The Moon, The Sun, and The Rift Between

Pincurchin For Trouble

Gladion stared at the paper in front of him, two fingers pressed against his temple to keep his head propped up. The paper itself had calculations scribbled on it in his handwriting, several crossed out with a few circled and question marked. He was working on a way to craft an early alarm system for Alola, to warn people of the formation of Ultra Wormholes. By making it, he hoped to save lives.

It had been a year since the Ultra Wormhole Fiasco, as the Alolan people had come to call it. Temporarily, Gladion had taken command of the Aether Foundation while Lusamine healed from the Nihilego's neurotoxins. The toxins had rendered her pretty much unable to do anything on her own. Gladion wasn't surprised since she had been exposed to them for years. Lusamine had been sent off to Kanto where doctors specialized in different types of poisons could find a cure.

Gladion had reluctantly become the president of the Foundation, but it was only until or if or when Lusamine returned. He still held a grudge against her for everything she had done to both him and Lillie. Lillie especially.

Ever since the Fiasco, Lillie had become a lot more confident in herself and her abilities in battle. It made him proud to see his sister emerge from her shell. She deserved everything.

So, when she had told him that she was going to Kanto to watch over Lusamine as she healed from the neurotoxins, he was baffled. Gladion had been more concerned, though, as her brother. He couldn't understand why she would willingly follow Lusamine to Kanto to take care of her. She didn't owe their mother anything. Not after what she had done.

"I'm not just going to keep an eye on her, Gladdie," Lillie had said, setting her hands on her hips and pinning her brother with a determined gaze. "I also want to go on my own journey. I want to explore Kanto and everything it has to offer. I'm eleven. You can't tell me what to do."

So, Gladion let her go. He knew if he latched on too tight she would leave anyway and possibly never talk to him again. Resent him for being too protective.

 While he knew where Lillie was, Gladion had no idea what the others were doing. He supposed they were off doing their own thing. Last he heard from a letter Lillie had sent him a few months ago, Selene was still reigning champion of Alola, keeping her title quite easily with her powerful team of Pokémon. Her twin brother Elio was traveling around Alola, studying the ancient ruins.

Lillie apparently even spoke to Guzma, at least from what Gladion had last heard. He no longer headed Team Skull, which had disbanded. The grunts scattered to Arceus knew where to do their own thing. Plumeria was working at Olivia's crafting shop; she was good with her hands, Gladion knew personally. She had been the one to teach him how to sew the holes in his clothes after all.

Guzma, on the other hand, was a Kahuna in training.

Good for him, Gladion had thought. Guzma deserved to be Kahuna and he knew from brief encounters with Hau that Hau didn't truly want to be Kahuna. Then again, it wasn't like it was up to them.

Tapu Koko chose Kahunas and it had pointed at Guzma during the annual Kahuna Festival where Kahuna hopefuls waited for a chance to be the next Kahuna. Apparently, everyone had been shocked at Tapu Koko's decision, even Guzma. Then he had started cheering, much to Hala's chagrin.

Later, Guzma had confided in Lillie over the phone that he hadn't thought he deserved to be Kahuna, not after everything he had done. She had reassured him that Tapu Koko never chose wrong. It could see into a person's heart to determine their strength and character.

Gladion knew Guzma deserved it. Guzma was a little rough around the edges, but his heart was in the right place. After all, Team Skull was made for people exactly like him. It was a small found family and one of the safer spaces Gladion felt like he could be himself.