Alola readers. Before we begin, I've got quite the bit of an AN to belt out since a lot has happened since I last posted and it's quite a rollercoaster of emotions, especially given the context of this entire chapter which I was wanting to post around the recent weekend.
At work, I've got this friend named Mikey. I wasn't super super close with him, but we did work together for several months and got along pretty good. Literally I've never seen him in a bad mood. Ever. Like the guy's a real life Hau. Even as far as his hobby of baking doughnuts in his spare time and bringing in gigantic boxes of the leftovers he had for all of us. He was also somewhat of a Pokemon fan and had asked me once why there wasn't really much of an adult length novel for the franchise. So I showed him this and he had said that I was a very talented author, something I really really appreciated coming from him.
Well unfortunately last Thursday, he passed away in a horrific workplace accident. You may have heard it in the news about the airline worker in Texas. While I wasn't present at work when the incident occurred, it's left myself, my peers and a lot of people shaken up. I only went back to work on Sunday and the entire place is in a funk. Mikey was very well liked by a lot of people and yeah...I'm still at a loss of words. I'm shaken up by the fact that it could have very easily been me.
But I do apologize for having dumping that all on everyone when they're here to read. Mikey, you were a real one and you were taken from us far too early. This one's for you bro.
It's over. Mother finally tore open the rift to Ultra Space with Nebby's power. She and Guzma walked right through. Now they're gone…and we have no way to reach them. I can't tell if Nebby's dead or whatever this thing is. It doesn't move and there's no signs of life. But why is it in this state? Why was using all of its power making it lifeless? This is all my fault.
Elio too. He's angry and he has every right to be angry at me. I made the choice that got him hurt too. Now he's in the Paradise's medical ward and while they didn't think it was life-threatening; the scars will most likely be permanent. A reminder of my wrongdoings. My mother…I can't believe she actually went through with it. It feels so wrong. It IS so wrong.
No more. I'm not running away anymore. I'm not hiding anymore. This is where I start. Start being brave and strong…standing up for myself and what I believe in. I'm grateful for all those that did for me in the past, but now it's time that I don't have to rely on other people to make my choices. Elio kept telling me that I was making the right choice in my mind and in my heart. I stand by my choice despite the deep regrets. Maybe he will understand when he wakes up.
Lillie barely felt Gladion's hand on her shoulder as she sat at the infirmary's bedside, her hands cupping her chin. She was no longer bothering to wipe the stain streaks of tears that had run down her cheeks.
"Lillie," he started. "You've been here for hours. Come and eat something before you faint too."
His words barely registered in her mind. She kept staring blankly ahead, deep in thought despite her own emotions running wild.
After Elio had unexpectedly, but inevitably passed out from both blood loss and a lack of exhaustion, Wicke had called for the Paradise's medical staff and he was whisked to the sick bay on the double. The doctors had closed the door off to his ward, which had been the last she had seen of him until in the morning when they had said he was still sedated, but visitors were welcome to sit and watch.
Nestled in the center of the bed, Elio's chest rose and fell steadily as the monitor system beeped in a predictable pattern. His heart rate was normal and the prognosis showed nothing out of the ordinary. Still, the doctors insisted that he be kept for another day to recover.
Lusamine's scarification had caused a significant amount of blood loss, to the point where he required a transfusion from the ward's blood bank. A quick sample test revealed his AB- typing and the doctors had gotten straight to work with a couple bags of negative blood.
Now he lay in the bed, his left shoulder wrapped in layers of gauze and bandages while an IV was hooked into his right arm. After all that had transpired in the last twenty four hours, he looked so…peaceful and relieved.
The guilt in her heart wallowed up still. Elio had stood up for her countless times against Team Skull, against the odds and against her mother. Here he was, paying that price in a hospital bed with scars on his arm that would likely remain for the rest of his life.
No wonder her night was sleepless and a big contrast to his. If anything, she envied how soundly he had slept through the night.
Combined with blood loss, exhaustion and who knows what else?
"Gladion I can't." She started. "I can't just leave him."
Gladion's eyes flickered over to Elio's sleeping form as well as several of his pokemon that were also sleeping on the floor beside him. Most of them seemed indifferent, though Lillie found herself scrutinized by Nani's large reddish eyes. The milotic looked as if she had caught onto her being the closest reason to her trainer's suffering.
"He's not going anywhere. And he is not in any shape to do anything either." Her brother rubbed her back and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. "You need to rest before you find yourself in a bed like him."
"He saved me." Lillie let out a slight laugh. "I never told anyone…how we first met. Nebby wanted to go to the ruins, just one little trip while Professor Kukui was picking up some new kid that was moving into Waimanalo. A young boy my age, he had said, with a little bit of wiggling in his eyebrows."
She saw the overprotective side of her brother scowling slightly. "But Nebby wouldn't take no for an answer and wouldn't stay still. So I finally obliged even though it was getting late and I didn't even tell the professor. Just a quick visit, nothing more."
And then it all happened so fast. Nebby couldn't contain its excitement and jumped out of the bag. I tried to keep it in, but it got free and was halfway across the bridge when a flock of spearow started to attack it. I felt helpless. Just as helpless as I did when Mother did all that to him. But Elio had followed me through the Mahalo Trail. I'm not sure why, maybe some intervention by the tapu or a curiosity.
"Like a savior." Gladion finished for her. Lillie's eyes widened and she gasped, realizing that she had been speaking her thoughts out loud without consciously realizing it. "Like he was meant to be there at that time. He ran across the bridge to save Nebby?"
He actually called it Nebby…and not cosmog.
She nodded solemnly. "Elio did it without hesitation. He covered it with his body, just like how they teach you in protecting someone from a spearow attack. Nebby tried to scare them off and destroyed the bridge. I thought I was going to see both of them die."
"Then Tapu Koko appeared to save them?"
"It was almost like it was watching over them and me."
Gladion sighed and glanced at Elio. "I wish I could say my first time with him was under pleasant circumstances. I just defeated Hau and this kid with a borderline mullet waltzes right up. I told him to battle me and I wouldn't take no for answer."
"I assume he battled you?" Lillie asked.
"Yeah and he whooped my ass. We exchanged some pretty hurtful words and he was pretty determined that I pay for beating Hau. I can't say I didn't deserve it."
"Gladion, you don't know Elio." She had pulled her hands away from the seat and clenched them into fists. "I can imagine some stuff that you might have shouted at him. How he doesn't know the magnitude of suffering. Just because he's all happy and carefree like Hau doesn't mean it isn't there."
To him, seeing her so defensive and assertive like this reminded her exactly of the times he had come across Elio while the boy was on his island challenge. Stalwart, defiant and not afraid to challenge anyone who threatened him or his friends. Lillie whom he had left almost three years ago, would have timidly hid behind someone like him to avoid such a confrontation.
The Lillie before him was still the same little sister, but he felt that she had grown from that meek shell of hers into someone that had finally taken the next big step.
It just feels so weird, she talks so much more like an adult.
Gladion reflected back on the harrowing chase when he had stolen Null from the Paradise when he had first escaped. He hadn't informed anyone but Wicke about his plans. Even Lillie was kept in the dark.
He had motored off in a boat and looked back at the Paradise as he headed towards the islands, looking back at the lights and his home, wondering if Lillie was watching him go.
Now look where I am. Right back here.
His sister was so different, so new. All thanks to the boy recovering in front of them.
He gently reached over, taking her small hands in his. Compared to his own, they were still the same soft ones he had felt when they played clapping games to nursery rhymes or his personal favorite one "greninja" when they were children.
"Then tell me who he is to you."
Gladion had only left after getting a message from Wicke that required his presence in the pokemon center ward. At first, he was indifferent if not annoyed at the call. When she elaborated that it was about Null, he had to hastily leave. But not before he made her promise him that she'd get some sleep and some food.
One of the Paradise's doctors had visited Elio in the hour that passed. Lillie had closed her eyes to make good on her promise to Gladion to get rest, only to be awakened by the shuffling noise of his footsteps.
She couldn't remember the older man's name, having only seen him a handful of times and usually deep in conversation with her parents. He had receding dark gray hair and a laser focus stare as he diligently checked over Elio's vitals on the monitor.
"Oh Miss Hyacinth," he noticed her stirring and looking up at him. "Don't mind me. I'm checking on your friend here."
"Will he be?" She trailed off, not bothering…or wanting to hear something awful. I don't need to be reminded how much of a screwup I am.
"Mister Northstar will be fine." The doctor assured her with a small smile. He had probably experienced this scenario before. "Don't fret about the blood bags. He had lost enough to experience accelerated fatigue. According to what your friend Hau had said; Elio here had been on his feet battling as early as yesterday morning to the point where he had collapsed. Considering the immense stress; the fact that he was still able to battle despite all that earlier yesterday is nothing short of someone incredibly resilient and remarkable. If he wasn't as athletic as he is now, then I have no doubt that the fatigue would have set in much earlier. And the result would be much different."
"The blood…did he?"
"I had multiple bags ready, but only one was needed. The biggest thing he needed was bedrest despite the loss and shock hadn't fully set in just yet. Elio's blood type is one of the rarer ones, but it's also one that can accept any blood as long as it is negative. We would have had whatever type on hand if needed. There is no need to fret."
Lillie swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn't want to ask, but felt like she needed to for closure.
"What about his scars on his shoulder?"
The doctor's frown added to the somberness of the mood as he sighed. This was probably where the bad news came in.
"Aside from the blood loss, cutting like that is something I'm not sure he can fully heal from. The wounds may close in a matter of days, but the markings could be there for a long time. What I'm worried about is a sore fleshy coagulation of cells called a keloid to start forming, especially given that people of his Kantoan descent as well as those of Johtoan and Sinnohan have a higher likelihood of developing them in post-surgery or when suffering severe lacerations. And it's not just the physical scars either. Something like that is a form of post traumatic stress."
The doctor stopped when he saw Lillie slowly bury her face in her hands. He knew that the guilt was racking up and it would probably do more harm than good.
"Miss Hyacinth, like I said, there's no need to fret just yet. I tend to say both best and worst case scenarios to keep the friends and family of my patients aware of the broad spectrum of things that could happen. Does not mean they will. More often than not, I've seen people suffer some truly grievous injuries recover with little to no indication of what happened before. There is nothing here to suggest otherwise."
Lillie felt a surge of relief. He's actually going to be okay.
"In fact, we'll be keeping him sedated until this afternoon. If he's good enough when he awakens, I can discharge him within an hour."
"That's amazing. Thank you Doctor."
He smiled at her. "I'm just doing my job. Mister Northstar here is very lucky to have a supportive friend such as yourself."
Lillie saw him stand up and turn to leave and gestured to a button that was on the side of the hospital bed. "If you need anything, the button right over there calls over Mister Ford, who is the head nurse on duty for the rest of the day. Whatever you need, he'll make sure you get it."
She mumbled a thanks and waited until he was out of the room before audibly sighing. The whole fallout from everything happening was as if it crashed down at once like a dam that finally buckled under all that pressure.
Elio was going to be fine. His sacrifice was not made in vain.
But the clouds of guilt still hung over her shoulders. The sting from his tirade before he passed out was still hurting. Lillie knew that despite the fact that he opposed her plan or any move to rescue her mother from Ultra Space…he was right. After what happened to him and his arm, he had no right or reason to even think about anything to rescue a person like that.
Am I thinking he could come around because he will? Or because it's what I think and want him to do?
"Elio," she whispered softly. "I am so so sorry. This is all my fault. All my stupid fault. I can't make this up to you at all."
Her hand slipped into his and clasped it, wondering if he was able to feel it though the deep reaches of his sedated sleep. "I've lost so much. My mother, my father, Nebby. I can't…I can't lose you too."
She pulled her hand back, leaning close so that her face was inches away from his. Making sure nobody was watching that she could see, she went in close and gently pressed her lips to the side of his firm jawline.
Lillie suddenly yanked her head back, shocked at her brazen move and realizing that she had kissed him without his consent. Her fingers went to her mouth absentmindedly.
I…I don't know what just became of me. Was I really that naive to think he's going to wake up from that? Maybe I am just silly in thinking of a fantasy.
She had to change. Her decision to go and rescue her mother was made the moment they left that dreaded trophy sanctum.
And she was determined to see it through.
To say that the pokemon ward of the infirmary where Gladion was standing was orderly had been an understatement.
The blond boy stood above Null as the large pokemon laid at the center of a large operating table. A trio of surgeons were on the other side, prepping several metal tools that looked incredibly wicked and strange.
Gladion had never been in the intensive care section of the Paradise where the severely injured pokemon were taken, but he was more than happy to never visit a place like this again.
Null suffered from heavy damage to its mask and it refused to lay still, staunchly resisting the straps the doctors had used to tie its limbs down. The entire procedure was giving it more discomfort by the minute and they were hesitant in giving it a sedative since it could make things worse.
"Null, it's okay." Gladion said quietly, remaining in the creature's field of view. He was a little less recognizable thanks to the surgical mask over his nose and mouth, but the sound of his voice made Null relax just a little. "I know this doesn't feel good. But it's gonna be okay. I promise."
The damage from Cicindel's liquidation edge had knocked it out of alignment and during the entire battle against the ultra beast, Null took every possible opportunity to claw at its mask in an attempt to readjust it. These unforeseen interludes had given the beast ample time to prepare and deliver counterattacks that made the fight last far longer than it should have. Eventually it had gotten smarter, shooting power gems and sludge bombs of that pale yellow venom that bypassed the heavy armor and hit the joints where the protection was thinnest or nonexistent. Null's artificial immune system expelled the poison with the aid of topical antidotes, but the real damage had yet to be assessed.
Null growled softly and Gladion saw his partner scared once more.
"I'm scared too." He told him. "I'm scared that I almost lost you. That we had come so far with our struggles and our suffering. I don't want to lose you like this."
Gladion made sure that he kept Null's reddish eyes on him as the doctors went to work. Null strained as it tried to remain calm, but Gladion knew that it was fighting a losing battle.
"Stop." He firmly said. The doctors gazed at him in surprise.
"We're in the middle of the procedure," one of them said. "We can't just stop here."
"I know. But Null's still agitated and it's had too many memories of being like this. I don't want him to hurt anyone."
"Then what do you suggest?" Another doctor asked.
Gladion met his eyes, "I will do it. I'll take his mask off."
"That's something I'd ill advise." The protest came from the other that hadn't spoken. "Null here is quite dangerous in this state, even in the hands of a trusted trainer it could still be exhibiting unpredictable behaviors. I'd rather not have another person in the Paradise's infirmary because of deep cuts."
Gladion remained firm, knowing that Null's tendency to lose what little bit of calm it had left would be lost if the procedure continued as expected. "It needs someone it can trust. And it trusts none of you."
The surgeons exchanged worried looks, but all had nodded in agreement, setting the tools down and backing up.
Gladion took a deep breath while releasing both his riolu and golbat. "Help me out if things go awry." Both pokemon looked just as worried as the doctors, but nodded and stuck close to his side.
"It's gonna be okay." He assured Null again as he approached the table. The creature growled and squirmed against its restraints, but he saw his trainer unafraid and trusting.
"Do you trust me?"
Despite the situation. It did.
Gladion's movements were slow, still wanting to keep that trust connection going. His hands made their way to the restraint straps and he gingerly unbuckled the straps. Null's eyes went wide as he felt that free range of movement once more. Behind him, the doctors watched with uncertainty.
"Incredible." One of them had remarked.
Gladion ignored them, keeping his entire focus on his pokemon. Riolu and Golbat kept close to their trainer, ready to lend a hand.
Null flexed its free forelimbs and spun its claws around. The clanking of the armor was a bit of relief to Gladion.
His fingers curled around the front of Null's mask as it did the same, gripping the top. The noise of its claws grating against the coarse metallic material set his teeth on edge.
"On three." The boy said. Trainer and pokemon locked eyes as it slowly nodded.
"One."
"Two."
"Three." He had barely registered the harsh light glow emitting behind him as he pulled down. The mask budged and Null gave a painful wail that made everyone wince, but its claws still moved and exerted a tremendous amount of force. There was no specific way to remove it after the suppressive device was crudely installed.
Gladion paused to catch his breath and then pulled again with Null's aid. The mask groaned in protest and he nearly flew back as a split appeared in the middle down the center.
"One."
"Two."
"Three." Together they pulled again and this time, the mask ripped with much less resistance with their combined strength. Null's body glowed with the same light as before. The damned dense device peeled off and clattered to the floor with a heavy thud as Gladion shielded his eyes from the light underneath.
As it faded, he saw that Null had completely crushed and destroyed the control mask under its gigantic claws.
What stood before him was a majestic creature that held its head high in a pearly white mane that ran from its head down to its chest. Its body had become more muscular, but still almost identical to when it was Null. The crest no longer resembled an axe, instead possessing a hooked barb at the front and three white feather protrusions. Two small ears were atop its head, reminiscent of a feline pokemon.
There was something incredibly ethereal about Null. Gladion couldn't place it, from the sleeker and more muscular build to the bright eyes that gleamed with raw power.
Or maybe it was the way it held its head high with confidence.
Slowly, the new Null stood up on its feet and bounded down from the operating table, making the same volume of noise and posture as a prowling liepard before approaching its trainer and standing to its full height. Gladion had to actually look up at it.
"N-null?" He couldn't contain the shakiness in his voice. "Is…is that really you?"
The creature gave a low rumbling trill and made a noise that sounded like a mix of clicking a tongue and rattling stones. It lowered its head to look at him at eye level.
Gladion looked into them, seeing that its eyes were no longer that mysterious hellish red, instead replaced by what looked like opaque lenses with silvery gray irises. It gently nudged its beaklike mouth into Gladion's shoulder as he uneasily gave it a pet. The creature rumbled in happiness.
"Incredible." A doctor had said behind him. "I've heard the stories of Type: Full, but I don't think anyone realized that it could be done. Or that the RKS System would be fully perfected and synthesized."
"RKS System?" Gladion gasped as he turned around, seeing that his other two pokemon had also evolved. Riolu had grown taller, possessing a more slender head and longer arms. Golbat's wingspan nearly doubled and it hovered in midair flapping its wings silently.
Crobat…and Lucario. These two are pokemon that are said to only evolve with friendship and trust reaches a certain high point.
"The RKS System is something the folks down in R and D were developing for the Type: Full project. Basically analyzing the composition of body cells from every known elemental type of pokemon and synthesizing them to the central cortex. It would store the pattern and take on the properties of that pokemon type, able to use it at will both offensively and defensively."
Gladion blinked. "What?"
"Unfortunately the results in integrating the RKS System to the Type Full were not successful. The three prototypes rejected the system, having violent behaviors which led to the other research teams needing more time to safely find a way to integrate it."
"More time that was rejected." The blond finished. "How do you know about this?"
"I was part of the committee on the research and development in the Beast Killer project as it was named initially. It was headed by Faba to fight off these ultra beasts if they ever became a threat. Though he initially wanted to terminate them, it was because of the committee including myself and the President that he instead decided to decommission them while we looked for a potential solution. While unstable, they were still viewed as useful assets."
Gladion felt a tinge of anger from that. Useful assets. Like they are some sort of tool. He looked at his new partner, chittering softly as it watched his newly evolved crobat and lucario interact with one another. Normally when letting all his pokemon out, Null had sulked away from the group, preferring to be alone.
Instead, it now had that same style and poise as a pokemon in charge and proud of its power. A power that he had helped uncover.
"And you did it Mister Hyacinth," the doctor told him. "You uncovered the secret that the Type Full needed to finally be able to control its own power and fully utilize the RKS System."
"By what? Friendship?" Glaidon almost scoffed out loud. There is no way that could be possible. That's something people just say to make you feel good.
"Not friendship. At least," the doctor smiled slightly, "not the entire case. I see it more as a bond of trust and mutual beneficence. These were things that neither the President nor Branch Chief Faba proposed in trying, as I imagine they believed the Beast Killer project to be a lost cause and waste of funding. Seeing you with it as a valuable silver ally, I now believe that choice was a mistake."
Gladion's blood ran cold. "But Faba…where is Faba?"
The doctors exchanged uneasy looks.
"Lock the Paradise down now! Nobody leaves unless either me or Assistant Branch Chief Wicke gives the order!"
The doctors huddled together and with a nod, one of them hurried down the hallway.
"We'll find him."
Behind them, Type Full huffed in having sensed the urgency.
"And you'll get the chance to show him what you really are." Gladion paused for a moment. "You won't be Type: Full or Beast Killer. You'll need a proper name."
He put a hand to his chin in thought. The perfect one came straight to mind.
"Silvally."
Lillie studied herself in the mirror. Her hands running along the fringes of her white dress and cupping the wide brim of her hat.
The memory of herself and Elio bound to the chairs and tormented by her mother were still fresh in her mind. She had squirmed and thrashed against her restraints, begging her to stop and completely unable to tune out her friend's anguish. Lusamine's eyes glinted with a horrific sadism as she worked the knife even as the blade became slick and sticky with crimson blood.
It was the worst feeling in the world. The helplessness. The despair. The pain. Her mother's knife never touched her skin, but every moment it carved into his flesh was as if it was on hers as well. It was her fault.
So if she was determined to see it through, she had to start somewhere. Elio had started as a beginning trainer himself months before. Now he was already powerful enough to have defeated three island kahunas, several island trials and even her mother in battle.
If Mother hurt me more, how much more vicious would Elio have been?
She reached into her bag, pulling out Kalua's poke ball and releasing the pokemon. Though she had only had the alolan vulpix for a couple of days; she instantly bonded with her. The thought of her being her actual pokemon under her care was a mix of scary and exhilarating.
I may not have a trainer license yet, but I have a pokemon. A pokemon that depends on me.
Kalua cautiously sniffed her ankles and cooed softly, resting her head against her leg. Lillie felt a pleasant coolness on her skin, reaching down to scratch her on the top of her head.
"I'm so worried about Elio," she started. "I could've stopped it. But I couldn't. I didn't. Now I'm afraid to take the next step."
Kalua purred again and moved her nose to her bag.
"Huh?" She had totally forgotten about it too. Quickly undoing the zipper at the top, she saw that the Nebby-gem was still floating as it did when she had moved it inside the compartment before. Nothing unusual, but she spotted the edge of an apparel shop bag peeking out from under a couple of books that she carried along to read.
Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled the shopping bag out, remembering how she was in Malie City looking for the Library. The streets looked confusing and she got so flustered trying to find her way again, she had ducked into the apparel shop.
Then she got even more flustered when approached by the saleswoman, she had actually browsed through its wares and purchased an outfit that had been in her bag ever since. Thankfully the girl was more than happy to give her directions back to the library.
Lillie peeled back the plastic edge, revealing a white colored coat with short sleeves and an attached skirt. The material felt soft and Kalua nuzzled it affectionately with her nose.
She smiled at her pokemon's approval. If she was going to change, become a new person. What better way to start than a wardrobe? With something I want to wear.
She moved to the mirror, putting the coat up to her chest and admiring it. The underlying thought still was in her head if people didn't like the new her. That people would voice their disapproval.
Too bad. The thought surprised even her with how brazen it had been. This is me now. Like that saying. Those who matter don't mind. And those who mind don't matter.
While the outfit would be a start, she frowned at seeing how her hair was still just like how it had was for the last year, draped over her shoulders in perfectly combed icy blonde locks with two kalosian braids on either side of her bangs.
No more running. No more hiding. No more needing approval or disapproval from my mother.
With familiar practice, she swept a hand behind her hair, eyes in the mirror and determined to find a style that was going to suit this new Lillie Renee Hyacinth.
Fading back into consciousness took the better part of the afternoon, but Elio's eyelids showed increased activity as he started to come out of the sedative. His fingers twitched and he shifted in the bed as his senses came about.
Gray eyes slid open as he felt like a massive weight had hit him on all sides. He heard the faint beeping of a heart monitor and cocked his head in confusion.
Where am I? He finally saw the sterile white walls and array of medical equipment on either side of the bed he laid in. All around at the foot were his pokemon, each one fast asleep and refusing to leave his side.
Thank you guys. At the sound of him moving, Nani was the first to stir as she uncoiled herself and slithered to his side, her expression one of delight upon seeing him conscious. She cooed softly, nuzzling his face with hers.
"Hi Nani," he started, coughing when he found his throat suddenly quite dry. "I'm glad you're okay."
Footsteps sounded down the hall as a middle aged man peered into the room. His own face brightened seeing the trainer. "Oh perfect, you're awake Mister Northstar."
"Huh?"
"A lot has happened since they carried you in here last night. I'm the doctor in charge of the infirmary today. Your friends will be most excited to see you."
"Everything still feels a little foggy." Elio started. "H-how long was I out?"
"About sixteen hours," the doctor gestured to the clock at the bedside, showing that it was nearly five in the afternoon. "They had brought you in just past midnight and we had administered a light sedative to maximize your recovery efficiency. Those nasty scars on your arm caused a lot of blood loss, combined with the exhaustion of running and battling as much as you did."
The thoughts came back to Elio in a flash as he looked down to see the crisscrossing marks of inflamed red tissue on his shoulder. Lusamine twisting a long silver knife, being restrained in a chair. Lillie was crying and begging her mother to stop.
Then the battle afterwards where Lusamine did everything in her power to defeat him, going as far as asking Guzma for aid in a three way fight. Nebby being confined in that little prison and he was fairly sure it had changed forms into something inert that didn't even appear alive.
And I yelled at Lillie. I actually yelled at her. I was angry because…I was angry at myself. Because I almost lost her. And it would've been my fault.
"You've reached nominal vitals and the rest of the sedative should wear off by tonight. You'll find yourself sleepy again come the evening, so that your circadian rhythm won't get thrown off." The doctor reached over to his arm, unhooking the IV. Elio winced, finally feeling the needle as a bandage slipped over the tiny puncture wound.
"All in all, you should be good to go once you've filled out the paperwork."
"Where's everyone else? Hau? Lillie?"
"Mister Kealoha and Miss Hyacinth are back in the house. As soon as you're ready to be discharged, I'll notify them that you will be on your way."
He looked at his arm, seeing that the scars that had been previously dripping with blood were now hardened thin scabs, smothered by a clear gel that had acted as a liquid bandage.
The doctor saw him look at it too. "Unfortunately Mister Northstar, I'm terribly sorry to inform you that while the scabs may heal over time, the markings may very well be permanent."
Elio looked down at it again and then away. How was he supposed to explain this to other people? He knew for a fact that his mother would probably have the worst reaction and like him would find a way to go straight through the ultra wormhole just to throw a mean left cross to Lusamine's jaw.
Just like how he wanted.
But how was he supposed to explain he was cut like that because of Lillie?
I can't tell her either way. I need to find some way to cover it up. At least until it's not noticeable.
"Can you please not tell this to my mother?" He asked quietly, knowing the next step would be to inform his next of kin. "I…I don't want her to know."
Discharging him from the infirmary took a little less than an hour. Elio had thanked the doctors and medical staff, gathering his pokemon and setting out across the courtyard at his own calm pace.
Despite the whole ordeal, he was actually eager to get back on his adventure and take on however many island challenge trials were left. After that, it was facing down all four kahunas in a row in battle and he'd finally have that lifelong coveted dream of becoming the Island Challenge Champion.
We're almost there. Too close to stop now.
The courtyard still showed scuffs and burn marks from attacks of the previous battles, but the Aether associates had been quick to clean up after Team Skull had arrived to practically trash the place. On their way in, Elio had seen some of the grunts hastily throwing empty cans of energy drink under the brushes and lay in the grass in a rather lazy and intrusive manner. He wondered if Lusamine was tolerating this, thinking someone as perfectly orderly as herself would find that kind of behavior just as repulsive as Lillie and Gladion's rebellious streak.
But the staff had picked it clean and the outside was spotless to the point where there wasn't as much as a gum wrapper. Even the spots of grass and flowers that lined either side of the beautiful garden had been restored after the grunts had laid on them, creating darker flattened spots like where a slaking had been.
He stopped right at the front gates, suddenly realizing that he was going to have to face all of them after his outburst at Lillie and his staunch opposition to any plan to rescue Lusamine.
Can I face them? After everything, Lillie and Gladion have been hurt so much by their mother's actions and I drove that knife in even further…I can't…I can't be onboard with any rescue operation they might do. Go and save the crazy lady who slashed at me with a razor sharp knife…who also voluntarily left to go piss off to another dimension. I'd say she deserves whatever happens to her. She can't hurt anyone else anymore.
Then she had to verbally hit him below the belt saying that this was no different than his dad. And THAT hurt him. Even more so that he tried so hard to find anything redeemable about him, only to angrily refute the unexpected call where his dad just wanted to talk.
He stopped, remembering the whole thing, now seeing that his own situation was just as bad as Lillie and Gladion's.
What a fucked up family. Them not being beautiful enough and me as the accident.
In the aftermath of that tirade, Elio hadn't called his mother, nor Hau or Professor Kukui. He called Lillie. She was patient and understanding, almost allowing him to openly vent to her about his own messed up family experience and pain.
Elio now knew that she was all too familiar with it, more than he could ever fathom. Instead of letting him grieve or stay angry, she had pushed him towards amnesty and forgiveness, making him think that Cal was actually sincere in his attempt to make amends.
If you can't forgive your father for yourself, do it for me.
Her one thing she hated more than pokemon battles at that time was how families were torn apart, how both sides were unwilling to forgive and let go. Slowly as he thought more and more about it, he realized that her conviction to save her mother from the Ultra dimension was far stronger. He was fairly sure that anything he'd say to dissuade her would be ineffective. She was going to do it with or without his aid.
Someone walking to his right caught his attention and he gave her a wave as he stepped past.
Hold on.
"Oh," she had turned around, stopping short as she took in who had just walked next to her.
Elio?
"Lillie?" His mouth had dropped open, seeing that she had a casual white dress jacket with short sleeves and a pair of pull cords. She had done away with her long boots, instead going with a pair of white sneakers and ankle socks.
What was most striking to him was her…hair. Gone were the braids on either side of her head and it was neatly tied into a ponytail that swished about in the light winds. Her hat was also absent and it took him a second to realize that this was the first time he didn't see it anywhere on her person at all.
It was like she had transformed into a completely different girl. But she was still that same Lillie he had known. The same one he grew to love.
Wow. Just wow. She's so…beautiful. And amazing.
For a few moments, the two of them stared directly at one another, unsure of what to say.
Lillie wondered if he was still angry at her, but there wasn't any certain emotion in his eyes. Or maybe it was a myriad of sadness, uncertainty, but most prevalent of them all…relief.
Her legs took a step forward and before she knew it, she had closed the gap between them. Desperately flinging her arms around the boy, quietly weeping into his shoulder in disbelief that he was actually up and standing before her. Her grip was tight, in a hold that telegraphed as if it was the only thing in the entire world that mattered.
A breathless gasp escaped his lips as Elio stiffened for just a moment before the tension melted away and he relaxed to put his arms around her, holding her close as she shook slightly. As if drawn automatically, hers had gone around the back of his shoulders as his encircled her waist.
"You're okay," she sniffled into his shirt. "Oh Elio…you're okay."
"Yeah," the answer came out of him as a whisper. "I am."
The memories of his tirade last night were still fresh on his mind and he was sure it was on hers too. "Listen…um, I've got uh something to tell you."
Lillie finally separated and looked at him eye level, her expression somber despite the recent relief.
"Me too."
Another deep breath. This is it. "I'm sorry."
Both teens had a look of surprise on their faces as they uttered the apology, not expecting the other to have the same words at the exact same moment.
"Huh?"
"Lillie," Elio started, tilting his head to look at her in the eyes. He needed her to know that this was sincere. The whole time of him hurting her with his words was eating away at him the more it had stuck in his head. "I'm really sorry about last night. The whole part of me frightening you. I was just so angry…at your mother for…all that and you."
The tears were fighting to the surface of his eyes and he closed them, still upset that this was making him so. As much as he wanted to be vulnerable around her he just…couldn't.
Dad always said it was a weakness when he changed. That the men in our family aren't allowed to express emotions like this.
"I was so angry at everyone, but I was the angriest at myself because I came this close to losing you. I…couldn't let that happen. I should have tried harder, fought harder."
"Elio," Lillie started.
Please not now. "And then I finally reached you, couldn't do anything to stop your mother. And through all that, I made you afraid of me. I made (me) afraid of me because that's the same anger and hurt my dad did. I…I couldn't lose you. I just couldn't."
He was shushed by the blonde, who bit her lip in sympathy and reached over to put a finger right on top of his own mouth as he opened it to speak again.
"I understand. And I'm sorry too. Sorry that I lashed out like that, for thinking you'd understand." She looked down at his left arm, where she could see the beginnings of the angry pink hue on his skin where the swelling of the scarification had manifested. "My mother…did unspeakable things to you…that nobody should ever deserve to suffer. I thought I was going to lose you too, someone I care so much about. It's all my fault, I won't be able to forgive myself for letting that happen to you."
Her eyes couldn't meet his anymore as she looked down ashamedly, finally finding the Tapu Koko pendant that hung around his neck. Could it have been one of the things looking out for him?
"And that part of lashing out to hurt when we were angry at each other?" She asked the open question that came to his mind. "I'm guilty of that too…I was upset that you wouldn't understand. You wouldn't understand how much I've sacrificed and had to endure and to watch everything happen like this. I'm upset at myself too…because I needed you the most when you weren't there…and I wasn't there for you."
Elio couldn't care less at that moment whether she was sorry or not. The only thing he repeated to himself was the fact that she was safe.
"Okay." Lillie almost flinched as he moved his head close, laying it on her shoulder. They held the embrace, turning to one another for that familiar companionship and bond that was continuing to grow. Any disagreements that they had would be for naught in stopping their efforts to grow closer together.
"Lillie, it's okay. You are still my friend and there is nothing that is ever going to change that. Not our pasts, not your mother. I…don't know if I have it in me to forgive her."
IF she wants to be forgiven in the first place. Or saved from wherever the hell they went.
She didn't want to think about her mother right now. She was with Elio and it had felt like a gigantic weight had just been lifted off her shoulders. He wasn't grudgeful.
The matter settled, they wistfully parted and took a step back. He finally got a chance to admire the new simple, yet stylish outfit she had picked out for herself.
Lillie felt a flush of embarrassment as Elio studied her.
Is he…checking me out?
Truth be told; her intuition wasn't far off. Elio noticed that the jacket had subtly highlighted her surprisingly trim figure. His gaze had gone to where it tapered around her hips, reminiscing the first time he had seen her in a bikini. His eyes were drawn to that area, covering that perfectly shaped midriff.
Damn it. She had caught him staring and it felt even more embarrassing after they had settled the matters and made up about their differences from last night.
"I got these clothes in Malie," Lillie said, thankfully interrupting his awkward stare. "Do you…you think it suits me?"
"Of course it does." The answer was undisputed. Shaking those other thoughts from his head, Elio admitted that her new attire was a welcome breath of fresh air. It wasn't flashy, glamorous and the subtlety of it meant she'd never draw attention willingly.
Barring him. He liked it. She was turning over a new leaf, coming out from that meek self she had on her mother's whim.
Her smile seemed to brighten the already sunny afternoon. "Oh tha- I mean, mahalo!"
Elio barked a laugh, clearly not expecting that either. I like this new Lillie. I like it a lot!
"I…I feel like I have to do so much now to save Nebby and to save my mother. I want to be like you Elio, strong enough to overcome any trial! I just hope that I have it in me to do that."
"I think you always have." Lillie's mouth fell open as he told her. "I think you've always had that innate drive and will to succeed. It has been there. In you. You just didn't know it yet."
She giggled softly, making Elio blush. "I suppose you're right. So I'll even have a Z-powered form!"
He watched as she formed the X with her arms, spreading them out and crossing them above and below her chest in a similar motion that was unpracticed and less fluid than him performing one with the Normalium. Though the technique was sloppy from a trainer standpoint, he knew that she was putting in the effort.
That's all that matters. She aced it for all I care.
"So this is where you were." Both teens turned to the new voice and saw Gladion making his way towards them. Elio stared at the majestic creature walking behind as it pegged them both with a piercing stare.
"Gladion?"
He blinked, seeing her for the first time in a different outfit than the white dress from the other night. "Oh, new clothes?"
"It was time." The response was subtle, yet the surprise of confidence thrilled both boys. It felt like the new Lillie they had known for only a couple of minutes was more suiting her than the old one he had known for months. "I…I can't keep relying on you, Elio and Hau to save me all the time. I have to be strong for myself."
Elio meanwhile was staring at the creature that was proudly carrying its head high. Is that Null?
Gladion had caught his gaze and turned proudly to his companion. He even thought he saw the hint of a smile flicker across his face again. "He's no longer Null. A strong bond that we share together and he crushed that control mask, now able to master that power. And his new name is Silvally."
Wow the name actually fits and I like it.
Elio sighed. "I guess that also means I have another apology to make to you. I've always called you a thing…an experiment. I got your trainer riled up a couple times too," he chuckled softly, seeing Gladion had made a face at the mention of that. "But, I was wrong to judge, even though my own dad even called me the same thing in his own drunken rage. I know I can't take back all those hurtful things I said, even more now that you're no longer what you used to be."
I admitted I was wrong. It's time to start making amends to that.
Silvally eyed him warily, but despite the pokemon's fierce gaze, Elio felt a comforting feeling of acceptance and understanding that emanated like a fine aura.
"But I'm glad that you have found your true form and power with that bond you share with Gladion, even when the Foundation couldn't. So...I'm sorry, for everything."
The creature's beaked snout moved closer and he could feel it sniffing him in curiosity. Silvally crooned softly and nuzzled his arm in a soft cry of affection.
"He likes you already." Gladion folded his arms in mock disappointment. "How come it took months for you to warm up to me, yet Elio actually isn't a jerk to us and you forgive him in seconds?"
To his surprise, both Elio and Lillie laughed, finding it a mix of relieved and exhilarating at the same time.
After a day like yesterday, I feel like I need something to smile and joke about.
"I found this downstairs," Gladion showed them an elongated object that took him a moment to realize it was a flute. His eyes were drawn to its burnt orange color that shimmered in the Alolan sun with a large four spoked star on the outside. Elio didn't know much about how to play flutes, but he figured it would be easy enough.
"It's the Sun flute." He started. "Apparently it's an artifact from Alola's past. When it is played in sync with the Moon flute, it is said to call forth the legendary pokemon. If you believe in those kinds of old myths."
Elio's head snapped up to attention. "Hold on. You said the Sun flute and Moon flute played together."
"Yeah."
He turned his head to Lillie. "Remember that book we saw in Malie's library? The Blessed Light of Alola? That final passage; two tones rang across the altar, even after mute. Is it referring to the Sun and Moon flutes?"
She opened her mouth, not having made that connection. "I never thought of that. Even when I read the book out loud, I thought it was just old stuff and riddles."
"Maybe it isn't after all." Gladion spoke up. "And what other ways do we have? Looks to me like that woman was planning to add the legendary pokemon to her collection."
That woman? His mother?
"I got something for you too." Elio's eyes went wide as he saw a poke ball in his hand with two magenta spots on either side of the top and a white letter "M" stamped on the top.
Is that?
"It's a Master Ball." Gladion told him. "It can catch any pokemon without fail. I am counting on you to help Lillie see this through."
Lillie saw his hesitance first, she knew what he was thinking. It was written all over him.
"Gladion…I'm sorry, but I don't know if I think I can. Not after this."
"What? Why not?"
"I just don't have it in me." Elio couldn't bring himself to look at either sibling in the eye and he pressed the Master Ball back into Gladion's hands. "I can't go and rescue someone who cut up my arm willingly."
"Elio please,"
"I'm sorry Lillie. I know you guys looked to me to be strong, but…I…I don't know if I have it in me to see this through like you asked."
Gladion looked like he was about to say something, but it was Lillie who spoke up.
"Elio, you're one of the strongest people I know. I truly wish that you could come and help me save my mother." She stepped forward, gently cradling his hands in hers. Her brother watched close by in silence. "However I understand. I understand, even though I don't like it. You're the reason I have gotten this far…found my brother and a concrete idea of how we could finally…finally put an end to this."
Her eyes met his and she knew that his own stubborn resolve was starting to burn away.
"You're as much of a part of this as us."
And that's what scares me the most. You're barely a trainer, yet going on something even I would consider challenging.
Could he even do something like this? Leave Lillie to handle the hardest, most arduous task by herself?
She needs help. She needs me.
Elio…I want…I need you. Please.
Fairly sure he was going to regret it, but Elio finally sighed.
"As much as it hurts…as much as everything is telling me to quit. I can't. It would be just as bad and I can't sit idly while someone I lo-care about goes off on their own to the unknown."
I don't even know if I could forgive myself if anything happened to her while I wasn't there.
"So?"
"So yeah. I may not agree with your decision to go and rescue your crazy mother, but I know it won't be an easy task and I can't stand by and watch you take on it alone."
Lillie gasped. "So you're going to come?"
"Yeah." The boy let out a soft smile. "Yeah I am."
"Yes! Thank you!" Elio gasped as Lillie had flung her arms around him, crushing him in a fierce hug. He returned the gesture as soon as the surprise wore off and quickly separated when Gladion cleared his throat.
"You forgot this," the Master Ball was tossed at him. Out of years of conditioned reflex, Elio caught it with his free hand and examined it. He looked back at Gladion with disbelief.
"This thing costs…I don't even know since Silph doesn't list it for commercial sale. But I know it's not cheap."
The boy gave a dismissive shrug. "I doubt our mother is going to notice it missing…and you never know when you're going to need it."
I dunno, this feels more like a collector's item than something to be used. They are that valuable.
"Gladion, but what are you going to do?"
He closed his eyes and turned to the larger Paradise building in front of them.
"I gotta clean up this mess that Mother and Faba made."
They watched him sigh and rub his temples, Silvally following behind. "All this time, I wanted to go with Null and get as far away from here as possible. But in the end, it looks like I wound up back here again. Not just that, but it's time we right this ship and get Aether back to its honest goal of pokemon conservation instead of chasing down fugitive pokemon."
Well said.
"Oye you guys!" Hau's voice rang across the courtyard, causing the three teens to look up at him bounding over. Wicke trailed behind, straightening her glasses.
"Woah!" He skidded to a stop, beaming at Lillie in her new outfit. "Lillie, is that you?"
"Haha! Yes, it is." She smiled, glad that he approved. "New outfit and all!"
"You look…fantastic! I love it!"
Gladion cleared his throat, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at Hau.
Elio didn't want another conflict to start, but amazingly Hau had either ignored the gesture or didn't care.
"I'm gonna train even harder now! I've gotta do more too! I keep getting bailed out by Elio, his pokemon too! It's not enough. I've got to save people and pokemon on my own. Otherwise I can't be an island kahuna and make people smile!"
Elio stepped forward. "Don't sell yourself short Hau. You may not have taken the lead when we stormed this place, but you always had my back…Gladion's too. And you pointed out Faba's error when we thought we were outwitted."
At the mention of the Branch Chief's name, Gladion seemed to snap out of his musings as Wicke approached.
"Faba…what happened to him?"
"He appears to have fled Aether Paradise." Wicke's voice softly cut through the afternoon breeze. "But I have my suspicions that he intends to head to the Galar region. Though he had attempted to wipe his email records and employee access, he had been in contact with Macro Cosmos."
"Macro Cosmos?" Gladion asked aloud. "The Galarian corporate giant?"
"What could Faba want with them?"
"That remains to be seen. Since he has locked access to his account, it may take our IT department some time to break the encrypted systems and access whatever is left…provided he didn't wipe his banks."
"Okay. Just keep us in the loop."
"Of course." Wicke gave a short bow and turned to leave, but stopped at seeing Elio.
"Mister Northstar, I never got the chance to properly pass along my gratitude once again for you aiding the young Master and Mistress Hyacinth. Your family has that effect of changing lives."
Huh? "What do you mean, my family?"
"Your father had rescued my fiance Xander, many years ago." She gave him a sad smile. "He carried him on his back through burning hallways with that loyal vaporeon clearing the way."
Elio stared at her in curiosity while Lillie and Gladion glanced at each other. He did that?
"I never knew Miss Wicke had a husband." She whispered.
"It's a story I will tell you for another time," Wicke said. "For now, I believe you had a plan of action?"
"We do." Gladion firmly said.
"Yeah and I have so much catching up to do!" Hau groaned. "I haven't even done Acerola's trial yet!"
"For what it's worth, sorry for dragging you into our family mess."
The kahuna's grandson folded his arms behind his head. "It's all good, brah. Besides, we got to see all sorts of stuff we'd never be able to see normally!"
To his left, Lillie almost laughed when Gladion rolled his eyes at that remark. "Yeah, our mother likes to do things…on a rather extravagant scale."
"I noticed. Well anyway," Hau sighed and fist bumped Elio. "I heard the ferry is resuming trips back to the islands! I'm gonna get a head start on that intense training!"
"I was really glad you came too Hau." Lillie stepped forward, hugging him gently and ignoring Gladion rolling his eyes yet again. "Thank you for watching Elio and my brother."
"I'm so glad you're safe." He was about to bound away when he stopped, coming back to Gladion's side this time. Instead of a handshake, he had held out a fist in offering.
The blond stared in confusion before gently cross tapping it with his own. Elio thought he saw a hint of a smile on Gladion's otherwise bland expression.
"You take care out there Hau."
"Pela no." He waved as he ran down the walkway towards the Paradise's marina. "I should wish you guys a good trip! I'm training myself and my pokemon again until I see you Elio! You be ready for the shock of a lifetime!"
"I bet!" Elio hollered back. "I'm still kicking your sorry ass!"
"Fat chance!"
Elio laughed at his retort and heard Hau's own laughter fade as he disappeared into the structure. Gladion stared at them, not sure whether to believe their smack talking was legitimate or whether they were just bickering.
"Rivals don't have to be people you vehemently hate," as if the other boy was reading his mind. "He's my friend first, rival second. I always love to push him to his limits and I can count on him to do the same."
"I'll never admit it out loud to him either, but I kind of enjoyed his company." Gladion said. "As for you two, I can at least get you to Poni Island, where you'll be able to hopefully get more answers on the legendary pokemon."
"Sounds good."
"Let's go Elio!" Lillie made a triumphant fist. "It's time to show the world what we can really do."
Though he wanted to nod in agreement, he wasn't sure it was exactly right.
"No. The world already knows what I'm capable of. It's time to show the world what Lillie can really do."
Phew! The third story arc is finally finally done! Now we're on to the final one and I'll be honest, some good ol' adventurin' is probably something I need. Unfortunately, due to other obligations and the tragedy at my workplace, I don't know when the next update will be out.
Translations:
Pela no - Likewise/same
As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.
Brav