Who I Am - Lightning99

Chapter 41:

An Evening in Konikoni City

Ash decided to stay on the balcony after his talk with Mallow for two reasons: so not to disturb Lillie in their room with his subdued brooding, and to conceal his internal struggle from the others should he encounter them. He stood out there for so long the lights from the lobby that gently illuminated the nearest edge of the battlefield had long since turned off, but his only care was for everything Mallow said.

He spent much of that time warring with the invasive voice in his head that still denied the fact that Mallow had a crush on him, a relentless whisper that he could not shake. He had answered her with a nod earlier when she asked if he believed her, but honestly, it had been automatic. He still had doubts.

But that was a war he won. After a long battle of tossing arguments back and forth in his head, Ash forced himself to believe her, to ignore the doubts. As soon as he subdued that mental voice, when he could finally think coherently about it, he recognised several hints Mallow had given about her feelings, be they conscious or not. Now, the night they had hugged on that very same balcony, the night he had thought there was no possible way Mallow liked him, replayed in his head with a more affecting feel to it.

After settling that dispute, Ash thought then of his misguided inner voice in its entirety, why it was there and where it had come from. With ease, he deduced that it was from his past self. He imagined it as the voice of the broken Ash that awoke in Viridian Forest blanketed in dust and ash and marred with cuts, curled into a ball on the grass just on the edge of a destroyed Pallet Town. Because that part of him remained tethered to the past, to a time where the pain of the ordeal was fresh. But now that Mallow had unveiled it to him, he accepted its existence. He accepted that some fragment of his character was broken.

That was why it was still hard for Ash to consider love again. Despite believing Mallow, he was stillscared to both fall and be fallen for. He thought he had started healing the night he saw Serena's Poké-Vision on Melemele, and that when he learned the truth after Oak's trial, he believed Serena might like him again. But the issue lay deeper than that. He knew that now. They were surface-level thoughts while his doubt was an emotional wound that could not easily be tempered by reason or thought. Ash had no idea how he would heal from there. But realising the wound existed felt like his first checkpoint, a checkpoint Mallow helped him reach.

While Ash was glad that he had finally recognised the issue and understood he couldn't directly control it, that didn't prevent how terrible he felt for disregarding Mallow's feelings so instinctively, so insensitively. How bad he felt that he had hurt her. No matter the complications in his heart, he couldn't forgive himself.

But Ash knew, unless Dialga was feeling particularly generous to an old friend, he couldn't change the past. He decided, instead, to right things in the present. He decided to respond to Mallow's confession as soon as possible.

Because of that decision, he searched his mind and overturned every crevice of his heart to figure out his true feelings. He shoved aside the hindering fear, eventually arriving at his slightly distressing conclusion: he didn't feel the same way she did. He felt a strong bond with Mallow, but not in that way. Mallow was a beautiful girl, inside and out, and being in intimate proximity to her – hugging, helping her on the Mantine – had naturally made him nervous. But that blissful feeling he recalled having for Serena whenever she smiled at him, whenever she complimented him, even before he fell in love with her, was not there.

Ash knew his answer would hurt her again, but he did not want to lead her on; leaving her guessing for a week already was bad enough. He had to take her confession seriously and give a serious answer. That was his decision. He hoped it was the right one.

Only after reaching those conclusions, finally tempering the storm in his head with great relief, did Ash head back to his room. He tiptoed in, locked the door as stealthily as possible, but it didn't matter. When he turned around, Lillie was sat up in her bed with a book in her lap, looking at him tenderly, glowing under the bedside lamp.

"Hi, Ash," Lillie whispered tiredly, a soft voice that made his heart jolt with both warmth and worry.

"Hi," Ash replied. "You stayed up?"

Lillie nodded. "I wanted to see if you were ok. A-and talk to you about something."

"Thank you. Give me a sec."

Ash grabbed his sleepwear and quickly changed in the bathroom. When he exited, he reassured Pikachu of his wellbeing – who seemed to know anyway – before sliding into bed.

"What did you want to talk about?" Ash asked, rolling side-on to face Lillie, a movement she reflected after resting her book on the bedside table. Snuggled wearily in the sheets, she looked adorable.

"Mallow. Did she…"

Ash nodded when Lillie trailed off. "She confessed again."

"You realised it was a confession the first time?"

"I do now. This time, Mallow told me directly that she has a crush on me. She said she wouldn't leave until I believed her. It took me a while, but I believe her, even if part of me still has some silly doubts."

Lillie's expression softened further. "You still have doubts?"

"It's difficult," Ash said, nodding. "I feel as happy and excited as usual, but I have this doubt that just won't let go. I believe Mallow but believing in – in love again is… scary."

"Oh, Ash…"

"Brock told you all what happened before… right?"

"Yes, he did."

"I thought so. The whole situation has been so confusing. It's so complicated and just unbelievable that my feelings are kind of messed up. Now that I know that, though, I think I can heal."

"I'm glad to hear that, Ash. We were all hoping you would realise it."

"You were?" Ash frowned. He widened his eyes a moment later. "That's why everyone had me doing a bunch of random things this week!"

Lillie giggled. "That's right. Although, some of them were quite… unfocused."

"I'll say…" Even so, Ash appreciated his friends even more.

"Ash… I'm sorry. I wasn't able to think of a way to help you. It feels as though I didn't try as hard as the others."

"I don't think that's true, Lillie."

"What do you mean?"

"You just said the others were unfocused, so you knew what they were trying wasn't what I needed, right?" Lillie nodded. "What I did need was someone to just say it to my face, to make me realise what I've been thinking. Denying it as I was, I wasn't going to realise it on my own. So, don't beat yourself up. There was nothing else that could have been done." Ash paused then, another realisation hitting him. He smiled. "Spending all that time with me in the evenings was something, you know."

"Y-You realised?"

"Yeah."

"I… I thought checking on you frequently would help…"

"I think it did."

Lillie smiled. She said, then, through a cute yawn, "That makes me feel a bit better."

"Thank you, Lillie," Ash said.

"You're welcome, Ash," Lillie replied.

"I'll have to thank everyone somehow. Now come on, time to sleep. You look exhausted. You shouldn't have stayed up for me."

Lillie giggled again. And just like that, they headed to sleep.

Ash awoke the next morning in two minds. His realisations provided weightlessness to his chest; responding to Mallow and fixing himself grounded him.

Mallow was already gone by the time he ventured downstairs. Without a reason to stay at the Poké-Center, Ash decided to spend the day training. Kiawe, Lana, and Hau suggested they accompany him, but he rejected their offers because of a nagging desire to be alone. It was clear they knew everything – the sympathy in their eyes was powerful, and he didn't want to deal with that right now. But the guilt of leaving them behind invaded his thoughts all day. He countered it by pondering how to thank them for trying to help.

It took Ash a while to get going after finding a spot in the forest to practice, much like it had those first few days in Alola. His thoughts were so unrelated to training that he just could not focus. He decided to familiarise himself with Stufful's moves while the others practised theirs rather than engage in any strenuous activities.

Ash deduced Stufful's best moves were currently Flail – something he could have guessed– Brutal Swing, Baby-Doll Eyes, and Payback. He had her practice them on Heracross and Hawlucha, gauging her abilities. By the end of the session, he had a good idea of her capabilities, and Torracat, Rockruff, and Bagon made some good progress on their moves.

On the way back, Ash thought again about how to thanks his friends. It wasn't an easy task. What could he do to accommodate all of them, to thank them?

Jirachi gifted his stumped mind when he passed the Pokémon Ranch. Taped to the door was a poster advertising a small event in Konikoni City tomorrow. It said a couple was putting on a Pokémon performance in the evening and the audience was invited to join in afterwards. Ash read the performance was inspired by Hoenn's 'The Marina Group', and he knew it was perfect; he remembered seeing them before, after all.

Later, when nearly everyone was in the lobby – 'Alolan Detective Laki' was on in the background – Ash advertised the event via a photo he had Rotom take.

"An evening performance?" Kiawe asked, eyeing the photo with fascination.

"Ash, are you sure?" Dawn asked, her expression blending care and excitement.

"I am."

"But with everything going on…" Lana began.

"That's exactly why. After Mallow and I talked yesterday, I decided I… I'm going to try and work on it. The thing is, the issue isn't something that affects who I am, not really. So, there's no reason for me to act differently in the normal sense… When I heard you were all trying to help, I was happy. This is my way of thanking you: an afternoon in Konikoni City."

"Man, Ash," Hau muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "way to make a guy feel good."

"Indeed. I think we should go," Brock said.

"Me too," Lillie added.

"I'll speak with Mallow," Lana said, disappearing upstairs.

"Are we decided then?" Ash asked.

"It seems so, yes," Clemont answered.

The rest of the evening used Shadow Force because Ash spent it drowned in his thoughts. Reality reappeared the next morning, during which Ash could tell a few people were trying not to let their excitement show too much – namely Dawn and Hau.

By the afternoon, when Kiawe, Lana, and Mallow – who Ash was pleased to see join – returned, they all headed to Diglett's Tunnel together.

The walk through the tunnel was going smoothly, the conversation jovial and normal despite everything – though he and Mallow stayed on separate ends of the group, an unspoken realisation – until some Diglett popped up near Lillie's feet. She flinched away, clutching onto his arm for comfort. When she realised that, she flinched away from him too, almost falling over in the process.

Brock inspected the Diglett, commenting on the Alolan variant's blonde lock of hair with curiosity. When a Dugtrio reared its head, Ash and Brock doubled over with surprised laughter because of how different, yet perfect, they looked. Their joyous laughter seemed as contagious as Pokérus; when Hau caught it, so did everyone else. The Dugtrio revelled in it the attention, flaunting its shiny hair with model-esque finesse.

When they reached the beautiful torii outside Konikoni, Ash was awed at the sights – Lillie, Dawn, Brock, and Clemont were too. Where Heahea City was modern and pristine, the architecture in Konikoni was more traditional. The stone buildings were smaller and boasted kawara rooves, their windows decorated with different wooden patterns. The buildings looked the same, but the shops were indicated by little circular wooden signs.

A bustling main street ran through the city, parting the buildings into two sides. On either side stood various stalls between the buildings, many of which wafted delicious aromas into the air. There was a small dock down a left street, and at the end of the city stood an open field overlooking the sea, overlooked by a lighthouse. A wooden stage with benches around it had been pitched there, likely for the evening festivities.

The group dived into the crowd. Hau's hunger guided them to a few of the food stalls first, at which Ash copied him and tried everything he could. It was all delightful, each piece having its own flavour yet maintaining something uniquely Alolan.

When Lillie said she was unsure what to get, Ash offered her some of what he bought. Not being able to eat it all himself was worth it when he saw the blush of delight that appeared on her cheeks after she nervously tasted it. Everyone shared what they bought, and when he heard Mallow critique some of it, saying how she would have made it instead, just like her normal self, everything seemed even more worth it.

After a while – during which they played some games at the stalls – Lana told them she was going to visit her family while she was there. Mallow jumped at the chance to join her. But before they left a voice called out from across the street.

"Lana, Kiawe, Mallow! It's lovely to see you here!"

The voice came from a tall, dark-skinned woman with short black hair and startling blue eyes, her height extended to nearly Brock's by her heeled pink sandals. She was well-built, strong and powerful like Kiawe's mother, and the almost tribal outfit she wore contributed to that image: a light pink midriff top and purple short-shorts with bangles covering her arms and legs, a gemstone neckless, and a similar gemstone wreath tied to a bit of thread that emblazoned and accentuated her chest. That powerful image was shattered not only by her soft and friendly expression but when, mid-skip toward them, she face-planted the floor.

Now usually Ash would have offered to help her up, but when he saw the look in Brock's eyes, he realised his good ole, compulsive-confessing friend had not entirely matured. He thought, amused, Oh, no.

Brock was on his knee beside her in seconds, his hand in hers, every deceivingly well-defined muscle in his body tensed to a degree that honestly made him look dashing. His white-toothed smile only added to that image.

"Are you hurt, m'lady?" Brock asked, his tone undertaking a drawing deepness one would expect in a romance film.

"What." Hau, Clemont, and Lana muttered in response to the scene. Dawn's palm was already on her face, and Lillie and Mallow's eyes were wide. Ash would have laughed aloud had he not seen, rather than discomfort, the blush on the woman's cheeks. It was Lucy all over again.

"Oh… T-Thank you," the woman muttered as he helped her up.

"Not a problem. It is the duty of every gentleman to help a beautiful lady out," Brock said with such confidence Ash was impressed.

"Me? A beautiful lady? My…" the woman muttered nervously.

"Ash," Hau said, relentlessly poking his shoulder like a child, "What is this?"

"You get used to it."

"Huh?" Lana deadpanned.

When Brock's antics became more subdued, and everyone recovered, Kiawe introduced the lady to everyone else as Olivia. They introduced themselves in turn.

"And I am Brock!" Brock greeted suavely. Ash rolled his eyes, wondered where Croagunk was. "This meeting feels like fate–"

"Olivia? As in the Kahuna of Akala?" Ash interrupted. Lillie suddenly straightened her perfect posture even more.

"That's me! It's lovely to meet you all. Especially…" Olivia said, her eyes lingering on Brock. Ash was dumbfounded. "Are you here for the performance?"

"That we are," Brock jumped to answer.

"Excellent! I may see you after, then. I just wanted to say hello. I have some work to do," Olivia said.

"Before you go, Kahuna Olivia," Kiawe said, patting Ash's shoulder, "this is the trainer I was telling you about. This is Ash."

"Oh?" Olivia asked, looking at him, then Pikachu. "That Pikachu looks excellently trained. Are you looking for a Grand Trial, Ash?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ash said, even though he had forgotten. "Could I request one soon?"

"Come and speak to me tomorrow and we shall discuss it. Kiawe will show you where I will be. It was lovely meeting you all!" Olivia said and skipped away.

A moment passed.

"Ash, I am accompanying you tomorrow," Brock said.

Ash palmed his forehead.

After their run-in with Olivia, the group separated and enjoyed their time there in smaller groups. Ash stayed with Brock and Lillie, and they tried as many foods, games, and activities as they could.

Later, everyone reconvened at the benches for the performance. The longer the wait, the more noticeable the excitement around them became.

The performance began when an attractive couple took the stage. Ida, a woman with long ginger hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue dress, sashayed onto the stage playing a tuneful melody on a mandolin. Kanoa, a man with spiked brown hair and blue eyes, wearing swimming shorts and a necklace, red goggles resting on his forehead, followed her on with a Brionne – Rotom told him – and a Pokéball.

Ida instructed Brionne to make some giant bubbles while strumming. Straight away, Ash could see the inspiration from The Marina Group. But when the big bubbles were made, Brionne started blowing smaller, colourful ones, accentuating the vacant air around them. From the Pokéball, Kanoa threw out a Bruxish into a giant bubble, which began swimming and leaping between them, controlling their movement with her psychic powers if the breeze carried them away from the stage.

While the performance of Ida humming, strumming, and dancing with Brionne entranced the audience, Kanoa retrieved a surfboard from the stage's steps. On cue, Brionne stopped blowing bubbles and Ida stopped playing. Ida reached to her wrist, to a blue Z-Crystal in a Z-Ring. She started the move, making a swishing wave-like action with her arms, the same one Ash recognised Lana had taught him.

"Hydro Vortex!" she shouted, and Brionne unleashed the move not as an attack but beneath Kanoa on the surfboard, sending him high into the air, riding a cylindrical wave amongst the colourful bubbles. Brionne jumped on, Bruxish kept swimming, and Ida started playing again, adding some vocals in place of her humming. The audience lost themselves in the scene; even Ash found his mind clear for a while by the grace of his awe.

A few minutes of tricks and spins later, Kanoa leapt off the surfboard and landed beside Ida, the Hydro Vortex dissipating. Together, they clasped hands and gave a great big bow. The audience applauded, cheered, and some even whistled.

"Thank you, everyone!" Ida said, waving to them. When the noise settled, she grinned. "Now, who would like to deliver a performance?"

It was only natural that Dawn ran onto the stage first. Ash had seen her growing boredom as of late, so a performance opportunity was something she must have been delighted to receive. And a masterful performance it was. Using her Buneary's Ice Beam and Piplup's Water-Type moves, Dawn enacted a water-themed performance that rivalled the main show. The water droplets glinted in the afternoon sun, and the ice shattering sent little sparkles into the air. If her performance wasn't spontaneous, Ash imagined it would have even bested the main event.

After Dawn, several people performed, then it was Hau's turn. And after that, the afternoon morphed into nighttime, the festivities enduring throughout. Kiawe performed a passionate fire-dance with his Alolan Marowak, the two colours of flames, one an orange light of life and one conveying something spiritual in its green, illuminating the dark. Brock and his Sudowoodo followed them with a robotic dance when he saw Olivia approach, obviously a ploy to entice her attention. Their enthusiasm told Ash all he needed about the success of his idea.

Mallow was the only anomaly. She seemed to be enjoying it, but Ash guessed she would have normally performed three dances by now. She hadn't performed at all. About halfway through the performance after Brock's, Mallow slipped away through the entrance to Route 9. Ash watched her go, assuming his pending response was the reason.

Ash sighed, debating if he should be the one to follow. There was only one thing for them to talk about, and he didn't want to ruin their fun day. But then he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Lana, leaning close.

"You have your answer, don't you?"

"You could tell?"

"I could tell." Lana gave a sad smile. "But you don't want to ruin her day…" Ash nodded.

"You're kind, Ash," Lana said, smiling. "Go tell her. There's no use dragging it out. She obviously hasn't enjoyed this as much as she usually would."

"You're right. Thank you."

"No worries. I'd do anything for Mallow. You too, but, well…"

Ash nodded. Lana nodded back with a look that said, 'Don't be mean about it or I'll sic Totem Wishiwashi on you'.

Ash took a moment to compose himself before heading onto the route, leaving Pikachu with Lana. Mallow was sat on the edge of the island, her shoes placed beside her, her feet dangling in the water. Ash watched her through the darkness from a few feet away. The gravity of what he had to do dawned on him. He had never had to reject someone before. He just hoped he could do it right.

"Hi, Mallow," Ash finally said.

Mallow watched him sit beside her. When she spoke, her voice was shaky. "Hey, Ash."

They sat in silence for a little while after that, the sounds of the festivities blaring in the background but the reason for his arrival blaring in their collective understanding. The sounds seemed to generate a starter in Mallow's mind.

"This was a great idea, Ash. Everyone is loving it. I am, too."

"I'm glad. I hope we have more days like this."

They were making small talk, stalling for time to prepare. Ash knew it was needless: no amount of preparation time would be enough. So, he mustered just enough courage to interrupt Mallow expressing how amazing she thought Dawn was.

"Mallow."

She stopped immediately. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Ash paused. "I-I have an answer for you."

"…I thought so," Mallow said. She clenched her fists against her knees and looked him in the eye for the first time since he sat down. "Ok."

Ash nodded. Even before he spoke, he realised she knew what his answer would be. Her emotions were projected through her smile: there was a sadness there so profound it made him look away for a moment. He forced himself to look her in the eye again, to not shy away.

"Thank you, Mallow," Ash started, with all his sincerity and nervousness. "Knowing that you have a crush on me means a lot. You're amazing so it… yeah, it's nice to hear. But… And… I'm sorry. I… I don't feel the same way…"

Forcing those few sentences from his lips was agonising; the silence and obvious hurt while Mallow registered his words were agonising; her expression, too, was agonising to see. Ash's mind ploughed through enough thoughts and emotions in that one moment that he swore he would have none for tomorrow. Had he been too blunt? Was now a bad time after all?

"Thank you, Ash," Mallow said a few minutes later, looking him in the eyes. All he could see was a soft green.

"W-What?" Ash murmured.

"Thank you. Despite everything you're going through, you took my confession seriously and gave me a genuine answer. That's… really all I can ask for." Ash had nothing to say. So, when Mallow giggled, he felt even more confused. "This is your first time rejecting someone, isn't it?"

"Ah. Yeah…" Ash said. He was more affected by her stuttered voice than he showed.

"I think you did it right. I've had to do it before. It's always hard," Mallow said. There was another pause, all through which Ash was in disbelief. "I-I hope we can stay friends …"

"W-Wait, aren't I supposed to say that?"

Mallow giggled again. "I suppose so. I hope we can be, but… I think I will need a little bit of time…"

"O-Of course. Take all the time you need."

Mallow nodded, lifting her feet from the water. She kicked them as dry as she could and slipped her shoes on. She started back towards Konikoni before stopping, looking over her shoulder.

"Thank you again, Ash. You're amazing," she said.

"So are you," Ash replied. Mallow smiled and disappeared into Konikoni.

Ash did not feel like returning to the festivities. He remained at the water's edge, contemplating what had just happened. He knew Mallow was not as ok as she seemed, but he couldn't help feeling that, for a rejection, that had gone as well as it could have. But that tiny solace did nothing to quell his guilt. He was by no means as bad off as Mallow must be, but a rejection was nothing but a lose-lose situation. Even Pikachu's arrival was no comfort.

Ash threw his head in his hands. Everything was so complicated in his life now. The issue with Oak, the mystery people, his feelings… Where had the days gone when the only thing on his mind was the road ahead of him, the Pokémon out there to catch?

A flash of movement beyond his hands made Ash lift his head. There was nothing ahead of him but the royal blue, night-time ocean. Thinking it was a Wingull, he lowered his head again. The next time he looked up it was because of a Pokémon cry; the shrill yet somehow ethereal tune exuded rarity. Ash scanned the area, freezing when he saw, poking out beside a tree, a pair of blue eyes and pink locks shadowed by the pink cone-hat it wore: Tapu Lele.

Ash stood as if to attention. Tapu Lele watched him, then coaxed him over with her hand, floating further into the route. Ash shared a look with Pikachu, and they followed.

Tapu Lele led them through a cemetery much like Memorial Hill and a tall-grass-filled cliffside to the end of the route. Two pillars like some Ash had seen the day he met Lillie – those placed on the trail to Tapu Koko's shrine – stood before him. That only meant one thing: this was Tapu Lele's Shrine.

A strange silence ensued when Ash stepped beyond the pillars as if the whole world were bowing to the Deity hovering in front of the temple-like mountainside. It was made up of giant brown stone blocks, and the flora surrounding it was plentiful, tossing a veil of naturality on the place. Vines of moss grew on the walls, and grass and bushes covered the ledges and floor. Behind Tapu Lele, stood an opening in the rockface outlined by wooden sticks, painted pink where they connected at the top and the bottom. A triangular symbol was displayed above the entryway.

Tapu Lele didn't go inside. Once again, she stared at him, and it made Ash wonder if he was supposed to act first. This scene mimicked that of Tapu Koko's challenge on Melemele. The next moment, though, it turned out he wasn't supposed to act first.

The space around them suddenly took on a pink hue. The grass started glowing pink, too, and when the sky began warping into strange shapes, Ash guessed this was Psychic Terrain. Tapu Lele unleashed a rapid Psybeam that he barely dodged in time, a move that knocked down a few trees. Taking that as his cue, Ash instructed Pikachu, who had jumped off his shoulder the other way, to use Thunderbolt. Tapu Lele blocked with Psybeam.

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Ash called. As the ball of electricity generated, Tapu Lele slammed the wooden barrel it rested in and its hat together, creating a shield much like Tapu Koko's. "Pikachu, sprint in with Iron Tail ready after you throw it," Ash instructed as quietly as he could.

Electro Ball slammed into the shield and bounced right off as expected. But Pikachu was ready to hit with Iron Tail when Tapu Lele separated the shields. Alarmed, Tapu Lele glided aside just in time, countering with Psybeam. Pikachu countered with Thunderbolt, a play the two Pokémon repeated several times more for a few minutes without any instruction.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash called eventually, grinning. Pikachu charged the bolt, and when he unleashed it this time, that strange red hue on some of the lightning strands appeared again. "Follow up with Volt Tackle!"

Tapu Lele parried the Thunderbolt with another Psybeam, but Pikachu's speed with Volt Tackle caught it off guard: he slammed into Tapu Lele's body, knocking her onto the ground.

"Alright!" Ash cheered triumphantly as Pikachu landed next to him. He watched Tapu Lele get back up, expecting a counterattack, but all he received was laughter and some clapping. The Psychic Terrain vanished.

Ash stood there, confused. Tapu Lele approached him. She hovered in front of him first, then took to the skies, observing him from above, then the side, then the back, before stopping in front of him again. Ash frowned. Tapu Lele pulled back her arm and with a powerful swing, she gave him one big, hefty, heavy-handed slap in the face.

"Ow!" Ash yelled, his voice barely reaching over Pikachu's laughter, who was rolling on the ground in hysterics. He glared at the Tapu, not caring if that was seen as blasphemy. "What was that for?!"

Tapu Lele replied with a storm of cries, which Ash turned to Pikachu to translate. It turned out that was his punishment for almost causing a big fire in the jungle. That, Ash decided, was fair, but he couldn't help thinking how hypocritical this particular Deity was. After all, she had just demolished a few trees.

When Tapu Lele hovered away, Ash registered that as another bizarre,unexplainable encounter with a Legendary Pokémon.

By the time Ash returned to Konikoni City, the mini-festival was concluding. A hushed ambience had settled on the streets as the large crowd left, discussing their satisfaction with the event as quiet as if trying not to disturb the air itself. It was just as well: Ash couldn't bring himself to enjoy any more of it, not while carrying the guilt of hurting Mallow. Just because it was the right decision did not mean Ash was free from its gnawing repercussions, even if his encounter with Tapu Lele had done so briefly. He was drained all of a sudden. He just wanted to sleep.

Ash didn't know if, when he weaved through the crowd and found his friends, not seeing Mallow and Lana with them was a relief or worrying. Where they had gone was his first question. Dawn explained they had already planned to stay at Lana's house when they visited earlier. Ash knew that was a spontaneous fabrication, but he didn't say so. If his intuition was correct – and seeing the joy they still exuded – Mallow hadn't told anybody yet, probably so not to ruin their day. He decided to postpone the talk until tomorrow for that very reason. He was at least thankful that Mallow had Lana. He was glad that she wasn't alone.

On the way back, everyone discussed the evening. They talked about which performance was their favourite and who was the best in their group. Ash commented now and again, but mostly just listened. Lillie was quiet too, sneaking furtive glances at him, another of her confusing actions. It led him to adopt a similar act of giving secretive glances at her when she wasn't looking. He did that a lot; he was so worried about her, especially given her obvious lie that night last week, he couldn't help it.

This issue, though, Lillie raised as they were preparing for bed.

"Umm…" Lillie began, breaking the awkward silence. It was only awkward because they both clearly knew they were glancing at each other when they weren't looking, a silent understanding in their eyes and demeanours. While Lillie had a specific reason for looking at Ash, she didn't know why he was watching her. His gaze made her heart use Agility. "You and Mallow talked, didn't you?"

Ash dropped back onto his bed, puffing out a breath. "You realised?"

"I-I assumed so. I saw the two of you disappear around the same time," Lillie admitted. The implications of them leaving together had put that observation at the forefront of her mind. Then, realising it sounded as if she had been watching him, she continued. "Brock might have noticed also. Most of us were separated and Lana was distracting people, so I think the others thought you both were elsewhere in the crowd."

Ash sighed. "Yeah, we talked. I – gave Mallow my answer…."

"Y-You did?!" Lillie asked, her body automatically tensing; her heart tightened in that way it did when awaiting life-changing news one had been dreading.

"I did. And… I told her I didn't feel the same way. I had to reject her…"

All of the tension Lillie had promptly amassed relaxed, the burden of worry lifting, leaving behind a relief that she did everything she could to ignore for the time being. It was wrong to be relieved at that moment, so she purposefully suppressed it, focusing on Ash, the slight scrunching of his eyes and the tilt of his eyebrows that unveiled just how bad he felt about what he had had to do. The sight was enough for her sadness on both Ash and Mallow's behalf to outweigh that weird relief.

"Ash… Are you ok?" Lillie asked, sitting on the bed beside him.

"I… didn't think I'd be this affected," Ash answered, sitting up. "I know I did the right thing, but I feel awful. Is it supposed to be like this?"

"I don't know…"

"Ah. Sorry, Lillie. I don't want to ruin your day with this."

"It's alright, Ash. You're not ruining anything. You're the reason I had a wonderful day in the first place."

"That makes me feel a bit better, at least. My plan worked."

Lillie didn't know what to say after that, leaving the room quiet. "What is going to happen now?" she asked eventually.

"Mallow said she needs some time, but she wants to stay friends. I do too… I don't want to lose someone as amazing as Mallow. But I don't know. All I can do is hope that this doesn't permanently change things."

Lillie had never seen Ash look so confused. All she could do was hope, too. Hope that her two closest friends would not remain awkward and estranged.

To help Ash clear his head a bit and focus on something more positive, Lillie suggested they discuss some Pokémon facts that might help him in Alola, but, for the first time, Ash apologised and said he just wanted to sleep. Lillie agreed that was probably best, and they headed to sleep.

Hi!

It's been a little while. Sorry about that, but here's a new chapter for you!

I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!