Chapter Text
The first time Moon refers to Gladion as her friend is after she becomes Champion.
It comes as a very unexpected thing that leaves his insides warm hours after she departs from the Aether Foundation. And she’d insisted upon it, too, squashing his protests flat with earnest shakes of her head and determined dark eyes. It’s impossible to win arguments against her when she looks that determined, so he gives in with a slump of his shoulders and a shy glance to the side, fidgeting with the holes in his sleeves.
When the news was revealed that Moon had successfully claimed her championship title he honestly wasn’t shocked in the least. After their battle right before she’d headed up to the League, he could tell then that she’d make it to the top, with the strength of her team and the unbelievable power she wielded. He’d said to her then, “I know we aren’t friends,” because he hadn’t considered them to be—he’d never really had friends before anyway, and family didn’t count as friends, not really. Perhaps Silvally could stand in that position, but friendship between Pokemon and humans is different; even he knows this. Gladion was never sure what it meant to have companionship, or if whatever he shared with Moon could count as one. He wouldn’t dare hope for it, anyway. She deserves better than some runaway kid with a bad history and unstable family as a friend.
Moon had a strange look on her face when he’d continued with, “But we aren’t enemies anymore either.” And maybe that had set things in stone for their encounter afterwards at Aether, because she comes flying in on her Toucannon, eyes bright with victory and her Mimikyu perched on her shoulder as usual. According to Wicke she’d raced all over the labs to find him brushing Silvally up in the conservation area. He startles when she arrives breathless on the scene, but no less confident than usual as she strolls over towards him.
“Hey,” she says, grinning. Her smile is brilliant and she seems happier than she ever has before, and to say it’s contagious is an understatement. Gladion can’t help but smile back, just a little.
“Hey.”
She stops right before him and reaches out to scratch Silvally under its chin. Gladion marvels at how easily his partner leans in to her touch, when it usually recoils from everyone else. Maybe since evolving its learned to be more trusting towards humans.
Gladion swallows and scuffs his shoes against the bleached white pathway, avoiding her gaze.
“Congrats,” he finally manages to say, keeping a stern watch on the horizon. The stars are glittering in the twilight, the moon beginning to rise.
Moon tilts her head to the side, her Mimikyu chirping from her shoulder.
“On becoming champion,” he clarifies, finally turning to face her with a slight smirk. “Though I’m not too surprised.”
The grin he receives in return is absolutely dazzling and does something weird to his insides. Then again he isn’t used to people smiling at him, and definitely not with their entire face.
“Thank you! We worked really hard, didn’t we, Mimmy?”
Mimyr gives an affirmed cry in response, its shadowy claws peeking out to play with Moon’s hair.
“You deserve it,” he murmurs, and her face softens before he clears his throat and prepares to trudge on. Arceus, he’s never been good with words, and saying this is more difficult than he initially thought.
“I also wanted to thank you for...for what you did for my sister. You and Sun, that is,” he mumbles, feeling an uncertain spark at the mention of the black-haired trainer who had grown especially close with Lillie over the course of their journey. Nevertheless, he continues, “I didn’t know that she could smile like that...hell, I didn’t even know what my mother was up to since I’ve been gone for two years. Guess you miss out on a lot when you’re running away from the truth.”
It comes out bitter, sad, and Moon reaches out to touch him but he withdraws. Silvally nudges his arm, reminding him of his rudeness, and he forces himself to relax. Right, Gladion, this is supposed to be an expression of gratitude, not anger.
“My mother...I think I know why she so desperately wanted to reach Nihilego,” he whispers, eyes uncertainly trailing over Moon’s face. “When Lillie and I were younger, just children, our father discovered an Ultra Wormhole and disappeared through it. She was distraught after that...losing the person she loved must have been hard for her. Of course, we were too young to understand at the time, but...”
“I’m sorry,” Moon bites her lip, sadness swimming in her eyes, and Gladion wonders how much she sympathizes. Maybe her father has disappeared somewhere, too. He can’t be sure.
He shakes his head, looking distant. “I don’t remember too much of our father, if I’m being honest. I was young, Lillie even more so. But mom, she...I think she tried to reach whatever was left of him through her research of the Ultra Beasts. After he disappeared, all that was left was Cosmog and his papers about Nihilego. She threw herself into finding out more about the other dimension, any sort of clues...”
Moon nodded in quiet agreement. “It was all she could do.”
“It’s not an excuse,” Gladion snapped. “She could have handled it better, instead of taking all of her pain and bottling it up. She could have been a better mother to us, and a better president to the foundation, a better boss to Wicke and everyone else who works here...but that’s not the point. What I’m trying to say is—” He takes a deep breath and then exhales softly.
“Look, I know I can’t even begin to apologize for dragging you into this mess. You had absolutely nothing to do with it, and you were forcibly involved anyway. This definitely won’t make up for it, but...here. I hope you’ll take it,” and he withdraws a Pokeball from his pocket and hands it to her.
Silvally leans over to give it a sniff, and its tail begins to wave back in forth in excitement. Even inside the ball it can scent one of its brothers from the lab experiments.
“This is—?”
“Type: Null. Obviously it’s not the same one as mine,” Gladion explains, giving Silvally an affectionate pat. “It was kept in Secret Lab A. I don’t know if you’re aware, but there were three of them in the experiment to figure out how to kill Ultra Beasts. This one was frozen for a couple years, but it’s awake now. When I came back to the Foundation, I asked Wicke if I could take the remaining two out of their cryogenic freezer. They don’t deserve to be trapped in there for crimes that weren’t even their fault,” he finishes softly.
Moon’s lip trembles, and she looks up at him, hesitant. “And...you want me to take care of one?”
“I can trust you.” Gladion admits, a bit shy. “I know you well enough...you’re a good Trainer. You’ll show it the world, won’t you?”
She nods fervently, a smile gracing her face. “Of course I will! It’s in good hands, I promise. Gladion...thank you. Really.”
He chuckles, shaking his head fondly at her. “Why are you thanking me? I should be the one thanking you after all you’ve done.”
Moon laughs in response, and it sounds like the chiming of bells. “Well, that’s what friends are for, right?”
His breath whooshes out at this statement, his mouth going dry. Moon doesn’t seem to notice, instead moving to chatter excitedly to Silvally and Mimikyu about her newest team member.
Friends? Moon...considers them to be friends? Since when had they passed the point of acquaintanceship and wandered into the realm of real companionship? He’d told her before, that they weren’t—but maybe that’s because he was too afraid to ask her if they were, in fear that she’d say no. But she said it first this time.
She catches his eye and immediately seems to detect his uneasiness. “What’s up?”
Gladion’s palms feel sweaty. Is that normal?
“You think...we’re friends?”
Something strange flashes in Moon’s eyes, but it’s gone before he can properly get a grasp on it.
“Well, yeah. After all we’ve been through? Of course we are!” She pauses, shifting her weight between her feet. “Unless...you don’t want t—”
“No, it’s not that!” He cuts her off frantically. “It’s just—after everything, after all the trouble and pain I’ve caused y—”
“Nuh-uh,” this time it’s Moon’s turn to interrupt, her expression fierce. “Don’t even pull that “it’s all my fault” crap. It wasn’t. Trust me. Sure, you’re guilty of a few things, but who isn’t? You have to learn to forgive and forget, Gladion. I already have.” She smiles cheekily at him. “That’s what friends do. We’re friends. No ifs, ands or buts about it, mister!”
Gladion isn’t really sure how to respond to that, so he kind of just stands there and gapes like a total idiot while Silvally releases an amused snort at his side. Great, now his Pokemon is trying to be sassy, too.
“Well, as much as I enjoy your company...” Something pleasant flutters in his stomach again—what is he, a damn nest for Butterfree? “I actually do have to get going. I was on my way home to see my mom, but I figured I’d stop by here first. And I’m happy I did!”
As she prepares to bid him farewell, he reaches out and catches her wrist. Heat settles in his cheekbones and he takes a moment to gather himself, gulping nervously.
“T-take care of Null,” he squeaks. “And I’m...I’m going to become stronger. And see more of Alola. Starting with the Pokemon League.” He composes himself enough to shoot her a cocky grin. “I hear Alola’s got a real strong champion.”
Moon practically beams at him, almost ready to burst with giggles.
After she leaves he sits up on the deck for a while, absentmindedly stroking Silvally’s fur, which shines silver in the moonlight. His entire body feels fuzzy and warm, like he’d just taken a hot bath or swallowed a good meal, and the feeling doesn’t go away. He has someone he can call a friend now...the idea itself is a bit pathetic from an outsider’s standpoint, but to him it means the world and more, especially since it’s coming from the girl who pulled him out of the darkness and into the light of Alola’s warm sun.