Chapter 10 - Arc 1 (Melemele Island) Easy Does It

There was the sound of a door clicking and the sound of shoes scuffing a rough, wooden floor. A Rockruff perked up and jumped from a computer chair, sending it swiveling, rushing to her and circling her feet excitedly. Slumped in another computer chair on the other end of the dimly-lit cabin, Kukui had fallen asleep at a keyboard, snoring lightly. Rolling her eyes, Lillie strode over to him and planted her right hand on his shoulder. It wasn't unusual to find him like that. The lab looked an absolute mess, too, with books, papers, and wrappers everywhere. He was in absolute disarray without her and yet, he had kicked her out to travel with the two Kanto teens, and she still was upset at him about it. She didn't know why he had done it and that had frustrated her, scared her; she couldn't trust Kukui, and she knew that, so why did she still want to?

"Kukui," Lillie hissed, shaking him. "Kukui!"

Even with all her suspicion, she had so many questions for him, starting with why he hadn't told Selene and Elio anything. He had been the one to communicate with their father, as Lillie had heard the myriad of phone calls, and Kukui had even excitedly talked to her about their prospective arrival, too. Yet, he had clearly been so dishonest about it all if Selene and Elio's reactions to meeting the Skull Gang and seeing Captain Ilima's powers were anything to go by. Maybe Kukui had good intentions. Maybe he didn't, maybe he really did want to turn her in, and he just wanted to absolve himself of guilt, so he had pushed her to go with two bumbling, unknowing foreigners on their Island Challenge. Maybe it had something to do with his private disdain for the Tapus, but she didn't understand how that could've been it, considering he had been so gung-ho about sending the Kantonians on the Island Challenge.

She was used to learning people were so much worse than what they seemed… So, she didn't waste much energy on being upset about Kukui's behavior; she just needed to know the truth. That was all.

That was all.

Groggily, he blinked and raised his head. "Hu…?"

Crossing her arms, Lillie's lip twitched as she noticed Nebby escape the bag beside her. She supposed he could use some time out of it, anyway… She left him be. "Why didn't you tell Selene and Elio anything about how Alola really is?" she asked the professor bluntly.

"What are you talkin' about, Lillie?" Kukui laughed uneasily as he yawned, then cracked a smile at her. Stretching his back, he briefly winced as she heard a small pop! "I told 'em—"

"You didn't tell them about Skull. You didn't tell them about the Captains' or the Kahunas' abilities. And Selene is 17, even though you're supposed to be 18 before going on the Island Challenge," Lillie cut him off sternly. She had no interest in his games and she had long ago learned the only way to navigate Kukui's mental house of mirrors was to blow away the smoke, refuse to let him divert one's attention. More pointedly, she pressed, "What's your game with them, Kukui?"

"It's no game," he cagily shot back, shoulders stiffening uncomfortably against his neck. He scooted the chair somewhat away from Lillie, as if he needed space to breathe, indicated by the way he tugged lightly on his labcoat. "I just… needed trainers that weren't so wrapped up in everything here to participate, yeah, and get 'em on my side."

Lillie scoffed. "So, you tricked them? Also, 'your side?'" She raised a brow. "What does that mean, Kukui? What 'side?'"

Expression souring, Kukui seemed to scan her anew, as if he'd never seen her before. His lips pursed unpleasantly and he, too, defensively crossed his arms. Finally, he smirked just barely, but the playful kindness it was meant to portray was lost on her with the way his eyes seemed dark and distant. As if Kukui himself were lost in another reality altogether. "Why so suspicious, cousin? They're good kids, yeah. Haven't you been getting along with at least the brother? I just sent you with 'em to help 'em through Alola. Nothin' more, nothin' less, Lillie."

"That's not what I asked," Lillie retorted, bristling. "But if you must know, that doesn't even make sense. You know there's people looking for me and that me wandering out there with them just puts me at risk. Yet, you want me to do it, anyway! So, tell me, Professor Kukui." She stepped closer to him and leaned forward slightly, hating the way he only relaxed in his chair further, as if unbothered by her. "What is your game?"

At her words, though, he abruptly jumped to his feet, and any traces of the usual, lackadaisical attitude were gone. He gritted his teeth at her. "Lillie, this is not a game, cousin. This is how we save Alola. You don't have to agree, yeah, nobody has to agree, but nobody—and I mean nobody—is gonna stand in the way of this," he pointed a finger at her as he said that, a fire in those eyes. At her stunned, blank stare, his face softened. "You'll be fine as long as you stick with the trainers, cousin, you're not alone… You'll be with Selene, Elio, and Hau, too, right?" He took a deep breath and sat back down, digging his fingers slightly into the arms of his computer chair. That winning grin was back, a stupid, beaming smile that she wanted to slap off his face right about then. "It'll be okay, Lillie."

Frustrated to the verge of tears, Lillie shook her head violently. There was so much she wanted to scream at him. So, so much… You're still not answering me, damn it! That's too vague! Why does everyone insist on lying to me? First Mom, then Gladion started acting distant, then Mom went crazy, and—and I thought you were different, Kukui! I knew you had problems with the locals, but me, too? Am I just another pawn to you? Is that why you cared for me? Was that always it? But she remained strong. Telling him all of that would just make her weak, like exposing her jugular to a starving Lycanroc. Steeling her voice as best she could, glaring daggers at him, she demanded, "What do you want specifically? Fine, okay, you want me to go with them, but why? What's the end goal?"

"I just need 'em to complete the Island Challenge, yeah," Kukui said simply, shrugging. "That's all." The note of finality in his tone told her that she wasn't going to get a more direct answer than that.

That's not all, you lying prick. You want something else out of them, and just want them to beat the Island Challenge first… But why? What could you want, Kukui? How will a couple of random Kantonians help with it? Yet, all she really said was, "Why the hell am I needed to help them with that?"

"Because Alola's a mess, and I wouldn't blame either of 'em for wantin' to turn tail and run back to Kanto," Kukui snorted disdainfully. But then, he faltered… and looked so, so sad. "You and Hau can help 'em see it's not beyond fixing… It's bad, yeah, but not done for. And… I want you four to have each other, yeah… Maybe, if they're in it long enough and get to know you and Hau, they won't give up on us once they see how bad it is for you and Hau…"

"You're using us," Lillie growled at him, hating the familiar, bitter taste of betrayal, and finding it far too difficult to care about his rapidly shifting expressions. He clearly had thought hard about his decision and still had mixed feelings, but he had still decided to use her—and Hau and the Kantonians, too—anyway. Perhaps his goal wasn't to get her captured, but he sure was evading contending with the possibility of it! "Not to mention, again, I'm in danger out there with Nebby!"

"I'm sorry, cousin," Kukui apologized emptily, looking oh-so far away again. His eyes glittered distantly as he added, "but I can't keep doing this alone. They'll help protect you, yeah."

She had already started for her loft, wanting nothing more than to forget about him for the rest of the night. "Can't keep doing what alone, Kukui?" she asked savagely, throwing a spiteful look over her shoulder back at him. More than how disillusioned she felt, she hated knowing that she would have to rely on Hau, Elio, and Selene. If what he was saying was true, then she was sure he'd kick her out the following morning, and if she intended to survive, then she had to attach herself to some trainers—and they were the only ones who would tolerate her. Considering… considering Elio didn't have such hard feelings over her spraying him earlier… She swallowed anxiously.

"Just… all of this," Kukui answered quietly. "The old Skull Gang tried to fight the Tapus head-on. You know that story. If we're gonna get out from under the Tapus, we need to be smart, cousin… It's not personal, Lillie." She visibly relaxed at his soft tone, even though she still wanted to be furious with him. Yet, it was so hard with him looking at her like that… or with the sheer pain in his voice as he continued… "Dishonesty's a survival strategy in Alola, cousin."

There was a long, long pause, before Lillie finally just started ascending the ladder to her loft. "Guess we can agree on one thing," she said at last to him. Those were the last words they shared that evening. Lillie spent the rest of it curled in her bed in his loft, Nebby happily hovering in the air around her, desperately hoping she hadn't shot herself in the foot by being so callous with Elio. On top of that, what the two Skull members had told her worried her… There weren't many natural blonds like her on these islands, so she didn't think it was too odd to jump to the possibility of the boy they mentioned joining their ranks being her brother. Admittedly, Lillie didn't think much about the Skull Gang—she had her own problems to deal with that made thinking about that can of Dunsparce feel like too much—but she did feel a pang of sadness at the idea of her brother living among them. Even she knew of the shattered Po Town they called home and how its members were treated so poorly by Alolans at large…

She had felt so far away from him before at Aether Paradise, unable to trust him… she had truly felt like she couldn't get any farther from him back then. Yet, lying there in that bed, idly playing with Nebby, she felt as if they were lightyears apart, and unlike Mohn or Lusamine, there was no closure. He wasn't dead, as Lillie had resolved herself to believe about her father. He hadn't outright lost his mind like Lusamine, whom she found easy to hate due to the abuse she had put them through. They just… had drifted apart wordlessly, a slow, awful decay, and part of her was certain she'd never get that closure on just what had become of him.

How long had it just been her and Nebby? she had to wonder. It felt like she had always been like this, born to run and born to hide, for his sake and hers, but it couldn't have been that long… Regretfully, despite her thorny exterior, she felt a lump of emotion build in her throat. She just felt so hollow. How long would she have to play along like this until she could escape Alola? And even once she did, where would she have gone? Aether had its claws deep in the pockets of almost every region. Was she destined to always operate on nothing but sheer survival instinct?

It was a harrowing few moments she spent mulling over that thought before she clenched her jaw, swallowed fiercely, and shut her eyes. Even if it is, so what? she thought belligerently. Nebby and I will be alive, and we'll have each other's backs, and nobody can take that from us. Nobody can take us.

Nobody.

Selene had practically flown at the door when she heard the knock. Her parents still hadn't responded to any calls or texts by that morning, and she had momentarily thought it would be them, returning early. Grinning wide as she wrenched open the front door, she immediately was disappointed to see Lillie there. Hau, too, his Popplio cradled in his arms, but it was Lillie that put the sour taste in her mouth, adding insult to the disillusionment. "What do you want?" Selene sulkily asked her, gripping the door tightly from the inside, ready to slam it at a moment's notice. She felt a little bad for Hau, but… ugh, she was just still so angry at Lillie for attacking Elio like that yesterday!

Lillie shuffled her pristine, white shoes and tugged on her sunhat slightly, downward. "I wanted to apologize," she said, almost meekly, rubbing her arm over her bag comfortingly. A mutinous mewl sounded from inside, undoubtably from Nebby. "Is Elio here?"

Relaxing a little at the genuineness of her tone, Selene hesitantly shuffled her feet. "Yeah, he is…" Turning around, she hollered, "Elio!"

"Whaaaat?" he shot at her from upstairs, in playful Kantonian.

Rolling her eyes and responding in kind, Selene hollered, "Someone wants to see you!"

He descended the stairs in seconds, his Litten batting tiny paws at the fluttering flaps on his cargo shorts' pockets. Upon leaping to the bottom and spotting Lillie ahead of the door, he froze. "O-oh, Lillie," he choked out, gaze latching to the floor below them. "Uh… hi…" He awkwardly went to wave, but then switched gears and performed the Alolan 'hello' gesture instead.

"Hi, Elio… Ah, can I come in?" Lillie briefly looked to Selene for permission, distractedly doing the Alolan wave back at Elio.

"Uh, sure…" Why is she so calm all of a sudden? Lillie's biting edge was completely gone. Maybe she does feel really bad about it… Heaving a sigh as she opened the door wide and stepped away so Lillie could come in, Selene supposed she could forgive Lillie for it if she truly was sorry, as she seemed to be. She still didn't like Lillie much, and Elio's fondness for her was still concerning, but maybe her apologizing would help Elio feel better in the meantime… Now was certainly not the time for her to voice her uncertainties about Lillie.

With a nervous glance between Selene and Elio, Lillie walked inside slowly, curiously inspecting her surroundings. "Are your parents not home?" she questioned softly.

"Uh, no," Elio supplied flightily, fidgeting his hands, still not looking directly at her. "Left a note saying they went, uh… to one of the other islands… Hey, you wanna sit down and talk, or…?" He gestured to the couch a little to their left, in the living room. Lillie agreed, and they both shuffled uneasily into the room, restrainedly seating themselves against the tan cushions.

A bark from Hau's Popplio jerked Selene's attention back to him. Blinking, she almost laughed at seeing that he was still standing outside, silently. "You can come in, too," she teased him. "I don't bite."

Nervously smiling, he gestured to his Popplio with his chin. "Okay if he comes?"

"Yeah," Selene shrugged. "My Rowlet's still hanging out in my room, the only other pokémon in here is Elio's Litten and Lillie's… Nebby. Whatever that thing is."

"Cool!" Hau beamed at her and hopped inside easily. Once there, he set the Popplio down on the floor. "Popper, say hi!" he excitedly called as he leaned next to the pokémon, waving at Selene as if to show it what to do. Quizzically watching him, Popper then lifted the front half of his body off the ground, frantically waving a flipper at Selene before his body dropped back to the floor. "Ayy!" Hau laughed, rubbing the pokémon's head. Popper clapped his flippers together gleefully.

Smiling like a fool at the display, Selene couldn't help but giggle. "You taught him that?" she asked, genuinely impressed. Sure, a lot of pokémon were smart enough to understand little tricks like that, but it was still so intriguing to see. She had to admit, it also seemed rare to find people who taught their pokémon tricks just for fun… Like waving hi at somebody. People in Kanto generally didn't even let their pokémon outside of their Poké Balls unless it was to battle (aside from house pets like Meowth or Persian, but even then, Selene had always thought that was such a shame), so the cute gesture from Popper was more than welcome.

"Ae!" Hau nodded vigorously as he rose back to his full height, which, admittedly, was only slightly taller than she and she was half-convinced that was because of his thick, black hair, most of which was tucked to a ponytail on the back of his head. "Did that while, ah… train for Nui'o Ke'ana."

"I'm sorry," Selene uncomfortably mumbled, "I don't… what's that?"

"Oh, Captain Ilima trial site," Hau clarified. "Nui'o Ke'ana… Don't remember Galarish name." He sheepishly looked down at that, then snickered. "Not like school. It shows."

Snorting in amusement, Selene shrugged. "Language isn't for everyone. But, uh… so, this trial site." She curiously cocked her head and frowned. "We have to go there and then… what's the trial? Do you know?" Maybe it's best if we just… start over. Yesterday was a whole bombshell of information, but maybe now that we know all of that… everything will make some more sense. It sounds insane to me, but what do I know?

"Captain Ilima trial?" Hau nodded, the anxiety vanishing from his expression. Of course, Selene hadn't been blind to how he seemed to constantly shift between nervous and exuberant, like the push and pull of the tides. More than that, the day before he had been so passive in the confrontation with the Skull Gang… She was grateful he had helped Elio despite how unkind her brother had been to him so far, too. He seemed so nice… She had to admit, it was exciting to befriend a native Alolan, too, especially one that would be traveling with them and was about their age! She just couldn't help but be a little starry-eyed as he spoke. "I know. Make way through cave and fight Totem Gumshoos. Totem guard Normalium-Z."

"Totem Gumshoos?" Selene blinked. "Oh, you mean, Captain Ilima's pokémon that he called out yesterday?"

"Ae," he nodded, then sighed deeply. "Want to do Ilima trial today. Tomorrow, his birthday."

"Captain Ilima's? Really?" She rubbed her chin. "He didn't tell me that yesterday… I wonder why he wouldn't… He told me that he was nineteen and that Captains have to step down once they're 20… Though, if a Captain retires, what happens? Does someone else replace them right away, or…?"

Hau looked down at his shoes and scuffed them against each other. "Trial not exist anymore. When new Captain chosen, trial is made. Only as many trial as Captain. Want to battle his Totem Gumshoos today for Normalium-Z, for, uh…" He pondered for a moment. "Experience. Ae."

"Maybe Elio and I could come with you?" Selene offered hopefully. Well, Elio will whine, but… maybe between what I told him last night, and Captain Ilima assuring him that Litten likes to battle, he won't be too upset… "I'm… kinda anxious to get this Island Challenge thing everyone's so excited about underway. I'll admit, I wasn't a big fan at the start, but… I think I understand a little better now. Captain Ilima's really nice."

"Nice, ae," Hau agreed, but she could see in the way his foot tapped the floor that he was stifling a much stronger, excited reaction. Grinning wide, he nodded quickly, "Love for you to join at trial site! If all go, all work together! Will be fun!" As if to emphasize his point, Popper clapped and barked jubilantly. "Island Challenge better with friends, ae!"

"Work together?" Selene echoed stupidly. "What do you…?"

"If all go together," Hau explained eagerly, "we all fight Totem Gumshoos together. Alolans work together. Battle together, show Tapus strength together. Ae!"

Fighting off laughter, Selene supposed that was the best answer she was going to get. Regardless of whether it was a good one or not, she did find it… sweet, in a way. That seemed like it would encourage people to group up on their Island Challenges and work with others to progress… That actually sounded so poetic. Although Alola didn't make sense to her by Kantonian standards, she shyly thought that the Captains and Kahunas with brilliant, helpful powers, a tradition that encouraged young adults to work together and to learn their region, godlike pokémon that, although could be dangerous, were kind for the most part… it was all just so enchanting! She had had no idea back in the dreary day-to-day life she'd led in Kanto! "That sounds really fun, Hau!" Selene agreed at last, nodding affirmatively back at him. "And we'll get to see Captain Ilima before his retirement!"

"Will be ritual tomorrow in Iki over his retire," Hau corrected her slightly. "If want go… it is good to see. May help understand better?"

Oh, so they do have a ritual for when the Captains retire… That could be interesting to see. "Sure," Selene answered. "Sounds good to me. Still wanna do his trial today, though."

Hau radiated with joy. "Ae! Perfect!"

It was hard to shake the searing sense of shame within, even as Lillie sat there, stiffly, apologizing to him. "I'm sorry about yesterday," she had mumbled. "I shouldn't have acted like that. I was frustrated and it was uncalled for…" She paused, then side-eyed him nervously. "Are you… feeling better today?"

While it felt nice that she had apologized… on one hand, he still felt so insulted by her spraying him; on the other, he didn't want to fight with her and was desperate to learn more about her. Deciding he wanted the latter more than he wanted to fight about he former, he shakily said, "It's alright… Yeah, I am." Scratching the back of his neck anxiously, he remembered something. "Uh… can I ask you a question, though?"

He could practically feel her tense even though he was nowhere near touching her. She seemed so uncomfortable… Did he make her feel that way? "…Yes?"

"What did they say that had you freaking out, or… what were you trying to get them to tell you?" he chanced, bracing himself for a stinging retort.

Instead, he got a weary grunt. "I thought they said someone I used to knew had joined them."

"Oh…" Elio flushed red. Suddenly, her anger made more sense, and he felt awful for having been so insulted when, in all likelihood, her attack on him had so little to do with him to begin with. Of course it had nothing to do with him to begin with… "I had no idea… Do you know where you can, uh, find those guys again? Aside from going to their Po Town, or whatever it was…"

Shaking her head, she bitterly said, "No. I realized later that it didn't matter. Even if he were there, it wouldn't change anything. I was just caught up in the moment. I shouldn't have reacted like that yesterday at all."

Elio thought to ask her about whoever this person was, but the words died in his throat. He didn't want to ruin this tentative truce they had forged, and more than that, he was disturbed by how fearful Lillie seemed then. She still had that bladed edge to her words, and he ironically found her more intimidating than he had most actual pokémon trainers he had met in his life, but the tautness of her form, the way she stroked her bag where Nebby was stored as if asking it for strength, the way her eyes darted around the room and she refused to look at him… She was afraid, but of what? What reasons did she have to be so snappish and bitter? He supposed that wasn't his place to ask… Not to mention, he was almost afraid of what the answer could be.

Hau abruptly rounded the couch into the living room and jolted both him and Lillie in surprise. Selene followed suit, giggling as she fell into place next to him. "Hey! Wanna head to Captain Ilima's trial site today?" Selene asked earnestly.

Grimacing, Elio huffed. "Do we have to?"

"Oh, come on!" Selene whined. "Captain Ilima told you that Litten likes to battle, and you'll be with me and Hau! You won't be fighting it one-on-one."

Perking up at that slightly, Elio tilted his head. "Really?"

"She's right," Lillie chimed in. "Trials can be attempted with up to four people at a time. So, you all three can do Captain Ilima's at the same time. Captain Ilima's trial is at the Verdant Cavern… I can show you the way there."

Hau pumped his fist and Selene clapped a little excitedly, all of which just served to make Elio raise a brow at his sister. Smirking to himself, he couldn't resist. "I see you're makin' good friends with Hau," he taunted his sister. "Is that why you're suddenly okay with the Island Challenge?"

Her excitement faded immediately, and she haughtily crossed her arms over a puffed chest. "No! I just think it's exciting!"

"Something's exciting, anyway…"

Elio laughed obnoxiously at Lillie's sly addition. Everything was starting to feel a little better, especially as Selene gaped at Lillie and jokingly said, "Wow! I am wounded!" (He also had to laugh at the way Hau looked as if he had no idea what was going on. Maybe that was a little rude, considering the language barrier Hau was dealing with was significantly taller than theirs, but… it was just too funny!)

Now, he just wished they could get ahold of Mom and Dad…