This chapter contains spoilers for poni island

Moon held her hat to her head as Gladion's boat rapidly approached what she could best make out to be a series of docks. She saw boats moored at almost every possible location, but Gladion eventually found an open spot. She wasn't exactly happy that Gladion drove his boat like a madman, but not angry either. Lillie had tightly gripped Moon's hand the entire trip, alternatively laughing and quietly squeaking as the wind whipped through the girls' hair. As they disembarked onto the docks and Moon took in the sights of the new island, Lillie quietly blushed and pulled away from the other girl's hand.

"Poni island." Gladion looked around the near deserted docks, sounding exasperated. "Almost no one lives on it, but you'll find a whole lot of nature to explore here.

Go. Find the kahuna." He brushed the blonde hair slightly out of his eyes, continuing. "The kahuna of poni island also protects the shrine where alola's people worship the legendary pokemon. Maybe they will know something that might help you."

"Gladion. Thank you for this." Lillie's smile faded, turning to a frown. "But... but when you took null and left aether paradise two years ago... you left me alone with mother! She was so bad after you left! If I hadn't had wicke with me..." Gladion sighed.

"I'm sorry... I wasn't there for you when you needed me. All I could think about back then was finding a way to save null. That was the battle I was fighting. But now you've found your own battle to fight." The boy looked over Lillie, taking in her determined eyes and her forward stance. His eyes caught Moon, standing behind Lillie. Though she kept her distance, allowing the siblings room, Gladion sensed her willingness to jump in at any moment. His expression, normally stoic and disappointed, softened. "I know you can handle it." Moving to his boat, he muttered to himself, "You have someone to watch your back this time."

After the two girls watched the boat speed off towards the distant aether paradise, Lillie turned to Moon. "Moon. I'm ok. You don't have to worry. I know what I have to do now." She giggled. "I don't know. Maybe it sounds strange but... I'm kind of excited."

"I understand completely," Moon laughed.

The next few hours sped by in a blur. Moon felt like she suddenly snapped to, as if she were on autopilot up until this moment. She was sitting in a small coastal cave next to Lillie. It was raining, and the friends watched the slow rivulets of water run past them deeper into the tiny alcove. Without thinking, Moon found herself holding the other girl's hand, silently running her thumb over her palm. It was strange, feeling the softness compared to her own rough and hardened fingers.

"Looking out at the rain like this reminds me of this one time when I was little." Lillie remained staring forward, not pulling her hand away. "I'd seen it in a movie, this man singing and dancing in the rain. It captivated me so much that I had to try it myself. My mother spotted me out in the rain, and she was so shocked she ran right out after me without even bothering to get an umbrella." Moon almost spoke up, but Lillie continued. "And then... she smiled... and she danced with me in the rain. Of course we both ended up catching cold. She let me sleep in her big bed with her. I was so happy that I kept waking her again and again, just to be sure it wasn't a dream." Lillie stood, moving to the mouth of the grotto. Quietly, Moon stood and went to stand by her. Tears streamed down the blonde's face, mingling with the fat drops of rain that fell from the dangling roots above.

"But... then she changed. And all she would think about was the ultra beasts. And null, and Nebby.

The both ended up suffering so much... and I couldn't do anything." Lillie sniffed, ineffectually wiping her face with her sleeve. "But you know what moon? Whenever I feel like there's nothing I can do, you seem to show up and... you do something. Every time, you've shown me it's possible to do something. Even the first time we met. Nebby was being attacked and all I could do was look on in horror... and at aether paradise, all I could do was wait for you and the others to save me." She smiled at Moon, and Moon felt something inside herself jump. "Whenever I'm in any sort of trouble you're always there..."

Again, the two stood together in silence. Moon fought her growing desire to grab Lillie as Lillie had grabbed her, run out into the rain and forget about everything left behind. Lillie finally turned to the other, surprising Moon by firmly grabbing her hands. "I... um, moon? What are you going to do once you finish the island challenge?"

"I don't know." Moon found herself lost in Lillie's eyes, registering the contact between them and little else. Her head was spinning, thoughts unable to collect themselves.

"Oh thank goodness!" Lillie burst into a wide smile, still tightly grasping the other girl's hands. "It's such a relief to know that even someone like you feels unsure at times Moon! I think... I'd like to become a trainer too. And travel together with you, moon."

The kiss wasn't intentional, or at least it didn't seem so. Moon hadn't meant to allow herself to close that gap, quickly meeting Lillie's lips with hers. Lillie stood, silent again, as Moon frantically wondered how to take the last couple seconds back. She tried to pull away, but Lillie's hands only clenched tighter around hers. Finally, after seconds that dragged into eternity Moon opened her mouth to apologize, say something, anything. Lillie finally released Moon's hands, and raised one finger to the other's lips. The blonde smiled, then leaned forward. This time, the contact was longer. The two girls embraced, neither wanting the moments of touch and brushing lips to end, neither allowing the rain to interrupt what time they had together alone.

Minutes later, as the rain slowed, the two girls sat together, still holding tightly each other, watching a rainbow form in the sky outside. Lillie pointed outside. "Ah! Maybe there are good omens sometimes, wouldn't you say?" Moon smiled, resting her head onto Lillie's shoulder, nodding.