Everybody got on the boat and set sail to the next island. It got dark not too long after, so everyone went to bed. Early in the morning, Dawn got up with Piplup and looked out at sea. Ash was too excited to sleep anymore and also got up. He then noticed Dawn.
"Hey Dawn!" Ash shouted.
Dawn looked over at Ash. "What Ash?"
Ash scratched the back of his head. "I've been wondering lately… just how do you feel about me?"
"W-what?"
"Well, it's just that… after the kiss, I've been thinking of just how much you mean to me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. All of my friends mean a lot to me of course. But…" He looked at her with a grin. "I enjoy being with you the most, you know?"
Dawn smiled with a blush. "I… I think that way too. Ever since I went my separate way with you, I missed you so much."
"Same here. I…" He laughed nervously. "There's just so much I want to tell you… but I just can't seem to find the words."
Dawn smiled at him. "No need to worry! I'm not going anywhere, so take your time!"
Ash smiled. "Yeah."
They looked at each other's eyes for a moment.
"I don't really… understand these feelings very well yet. But, I… I'm glad just having you by my side, for now!"
Dawn nodded. "I am too." Dawn then looked at the ocean with narrowed eyes. She wondered just what she could ever do to make it up to Ash, for what she has done to keep Nebby a secret from him.

They all arrived on the next island, and some girls ran up to them.
"Still haven't found a shirt to go with a lab coat, Kukui?" one of them asked.
They both came down to where they all were at. Kukui introduced them to all the people he brought along to the girls.
"It's nice to meet you all! I'm Oliva!"
Thanks for stopping by! I'm one of the captions here! Names Mallow!"
"It's nice to meet you both!" Ash shouted.
Nebby then floated from behind Lillie. "Pew!"
Lillie looked at him with a surprised look. "Ack! Nebby! What are you doing?"
"Nebby? That's your brother?" Ash shouted.
Kukui laughed. "Ash! You are just full of good jokes!"
Lillie was panicking.
"Hey, don't sweat it Lillie!"
"So, Nebby was..." Ash started.
Dawn looked away from Ash with a frown. "Nebby wasn't Lillie's brother… but that cosmog you wanted to catch." Dawn looked at Ash with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ash."
"D-don't be mad at her Ash! I… I pleaded with her not to tell anyone, even you!" Lillie said.
Ash gave Lillie a confused look. "Why would you do that?"
Lillie looked away. "Nebby… is being hunted by some people. So, the less I talked and showed him off, the safer Nebby would be."
Ash looked over at Dawn, who was looking down at the ground with a frown.
"Well, I look forward to you kids facing my trail!" Mallow said.
"As do I! See you then!" The girls then left.
Ash smiled at Dawn. "You had a good reason to hide Nebby from me Dawn! So, I'm not upset at all."
Dawn remembered the kiss, and how sad Ash seemed after it. Tears fell down from her face as she ran off.
"Dawn!" Ash shouted.
Kukui held onto Ash's shoulder. "Let… her have some time to herself. When she's ready, she'll come back."
"But…"
"Just give her some time! Trust me! In the meantime, I can tell you two what you need to do here in Akala!"
Ash looked back to where Dawn ran with a frown. "… Alright."
Lillie however, walked over to the boat where Dawn ran off with Nebby behind her.

Dawn was on her knees, crying over the side of the boat.
Lillie and Nebby approached her. "Dawn… It was my fault that you had to lie to Ash…" Lillie said.
"Yeah! But… it wasn't your fault that- that I made Ash think Nebby was your brother! And the kiss…" Dawn put her hands on her face as tears continued to poor out.
"Y-you only did all of that… because I wanted you to keep Nebby a secret."
"I didn't need to do all of that to keep Nebby a secret from Ash!"
Lillie frowned and looked away. "Dawn, I… while that's true, it doesn't seem like Ash wants you to feel bad about it."
"O-of course not! He's… just way too sweet, unlike me. A liar, manipulator…"
Lillie looked away and was quiet for a moment. "Dawn… you are sweet too! You protected Nebby without hesitation… and want to help me find Nebby's home!"
Piplup shouted at her in agreement with Lillie.
"And Dawn, Nebby is like family to me. So in a way, he is like a little brother to me."
"Pew?" Nebby looked up at Lillie.
"And about… what happened in Melemele Meadows, I don't know." Lillie looked away and fiddled her fingers. "I don't know if what I am saying is true, but… both of you didn't hate, doing what you were doing."
And that what's manly Dawn feels bad about it. Ash might of really likes her and thought something of that kiss, but Dawn only did it to give a chance for Nebby to escape. "… Or was it?" Dawn wondered. Thinking back, Dawn had a desire to want to kiss him before Nebby appeared. Dawn looked over at Nebby. "Did… he actually give me the push I needed to do it?" She wondered.
Nebby floated up to her and shouted, "pew!"
Dawn smiled at rubbed the top of its head. "Right… Thanks, Nebby!"
Nebby smiled and put its arms up in the air. "Pew!"
Piplup and Lillie looked at them with a confused look.
"And thank you, Lillie and Piplup! Come on! Let's head back to the others!"
"R-right…" Lillie said. "Time to go in the bag Nebby!"
"Pew…" Nebby said.

Lillie and Dawn returned to the group.
"Dawn! You okay?" Ash asked.
Dawn smiled. "Yeah! I'm fine! Sorry for worrying you. Just… had to sort some things out!"
"Understandable," Kukui said.
"Glad you're okay! Seems like they have a lot more trails we have to do compared to Melemele!" Ash shouted.
"Wow, sounds like you got quite a lot of work to do!" Dawn said.
"Yeah, but we are ready to take on all the challenges here, right Pikachu?"
Pikachu hopped on Ash's shoulder. "Pika chu!"
"That's great!"
"Well, I for one am ready to check out the malasada places around here!" Hau said.
"Wow, that sounds a good idea to me, too!"
"And I can get some shopping done," Lillie said. Then looked at her bag. "And maybe check out the ruins for Nebby…"
Nebby shouted, "pew!" from her bag.
Everyone ran off to look around Heahea city.
"Ash… I will work hard to make it up to you, for lying to you for all this time," Dawn thought.

Dawn wondered off herself to check out the city herself, when she ran into Lillie in front of the clothing store.
"Hey Lillie! Looking for new clothes?" Dawn asked.
"Well, that's what my plan was… But Nebby won't sit still. I think it wants to go to the Ruins of Life," Lillie said.
"Ruins of Life?" Dawn asked.
Lillie nodded. "Apparently, it is said Tapu Lele is there. Which is the guardian of Akala Island!"
"Wow! Sounds interesting!"
Would you like to come with us, Dawn? I mean, Nebby seems to take quite the liking to you!"
Nebby happily floated around with the idea of Dawn coming along.
Dawn smiled. "Of course I'd like to come!"
"Great. I'll wait for you at the Tide Song Hotel. I need to go there to meet someone very important to me," Lillie said.
"Oh. Alright."
"I heard that there's a terrible group out there that steals pokemon… They call themselves Team Skull…"
Dawn laughed. "I wouldn't worry about them. They are a bunch of thugs that don't know what they are doing!"
"Still… I think we'd need to be more careful… for Nebby's sake."
Dawn nodded. "Right."
After Lillie left, Dawn looked around the clothing store before heading up to the hotel.

Dawn went to the hotel and saw Lillie who was looking worried.
"Lillie, are you okay?" Dawn asked.
"Y-yes. I just thought I saw some of Team Skull's people here, and decided to hide over here for the time being… And I think I missed my meeting."
"What? Oh no!"
"But don't worry. This is where I want to be. You should go and find Ash and get ready for all the trails Ash will have to go through."
"Alright. If you're sure. See you later!"

It was night time, and Ash and Dawn where now in the pokemon center eating dinner.
"Can't wait to start my challenges tomorrow!" Ash shouted.
"Yeah! I'm sure you'll great!" Dawn said.
"Of course we will! We'll complete all the trails here like we did on Melemele!"
Dawn smiled at him. She was happy that Ash was still himself despite knowing that Dawn was lying to him the whole time. After dinner, they headed off to bed to rise up early to start off the next trail.