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

Chapter 20: Old Faces, New Shore

The day we left for Akala Island arrived with the kind of excitement that made every bag feel too light and every minute feel too slow. Kukui's boat waited at the dock, patched, checked, and ready after the work we had done with him.

Mom hugged us before we boarded, then checked our supplies one more time even though she had already checked them twice. Litten stayed near her ankles longer than it pretended to, and Snowy watched the water from Lillie's arms with cautious eyes.

Pikachu climbed onto my shoulder. "The next shore smells like salt, bags, and everyone trying not to forget snacks."

"I think Mom handled the snacks," I said.

Mom smiled. "More than handled, and everyone should be grateful."

Kiawe stood near the rail as everyone boarded. The sea breeze caught his hair, and for once he looked less like a classmate traveling with us and more like someone returning to familiar ground.

"That reminds me," I said. "Kiawe, you are from Akala Island, right?"

Kiawe nodded proudly. "My family runs a farm at Paniola Ranch. Akala has strong land, strong Pokémon, and strong traditions."

Mallow leaned over the rail. "And good food."

Kiawe looked deeply serious. "That too."

The boat left the dock with a groan that made Hau's Mantine Surfing choice seem smarter by the second. Kukui clapped a hand against the rail like he was encouraging an old partner, and the boat answered by creaking again.

Trenor looked at the boards beneath his feet. "Professor, are you certain this boat is completely ready?"

Kukui gave him a thumbs-up. "Ready enough to make the crossing, cousin."

"That is not the strongest answer," Rosa said.

Kukui laughed. "Adventure likes confidence."

Nate held onto the rail. "I prefer confidence with newer planks."

The trip itself was not as fast as Mantine Surfing, but it had its own feeling. The boat creaked, Kukui laughed whenever anyone questioned the creaking, and the sea opened wide enough that Melemele slowly became a shape behind us instead of the island under our feet.

Lillie stood beside me near the front. Nebby stirred inside her bag, making the fabric twitch. She rested one hand gently over the opening.

"Not yet," she whispered. "We are still on the boat."

Nebby's meaning pulsed faintly. "New island. New light. Bag is too small for curiosity."

Lillie sighed, but her smile showed she understood the feeling. "Curiosity still has to fit inside the bag sometimes."

Snowy stayed pressed against Lillie's arm, watching the wake with wide eyes. The sea wind tossed the little Vulpix's curls, but she did not hide. Litten sat near my feet and pretended not to watch Snowy slowly becoming braver.

Litten's tail flicked once. "Cold fox did not run from the moving water. Acceptable."

Snowy's ears twitched. "Warm cat did not laugh. Also acceptable."

I looked out across the ocean and thought about how different leaving Melemele felt from arriving there. When we first reached the island, Alola had been a promise, a set of strange rules and familiar faces in new places. Now Melemele was behind us with trials, captures, grief, laughter, and a room at home full of partners who had chosen us in very different ways.

Lillie seemed to be thinking something similar. "It feels strange leaving Melemele after it became home."

"We are not leaving it forever," I said.