What had it been? Ten years? It's a long time to be away from your home, something of which Lillie was acutely aware. It filled her with relief that she could finally return to Alola. After all, she accomplished her goal. She had, in fact, grown stronger. Her travels took her across Kanto, encountering Pokémon; whether they were new, old, or strangely familiar, she learned everything that she could about them. A couple of them even became members of her team. Her Kantoan Ninetales in particular was one of them she treasured the most. Being one of the first Pokémon she captured would certainly do that.
Nevertheless, with all that experience and training, she eventually earned the title of Pokémon professor. Unfortunately, as misleading as that sounds, she had only just recently completed her doctorate. Even so, with the assurance that she was strong enough to not only help her mother but all those close to her, she decided it was time for her to return to her home. After all, with her new title, the possibilities were endless. She could dedicate her time to studying the Ultra Beasts that had terrorized her family, friends and all of Alola those many years ago. It could give her insight into the processes by which those strange creatures corrupted and controlled her mother. Still, given that her brother Gladion had revealed that their mother was progressing due to the variety of treatments provided by the Aether Foundation, it was not entirely necessary. Lillie could live her own life, not completely encompassing her family's troubles. Other topics had interested her as well, such as the varieties and causes of the Alolan forms and how they differentiated from their counter-parts. She was fascinated by how her Ninetales was so strikingly different from the Ninetales her friend Moon trained when they were children. The contradictory typings as well as the drastic differences in abilities and appearance was just so intriguing. She had to know more.
It stands to reason then why she found herself at the Pokémon League.
"Wow…" She breathed in wonder. "It's changed so much from what I remember."
The old snow-covered dirt path of the then-new Alolan Pokémon League had long been replaced by gray brick masonry, reminiscent of the architecture in Malie City. Whatever transportation equipment that had been there to serve a function had been replaced by more decorative and unique machinery. The nearby Pokémon Center, which was only sparsely filled with people back in the day, now was bustling with challengers and fans alike. The Pokémon League had not only changed, but was now established. It commanded respect. Guess that what happens when a great trainer like Moon has been your champion for the better part of a decade.
"You do know things aren't the way they used to be, right?"
"What do you mean, Gladion?"
"Ugh…. It's just…"
"It's just what, Gladion?"
"Lillie…."
"Just tell me brother."
"Moon's changed. A lot."
"…. I don't think I follow."
"It's…. just hard to describe."
"…"
"I guess the best word I can describe her now is…. Cold."
Lillie entered the guest seating of the Pokémon League, anxiously awaiting the battle between the Champion and her most recent challenger. With ten years at both the figurative and literal top of the mountain, one garners a reputation of being unbeatable. Of course, those seeking glory and fame constantly challenge Champion Moon, attempting to achieve what has never been done for years.
Establishing an insurmountable challenge only creates the desire to surmount it, after all. And Lillie was incredibly familiar with that desire.
It seems that this challenger was creating all sorts of nostalgic feelings inside her. It seemed like a couple days ago when Moon, with that insatiable drive to overcome any obstacle placed in her way, had not only completed the Island Challenge, but saved Lillie's mother from the clutches of the Ultra Beasts and became the Island's first (and so far, only) Champion. It was that drive after all that inspired Lillie to go on her own adventure to Kanto. She wanted to prove, not only to herself, but to Moon that she had the power to take control of her life and protect that which is most precious to her. As far as Lillie was concerned, Moon was not only a close friend, but her idol. To see the same desires in the children of Alola was nothing short of inspiring. It only spoke good of the future that these children held such grand ideals and had the determination to achieve them.
So why was Lillie not as ecstatic as she felt she should have been?
Lillie could not ponder this question for much longer when her concentration was interrupted by the Announcer.
"Thank you all for coming out today to see the latest challenger! As you all know, he has dominated the Island Challenge, overcoming everything in his way!"
With exaggerated inflection and wild gestures, the hype generated by this announcer was palatable to say the least.
"I don't think I have seen a worthier challenge to our champion's long reign! Please give your support for the challenger, Daisuke!"
On the left side of the arena, a confident young man raised his hands in the air. His smirk, being his most prominent feature on his face, was hard not to see, even with the distance between him and the stands full of his fans. Lille noticed the stance he took as he readied himself for the battle; it was if he was ready to pounce on whatever came out that other door.
"Now, let's see if he has what it takes to stand up to the Ali Wahine, Champion Moon!"
The door on the right side opened up. A indistinguishable silhouette appeared as the arena filled darkness, punctuated only by lights illuminating the Champion. Suddenly, roars of cheers filled the League as every fan stood up to cheer on Moon. Lillie had to stretch to be able clearly see how much her friend had changed. In short, it was a lot. The most startling difference was in her hair; her previously wavy, black bob had been transformed. Long, straight, and snow white were the most apt descriptors. Even so, while her dark skin had not changed in the slightest, her appearance was nothing like she used to be ten years ago. Moon, as the teen who became the Champion, was ever the fan of flower-print loose tops in which the bottom she would tie a knot. Additionally, she always wore comfortable shoes and shorts that allowed her to move around easily. Finally, her trademark red flower hat was seemingly ever-present on her head.
Now, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Her head was bare of any sort of hat, recognizable as hers or not. In its stead was a large pair of reflective sunglasses that completely obfuscated her eyes when worn. Furthermore, the wardrobe that Lillie remembered her wearing had completely been replaced. Now sporting a slim, black dress that reached down to the ankle of her right leg, leaving her left one nearly exposed. Accented by a pattern of white triangles on the edge of the dress, she covered her shoulders with a buttoned, angular white cape that covered the entirety of her torso. With black stiletto heels, Moon looked much less like the happy-go-lucky girl who caused team skull problems. She looked domineering, rigid, harsh, dangerous.
She looked cold.
"Both contestants are ready! GO!"
"Lillie?! It's been too long! So great to see you!"
"It has been, Hau. Great to see you too."
"So… What brings you back 'round these parts?"
"Well, I just got my doctorate… So, I thought I'd come back home to continue my research. Plus I knew you wouldn't be able to survive without me, Hau."
"Hey now! I was like, what, 12 years old? A close friend leaving was devastating back then."
"Hahaha… I know Hau. Well, now I'm back and all of us can make up for lost time."
"…."
"…. Hau?"
"Huh-Wha?"
"Um… you were just staring into space there for a couple seconds…"
"Oh…. Was I? Haha… Guess I hadn't thought about all of us together in a while… seems like it shocked me."
"…. Why?"
"Uh…"
"…. Is it about Moon?"
"…."
"…. Hau, tell me what happened to her."
"…. In short? She's changed."
In the years since they had last been together, Lillie noticed that Moon took up a Pokémon specialty: Ice types. To Lillie, it made sense for Moon to choose them. After all, no one on the islands specialized in this type. With the Pokémon League being based in this type's only habitat in the region, Moon must have wanted to keep the league thematically appropriate as well as fill a void.
'She was always up for a challenge, after all.' Lillie thought as she remembered the passionate, intense trainer she met ten years ago. However, the thought made Lillie sad as she looked on the Champion that seemingly replaced her friend. Her steely, cold stare and sharp edges sent shivers down Lillie's spine. She had become a battling machine.
'Guess that's why they call her the Ali Wahine.' Lillie sighed. 'The Ice Queen.'
Even so, the battle surprised Lillie. She couldn't remember the last time Moon struggled this much in a battle. While Moon's demeanor wouldn't show it, Lillie noticed all the little mistakes the Champion was making. Mistakes that Moon knew better not to make. Now, she did remember the intense battle between Moon and her mother, but that one had some incredibly high stakes; the security of Alola hung on that match's conclusion. This challenger, however, was just another wide-eyed kid who overestimated his chances against the Champion. Moon would've have to had hundreds of battles like this one. Yet, she struggled.
It wasn't like this kid was necessarily anything special either. He knew what he was doing, but his strategies stunk of the routines they taught to beginners at the Pokémon School. While they were a good basis for any promising trainer, only those who utilize creative and unique strategies can reach the peaks that Moon had. Still, he very nearly beat her. If it wasn't for that last second freezing of his Hitmonlee, Moon would have lost. Lillie could only speculate but she knew she caught Moon's eye near the beginning of the match. Was she distracted by Lillie's sudden arrival? Did her presence cause her to lose concentration? But, why? Lillie and Moon were great friends, with the latter fighting her best when the former stood next to her. Why was she now doing worse?
'I'm sure it's nothing…' Lillie thought to herself. 'She just got really happy to see me after all this time and lost focus.' Lillie looked down at her shoes. 'I'm sure Gladion and Hau were just exaggerating…'
Just then, a tall man in a black suit and sunglasses approached her. His appearance was nothing unique aside from the Pokémon League pin on his lapel.
"Champion Moon has invited you to her private chambers. Please follow me." The man stated bluntly and plainly.
"Of course." Lillie responded. She picked herself off of the seat to follow the man. She could only imagine what was about to happen.
This mountain has been nothing but trouble. The snow, ice, and Pokémon have all been so tough. But that's fine, cause I'm about to get to the top. Professor Kukui said the Pokémon League was up here. Finally, I'll be able to prove myself to everyone.
People will finally recognize me as the one who saved them all from those damn Ultra Beasts. Those monstrosities. They'll see me as the person who took down not only Team Skull but the seedier elements of the Aether Foundation. They'll finally be able to recognize the power that Tapu Koko saw in me. They'll see me for how strong I am. I just have to beat the League.
Huh? What's that?
It looks like those statues that held Z-crystals… But there's no trial here, is there?
Nevertheless, I got to see what's in there.
…
It looks like it's for Ice types. Since there's no captain to give them out, I bet this might be the only one. Heh, guess it suits me. After all, I'm probably the best trainer on Alola. I need to be the best trainer in Alola. Seems like a unique power is appropriate for someone as strong as I am.
…
Hehehe… looks like I'll need more Ice types aside from Ninetales now.
Moon's room was befitting of a champion, to say the least. The large structure, circular by design and surrounded by glass windows, allowed any inhabitants to see everything for miles. If the weather permitted it, one could not only see all of Ula'Ula, but the other islands as well. It also seems that the furnishings were designed to be minimal to accommodate this aspect of the Champion's personal abode. None of the furniture was particular extravagant, preferring simple geometric designs and solid colors (which were more than not white). There was, however, one piece that didn't seem to fit; it was a picture, framed in a simple, but elegantly carved brown frame. As Lillie moved closer to observe this oddity, she recognized what the picture was of. It brought back a flood of nostalgia for those seemingly happier times.
Hau, Moon, and herself standing next to each other in Hau'oli City as the Rotom-dex took their picture. It was the start of their journey.
Lillie's attention was distracted as Moon spoke up.
"So…" Moon began to talk, "How have you been Lillie?"
Lillie could immediately see that Moon was not comfortable in this situation. Her smile was obviously fake, being a bit too exaggerated for it to be natural. Lillie knew something was up immediately. Moon would have had to know that Lillie wasn't stupid enough to be fooled by it. Still, maybe Moon hoped that she would be so that the confrontation she knew was coming wouldn't come.
"I'm great. Thank you for asking." Lillie returned a more genuine smile. Even though she could see through Moon's façade fairly easily, she decided to play along with it for now. No need to confront her right now. "How are you doing? I see you're still the champion."
"Haha, yeah. No one who's strong enough has come along yet." Moon's body relaxed a bit, starting to forget the worries she had earlier. "Guess that's why they call me Ali Wahine."
"Hmmhmm… The Ice Queen." Lillie giggled. "Interesting name, if I do say so myself."
"Yeah, haha… Guess when you specialize in Ice Types and are unbeatable, it's pretty certain that someone, somewhere is gonna call you the Ice Queen." Moon joked, feeling a bit more relaxed.
"Yeah…" Lillie calmed down and look down at her shoes. "So… I met Gladion and Hau earlier."
Moon suddenly tensed up. "O-oh yeah? H-how are they doing?" Moon seemingly began to sweat. It seemed as the effort to maintain this façade was finally exhausting her. "B-been awhile since I've last seen them, y'know?"
Lillie looked at Moon with a more serious look in her eyes. "They told me that you've changed a lot since we were kids, Moon."
"W-well, yeah." Moon curtly stated, getting more irritated. "It's been ten years. It would be a problem if I didn't change."
"Moon, they said you've changed in ways that aren't obvious. They said you've become more distant. That you rarely interact with anyone outside battling. That you spend all your time up here, alone." Lillie stated, as she looked upon a more despondent Moon.
"…" Moon remained quiet.
"They said you've become cold. Like a real Ice Queen." Lillie said, with growing concern in her voice.
"Shut up." Moon said, emotionless.
"W-what?" Lillie, taken aback, asked shocked.
"Battle. Now. One versus one." Moon demanded, walking past Lillie. "You did finally learn to battle these past ten years, right Lillie?" She asked with smug self-satisfaction, desiring to take Lillie down a peg.
"M-moon… What happened to you?" Lillie asked, still shocked by her friend's sudden transformation.
"I'll be waiting in the Arena." Moon, ignoring her question, walked ahead."
"…Moon." Lillie grasped her Pokéball. It seemed like things were going to be solved the old-fashioned way.
As Lillie approached her designated position, she took glances at Moon, who stood motionless on the other side of the empty, lightless arena. The moonlight shown through the windows, barely illuminating what was going on inside. The straight bangs that normally covered Moon's forehead now obscured her eyes as she hung her head down. Her stance, while normally confident, was wide and crooked. Her body slightly shook up and down as she apparently breathed heavily. Her whole appearance could be described as bestial and wild; a far cry from anything Lillie remembered about her.
As soon as Lillie took her position opposite Moon, the champion threw out her Pokémon as she called out her name.
"Go. Kouri."
An Alolan Ninetales popped out, and appeared on Moon's side of the field. Lillie giggled inside her head. Apparently despite being Alola's champion for ten years, she couldn't drop some Kantonese habits, including naming conventions. Nevertheless, Lillie had other things to focus on. Moon's condition was devolving quickly. Lillie needed to act quick.
"Go! Ke Ahi!"
Lillie's own Kantonese Ninetales appeared on the field. Sparks of flame appeared outside of the Pokémon's mouth. It seemed that Lillie had the obvious advantage in this match-up. However, Lillie knew better than that. After all, Moon's position as Alola's best trainer had been earned; a simple type advantage would not be enough for Lillie to overcome Moon's well-documented abilities.
Speaking of which, Moon made the first move.
"Kouri, use Captivate."
The ice fox's eyes glowed, which affected Lillie's own Pokémon in a considerable way. She knew what happened. Moon placed Lillie at a disadvantage, reducing the effectiveness of her fire attacks. But that's fine. Lillie could still pull this out. But she needed to act now.
"Ke Ahi, use flamethrower!"
"Look out at the rain like this… reminds me of this one time when I was little."
"Hmm?"
"I'd seen it in a movie… this man singing and dancing in the rain. It captivated me so much that I had to try it for myself."
"Haha, really?"
"Mm-hmm. My mother spotted me out in the rain, and she was so shocked that she ran right out after me without even bothering to get an umbrella…
"…"
"And then… She smiled… and she danced with me in the rain."
"Aw. That's cute."
"Of course, we both ended up catching cold. She let me sleep in her big bed with her. I was so happy that I kept waking her again and again, just to be sure it wasn't a dream…"
"…"
"But… then she changed. And all she would think about was the Ultra Beasts."
"…"
"And Null and Nebby… They ended up suffering so much and I couldn't do anything…"
"…"
"But you know what, Moon? Whenever I feel like there's nothing I can do, you seem to show up and… you do something. Every time, you've shown me that it's possible… to do something.
"Really?"
"Even the first time we met… Nebby was being attacked, and all I could do was look on in horror. And at Aether Paradise, all I could do was wait for you and the others to save me. Whenever I'm in any sort of trouble, you're always there…
"…"
"I… U-um, Moon?"
"U-uh, what?"
"What are you going to do… once you finish your island challenge?"
"Get stronger."
"It must be nice, knowing what you want to do. I really admire that."
"…"
"I think I'd like to become a Trainer, too. And travel together with you, Moon…
"I think that'd be great too. That way we'll both be there for each other."
"That was I can help you whenever you need it."
"I'd really appreciate that, Lillie."
Kouri, Moon's Ninetales, fell after too many sustained attacks from Lillie's Ke Ahi. It seemed that Lillie eked out a victory, but just barely. If that last Flamethrower missed or failed to take down Kouri, then Lillie would've have certainly lost that battle. Moon, defeated, returned her Pokémon to its Pokéball. Suddenly, she collapsed to her knees, with her head hanging down. The only solace she seemingly finding was that this battle was not officially sanctioned, so her title was still secure.
Lillie quickly returned her own Pokémon to its Pokéball and ran across the field to check on the distraught Moon.
"Moon!" She knelt to the Champion's level and supported her back. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"
"Heh." Moon bitterly scoffed. "Do I need anything? What a dumb question."
"H-huh?" Lillie vocalized, stunned by Moon's statement."
"I've needed a lot over these past ten years. But nobody was willing to give," Moon pounded the ground in frustration.
"M-moon… you can tell me what's been bothering you," Lillie whispered in sympathy.
"Don't patronize me, you blond bimbo who thought it would be great to up and leave me behind after all I did to help you," Moon's voice began to raise in volume, getting angrier. "You left me behind to deal with those t-things." Moon's voice cracked on the last word as she slumped forward. Tears began to flow.
"What things, Moon?" Lillie asked plainly.
"T-the Ultra b-beats, moron. Those horrifying t-things that threatened e-everything. Y-you know, how s-strong they are!" Moon's voice shook with both rage and fear, both emotions that she must have repressed over the years. It seems all of it was coming out at once.
"Moon… y'know you could've always called." Lillie gently chided as she tried to comfort her.
"YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN HERE!" Moon shouted, filling the empty arena with echoes. Lillie remained silent. She gently nudged Moon's head towards her chest to comfort her. Moon, in response, quickly grasped Lillie clothes and she cried openly into her chest.
"Y-you s-should've b-been h-h-here…" Moon's voice quieting down, as sadness took over her.
Lillie remained silent and she stared down at the crying mess that was her friend.
"I think I'd like to become a Trainer, too. And travel together with you, Moon…
"I think that'd be great too. That way we'll both be there for each other."
"That was I can help you whenever you need it."
"I'd really appreciate that, Lillie."
"I'm here now, Moon." Lillie slowly rubbed her friend's back as she continued to cry. "I'm here now."