1. Ash's Story (Part 9: Alola)

Chapter 41: True Shape

The morning after we returned to Melemele Island, the school courtyard felt quieter than it should have. The waves still rolled beyond the hill, classmates still passed between lessons, and Pikachu still rode my shoulder with his usual warmth, but Lillie kept one hand close to Nebby's bag whenever unfamiliar footsteps crossed the path.

Kagetora's request should have been simple. He had asked us to find the Eevee users he respected, challenge them, and bring back their words. After Aether Paradise, nothing felt simple anymore. Still, a simple request was exactly what our group needed before heavier roads opened under our feet.

Professor Kukui had understood why we stayed near the school that morning. He did not press Lillie for answers, and he did not ask Nebby to leave the safety of the bag. He only passed us Kagetora's notes, reminded us to be careful, and trusted us with the space to breathe.

The first name on the list was Polly. Kagetora had written Vaporeon beside her name with a small mark that looked almost like a raindrop. Under that, he had added three words in rough handwriting: do not underestimate.

Rosa walked beside us with Zorua tucked against her shoulder. The little Dark-type wore the image of an Eevee today, complete with bright ears and an innocent tail that fooled three younger students before they hurried away giggling. Rosa smiled, but I noticed the way she watched Zorua's reflection in the school windows.

"You know, this disguise is almost too fitting for today," Nate said, adjusting his notebook while Smeargle peered around his leg. "Searching for Eevee users while Rosa's partner pretends to be an Eevee sounds like the start of one of my stranger stories."

Rosa tapped Zorua's nose gently. "It is not pretending badly. It is pretending beautifully. There is a difference."

Zorua's ears twitched, and its illusion shimmered just enough for a dark paw to appear beneath the borrowed fluff. Its eyes found mine for a moment, sharp and uncertain. The meaning was easy to feel, even without words. It wanted to know whether beauty was enough when the truth stayed hidden.

Before I could answer, Trenor stopped near the main building and pointed toward the row of high windows. "There. The cleaner Kukui mentioned is still working."

At first glance, Polly looked like any elderly woman doing a careful job with a bucket, cloth, and patient hands. Her back was bent, her sleeves were rolled above thin wrists, and a Vaporeon sat beside the bucket with a polishing cloth folded across its tail. Together, they made the windows shine like sheets of still water.

Pikachu leaned forward on my shoulder, his ears rising with interest. The windows reflected all of us back at different angles, including Zorua's borrowed Eevee shape. For a second, the reflection showed Zorua's real eyes inside the disguise, and Rosa's smile softened into something thoughtful.

Polly noticed us before anyone called her name. She lowered the cloth, gave Vaporeon a fond pat, and looked at our group with eyes brighter than her frail posture suggested. "You are from Professor Kukui's class, are you? What do you want from an old cleaning lady?"

I stepped forward and bowed my head respectfully. "Kagetora sent us. He said you were one of the Eevee users he wanted us to meet, and he asked whether you would accept a battle."

Polly's expression did not change at once. The cloth stayed folded in her hand, and Vaporeon's fins lifted as if the Pokémon had heard an old song return from far away. Then Polly gave a small laugh that sounded like rain tapping glass. "That boy still remembers, does he?"

"He remembers with a lot of respect," Lillie said. Her hand relaxed slightly near Nebby's bag, as if Polly's calm had made the morning safer.

Polly looked up at the windows she had cleaned. "Well, yes, I suppose I am Polly, the Vaporeon user. I do not move like I used to, and my knees complain before the battle begins, but if Kagetora sent you, I do not mind. No complaints from you for having to take on this bent old woman."