Chapter 1: Kukui I - Under The Alolan Sun

Disclaimer: I do not own or am in any way affiliated with Pokémon, except by being a fan of the franchise.

Author's Note: Whilst this story will mainly incorporate elements from the Sun & Moon games, there will be characterization incorporated from other media.

-xoxoxoxoxo-

"I pray for this to go well. Please… watch over us all as you have always done."

The savory scent of dew-kissed grass wafted sleepily around. Overhead, the sun had barely begun to pierce over the horizon, lazily drowning the sky in pastel shades of pink and blue. The first croons of a nearby Pikipek flock stirred the slumbering air, calling for the rest of Melemele Island to awaken. Soon, night would give way to day and sunlight would begin to shine down proudly on all of Alola's natural bounty, heralding a new start. Until then, I still want to enjoy whatever stillness remained in between the moon and the sun.

I slowly sink to my knees and bowed towards the cavern before me. Roaring water echoed like violent murmurs from the mountain into the river below, a pellucid barrier that separated the Melemele ruins from the rest of the trail that led up to it. There used to be a bridge here that connected the two sides but it broke so often that we'd just given up on fixing it. Nowadays, people offered their gratitude from the main side of the Mahalo path in the hopes that the Guardian would hear them.

"Please help us make this a success" I whisper, closing my eyes and waiting. The grass beneath me tickles my forehead. Nothing but the waterfall's rampage and the needy cries of bird Pokémon respond to my plea. My prayers are made in vain. I lift myself up off the ground and quickly dust my knees and legs. No matter - I don't particularly mind. Truth be told, I'm all too content with this silence. I don't feel worth enough to be in Tapu Koko's presence today. I haven't done so for the past six months.

One final glance at the ruins and I turn around to make my way back down the trail. The early sunlight dapples through the trees and gathers in pools across the ground. Verdant luxuriously possesses both sides of the staircase, occasionally shuffling with the movements of hidden Pokémon. I never really noticed the beauty of the Mahalo trail until recently - this was a transitory space: a place that existed for connection but didn't have its own definition. Beings travelled here from the place before to get to the place after, never truly staying here on the path itself. Me? I could get lost here if old Hala allowed me to. I'd disappear into nothingness and smile all the way.

A sigh escapes my lips. I feel my stomach twisting anxiously inside of me. Maybe it was unwise of me to feel so content that my wishes up at the ruins fell on deaf ears. In exactly two weeks, Alola would be at the center of global attention. I would be at the center of global attention, placed squarely in front of dignitaries from the other six regions. What a fool I'd been, suggesting that Alola have a showcase to the rest of the world when the truth was we'd been fine living in relative isolation. The idea had unfortunately caught fire amongst the kahunas and trial captains: before I knew it, invitations were sent to regional Gym Leaders, Elite Four members and Champions. Alola would be hosting the first ever Pokémon Global Conference and I was the cause of it all. How embarrassing.

I'm proud of my homeland. I love Alola with all my heart. From Poni's sharp shores of jet to the gentle darkness of Verdant Cave, every fibre of my being is filled with pride for these islands. Ours is not a region like the others - we lack Kanto's bustle, Johto's eruditeness and Hoenn's robustness. We're scarce next to Sinnoh's hardiness, Unova's loud streets and the ethereal elegance of Kalos. Yes, we're quite unpolished compared to the other six regions, but we make up for it in small ways. Alola's people and Pokémon are compassionate beyond compare, warmer and more fiery than Wela Volcano itself. Each and every one of us who live on the four main islands live indebted to nature's generosity and as such, we must revere it above all else.

For we are all victims of nature. We live and die by it's whims.

"Just pawns and players…"

-xoxoxoxoxo-

"The observatory staff are very excited. This is quite different from what we're usually used to."

I nod, sparing Molayne a quick glance before drowning my gaze in the depths of my coffee cup. It's 9AM now - the morning is well under way. Hau'oli City has truly awakened, enticing the streets with scents of berries, honey and salty ocean spray. Smiles and laughter are aplenty here but I can't bring myself to immerse myself in them. Instead, I seek comfort in my daily ritual of spending time with Molayne over coffee. It doesn't exactly ease my emotional malaise but I know I'd feel worse without it.

"Is the opening ceremony display ready yet?" I ask, taking a sip of bitter brew. Molayne is kind enough to meet my indifference with another round of small talk about the showcase. I feel guilty about letting him carry the weight of most of our conversations but I can't bring myself to do much more.

"Yep, we're all set. Sophocles and his team are working with the Minior that landed a few weeks ago. The routine still needs a bit of tweaking here and there but I'm confident they'll be ready long before the big day."

"At least something is going well."

"Still having Butterfrees in your stomach?"my friend chuckles. I look up to him with a scowl.

"Why did I have to open my big mouth about this? Why can't Lusamine take centre stage on this one?"

"Lusamine can't do that."

"What about Faba? He LOVES attention."

"Lusamine can't handle this on her own" Molayne says gently, leaning in closer. "She has other concerns that need her attention right now as well. As for Faba, well… I'd sooner have Nanu handle this than him."

I shake my head anxiously. I feel another knot buckle itself inside my body on top of everything else. "It's all too much, you know?" I croak. My throat goes dry almost instantly. Another swig of coffee doesn't help. I exhale deeply. "This was an idea I had back when things were better. I can't do this now."

"You still can do it. You just need to have faith in yourself."

"But that's the thing. I can't… not since… you know."

"When was the last time you were home?" asks Molayne, his spectacles framing the concern in his eyes. I look away, shame heating my cheeks as I ponder his question. Home - such a foreign term now. Home was the place where the rest of the world got dissolved ever so sweetly. It was what you had when you felt like you belonged to something or someone. I didn't have a home, I was as boundless as the four winds.

"Not since that day."

"Go home Kukui."

"She might not want me there. No, she definitely does not want me there."

"All the more reason. Sort this out once and for all." He leans back into his chair and studies my worried figure. "You can't run away from this forever. It won't ever go away until you face it head on." He tilts his head. "Do you love her?"

"Of course I do."

"Then go home."

-xoxoxoxoxo-

It's late afternoon by the time I return to my home. A small little thing on the shores of Melemele Sea, it wasn't much, but it was never supposed to be. Luxury and excess, those things were handled better by Lusamine. I was fine with the bare comforts and a place to carry out my research. Over time, this little beach house became something more personal when she moved in… Burnett had made this place into a proper home without changing a single thing.

I slowly trudge up the beach to the house, my bare feet tingling in the diamond water. The sky burns with a mournful orange as the sun sets into the sea, flooding the ocean with amber light. Wingull caw to each other as they fly overhead. It's a scene I've seen a million times over but the first one here in little over six months. I don't feel any of the joy I did when I saw this previously. I just feel empty inside.

A roar from the sky pulls me out of my thoughts. I look up instinctively and my heart starts a distressed tattoo against my chest. A Charizard circles around the beach house before descending, sending bone white sand flying everywhere with every beat of its wings. I know this Charizard - the ride Pokémon used to fly between islands. In this part of Melemele, there's only one person who would be riding it. My love is back home.

"Burnett…"

I can't do this. Not now.

As if of its own accord, my body turns around without a second glance back. My feet press hard against the yielding sand and I start running.

With the wind behind my back, I run.

With tears starting to sting my eyes, I run.

With my mind screaming out in words I can't understand, I run.

I run away from home, away from pain.

Away from love.

I run from it all.

~END~