Pokémon Ultra Sun 2 (GladionXReader)

Chapter 6

          

We both landed in front of the malasada shop and recalled our Pokémon. I turned to look at Gladion to ask if he was ready to go inside but couldn't help but giggle. His hair was so wind whipped and tangled that it was really funny looking. Almost without thinking, I reached up and started to fix it. He gave me a strange look, which I promptly ignored.

"You know yours doesn't look unscathed either," Gladion said and looked to the side.

"Yes, but I carry around a brush in my bag. Despite your longer hair now, I doubt you do," I said. "And your utter lack of caring."

"Hey, I care about things!" He protested.

"Name one thing except your Pokémon," I said and smirked at him, dropping my hand from messing with his hair to get the brush out of my bag and fix my own.

I noticed briefly the red that tinted Gladion's cheeks and he turned his head to the side. "Let's just get inside before people think we're a couple of weirdoes for just standing out here."

"Fine, fine," I said. "Even though you already are a weirdo."

Gladion ignored me and walked to the door, holding it open for me. I thanked him politely before walking up to the counter and getting a table for three. We were promptly seated and ordered malasadas for ourselves. Once we were settled, Gladion but his elbows on the table and his chin in the palm of one of his hands.

"So tell me what I missed," he said.

"You mean Lillie hasn't been keeping you informed while you were on your journey?" I said, half teasing.

Gladion shook his head. "No. We usually talked business when she called."

"Ah, I see, well then I guess I should start from the beginning."

Gladion nodded and gave me a look that told me to start talking. I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my hair. Leaning back against the booth, I started talking.

"Since you've been gone, Alola's changed a lot. The Island Challenge changed to mix Kantonian and Alolan Traditions," I started.

"How is this relevant?" Gladion said.

"It'll make sense," I said. "The Challenge Trials changed. Instead of Trials, they're gym battles now. The Trial Captains became the leaders of the gym. And we've been letting people from all regions take on the challenge, whether they are blessed by the Tapu or not. A lot of new tourists have been coming because of that."

The waitress returned with our malasada's and I nodded to her in thanks. I couldn't help but notice that her hand lingered just a bit as she put down Gladion's and I raised an eyebrow as she left. Gladion only shrugged.

"Anyway... more tourists mean more money for the island businesses, you know? So not many people have been complaining. We've also been seeing a lot of Pokémon breeding between Alolan and Kantonian Pokémon, too. You can find both Kantonian and Alolan Meowth and Rattata in Alolan now. Same thing with Grimer," I explained. "Some people, Alolan natives mostly, have been really upset about that. They don't like that Alola's changed like this, that the Island Challenge changed and that the Alolan Pokémon are being 'tainted' with Kantonian influence."

"You seem to know a lot about them," Gladion said.

I dug into my bag and pulled out a letter. "I haven't told Lillie or Hau about this yet, but I found this in my mailbox a week ago."

I passed the note across the table and handed it over to him. It was a note detailing that the members of Team Sun would be coming after me, attempting to knock me off my throne as champion. They believed that I was the root of all evil because before I had saved Alola from Necrozma and the Ultra Wormholes with Lillie, Hau and Gladion, Alola was opened up to the "disgusting" ways of Kanto. The note even detailed key points of their plan, which included stealing my Pokémon and return Alola to what it once was. For some reason they thought the only way to do that was by dethroning what they called "The Kantonian Champion of Alola". Me. Towards the end of letter, they actually went so far as to call me a coward for banning Team Sun from the Pokémon League. When Gladion finished reading, he looked at me, an eyebrow raised.