Since summer is almost done, I thought I should update another chapter before summer is over.
NOTE: You won't be seeing Ash and Lillie's date in this chapter, but this chapter will still be interesting to read.
Enjoy~
Lusamine Aether, as usual, was doing paper work and a lot of it. Running a huge company is not easy, especially when the establishment is a giant, high-tech, artificial island. The Aether president finds her day to be the usual; doing boring paperwork, alone in her own office, and getting occasional calls regarding to the Aether Foundation.
What you will find on top of her desk are the usual: fancy-looking pens, tall stacks of paperwork, a state of the art computer that is connected to a printer, and a photo is that framed.
The mother of two stopped writing for a moment to gaze at the framed photo. Lusamine place her pen down before grabbing the picture frame. She has other photos that are mounted on her office walls, but the one she is holding right now has more significant meaning. The picture frame in her hands house a photo of the last time the Aether family took a family picture together.
In the photo, her children were at least five years younger than their current age, standing next to each other. Gladion in suit, standing tall with his shoulders broad. Lillie in a sundress and her signature hat, smiling happily at the camera. Lusamine, herself, standing next to a man who shares the same blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Like the son, the man has his blonde hair kept short.
"Oh, Mohn." She sighs in bittersweet sadness. "If you were here, what would have you said when you found that our daughter is showing interests in boys?"
She gave a light giggle as she tried to put on a smile, "You probably would have been supportive right from the start. Wouldn't you?"
Her smile then disappeared, "You...you...you were suppose to have outlived me." She choked out as tears started fell down from her face.
Memories then started to flow inside her mind, starting on the day Gladion was born.
Flashback
"Our son. My precious little Gladion. He looks so handsome." Lusamine is crying tears of joy as she holds her first child for the first time.
After nine months of pregnancy, she is finally able to hold her baby.
She did not care that she is covered in sweat. She did not care that her hair is messy. All she cared about is her son right now.
The now mother heard a familiar chuckle next to her.
"He is indeed handsome. I betcha he gets his look from his beautiful mommy."
Lusamine chuckled, "Don't be ridiculous, Mohn. He gets it from you, his daddy."
Mohn gave a hearty laugh as he stared at his son. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
The mother's smile widen when she saw her son's eyes open. The father also smirked at his son's eyes.
"Oh look! He has your eyes!"
"No, no. He has your eyes and I know that for a fact."
The two ended up arguing on whose eyes that their son has inherited from.
"I don't think so, Mohn. I know when I'm looking at your gentle and calm eyes."
"And I know when I'm looking at your beautiful eyes. Just admit it, Lucy."
Lusamine retorts, but there is a noticeable blush on her cheeks. She always loved it when her lover flirts with her. However, with their first child right in front of them.
"Mohn! Not in front of Gladion!"
3 Years Later
"Lucy, please. Just let him watch."
"But he's just three years old. He shouldn't be watching that!" Lusamine protested against her husband.
Mohn chuckled, "What's wrong with watching a Pokémon battle?" He rhetorically asked. He looked at his son who has his eyes glued to the television which is showing a Pokémon battle.
The father put on a proud face as his son started to mimic the trainers in the battle.
"If I remembered correctly, you told me that you love Pokémon since you were baby yourself."
"Yes," Lusamine agreed to that part, "but I never wanted any Pokémon to get hurt. Which is why I became a Pokémon coordinator when I first got my Pokémon."
"Even if you tried to convince him to stray away from Pokémon battling, there's no way he'll stop completely." Mohn put on a sly smirk, "After all, he gets his stubbornness from you."
Lusamine jerked at the detail. Her husband's words are true. She may be a polite woman almost all the time, but to the people close to her, she is known to have a stubborn side.
One time, her husband was so busy working at the Aether Foundation that she started to miss him dearly. One day, she told him that she wanted him to take her out. He ended up saying no, but promised her to take her out on a later date. before resuming back to his work. That very same day, for the first time since he has known her, Mohn saw the stubborn said of Lusamine Elsa Aether and regretted saying no to his wife.
Although, he did not regret that night out he had with his wife. He has been so busy for months that he forgot how much he loved the woman that he married. The following day, he took an extensive time off work so he could make up to Lusamine.
Speaking of the mother, she now has a saddened look. She questioned if she raised her son right. Being a pacifist, she did not want her son thinking that making Pokémon hurt each other is a good thing. Lusamine knows for a fact that not all trainers are like that, but she does not want her son to end up like those kind of trainers. The kind who just see Pokémon as tools.
Mohn kept his smile on. "Tell you what, I'll bring Gladion to work." His wife did not respond. "Showing him that Pokémon are like family should put him in the right track."
She nodded at the idea, "Yes. I do believe that is a good idea."
1 Year Later
"Gladion?"
Hearing his name, the now four year old boy turned his attention from the Eevee that he was playing to his mother, who is sitting in a chair in the patio. The mother and son were currently alone, with the exception of the family butler and maid, at their mansion in the Aether Foundation.
Being rich really has their perks, especially when you have enough to bring home to your job. Not wanting to miss precious time with his family, Mohn decided to have a mansion built into the Aether Foundation. The estate in Hau'oli City that he and his family used to live in now became a vacation home. The Aether Mansion is basically an exact duplicate of their estate, it even has its own large garden where some Pokémon happily live at.
"Go play with the other Pokémon, Eevee." Gladion told his fury friend who barked happily before going off to play with the other Pokémon in the garden. The young boy then went up to his mother. "Yes, mother?"
Lusamine giggled. Sometimes she wished her son just call her "mommy," but she really loves seeing her son be a gentleman.
"Gladion, what do you think of having a sister?"
Her son got a confused look, "A sister, what is that?"
It is quite understandable that he questioned what a sister is being so young and all. Still wondering the world around him.
"Well...do you know what a family is?"
"Yes. You, father, and me; we're a family."
"Sister means a female sibling which means someone who shares the same father and mother as you." She explained with a smile.
Gladion got a look of understanding. He then slightly lower his head down, feeling a little apprehensive because he just learned that he will be sharing his parents with a complete stranger.
"Oh. So...uh...where is my sister now?"
Lusamine's smile brightens, "First, hold out your hand."
Gladion blink in confusion, but held out his hand anyway. His mother took his hand and guided it to her swollen belly. The young boy questioned why his mother's tummy got a little big. His father told him that it is a surprise and will soon find out.
When his hand made contact with his mother's stomach, he was surprised to have felt a kick. He jerked his hand back.
"Wh-what is that!?"
Lusamine just kept her smile and took her son's hand and places it back on her stomach. This time, she kept it firmly on.
"That is your sister."
"My...my sister?" Gladion has a look of absolute confusion. 'Why is a person inside his mother? How is this possible?' were the questions that running through his head. "Why is inside of you? Did you eat her."
Lusamine giggled. Her son is too young to learn about that, so she explained it in another way. Her son may be smart enough to have manners, but he is still oblivious to most things in life.
"No, I did not eat her. I let her inside of me because she is scared."
In truth, Lusamine is the one who is scared.
Gladion stopped the questions in his head.
"Scared?"
"Yes," His mother said soflty, "She scared because she does not know what is outside."
"But...you and I are here?" Gladion argued. "And we're both fine."
Lusamine thought up of an explanation, "Remember when you were afraid of the dark?" She giggled a little after she asked her question.
Gladion blushed as he straightened up as a way to show that he is tough.
"I-I I wasn't scared!"
Then Lusamine gave him that look, the look that reminds him to never lie to his own mother.
He shrank down a little, "M-Maybe a little."
"Do you know why you were afraid of the dark?"
"Because...it was scary?" He questioned for he uncertain of his own answer.
"No." She told him, "You were scared because you did not know what was there. Just like your sister, she is scared because she does not know what is out here."
Then it all clicked in his head. He slowly nodded his head, understanding why his sister is scared. He rest his hand on his mother's stomach, feeling his sister's kicks. Lusamine felt him relax and let go his hand. Gladion did not let go.
Lusamine smiled, seeing her son all ready being a big brother.
"Gladion."
"Yes, mother?"
"Since you'll be having a little sister, do you know what that makes you?""Uhhh...I-I don't know." He shakes his head.
Lusamine's smile brighten a little, "You'll be a big brother, Gladion! And do you know the responsibilities of a big brother?"
He shakes his head with a wanting look.
"As a big brother, it is your duty to be there for your sister. Protect and help your sister no matter what."
Gladion gasp a little. This is going too fast for him. In just in one day, he was given the duties of being a protector. He questioned what he can do, wondering if he is even strong enough to protect someone. What if he fail?
"You will be strong for your sister, won't you?"
Hearing his mother's words was enough pull him from his confusion. Seeing his mother's smile suddenly made him feel that he has to this, be a big brother and protect his younger sibling, just like his mother has said.
Instead of waiting for him to answer, Lusamine grabbed her son's hand from her stomach.
"Since your sister can't do it, I'll stand in for her." She entwines her pinky with his. "Promise that you'll be there for your sister?"
He is just four years old. He does not know how to fight nor does he know how to brawl in a Pokémon battle, he just know the basics of it. Even so,
"I'll do my best, sister. I promise to both you and mother."
Lusamine just smiled proudly at her son.
Later that day. Nighttime
"So? What did Gladion think of having a sister?"
"Well...he was relucatant at first." Lusamine explains as she went over the talk she had earlier with her son. "But in the end, he promised that he'll there for his sister."
She then coughs which made her husband worry. His worries skyrocketed as witness his wife coughed uncontrollably. He ran up to her and hold her in case she fell.
"Are you okay?"
Lusamine coughs a little more before turning away from Mohn.
"Please, don't worry about me." Her busband wanted to argue on that subject, but she stopped him before he could. "Please...for me."
Mohn's words ended up being silenced. He slowly took a deep breathe. If that is what his wife wants, so be it.
"Well...what do you want to talk about." Mohn is nervous, so nervous that he did not properly bring up another subject.
His wife's smile returns, "I think it's time with think about naming our daughter."
"Okay." Mohn agreed with an uneasy smile. "Got any names for our little girl?"
"I already name our son, I think it's your turn."
Mohn jerked at the revelation. Taking another deep breathe before thinking up any good names for his daughter. This name has to be special, for all of them. He looks at his wife for inspiration.
"How about...Lillie?"
Lusamine blinked at the suggestion, "Lillie? Like the flower?"
"Not exactly. Lillie, short for Lilligant." He told her with a smile.
Lusamine then giggled when she realized, "You mean the Pokémon that reminds you of me?"
Mohn chuckled as he nodded.
"Yes. And because it takes a lot of care to raise a Lilligant, our little girl will be our delicate flower."
Lusamine could not argue on that. She grabs Mohn's hand. She can feel him trembling.
"Please be strong for her. That's is all I'm asking."
"Luc-"
Flashback Interruption
"Lady Lusamine!? Are you all right in there!?"
The president of the Aether Foundation was pulled from her memories. She now hears the loud knockings on her office door. She carefully places back the phot before fixing and straightening herself up to look presentable.
"You may come in!" She yelled, but not too loud.
Coming inside her was Wicke Zyra, the assistant branch chief of the Aether Paradise and a good friend of the family. She is around the same age as the president, wears glasses, and dark purple colored hair. Her clothing has the color scheme of the Aether Foundation.
"Lady Lusamine, are you okay?" Wicke asked in worry. "When you're weren't responding after a minute, I got so worried."
"I'll be fine, Wicke." She assures her. "Now, what is that you want?" Lusamine said with a lot of authority.
Wicke straighten up when she heard that tone of voice. Her boss can be scary when she is in business mode. The assistant branch chief nervously opens the manila folder in her hands which she almost dropped.
"W-Well from what I gathered from yesterday's recently rescued Pokémon, I find out that something strange is happening in Melemele Island."
Lusamine's eyes widen slightly. "Strange? What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that Pokémon are being assaulted in the wilderness."
"I don't see how you find that to be strange, Wicke." Lusamine commented. "It's the wilderness, so of course you would find injured Pokémon due to the wild Pokémon fighting for food and territory."
"True, but it's how they were injured is what strange."
"Hmmm?"
"According to the blood tests from the sixty-two rescued, all have been found to have poisoned." Her boss gasped at the findings. "We were lucky to have rescued all of them in time or else Melemele Island would have been plagued with dead bodies." Wicke shivered at the thought.
Lusamine was relieved at that, "Thank goodness. So, what else did you find?"
"Well all Pokémon were poisoned with the same kind of toxin. I already ruled out that the toxin were made by Zubats or its evolutions. The same goes for Spinarak or Ariados."
"You're right, Wicke. That is indeed strange." Her assistant has just ruled out all the land Pokémon that are Poison-types. The only other Poison-type Pokémon to be found in Melemele Island were Tentacools and Tentacruels, but not many will go out of the water for so long. "What is your theory on this?"
Wicke adjusted her glasses, "With deductive reasoning, I believe that this is the work of a Poison-type Pokémon that has been released into Melemele Island by a Pokémon trainer that used to own it."
Everything that you read are my interpretation of Lillie's family and the Aether Foundation.
See you all next time. Please leave a review.
