Who I Am - Lightning99
Chapter 46:
Revelations and Suspicions
Lillie awoke to a different world. The morning sun gleaming through the curtains was brighter and more beautiful; her entire consciousness was as weightless as a Jigglypuff; she had not had a nightmare, nor did she experience any lucid visions of her memories. She felt genuinely happy, and when she realised that she was still wrapped in Ash's arms beneath the snug quilt, her happiness became as profound as she had dreamed it to be during her darkest times.
Lillie snuggled even closer to Ash, watching his content sleeping expression. Her usual embarrassment seemed to not have woken up with her, allowing her to enjoy the moment, the warmth, and the happiness. She absorbed and savoured it for as long as she could, and because she had accepted her feelings for him last night, she appreciated the moment all the more.
Until Ash woke up. A good, comfortable while later, his eyes slowly blinked open, and Lillie's innate nervousness and embarrassment awoke too. He glanced at her, blinking away the fatigue, and she wondered if he was going to complain. Ash gave her a sleepy smile instead, but that was even worse because it pitted a desire to flee out of embarrassment against a bold temptation to lay there for longer. Then she woke up completely, her embarrassment won, and she leapt away from Ash with a shriek. Unfortunately, as wrapped as she was in Ash's embrace, she pulled him with her. With a shared yelp, they tumbled onto the floor together. At least the quilt provided a padded landing.
"Uhh… morning, Lillie," Ash muttered, and the next few minutes were lost to them laughing together.
"Are you alright?" Ash asked while shuffling from under the quilt when they finally stopped laughing.
"I-I'm ok," Lillie said as she untangled herself.
"I…I actually meant after everything that happened yesterday," Ash said.
"O-Oh…" Lillie whispered. She watched Ash climb and sit on the edge of the bed. He smoothed the space next to him, and Lillie thanked him before sitting down. "Everything feels… lighter. This must be what normal feels like. It's… been a long time since my mind has been so clear."
"So, it worked?"
"I think so, yes. If I visit Professor Burnet, I can have her scan me again to be sure."
Ash nodded. "Alright, let's get going as soon as we're ready."
"R-Really?" Lillie asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"You're… You have done so much for me already. You're still willing to help?"
"Of course, I am. What kind of question is that? I said yesterday that you're important to me. I meant it."
Lillie knew she blushed. How could she not? She did not expect Ash to understand, but such a bold statement that seemed natural to him – or he was simply oblivious to its true meaning – meant everything to her, especially after her new revelation. It seemed to intensify her happiness upon hearing such things.
"Oh! Before that… Pikachu! You up, buddy?" Ash asked rather loudly.
Pikachu rolled over on the other side of the room, fixing Ash with a sleepy, angry stare. Lillie laughed again. She did not know if he woke up then or when they fell off the bed, but she was apologetic either way.
"Sorry, sorry! Please don't electrocute me!" Ash covered his head for a moment, and Lillie laughed again. "Could you come here for a second?"
"Do you have an idea?" Lillie asked as Pikachu padded over. She scooted to the side when he approached Ash.
"You might have an easier time getting closer to Pokémon now that you're healed, right? Want to give it a try?"
"Oh! Y-yes, if Pikachu doesn't mind," Lillie said. They both looked at Pikachu. He shook himself awake and nodded dutifully. It was as if he understood everything that had happened last night despite not being present for most of it.
Lillie and Ash slid apart, and Pikachu sat between them, staring up at her with his big, wide eyes. He looked a lot less daunting now.
"Just take it slow, ok?" Ash reassured her.
Lillie nodded. She slowly reached forwards, focusing her attention between Ash's encouraging eyes and Pikachu's expectant ones. With every inch she moved, she repeated to herself that she could do it. It felt much easier without some mind-altering substance impeding her. But when she was only a few inches away from Pikachu's head, a familiar panic welled up within her and she flinched backwards. She sighed hopelessly.
"Hey, it's alright, Lillie. We shouldn't expect you to be able to do it straight away. It was progress, though. You were a lot more confident at the start," Ash said.
"It did feel a bit easier," Lillie replied, her disappointment dissolving. "I-I think I can start making some real progress now. And it's all thanks to you."
"Nah, not really. You did all of the work. I just helped a little bit," Ash said. Pikachu spoke then, and Ash laughed. "Yeah, I'm just a Pokémon magnet."
"If you say so…" Lillie muttered. "This might be selfish of me, but could we keep this between us? I… don't think I'm ready for the others to find out."
"That's not selfish at all. I understand. Whatever you need, ok?" Ash said. Lillie smiled and nodded. "Alright. Let's get ready and go see this Professor Burnet."
Professor Burnet closed the door to her office, stepping back into the main lab and the anxious presence of Lillie and Ash. "I should have the results of the scan back to you in two days."
"Thank you, Professor Burnet," Lillie said with a little bow that was so much more than a pleasantry.
"Not a problem, dear," Burnet said, giving her a momentary hug. "But why did you want another scan?"
Lillie reciprocated the hug then stepped back to Ash's side, to where she felt most safe. "Last night I… I finally told Ash everything that happened."
"You did?" Professor Burnet asked. Lillie was not at all surprised by the incredulity in her tone. It was fitting, even. If not for her heightened, teetering emotions resulting from her talk with Dawn and her attempt at confidence, if not for her affections and trust in Ash, and if not for his perfectly timed entrance, it would have remained an impossible task.
"W-Well It was more like I broke down in front of him and explained everything afterwards… But, y-yes," Lillie replied.
Burnet hugged Lillie again. This time, Lillie held on for longer. With the recount of her experiences fresh in her mind – but nowhere near as distressing anymore – she imagined this was what a mother's hug was like. That was something she had missed.
"I'm so proud of you, Lillie. That took a lot of strength," Burnet said.
"T-Thank you," Lillie said. "After that, Ash helped me meet with Tapu Lele, and we think she healed me."
Burnet jumped back, gasping. "Tapu Lele healed you?!"
"That's right. We saw how she healed an injury Ash had sustained previously, and she did the same thing for me. Everything feels better already."
"I will get those results back to you as soon as I can, then. This is… I'm happy for you, Lillie," Burnet said. She stepped around Lillie, then, standing before Ash. "And Ash, thank you so much for caring for Lillie through this situation. From what I have heard, you are an admirable young man. Since I met her, Lillie has become very important to me, so hearing that she has someone like you in her life now is reassuring."
"Ah, I'm nothing like that. I'm just glad that Lillie is doing better and that I could help," Ash said.
"Well, Ash, you are welcome here anytime," Burnet said, glancing at Lillie with an expression that shone with smug insinuation. Lillie looked straight at the floor as her cheeks heated up. "Ash, tell me, what did you think when you learned that Lillie is the princess to one of the most influential organisations in Alola?" Burnet asked then, her tone flipping from concerned to being playful.
"P-Professor Burnet!" Lillie complained, her embarrassment rising.
Ash laughed. "It doesn't really mean anything to me. Lillie is Lillie, and that's who she will always be." Once again, Ash's words were everything she needed to hear. "Honestly, I figured it out earlier in the day."
"Really? How did you do that? I know Lillie is very secretive about her heritage, for obvious reasons."
"A friend of mine was recommended a job at Aether Paradise, so Faba – who I now hate more than I can say by the way – offered to give him a tour. A few of us joined them, and I met Lillie's mum, Lusamine, when I was there. It's obvious they're related," Ash explained.
Burnet's teasing temperament flipped again, as quick as a Morpeko's hangry mood swings, to a serious side Lillie only saw when she was working. "You were at Aether Paradise yesterday? What time?"
"From about… six to around dusk, I think. Why?" Ash asked.
"You were?!" Professor Burnet dashed across the lab to one of the computers, practically barging aside one of her employees. "Everyone, get up the readings we found yesterday! We may have a breakthrough!"
"What's going on?" Ash whispered to Lillie as they followed Burnet, who was now tossing aside papers and rapidly typing on a keyboard.
"I'm not sure," Lillie said.
Burnet whipped around. "Ash! When you were at Aether Paradise, did you see anything strange? Anything that you could not explain?"
"I did," Ash said. Burnet's joy escalated even further. The rest of the people in the room stopped what they were doing to listen to Ash, too. "We were in the conservation area when the ground started shaking. Then the air started getting weird, it shattered, and this… wormhole appeared out of nowhere."
The room gasped collectively then started murmuring. Burnet hammered her keyboard and a blued-out map of Alola with coordinates lining the edges appeared on the large wall of monitors. The only colour present other than various blues separating land and sea were two red blotches. One large blotch covered Aether Paradise, and another, smaller one was on the corner of Akala Island.
"Last night, we picked up readings of some interdimensional activity around Aether Paradise. This confirms it! Ash, you were a witness to an Ultra Wormhole appearing!" Burnet said.
"Interdimensional activity? An Ultra Wormhole?" Ash asked.
"Correct! You see, this lab is not usually for treating patients such as Lillie. It is known as the Dimensional Research Lab. As the name suggests, we research different dimensions and worlds. It might sound ludicrous to some, but Alola's lore explains how interdimensional beings – which we have decided to call Ultra Beasts – once invaded Alola. The Tapu and some other Legendary Pokémon were said to have fought them off. I started this research lab because I was fascinated with the idea. We have seen a few phenomena but this is the biggest one yet. An Ultra Wormhole is what we call a wormhole connecting different dimensions."
"Woah… That sounds like a cool topic to research. I've actually had experience with alternate dimensions in the past," Ash said. Lillie blinked twice. Had she heard that right?
"You're joking!" Burnet said, jumping towards Ash.
"Nope. I was travelling around Kalos last year, and I entered something we call the Mirror World. In Reflection Cave, Pikachu and I went through the mirrors and into that world. It was like ours, but everyone's personalities were the opposite."
"Fascinating! How did you get out?! Did you go back there?! Can you take me there?! Did it have any effect on your wellbeing?!"
"Professor Burnet…" one of the other lab members muttered. His interference was the only thing stopping Ash from collapsing from leaning back too far because Burnet had gotten right up in his face. She jumped back.
"Sorry, I get a bit excited sometimes! But that is amazing! Can we talk about it? Oh, first, what happened when this wormhole opened?"
"A strange creature appeared from it. I think it was a Pokémon?"
"You saw an Ultra Beast?!"
"It was an Ultra Beast, huh? That explains why it was so strong."
"You fought it?!"
"Yeah."
"This just keeps getting better and better!" Burnet said. "Ash, would you be able to spare some time to talk me through what happened at Aether Paradise in detail? Including the abilities of this Ultra Beast? It could be vital to our research."
"Of course. I think I'm as eager as you are to figure out what is going on with these Ultra Wormholes, to be honest. One appeared in my hometown in Kanto a few months ago. Whatever came through it destroyed the whole place."
"One appeared in Kanto?! Then, could you talk me through that situation also?" Burnet asked.
"Yeah, I don't mind."
"Thank you, Ash. This could be invaluable!"
The next thing Lillie knew, she and Ash were seated on the other side of a desk to Burnet while Ash explained all that happened in Kanto. Lillie knew the story, but it was still quite a tale, nonetheless. Learning that the incident could be linked to Aether Paradise in some way… honestly worried her.
Just after Ash finished his story, answered any of Burnet's questions, and he confirmed all of her notes were accurate, the lift pinged on the other side of the room.
"Whoa, Ash, Lillie, I haven't seen Burnet this riled up about her work in a long time!" a familiar voice spoke from the doorway. Kukui approached them, his arm slung up in a laidback wave. "I stopped by the Poké-Center to look at Lycanroc, but you weren't there. This explains it all. My girlfriend is interrogatin' ya eh?"
"I'm not interrogating them…" Burnet said, pouting.
"Right, right," Kukui said, chuckling. "That's how we researchers are, yeah. Eager 'bout nothing but our research and ignorant of being respectful."
"As if you're any better Mr 'hit me with your moves, oh yeah!'," Burnet said, enacting her best impression of Kukui. Lillie grinned at their banter.
"Right, Ash! Let's see him!" Kukui said.
"Sure," Ash said, and he let out Lycanroc.
Again, Ash caused an excited, curious murmur to fill the room. Kukui crouched down, examining Lycanroc from all sides as Burnet fawned over his shining coat.
"Woah, Ash, this is unprecedented!" Kukui said as he stood again.
"He's amazing, isn't he?" Lillie said. She was as curious about Lycanroc's mysterious evolution as Kukui seemed to be.
"He is, yeah!" Kukui said. "Ash, did he learn any moves when he evolved?"
"Yeah, two moves, actually: Accelrock and Thrash."
"Both of them?!" Kukui exclaimed.
"Uhh, yeah. Why?" Ash asked.
"I think I remember Professor Kukui telling me that the Midday Form of Lycanroc learns Accelrock and the Midnight Form learns Thrash," Lillie said.
"That's right," Kukui said. "So, yours learned both, eh? That's quite the feat."
"You've never seen this before?"
"Nope, never. Never even heard of it. And you said this happened during a green flash?"
"Yeah."
"Interesting…" Kukui muttered, rubbing his chin. "Ash, do you mind if I take Lycanroc with me to meet Samson? Being an expert on alternate forms, he may know something. If not, I'd still like to gauge Lycanroc's abilities. Only for a day or two."
"That's up to Lycanroc." Ash turned to him. "What do you say?"
Lycanroc gave a quick nod.
"That's settled, then. I'll have him back to you as soon as I can," Kukui said.
"Thank you, Professor," Ash said.
"And thank you again, Professor Burnet. We intruded a little bit, so I think we should let you get back to your work," Lillie said.
"Ah, good point," Ash added.
"That's not a problem. I really don't mind. We were just trying to figure out what this other Ultra reading is," Burnet said. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"
"I need to talk to Brock and Clemont. Two friends of ours," Ash said. Lillie's chest deflated somewhat. She had wanted to spend more time with Ash.
"I… need speak to Dawn. Another friend of ours," Lillie said as a cover-up. The idea had been brewing in her mind throughout Ash and Burnet's exchange. Now that Ash was otherwise occupied, talking to Dawn again after discovering her feelings seemed a wise choice.
"Alright then, off you go. Have a nice day! Thank you again, Ash!" Burnet said as they said farewell to her and Kukui and headed for the door.
"She really cares about you, huh?" Ash said as he held the door open for her.
Lillie thanked him. "She does. It is quite… sad to say because I still have my real mother, but Professor Burnet has been like a mother to me these past few months, a mother I have wanted for a long time…"
"I can tell. You two get along really well."
"Yeah."
"I don't mean this to be insulting, but will you be alright while I talk to Brock and Clemont?"
"I… Yes, I think I will be ok."
"Ok. Later on, do you want to try getting closer to Pikachu a little more?"
"I'd love to," Lillie said. With that decided, they settled into a comfortable silence on the walk back.
Lillie teetered on her heels outside Dawn's room. Finally, after five minutes of consideration and probably looking silly in the hallway, she knocked. Dawn called out to her, and she entered.
"Hey, Lillie," Dawn said from the centre of the room, where she was gracefully moving through a few movements with her Piplup.
"I, umm, I'm not interrupting, am I?" Lillie asked.
"Not at all. I was just practising a few of my dance movements for a performance. What do you need?"
"Umm…" Dawn sat in the chair across from her bed and gestured for Lillie to sit. She nodded gratefully and sat on the edge of the bed. "You were right…"
"Sorry, you whispered that a little bit. What did you say?"
"I think… you were right." Dawn inhaled quickly, her eyes opening wide. "I think I I-love Ash."
"Lillie, that's… that's amazing! How did you figure it out?"
"Last night, Ash and I talked. He helped me with something and… it made me realise just how important he is to me. I finally accepted how I feel."
It was so easy now. After unloading all of her worries, having her mind cleared, and having someone she could go to, it was so much easier to talk about things.
Dawn leapt from her seat and yanked Lillie into a hug that, honestly, was a little bit awkward but enjoyable, nonetheless. When Dawn drew back, she wore a smirk.
"As one of Ash's best friends, let me just tell you what you are getting into, alright?" Dawn said.
Lillie nodded, but she did not know whether to be worried or amused.
"Ash is completely devoted to Pokémon training, so he will more often than not choose a battle over spending time with you. He is insanely reckless to the point where you'll start worrying about him even if all he is doing is walking in a straight line. Seriously. He can be walking normally then start sprinting in a panic if he sees something. And don't get me started on when he tries to be heroic. The number of times he's put himself in danger… well, you'll just be worrying constantly.
"He cannot make food for the life of him. Don't try it or you'll have food poisoning for a week. Oh, and he sometimes forgets to even eat if he is too focused on something, probably battling. Did I mention he is completely devoted to Pokémon training? He is completely oblivious, cares more about other people than himself, and did I mention he is completely devoted to Pokémon training to the point of ignoring you? Are you sure he's the person you want to fall for?"
Lillie could not withhold her laughter. Given everything she had seen so far, Dawn was completely right. She had described Ash perfectly. But there was nothing that would change her mind, nothing that would lessen his positive qualities.
"I am sure," Lillie said.
"Then all I can say is good luck," Dawn replied, and they both started laughing even more.
It was only when they settled, wiping away tears created from berating Ash that Dawn continued.
"What now?"
"I… I don't know. For now, I don't think I will do anything. I'm happy. I… I think I want to figure out who I am and become that person before really pursuing anything. I might just be nervous, but I also don't want to put too much on Ash… The first thing I want to do is overcome my fear of Pokémon."
"I'm sure you'll get there. Things like that take time," Dawn said.
"They do. I think I will be able to do better now."
"That's good to hear," Dawn said. "Hopefully, this will help Ash heal too."
"I…I hope so," Lillie said.
They settled into a slightly awkward silence for a moment. Most of their conversations so far had either been in a group or emotional and personal, so Lillie did not know how to start a normal conversation with Dawn.
"Did I, umm, see you reading a book about Sinnoh the other day?" Dawn began.
"Oh, yes. I borrowed a book about the different regions from Brock. You are from Sinnoh, aren't you?" Lillie asked.
"Yep! Did you see any pictures of Snowpoint City or Eterna Forest?! They're beautiful!" Dawn said, and that was all the initiation the pair needed to bypass that initial wall. They discussed anything and everything. From Sinnoh to Alola, from Lillie's interest in Pokémon science to Dawn's in performing, from Pokémon training to Poké-Vision. By the time Lillie left, it was the evening, and she felt a bit closer to Dawn. She felt like she had made another real friend.
With her impending training session with Ash at the forefront of her mind, Lillie smiled. It had been an amazing day.
Ash asked Brock and Clemont to meet him on the training field behind the Poké-Centre after Brock's shift. He, Pikachu, and Sceptile warmed up while they waited, the Battle Pulse Metre V2 equipped to himself and Pikachu. Meanwhile, his other Pokémon trained around them.
Clemont was the first to appear, armed with his laptop displaying the results from the wristbands. Brock arrived a little while later.
When they were sufficiently warmed up, Ash sat on the bench, pondering. As usual, he had a lot on his mind. But this time, Lillie occupied most of his thoughts, her story, and her wellbeing. His care for her was what prompted his desire to talk to Brock. His need to talk to Clemont arose from another thought. For a moment, he considered how he was going to approach the two topics: the Aether Foundation and Pikachu's red Thunderbolt.
"Thanks for coming, guys," Ash said. "Yesterday, I… kind of noticed two things that I want to discuss."
"Alright. What is the first?" Clemont asked.
The Aether Foundation was his first point. Their visit had made him suspicious, but after hearing Lillie's story, he was certain something immoral was happening there. That worried him, especially now he knew that an interdimensional Ultra Beast appeared there.
On every one of his journeys, the slightest hint of wrongdoing nearly always evolved into outright evil; large, powerful organisations always turned out to be corrupt; and whenever unethical science experiments were involved, the lives of people and Pokémon were jeopardised. He need only think of Mewtwo's tragic past and how he had practically died as a result to prove it. In his mind, the Aether Foundation had a solid foundation for being another villainous organisation. Lusamine's show of love and devotion seemed as much a façade as Lysandre's.
Ash thought of how best to phrase his worries. He could not outright say that he knew about the dubious goings-on at Aether Paradise because he wanted to keep Lillie's secret.
"Brock, are you thinking of taking that job at Aether Paradise?" Ash asked.
"I am. After debating it last night, I decided it would be a good opportunity. It will be a good experience to put on my future applications."
"Ok. So, I… I said yesterday that something didn't feel right about Faba. But that wasn't all. Something didn't feel right about Lusamine either. Then that creature appeared – which I discovered earlier today is called an Ultra Beast and is from an alternate dimension – so I can't help thinking something is not right with the Aether Foundation. I'm kinda suspicious of them."
"An alternate dimension…" Clemont muttered.
"I agree, actually," Brock said. "That was why I was unsure if I was going to accept. It sounded as if Faba was trying to convince himself that Pokémon conservation was their goal rather than letting their actions speak for themselves. It was strange. Ultimately, I decided to go for it and see what happens."
"I'm glad you've decided to accept."
"Really? How come?" Clemont asked.
"It's hard to explain," Ash replied. "I was thinking that having someone involved in the Aether Foundation would put us in a good position."
"Good position?" Brock asked. He frowned one ponderous moment later. "Ash, do you think they are corrupt or something to that effect?"
Ash sighed. "Yeah."
"Just from our visit yesterday?" Clemont asked.
Ash hesitated. "No. No, I wouldn't say I'm good enough to pick up on that just from our visit."
"Where did this come from, then?" Brock asked.
"I…I can't tell you. I'm sorry. Let's just say I learned something that makes the Aether Foundation seem not as… benevolent as they want people to think they are. And given our experience with big, powerful organisations–"
"You're being cautious. You want to get ahead of the problem before it happens rather than be ignorant to it," Brock said.
"Right. I have been a kid for so long, oblivious to everything happening around me. We all have, really. We couldn't even see through Team Rocket's disguises most of the time. Now that I'm a bit older, and after everything I've been through, everything we've all been through, I'm not the same as I used to be," Ash said. He took another deep breath. "So, Brock, this is a big ask, but I was hoping you would take the job and keep an eye on the Aether Foundation at the same time."
Brock's serious expression tightened into one of pride. "Ash, that is a brilliant idea. I hadn't realised you became so mature."
"I'm not, really. I still run around training with my Pokémon like an idiot," Ash said.
Brock laughed. "I'll do it. I may not know what caused your suspicion, but I trust you. Hopefully, we're right to be wary of them."
"Thank you, Brock. You're awesome," Ash said.
"Is there a way I can help?" Clemont asked. "I don't want to sit back and do nothing. Not again."
Ash could see Clemont's memories of his passivity during Oak's plan flashing through his eyes.
"There is. My second point, and the reason I asked for the Battle Pulse Metre V2," Ash said. Clemont sat upright, attentive now, his sudden second of sorrow forgotten. "I went out late last night and did some battling. Something happened. It's… better if I try to show you. Could you keep an eye on the results?"
"You got it," Clemont said.
Ash approached the battlefield. He had Pikachu square off with Sceptile, who should take the least amount of damage were his move to succeed. He did not know how strong this new Thunderbolt would be, so Sceptile was at the least risk.
Ash had Pikachu spar with Sceptile. Moves flew back and forth for about ten minutes before Ash finally felt something in him shift. Just as it had done the night before, and as it had done with Greninja, he felt his mind and Pikachu's connect for a moment, their hearts beating and their thoughts flowing simultaneously. He called for Pikachu to use Thunderbolt. Pikachu leapt up high, red lightning engulfed his body, and he unleashed the red Thunderbolt. It hit Sceptile, and the type resistance seemed almost nullified. He was knocked effortlessly across the battlefield.
Pikachu landed on the ground and Ash felt their connection slip. He looked around. As expected, all of his Pokémon, Brock, and Clemont, were speechless.
"Yeah," Ash breathed, catching his breath despite not moving at all.
"That… That Thunderbolt was red…" Brock muttered.
Clemont stared between the computer and Ash. "Ash, your and Pikachu's Battle Pulses aligned at the exact moment you used that Thunderbolt. They separated again just after," he said.
Ash jogged to them, looking at the readings. "I thought they might have."
"This could be the start of whatever it is that your Bond Phenomenon with Pikachu will be!"
"That's what I thought too. We can only hold it for a few seconds, but it's improving."
"Do you mind if we keep going? I want to get as much data as possible so I can analyse what is happening!" Clemont insisted, typing away on his laptop.
"Let's do it," Ash said, jogging back to the battlefield. Brock came with him, suggesting his Ground-Type Pokémon would be better opponents to negate any damage.
The rest of the day was lost to their experimenting. They tested Thunderbolt against various opponents, then tried with other moves, but the phenomenon only activated with Thunderbolt, and it only worked a couple of times.
They finished in the evening when Clemont had all the results he wanted. It was good to see Clemont so engrossed in collecting his data. Ash was glad he was finding a way to put his expertise to use. He never wanted Clemont to feel useless again.
But Ash did not venture inside when the other two did. He remained outside, thinking, and eventually, he started wondering if he was doing enough for Lillie.
Plonking himself onto one of the benches after returning most of his Pokémon – Torracat, Bagon, and Stufful were so energetic he just had to let them practice more – Ash took a swig of his drink when a voice called out to him.
"You're still trainin' Ash?"
It was Hau. He was stood in the doorway with Kiawe beside him, both leaning on either side of the wood. Ash grinned at them over his shoulder.
"Sort of, yeah," he said.
"Yeah, that's just like you," Hau said.
"What are you guys still doing out?" Ash asked.
"Hau has decided when he wants to challenge my trial, so we've been discussing it," Kiawe said, sitting alongside Ash.
"Oh? When are you taking it on?"
"It'll be the day after tomorrow," Hau answered.
"Awesome! I'll be there to watch," Ash said.
"Thanks. I've been doin' a lot of trainin' lately, so I think I'm ready for it," Hau said with a soft smile.
Ash frowned. "Is what Gladion said still bothering you?"
"A little bit," Hau said. He sat opposite Ash and Kiawe.
"What did he say?" Kiawe asked.
"That, apparently, I'm not in the mindset for getting stronger yet. That I'm good, but I'm not giving it my all. I don't get it. I feel like I am giving it my all, y'know? It doesn't make sense."
"I see…" Kiawe muttered.
"You got anythin' for me, Ash?"
"I'm not sure. You think you're giving it your all, right?"
"I mean, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Hau asked.
Ash thought it over for a moment. Throughout his journey, several things had caused him to not give it his all. But what might it be for Hau?
"Could it be because you're too relaxed in battle?" Kiawe asked.
"You think?"
"Hmm I don't think so," Ash said. "Everyone has their own unique battling style. I know someone who uses dancing to battle. It's amazing. I tried replicating it once, but you can't."
"You're right. That relaxed manner is just Hau's style…" Kiawe said.
"Hmm… This is difficult. I wonder if my Grandpa ever dealt with this…" Hau said.
"Your Grandpa…" Ash muttered.
"Hmm?" Hau mumbled.
"Sometimes doubt can stop you battling as well," Ash said.
"Doubt, huh? You think that's it?" Hau asked.
"It might be. It's something that can happen without you knowing it. One time, I started doubting myself after my Greninja lost to a rival of mine's Sceptile. We were trying to perfect something, and it just wouldn't work. When I was alone, I'd ask myself what I'd done wrong, why it wasn't working. Afterwards, I kept battling, but something was missing. I couldn't fight as I had done, and even when what we were trying worked, it wasn't perfect. I was still unknowingly doubting myself. It made me lose a Gym Battle, and that hit hard. After that, I ran off on my own for a bit. And I… I had someone help me out of it…"
Ash sighed. It was Serena that had come to his aid after he ran into that snowy forest.
"Indeed, I've doubted myself recently too," Kiawe added. Then, he said, "I see. Hau's trouble could be a consequence of his loss to Hala."
"Right," Ash said.
"You got me there," Hau muttered, chuckling weakly. "I guess that could be it. I've been thinkin' about losin' to my Grandpa a lot. I guess I gotta get over that."
"I know you'll do it," Ash said, standing up and stretching. "You're the kinda person that can overcome something like this easily. I've got faith in you."
"Thanks. That's really helped."
"He does that," Kiawe said, also standing up.
Ash chuckled. "I don't know about that."
"Anyways, I'd better head to sleep," Hau said.
"Sure thing," Ash said. Hau and Kiawe made their way to the door.
"Night, Ash. And thanks," Hau said.
"No problem," Ash said, flashing as bright a smile as he could. As Hau and Kiawe walked inside, Ash rounded up his Pokémon and headed inside too. Not to sleep, but to start helping Lillie with her fear.
Hallo!
I've not much to say this chapter other than some plans are being made and some information has been given!
I wonder where things will go from here?
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!