Who I Am - Lightning99

Chapter 53:

Lillie's List

After Red finished his explanation, neither he nor Delia spoke for about fifteen minutes, leaving the glade quiet enough that the only thing louder than the Hoothoot was their thoughts. During that first minute, Red had thought that such silence would have been unbearable, but he found that he enjoyed it instead. Explaining the situation to Delia gave him a kind of comfort only attained by unburdening oneself. The only thing more comforting than that was that she had still yet to take her hands from his and that she tenderly held them, squeezing now and then — an action that was undoubtedly meant to reassure, one that certainly worked.

As he always knew she would, Delia understood the situation. She understood his reasoning. She understood him. She just understood, which was the biggest relief he had felt in a long time.

If he could only be as comforted about his impending meeting with Ash, then most of his worries would be abated. For the moment, he told himself he should tackle one thing at a time.

"You said you have a plan," Delia eventually said another five minutes later.

"Yes," Red replied, shuffling his feet across the grass.

Delia nodded slowly, staring into his eyes. "Can you tell me what it is?"

"Yeah. But I have to ask. Can you not tell anyone else yet?"

"Yet?" Delia's question made Red smile. It was not a why, a question of his desire to keep the information a secret. She truly understood.

"I want everyone to be together before I tell them. That includes Ash."

"Of course."

"Thank you," Red said. He took a moment to assemble his thoughts into a coherent order, then explained everything. From the birth of his plan through the complications and fluctuating circumstances, through his chosen methods and potential risks, to the ending he foresaw, how he wanted the plan to come to its conclusion. Every intricacy, every strength and weakness, everything he was certain of, and every situation he had to leave to chance.

When he finished, Delia looked ponderous for a few minutes, and then her eyes looked more understanding than they had before. She asked questions, naturally, and even helped him smooth a few complications and solidify his plan a little more, in ways his particular mind's judgement hadn't been able to see.

"How long have you been planning all of this?" Delia asked after their rumination had finished.

"Pretty much since I left. As I said, it's been a slow process, and things have changed a lot since I first thought of it. My first idea was to go on a globetrotting mission to defeat them all, but that isn't enough. We've done that before, and look where we are now. They're back and stronger than ever.

"It needs to be something more, something that can finally bring an end to everything," Red said. Delia released his hands and slowly peeled his fingers apart. He hadn't even realised how tightly he had gripped them. "Sorry."

"I'm with you, Red," Delia said.

"What?"

"I'm with you. You're right, and this plan of yours is well thought out. I want to help," Delia said.

Red sighed. "Thank you," he said, taking her hands this time. "That's all I could ask for."

"I'm sure Leaf, Blue, and Yellow will, too. And I'm sure none of the kids will pass up the opportunity to join in, either."

"I hope so because we will need everyone we can get now that this coalition has grown so big."

And that was the last thing they said on the matter. They sat in silence for a while more, letting everything settle into their minds and hearts, then they stood hand-in-hand and walked back toward the camp.

"Jeez, you guys were gone a while," Blue said, standing from their makeshift camp.

Leaf stood with him and said, "We all decided we want to say here for the rest of the day. Everyone's exhausted after staying awake all night, hiding from those grunts. You guys alright with that?"

"Definitely," Delia said. She looked at Red as she said, "We could use a good rest."

"It's settled then. We continue walking tomorrow," Yellow said.

As tired as they were, nobody in the group lay down to sleep until the night fell over the sky. And even then, it seemed that none of them ended up sleeping for a while, so Red assumed. The younger ones were chatting in hushed whispers, probably thinking they were secretive, which kept him up.

"This is kinda exciting, you know," Barry said, shuffling around in his sleeping bag.

"It brings back memories, that's for sure," Misty said.

"Yeah?" Gary asked.

Misty mumbled an assent. "When you're travelling with Ash, you experience too many crazy situations. This isn't the first time a criminal team has chased me down."

"Right, you're the only one of us that has travelled with him continually, aren't you, Misty?" Paul asked, suddenly interested.

"That's right."

"Does he have any special training methods?"

Gary laughed. Red heard a patting sound and a grunt from Paul.

"Trying to get some hidden information, are we?" Gary asked.

"Whatever," Paul said, and a shuffling made Red think he turned over.

"He doesn't do anything particularly different. Not when I was with him, anyway," Misty said.

"I see," Paul muttered.

"But man, it really is exciting," Gary said. "Running from villains, I mean. Hiding out in a forest, moving stealthily. Feels like we're some sort of rebels or something."

"Right?! It's like we're on a super-secret mission!" Barry exclaimed.

"Ugh, shut up and go to sleep, would you?" Paul muttered. The chatter quieted then, but Red couldn't stop his grin. They were just like his group of friends had been. Those were good times.

Why had everything had to change?

Breakfast that morning passed in a rush for Lillie. She and Ash awoke later than usual due to their late-night training, though still not too late, and had to eat quickly to join Mallow on her way to Lush Jungle. Lillie had been content with waiting until later in the day, but Ash had been determined to set off early enough to allow her a full day out there.

They reached the jungle at about ten o'clock. Mallow told them she'd have to ask them to wait outside if someone challenged the trial, but she didn't think they would. Challengers were rare, and she only had two left, one of which she knew would be Hau sometime in the next few days. Her message was essentially just a warning. It seemed they had free reign of the forest for the day.

Ash led her inside, and they began exploring. They wandered along the paths and twisting vines winding among the shadowed light, multi-coloured plants and flowers seeming to glow around them. They crouched behind some bushes beside tall patches of grass to observe the Pokémon rustling amongst them, being cautious not to move too close so as not to panic Lillie. They picked and ate several berries Lillie knew to be safe because of a book Mallow had loaned her one time. They explored small dens and groves and even climbed a few fallen trees to venture further, which gave Lillie a strange rush. Part of it had been adrenaline. The other part had been panic because Ash's enthusiastic leaping and climbing nearly made him fall in a way that might have broken something.

The day flew by. Maybe it had been the shade of the canopy blocking out the sun, dimming the jungle to a somehow calming hue, but Lillie didn't realise when the sun had fallen and the moon had risen. By the time they returned to the entrance, experiences and images of the day now photographed in her mind, Lillie continually apologised to Mallow, who was waiting for them, half asleep.

She and Ash apologised profusely on the way back, but Mallow thought nothing of it. She was happy that she had had a nice day. Lillie suddenly thought maybe she didn't appreciate Mallow enough.

After a bit more training, in which she increased her best time to twelve seconds, Lillie slept well that night.

For some reason, she was more awake than ever the following day. She was the one dragging Ash out of bed to go scouting around Tapu Lele's ruins. Given how long that took, she guessed Ash had tired himself out far too much yesterday.

"No sign of Tapu Lele today," Lillie said, glancing around the area and at the entrance before them.

"I dunno. Tapu Lele is probably watching from somewhere. These Tapu are fascinating that way," Ash said, and they ventured inside.

Lillie recognised the mossy, patterned stone walls from when they had wandered through on their way to Ash's grand trial. They had only been allowed a glimpse of the area in passing that day, but today, she observed with a more critical eye. The patterns were familiar to her, and she compared them to those in a book she had read, but she couldn't quite remember what they all symbolised. Given the name of those particular ruins, the idea that they had something to do with life stuck out to her.

Ash wondered what she was doing, and she explained as much as she could about the patterns and carvings. To see Ash's eyes sparkle with curiosity, a genuine interest in the subject was quite uplifting. After all, she had been one of few children to take such an interest in those more academic subjects. History was not on many kids' minds when Pokémon battling existed. With Ash, though, it seemed everything about the Pokémon world was interesting. Maybe that was what made him so Ash.

They eventually reached the shrine in the backroom after navigating around the large square stones dotted around. Both Lillie and Ash stood, side by side, their eyes closed and their hands clasped together upon the altar.

"Thank you for helping me, Tapu Lele," Lillie said.

"Thank you for helping Lillie," Ash said simultaneously. Lillie didn't immediately look at him so as not to interrupt her thanks, but after they had finished and descended the steps, she couldn't stop her eyes from finding him, nor the question laying on her lips.

"Why did you do that, Ash?" Lillie asked while they were on their way out.

"What did I do?"

"You thanked Tapu Lele on my behalf."

"Oh, well, of course, I did."

Lillie didn't quite know what he meant, but it made her smile. And it was then, after they finished praying, that their tag-along hopped out of her bag: Nebby. Amongst her worries and troubles as of late, Nebby's desire to investigate the ruins had slipped her mind. But last night, she had spotted her bag and decided to bring it along, much to its obvious delight.

Nebby bobbed about the ruins for a little while, examining the shrine and the markings, thinking thoughts that Lillie knew she would never be able to know. She and Ash watched in curious silence and were both shocked when Nebby finished its investigation after much left time than Lillie had assumed it had wanted. But the satisfied look in its eye told her it had seen all it needed to, so they headed home.

She made more progress with her fear that evening, from twelve seconds to fifteen, and fell asleep happier than the previous day. It seemed that a steady increase in her mood was a constant now.

Wednesday morning came and passed because Ash had a plan for their visit to the Battle Royal Arena. Lillie spent the morning tending to her Pokémon egg, which was now emitting more warmth. She had read somewhere that was a sign that an egg was nearing hatching.

After lunch, she and Ash set off towards the Battle Royal Dome. Lillie was immediately overwhelmed by the influx of people in attendance.

"Yeah, it's why I decided to come now. Someone named Royal Mask is battling today, and I really wanna watch him," Ash said, eyes fiery. Lillie just smiled. She should have guessed something like that was his intention.

Booking seats in the Battle Royal Dome on a day Royal Mask was battling hadn't been easy. It seemed that every fan of the event, whether a regular attendee, a casual one, or a spontaneous first-timer, had been in line when Ash had turned up after his and Lillie's jungle exploration the previous day. But his current winning streak and renown within the ring had garnered enough attention that the ticket vendor was a fan of his. She had given him the tickets in exchange for an autograph. That was how he could sit where he was now, as close to the ring as possible. Receiving such recognition had been rather embarrassing, though, and he'd had to dismiss all praise directed his way. Honestly, he hadn't known how to handle it.

He'd have liked to sign up and battle Royal Mask himself in a perfect world, but he hadn't been quick enough, and he thought using a fan for such means was wrong, especially when he felt a little guilty for accepting the tickets in the first place. Besides, if he had been battling, Lillie probably wouldn't have as nice an experience at the arena.

"The crowd seems rather excited," Lillie said from beside him, looking about herself quite quickly. "Are they always like this?"

"Hmm, I'd say this is a bit different, more extreme. This Royal Mask guy is well known," Ash replied. "But yeah, they're always loud."

Ash looked around the stadium, and he suddenly felt a little out of place. Many spectators were wearing either some multicoloured masks, some black and red merchandise, or wrestling attire, many of which only wore wrestling tights and boots. More revealing attire wasn't uncommon in Alola, given the climate and that people wandered about in swimwear, but in this environment, all Ash could think to describe them was crazed. They were undoubtedly the superfans.

His gaze fell upon a couple sitting nearby. They saw him and immediately shouted his name, attracting a few others' attention until a fair number of people were shouting and waving at him.

Ash looked at Lillie rather awkwardly to find her staring at him, wide-eyed.

"They kinda know me, too," Ash said, scratching his cheek, with a sheepish grin.

"I see." Lillie continued glancing around the room, her posture a lot more proper than anyone else in the stadium but more mechanical than her usual, delicate refinement. Though, given the crowd present that day, whose shouts sounded more like the chanting of a pack of Pangoro, he wasn't too surprised.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked.

"It's just a little intimidating," she answered. "I haven't been to any sort of sports event before, is all. I am quite excited as well."

Even as she said so, she didn't seem to relax, just as she didn't when training with him and Pikachu. Since he had always been someone to throw himself headlong into situations without a second thought, it took Ash a moment to realise what Lillie's actions meant. She was trying something new, and her slight discomfort was probably because of her unfamiliarity. But she was trying, which was so much more than she had done a short while ago.

Unable to keep his pride in her a secret, Ash turned to tell her just that, but before he could, the announcer took the mic, introducing the spectacle with more enthusiasm than even Ash thought he could muster. The guy was louder, more energetic, and used more wild language. He decided to withhold his praise for later and turned to the ring.

After a short opening statement, the announcer spent a minute or two hyping up the match. When the excitement in the room was so potent it even had Lillie, in all her nervousness, edging off her seat, he introduced the first battler: Royal Mask.

Royal Mask marched into the ring through the Charizard entryway, and since this was the first time Ash had seen him in person, he, much like the rest of the crowd, craned his neck to get a look at the fabled battler. He was a built and tanned man whose face was masked by a primarily red wrestling mask, outlined in blue on one side and green on the other, with a lightning bolt splitting the design down the middle. His muscled chest and arms were bared for all to see, and he wore a pair of white-rimmed, black wrestling tights with knee-high white boots. The fans' attire made a lot more sense.

The grin on Royal Mask's face gave him a lively yet intimidating presence. The Pokémon marching beside him mimicked that appearance, though the level of intimidation was far higher given its sharp canines. Rotom popped out of Ash's bag, then, and told him the Pokémon was Incineroar, the evolution of Torracat. Ash decided to pay as much attention to Incineroar as he could.

The announcer introduced his opponent next, and he climbed up into the ring with a backdrop of cheers much less vigorous than those Royal Mask amassed.

The two battlers separated, moving to their corners. When there, Royal Mask started shouting and waving at the crowd. Ash didn't quite catch what he was saying because he saw something else, and it nearly made him fall out of his seat: the opening in Royal Mask's mask unveiled an undeniable, short, trimmed beard. A familiar one.

"Professor Kukui–"

"Royal Mask!" the man in question shouted, locking eyes with Ash for a moment. Their eyes connecting made his identity all the more undeniable, but something in those dark eyes told Ash not to press the matter, so he kept quiet.

"You are Ash Ketchum, yes?" Royal Mask called to him. "I have heard about you from the fans. You are quite the up-and-coming trainer."

Ash didn't know what to say. He looked at Lillie, but she seemed not to have realised what he had.

"Let's have a chat afterwards, yeah?" Royal Mask said.

"Uh. Yeah…" Ash nodded.

"And make sure that you," he began, then struck a back-to-back pose with his Incineroar, "enjoy!"

As the crowd exploded with a cacophony of passionate cheers, shouts, and a few infatuated wails, Ash wondered what in the world of Pokémon was going on?

After their brief little interaction, Royal Mask turned and faced his opponent. The announcer said a few more overenthusiastic words, instructed the opponent to send out their Pokémon, and the battle began.

Royal Mask's opponent attacked first. She instructed her Araquanid to rush in with Liquidation. Araquanid charged, but rather than dodge, Incineroar stood its ground.

"Bulk Up!" Royal Mask shouted. Incineroar flexed, and Ash swore he grew a few feet for a moment. The golden hue of a successful buff gleamed from Incineroar's chest just before the Liquidation slammed into it. Incineroar nor Royal Mask flinched an inch. Instead, they grinned, Royal Mask's with a look of joy Ash could immediately empathise with while Incineroar's fangs bared with a slightly malicious cockiness.

"Incineroar, Throat Chop!" Royal Mask shouted, and Ash slid forward in his seat as Incineroar lunged, his knife hand engulfed in a purple-black glow. The attack jabbed just beneath Araquanid's bubble, knocking it into the air.

"Darkest Lariat!" Royal Mask called. Incineroar squatted, and some crimson energy with flecks of black emitted from the ground below him. It seemed to transfer to his hands, where it flashed, then Incineroar was spinning, the energy swirling around his hands. As he travelled towards Araquanid's falling frame, he looked like a miniature tornado.

Incineroar collided with Araquanid with perfect timing, and that was the match. It was over more quickly than Ash could have predicted. Royal Mask – or rather, Kukui – was more than impressive. Ash suddenly wished he had cashed in on his renown and booked a battling spot.

After the crowd's uproar finally calmed down, Royal Mask strode forwards, proclaiming that they wanted their next challenger to step forward. And so, the evening was lost to Royal Mask starting – or continuing, Ash didn't know – a long, unchallenged win streak. From a Turtonator like Kiawe's to a Pokémon named Passimian, Kukui and Incineroar trounced them all, taking minor damage in the same way Ash had done the last time he had visited the arena. Ash realised he hadn't yet fought the best of the Battle Royal Arena.

Eventually, Royal Mask stepped out of the ring. He did so beside Ash and nodded towards the tunnel before heading off, indicating his intentions.

"Do you mind if I go and talk to him?" Ash asked Lillie, who shook her head.

"Not at all. I'll wait at the entrance."

"Thank you. Pikachu, you mind keeping an eye out?" Ash asked, and Pikachu leapt from his shoulder dutifully.

Ash vaulted the barrier and rushed after Royal Mask, who was holding the door to a changing room open for him. They entered, he shut the door, and then they sat on some of the benches inside.

"Professor – I mean, Royal Mask, you're amazing!" Ash began, unable to contain himself.

Royal Mask laughed. "Yeah, it figures I couldn't hide my identity from you."

Royal Mask lifted his mask, revealing Kukui's wide grin.

"Thank you for the praise."

"That wasn't just praise. You and Incineroar are great together! Incineroar well-raised and strong, and your bond is amazing!"

"Hah, thank you. Hearing you, especially, say we have a good bond is great to hear," Kukui said.

"Why especially me?"

"I'll get to that, so please bear with me," Kukui said. "Yeah, Incineroar and I've been together a long time. We're partners. Probably like you and Pikachu, y'know?"

"So Incineroar was your first Pokémon?"

"Got it in one, yeah," Kukui said. "Man feels good to talk 'bout this with someone. Can't really do that as normal ol' Kukui."

"Why do you put on the mask?"

"To keep my life split in two. I love battlin', I always have, but I didn't want that life to interrupt my work as a Professor."

"That makes sense. It'd be annoying to deal with all the fame," Ash said.

"Well, yeah," Kukui said. "It's not too fun havin' people all up in your face, prying into your life, which brings me to why I wanted to talk. It's actually the reason I asked you to talk a few days ago."

"You did mention something like that."

"Yeah…" Kukui said. He placed his mask onto the bench and clasped his hands, bowing his head. "It's not nice, havin' people getting all up in your business. So, I'm sorry, Ash, for investigatin' you and putting you on the spot like I did before. It wasn't fair, forcing you to explain everything that happened to you. I've – yeah, I've felt bad for a while, but I haven't thought of a way to make it up to you. I thought helping with Lycanroc might do it, but I couldn't find anything out."

Kukui's sudden apology left Ash stunned for a moment. Then all he felt he could do was smile.

"It's – It's alright. The truth had to come out sometime, and you were right to look into it. It must've seemed strange, having someone like me appear so suddenly. Then to find out I've been reported dead. Yeah, I can't blame you for that."

"You're a good kid, Ash," Kukui said. "Still, it wasn't right of me. I hope I can make amends. Maybe battle you sometime?"

"You would?"

"Yeah, of course. Whenever I'm not busy. I know that's what you love the most, so maybe giving you as good a battle as I can will start me on the path."

"Professor, there's no need," Ash said. "I – you don't need to make amends. But thank you for the consideration. I appreciate it."

Kukui smiled and dropped a hand onto Ash's shoulder, kneading it affectionately.

"You're a good kid, Ash," Kukui said.

"Thank you," Ash said, and a silence fell between them, in the truest sense of the word. But it wasn't silent, not really. There was something in the silence that couldn't physically be heard but was louder in Ash's mind than the stadium had been minutes ago, and it told him everything he needed to know. As if the hand resting on his shoulder created a tether between them, Ash knew how sincere Kukui was, how much he wanted to resolve the situation. He understood how much Kukui wanted to make things right.

Perhaps he was overthinking, his mind working overtime to fill what might've been an awkward silence. But Ash chose to believe what he felt.

Eventually, Kukui pulled his hand back and looked at the wall. He glanced back at Ash a few times, tapping his fingers against his knee.

"Is there something else?" Ash asked.

Kukui nodded his head side-to-side while wearing a conflicted expression.

"Professor?"

"Well, yeah, but I–"

Ash gave him a moment to breathe.

"I don't wanna pry. I already invaded your life enough."

"Professor, I don't mind. I might have before, sure, but everything's out there now, and that's a good thing. What did you want to ask?"

Ash watched as Kukui turned his body back around, leaning forwards, grinning.

"I did a lot of research into your past, as you know. Hence my comment about bonds just now. I'm only guessing here, but your and Greninja's transformation is bond related, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Ash said.

"Thought so thought so," Kukui said, shuffling about in his seat. "Yeah, I noticed something else, too. Have you – Have you really met so many legendary Pokémon?!" he asked in a rush. Ash couldn't help but chuckle. It was obvious how long this question had been on his mind.

"Yeah, I have," Ash said.

"No way, cousin! That's incredible!" Kukui rocked back on his seat, clapping his hands together.

"How did you manage to find that out?"

"Oh, a little detective work here and there. Someone made a graph showing all the statistics for Legendary Pokémon appearing, and they all aligned with when you visited each region. It was a bit of a stretch, but I guess I was right."

"Wow. Maybe you should consider a career change."

"Hah!" Kukui leaned forwards. "C'mon now. I'm already living a double life!"

Ash laughed.

"Could you, you know, tell me about them? I can't not ask, the researcher that I am."

Ash smiled.

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"How many legendary Pokémon have you met?! What are they like?! Which was the strongest?! How did you not die?!"

Ash laughed aloud at Kukui's last question, and he began answering. Kukui's blurted out question after question for about thirty minutes after that, and Ash answered them in kind. Given the sparkle in Kukui's eyes, as they talked, it was like he was watching and listening to himself, at that Pokémon-obsessed nature that was buried so deep in him. He realised that he and Kukui might not be that different.

Before long, recounting his stories was no longer by Kukui's request, and an hour passed before either of them realised it. Only a lucky glance at the clock on the wall made Ash remember something crucial. He inwardly cringed and leapt to his feet.

"Oh, Arceus, Lillie! Sorry, Professor, I've left her waiting for me."

"Ah, that's my bad, Ash. You shouldn't keep her waiting much longer."

"Right."

"Before you go, though, thanks for telling me your stories. It's – It's amazing. You've had one hell of a journey so far. Thank you, Ash."

"No problem, Professor. If you want to hear more, come and ask me anytime."

"I appreciate it. Now go on."

Ash stood and made his way to the door. He turned at the last moment.

"Thanks, Professor."

"No need to thank me, Ash. I'll see you soon."

And with that, Ash left the room. He dashed back through the Battle Royal Arena, dodging fan after fan – both Kukui's and his, given how one even lunged for him.

He rushed out through the doors. It was getting dark, but not dark enough that he couldn't see Lillie and Pikachu standing near a bench across the way, and not dark enough that he couldn't see Gladion there, just in front of Lillie looking like he was mid-interrogation. Pikachu was warding him off, but how Lillie was standing, with her hands in front of her chest, shuffling her feet, and looking down at the ground, avoiding Gladion's gaze, grabbed his attention.

Ash rushed over immediately, berating himself for not seeing this coming. Of course, Gladion, as obsessed with battling as he was, would be there tonight. Why couldn't they have just missed each other?

"Lillie! Is everything alright?" he asked, stepping up beside her. Lillie spun around, relief flashing across her eyes, her posture returning to normal. Gladion and Pikachu looked at him too, the latter with relief, the former looking confused.

"Ash?" Gladion asked, sounding put-out.

"Ash! It's – well…"

Gladion stepped towards Lillie.

"How do you know him?" Gladion asked, his eyes sharpening and his posture moving to something almost defensive. Lillie stepped back, and Ash stepped forwards, frowning.

"Did you need something, Gladion?" Ash asked, ignoring his question.

Gladion levelled his gaze with Ash's. They stared at each other, and silence fell upon them, one both like and unlike the one he and Kukui had shared previously. There was something in the quiet, but it wasn't friendly. It was as if Gladion was trying to use Mind Reader on him, figure him out, and deduce his and Lillie's relationship.

"How do you know Lillie?" Gladion asked.

"Do you really think you deserve to know?" Ash asked. It sounded a lot more confrontational than he had intended, but he didn't try to retract his statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Gladion demanded, stepping towards Ash this time.

"I wonder."

"What do you mean?! She's my–"

"Gladion," Lillie said, her voice a whisper beside them, but enough to steal both of their attention. They looked at her. Ash didn't know if Gladion noticed how she was trembling a little bit. "Please leave."

"W-What?" Gladion asked, stepping back, his eyes widening. He didn't move away.

"P-Please leave…" Lillie repeating herself did not make Gladion any less surprised, nor did it prompt him to leave. He stared at her instead, and as he did, Ash tried to deduce what was lingering behind Gladion's eyes. He was obviously confused, but there was something else, too, evidenced by the quick dilating of his pupils. What did that mean?

"Why?" Gladion eventually asked, the edge no longer in his voice.

"P-Please?" Lillie asked, her voice now trembling too.

"W-Why?" Gladion asked again, stepping forwards. This time, however, the menace in his demeanour had vanished.

"Gladion," Ash said, his voice, too, losing its edge. Gladion looked at him. That was enough to make him understand.

Gladion started backing away, his surprised eyes never leaving Lillie, who couldn't meet his gaze. He turned, then, and started walking away. Before his face was quite out of view, Gladion turned again, and Ash didn't like the glare Gladion turned on him. He was gone in the next second, but Ash was sure he hadn't seen the last of him. What misunderstanding had caused that final glare of his?

When Gladion was gone, Ash immediately faced Lillie.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Lillie nodded in response. It didn't seem she could say anything at that moment, so Ash suggested they head home, and they set off.

They were about halfway back to the Pokémon Centre when Ash felt Lillie stop shaking. Slightly confused, he looked down and noticed he was holding Lillie's hand. He let go immediately.

"Sorry about that. I – didn't realise," Ash said.

"It's ok," Lillie said, "I didn't either."

Ash opened his mouth to continue to ask what was on his mind, but he refrained. He didn't quite know how to approach the question. It seemed, however, that Lillie had read his mind.

"It was strange," Lillie said. "I saw Gladion and kind of froze up. I – I wasn't ready to face him again, not yet. I'm still not ready. Not after he left me…"

"Lillie…"

"He saw me and started walking over. I didn't know what to do. I – Pikachu stopped him for a little while."

Ash rustled his partner's head affectionately.

"But when he came over, he asked why I was here and – if I was ok. It's strange, Ash. He left me in that awful situation, and yet the first thing he asked was whether I was ok. I don't understand."

Lillie looked quite conflicted over the situation for the rest of the walk back and most of the evening.

"All that's left from your list is the beach," Ash said later while they sat on the comfy seats in the corner of the lobby. He hoped the topic change would help clear Lillie's head.

"Yes, that's right. Do you mind if we wait a day or so before going? I'm not sure I'm ready just yet," Lillie said.

"Whatever works for you works for me," Ash said.

Lillie nodded, and the thoughtful, dour expression she had worn since seeing Gladion morphed into a smile that made Ash wonder just when her smile made him feel so happy. And he also wondered one other thing, too:

When had he started holding her hand earlier?

The rest of the evening was lost to them chatting. Their friends joined them as they each returned from their days' work. Brock reported nothing at Aether Paradise once again, Mallow claimed Hau's trial tomorrow would be her final one, and Lana and Dawn started discussing some of their progress.

Lillie was the first to depart from the night. She had been yawning throughout their conversations. Ash couldn't blame her. They had done quite a lot in the past few days. He was used to such intensity, more intensity even, but Lillie wasn't. It only made sense that she was tired.

Ash headed upstairs just after everyone else and changed for bed. He spent a while just lying there, staring up at the ceiling, Lillie's gentle breathing filling the room as she slept, and that was what was keeping him awake: Lillie, and her situation with her brother. What did he say to her in the morning? Did he even bring it up, or should he let Lillie talk to him in her own time if she wanted to?

Eventually, Ash realised he wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon, so he headed back downstairs to grab a drink. There was something calm and peaceful about the lobby, about the darkness, save for the red emergency light glowing behind the counter for any late-night visitors who needed assistance. Ash suddenly wondered if Pokémon Centres were underappreciated.

As he headed into the kitchen, he stopped, for a flash of colour passed his vision through the glass doors. He spun around and saw Gladion standing just beyond them, wearing a serious expression.

As they had done earlier, Ash and Gladion stared at each other. Without any indication as to why he was there, Gladion turned and walked towards the forest.

Ash didn't need to know anything more. He hurried upstairs, quickly changed clothes, and headed outside. Gladion was waiting by the forest's entrance. He turned and walked in, and Ash followed him inside.

Hello, thanks for reading! As always, I hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think!