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Chapter Text

Lillie had almost forgotten how hot the Alolan sun was. The white sand and glittering sea were blinding. It didn’t help that the windows of the boardwalk shops were painfully reflective. Maybe she should have considered buying a pair of cheap sunglasses at the tourist center a few blocks back. She had never bothered with eye protection before, but her time in Kanto had to had made her sensitive to the harsh sunlight. Kanto had its warmer days, but some were downright chilly or simply overcast. Her Kanto League hoodie would be of no use here. It would take time to readjust to her tropical home, and she couldn't have Gladion tease her about it, but she kept quiet beyond the occasional rubbing of her sweaty, sunscreen lathered arms.

Now, Gladion was the sort of person who could wear a dark hoodie in this heat and never make a peep about it. He strode ahead of her, arms crossed tightly against his chest. The decorative tears in his pants and the shaved sides of his head were likely the only things sparing him from heatstroke. Once Lillie had left for Kanto, her older brother had decided to set off on his own journey through Alola. Taking on the island pilgrimage was the only way he could compete with Moon and Hau, he’d said. Gladion still didn’t admit it, but he’d become very close friends with those two trainers. He went into the challenge wanting better battle skills. Better social skills were an unexpected addition to this plan.

“How about here?,” her brother said, turning around in the sand. He put his bony hands on his hips and nodded, “I’m sure this is enough space.”

Looking from side to side, Lillie surveyed the area with her ponytail bobbing. They had stopped a few feet away from the water, distancing themselves from the surfers that remained during this dreadfully hot part of the day. Palm trees made a staggered barrier between the beach and the boardwalk on higher grounds. It was a perfectly clear space for practicing battle techniques.

“As long as you don’t use any big Z-moves, I’m sure we’re fine,” Lillie answered, still scanning the area.

Gladion sighed and shrugged, “All Z-moves are big, but sure. I won’t use any BIG ones.”

Learning about Z-moves was something Lillie was always excited about. Seeing Moon use them so effortlessly in battle was exhilarating. They were bright, loud, and kind of scary, but they were also super cool. She had always wanted to try one for herself, even adopting her own Moon-inspired Z-pose for motivation. Kanto had crushed her dreams a little, though. There were no Z-crystals in Kanto, and hardly anyone knew what Z-moves even were! Now that she was back home, she finally had the chance to learn. Gladion decided to help out.

“Alright, Zoroark. Let’s try out your normal move,” Gladion stated as he clicked a pokéball off his red belt.

In a glimmer of light, a lanky black fox materialized in front of the siblings. It flashed a toothy grin at Lillie. She clapped her hands in excitement.

“Let’s try the pose!” she requested happily, pumping her fists.

“Follow my lead, then.”

------

For the first time in a long while, N had put his hair up into a high ponytail.
He had not expected the Alola region to be so magically - but drastically - different - and that included the weather. It had forced him to change his attire upon arrival as to not make him feel like he was going to pass out in his normal clothes. His white top had been replaced by an equally crisp and white button-down, the turtleneck underneath by a black tank top. It just did not feel right to only wear the shirt, and that way, he could also leave it unbuttoned without exposing his chest. He had no intention of replacing his shoes, but rolled up the bottom of his trousers to the knees. His hat he could obviously keep and he was thankful for it, since the sunlight was uncomfortably intense for a few hours of the day.

It seemed the locals knew exactly what they dealt with, and so N found himself strolling along Hau’oli promenade, Zoroark at his heels like his very own shadow, while the streets and the beach were virtually empty. Being the outdoorsy type, N had been wandering the beach area since the crack of dawn. Just as the sun peeked at the dark sky from behind the horizon, experienced beach goers trickled onto the sand where he had been tossing beached sea Pokémon back into the water. He had mostly found small creatures - Pyukkumukku of various sizes, Magikarp and Luvdisc -, but a particularly large and distressed Alomamola had required his assistance, and it had taken effort and several additional beachgoers to drag it back into the sea.

Only a few people were still out, the others seemingly occupied, or smart enough to hide in the shade during the Alolan afternoon. N did not mind. Even though he was far away from his home, he found it comforting to be alone with his Pokémon, and surprisingly enough, he almost enjoyed the quiet of that hot, dry afternoon.

Two teens and their Pokémon seemed to be training near the ocean; N could hear them talk to each other loudly. Something about them was drawing him in and urged him to get closer. It might have been his natural curiosity and inclination to befriend Pokémon that he found himself trudging through the hot, yet soft sand towards them. About forty feet away, he plopped down in the sand and just watched for a while. Zoroark sat down beside him, its body providing a patch of shade for the young man to sit in as he calmly observed the kids’ training session from not-so-afar.

One of the kids also had a Zoroark, and it looked like it was dancing together with its trainer. From books, N knew that in Alola the use of so-called Z-moves was very common and that their execution involved moving in sync with your Pokémon. He quite liked the idea of it; it meant human and Pokémon had to trust one another and dislike from either party would make it fail.

It was funny how the boy’s clothes almost exactly matched Zoroark’s coat. He was dressed only in black and red, his top already worn and ragged. The girl, though also blonde, was wearing an ensemble of white and pink, her pleated skirt swaying in the occasional ocean breeze.

Absentmindedly, N let handfuls of warm sand trickle through his fingers as he watched. The sand where he sat was completely dry, free from the ocean’s waves, and its dusty warm smell mingled with the salty seaside air. Each sand particle was its own identity, streaming from one cupped hand to another in a cloud of solid steam. The mass of grains behaving almost like a liquid tickled his palms. A small grin broke across his face. The properties of sand were fascinating and totally fun to play with.

“Breakout Blitz!” Lillie shouted after Gladion and Zoroark had demonstrated their poses for the third time in a row.

She drew a line in the sand with her white sneakers as she widened her stance. This was just like the pose she did all the time! She could do this. Her hands flew out from her sides like airplane wings, and then she drew them in to her chest, slowly, as fists. Clumsily, Lillie’s arms floated up higher, one above the other, until they became the beginning and end points of an imaginary Z. Green eyes nervously studied Gladion’s shoes as she waited for his approval.

In silence, Gladion put his hand on his chin. The thoughtful look on his face made him appear like an overly-serious teacher, much to Lillie’s chagrin. She wanted this to be a fun outing, but “fun” had a different meaning for either sibling. Creases on Gladion’s brow suggested his struggle to find the perfect balance between praise and judgement before he opened his mouth.

“Not bad,” he started, nodding at the sand. “But the beginning was too fast. You have to pull out from your wrists. Slowly.”

Lillie let her arms slump, “Aw, man. I forgot about the wrists. What about the last part?”

Her brother rocked his hand side-to-side in the air, grimacing a bit. “Ehhh. It was a little wobbly.”

“Oh, come on! Really? I don’t think Clefairy would really mind if-”

Zoroark seemed amused with their quarreling. It grinned wider and snickered at the folly, but its attention was then diverted to more pressing matters. A little ways off, another Zoroark and its trainer were watching. Gladion’s companion could not sense an imminent threat, but it pricked its dark ears warily and stared back at the onlookers. This soon drew Gladion’s attention as well, his side of the quarrel fading into quiet.

His sudden silence made Lillie cast him an incredulous look, “What are you”- Her unfinished question answered itself as she followed the direction of his gaze.

------

The boy and his Pokémon had spotted him - which meant the time for N to introduce himself was looming. With a little grunt, he scrambled to his feet (the soft uneven sand beneath his feet made it a little strenuous) and nodded at Zoroark. It was times like these when he did not need to speak out loud; his Pokémon understood very well. It took him a few seconds of vigorously brushing the sand off his pants until he felt comfortable enough to approach the kids.

Greeting people and introducing oneself was just like applying formulae to a problem: you choose the right variables suitable to your social situation, and use them accordingly. Verbal scripts and mathematical formulae had quite a few things in common, but for the former, it was rather impossible to predict an outcome. Unlike numbers, which were signifiers for a definite mathematical value, people and their reactions were influenced by a plethora of both internal and external factors.

“Hello there,” N smiled as casually as possible. It was best to start with a greeting, and in this case, an apology as well. “Sorry for staring. I couldn’t help but hear the three of you - you were quite loud. Which is not a bad thing...It merely piqued my interest.”

The girl in white seemed relieved, “Nice to meet you, then.”

Boy-in-Zoroark-inspired-attire still looked unconvinced, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“We piqued your interest?” he repeated skeptically, eyeing the taller man and his Pokémon thoroughly.

A strange shudder ran down N’s spine at the boy’s stern gaze, as if he were seeing right through him.

“Yes,” N nodded simply, “I’m not from around here. I heard you talking about Z-moves, and was curious.” Realizing he had forgotten something vital, he thrust out his hand with a little more force than he would’ve liked. “The name’s N, by the way.”

Lillie thought this was a perfectly reasonable explanation. She was curious about Z-moves too, so why couldn’t someone else be? Smiling, she reached out to shake his larger and slightly sand-covered hand.

Still visibly suspicious, the boy stepped closer.
“To be honest, I really don’t like that you were watching us, even if you were curious.”

“Your Zoroark thought so too, so you really have reason to feel bothered. I apologize,” N muttered, lowering his gaze. To his surprise, the boy looked sincerely confused for a solid few seconds.

“My Zoroark. Let me guess,“ he began, his voice suddenly adapting a mocking tone, “you can read a Pokémon’s mind?”

Of all the possible social outcomes, this was one of N’s least favorite - but unfortunately, the most common. N clasped his hands together and shifted nervously on his feet. He did his best to ignore the comment, as usual, but his nerves still showed through.
“Not exactly, but... you are close.”

The blond boy waved him off and crossed his arms again. Shrewdly, he attempted to end the conversation as he turned away, “Whatever. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some training to do and a sister to teach.”

N quickly caught his breath, “Wait, please. I’d like to join in your training. I want to learn about the Z-power too- I am really interested in learning about it - I have, ever since I read- ” No, no, no. The words were getting all jumbled up, his mind and his body weren’t cooperating. How uncomfortable! He was losing composure in front of two children. There was no use in trying to appear stoic, he was obviously in a situation unfit for him.

Lillie cast him a sympathetic look and then shot a glance back at her brother, “Oh come on, Gladion. I’m sure he doesn’t mean any harm.”

“You don’t know that,” Gladion mumbled, averting his sister’s gaze.

In the most dramatic fashion she could muster, Lillie rolled her eyes and slumped her shoulders as she turned back to the tall man.
“Sorry about my brother,” she apologized with a playful pout on her face. “He’s a grouch.”

N waited for the boy to retort, but he only sunk deeper into his shoulders and kept his back turned.

“I’m Lillie,” the girl smiled sheepishly. “You said you were N, right? That’s a neat name.”

The green-haired man chuckled, relaxing a bit. “So I’ve been told.” His Zoroark lifted its head to brush against his hand comfortingly. As he stroked Zoroark’s head in thanks, he smiled back at the girl, “And it’s OK about Gladion, I can be a bit of a grouch too.”

Lillie’s childish smile went slack and Gladion whipped around, eyes wide.

“How do you know my name?”

“Your sister called you by that name earlier. And your Zoroark refers to you by it, too.”

“Oh. What?”

It was Lillie’s turn to go wide-eyed. Now, N had two pairs of bright green eyes goggling at him. He tried his best to keep his composure by straightening his shoulders and holding firmly to the bangles on his wrist. It worked when needed to seem professional in his Team Plasma days. Perhaps, though, he would seem too domineering to the children. Quickly, he added an awkward smile to soften his image.
Nailed it.

“Yes, Zoroark did tell me.”

“Can you really speak to Pokémon?” Lillie asked cheerily in an attempt to “save” the stranger from her brother. Gladion could be quite intimidating, even though she knew it was mostly as an act of self-defense. You couldn't really blame him if you knew him.

“Yes. For awhile, I didn’t realize it wasn’t a normal trait. But I did grow up rather isolated, so I had nobody to compare myself with. Only later in life, I learned that I, apparently, was kind of a...freak of nature.” Zoroark pushed its head against N’s arm, as if it wanted him to pet it. N was glad to do that; he welcomed the input.

For a brief moment he was quiet, focussing on the feeling of Zoroark’s fur. Then, noticing the look the two siblings were giving him, he quickly corrected himself, “Ah, but...it’s a rather helpful trait to have at times, so it’s not - not so bad.”

“Woah, that’s a cool power to have,” Lillie said sweetly, absentmindedly watching a baby Crabrawler making its way into the water.
She could hear the burden in N’s voice. If anyone understood burdens, it was Lillie and her brother, and she instantly felt a connection to the stranger.

“It can certainly help solving conflicts. Conflicts that occur as a result of communication errors. There is a lot of miscommunication between humans and Pokémon. Most of the time it's actual intentionally failed communication. You see. Many humans use and abuse Pokémon, and it’s...Oh. I am sorry. This is not relevant to our conversation.” N fell quiet and buried his fingers once more in Zoroark’s dark, dense fur.

Lillie balled her fists, ready to fight no one in particular. Her small body was shaking with anger.
“Oooh! I absolutely hate the sorts of people who would do that!” she agreed.

Gladion let out a deep sigh, “As absurd as all this sounds… I have my own experience with humans abusing Pokémon.”
Without noticing, he traced a fingertip over Silvally’s pokéball that was still attached to his belt. “So I share the sentiment.”

All of them kept quiet for a solemn moment. What N had said hadn’t bothered them the way it usually bothered people. There were no confused or irritated glares sent his way, and for that he was grateful.

Chapter Text

Extended silences and emotional bonding weren’t Gladion’s cup of tea. Cooly, he put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes, “Alright, so are we going to get to training, or what? I don’t have all day.”

“Aw, Gladion, are you getting overheated in that black jacket of yours?” Lillie teased.

“It’s a hooded sweatshirt, not a jacket.” Gladion growled.

“Whatever,” Lillie laughed. “Shiron, go!”

Another fox, much smaller in size than the two Zoroarks, burst forth from Lillie’s pokeball.

“Ah, a white Vulpix.” N hummed in fascination and knelt down in the sand to carefully pet the Pokémon’s head. Vulpix pressed its head against him immediately. Its fur felt surprisingly cold to touch.

“I assume this breed of Vulpix is not a fire type?”

Lillie nodded her head, “M-hm. An ice type. It is native to Mount Lanakila.”

N had already spent quite a while in Alola, traversing beaten trails through the lush wilderness, conversing with Pokemon he’d never seen in person before - but he had yet to visit Lanakila. His trip to the vibrant region wasn’t meant for sightseeing, though that was exactly what it had devolved into after his original problem had more-or-less solved itself. He prefered it this way, actually; exploring natural landmarks and discovering new aspects of human culture was his favorite thing to do. Wanderlust was ingrained into his heart and soul.

“So, is there an Ice type Z-move?” N questioned, although he had already long guessed the answer.

“Yes,” nodded Gladion. “I have yet to get the Z-crystal required for it, though. It doesn’t have a trial devoted to it, so I’m unfamiliar with the pose itself.”

“Aw,” Lillie sighed, letting herself slouch. “Well then, what about the Fairy Z-move?”

“Why fairy? Can Vulpix...I mean, Shiron learn a fairy move?”

“Yeah!” the blonde girl cheered as she reached down to pick up her fluffy Pokemon. “When Shiron evolves, it’ll be part fairy type! Isn't that exciting, Shiron?”

Shiron wagged its many tails in agreement. N met the Pokémon’s eyes and a smile flashed over his face. Shiron seemed really excited at the thought of evolving. N would have even gone so far as to call it adorable.

“I do have experience with Fairy types. Kind of.” Gladion said, pulling out a case that looked like it was used for storing CDs. He flipped through it to showcase a dozen of differently-coloured discs, “And I happen to have the Z-Crystal for it.” He had gotten in gifted during his journey. (Out of all people, it had been Hau!)

In an instant, his curiosity got the better of him and N reached for the case.
“They’re not Technical Machines,” he determined. For a fearful second, he was reminded of the type drives made for Genesect, Team Plasma’s unfortunate creation - which he had told (begged) them not to make.

Gladion quietly pulled the case away from N’s fingertips. “No, they aren’t,” he said with a defeated sigh.

He didn’t want to use these in front of the stranger, even though he often used them as an scare tactic against his opponents. This N character was different. Gladion could feel how he was putting up more walls than usual around this person. Something deep, dark, and unknown worried Gladion, but the excitement in Lillie and Shiron’s eyes made him comply and momentarily dispelled his hunch of paranoia.

“I’m supposed to demonstrate the Fairy type Z-move, right?” Gladion asked, his hand already itching to throw Silvally’s pokéball.

“Please,” Lillie pleaded. She was bouncing with happiness. Shiron jumped from her arms to bounce along with her like a springy ball of cotton. A small cloud of sand was stirred up every time its small feet landed back on the ground.

“Yes, please,” N said, too. He felt slightly anxious, but could not clearly interpret the feeling as a positive or negative one.

“Silvally, go!”
Gladion threw the ball and out of the red light materialised a big, quadrupedal Pokémon that N had never seen before.

It felt like his heart stopped. What was that creature? It looked anything other than natural, as if it had been made from discarded Pokémon parts; parts of its body seemed to be metal, and its front and hind legs did not match at all, did not even look like they belonged to the same species of Pokémon.

The view stunned him. Yes, many of the Pokemon in Alola N had never seen in person, but he’d at least seen pictures of them in books! However this, this he had never seen anywhere. He couldn’t even compare what he was feeling to the time he first met a legendary - this wasn’t awe he was feeling.

And the sound. At first, he heard whispering, like that of ghost Pokemon. The sound was like hissing and radio static, tickling his ears and the back of his neck.

“Silvally! Get ready for a memory drive switch!” cried Gladion to his unusual companion. His left hand was trembling slightly.
Silvally let out a metallic roar.

To N, the roar was more than simply metallic. It was a multitude of screams, all conflicting, jumbled at once. Some were high-pitched, others echoed, one rumbled low like thunder. What was this? What was this? His mouth was agape as he scrambled to make sense of what he was hearing. To Gladion and Lillie, he looked awestruck.

It wasn’t awe.

It was pain.
It hurt.
Never before in his life had he perceived a noise like that.
It hurt - not only physically from the loudness - but it hurt his mind, too, however illogical and impossible it seemed. It felt like he’d been hyper beamed in the face. His head throbbed and his limbs were lead, and no part of him was under his control anymore.

“Stop stop stop stop stop stop stop-” He did not feel like he was really able to speak. In fact, he was not even sure whether what was coming from his lips now were actual words. Whatever sound he was making was drowned by the cries of the creature anyway.

Lillie covered her mouth with her hands. Gladion was snapped out of his battle mode in a split second. His trembling hand fell to his side, and his determined face went slack. Brain blank with surprise, he hovered there until he took a deep breath and attempted to assess the situation. He only still managed to stare.

Silvally cocked its feathery head and cautiously approached the visibly distressed man. When Gladion was upset, it would comfort its friend by cuddling with him. The chimera didn’t understand it was the source of the problem. When it approached the trainer, his reaction only worsened; the young man clutched his hands over his ears, barely remaining on both feet, but staggering.
“No, no, no, no-”

The creature reached out to nudge his face with its beak. This caused N to drop to the ground and curl up defensively in the sand. His face was hidden by his hands and his curls of long, green hair, but beneath this he could be heard muttering strings of numbers. In the process, N’s hat had been discarded.

“Just tell it to return!” Lillie snapped at her brother, who seemed to be frozen in place, apparently having some kind of shutdown. She could not bear watching this any longer, but for the longest time, she too had been in a state of shock.

“Come on, Gladion!” she cried out helplessly. Shiron, who had been at her feet the whole time, nudged Gladion until the boy finally managed to reach for the pokéball.

“Return, Silvally!”

The strange Pokemon shot one last saddened glance at its trainer before it dissolved into light and returned to its Pokeball.

Silence settled between the siblings, with only the sounds of N’s muttering and the ocean waves to ground them.

Lillie was the first to move, grabbing the soft Shiron in her arms and sinking to N’s side. It wasn’t much, but she hoped her presence would help him anyway. Hugging him wasn’t an option; this was awkward enough as it was. Besides, if he didn’t like to be touched, she would end up making it worse. Gently, Lillie picked up N’s hat and placed it next to the boy so he had it within reach.

Gladion eventually managed to return Silvally’s pokéball to his belt. All he wanted to do was comfort Silvally right now. It had looked so confused. Whatever had just happened had not been remotely its fault!

“What the hell,” started Gladion as he drew a sharp breath, “was that about?”

His sentence was returned with an ugly look from Lillie. It probably meant, “Shut up.”

N somehow managed to take a few deep breaths, leaning against his Zoroark that had once more settled beside him. Feeling its warm body helped ground him.
“I am sorry,” the young man blurted out, his tongue still heavy and his head still buzzing. “So sorry.” with every single word he uttered it felt like he was exerting himself.

Lillie looked pleadingly at her brother as she spoke to N soothingly. “It’s alright.”

Tearing his eyes away from her equally green ones, Gladion muttered, “Yeah, it’s whatever. Happens all the time.”

“Don’t make fun of him, Gladion!” Lillie grit her teeth and stomped her foot down on the sand. “he’s having a hard time already.”

He threw his hands up in the air and sneered, snapping as quietly as possible, “I wasn’t...it’s true for - whatever.” Sitting down in the sand, he let his own Zoroark lay across his lap.

Once more, albeit much clumsier than before, N scrambled to his feet, putting his hat back on as well.
“I’m fine.” he muttered, but everyone present could sense that statement was not entirely true.

“I don’t know what came over me,” N admitted weakly. He spun the bangles on his wrist around a few times before he managed to speak up again. His body still felt stiff and heavy, as if he had gone swimming and returned to land where earth’s gravity exerted its full effect, making it harder to move as his limbs felt like rocks.

Gladion was giving Zoroark most of his attention, although he did listen to what N was saying. Lillie on the other hand was listening intently, Shiron on her lap.

“This has never happened before. Not even with Dugtrio or Magneton. Never! I don’t understand!” N sounded obviously upset, to an extent where it was obvious even to himself.

“No need to be so hard on yourself.” Lillie looked over to N, “you’re only human. It’s okay.”

N sighed, “I’d rather be a Pokémon sometimes.”

His Zoroark narrowed its clever eyes, wrinkled its nose, and proceeded to sneeze all over his bare ankle. Then it turned its head haughtily, ignoring N’s surprise, and sunk into a sulking heap at his feet.

“I wasn’t aiming to offend you, my friend.” N said apologetically, voice weak as it caught at the edges of his constricting throat. Even swallowing was a chore. He felt suddenly parched, his tongue sandpapery, as if he had gulped a cup of seawater and the excruciating salt content was finally getting to him.
His body too, felt suddenly dried out and feeble, and his heartbeat felt like it was going a little too fast.

“Perchance, did either of you bring water?” the green-haired man wheezed.

Water would’ve been a good thing to bring on a sunny midday excursion to a reflective beach. The blond siblings exchanged glances. Without a word, they determined that neither of them had been smart enough to bring a bottle along.

Lillie looked over to the main streets, letting out a pensive hum. “We can go to a malasada place and sit down there,” the girl suggested.

She had not had a malasada in ages, since they were basically unavailable throughout Kanto. The shops also had a variety of drinks on their menu, and lots of space to sit down, eat, and chat. Lillie couldn’t wait to get into an air conditioned space.

Chapter Text

The weary group of three took a deep, grateful breath of cold air when they stepped through the automatic doors together. N had never been in a malasada shop, and Gladion hardly ever went into them (just to spite Hau). Lillie was the most familiar with the atmosphere, and although it was odd going in without Hau or Moon, she confidently strode up to the front counter to peek at the desserts.

A cheery, lyricless soundtrack played from speakers in the ceiling. This was the real reason Gladion didn’t like coming in here: the sound was so cutesy it gave him a bigger toothache than the sugary malasadas did. He sucked it up and stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket. Cool air and food outweighed the downsides of the chain’s pathetic choice of music.

“Alola! I’ll have a sweet malasada,” requested Lillie to a young woman with a red apron behind the counter. “What about you two?”

“A spicy malasada and a water,” Gladion responded without hesitation as N clumsily fished for change beside him.

N had never heard of malasadas before he came to Alola. He’d seen many people eating them on the piers, but now that he saw them, he realized they were just hole-less donuts covered in sugar. Like those Castelia Cream or jelly-filled ones in Unova. This made him feel unusually homesick.

“I’ll have a sweet one, too,” N said quickly. “And a fruit punch.”

Lillie rebuffed his attempt at giving her some cash, “I’m a full-time trainer, I’ll have you know. I’ve got money.”

Dismayed, N observed the crumpled bills in his hand as they waited for their order. A freckled young man hurried to a beverage dispenser with cups of ice. The fruit punch bubbled a vibrant red through the spigot, and N could only imagine how dyed his mouth would be after drinking it. Hopefully, he could resist the urge to stick out his tongue.

They sat down together at a small table against the wall, as far away from the speakers as possible (to Gladion’s relief). Shiron was small enough to be allowed inside, while the other two bigger foxes had to return to their pokéballs. It wagged its tails hungrily as it sat on Lillie’s lap.

Malasadas tasted like donuts, only a bit fluffier and crispier, too. It had no surprise filling, though, so he supposed the comparison to a hole-less Castelia Cream donut had been unjust.

“Have you ever tried donuts?” N announced after sipping some of his fruit punch.

“Inferior malasadas,” Gladion responded through a bite of spicy dough.

Lillie nodded reluctantly.

The tall man grinned, “Oh...well, you’re entitled to your own opinion. Most Unovan foods are rather, um, cheap.” He took another bite of his malasada before continuing, “What about pizza?”

Gladion merely shrugged, but Lillie spoke up, “I love pizza, especially Castelia-styled pizza!”

“Pizza is great,” N smiled as he held the cool cup of juice in his hands. It felt nice. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tried real Unovan pizza. The pizza in Alola is...inferior.”

Lillie laughed.

It was funny, but trying all the great junk food in Unova for the first time made N realize how much he had missed out on as a kid. He was glad his human friends introduced him to Unovan culture. As he thought back on this, a forlorn look crossed his face.

“You from Unova? You’re talking a lot about it,” noted Gladion as he twirled his glass in front of his face, watching the ice cubes reflect light. The ice also clinked against the glass with a surprisingly pleasant sound.

“Ah, yes actually. I’m Unovan born and raised,” he said, faltering a bit at the last part. It was all true, but it felt like he was lying.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Unova to see the musicals and the huge buildings,” Lillie chirped as she rubbed Shiron’s soft ears. N noted that the Pokémon seemed to be purring because it enjoyed the touch.

Gladion retorted cooly, “Not after their government was almost overthrown. That region doesn’t have itself under control.”

N flinched and bit his tongue to keep himself from responding impulsively. He managed to say, “No, I assure you, everything’s fine now,” before falling silent.

“What about the legendaries? Sure, Alola had its own problems recently, but at least the legendaries have been contained,” Gladion brooded as he placed his cup back down. “Plus, if the league was any good, they would’ve noticed there was a rebellion brewing right under their noses.”

N had to place his malasada down or else he would’ve squashed it in his hands. “It’s complicated. Team Plasma,” thinly veiled anger crept into his voice as he continued, “wrote themselves off as pacifists to hide their motives. The legendaries meant no harm, anyways.”

Lillie could feel the tension in the air rising again. Nervously swallowing the dough she had in her mouth, she tried to divert the conversation, “Wow, did you see them? The legendaries?”

“Yes,” N stated bluntly. It was best if he didn’t give any of his history away. “I heard what they were saying, and they had little control in the matter.”

“We’ve seen legendaries too! They didn’t do anything wrong, either. For the most part,” Lillie chimed in. This man had so much in common with her and her brother.

“Lillie, be quiet,” hissed Gladion.

“What?” she said with a pout. “He saw legendaries, just like us.”

“Excuse me? No, not just like us.” Gladion immediately regretted saying this when he saw N’s eyes widen curiously.

He leaned into the table, ready to impulsively share a secret to gain their trust. “He’s right. I didn’t just see it, I made friends with the legendary.”

The siblings exchanged looks. No way. What were the odds?

Chuckling, he sat back and put his hands up in surrender. “It’s no big deal,” he lied.

“Were you scared? Was it scary?”

“No, of course not. From the very beginning, I wanted it to be my friend.”

Lillie scrunched up her face thoughtfully. Quietly, she wondered out loud, “If a big legendary wasn’t scary, why were you so scared of Silvally?”

N’s face blanked at this. He didn’t respond.

“I’m sorry, that was insensitive,” Lillie sputtered with embarrassment.

“What was it?” N mumbled, staring at the colorful wall. “What was that thing? Why were there so many voices?”

“Silvally, you mean. Not ‘that thing’,” Gladion grumbled as he placed his palms against the table and glared in N’s direction.

N suddenly felt miserable. He was the last person who should say that about a Pokémon. “I’m sorry,” he blabbered, his mouth feeling dry for an entirely new reason.

The teen boy sighed, “Fine, I’ll tell you. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

His warning was received with a nod.

“To start off simply, you need to know about the Aether Fou-”

“Oh, the Aether Foundation, I know a lot about that!” N’s face flashed with sudden enthusiasm, “and it’s actually sort of the reason I came here - sorry, I interrupted you. Keep talking.”

A little puzzled, Gladion looked at Lillie for a second before resuming, “Originally, the organization’s mission was to protect Pokémon and their natural habitats by researching and therefore improving their lives. Unfortunately, not everything that is carried out in the “name of science” complies with ethics. A lot of tests and experiments were performed, and Ultra Beasts were discovered.”

“Ultra beasts?” N wondered. He had read about them, but he had never been able to really imagine what they were. “Please elaborate, if you don’t mind.”

Gladion nodded his head.

“Ultra Beasts are Pokémon that inhabit different dimensions. Certain Pokémon have the ability to create a rift in space so these creatures can enter our world. They are extremely powerful and have remained unknown to humanity for the longest time, and for a good reason. They are dangerous.”

N had forgotten his half-eaten malasada and was listening so intently, everything around them seemed to disappear.

“Type: Null, Silvally’s prevolution, was created in Aether’s lab originally as a weapon to fight these Ultra Beasts. The discs I showed you earlier can be used to change its typing. That way, it can be made immune, or at least partially immune to certain types and attacks, making it incredibly versatile in fights. Maybe the reason you heard so many voices was because they used many Pokémon’s DNA to create it.”

Not like Genesect, rather like Frankenstein’s monster, N thought to himself.

Gladion thoughtfully stared down at his empty plate.

“But the researchers didn’t do a good job at controlling it. It was too strong and posed a threat to itself and the world around it. It was restrained and…” he swallowed, “frozen to be kept at bay.”

Lillie was visibly upset and petting Shiron. This was also the first time she was hearing the entire story from Gladion himself. Neither the Aether staff nor her mother had ever told her the whole story, and Gladion had never bothered giving her the details before.

N was grinding his teeth, and he was literally and figuratively at the edge of his seat. Part of him was writhing in disgust at what his fellow humans had done, and condemned their attempt at playing God and creating life just to weaponize it. Thinking about it made him nearly sick. This experiment had an uncanny similarity to Team Plasma’s own projects.

“I freed it.” Gladion continued, now sounding the tiniest bit proud, “and it’s been a faithful companion ever since. My best friend, actually.”

For the first time that day, N saw Gladion’s expression become soft. He could empathise with the emotions the boy described; he, too, had an incredibly strong bond with his Zoroark. Both siblings had been through too much. He tried to keep a smile on his face for the children, but Aether’s sinister reality was another betrayal, and it hit too close to home.

Clutching his hands together, he let his smile waver. His voice spoke softly to them, “Thank you for trusting me enough to share that. I understand how hard that can be.”

Both of them looked up expectantly. N could feel his breath catch in his chest. Two children had gone out of their way to explain something painful to an adult, a stranger, and he wasn’t sure he could prove himself worthy. The only thing he could do was try.

“My legendary encounter...I was raised for it, you see.” N took a deep breath. He had to be careful; he didn’t want to upset them. “Because of my powers and my personality, I was isolated with abused Pokémon so that I would…I would see the worst in humanity.”

“The legendary dragons of Unova could only be awoken by someone with pure intentions. All I wanted to do was free Pokémon from the humans, and so I was made into that someone. Since my world was only the size of one roo- ah...excuse me,” N brought his hands close to his chest and began to shrink into himself, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Lillie said hurriedly. She reached out in his direction and placed her hand on the table. Gladion nodded weakly, eyes still wide.

“Well, let’s just say I was unknowingly ignorant for a very long time. I hated humans, and didn’t realize the only humans I’d trusted were using me to get their hands on the dragon,” N hastened through his words and took a deep breath at the end. “So, I understand. Humans can do horrible things to Pokémon, and to other humans as well.”

“I am sorry if that was difficult for you to say.” Lillie apologised, also on Gladion’s behalf.
“But now I feel like I know you, N! That makes me happy.”

Chapter Text

“Gladion?” N asked carefully when they were leaving the malasada shop, stopping suddenly. They had spent almost two hours inside, and the sun had started to disappear. It was not nightfall yet, but late enough for the sunlight to be no longer hot nor bright.

“Hm?” The boy turned around to him, “what?”

N was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, visibly struggling to find words.
“I know my reaction hurt Silvally.” He said slowly, “And, - I - I don’t like hurting others.” N was aware that the way he spoke sounded a little childish, but these were his sincere feelings and if anything, it was mature to express one’s emotions unprovoked...right?

Gladion frowned.
“Look, I am not gonna be holding a grudge against you. It really wasn’t your fault.”

“No, you don’t understand. I want to apologize to Silvally in person,” N explained, “but-” he sighed, “I don’t know how.”

“Look, man, I don’t know either - “ Gladion snapped in reply. When N grimaced, he just shrugged, looking the most awkward N had seen him so far. The boy took a deep breath before he continued to talk.
“N. Look. I see why this upsets you and I think Silvally deserves that apology. But if you cannot even be near it without collapsing, then there is no point, really.”

N stared down stiffly at the pavement, almost letting a passerby run into him.
“I am sorry. Please tell Silvally I am sorry, too. Maybe we should go our separate ways no-”

Lillie had kept on walking and only now realised the two boys had been left behind. She hurried back to them, Shiron in tow.
“Are you guys okay?.

N nodded quickly, clearing his throat.
“Yeah, we’re fine. I guess I should go to the Pokémon center and prepare to spend the night there.” After today’s events, he really did not feel like sleeping out in the open, even though he usually liked camping. He’d feel safer in a bed with his Zoroark by his side.

Brother and sister exchanged looks.
“Let’s sleep in the Pokémon Center, too,” Lillie suggested brightly. She could tell something was bothering N, and frankly, she was a little worried. N had had an altogether rough day. They could have spent the night at Professor Kukui’s lab too, in Lillie’s old loft room. Although Lillie knew that N would have surely liked to meet the Professor, she wanted to make sure N was as comfortable as possible. After all, he was in Alola all alone. And Pokemon Centers were likely the same as back in his home region. It made sense that he regularly slept there.

The blond boy nodded briefly.
“Sure, let’s do that, whatever.”

“You really don't have to.” N countered quickly. “I'm used to being by myself. Besides, I'm never really alone. I have my friends.” This was the part where people would often say things like Pokémon can’t replace human friends, but neither Lillie nor her brother seemed to remotely think about it.

“But we're your friends too, now!” Lillie said firmly.

Gladion cringed visibly, “I guess.”

“We’re friends?” N’s tone was incredulous, “Oh.”

“Yes. We’re friends.” Lillie confirmed, “And friends watch out for one another.”

On the second floor, most Pokemon Centers had a couple of rooms that trainers - or most travellers, really - could use to spend the night. They could be described as dormitories, with five beds in each room. When you were not travelling in groups, it was common practice to share the room with strangers, although the nurses Joy always tried to put people of similar ages in the same room.

That night in particular, there were very few travelers at the Center, so the three trainers had an entire room for themselves and their Pokemon. Lillie proudly presented her Ivysaur and Gladion’s Umbreon curiously headbutted N’ own dark type friend.

After a quick dinner, the three of them got ready for bed.
To no-one’s surprise, N’s pyjamas consisted of a plain white t-shirt and soft gray pants. Lillie’s was a matching frilly set with short sleeves and bloomers with a light blue heart print, and Gladion - out of all people - slept in a team skull tank top and shorts with a bright red paw print pattern all over them.

“Can I ask you something kind of ridiculous?” Lillie asked while she applied some moisturizer to her face sitting cross-legged on the bed.

“Sure,” N replied unsurely.

“Can I,” Lillie looked so tense she almost dropped her tub of cream, “please braid your hair!?”

The older trainer looked at her, a mixture of relief and perplexity on his face.
“I, uhm. I don't see why not?”

Lillie clapped her hands excitedly, now actually dropping her moisturizer.
“Yay! Thank you! Oops.”

N had never bothered styling his hair. He liked it long and had never considered cutting it except for the bangs. The most adventurous thing he had ever done to it was putting on a flower crown that his sisters had made for him when they were little. Gardevoir had used a spell on it so the flowers would not die too soon, but they only held up for two days until they eventually began to wither, and dry leaves and petals got caught in N’s hair. He remembered almost mourning the flowers’ death.
Now that he thought about, he really was a strange kid.

“Hey, come ‘ere.” Lillie gently shoved Shiron aside to make space for the other trainer.

“Yeah yeah, coming.”

Gladion seemed busy reading through his Pokedex with Umbreon’s head on his stomach.

“Mother and I sometimes played hairdresser when I was small, before she began to work so much.” Lillie reminisced while looking for her comb, pulling out almost everything else from her bag until she finally found it. N grimaced at the mess that she was making. Lillie seemed to have a lot of clutter in there.

“I remember it being nice. And fun. Ah, there you are!”

N nodded, and closed his eyes when Lillie began to brush his hair. Unfortunately it had a habit of getting tangled due to its length, and N was not particularly good at regularly combing out all the knots. Sometimes he just couldn't be bothered to deal with the necessary evil that was proper hair care.

He could feel how gentle Lillie was with him, and he appreciated her effort to make sure he was as comfortable as possible. She apologised every time N flinched and with her tongue sticking out in concentration, she tried even harder to not hurt him when she combed through slightly knotted strands.

As time went by, he caught himself nodding off. He was barely aware of Lillie parting his hair into three strands but could not remember anything else until Lillie excitedly shoved a handheld mirror in his face. Only a few small pricks on the top of his head made him realise that Lillie had put his hair up, together with the unfamiliar feeling of cool at the back of his neck.

“Look, look! It’s a crown! You look like a prince!! Do you like it?” Lillie asked enthusiastically.
N ground his teeth to get the associations his mind had with the words crown and prince and king out of his head.

“It's pretty, but, heh, too much effort to maintain unfortunately.” N said, sounding awkwardly polite.

Lillie hummed, “I guess you're right.”

“But yeah, it looks pretty,” he confirmed again just so he could see Lillie’s face beam with pride once more.

“Gladion never let me do his hair.” Lillie pouted, “wait, hang on!”

She jumped off the bed and put N’s hat on him.

“No, it looks like you have really short hair. Wow, that's...strange.”

Gladion peered out over his pokedex, raised an eyebrow when he saw N, and went right back to reading.

When N held up the hand mirror again, he blinked in surprise when he did not recognize himself for a split second; Lillie laughed at his expression. The only visible green was on the bare back of his neck and peeking through the brim of his hat. Without all his curls in the way, his ears and jawline were visible. He felt exposed (and colder). Still, he found himself giggling with the young girl. He got up and twirled around in his pyjamas while Lillie cheered.

“Do I look younger to you? I totally look younger,” he joked.

After a few more giggle-fits and an eyeroll from Gladion, Lillie clambered into her own bed and pulled out a diary from her pink bag. N went to clean himself up in the bathroom, careful not to ruin Lillie’s work, before he returned to the room. He remembered having something on his mind. What it was, he couldn’t recall, because after sitting on the side of his bed and thinking wistfully about his hair, he soon passed out.

N wound up on the floor, Zoroark curled up beside him. He personally wasn’t surprised, but of course, the siblings thought he had fallen off and hurt himself in the middle of the night!

“Are you alright?” Lillie exclaimed as she nervously tried to pull him from his sleep in the morning. At first, her hands hovered over his shoulder, afraid shaking him would be too rude.

She had barely poked N’s shoulder when he hummed groggily, “What?”

Lillie sunk from her kneeling position to the ground with a sigh. Gladion, who had been watching from the doorway, shook his head and left the room to wash for breakfast. He had already gotten dressed.

“I was worried when I found you sprawled on the floor!” breathed Lillie, placing her hand against her frilly night top.

No wonder his side was hurting. He partially pushed himself up with his hands, his head feeling unusually light with his hair up, and examined the thin carpeting hazily. This always happened. Usually, he didn’t mind, but he’d worried someone this time around. Besides, he wasn’t a kid anymore. Sleeping on the floor was starting to cause him pain.

Specks of light rimmed his vision, and he sunk back to the ground. Turning his body slowly to look at Lillie, he apologized, “Sorry about the scare. I often end up on the floor because I’m so used to sleeping outside without a bed.”

This was only a third true, with another third involving the dizziness that came with his height (and possibly diet), and the last because of his childhood without a proper bed. It was too early in the morning to explain these things, so his outdoorsy habits would have to suffice as an explanation.

It did suffice, as Lillie accepted it and nodded with a sigh of relief. She then ran off to the bathroom to get changed as well.

They all met again in the lobby. Just like last night, it wasn’t crowded at all. This pokecenter was one of many that Hau’oli sported, and it was in the outskirts, making it quieter than the inner city ones. Sunlight reflected bright and sharp from the windows and decorative water displays, suggesting to N that he’d woken up awfully late. Any trainers who had lodged overnight had likely left early to beat the midday sun.

Unlike Unovan pokecenters, which paraded a large variety of accessories such as info centers and cafeterias, Alolan centers were small and open, containing only a café area and a miniature pokemart in either corner with the main counter in the middle. Lillie and Gladion had settled themselves at the bar of the café with mugs of Tapu Cocoa and breakfast sandwiches. Quietly, N sat down next to Lillie (as Gladion was giving him the “leave me alone” look).

“What can you recommend?” N squinted at the picture menu above the bar.

Lillie stared.
“Have you never gotten anything here?” She asked, almost shocked.

“Uh, sorry,” N said apologetically, “I usually get stuff from the vending machines or regular cafés.”

“If you’re not a Whimpod like Lillie, “ Gladion interrupted, “You’d probably like Komala Coffee. You guys in Unova drink lots of coffee, too, right?”

“Oh, well,” N chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, “it is very popular, since Unovans are rather...busy people. I personally prefer tea, though.”

His first introduction to coffee had been through his friend Rosa. Being in the acting business, she drank quite a lot of it and other caffeinated drinks to get through the day. Coffee (“cheap” coffee, as Rosa called it) was always provided during breakfasts at the studio. It was dark and strong smelling, and N had gagged within the first sip and clumsily handed it back over to her. She had laughed at him, saying that sugary, whip cream-covered coffee was the only genuinely likable kind anyway.

“I’ll have a Roserade tea. Uhm. Alola.”

The shop assistant gave him a thumbs-up and a grin, which threw N a tiny bit off his guard..

“Uh.”

Lillie chuckled, “I think he was trying not to make you uncomfortable.”

“Oh.” N fumbled with his wallet.

“198? Hm. What an odd number. Well, it’s not an odd number. It’s an even number. Eight is always even. I mean. It’s a weird price, is what I am saying.”

“All drinks are 198 PokéDollar, you know. It’s not that weird.” Lillie shrugged.

“I guess.”

Waiting for the vendor to fix his drink, N looked around the pokecenter. Nurse Joy and Chansey were enjoying a little break as well, since nobody seemed to be needing their help right now. A Comfey was floating above one of the basins in the corner, its tiny body slightly dragging over the water surface.

Gladion had his Umbreon sitting underneath his chair, and N could have guessed that he would usually have Silvally out, too. He felt a little sting of guilt.

N found that Lillie was dreamily staring at the fairy type.

“Do you like Comfey?” N asked, shaking off his thoughts of gloom.

“I have caught one,” Lillie replied proudly, “But the ones at the pokecenters are so cute! They make everything smell so nice. And they seem to be bigger than usual wild ones. I wonder if they are bred that way, so they can produce more of their healing scents.”

She held up her Pokédex and let N read Comfey’s entry.

“I wonder if their aromatherapy would help with N’s weird breakdowns.” Gladion mused unnecessarily loudly from two chairs away. Only afterwards he seemed to have noticed what he had said.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound that...rude. They’re not your fault.”

N shrugged. “That’s okay. I’d call it the same thing, to be honest…”
“What if it would work, though?” The boy said out loudly, face brightening up, “What if Comfey can calm you down while talking to Silvally, so you are able to handle the voices!”

“That’s so smart!” Lillie beamed, “that might actually work!”

Gladion scratched the back of his head.

“I guess.”

N sat there with his arms crossed and in a pensive pose.

“If Comfey would help us with this matter, it could certainly be worth the try. Besides, we are close to medical help if I need it. Thank you. Ah!” N received his drink from the vendor and almost immediately dropped it, as the cup and its contents were steaming hot and burning his fingers. (He wasn’t at all good at tolerating heat, despite his contact with Reshiram).

“Speaking of which…” Lillie muttered, “you okay?”

“Yeah, I am fine.”

“You’re almost as clumsy as my sister.” Gladion teased.

“Yeah, you could say so.” N admitted awkwardly, cooling his fingers by pressing them against the cold glass of water that he had gotten together with his hot drink. His eyes wandered over to Comfey again.

“I want to give it a try, really,” N decided, “what do I have to lose? I owe it to Silvally to at least make an attempt.”

With determination, he took a sip of his still scaldingly hot tea, his face twisting as it was still way too hot for his taste.

The heat wasn’t as brutal as it had been the previous day. N wondered if his new hairstyle helped with that. It also could have been the thin sheet of clouds stretching like scars across the bright sky that occasionally passed in front of the sun. Trainers, tourists, and locals alike wandered the boardwalks. Pokémon trotted happily alongside their owners for a stroll. Pikipeks waited on fences and store awnings for discarded food, snapping up stray french fries or malasada crumbs.

Gladion caught Lillie proudly eyeing her handiwork on N’s hair as they walked along together. He shook his head. Typical. If his sister wouldn’t stare all day, maybe he’d let her do his hair sometime. N didn’t seem to notice her staring (or pretended not to) as he paid close attention to birds and other Pokémon that passed by. He could really hear them, couldn’t he? Gladion frowned. On top of all the conversations happening between humans on the street, were their Pokémon conversations muddled in? Subconsciously, he slowed his pace. That’s a lot of voices to filter out.
“Hey, Gladion!” Lillie called back, noticing her brother and his Umbreon had fallen behind.

Her brother snapped to attention, shoulders loosening and gaze focusing.

Lillie put her fingers to corners of her mouth and pulled a goofy face. “We’re going to beat you!” she taunted before turning and running further ahead.

“To where?!” Gladion snapped as he picked up his pace.

“We're going back to the beach! We're gonna look for a quiet place without many people.”

“Yeah, there are few things more embarrassing than having a breakdown in front of a bunch of strangers.” N mumbled, making it sound like that had already happened before.

“Understandable,” murmured Gladion, “you are a pretty miserable sight.”

“Hey!”

“He's right, Lillie.” N bit his lip, “it's not exactly my preferred state, you know. Not really a fan of feeling this… vulnerable.” He rubbed his arms nervously.

“Nobody likes it, N,” Lillie reassured him, “sorry about Gladion’s cynicism. He's like that.”

“By now I know that, don't worry.”

“Stop talking about me like I'm not even there!” Gladion protested.

“Sorry.” Lillie teased.

N was staring at the two somehow wistfully.
“Man, I wish I had siblings who are Pokémon trainers.”

“You have siblings?” Lillie asked in confusion, “you didn't tell us!”

“Uh. Yes.” N answered quickly, and picked up the pace, “let's just say they don't like the way people battle with their Pokémon. I used to have the same attitude, except a trainer back home helped me understand that training Pokémon is about looking out for one another and becoming friends. Not about raw violence.”

“Oh,” the blond siblings replied simultaneously. It was obvious that N did not like to talk about it.

The three trudged through the sand until N decided they had found a good place.

“Let's do it here.”

Lillie let herself fall into the sand, “looks good.”

Gladion sighed. “You're getting yourself all dirty,” he complained in a proper big-brother tone.

“I can just brush it off, relax!” she huffed, sweeping her hands together and watching the sand on her palms puff outward.

Lillie had been right. When she sent out her Comfey, the flowery pokemon was noticeably smaller than the ones at the pokecenter. It was small, round and fluffy, similar to the cottonee that floated lazily through the forests in Unova. However, it was a sunny yellow instead of green, and it spun around playfully with the flower loop it carried.

“Do you think your aromatherapy could work on humans?” N asked the floral creature.

It whirled around the green-haired man’s head, saying what the siblings could only assume was “yes”.

N took a deep breath and spent a minute fidgeting with his necklace. Comfey’s flower wreath was now starting to emit a pleasant scent, and it comfortably tickled N’s nose. A warm, fuzzy feeling began to spread through his body and for a second he revelled in the sensation. He had never felt so...light.

“Okay, Gladion,” he said solemnly,
“You can let them out now.” Umbreon had been returned to its pokéball upon their arrival at their designated spot.

“Go, Silvally.” Gladion threw his pokéball, and a second later, deformed claws landed heavily and dug into the sand. Its appearance was still slightly freaking N out, but he reminded himself that it was not its fault and that he was not one to judge a book by its cover (even if said book was a scientifically assembled/lab-grown chimera whose cry made him want to scream).

The Pokémon let out a roar, and N had to clench his teeth in order to withstand it. But so far, this was already going much better than last time.

“Please stay where you are, Silvally,” Gladion demanded softly, placing a hand on its flank, “okay?”

“Are you alright, N?” Lillie asked carefully.

N nodded, stepping closer to Silvally cautiously. His feet dragged heavily through the shallow sand.

“Hello Silvally,” the trainer spoke gently - his throat felt tight.

Silvally let out a friendly roar, and the noise exploded in N’s head again.

He could do this.

N bit his lip and let out a long breath. He was starting to shake agan.

He could do this.

Curiously, Silvally cocked its silvery head and lifted a claw, for a moment forgetting Gladion’s request. N flinched, fearing it would closer. It returned its foot to the sand and stood still. A purr escaped its throat.

The sound was softer than the last, causing a cold tickling sensation on the sides of his head. He squeezed his grey eyes shut and clenched his fists, as if something uncomfortable had brushed against his cheek. He was stock still. His shoes were grounded in the sand. Floral aromas filled the air around his head, growing stronger, making him lightheaded. Was he already failing? His legs felt like lead again. This wasn’t what N wanted; he wasn’t even feeling as frightened as last time. Why was this happening?

It was embarrassment, N realized. He was painfully familiar with this feeling. This realization in particular always worked like a domino effect causing him even more distress. He was anxious hunching into his shoulders in an attempt to shut out the world around him - Maybe if he blocked everyone out, they would disappear. Lillie and Gladion would leave him alone and go on with their day. Silvally would never have to be confused by him again.

In that moment, another voice reached out to him. A flash of pink arched above the shallows, droplets of water sparkled blindingly in the hot sun.
Both Lillie and Gladion hurried to look to the sea, catching only but a fleeting glimpse of a colorful water creature.
N already knew who the voice belonged to. He did not turn his head, staying exactly where he was. Pulses of warm, salty seabreeze washed over him; a gift from the Alomamola he had saved the morning prior. It had sensed his current struggle and given him words of encouragement, sending him a Heal Pulse with it. Within a few seconds, he began to feel a little more at ease.

Of course the gift had flustered N, but also did this temporary bewilderment allow him to escape the spiral of embarrassment he had been caught in. A feeling of calm was beginning to grown in his chest.
He straightened his shoulders with sudden newfound confidence. One more step was all he needed to take, he was a mere two feet in front of the silvery beast.
N took a breath.
Silvally watched him curiously with wonderment in its grey eyes.

It seemed to have already forgiven him.

N spoke anyway, shakily, determined to give Silvally the sorry it deserved, “For what I did to you yesterday...I confused you, and I’m deeply sorry.”

It made no movements and no sound, only stared at him intently.

“I have never heard a voice like yours before...nor have I seen anything like you,” N breathed, “I was scared, but that was rude of me. Most people have never met a person like me... either.”
He felt awkward and vulnerable, but the feeling of guilt was beginning to fade.

Understanding, Silvally purred with a sound so quiet, N was sure even Gladion didn’t notice it. It moved its metallic beak closer to him and waited.

N reached out fearlessly to return to the gesture, gently patting its nose. Silvally had forgiven him.

Lillie clapped. Gladion sighed in relief.

Now, N could forgive himself.

Exhausted but relieved, he let himself collapse into the sand with his long legs folded. Silvally curiously lay down beside him, looking at the sea quietly just as N was doing.

The siblings joined with equal silence. Gladion shuffled close to Silvally, leaning against its firm (to N, still odd-looking) body. Comfey settled on top of Lillie’s head as a living, breathing flower crown, and Shiron curled up next to her left foot.

For a minute, they all watched the blue waves roll and crash softly against the shore.

“Thank you for sticking with me, all of you,” N said eventually, still staring at the water.

“I am glad we met. Lillie, Gladion. Silvally. I really do consider all three of you close friends.” As he was speaking, he picked up a seashell and turned it around a few times between his fingers.

Lillie hesitated. “That sounds like a goodbye speech, N! Is it a goodbye speech?” she cried, brow furrowed. Gladion was frowning too.

“We just met yesterday,” added her brother unsurely.

“You two have your own journeys.” N said thoughtfully, “Gladion,” he turned to the boy, “you are on your island pilgrimage.”

The addressee nodded, not quite certain what N was implying.

“And Lillie,” N continued, and she flinched a little bit at her name, “you are working on your own career as a trainer. You are going to grow so much, I just know it.”

He turned away from the others and sat down on his hunches, scribbling something into the sand. Geometrical shapes and patterns.

“You are right,” Gladion sighed, “it just feels weird to be saying goodbye so soon.”

Lillie's expression was tense.

“But. But, We'll see each other again, right, N?”

“Someday. I am sure of it.”

N beamed a shy smile at the pair. Something like melancholy was clearly visible in his face.
“Let's have lunch before we part.” he mused, “that sounds like an appropriate thing to do.”

The siblings nodded in agreement.