Chapter Ten – The Dam Breaks Open

Serena awoke to a hand on her shoulder.

"Woo! Long night, huh?"

Serena shot upright in the desk chair, startled from sleep. Professor Kukui laughed.

"Didn't mean to scare ya!" he said. "Sleep well?"

It took Serena a few seconds to assemble all the pieces in her head. It dawned on her where she was and what was happening.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Sorry to hear that," said Kukui. "No surprise, though. That desk wasn't even comfortable to work at! That's why I got a bigger, better one, yeah."

He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb toward his workstation. Serena followed with her eyes but paid no attention.

Professor Kukui was a buffoon in many regards, but he was, at least, an adult. He was intelligent enough to be a professor, even though that title seemed dubious sometimes.

Could he help?

"Professor?"

"Yeah?"

Serena immediately regretted saying anything. Professor Kukui was a man who, to the best of her knowledge, did not own a shirt. He was Ash, plus a few brain cells and fifteen years, give or take.

She stared into space for a moment too long.

"Something bothering you, cousin?" said Kukui.

"Oh. Um, nothing, really."

"Haha, rough morning, huh? Well, head on upstairs and get yourself some grub! Freshly made by yours truly. And let Lillie know you're okay, too. She was worried when she woke up and you were missing!"

Serena thanked Professor Kukui, and the professor left and went back up the stairs. Serena neglected to tell him that she would rather go hungry than have another of his Alolan Plates. She regretted not taking the time to have a real meal the night before when she had the chance.

There was one more thing Serena needed to do before she left. She woke up the computer and logged back in. The browser page was still on her email inbox from the night before.

There was nothing there. No response, nothing. Not even spam.

Tight-lipped, Serena logged out and trudged her way up the stairs. As she reached the top step and turned toward the kitchen, the front door opened.

It was Lillie, with Nebby in her arms. She stopped in her tracks when she laid eyes on Serena.

"There you are!" she said. "I was concerned when I saw you never came up to the loft last night."

Lillie shut the door behind her, then set Nebby down on the floor. Nebby, cheery as always, puffed past Lillie and toward Serena, then began making circles around her.

"I thought you might be outside when I saw Braixen and Cutiefly out there," said Lillie. "I take it the professor found you downstairs?"

Serena nodded. She looked toward the window, then took a step toward it. Her heart sank.

Braixen was still there. The coconut was still there. Nothing had changed.

Serena inhaled as if to sigh, but instead she let out a yelp as Cutiefly abruptly appeared in front of the window, buzzing right in front of her face.

Lillie approached from behind.

"Is Braixen alright?" said Lillie. "She's been like that for days if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes, she has," said Serena. "I don't know if she's alright. I need to talk to her. I forgot to check on her last night when Ash and I got back."

Cutiefly chirped at Serena. The sound was muffled by the pane of glass separating them.

"Cutiefly has been glued to you ever since you showed up here, but she was outside with Braixen this morning," said Lillie. "I was very surprised."

"Hm."

Serena pursed her lips, only humming a reply. She folded her arms. Cutiefly buzzed away.

"I know it's not my business," said Lillie, "but, um… what were you doing downstairs all night? I hope my writing did not deter you from coming up to the loft. I wrote for a rather long time last night."

Serena looked over her shoulder at Lillie. Lillie looked apologetic.

Serena bit the inside of her cheek. She was done with this charade, but the charade was not done with her.

"I had to do some writing of my own," said Serena. "I typed up a letter to an old friend, but I fell asleep while I was writing it."

"Oh, good," said Lillie. "That's quite a relief, actually. I was concerned I had kept you up all night."

"No worries," said Serena. She pointed out the window. "I'm going to go check on Braixen, though."

"Of course!" said Lillie.

Lillie scooped up Nebby and went into the kitchen. Serena opened the front door and stepped outside.

She removed her shoes and stepped out onto the sand. It was cool to the touch. It was not yet mid-morning. When she saw Ash was not outside, she was certain he was still asleep.

Serena stopped a considerable distance behind Braixen. She wasn't sure how to approach or what to say. Was Braixen deep in meditation? Would she be able to hear her if she spoke? Would speaking break her concentration?

Cutiefly landed on Serena's shoulder. She chittered, staring intently at Braixen. She lingered for a moment, then took off again, zooming up to the roof of the lab and perching on the gutter.

Serena took a few steps forward. She wet her lips and opened her mouth, trying to come up with something sensible to say. She hesitated for a while before she made a sound.

"Braixen?"

No response. Braixen did not move, not even a twitch of the ears. Serena was not sure if her call had been heard.

She stepped closer, only a few paces behind Braixen.

"Braixen?"

Still nothing. Serena stepped even closer. She walked up next to Braixen and dropped to her knees, then settled down into a seated position in the sand beside her, facing her. She was careful not to touch her. She spoke quietly.

"Braixen, can you hear me?"

Braixen opened one eye, just a sliver. She looked at Serena, then looked away and closed her eye again.

"Hey."

It sounded so dumb. There was no good way to say any of this. Who was she to tell Braixen to take a break when she was trying so hard? If she were a better trainer, she would have been out there trying to help the whole time. It was her fault that Braixen was failing.

"You've been at this for a long time, huh?"

Braixen did not respond. The ocean breeze shifted their way for a moment, and it tossed about both Serena's hair and Braixen's fur.

"I-"

Serena paused. If she couldn't be honest to Braixen, who could she be honest to? Anyone? Enough was enough.

"I'm sorry I haven't been helping you. I wish I knew how."

There was a tiny change in Braixen's facial expression. Serena could not tell what it meant.

"But I don't. I felt like I was useless when we tried working on this together. I felt like I was holding you back. I didn't put in the same effort that you did, and that's my fault. I failed you, as both a trainer and a friend. I'm sorry."

Braixen remained still.

"I would be happy to try to work on this with you, but I think it's probably a good idea if you take a break for now. You've been trying so hard, and for so long. You've earned a rest."

Still nothing from Braixen. Serena continued.

"I've been having a lot of problems of my own lately. I've made a lot of mistakes. But I can learn from them. I can be a better person. I can be a better trainer and a better friend. I don't really know what's been going on in your head this whole time, but… I know how you feel, I think."

Braixen opened one eye and looked at Serena again. Serena wondered if that was good or bad. She continued anyway.

"I'm not going to call you a failure. I would never do that. You're far from it. You've done some incredible things. But, I know what it feels like to fail. I know how much it hurts. I know exactly what it feels like to be unable to do something even when you try as hard as you can."

Braixen shut her eye again. Her brow creased.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do. I know that this is what you want to be doing, but… I really think it would be for the best to take a break for now. Why don't you come inside with me? You can eat something. You can rest. I can barely imagine the stress you've put yourself under. I'm worried. So are the others."

As if on cue, Cutiefly chirped in agreement.

Braixen's face grew tighter and tighter. Her lips curled back, revealing her teeth. She seemed to shake, first her head, then her whole body.

"Braixen?"

Concerned, Serena extended a hand toward Braixen. But then, just before she would have made contact with Braixen's shoulder, she heard a growl.

Both of Braixen's eyes shot wide open. They were bloodshot. Trembling, with fangs bared, Braixen pulled her wand from her tail. Her growl erupted into a scream.

Braixen shot a Fire Blast from her wand, directly at the coconut. Serena scrambled backward, her skin searing from the heat. She shielded her eyes. For a few seconds, both Braixen and the blast roared.

Then, the heat and the light faded.

Braixen sat there, hunched over, taking ragged breaths as she continued to shake. A black scar of charred, glassy sand marked where the coconut once sat. Only a few smoldering cinders remained of it, smoking in the wind.

Serena stayed still, halfway toppled over and wide-eyed, watching Braixen. Braixen's breaths slowed, but they became shakier. She sounded like she was choking.

Then, Braixen slumped backward onto the sand. Serena saw tears in Braixen's eyes.

Stunned, Serena watched Cutiefly zip down from the roof and land on the sand, next to Braixen. She expected Braixen to cover her face. Instead, Braixen did nothing, either too tired to move or too frustrated to care anymore, possibly both. She just stared up at the crystal clear sky, and the tears flowed.

"Braixen…"

Serena rose to her knees, and she crawled the short distance separating her from Braixen. She knelt next to her. After meeting eyes for a moment, she placed a hand behind Braixen's ears and rubbed her fur.

Braixen closed her eyes. Serena felt the sand and salt buildup of several days on Braixen's fur. She gently wrapped a hand around Braixen's paw.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," said Serena.

Braixen whimpered.

"Let's get you inside and cleaned up, okay?"

Braixen hated baths under normal circumstances. This time, she assented to it without any complaint, sitting in the tub half-asleep as Serena scrubbed and combed her fur. A while later, after Serena got her dried off and forced her to eat and drink something, Braixen drifted off to sleep on Serena's cot, up in the loft.

And so, Serena was left on her own to explain to the others what happened. For Braixen's sake, though, she omitted the tears from her telling of the story. That was one secret she decided there was no harm in keeping.

Both Ash and Greninja expressed interest in paying a visit to Braixen to make sure she was okay, but Serena forbade them, and everyone else, from disturbing her. Instead, everyone went outside, and Professor Kukui's research continued.

Morning became afternoon. Serena and Lillie both hid beneath the shade of the front porch. It was Ash who Professor Kukui was interested in, anyway. He had a crazy collection of machines out on the beach with him, each showing a variety of indecipherable readouts and graphs. Ash and Greninja both had several sensors hooked up to them. Their transformation, as well as Greninja's moves, were yielding outstanding results, based on the number of times Professor Kukui said Woo!

Lillie shared the news that Professor Burnet would be coming for the weekend again and that she would be arriving that evening. Aside from that, she kept to herself, content to keep her nose buried in a book.

Serena had plenty of time to think. The more she thought, the more she began to think that perhaps it wasn't too late. As long as she thought about what she was going to say and how she was going to say it, maybe it was still possible to tell both Ash and Lillie the truth. It would be hard, and she would have to be very careful to keep a level head, but it seemed possible. There was a chance. There was hope.

It wasn't going to be pleasant, but no matter what, something had to change.

And then, something did.

In the distance, Serena heard a voice that she very much did not want to hear. She knew from Lillie's reaction that she was not imagining it. Lillie sank deeper into her chair and covered even more of her face with her book.

It was Hau.

"A-lo-la!" said Hau, running from the road toward the beach, announcing himself.

So much for time to think.

Hau stopped in front of the lab and looked around. He waved.

"Hey Lillie! Hey Serena!"

"Hello, Hau," said Lillie.

"Hi," said Serena.

Hau went running toward Ash and Professor Kukui. Serena remained seated. Hau would certainly be audible even from her current distance, and she had no interest in getting involved, anyway.

"Alola!" said Ash, tearing off all the sensors that were taped to him.

"Guess who cleared his first trial and is here with a delivery from the kahuna himself!" said Hau.

"You cleared your first trial, yeah?" said Professor Kukui.

"You bet I did!" said Hau. He extended his wrist to Professor Kukui. There was some kind of bright, shiny object on the band which he wore.

"Woo! That's one sharp-lookin' Normalium Z you've got there. Looks like you showed Ilima some stylin' moves, yeah?"

"Oh yeah!" said Hau. "And then he showed me the most stylin' move ever!"

Hau made a series of poses that looked something like a dance, ending with his arms forming the shape of a Z.

Professor Kukui laughed.

"Been practicing that one, I see!" he said. "Lookin' good!"

Ash and Greninja walked up to them and joined the conversation.

"What was all that?" said Ash.

"That was the super awesome Z-pose Captain Ilima taught me after I cleared his trial!" said Hau. "And check it out! My very own normal-type Z-crystal!"

Ash looked at the gem on Hau's wristband.

"Whoa, so this thing and that dance lets you use a super strong move?" he said.

"Pretty much, yeah!" said Hau. He grinned, crossing his arms behind his head.

"That's awesome!" said Ash. "I hope I get to try that, too! I've already got a crystal, but I think I still need that band thing you put it in."

Hau laughed.

"Then boy are you in luck!" he said.

"I am?" said Ash.

"Oh yeah!" said Professor Kukui. "I had a feeling that was why you came by. Old Hala couldn't make it himself, huh?"

"Nah, he ran off to handle some Tauros that got loose in Hau'oli City again," said Hau. "So, he sent me instead!"

"Wait, what?" said Ash. "I don't get it."

"Oh, don't worry," said Hau. "You're gonna get it."

Ash scrunched up his face.

"I am?" he said.

"Haha, yeah," said Hau. "You're gonna get your very own Z-ring! Take a look!"

Hau pulled a wooden box from his backpack. He gave it to Ash. Ash held it for a moment, awe in his eyes as he looked it all over. Then, he opened it.

Inside the box was a white, segmented bracelet, clearly made of stone. It was wide and had a large, diamond-shaped platform where a gem would typically be mounted.

Even from a distance, Serena could tell what was meant to go there. So could Ash.

"Ah…" he said, turning the bracelet over in his hands. Greninja peered over his shoulder, also examining it.

Without a word, Ash turned and ran to his backpack, which leaned against the base of a palm tree. He rummaged around inside of it for a moment, then pulled out a glinting, blue object. He ran back over to the others.

"I see what to do!" said Ash. He proudly displayed his Z-crystal for Hau to see.

"Whoa-ho! That's the water-type Z-crystal, isn't it?" said Hau.

"Sure is!" said Professor Kukui. "Normally, you get those by passing the water-type trial on Akala Island, but I talked to the trial captain and explained that this crystal was not for any ordinary trainer."

There was a clicking noise. Ash pressed the Waterium Z into the slot on the Z-ring, and it snapped into place. Then, he slipped the Z-ring over his wrist.

"Alright!" he said. "I'm so ready! How do we do this?"

Next to Ash, Greninja snapped to attention and settled into a battle-ready stance. Professor Kukui threw his head back and laughed.

"Woo!" he said. "That's what I like to see! Always ready for the next challenge, yeah?"

"Oh yeah," said Ash.

"Right on, cousin," said Professor Kukui. "Now, I know you and Greninja are totally stoked to use your Z-power together, but you've gotta learn how to move together first! There's a special dance you have to do to use that crystal."

Ash looked a bit deflated.

"Oh, right," he said, scratching his head. "Like what Hau did? How did that go?"

Ash put his feet shoulder-width apart and held his arms straight out ahead, with both hands balled into fists. He looked at Hau as if expecting some kind of instruction, but then began moving on his own anyway.

He flailed like an idiot, completely butchering the dance Hau had demonstrated. Once again, Professor Kukui laughed. So did Hau.

"Whoa, slow down there, bud!" said Professor Kukui. "Let's take this one step at a time."

"Did I do it wrong?" said Ash.

"Not even close!" said Hau. "That wasn't even the right dance for the crystal you have!"

Ash's shoulders slumped.

"Huh?"

"Each type of Z-crystal has its own dance," said Hau. "The one I showed you was for the normal-type crystal."

Ash looked indignant.

"Wait, so there's…"

He counted on his fingers. He had some trouble when he ran out of fingers and had to start over again.

"Eighteen different dances?" he said.

"More than that, actually," said Professor Kukui. "But there's one for each type, so eighteen of those, yeah."

"Aw man," said Ash, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm no good at dancing."

"No sweat," said Professor Kukui. "It's easy enough that anyone can do it! Each one starts the exact same way. You were on the right track. Watch and learn!"

Professor Kukui backed up a few steps. Then, he placed his feet shoulder-width apart and extended his arms in front of him, fists clenched.

"You can't just go through the motions," he said. "You and your Pokémon have both got to be totally in sync! You both have to pour all of your feelings into it. Otherwise, it won't work at all."

Ash pumped his fist.

"Me and Greninja should have no problem with that!" he said.

"Woo!" said Professor Kukui. "Awesome! So, the water-type Z-move is called Hydro Vortex. Greninja, all you have to do is concentrate and try to use any of your water-type moves. Ash, what you've gotta do is move like this!"

Professor Kukui crossed his arms in front of himself and then moved them both in a great circle. He opened his fists, and his palms turned flat. Then, he moved his hands and arms like waves, first twice to one side, then once to the opposite side.

He held that position for a moment. Ash stood there, dumbfounded.

"Uh…" said Ash, scratching his cheek.

"That's how you do it, yeah," said Professor Kukui. "Give it a try."

Serena saw Lillie lower her book, exposing a bit more of her eyes. It was difficult to tell, but it looked like she had a hint of an amused look on her face. It was no secret as to why. Ash was making a fool of himself. Serena bit down on the inside of her lip, trying not to laugh.

Despite being able to withstand a tsunami wave like it was nothing but a gentle breeze, it was like Ash had no awareness of his own body whatsoever. His attempt to mimic Professor Kukui's movements made him look like one of those inflatable waving-arm tube men in front of a car dealership.

Serena knew this was going to take a while.

The afternoon dragged on. Hours passed, with Ash repeating Professor Kukui's poses, over and over again. All the while, Hau watched, cheering Ash on and playing with the other Pokémon on the beach.

Occasionally, Hau glanced at the porch, where Serena and Lillie sat. His eyes always lingered for a moment longer than necessary. Every time, Lillie hid behind her book.

After it happened again for what seemed like the dozenth time, Serena looked over at Lillie.

Lillie took notice. She met eyes with Serena, then quickly looked away.

"I wish he would stop doing that," said Lillie.

"You know he likes you, don't you?" said Serena. "It's obvious."

"I-"

Lillie stuttered, looking flustered. She shook her head.

"I was reasonably certain that was the case," she said.

"It's pretty obvious you don't like him, too," said Serena. "To everyone except him, at least."

"Yes," said Lillie. "I wish he would stop trying to… to woo me or whatever it is he's doing."

As soon as the word woo left Lillie's lips, the conversation was interrupted by another loud Woo! from Professor Kukui. Ash was getting better at the pose. Serena watched Ash make another attempt, then looked at Lillie again.

"I don't know Hau that well, but I don't think he's going to get the hint unless you say something to him," said Serena. "He… doesn't seem bright."

Lillie shook her head.

"He means well," she said. "I just don't have anything in common with him at all."

Hau, meanwhile, jumped around on the beach, cheering.

"You two really are nothing alike," said Serena.

For that matter, Lillie and Ash were also nothing alike. But then again, sometimes opposites attract. Serena knew it as well as anyone.

"I've tried to be kind to him," said Lillie. "I really have. I don't want to be mean. I've tried talking to him, but it's like trying to talk to a TV, or a radio. Even when you get a chance to say something, you can say whatever you want, but then he just keeps on talking about whatever he was talking about before. It's so frustrating."

"Ash can be kind of like that, too, sometimes," said Serena. "When he gets excited about battling, it's impossible for him to think about anything else. He really does try to listen, though."

"At least he tries," said Lillie. "I can't stand it when someone feigns interest in you but then won't listen to a word you say."

The notion of feigning interest made Serena's heart skip a beat. But mentally, she did not miss a beat.

"That's a very specific thing to hate, isn't it?" she said.

"Perhaps," said Lillie. "If you knew my mother, you would understand."

Lillie frowned. She shook her head.

"I- I shouldn't be so harsh," she said. "Hau really is sweet. He's always upbeat. He cares about his Pokémon. He means well."

"That doesn't mean you have to like him," Serena said with a shrug.

"I don't," said Lillie. "At least, I don't think I do."

Serena raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"I… I don't really know what it's like," said Lillie.

Serena squinted. Lillie looked away. Serena could already see Lillie's face beginning to turn red.

"What do you mean?" said Serena.

Lillie bit down on her lip. Her face tightened. For a few seconds, she did not respond. When she spoke again, she was barely audible.

"Love," Lillie whispered.

Serena's heart stood still.

It was like she had always known. All of her fears and all of her misgivings about Lillie, as always, were completely unfounded. It was more and more obvious by the day. Lillie was in no position to concern herself with romance. She had too many problems of her own to sort out before she could even bother with entangling herself with another person.

It was nonsense. It was all nonsense, just like it had always been.

"I'm… jealous, honestly," said Lillie. "You're so lucky to have someone who cares about you so much."

Serena's heart stood still again.

Jealous?

Of her and Ash?

"I wish I had someone who cares about me like that," said Lillie. "I just… don't know how I ever could have someone like that. I would be asking so much of them."

Serena's mouth was open, but she made no noise. She only looked at Lillie. Lillie continued.

"I don't know many people, and I haven't had many friends, but it seems that people like you and Ash who really care about others are so rare. I would need someone truly incredible to be able to be close to me. Someone who understands."

Lillie looked away. Serena followed Lillie's eyes. First, they landed on Ash, then on Hau.

"Hau… doesn't understand," said Lillie. "How could he? He isn't serious about anything. He has such a tight-knit family, so much history on this island, so many good things in his life. This whole island is his home. I don't even have a home anymore, really. I don't have any of those things. I'm- ...Well, really, Nebby, is a fugitive."

"A fugitive?" said Serena.

"Yes," said Lillie. "It's more than that I want to keep Nebby a secret. I have to. I have to keep it hidden. If Nebby fell into the wrong hands… I don't even want to think about what would happen."

Lillie pulled aside one of her braids. She stared at Ash again.

"That's why I need Ash's help," she said. "I need someone who cares."

Ash struck the pose once again. He was doing much better now, almost a perfect match of Professor Kukui.

"It sounds silly," said Lillie, "but… I need a hero."

Serena's vision zoomed out, like she was watching everything from a distance. She saw the others like they were players on a stage. The final missing piece of the puzzle slipped into place.

Lillie was the damsel in distress. That was why she needed a hero.

It was so obvious. Serena knew this story. She had read it before, many times. That's all this was. They were all acting their parts. Hero, damsel, mentor, comic relief.

But Serena wasn't on the stage. She was in her seat, in the audience. She wasn't in the story. Lillie was breaking the fourth wall, speaking directly to her.

"Have you, um, had a chance to talk to Ash?" said Lillie.

Serena blinked, and she snapped back to reality. She couldn't understand why she felt so short of breath. Had it been that long since she last breathed?

When Lillie received no response for a few seconds, she continued.

"You know, about helping me?"

"Oh," said Serena.

There was a brief silence.

"Did you?" said Lillie.

"Oh, um, yes," said Serena.

Serena's mind was awash with a mix of memories and terror and hormones. She remembered speaking to Ash about Lillie's plight. That much, she knew. She did not remember the words said. She was all but certain that they were not the words she wanted to say. She remembered losing herself in exploring Ash's body instead of exploring her emotions. Even then, she barely remembered that.

All she truly remembered was her mind shutting off, and her body moving on its own.

And it was happening again.

"Did… did he agree to help?" said Lillie.

Lillie sat on the edge of her seat, leaning toward Serena. Serena was not looking at her. Her eyes were glued on Ash. Greninja stood in front of him. Everyone else had cleared out of the area.

It was time.

Serena nodded.

Ash stood still, his feet apart, his focus intense. Then, he moved his arms, first in a circle, and then like the waves.

"Greninja, Hydro Vortex!"

Greninja glowed. Power seemed to transfer from Ash to Greninja. An aura flared to life around Greninja, unlike any Serena had ever seen before. And then, once again, Greninja did the impossible.

At least in scale, it was so much like the Mega Tsunami move that it was uncanny. Despite firing what looked like it only should have been a Water Pulse, Greninja's attack formed instead as a massive whirlpool, spinning like a tornado on the beach.

Sand kicked up all around. Both Serena and Lillie held onto their hats to keep them from blowing away. The vortex expanded. For just a moment, Serena wondered once again if all going to be killed, and the lab swept away.

And then, it stopped.

A shower of mist rained over everything in sight. In the center of where the vortex once spun, Greninja stood, serene, radiating power.

"Woo!"

It was Professor Kukui's loudest Woo! yet. Both Hau and Ash cheered.

Serena stood. She gripped the porch railing with both hands. Her knuckles went white.

Ash did it. Of course he did. He was never going to fail. He was destined to succeed. He was the hero.

He had obtained the power he needed. Now, all that was left was for him to save the girl.

"Oh man, Greninja, that was amazing!" said Ash.

"Just about the most impressive Hydro Vortex I've ever seen, yeah!" said Professor Kukui.

"That was awesome, you guys!" said Hau. "Ash! You're a natural!"

Had Serena not been frozen like a statue, she would have rolled her eyes.

Ash bashfully rubbed a finger beneath his nose.

"Yeah, maybe so!" he said.

"You've gotta take on the island challenge!" said Hau. "Even the kahunas are probably no match for you! I bet you'd even beat my gramps, easy!"

"Whoa now, cousin!" said Professor Kukui. "Don't let old Hala hear you say that! He'd whoop you even harder if he knew you doubted him so much!"

"Haha, yeah, but Ash is totally amazing!" said Hau. He turned from Professor Kukui to Ash. "It's no wonder Tapu Koko favored you! You're, like, the chosen one or something!"

Ah, there it was. The oldest and most tired of all tropes. The chosen one. It was exactly what Ash was. Always.

Ash laughed, awkwardly.

"Oh yeah?" he said. "Chosen for what?"

"Beats me!" said Hau. "But seriously, you're like a movie hero or something! It's unreal! I'm the kahuna's grandson and I've been watching him use Z-power my whole life, and it took me and Popplio days just to use our Z-power once! And it wasn't nearly as strong as what you and Greninja just did!"

Ash tried to wave off the compliment. Hau continued.

"That was just with one Z-crystal. Think of the things you could do if you had all the others! You would be unstoppable!"

"You get the other crystals by clearing those island challenge trials, right?" said Ash.

"Yeah!" said Hau. "I got my Normalium Z by clearing Ilima's trial in Verdant Cavern! I'm telling you, you've gotta do it! You've gotta take the challenge!"

Ash was quiet for a moment. Serena recognized the look on his face. It was the face he always made when someone had just planted the seed of an idea in his head. His eyes shifted away from Hau. His gaze landed on the porch.

"I've got an idea," he said.

Ash jogged up to the porch, up the front steps, up to Lillie. He took a glance back at Serena, smiled at her, and then focused on Lillie again.

"Lillie," he said.

Lillie looked astonished to be addressed by him so directly. Still seated, she looked like she once again wanted to hide behind her book.

But after a moment of hesitation, she closed the book and placed it on her lap.

Serena's blood ran cold.

"Yes?" said Lillie.

"So, Serena talked to me last night," he said. "She told me about how you're trying to get Nebby home, and how you want to take Nebby to the ruins on all of the islands, and that you need help to do it."

Lillie's lips parted. Her eyes were wide. She nodded.

"Yes, that's all correct," she said.

"Well, what Hau just said about the island challenge gave me an idea," said Ash. "I know what I wanna do. I wanna travel all over Alola and do the island challenge, and I want you to come with me. While I do my trials, we can visit the ruins and try to find a way to get Nebby home. What do you say?"

Slack-jawed, Lillie looked from Ash to Serena and then back to Ash again.

"I-"

"You still want to visit the ruins, right?" said Ash.

"Yes, but…"

Lillie looked Serena in the eye again.

Serena had no idea when she last breathed. She was not certain she ever would again.

"Is Serena comfortable with this?" said Lillie. She looked up at Ash again.

Ash nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "She told me last night that she knew that helping you was the right thing to do, because that's what friends do. She said that wherever I go, she's gonna go, too. We'll all go together. It's gonna be great!"

Lillie stared up at Ash from her seat, lost in disbelief.

"Are you serious about this?" she said.

"Yeah, definitely!" said Ash. "It's gonna be a great time! Another adventure, right?"

Ash looked at Serena. She knew he expected a response. Ignoring the screaming inside her head, Serena contorted her face into a smile and nodded.

"Ash, I-"

Lillie looked lost for words. She moved the book from her lap, placing it on the table next to her chair. Then, she sprang up from the chair, standing in front of him, hands folded in front of herself.

"I… I have no idea how to thank you!" she said. "I can't possibly thank you enough! I-"

Lillie looked down at her folded hands. She looked up at Ash, then back to her hands. Then at Serena, then back at Ash.

And then she threw her arms around him.

"Thank you!" she said. "Thank you so much!"

The embrace did not last long enough for Ash to return it. It ended as quickly as it began. When Lillie pulled away, she was visibly embarrassed. She bit her lip.

"Hey, no problem!" said Ash. "It'll be a great time! A brand-new adventure. What do you say, Pikachu?"

On cue, Pikachu came running up the stairs and scurried up onto Ash's shoulder. He voiced his approval.

Lillie looked from Ash and Pikachu's smiling faces to Serena's. Lillie covered her mouth with a hand. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

The muscles in Serena's cheeks seared with pain. She wanted to scream, in frustration more than anything else. She wanted to run. She had to run. She had to remove herself from all this, immediately.

And so, she did.

"I'll go tell Braixen!" she said.

Serena stepped through the front door. She locked it behind her.

Serena's first urge when she entered the lab was to scream. Somehow, she resisted it. Somewhere, deep inside, some sliver of her mind that did not want her to be overheard was still in control enough to stop her.

She could not be heard. Not by anyone outside, and not by Braixen inside. Moving without thinking, she walked away from the front door, into the empty living room.

She could only hide for so long. Eventually, someone would notice that she locked the door. Someone was going to have the key, too. It wasn't safe here. It wasn't safe anywhere. She hadn't gotten away from anything.

She looked at the ladder leading up to the loft. Before she could form a coherent thought in her mind, she stomped over to it and began climbing as fast as she could. She had to get out. She had to get out now.

It didn't matter where she went. It could be anywhere, as long as it wasn't here. She would be fine. She knew it. She had enough money. She could go anywhere, and anywhere was better than here.

She stumbled as she scrambled off the top rung of the ladder. She tripped, staggering into the loft. She struggled to regain her balance. She took several lurching steps forward, stopping herself just before she collided with Lillie's dresser.

Braixen continued to lay sound asleep on the cot. Serena braced herself against the dresser and tried to catch her breath, silently. Braixen did not deserve to be dragged into any of this. She deserved to rest. She had struggled more than enough on her own.

Serena figured that maybe, for that matter, she had struggled more than enough on her own, too.

Except that wasn't true at all. She had been surrounded the entire time by people with nothing but good intentions and desire to help. She had done nothing but push them away and lie to them at every opportunity. Braixen had done nothing but try to improve herself.

Serena reached for Braixen's Poké Ball, trying to stick her hand in a pocket that was no longer there out of force of habit. She found nothing. Her Poké Balls were all in her bag, and her bag was on the floor beneath the cot.

She knelt down. Slowly, she reached beneath the cot and tugged on the strap on her bag. She pulled as gently as she could, trying to make as little noise as possible. She hoped against hope that the rumbling, crinkling noises of everything shifting inside her bag would not be enough to wake Braixen.

She was wrong.

Before she could extract the bag, Braixen's ear twitched. Then, she cracked open one eyelid.

Serena froze. Braixen squinted, then opened both eyes.

Serena knew she was busted. She was right next to Braixen, practically leaning over her. There was no way Braixen would be fooled. She would see right through all the lies plastered over her face.

Braixen murmured, some mixture of confusion and concern. Serena knew she at least needed to play her part. It was all a ruse, after all.

"Go back to sleep, Braixen. It's okay. I'm just up here grabbing my bag."

Braixen's eyes narrowed as she looked deeper into Serena's eyes.

"It's okay. Just rest. You need it."

Braixen sat upright.

"Braixen, please. Go back to sleep. I just need my tablet, that's all."

But Braixen's eyes shifted. Serena's tablet wasn't in the bag. It was at the foot of the bed, laying atop the sheets, last used a few hours ago to play a soothing soundtrack during Braixen's bath.

"Um... the charger! I need the charger," said Serena.

It was pointless. Braixen gave Serena a flat gaze, the one she gave so often, the one that made it crystal clear that she saw directly through Serena's nonsense.

Serena surrendered immediately. She let the false hint of a smile fade from her face. She spoke in a blunt tone.

"We're leaving."

Braixen's eyes widened.

No longer concerned about waking Braixen, Serena shoved her fist deep into the bag, searching for Braixen's Poké Ball. She could not take it anymore. She could not stand another second of it, of those eyes which saw right through her.

Braixen knew her for what she was, and that was the most frightening prospect of all.

Serena found the ball. She pulled it out from the bottom of the bag. Half the bag's remaining contents came spilling out with it.

Braixen looked at the ball, then at Serena. A vein twitched in Serena's forehead.

"Yes, really," said Serena.

Braixen's imperious gaze lingered on her. Her eyes said more with total silence than she ever could have said with words.

"I'm sorry," said Serena.

Braixen looked away. She looked toward the window, downstairs.

"I'm sorry, okay?"

Serena was louder than she expected. Braixen looked back at her, mouth open in surprise.

"I'm a failure," said Serena. "I know you know it. I'm sorry."

Braixen's brow tightened. Her eyes lingered on Serena for a moment, then looked away.

"I'm sorry."

Braixen did not respond. She did not even move.

"I'm sorry!"

Nothing.

Serena clicked the button on the Poké Ball, and Braixen vanished in a flash of light, disappearing into it.

And then, Serena was alone.

The imprint on the lumpy mattress where Braixen once sat slowly sprung back to its original shape. The lab was silent.

At least, it was silent in the everyday sense of the word. It was not truly silent, as she now understood. The memory of Nebby teleporting them all into space crossed her mind once more. The horrid creature's cry echoed in her ears once more, and a shiver crept down her spine.

Even though the puzzle already looked like it was complete, Serena kept finding more pieces to fit into it. Of course Lillie had to keep Nebby hidden. Of course the world would be in danger if Nebby fell into the wrong hands. If Nebby could twist the dimensions and expose them all to that wretched beast, there was no telling what else lurked beyond. Nebby was not some benign little cloud of happiness. Lillie had been cuddling a floating portal to hell in her sleep every night.

Nebby would doom the world in the wrong hands. It was-

It was insane. Serena knew it. It was insane. She had lost her mind. There was no mistaking it. This was what going crazy felt like. She knew now. She was going crazy. This was all insanity, absolute insanity.

Everything made too much sense, yet nothing made sense. It was insanity. This was it. She knew it. Her mind was gone. Everything was doomed. Herself, her relationship with Ash, maybe even the world!

Of course she traveled all the way to the other side of the planet just to be summoned along with Ash as unwitting bodyguards for a runaway girl and her adorable little pet that just so happened to have the power to open portals to other dimensions and summon evil creatures. Of course! It was like the plot of some terrible movie.

Maybe her exposure to the evil drape creature was what was driving her insane. Yes, that was it. Surely. It was such an obvious plot point. It was impossible to fight the eldritch abominations from worlds beyond because the very sight of them caused one's sanity to be ripped to shreds. That was, like, Cosmic Horror 101. Even Serena knew that, if only from the times that Ash told spooky stories around the campfire and she cowered inside her tent, pretending not to be listening.

The more Serena thought of it, the more obvious it became. Yes, of course it was that damn creature's fault. Lillie was one of them. Her hair, her dress, they were practically the same shape! Even the same color! It was no wonder she wouldn't wear any other colors. Maybe that new outfit she bought represented some horrid new form the creature would take when it entered this world. It was coming, no doubt. It made so much sense. It was no wonder Lillie was protecting Nebby. Nebby was a conduit for her own kind to enter this world.

And Serena knew it was all insane. She collapsed onto the floor, grasping at her forehead, as if she wanted to wrench the insanity out of her brain, to wring it out like water from a sponge. This was it. It was all over. The end of the line. She felt her head caving in, collapsing under the weight of it all. The pressure built, and built, and built.

Serena reached up to the sofa bed, grasping with her hand. She knew exactly where it was. The pillow, perfectly fluffed, in the exact same place as always. She pulled it onto the floor with her, threw herself face-first into it, and screamed. The muffled sound made her sick to her stomach. It hurt her throat. And yet, she had to hear it again. And so she screamed once more.

Still clutching the pillow to her face, she breathed rapidly, heavily, desperately. The pillow had a smell. A distinct scent. Vanilla, with a hint of lavender. It must have been Lillie's shampoo. It was so subtle, gentle, understated. Tasteful. Pleasant. Delightful. She hated it. Serena hated it so, so much.

She pulled her face out of the pillow. The fragrance of it burned her nostrils and eyes. She pinned the pillow to the floor as if she were strangling it. She was going to choke it, end it.

Serena gasped. She threw herself backward, butting up against the bookcase. It shook, and the tattered Clefairy doll came tumbling down. It hit her on the head and rolled away. Serena did not even blink. Instead, she held her hands over her face, peering through her fingers, staring at the pillow like she had just witnessed a murder.

There was no denying it. She felt it. She knew exactly what it was. It was a genuine compulsion of violence. It was as real as she was. She ran her hands down her face. She felt it. She was still there.

Now, it was well and truly over. Her head snapped around, looking for cameras. If anyone saw it, she knew what awaited her. Insane? Violent? There was no hope for her. She would be institutionalized. She wondered if Alola still had asylums.

But it wasn't her fault. How could any rational person confront this and not lose their mind? How could anyone blame her for going insane? Was she the only who saw how unjust this all was? For the first time in her life, she was living by her own terms, only to discover that she wasn't the one in charge of things. She wasn't the main character. She wasn't writing her own story. She wasn't even in the story.

Hell, Ash wasn't even the main character. It was Lillie. It was all Lillie. Every last bit of it, all of it, was about her.

Imposing? Nonsense. Lillie wasn't imposing on anyone. Serena was imposing on her. This was literally Lillie's room. And it was currently a disaster, at least compared to normal, with a pillow and a doll and half a bag's worth of belongings strewn on the floor.

Serena looked at the Clefairy doll. The whites of its eyes were long since faded from years of use and dirt, now a shade of gray. But that cloying smile had undoubtedly remained the same forever. Right now, the damn thing had the edge on her, stone-faced, a certain winner in the staring contest of the century.

Serena pulled up her leg and kicked the doll, knocking it underneath the sofa bed. She shook. It felt good. It felt amazing. She needed to let it all out.

She saw the pillow. She crawled toward it.

She grabbed it like she was trying to squeeze the life out of it. And then, she stood up, swung it over her head, and slammed it down into the sofa bed. It landed with a dull thump.

So unsatisfying. She needed more. She did it again.

And again. And again and again and again.

She kept beating the bed with the pillow. The blanket slumped off the side and fell onto the floor. Serena's face contorted into something wretched, something uninterested in hiding anger or malice. She grunted with every blow, each one coming harder and harder at first, then softer and slower. Her muscles could not keep up. Her body gave up before her mind.

She tossed the pillow aside and sank to the floor again, heaving for breath. She was disappointed. Every movie made it seem like pillows would come apart and spew fluff everywhere with the slightest disturbance. This one had remained completely intact despite her best efforts.

She shook as she tried to catch her breath. Her veins flowed with unfamiliar emotions. She could not place a finger on precisely what. Was it hatred? How could it be? She knew none of this was Lillie's fault. But, somehow, it simply was.

Without Lillie, none of this ever would have happened. They might not even be here at all. Perhaps she and Ash would still be on that hill outside Pallet Town, making out in perfect harmony until the sun set for eternity.

But no, it was because Lillie needed help that Serena was dragged here and had her whole life ripped apart. In a matter of weeks, she had gone from getting everything she ever wanted to feeling like her brain was full of nails. It was Lillie's fault. It was Lillie's fault, plain and simple. She caused all of it.

What was Lillie even running from, anyway? It was probably nothing. Even her stories about Nebby were probably bogus. That creature in the other dimension? Imaginary. Serena knew it couldn't be real. It was a hallucination. It had to be. She was going insane, after all. It made perfect sense.

Serena stood up again. The loft was a mess. She had no idea how much more time she had until someone noticed the door was locked and tried to come inside. It didn't matter. If she had all day, she would never get everything back in its proper place like Lillie always had it. It was impossible.

She looked all around. There were so many signs of her tantrum. She would never be able to hide it. Everything was out of place.

Except for one thing.

Serena caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of Lillie's journal, laying perfectly centered on the desk, as always.

Her eyes locked onto it. She glared at it. She wandered over to the desk and loomed over it. In perfect silence and solitude, it taunted her.

It was just like the Clefairy doll, well-worn. The lock on the front was dull and scratched from what looked like years of use. Serena stared at it, completely still, tight-lipped. She waited.

And then, she extended one finger, and she nudged the journal ever so slightly out of position.

Her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she expected Lillie to unlock the door at that very moment, or come crashing through a window, or even blow a hole through the roof, anything to protect the stupid book.

Nothing happened.

Serena pushed the book again. It moved farther this time. Still, nothing happened.

She slipped her fingers under the book, lifted it, and let it fall. It made a thud. Nothing else happened.

And then, the total, complete idiocy of all of this washed over her. All she had to do was walk back outside, find Ash and Lillie, and tell them, most likely with a lot of tears, exactly what was happening to her and why. She would probably lose a friend. She might even lose two, but at least the truth would be out there. At least they could begin to heal and move on.

But that wasn't what Serena did.

Serena shoved her fingers inside the covers of Lillie's journal. Quivering, blind with anger, she pulled.

The lock refused to budge. Her hands slipped, and the journal tumbled back down onto the surface of the desk.

High up above in the rafters, Murkrow cawed. Serena's eyes shot toward it. It had been there this whole time. It had seen everything. Couldn't some Murkrow speak human language? It was hopeless now. There was a witness. She had been caught red-handed.

Murkrow cawed again, almost as if laughing at her. Serena glared at it.

"What?" she said.

Murkrow gave her no response. It continued to gaze at her, motionless, in silence. Serena grit her teeth.

"Do you think this is funny or something?" said Serena.

Murkrow clicked its beak. Serena's eyes narrowed.

"Do you know how to pick this lock?" she said.

Murkrow cawed heartily, laughing at her in earnest. It flew up to an even higher rafter, turning its back on her. Her teeth clenched, Serena shook. She grabbed the journal and pulled on the covers again. They did not budge. The lock was far too strong. There was no way she would ever be able to break it open on her own.

Taking heavy breaths, she examined the journal again. The signs of her attempt to break into it were already obvious. The covers were bent. Some of the pages were wrinkled. She was far beyond the point of no return. There was no turning back now.

And it was all so, so stupid. A furious shout began to build in Serena's throat. She sputtered as it came to the surface. Then, with an unrestrained cry, she blindly threw the journal as hard as she could.

She never heard the crash she expected. Instead, a second later, the journal landed with a soft thump.

Serena ran over to the edge of the loft. Down below, she saw it.

It had landed on the sofa.

The sofa trembled. A moment later, it erupted. Stufful thrashed, and the cushions and the journal flew off in a veritable explosion.

There was a loud impact. The cushions all fell, the dust settled, and Stufful ran off in a hurry to hide.

Serena stared over the edge. There was a brand-new dent in the wall, where the journal had hit it.

And below the dent, on the floor, the journal lay open.