Dusk settled over the sky of Alola, and in a secluded cove of Akala Island a young woman sat in the water at the beach edge, wearing a one piece swimsuit with a Popplio floating aimlessly beside her. The waves washed over her lower body. Further out, a lone Wishiwashi led a group of it's kin, and if one looked closer, it would seem as if an outline of a large fish was formed by the collection of Pokemon.
"Alola's changed," the blue haired girl sighed to the Popplio. Popplio responded with a half muted "Popopioo."
She laid her head back and thought back on her day. She dealt with an ever increasing influx of customers, people wanting to rent water skis, people inquiring for the next cross Alola boat tour, and chastising a group from Unova who partied on a rental boat and left a giant mess for her to clean up among her regular duties. "I'm a trail captain now," she shook her head "but it doesn't really feel like it."
In the years that followed since Ash Ketchum left the Alolan islands for parts unknown, the number of individuals challenging the trail captain herself dwindled.
"Okay, time to go Wish," Lana said as a red beam shot out from her Pokeball, instantly covering the white fish, before both went back into the Pokeball. The school that had been following her Pokemon immediately dispersed.
The beaches of Alola had continued to erode over the years. With most sections being three to six feet below the roadway that sat above the shore. Thankfully through local government and non-profit groups, access for beachgoers was maintained through sloped pathways and stairs.
As Lana walked along Wela beach, her Popplio bounding behind her, she watched the tourists and locals, laden with beach towels, umbrellas and all sorts of inflatable toys make their way off the beach and into their cars. Looking up at a particularly well-worn section of the beachhead, her attention was drawn to a figure leaning on the fence.
A girl about her age with striking blond hair, held together by a chopstick in a medium sized bun, wearing an elegant off-pink sundress billowing in the breeze. What struck Lana the most about this girl was her forlorn expression. It seemed like she gazed out to the sea in sadness. It was an expression Lana had seen on a friend of hers many times before, during her youthful days at the Pokemon School.
"Lillie?!," Lana called out above as she approached closer. Her suspicion confirmed as the girl snapped down to focus on her.
"Lana? Is that you?!" Lillie replied, flattening the front of her skirt, surprised by the sight of her old friend.
"Give me a second, I'll be right up!," Lana replied. "Popplio, Balloon!"
A second later, the small blue pokemon created a water bubble around Lana, who floated up to her long-lost friend, as she watched incredulously. In a series of deft motions Popplio jumped up, lightly tapped Lana's balloon and somersaulted over the balloon, landing on the grass near the fence. Popplio applauded for itself briefly, before being toppled over by another Pokemon. "Snooow," the two pokemon shared what would best be described as a hug in human terms.
"Poppy… a little help please," Lana stared at her Pokemon as she continued to float in the bubble, a foot off the ground.
The Pokemon hastily complied, popping its bubble and accidentally drenching the ice-fox Pokemon in the process. Snowball shook off her fur as Lana softly hopped onto the ground.
"Wow, I see Popplio's training is still paying off." Lillie said surprised. "I was worried you were going to try and climb up the cliff."
Lana tilted her head and stuck out her tongue. Lillie went to speak, but instead rushed to embrace her friend.
"That's an expression I've not seen in a while. It's good to see you again," Lillie spoke, as her blue-haired friend return the hug.
The two broke contact "I barely recognized you!" they said in unison.
After sharing a laugh Lillie was the first to speak "Me? Look at you Lana, your hair is so short now. And you look so athletic!"
"My hair?" Lana replied "What about yours? When did you start putting it up?"
"Oh this? I just didn't feel like doing anything to it today, it's actually longer now…" Lillie replied as she removed the chopstick. Her thin strands of blonde hair fell down, the ends rested slightly below her thigh "See?!"
Lana mimed removing an invisible chopstick from her hair, and looked over her shoulder "Huh, doesn't seem to work on a pixie cut. At least your hair isn't as crazy as your moms was."
The two friends looked at each other before bursting into another fit of giggles.
Snowball looked up to her trainer, then at Popplio. Popplio simply shrugged his flippers "Pioooo."
"So what brings you to Akala island?" Lana asked her friend as they strolled down the road between the beach and town.
"Well, actually Aether consortium is thinking of constructing a mixed-use building on the Wela volcano side of the island. It's gonna be part laboratory, part hotel and part residential housing…. And now that I'm in the process of taking over the family business… this will all be part of my responsibilities." Lillie sighed.
"Lillie, you're my friend. Even if we've been out of contact for the past few years, I'll always support you, but… Don't you think there's been enough construction here already? We need to preserve the natural beauty of this island…" Lana frowned at her friend.
"That's exactly the thing… It's why I went to the beach tonight to stare at the ocean. I do want to preserve it, but I don't know how." Lillie replied sighing. "I hoped feeling the fresh breeze and seeing the beaches again would help me figure this out…"
Lana gazed at her friend and then back at the ocean, lost for words herself.