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Chapter Text

Gladion ran quietly through the halls of the underground labs beneath the Aether foundation, his breath heavy and heart pounding in his chest.

If he was caught, it would all be over for him

He quickly typed a code into the keypad, slipping through the door as it halfway opened. He looked around, motioning for Umbreon and Lycanroc to guard the door.

It didn’t take him long to spot it.

What had Faba called it? Type Null? He walked over, grabbing the Poke-Ball that Fabba had stupidly left outside its cage before he looked at the second cell in the room.

He thought there had only been one experiment… He walked over, looking through the glass before freezing.

Was that a human or a Pokemon? Or- Both?

Gladion couldn’t tell. It looked like it had the features of a Lucario, but it was much larger, and its body and some of its coloration didn’t quite match. He narrowed his eyes before he swiped the keycard he had snatched from Fabba through the key slot, seeing it stir slightly.

Type Null made a slight noise, though Gladion didn’t say anything as he, with struggle lifting the experiment up, which he could now tell was a boy, maybe around his age. He swiped the keycard for Type Null’s, the Pokémon standing and nudging him before nudging the boy.

He heard Umbreon let out a noise, ears twitching as she hopped onto a table.

Gladion was about to walk over before Type Null grabbed him by his hood, growling as it nudged at the boy. Gladion blinked before he silently let the Pokémon take him, watching as Type Null quietly sat him on its back.

Gladion walked over, looking at Umbreon as it nudged some papers. “What did you find girl?” He murmured, picking up some papers as he skimmed over the information.

Files. Files on whatever the boy on Type Null’s back was. Experiments, notes, government files- and so much more over just the surface. How- How did Faba get a hold of some of this stuff.

He looked up as he swore he heard footsteps, shoving the stack of papers in the bag he brought with him before grabbing Type Null’s Poke-ball. “Cmon guys, let’s get out of here. Faba shouldn’t be back for a couple of hours but I don’t want to take chances.”

He slipped the Poke-ball into his hoodie pocket, grabbing a few extras as he started to walk out of the lab before yelping quietly as Type Null grabbed him and threw him over it’s head and onto it’s back. He blinked before quietly petting the metal casing over its head, gulping. “Alright then… let’s go…” He mumbled, looking at the boy behind him before he shifted, pulling him to where he was in front of him.

He didn’t want to take any chances with him falling off or getting re-captured.

He hesitantly did a small kick at Type Null’s side, and the Pokémon grunted in response, beginning to move at a quick pace as it moved itself through the doorway… somehow.

He heard Umbreon jump on, while Lycanroc just ran next to the giant Pokémon.

Gladeon gently nudged its side, oddly thankful for those riding lessons Mother had forced him and Lillie to do. He spotted the elevated up ahead, and he pulled on its fur slightly to slow it down. He watched it get into the elevator with the others before he pressed the button, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor as it went up a few levels.

He got back on Type Null’s back as soon as they reached the main floor, kicking Type Null again before it was running, pushing its way through the workers and people, Lycanroc snapping his jaws at anyone that tried to stop him.

He cursed as he saw his mother walk out of her office, hearing the commotion just as he was about to burst through the front doors. Her voice, yelling his name, was an idiotic reason to stop, but it was his mother… Dad had always said to listen to her.

He gently tugged at Type Null’s fur, breathing heavily as he looked back at his mother, Lusamine, who seemed shocked at the sight of her ‘perfect’ son on an unknown Pokémon’s back, an unconscious… creature in front of him as he silently turned his gaze towards her.

He tried not to flinch at the look on her face, she looked so betrayed, so shocked, and so.. ashamed. “Gladion…? What are you doing?” She asked, her voice shaking with an emotion Gladion couldn’t place as she clenched her fists at her sides.

He looked away, clutching Type Null’s fur as he felt a surge of anger. Did she really not know? Or was she just playing dumb to protect Faba? He looked back over, his eyes cold as he spoke. “I’m rescuing whatever experiments Faba’s been keeping in his lab.” He replied, using his mother’s momentary shock and disbelief at the accusation to burst out of the doors, urging Type Null go faster.

He felt his heart speed up as he saw a boat leaving the docks. He silently nudged Type Null to jump, landing on the boat with a loud thud as the driver yellled. Gladion jumped off, shoving the man who was most definitely loyal to Faba or his mother out of the way, whistling before  Lycanroc grabbed him.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Lycanroc dumped the man on the dock before one of the workers he had somehow convinced to help him took over. He walked over to Type Null as the boat started to leave, narrowing his eyes as he tried to pull the mask off before he saw his mother running out to the edge of the docks, nearly falling off as she watched him leave.

He looked away, hearing her yell, which he had noticed she did significantly more after Dad disappeared, and he tried not to seem shocked by her words. “You’re not my son!” Her voice rang in his ears, and the sound of the ocean had done little to drown of her voice off as he let out a shaky sigh.

He felt Umbreon nudge him, and he looked down at her. He gave a slight smile, despite the tears prickling at his eyes. To Melemele island… His new home.

He looked at Type Null’s, who had laid down, the boy slumped against his side. Gladion quietly walked over, not wanting to spook the boy. He didn’t know what the boy was yet, or how successful Faba had been with his experiments. He looked at the boy, observing his features.

He noticed the black appendages on his head, and he silently noted that it would be a dumb idea to touch them. He had heard of wild and even trained lucario attacking trainers when they touched them. Apparently they were bundles of extremely sensitive nerves, which allowed their aura sensing abilities. He noted that they seemed to partly blend in with his hair, which was a slightly lighter shade of black. He stared at the pointed, furred eras on top of his head, and he felt his stomach churn slightly.

How had Faba done this..? He glanced down at his hands, seeing small, rounded, silver, spikes on top his hands, which seemed to be a darker skin tone than the rest of his tan skin.

He noticed a similar pattern his feet, and he scowled, realizing Faba hadn’t even had the decency to give him shoes. Though, he did notice that the boys feet seemed to be in a more paw like shape… which silently made Gladion even more worried about how Faba had done this.

His scowl only deepened as the boy seemed to be just wearing a white shorts and a white shirt, both of which looked slightly too big for him.

”Should’ve known…. Faba never did have the patience for kids. At least Mother never left me and Lillie with him..” He muttered, sighing as he looked at Type Null.

He ran a hand across the metal casing around its head, that seemed old and party rusted, and covered in… dried mud? Another point to debate if Faba is probably insane..

He ran a hand through his hair, looking up at the bright sky as he watched a few birds fly overhead.

He sighed before sitting down on the deck, going over everything that had happened and why the hell he had just broken in to his mother’s company, stole from his mother’s company, and somehow managed to escape with getting shot.

Right.. Lillie. He smiled at the thought of his sister, even though he knew his mother would tell her he was just ‘going through a phase’ and ‘would be back before she knew it’.

He rolled his eyes at the thought, scoffing. At least Professor Wicke would be there for her, and Professor Burnet. He sighed, scratching behind Umbreon’s ears as he felt the adrenaline wear off.

Gladion blinked his eyes open, realizing he must’ve fallen asleep at some point as the boat docked, thankfully not at a very busy dock as he rubbed his eyes. He needed to get moving…

He got up, seeing Lycanroc nudging Umbreon, who made a sleepy noise of protest before reluctantly getting up.

He looked around, blinking as he didn’t see Type Null before moving as he saw the Pokémon sitting in the beach, the boy between its front legs as he dozed, watching the water with an almost amazed expression.

Gladion looked at the driver, who had gotten off before he walked over to the dock, walking down it as he saw the boy perk up, though he hadn’t taken his eyes off the water.

Gladion quietly stood next to Type Null, seeing the sun setting as the Pokémon nudged the boy to his feet, picking him up and throwing him back on his back.

It looked at Gladion expectantly, and he blinked before sighing. “Right… guess I’m in charge, huh?” He said, mainly to himself, as the boy stayed silent still, looking like he was about to fall asleep at any moment.

Type Null just nodded its head, beginning to fall Gladion as he walked. Gladion just sighed, figuring his best bet would be a cave for now.

Maybe the card he had swiped from his mother would come in handy… that was if she didn’t cut it off once she realized it was gone.

He was half way sure there was one in the woods around here, since it was close to where he had grown up. He pushed a branch out of the way, sighing in relief as he saw the cave.

He looked at Lycanroc, who nodded before walking ahead of him, sniffing the air as they got closer to the cave.

He looked back, seeing the boy was already out like a light once again. He watched as Umbreon ran ahead and into the cave with Lycanroc, the two Pokémon sniffing and making sure everything was safe.

Umbreon eventually ran back, letting out a noise as she nudged Gladion into the cave, which he just smiled and chuckled at.

He looked around, seeing what looked to be a pool of water with a cleft in it, water coming from said cleft. He shrugged his bag off, hearing it land on the floor with a thud. He crouched down, opening it as he rummaged through the bag, which was pretty big, as he didn’t know how much stuff he would need.

He pulled out a slightly worn sleeping bag that he had gotten from his Dad’s old office, as well a a pillow before he looked at the boy.

He furrowed his brows, seeing Type Null laying down, the boy slumped up against it’s side as he slept, not even disturbed by the two Pokémon walking around. He hadn’t expected to have another person with him…

Maybe the boy would be fine for tonight, and tomorrow he’d probably be able to find a more suitable place than a cave to stay. He sighed, rolling the sleeping bag out as Umbreon trotted over to him, carrying what looked to be a fish in her mouth.

He sighed before letting her gently, not feeling very hungry as he fell back against the sleeping bag. He saw Lycanroc walk over to Type Null, who didn’t even glance at him as Lycanroc silently settled there.

Gladion sighed, feeling sleep finally take over, knowing Lycanroc, as always, would make sure he was safe. He smiled, seeing Umbreon drag the pillow he had forgotten out of the bag and setting it down where his head would be.

She let out a little chittering sound, curling up next to him after he had laid down. He blinked, closing his eyes as he finally fell asleep. He sleepily wrapped an arm around Umbreon, smiling in his sleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Lusamine held her hands in front of her, clasped firmly as she listened to the voices echoing off of the walls of the Aether Foundation conference room. It wasn’t big, but it served its purpose.

Guilt clawed at her stomach, wondering if she had some play in all that had happened. It had been two days, and Lusamine had left all of her work quicker than she had in a long while to see if Gladion had returned to the Estate.

He hadn’t.

Lillie knew nothing, Hobbes had heard nothing from any residents near by that might have seen him. She was so worried.. She felt so guilty as well. Why had she said what she said? She hadn’t meant a word of it, but she had been so.. so angry. Did that justify practically disowning her son? She knew it didn’t, but she wanted to think it did.

But now, her son, her baby, was out there, alone, with a unknown Pokémon, a midnight form Lycanroc, an Umbreon, and what she thought might be a boy around his age. She wasn’t sure about the last one.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, seeing Wicke’s concerned gaze from the seat beside her. Faba was on her other side, staying surprisingly silent, even if his jaw was set tight in irritation.

She hadn’t said anything, just listening to what was being said about her son as if she, his mother, wasn’t sitting there. She felt so confused, so lost. She didn’t know what would've pushed Gladion to do this, but she had to find out, someway.

She felt her heart squeeze at the memory that Gladion’s birthday was less than a week away. She had cancelled all of her plans, as she always did for their birthdays. She didn’t know how to feel, should she feel grief? Anger? Despair?

Eventually a silence fell across the conference room, as if everyone had finally gotten out all of the pent up anger they felt. Lusamine slowly raised her head, staring at her employees, friends, a few she considered close as friends.

She clasped her hands together just a bit tighter, fighting the overwhelming urge to just leave and try to locate her son. Instead, she spoke, her voice a bit shaky but still firm. “We all know what has happened. My son, Gladion, has been accused of thievery of two possible Aether Foundation projects and possible classified files. I will not confirm nor deny these claims, but our top priority is making sure that our security is tighter from now on. We are not going to allow this to happen again.” She said, her eyes unmistakably cold as she crossed her legs under the desk, pulling her lips into a tight line.

She was right, in a way. The Aether Foundation had installed top notch security for Aether Paradise. And yet her fourteen, near fifteen, son had broken in unnoticed until he was bolting through the halls in the back on an unknown Pokémon, not even caring if he harmed someone.

Was this really her Gladion? Her precious son? Her innocent son that had brought an injured Eevee home? 

If only Mohn was here. He would be able to make sense of why Gladion had done what he had done, be able to find him and convince him to come back home.

Gladion had always listened to him better than he listened to her, after all.

She just silently blinked away her tears, keeping her face as straight as she could. There was an uncomfortable silence over the conference room, before one worker, one of their newest, and most successful employees so far, Professor Burnet, spoke. “I have a question, if you don’t mind me asking.” She said, an uncharacteristically serious look on her face.

Lusamine raised a brow, but nodded anyways, seeing Burnet nod before clearing her throat. “It’s really just a simple question, but.. every report so far over the incident has described only a few common threads. The two known Pokemon identified that of a midnight form Lycanroc and Umbreon, the confirmation that the unknown Pokémon was of possible origin from Aether Foundation labs, that the person committing the act was in fact Gladion. The only frayed thread was this.” She said as a picture appeared on the screen.

It showed a boy, and going off of how old he looked, was most likely about Gladion’s urge. Lusamine felt bile rise in her throat, but even more as she realized that, she was, in fact seeing a genetically mutated hybrid of a human and Lucario, using what looked to be the move bone rush with a look similar to that of wild, untamed Pokémon. Almost rabid.

She heard Wicke gasp, and she could practically see her hands flying up to cover her mouth. Faba was just staring, with a look that showed shock and horror, even if her mind didn’t grasp why. She just assumed it was for the same reason, that he was thinking ‘how could someone do such a thing to another human being’.

She didn’t realize how wrong she was.

Professor Burnet cleared her throat after a few moments, letting the air settle as she spoke. “This picture was taken by one of the scouts sent out to hopefully find Gladion. They were spotted exiting a shop when this picture was taken.” She said, seeming to go a little stiff as she realized all eyes were on her.

Lusamine struggled to find a response, but Wicke beat her to it. “Do we have a reason that he possible attacked? Surely something must have provoked him.” She said, keeping her voice sweet and kind, a gentle smile on her face as she looked at Burnet, even if she seemed to be worried.

Burnet seemed to pause, pursing her lips together as she spoke. "We're unsure. We think the scout unintentionally aggravated or set him off or seemed to pose a threat. We're not entirely sur-" She was cut off by Faba, who spoke, eyes narrowed.

"No, not likely. Lucario are very often reclusive creatures, prideful yes, but usually hard to rile a temper from. It doesn't attack without reason or order, and, most likely, young master Gladion knew nothing of its abilities. Chances are, it simply attacked because it viewed that it wasn't threatened, but rather that young master Gladion was threatened." He said, tensing as he felt Lusamine’s questioning gaze on him.

”And how would it feel that Gladion was threatened, Faba?” She asked, narrowing her eyes slightly as she watched him.

Faba gulped before clearing his throat, keeping his voice even as he spoke. “Well, Lucario have been observed to form relativity strong bonds with trainers in a quick amount of time depending on if they truly trust the trainer. And chances are, what we’re seeing was probably raised in captivity for as long as experimentation went on. From this, we can truly assume young master Gladion is the first person it has been exposed to that would not have association with the experimentation.” He explained, keeping the calm, even voice even as nerves twisted in his stomach. He had to be careful here.

Lusamine raised a brow, but seemed satisfied with the answer, nodding. “Of course. You have been studying Lucario’s for quite sometime now, Faba.” She said, while Faba gave a respectful nod of his head.

Lusamine looked back at the rest of the room, speaking once again. “For now, we won’t send out scouts. We can’t risk word of a mutated Pokémon on the loose. It will cause panic, but.. to be safe, all Island Kahuna’s will be notified. Have Nurse Joy and secondary officials informed on Poni Island until a new Island Kahuna is established there.” She said, her voice leaving no room for argument as she held her head high.

After several nods and words of confirmation and agreement, she sighed, shoulders slumping ever so slightly as she spoke. “Very well. You are all dismissed, thank you for your time.” She said, listening as everyone began to file out, few hesitating as they left.

After a few minutes, she got up as well, pushing her chair back as she left the room. She kept her head held high until she reached her Aether Paradise residence. The doors shut silently behind her, and she felt her should slump as she brushed some of her hair back.

Oh Arceus.. what was she going to do? She wondered, walking towards the room she never thought she’d have to use again after Mohn’s death.

She stopped in front of the double doors, staring and the sun and mood cravings adorning them and the handles shaped into their form. She gulped, hesitating before she opened the doors.

The room was small, but she had taken special care into choosing what was brought in. Two stone altars sat at the back wall, sculptures of the sun and moon above them. Silver and gold sat as use for offerings, while small stuffed animals of Solgaleo and Lunala sat at the base of each altar.

She felt a small smile pull at her lips, remembering how Lillie and Gladion had hunted for them before bringing them to her and Mohn, saying that they were for the legendary Pokémon. Their excitement had been enough to convince her to let them set them at the altars.

She closed the doors behind, flicking on the light as she walked over. She silently grabbed a few small silver and gold beads, setting them in the offering plates.

She sat down, her knees pressing against the cushion under her with her feet tucked underneath her. She lowered her head slightly, hands resting on her thighs. Maybe she should’ve lit the candles she had set out so long ago, but.. maybe this would be enough.

She let out a shaky breath, her mouth feeling dry. How long had it been since she had properly done this..? She curled her fingers slightly, trying to keep her voice steady as she spoke, closing her eyes. “Solgaleo and Lunala, embodiments of the sun and moon, hear my prayers. Please, keep my son, Gladion, safe. I beg of you, keep him from harm.” She murmured, feeling an odd mix of warmth and cold fill the room as she swallowed thickly.

She slowly rose to her feet, leaving in quiet silence as she shut the doors behind her.

She didn’t notice the little orbs of light, yellow and silver respectively, floating around the offering plates, snatching up the beads after the doors closed and disappearing, back off to where the sun and moon awaited their return.

Chapter Text

Gladion woke up to a paw nudging his face, and he opened his eyes to stare at the red eyes of Lycanroc, who had a bag held between his jaws. He nudged him again, as if wanting him to get up.

Gladion let out a quiet grumble but sat up, brushing his bangs out of his face. He blinked the sleep away from his eyes, a dull pain in his neck as he rubbed it. He saw Luke sprawled out on the floor, clearing having rolled off the couch. Though, seemed unbothered, still sound asleep.

Gladion moved to the edge of the bed, scratching behind Lycanroc’s ears as he saw Umbreon start to wake up. He heard her yawn, stretching out at the end of the bed before padding over, jumping off the bed.

He smiled, seeing her tilt her head curiously before attempting to paw at the bag in Lycanroc’s mouth, clearly attempting to grab. Lycanroc just turned his head, tilting it up slightly and out of her reach as he made an amused noise.

Gladion sighed, gently moving his hand to take the bag from Lycanroc, who let a small growl, staring at him. Gladion rolled his eyes, gently attempting to grab the bag from Lycanroc, who relented and dropped it in his hand.

Gladion smiled, rubbing behind his ears. “Thank you, you stubborn puppy.” Lycanroc just made a bark like sound, clearly enjoying the attention. Gladion sighed before pulling his hand back, sitting crisscrossed on the bed as he opened the back.

He stared at the five or six malasadas sitting in the bag, clearly fresh as he could still feel how hot they were through the bag. He raised a brow, about to ask to himself where they came from before Lycanroc dropped a small note on his leg.

He picked the note up, quickly recognizing Wicke’s neat, cursive handwriting. It was a short little message, saying that she wanted to give him something to eat and not to worry as she wouldn’t tell anyone where she was. He smiled slightly. He had always liked Wicke.

He glanced at the door, which was cracked open slightly. He raised a brow, glancing at Lycanroc, who just shrugged, walking away as his shoulders slumped. Gladion rolled his eyes, getting up and walking over to the door. He opened it, glancing around before he spotted a familiar Luxray with a pink bow by its ear.

He stared, blinking as he tried to process the sight of Wicke’s Luxray, just sitting by his door as it licked its paw before looking at him. He rubbed his eyes, cursing his half-asleep state for what was definitely hallucination before he let his head fall against the doorframe as he realized that Luxray, was in fact, still sitting there.

Luxray just pawed at his leg, letting out a happy noise as it got to its paws. Gladion blinked, before smiling as he rubbed behind its ear. Luxray let out a low purr, rubbing against his hand happily.

Gladion smiled, speaking softly as he chuckled. “Alright, alright. I missed you too, Luxy. Now, go back to Wicke, alright? Don’t want her worrying.” He said, smiling at the lion-Pokémon, who looked at him before licking his nose. He watched as Luxray turned and ran off, presumably back to Wicke.

Gladion blinked, chuckling as he watched the Pokémon leave before he walked back inside, shutting the door behind him as he stretched his arms. He saw Luke starting to wake up, and huffed before walking over to the hybrid, crouching down in front of him.

He set the bag down, not really caring as Umbreon started to sniff the bag. He gently shook Luke’s shoulder, rolling his eyes as the boy let out an unintelligible noise. He shook him a bit harder, speaking as he ignored Umbreon opening the malasada bag. “Cmon, Luke. Get up. I’m not letting you lay here all day, and you also gotta eat something.”

Luke opened one eye, staring at him before reluctantly rolling over and sitting up, seemingly ready to go back to sleep. Gladion just sighed, looking over and pinching the bridge of his nose as he realized Umbreon was already eating a malasada, while one had been rolled over to Lycanroc.

Gladion saw Lycanroc trying to grab Type Null’s Pokeball, and he grabbed it before Lycanroc could release it.

Luke seemed to be more awake now, rubbing his eyes with the underside of his wrists while Umbreon pranced over to him, carrying the malasada bag in her jaws.

Luke blinked, a sweet smell filling his nose as his stomach growled. He felt a bit embarrassed, but Gladion was too busy dealing with Lycanroc to notice. Umbreon started rummaging through the bag, before pulling out a malasada with white, powdery sugar on it.

Luke blinked, tilting his head as Umbreon nudged it into his hand. He blinked, holding it up to his face as he sniffed it, feeling his tail wag at the sweet smell before hesitantly taking a bite of it. He didn’t even have a second to doubt if he was allowed to eat or not before his tail started wagging rapidly.

It tasted so good… so sweet and chewy. He swallowed the bite he took, before continuing to eat the malasada, seeing Umbreon looking at him, as if puzzled by the way he practically inhaled the sweet donut. He felt his tail wag behind him, but he didn’t ask for another one, just sitting as he watched Gladion eat his own malasada, considerably slower.

He sighed, reaching out and rubbing behind Umbreon’s ears as she purred and rubbed against his knee, clearly enjoying the attention. He smiled, continuing the action before blinking as Umbreon climbed into his lap, purring content as he started gently stroking the fur on her back.

He watched, ears twitching as saw Gladion walk over to the bed, grabbing the key he had seemed to have thrown over there earlier, glaring at Lycanroc all the while. Luke also noticed that he was holding the bag of malasadas. He tilted his head, but got up with Umbreon in his arms as Gladion began to leave the motel room with Lycanroc following, a smug look on the Pokémon’s snout.

Gladion felt his eye twitch in subtle annoyance, wondering how the hell he had lost an argument with his own Pokémon as he let Lycanroc start going towards the woods, clearly going to find a suitable cave nearby.

Gladion quietly sighed, somewhat grateful that Lycanroc was so persistent on Type Null eating, but also annoyed at how the rock type had refused to give him the malasada bag until agreeing to find a cave and find a way for Type Null to eat the malasada. And mother said he spoiled Umbreon too much…

He saw Lycanroc sniff around, seeing a cave up ahead and wander closer, barking loudly, as if to say “it’s good! Cmon, hurry up!” Gladion just rolled his eyes but followed, walking into the cave and seeing what looked to be put out torched hung on the stone pillars that seemed slightly crumbled, but too rugged and jagged for Gladion to think they were anything than odd cave formations.

He grabbed Type Null’s pokeball, silently releasing it as he found it stupid to say something, since he only did it for battles. And because something felt, off. He couldn’t place what, but a cold chill crawling up his spine, as if he was intruding on some sacred place. But it was just an old cave, nothing more.

He saw Type Null look around, seeming to be taking in its surroundings before blinking as Lycanroc was in front of it, holding a malasada up to it. It blinked, slightly visible behind its mask before it nudged the donut, seemingly curious.

Lycanroc barked, and Type Null made a sound that seemed to sound similar. Lycanroc started tugging on part of the mask, before finding a seeming gap, and held the malasada out, which Type Null, after pressing part of mask into the Lycanroc’s paw took, seeming to eat it before letting out a happy, distorted bark.

Gladion smiled, hands in his pockets as he walked over, seeing Type Null look around before wandering over to one of the torchers, racking its front claws against the rock multiple before small sparks simmered around them. He held it over the torch, watching as it lit, bright and burning, casting an odd silver glow across the column.

The sparks, seeming to be alive, spread to the next torch across from it, before sparks from each traveled forward, lighting each torch after the next.

Gladion watched, as the torches illuminated the cave, leading out to old, broken wood board stairs, that he noted resembled the Peacock Thrones that the Island Kahuna’s had, but much, much bigger. He silently walked up the steps, seeing the large leaves spread out behind the stone block, intricate cravings in it.

The paint on the leaves was faded, but he could clearly distinguish the purple, gold, and white colors painted on. He walked towards the stone, seeing a small stone pillar in front of it with an old, dusty stone bowl on it. He looked up, seeing a statue carved into the stone.

He nearly stumbled back, staring at the clear form of Lunala, his eyes wide as he glanced around the cave again, seeing the overgrown plant life around, vines coming in from a hole above the altar as he bit his lip. He glanced back, his mind knowing that this was in fact an alter of Lunala.

A very, very old and abandoned one. He blew some dust off of the bowl, trying to clean it just a bit as he heard Umbreon walking and sniffing around, clearly curious while Lycanroc lingered near him, watching with curious eyes. He glanced over, seeing Luke trying to figure out how to get the mask off of Type Null, focused on that alone.

He sighed, eventually grabbing an old rag, that wasn’t much cleaner than the bowl, and whistled Umbreon over. She wandered over, tilting her head at him. He smiled, petting her head gently. “Hey Umbreon, you think you can find some water and wash this for me girl?” He asked and Umbreon nodding, grabbed the rag in her mouth and sneezed at the dirt, but went ahead and padded towards a puddle, Lycanroc following very hesitantly behind her.

He smiled, looking back at the altar, seeing what looked to be the remains of very old and ruined offerings in the bowl, as well as what looked to be possible.. bones? Gladion ignored the uneasy feeling in his stomach as Umbreon walked back over, and he grabbed the damp cloth from her, beginning to wipe down the small pillar, knowing he have to bring some soap and stuff later on to properly clean it. But, he hoped this would do for now.

He finished after a few minutes, setting the wet and dusty rag to the side. He glanced at the malasada bag he had forgotten about, his brows furrowing before he grabbed the bag, pulling out the malasada and hesitantly putting it in the bowl as a silent quiet, peace offering.

He stayed there for a while, seeing Luke wandering around the cave with Type Null while Lycanroc sat by him, Umbreon sniffing at the malasada but moving away after Gladion told her not to.

She pouted, but seemed to understand and sat next to him, quietly pawing at the wood as she pouted.

Gladion chuckled, but closed his eyes, trying to mediate like he had seen his mother do when he was younger when she was desperate enough to try to contact Lunala or Solgaleo. He cracked one eye open, seeing little balls of light holding the malasada mid-air before disappearing as soon as they were noticed.

Gladion stared at the spot, his eyes wide and jaw slightly agape before he quickly muttered quiet desperate prayers, hoping that Lunala would forgive him for looking at her moonlight servants.

He sat there for a while, before he got to his feet, and Lycanroc and Umbreon followed after. He walked, seeing Luke wander after him, tail wagging as Gladion put Type Null back in its pokeball. His footsteps were quiet, seeing Lycanroc making claw marks on the trees they past, marking out a path.

They eventually made it back, going to town and walking around as he smiled, seeing Luke walking right next to him, hand brushing against his own as his face heated up slightly.

He ignored it though. It didn’t mean anything, nothing, absolutely nothing.

Chapter Text

Luke walked next to Gladion, carrying two logs on his shoulders as he saw Null moving one of the logs he had brought in earlier closer to the shrine that they all had been fixing up slowly for about a week now. He didn't really get it, but Gladion seemed to be happy when working on it, so Luke just complied and helped out.

He set the two logs down, his shoulders aching slightly but he tried not to let Gladion notice as he walked over, seeing Null setting one of the logs up as Lycanroc tried to help. He smiled, chuckling softly before he wandered up the stairs, watching as Gladion slowly repainted the details on the leaves, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Luke looked around, quietly happy with the improvement they had made over the week.

They had cleared out all the dust and vines, and even managed to remove some of the shrubbery surrounding the hole above the altar and clouding the view of the moon from in the cave. They had been trying to figure out what kind of wood was used for the stairs and center area, so they could properly replace it, but had been struggling on finding any that matched and wasn’t too expensive.

He had heard Gladion mention talking to someone called ‘The Kahuna’, though, Luke was confused, since he didn’t know what that necessarily was, but he didn’t ask, just continuing to help Lycanroc remove some of the leaves and vines from the cave. They had ended up finding some little pieces of chain, that Gladion had figured out possibly hung some sort of curtain on the four main pillars that surrounded the altar, and set them next to each pillar.

Gladion glanced up from his work, wiping some paint off of his cheek as he set the bowls and brushes he had been using away and walking over to a small stone block, much smaller than the one where the center piece of Lunala’s altar sat and washing his hands off. Luke watched as he walked back over to the altar and picked away at the moss that had grown over it carefully, trying to be careful and not chip the stone.

Luke felt his tail wag slightly as he stared at Gladion, but quickly shook his head as he walked over, helping Null move a log and set it up in the hole that was deep into the stone floor as Lycanroc moved the board it was supposed to connect with slightly, laying it ever so slightly on top of it but not enough to stick since most of it would be replaced soon. It was all temporary, but Luke figured Gladion just wanted it to be as nice as possible in case they ever had to bring people here.

Luke stretched his arms after they got it positioned, patting Null on where he was pretty sure it’s muzzle way, hearing it let out a content noise as it nudged his hand. He smiled, his eyes softening before an idea came to his mind. “Hey, Gladion?” He called out, hearing the boy stand up and watching as he peaked his head over the side, raising a brow at him. “Yah, Luke?” He asked, patting Lycanroc’s head as the rock-type Pokémon nudged him.

Luke hesitated for a moment, fumbling with a piece of Null’s mask that was slowly chipping off before he spoke. “Wouldn’t it be better to like.. give Null a new name? I mean, it seems wrong to keep calling it by what Faba did when we don't do it with me.” He mumbling, glancing away from the other boy’s gaze as Null seemed to tilt its head at him before looking at Gladion, seeming to be curious about the conversation regarding itself.

Gladion let out a low hum, sitting down and letting his legs dangle over the edge as he stared at Null with a considering gaze before he spoke. “What about.. Silvally? I mean, its tail is silver, and it’s like our ally. So.. why not combine them? It sounds nice too.” He said, and Luke looked at him, a bit surprised that Gladion had agreed before he looked at Null.

”You like that, bud? Silvally?” He asked, seeing it stare at him before letting out a happy noise, nudging him with it’s head as confirmation as Luke let out a loud laugh, not phased as Silvally accidentally shoved him down before he let out a yelp as Gladion fell on top of him, Silvally letting out a sort of laugh, clearly enjoying itself as Gladion glared at him as he got off of Luke.

Luke ignored the light heat in his cheeks, getting up as he rubbed his arm, seeing a small cut on it but ignoring it as he stood back up. Gladion had already made his way back up to the altar, presumably to continue painting the leaves, and Luke just sighed and quietly patted Silvally, who seemed quite pleased with its little stunt.

Luke grumbled to himself, rolling his eyes before muttering quietly to the Pokémon. “Can you not? I’m trying to get him to like me, idiot.” He muttered, seeing Silvally turn its head, as if rolling its eyes at him before making a warbling noise that mostly translated to “He tolerates you and actually listens to you. I’d say he already likes you.” Luke just huffed, looking away before begrudgingly agreeing with the Pokémon. “Yah yah.. I guess he does.”

Silvally seemed to stare at him before wandering off to help Umbreon move some rocks around, and Luke stood there by the beam for a few quiet moments before he walked back up, seeing Gladion painting the leaves again and Luke quietly watched, eventually sitting down as he sighed.

Luke didn’t want to bother Gladion, he seemed busy anyways. He laid back on the wood, wincing when he felt a few split pieces of wood dig into his skin, but his attention was captured by the crystals growing from the ceiling, that he didn’t think he or Gladion had noticed before. He tilted his head, and without thinking, decided to ask about it. “Hey, Gladion?”

There was a few moments of silence in the cave, before Gladion answered him. “Yah, Luke?” His voice was calm, a bit cold, but not dismissive. Luke stared at the crystals for a few moments before turning his head and looking at Gladion, who had looked over at him. “How come there’s crystals growing from the ceiling now? They weren’t there before.”

Gladion looked over at that, blinking a few times before looking up at the ceiling as well, seeing the whitish-clear crystals in the rock, which seemed to have clustered around the base in a way. His brows furrowed, staring at them before he spoke. “I’m… not sure. They weren’t there yesterday, and crystals that size don’t just… sprout up overnight.” He said, putting the bowls of paint to the side as he stood up.

Luke watched as Gladion stared up at the crystals, far too high to reach even if one of them was standing on Silvally’s back. He tilted his head, seeing Gladion narrow his eyes at the crystals before shaking his head, walking away as he shoved his hands in his hoodie pocket. Luke got up, following after him as his tail wagged slightly behind him. He didn’t know why, but his tail always seemed to wag when he was around Gladion.

He didn’t really care where they were going, just stopping as Gladion put his shoes back on, since he always took them off right before he entered the cave. Luke saw Gladion but Silvally back in its pokeball before walking out of the cave, Umbreon at his heels while Lycanroc lingered closer to Luke. He didn’t really care where they were going, just following Gladion as they walked past the motel.

He let out a soft hum, not minding the odd looks he got as he walked next to Gladion, who had ran after Umbreon after the dark type sprinted away, knocking someone over and into a fountain. Luke stood quietly next to Gladion as the boy helped a man out of the fountain, who looked like he was in his early twenties, with top white messy hair and a darker shaved bottom. Gladion was quickly trying to apologize, while Umbreon was just prancing around a Salazzle, who was standing next to it’s trainer, looking very confused.

Luke tensed slightly as he saw the man’s gaze lock onto him for a few seconds before focusing back on Gladion. “It’s fine, kid. Just keep your Pokémon under control.” The man said, hands shoved in his pockets as his eyes flickered over Gladion, as if sizing up how good of a trainer he was. Luke silently felt uncomfortable, before someone had shoved past the man, holding a pokeball in Gladion’s face.

Luke narrowed his eyes, while Gladion seemed annoyed and tried to step back, only to get shoved forward by another person. The one who had shoved past the man, who had blue hair, grinned at Gladion, tossing the pokeball in his hand as he spoke. “Let’s battle kid. Since your Umbreon knocked our boss into the water, I think it’s fair that we battle. And if you lose, that freak of a hybrid there is ours.”

Gladion seemed to tense, glaring daggers at the man as he clenched his jaw, while the man with white hair spoke. “Tupp. What the hell are you doing?” He asked, voice annoyed and frustrated while Tupp looked over at him. “Cmon Guzma! Just one battle, I’m sure I could win against this twerp. Plus, once I do win, that hybrid is ours.” Tupp said, sounding overly confident with himself while Gladion seemed to be getting more annoyed by the minute.

Guzma narrowed his eyes, looking down at Umbreon, who had stopped bothering the Salazzle and was now pawing at Luke’s leg, clearly asking to be picked up, which Luke obliged to. His eyes narrowed before looking back at Plumeria, who had put Salazzle back in its pokeball. “What do you think? Should he?” He asked, while Plumeria shrugged, looking unbothered by it. “Don’t know, don’t care. If Tupp thinks he can win, let him battle. Just don’t come crying back to us if you lose.” She said, while Tupp seemed to deflate a bit at her words, but still looked at Gladion, clearly eager to battle.

Luke glanced at Gladion, who was glaring at the group now before turning, walking away as he spat out. “No deal. You’re not worth my time anyways. Cmon Luke, let’s go.” He said, and Luke just gave a small nod, humming as he rubbed behind Umbreon’s ears, following after Gladion before Tupp shouted after them, already having brought out his Pokémon, which was a Salandit. “Coward! You’re just scared of losing! You’re probably just a dumb kid who thinks he can do whatever he wants because he has strong Pokémon!”

Gladion stopped in his tracks, hands clenching at his sides as Lycanroc’s head snapped around tho glare at the man, while Luke narrowed his eyes but didn’t move from his spot beside Gladion. Gladion glanced up at him, staring at him for a few silent seconds before Luke just shrugged, not really caring if Gladion used him to battle. He had tried to explain to Gladion what moves he could use, and Gladion had been able to make a sorta list of what he thought the moves were.

Gladion seemed to sigh, glancing back at Tupp, who was joined by two others, who seemed to just be cheering him on. Tupp also had two more Salandit's, the three lashing their tails as they snapped their jaws. Luke walked silently behind Gladion as the boy turned back around, walking back over as he whistled Lycanroc over to him, even if he hadn’t left his side yet. “Fine. We’ll battle.” Was all he said, patting his leg and Lycanroc stood in front of him.

Tupp seemed to light up, while Plumeria stepped forward, hands in her pockets as she spoke. “Alright. Three Pokémon allowed on each side. Once all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle, the loser gives up what they bet against the winner.” She said, standing in the middle ground between them, only acting as a referee due to the crowd that had gathered.

Gladion looked at Lycanroc, speaking as he heard Tupp yell at his Salandit’s to use Scratch. “Lycanroc, dodge then you use Stone Edge.” He said, watching as Lycanroc jumped out of the way, the three Salandits falling in a jumble in front of him before Lycanroc slammed his paw into the ground, glowing spikes of blue rock shooting out of the ground and sending the Salandit’s flying, landing on the right side of Plumeria.

Plumeria glanced at Tupp’s Salandit’s, seeing them unconscious before she spoke. “All three Salandit’s are unable to battle, Lycanroc is the winner.” She saw Tupp visible deflate, as if trying to comprehend how he was beaten in one move before he returned his Pokémon to his pokeball, glaring at the kid, who she realized they had never gotten the name of.

Gladion patted Lycanroc’s head after the rock-type walked back to him, silently putting Lycanroc back in his pokeball after promising him some fruit later. He looked back up, seeing Tupp glaring at him while Guzma just watched him, eyes narrowed before he walked towards Tupp, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Cmon, let’s just go. We have things to do.” He said, while Tupp gave one last glare at Gladion before walking off with Guzma.

Plumeria looked over at the kid, sighing before she walked over. “You battle well kid. That’s a strong Lycanroc you got there.” She said, while Gladion narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you want?” He asked, voice cold and guarded as Luke tensed behind him. The woman just chuckled at him. “Nothing kid. Just a name. Our group looks for strong trainers like you, yknow? Guzma would love to have you around. Team Skull is made of misfits, yknow?” She said, and Gladion rolled his eyes, turning around and walking off. “Not interested.” He said.

Plumeria scowled, her hands clenching in her pockets as she spoke again. “You’re the Aether kid, right? Yknow, Lusamine and Mohn Aether? You look Mohn, yknow?” She said, while Gladion tensed, clenching his fists as he glared at her. “How do you know my father?” He snapped, not noticing hoe Luke went still next him.

Plumeria laughed a bit, her eyes shining with a mix of a cruel and amused look as she spoke. “You don’t know? Your dad worked at the Pokémon school for a while. In fact, he was my teacher for about a year. And, thanks for the confirmation kiddo. Now I at least know who you are. See you, Gladion.” She said, waving him off as she turned and walked away, two grunts running after her while Gladion shook his head, walking away with Luke as he ignored the staring crowd, which wasn’t very big, but still enough to give Gladion nerves.

He didn’t want to think about father now, he just wanted to focus on the present. Gladion took a deep breath, walking before he felt Luke quietly wrap an arm around his shoulders. He looked up, seeing Luke giving cold stares to anymore who tried to get close before he chuckled, smiling softly. Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad.. at least he had Luke and his Pokemon. He quickly remembered Lycanroc’s fruit before shaking his head. “Cmon Luke, we gotta get some fruit for Lycanroc.” He said, and Luke looked at him, his ears going up and smiling at him as Gladion grabbed his hand, pulling him along as he smiled.

Chapter Text

Hala sat silently, taking a sip of his tea as the early morning sun rose, casting a warm glow across his house. Hariyama sat in the living room, hands on its knees and head bowed silently. Hala simply hummed, setting his cup down before he picked up one of the Z-Rings sitting on his table. He had only made it recently, and it was nice, he’d admit. He looked out the window, his brows raising as he noticed a familiar young man walking through the streets of Iki Town, accompanied by one he didn’t recognize.

“Hariyama, prepare some more tea, would you? I believe we have guests coming over.” He said, standing up from his chair while Hariyama nodded, getting up and walking to the kitchen, bending its head slightly as to not hit it against the top of the door frame. Hala smiled, his expression softening before he sat on one of the couches, waiting until he heard a soft knock. He glanced up, chuckling. ‘Some people never change’, he thought, walking towards the door and opening, looking at the blonde haired young man he had battled a few weeks back.

”Gladion, it’s good to see you young man. Come inside, please.” He said, opening the door and letting the boy in, his eyes narrowing as he watched some sort of hybrid follow in after him, eyes wide with wonder as he stayed almost directly behind Gladion, who liked more nervous than the last time he had seen him. Hala just walked over to the couch, motioning for the two to sit down as well.

Gladion sat on the couch, careful not to put his shoes on the couch, which Hala silently realized were covered in dirt and mud. ‘Lusamine surely wouldn’t let him wear shoes in the condition, would she?’, He thought, raising a brow before watching as the hybrid simply sat on the floor next to Gladion, which caused the blonde to glance down at him before nudging him softly, speaking in a quiet voice but still loud enough for Hala to hear him.

”You know you can sit up here.. right?” Gladion said, while the hybrid looked up towards him, blinking before doing a little shrug of his shoulders, glancing at Hala almost nervously before mumbling quietly. “But he always sai-“ He was cut off by a glare from Gladion, who seemed to know who the boy was talking about before he spoke again. “He’s not here. You don’t have to follow his dumb rules, Luke.” His voice was slightly louder now, but nowhere near a yell, more so at his normal volume.

The hybrid, Luke, seemed to stare at him for a few moments before just shaking his head, staying on the floor next to Gladion. “It’s soft.. plus I don’t wanna get them dirty with my feet.” He said, and Hala silently realized that the boy didn’t have shoes on. Hala just silently watched, listening as the two boys quietly bickered before Gladion gave up on trying to get Luke to sit on the couch, looking up as Hariyama walked in with more tea.

Hala nodded, smiling as Hariyama set the tray down. “Thank you, Hariyama.” He said, taking the cup Hariyama handed him before watching as he did the same with Gladion and Luke, even if Luke seemed slightly confused as he took the cup, sniffing it cautiously before taking a small sip after Gladion did. Hala narrowed his eyes, looking between the two boys silently. What had happened since Gladion’s Grand Trail?

”So.. What can I help you with today, Young Gladion?” He asked, and Gladion looked at him, seeming slightly nervous as he looked at Hala before speaking, holding the cup just a bit tighter than before. “I was wondering if you could possibly help me find some lumber, specifically one that’s like.. a dark brown color?” He said, sounding slightly unsure on the color while Hala hummed.

”Lumber, you say? Why would you need that, young man?” He asked, genuinely curious as to why the boy would even think to need lumber. And even if he did, Lusamine would supply it within a heartbeat, surely. They had both always doted on Gladion and Lillie, though, he did know it would be more prominent if Mohn was still around. He felt his lips dip into a frown for a few seconds before returning to their neutral position on his face.

Gladion gulped, taking another sip of his tea as he hesitantly spoke. “I-I’m, uh.. fixing up an old Lunala Shrine. And the wood is really old and split, there’s a couple boards missing too. I thought it would be easier to just.. replace a lot of the wood. Not to mention it would probably stay in better condition longer if it’s all replaced at once.” He said, setting his drink down on the table as he held his hands in his lap, while Luke kept his gaze focused on his cup, not trying to meet Hala's gaze once.

Hala blinked silently, trying to get over the silent shock at the boy finding a Lunala Shrine of all things, and if wood was needed to be replaced.. That meant it would be a rather large shrine. Hala rubbed his chin, weighing the options. It would be smarter to see the shrine first, he knew that. But, he was also hesitant, especially with Gladion having a hybrid with him, which gave him an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

He finally spoke, hands folded in his lap as he stared at Gladion. "Young man, your request is quite the strange one, I will admit. I personally have little knowledge on Lunala, and, because of that, I will talk to those who have much more experience with her. Perhaps Kahuna Nanu of Ula’Ula island if I have the chance.” He said, seeing Gladion’s expression flicker between multiple emotions before he gave a slow nod, glancing down at Luke. “Alright.. I can come back whenever would be best.” He said, and Hala smiled.

”How about tomorrow morning? I would like to have more time to catch up, and Kahuna Nanu, even if he doesn’t seem it, is very willing to make visits if it concerns Lunala or Solgaleo.” He said, and Gladion seemed to smile at him, even if it was slightly forced. Luke had already stood and wandered back over to the door, hands in his pockets as he waited for Gladion to finish up with goodbyes before he walked out with the boy, seeming more at ease as he left.

Hala sighed, holding his cup of tea before setting it down on the table, walking towards the kitchen as he silently dialed the number of the police station he knew Nanu worked at. He let out a sigh as it rang a few times, knowing that once again, Nanu was ignoring the call. The line eventually picked up though, and Nanu’s tired and seemingly annoyed voice came through the line. “Ula’Ula island police station. How may I help you?”

Hala leaned against the counter, watching as Hariyama carried in the cups and tray. “Nanu, it’s been a long time old friend. I have a request, if you don’t mind.” He said, a few beats of silence following before Nanu spoke. “Hala, it’s good to hear from you. I assume this must be quite the request if you’re calling at this time. What is it you need?” He said, the sounds of Meowth meowing from the other end being the only noise after Nanu stopped talking.

”I just had a young man come in, Gladion Aether, and ask me if I could help him find lumber. The strange thing is, the boy was only accompanied by a hybrid that seemed to be the mix of a Lucario and human. And, that’s not the strangest thing yet.” He paused, glancing over as he heard a too loud clink and saw that Crabrawler had tried to help out Hariyama. ‘At least nothing was broken..’, He thought before hearing Nanu speak again. ”A hybrid..? Hm. Interesting enough. What’s the rest of it?” Nanu asked, and Hala heard something that sounded like feet being kicked up on a desk.

”He found a shrine to Lunala.” Silence. Hala listened, swearing he heard Nanu muttering under his breath before speaking. “Did you tell the kid to come back?” He asked, and Hala smiled to himself. "Of course I did. Tomorrow morning he and Luke will be back here." He said, hearing Nanu huffed before he responded. "I'll be there tonight." Before handing up.

Hala sighed, setting the phone back down as sighed. With Nanu and Olivia here, he hoped things wouldn't be to chaotic.

Chapter Text

Nanu stood outside Hala's house, watching as Olivia talked to Hala, scowling as he waited for this kid to show up. He didn't know why he had agreed to come to Melemele Island yesterday morning. It was so sudden.. He hated that Hala knew what to say to get him to agree to things. At least Olivia wasn't to that point yet though. Arceus, that would be torture.

The sun had already risen quite a bit, but still no sign of either boy. Hala wasn't worried, and Olivia was just chattering on and on about how nice of a boy Gladion was, and how good he took care of his Pokemon. Apparently, Gladion has taken the Akala Grand Trail before the Melemele Grand Trail because he had been on the island and had the chance too, and had stayed for a few days while his mother handled business on the island.

Nanu didn't know how to feel about the boy. On one hand he could be a snobby rich kid based on who his parents were, on the other he could actually be a very capable trainer who knew how to stand his ground in a battle.

He looked up, seeing a blonde haired boy and a dark haired one walking up the path. It was obvious the Nanu which one was which. The taller one of the two was obviously the hybrid Hala mentioned, and the shorter one, despite what he remembered Hala saying about him, looked like he couldn't pack much a punch if it came to it.

Gladion walked next to Luke, seeing a man standing outside Hala' house in what looked to be a police uniform, who he assumed was Nanu, and seeing Hala and Olivia talking about something as he saw Luke tense a bit next to them. Gladion looked at him, speaking quietly to him. "Relax.. They won't hurt you. They're not bad people." He said, and Luke glanced at him, clearly doubting his words 

"How can you be sure..?" Luke asked, a timidness in his voice that Gladion didn't like. He had noticed the figures of power made Luke shrink in on himself and doubt almost everything Gladion told him. He hated it. Gladion sighed, hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "They wouldn't be Island Kahuna's if they were bad people, Luke. The Island Guardians wouldn't choose a bad person." He said, grabbing Luke's hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

Gladion smiled as he saw Luke relax a bit, and Gladion just quietly let Luke hold his hand as he walked, but carefully tugged his hand away as they got closer. Luke complied, seeming to understand why Gladion didn't want to the touch anymore. He instead opted to walking behind Gladion, observing everything around him. 

Gladion could see Olivia's face light up as she saw him, and ran over, tripping and falling on her face in the process. Luke tilted his head in confusion, while Gladion just chuckled, Olivia's clumsiness something that just almost had sense for her. Olivia laughed it off as usual, standing up and dusting herself off as she pulled Gladion into a tight hug. "Oh, Gladion! You've gotten so much taller than the last time I saw you! And hasn't your birthday already passed too? What are you, sixteen now?" She asked, pulling back and holding him by the shoulders.

Gladion smiled slightly, relaxing a bit as Olivia let go of him as he spoke. "Yes.. uh, sixteen now." He said, suddenly remembering that his birthday had in fact already passed. Damn.. He really was absorbed with training and fixing up the shrine. Was that why Luxray and Wicke brought extra malasadas last Thursday? He suddenly felt very stupid for forgetting his own birthday.

Olivia beamed at him before she immediately saw Umbreon, dropping down to the floor and sitting in a criss-cross position as she opened her eyes for Umbreon to come closer. Umbreon complied, rubbing against her leg as she purred. "Oh, your coat is so clean, Blackie. And you look a lot stronger than last time I saw you." She said, scratching behind Gladion's ears as she smiled.

"Oh! Gladion, could I see Lycanroc, please? I'd love to be able to see him again. I'm sure Desert would as well, wouldn't you boy?" She said, reaching over and rubbing behind her own Lycanroc's ears, who barked in agreement, though Gladion noticed how Luke tilted his head. Right, he forget Luke could understand Pokemon. He needed to remember that.

Gladion nodded, pulling out Lycanroc's pokeball and letting it out, watching as the two Lycanrocs stared at each other before exchanging brief nods, Gladion's Lycanroc wandering closer and seeming to start idle conversation with Desert. Olivia grinned, scratching under Lycanroc's chin, a content like growl leaving the rock-type. "His fur is a lot a darker than what I remembered, though, it probably just looked so red because of the light." She said, Lycanroc leaning into her scratching.

Gladion smiled before watching as Luke wandered off, seeing him look at a bunch of fallen logs that had been organized in a half neat pile. Gladion walked over, glancing up at Luke, who mumbled quietly to him. “They’re blocking part of the road.” He said, and Gladion glanced up at him, confused as they were situated at the edge of the woods before Luke wandered behind the logs, rummaging around in the leaves before holding up a slightly injured Meowth, that was staring at him.

Luke seemed to smile at him, saying something to quiet for Gladion to hear before the Meowth seemed to nod, squirming out of Luke’s grasp before running back into the woods, Luke folwling after as he waved back at Gladion, a grin on his face that assured Gladion he knew what he was doing. Nanu stood next to him, brows furrowing as he watched Luke walk off before looking at Gladion. “You sure he’ll be okay, kiddo? Hala’s said these forests can be pretty confusing if you’re not used to them.”

Gladion just shrugged in response, hands in his pockets as he watched Luke’s figure disappear. “He’ll be fine. And if he doesn’t come back for a while I can go look for him with Lycanroc.” He said, while Nanu seemed to raise a brow, but sighed and started walking away. “Whatever you say kiddo.”

Gladion looked at the forest, a bit worried before just shaking his head. Might as well get this talk with the Kahuna’s over with before anything else. Olivia had already stood up, Umbreon in her arms and oddly relaxed while Desert and his own Lycanroc battled each other. Lycanroc looked up and walked towards Gladion, following him inside Hala’s house while Desert pranced towards Olivia, letting out a happy bark.

Gladion sat silently, seeing the sun start to set almost tauntingly as he stared towards the woods, wondering what on earth Luke could be doing. He saw the bushes rustle, and his head snapped up as he saw Luke walk out, leaves all in his hair with a Shinx following at his feet while a Dartrix laid in his arms, a boy, who looked to be maybe ten or eleven following after as he looked at the ground. Luke was smiling at him, talking as if trying to cheer the boy up, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Hau?” Hala called out, and the boy, Hau, looked up, looking as if he was trying to keep everything together while Luke silently sat Dartrix down, who gave him a judgy look while walking over to Hau, holding one of its wings, that was clearly injured. Luke walked over and sat next to him, the Shinx following after and settling down at his feet. Gladion raised a brow, and Luke just shrugged at him.

Hala sighed and walked over to Hau, placing a hand on his shoulder after he scooped Dartrix into his arms. “What happened, Hau?” He asked, and Hau sniffled a bit more mumbling quietly. “Me and Dartrix found an injured Shinx, and it was stuck on a high cliff. So I sent Dartrix up to get it, but we accidentally started a bit of a rock slide due to the wind coming from Dartrix’s wings. And then Dartrix got hit- and- and-“ He started fumbling over his words, tears welling even more in his eyes before Gladion looked at Luke, who was humming softly as he petted Shinx.

“And Luke showed up..?” He asked, and the boy gave a little nod, having already buried his face into Hala’s chest while holding Dartrix tightly, as if afraid it would disappear is he let go. Gladion glanced at Luke, who had zoned into his own little space as he pet Shinx, who he now was had an injured hind leg. Luke glanced at him, eyes silently begging him to not make him explain. Gladion sighed before nodding, watching as Luke visibly relaxed, his attention refocusing on Shinx, who was now in his lap.

Hala watched them before sighing, patting Hau’s back as he spoke. “Why don’t we take them both to the Poke-Center? I’m sure Nurse Joy can help them both.” Gladion nodded, silently tapping Luke on the spike on his wrist, causing him to snap out of his trance before following as Gladion stood up. Shinx moved in his arms, but didn’t otherwise protest, seeming to fall asleep in Luke’s arms.

Luke didn’t move from Gladion’s side, staying as close as Gladion would allow. Gladion sighed, walking next to Hala and Hau as he noticed Hala seemed slightly annoyed. He was talking to Hau in a low voice, but Gladion could still hear it. “You’ve only been back a week, and you’ve already managed to get into trouble.. You need to be more careful, Hau.” He said, placing a hand on Hau’s shoulder while Hau just hugged himself, looking like he was ready to cry before Dartrix nudged him with it’s beak. 

Gladion looked forward as they walked back, knowing the Shinx still in Luke’s arms. Nurse Joy had said that Shinx probably would not be able to return to the wild again, and that its leg would most likely continue to cause it problems even into evolution. And.. Gladion, as much as he hated to admit it, couldn’t say no to Luke’s puppy eyes when he asked if they could take care of Shinx. He silently wondered of Umbreon or Lycanroc had taught him that he wasn’t paying attention… 

He looked back at Luke, whose tail was wagging as he pet Shinx, who was biting at his fingers. Though, Luke didn’t seem to notice, just smiling before looking up at Gladion, grinning as he caught back up to Gladion. Gladion sighed, looking up at the sky as he stared at the moon, which was full and bright tonight. He sighed, smiling as he kept walking with Luke. ‘This is nice..’ He thought, enjoying the quiet peace of the island that only seemed to come at night.

They eventually got back to the motel, Gladion collapsing onto the bed as he let Lycanroc and Umbreon out of their pokeballs. Lycanroc found a spot on the floor, while Umbreon curled up on top of him. Luke laid onto the couch, falling asleep quick like usual as Shinx slept on his chest. Gladion sat up, rubbing his chest as he let out a yawn. He looked around the motel room, smiling as he saw everyone asleep.

Honestly.. he thought this would’ve been harder. More stressful. But.. he felt more relaxed than he had in a while. Maybe it was because he wasn’t dealing with Mother all the time.. He picked at a loose thread on his pants, eyes narrowing. How come she hadn’t tried to find him yet..? Wicke knew where he was, hadn’t she told Mother? He wondered if any of this would’ve happened of Father was still alive.

Maybe Lillie would still be able to touch Pokemon, maybe Mother wouldn’t have thrown herself into her work and almost forgotten about him and Lillie, maybe he wouldn’t have done this.
Was it even the right decision to do this? He committed literal crimes, and for what? A Pokemon who saved his sister and some hybrid he didn’t even know about until the day he broke Silvally out?

He rubbed his eyes, trying to fight back the tears that formed in his eyes. He had thrown everything away.. He hadn’t even said goodbye to Lillie. He just.. left. He silently got up, moving quietly as he stepped over Lycanroc and Umbreon, opening the door and walking out before shutting it softly behind him. There was nobody out.. and why would there be? The place was crappy, Gladion was pretty sure he was the only one staying here. The guy at the desk had left too.

He sat on the splintering wood stairs, staring up at the sky as he put his arms over his knees, resting his chin on them. He felt a little better, just staring up at the moon in the quiet while the wind blew gently through the trees. He was halfway sure he had done something similar with Lillie once before, after she had been stressing about going to Pokemon School the next day. He had ended up telling her stories about Father for a good few hours until Hobbes had found them and taken them back to bed. 

He smiled, looking at the little beaded bracelet Lillie had made for him not long before he left. Apparently she had made it at school that day, and they're assignment had been to make something for the person that they cared the most about. He had started wearing it everyday since. He hoped Lillie wouldn't be mad at him for leaving so out of the blue.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but eventually he decided to head inside as he saw a few wild Pokemon poke their heads out at him. He noticed Luke had one eye open, though closed it as soon as Gladion walked in. He smiled about, chuckling before walking back over to his bed. He took his shoes off, yawning before he laid down, glancing out the window before he fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Luke blinked his eyes open, staring at the ceiling before rolling over, seeing Umbreon and Lycanroc still asleep before sitting up, rubbing his eyes as he glanced around for Shinx. He tilted his head, slightly confused as he didn't see Shinx nearby before he noticed the door was open. He got up, being careful not to wake Gladion or Lycanroc and Umbreon up as he walked towards the door. He opened it a bit more, looking around before seeing Shinx, glaring and hissing up at a familiar Luxray.

Luke didn’t notice the woman behind it, just yawning and mumbling quietly as he looked at Shinx. “Shinx.. It’s alright. Their a friend.. You don’t have to be so-“ He blinked, finally noticing the woman as he quietly stared, not knowing what to say. The only thing he recognized about her was the uniform she wore. Aether Paradise.

He tensed, not trusting himself to speak as he glanced at Shinx, who was still glaring up at Luxray. He stood in the door frame, not really knowing what to do as he watched the woman smile, tilting her head in a friendly manner as she held her hands in front of herself. “Hello there. Sorry to wake you, I was just wondering if Gladion was home? I’m a friend of his mother.“ She said, and Luke stared for a few seconds before looking back at Gladion, who was still out cold on the bed, Umbreon licking his face in an attempt to wake him up.

Luke looked back at the woman, giving a small shrug as he spoke, eyes locking onto the wooden boards he was standing on. “He’s, uh, asleep still, ma’am.” He said, noticing the woman simply nodded and smiled as she crouched down, reaching a hand out for Shinx to sniff. "Hello there little one, my names Wicke. I hope we can be friends." She said, and Shinx dug its claws into the wood, hissing softly before taking a tentative step forward, sniffing Wicke's hand before it huffed and turned it's head away. Luke sighed.

He had hoped Shinx would be more social… And not so.. Gladion like. Though Luke figured the rest of the Pokémon had already rubbed off on Shinx. Shinx made it’s way back over him, pawing at his leg, clearly asking to be picked up, which he obliged too, hoisting Shinx up into his arms as the electric type purred and rubbed against arm. It glanced back down at Luxray, who was sitting there and licking its paw, not paying attention to the other Pokemon.

Shinx seemed to puff out it's cheeks, tail swishing angrily before it just buried it's face in Luke's arm. Luke chuckled softly, scratching behind Shinx's ears before glancing down at Umbreon, who seemed annoyed. Luke raised a brow before he winced, hearing a thud and a loud curse from Gladion. Luke looked over, seeing Gladion glaring up at Lycanroc, who was on the bed with his tongue sticking out, and Luke bit back a laugh as he saw Gladion wiping slobber off of his face.

Gladion got up, mumbling curses as he wiped his face off while Lycanroc just wandered back over to the door. Gladion raised a brow, sighing before he walked over himself, looking at Wicke before blinking a few times, rubbing his eyes. "Wicke..? What are you doing here..?" He sleepily asked, and Wicke just gave him a gentle smile as she spoke. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay, plus I hadd to investigate a sudden spike in Ultra Aura levels in this area." She said, this sweet smile on her face.

Gladion felt his muscles ease, nodding before he spoke quietly. "My Mother isn't with you.. is she?" He asked, and Wicke gave him this sympathetic look before speaking again. "No, she's not. There were some meetings at Aether Paradise today. It's just me, Burnett, and a few Pokemon and workers." She said, and Luke silently felt relief at the lack of Faba's name.

Gladion gave a silent nod, glancing at Luke before giving him a quiet look, as if asking if he was okay with going. Luke just shrugged, not really caring. He'd do whatever Gladion wanted, honestly. Gladion's lips twitched down into a slight frown, though it wasn't too noticeable if you weren't paying attention. "Alright.. Is it okay if we come along..? I think I might know where the Ultra Aura levels are coming from." Gladion said, and Wicke gave him a soft look followed by a nod. "Of course. Just meet us by the woods whenever you're ready." Gladion nodded, and Luke quietly watched him walk back in, Lycanroc following after and shutting the door while Luke waited quietly for him to return. He didn't trust himself to speak on his own.

Gladion came back out a few minutes, his hair slightly neater and his clothes just a bit straighter and beginning to walk over to the woods were the group was gathered, Luke following almost at his heels as his ears kept twitching, alert for any sort of noise that didn't belong. He was used to the hums of the machines they used, ignoring the memories slithering back in that he hadn't remembered since staying with Gladion. He didn't want to remember. He was quiet behind Gladion, who talking with a woman he assumed to be Professor Burnett. Shinx was pawing at his arm, as if asking if he was okay, and Luke just gave it a reassuring smile.

Shinx stared at him before huffing, squirming out of his arms and walking over to Luxray, sitting down next to it and trying to resemble its pose, holding it:a head slightly higher than usual while Luke just snickered. 'Cute.' He thought, letting the silence of the forest wash over him as he flexed his fingers quietly. He glanced up at Gladion saying his name, realizing he had zoned out before just tilting his head at Gladion. "Yeah?" He asked, and Gladion sighed before looking back at him. "C'mon.. Shrubbery, remember? Plus that fallen log from yesterday. You think you can lift it?" He asked, and Luke blinked before nodding, a grin spreading across his face. "Yep." He said, ignoring the way his tail wagged slightly as Gladion gave him the slightest smile.

Gladion glanced back at Professor Burnett, who gave a nod and said something Luke didn't catch before the others started to follow, Gladion walking slightly ahead with Luke right behind him, ears swerving at the sounds of Pokemon he couldn't recognize. He could hear Professor Burnet and Wicke talking, but Luke wasn't paying attention as he saw the fallen log blocking the path. Gladion glanced up at him, and Luke felt his heart flutter at the soft smile Gladion gave him before he quietly walked over to the log, trying to ignore the looks some of the workers were giving him.

Luke silently pawed his fingers at the wood, trying to see if it was hollow or not before he silently picked it up with a bit of struggle after he knew it was partly hollow as he saw Lycanroc walk over to help drag it. Usually Silvally would be helping him, but Gladion didn't like the large Pokemon being out around people other than him and Luke. Lycanroc made a noise of annoyance as it helped Luke shove the log to the side. Luke muttered a thanks to the rock type that sounded more like a bark to the others and Lycanroc just nodded in response, walking back over to Umbreon as Luke walked to Gladion, who was already walking ahead and fidgeting ever so slightly as they got closer to the shrine.

Luke felt a bit concerned, but he very well knew Gladion hated talking about his feelings. He felt the shift of soft grass to scratchy ground that slowly thinned out into stone. He heard a few murmurs at the sight of the cave, and then what could be seen of the shrine. A few little white orbs flew around, gathering around the torches before moving on to the next one after it lit up. Gladion's footsteps were light as he walked up to the shrine, the torches seeming to light as he walked past them.

Luke quietly followed after as he hummed to himself, not noticing how the murmuring got louder as the people started to walk around. Luke didn't really care, he just quietly walked up the spluttering wood steps and sitting close to Gladion, who was starting again on painting the leaves and ignoring every thing else. Shinx walked over, sniffing at the paint, seeming curious about the berry smell coming from it as it dipped a paw in the paint before licking it. It made a disgusted face, sputtering and sticking its tongue out as it hobbled over to Luke, it's bottom lip sticking out as it pouted.

Luke just raised a brow at it, watching as it tried to wipe the paint off his legs before he just picked Shinx up, seeing the electric type's ears pin back in embarrassment as it noticed Luxray watching them curiously from below. Luke didn't say anything, just rubbing behind Shinx's ears as he quietly walked over to one of the puddles in the cave, sitting down and not noticing the paw steps behind them. He saw Shinx glance up before it was about to wash it's paw in the water and looked back down at the water as Luxray sat down by Luke, licking it's paw.

Shinx was glaring down at the water, refusing to look up as it quietly stomped it's paw on the ground, paint splashing just a bit as he it refused to look up. Luke sighed, ever so slightly annoyed by Shinx's pouty attitude. "Shinx.. C'mon. Just wash your paw off, it's not that hard." He said, and Shinx glanced at him with an upset look before pouting and dipping it's paw in the water but not really doing anything.

Luxray got to it's paws, walking over and quietly helping Shinx, even if the smaller Pokemon tried to fight back before giving up as Luke gave it a look. It still pouted though as Luxray continued to help even as Shinx pouted and refused to look at the bigger Pokemon. Luxray eventually pulled it's and Shinx's paws out of the water and picked Shinx up by the scruff, not seeming to care as Shinx kicked and tried to squirm out of his it's grip. Luke chuckled and followed quietly, seeing Professor Burnett talking with Gladion about something.

Luke walked over quickly, while Wicke smiled as she saw Luxray drop Shinx and wrap a paw around it. She crouched down, smiling at her Pokemon as she rubbed behind it's ear. "Aww, did you make a new friend, Altair?" She said, and Luxray gave a nod despite the fact that Shinx was scowling, it's tail flicking irritably as Luxray ruffled it's tuft of mane. Shinx glared as Lycanroc gave a barking like laugh at it, wandering over and ruffling it's head, messing up it's mane anymore, not caring as Shinx hissed and bit at it's arm.

Umbreon walked over and seemed to role her eyes at them, laying down next to Luxray and Wicke as she watched her trainer and the hybrid, who were just sitting up there, Gladion painting while Luke provided idle chatter that Gladion didn't protest against. Professor Burnett was walking back down, smiling at Wicke as she sighed, sitting down on the floor with her legs criss-crossed. She sighed, and Wicke smiled at her. "How is he doing?" She said, and Umbreon knew she was talking about her trainer. She perked up a bit, listening to the conversation more intently.

Burnett smiled, letting out a small sigh as she let her hands set on her knees. "He seems to be doing good. I think Luke is helping him not be so.. y'know, closed off. Like how Lusamine was for a while." Wicke nodded, and Umbreon gave a little twitch of her noise in annoyance at the mention of her trainer's mother, still finding it hard to like her after the argument she had gotten into with Gladion before he decided to break Silvally out.

Wicke nodded in agreement, sighing softly. "Y'know.. Luke isn't as bad as what Faba tried to make us all think. He seems like just.. a normal teenager wanting to live life." She said, and Burnett nodded in agreement. "Mhm. He's sweet, that's for sure. Plus, have you seen how Gladion smiles at him? He clearly makes him happy." She said, an almost teasing smile spreading across her lips as Wicke gave a soft laugh. "Mhmm.. That's for sure. Plus Luke seems to be pretty attached to Gladion." She said, and Umbreon, who had been trying to make sense of the conversation, quickly realized that the two woman were talking about her trainer and the hybrid being a couple.

Lycanroc and Shinx has seemed to notice as well, but didn't care as Lycanroc talked to Luxray about something. Shinx was too busy pouting to pay attention to it. Umbreon looked back up at her trainer and the hybrid, her eyes narrowing slightly. She didn't know if she liked that idea. The hybrid as too loud, too reckless, too.. too.. Ugh. She didn't know, but she didn't like the idea of her trainer getting to close to someone he had only known for maybe what.. two, three weeks? Or has it been a month now since they left the Estate.

She frowned a bit thinking about their former home, missing how the young miss would always bring her and Lycanroc snacks and their favorite foods. Sometimes Umbreon wished the young miss could touch them, because she knew Lycanroc would like to hug and help the young miss around the Estate if he could. She remembered how the young miss would quietly bring little scarfs and bandanas for them to try on, and her trainer would always comply and put them on for her, simply unable to say no to his younger sister, especially whenever she pouted and seemed to be annoyed with him for saying no.

The head butler was always nice as well. He often battles against them when her trainer was itching to battle to blow off some steam or cope with stress, especially after Umbreon and Lycanroc had discovered his... other ways of coping with how much stress the Mistress put on him. He was Aether Paradise's heir, after all. Umbreon still hated the way he had coped with it though. She made special attention though to make the young miss wouldn't know anything.

Umbreon pawed at the rocks, continuing to listen to the two woman's conversations, finding a sense of peace at their voices and laughter. She even rubbed her head against Wicke's thigh as the purple haired woman began to scratch at her back, smiling down at her as Umbreon purred softly.

Lycanroc seemed to be frustrated though with the lack of Silvally around, as he almost always talked to Silvally and followed the multi-type around, especially when the hybrid and their trainer were too busy with something that didn't concern them at the moment. It didn't help that the multi-type had just recently started to become comfortable around them all, sometimes even randomly picking Umbreon up to carry her if it thought she was getting too tired to keep walking.

Umbreon very much liked Silvally, it was just the hybrid she had a hard time trusting. The only thing she believed she liked about the hybrid was the fact he sometimes managed to convince her trainer to leave the motel room and go out for a day. It was quite refreshing to see her trainer out and about, simply enjoying the peace that Alola provided. She also enjoyed seeing him smile more. She just didn't like the fact that it came from the hybrid.

She perked up as she saw the people that came with Burnett and Wicke begin to pack up their stuff, clearly getting ready to leave as Wicke and Burnett stood back up, Luxray following after them as they made sure everything was accounted for. Her trainer and the hybrid came back down, talking to the others as Umbreon and Lycanroc walked over, Shinx laying on the top of Lycanroc’s head. Umbreon sat at her trainer’s feet, waiting patiently as they watched the other leave and stayed there for a few minutes before her trainer began to walk, and Umbreon followed after, feeling the soft grass under her paws as they walked through the woods.

It wasn’t long before they were in the city though, and Umbreon looked back at her trainer, who was laughing at some joke the hybrid made as they walked. Umbreon huffed, not noticing the looked Lycanroc gave her as their group kept walking. Umbreon made sure to be as close to her trainer as possible though, not wanting to let the hybrid get too close yet. He had to gain her trust before anyone else, after all. Well, except for the little miss. The little miss’s trust would always be the most important one. And she could suppose the Mistress’s trust. Though, the Master’s touch was definitely the one tha5 had to be earned the most.

She found herself amused at the thought. The hybrid would have quite the time trying to gain the Master’s trust if he was ever found. She could still fondly remember how the Master would always be slightly protective of her trainer and the young miss. She had many fond memories of the Master in fact, and Zoroark as well. She missed the Pokémon, really. She missed how it would always linger around her trainer when she was still an Eevee and when Lycanroc was still a Rockruff. The large Pokemon had been seemingly more protective than the Master himself, and that was quite a fight.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she felt Lycanroc grab her, and she bit his paw in retaliation, hearing him growl in pain before reluctantly dropping her. She huffed, catching up to her trainer and the hybrid, ignoring Lycanroc’s apologies between laughter. ‘Brute…’ She thought to herself, holding her head a bit higher as she walked. She did see her trainer smiling, and she felt her tail wag a bit. Maybe this would be a good day. She nodded her head, as if agreeing with herself. Yes, it would be a very good day indeed. She just hoped someone didn’t try to battler her trainer today, she could tell he wasn’t in the mood for a battle today.

Chapter Text

Gladion laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling as he tried to fall asleep, but his brain just wouldn’t let him. He felt a weird sensation in chest, something that was welcome but also not. He didn’t know what it was, but he liked it but also hated it. The memories of Wicke and Burnett giving him and Luke glances before talking in hushed whispers kept replaying in his mind, keeping him awake. He felt something click, and he shot up in bed, his cheeks flushing red as his eyes widened, the pieces clicking together.
 
Gladion stared at the blank space in the dark before covering his face with his hands as he ignored the obvious heat to his cheeks as he realized that Wicke and Burnett had thought he was in a relationship with Luke. Why was he just now realizing that was why Wicke and Burnett kept giving him and Luke glances?! Did they seriously think he was dating Luke?! No. Nope. Just no. Oh Acreus… Did they really act like that? Did people always think that? God, he was spiraling already.

He fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, letting the quiet silence of the night wash over him as he tried to control his breathing. He was thankful Luke could be out like a light in a matter of seconds once his head hit the couch. Gladion felt a bit guilty about making him sleep on the couch, but Luke never complained, so Gladion could guess he was fine with it, but it still made him feel guilty- Wait. Why was he even thinking about this? It wasn’t like he cared about Luke, well, he did- but- Ughhh.

Gladion groaned quietly to himself, curling up in the slightly scratchy blankets of the motel bed, staring at the floor, where Umbreon, Silvally, Lycanroc, and Shinx all laid in a dog pile, fast asleep and snoring softly. Gladion smiled a bit, quietly getting up and sitting next to Silvally, who was the base of the dogpile. Gladion sighed, silently petting Silvally’s mask, the multi-type stirring slightly but not waking up. Gladion felt himself relax, enjoying the quiet but his eyes couldn’t help but dart towards Luke, who was sound asleep, tail twitching slightly.

Gladion ignored the way his cheeks heated up. No. Just no. He was not falling for Luke. He just wasn’t. He couldn’t fall for Luke. Nope, not at all. Sure, maybe he stared a bit too long at Luke when he was lifting logs or some branches around, and maybe he didn’t mind Luke touching him like other people, but that definitely didn’t mean he liked Luke. Nope. Not a chance. They were totally just friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

He leaned his head back, feeling anger bubble in his chest at his very stupid conflicting thoughts and felt tempted to pull on his hair out of frustration or bite himself, but once he looked at Umbreon and Lycanroc, laying there, sleeping so peacefully, he felt all his anger melt away, knowing he couldn’t handle to see them panicked and concerned like they had been that day. He took a deep breath, attempting to steady his breathing as he reached out and rubbed behind Lycanroc’s ears, who made a noise as it slept and leaned into his touch.

Gladion let out a sigh, his body easily relaxing as he scooted closer, just so he could pet Lycanroc and Umbreon at the same time. He felt Lycanroc shift, and the rock-type threw an arm over Gladion in its sleep, and Gladion sighed, but sunk into the cuddle pile. He moved his hands away from, Lycanroc and Umbreon momentarily, pulling Shinx into his lap and rubbing behind it’s ears, humming a soft tune hue remembered Father hum in to him and Lillie when they were young.

As much as he hated to admit it, the electric-type had grown on him. Sure, it was annoying and clumsy and a bit messy… But it also felt right. Plus, it was too adorable to say no to. He leaned his head back on Silvally’s torso, feeling the large Pokémon shift before he felt the rough mask gently nudging him. Gladion looked up, smiling as he gently patted Silvally’s muzzle, chuckling as it nudged his hand in concern. “I’m fine.. Just, overthinking things, yknow?” He said, and Silvally tilted it’s head at him, seeming to be trying to understand before moving it’s head to lay in Gladion’s lap, scooping Shinx up and onto it’s muzzle in the process.

Shinx didn’t stir, just yawning and stretching to get comfortable on Silvally’s muzzle while Umbreon, who was curled up on Silvally’s neck, dug her claws into the mask, steadying herself before relaxing back into sleep. Gladion chuckled softly, feeling his eyes grow heavy with sleep before he allowed himself to curl up against Silvally’s side, a sense of calm washing over him in the presence of all his Pokemon as he drifted up, subconsciously fisting a hand into Silvally’s sleek fur.

Warmth washed over Gladion as he blinked his eyes open, rays of sunlight streaming in through the blinds as he rubbed his eye with one hand, knowing he was not in his bed. He sat up, feeling a dull pain in his neck as he stretched his arms. Lycanroc was partially nestled against his side, arm thrown over his lap. Silvally was still asleep, though Shinx and Umbreon had both woken up. Umbreon was grooming her coat, while Shinx was bugging Luke, attempting to wake him up.

Gladion silently got up, yawning as he stretched before walking over towards the couch, Umbreon following at his feet and seeming upset when he started to gently shake Luke awake, her ears flicking irritably as she turned her head away. Gladion didn’t pay it any mind. He could tell Umbreon didn’t like Luke for whatever reason, it had just become more prominent within the past few days.

He felt Luke shift as Gladion gently shook his shoulder, rolling over and blinking his eyes open and staring at Gladion before fixing him a small sleepy smile as he yawned, sitting up as Gladion quickly looked away, ignoring how his cheeks suddenly felt a bit warm. “Mornin’..” Gladion heard Luke mumble, and Gladion pulled himself together before mumbling a quiet “Morning” in return. He walked towards the bed silently, feeling Luke’s eyes on him the whole time, though his gaze left once he noticed Shinx.

Gladion pulled his hoodie over his head, scowling a bit at the rips in it, but figured it was fine. They weren’t very big anyways, but he did know Mother would throw a fit if she saw his clothes in such a state. He shook his head. Nope. Not thinking about her right now.

He looked over at Luke, seeing the boy on the floor and petting Shinx, who was happily enjoying the attention, making happy noises as Luke kept petting it. Gladion sighed, ignoring the feelings in his chest as he saw Lycanroc waking up. Silvally was now wide awake, but refusing to move until Lycanroc was awake and on its feet. Gladion sighed as he fiddled with the zipped that ran over the front of his jacket, the red fabric contrasting against the silver as he sucked in a breath.

He walked over to the door, and almost in an instant, Luke was up and by his side, head tilted curiously as he stood behind him. “We going somewhere?” He asked, and Gladion hesitated, glancing at Luke before just giving a nod, ignoring the smile that pulled at his lips. Luke grinned at him, and Gladion looked away to avoid smiling. Luke followed him out the door after Gladion put Silvally in it pokeball, and Lycanroc and Umbreon followed after him while Luke carried Shinx.

Umbreon was right at his feet, sometimes jumping in front of Luke to keep him a few paces behind Gladion. Gladion glanced down at her, feeling oddly grateful for the distance as he walked, not really knowing where he was going. The sun was barely up, early morning light peering over through and over the trees as a few people began getting out and about. Luke was giving him concerned glances, but didn’t say anything as Gladion let himself get lost in his thoughts.

He sighed as he kicked a rock, noticing they had ended up in a market, and with how Luke was looking around curiously, he decided this was fine. Shinx had squirmed out of Luke’s arms and was walking around, tail wagging rapidly while Lycanroc stayed close to it, as if wanting to make sure it didn’t get into trouble.

Gladion felt Luke's presence behind him, and he looked up at Luke, who was watching him, expression a mix of curiosity and concern. Gladion raised a brow before he spoke. "Yah, Luke?" Luke seemed to snap out of a trance as Gladion spoke, and have a grin at him. "Hm..? Oh- nothing. You just seemed distracted, that's all." Luke said, unintentionally adding to Gladion's spiralling thoughts as he continued to look around the market, that was slowly beginning to fill up with people as the sun started to fully rise.

Gladion saw a group of kids up ahead, his brows furrowing slightly. What kids would be up this early..? He wondered before he gritted his teeth as he saw a few familiar faces from what he could only assume was Guzma's group. He felt Luke tense behind him, and glanced back to see a look that didn’t fit Luke at all. His eyes were almost full, a flint of undeniable anger in them. His teeth were bared just a bit, canines exposed like how Lycanroc would growl when annoyed.

Though, the expression shifted once he noticed Gladion looking. Into something more like what he usually saw, soft, happy, kind. But Gladion could still see the subtle way his fingers flexed, as if tempted to ball up into a fist and attack. Gladion just hummed, wincing when he heard a shout before glaring as he realized one of them, what was his name- Tupp? Yah, he was pretty sure that was it, had managed to grab one of the kids Pokemon, a Bounsweet that was thrashing violently as Tupp held it by one of its leaves.

Gladion silently walked over, Luke following behind him as Gladion silently grabbed Tupp by the shoulder, jolting him roughly as he glared up at the clear adult picking on children that could only be around Lillie’s age. Tupp looked at him, seeming to not even recognize who he was before Gladion’s landed a hard punch to his face, something in him just snapping.

Tupp let out this shocked noise as he fell back, head hitting the stone brick path as Gladion walked over and glared down at him. “Back off. If you’re gonna be jerks, pick on someone your own age.” He snapped, and Tupp seems to try to get back up, but Gladion just stepped on his foot, digging his heel in as a scowl formed on his lips.

”W-Who are you?!” Tupp stammered, and Gladion rolled his eyes. “Man, you really are stupid. Tch. That’s none of your business, though. Just scram before I decide to humiliate you three even more.” He spat, and Tupp glared back at him before getting up and scrambling to his feet, seeming to be stammering over words he couldn’t find before just running off, the two others watching in shock before running off after him.

Gladion huffed, rolling his eyes at how pathetic it was that a sixteen year old could intimidate a few adults. He looked over, seeing Luke talking to one of their girls, who was holding the Bounsweet tightly and looking like she was about to cry, saying ‘thank you’ over and over again as her friends tried to comfort her. One of the, was looking at her, his yes narrowed as if trying to figure him out before Gladion just looked away, seeing Umbreon sitting at his feet.

”She said she’s fine, but still take her to the Poke-Center. Just to be safe.” He heard Luke say, and he glanced over to see the girl nodding, tears still in her eyes. Gladion saw who he recognized as Lana staring at him, as if trying to recognize him before he cursed.

“Luke! Cmon, let’s get going.” He called out, and Luke looked at him, ears perked up before nodding. He walked over to Gladion, grinning and waving at the kids, hearing the girl who was holding the Bounsweet shout after them. “Come to my family restaurant any time! We’ll be happy to serve you!” Luke said something back, but Gladion had already gotten dragged back into his thoughts to catch it as he walked, Umbreon staying close to his feet.

Mallow watched as the two strangers walked away, holding Bounsweet closer as Togedmaru hugged her leg, trying to comfort her in some way. Lana suddenly spoke, catching them off god for a second. “Yknow, I feel like I recognize that guy from somewhere. Harper and Sara came home from work with Mom a month ago chattering on about some cool blonde haired guy. They wouldn’t give me his name though.” She said, and Mallow almost immediately looked at her.

”Seriously? I mean- you’d think a guy like that would be talked about all over the island!” She said, and Kiawe nodded in agreement. “He seemed strong, that was for sure. Probably a capable battler based off of the pokemon he had with him.” He said, and Sophocles spoke up as well. “Plus, did you see the guy that was with him? He looked so cool! I wonder if those ears and the tail or real or not!” He said, almost vibrating with excitement at the thought.

Mallow grinned as she nodded, holding a hand up with one finger as she spoke. “True! But, they looked super real! Plus, did you see his hands? He had these little spikes on his wrist!” She said, and Lana hummed, looking in the direction the strangers had went. “I wonder if he’s like, part Pokémon or something. There were rumors a couple weeks ago about some scientists trying to do something like that.” She said, and Kiawe huffed. “If he was, I’d doubt he’d be out here in the streets. He’d probably be kept under lock and key.”

Sophocles nodded, putting a finger on his chin as he thought about it. “Oh! I know! Do you guys remember that story on the Aether Foundation, yknow when some kid broke out some top secret Pokemon?” He said, and the other three nodded in agreement. “I bet that was him!” Sophocles continued. “I mean, the public was never given a description of what he looked like, but it was said that he had a midnight form Lycanroc and an Umbreon with him!”

Kiawe looked at Sophocles, thinking about it as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sophocles could be onto something, yknow? But still, that guy looked like he was sixteen or so. I don’t think the Aether Foundation would be that easy to break into.” He said, and Mallow nodded in agreement. “Yah, that place has some of the best security in Alola! It would just be an embarrassment if a teen managed to break in and steal something!”

Sophocles sighed, crossing his arms and pouting slightly. “True… But my theory is the most solid!” He said, and Lana poked him in the shoulder. “None of us have given any other theory.” She said, and Sophocles huffed. “Soooo?” He sus,d and Kiawe rolled his eyes. Mallow just chuckled, smiling as she held Bounsweet. “Let’s just drop it guys. Cmon, we still gotta get ingredients for the cookout at school next week! Oh, and guess what?”

Kiawe looked at her, raising a brow. “What?” He asked, and before he even finsihed, Maloow burst out. “I heard our class is getting a new student! Professor Kukui said she’s really nice but abit shy. We should totally try to make her feel welcome!” She said, smiling that bright grin as Lana smiled. “I think that sounds great! We could’ve even do some decorations like we did when Kiawe joined our class!” She said, looking down at Popilio, who made a bark like noise and clapped it’s fins.

Kiawe chuckled. “Yah, maybe I can even bring some Moo-Moo Ice Cream.” He said, following after Mallow as she started walking, mumbling ingredients under her breath as she looked at the list they had made out. Sophocles gasped, grinning as he fell into pace beside Kiawe. “Really?! Yes! That’s gonna make this all so much better!” He said, and they all laughed at once as he almost tripped over Togedmaru, who had been running between his legs.

”Lets go! I can already see the vegetable stand!” Mallow said, starting to run as as Sophocles said something about not wanting to run but chased after the other three anyways. 

Chapter Text

Lillie sat in Gladion’s bed, holding one of the few stuffed animals he owned close to her chest, ignoring the tears wanting to fall from her eyes. She was better than this. She knew she was. She was strong like Gladion, even if she couldn’t battle! She had her books, and her knowledge. Which, she figured might not be worth much if she couldn’t touch Pokemon. She clutched the stuffed animal tighter, looking around his room that had been practically deserted for the past month besides her sneaking in after she thought Hobbes went to bed and ending up falling asleep in his bed every other night.

She quietly got up, holding the stuffed animal, which was a Rockruff, close to her chest as she looked around, seeing a few of the accessories she had gotten for Lycanroc and Umbreon still lying around, but she noticed a few of the bandanas were gone. She smiled a bit at that. She knew Gladion hadn’t necessarily liked all the accessories, but he’d always put them on Lycanroc and Umbreon for her and always smiled when they tried to make her laugh by showing them off.

She didn’t really know where Gladion was. She just remembered him holding her tightly the night before he left, something he rarely did. He would hold her when she would come into his room after she had a bad dream, yes, but he often wouldn’t hold her that tightly. Lillie felt a bit stupid for believing what Mother had said. She said Gladion would probably be back in a week or two, and that he was just ‘going through another one of his phases’. She frowned a bit at that. Sure, Gladion was more than her rebellious against their mother, but she never thought he’d actually run away.

Hobbes, always being the sensible one, had told her that before Gladion left, that he had told him that he wanted to train, to strengthen his bonds between himself and his Pokémon. Lillie believed that much more than Mother’s explanation, since she could very vividly remember Gladion training late at night, eventually being brought inside by Hobbs or Lycanroc with Umbreon following behind. She glanced at the clock, noticing there was about another twenty minutes until she had to leave for Pokemon school and she sighed, walking back to her room after she set the Rockruff down by Gladion’s pillow.

She had already chosen what outfit should would wear. Gladion had gotten her a sun hat for her last birthday, which was a while ago, probably eight months when she thought about it. She also had a dress that matched it quite well from Mother. She thought they looked quite nice together. And a pair of shoes that she thought would go well with them.

She hummed to herself as she adjusted her hat, staring at her reflection as she held her hands in front of her. She had asked Hobbs to braid her hair, like Mother used to do when she was younger and not so busy. She turned around as she heard a knock at the door, and smiled as Hobbes walked in. "Miss Lillie, the car to take you to the Pokemon School is ready to leave." He said as he stood in the doorway.

Lillie blinked before she nodded, going to grab her bag before she remembered something. "I'll be right back, Hobbs." She said as she walked past him, heading back to Gladion's room and remembering why she has went in there in the first place.

She grabbed a small bracelet that was on his nightstand, a black and gold beaded one with a small Darkinuim Z charm placed between two gold beads. Gladion had always wanted a dark type Z-Crystal so he could use a Z-Move with Umbreon, but had never managed to get one. So Lillie has done her best to make a charm that looked like it, and gave it to him on one of his birthdays. He had left it behind when he left, but she figured she could wear for him instead.

She slipped it on her wrist, feeling a bit better as she went back to her room, taking her bag from Hobbes and putting it on her shoulders as she smiled. "Alright, I'm ready to go now, Hobbes." She said, smiling at him as he seemed to wipe a tear from his eye. 

Lillie followed him downstairs and outside, watching as the driver opened the door before she thanked him, getting in before turning back to Hobbs. "Goodbye, Hobbes!" She said, waving at him as he smiled and waved back. "Goodbye, Miss Lillie. I hope you have a wonderful first day." He said, and Lillie chuckle a little bit as she buckled up, the driver looking back at her.

"All ready to go, Miss Lillie?" He asked, and she nodded. "Mhm." She absentmindedly replied as the car started and began to drive down the road going through the Estate.

She found herself admiring the scenery as they drove past, keeping her hands folded in her lap as she stared out the window. The ride there was quiet and peaceful saving for the soft music playing from the radio that Lillie didn't notice at first. She glanced up as the car began to slow down, staring at the school as she gulped nervously. She remembered touring this with Mother, as it had been her idea to start Pokemon School in a hopes to get her thoughts off of Gladion. She knew it was big, but now it just seemed even bigger now that it was just her alone.

She took a deep breath as the car stopped and thanked the driver, opening the door and getting out as she quietly walked through the arched entrance, seeing a bunch of students gathered around and chatting, some setting up for what she realized was a cookout of sorts. She stiffened a bit, realizing she hadn’t brought anything, but also, she didn’t know it was occurring. She saw Professor Kukui, who she remembered was her teacher, and walked over, trying to ignore the stares from some of the other students.

Professor Kukui noticed her before she even had to speak, which she was a bit relived at. “Lillie! Glad you could make it. Cmon, I was about to head up to the classroom, so, I can go ahead and introduce you to the rest of the class.” He said, smiling that bright smile he remembered him having when they first met, and she relaxed a bit, nodding as she quietly took her hat off and held it as she followed after him.

She felt a bit overwhelmed again as she walked, and to herself, hoped none of the others had Pokemon of their own, but they probably did. She always felt out of place once she admitted she couldn’t touch Pokemon. The closest she had ever gotten was just barely touching Umbreon’s snout before she jumped back when Umbreon jumped up out of excitement. Still, she had at least gotten somewhere… But it was so small. So, so small.

Gladion had reassured her, saying that Umbreon was just happy for her that she had managed something so small, and that, even if it was small, that it was good. That it proved she was improving. She quietly squeezed the bracelet on her wrist with her hand, smiling a bit at the memory as she walked a few steps behind Professor Kukui, eventually ending up in a large, circular classroom with five desks.

She felt her nerves swirl in her stomach as she saw four kids with different Pokemon around them, and froze up as one of the Pokemon, a Togedemaru, saw her and rolled in a ball, rolling over to her excitedly.

She let out a scream as the Pokemon hugged her leg, going completely still as dark, blurred memories filled her mind before disappearing as someone pulled Togedemaru off of her. She hesitantly opened her eyes, seeing concerned expressions staring back at her as she gulped, trying to remember the breathing exercise Hobbes and Gladion had taught her in case something like this happened.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up at Professor Kukui, who was watching her with a worried but soft expression. "Do you need a minute, Lillie?" He asked, and she gave a nod, letting out a shaky breath before walking out of the room, clutching her bag to her chest after she got it off her shoulders.

She heard footsteps, and looked up at Professor Kukui, who crouched down to her height, and she quickly realized she had slumped down against the wall. "Lillie, you okay? Is there anything you need?" He asked, and Lillie clutched her bag tighter as she glanced at the floor. "N-No. I just- I guess my Mother forgot to tell you that I can't touch Pokemon, so everytime one of them touches me, I get really scared and freeze up." She said, and Professor Kukui's expression softened.

"I see. Well, if you want, I can tell the class, or you can tell them yourself. Which one would you like to do?" He asked, and Lillie hesitated, looking at the ground as she thought. It would be easier for Professor Kukui to tell them.. But, it was more logical for her to tell them. She looked back up at Professor Kukui, who had this patient expression on his face and Lillie felt a bit more relaxed. “I- I can tell them.” She said, and Professor Kukui nodded, standing back up and holding his hand out, helping her up before they walked back to the room, Professor Kukui humming softly.

She sighed as she walked back into the room, holding her arms in front of her as she gulped nervously, looking up at the others and seeing very concerned expressions on their faces as she felt a bit of guilt settle in her stomach. She hadn't meant to make anyone worried... She looked up a bit more as one of the girls spoke, she had green hair and looked quite nice to Lillie. "Are you, uh, okay- uhm, Lillie right?" She asked and Lillie felt herself relax a bit as she fiddled with the bracelet before she spoke, taking a breath beforehand. She could do this. "I-I'm fine, just a little.. scared?" She didn't sound very confident with herself, but she kept going anyways. "I just can't really touch Pokemon. I don't really know why but it just makes me freeze up and tense whenever I do. So when the Togedemaru touched me so suddenly, I kinda panicked I'd sup pose." She was pretty sure she was rambling just a bit by the end of her explanation, but when she looked up, she didn't see any discomfort or off-put looks on the other's faces, just... concern.

The greenhaired girl seemed to be thinking about what to say, but then the taller boy, who Lillie could tell was the oldest spoke up, his eyes catching on the charm on the bracelet around her wrist. "Is that a Darkinuim Z?" Lillie was put off by the question, but she spoke again, feeling abit more confident now. "No, it's not, just a charm I made for the bracelet I'm wearing. My older brother always wanted one but couldn't ever get one. So I made him the charm and bracelet for one of his birthdays." She said, and the older boy nodded, and Lillie looked up as she heard Professor Kukui suddenly clap his hands. "Alright, uh- Because I just realized we need to start heading down to sit up our table for the cookout before we run out of time, would it be alright for you to all introduce yourselves on the way down?" He asked, sounding a bit nervous as he spoke, but the unanimous nods from the others encouraged them as they began walking down.

Lillie quickly learned that the greenhaired girl's name was Mallow, and the bluehaired girl she was only now noticing was named Lana. The taller boy's name was Kiawe, and the boy with the Togedemaru was named Sophocles. Lillie, very quickly found herself giggling with the others at jokes that probably shouldn't be funny, helping Mallow sort ingredients for recipes she didn't recognize, and even humming to herself as she watched a battle take place between Kiawe and another student. It was a bit similar to the battles she saw from Gladion, but Kiawe's battling style was a lot different from her brother's. By the end of the day, she had been invited to a sleepover at Professor Kukui's house that they always had every month or so. Lillie, without even thinking had said yes, and didn't realize until on the drive home that she'd definitely have to get Mother's permission for that. But, maybe that wouldn't be too bad.

She felt herself staring at the ceiling of Gladion's room later that night, that she had barely thought about Gladion once the afternoon began. She smiled, squeezing the Rockruf plush tighter. Going to the Pokemon School was the right choice, she was sure of it.  She was going to do just fine, she knew it. Maybe she'd even be able to touch Pokemon again one day. She smiled at the thought, and smiled a bit more at the reaction Gladion would have. He'd be so happy for her, she knew he would. She, eventually falling asleep as she smiled in her sleep, not noticing the balls of light she would've marveled at if she'd seen them. They moved, tucking her in more firmly and adjusting the pillows a bit before vanishing off, leaving her to sleep peacefully. 

Chapter Text

Gladion woke up to his alarm beeping softly and he groaned as he rolled over and grabbed his phone off the sucky nightstand. He glanced at the time, seeing it was around 7:30 and he sighed, sitting up and scrolling silently through whatever notifications had popped up during the night. Really, he was surprised Mother was still paying the bill for it, and even more shocked she hadn't attempted to track him down with it. He was grateful though, it made life a bit easier for him and Luke. He idly checked the date, something he was trying to make a habit of.. for some reason. He felt his heart stop as he realized that of course, today just had to be the anniversary of his Father's death. God, Gladion wanted to cry already, especially with all the emotions suddenly swirling around in his chest. Which just made him want to cry even more once he realized it, because damnit it was 7:30 in the morning, Gladion hadn't even been awake for over five minutes(probably less if he thought about it), and just wanted to be five again with his Father ruffling his hair and Father's Zoroark grooming Umbreon's(Eevee at that point) fur for it while Rockruff, now Lycanroc, sniffed around the office curiously.

Gladion took a shaky breath, mostly because he didn't want to snap at Luke the moment the boy asked if he was alright, because Gladion just knows he will, and he really doesnt want to hurt the other boy's feelings, because, Arceus, Gladion would feel like an absolute jerk if he did. Hell, he'd probably feel worse than a jerk. Gladion, even though he would rather just stay in bed and do absolutely nothing all day, pushed the covers off him a bit more, because staying in bed wasn't an option. He didn't really want to explain this shit to Luke, and he also didn't want to worry Luke or the Pokemon. But god he knew Luke would notice he wasn’t okay, and he knew that would make him even more emotional, and then he’d probably break down and rant about his childhood trauma to Luke and then Luke would probably hate him and, and-

Fuck. He was spiraling again. His breathing was heavy, and he felt like he was gonna puke. Damnit, he taught Lillie how to handle her panic attacks, why couldn’t he handle his? Fuck he was barely breathing, was his head always this foggy? God, everything was too loud even if it was completely quiet in the room. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself but it came out as more of a wheeze as he tried to lean back against the bed but his back met a warm, firm surface instead, and he partially registered Luke’s voice whispering to him, clearly trying to help him out of the panic. Gladion, without even realizing it, leaned back into his touch, trying to match his breathing with Luke’s, that, if he wasn’t so panicky, would’ve realized was a tiny bit uneven too. Was Luke scared too? Arceus Gladion didn’t know, he just tried to calm himself down.

Luke’s voice was working, grounding him slowly as Gladion leaned his head back against Luke’s shoulder, feeling Luke’s arm wrap around his waist that really shouldn’t have been so comforting, but damn he wanted human contact right now. He idly registered Umbreon trying to lick his face- When had she gotten on the bed? -and he grabbed at her fur, holding her close as she kept trying to lick his face. Gladion felt his breathing even out, Umbreon rubbing against his neck and face, and Luke mumbling soft senseless words in his ear that he was pretty sure were threats(maybe?) against whoever made him feel like this. Gladion let out a broken chuckle at that, trying to get air in his lungs and also keep his breathing somewhat even as he felt Luke’s fingers brushing away tears. When had he started crying? He didn’t know, but part of him hated how he leaned into the touch.

Damn Luke and his stupidly easy to accept comfort.

After what could’ve been an hour or just a few minutes- Gladion didn’t know, time was always dizzy when this happened- Gladion had his breathing calm enough for him to drink some water, because of course Luke had gotten him some water. He clutched the bottle a bit too hard, and felt Umbreon’s comforting weight on his lap, and Lycanroc was by the bed, staring at him with this extremely concerned look that made him feel so, so guilty. He noticed Silvally laying at the door of the bed, Shinx ontop of the large Pokémon’s mask and trying to climb up onto the bed by itself before Silvally pushed it up onto the bed silently, continuing to lay at the bed as if standing guard.  Gladion took a shaky breath and looked up at Luke, who was watching him with a concerned look that softened whenever Gladion looked at him.

Gladion very promptly ignored the flutter in his chest and a nagging little voice in his head telling him to just kiss Luke already. He was not falling for Luke. Not at all. He instead just let himself lean back against Luke, trying to actually feel in control of his body again even if he kinda was. He felt Umbreon shift, and looked down to see her glaring up at Luke, while Lycanroc had this almost smug expression on its face. Gladion tilted his head a bit and looked back at Luke, who didn’t seem bothered by Umbreon’s look, just resting his head on Gladion’s shoulder and staring at him with this expression that made Gladion want to melt into his arms and never leave. Fuck, what was he thinking- Arceus help him.

Luke simply stayed quiet, holding him with a loose enough grip that Gladion could get out if he wanted but firm enough for Gladion to know that he was here. Gladion sighed and rubbed his eyes, which were irritated from crying and somehow felt heavy with sleep. “Sorry..” He mumbled, and he felt Luke brush his hair back in a gentle gesture that made Gladion tense before relaxing again. “For what..?” Luke mumbled, voice so soft and sweet it made Gladion feel weak. Though, he shoved that feeling of weakness down. No. He was not being weak right now. Instead, Gladion decided to respond as he found him absentmindedly fiddling with Luke’s fingers, that had somehow found their way inbetween Gladion’s. “For waking you up..” His voice was almost neutral, but it cracked a bit at the end, feeling guilty for waking Luke up, especially because the boy looked so tired last night.

”I was already awake, Glads. Don’t worry about it, I’m used to not getting a lot of sleep.” Luke murmured against his shoulder, and Gladion felt a surge of anger as he remembered Faba. Faba and his stupidity. Faba and his selfishness. Faba and his cockiness that almost got Lillie killed and traumatized. Faba who somehow manipulated Mother to ignore all the signs. Faba who got Gladion grounded for months on end because he had been rummaging through Father’s stuff in Faba’s lab that Mother had said he could look through if he wanted. He huffed and glared at the covers. “I’m gonna kill him one day..” He said absentmindedly, feeling Luke tense but not say anything, just holding Gladion. Eventually though, Gladion moved, moving Umbreon off his lap as he did and getting off the bed, stumbling a bit, though Lycanroc helped him.

Gladion smiled a bit, petting the crest on Lycarnroc’s head as Lycanroc gave him a concerned look. Gladion just smiled and gave a smile he hoped was reassuring. Umbreon had jumped off the bed and stayed by Gladion’s feet. Luke stayed where he was, just watching while Shinx pawed at his arm, clearly trying to get his attention. Gladion barely noticed Luke’s stare, instead just trying not to fall asleep from the sudden rush of exhaustion he felt. Lycanroc, very quickly, had pushed him back towards the bed, and he curled up as Umbreon settled beside him with her head on his hands. Gladion smiled before he yawned, the urge to sleep hitting him like a truck as he closed his eyes and let sleep take him over, not hearing Luke get up or leave, just letting himself be comforted by the Pokemon nuzzling against him. Luke woukd be okay… It would be fine. Everything would be fine… Gladion was just gonna rest for a while. Yah, that sounded nice..

Luke sighed as he walked through the woods, knowing Gladion probably needed space. He’d just spend the day outside, that was always easy. He always did that at the lab. Well, he just wandered the restricted section, since Faba couldn’t care less. It was always like that when the scientist was mad. He kicked the ground, dirt going up and winced, realizing he put a bit too much strength in the kick. He eventually ended up in a small clearing surrounded by trees, small Pokemon chittering as they went around and ran through the grass. Luke fell to the ground, looking up at the sky as he laid there. The sun hadn’t risen very much, so he wasn’t absolutely blinded by the light.

He stared at the sky for a little while before he sat up, boredom getting the best of him. He felt his brain start to go numb, or cloudy? He didn’t really know what to call it. But he did know what it meant, well, at least by how Faba always explained it. Basically, the neurological systems that controlled the balance of the Lucario and Human DNA within his body was shifting, making the Lucario DNA higher and therefore preventing his usual complex thoughts. He could still do most of the stuff he usually could, it was just… easier if he was told to do it. He quietly got to his feet, feeling unsteady for a few seconds as he blinked rapidly, holding one of his hands up, which was much more paw like now as he looked around, teeth bared in a snarl as he heard rustling.

He stared blankly at the spot he heard it at for a few minutes, not seeing anything before he saw a fallen tree across the clearing, and walked over, lifting it onto his shoulders, which he felt a bit of strain at, but didn’t mind as he watched the Pokemon that had previously been stuck on the other side scamper their way through, making chittering ‘thank yous’ at him as they did. Luke just watched, his ears twitching as he felt himself blank out. He didn’t really know what happened when he did that, just that his Lucario DNA was way too high, which he think caused his brain to short circuit and let his Lucario instincts take over for a while.

When he finally came back out of it, he had splinters stuck in his hands along with several cuts, broken branches and piles of splintering wood around him. He felt his fingers twitch, clearly returning to normal as his DNA levels balanced out again. Luke stood there for a while, eyes glossy and unfocused as he stared at the broken tree. The tree he had most likely destroyed. He, before he could let his brain run into over drive about what that meant and what he could’ve done if Gladion was around, he silently started walking back. After a few minutes, he realized he had gone far, far back into the woods, and would probably take him a little while to get back.

He looked up at the sky, seeing that the sun was slowly beginning to set. Huh.. Guess he had been out here for a while. Well, more like all day. Was that okay? He didn’t know. He hoped Gladion wouldn’t be mad at him for disappearing… Faba always was. He felt the phantom sensation of getting shocked, starting at his neck and zapping throughout his body. His ears reflexively pinned against his head, the fuzzy, cloudy, numb feeling returning for a few second before he started walking forward again. The dirt felt wrong under his feet, too rough, not real. It wasn’t like the cold, smooth metal and tiles he was used to. Or, was used to? Luke didn’t know, time always got fuzzy after that happened.

Eventually, after maybe an hour of walking, he was standing at the edge of the woods, staring out at the motel before he quietly walked back. He had picked out all of the splinters from his hands, so maybe Gladion wouldn’t pay attention to them. He didn’t want to make Gladion upset. The boy clearly didn’t need any more stress, especially not from Luke. He walked up the steps silently, hesitating for a few seconds before pushing the door open and waking inside the room, seeing Gladion curled up on the bed with Umbreon in his arms, watching something on his phone that he quietly turned off when he heard the door open.

Luke watched for a few seconds, expecting a yell, maybe a few curses, a shock maybe, but nothing. Gladion just sat up and watched him back, which felt more unnerving than the expectation of being hurt. He slowly shut the door behind him, noting that Shinx seemed to be the only Pokemon out besides Umbreon. Gladion had silently reached for her Pokeball at some point, and silently returned her. Luke winced at the threats she was making. Luke, very quietly, moved from his place by the door to the bed, standing there for a few moments before Gladion gently patted the bed next to him. Luke sat down, feeling Shinx jump into his lap very quickly. He flinched a bit, but silently started stroking Shinx’s fur. After a few minutes, he felt Gladion’s head on his shoulder, and looked over to see the shorter boy leaning against him.

They sat like that for a while, just quiet and not saying anything. Eventually, Gladion spoke. “Thanks for that this morning.. by the way.” He said, and Luke looked over at him, blinking a bit. He tilted his head, and Gladion seemed to laugh a little at that, and it made Luke’s heart flutter, feeling more like himself now. “For yknow, comforting me, you dummy.” Gladion said, and Luke usually would've felt offended at the comment at the end, but the way Gladion smiled as he said it made him feel like that it wasn’t that bad. He didn’t really know what to say, so he just gave a little shrug and mumbled a quiet, “You’re welcome..” even if he still sounded confused. Gladion just looked at him, seeming to debating something before speaking again.

”Hey, you okay? You seem.. off.” He said, and Luke blinked as he realized Gladion was closer now. He felt his face get abit warm, and he was grateful he was sitting in his tail, or else it wouldve very obviously been wagging. Luke quickly realized Gladion asked him a question,a dn without even realizing it, just shrugged again and spoke. “Yah, I’m fine. Just, tired I guess.” He said, and Gladion looked like he didn’t believe him before giving a nod, falling back on the bed. Luke looked down at him, seeing Gladion stare up at the ceiling.

Luke let out a startled noise as Gladion tugged him down, and stared at Gladion for another few moments before he smiled. Shinx had moved to curl up by Gladion, worming it’s way in between Gladion’s arms, who gave it a look but didn’t move it, instead yawning and running a hand through his hair, looking ready to fall asleep. Luke didn’t know how much time passed after that, but he didn’t notice when the moon came out, Gladion’s breathing soft and peaceful, making it clear that he was asleep. Luke watched him for a bit, before he smiled. He liked seeing Gladion so peaceful, it was a nice change. He felt himself start to fall asleep, and he yawned as he did so. Huh… he never fell asleep this fast. Oh well, it was fine. He didn’t mind, Gladion was okay to be vulnerable with, he’d suppose.

Chapter Text

Gladion scrolled through random social media as him and Luke walked through town, Luke happily eating a malasada while Gladion sipped on some coffee. He had figured out that Mother wouldn't cut off the card he had stolen from her from Wicke. Wicke had said it was because she felt guilty(Gladion personally didn't believe that), and that as long as he spent it mostly on food and clothes, she wouldn't do anything about it. And for the most part, that was all he did. 

Him and Luke had been getting ready to head to Ula'Ula Island, mostly so Gladion could take his Grand Trail there, but also to get farther away from the media. Someone has managed to get a picture of Luke, and it has skyrocketed across Melemele. It pissed Gladion how so many people had come up and try to buy Luke off of him like he was some animal. Gladion had to restrain himself more often than not from punching them. 

Even now, people were glancing there way for a bit too long or just blatantly staring. Luke didn't seem bothered by it though, just eating his malasada in peace. But Gladion didn't miss how he tensed when someone got too close, how he positioned himself to where he could always be just slightly in front of Gladion. Umbreon was sticking slightly closer than usual, clearly on edge, and Shinx's claws were digging subtly into Luke's shirt as they walked to to the dock.

Gladion sighed, glancing up whenever he felt Luke looking at him, and smiled a bit. "Relax, I'm fine Luke." He said, and Luke nodded, ears flicking as Shinx rubbed up against his cheek. Luke smiled, offering a small bite of the malasada to Shinx, who happily took it. Gladion put his phone up, glancing over his shoulder as he heard footsteps behind them. He scowled as he noticed someone walking up before he just started walking a bit faster, Luke quickly catching on and following after.

Eventually, the person seemed to give up once they got on the boat, realizing that following anymore would get more suspicious than it already was. Gladion sighed, letting himself briefly slump against Luke as the boat started moving. He really should’ve tried to get more sleep last night… He was exhausted. He felt Luke shift, and he pushed himself back into a standing position. He felt Umbreon pawing at his leg, and he smiled down at her as he took another sip of his coffee.

After wnat felt like forever, which was four to five hours when Gladion thought about it, the boat docked at Ula’Ula, and Gladion got off with Luke following behind. There weren’t a whole lot of people, especially since they had gotten an early morning ride. Now.. Where did Kahuna Nanu work again? He was pretty sure Hala said to go to the Ula’Ula police station and he should be there.

It took a while, but they eventually found it, and, almost instantly, a bunch of Alolan Meowth were suddenly crowding around them, or, more specifically, Luke, since they seemed to avoid Gladion after he glared at them. Luke seemed unbothered by the sudden crowd, crouching down to pet each of them and laughing whenever they tried to climb onto him. Eventually, a man walked out, looking annoyed and tired.

Gladion quickly recognized him as Kahuna Nanu. Nanu glanced between them before sighing. “Let me guess, you’re here for the Island Challenge?” He asked, and Gladion nodded, seeing Nanu’s eye twitch in annoyance. “Tch. Go home kid, I can already tell you’re not ready.” He said, turning to leave as Gladion clenched his jaw. Luke seemed to notice, and quietly reached out, squeezing Gladion’s hand as the Meowth continued to crowd him. Gladion sighed at the touch, and Nanu seemed to notice Luke finally as he paused.

”That’s an… interesting friend you’ve got there.” He said, eyeing Luke with obvious skepticism, his eyes narrowed slightly. Gladion squeezed Luke’s hand tighter, glaring at Nanu. “Don’t get any ideas. He’s not for sale.” He snapped, and Nanu raised a brow. “I wouldn’t dream of buying him off of you kid, I’m just saying, the longer he’s around, the more suspicious people are gonna get.” He said, and Gladion was about to ask him what he meant by that but Nanu was already walking away.

”Do what you want kid, I’ve got a patrol to get done. Officer Jenny will be here in a bit to take over, don’t do anything stupid.” Nanu said as he left, and Gladion had to resist the urge to curse as Luke stood back up, the Meowth still crowding around him and trying to get his attention. “You good, Glads?” He asked, and Gladion sighed before he nodded. “Yah, I’m fine. Also, stop calling me that.” He said, and Luke snickered. “Never.”

Gladion shot him a look but smiled a bit as he walked into the station, the Meowth’s still crowding Luke as they both sat down on the couch. Shinx, seemingly annoyed with all the unwanted Pokémon around Luke, jumped onto Gladion’s lap and curled up there, Umbreon sitting at his feet as she yawned. They sat like that in a comfortable silence for a while before a girl walked into the station, humming a soft tune as she called out. “Uncle Nanu! Are you in here?” Once she got no reply, she noticed Gladion and Luke, and Gladion, very quietly, let go of Luke’s hand as he started petting Shinx.

”Nanu’s out on patrol.” He said, and the girl seemed to sigh. “Hmph. The one time I show up he’s actually on patrol.” She seemed to pout for a few moments before she turned back to Luke and Gladion, clapping her hands together. “Oh right! Where are my manners? I’m Acerola, I’m Nanu’s adopted niece. It’s great to meet you! I’m assuming you’re here for the Island Challenge?” She asked, and Gladion nodded, still petting Shinx.

”Yes. I don’t think I’ll be taking it any time soon though.” He huffed, a slightly bitter tone in his voice as Acerola furrowed her brows before sighing. “Let me guess, he told you you weren’t ready to take it?” She asked, and Gladion nodded, raising a brow. “Yah, how’d you know?” He replied, and Acerola wandered over to the desk. “He does that a lot. He didn’t even really want to be an Island Kahuna, but Tapu Bulu chose him due to his laid back and sometimes lazy personality. I’m pretty sure Tapu Bulu just wanted a Kanuna similar to its personality.” She said, and Gladion hummed. Okay, that made some sense.

Acerola continued. “So, to avoid some of his duties, he often tells challengers that they’re not ready and to go home. Why do you think people say the Ula’Ula Grand Trail is the hardest?” She said, picking up a toy off of the desk and holding it, and Gladion groaned. Right, he had heard people say that a lot. “Damn…” He mumbled, and he saw Acerola blink a couple times. She didn’t say anything though, just humming before Officer Jenny showed up.

”Hi Officer Jenny!” She chirped, and the Meowth suddenly crowded Officer Jenny instead of Luke, and Gladion noticed the almost immediate relief on Luke’s face. Acerola turned back to them. “Cmon! I’ll take you back to my place.” She said, and Gladion glanced at Luke before getting up, letting Shinx climb up onto his shoulders as he walked with Acerola, Luke following behind.

They arrived at a library, and Acerola started organizing books pretty quickly. She started talking about random things, and that was how he found out that Acerola lived and worked in the library, and that Nanu lived here as well. He also found out that Acerola was just a year younger than him, so fifteen. He found himself absentmindedly talking with her while Luke wandered off with Shinx after a couple kids asked him to play with them. 

Gladion felt himself relax, not even realizing the time going by until the door opened, and Gladion and Luke both glanced up to see Nanu walking in. "Acerola, I know you took my favorite toy again, so where is-" He paused whenever he saw Gladion sitting at the table, Lycanroc and Umbreon by him while Shinx watched Acerola curiously, Luke helping her grab the ingredients she needed on the higher to reach shelves.

Nanu looked at Acerola, who was smiling innocently at him. "You- Of course you did. What else was I expecting?" Nanu muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he glanced back over at Gladion, his expression considering. Gladion felt himself tense, and Luke, who immediately seemed to notice, held the salt shaker he was putting up just a bit tighter than what he should've. Nanu seemed to notice this. "Alright, fine, I'll let you take the Grand Trail on one condition." Gladion looked up, raising a brow as he watched Nanu with a slightly weary stare.

"You use your friend there during the Trail. Only Pokemon you're allowed to use." Gladion tensed, and Luke was watching him, clearly concerned as he glanced over at Nanu. Gladion didn't say anything, but the subtle twitch of his eye gave everything away. Nanu seemed to notice but didn't comment on it as he walked over to the stove, checking the make sure the water wasn't boiling over before he looked back at Gladion. "It's either that or no Trail, kid."

Gladion didn't respond, just glancing up at Luke, who shrugged in response, but Gladion could tell he was going over everything in his mind. "Can I think about it?" He asked finally, and Nanu shrugged. "If you want kid, you got a week to decide. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to bed." He said, and Gladion realized what Acerola meant by 'lazy'. Gladion watched him leave, and him, Acerola, and Luke at dinner in a comfortable silence.

Gladion sighed as he took his hoodie off, shivering at the extra coldness. Right, he forgot that Ula'Ula was a lot colder than Melemele due to Mount Lanakila. It also didn't help that his body was just naturally freezing twenty-four-seven it seemed like. Which is why he almost always wore pants and a hoodie, even if some people thought he was insane for it. It kept him warm though, and didn't make him feel like he was about to freeze to death constantly.

He was tempted to put his hoodie back on, but he also didn't want to wear it to bed. He looked over at Luke, who was sprawled out on the bottom bunk of the bed, blanket tossed to the side. Luke looked at him, ears flopping lazily onto the side as he yawned. "You good Glads?" He asked, and Gladion furrowed his brows. "Are you not.. cold?" He asked, and Luke shook his head. "Nah. I don't really get cold that easily." He said with this little shrug, and Gladion glanced at Luke's blanket before grabbing it.

"I'm taking this then." He said, and Luke just shrugged. "Alrighty then.. Night Glads." He said, and Gladion glanced at him before smiling. "Night Luke." He said, climbing into bed and pulling the two blankets over himself. He laid there for a while, still freezing even with the extra blanket as he sighed frustratedly. He threw his blankets off of him, before he sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, jumping down easily.

He looked at Luke before grumbling, moving and laying down next to Luke, who blinked sleepily at him before offering a tired smile. "Glads..?" He asked, and Gladion barely registered the question as he buried his face in Luke's chest, relishing in the heat the taller boy was giving off. God, Luke was like a living heater. It felt nice. Luke hummed, resting his head on Gladion's shoulder as Gladion responded finally. "Don't get any ideas.. I'm only doing this because I'm cold." He muttered, and Luke hummed before yawning again.

"Alrighty.. Night Glads." He murmured, chin resting on Gladion's head as Gladion felt his eyes get heavy. "Mm.. Good night, Luke." He mumbled, half-asleep already as he yawned.

Chapter Text

Luke woke up to Gladion snuggled against his chest, looking so peaceful, and Luke had to ignore how his tail started wagging.  He liked how close Gladion was.. It was nice. Luke, silently, debated getting up. He didn’t know if he wanted to disturb Gladion or not. He knew Gladion had a bad sleep schedule, he knew it very well. Gladion never directly stated it, but it was there. Luke could tell if he looked hard enough. Part of him wondered why he was so attached to Gladion. It was a bit odd, he’d admit. He never necessarily developed bonds with people, not at the lab at least. Oh well.

Luke, quietly, moved, sitting up as Gladion simply curled deeper into the blankets. Luke yawned, feeling his jaws open a bit too wide but deciding it was fine for now. He quietly stood up, and growled whenever he felt sharp claws dig into his ankle. He glared down at the culprit, unsurprised to see a glaring Umbreon staring back at him, claws fastened silently into his skin. They stayed like that for a few seconds before footsteps could be heard coming down the hall, and Umbreon silently released his foot. Luke had to bite back a growl as the dark-type simply walked over to Lycanroc and started to shake him awake.

Luke scoffed, running a hand through his hair as he wandered towards the bathroom, flicking the light on and shutting the door behind him. He stared at his reflection for a while, from his too pointy teeth to slightly clawed hands. He scowled. Why couldn’t he control it anymore? He had always been able to seem normal enough back at the lab. But now he looked… dangerous, he’d suppose. Maybe he was just too reactive? He had noticed he snapped a bit more than usual.

He hands tightened around the base of the counter, the stone seemingly cracking just a bit under his grip as Luke bared his teeth, flinching as he seemed more animal than human. He shook his head quickly, releasing the stone and taking a few deep breaths, tail swaying behind him. He hated how he could feel his body changing. Teeth shortening to seem more human. Claws retracting back into his skin to hopefully never resurface. Tail shortening to seem almost invisible. Ears making themselves smaller and his more human ears just slightly more prominent. He hated every bit of it.

He opened his eyes again, blinking as he saw slightly more brown-orange eyes staring back at him instead of red, and he blinked again to shift them further towards to red. He knew Gladion would notice his eyes, if not anything else. His tail swayed gently behind him, fur comforting against his skin as he glanced down at his hands, scowling at the darker skin than didn’t match the rest of his body. He wished he could change that. It was the same on his feet too. He didn’t know if it was supposed to resemble the markings an actual Lucario had, but he figured it was.

And then, as always, he was promptly reminded of the small spikes on his wrists, just one on each. Shiny silver looking, glinting in the light of the bathroom. Faba had tried to remove them once. They had just grown back bigger and more tough. Not to mention Luke had been in indescribable pain for weeks while they grew back. Faba, after having done more studying on how the body of a Lucario worked, figured out that the spikes were actually bone, and that they were a good defense mechanism for wild Lucario. Luke still didn't understand why Faba wanted them removed in the first place.

He heard a soft knock at the door, and he snapped out of his trance, shaking his head. He was fine. He didn't need to be thinking like this. He ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly, just trying to make it look a little less messy before another knock sounded at the door, followed by a groggy sounding Gladion. "Luke? You in there-?" He sounded like he was gonna say something else, but Luke barely heard him as he walked back over to the door, trying to seem fine as he opened it.

Gladion seemed to furrow his brows ever so slightly, looking concerned for a moment before his expression softened once Luke gave a small smile. Luke had to squash down the flutter his heart did. That wasn't normal. What was going on with his body? Oh well. He'd figure it out later. Gladion spoke, and Luke realized he had gotten absorbed in his thoughts again. That was never good for him to do. "You okay, Luke? You seem.. distracted." Gladion said, and Luke shrugged out of habit.

"I'm fine, Glads. Just, tired I guess." He said, the words feeling odd in his mouth as Gladion watched him closely, and Luke felt his body stiffen just slightly, his brain feeling like it disappeared before Gladion made a non-committal noise. "Alright, if you say so. Just let me know when you're ready, I wanna try to do some training today." Gladion said, walking past Luke and Luke perked up. "Training?" He asked, and Gladion nodded. "Yah, I figured it would be smart to get started on some training pretty quickly." He said, and Luke watched him for a few seconds before nodding, walking out of the bathroom and hearing Gladion shut the door.

Luke stood there for a bit, humming before he shrugged and walked out of the room, Shinx following after him excitedly, chattering about something. Luke listened, letting the small Pokemon ramble about different things. Luke, privately, knew it was to keep his own brain from wandering. He followed Shinx into the kitchen, watching as he saw Acerola cooking something, Nanu sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in his hand, seeming to be skimming over a newspaper. Luke felt his brain freeze almost, his body going rigid as he stood in the doorway before moving again after Shinx let out a worried noise.

Shinx was pawing curiously at a large Persian's tail, the Persian looking up at at the smaller cat before huffing and laying it's head back down, Shinx getting up on it's side and curling up, a low purr rumbling in it's throat. Luke sat down next to them, trying to ignore his racing heart as he let himself try to relax, though he was failing as he started fidgeting with his hands, staring out at nothing in particular after awhile, his body just going still. He didn't snap out of it until he heard Gladion's familiar footsteps, his eyes refocusing and darting towards Gladion, who had Umbreon curled up on his shoulders.

Luke perked up further when Gladion sat on the couch by the window that circled around the table, reaching out and gently rubbing behind Luke's ears, something he seemed to do whenever Luke zoned out like he did. Luke very easily relaxed, his tail thumping lightly on the floor as Gladion glanced at him with soft look. The next hour or so went by in a bit of a haze for Luke, and before he fully registered it he was walking with Gladion, who's hands were in the pocket of his hoodie.

Luke felt himself relax, and he let a lazy smile pull at his lips as he followed after Gladion, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts. They were eventually at a large cliff area, and Luke glanced around, his ears perked and at attention as he went mostly still, not noticing the shifts in his body until Gladion's voice cut through the haze as his head snapped up. "Luke? You good?" His voice was ever so slightly concerned, and Luke instinctively started walking towards him.