Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

Summary: Sometimes it's not easy to say goodbye.

Warnings: Light sadness, possibly OOCness

I'm not gonna lie. It was really sad when Lillie left to Kanto at the end of Pokemon Sun and Moon :( However, I found it odd that Gladion wasn't there to say goodbye to her, considering they are brother and sister. Of course it would make sense if they already had said goodbye before Lillie and Lusamine left. And since Gladion seemed to be aware of Lillie's departure, it's safe to assume that she didn't leave without informing him about it (though she almost did that with Hau and the protagonist).

Without further ado, here's the story.

"I'm leaving."

"Huh?" Gladion was confused. When Lillie told him that she have something important to tell him, this isn't what he had expected. "Where are you going?" Although he have a feeling he won't like the answer, he wanted to ask. He wanted to know.

"Mother and I are going to Kanto. There is this man named Bill, who have also combined himself with a Pokemon like our mother did with that Ultra Beast." Lillie replied. "I'm planning to find him and make him help us. I hope he will be able to heal our mother from the toxin inside her."

Gladion was quiet for a moment. He understood why Lillie would do this. Even though Lusamine had been terrible to them after she got obsessed with the Ultra Beasts, she is still their mother. Despite what she have put them through, they didn't want her to suffer any longer. However, the thought of his sister, his only sister, leaving to another region, far away from Alola...he wasn't sure what he should say.

He finally got to see her again after being gone for so long, and now she's the one to leave him. He wondered if this is karma for leaving her behind when he ran away two years ago.

"Do your friends know about this?" He questioned her.

"Not yet. I haven't figured out how to tell them yet." It was already hard enough to break the news to her brother. Lillie isn't sure if she can even bring herself to tell her friends about it. She can only imagine they would get upset by the thought of not seeing her for a long time.

"You should let them know. I think they will notice if you leave Alola all of a sudden without saying a word." Gladion knew he was being a hypocrite at the moment. He did the same thing, after all. But he also knew that Lillie isn't like him, and he hoped that she will be better than that.

"I know, but they're my friends. It won't be easy to tell them the news."

"You don't seem to have a problem telling me." He didn't mean to sound bitter, it just came out like that.

Lillie frowned at him. "Do you really think it wasn't difficult to tell you? You are my brother, of course it wasn't easy to tell you the news."

"I'm sorry, it's just...you are my sister. I hadn't seen you for so long and when I finally meet you again, you're going to another region. I just don't know what to do when you're going to Kanto, while I'm still here at Alola." Gladion told her.

"You can just join us, Gladion. There's no reason for you not to." Lillie offered.

"As much as I want to, I can't." The young boy declined. "Someone has to take care of Aether Foundation while mother is gone – at least until we find a suitable leader for this place."

"I understand." Lillie said. "Though I do wish that you could join us. It could have been fun to be on Kanto with you."

"Yeah, and I would have joined you if I could." Gladion gave her a small smile. "You know, you have really grown as a person. You have gotten brave and confident, and you're even ready to go on your own adventure. Although I will miss you, I am proud of you." There's no word to describe how happy he is for his sister.

Lillie smiled. "Thank you. And I will miss you too." She walked to him and took the young boy by surprise when she hugged him. It had been such a long time since their last hug before he ran away. Gladion hugged her back, holding her tightly. As they shared this moment, Gladion thought of something.

There is one thing he wanted to tell her, one thing he needed to tell her before she leaves.

"Lillie...I'm sorry." She was confused for a moment until he spoke again. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good brother to you." They gazed at each other. "I'm sorry I left you alone with mother. I know you might be mad at me for it, but you should know that I'm sorry for the whole thing."

There was a complete silence between them. Gladion wondered what his sister might be thinking before she spoke up. "I am not mad at you. Yes, you left me alone with mother, but I'm not mad at you." She remembered how sad she was when she learned her brother had ran away from home. She didn't even get to say goodbye before he left. A small part of her wanted to get mad at him for leaving her behind but as much as she wanted to, she couldn't.

"Maybe not, but I should still have been a good brother to you."

"Look, I understand why you did it. You just wanted to give Type: Null a better life." She smiled at him. "Should I really be mad at you when you were simply trying to help someone?"

They hugged each other again. "When are you leaving?" He questioned her, still holding her in this embrace.

"Tomorrow." She let go of Gladion and smiled at him as she grabbed his hand. "Let's do something." Gladion raised an eyebrow at her, clearly confused. "Since this is my last day on Alola, we should spend this day together like we used to before I leave for Kanto." She explained, still smiling at him.

"Yes, we should." Gladion smiled back at her. They walked away from the room they were in, ready to hang out and do some things together like they used to. "Oh, Lillie, there's another thing I want to tell you."

Lillie got curious. "What is it?"

He smiled at her again. "Good luck with your journey." He meant it sincerely.

"Thanks. And good luck with Aether Foundation." She smiled back at him.

Gladion isn't sure what he should do when Lillie and Lusamine goes to Kanto. He just know that he will miss them when they are gone. It's hard to say what the future may hold for them. Him being the current president of Aether Foundation and Lillie going on her own adventure are certainly big changes in their lives. However, he do believe in his sister. He's certain that she will do fine with her journey and maybe even become a good Pokemon trainer if given the chance.

But for now, he will enjoy this final day with her while he still can.