon. It's not like any Pokemon can use these extremely powerful moves that could turn the tide of a battle. There is a certain threshold a trainer has to meet with their Pokemon first."
"So you need both these Z-Crystals and a strong bond with your Pokemon?", Lillie asked, wanting to double check what Professor Kukui had just said to them.
"That's about it. These moves are like, super strong! So strong that you can only use it once in battle!", Professor Kukui exclaimed.
"A move so strong you can use it once in battle too...", Lillie uttered in surprise. She then glanced at Ricky. He had placed his Z-Crystal back in his hand after enjoying breakfast. "You must've been lucky to acquire a crystal already. Even I'm a tad jealous, hehe.", Lillie giggled.
"Haha, don't take offense to it, alright, Lillie? I'm still just as surprised as you are in receiving a Z-Crystal.", Ricky responded back at her.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you could immediately start using this Z-Ring!", Professor Kukui also said with a smug look in his eyes.
"You think so?", Ricky asked. Ricky wasn't bothered by that second requirement to use Z-Moves. He had a full fifteen years to bond with his Alolan Vulpix, unlike Lillie who had just caught Snowy early last year. He hasn't partaken in any battles thus far, but just battling by itself wasn't the only way one could raise their friendship with their Pokemon. There were multiple ways to do so.
If Professor Kukui said it was likely Ricky could start using Z-Moves right off the bat, then he likely could.
"Anyways. That's about it for how this Z-Ring works. Do you two have any questions?", Professor Kukui asked the two.