Taboo…
Terrance smiled in embarrassment, realizing that he had gotten too excited and couldn’t help but want to dig deeper to find the answer.
That being said, he had already sorted out a rough idea.
The guardian deity controls and wields Z-Power.
Totem Pokémon have a close bond with the guardian deity.
Sparkling Stone and Z-Crystal seem to be the sources of Z-Power.
However, even with this information, he still couldn’t grasp the true nature of totem aura or understand what caused it to appear.
If he could uncover a few more things… such as the origin of the Sparkling Stone, the origin of Z-Crystal, and the true nature of Z-Power… then Terrance wouldn’t be far from discovering the truth.
“Me? Right now, I’m just a seeker with a strong sense of curiosity…” Terrance said slowly.
Mr. Hala looked at Terrance solemnly and said, “You are not suited for the Island Challenge. With your level of curiosity, you will bring harm to yourself sooner or later.”
This matter involved the guardian deity. Even though Terrance had been introduced by both Professor Kukui and Samson Oak so that he can participate in the Island Challenge, Hala still hesitated.
He was worried—worried that during the Island Challenge, Terrance might touch upon some taboo and ultimately anger the guardian deity. The wrath of the four guardian deities of Alola would be a disaster for the entire region. Calming their fury would not be easy—there was even a precedent for this in ancient times.
“Mr. Hala, don’t worry… I won’t suddenly get the idea to mess with the guardian deity or the Totem Pokémon.” Terrance held up his fingers, leaving only a small gap between his thumb and index finger, grinning as he said, “I’m really just a tiny bit too curious.”
“Sigh, that would be for the best. In Alola’s history, many people had set their sights on the guardian deities, but none of them met a good end.” Hala shook his head.
Terrance nodded. If his guess was correct—and combined with the clues Master Victor had provided—the key likely didn’t lay with the guardian deities themselves.
It lay within Alola’s ancient history.
Solgaleo, Lunala, and Necrozma had suddenly appeared at some point in the past. They had once fought against the island guardian deities in ancient times. Only after that battle did they come into public awareness, becoming the Legendary Pokémon of the Alola region.
Terrance, combining Master Victor’s speculations, concluded that these three Pokémon were also Ultra Beasts that had crossed over through the Ultra Wormhole.
This explained why they had clashed with Alola’s native guardian deities. Additionally, Master Victor’s research revealed that Ultra Beasts arriving through the Ultra Wormhole were surrounded by a special aura—one that bore an uncanny resemblance to the totem aura. Even after this aura gradually faded, the Ultra Beasts themselves still possessed an innate ability to enhance their own strength. From all these findings, a clear theory had already taken shape in Terrance’s mind.
Z-Power, which had been passed down in the Alola region, might have originally been brought over by Ultra Beasts from another dimension.
As for why the guardian deities had control over Z-Power, it was likely related to their battle against the three so-called Ultra Beasts. Perhaps… it was some kind of transaction?
Terrance couldn’t be sure, but he felt that this line of reasoning seemed correct.
So now, the only remaining mystery—the key breakthrough point—should be the Sparkling Stone.
The origin of the Sparkling Stone might be the key to uncovering the true nature of Z-Power.
“Collect Sparkling Stones!!” Compared to the Island Challenge, collecting one or even multiple Sparkling Stones for research was clearly the more important task right now.
“Totem Pokémon couldn’t have been born that way. Their changes must be connected to the ‘Sparkling Stone,’ ‘Alola’s three Legendary Pokémon,’ and the ‘guardian deities.’”
If the Sparkling Stone wasn’t an Alolan specialty—naturally created like “Damp Rock” or “Mystic Water”—then its origins were highly suspicious.
“Could it be a stone that has been bathed in Ultra Wormhole’s energy?”
“Or… was my previous speculation completely wrong, and the Sparkling Stone is actually a type of evolutionary stone, an extraordinary object filled with special energy?”
But if that were the case, why did Sparkling Stones only appear in Alola?….. Terrance couldn’t figure this out. Although Alola had a unique climate, it wasn’t fundamentally different from other regions. If there was one major distinction, it would be the frequent appearances of Ultra Wormholes since the ancient times.
…
…
Verdant Cavern.
Terrance followed Mr. Hala to this place, where he encountered the Pokémon that would serve as his trial—Gumshoos.
Gumshoos’ body was several times larger than others of its kind. Judging by its appearance, it was undoubtedly a Totem Pokémon.
In order to closely observe a Totem Pokémon once again, Terrance decided to continue the Island Challenge. He also needed to use this opportunity to talk with the Island Kahunas from other regions.
If each Island Kahuna was chosen by the guardian deities, then they should possess a wealth of hidden knowledge.
Gumshoos let out a cry, eyeing Terrance with a scrutinizing gaze, as if assessing the composure of its challenger.
“Gumshoos, I’ll leave it to you,” Mr. Hala said.
He didn’t believe that Terrance could pass the trial in one go. Expecting a human to surpass a Pokémon in endurance and concentration was simply too difficult.
If one of Terrance’s Pokémon were to compete, there might be a chance. But for Terrance himself to take on the challenge—this was truly a test meant to assess him at his core.
Just like Gym challenges, where challengers weren’t required to surpass Gym Leaders in strength, as long as they demonstrated a certain level of talent and significant progress in a particular area, they could pass. This was also the philosophy of the Island Challenge.
However, Terrance himself didn’t seem to realize this. He… was taking it seriously!
He viewed this trial as a genuine test of his own abilities, determined to compete with Gumshoos.
And in the process of competing… he would also have the chance to closely observe Gumshoos.
Beyond Verdant Cavern, on a hilltop, there was a rock formation where river water cascaded down—forming a waterfall.
That was the site of the trial. Training beneath a waterfall—the strange sense of déjà vu gave Terrance an odd feeling, but he still chose to gladly face the challenge.
“Yungoos will be the witnesses of your challenge,” Mr. Hala said, looking at the Yungoos gathered around them.
Terrance nodded, but then said, “I don’t mind. But since Rotom Pokédex isn’t doing anything, why not have it keep time for us?”
As he spoke, a subtle glint of cunning flashed in Terrance’s eyes. Rotom Pokédex wasn’t just a simple timer.
Neither Gumshoos nor Mr. Hala objected to Terrance’s suggestion, allowing Rotom Pokédex to serve as one of the witnesses to the challenge.
Taking a deep breath, Terrance looked at Gumshoos. He naturally wasn’t doing this challenge blindly!
He had his own advantage—he understood how he differed from most Trainers!
That was… he possessed a meditation method that allowed him to focus his mind. This type of challenge was perfectly suited to him.
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