Moon twirls a loose strand of her hair between her fingertips. Her focus, elsewhere, as she disregards the voices of the Kahunas and Trial Captains speaking. Her mind replaying the events that had just went down in her first few months in Alola. She saved a region, well not alone, of course, but saving a region from the destruction of a feigned organization took its toll on a person nonetheless. Warping into space, reuniting a family, becoming Champion?
It was a little much to handle.
So now that they had dragged her into a meeting to discuss her future role it was to no surprise she wasn't fully there.
"So now about the Elite Four members that'll be standing alongside our new Champion. Are there any ideas?" Kukui asks as a few hands shoot up.
"What about the Aether boy. Gladion?"
The name was enough to stop Moon's thoughts cold. Her heart clamors in her chest, her fidgeting falters, and her head snaps towards the rest of the crowd as she tries to put two and two together on the topic at hand. But before she could open her mouth to ask she sees Hala shaking his head. "No can do, the boy is leaving Alola in a few hours"
Moon's seat scrapes loudly on the floor, as all eyes locked onto her standing figure.
"What do you mean Gladion's leaving Alola?"
" Stupid boy. Stupid ideas. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, " Moon murmurs menacingly as she leaves the room of officials and makes her way to the harbor with a newfound determination.
The sun was now setting, and Gladion would be leaving soon according to Hala.
If this happened a few months ago Moon would say she didn't care about what the rude Team Skull member did. But it wasn't a few months ago now, and instead it was several weeks later and it was in those weeks she eventually found herself drawn to the blonde.
Drawn to their banter, his challenges, his overall presence.
It didn't help that he would throw her rare smiles that made her stomach do flips.
And Moon hoped she would have the time to sort her feelings for the older teenager. They just saved the world, and if anything, they were in the same social circle. They couldn't really avoid each other, and she couldn't really ignore her growing feelings. But alas, that wasn't going to be the case, because he just had to come to this decision.
Her footsteps increasingly slow down as she reaches the end of the port. The boat was still relatively empty, but soon it would be taking off. Moon felt her heart clench in her chest as a strange mix of nerves and sadness overcame her. Gladion was actually leaving.
Leaving Alola. Leaving his family. Leaving her.
That last part was definitely not crossing his mind.
"What are you doing here" she hears a voice call out from behind her cause her to turn and to be met face-to-face with Gladion in all his angsty glory; his permanent furrowed brow, a suitcase in hand, and Silvally trotting behind him.
"What do you think, edgelord?" Moon sasses as she narrows her eyes at the blonde.
His stoic face soon melts into something much more appreciative , but as attentive as Moon was, Gladion was just as stubborn. So instead he rolls his eyes and places a hand up onto her head to ruffle her hair, much to her annoyance. A small chuckle escaping him as the girl groans and swats his hand away.
It was an act, really.
His proximity made Moon nervous, her face heating up gave her emotions away and as her heart continued to pound with every drawn out second she knew the crush she had on him was going to be the end of her, especially now with the impending farewell. She hears him mention something about heading to Kanto, to train, to keep up with her of all people. But when Moon says nothing in response he shrugs, turns on his heel and waves a hand above his head.
It's his movement that snaps out her out of her reverie and allows reality to crash over her like the waves below them: she may never get the chance to tell him how she actually feels. And as his form gets smaller, and his suitcase clatters against the uneven wood panels, she feels her insides twist and push for her to do something. For her to say something.
So she does.
She quickly jogs up to him without a second though and grabs a hold of Gladion's hand, forcing him to jerk back. His brow furrows at the action, his mouth ready to scold whoever had the nerve to 'attack' him, but all words were interrupted when her lips place a chaste kiss on his.
Moon pulls apart almost immediately, her impulsiveness now shifting into regret as she looks at Gladion's utterly speechless face. "Um your boat...you should board it?" Moon awkwardly spits out as she takes an apprehensive step back. "SO HAVE A NICE TRIP?" she squeaks before finally running off.
The sun was in the middle of the sky, Wingull fluttered and cawed by, and the ocean breeze was as welcoming as could be. Hau could barely hold himself down, Lillie was excited to see her brother again and Moon? Well Moon dragged her feet slowly behind the couple the entire way to Melemele. Her nerves were shot. The flashbacks of regret had been hitting her since the blonde announced his return. And for the most part she had been ignoring Hau and Lillie.
"Can you believe it's been 4 years?" Hau exclaims as he squints towards the horizon, as if searching for the boat Gladion would be returning on. "Do you think he'll be here soon?"
Lillie simply giggles. "You seem more excited than me, and I'm his sister, Hau!"
He laughs at the observation, before sharing that he had been preparing to battle Gladion since the day he left. He wanted to prove himself, that he was worthy of dating Lillie, and that even if he couldn't beat Moon he could at the very least, give her biggest rival a challenge. It was at the end of his tirade however, that Lillie realized Moon hadn't said a word since they arrived. And her curious gaze brought Hau's attention over to the Champion too. Moon looked pale, which was strange given her natural sunkissed glow, and the usually composed and poised Champion was biting her lower lip as her eyes stared out past the dock.
"You know Gladion said he had gifts from Kanto for us," Lillie says simply, ignoring Hau's excited reaction and only focusing on Moon's small noncommittal "mhm'. The blonde's eyes light up as the next sentence leaves her.
"He also said he had something special for you, Moon."
Moon freezes almost immediately at the teasing tone.
She never spoke a word to anyone about what her rash decision making led her to all those years ago. Not a word to Hau, to Lillie, to her own mother!
"Maybe it's just cause he knows I'm from Kanto. He probably got me some of the snacks I used to miss," Moon defends, noticing the sly smile on Lillie's face. The girl was truly evil deep inside, especially when she was onto something. But the interrogation Lillie started didn't get a chance to continue, because an incoming boat made its appearance and soon everyone's attention was drawn to the subject at hand.
And panic soon made itself loud and clear in Moon's soul.
Panic as the boat drew closer. Panic when Hau vocalized her reddened cheeks, panic when she hears Lillie call out "Gladion!", and panic when she sees Gladion, now four years older, nonchalantly waving at them.
A flurry of people disembarked and words of endearment could be heard from left and right. Hugs, tears, kisses... Moon shakes her head to instead watch Lillie rush into her brother's arms, Hau soon following suit enveloping both of them in a warm embrace. And with all the gushing, the cooing, and the ' tell me everything about Kanto '-excitement, Moon nearly forgot about her childhood crush and the mishap.
Nearly.
Because to her disdain, all the emotions came fluttering back to the pit of her stomach when everyone pulled away and she saw Gladion staring right at her. Green eyes and the smirk that always made her insides twist, were now accompanied by height and built. Moon knew she was ruined once more, so she opts to silently wave, unsure of whether or not she could trust her own voice, as she silently hoped he didn't remember-
"I remember-" he begins as they walk past the dock, Moon stiffening up at the sentence starter as she watches Gladion narrow his eyes at Lillie and Hau walking hand-in-hand in front of them. "I remember seeing that starting, but it still doesn't mean I approve."
Moon scoffs at his childlike response. "A lot can change in four years, Gladion. Hau may surprise you," she says matter-of-factly, prompting a length "hmmm" out of the blonde. He turns his face slightly to peer down at her, their height difference now very obvious.
"Does this mean you learned how to control your impulses?"
Moon finds herself freezing in place, her cheeks reddening as her mind tries to come up with a witty comeback or a reasonable excuse, but instead his laughter short-circuits her brain and her heart and she finds herself walking next to him in resignation. "Don't give it much thought," Moon mumbles in an attempt to save face, "I was a dumb 14 year old."
Gladion clicks his tongue in acknowledgement, pulling his gaze away from Moon and back onto the road ahead of them.
"Then I must've been just as dumb thinking about it."