fishing

My gf's second request was for Gladion and Hau to go fishing, and I did it, but my only complaint is that I didn't even mention the word malasada 'til like close to the end. Shame, me.

Brooklet Hill was one of the most desirable spots for fishing. but due to a sudden drop in the Wishiwashi population several years ago from overfishing, the Alolan government had set restrictions on who was allowed to fish now. Of course hunting them for food was not allowed now, but catching them to train was fine as long as it was agreed upon by both parties.

When Lana was chosen as a trial captain, traffic increased slightly, but Brooklet Hill for the most part was mostly still under a lull. This was a good thing for Gladion, who preferred as little people around him as possible. Beside him was Hau, happily carrying their fishing poles and a picnic basket as he whistled an Alolan folk tune. Lana and her sisters, Harper and Sarah, trailed behind them, the trial captain trying to keep the twins in check. Upon meeting Gladion and Hau, they tried running away with Silvally. Mischievous pair. He definitely had to keep one eye open for them.

They settled for one of the higher parts of the hill. Lana hopped from one foot to the other. She was more of Hau's friend than Gladion's, but even Gladion knew how excited she was for this trip. It wasn't too often that she fished with other people; her sisters were a little too young to enjoy the sport. (Not that Gladion really enjoyed fishing, but it wasn't the worst pastime in the world.) She began to excitedly sign, then stopped midway and blushed. "…sorry. Forgot you don't know it," she mumbled.

"Nah, it's fine, cousin!" Hau replied, smiling. "Me and Gladion are very happy you invited us over today!"

Gladion nodded, looking away as he also blushed. He still wasn't used to this sort of social thing with his peers. "Yeah, thanks. It's nice to get out of the house every once in a while."

He attempted to smile, but it ended up as a grimace. Fortunately Lana understood him and beamed, spinning in a circle. "Well, we're friends, aren't we? The Wishiwashi enjoy it, too, as long as we're kind to them. Why don't you two get started while I set up the picnic? Someone has to cut these sandwich crusts."

Hau handed her the picnic basket, and she sat on the grass, pulling out a long cloth and some plates. Gladion took one of the fishing poles and scooted close to the edge of the hill. Taking out a squid lure, he fastened it to the end and quietly cast the line into the water. Hau paced back and forth behind him, not quite ready to restrain himself to one activity for two hours. It was fine with Gladion. Even if he just talked his ear off the entire time, he wouldn't mind too much as long as he didn't break his concentration. "Hey, Gladion, you like sandwiches without crusts, right?"

"Huh? Yeah, no, it doesn't really matter. I'll eat anything that's offered, I guess. I don't eat much."

"What about Silvy?"

Gladion snorted. "He'll eat anything. Sometimes I have to watch him to make sure he doesn't eat the rocks behind our house. Of course, I gotta do that with you, too."

"Of course you do-" Hau's face heated up, and he lightly shook the boy by the shoulders. "Gladioooon! You can't joke around with such a straight face!"

"I bet you were that kid in preschool who made mud pies and then ate them."

"Well, I mean I was doing that up until I was around seven, and then I tried cooking one in the oven and my ma said no. Hehe….she didn't want mud in her oven. Bu-But don't act like you never tried, either!"

"Mud? In my household? I was a cool kid if I ever got dirt under my fingernails-aaaaaaa, what are you doing?"

Harper placed a clump of dirt under his hoodie, and he shuddered as she pressed against him, grinning. Sarah was equally as devious, jumping onto Hau's back and wrapping her arms around his neck, making a peace sign with her fingers. She and Harper exchanged a glance, then hummed in unison, "You boys ready to get down and dirty? Fishing's slightly more fun with Big Sis, but playing chicken's better!"

"Noooo!" Hau whined, stumbling back a step. "I play enough chicken with my cousin-cousins! Are you guys Wishiwashi or are you Bruxish?"

"I'd like to be a Bruxish~" Sarah replied. "They have cool, killer teeth!"

"I'd rather be the biiiigger Wishiwashi!" Harper added. "A thousand friends are better than one!"

Small hands grabbed Gladion's hair. Kids were already strong monsters, but twin children were another category by themselves. If Moon had to seriously fight them instead of the Ultra Beasts, there was a good chance that she would've been demolished. He glanced at Hau, who was looking more uncomfortable as Sarah started dragging him backwards. Normally he'd be up for and would be included in these kinds of shenanigans, but he was worn out after a long week with family. Wicke had mentioned something about an awkward outing with his grandfather, Hala, so all Gladion wanted to do was take him out on a quiet outing to clear his head. It frustrated him that he couldn't just battle the twins and send them somewhere else like he did with wild pokemon. People were much more complex.

Then Lana's hands signed furiously, making swift motions in the air, and the girls stopped in their tracks. Harper let go of Gladion's hoodie, and the boy almost fell straight into the water, fishing pole and all. Sarah was more hesitant to let go, still clinging to Hau's neck. When he shifted his weight, she swung with him like a pendulum.

"Sarah!" Lana exclaimed. More signs.

Sarah held on for a couple of seconds longer, then let go and wiggled her fingers. When Lana crossed over to berate the twins, they stood on either side of her and pressed their hands against her cheeks. If she had to put up with this on a daily basis, she should've been in the running for Best Big Sibling. Gladion would have to step it up a notch.

Sighing, he set aside the fishing pole and laid against the soft grass. Hau followed suit, albeit in a more dramatic fashion. The light breeze lazily ran through their hair, signalling the peaceful day they were finally able to have. Lana pushed her sisters towards the lower end of the ground, where the river was shallower, and pointed to the boys. "I'm sorry, but can you two finish up preparing the food in a bit? These lovely ladies need all of my attention."

"Sure," Gladion mumbled.

"No problem!" Hau added.

Lana made a thumbs-up sign and walked faster to catch up to the girls. Rolling over twice until he was on his side, Gladion reached for an apple and took a big bite out of it, savoring the crunching sounds he made when he chewed. Hau took a sandwich and scraped its sides with his hands, intent on destroying the crusts once and for all. He wasn't much of a picky eater, so the motions probably kept him busy more than anything else.

They kept silent for a few months, other than Gladion's chewing and the occasional swimming sounds of a Wishiwashi in the distance. For once, it was too much for Gladion. When Hau of all people was quiet, it was time to do something. When the last of the crusts were peeled and the picnic was set up, Gladion rushed over to the water and stuck his legs in it, making huge splashing noises. They became louder and louder until Hau's face peeked over his shoulder, looking confused. "Uhhh, Gladion, are you okay?"

"Of course I am!" Gladion barked. Then, blushing, he decided to say in a softer tone, "You, uh, you're not yourself today. Or yesterday. I heard you might've been under the weather, so…well, crap, just come and stick your feet in the water with me! Don't make me look like a fool in front of everyone!"

"Whaddya talkin' about, cousin? I'm okay as five fiddles!"

But he sat down beside him and kicked his sandals to the side, slipping his feet into the water. Gladion jolted when he felt his feet rubbing against his, but he calmed down and leaned against the boy, shutting his eyes. "Hau, it's okay if things are still awkward with the old kahuna," he murmured. "These kinda things take time, y'know?"

"I know," Hau said, almost sounding defeated. Bumping his head against Gladion's, he made a small groaning sound and sighed. "I'm supposed to get along with everyone, y'know! It happened a long time ago, and if he can get along with everyone, so should I! Look how much he enjoyed battling Moon! He got along with her soooo good! Why can't we be like that?"

"Because family's a helluva lot more complicated than relationships between trainers. All you can do is take time and rest when you need to. I…I finally learned that after a long time. Even if it sucks to be still sometimes, a little R&R wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah….yeah….YEAH!- BLUBUBUBUB-"

Hau fell face-first into the water. Gladion's face turned a deep shade of pink, and he cursed as he reached out for Hau's hands. Instead of pulling him back up onto the hill, however, the boy pulled him forward, and he also crash-landed into the water. The river smelled of plants and fishy wildlife. He could've yelled and stormed away, forgetting the fishing trip altogether, but all he could do was throw back his head and laugh. He should've seen it coming. Hau swam closer to him, and he grabbed him by the shoulders and dunked him under the surface, pulling the now-laughing boy back up with one strong pull.

When Lana came to check up on them eventually, she had her arms crossed and cheeks puffed out in exasperation. But it was only a facade, and soon she was giggling with the rest of them, holding her sisters' hands as they all swung their fishing lines on top of their heads. And as Gladion swam backwards, holding Hau around his waist, he still couldn't wipe that grin off his face. If he couldn't keep Malasada Boy happy, what further good was this fishing trip?