Deception - Gladion x Reader. [UNDER CO.]

Moving In

Reader's POV

"Well, that's all the boxes moved from the truck into the house," my mom announced with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips as she surveyed the living room, now filled with towering stacks of boxes and scattered belongings. She thanked the delivery men as they headed back to their truck, waving them off before turning to me with a huge smile.

"So... what do you think?"

"It's a really nice house." And it was. Not as big as our old one back in Kanto, but still more than spacious enough for just the two of us.

"It is! And what do you think of the neighborhood?"

"Um..." I shrugged. "I don't know. We only just got here, Mom."

"Oh—right, sorry." She chuckled awkwardly, and I smiled despite myself. "I'm just really excited. We're in a whole new region, with new people and new Pokémon!" She practically bounced on the spot, her energy filling the room. After a moment, she ran her hands through her hair, composing herself again. "I think you should get some rest once you're done unpacking your room. It's been a long trip, and you need your sleep."

I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the mountain of boxes surrounding us. "Don't you want help sorting the rest of this stuff out?"

"No, honey, I'll be fine. I've got Meowth to help me."

"Mrowr mrowrr!" Meowth gave an enthusiastic leap at my feet, paws raised in what was clearly meant to be a thumbs-up. It was pretty precious.

"Besides," she added, "you've got enough on your plate with your own room. And I know you haven't slept since that five-minute nap yesterday."

"What? I slept last night—" I stopped when she gave me one of her classic mom stares, the kind that said don't even try. I winced. "Okay, you caught me... Sometimes I wonder how you know these things."

"Sweetheart, I'm your mom. It'd be weird if I didn't know. I know everything about you. It's just a mom thing." She smiled and gave my shoulder a warm squeeze. "Also, I heard the floorboards going crazy last night, so it was kind of obvious."

"Wait, what?" I stared at her, wide-eyed. She laughed, and I couldn't help joining in. In my defense, I had been pacing in circles all night—the floorboards in the old place were pretty ancient.

After a moment, the laughter faded, and the mood shifted—softening into something quieter.

"Y/N," she said gently, "are you worried about living here in Alola?"

I glanced down at the floor, my feet shuffling. No point lying again. "Kinda... yeah."

"I know it's hard. Moving to a new town is tough, let alone a whole new region. And I know how much you loved it in Kanto... But I promise, you'll grow to love it here too. You just need time to get to know the place—and the people."

"I guess..."

Before I could say more, she pulled me into a hug and held me close, her voice soft near my ear. "Do you trust me?"

I nodded against her chest.

"Then I promise you—you have nothing to worry about. Everything will be okay." She pulled back slowly, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Tell you what—put your things away, get some rest, and then tomorrow, once you're feeling refreshed, you can go out and explore the island. Meet people. Make some new friends. Sound good?"

I paused, then gave her a small smile and nodded. That seemed to please her. After one more hug, she sent me off to my room, and we both got to work turning this new house into something that felt like home.

I started with the hardest part: unpacking clothes. One box at a time, I emptied them into the closet, arranging everything as neatly as I could. After that, I set my Ditto beanbag in the corner by the wardrobe and lined my collection of figurines and plushies across the desk, shelves, and bed. For the most part, I placed everything just as it had been in my old room. That helped—it made the space feel familiar. Comfortable.

It didn't take long to finish. And once everything was done and dusted, I flopped back onto the bed and turned my head toward the window. Just beyond the glass, I caught a glimpse of the sunlit world outside—bright skies, green palms, and the gentle sway of island wind. Slowly but surely, I was starting to believe what my mom had said.

Maybe this didn't have to be a bad thing.

After all, that was how things started back in Kanto. And it turned out great there—I met amazing people, incredible Pokémon, and made memories I'd never forget. Maybe Alola would be just the same.

All it takes is a little effort... and a bit of hope.

Tomorrow was going to be a good day.