Pokémon Ultra Luna.

by Lieral

Chapter 14- Time to sail away

"Do you think he will make it through his trial?" Lillie's voice could not hide her worry.

"You meant Hau?" I asked just to make sure, but I am not looking at her right now. "No doubt he will," I answered with a rare display of certainty.

We are in the middle of a store in Hau'oli city mall. I stared my own reflection on the mirror with a certain proud. I am still wearing a black blouse and jeans black pants, courtesy of Kukui's wife's wardrobe. I put the black and red patterned cap on the top of my head and adjusted my newest pair of fingerless gloves and a black and blue jacket.

"Really?"

"Mark my words, when we get on the port to the next island he will be there waiting for us and eating a Malasada," I changed the red cap for a blue one. I decided to not mention the promise he did on the ocean: 'One day I will beat even my grandpa in an all-out battle' he said. Living his life on someone else's shadow, and now trying to stand up against him as an equal. That is both oddly familiar and admirable. "Better,"

"It looks good in you!" Lillie complimented me which brought a small blush in my face. Except for Celestia, I am not used to receiving compliments like that.

"Thank you," I said shyly. "Is there anything here that caught your eyes?" It was a desperate attempt to change the subject, but I am not in a position to find anything better.

"No, actually not," She closed her bag (which Nebby tried to flee again) and looked at me again. "Hey Luna, do you mind if I make you a question?"

I looked at her with the side of my eyes while paying the attendant that sold me all those clothes. In my experience, if someone asks for permission before asking the actual question then that someone will not just ask for your birthday or anything easy like that. "Go on,"

"Do you... Like staying with us?" She changed her weight from one leg to the other while staring the white floor of the store. "I mean, being here in Alola with m... I mean with US?" She quickly changed what she was going to say.

I stared her with my eyes wide open for a few seconds. I do not even notice the attendant trying to give my money.

I never thought about it... I was brought here against my will, sure. I want to go back to Celestia, Sure... But why do I never thought about this? I lift one of my hands to my chin.

From where I came I almost only had Celestia, the most important person to me. I do enjoy my job, but it is not the same thing anymore, not because it is boring, but for the constant reminding of how powerless I am. And Alola?

I thought about my first contact with pokemon. It was not the best one, but now this same pokemon is traveling with me. Kukui is an impossibly nice guy and Hau is very fun to have around to cheer up the mood, and there is Lillie too. Our encounter also had not been under certain circumstances, but ever since I saved Nebby I noticed how much she had been there for me... When I had a breakdown at the school or when Tapu Koko took the letter I wrote and promised to give it to Celestia.

My first Trial was challenging and the Grand Trial was even scarier, but I would do them again if necessary. I looked at Lillie that was still waiting for my response with a worried expression and did not even noticed the zipper of her bag opening silently.

I walked toward her and closed the bag myself. I smiled and looked at her again. "Yes, I do enjoy to stay here with all of you," I expected that it would be enough to bring a smile to her face, but I was wrong.

"Do you... Remember from where you came?"

"Why would I not?" I asked a little puzzled.

She looked surprised for a moment and opened her mouth to say something again, but decided not to. Instead, she shook her head twice and gave me a sad and fake smile. "It's good to have somewhere to come back, isn't?"

Every part of me wanted to ask what is wrong. I hate to be left in the dark about something, and both Nebby and Lillie are totally surrounded by questions I can not answer. But looking by their point of view so am I. That is why I decided not to ask about this now, instead, I smiled and took her hand in mine. "We should be going or Hau will let us eating dirty,"

She looked at me surprised, probably because of what I did not ask, but a relieved smiled soon showed signs in her expression. "Yeah, let's go!"

---

"You're late, I already finished my third Malasada!" A very familiar voice spoke as soon as we stepped into the port and I looked at Lillie with an expression that yells 'I told you so!'.

"I am sorry," I said and continued my way toward Hau and Kukui that are waiting for us in front of the most patched up boat I ever saw in my life, its front is divided in two and probably is older than me.

"Anyway, hey prof, are you sure this old thing's really seaworthy?" He asked what I was almost asking myself.

"Hey now, don't go calling my boat old! She's not old..." She? "Call her classic or well seasoned, okay? Or you'll hurt her feelings!"

I will just ignore that...

"I quite like that it has some sense of history," Lillie also tried to defend the boat's reputation and after that Nebby said something in his completely 'Pew' formed vocabulary.

"Oh yeah, since we're all here it's finally time to sail away, woo!" Kukui smiled and went toward the boat followed by a running Hau, a shy and cautious Lillie and for me, whose expression almost yells 'whatever'.

It took some time for everyone to get in position. Kukui went toward the 'second floor' where he assumed the rudder, Hau and I each stopped on one of the two points of the boat bow and Lillie stopped a few feet behind Hau while making sure Nebby is not going to leave his small 'cage'.

I leaned against the barrier on my right side and waited for what is almost coming. Hau looks just like a small kid (which he actually is) and could not hide his enthusiasm. After a few minutes a huge bump hit us all, and after a few more seconds a big airstream hit my face.

"WE-E-E ARE OFF!" I looked at Hau that was having one of the best moments of his life. "COME ON GRANDMA, KICK IT UP A NOTCH!"

"DON'T CALL HER GRANDMA!" I smiled as I Kukui's angry voice yelling from the closed cabinet.

"If we push the boat much harder than this we will all end up on the bottom of the sea!" Lillie, as always, is the only sane of us all, since I was also almost yelling for it to go faster with a wide grin on my face.

"HA HA HA, you're probably just worried about your silly hat flying off!" I looked at Lillie that was indeed trying to keep Nebby under control AND keeping her white hat in place. "I wonder what Akala Island is like?"

"So this is the name of the Island? Akala?" I asked trying to speak louder than the roaring wind.

"You bet! This is half the fun of doing the Island Challenge, seeing all Alola by yourself!" Hau gave one more step forward which almost made Lillie yell at him... Of course, I gave a step forward too while holding my new cap that was almost flying away thanks to the powerful wind and started another moment of self-reflection.

I never even left the state where I was born before, and here am I now, in another world exploring an entire continent almost all by myself with more friends than I made in years. The burden of letting Celestia in the dark left my shoulder and now I feel like I left behind an entire piano. It is not my fault that I am here, I am doing my best to go back, I am having fun, I am getting stronger!

With an almost crazy smile I hold back my huge will of just yelling toward the ocean how relieved I am now, and with an assault of adrenaline I jumped on top of the boat's edge where I can almost see Lillie's heart trying to leave her chest out of worry for me, and after a moment to regain my balance I managed to sit down.

"I am free..." I murmured only loud enough for me to listen.

---

After a few hours on the rudder, I decided it's finally time for a break so I let my partner doing the job. It's not the first time we're doing this travel, and after so many times he knows the way almost better than me.

I walked downstairs with my hands on my pocket and after a few seconds, I opened the door to the cabin where all the kids are sleeping... Or almost all of them.

It's a simple room with a small bed and a couch, there's also a thermal box which I use to keep things cold but usually, it's empty with rare exceptions such as today. And on the couch, there's a scene that almost makes me laugh.

"One word about this situation and you are a dead man," Luna was sitting on the middle of the couch with a serene expression while looking at the moon through the windows, and sleeping using her left leg as a pillow was Lillie with Nebby on her arms also sleeping, and using her right leg as a pillow was Hau that was just a few minutes from drooling. "There is no rudder for you to take care of?"

I got into the room and closed the door behind me. "My partner is taking care of it,"

"I never saw any of your pokemon," Luna drank a purple liquid from a goblet. "Is he used to such a task?"

"You would be surprised," I looked at the goblet and saw that it is almost on the middle. "Have your iron nerves finally gave up and decided that it needed an escape?"

She looked at the wine on her hand and smiled nonchalantly. "This? No, this is nothing. I would say it is a hobby, I always enjoyed to drink something while watching the moon," She closed her eyes in an even more serene expression.

"It's common in your old world for kids like you to drink?" I couldn't help but ask.

"You would be surprised," She drank another gulp and opened her eyes looking at me again.

I sat down on a chair in front of her and served a goblet for me too. I bought this wine with the intention of drinking it with Burnet, but since it's already open there's no reason for me to not drink too. "You have some really mature tastes, huh?" I drank a small gulp too. Her only answer was staring the floor for a few seconds. "And I never saw someone at your age with so amazing balance," I said as if it's nothing, but she looked at me narrowing her eyes a little... Damn, this girl is FAR smarter than she wants people to think.

"Practice," She answered almost challenging me.

"It takes years of practice for someone to stay on the edge of a boat without falling as you did,"

"And?"

I smiled. That girl is better in this game than I am. "And that's it. I couldn't find a plausible explanation for that doesn't matter how much I tried,"

She didn't expect that answer. Her eyes showed a small trace of surprise and then she laughed silently for a few seconds. "It is the first time I see someone like you, Kukui," She looked at me amused and put aside the now empty goblet. "When most people do not know the answer for something they lie and hope for the best, but you are not like that,"

"I'll take that as a compliment,"

"And you should," Her expression darkened. "How long until we reach Akala Island?" She took a lock of hair that fell on Lillie's face and turned her gaze to the moon outside while petting her (and Hau's) head.

"A few more hours," I finished my own goblet and looked at the moon again. "Tell me, what happened last night?"

"Huh?"

"You can't fool me so easily. When you showed those amazing new moves I knew you were hiding something, so I slept with an eye open tonight," Her expression didn't soften at all. "I saw when you went outside, I heard you talking with someone and not long after that Lillie followed you and you two stayed there for almost two hours, and then, out of nowhere, today you seem like a different person, almost... Lighter,"

She looked at me for a few seconds and sighed. "I was talking with Tapu Koko," This time I couldn't hide my surprise even if I wanted. "And he said he could take a letter I wrote to my sister for me,"

It took me around 30 seconds to truly understand what she said, but after a few more seconds everything started to make sense. "I see... That's how it is..."

She looked at me puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"I think Hala is right about you Luna. Maybe there is a reason for you to be here," I stood up and filled both of our goblets. "But let's not talk about it now," I gave her wine and offered my own in a clear gesture. "For you and your sister!"

She smiled. "Her name is Celestia," The tinkling of the goblets got lost over the sounds of the ocean