Of Flowers and Ashes

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sunrise

A few days ago in Kanto.......

Lille was in Saffron City, resting up at a local Cafe. She had been searching for her father nonstop, and she was starting to lose all hope. This was before she was approached by a kind waitress with the food she had ordered. The waitress stared at her for a second before asking "By any chance, are you related to the librarian?"

Lille looked at the waitress as if she had just suggested Lille was the masked royale. "Ummm no, my father is gone and my mother is around." the waitress looked sadly at Lille "Strange because the librarian keeps talking about a lost family of his. I'd consider stopping by if I were you!"

Lille stared at the librarian and suddenly burst out "Where is the library!"
She frantically texted Gladion and Lusamine and they all quickly went to the library.

About an hour later she was hugging her father. The Jardin family was reunited at last.

---

Currently, Lille was on the plane back to Alola. She was just thinking sadly that no one would be able to hang out, Mallow was working crazy hours, Lana was abroad, Kiawe was busy with his Kahuna training, and Sophocles... maybe? But it'd be weird if it was just the two of them. Ash was..... Where even was Ash? She pulled out her phone and typed up a text to him. For some reason, she felt her arms shaking. Lille wondered why she was so nervous, it was just Ash! She composed a relatively safe message.

Lille: Hey Ash, I'm heading back to Alola! We found my father and I'm gonna be back in the Region! Just wondering what you're up to right now.

Ash responded stupidly fast. She couldn't believe how quickly he responded to her.

Ash: Hey Lille! I've decided to stop adventuring for a little while and settle down as Alolan Champion! I moved all of my Pokemon from Professor Oak's to a new house that I just bought! I've started looking for Gym Leaders and Elite Four members. Haven't had much luck tho

Lille smiled at her phone upon reading Ash would be around.

Lille: That's amazing Ash!

Ash responded quickly again

"Thanks! Hey Lille, mind if we get lunch sometime? There's something I need to ask you."

Lille turned bright red upon reading this. She wasn't even sure why! There was no chance in the slightest that she'd have a crush on Ash Ketchum! He was a dense doofus obsessed with Pokemon battles! Lana liked him for a little bit and he had missed all of her signals. Lille looked back at her shaking thumbs. Maybe he didn't know what he was implying. Either way she'd go to lunch with him.

She texted out a reply

Lille: Yeah! Name a time and place and I'm there.

She saw the three little bubbles and held her breath. Gladion looked over her shoulder

"Hey, Lille! Ready to be home again!" Lille let out a small scream and threw her phone, not wanting Gladion to see who she was texting.

Gladion laughed "Why'd you throw your phone!" Lille stuttered for a second, desperately trying to hide her blush. "Because you scared me you, slowpoke!" Gladion looked like he was about to burst out laughing. "Whatever, we're gonna land soon just fwi"

Lille picked up her phone and glared at Gladion before looking at the text from Ash

Ash: Let's say Mallow's restaurant, tomorrow at noon.

This was good. Ash wasn't dumb enough to have a date at Mallow's restaurant. Actually, maybe he was. But either way, it'll be much more casual if it's at her restaurant and likely not anything romantic. Lille still smiled at her phone despite all of that.