Snowy
Lillie sat by her mother's side through the process like she always did. Every morning for five years, she sat by Lusamine as she laid in a steel chamber and had energy siphon out whatever was left inside of her by the Ultra Beast, Nihilego. Five years ago, Lusamine and the Beast had fused together, but were defeated by Lillie's friend, Catherine, and her other friend, Solgaleo… No. Nebby.
It was a painful process that Lusamine had to go through every morning. She was somewhat used to it by now after five years, but she still screamed nonetheless. Lillie couldn't bare to hear her mother scream like that, but still she sat beside her. "It's okay, mother." Lillie said quietly, reaching out to touch the window of the steel chamber. "It'll be okay."
The process stopped after ten minutes. The other person in the room, Bill, stood up from his control panel and went to the second chamber that was connected to Lusamine's. Inside it was some sort of clear plasma: the essence of Nihilego. It morphed and struggled to break out of the chamber. Bill went over and pressed a button. The chamber with the essence was suddenly filled with an extreme heat, and soon the essence was no more. Completely disintegrated.
Five years they had been going through this process and still they were no closer to healing Lusamine than they were at the start. Somehow, no matter how much of Nihilego they drained out of her, more remained. More always remained.
"We just have to keep trying." Bill said helplessly. "Eventually, we're going to get it all out of her. She'll be better again."
Lillie nodded. Bill opened up Lusamine's chamber and Lillie helped her step out into a waiting wheelchair. Lillie wheeled Lusamine to her bedroom in Bill's house. "It's not getting better, is it?"
Lillie was surprised to hear her mother talk. Lusamine rarely spoke. Lillie didn't think she even had the strength to do so half the time. "No, mother," Lillie said. "it is getting better. I know it is." Lillie wheeled her mother up to her bed and helped her under the covers. "Get some rest." Lillie said encouragingly. She left the room and turned out the lights so her mother could sleep.
Honestly, Lillie wasn't sure if things were getting better or not. She just had to keep hoping that they were and that things would work out. She wished she could take her mother back home to Aether Paradise. To Alola where her old friends Hau and Catherine were…
Catherine…
Lillie shook her head. She suddenly realized she was blushing. She didn't really know why that was. Her thoughts were jarred by Bill calling her from down the hall. "Hey, Lillie, you've got a call on the video phone!"
A call? From who? It might be Hau. He called practically every day. Or it could be Catherine. She hardly ever had the time to talk to Lillie, what with her duties as Champion and all. Still, Lillie would be happy to see whoever was on the phone.
"Hey there, cousin!" A man with tan skin, black hair, and no shirt was on the other end of the call.
"Prof. Kukui!" Lillie said excitedly. She always loved it when the professor and his wife, Prof. Burnet, called her. They were like second parents to Lillie after all they had done for her back in Alola. "Where's Prof. Burnet?"
"She couldn't be here." Prof. Kukui said a little sadly. "She did tell me to tell you she missed you, though! But she's got some business up at the Dimensional Research Lab today, yeah. Sorry, kiddo."
"It's okay." Lillie said. "How are-"
"Catherine and Hau are doing great!" Prof. Kukui replied, anticipating the question. "They're both training real hard, yeah, and they're really hoping to see you again soon!"
"Great!"
Prof. Kukui rubbed the back of his head. "Listen, Lillie, here's the reason why I called. Prof. Burnet and I have been planning, to, well, give you something, yeah, when the time seemed right. Course, the time never really seemed right with your mom and all, but we've decided it's time to give it to you now anyways!"
Lillie was surprised to say the least. "What is it?" Prof. Kukui smiled and pressed a button. On the pad in front of the TV phone, a light shined and from it materialized a Pokeball. "A Pokeball?" Lillie said. "Wait… Does that mean…"
"Lillie, Prof. Burnet and I have been chatting, and we thought it was time you finally got a Pokemon to call your very own."
Lillie was thrilled. Ever since her adventures with Catherine and Hau five years ago, she had been wanting to become a trainer, but helping her mother get better had always been her first priority. She took the Pokeball and tossed it in the air. "Come on out!" She said excitedly.
The Pokeball popped open and out came a little white fox with six tails as fluffy as little clouds: an Alolan Vulpix. "Vul?" The little Pokemon said, surprised to see its new trainer.
"Oh, it's beautiful!" Lillie exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Prof. Kukui!"
"Hey, don't thank me." He said. "This was all Burnet. She knew how much you wanted to become a trainer after what happened all those years ago, yeah, so she went looking for the perfect Pokemon to give you. Caught it right near the base of Mt. Lanakila: one of the most sacred spots in Alola." Lillie was beyond words to express how much joy she felt right now. She looked down at her new Pokemon, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. "You can give it a nickname too if you want, oh yeah!"
Lillie thought for a moment to come up with the perfect nickname. Finally, she got it. "I'll call him Snowy." She said.
Prof. Kukui smiled. "And there's one other thing we got you. This one's from me, yeah. I got a hot tip from the higher-ups in the Pokemon League offices."
"What hot tip?" Lillie asked.
Prof. Kukui grinned. "One region!" He said. "Eight Gyms! And you're gonna beat 'em all!"
"One region? Eight Gyms?" Lillie was confused. She knew that most regions in the world that had Pokemon Leagues had a requirement of gaining eight Badges from eight different Gyms before a trainer could challenge the League, but Alola didn't have Gyms, and there was no way Lillie was going to even attempt the League here in Kanto. They were way too tough for her. So, what region could the professor be talking about?
"See, my hot tip was that this region up north called Norzen, oh yeah, had only just recently started its own Pokemon League." Prof. Kukui explained. "Their first conference tournament is just a little ways away, so you'd better get your butt moving down there if you wanna be able to take them on, oh yeah! I already sent Bill a plane ticket for you."
Lillie was suddenly a little let down. "I'm sorry, professor, but I don't think I can do that." She said sadly. "I just can't leave my mother in the condition she's in."
Prof. Kukui looked like he understood, but he smiled still. "Don't worry, Lillie. I talked it all out with your mom already."
"You… You talked to my mother?" Lillie asked.
"You should go, Lillie…" Lillie turned to see her mother out of bed and in her wheelchair. She didn't know how long Lusamine had been sitting there watching her.
"Mother?"
Lusamine wheeled herself closer to Lillie and took her hands. Her grip was weak, but comforting. "You should go." She said. "Go to Norzen. Go all over the world and be the best trainer you can be. You need to do this. You can be just like your brother, or Catherine. Maybe one day, you'll even be able to beat me in a battle too."
Lillie wasn't even sure her mother could battle in the state she was in. "But… I can't just leave you." Lillie said.
Lusamine smiled. "I'll be fine." She said. "I'm getting better day by day, and I'll keep getting better even without my little flower sitting next to me every day. Go. Go be the best trainer you can possibly be."
Lillie's eyes welled up with tears. She wasn't sure if they were from joy or sadness, but she still managed to smile. "I will, mother." She said. "I'll do it."
"Oh yeah!" Lillie jumped. She had forgotten that Prof. Kukui was still on the video phone. "Go get 'em, Lillie, oh yeah!" He said encouragingly. "Me and Burnet will be with you all the way! And, hey, maybe one day you'll think about challenging the Alolan Pokemon League, yeah?"
Lillie smiled. "Thank you, professor! I will!" She shut off the video phone and bent down to Snowy, her new Pokemon. "Well, Snowy, are you ready to go?" Snowy responded by blasting Lillie in the face with Ice Beam, freezing her head solid.
"Oh, my!" Bill rushed forward with an Ice Heal and unfroze Lillie's head. "You'll have to be careful with that little guy." He said. "Sometimes higher level Pokemon have a hard time obeying new trainers."
"D-d-don't worry about me." Lillie said, her teeth still chattering from the cold. "I'm sure by the end of our journey we'll be best friends. Right, Snowy?"
Snowy responded with another Ice Beam attack.
Three hours and a lot of Ice Heals later, Lillie was all packed and was in a cab ready to take her to the airport. She had packed extra warm clothes, not just because of Norzen's cold climate, but also in case Snowy decided to act up again. All the Ice attacks aside, Lillie still let Snowy stay outside his Pokeball. She would probably have to put him back in for the plane ride, but for now she just wanted to spend as much time with her Pokemon as she could. She just knew, soon, she and Snowy would be partners through and through. Just like her brother and Silvally, or just like Catherine and her Pokemon.
Just like Catherine…
…
"That the girl?"
"Yep. Spoiled little princess."
Little did Lillie know, two figures were watching her from a black car down the road. One, the man, had slick, greased up black hair in a 1950's hairdo. The other, the woman, had long, curly, red hair that went down to her waist. They both wore matching black uniforms with a red letter R emblazoned on their chests.
"We capture her and that Pokemon, we can get a pretty big ransom from her old lady." The man said.
The woman grinned maliciously. "She'd better prepare for trouble." The man grinned too as they drove off after Lillie.
"And make it double."
