Moon slept peacefully and woke with the sun. She leapt out of bed and got ready with a grin. Greeting her mother at the table, she grabbed a fruit and was out the door. Calling a Charizard from her Ride Pager, she was high in the Alolan sky after so long.
Moon looked down and saw the islands, tiny as she soared above. Melemele, Akala, Ula' Ula, and Poni. Finally, Aether Paradise came into view. She landed and recalled her Charizard. Walking inside, she caught sight of a busy woman with violet hair.
"Alola, Miss Wicke!" she greeted cheerfully.
"Moon? Why, you're back! Gladion will be so pleased."
"I'm off to find him now," Moon informed her.
Wicke grinned to a nearby worker and whispered, rather loudly to her. "That's the Champion. Maybe she can make things right!"
Moon kept walking, not intending on eavesdropping. Make what right? Moon wondered, in spite of herself.
She was directed to the observatory where she should find Gladion. She pushed aside her worry, intent on reuniting with her friend. Moon was happy to see him with his back turned to the elevator.
"Hey! Gladion!"
The president turned in surprise. Not many people visited him. Moon had come by regularly before her trip and Hau dropped in occasionally. He seemed to be visiting more and more often, but Gladion wouldn't complain about that.
"Moon?" His features arranged into his signature half smile as one of his closest friends ran up to him.
Moon hugged him tightly and Gladion, shocked, took a moment to respond. He wasn't used to such affection, but it warmed his heart that she had came to see him.
He pulled back and said "So you're back from your trip, huh?"
"Clearly," Moon remarked playfully. "It's great to see you again. I arrived two nights ago. I would have visited you then, but Hau and I battled, so… You know how those go."
He did know. He may have been able to best Hau in his earlier battles, but he had never once beaten Moon. Later on, Hau grew to be evenly matched with Gladion. This didn't deter him. Gladion was proud to be close friends with two of the strongest trainers in Alola.
"That's okay." Gladion wasn't really one for small talk. Or most kinds of talks, really, thought Moon. It didn't matter to her in the slightest. Of all people, she understood his harsh past. Gladion, however, was not aware of how much they had in common.
"Well? I battled Hau, now it's your turn!" Moon challenged her moody friend when it became clear he would say nothing else.
Gladion smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then get ready, Champion. I've been training pretty hard."
"So have I. We'll see how your training paid off".
Gladion sent out his Silvally as Moon sent out her Garchomp.
"Silvally! Use crunch!"
"Dodge it! Quick, dig!"
The mach Pokémon burrowed underground.
"Hold on!" Gladion ordered. "Stay still and wait for her move."
"Alright, Garchomp," Moon murmured. "Wait… wait… NOW!" she commanded.
Garchomp burst out from straight underneath the unsuspecting Silvally.
Ground attacks are super effective against fire types, and Silvally was always holding a fire memory to counter my starter Pokémon, Moon thought to herself as she saw her opponent's Pokémon faint.
Gladion called his Pokémon back, looking grudgingly impressed. "I guess I'm not the only one who got stronger".
Moon just smiled as her old friend sent out his Crobat. Her Decidueye took some damage from its air cutter, but she overpowered it with sheer force when she found her Pokémon at low health.
Soon, the battle was over. Moon had taken out all of Gladion's Pokémon, had lost her Decidueye, and had her Garchomp at low health.
"That was great!" Moon remarked as she called her Garchomp back.
"Yeah," Gladion said, a touch of admiration in his voice. "You've grown a lot stronger."
"Maybe so, but I could tell you have, too" said Moon. The boy offered a slight smile at her words.
Moon turned to leave, wanting to catch up with other friends, before she stopped in her tracks, remembering her concerns from earlier.
"Hey, have you noticed anything strange? Like something's wrong?"
Gladion looked up as he was tending to his Silvally. "So you've caught on. Can you meet me at the lab tonight? Bring Hau if you can."
Moon agreed and, with a growing sense of foreboding, left Aether Paradise. Determined to focus on regrouping with her friends, she tried to let Gladion's invitation drift to the back of her mind. But she couldn't help but think about it.
The young Champion had seen all sorts of signs that had confused her. Her mother had been almost too happy she was back, and acted far too relieved she had come home at night. Hau had neglected to tell her about the latest news in Melemele. Professor Kukui knew what she was capable of, and he had issued her a warning.
Gladion had confirmed her suspicions; something was wrong in this quaint region. Moon would have to wait until the evening to learn more about it.
Stop worrying, Moon chided herself. Who should I stop to see first?
She was on Melemele, so she figured she would visit Ilima. The calm trial captain had become a friend of hers. All the trial captains had, as Moon had made efforts to get to know them, but she was especially close to the normal type specialist. He was considerate, polite, and intelligent. And he's a great trainer, thought Moon fondly. Ilima was the first captain, which meant his Pokémon weren't very strong, especially compared to Moon's. Their levels were quite low in order for young trainers to grow and excel. But Moon had battled Ilima with Pokémon he had trained to higher levels, and while she always won, she loved training with him. The planning and skill that he put into his battles was unparalleled. Even the Champion tended to have a difficult time discerning his tactics. Moon enjoyed his company immensely, but there was one thing she couldn't help but feel a hint of sadness about. She hated to admit it, but Ilima's calm demeanor and kind behavior reminded her of…
There I go again, bringing her up, sighed Moon to herself. She cleared her head and knocked at Ilima's door.
Ilima's father opened the door. He was saying something over his shoulder.
"-wasn't expecting anyone. Was Ilima? Hmm?"
Moon smiled and said, "Alola, is Ilima here?"
"Oh! You're the Champion, aren't you?"
"Champion?" a familiar voice inquired.
"Ilima!" Moon grinned. "I'm back, so I thought I'd come by!"
"Moon! What a pleasant surprise! Please, come in, come in!" Ilima said courteously, placing a hand to his heart.
Moon stepped inside. The place was shiny and spotless, as always.
"It's really good to see you, Ilima. I got here a few days ago."
He chuckled. "I'm sure that Hau and Gladion kept you busy with a battle."
"Right, as always," Moon said, smiling. The two talked comfortably as Ilima's mother brought tea and snacks.
"Oh, thank you. Ilima, I was thinking of trying to see how many captains I could visit before dark."
"Well, by my estimates, you should make it to Akala without further issue."
"Great. I should find Kahuna Hala, too."
"Tell me, Moon. How have you been? I hope you had an engaging trip," Ilima asked, curiosity in his gray eyes.
"I had a great time," Moon replied. "I met the other Champions, and we had a league, you could say, to determine the strongest trainer there."
"And how did that end?"
"It ended with Cynthia and I. You know, the Sinnoh Champion," Moon added.
"Cynthia? She's a very important figure in history and mythology. She's Acerola's idol, actually."
"Really? I'll have to introduce the two, then," Moon joked.
"So, how was your battle with Cynthia, then?"
"I won. It was really close, though. I probably got lucky, she's an amazing trainer, of course," Moon said quickly, trying her best to sound casual.
"Bravo, Moon! How wonderful you must have felt, perfectly in tune with your Pokémon in order to face a fellow Champion!"
Moon ducked her head, hoping Ilima wouldn't notice her blush. "Thanks," she said quietly.
Ilima smiled. "Don't be embarrassed, Moon. You're a phenomenal trainer. Yes, you are," he added sternly, catching her about to object. And that's nothing to blush at."
So he did notice.
Ilima was good company, aside from his generous comments. He listened to her adventures and made pleasant small talk. Moon found herself asking Ilima about the strange reactions she had been seeing since she returned.
The young man was quiet for a while, as if contemplating his reply.
"Moon, you are right, of course. Something is amiss. You should talk to Hau and Gladion."
"That's what I'm doing tonight. Are they involved?"
"More involved than anyone else. They have been investigating ever since they noticed something off. They are also two of the strongest trainers in Alola."
Moon frowned, considering this. Ilima was right, of course. Gladion and Hau were of the same level after all the work they had each put into their battling. She was stronger than the both of them. What had been awakening in quaint Alola to require the three strongest trainers in the region to fight together?
She sighed. Glancing out the window, she saw it had darkened considerably since she had arrived.
"It's been great, Ilima. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Of course. Stay safe, Moon. And do visit again."
There it was again, Moon thought as she left the residence. Be safe. Stay safe. Safe from what?
Moon got on her tauros and went thundering off to Iki. She saw Hau on the dais and she waved. He jumped up and waved in response. Moon laughed and gestured for him to come over.
"What's up?"
"I was stopping by to see Kahuna Hala."
"Oh, my tutu was going to Kukui's," said Hau.
Moon sighed. "I guess I'll be off to Akala, then."
"Visiting the captains?" Hau asked knowingly.
Moon nodded. "And hey, I wanted to ask you something."
"Sure!" Hau said cheerfully.
"I was over at Aether Paradise, and I asked Gladion if he had noticed anything out of place. And he said he'd meet me at the lab. He said to bring you. Then I went to Ilima's and he said that I should talk to you and Gladion about this."
Hau looked troubled, which was an expression rarely found on his face. "We'll go to the lab tonight," he promised. "I don't want to keep you in the dark, but we should talk privately."
Moon sighed. "Okay. But just know that you can count on me."
Hau grinned. "Of course."
"I should head to Akala. I'll see you tonight."
"Bye!" Hau said, already bouncing up and down again.