Daina wasn't sure if her heart would just leap out of her chest as she ran or if she'd end up breaking down crying, but her mother couldn't get Nebby; Nebby meant too much to her to lose 'him' to her mother.
She ignored the people chasing her as she rushed down and out of the Aether Foundation's building and kept running, to stop would be risking her Pokemon partner to be captured and experimented on; that definitely was not an option.
Finally with a burst of speed, she sped to a bridge before thankfully being rescued from the battle by a kind stranger that spoke with a very different accent before she walked into town and collapsed, only for the Kahuna's grandson to take notice of her.
"Hi, I'm Alfred!" His bright smile had her heart racing as if she was still running, but it wasn't impossible to take a deep breath and try to respond back.
"Hello, I'm Daina." Her voice fell soft as she remembered the past, what led her to this moment; she remembered how kind her mother had seemed to her when she was growing up, how close they'd been, only for the past few years or so to ruin that completely.
"Okay," Alfred's smile was brighter than the sun, it had to be, "Do you wanna be friends? I'm trying to grow much closer to my Pokemon and be strong enough to beat all of the Island Challenges!" His enthusiasm made her smile, but what if he was just like her mother? Smooth and sweet at first, knowing just how to put her at ease, and then pulling that safety net out from under her.
"I'm not sure. I'm not a trainer." Having a Pokemon that you were close to didn't necessarily make you a Pokemon trainger; she didn't want Nebby to get in harm's way at all, felt lucky that some people were strong enough to fight back for her sake and for the sake of her Pokemon best friend.
"Well," Alfred smiled, "You don't have to be. Won't it be cool to see the whole of Alola with me?" He snuggled close to her side with that ever present smile, and she wondered if he'd even have the grit to become like her mother, she somehow doubted it.
"I guess so." She shrugged, eyes on her bag; she should really get Nebby something to eat and may be eat something herself, but she didn't want to intrude on the generosity of strangers.
"Alright, then it's settled!" Alfred fist bumped the air in excitement, and Daina just had to giggle at the excited display. She hadn't seen someone with this much excited energy since she'd been a kid, and she, her mom, and her brother used to goof off together.
She had no idea how, but Alfred had convinced her to pose for a few pictures with little pleading and even offered to let her take a few whenever she wanted to.
There was something almost endearing about hanging out with Alfred, and it kind of reminded her of when things hadn't been so awful with her mom.
Daina wasn't sure that she wanted to do this anymore; Alfred had spent time as well as the new person that she'd met before showing her that Pokemon battling wasn't all that bad and how just absolutely powerful and strong willed they were, but it wasn't enough.
She'd stood with Alfred just before this point, and he'd even given her a kiss 'for good luck and because he just really, really wanted to.'
Daina wasn't sure why it had to hurt so bad to walk back through the Aether Foundation this time by Alfred's side or how it could feel hopeless to see her mother again and know that the woman couldn't or rather refused to change into the woman that Daina had grown up with.
Just seeing her one last time and seeing how it connected in Alfred's eyes exactly what the woman had done, exactly who she was, felt heart wrenching and impossible even as he reached his hand out and took hers in his.
"Daina, we're in this together. Don't ever forget that, alright? I'd never do what she's done to you." Alfred shifted, and he was suddenly, the awkward, self conscious Kahuna's grandson.
"Just, why?" Daina felt the ache of her heart tearing apart as she remembered how things had came to change not too long ago and just wasn't sure anymore if she was asking about her mother or why Alfred never would leave her.
"We're friends, but sort of more." He shrugged, "And I love you, and isn't that enough to make me want you to be happy? All I want is to see just how far I'll go and to see you happy." She could imagine how far he'd push himself to beat the Island Challenges, had sort of seen it before too, and yet that wasn't nearly enough, was it? If you wanted something as strong as her mother did or half as strong, could that turn you into a monster?
Daina didn't know what she'd say if she tried to speak now, and when her fingers loosened up, he didn't let go. He held her close and held her up; her hand felt warm in his.
Whatever this meant, she wasn't entirely sure and wasn't sure that she'd be able to get through this safe.
Daina had never expected to see her mother full of such remorse, and yet a part of her felt unwilling to forgive her for all of this. She reached out anyway, because the greatest part of her wanted to forgive and wanted it to be true.
When her mother broke down crying in her arms, Daina felt that she had to remain strong even as tears pricked her eyes.
"Daina, are you ready to go home?" Alfred asked from where he'd been standing, and even if he'd broken the moment up between them, she didn't mind half as much; she'd needed something to ground her, and he'd been that for her.
She wasn't sure what home was anymore, but today had worn her out. She was ready to find out what home was.
Daina moved over towards her sort of more than friend before he pulled her up into his arms, "We did it! We had a lot of help along the way, but do you see what's happened? We made it to a new place that looks absolutely cool, and things might get better between you and your mom. Isn't that the best part of all?" He pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her lips that she wasn't sure whether she should worry about with her mother present or indulge in.
Her face turned red anyway, "Thank you, Alfred. For so much, for everything." She wasn't sure if that was enough, but she'd take this kiss to be the source of strength that she needed to get through, to get past what seemed impossible.
Home was Alfred; she'd decided as she stood next to him as he ran towards her, last Island Challenge complete.
"I did it! I did it!" His cheer made her heart warm up even as she reached her hands out and took him into her arms.
"Are you going to go on and face our new Champion?" She needed the question, needed to see where his ambitions went.
"Nah," He smiled, sending a well meaninged look her way, "I want to see what my awesome and sweet girlfriend wants first."
"I want to go to Kanto." She felt nervous to leave this between them; she doubted that he'd be cool with traveling with her, "I want to try being a trainer like you."
"You don't even need to ask if I'll go with you. I will, because to me, you're my calm moon that doesn't need to demand much from me, and I'll do anything for you anyway." Alfred smiled at her, and Daina felt her heart fill her whole chest with a sort of warmth that she'd never expected.
"Thank you." She stepped on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss; she'd never tried before to start any of their kisses and yet it gave a sort of blossoming power to erupt inside her chest.
Alfred held her close and kissed her, "Let's go home first, Daina. We'll leave whenever you're ready to explore."
She relaxed in his arms, "I'll miss Alola."
"We can always come back to visit." Alfred shrugged like he didn't mind giving up the only life he'd ever known for her sake, and she guessed that he didn't.
What did she ever do to deserve a love like this, a love that never gave up on her?
