I*A*C
Lusamine hoisted the backpack onto her shoulders, watching as Tai did the same thing. She followed his example, tying the extra straps of her backpack around her waist, pulling it taught. Immediately, she felt the weight of her bag on her hips, instead of on her shoulders. Oh wow, this would be a lot easier! She gave the boy a smile, earning one in return as her daddy and Victor looked them both over, ensuring they both had all of their things. Lusamine double checked that Lily's poké ball was on the belt of her skirt, nodding to herself once she confirmed that it was there.
The girl watched as her best friend double checked his own bags. It was kind of silly looking at him, but a part of her knew that despite it all, it would all be a necessity. Along with his normal hiking backpack they'd gotten from the stores, Tai had opted to buy things from Hau'oli City instead of online, he would also be taking with him a rolling cooler bag with large wheels for their food and drinks, a small utility belt full of all sorts of useful things, and a second, smaller backpack, filled with his homemade poké balls and other stuff, that he'd tied to the cooler bag's handle. Lusamine realized that she had gotten off lucky with just her hiking backpack.
"Seems like we're all set," Tai spoke up, finishing his final checks. Daddy and Victor both took a few steps back, looking at the duo standing in the foyer in front of the door to the outside world. "Thanks for funding all of this, Aster. I really appreciate it."
"Think nothing of it, son," daddy replied, waving his hand dismissively and giving the two children a smile. "Just keep my little girl safe, alright? I'll see the two of you in a week or two." Daddy moved to give Lusamine a hug, which she eagerly accepted. "Stay safe, sweetheart. Daddy's gonna miss you, but I'll be fine here, with your mother." He pulled back, resting his hands on her shoulders as he knelt down to her level. "You go out and have fun, alright? Keep this little scamp out of trouble, you hear?"
"I will, daddy!" Lusamine promised him, a wide smile crossing her face. Tai was already opening the door by the time she'd pulled away from her daddy, and the two kids walked out, waving goodbye to the adults behind them. "Bye, daddy! I'll be home, soon!"
"Have fun, pumpkin!" He called after her.
"Seeya later, feraligators!" Tai called back as well as the two kids walked down the massive driveway from Lusamine's estate house. Patches of cultivated flowers lined the hilly road, and Lusamine could see several of the gardeners with their Water and Grass Type Pokémon tending to the plants. A few of them waved goodbye to them, smiles on their faces. Of course, Lusamine waved back, with her best friend following her example not long after.
It didn't take them long to pass by the large, iron gates of the estate, Hau'oli City visible further down the side of the mountain. It was a silent, peaceful walk for the two traveling children. Normally, either she or Tai would try to fill in the silence with idle banter or discussion, but it didn't feel right to just break up the sounds of the rustling breeze, or the cries of the natural fauna around them. It was a comfortable silence that Lusamine was only used to in the garden behind her home.
A small family of yungoos crossed their path on the road, and various insect and bird Pokémon watched them from the sides of the road and from overhead. When they reached and walked down the main road, Lusamine would wave to the passing joggers, bicyclists, and hikers that passed by them, with Tai often doing the same. They'd exchange cheerful and friendly 'Alola' greetings, and then carry on about their business. It was strange to think that, only a week prior, Alola had been so dangerous and scary for her.
Lusamine reached back down, gently caressing Lily's poké ball. It was still there. She was safe. Tai was beside her, and they were going to get him a Pokémon so they both could be safer; and with how Tai trained Pokémon and just instinctively knew what they were like, she knew any Pokémon would be more than enough. Though it did beg the question, what kind of Pokémon did he really want?
There were all kinds that could be found on Ula'Ula Island, after all. Lusamine had even read on Dexbase, which she was assured was the most reliable source of trainer information and social media, that there had been a large amount of beldum present around Mt. Hokulani a few months ago. Beldum were extremely rare and solitary Pokémon, and not a lot was actually known about their natural habits. Still, she knew they could evolve into powerful and intelligent metagross, which would be a perfect partner for her best friend. After all, it seemed like he had an affinity for Steel-Types, if Aggron and Steelix were anything to judge him by.
Or, maybe he would catch a mudbray, like he'd said. Thinking more, Lusamine didn't really know where exactly they'd be going. Would they just be finding a spot and camping, or would they be traveling the whole time? Well, there was no time like the present.
"Tai?" the girl spoke up. Her friend looked at her, focusing his attention. "What's our plan? Are we gonna stay out in the wilderness for a long time, or are we gonna be traveling a lot? where are we even going, after the observatory?" Tai was silent for almost a minute, looking back to the way they were traveling. His gaze briefly wandered towards Ula'Ula Island, visible on the horizon past Akala Island.
"Probably camping on Route 12," he replied. Lusamine frowned, knowing that couldn't be all.
"And after that?"
"After that, I was planning on just setting up for a bit. Relax out in the wild," he continued, answering her. He wouldn't meet her eyes, instead staring out towards Ula'Ula. Towards Mount Lanakila and Mount Hokulani. He was lying. He was lying, and his real plans involved one of those mountains. Probably Lanakila, since she already knew they'd be going up Mount Hokulani, eventually.
"Okay," she replied, hoping he would continue to think that she believed him. They hadn't packed for snowy-weather; well, she hadn't, but there was no telling what else was in that second bag of his. "I'm really happy you let me come along," she told him, hoping to guilt him a little into coming clean with her. "You always seem to get into trouble, but I know we'll be safe if we stay together!" She saw him slouch a bit while he walked. A part of her felt bad, but she couldn't let him just go out alone.
"I was thinking about stopping by someplace on the way," Tai told her after a few minutes. Lusamine stayed silent, letting him continue. He looked back at her for a second, making sure she was listening. "I- Hm," he grumbled, obviously trying to figure out what he wanted to say. "My grandparents live in Malie City," he told her. She gave him time to think and continue what he wanted to say. "I wanted to visit them before we actually head out into the wilderness. Just to... make sure they're alright, and to ask a favor of them."
"It sounds like you don't get along?" She spoke softly, unsure of what else to say or ask. "Don't your grandparents like you?" Lusamine had only met them a few times before they died, but she loved the dearly. Daddy had said they'd died in a car crash, but never anything more than that. Now, she had the itching feeling that Team Solar had something to do with it.
"They don't like that I'm a bastard," Tai told her straight up. Lusamine winced at the vulgar language, but didn't press him about it. He didn't seem too happy bringing them up, and she didn't want to make things worse. She'd probably already done that by trying to guilt him, earlier. Oops... "Grandma and grandpap are traditionalists, and don't like the fact that mom had me outside of marriage. In fact, they don't like that she's not married at all." Tai had a frown on his face, though she couldn't tell what part of what he'd said made him unhappy.
"I saw them last when I was three," he told her, gently readjusting his backpack on his shoulders, before stopping to re-tighten the strap around his waist. Lusamine waited patiently. "I remember overhearing them arguing with mommy about me. They wanted her to give me up for adoption, while mommy just wouldn't have that. I don't think she's ever gone back to see them, since." Tai paused again as they started to continue their walk. "I think they got along before I was born, though. She cried herself to sleep when we got home. She was really excited to introduce me, too." Lusamine wasn't sure what to say about any of this.
"I'm sorry," she settled on, instead. Tai shook his head, giving her a gentle smile.
"Thanks, but you have nothing to be sorry for," he told her, as if she didn't already know that. "Still, I appreciate the sentiment. This'll be the first time I'll have seen them since then, so... I'm not sure how it'll go. I really don't know if they're aware that mommy's in the hospital. For their sakes, I hope not." Things were quiet, afterwards. It was a little tense, but that slipped away pretty quickly for something more comfortable as Tai began to relax, again.
Lusamine remained quiet, hoping that he'd just admit that he intended to leave her behind at some point, but he never said a word about it. Oh, sure, they talked about inane things every couple of minutes as they hiked, but there was nothing more of any importance to their trip. Just pointing out places they'd like to visit and things they'd hope to do when they got back. He even suggested they spend a day at the beach when they got back, so at least he was intending to return with her. Though she didn't know if the beach was intended to be an apology, or some kind of assurance that he wouldn't be abandoning her part-way through. Maybe both.
With all of their small talk, the hour walk to the ferry port didn't seem all that long to Lusamine. The smell of salt in the air washed over her senses, along with a pleasant sea breeze. The two kids flashed their ferry tickets to the sailor, and he smiled and waved to them as he let them onto the small boat headed to Malie City. Lusamine returned the greeting, though Tai seemed a bit lost in thought to do the same. Soon enough, they were both standing at the front of the little ferry, staring out into the ocean as they waited for it to depart.
She stood on her tip-toes, looking over the boat's lower railing that was there for kids around her size and into the water. Already, she could see Water-Type Pokémon swimming in the ocean, unconcerned with the humans above and around them. A small school of remoraid swam past the docked boat, off to who-knows-where. A dark, purple vaporeon gently swam around the boat, staring at Lusamine and Tai for a moment before melting into the water and disappearing into a dark patch of water.
"Do you have a favorite Water-Type Pokémon?" Lusamine found herself asking, glancing over at her best friend. Tai spared her a look, before focusing as he considered an answer. He hummed in thought, looking out into the distant waters of Alola. The ocean always seemed to be dyed a deep blue, a color that Lusamine really loved. "Mine is frillish. It's so cute looking, even though it's kind of a dangerous Pokémon, too." Tai nodded, probably only half paying attention. That was okay, as long as he actually listened even a little bit.
"I think mine has to be quagsire," Tai answered her. It took Lusamine a few moments to remember what kind of Pokémon that was. She recalled that quagsire and its pre-evolution, wooper, lived in the White Forest in Unova, and the memory of what they looked like brought a smile to her face. "It's just a big, derpy boy, and I love them. Definitely not the strongest out there, but they always seem to be having a good time."
"You like cute Pokémon?" Lusamine asked, surprised that it's never really come up, before. In fact, how much did she really know about her best friend's likes? "I always thought you'd like more cool looking Pokémon, or really strong ones."
"I do, but cuteness has a charm of its own," Tai told her as the horn for the ferry blared a couple of times, and she felt the boat start moving shortly after. "Pichu was one of- no, is still one of my favorite Pokémon, and it's adorable! I wouldn't want to use one in a serious battle, but I wouldn't mind keeping one around as a pet." Lusamine hummed, imagining if her family could get their hands on a pichu. She heard they were super expensive and needed safety forms, since their inability to control their electricity could cause problems, and even put people in danger.
"Then, if you could have any Pokémon in the world, what would it be?" Lusamine asked, once more watching as her best friend lost himself in thought.
"That's a pretty hard question," Tai told her after a moment, relaxing as his brain slowed down a bit. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the breeze that was being kicked up by the moving ferry. Lusamine smiled, though, happy she could provide him a little thought challenge. "I guess... Any Pokémon in the world, huh? I guess... a cyndaquil." The surprise she felt must have shown on her face, because once glance from him was all it took for him to start laughing. "That strange, huh?"
"N-No, not at all!" Lusamine protested, though she should have known that he could tell she wasn't being honest. A cyndaquil? Out of anything in the world, why that Pokémon? "I mean, it's just- you don't seem like the kind of boy who would want something so... weak?" Thankfully, he didn't seem at all offended by the remark.
"I guess not," Tai admitted, his laughter dying down. He gently played with the promise ring on his hand, twisting it this way and that on his finger. "The truth is, I love Fire-Type Pokémon the most. I couldn't possibly tell you why, but something about Fire-Types draw me in like nothing else. Cyndaquil is the first Fire-Type I ever learned of, and I always thought it was cute. Maybe it's not the strongest Pokémon out there, but how could I possibly deny a cute little fella like they are?" Lusamine smiled at the wistfulness on his face.
"So, you really like Fire-Types?" Lusamine asked, getting a nod from the boy. "So, then why not catch a salandit or a turtonator for your first Pokémon? Why mudbray?" Tai looked away, slightly.
"Well, salandits only evolve as females, at least as far as we know of, and salazzle is..." He trailed off, biting his bottom lip for just a moment. "Salazzle are walking, ticking time-bombs of bad touch, we'll say." Lusamine grimaced at the thought, understanding his reason for that, at least. "And turtonator... Well, it'll probably sound weird coming from me, but I just don't like how turtonators look. I know they're pretty powerful and all, but I'd rather my first Pokémon at least look cool." That was... Lusamine guessed that made sense. "I'm fine with any Pokémon, honestly, but I do have my own preferences."
"Mudbray is one of them?"
"Mm, yeah. If we can find one with the Stamina Ability, that would be useful, but I'd settle for Own Tempo as well."
"I thought you were gonna try and find a beldum. There were a bunch of them around the observatory a while ago." Tai blinked in surprise at Lusamine's words, glancing at Mt. Hokulani in the distance.
"There were, huh...?" He wondered aloud. Lusamine smiled, realizing she'd known something he hadn't! "That's... definitely an idea..."
"I can help you, of course!" She offered further, giving her best friend a wide smile. "Lily and I can weaken it, and then you throw your poké balls!" She only just caught the grimace on his face before he looked back at her, his expression neutral again. Did he not like the idea?
"Aren't beldum notoriously hard to catch?" Tai asked, blowing the wind from her sails a bit. Well, that was true... Lusamine nodded. "I only have sixteen of these poké balls. I'd rather catch something a bit less... resistant to them. The only other way would be to convince it to be my Pokémon, and assuming there was a lot of them in a hivemind, I don't see that happening any time soon." Lusamine deflated at his words, and not even the feeling of his hand on her back made her feel better.
"Sorry, Lucy," he apologized, even though he technically hadn't done anything wrong. "I appreciate your help, and I know you think highly of me, but I don't think I'm at the level of catching a beldum just yet." Maybe that was true. From what Lusamine heard, only a few top percentages of trainers were even capable of catching, much less raising, anything from the beldum line. If Tai thought he wouldn't be able to do it, she'd just have to trust his judgement. "Besides, I don't think I could handle trying to deal with a Psychic-Type." Huh? Why not? Lusamine was given no answer, though, since Tai just seemed to drop the topic entirely.
"Um, well," the girl tried to think of another thing they could talk about. "Are there any foods you're excited to try in Malie City?" There! That would work. All boys liked talking about food, right? It was all he and Mohn ever talked about at lunch, and she remembered Kanu- Lusamine's eye twitched, frowning before catching herself. She put on a cheery smile, instead, reminding herself that she was here with the boy she liked.
"Ah, well, I hear Johto food is really good," Tai told her, unaware of her internal thoughts. "I've been meaning to try some taiyaki and authentic ramen. I dunno where we could get some good grub, though..."
"Just leave that to me!" Lusamine grabbed her phone from her skirt pocket, her fingers flying across the little keyboard in search of places to eat in Malie City. She saw in the corner of her eye as Tai relaxed his posture a bit, smiling as he looked at her. Maybe it wasn't much, but she wasn't about to be useless to him. Her eyes swept across the screen as she looked at the Porygle results. "There's a place called Kaiseki Sun Garden near the Malie Heiwana Garden on the north side of the city. It's got all sorts of good looking food on their website! See?" Lusamine turned her phone so Tai could see the pictures of the carefully prepared kaiseki courses, and watched as his eyes widened at the sight.
"Wait, they've got a little lemon ice-cream scoop with chocolate pieces to look like a pichu," he admired aloud. "And there's a platter of... something in the shape of a battle between a blastoise and venusaur. Man, that looks incredible! Ah... though maybe not very filling?"
"They have a menu for normal stuff, too," Lusamine assured him, scrolling down the page to the teishoku meal sets and Galarian-style options. "The menu is almost five pages long!" Tai, however, didn't share her excitement.
"Five pages, huh?" he asked, looking it over. "With a lot of different choices, too. I wonder how many chefs they have at any given time..." Lusamine blinked, a little surprised he wasn't more excited.
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah, it's just that most restaurants with really good food tend to keep their menus small," he told her. Did they...? "It's a convenience thing. If you force your chefs to memorize too many dishes, the quality has a tendency to go down for every extra item; especially if it's too varied. To improve efficiency and quality, a lot of places usually keep a strict limit to how many dishes have different primary ingredients. Not only that, but it makes it easier for customers to make a choice when given fewer options." Lusamine took all that in. Was that really true?
"But... wouldn't more things be better? That way people can get exactly what they want," she asked, still a bit confused. More was always better, wasn't it?
"Ah, but if you have too many options, then a customer might get stuck choosing between multiple different things," Tai told her. "It's like when we have multiple choice questions on tests at school. We usually only have four answers for those, right?" Lusamine nodded. "Could you imagine trying to pick just one answer if there were, say, twenty options?" The girl tried to think about it, and even that much made her head begin to spin.
"I think I get it," she replied, shaking her head free of those thoughts. "I never thought it could be so hard to make a menu. Um, does that mean you don't want to eat here...?" She felt her heart sink a little. Even when she was trying to help...
"Oh, no, it's a great choice, actually!" Tai told her, taking her phone and pointing at the screen. "See, you were looking at the full menu. They have two pages for breakfast and brunch, one for lunch, one for dinner, and one for dessert and alcoholic drinks. The regular drinks also take up a good portion of each menu, so it's actually a lot smaller than what it looks like on the surface. You made a good decision, and now you can tell how you made it good aside from everything just looking tasty." Lusamine's eyes brightened at the praise, and she smiled, seeing everything he'd pointed out. "I think this place sounds great. I'm a bit cruddy with maps, so do you think you could find out where it is and lead us to it?"
"O-Of course!" Lusamine exclaimed, excited that she was finally helping all on her own. "Don't worry, I'll make sure we get exactly where we need to go!" Just in time, as well, since the ferry was pulling up to the port in Malie City. It was crazy how fast they'd gotten here, but she wasn't about to complain. Giddy with responsibility, Lusamine happily led her friend through the streets of Malie City, following the little map on her phone.
The city itself was breathtaking, in Lusamine's opinion, with buildings in a traditional Johtonian style mixed with large glass buildings, giving the entire place a feel of modern mixed with old traditions. It was exactly the kind of place she'd read about in her manga, and her inner otaku was so freaking excited to be here! She saw girls wearing kimonos walking down the street beside girls wearing the latest trends, and boys their age playing with plastic katanas. The streets were made of circular stone bricks, each laid with care beside the cobblestone sidewalks. Mudsdale and mudbray pulling carts walked up and down the roads, acting as transportation in place of motor vehicles, though she could see many cheaper, older models driving around as well.
"This place is like a weeb's fantasy," Tai spoke, chuckling under his breath. Even as he said that, Lusamine could see his eyes drinking in every sight. She grit her teeth as she noticed his eyes linger on a kimono girl for a bit longer than she'd have liked. "Can't say I hate the scenery, though."
"Do you think I'd look good in one of those?" Lusamine asked. His neck nearly snapped as he turned to face her, and he had the audacity to look mareepish from being caught ogling. "Well?"
"Oh, yeah, definitely," he replied once he'd gotten his bearings again. "I think you'd look really cute! Heck, when you get older, I bet you'll look even more stunning than any of the girls, here." The blonde's eyes widened at the casual admission, and she felt her face flush red as she tried to look anywhere but at him.
"A-Ah, you think so!?" she shouted, feeling warm and giddy. "I think so too! Oh, our food is this way, let's go!" She grabbed his hand, dragging him along as she ran down the road that her phone was saying the restaurant was, his laughter echoing behind her all the while.
Kaiseki Sun Garden. A decently sized two-story restaurant with a clear view of the Malie Heiwana Gardens to the north, resting on the edge of a gentle cliff to the northern side of the city. It had a quiet atmosphere, with many wooden half-barriers separating the tables to the sound would be absorbed into the shrubbery planted on top. Pillars made of Johtonian ivory lilac wood kept the second floor and ceiling aloft, and a grand babbling zen waterfall decorated the very center of the dining room. The second floor's center was cut in an overhang, allowing those dining away from the walls to gaze down at the waterfall piece.
On the northern side of the restaurant, large glass windows allowed all nearby to overlook the gardens. The western wall was decorated in paintings of various Pokémon and plants, while the eastern wall housed a small stage for performers; which I assumed was only used during the dinner hours. I vaguely recalled a kind of building philosophy that would love this place, but I couldn't remember exactly what it was.
Regardless, the place was fancy and delightful to be seated in, further confirming to me that Lucy had made a wise choice on a whim when she'd opted to come here. I glanced down at the single menu page before me for lunch, once more going over my options. I'd already decided what I wanted, of course, and wasn't about to change my mind. However, it never hurt to look again. Across from me, my best friend had already decided on what she wanted as well, and was looking out the window beside us at the lush, beautiful zen gardens to the north. We'd been fortunate enough to land a window seat, though I had a feeling it was more by design. There wasn't much of a lunch rush, meaning the staff could focus customers to the true draw of the restaurant and remain efficient.
"It's a lovely sight," I spoke out aloud, and Lucy turned to face me. "I'm glad you found this place. I probably would have stopped at a ramen stand or something if I'd been on my own. Oh, thanks for covering the costs, too." I still felt bad abusing her money like this, but I could excuse it since it had been her idea. Still, I didn't want to get complacent with having a rich best friend. That's how spoiled brats are made. Speaking of which...
I frowned as I stared over at a family of three; both the mother and father seemed exhausted and had given up hope while their child, some brat of a boy a year or two younger than Lucy and I, threw a fit because of... I think it was because this place wasn't serving hot dogs? I heard as Lucy expressed her happiness at my appreciation, but focused a bit more on the kid ruining the atmosphere. I pleaded with my eyes for the mother, who was seated facing our direction, to just take the kid out and get him a goddamn hot dog or, better yet, discipline her child and tell him it was inappropriate to act like this in public. Unfortunately, my wishes went unanswered.
As the kid screamed louder about the unfairness of it all, I met eyes with the maître d', who was beginning to walk in the direction of the unruly child's family. I glanced back at the mother, able to see the dark circles under her eyes, as well as the colorful tropical shirt that her husband was wearing. I sighed, standing up as Lucy watched in bewilderment. "I'll be right back," I told her. "Tell the waiter I'd like the Johtonian tonkatsu burger, with miso glazed eggplant as a side." With that, I power-walked over to the exhausted family.
"Alola, little cousin!" I greeted the boy, immediately getting the attention of all three people at the table. "I couldn't help but notice that you were wanting a hot dog! Is that right?"
"Y-Yeah," the boy sniffed, looking at me like I was some weird alien. He had on a nice button-up shirt which had been untucked during his fit, and his blue eyes were red from crying and screaming. "I want a hot dog!"
"Hey, they might not have hot dogs here, but you know what's just as good?" I asked him. He eyed me warily, and I could see his mom and dad also trying to figure out my game. I ignored them for now, though. "Take a look at this," I pointed at the menu he had at the pork cutlet and egg rice bowl. "It's like... a really good hotdog that's been fried, and even has rice with it! Rice is good, isn't it?" It took a moment, but the boy nodded.
"But it's not a hot dog..."
"Oh, but it is! See, hot dogs are made from pigs, and this is made from pig, too! Right?" The boy nodded again. "So, it's basically the same thing. Don't you think?"
"But it looks weird," the boy argued, frowning, but now quieter than he had been, prior.
"Hah, yeah, it does," I agreed with him. "But hot dogs look weird too, don't they? They're big ol' tubes of meat, right? That's pretty funny looking." I nodded my head, letting my voice be a bit goofy to try and convince his mind that I was right. He smiled and laughed a little. "Hey, if you don't like it, then I'm sure mom and dad would be happy to get you a hot dog later, right?" I glanced at his parents.
"Th-That's right!" his father caught the ball I was rolling, first, agreeing with me. "Once we're done here, if you really don't like it, we can always get you a hot dog, after. But you have to try this, first."
"And you have to behave, too," I added, looking the boy in the eyes. "You're a good, smart kid, right? Your mom and dad must love you a whole lot to bring you on vacation here with them, so it's only right that you try and be on your best behavior." The kid looked down, ashamed as I gently scolded him. "There's a time to be loud, but in here, you gotta be nice and quiet for other people. Would you like it if someone was really loud while you were trying to read, or something like that?"
"No..." the boy admitted. He frowned, looking at the table.
"Hey, chin up, little cuz. I bet you're all sorts of tired, and that's really screwed up your mood, huh? You must've flown far to get here."
"We're from Kalos," the mom offered. "It was a very long flight, and Jaune didn't get a lot of sleep because he was so excited to be flying."
"Tell you what, maybe after you eat, you take a long nap, how's that sound?" The boy nodded, looking back at the menu in front of him. I gently cursed internally that this place didn't have some kind of kid's menu. "Alright. You gonna be good for mom and dad?"
"Mhm."
"Okay then, little cuz. I hope you enjoy your cutlet!" I reached over and gently ruffled his hair a bit, making him laugh and slap at my hand before walking away. I caught his mom mouthing a 'thank you' to me, while his dad met my eyes and gave me an appreciative nod. Looking over at the maître d', I shot the stunned man a thumbs up before returning to the table where Lucy was waiting for me. "Sorry about that."
"How did you know that would calm him down?" She asked, seeming genuinely surprised. "He was so loud and rude, I thought they'd be kicked out, for sure!"
"Honestly, I had no idea," I admitted, chuckling. Her bewilderment was palpable. "I just played it by ear. Most kids will be a bit off-put if a stranger comes and talks to them, and that gives you the perfect chance to get a word in. All I did was let him direct where the conversation went, while I dictated the flow and tone."
"Huh?"
"Ah, maybe what I just said didn't make any sense," I admitted, chuckling a bit more. "Don't worry about it, Lucy. All that matters is Jaune is calm now, and his mom and dad will probably take him for a nap so they can all enjoy their vacation." I saw as Lucy stared at me, eyes full of wonder, and I couldn't help but preen a little under the attention.
"Young sir," a waiter walked up to our table while I was distracted, and I acknowledged him. "On behalf of the Kaiseki Sun Garden, we'd like to thank you for your efforts to calm down a very... ah, tense situation." I smiled, finding amusement in the fact that some guy over twice my age was having to thank me for acting like a responsible adult who's dealt with kids, before. "As thanks, we'd like to offer your meals on the house." I glanced over at Lucy, and we shared a brief look. I glanced back at the waiter, whose nametag told me his name was Kenji.
"Thanks, Kenji," I told him, offering the older young man a smile. "I think we'd really appreciate that. I'll be sure to not abuse this kindness." He bowed to us, walking away swiftly back to the stand near the front of the dining room. "Huh. Ya know, I hadn't even considered that would be an option. Guess we lucked out." I glanced over at Lucy, who was staring at Kenji's back. "Lucy?"
"What is your luck?" She asked, and I couldn't help but laugh at her question. "Seriously, what is it!?" I shifted the topic, my amusement lingering through the entirety of our meal. As the family left, I gave Jaune a little wave goodbye, which he returned when he saw it. Lunch was delicious, made all the more appetizing due to the fact we hadn't had to pay a single cent for it. Ah, it was nice when things worked out.
Even with how everything had worked out during lunch, she should have known that their good fortune wouldn't last. It always seemed to shift from one extreme to another whenever Tai was involved in anything. First off, they had gotten hopelessly lost. As it turned out, Tai didn't actually know where his grandparents lived, and they'd had to resort to looking in a phonebook for their address. That had been embarrassing. Secondly... they didn't actually know where said address was, so they'd wasted about an hour asking person after person where the street actually was. As it turned out, it was only a few blocks away from Kaiseki Sun Garden. All the way on the other side of the city, by the time they'd figured it out. As if that wasn't enough... Lusamine had never realized just how easily distracted Tai was. Of course, he was a goof sometimes, but she never expected him to be this scatterbrained.
"Wait, wait, that's a maid cafe!" Lusamine turned to see what Tai was looking at, and sure enough, there was a cutesy cafe with teenage girls dressed up like Kalosian maids as its main selling point. There were even eevees inside so you could pet them while you ate- oh, Arceus, it was so cute! Wait, she couldn't let herself get distracted, even as Tai was wandering towards the cafe.
"Tai, we have to get to your grandparents' house," Lusamine reminded him, seeing him flinch at her tone. His shoulders slumped a bit.
"Yeah, yeah," the boy grumbled, continuing his walk down the road with her. It only lasted for a few minutes before his head was on a swivel again, looking at the small shops they passed by before the stores were replaced by cute, traditional-looking houses ripped straight out of a Johtonian manga. "I think that's it," Tai said as he stared at a small, single-story house on the right side of the street. Lusamine double checked the address, nodding. If all the information they'd learned was right, then this was definitely the place.
Tai stared at the building, small walls and a gate outlining the property. Like every other house on this street, it had an indigo tiled roof, as well as cream-colored walls. There was a small garden near the front door and against the perimeter wall on the road's side, as well as a mudbray that huffed and watched them warily from a stall just inside the gate. Through the front window, Lusamine could see an espeon curled up on the sill inside, enjoying the warm light of the sun.
"Are we going in?" Lusamine asked, turning to her best friend. He just stared at the building in front of him, thoughts racing behind his eyes. She wondered what exactly he was thinking about. "Tai?"
"Just... give me a second," he told her, his voice quiet. She gave him a few moments, worry forming in her heart. "I just... Ok, I think I'm ready." Tai let out a deep sigh, before pushing forward and marching past the gate. His expression resembled that of a man resigned to death. The duo walked up the short garden path to the front door, cutiefly and combee enjoying the flowers present around them. Tai was the first to step up to the blue door, and his hand wavered for a moment before he gently knocked on it a couple of times. Idly, Lusamine noted that the espeon was watching them through half-lidded, lazy eyes, now.
It took but a minute for the door to open, and in front of her stood a somewhat tall woman with pale skin, laugh lines, and dark hair that seemed to be greying. She was dressed in a white kimono top, and long, black hakama pants. Her eyes were a sharp dark brown, and she stared down at them with a gentle, if confused, smile.
"Ah, hello children," the woman spoke, her tone kind and gentle. "Are you lost, perhaps? I'm afraid I don't have anyone here to play with you, if you're looking for some friends."
"Hello, grandmother," Tai spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. Lusamine looked over to him, seeing the tightness on his face as he struggled to keep his composure. She glanced back at the woman, who looked him over more closely before her expression mirrored his. "It's been a while."
"Taiyo," the woman replied, voice equally strained. "I didn't realize your mother was so incapable that she'd send you to us to care for." Tai's fists clenched beside him, and his jaw set as he no doubt bit back whatever harsh words he wanted to say.
"Mommy's in a coma," Tai told the older woman, and the stoicism disappeared from her face. "She was caught in an attack by a Psychic-Type trying to protect me from it. She's been out of it for... a couple of weeks, now." Disbelief and bewilderment flashed over the old woman.
"Why weren't we...?" She muttered breathlessly, before shaking her head. "Where have you been staying, Taiyo?" She blinked, before taking a step back and waving the two children inside. "Er, please, come in. I'll have some tea ready in just a few moments, then you can tell me everything. Please, take your shoes off inside." Tai's grandmother turned around, walking down the foyer hall of her house while both Lusamine and Tai followed her. The girl looked around, curiously. She'd never been in a place like this before, and she couldn't help but want to take in every inch.
As instructed, Tai and Lusamine took their shoes off by the front door, taking their first steps on the dark, hard wood floors. To the right side of the entrance was a living room, with a single couch on the back wall, a coffee table, and a small television box on a stand opposite of the couch. Bamboo shoots lined the upper portions of the walls, while mocha-colored wooden boards swept across the bottom portion. However, that wasn't what caught Lusamine's attention. As she and Tai sat on the couch and listened to his grandmother hum while she readied some tea, she looked at the many portraits on the walls.
A young man embraced a young woman in front of the open ocean, both dressed for the beach with bright smiles on their faces. The man was far more tan than the woman, and it looked like he was a local to Alola, while the woman was foreign. That must have been Tai's grandparents when they were young. There was a wedding photo as well, both dressed in traditional Johtonian garb for their ceremony. What normally would be a very serious event was undercut by the wide smile on the man's face, while the woman seemed to be holding back her laughter.
The next one was of the happy couple holding a young, infant girl. She had light tan skin, lighter than Tai's, and beautiful eyes that screamed innocence. Beside that photo was one of the girl a few years older, holding a young eevee that was obviously trying to struggle out of her too-tight grip. More pictures decorated the room, from left to right, detailing the history of this happy family. Then, somewhere in the girl's young adult years, they just stopped. Given what Tai had said back when they were leaving home, and how his grandmother had initially acted, she could understand why that was.
But there was one last photograph, slightly hidden on the little table beside the couch. Lusamine had to crane her neck to see it behind the beautiful vase lamp. An image of that young woman holding a baby boy, a smile on her face as she stood before the garden in front of the house. The girl reached over, gently tracing her finger over the top rim of the wooden frame, surprised that it lacked any dust.
"Forgive me for the wait," Tai's grandmother asked them as she walked in the side door, which Lusamine saw led into a dining room. She assumed that it also led into a kitchen, further in. She held a beautiful tea set in her hands, and gently placed it on the table in front of the couch. Idly, Lusamine noticed there wasn't another chair in the room they were in.
"I can grab a seat from the other room," Tai offered, already standing from the couch, but his grandmother waved him down, already moving to do so, herself.
"No, no, don't worry about it," she told him, grabbing a wooden chair from the dining room and setting it on the opposite side of the coffee table as the couch. "Just allow me to pour you both some tea, and tell me what's happened to your mother. Ah, it's a green tea with honey. I hope neither of you mind." Tai and Lusamine both shook their heads, letting the older woman do as she wished while they all got comfortable.
"About a couple of weeks ago, I was at the battle courts behind the hotel mommy works at with... a friend," Tai began to explain, his grandmother listening with half attention. "There was an accident, and she got caught in a Psychic-Type attack meant for us, and went down. She hasn't been awake since."
"There were no barriers up?" The woman asked.
"No, it-" Tai cut himself off, obviously trying to think of the words that he wanted to say. To her credit, his grandmother gave him the time to do so while she poured their tea. "There's been... negligence at the resort, recently. The staff responsible for keeping up the barriers around battles were cutting corners, and it had been their lunchtime. Up until then, there hadn't been any accidents, so they'd apparently thought it would be fine to leave things be for half an hour while they all got food, together. They were close enough to see what happened, but not close enough to do anything about it."
Lusamine heard the older woman curse gently under her breath, shaking her head with disappointment. "I hope they lost their jobs for that," she grumbled loud enough for the two children to hear.
"They did," Tai told his grandmother. Lusamine smiled, half listening as she enjoyed the green tea. "I don't know all the details, but... there's some sort of litigation going on over it. I had to talk to a lawyer after it happened, but I don't remember a lot of that."
"Of course not," the woman didn't seem to blame him at all, her eyes drifting to the partially hidden picture behind the lamp. "Well, at least somebody is taking it seriously." The woman sighed, looking back at her grandson. "Has Kaliope been... Aside from being in a coma, has she been well cared for?"
"As far as I can tell," Tai answered, taking a sip of his tea before continuing. Lusamine smiled, seeing his shoulders relax. "I've been visiting her when I can. I was..." He stopped, glancing down at the cup in his hands. "When mommy and I were here last... what did she tell you about me?"
The older woman was quiet for a while, only speaking after a few minutes of silence. The espeon resting on the windowsill yawned, turning over to allow the sun to shine on its belly. "I take it you mean beyond the obvious praise one always has of their own children?" She asked. Tai nodded, and she let out a gentle sigh. "She mentioned that you were some kind of genius. I think you were playing with espeon at the time; though she was just an eevee back then. You and her were in the other room, so I suppose you hadn't heard us."
"Your mother told us that you were some kind of unparalleled genius; especially when it came to Pokémon. Of course, Lakuni and I thought it was grimer-wash; just a naive girl gushing about her son. Though I admit that our tempers were... tested at the time." The woman explained, grimacing at the memory. Lusamine kept silent, listening a bit more attentively. "Rather, mine was, and your grandfather simply followed my lead. Regardless, just from how you speak, I can tell you're rather mature for your age. Almost like you're twenty years older than you actually are."
"Wouldn't that be something?" Tai asked, chuckling under his breath. His grandmother did the same, before taking a sip of her tea, relishing its soothing taste. "So, I guess that helps me with what I want to say. I know you and grandpap aren't thrilled that I exist, but I hope you know I don't hold it against you. I understand. Mommy... made a mistake, literally in this case. Still, she's an amazing mother who's just done her best for me, and I think she'd be happy if she knew that you went to see her." His grandmother nodded softly, eyes briefly looking over the many pictures lining the walls of the room.
"We'll make time," the woman told him, her tone firm. "In all honesty, your grand- er, well, Lakuni and I weren't told anything about this accident. Kaliope cut us out of your lives after the argument we had the last time she'd come to visit."
"I don't remember the argument being that bad. I always thought you guys had just decided you wanted nothing to do with us," Tai mumbled, and the woman shook her head.
"No, you weren't here for this one," she told him. Lusamine felt a bit uncomfortable, like she was listening to something she shouldn't be. Still, when she shifted to stand up, Tai reached over and held her hand in his own. Looking over at him, he was staring at the coffee table. The girl got comfortable, and a once she'd settled, the woman continued. "About a month after your last visit, Kaliope came back to see us."
"I think... she told me she was running errands that day. I was too busy researching the migration patterns of rare Pokémon to care." Tai winced at his own words, but didn't correct himself. "I... don't even remember her coming back. She must have, because we had dinner together, but..." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the table, and Lusamine could see tears beginning to form in them. "What else did I...?"
"When she came to visit, she demanded that we get to know you. You see, our last discussion had ended poorly, and I think she was hoping to force us to make amends." Tai gripped Lusamine's hand tightly as his grandmother spoke. "I'd called you illegitimate, you see. Perhaps I was harsh, but my own anger-"
"No, I understand, grandma," Tai told her, reaching across the table to take the woman's hand in his own. "Please, keep going." The woman took another slow sip of her tea.
"Suffice it to say, that visit had ended poorly. Your mother showing up and demanding me, her mother, to do anything... It set me off." The older woman frowned, eyes glazed as she became lost in the memory. "There was nothing but shouting that day. From her. From me. From my husband, trying to calm us both down. I believe I slapped her part way through." Lusamine gasped, shocked at the thought. Her own mother could be harsh, but she could never imagine the woman hitting her in any way. "I demanded she leave. She told me that I was never welcome to see her, or you, ever again. That was the last we ever saw of her."
"You hit her," Tai mumbled, his voice low in what was practically a growl. He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it go.
"My family was a traditional one," the woman excused, though the tone she used made Lusamine think she realized it still wasn't right. "It was expected that the parents discipline their children; physically if needs be. I admit, my anger clouded my judgement at the time. Too much force."
"I think I understand," Tai replied, voice still quivering a bit. "I don't like it, but I understand. If you could go back, you wouldn't do it again, right?"
"Of course I wouldn't," she answered immediately. "I lost my daughter and my grandson that day. I've wanted nothing more than to apologize for what I did."
"Then why didn't you?" The woman remained silent. Tai opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it after thinking for a moment. He merely watched the older woman with wary eyes. He searched her face, and seemed to relax a bit. "No, I understand. I've felt the same way. But we can't just let it fester. We have to face it head on." The woman cracked a smile, laughing bitterly under her breath.
"Were if only we were all as brave as you, Taiyo," she told him. "Yes, yes, you're right. I suppose this old woman has been running from it long enough, hasn't she? I may not be happy with the circumstances of your birth, but I never wanted to lose you. Would you forgive me?"
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
"No, perhaps not. But I am, anyways." The two shared a look, before Tai nodded.
"I forgive you, grandma." With those words, the older woman seemed to sit up just a little bit straighter in her chair. Tai removed his hand from hers, going back to drinking some more tea after pouring himself another cup. "If it's any consolation, I think mommy will to." The woman nodded, closing her eyes as she gave it some thought. "Anyway, let's move on from this, and celebrate a time of reconnecting. I haven't actually told you why we're here, have I?"
"Oh, I'd assumed you just came for this talk," the woman replied, a bit surprised. "Was there something else?"
"We're on summer break from school," Lusamine spoke up, realizing all the family drama had ended. She was more than happy to move past all of that. "Tai and I are camping on Ula'Ula, and we'll be around for the next week or two!"
"Ah, that sounds wonderful!" Tai's grandmother exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face. "There's plenty to experience around here, dear! Ah, excuse me, I don't think I asked your name? Taiyo, be a dear and introduce us?"
"Right, this is Lusamine Balsam, but I just call her Lucy," Tai introduced her. Lusamine stood up and curtsied before sitting back down. "Lucy, this is my grandma."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Lucy greeted the older woman. "Tai hasn't told me anything about you, but I hope that changes, soon!"
"So do I, dear," the woman told her, a smile spreading across her face. "My name is Shiina Halui, but you can just call me 'grandmother'. You wouldn't happen to be related to Leonardo Balsam, would you?"
"That's my grandpa Leo!" Lusamine exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat. Tai looked between the two of them, bewilderment spread across his face. "How do you know him?"
"Yeah, I'd like to know that too," he added.
"Oh, I met old Leonardo back when I was a young woman, before I met your grandfather," she explained, humming with nostalgia. "He was a handsome man, but already married to Estelle, who I assume was your grandmother." Lusamine nodded excitedly. "He'd just inherited the construction company from your great-grandfather, and was looking to celebrate during his vacation in Johto. I was just a waiting girl back then, but he struck up a conversation with me and we hit it off! After that, I exchanged a few letters with him and his wife, but I haven't heard from him in a while."
"Oh, that's because... Grandpa isn't with us any more," Lusamine admitted, and she saw the woman visibly deflate. "He and grandma died about a year ago in a car crash."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," the woman told her. "It must be hard to lose someone you clearly loved."
"It was," Lusamine admitted, but gently squeezed Tai's hand in hers. "But I'm here now, and I have Tai, so I'll be okay."
"Tai, is it?" The woman shot her grandson a sly smile, and her best friend looked away as his face began to burn bright red. "You know, back in Johto if a girl referred to you so casually, it was a sign of a very close friendship. Are you my grandson's girlfriend, Lucy?" The blonde girl giggled at the thought, but shook her head.
"No, I'm not," she admitted, though when the woman looked at their hands, she could tell that she didn't believe her.
"Not yet," Tai amended, and the older woman seemed to accept that with an amused hum. "We're thinking about it when we get older. But nothing yet." He glanced back over at the older woman's amused smile. "Grandma, please..."
"Oh, I'm just teasing, Taiyo," she tittered, waving her hand dismissively. "I think I'm allowed to do so after so long, wouldn't you agree? We might not be all that familiar with each other, but I really would like to make up for lost time." Tai let out a sigh, but didn't protest at all. Lusamine and his grandmother laughed at his reaction. "You'd better get used to this, Taiyo. Us women always get our way in the end."
"Yes, grandma. I'm sorry, grandma. Whatever you say, grandma," he mumbled, rolling the words off his tongue like it had been practiced for years.
"Oh, I like that! Now if only you could teach that to your grandfather!"
"Teach me what?" A masculine voice asked as the front door opened, and in walked a tan, aging man with a happy grin on his face. His eyes sparkled with the troublesome youthfulness of someone half his age. "Ah, we have guests! Hello there, little cuz, little miss! Ipo, who're these delightful little kids?"
"Lakuni, dear, this is Taiyo and his friend, Lusamine," the woman told him, and his eyes went wide at the words. "Taiyo came over with... a lot to say. Please, I made some tea, so come sit and speak with your grandson."
"Hey, grandpap," Tai greeted the older man, his voice soft once more. The man, dressed in a dark blue haori and sandals, stood motionless for a moment before rushing forward. Lusamine was ready with Lily's poké ball, but relaxed her grip on the sphere when she saw the older man lift Taiyo up by under his arms, spinning him around the room.
"Ah! My grandson is here! Wait, does that mean Kali's here as well?" The man looked around, obviously eager to see his daughter again.
"About that, grandpap..." Tai began. It took a moment for the man to calm down, but when he did, Taiyo repeated everything he'd told his grandmother about his mother. The man's face shifted from excited, to concerned, to downright angry for a moment as he looked at his wife partway through. Then, it settled on somber as Tai finished talking. All was silent for a while before the man spoke up.
"Well, if that's the way it is, Taiyo," he began. "Just let us know if you ever need a place to stay. Our doors are always open to you. As well as your mom." He shot a glare at his wife, who wilted slightly under his stare, before looking back at his grandson. "In fact, please, come stay the night with us, tonight. I insist!"
"Is that really okay...?"
"Of course it is! I haven't seen you in almost three years! How old are you now, six?"
"Seven. Well, almost seven. My birthday won't be for another week and a half," Tai told him. Lusamine blinked in surprise, staring at her best friend. He was only six? She assumed he was seven like everyone else in their class. How was he so young? Wait, he was younger than her! Oh, she was gonna save that for later.
"Ah, then we'll come around to celebrate!" The man shouted, obviously happy to do so.
"Actually, we'll be staying on Ula'Ula for a while to camp," Tai told him, breaking down most of their plans for his grandparents while both of them were present. Both of his grandparents promised to help, and his grandmother went off to make some supper while they all talked. It was the strangest thing, though, Lusamine thought. When did Tai plan on telling them about how he wanted to catch his first Pokémon...?
Dinner came and went, and Lusamine had her fill of delicious traditional Johtonian food. She and Tai were staying in the guest room within the house, and they were settling in after their lovely, delicious meal. It was nothing like what she normally had at the manor, but it was good in its own way. Tai's grandmother was a great cook! As Tai sorted through his things and double-checked that he had everything, Lusamine was busy picking through grandma Shiina's old manga collection from when she was a young woman. There were some classics, like Love, Love Mountain Adventure! Then, there were some she'd never heard of, like Harem Life: My Journey in Lairondo. She was a bit unfamiliar with what that first word meant, though, but the cover had a cute, teenage boy on it, and a bunch of pretty women all dressed in medieval clothes, so it looked fun.
"I'm glad things worked out," Tai spoke up as he sorted through his things. "I was kind of nervous they'd completely shut us down, but I guess we were in luck."
"I think it's because you're just so good with words," Lusamine told him, trying to decide between the two manga in front of her. Classics were always good, but this one looked so pretty... "I think you have a way of speaking to people that just makes things... make sense."
"Really? I always thought I was speaking nonsense most of the time," Tai chuckled after he spoke. "Sometimes I can't even understand what I'm saying, myself. Speaking has never been a strong suit of mine."
"Yet, you're good enough that a lot of kids at school listen to you when you give advice about Pokémon," Lusamine shot back. "Even if your words don't always make sense, I think your heart always shines through."
"My heart, huh?" Tai wondered aloud, before chuckling again. "Sure, let's go with that. So what would we call this heart power of mine? Talk-no-jutsu?" Lusamine giggled at the name, rolling her eyes at the absurdity of it.
"Maybe you've spent too much time in Malie," she teased him, waving one of the manga from the bookshelf. "Your Johtonian roots are taking over! Hm. You're just like Kaida, from Bluster Field."
"Kaida?"
"He's the main character's rival and love interest," she explained to him, grabbing said manga from the shelf and showing it to him. "He's all about avenging his fallen friends who were killed by an evil group, but he sometimes takes things too far. Aisha, who's the main character, also hates the group for killing her mother, but thinks that even evil people can have good hearts if given a second chance. The last chapter, they went on a date, because they've been stuck together because of a contest the big baddies are hosting that they both snuck into."
"Hell of a time to have a date," Tai mumbled, looking over the front and back cover. "This grouchy looking guy him?"
"Mhm!" Lusamie chirped. "Well, there's free time between rounds, and they've kissed before, so Aisha asked him out the chapter before since she thinks he has a good heart under all the anger he has. He's not great with words, like you are, and doesn't care if people he doesn't like get hurt." Tai's eyes met hers for a moment after she said that. "But he's trying, now. The chapter before the last one, he intentionally made his houndour's Flamethrower avoid a crowded area even though their enemy ran through it. Even if he won't give up his goals, he cares about the people who care about him, and what they think of him. He's being a better person because he doesn't want them getting hurt."
"And you think he's like me, huh?" Tai asked, sounding unconvinced. Lusamine frowned a little as she realized he didn't seem to be making a joke. "Maybe. I don't really think of myself like that, though. I actually don't care what people think of me."
"You don't care about how I feel about you?" She asked. He was silent.
"You're different," he finally told her after a minute of quiet. "You're... the only person whose opinion I care about."
"What about your mom's?"
"She doesn't count, you know."
"How about Mohn? I thought you liked him."
"I mean, he's- I guess? He's cool."
"You really seemed to care about what Kanu thought of you. Enough to try and convince him you wanted to apologize to him."
"That's- Ugh..." Tai let out a lough sigh, and a smile spread across Lusamine's lips. "Shut up."
"You're just upset because I'm right," the girl teased him, looking over to see the red flush on his cheeks as he refused to meet her eyes.
"Whatever, just shut up," he groaned, but she didn't miss the slight upturning twitch of his lips. Lusamine gently pulled the manga from his hands, putting it back into the bookshelf. He began putting his stuff back in his bag.
"Hey, I'm gonna hit the bathroom real quick before bed," Tai told her, getting up after putting all of this things away. Lusamine nodded and hummed, letting him know she'd heard him, as she flopped back onto the bed they'd be sharing with the second manga in hand. He left the room shortly after as she began reading.
It was... definitely interesting. The story was about a boy who died, but was transported to a fantasy world where people and Pokémon had trouble understanding each other. Using his knowledge of Pokémon, he began cultivating cooperation between humans and Pokémon. Of course, this attracted a lot of attention from important people; but the most important of these were the princesses of various kingdoms, all of them vying for his heart.
Lusamine was no stranger to romance manga where multiple girls yearned for the same boy, but in this one, the princesses all agreed to share him. She'd had to reread that page a few times to let it sink in. Sharing a boy like that? It seemed absurd. Surely, they'd get jealous, right? They definitely did, but somehow, their love for the boy just made them... work it out. After all, if they argued too much, then they'd make the boy they loved sad, and none of them wanted to be the cause of that.
Lusamine glanced at the time, realizing it was a lot later than she'd thought it was. Tai still hadn't come back from the bathroom, either. She gently placed a bookmark in between the manga's pages and got out of bed, walking softly through the house. She spotted the light on in the kitchen, and went to walk in when she heard talking. She hid around the corner, not daring to peek her head out.
"-just making sure that you're absolutely certain of this. She's not going to be happy about it, you know." It was grandpa Lakuni. "My wife would have a fit if I dared try the same thing you're suggesting."
"It's for the best," Tai replied, his tone even. "I don't want her getting hurt, and I can take care of myself. I know you don't know me well, but trust me on this. I've even beaten a Totem Pokémon and received a Z-Crystal from it. See?" It was silent for a few seconds.
"So you have..." Grandpa Lakuni muttered, and Lusamine had to strain her hearing to make it out. "You're sure it has to be a vulpix? Couldn't you just find a safer Pokémon to chase after?"
"I won't accept anything else," Tai told him. She heard the older man grumble a bit before sighing. "Please, grandpa."
"Fine, fine," he finally conceded. "Arceus knows I did all sorts of stupid things as a kid. Still, I at least waited until I was in the double digits, Taiyo. Couldn't you wait a bit longer?"
"No. All that changes is a bit of physical conditioning, but I'm perfectly able right now. I promise I'll come back in one piece." There was silence for another few moments.
"Don't make me regret this, Taiyo," the older man's voice was firm. "I lost you once. I'm not about to lose you again. Here, this is my phone number. Promise me you'll call before heading up the mountain, and promise me you'll do so if you need help."
"I will."
"No, Taiyo. Promise me. Swear it to me that you'll call me if things even look like they'll get bad, and Sunray and I will be there in no time, flat."
"I promise, grandpa. I'll let you know if it gets bad, and I can't do anything about it." Lusamine snuck back to the guest room after that, hearing the conversation coming to a close. A vulpix, huh? Well, they were only found on Mount Lanakila. She hadn't packed for snowy weather, but knowing Tai, he'd already been prepared since they'd left the manor. Fine, two could play at this game. Once back in the bedroom, Lusamine grabbed her own phone and began looking for stores in Malie City that could sell her some snowy-weather clothing.
I*A*C
"He's late again," a stern voice echoed from the screen. Malik muted himself and groaned, rolling his eyes and thanking Arceus that this was a voice-only call. He had work to do, and this was a good time to do it. The report for his meeting with Aster wouldn't write itself, after all. "First he skips last week's meeting, and now he dares to arrive late when the rest of us are already accounted for!? Your Majesty, he always does this! Please, I insist you discipline him! This is a blatant show of disrespect for not only our time, but yours! If he is to be your heir, then-"
"Constrict."
The man was cut off with a single word from the King, and Malik winced. He gently rubbed his own neck, glancing over at the tentacruel lounging at the ready by his own desk. Its narrowed eyes glared barbs into him, daring him to speak out or make a single mistake. Waiting for its master's command. Malik unmuted his mic, keeping his typing quiet. He dare not remain muted for too long, lest the King question his intentions or loyalties. On the other end, Breaker Dan choked as a toedscruel reminded him of just who was in charge.
"Release." The Breaker gasped for air, audibly slamming into his desk in some way. The toedscruel must have lifted him into the air, the poor bastard. "Do you have any additional words to waste air on, Breaker?"
"N-No, sire. I beg your forgiveness," Dan gasped out. There was no reply, but the silence only confirmed that he was... not forgiven, but off the hook. "Thank you for your mercy, your Majesty." The small chime from his laptop PC indicated that the final member of the council had arrived. The Prince. Malik didn't have any strong feelings in favor or against the Prince, if he was being honest. A young man in his early thirties, he spent most of his time at parties and indulging himself in various vices. Alcohol, drugs, gambling; he seemed to have tried them all. His most recent one was something called a 'gacha' game. Malik didn't pretend to understand any of that. He was in the right demographic, but the man preferred to keep himself busy with work. He hadn't reached his lofty position as Alola Administrator by slacking off, after all. Unfortunately, the Prince had no such responsibilities.
Malik felt his hands clench at the thought, and heard the tentacruel gurgle lowly in warning. He allowed his anger to dissipate.
"Sorry I'm late, pops," the man greeted the call. "Had this cute girl who really wanted to stay. If I hadn't missed last week's meeting, I mighta-"
"Save the pleasantries for later, son," the King spoke, offering no room for argument.
"Sure, sure," the Prince answered. Malik winced, waiting for the reprimand, but quickly remembered just who was speaking. "Anyway, what's on the docket for today, pops? I got this crazy party over in Azalea in an hour, and I wanna get there early."
"You will have plenty of time to enjoy your festivities, son," the King replied easily, sounding more amused than upset. "For now, Chronicler Jeanette will send you her notes from our last meeting. Do read through them swiftly so you will be up to speed. Chronicler?"
"Of course, your Majesty," Jeanette replied. Malik let out a silent sigh, remembering the blonde beauty of a Kalosian. He'd tried hitting her up once he'd found his new position, but as it turned out, she was already married and with a brat of her own. How annoying. "Here are my notes, my Prince. Please read them at your leisure."
"You're a doll, Jean," the Prince replied. "How's your vaycay treating ya? Get over the jet lag, yet?" There was silence, before Jeanette cleared her throat to answer. Guess the King was equally curious?
"It has been well, my Prince," Jeanette replied. "In fact, part of today's meeting may involve this 'vacation' of mine. Surprisingly, I've already made contact with Malik's little problem child."
"Problem child, huh? Yo Malik, you been holding up alright over there?"
"Please, reading Jeanette's notes will tell you everything you need to know about what's going on, my Prince," Malik ground out, expected to answer when one of the council addressed him. His position as admin only gave him the right to listen to the proceedings; rarely were he or the others allowed to actually partake or voice their opinions. Not unless called upon.
"Now then, if the distractions are done with," Chief Advisor Hayden spoke up, preventing any more casual conversation, "I shall now consider this meeting begun on the behalf of his Royal Highness. Long may he reign."
"Long may he reign," Malik joined the rest of the voices as the meeting began. He continued writing his report, once more keeping his keystrokes quiet.
"Now then, Jeanette, if you would?" Hayden asked, giving the proverbial floor to the Chronicler.
"Thank you, Chief Advisor," Jeanette replied. "As stated earlier, I've already made contact with my target in Alola. He was quite helpful, in fact, and appears to have a kind heart and a sound mind. He was also in the presence of the Balsam heiress, though I did not make direct contact with her. This has proven quite fortuitous, and they seem to be in the area of Malie City for the time being. I intend to keep an eye out for more ways to make contact with them. I still stand by my claim that he would make a better ally than an enemy. If we can convince him to join our cause, we'd have a formidable force for good." Malik grit his teeth. He couldn't speak. Not with that tentacruel in the room. Not when he was dead center in Team Solar's base of operations in Alola. He'd be turned into a Ghost-Type for sure.
"Even after making contact with him, you believe he would betray the Balsam family?" The King asked, obviously unconvinced to her idea.
"I think we could win both him, and the girl over to work as inside sleeper agents," Jeanette replied. "He was able to make friends with my son, and can't be much older. If we just word things the right way, it would be a simple matter to have him investigate the Balsams for the Prince of the Stars. And little Lusamine hangs on his every word. If we convince him, then she'll be in our pocket as well."
"I agree with this course of action," Advisor Hideo seconded. "How hard could it be to manipulate one little kid? Money, power, Pokémon; it's not like we're lacking any of these to offer him. Little boys love Pokémon!" The King hummed with thought, obviously contemplating the idea more seriously. They couldn't honestly be considering this, could they? This little shit was responsible for their base in Po Town being blown to smithereens, and their cover almost being exposed! If it wasn't for that shitheel of a mayor covering their asses and roadblocking the councilman, they'd have been exposed before they could remove anything relating back to Team Solar. This little brat had access to strong Pokémon, as well as the Balsam family. What could Team Solar really offer him in return!?
"It does seem like quite the easy task," Hayden agreed. "Everyone has a price, and I'm sure the price a child would want would be relatively low." This was bullshit! These idiots weren't thinking-
"Actually," Advisor Maria spoke up, her voice soft and soothing even from across his PC's speakers. "This boy was able to not only destroy our Po Town base, but did so while convincing one of our own to willingly give him her Pokémon. He has access to the Balsam family's wealth and resources. What could we reasonably offer him?" Thank you!
"Speaking of which, how's the matter of those rogue members going?" Breaker Dan asked, and Malik realized after a short moment that the question was directed at him.
"I've dispatched a few members to find them and bring them in," he told them simply. "If needs be, I'm perfectly willing and able to hunt them down, myself."
"Do let me know if you'll need any help," Jeanette offered. "I'm in the area, so it might be prudent to bring them back with overwhelming force."
"I... appreciate the offer, Chronicler," Malik obliged, feeling his blood boil despite his words. "I will keep them in mind during the hunt."
"Hey, uh, not to bump in unannounced," the Prince spoke up, unease in his voice. "You mind telling me more about this kid? Sound like he's got a pretty crazy resume. He's in Alola, right?"
"Yes. I can send you his profile if it would please you, my Prince," Hayden offered.
"Yeah, that'd be cool. Sorry guys, gimme a sec." Silence plagued the call for a full minute, and Malik didn't dare continue his report in fear that he might be heard. "Huh," the Prince finally said. "Yo, Hay, you sure all of this is right? Age is right, mother's name is right... No, uh, details on his dad?"
"Unfortunately, there was no name for his father on his birth records," Hayden replied, sounding deeply troubled that he lacked information the Prince seemed to desire. "Nor has a paternity test ever been done. I'm sorry to have troubled you, my Prince."
"No, uh, it's all good, Hay," the man on the other end replied. "Say, pops?"
"Yes, son?"
"I'm gonna send one of my new girls on this one. Everyone else, just leave this to me," Malik tried to pick out the strange tone in the Prince's voice. On one hand, he sounded calm. On the other, he sounded too calm. Something was wrong. A small chime on his PC alerted him to a message. It was from Blair, another admin residing in Kalos. Oh boy, kid's got the Prince's attention. How screwed you think he is? Malik smiled at the message, hoping that maybe, all of his problems would be taken care of. Still, he had his own job to do. His meeting with Aster had gone well. Now it was only a matter of determining if it had gone too well.
I*A*C
And that's a wrap! And on time, this go around. Not much to say aside from I really had a challenge with this one. I usually like to have chapters done about a week ahead of time, so I can go over them a few times with a comb to find any mistakes or errors. Obviously I don't always catch them during this period, since the Patch Notes exist, but you'd be surprised how many things I miss while writing. Well, maybe not. It's not easy for me to write just... relatively chill situations. I thrive on drama and angst, so this little getaway will definitely be a test for my more wholesome writing skill. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it! Please, leave a review and let me know what you thought, or just favorite or follow, which does the same in less words. I hope to see you folks in the next one!