Welcome to Gaia! ::

Auntie Wilokia smiled and nodded, pleased with Monique's answer. Looking away from Monique and towards a window she noted the rays of light shining through and saw it as some kind of metaphor for this situation, the outside light coming in and illuminating the darkness. Turning back to Monique she spoke. "Then go my dear, go and see all the islands of Alola have to offer. Your sisters are more than welcome to stay here and I'm more than happy to help them settle in and adjust. I could use some non-Pokemon company any ways." The woman said with a chuckle.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center! How many I help you?" The Nurse Joy at the front counter greeted Monique with a smile the moment she stepped into the building, Monique no doubt noticing the string of flowers around her neck, the living creature holding them together, a Comfey, sleeping on her chest. Looking around the center Monique would see it was clearly a slow morning for the Paniola Pokemon Center with her being the only other person inside, the only other living creature besides the one around Nurse Joy's neck being the center's Chansey who was rearranging some magazines in the corner.

"A self-guided tour? Of course!" Nurse Joy said, positively beaming as she smiled wide. "Wait right here, dear." She instructed Monique before disappearing behind a door on the other side of the counter, walking slow as to not wake up the slumbering Comfey on her chest.

While Monique waited the resident Chansey would approach her, a bottle of water in one hand and a can of lemonade in the other, the pink creature holding up both items in front of the woman. "Chansey chanse chan?" It asked her want, asking her if she would like one of the cold rinks. If Monique accepted one the Chansey would hand it to her otherwise she would take both drinks back to the mini fridge behind the front counter.

In time Nurse Joy would return, her Comfey now away and floating beside her and on the other side there was another critter floating, a red one with big blue eyes with the majority of its body taken up by what looked like a screen. Nurse Joy would approach Monique this time, coming out from behind the counter. "Here you go, your guide for your self-guided tour." She giggled, the floating screen floating up closer to Monique, now right in front of her.

"Bzzt! Please to meet you! I am a Rotom Pokedex owned by the Alola Tourist Bureau, Rotom Pokedex number twenty-one! Most people call me Two-One though! Pleased to meet you!" The possessed electronic spoke to her, speaking to her through the device's speakers.

"Two-One here is part of a program that the Alola Tourist Bureau operates for tourists in that they loan you a Rotom Pokedex that has been specifically trained to act as a guide around Alola, helping you navigate the islands, dispense information about localities, make suggestions about sights to visit, and much more! Of course while Two-One will help guide you around Alola where you go and how long you stay there is completely up to you. All that is asked is that you return Two-One to any Pokemon Center when you are finished and do not attempt to remove Two-One from the region." Nurse Joy explained to Monique.

"Bzzt bzzt! That's right kiddo! We're going to have a lot of fun together, I just know it! What's your name any ways, partner?" Two-One asked Monique.

"Monique! That's a neat name kid- er...Moni! May I call you Moni?" Two-One asked Monique, the Rotom Pokedex apparently enjoying giving people nicknames. Nurse Joy would giggle at this display. "I feel like the two of you will get alone just fine." The woman said. "Either way, if there is anything else I can do for you let me know."

"Bzzt! So, it's official then huh? We're partners! Well, temporary partners but partners all the same! Where to first, partner? Here, check out this map and some info about each location, just tap on that location on my screen and bam! Info!" Two-One said as it got in closer to Monique, a map of the entire Alola region appearing on its touchscreen.

Where to first?

"Lush Jungle! Good choice! Bzzt!" Two-One declared, the map disappearing soon after as the Rotom's 'face' returned to the screen, Two-One all smiles. "Lush Jungle is famous for the many edible plants that can be found underneath its canopy. The people of not just Akala Island but all of Alola have traditionally visited the jungle to forage for food and still do so to this day to gather certain ingredients that can't be found anywhere else in the world. It is also the site of a trial! Bzzt!" The Rotom explained, the last part making an assumption that Monique knew about trials.

Eventually the pair would get moving withe Monique walking and Two-One floating behind her. They would pass through the northern gate of Paniola Town, a sign informing them they had two choices of paths to take, one to Paniola Ranch just to the west, Monique capable of seeing it from here, while the other had them continuing north to Lush Jungle. They of course would stick to the north directing path.

The walk would be short, the sound of Miltank enjoying a nice sunny Alolan day fading away as they neared the jungle. The demarcation line between the jungle and the route was pronounced, the trees clearly cut to make room for the ranch and maintained as Monique came up to a wall of tropical trees. It was the Lush Jungle, the path she was on piercing straight through the wall of trees to allow entrance to the jungle proper.

"Bzzt! I have an advisory here from the Alola Tourism Board cautioning you to not enter the Lush Jungle without proper equipment and protection. It's recommended you use Repel and bring battle capable Pokemon before entering!" Two-One warned her before entering the Lush Jungle.

After the encounter in Lush Jungle was over, Monique was breathing heavily for a moment. She never thought she'd ever meet a Totem Pokémon face-to-face, let alone in that manner. What a strange start to her day.

She opened the Rotom Pokédex and asked for guidance. "Two-One, where should I go next?"

"Alright, I'll take that suggestion," Monique replied to the chirpy Rotom Pokédex as she made a pit stop at the Pokémon Center prior to following the walking path to Brooklet Hill.

The path opened up for just a moment, a narrow wooden footbridge crossing a turquoise body of water with a color that she hadn't recalled seeing in the water. This wasn't just seawater or lake water... This is something else, she thought.

The path closed up after the beach, but there was still more to go as it opened up to a wide series of cascading pools, waterfalls babbling with noise as the water—the same turquoise color—made its way from the pools at the top toward the bottom. Monique's jaw dropped. "I wish Kai were here right now... Once she's settled, she will want to come here," she thought to herself.

Monique heard the facts about Brooklet Hill that Two-One was oh-so-eager to dispense. She looked around at all this water. "Yeah, water is important..." For all the things Flower City didn't do for the wastelands, they did at least leave enough water for their inhabitants and a little section of sea, between the Dome and the shore. Cold comfort, but comfort nonetheless. "I can see why they woulda come here." Of course, water quality was generally not a problem for most people in this time.

"Sure, why not explore? I think Aniani will have fun here, too." She thought about her new Primarina. Plus, cool-ish water sounded nice after all that exploring in Lush Jungle. "Let's go forward."