She couldn't explain why helping out in Po Town suddenly seemed like the best path for her life to take. She certainly wasn't responsible for any of it. But it had just come out of her mouth so easily during that conversation with Plumeria, and even though she promised, she felt zero regret for doing so. Was it the way all those kids were like stray animals, looking for a home? Even back when she was battling them she had always found it hard to be angry. They would hate hearing it, especially the way they worked so hard to build a tough image, but they were honestly sort of pathetic and she wanted to see them turn things around for themselves. Now, hearing Plumeria say that none of those grunts had "Run to Team Skull, they ran from something", that was just the icing on the cake.
As for Plumeria, she was stuck waiting for Hala, and after their exchange, Alondra decided she would need a place to stay. The girl invited her over for dinner, and offered her the couch in the living room. Sure, her mom was not aware of this offer, but of course she would be fine with it… As to be expected, Plumeria initially rejected the offer, looking rather uncomfortable. Alondra had to wonder how often people tried to do nice things for her, and if she knew how to respond to that kindness. With enough wheedling, she was finally able to convince her to stay for one night. She dragged her back to her house and introduced her to her mom, and Plumeria had never looked more awkward. Still, Alondra didn't let that phase her, nor did her mother. An extra place was set at the table no questions asked, and while dinner was being prepared the girls sat outside on the porch with Meowth. Plumeria had never seen a Kantonian Meowth before and was fascinated by its unique appearance.
"So, what's Kanto like?" she asked absently, batting the Meowth on the nose with a tall piece of grass to get him to play.
"Well, not nearly this hot. Or relaxed. Lots more big cities, and whole mountain ranges. The gyms are super formal, and we don't have nearly as many cool legends or stories." Alondra paused. "When I first found out we were moving away, I was so upset to leave everything behind. But now, and I'd never admit this to my mother, I guess I'm kind of happy to have had the chance. Get a fresh start. She knew all along, I think."
Meowth wrested the stalk of grass from the older girl's hands. "I'd like to see it someday, even if you think it's kinda dull. Everything seems that way when you grow up with it."
"Hey, at the rate you're growing as a trainer, you'll be able to travel wherever you want in no time!"
Plumeria stopped what she was doing and turned to look at her host skeptically. "Why are you so damn nice all the time?"
"Huh?" That question certainly came from left field!
"For real. Nobody is that nice. I'm waiting for the catch." Plumeria was actually FROWNING now, and studying her face for the slightest reaction.
She didn't know what to say. "Come on, I'm no different than most people. I mean, I haven't done or said anything that unusual."
"No, most people from your side of the tracks wouldn't be offering to help people from my side of the tracks, they'd be telling 'em how they are trash." Her eyes closed, unwilling to reveal any of the pain in her eyes.
"Do people here really?" Alondra found that hard to believe.
"Hmph, are you that blind? Tell me, during your Island Challenge, did anyone mention anything besides how they hardly need police, that everyone is happy in this frickin' corner of paradise?"
She shook her head. "They always made everything seem perfect."
"They don't see the people who are struggling, they sweep them under the rug and hide them from outsiders. And kid, that ain't just here. That's how people are. You're the weird one."
There was silence, then a heavy sigh. "I'm always the weird one, aren't I? Just once, I wish I could be normal…"
"No, you don't. Trust me, you're better than normal."
Those were words she'd never heard before. People not being able to relate, never getting close, that was her reality. No one ever said that her being different was GOOD. "You mean it?"
Plumeria scratched her head. "Well, yeah."
Alondra gazed into the sunset, clenching her hands. "It just seems to me that if you know what pain feels like, you can go one of two ways. You can be bitter about it, and try to pull other people down to where you are, or you can reach out to people because you understand what pain is. I'd rather do the latter."
There came a whistle from next to her. "Deep stuff." Of course, Plumeria was really thinking she had been a bit of both, reaching out to her fellow outcasts and lashing out against society. Alondra apparently didn't pick and choose.
The girl turned red and buried her face in her hands. "I realize I sounded just like a cheesy shonen manga there… Sorry!"
"It's all good. I get you." There was a pause as she seemed to reconsider. "Well, a bit more than I used to, I guess. Just, don't mind me being weird about this stuff. The whole 'nice' thing is not something I'm used to." She stood up, brushing off her pants as if they'd been sitting on the ground instead of the nice plank deck. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom before dinner if you don't mind."
"Right inside and to the right, first door," she called. Plumeria was about to disappear inside the house when she heard her continue. "And Plumeria…I'm serious about helping. Maybe while you're waiting for Hala to get back, you can come with me and we can see if Nanu's got a plan figured out?"
"I suppose I've got nothing better to do." She nodded before ducking inside, leaving Alondra and Meowth on the porch. She scratched the purring cat Pokémon behind the ears as she looked once more at the sea. Plumeria LIKED her weirdness? She was a prickly sort of person to be sure, but apparently it had more to do with how she'd been treated before than her actual personality. Maybe…maybe they could be friends? Alondra snorted, dropping her hand into her lap. How pathetic, hoping she could make a friend, especially at her age. Hau and Lillie were certainly nice, but they were still kids, more like younger siblings than friends. And she didn't really have anyone back in Kanto that could be called more than an acquaintance.
She'd started talking to Plumeria to get information, but she was startled to realize that Guzma hadn't crossed her mind once this afternoon. That was probably healthy… Now of course, her thoughts wandered, thinking about how the people on 'her side' had treated Team Skull. Essentially, they were considered a minor nuisance. Team Skull in the area? Don't worry, they're just a bunch of jokers not even worth my time or attention. The police hadn't made any efforts to fix things, they just brushed them off. Considering how much they'd wanted acknowledgement, that was just sad. And Guzma, the leader? He had something to prove as he led the group, but no one would even bother to pay attention to the message he was sending. Alola's elite were doing just fine; they didn't need to care about the people that were not.
"Guzma, you got swept under the rug right along with them, didn't you? They very nearly paid for that," she whispered. "I won't let you stay there. I won't let Plumeria or the others either."
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
It was around noon when the Charizard landed outside the thick concrete walls of Po Town. Alondra had expected Plumeria to be a bit wary of riding the giant flying lizard, but it turned out that despite her track record, she had been given a ride pager as she worked her way through the trials like anyone else. Nanu must have pulled some strings.
Speaking of the police chief, the pair disembarked in search of him. Their first guess at his location was the station right down the road. Nothing about the weather had changed, and they slogged through the muck and cold rain, clenching their ponchos tightly around them. Plumeria, who was more accustomed to it, seemed to move faster, and when she got to the door first, she rapped sharply. "Hey, old man Nanu! You in there?"
There was a shuffling on the other side of the door, and just as Alondra reached her partner's side, the door creaked open, revealing the slouching form of the kahuna. "What, are you back to thrash me again?"
"Nah, old man, Hala's on some vacation apparently, so I've got time to kill, and Alondra and I wanted to talk to you about what comes next."
Nanu's eyebrows raised slightly. "Ambitious, aren't we? Well, come inside then. Don't let any of the Meowth get out." He stepped back, allowing passage into the dimly lit station. Though she'd seen it once before, Alondra was still taken aback by the sheer number of Meowth present in the building.
Plumeria didn't seem to be impressed, she just plopped on the hairy couch and began petting the nearest cat. "Heya Princess. How are you doing?" Then when another came along, rubbing on her shin, she reached down for that one as well. "Long time no see Lucky. Hangin' in there?"
"Plumeria, do you know all these Meowth?" Alondra gaped.
She shrugged, scowling. "Been in here before. No big deal." Well, she would have had to be in here often to tell each one of those Meowth apart and learn them by name!
"She was the administrator. Came down a lot for questioning. She's also got a good eye for Pokémon, real quick learner." Nanu took a seat on the less-comfortable wooden chair behind his desk. "The Meowth won't bite, Alondra, you CAN sit down if you wish."
"Oh, right!" She shuffled to the couch and had to pry two more Meowth from next to Plumeria to make room for herself.
"So, girls, I assume you are wondering about what becomes of Po Town now."
"Yeah. Sending us off to do the trials and shit works for some of us, but there are still kids in there that won't be able to do that and haven't got folks to go home to. They can't stay there forever squatting and living off pity handouts."
"I know, Plumeria." He groaned and rubbed his forehead as if the very thought gave him a headache. "I thought we should start trying to fix the place up. We've got the funds. But this damn rain never ends. It's hard to send out repair crews in these conditions…"
"The ones staying will be earning their stay and food by pitching in, right?" Plumeria inquired seriously. "Everybody knows us to be nothing better than scavengers, but that can't continue."
"I know that too, and it is my intention. I've at least gotten some dumpsters and had them start hauling broken furniture. I just…can't see the end game." Nanu suddenly looked twenty years older than the fifty he was. "Pathetic when your kahuna can't even figure out where this is going. I'm sorry I'm not helping."
That was not a very Nanu thing to say. Things were serious. Before Alondra could say something to reassure him, Plumeria jumped in. "Old man, you got the crappiest job in Alola. You can't work miracles, I know that. You've been doing everything you can to keep things around here from falling apart. None of us Team Skull kids expect the magical solution. We just…want a push in the right direction and we can figure things out as we go, you know?"
"Well I can certainly push you," he retorted wearily. "Wish I knew the direction."
"Hey," she pointed at him, "You've always looked out for us. We ain't dumb, Nanu. We know we could all be sitting in a jail cell right now if it wasn't for you. You tell us what you think you might possibly need, even if you ain't sure, and you'll have it, no questions. We just want…" She stopped, huffing in frustration. "We want our dignity back. You just need to give us a way to do that."
Both Nanu and Alondra stared, though naturally the kahuna was the first to recover. "This is why, when people question me, I don't feel bad telling them off. This group is Alola's own doing, and Alola needs to fix this. Or rather, fix this so that you can fix this, if that makes any sense. If we could just get the rain to stop, Po Town could be something again…"
"Umm, Nanu?" Alondra raised her hand awkwardly, hoping for a chance to speak.
He gave her a strange look. "Yes, Alondra?"
She lowered her hand. "It seems to me, if I were a Tapu, and I can't claim to know how they think seeing as I'm really new here, I would be more impressed if people just started trying to fix things up. Like, Tapu Bulu would see that we care enough to try even without a guarantee of it being worthwhile. Like, we want to make up for our mistakes and get things back to the way it was. The actions might reach him where we haven't been able to so far."
"So you suggest we just go ahead without an end game?"
"Well…yeah! I mean, money isn't the concern right now with Aether footing the bill, and you've got the labor just aching for a chance to prove themselves. Start small, like you said. Get rid of the trashed up items. Paint the walls in the houses over the graffiti. I know a lot of the work can't be done until the rain stops, but there has to be enough they could start on!"
"Yeah, what she's saying sounds good, old man. And let the people see us doing it. We won't be hanging our heads in shame, we will walk tall, take pride in our town!"
Nanu looked from one face to the other. Both looked super pumped. Ah youth, he missed having that kind of energy and enthusiasm. But, perhaps it was slightly contagious. Slightly. "Very well. I will do a walkthrough and plan some of the tasks we can start assigning. It should take about a week. Besides, I think we'll need either you or Guzma there to give them the pep talk. That would really boost morale."
"I'll give 'em a speech before we leave." Plumeria pounded her hand in her fist.
"Good idea. They'll probably want to hear all about your trials, too! That would really give them something to get excited about!" Alondra enthused, jumping to her feet and sending a Meowth flying from her lap.
Nanu just shook his head, a begrudging smile twisting the corners of his mouth. "All right then. We will be in touch."
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
As the girls exited the station, Alondra turned to Plumeria. "So, you really seem to respect Nanu a lot. Does most of Team Skull feel the same way?"
"Ah, don't read too much into what I said," Plumeria responded defensively. "Yeah, the old man played his cards in a way that kept us from getting in serious trouble, especially in the end. He's still a cop though."
Alondra laughed. "You make it seem like having respect for Nanu is some kind of capital offense! It sounds like the guy has had your back more than anybody else, so it makes perfect sense."
"Yeah, well… Can't burn all our bridges, right?"
They continued along the path towards the town, Alondra not willing to push any further. Plumeria broke on her own. "Yeah, all those kids feel the same even if they play tough. Hell, Guzma would never admit it, but I know there is the tiniest flicker of respect there. That's more than he's got for most anybody else."
"Hmm. You think he'll approve of our plan?"
Plumeria thought for a while. Alondra was almost ready to give up expecting an answer when she finally provided one. "Before, I'd say absolutely. He'd want what was best for his team. But ever since Ultraspace, he hasn't been the same. I don't know if I can predict him the way he is now."
"He was not happy about having to disband the team, if that makes you feel better," Alondra offered. "Blamed me for making it fall apart."
"Bull shit." Plumeria stopped and turned to face her companion. "He has never blamed you for anything, and if he said that, he was lying through his teeth to try and work himself up to battle you. We fell apart because of Aether, what they asked us to do, because you stopped them and we had attached ourselves to them. And Guzma was the one that did whatever Lusamine wanted, taking the Team with him. It's his own fault and he knows it, but if he acknowledges it in front of someone else…" She growled in exasperation. "I worry about him. I hope Hala is setting him straight, though I still can't believe Guzma agreed to go along with him. Was that part of his punishment or something?"
"Hala phrased it that way, but in the end I definitely believe it was his own choice."
"Hmm. I guess I really can't read him like I used to." Shoulders sagging, Plumeria turned away and resumed her march to the gates of the town.
Alondra just stood there in the rain, watching her go. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much longer until they could put all these worries to rest.