Sunlight. Palm trees. The aroma of sea water. Those are the first things every tourist think of about Alola, one of the most popular touristic spots in the world. But for those living in the archipelago, the region meant so much more. The everyday interaction with both Pokémon and natural environments. The mix of tradition and novelty. Every person has their own story in such a place. The same could be said about Selene and her group of friends.

Some years passed already since Selene arrived to Alola. She was a stranger at first, someone with no place to call home and no memories to recall. That all changed thanks to Professor Kukui, her Pokémon partner Komi and her friends Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Sophocles and Lillie. The girl was welcomed as one more native from the isle, got her memories back thanks to them all and was accepted as a trans girl by all the people she loved. For the years that came after such moment, the girl that came from another world enjoyed her new life, learned a lot about her new home and grew up. Thus, the group of kids enjoyed their lives together for a while.

However, some things have to end.

Protected from the tropical heat of the islands, a young woman sat down in a bench inside the airport of Melemele Island. Her distinctive elegance, inherited from her mother, was evident from the moment you lied your eyes on her. Her blonde hair was shorter at that moment, falling gracefully on her shoulders and with some braids by the sides that met at the back of her head. Her usual white dress was replaced with a light blue blouse and a long white skirt, matching her stylish sandals. This woman had a book on her hands, carefully reading every single word, not letting the hustle and bustle of the crowd in the airport distract her. There were few things that could catch her attention.

“Vuuuulp”.

The woman turned her sight towards her lap, where a small Alolan Vulpix was sleeping peacefully. Displaying her usual kind smile, she let out one of her hands from the book and caressed the Pokémon. Everytime she looked at Snow, her companion for so many years, she could remember all their time together. Following her friend’s example, she took care of such vulnerable newborn, finally overcoming her fear to touch Pokémon. It wasn’t an easy journey though. She finally remembered her trauma, the incident with her mother and the Ultrabeast she summoned. All that belonged to the past though. After all that, she enjoyed Vulpix’s company for all those years.

She then looked at the watch on her wrist. There wasn’t that much time before they had to leave. However, there was someone missing at such place.

“Where is she? We are being called soon”, wondered the lady.

“Lillie!”.

Hearing her name, Lillie rose her head towards the voice who called her. Among the crowd, another young woman waved her hand while running to her. This one was a bit tall, a growth spurt in the last years. Contrary to her, she let her black hair grow a bit longer, barely reaching her back. Going for a modern style, she wore a pink blouse that revealed her shoulders and a short black skirt that swayed gracefully, along with her trustworthy sneakers. She wasn’t alone though, she was at the head of a small group, followed by a big Kommo-o and a small Tyrunt. Lillie tried to dissimulate her happiness at seeing the energetic attitude of the woman, blushing slightly before saying:

“Right about time, Selene. You sure took your time”.

“Sorry! It’s going to be a long flight. I wanted Komi and Fangs to have some fresh air before getting into their Poké Balls”, explained the woman.

No matter how many years passed, Selene still had that natural tendency of caring about everybody, including her own Pokémon. Komi has been with her since almost the beginning, while Fangs arrived to Alola thanks to Professor Kukui, who was given a fossil from which Tyrunt was born. And since Selene already knew how to deal with Dragon-type Pokémon, she took it upon herself to take care of that little Tyrunt. She changed in other aspects, although the same could be said about Lillie herself, who approached Selene and kissed her on her lips. The time they spent together as girlfriends gave her the courage to show her affection more openly. Selene liked that about her girlfriend, blushing every time she was more affectionate than normal. After that, Selene made her Pokémon return to their Poké Balls and both woman sat down again, still waiting to be called.

“Do you have everything?”, asked Lillie.

“Yep. Passport, money, my blockers…”, answered Selene, listing out the items from her bag as she found them.

“And your papers? I have a copy if needed”, continued Lillie.

“I have a copy here and another one in my SmartRotom just in case”, explained Selene. “But the Saffron City Hospital already has my history. They told me my HRT will be ready on my first appointment”.

Lillie sighed in relief. She knew Selene could be a bit clumsy and forgetful sometimes and her HRT treatment was so important for her. She at least got her T blockers soon, preventing her body to change in ways she wasn’t comfortable at all. And during all those years, Selene waited patiently for the moment to request her hormone treatment and transfer it to a Kantonian hospital, their new destination. She wouldn’t easily forget about something so important, but it was better to be prepared.

And thus, the two women waited, looking at the screens that hang from the ceiling. Flights coming and going. Thousands of people traveling to so many places. It was their time to join them. Following her dreams, Lillie applied to a prestigious college in Saffron City, in Kanto, to become a Pokémon researcher. She was excited for a while, but that final waiting felt so long. Even though she tried to disguised it, Selene noticed her girlfriend was nervous by the slight tapping of her fingers on the book cover.

“Nervous? That’s not proper of you”, joked Selene, trying to calm Lillie down.

“Ah! Yes…”, murmured Lillie. “It’s going to be a big change”.

“Yeah, I get it. I’m gonna miss Alola a lot”, added Selene.

Saying that, Selene turned towards the back of the seat and stared at the big windows that revealed the outside. The wondrous scenery that was so natural of the island was still there. The sea of trees that extended through the land and the mountains, the wild Pokémon that lived in them and flew through the infinite sky with its shining sun. Both of them were going to miss living in such a place, but also, they would miss their families and friends. Hanging out with Mallow and Lana, helping Kiawe with his farm or Sophocles with some experiments. The wedding between Kukui and Professor Burnet was a special moment in their lives. They were leaving all that behind to go somewhere new. Lillie was nervous, but that was not the only reason.

She looked at Selene. Her eyes shone brightly, just like every time she contemplated the natural landscapes of the archipelago. That fascination never faded away during all those years together. However, that made Lillie scared. The moment she told her girlfriend she wanted to go to Kanto, she accepted that immediately, promising to accompany her. And while that made Lillie incredibly happy, she also felt selfish for making Selene leave her life in the islands just for her. They talked about that several times, and still, she felt the need to ask:

“Selene, are you sure you want to go to Kanto?”.