When The Sun Sets (Moon X Gladion)

Road to Darkness

"I've always pictured the path to a ghost town being a dark forest," Moon said, staring into the shadowy mouth of Rock Tunnel. She looked up and saw storm clouds brewing. I hope that clears up by the time we're out, she prayed.

"As long as there's no ghosts, it's all good!" Hau laughed, resting a hand on the back of his neck. Although this partner, Decidueye, was a ghost type, he had never been a fan of horrors. In fact, considering everything that had happened during his Ghost Trial, one could even deduct that fighting Totem Mimikyu was one of the most stressful moments of his life.

Green grinned, "Rock Tunnel may not be a walk in the park, but there's no ghosts." He watched as Hau let out a sigh of relief before continuing. "All the ghosts are on the other side!"

Hau shot Green a look; Moon chuckled. Meanwhile, Gladion stood off to the side, feeling left out once again. Green was like the group's new Lillie, except their personalities completely different and Hau wasn't head over heels for Green (Gladion had come to terms with Hau's feelings for Lillie long ago, though he still thought it to be a little strange). Besides, he couldn't stand the way Green looked at Moon. It filled him with a kind of rage that he hadn't felt in a while, a long while. It twisted his stomach into knots and made him want to scream. He wanted it to stop, he needed it to stop.

Self-subduing his anger, Gladion spoke up, his hands in the pockets of the new grey hoodie he had bought at the store. "How do we plan on navigating this? The inside must be a maze." He was secretly hoping for silence since he already had an idea. His plan-to-impress involved his Crobat, who could quite easily navigate the cave using echolocation. If anything could impress the adventurous Moon, it was someone who didn't need a compass to get around. That's why when Green answered the call to action, Gladion's heart sank.

"As a matter of fact, Gladion, I have a map." Green pulled a small paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. "I made it the last time I was here."

As everyone praised Green, Gladion rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing I brought repels."

And with that, they entered the Rock Tunnel, a clap of thunder following their leave.

.....

Their expedition through the cave wasn't anything interesting. Gladion brought a handful of repels, so they didn't see many Pokémon. Other than that, it was just a dark, damp, lonely place, and when they reached the other side, they found the world to be no different.

The storm clouds had multiplied and the sky had begun to cry. Not wishing to head out into the rain, they set up camp at the foot of the cave. Green, with the help of his Rapidash, made a campfire and began to cook a bag of rice for everyone. Hau was quite pleased with the delay (and the food), for he still wasn't thrilled about Lavender Town. Plus, it gave him time to call Lillie.

But while Hau was enjoying the storm, Gladion's mind kept wandering elsewhere. Specifically, to their day on the Team Skull boat, the one they had boarded on their road to rescuing Lillie. The more the rain fell, the more his head spun with recollections. He rubbed his hands together– a product of the rain and his jumbled memories. Looking over at Moon, whose grey eyes seemed to cloud with the howling wind, he wondered whether or not she remembered that cold day. Yet again, how couldn't she? After all, it was enough to terrify even him.

It was a fairly calm (weather-wise, anyway) afternoon. The skies looked clear and the wind had only just begun to pick up. The air was cold, which was strange, but Gladion paid no attention to it as he leaned against the railing on the back of the boat. Moon was standing in the door frame, looking out to sea. She paid no attention to him, nor did he pay any attention to her.

Gladion was grasping Null's pokéball, his mind racing as he thought about their destination. Though he didn't show it openly, he was upset. All that time spent with Team Skull, all that time trying to escape his mother was for nothing. The two organizations had been in cahoots this entire time, and had he known it, he never would've joined the dark side. Standing there like the fool he was, he felt betrayed.

It began to rain but Gladion paid no to mind to it. It rained all the time in Po Town, why would the sea be any different? Sadly, however, Gladion never turned around. He never saw the storm clouds they were heading into, he never saw the rain droplets grow larger, and he never saw the waves. That's why when one of said waves hit the boat, catching him off guard, he dropped Null's pokéball into the raging seas.

"NULL!" Gladion screamed, trying to make a wild grab for it as it flew. He missed by a long shot, and without even thinking, he jumped in after his partner.

He could hear Moon screaming his name as he went under but he didn't care. All that mattered in that moment was Null. He had to find Null, he needed to find Null. He couldn't cope with any of this without his loyal friend.

The saltwater stung as he opened his eyes. Frantically swimming downwards, he searched. It has to be here, he kept repeating to himself, ignoring how deep he was crawling. Eventually, he found the pokéball and struggled to reach it before it entered the abyss. He felt nothing but relief as his hands enclosed around it, and without wasting time, he began to swim towards the surface.

The moment he broke through the waves, another one hit him, landing him a mouth full of saltwater. He spit it out and tried to gain his bearings. In the distance, to his horror, the boat was speeding away. He forgot that he had left it on autopilot and more afraid than ever, he did the only thing he could think of: he tried to make a swim for it. It never would've worked; the boat was moving too swiftly and the waves were pushing against him, but he didn't know what else to do. The more he swam, the bigger the waves became, pushing him back and dragging him under. He eventually did go under and found himself unable to resurface.

It was all too overwhelming and he couldn't think about anything. His mind was racing faster than the boat and when something grabbed his wrist, he couldn't even comprehend it. In truth, he didn't even realize what was happening until he was pulled out of the waves.

Moon's terrified face was the first thing he saw. Her beanie was missing and her hair was a matted-down, knotted mess. She was holding him with a death grip, dragging him onboard her Lapras. Once he was beside her, she had barely yelled, "Hold on," before he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. She was trembling and Gladion couldn't tell if it was his fault or the cold.

Lapras began to move, dutifully rushing towards the boat. The transport Pokémon was much faster than Gladion, and soon enough, they had neared the watercraft. Moon extended her arm, trying desperately to reach the stern of the boat, but the waves were too choppy. She couldn't do it and yet she never gave up. Suddenly, the boat turned around, heading out of the storm. Hau must've found the controls, Gladion realized as Lapras spun around, leading them out of the rain.

As the waters became calmer, the boat eventually stopped. Lapras's movements were slower now, as he was likely tuckered out. Moon's Incineroar greeted them when they reached the boat. He took Gladion's hand first (upon Moon's request) and pulled Moon out last. Hau was standing at the door, his hands on his knees.

"ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?" He looked rattled but otherwise, he was fine.

Moon returned her Lapras to her designated pokéball and replied, out of breath. "I'm... fine... Just get Gladion... inside."

Looking back on that day, Gladion realized that it was then when he had first fallen for Moon. She was so caring and selfless. She didn't even know him and yet she risked everything for him and his family. And now, sitting at the mouth of a cave in the pouring rain, Gladion realized he'd do the same for her.

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I've been waiting to write this chapter for awhile. It's a little sloppy, but I'll do some heavy editing later.