Paths Crossing and Fates Colliding - A Gladion x Reader Story

Chapter Eight: The White Sunhat

I let Banette out of his Pokeball again and let him sit atop my shoulders as he liked. I walked down the busy street of Koni Koni, my eyes locked on the shop that was said to belong to the Island Kahuna--Olivia. She was a rock type user--and a good one at that. Despite all the type disadvantages that her Pokemon had, she was known for having intense battles and for being relentless in her attacks. 

"We're gonna have to really work a strong strategy if we're gonna win this one, Ban," I rubbed the top of my Pokemon's head as I stopped in front of the doors to the shop. I took a quick breath in, then pushed open the doors to the small store. 

The inside of the store was quite cozy--it was a little corner jewelry shop filled with shining gems and stones. In the center of the room sat a counter with three women behind it, none of them matching the description of Olivia that the Professor gave me. I walked through the doorframe and was about to ask one of the women where Olivia might be, but I was stopped by a Bronzong floating up to me with a letter in its mouth. It stared at me blankly for a bit until I finally took the letter hanging from its mouth. It said:

Dear (Y/N),

               This is Bronzong, he watches the shop while I'm away. Kukui told me you'd be on your way. I know I usually meet challengers in my shop before their Grand Trials, but something came up. Would you mind meeting me in front of the Ruins of Life instead? It's just past Memorial Hill outside of the main city. I'm looking forward to our battle.

~Olivia  

I looked back up at Bronzong and thanked it for the letter. Before I could leave, the Pokemon used Psychic to levitate me a bottle of Max Potion, which I assumed Olivia had left for me. I thanked the Pokemon once again before exiting the small shop. 

I'd barely made it three steps out the door when I spotted a familiar white sunhat shining in the daylight. I smirked to myself as I saw Lillie worriedly looking around the area--I was willing to bet that she was lost again. I walked up to her and laughed, "Lookin' a little lost there, Lillie."

The poor girl whipped around in surprise, almost falling back before realizing who I was, "O-O-Oh! (Y/N)! You're here too?"

I nodded, placing my hands in my pockets as usual, "Yeah, I just got here a few minutes ago."

"Ah," Lillie nodded, "I suppose that makes sense, this is the city of Akala's Kahuna after all. Are you ready to take on another Grand Trial?"

I nodded with a proud smirk, "Oh yeah, my team and I can handle anything. It'll be a breeze, you'll see. We'll be on Ula'Ula in no time."

Lillie smiled brightly and held onto her bag with a light blush, "Ah, of course. Sometimes I forget how strong you and Hau have become, (Y/N). The Island Challenge really is something else."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I grinned, thinking back to all the times my dad said the Island Challenge was good for nothing. He took on the trials when he was younger, but when the Kahunas deemed him not strong enough to become a captain, he outright rejected the challenge as a whole and formed Team Skull for all the people who'd been defeated by the Island Challenge. 

At first, I'd been raised to believe that the Island Challenge was the worst thing in existence--Dad only sent me out on it to put a member of Team Skull on top, not because he actually wanted me to take it on. But despite how I'd looked at it before, the Island Challenge was actually growing on me. I'd be lying if I said that the challenge hadn't made me considerably stronger. Not only that, but it gave me a chance to see the whole wide world outside of Po Town and it was kind of... liberating, so to speak. Of course, when it comes down to it, I'm in this for Team Skull, I just figure I'll enjoy the ride while it lasts.