Crossing Field

Alola to Alya's Confident

Alya's PoV
***

Another day had passed and now I found myself on the back of Braviary heading towards Malie City. I wasn't exactly sure where the meetup was to take place, but as I circled the large plaza full of buildings  and houses, my eyes caught sight of a Charizard that seemed just a little out of place among the water type Pokémon in a giant gated off garden with a pond separated into sections by a quaint bridge and a pavilion in the center.

Breviary began his nosedive down to the ground. He only just stopped short of smashing into the earth and landed gracefully by the large fire type that had the familiar saddle attached to his back. My eyes travelled to the lone bench on this side of the pond to find who I was looking for already staring at me with a lopsided grin on his face.

"Ah, there's my feisty little Champion."

"Kiawe..." I groaned, sliding off the back of my Pokémon and joining him on the elegant looking wooden bench. His smile broadened as he turned to face me. A few seconds passed and his facial expression grew expectant, and I knew then he was waiting for me to spill the details of what has happened ever since I flew off with Guzma.

"Guzma disbanded Team Skull," I started, ignoring the small gasp of disbelief that came from his mouth. "Soooo, I'm helping them rebuild Po Town and the Shady House. Gonna turn it into a hotel so they can stay there. A lot of them have no place else to go."

"What about the locals? What do they have to say?" I shrugged. I honestly had no idea. Not many had returned after the rain had finally stopped falling and all of Team Skull's activity around the three islands had ceased. Maybe they were just accepting the fact that most of the ex-members were gonna stick around the place.

Kiawe's eyes travelled down to his hands. He clasped them together and lied them in his lap, twiddling his thumbs as he pondered his next question. Staring at him, the guilt I had still yet to resolve between him and even Alan made its presence once again known in the pit of my stomach.

"I owe you an explanation for...well, everything," I spoke up, regaining his attention. "I shouldn't have left you. A lot of this wouldn't have happened if I...If I just listened to you."

"Alya, you-" I held up a hand, cutting him off. I needed to get this off my chest and it was almost like a rehearsal for when I finally spilled all of this to Alain. I still hadn't got the chance to tell him about what happened. He was still recovering and didn't need this all dumped on him as well.

"I've always been independent. Left home when I was young to start my journey and besides my Pokémon, I was alone. Training and traveling...that was all me. When I was Champion I had one friend, but I was isolated. Until I met Ash I never opened up to people. And then, of course, I met Alain, and I had no idea what I was doing. Then the battle of Kalos...I-I was willing to sacrifice myself to protect everyone."

I had to pause, tears welling up in my eyes. This was all getting out into the open. It was a first for me. Why I had chosen Kiawe as my confident, I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure about a lot of things I guess, but I knew I could always trust him.

"I got hurt, of course," I continued on. "It messed with my head, but I couldn't do anything about it, and I didn't want to bother anyone for help. I dealt with it. And I guess when I came here to escape...to run away from those troubles, new ones found me. I guess they weren't really new, they fed off my unresolved ones. Tapu Fini fed off my uncertainty and anger."

Kiawe's eyes widened. "The headaches and the voice..." I nodded. The Island deity had clouded my judgement.

"Deep down I knew Fini was trying to help, but I was so blinded by Team Skull I didn't listen. I was blinded by what Team Flare had done, that I didn't want to see the bigger picture. And I guess that's why I'm doing what I'm doing now. I want to help them find a better way."

Kiawe leaned forward and pulled me into a comforting hug. We stayed like that for several minutes. It was nice to be comforted by a friend. His warm hug reassured me.

"What made you finally break away from Tapu Fini?" He asked, pulling back from the hug and wiping away the tears that had gathered underneath my eyes.

"I guess that's where Alain comes into all this," I breathed, knowing Kiawe had to be itching to know where he was. "I was battling very unfairly with Plumeria, the Team Skull Admin. Well, I wasn't in control, Tapu Fini was calling all the shots. Plumeria was beaten, yet Tapu Fini had commanded Absol to attack her directly. It was raining and foggy, and I tried so hard to break through, but I couldn't. Before Absol landed his attack, Alain came out of nowhere and took the hit. As soon as I realized who it was, Tapu Fini gave me back control. I thought I lost him, Kiawe. If it wasn't for Blue still being in the area to rescue him, he would've died, and that would have been on me."

I had to stop for a moment after that. The piercing images of Alain lying in his own pool of blood, the giant slash wound across his chest, his unconscious face...it all rushed back to me and took the wind right out of my chest just like when I saw it the first time.

Kiawe's face looked horrified by what I told him, and honestly that's the expression I deserved. I didn't want sympathy. "You went and fought in Ultra Space to save Guzma right after that happened. How did-" he couldn't even finish his sentence he was in such disbelief.

I shrugged my shoulders, looking down at my hands in my lap. "Almost murdering the one person I truly would give anything for is quite a wake up call. I knew that going with you guys to space was the right thing to do, so I had to do it. Leaving Alain with Blue was the best I could do for him at the point and I couldn't sit and worry about him. It was probably the hardest thing I had to do, but I did it. Everything else was already driving me crazy."

Kiawe shook his head at me. "You are seriously the craziest and strongest person I have ever met. I'm happy everything is finally working out for you," he chuckled, despite our heavy conversation. I'm glad the mood was shifting, though there was still so much to work out, some outcomes not looking good, I had to admit he was right.

"That's my story," I smiled. "Now, what's been happening for you since coming back from space?" Kiawe's face lit up at the question.

"Lusamine awarded us and made us Ultra Guardians!"

"Ultra Guardians?" Kiawe nodded his head.

"Whenever a wormhole opens up and an Ultra Beast slips through we're called on to handle the situation. We're given special poke balls to capture them and help them return back to Ultra Space."

"That's amazing," I grinned, truly happy that he was happy and beaming with pride at the responsibility he and the rest of our friends were given.

"Are you going to stick around for awhile?"

"This won't be the last of me you'll be seeing," I grinned at Kiawe. "I came to Alola for a vacation and once I'm finished helping the members of Team Skull find their way, I intend to take it. Whether that be soaking up the sun on a beach for awhile or taking on the island challenges, I don't know. I like having my future open."

Kiawe gave me a sly smirk. "I heard that Professor Kukui is implementing a Pokémon League for Alola and that he's going to be taking on the role of Champion when it's up and running. Doesn't sound like a job suited for a Professor, don't you think?" My eyes widened at his suggestion.

A new Pokémon League? Of course, to even get in I'm sure you'd have to complete all the Island Challenges first before being able to compete. But where would that leave the Battle Tree? Wouldn't Red and Blue be more suited to take on the Champion role first? Do they even know?

As I sat in thought, Kiawe's smirk began to grow and bigger. Pondering all the possibilities of what could come in the near furniture, Kiawe knew I would being staying for much longer than I intended to.

"You know, all this just sounds like multiple opportunities to kick your butt!" I giggled, jumping up from the bench, all my previous worries drifting off into the wind blowing off the pond.

"In your dreams!" Kiawe chuckled, following my lead and moving from his position on the bench. Braviary squawked in excitement as I rushed to his side, determination on both our faces.

Kiawe placed a hand on Charizard's neck, taking a few steps back as we heated up for our first proper battle that we both intended to finish.