Poni Island, Nautical Village, 3:00pm.
In search of Tapu Fini, Naoki arrived at this seaside town on the southwestern part of Poni Island with Koraidon.
Looking around, this small town is truly full of Alola characteristics, unlike conventional towns, the Nautical Village is actually a massive wooden ship!
A lush green tree grows in the center of the ship, its trunk seamlessly blending with the architecture, its green canopy covering a small part of the ship.
Ports extend outward from both sides of the ship, at the end dock several uniquely shaped ships.
Steelix ship, Wailord ship, Magikarp ship, Huntail ship...
It was afternoon, and local residents were leisurely resting in the town, with some children around four or five years old chasing and playing with each other.
The sky was blue and the water clear, with the warm sunlight pouring down on the land, accompanied by the distant calls of Wingull, waves gathered on the shimmering sea surface, gently lapping at the shore.
The air was filled with an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity, as if arriving at a hidden paradise.
"This place is really beautiful!" Naoki couldn't help but exclaim.
At this time, the Alola Region, aside from Melemele Island, still had many places undeveloped, maintaining past living habits.
Naoki and Koraidon walked into the town, watching the locals and Pokemon greeting each other with "Alola", suddenly feeling a strong sense of local customs.
The town wasn't big, most of the people here knew each other, and upon suddenly seeing a stranger arrive, they all cast curious glances in this direction.
Some bold and enthusiastic people proactively greeted Naoki.
"Alola! You must be from elsewhere, right?"
Naoki looked at the speaking girl, dressed in traditional Alolan attire, her skin sun-kissed and dark, yet her large eyes gleaming brightly with curiosity.
He nodded with a smile: "Alola, that's right."
Upon hearing this man say Alola, the girl was even more surprised.
Faced with her expression, Naoki raised his eyebrow: "Isn't this the Alola Region's greeting?"
"That's right!" The girl nodded: "You've learned it too, Alola!"
"Alola!" Naoki repeated once more.
He knew that this phrase meant "hello" in the Alola Region.
Beside him, Koraidon mimicked, exclaiming: "Aaah-issss!"
Seeing this scene, the girl burst into giggles, her heart warming towards this person and that Pokemon, and she enthusiastically invited:
"Is this your first time visiting our Nautical Village? If you like, let me guide you around this place!"
"Eh? Is that really okay?" Naoki was somewhat surprised, the people here are so enthusiastic!
"Of course it's okay!" The girl introduced herself: "I'm Chirali, an expert on Sylveon! Come on, let's go!"
"Then I'll take you up on your offer!" Naoki's face lit with a smile, since he was unfamiliar with the area, having a local guide would make things simpler.
Then, he followed Chirali around to explore the village.
Chirali pointed at the northwest Wailord-shaped ship and introduced:
"That's the restaurant in town! In the evening, you can bring your Pokemon and visit there, the seafood noodles are delicious!"
"Next to it, the Steelix ship is where trainers gather, the ship's body is as hard as steel, so many trainers often gather there for Pokemon battles!"
Naoki listened with interest, then noticed the Magikarp ship on the other side and asked: "What about the ship over there?"
Chirali looked towards that direction and answered: "That's the boarding area of the village, the eastern Magikarp ship can reach Hau'oli City, Heahea City, and Aether Paradise, while the western ship heads to Exeggutor Island!"
"I recommend you visit Exeggutor Island, it's an undeveloped island on Poni Island's sea, also a special protected area of Alola, where many adorable Exeggcute and Alolan Exeggutor reside!"
Alolan Exeggutor... that's a grass and Dragon Type Pokemon.
Perfect for Lance, Naoki thought.
The village was small, so soon Chirali finished introducing the more famous sites and facilities.
She turned her head and innocently asked: "But big brother, what are you here for?"
"Me?" Naoki smilingly replied: "I'm here to participate in the Island Pilgrimage, but Poni Island doesn't have a King of the Island, so I'm planning to find the Guardian God Tapu Fini to take on the trial content."
Upon hearing this, Chirali covered her mouth in shock: "Island Pilgrimage? Big brother is amazing!"
Naoki was puzzled: "Why is that amazing?" He remembered that children in the Alola Region could also participate!
Chirali answered with admiration: "Because only very skilled trainers can challenge the Island Pilgrimage! Battling Totem Pokemon, obtaining Z Rings and Z Moves, and receiving recognition from the King of the Island!"
Hearing this, Naoki thought carefully and found it to indeed be the case.
Just like challenging Gyms to collect badges, not everyone could pass Gym battles.
"However, if you work hard seriously, even if you can't defeat the Totem Pokemon, your spirit will surely be acknowledged by them." Naoki said.