The Waters of Alola

Starry Nights and Jelly Stars

    I don't exactly know why or how it happened, but it became sort of routine on the small deserted island for the two mermaids to show up around midnight. For the first week of this the loud one, who later introduced herself as Moon, would yell and splash around until Null or I walked over to the beach to get her to stop. One time, I even found her crawling half way up the shore to get our attention. After throwing her back into the water, I guess I made some sort of agreement to meet up with her each night. I only assumed that because she'd been waiting patiently in the water ever since that night.
    During the days, though, it's just a little calmer. I did find a freshwater spring on the island, so the day usually begins with getting fresh water for the day. Then starts the work on making any kind of tool with the items on the island so that I can make a shelter. Sharp seashells work best for cutting grasses, leaves, and vines. I use the plant stuff for weaving, which is certainly harder than it should be. But, after about a week of trial and error, I was able to build a hut between two trees right by the shore. It really wasn't much. It was just a woven leaf roof tied between the trees over a fire pit. Comfort be damned at least it keeps the rain out. Mostly. I'd been trying my hand at additions to no avail with the lack of available wood. Not to mention my very minimal knowledge of actual...building. Still, it was enough to survive for the time and that was good enough for me.
    It'd been a few days since I finished the little beach hut when the other mermaid, or merman I suppose, showed up again. Moon told me that his name was Hau. Though, this time he was alone. I sat at the edge of the water where he was waiting. "Hey," I said, my voice felt flat. I hadn't talked all that much that day. I cleared my throat, hoping it would somehow ready my mind to actually initiate a conversation for once. "Is Moon not coming?" I felt my anxiety start to creep up out of nowhere. Oh come on. We're...friends, kind of, right? I tried to shoo away the jittering, horrid Butterfrees that writhed under my skin with logic, but the crawling feeling remained. 
    "No, she said she was going stargazing or something." He gave a small, bashful smile. I could tell that wasn't the whole story. "She also sent me with some snacks...for...some reason." He held up a satchel that was around his shoulders. He opened the bag and held out something small and star-shaped. "Want one?" A warm feeling fizzled in my chest.
"Sure," I said, taking the colorful little piece and popping it into my mouth. It was lightly sweet and a little salty from the sea water, but all in all not terrible. The texture was a little like jelly.
"Moon and I made them this morning since we'll be staying in the trenches near here for at least a little while." He looked up at the moon. "This is always my favorite spot on migration after all."
"Really?" I asked intrigued. "Where else do you go?"
"All kinds of places, but we tend to stick near the tropical currents. They take us by a few groups of islands. There's this one place with a bunch of ancient ruins of human civilization. I think gramps called that place Oblivia. And then there's Kyogre's resting place that we pass by under the constellations Tyena Major and Leppunus. The farthest we go out is by the edge of the Whirl Islands." His eyes seemed to shine as he spoke. "My gramps has been teaching me to navigate since I'm next in line to be the leader of the pod."
"I think I read about some of those places in school." I pondered what these places could be. The Whirl Islands at least were in Johto, but the rest I wasn't sure.
"You what in the what now?" He turned his head to the side. My brow furrowed as I looked at the mermaid.
"I read in school?" I said sarcastically slow.
"You turned red in your school? You can change color!?" He jumped up onto his arms in shock.
"Wha- no. I read. You know, like reading a book." He gasped and sat in with those sparkly eyes full of interest and wonder.
"What's a book?" With the look on his face, I knew there was no way out of this. He was really cute when he was interested in something. I sighed and began to explain the concept of written word and books and human schools, not schools of fish, all into the night. His reactions to every small detail though were worth it though. By the time he had to leave, we'd finished snacking on his jelly-stars and I felt like no time had gone by at all. I felt myself smile as he waved goodbye and dove beneath the waves. With that lingering feeling, I stalked back to my makeshift bed of woven leaves and scraps, pleasantly exhausted. As I closed my eyes that night, I pushed back all of my troubling thoughts about loneliness and the deafening silence of the island and instead thought about Hau and his wonderful smile and eccentric questions. Only when I was on the very edge of sleep did the thought occur: did I just catch feelings for this bubbly, adorable merman?