Fury and Confusion (A Pokemon Fanfiction)

Chapter Twelve

The clanging of wood against metal rang in her ears. Lillie was expecting it by now, her eyes opening slowly to Ilima's persistent alarm. Even Hau rose more slowly this time, grumbling and complaining instead of shooting up and out of his bed. Acerola leaned against the wooden door, smiling at Lillie as the girl sat up.

Day four.

Ilima cooked them breakfast as usual. Acerola hung around him in the kitchen, fetching him utensils and chatting quietly with him in the corner. Hau, like each morning so far, lay back on the couch, napping while fully dressed. The boy liked to sleep.

A cold breeze blew through the screen door and Lillie shivered, drawing her white hoodie close around herself. It had been a present from Professor Kukui months ago, back when she first arrived at his house. The mornings had always been oddly cold for the tropics. The professor had explained that it was something about most of Alola lying in the rain shadow of the two massive mountains on Ula'Ula Island – Mauna Hokulani and Mauna Lanakila. It caused all sorts of strange and unusual weather effects over the entirety of the other four islands, including unusually cold mornings.

She shivered as she stepped out onto the patio. The sky was bleak and gray, clouds stretching away for miles.

"Paradise," Lillie laughed to herself, hopping down onto the sand. The ocean kicked up tiny waves onto the shore, the water drawn relatively far down the sand in the lower tide. She sat on the wooden patio, her bare feet digging into the cool sand, and leaned against a wooden pillar, gazing over the ocean.

Two pokeballs dug into her side. Koa, her Bagon, a pokemon that she could barely control, and an angry Pichu she hadn't even named yet.

Two days until she had to beat Ilima in battle. She looked back into the house. His Yungoos slithered underfoot, lifting its upper body as Acerola bent down to feed him a small piece of fish. The girl smiled at the pokemon before turning back to Ilima, laughing at something he said.

Acerola had been like this ever since she arrived. Lillie watched as the girl brushed against Ilima, her soft black dress wrapping close, but not too close, around her body. She was definitely dressed well today. Lillie sighed. The ghost trainer would give Lillie her undivided attention when they were out training or exploring Route Two, but the moment they got back to the house...

She felt her stomach tighten as Acerola pushed Ilima away jovially. He pushed back, smiling and gesturing down to his pokemon. Acerola spun about in a huff, calling some jab back over her shoulder as she sauntered away from him.

Lillie smirked, looking away and swallowing the bitter lump in her throat.

"Hey Lillie," Acerola leaned around the doorway, her expression bright and pleasant. "Ilima's being a jerk so I left him alone to cook."

"Ah," Lillie nodded. Acerola planted herself next to Lillie, pressing close against her.

She always does this.

Sitting too close, pressing against her, touching her face, smiling and laughing at everything. Lillie wanted to shift away from Acerola, but there was nowhere to move to – she was already pressed up against the wooden support. Acerola swung her legs as they dangled over the patio, lightly rocking back and forth.

Like a kid.

"Today we're thinking of having everyone train at the house," Acerola said, her voice light and perky. "Battle training, I mean. We'll work with Koa mostly. Your Pichu is a new addition so it might be a bit of work to get it acclimated. How much have you talked with Hau?"

"I, uh," Lillie jumbled her words. What's gotten into me? "Not much, really. We always get back late at night and I just shower and go to bed," While you stay up late talking with Ilima, "and then we're off again in the morning."