A/N: I'll admit I was not expecting my fanfic to have blown up like it has already. It's nice to see people are actually checking it out and liking it so far. Even despite the glitches the site was undergoing. I have no idea what happened to it in the beginning and why certain things weren't showing up, but it looks like it's been fixed now, so... yay. XD Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favourited and reviewed the first chapter though. Hopefully this second chapter continues to impress. It's a little longer than the last one, but that's only because I was trying to ensure I fleshed out the scenes appropriately. Admittedly I only updated this so quickly because I was originally going to extend the first chapter instead of cutting it off on a cliffhanger. So I already had most of this written out when I decided to take it in a different direction. Please don't expect quick updates like this in the future though.

Chapter 2: Misunderstandings

Viola froze in place while Lucario lowered its gaze with the twitch of its ears, the pair looking directly to the path before them with wide eyes. The area had since fallen quiet, but they were certain what they'd heard had come from that direction.

'That sounded like someone in trouble.' Viola stepped forward in preparation to run, as if acting on instinct. But she jerked back suddenly at remembering where she was. She stumbled to a standstill and turned to the steps behind her with a furrowed brow. 'But we shouldn't even be out here in the first place. If we don't head back now…'

A light tap on Viola's shoulder had her glancing at Lucario, breaking her out of her train of thought. Lucario wasn't saying anything, but the knowing look it had in its eyes was all Viola needed to understand what it meant.

"… You think we should check it out, don't you?"

Lucario nodded with a loud grunt, causing Viola to sigh loudly and run her hands through her hair. "You know, I've always found it strange how alike we are. You might be a mind reader. But when it comes down to it, we think the same things a lot of the time." She closed her eyes, her next words spoken quietly. "I'm starting to wonder if he was wrong when he said it was a coincidence…"

Lucario tilted its head and grumbled at the last thing Viola said. The blonde opened her eyes again at this and quickly shook her head. "Never mind. You're right. We should go check it out. It's not like it's the first time we've stopped to help someone..."

A faint smile appeared on Lucario's face at this, but it disappeared just as fast, being replaced with a frown. The pair turned away from each other and jogged forward to follow the path onward, acting as if they were in sync. They were on even ground now, with the sound of rushing water returning to Viola's ears as they got closer, slowly getting louder the further they progressed.

The narrow path they were following eventually stretched out into an open area overlooking a ravine with a large waterfall, which the pair noticed as they approached the scene. Loud cawing drew Viola's attention to the wooden bridge at the edge of the cliff, with her view being partially blocked by the back of a stranger in a sleeveless white dress and sunhat.

As Viola and Lucario slowed to a stop close to the bridge, the stranger visibly tensed at hearing their approach and quickly swirled around, her long and pale blonde hair and braids bouncing on her shoulders as she faced the duo. Viola gaped when the girl's fearful green eyes locked with her brown ones, neither of them speaking a word as they each took in the other's presence and appearance. The girl didn't look that much older than Viola, appearing to be around the same age and height. Her body was slightly hunched as her arms covered something large against her left side, acting like she was a criminal who had just been caught doing something shady. Viola's attention was immediately drawn to the object as a result, which appeared to resemble a round and white shoulder bag with a pokeball logo on its side.

'She must have been the one who cried out before. But what's a girl like her doing out here all alone?'

An aggressive screech from behind the mysterious girl broke her and Viola out of their trances. The girl turned to the bridge when Viola leaned past her to get a better look at what was going on, doing so just as a brown and familiar bird Pokemon flew straight towards them with great speed.

'… A Spearow!'

Viola dashed forward when the Spearow arched its back and raised its claws to attack. The girl ducked her head down with a panicked cry just as Viola skidded in front of her, crossing her arms into an "X" shape to shield her face.

However, Lucario had also been quick to react at spying the Pokemon's approach, stretching out its arms to summon two long bones to its paws in blue flashes of light. It darted in front of the pair in a blur and swung its left bone forward when the Spearow's claws were only inches away from scratching its comrade, its top end connecting with the Spearow's middle. Viola and the girl gasped loudly at this, but for different reasons; the latter at the Spearow's cry of pain and the former at recognising the move Lucario was using.

'Bone Rush!'

The two girls watched the Spearow back away a small distance and hunch over, continuing to flap its wings to keep itself hovering. Lucario tensed its body and kept its weapons close to await the Spearow's next move, readying itself in case it attacked again. However, in response to its short beating, the Spearow instead straightened itself upon recovering, twisted its body around and slowly flew off in the direction of the waterfall, all the while flapping its wings as fast as it could.

Both girls sighed in relief and allowed their bodies to relax once the Spearow was out of sight, with Viola nodding to Lucario and wiping an arm across her forehead. "Thank you, Lucario. That was too close."

Lucario nodded in return, but then shifted its gaze to the bridge when it heard more cawing. When Viola did the same her eyes took in the sight of two Spearow circling the middle of the bridge, prompting one of them to twitch. "You've gotta be kidding me! There's two more?! What are they even doing?!"

"Ah…" Viola looked at the girl behind her when she spoke up, seeing her trembling and staring back with worry-filled eyes.

'… Oops. I forgot she was there for a sec.'

"Are you okay?" Viola asked, but instead of responding to the question the girl dismissed it with the shake of her head.

"Never mind me." Tears sprung to the girl's eyes. "You have to help it! Please! Save Nebby!"

"… Wait, what?"

The girl pointed to the middle of the bridge, and when Viola followed the direction of her finger she was forced to squint at spying something on the bridge's planks. It was difficult to tell from where she was stood as the gap between both sides of the ravine was quite wide, but she could just about make out a small blue and purple Pokemon with a gas-like body and no legs. It appeared to be shaking and protecting its face with two body parts that Viola could only assume were arms. Her eye twitched again.

'… Oh. That's why she shrieked.' "That's a Pokemon? Why are the Spearow circling it?"

"I don't know. But…" The girl glanced at the floor after wiping her tears away with her hand, gripping at her bag strap. "… I'm not a Trainer. I can't help it." She looked again at Viola with pleading eyes, leaving Viola gaping with what she said next. "Please! Please help Nebby!"

'Hold on. She's not a Trainer? Then what is she doing out here with a Pokemon stuck on a bridge?!'

There was too much going on right now for Viola to process. But she knew she couldn't dwell on it.

"Oooh…" Viola's brow furrowed as she turned around to face the girl, sharply inhaling through her teeth. "I don't want to burst your bubble, but-"

Hurried footsteps across creaking wood interrupted Viola, causing her to swirl around to witness Lucario charging across the bridge, still clutching the two bones in its paws. "Lucario!"

Viola moved forward to chase after the Aura Pokemon as it closed in on the middle of the bridge. But after taking one step she happened to glimpse down, causing her body to stiffen. The planks of the bridge were unevenly placed, and as a result of Lucario's movement it was swaying back and forth rather violently. It also didn't help that the blonde had a clear view of the rapids from the river below them as they zigzagged and crashed against large rocks littering the sides of the ravine.

'This bridge doesn't look sturdy. I hope it'll hold Lucario's weight…'

The Spearow screeching loudly had Viola raising her gaze to the middle of the bridge just in time to watch the two Pokemon glide in opposite directions to dodge Lucario's right bone, which it had apparently tossed like a boomerang towards them. It spun straight past them and dispersed in another flash of light. The bridge swayed again because of the Pokemon's movement, making Lucario stumble from side to side before it grabbed onto the nearest rope keeping the bridge up with its empty paw for balance.

"Be careful, Lucario!" Lucario glanced back to the cliff edge at Viola's yell, detecting the concern in her voice. "The bridge is damaged! It won't hold if the Spearow keep attacking!"

Lucario briefly frowned as it kept its eyes locked with its friend, its silence indicating to Viola that it understood her concern well. It allowed Viola to drop her shoulders and step back while watching Lucario remain where it was until the bridge's rocking finally came to a standstill, at which point it quickly bent down and scooped the unknown and shaking Pokemon into the crook of its free arm.

'Good. The last thing I need right now is to lose Lucario too...'

The unknown Pokemon stopped shaking at the movement and looked up at its saviour with a curious gaze, staying silent as Lucario began to slowly make its way back to where Viola and the stranger were one steady step at a time.

"That's it, Lucario! Take it slow!" Viola called out to help encourage her partner, who kept its gaze focused on the planks with each step it took.

However, Lucario only got a quarter of the way there when Viola spotted a flicker of movement from the right. One of the Spearow was still there and was ruffling its feathers to recover from its momentary shock. There was no sign of the second Spearow though, making Viola assume it had also got the hint and finally left like its friend.

'Uh oh.'

When the Spearow stared straight at Lucario's back and leaned forward in preparation to dive downwards, Viola opened her mouth to yell a warning. But she soon closed it again when she saw Lucario halt and its ears straighten, indicating to her that the Pokemon was already aware of the danger it was about to be in.

'Okay. Lucario appears to be aware. Good.'

The Spearow charged at Lucario's back, causing the girl behind Viola to shout in her place. "Look out!"

Lucario narrowed its eyes and turned its head slightly to listen closely to the Spearow's approach, waiting until the moment it was only inches away from its head before it crouched. As the Spearow glided over the pair of Pokemon and quickly tilted upwards to avoid crashing into the bridge, Lucario chose its time to strike. The Aura Pokemon growled, brought its remaining bone close to its chest, stood up, swiped it forward and then released it.

The bone smacked into the Spearow's back and disappeared in a flash upon impact, causing the bird Pokemon to screech in pain and lose balance. It fell off to the side and started to plummet towards the ravine, with Lucario, Viola and the girl watching with wide eyes. However, after dropping past the bridge, the Spearow twisted its body around and cawed, managing to flap its wings fast enough to bring it up into the air. Lucario followed the Spearow as it ascended to the other side of the ravine, continuing to watch it until it, too, had disappeared.

Viola took this chance to look at the bridge one more time, and when she was sure she couldn't see any more Spearow she called out to Lucario with her hands close to her mouth. "It's alright, Lucario! They're gone! But still be careful coming back!"

Lucario turned away and slowly hopped the rest of the way across the bridge, holding the unknown Pokemon close to its body protectively the whole time. As Lucario stepped off the bridge and onto the cliff, Viola got a better glimpse of the strange looking Pokemon's yellow markings on the top and bottom of its body, along with its darker shades of blue and purple faded together on its body. When the unknown Pokemon turned Viola's way it blinked at her with two small yellow beady eyes and two bright blue circles on its cheeks.

'What the…? It looks like a cloud.' Viola tilted her head a little as she scrutinised its face. 'And its face is kinda smooth and young looking, like a baby.'

The Pokemon eventually floated away from Lucario and got really close to Viola's face while making a high-pitched noise she didn't recognise, prompting the blonde to lean away with a surprised blink.

"Pew!"

"Uh…"

"Nebby!" The girl said in relief as she stepped around to Viola's side, prompting the Pokemon's attention to shift to her when she reached out and took it in both of her hands. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright!"

Viola exchanged glances with Lucario when she heard that name again, with Lucario only responding with a shrug and the slight raise of its paws. 'Yup. Lucario doesn't have a clue either.'

The girl brought "Nebby" close to her person and scowled, her cheeks puffing out a little. "This is why I told you to stay in the bag until we reached the ruins. I don't want you getting hurt like before." Nebby responded with a quiet "Pew!", its arms drooping as a result of the scolding. The girl took that as her cue to turn it around to face Viola and Lucario and loosen her hold. "Now, say "thank you" to the nice Trainer and her Lucario for saving you."

Viola quickly waved her hands about in front of her and shook her head. "No! I'm not a-" Nebby cut her off with a loud "Pew!" and wide smile, causing the blonde's eyes to droop and a quiet sigh to escape her. 'How many times am I going to be interrupted before I can explain myself?' "… You're very welcome."

Lucario groaned at Viola's actions, eventually switching its attention to the girl as unzipped her bag and opened it. "Come along, Nebby. Back into the bag."

Viola and Lucario watched with dazed looks as Nebby did as it was told and floated inside the bag, which the girl then proceeded to close and zip up.

"You're literally putting the Pokemon in the bag?" Viola questioned. "Doesn't it have a pokeball?"

"No," the girl answered, briefly glancing down at the bag when it started to shake and holding it to keep it steady. "I did say I wasn't a Pokemon Trainer."

Viola loudly cleared her throat at this, her face flushing a faint pink at recalling the girl's earlier pleas. "Ah. Yeah. You did. I remember now. Sorry." Then she frowned. "Wait… If you're not a Pokemon Trainer, then why are you out here with that Pokemon in the first place?"

"I can't say why. It's a secret." The girl stroked at one of her braids, her eyes briefly closing. "But since you saved Nebby, I think you're someone who can be trusted. So there is something I wish to ask of you."

The girl's gaze drifted to the area behind her for a few seconds as she opened her eyes again, scanning the cliff for signs of anyone else other than Viola and Lucario. After staring long enough to see it was just the three of them, she stepped closer to Viola and lowered her voice to a whisper, putting her hand close to her mouth. "Please don't tell anyone you saw Nebby."

'That sounds a little sketchy. Like something a suspicious person would say.' Viola folded her arms and eyed the bag around the girl's shoulders. 'I don't know what Pokemon that is, but it doesn't look common. And the fact she isn't a Pokemon Trainer and wants me to pretend I didn't see it doesn't help.' She gave the girl a quick look from head to toe, staring the girl down a little longer. 'But she was generally concerned for that Pokemon's wellbeing. She doesn't look like someone who has anything bad to hide.' She rubbed at her throat and swallowed thickly. 'I've met those kinds of people. And she's nothing like them.'

When the girl's frown deepened at the ongoing silence, Viola finally broke it with a huff. "… Sure. I won't tell another living soul." Viola's gaze drifted to Lucario, who closed its eyes and crossed its arms. "It's not like I can judge you when I'm also not a Pokemon Trainer."

The girl's eyes widened at this response, appearing taken aback by Viola's supposed confession. "You're-" She struggled to get her words out, glancing between Viola and Lucario as if she'd just seen a ghost before pointing at the latter. "But then…"

"Lucario's not mine." Viola responded immediately after the girl trailed off, placing a hand to the back of her neck. "I just let it follow me around because it wants to."

"Oh… I see." The girl nodded in understanding as she lowered her arm, a faint smile appearing at noticing Lucario hadn't reacted at all to Viola's words. It remained where it was, as if it was silently agreeing with its comrade. "Lucario must really like you then, with the way it protected you like that."

Viola looked away and scratched at her cheek, her face heating up. 'Oh. You have no idea how right you are…' "I suppose. And the same can be said for you and Nebby too, with the way it listened to you just now."

"I suppose you're right," the girl agreed, bowing her head slightly. "But thank you. I am grateful to you for helping us. I'm sorry for any trouble we've caused."

"Nah. Don't worry about it." Viola rested her elbow on Lucario's shoulder once she'd recovered from her embarrassment, prompting the Pokemon to open an eye and watch its friend lean against it. "The only reason I came to your rescue was because this one decided to run away from Iki Town. You're not the only one babysitting a reckless Pokemon."

Lucario grumbled to show its displeasure at being called "reckless", prompting the girl to giggle and place her hand over her mouth until she calmed down.

"Um…" The girl warily glanced towards the bridge and shifted a little on her feet from side to side. "Maybe we should return to Iki Town before we're attacked by wild Pokemon again."

"Agreed," Viola replied, knowing that Professor Kukui had probably noticed she and Lucario were gone and was likely worried sick.

As the girl started walking ahead Viola moved to jog after her, catching up so the two were walking beside each other. "Here, I'll walk you back."

The girl stared at Viola with a slight gape as Lucario went to follow the two, but at a slower pace so it kept its distance. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose…"

"It's no imposition. We're both heading the same way." Viola turned to the other blonde girl with a grin, putting her arms behind her head. "Might as well make sure you and your Pokemon friend get back safely, right?"

The girl was silent at this, blinking repeatedly when her eyes glistened like they were about to water. But then she quickly turned her head away, pouting and pulling at the corners of her sunhat to hide the pink flush that gave colour to her pale cheeks. "… Right. Thank you."

"No problem."

Lucario perked up and stopped walking when something whizzing away sounded behind it, with Viola and the girl continuing onward without hearing a thing. The Aura Pokemon gritted its teeth and whipped its body around to face the ravine, its gaze quickly jumping between the bridge, the opposite cliff, and the waterfall. But it soon became evident that whatever had been there before was now gone, as Lucario couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Lucario narrowed its eyes and continued staring for a little longer. But Viola's call eventually brought it out of its trance.

"Lucario! Come on! You're not running off on me again!"

Lucario loudly snorted and turned around, deciding to give up on its investigation in favour of walking after Viola and her new acquaintance.

When the trio emerged from the trail and stepped into Iki Town they saw Kukui standing on the wooden platform with his arms folded, looking around in a restless manner while repeatedly tapping his foot. Viola didn't have to be a genius to know what was wrong.

'Oh boy…'

Kukui eventually spotted the three approaching as they closed in on the platform, sighting Viola and Lucario first.

"There you are, Viola." Kukui scowled as he walked forward and climbed down off the platform, his voice calm despite appearing the opposite. "I've been looking all over Iki Town for you and Lucario."

"Sorry." Viola replied with a deep sigh, glancing at Lucario with narrowed eyes as she pointed a thumb behind them. "A certain Pokemon decided it wanted to run after something it saw move down that trail back there." Lucario showed no reaction to the scolding aside from shrugging its shoulders, prompting Viola to turn away with the roll of her eyes. "It all happened so fast, so I wasn't able to tell you."

Kukui briefly looked away to stare at the path behind the trio. "You mean Mahalo Trail?"

"Wait, it has a name?"

"It does, yeah." Kukui let out a breathless chuckle and wiped his arm across his forehead, glancing between Viola and Lucario as he did so. "But that's a relief. I thought you'd both disappeared on me."

"Oh!" the girl faced Viola with a shocked blink. "I didn't know you were acquainted with the professor."

Just as Viola was about to question what she meant by that, Kukui finally took notice of the girl accompanying her and Lucario, a relieved smile appearing. "And I see you've found Lillie. Nice work."

Viola's mouth twitched, momentarily freezing up and staring at the girl beside her with three blinks in succession. And Lucario was no better off, having faced the other blonde girl with a loud cry and wide eyes. The blonde couldn't find her words at first, but eventually managed to raise a shaky finger to point at her. "… You're Lillie?"

Lillie tilted her head at Viola's reaction, yet still nodded to answer her query. Viola allowed her body to slump, looking about ready to drop on the ground in defeat. 'Oh, dear Arceus. I never would have guessed. Although I shouldn't be too surprised. The team I was with under Professor Sycamore was made up of nobody but kids.' Viola's gaze lingered on Lillie's dress and sunhat. 'Still, she's not dressed like everybody else here. Her outfit is a little strange.'

Kukui moved closer to Lillie and placed a hand to her closest shoulder, causing Lillie to look up at him. "It's good to see you're okay, Lillie." Kukui quickly glanced behind her. "Where's Kahuna Hala? I thought you were with him."

"I don't know," Lillie replied, her brow furrowing as she fiddled with her braids. "He was going to accompany me to the Ruins of Conflict, but then he left the town because of an emergency. So I- um…" Lillie hesitated and looked down at her bag, fidgeting a little on the spot. "…went for a stroll up Mahalo Trail by myself while waiting for him to return."

"And that's how you met Viola and Lucario, huh." Kukui reached out to wrap an arm around Viola's shoulders, his smile morphing into a wide grin. "She's the Trainer from the Kalos region who's going to be staying with us for the next year. I'm sure you'll take good care of her and show her the ropes, yeah?"

"Trainer?" Lillie repeated with a frown, prompting Viola to pull away from Kukui and raise a finger as she prepared to speak.

"Actually, Professor, about that-"

"What's all this? Have I missed something?"

An unfamiliar voice interrupted Viola before she had a chance to finish what she was saying, causing heads to turn to the stocky, elderly man with white hair, facial hair and a moustache walking his way over to them. Despite her shock at seeing the newcomer, though, it didn't stop her eyes from drooping and her hand to fall limp at being interrupted again.

'Am I ever going to catch a break?!'

"There you are, Kahuna Hala," Kukui greeted the man, the form of address prompting Viola's brows to raise. "Was there some kind of trouble?"

'That's the kahuna?!' Viola gaped, giving Hala a glance from head to toe to take in his appearance.

His attire fit in well with the theme of the island from what Viola could tell, from the flower pattern on his yellow jacket to his blue shirt, white shorts and blue flip flops. However, it was obvious to Viola that like Kukui Hala had a strange sense of dress as well, having what she assumed was a white shirt tied around his belly like a belt with a fan wedged in it and his hair tied up.

"It was just some brawling Rockruff. Nothing to be alarmed about." Hala stopped before the trio and faced Lillie. "I'm sorry, Lillie, what was that you were saying about a stroll on Mahalo Trail?"

As Lillie went to respond Lucario side-glanced Lillie's bag when it thought it saw it move slightly, only to watch with a forced blink as Nebby pushed the lid open and then slowly floated down to the ground by Lillie's feet, its beady eyes glancing round at its surroundings in awe.

"I went to Mahalo Trail while waiting for your return."

"Did you go to the ruins by yourself too?"

Lillie shook her head, her gaze downcast. "No. Nebby was attacked by Spearow on Plank Bridge." Lillie glimpsed Viola's way as the latter tilted her head at her, a small smile making itself known as she recalled the previous events. "But Viola and Lucario helped to protect it."

"Hang on." Viola held her hands out towards Hala and Kukui, all while Lucario continued watching Nebby as it chose to observe the current conversation going on beside Lillie's feet, its gaze occasionally switching between the speakers. "These two know about…?"

Lillie nodded in confirmation. "They do. They've been helping me take care of Nebby, you see."

Hala stepped forward towards Viola and held out a hand, which Viola took so they could exchange a handshake. "I'm glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the kahuna for Melemele Island. Young Kukui told me of your coming."

"Kahuna?" Viola repeated as she glanced to Kukui for help, who smiled at her confusion.

"A kahuna is someone who is chosen by Alola's guardian Pokemon to preside over one of the four islands, its guardian Pokemon's ancient ruins and its island challenge," Kukui explained. "Hala is the chosen kahuna for Melemele Island."

"Ah," Viola said with a nod, turning to Hala as they pulled away. "So you're kinda like the island's leader then."

Hala chuckled and smoothed his hair back with a hand. "That's one way to put it."

Kukui put his hands to his hips. "Still, what a stroke of luck for you to have encountered Lillie that way." He grinned. "I guess it was fate for Lucario to run off like that, after all."

"Kukui, my boy, it would seem we have cause to celebrate!" Hala replied, smiling proudly towards Viola as she stared back with a puzzled look. "We have a brave and kind new Pokemon Trainer in our midst!"

Viola gulped and lowered her head at the compliment while Lillie frowned again at the mention of "Pokemon Trainer", putting a hand to the back of her head. 'Geez. This is getting out of hand. I really need to say something.'

"Y-You're too kind." Viola raised her gaze. "But you're wrong, because-"

"Pew!"

"Ah!" Viola cried out at Nebby cutting her off, swirling around to face the Pokemon along with the rest to see it at Lillie's feet with its eyes closed, happily bouncing from side to side with a bright smile.

"Oh, Nebby!" Lillie said sternly as she gazed down at the Pokemon now silently staring up at her. "Don't you think you've gotten into enough trouble today?"

Nebby responded to the question with a blink, which made Viola chuckle. "I see Nebby isn't quite done with its mischief."

"In that case, you should take it home. I have other matters to attend to," Hala replied, tightening the knot of the shirt around his waist. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you, Lillie."

Lillie quickly shook her head as Lucario crouched down and picked Nebby up between its paws. "I understand, Kahuna. I still appreciate your help."

Hala smiled widely. "I'm glad. If you need any more of it, you know where to find me. For now, you must excuse me. I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying around and wish to check on the ruins."

"Tapu Koko?" Viola repeated in a mumble, watching the kahuna walk away and head towards Mahalo Trail.

"That's the name of Melemele Island's guardian Pokemon," Kukui answered as he watched Lillie pick up Nebby from Lucario with a quiet "thank you" and bow of the head. "Tapu Koko is said to be protective of the island's inhabitants. But it's also known for being mischievous and causing trouble."

"Protective and mischievous, you say?" Viola looked straight at Lucario when she said this, observing the Aura Pokemon's eyes droop with a grumble when Nebby turned to face it and grinned up at it. "That sounds vaguely familiar…"

Lillie slipped Nebby back into her bag and zipped it up, giving the side a gentle pat as an act of reassurance. "There. Nebby should be secure for a little while."

"Good," Kukui pushed his glasses back onto his face with both hands as he turned around. "Let's get you four home then, yeah?" Kukui looked back at Viola with a slight smile. "I'm sure Viola would appreciate the rest after the adventure you've just been on."

Viola smiled back and rubbed at the back of her head. "Heh. Yes."

Just as Kukui was about to walk off and Viola and Lucario prepared to follow him, Lillie spoke up with a frown. "One moment, Professor."

Kukui stopped and turned back around with raised brows. "What is it, Lillie?"

"This probably isn't the right time to say it, but I think there's been a mistake." Lillie glanced at Viola, her frown deepening. "You and the kahuna referred to Viola as a Trainer. But she isn't one."

It took a few seconds for Kukui to process what Lillie had said, making Viola the first one to react when she let out a loud sigh and relaxed her shoulders. "Thank you, Lillie. I've been trying to breach the topic since I arrived."

"I thought so."

"… Hold on." Kukui stared at Viola without blinking or moving from his current spot, looking like he'd just seen a ghost. "You're not a Pokemon Trainer?"

Viola shook her head in response, causing Kukui's gaze to drift to Lucario. Said Pokemon avoided eye contact though, looking off elsewhere and staying quiet. "I had a gut feeling Professor Sycamore didn't explain."

Kukui blinked a couple of times before putting a hand to the top of his head. Viola could tell that he was most likely trying to review everything he'd already been told up until this point and how it contradicted what Lillie had just said. After a moment of silence between the four of them, Kukui closed his eyes and moved his hand to his forehead. "… I don't understand what's going on here."

"Neither do I, Professor," Viola said, walking forward to give Kukui a rough pat on his closest shoulder. "I don't know what Professor Sycamore told you, but we should probably get this clarified with him."

Kukui opened his eyes and slowly nodded, taking a deep breath in and out to compose himself. "I think you're right, Viola. Which gives us another reason to head back to the lab."

"Yes, it does."

Upon returning to Kukui's home, Viola finally began to experience the effects of her journey taking its hold over her. From the moment she walked through the door her body slouched and her arms went limp, dangling towards the floor. 'Aw, man. I forgot about the time zones. It's supposed to be early morning in Kalos right now, isn't it?'

As Lucario, Lillie, and Kukui filed in behind her, she spied a small seating area somewhere to her left which she originally didn't notice the first time she walked in. Viola staggered over to it and allowed her body to fall forward onto the sofa, landing face-first with a loud thump against the bright green leather. She closed her eyes and let out a muffled groan, the exhaustion slowly washing over her. 'If I'd known I'd have to chase Lucario up a hill and then rescue another Pokemon being attacked on a bridge, I probably would have taken a long nap first…'

Lucario quietly huffed and shook its head at seeing Viola flat out on the sofa, with the blonde eventually peeking at the Pokemon as it joined her by sitting beside the table on the floor and crossing its legs. "I think it's too soon for us to contact Professor Sycamore."

"Yes," Kukui replied, with Viola rolling over onto her side to see the professor standing by the basement stairs, a hand to his chin. "It's still early morning over there. We'd have to wait a couple of hours at least."

Viola slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, rubbing at her face with both hands. "If you want to, we could talk about it. I feel like I still owe you a proper explanation."

"Don't worry, Viola. You've had enough excitement for one day. You should unpack and rest. I doubt you've adjusted to our time zone that quickly."

"I wish I had," Viola grumbled, causing Kukui to chuckle and shake his head in dismissal.

"I'll leave you in Lillie's capable hands then. If you need me, I'll be downstairs."

As Kukui walked to the top of the stairs though, Viola spoke up again with a slight stutter. "P-Professor?"

Kukui stopped and looked up. "Hm?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but instead her jaw tensed and forced it closed again. '… No. I probably shouldn't be asking that just yet.' After staring silently for a few seconds, the blonde waved Kukui off with a hand and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Never mind. It doesn't matter."

Kukui frowned, looking as if he wanted to coax Viola into speaking up. But it soon disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, with him deciding it probably wasn't the right time. "… Alright. But if you change your mind, you know where I am."

Viola nodded to that and watched Kukui make his way down to the basement. When he was out of sight she sighed heavily and leaned back against the sofa. 'I can probably guess why Professor Sycamore didn't tell Professor Kukui I wasn't a Pokemon Trainer. He likely assumed it'd be more appropriate for me to speak with him. Still, the misunderstanding this has caused could have terrible consequences.'

"There's nothing to worry about, Viola." Viola lowered her gaze to look at Lillie across the room when she heard her speak, spying her standing by the counter in the kitchen area where she'd placed her shoulder bag. "Professor Kukui is very kind and generous. I'm sure you two can work something out if you can't help him with his research."

'How did she figure out what I was thinking? Or was it just a lucky guess?'

But that wasn't what Viola chose to respond with. "I hope so."

Viola slowly pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms above her head with a grunt, while Lillie unzipped her shoulder bag to let Nebby out. The little Pokemon flew out of the bag the second the lid was lifted and started floating in a circle around the room, with Lucario silently following it with the movement of its head all the while.

'Gee. Someone's full of energy.'

"Well, I'd better get to unpacking. Where am I supposed to be sleeping?"

"Up there." Lillie turned and pointed towards a pink ladder, prompting Viola to glance up at the raised floor.

She couldn't see much from her current angle aside from a window and a wooden railing surrounding the exterior. But she didn't need to. She knew exactly what that area was.

"Is that a loft?" 'How did I miss that when I first arrived?'

"Yes," Lillie quietly answered as she followed Viola's gaze, twirling one of her braids around her finger. "The professor was kind enough to let me use it since I've been staying here. And now that you've joined us, you'll get to use it too."

"So…" Viola slowly turned to look at Lillie. "… we're sharing that space?"

"Yes."

"… Is there going to be enough room for two people?"

"Well," Lillie gave a small smile. "not for walking around. The professor has added a mattress on the floor to accommodate you and it's taken up a lot of space. But there is enough space for your belongings. It's been clearly labelled so you should have no trouble putting your things away."

Viola sighed quietly at this but nodded to show she was listening. 'This isn't what I was expecting at all. But it's not like this is the first time I've had a roommate. And Lillie doesn't seem to be that bad.' "Yeah. That should be fine. Thanks."

Viola turned to where Lucario was still sitting on the floor. "Hey, Lucario? Could you help me get my suitcase up to the loft? I think it's going to be too heavy for me to carry up the ladder."

Lucario nodded and stood up, approaching the ladder just as Viola went to fetch her bags from the room Kukui had let her put them in. In the meantime, Lillie decided to stay quiet and out of the way by the counter, with even Nebby stopping its flight around the room to observe what was going on at noticing the pair moving around. 'I should take my shoulder bag up first and then have Lucario pass my suitcase to me. At least if I fall backwards, I won't hurt myself.'

While Viola was heading to the ladder with her shoulder bag after handing Lucario her suitcase, she caught Lillie watching them from the corner of her eye, with Nebby floating over to her side to do the same. She decided it wasn't worth questioning right now though and continued with what she was doing, climbing up the ladder to the loft after securing her bag with a light tug on the handle.

'I wonder why she's so focused on us. It could be because she's taking what the professor said to her literally. Or maybe she's concerned I'm going to fall off the ladder. But who knows?'

Once Viola had entered the loft she put her shoulder bag down and crouched in front of the ladder to retrieve her suitcase, which Lucario lifted to her from the floor after it had extended the handle. It waited until Viola pulled it up before following her up the ladder. With her bags now in the loft, Viola stood up again and faced the area that was going to be her new shared sleeping space, deciding to continue getting her bearings. Lucario did the same after joining her at her side, silently taking in the area.

As Lillie had already said, there was a single mattress placed close to the railings with a pillow and neatly folded pink blanket on top of it. To the left of the mattress was a wide and blue sofa bed, which Viola assumed was where Lillie slept. Between that and the mattress was a light green, circular rug, with the rest of the floor being plain and wooden. Viola hadn't seen every inch of the loft yet, but already she was beginning to compare her current sleeping arrangements to the ones she'd had in the past.

'This is becoming less and less like my stays at the Pokemon Centres in Kalos. Their rooms were more accommodating. But I shouldn't complain. I'm sure if Professor Kukui had spare bedrooms, Lillie and I would be in them.'

At hearing Lillie climbing up the ladder, Viola grabbed her things and moved out of the way to make room for the other girl, going over towards the back of the loft. There were two chests of drawers (one brown with two wide and two rectangle drawers and one white with six box-like drawers) and a small bookshelf with two shelves full to the brim lining the back of the loft. Viola looked between the two sets of drawers at noticing there were labels on both drawers, with half having Lillie's name and the other half being labelled as "Guest".

'I see. She wasn't kidding. I've been assigned places to keep my clothes. Probably to avoid getting mixed up with Lillie.' She placed a hand to her hip as her gaze focused on the assortment of knickknacks on top of the drawers, eventually fixing her attention on a Pokemon doll she recognised was a "Clefairy". She remained oblivious to Lucario sitting down on the mattress and Nebby floating up to join them when Lillie had reached the loft, carrying her bag on her shoulder. 'It looks like Lillie has been living here a while though. Hm…'

Viola put her suitcase upright and her shoulder bag down so she could face Lillie, who had since left her bag on the sofa bed and was standing in front of a small wooden desk and chair just behind it. Nebby had also finally settled down beside Lucario on the mattress but was still observing everybody from its vantage point.

She saw Lillie collect a pink book off the desk and open the top drawer to put it inside, waiting until she'd shut the drawer before saying anything. She didn't know what that book was, but assumed it was private and not for her eyes.

"Hey, Lillie?"

Lillie tilted her head at her. "Hm?"

"How long have you been staying with Professor Kukui?"

"Um…" Lillie tapped a finger against her chin and sat down on the edge of the sofa bed. "I think it's been three months now."

Viola noticed she was sitting with her back straight, one arm resting on the skirt of her dress and her legs bent together. She was distracted at the thought of how graceful Lillie appeared to act, so it took her a moment before she properly processed what Lillie said. But when she did her jaw dropped, her response coming out a little high in volume. "Three months?"

Lillie nodded to confirm her answer, tilting her head to the side. "Is that surprising?"

"A little. I mean… are you native to Alola? Do you have family here?"

At the mention of "family" Viola thought she saw Lillie's eyes go wide briefly, a flicker of sadness crossing them. She looked away and pulled her sunhat over her eyes with a thick gulp, her reaction causing Viola to cover her mouth with a hand. 'I think I've crossed a line I shouldn't have.'

A sullen look fell on Nebby's face at the silence that had since engulfed the room, prompting it to float from the mattress and straight to Lillie's lap. Nebby looked like it didn't know what to do when it stared up at its friend, letting out a downhearted "Pew…" in response.

"S-Sorry. I d-didn't mean to upset you." Viola stuttered and turned away after moving her hand. "I thought you were in a similar situation to me. I was wrong to assume."

"Similar situation?" Lillie repeated quietly, which made Viola look back over her shoulder to see her gaze raised and her sunhat out of her eyes, the sadness formerly in them now gone.

"Yeah. Like…" Viola trailed off with a frown, saying her next words slowly in the hopes what she said didn't set Lillie off again. "Like you came here from another region."

"Oh, no. I'm from Alola." Lillie tried to smile as she glanced at Nebby still staring at her, but it was weak. "But I can't be at home right now. I have to help Nebby. And that means staying here."

Viola focused on said Nebby as Lillie gave it a gentle pat on the head, which it grinned widely at. 'I can tell this topic is starting to bother her. I need to find something else to draw the attention away.'

Seeing Nebby made Viola remember that there were many questions she wanted to ask Lillie about, such as what she was doing on Mahalo Trail with Nebby in the first place or why she had Nebby in her possession to begin with. But since Lillie had already made it clear that it was a secret, she didn't think it was wise to press the issue after her previous reaction. However, there was still one thing about Nebby that Viola was sure was harmless to bring up.

"You really do care about Nebby, huh?" Viola questioned as she bent forward and put her hands on her knees, getting close enough to Nebby that its attention soon switched to her. "It doesn't look like a Pokemon you'd normally see in the wild. And its name is a little odd…"

"Actually," Lillie's cheeks flushed a bright red at the last thing Viola said, slowly turning her head away. "that's a nickname I gave it. It's really called "Cosmog"."

"Cosmog?" Viola mumbled, breaking her gaze away from the Pokemon to look at Lillie with a snort. "I can see why you renamed it. "Cosmog" is even more odd."

"It's not just that." Lillie peeked at Viola slightly, raising her hands to repeatedly press her index fingers together. "It looks like a nebula. Which is why I think "Nebby" is more fitting."

"I couldn't agree more." Lillie faced Viola fully with a wide blink when the latter made her comment, watching the other blonde lightly poke at one of Nebby's arms before pulling away and straightening out at the Pokemon's giggle. "I'm not one for giving Pokemon nicknames. But yours are certainly creative. I can see why Nebby likes you."

Lillie didn't say anything to that, continuing to stare as Viola turned around and walked back over to her suitcase. Viola noticed Lucario was still choosing to observe the pair in the meanwhile, but its eyes were drooped as if it was on the verge of closing them. 'Looks like Lucario's getting tired. After I'm done unpacking, I think I'll get some sleep too.'

"I'd better get back to unpacking. Can't get side-tracked again."

"Do you want some help?" Lillie asked. "It's the least I can do after all the trouble you went to for Nebby."

"Thank you, but I've got it. It's better someone keeps an eye on it." Viola side glanced Lucario with a small smirk. "And I know Lucario won't."

Lucario growled and rolled its eyes at Viola's remark, but the blonde chose not to respond with a rebuttal.

"Okay. But please don't hesitate to ask if you change your mind."

"Much appreciated."

Viola crouched down in front of her suitcase and prepared to unpack her clothes, catching the basement stairs from the floor below out of the corner of her eyes. She heard Lillie's words from earlier return to her head, allowing her to break away and focus on the task at hand.

'I'm not sure how the conversation with Professor Sycamore is going to go. But I trust Lillie's words. She isn't a Pokemon Trainer and has been here for three months. If she can do it, I'm sure I can.'

Viola dared to peek up at the doll sitting on the chest of drawers as she went to open one of the labelled drawers, her brow furrowing. 'Although I'll admit Lillie's circumstances are as strange as mine. Running around with a Pokemon that isn't hers, working as an assistant to a Pokemon Professor despite not being a trainer herself, avoiding returning to her previous home… Sounds like I'm not the only one attempting to escape from something.'

With Lillie occupied with Nebby and Viola occupied with unpacking, Lucario decided it was bored observing its surroundings and wanted to do something useful. The Aura Pokemon stood up from the mattress and picked up the pillow and folded blanket to move it to the one side, beginning to help its friend make her own bed. However, as Lucario went to open out the blanket, something orange, yellow, and black appeared in the corner of its vision, prompting the Pokemon's head to turn towards it immediately.

The "something" in question was lingering in front of the skylight of the loft from the outside, resembling a strange looking being with a black and orange body, white markings and a yellow shell split in half between its arms. Lucario's eyes widened at this sight, causing it to straighten its posture and rub at its eyes with its paws to make sure it wasn't seeing things. But when it moved its paws away to look at the window again, the being was no longer there.

Lucario blinked again in disbelief and glanced between Lillie and Viola, only to find that the two girls were still going about their business. It was obvious to the Aura Pokemon that neither of them had seen whatever was there, causing Lucario's shoulders to slump. Maybe it had been seeing things after all. It was weary from its journey.

Lucario glanced at the window one more time with a squint before eventually turning away to return to its earlier task, deciding not to bother Viola for the time being.