[ON INDEFINITE HIATUS] Alolan Adventures: An Original Pokémon Story

39. Mother

AN: Just a quick note here. The Lusamine in my story is a combination of both the Lusamine from the video games and from the anime. My version of Lusamine did go into Ultra Space and merged with Nihilego, like in the games, but she did not have any connection with Guzma. After Gladion participated in the Manalo Conference (a reference from the anime), he left Alola in order to pursue different goals and returned at the beginning of this story.

Gladion's POV

     "We're here," Snow said, standing in front of the tall, white building. "Aether Paradise. Look at those uniforms. Fancy." Gladion nodded. The classic white uniform of the Aether Foundation's workers were not only functional, but extremely expensive. He couldn't begin to imagine how much money they must've costed, but Lusamine had her ways. 

      Axol ran on ahead, laughing with Dragonite and stopping every three seconds to inspect one thing or another on the walls or the tables. The ceiling of the place was a shade of- you guessed it- white, and the light was flat and grey. They were in the laboratory sector at this point, reaching the stretching catwalks up ahead, where it was less gloomy with a glass roof, to allow sunlight to come in upon the groups of Pokémon that the Foundation had saved.

      Snow slipped her hand into Gladion's as her boots clicked on the glass-like surface of the catwalk. Glaceon padded along besides her. If there was one thing the blond Trainer had noticed about her, it was that she always had her Pokémon walk alongside her, not behind. Meanwhile, Axol looked to the other side of the catwalk, at a group of fluffy looking Whimsicott which seemed to be rolling around and playing. He poked Gladion, who was in front of the two, and pointed at the Whimsicott.

     "What?" Gladion said. Axol shrugged.

     "I don't know," he said, a grin on his face. He and Cynthia laughed maniacally and Gladion facepalmed and playfully smacked Axol. Snow grinned as well and grabbed Axol by the shoulder. The younger Trainer turned around sharply, but Snow just laughed and tickled his neck, sending Axol to the floor giggling. At this point, not even Gladion could suppress a laugh. The four Trainers continued their walk across the main catwalk, slowly growing more and more serious as they neared the elevator that would take them to Lusamine's office.

     A guard stood at attention in front of the elevator. Gladion gave him a nod, the guard evidently recognizing the son of the Aether Foundation's president. The four Trainers stepped onto the platform, the guard punching a code into a keypad, making the elevator rise smoothly to the upper floors. As it slowed on the right area, he nodded to the group as they stepped off into the unknown.

     The door to her office was open, another guard standing in front of it. "The President would like to see you," the guard said, her face blank as if carved from marble. "Specifically, Master Gladion." Axol grinned and poked Gladion.

     "Master, huh," he said with his same devilish smile. Gladion just shook Axol off with a jocular smile. Snow shushed her brother as they entered the plush office, a Herdier sitting down next to her big, expensive-looking desk. Lusamine looked up from her work, her long, sharply-cut blond hair obscuring one of her green eyes, the same color as Gladion's. A small smile appeared on her face.

     "Mother," Gladion said, his words hanging in the air. Lusamine stood up, crossing the room, and crushed her son into a hug. To everyone's surprise, tears started flowing from her eyes.

     "You'll never know how sorry I am," she said. "For everything. Going into Ultra Space, treating you and Lillie like nonentities, and becoming obsessed with Ultra Beasts. I'm so sorry." Gladion, unused to bursts of emotion, stepped away from his mother's grasp, and simply nodded. Looking back to Axol, Snow, and Cynthia, whose faces were completely blank and unknowing, he mustered up his courage and stepped forward again, hugging her back. Lusamine looked up, her face filled with newfound hope.

      "It's okay," Gladion said quietly. Lusamine sighed in relief, and wiped her face. As she sat down at her desk, her face was pristine, her eyes not even red from crying. She nodded to the other three Trainers behind her son.

      "So, are you all here to take a tour of Aether Paradise? If you want, I can send a guide for you or- sorry, let me get this," she said, the shrill sound of her phone ringing interrupting her sentence. She picked up the slim smartphone and held it to her ear, walking away from her desk and starting a heated conversation with the person on the phone. Gladion rolled his eyes.

      "Just like Mother, always getting into a call at the worst moment. I'll show you around myself," he said. The other three Trainers nodded, and followed Gladion out of Lusamine's office, out into the glass-roofed area where the Pokémon were housed. 

     "I call seeing the Jigglypuff first!" Snow yelled, breaking the charged silence, and charged on forward. Axol laughed as he ran after her, as Cynthia and Gladion followed with smiles on their faces.