Who I Am - Lightning99

Chapter 70:

Gladion and Hau

Gladion held out a hand to his right. A large Pokémon leaned into it, its head covered by a thick metal helmet and its body by the darkness of the cave behind. He brushed its flank, but his strokes were slow and absent; he was focused, instead, on the waves as they swayed in, hesitated, and then back out towards the horizon several feet below. But he saw beyond the horizon to an island of cold, white steel. He refused to shiver.

When his eyes became tired, Gladion knocked his head against the wall and sighed. It had been days, and yet, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't put it out of his head. It wasn't one thing, and it wasn't a few: it was everything, pulled together and trapped in place like a whirlpool. And it had all started with Ash.

He had scoured Alola's islands for the strongest trainers - excluding the Kahunas he had yet to challenge - and the only person he had lost to had been Guzma, Team Skull's leader, who was an obvious exception. He had thought that victory streak had been a sign. That his mission was a success, that his goal was nearer. And then Ash had appeared, a trainer skilled enough to defeat him in battle, and a person…

Gladion knocked his head against the wall a second time. He didn't even know the right word to describe Ash. But he had made friends with Lillie more easily than anyone he had ever seen when she was, frankly, difficult to approach.

Or was she?

Lillie had been a shy child. She had interacted with him and their mother as any child might, but he remembered more than one occasion when he had stepped between her and a stranger to tell them to back off. When they had moved to Aether Paradise, that shyness had become isolation. She had even become shy talking to family. Of course, she was difficult to approach. But Ash's message that she had changed repeated in his head, and it left him wondering.

When was the last time he had seen her?

Gladion clenched a fist and punched it sideways against the wall. The Pokémon beside him groaned.

"Sorry," Gladion said, rubbing its flank with a touch more purpose.

A moment later, Gladion shuffled to his feet, bade the Pokémon thanks for the company, then returned it. He headed back through the dark cave, through the moonlit streets, and to his room at the nearby motel. He lay on his bed whence inside, switching the television on in another attempt to distract himself.

"Just the other day, Malie Garden on Ula'Ula Island suffered a harsh attack by two Pokémon that have never been seen before in Alola," a newscaster said. "It has been a while since we have heard news of Ula'Ula Island. This report comes from a couple of new transfers to the island, who are acting on Officer Nanu's behalf.

"Now, the report claims that these two Pokémon were large, red, and muscled. They had stingers, so it is assumed they are of the Bug-Type. If you see any Pokémon that match these descriptions, please be careful. They are powerful, and their motives are unknown, which makes them dangerous. To our knowledge, one trainer did fight them off, but do not engage them if at all–"

Gladion shut the TV off with a long, frustrated groan and grabbed his Pokéball again. He rolled it around in his palm but eventually decided against it. Lillie might always find herself around some sort of incident, but Ash was there this time, and it was enough to stop him from rushing right over to Ula'Ula island. To Lillie. He could tell, from its sheer absurdity, that the trainer in question was Ash.

Inescapable as news about Ash and his strength seemed to be, Gladion turned his thoughts, instead, to how he might catch up. Ash wasn't quite normal. That much was clear. He had that strange ability, some phenomenon that connected him to his Pokémon more than normal. But Gladion clenched his fist around his Pokéball. His team wasn't entirely normal.

Gladion stood up. He shouldered his bag, stowed his Pokéball inside, and promptly checked out of the motel. It was the evening already, but he marched into the street anyway, eyes focused not on the grass rustling on either side of the street but on the path ahead. If he was going to catch up to Ash, he had to learn more about him; if he were to do that, the best place to start would be where Ash had begun his Island Challenge. Melemele Island.

The night was later than late when Gladion reached Melemele, all dark skies and pale white streetlight, colouring the world a strange grey. He didn't bother to check the clock in the port; he marched through the city with only one goal in mind. A couple of people wandered by, chatting and laughing, and the small diner on the edge of the city was still bright and bustling, but as soon as he stepped out into the route, he was alone.

It was a comforting loneliness: a pitch-black sky serenaded by the sounds of the Bug-Types hidden in the grass and the bushes, the cool of the air washing away the day's warmth. It allowed his mind to calm, if only for a moment. But like how the dark hid things even from oneself, the light had a way of bringing it all back. He stepped into the warm, orange firelight of Iki Town, and Gladion let it all consume him once again. It was silent there, still and serene, but he didn't even stop at the gate.

The door to his destination opened only a few seconds after he knocked on it, the entryway filling up with Kahuna Hala's large frame. He looked down at Gladion, a quizzical look on his face.

"Hello," Hala said, nodding. "It's been a while, young Gladion."

"Yes, it has."

"What brings you by at this time?"

"I am sorry to disturb you so late, Kahuna Hala," Gladion said, such an apology strange to his lips. "I came with a few questions. I can return in the morning."

"Not at all," Hala said, opening the door wider. "Do you like tea?"

Gladion accepted the offer to enter but denied the tea. He took a seat at the table, and Hala soon joined him.

"Now, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"This might sound strange," Gladion said, "but tell me all you know about a trainer named Ash."

Hala leaned against the backrest of his seat. He kept quiet for about a minute.

"I see."

"You know him, then?"

"Yes, I know him. It would seem he has caused a rather significant stir since his arrival. First your sister, then my grandson, and now you. What has he done to cause you to come asking about him, I wonder?"

"What do you mean he caused a stir with my sister?"

"All good things, I assure you. Before Ash arrived, she would hardly leave the area surrounding Hau'oli City, and now she is travelling around the region with her friends. That is what I mean."

Gladion sat back in his chair; he hadn't even realised he had stood up.

"So? What has he done for you? Does it have anything to do with your sister?"

"That's none of your business."

Hala just chuckled, and for a long moment, Gladion refused to talk. He stared off to the side, defiant, but the silence stretched, and he felt Hala's gaze become more curious.

"I don't understand his strength," Gladion said. He stared at Hala's steaming tea. "And I don't understand how he's had such a strong impact on Lillie to the point that she's shared things with him that I don't even know."

"I see. One of those things I can answer. Ash's strength stems from years of travelling around the world, visiting different regions, challenging their gyms and, though he doesn't share it, fighting his way through – catastrophes, I suppose I should call them."

"Catastrophes?"

"Yes. I suppose it would be more accurate to call them instances where Legendary Pokémon have appeared or instances where some villainous organisations have tried to cause chaos in the world. Due to some miraculous turn of fate, Ash has found himself at the centre of each situation."

Gladion finally caught Hala's eye. "He has fought Legendary Pokémon?!"

"More times than either of us could probably predict," Hala said. "But more accurately, his strength has come from fighting through those hardships.'

Something about Hala's expression soured. He looked at his tea.

"He faced a tough one only recently. I won't delve into the details, but I am certain that being forced through such a situation has made him stronger. Not physically, perhaps, but mentally.

"Despite the challenges he has endured over the years, Ash's optimism and joy for life, for living with Pokémon and meeting new people, has not faded. He wants to help whoever he can, and I believe it is that quality which has caused your sister to trust him. It is probably because he told Lillie he wants to help her that she let him."

Gladion grunted and looked at the wall. He heard the pointedness in Hala's voice and chose to ignore it.

"That would make him quite the opposite of you, no?"

Again, Gladion didn't answer.

"When you appeared at my door so long ago, you decided to help Lillie by gaining strength. But you didn't tell her about it. You left her on that island in a situation she had an improbable chance of escaping. She was more than lucky to have done so."

Gladion opened his mouth to speak, but Hala raised his hand.

"Forgive my bluntness, but you made a grave mistake. I feel comfortable telling you this because I made such a mistake not long ago."

" You made a mistake?"

"Disbelieve me all you like, but I did. When Ash arrived, he didn't tell anybody about his struggles. So, when I saw a news article claiming a trainer named Ash Ketchum had died, I confronted him about it. At the time, I did not even consider why he might have kept it a secret or that perhaps he hadn't even known about it. I was a fool," Hala said.

"I mean, I get it. If I learned he was lying, I'd confront him, too."

"No, it is more than that," Hala said. "I have been the Kahuna here for a long time. I have borne witness to more than one anomalous event. The last time somebody arrived on Alola with a false identity… Let's just say a number of us lost somebody rather important. As such, I reacted irrationally towards Ash. Professor Kukui has apologised, but I have yet to, and I do not know how."

"That makes two of us…" Gladion said.

"I am sorry," Hala said, sitting up. "I did not mean to bring such a dampener on the conversation. But that is what I know about Ash and how he has impacted your sister. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Gladion paused for a long moment. "Could I take the Island Challenge?"

"That is a rather sudden request," Hala said. "Let me think–"

"Gladion?" a new voice said.

Gladion and Hala looked toward the door, where Hau stood, an Alolan Raichu surfing its tail at his heels.

"I see," Hala said. "Yes, Gladion, I will accept your request to partake in the Island Challenge. If, and only if, you will battle my grandson."

"What?!"

As he stepped up to his side of the platform, Gladion could see three reasons Hala might have asked them to battle. The first was to test his strength to see if he was ready to participate in the Island Challenge. The second was to test Hau's strength. The third was because of a selfish curiosity, a desire to see which of the two would come out on top. Gladion thought of how their last battle played out. He hoped it would be different.

Gladion sent out his Umbreon, Hau chose his Noibat, and Hala commanded the battle to begin.

"Dark Pulse!" Gladion called out.

Their first battle had started the same way. The matchup had been Umbreon vs Pikachu, and Hau had called for Pikachu to dodge by rolling rather than jumping. Unorthodox, for sure, but it had put Gladion on the back foot. It had made him try to predict his next move – how he might attack from the ground, what Hau's strategy might be. The only reason Gladion had made the first hit was because Hau hadn't capitalised on his advantage.

This time, however, Gladion was ready. He narrowed his eyes as he awaited some unique strategy Hau might have practised since their last encounter. Or maybe some random instruction Gladion might never be able to predict.

But Hau said something different:

"Noibat, dodge it!"

Gladion would have thought nothing of the command in any other battle – it was as natural as calling their Pokémon's name. Hau had even used it in their last battle, if sparingly. But here, with Hala's confusing reason for asking them to battle fresh in his mind, Gladion found it strange that Noibat flapped its wings and ascended only a few staggering feet. He found it strange that rather than follow up with some creative attack, Hau just watched.

Gladion didn't.

"Shadow Ball!"

Umbreon gathered a shadowy black ball of energy upon its tail, then spun around, using the momentum to hurl it forward.

"Dodge it, Noibat."

But this time, Hau's Noibat couldn't gather enough force to propel itself away from the Shadow Ball in time, taking a direct hit. As it fell through the air, then swopped upright, Gladion frowned even deeper. He wondered why Hau hadn't tried something new. Why he hadn't used Gust, perhaps, to blow the attack off course, then followed up with another move.

"Iron Tail!"

His Umbreon ran in with a few quick strikes despite Hau's call and Noibat's best effort to dodge a second time. Noibat managed to hit a weak Air Cutter among the barrage, but his movements were slow, and soon enough, he skidded across the ground as a wild Pokémon from a first route might. Gladion already knew the outcome of this battle.

"Shadow Ball!"

"Supersonic."

Noibat attacked first, screeching out a few visible soundwaves. But Umbreon released the Shadow Ball in good time, shooting it straight down the middle of the Supersonic and into Noibat just as the confusion took effect. Noibat collapsed, eyes swirling, and Gladion just frowned, staring at Hau. He wondered why he felt so bored.

Hau sent out a Vaporeon next, who kicked off the second match with an Aqua Ring, then a Water Pulse, while Gladion commanded Umbreon to use Dark Pulse. He might have complimented Hau on his strategy, but Vaporeon hadn't moved since appearing, and the only reason it worked here was because Umbreon succumbed to confusion. The Dark Pulse flailed into the air, and the Water Pulse hit.

Vaporeon darted forward with Quick Attack, striking Umbreon, who retaliated with a fast swipe of Iron Tail. It hit, but then the confusion took over, and Umbreon collapsed onto her side, leaving her open for a barrage of Water Pulses and an Aurora Beam. And Gladion might have congratulated Hau on defeating Umbreon if that something didn't still feel so wrong. He had used the correct moves, but something still felt off about how he gave the commands.

Gladion sent out his Lycanroc, which made Hau widen his eyes.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked.

"Lycanroc, dash in while using Howl."

"Water Pulse."

"Then use Thrash!"

Lycanroc's howl echoed long into the night, and if he took any damage from the Water Pulse, it didn't show. His paws glowed, and he thrust them forward, punching first through the circle of water and then kicking Vaporeon's side. Then, another strike and another, and as much as Hau called Vaporeon to dodge and get out of there, he was trapped in the barrage. The strikes hit again and again, and by the end, Vaporeon could hardly wobble to its feet. The fatigue took hold, but even so, Lycanroc obeyed Gladion's command to do a handspring to avoid Vaporeon's Water Pulse.

"Rock Slide!" Gladion called.

His Lycanroc's moveset was simple but useful, created around the inevitability of confusion. Thrash was a wild attack anyway, and Rock Slide covered a wide area, so Gladion wasn't the least surprised when the corner of the Rock Slide still hit Vaporeon, despite the move mostly missing. Vaporeon hit the ground and didn't get up, and still, Gladion frowned at Hau, trying to figure out what that something was.

Hala had decided it would be a three-on-three battle, so Hau's Raichu was his final Pokémon, who looked composed and ready, hovering on his tail. He surged forward on Hau's command, eyes glowing in preparation for a Psychic. Gladion might have tried to avoid it, but he let the blue light surround Lycanroc and let Raichu toss him across the battlefield. When Lycanroc rose to his feet, fur smoking and covered in dust, the confusion in his eyes was gone.

"Charge him!" Gladion called, and Lycanroc sprinted at Raichu.

"Electro Ball!"

"Catch it!"

As Raichu spun around, tossing out Electro Ball, Lycanroc readied its hands. Electro Ball struck them, and he skidded back, sparks of electricity moving along his fur. He managed to stop it, and he pulled his arm back before Gladion could speak.

"Throw it!"

Lycanroc snarled and hurled the attack back at Raichu. He sprinted after it as Hau made a call, inaudible in the chaos. Raichu's tail glinted with an iron glow.

"Get in the way!"

Without hesitation, Lycanroc ran in behind the Electro Ball. Raichu swung its tail around, striking through the Electro Ball in time, but before the attack could follow through and hit Lycanroc, Gladion smirked.

"Counter."

Raichu's Iron Tail struck Lycanroc, but he didn't move. His body glowed a blood red, and it transferred to his fist. He pulled it back and punched, and Raichu shot through the air as if he were weightless. He soared past Hau and crashed into a tree, but Gladion knew that wasn't the last of its health, so he called for Lycanroc to use Rock Slide. It crashed down on Raichu, and that was it. The dust settled, revealing an unconscious Raichu, and finally, Gladion understood what that something was.

Hala officially announced his victory, but Gladion took no joy in it. He watched Hau, instead, as he returned his Raichu and conceded his defeat with a weak chuckle. He rubbed the back of his neck, congratulated him on the victory, then mumbled something Gladion couldn't understand. He disappeared down the steps into Iki Town below them.

Hala's sandals scuffed as he stepped to Gladion's side.

"This is why you asked me to battle him, right?" Gladion asked.

"Indeed," Hala confirmed with a nod. "Hau returned here a short while ago with the intent to train, but as much as his Pokémon have learned new moves and improved in strength, he hasn't gotten stronger. I assume you understand to what I am referring?"

"Yeah, and you're right," Gladion said, walking after Hau. "It's only something I could've noticed during a battle."

Gladion found Hau on Route 1, sitting on the banking beside the house for sale. He pondered a few beats, then sat beside him, resting his elbows on his knees. Hau, whose legs were straight out in front of him and whose elbows were propping him up, didn't even look at him.

"What the hell was that?" Gladion asked.

Hau laughed. "I should've known the first thing you would say would be an insult."

"I'm serious."

"It was a battle."

"Sure, in technical terms. But battles are supposed to get your heart racing. They're supposed to be interesting. Where was that?"

Hau shook his head. "I don't know what you mean."

"Where was your battling style?"

"That was my battling style."

"You're joking, right?" When Hau made no move to reply, Gladion grunted.

"Is that all you do? Shout and grunt?" Hau asked.

Gladion grunted. He coughed to try and cover it up. "When in the hell did I shout today?"

"I mean your battle with Ash."

Gladion grunted. Hau snorted.

"Shut it." Gladion sucked in a deep breath. "That wasn't my best moment, even I'll admit that."

"What even happened? Why were you so mad?"

At first, Gladion wasn't going to respond. Before he knew it, though, he was talking. That was twice today.

"Have you ever had a goal you're so devoted to that you spend every waking moment thinking about and trying to achieve it?"

"Hmm. I have a goal, but I'm not that crazy about it."

"Figures," Gladion said with a humourless chuckle. "I have one of those goals. What do you think would happen when you discover someone out there is much better suited to that goal? Somebody who can do something you can't?"

"I have no idea where this is going, but I imagine you wouldn't be too pleased," Hau said. Then, he clicked his fingers. "You mean Ash."

This time, Gladion stopped himself from grunting.

"When I saw him in the position I should be in, something snapped, I guess."

"Why're you telling me this? You usually try to keep up your I-couldn't-care-less act. You're usually a bit mean."

"You know what, fine. Who cares. Wallow in your self-pity. I don't care."

Hau grabbed Gladion's jumper, yanking him back to his sitting position.

"I'm kidding. Seriously, I wanna know."

Gladion huffed. "Because you're going through something similar, aren't you?"

"How do you mean?"

"It was what I said, wasn't it? After our first battle."

"Ah," Hau said. He chuckled. "You remember, then?"

"I was wrong."

Hau's body shot upright. "Huh?!"

"The battle we just had was pathetic. It was boring. All you did was make commands like a basic, amateur trainer. I hate to admit it, but the battle was more enjoyable when you were having fun and trying things. I bet you saw how Ash and I battle, and you've decided that since we're stronger than you, your goal of being strong is pointless."

Hau, once again, laughed. "It's not that serious."

"It is," Gladion said. "It's holding you back. Ignore what I said before. Stop holding back."

"Huh. That's – actually nice to hear. I bet you don't really care, though."

"I don't know you well enough to care. But my goal is to be stronger, too. I have something I need to do and to do it, I need to be stronger, so I need to fight stronger opponents. Meeting Ash made that even more obvious. What about you? What do you want?"

"My goal has always been to surpass my Grandpa. But since he arrived, I haven't been able to catch up to Ash, either," Hau said.

"Alright," Gladion said, standing up. "You know what you have to do, then?"

"I guess, yeah," Hau said. He stood up, too. "You know, you're actually a pretty chill guy when you're not shouting."

Gladion smirked. "What do you say we have another battle?"

"I think we're a day or two away," Blue said. Their group was huddled in a circle by a riverside, and he stood in the centre with a map in hand. "This island is the last one outside Alola's border."

Leaf stood up beside him, placing her hands on her jacket-tied hips. "I know this has taken a long time, but we're close."

"What's the plan, then?" Gary asked, resting his elbows on his knees. "When we get there, I mean. Are we all just gonna jump him?"

"I like that idea," Barry said, raising his hand.

"Well, of course you do," Misty said. She sighed. "Shouldn't we at least figure out where in Alola he is first?"

"Obviously," Paul said.

"Alright, sass-man," Blue said, waving him off. He turned the map around for everybody to see and pointed at a specific island. "Yeah, we gotta figure out where he is first. To do that, I was thinkin' of heading here."

"Where is that?" Bonnie asked, bobbing forward to see more clearly.

"It's called Melemele Island," Leaf said. "I've been here before. It's a starter island for trainers in Alola, and the region's largest city is there. Ash had to have travelled through at some point."

"Exactly," Blue said. "So, we go there, do a bit of recon, then jump him when he's not looking."

"Yeesh," Gary said, chuckling, "you make us sound like villains."

"Aww, c'mon, he'll love it."

"I won't argue with that," Gary agreed.

"Are we all good with that plan?" Blue asked, raising his voice.

Red gave him a thumbs-up from where he leaned against a tree, listening from afar. Delia did the same from beside him. As the others resumed their discussion, Delia hummed. Red turned to her.

"Do you agree with that decision?" Delia asked.

Red nodded.

"I see. But?"

Red didn't even ask how she knew there was a but.

"What if they're already there?" Delia asked before he could signal what he meant.

Red nodded again.

A beat later, he heard something in the distance. It was faint at first, and he thought it might only have been a Pokémon scurrying through the leaves. A moment later, it was a soft hum. Then, it was practically on top of them, a loud whirring slicing through the air. Red looked up, and a large, black body blocked the light from the gap between the leafy canopy above them.

Without waiting a second, Red grabbed his bag from near the group and dashed into the forest. The sound of footsteps following him appeared not long after, but he didn't focus on his group. He focused on the path forward, on the route to the edge of the small island they were on. It was about a minute's dash until he reached it, and when he did, he ducked behind a tree, throwing his arm out to stop the others from running right into the line of sight. For, just between the trees, was one of the things Red had feared would happen before they could reach Ash.

So far, they hadn't run into any grunt members or scouts. Blue had surmised that they had lost them, and Red concurred with that assessment. But Blue also thought that they had given up, and with that, Red disagreed. He knew that they were planning something the entire time his group had been without incident. Now that he could see the small cluster of black boats sailing past them a few yards behind the airship, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Crap," Blue muttered.

"Scratch that plan," Leaf said, pulling the strings of her backpack tight. She pulled out her Pokéball. "We have to get there before them."

"Right," Blue said, turning back towards the forest. "Let's loop around from the other side of the island. It's not a long walk, but it should give us enough distance to stay out of sight. Everybody still got their devices turned off?"

As Blue rallied the group, Red glanced at the airship gliding overhead. The time was nearing.

Well.

It's been a while.

There are a bunch of different reasons as to why, but at this point, my infrequent uploads have basically become my personality. Ah well. It could be worse.

This chapter, we see things from a little bit of a new perspective, as well as get information and some hints about some side characters. It took me a moment to regain my bearings on things, where things are heading and all that, but there is a plan amongst all this chaos. I planned it so long ago, when I was younger and starting out, and despite the flaws I look back and see and the trials there have been over the years, I kinda like it.

When we'll get there, I have no idea. But I'ma keep writing until we do!

I hope you enjoyed!