Pokémon: Shining Sun

Lillie: Chapter 1

I regret not telling Sun that I was leaving.

I really was a coward back then. I just could not muster the courage to tell anyone but Kukui.

I got so close, but then Sun came back from the Pokémon League, the first ever champion. He was so happy. Then he was chosen by Tapu Koko. And I knew the news would sour his mood. I couldn't do it to him.

I can still recall the days before my departure.

*****
I sat on the cliff of Ten Carat Hill, savoring everything about it. The way the grass felt, the light smell of dirt. The sight of baby Rockruffs playing together as a Lycanroc watched them. A Machop punching a tree to impress its group. I would miss this place.

"What's up?" A voice asked.

I glanced over to see Sun walking up to me, and felt my heart leap. "Nothing. You?"

He sat down next to me, swinging his legs over the cliff. "Usual stuff. Had my first challenge today."

"How'd that go?" I asked, trying hard to ignore the lump in my throat. Seeing him so content, legs swinging, leaning on his hands, that heartwarming smile on his face, it hurt to know I wouldn't see that for who knows how long. I half hoped he wouldn't be there to see me off, but I knew that would never happen. Hau would certainly run to tell him, no matter what I said.

"Wasn't that hard. The guy only used dragons. Gyarados blew through all of them."

I drew my knees in, hugging them close to my chest.

"Something wrong?" He asked, his smile dropping.

"I'm just worried about my mother," I lied.

Sun hesitated, like he didn't know how to respond. A lock of his messy black hair fell into his eye, and he brushed it away. "I'm sure she'll get better. Anything is possible with today's technology."

"This isn't just some random sickness, Sun," I said, an edge to my voice that I didn't intend to be there.

Sun stiffened. "I- I wasn't- Sorry..." he stuttered out.

I shook my head, bowing my head so he couldn't see my pained expression. "No, it's not your fault. Sorry, I'm just a mess right now."

"Don't worry about it," he said.

"I don't get it," I said.

"Hmm?"

"I don't get how you can be so optimistic all the time. Like, most people were afraid of Guzma, but you could tell he just wanted friends. You gave him a second chance when nobody else would. How do you do that?" I asked.

He thought for a second. "Not sure. Just how I am, I guess."

I wanted so badly to scoot closer. To lay my head on his shoulder. I knew this would be the last time I would get to hang out with him. "So, what do you want to do?"

He shrugged. "I'm fine with whatever."

I puffed out my cheeks. "I asked you because I don't know either."

He glanced at me, that stupid, adorable smirk on his face. "Well, I guess we're at an impasse then, aren't we?"

I sighed in annoyance, which just made him laugh. "How about we just take a walk?" he suggested.

*****
We made it out of Ten Carat Hill, Kukui waving at us from the window of his lab. We made it to the foot of the hill, and I stopped.

"Something wrong?" Sun asked, a few steps ahead of me.