Fear - An Aureliashipping and Lonashipping Story

-5-

Lillie put on her large brimmed hat while placing Shiron in her Poke Ball. Today was the day: after a life of window shopping, she decided to go out and actually buy stuff, which was a huge step up for the girl.

She slowly walked to the door and gently grabbed the doorknob when she heard a call from behind. "Miss Lillie!"

Lillie turned to see Hobbes rushing toward her. "Oh I'm sorry Hobbes, I thought you were outside alre-"

"I apologize Miss Lillie but that will have to wait. It's urgent."

He quickly pulled her away from the door before she could ask any more questions. The next thing Lillie knew, they were right in front of the TV, tuned to a news broadcast.

Lillie looked at Hobbes in worry. He normally wouldn't loss his cool. The butler did not speak, but nodded to the screen. Lillie focused her eyes to the program.

"Our secret cameras caught the battle against a strange white Pokémon," a newswoman explained. What followed was a clip of a battle from an odd angle, but all Lillie could do was turn her attention to the boy with the blonde hair.

Familiar...blonde...hair.

Lillie's heart stopped. Hobbes noticed her pained reaction and nodded. "It does look an awful lot like him..."

Lillie cursed the cameraman's poor work. She wanted to know for sure. "You don't think-"

"That the boy is Gladion? Personally I believe so. But the youngster hasn't been identified, and there has been no trace of him since." the butler explained.

Lillie thought she would faint. He disappeared so suddenly...could it really be him? She wished she went with him...

Hobbes shook his head. "Type: Null..."

"Pardon?"

"Do you remember when your mother reported a missing Pokémon years ago?"

Missing Pokémon...

"Not really," the girl admitted. "I only remember when Gladion disappeared."

"Well-"

The ringing of a phone interrupted Hobbes. "Excuse me, Miss Lillie." he said. He turned and walked down the hall. He let out a deep breath before answering. Lillie peeked down the hall, seeing Hobbes' back toward her. "Ah, Madame Lusamine!"

Lillie froze.

My mother? She's actually calling? Why? Does she know something about Gladion?

"Yes, we saw the news...mhm...no, no sign of him near the house...do you really think this will work?"

Will what work?

"Understood....take care of yourself, Madame Lusamine." Hobbes put down the phone.

Lillie walked over towards him. "What was that about?!"

Hobbes didn't seem surprised. It was like he knew she was listening. "Your mother first reported Gladion's battle."

Lillie froze. It really was Gladion...

"We'll keep an eye out for him."

That didn't satisfy all of Lillie's questions. "Pokémon? Beasts? Hobbes, what's going on? Why doesn't Mother just bring him home?"

Hobbes sighed and motioned for Lillie to sit in a chair. She hesitant sat as Hobbes sat down across from her.

"I suppose I have a lot to explain..."

----

"Wait, I lost you, start at the beginning."

Gladion rubbed his temples as he lay against a tree. He and Moon decided to make their way into the Poni Wilds to talk, barring any eavesdroppers from stumbling upon them.

"Fine. But you better pay attention this time." he growled. Moon nodded, an exaggerated serious expression on her face.

"So I'm the son of the president of the Aether Foundation-"

"The Pokémon conservation organization?"

"Right. They research all different kinds of interdimensional weird stuff. My mother, the president, is obsessed with these creatures called Ultra Beasts. She craves to have them to fit her definition of 'perfection' or whatever."

Moon didn't take her eyes off his face.

"Ultra Beasts are incredibly strong. So, to catch them, scientists made a Pokémon to naturally fight UBs...a beast killer."

"And that Pokémon is...?"

Gladion pointed to the helmeted-creature guarding the duo, a couple of paces away. "Null."

Moon turned to look at the creature. Now that he mentioned it...the Pokémon didn't look natural. It looked...violent.

"So one day, Aether finally managed to summon an Ultra Beast. My sister, Lillie, wandered into the room where my mother, a scientist, and the Beast was. The Beast attacked her, trying to possess her and fly away with her. Null ended up saving Lillie, but Lillie ended up developing a fear of Pokémon to the point where she couldn't even touch them."

Moon leaned in closer, lost in the story.

"So, after a few years... I got the courage to steal Null and run away, to make sure Aether's experiments didn't harm other people like the harmed Lillie....that's why I can't go back or be found." Gladion finished. He didn't dare look at Moon. He guessed she wanted to tell someone anyway.

He flinched back as he felt arms wrap around him. He turned to see genuine sympathy in Moon's eyes. "I won't tell anyone."

Gladion was so relieved. He could almost smile...

"On one condition."

Damn it.

"What is it?!" he barked at her.

She stood up and looked down at him.

"I'm coming with you."

----

Lillie stared at the ceiling in her room. She couldn't begin to process all the information Hobbes gave her.

Gladion stole Mother's Pokémon? To fight beasts?

Lillie had pressed for more, but Hobbes refused to talk to her about the incident: Lillie suppressed her memories to keep her fear in check, and he didn't want to ruin that.

Lillie tried to remember the summoning of the Ultra Beast...but she couldn't.

I need to know more. It could help conquer my fear.

She heard a knock on the door. "Miss Lillie? You have a visitor."

"I'll be right there." she replied. She walked over to the front door.

Please don't be Mother.

She opened the door to find a raven-haired boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Alola!" the boy said with a grin.

----

Yay another quick update. Hope you enjoyed.