Author's Note: Credit to the Pokémon Sun/Moon games for the characters (sans Alondra), Pokémon, and a large chunk of dialogue used in the flashback.

I love Guzma. I've wanted to sort out my feelings for him through an aged-up female protagonist, and thus Alondra was created. She's 18 and I've placed Guzma at 23 during the events of Sun/Moon. I wanted Alondra to be different than the standard champion protagonist, so I played with making her a bit of a timid, anti-conflict trainer who doesn't even love battles. She just got dragged into Kukui's schemes when she arrived! I thought it would make for an interesting dynamic between her and Guzma. Also, for now this will be a one-shot, but I might add more if I can pull it off. Anyhow, enjoy!

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The sun set with a warm orange glow, light shimmering off the gently crashing waves of the coast. Hmm, now that the rain has stopped, this place is actually rather beautiful, she mused as her fingers teased through his unruly white hair. Looking down at him, his eyes closed and breathing calm as he rested his head in her lap, she smiled. And this just makes it better.

Everything had worked out somehow in the end. Hau was the champion he'd always dreamed of being, and continued to train under Hala to inherit the title of Kahuna one day. Good for him, the little guy was about the most positive, upbeat person she'd ever met, and as he matured, she was certain he would make an excellent kahuna that would inspire kids in all the right ways. As for Lillie and Gladion, they had their mother back despite the long road to recovery ahead of her, and both had found their purposes beyond just overcoming their doubts and fears. Timid Lillie with her lack of confidence had blossomed as she resolved to set out on her own Pokémon journey in Kanto. Gladion, with his sharp intellect and intense drive, had returned to Aether Corporation to begin undoing the damage his mother had done. As the heir to the corporation, he'd felt it his duty, but despite the weight of it even the usually dour boy had seemed to smile at the task before him.

The kids she'd travelled with were not the only ones who had changed for the best. The island of Ula'ula itself had the shadow lifted from it. Tapu Bulu, who had maintained a vengeful grudge against a former kahuna and the people under him, was finally appeased. The constant torrent of rain near Po Town stopped. The town was also on the road to recovery, though a few quirky bits of graffiti remained to remind all of its colorful past (she quite liked the art and had actually insisted some of it stay). Once the town had been put back together, its former inhabitants, the grunts, broke off into many directions. Some had gone back to attempt the trials again, including Plumeria, and were faring much better the second time around. The lucky ones with family that cared returned home to make amends after the years away. And some stayed. Po Town was no longer a ruin, nor was it going to return to a tourist location: it was home to Ula'ula's new kahuna, and the grunts were needed to run shops and businesses around town as trial-goers would flock there.

And no change had been greater than the one in the man on her lap. She shook her head, a warm smile still playing on her lips. Mr. Big Bad was about as big and bad as his Golisopod; they both looked terrifying, but show them affection and they practically purred. How long had it taken her to realize that? She could remember how he terrified her the first time they met…

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As Alondra entered Malie Garden, the first thing she noticed was a crowd gathered around the main bridge. For such a peaceful location it struck her as very odd. And it wasn't just a crowd admiring something; there was some kind of ruckus occurring. Over the muttering of the observers she could hear a young man's voice. She didn't need to be able to see to know he was from Team Skull; all he had to do was open his mouth.

"Yo yo yo, hold up yo Mr. Kukui. You say you wanna make a Pokémon league? You got rocks in your skull?" Ah so that was where the professor was. At the center of the chaos, no surprise there. But did those punks have the nerve to actually harass a man who had Rockruff tackle him in the name of research? Besides the fact that he was obviously the Masked Royal, a decorated battler who could fend off three Pokémon at a time? She snorted thinking about the mask she'd come all this way to deliver to him as if he and the Masked Royal were in no way connected. Everyone knew his identity unless they really did have rocks in their skulls! Well, there was Hau… Impatiently she pushed her way forwards through the throng just in time to see Kukui hold up his right hand and display four fingers.

"Four turns" he said confidently beaming as if he were in a friendly wager and not antagonized by thugs.

"Huh?" both chorused, missing his point entirely.

Still grinning he put his hands on his hips. "Bring it on, the both of you! I've been researching Pokémon moves, yeah, so I'm always ready, oh yeah! I'll take you both on in Battle Royal and you'll be down with just a Swift or Incinerate or two. You gotta beat the man to be the man boys." At that the crowd gave a delighted oooh. Alondra just rolled her eyes. Kukui was as dramatic and confident as always but the crowd just loved it. Made sense that he took to the ring for a hobby so he could ham it up. She actually was feeling sorrier for the grunts who were just burned. They were obviously out of their league, and even dense as they were they were starting to get nervous.

"Yo for real?" one of them stared.

"F-fine! You asked for it!" his accomplice added, trying to save face and clutching his Pokeball.

The crowd was clearly not in their corner. "Get 'em good, Professor!" one man shouted above the noise.

"You numskulls should learn your place!" another woman added, pointing an accusatory finger at them. Man, those chumps were cornered; they really hadn't planned this well at all. Alondra rested her palm over her eyes not wanting to watch those guys get absolutely destroyed. She could always beat them handily and she hadn't even finished her island trials yet.

Suddenly a new voice cut through. "Battle Royal huh? Nice idea there Kukui." She jerked her head up to find the source and saw that another Team Skull member had approached behind his comrades on the bridge. But there was something different about him. He didn't wear the same uniform, but rather sported loose black sweatpants and a short-sleeved black and white jacket worn open to reveal a white tank. Though he wore the same logo necklace as the others, his was golden and matched the flashy watch and bracelet on his wrists. A pair of bent yellow sunglasses on his forehead contrasting the white mop of hair completed the look. Perhaps the most the distinct difference was that he did not cover his face, leaving an arrogant smirk for everyone to see. In stark contrast to the young teens, his hands on his hips mirrored Kukui's confidence and the assurance of his voice commanded the attention of the mob, causing their jeers to die down. No, he was not just another Team Skull brat. Her gut told her he had to be a commander at the very least, like that Plumeria chick. She'd had the same aura. Yet even that wasn't quite true. Something was different from even her, but she couldn't decide what…

"You can beat down three Pokémon at once, huh?" He strode purposefully forward, the grunts dispersing to either side to make way for him as he stood right in front of Kukui and leaned down to get at eye level with him. Wow, he was actually pretty tall… And dang, were those tattoos on his forearms? Talk about hard-core. It didn't phase Kukui one bit though.

"It's Guzma!" one of the grunts muttered nervously, watching the confrontation with complete focus.

"The boss has graced us with his presence!" the other breathed, just as taken in. So, there it was. The leader of this criminal organization, walking around brazenly in broad daylight? She swallowed. He must be strong if he was willing to do that, which would be a complete shocker considering how wimpy all his subordinates were. But his swagger screamed it, the intensity of his eyes screamed it. The grunts were always playing at it and failing miserably, but when she studied him she saw total dominance in how he handled himself. It made her shiver.

"The hated boss who beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets up! Yeah, big bad Guzma is here!" Kukui just continued to give that idiotic grin as if his new adversary had told a funny joke. To be fair, it was hard to take what he said seriously given his overtly thug word choices. Still…how the heck could he do that with this intense man breathing in his face? "Greetings, cowering public!" he turned and shouted to his audience. "We have an exciting bout for you tonight! In the opposing corner, the Pokémon professor Kukui! And in this corner the Boss of Team Skull and the hardest guy around, Guzma!"

This said, he leaned back down to Kukui. "Here we are, Kukui…" His voice was lower now, but she was still close enough to hear if she focused hard enough. His tone seemed to completely change for this private exchange. "Fellow rejects who could never become captains. We've got all these moldy old traditions in Alola – the kahunas, the captains… It's about time we cut out all that silly garbage and make something new for ourselves." After the first sentence she was only half processing. This guy and Kukui…had a connection somehow? They had both vied for positions as captains? "Trust me, I get that. Don't get me wrong though, Kukui. We've got no need for a Pokémon league. After all, everyone already knows who the strongest trainer is on these islands."

"Speak for yourself, Guzma," Kukui smiled, though was it her or was it a bit dampened this time? "It's not like I couldn't become a captain. I chose not to. I had other dreams, see?" Closing his eyes, he turned away and took a few paces. "I wanted to figure out which moves would be strong enough to beat old Hala, and I finally found what I was looking for. The strongest moves you can use are the ones a trainer and their Pokémon choose together…in the heat of the moment when it really counts!" He turned back to face Guzma. "That's when I knew I had to make a Pokémon league, yeah, to give everybody a chance to be pushed to the limit with their team and find that perfect move." He paused. "Let's see it, Guzma. Show me your moves and prove you aren't just all talk. If you really can, that is." Yeah, she was sure of it. He had to know this Guzma guy. She couldn't imagine anyone dissing such a man if they didn't already know each other.

She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear Kukui address her. "Right, Alondra? Don't you agree?" If she'd been the swearing type, she would have let a choice word slip out when she realized he was addressing her. Why was he getting her involved in this?

"What?" she replied lamely, blushing. It seemed like the crowd stepped back just then, exposing her before the two combatting parties. She did not enjoy this attention, especially not from the stormy leader of Team Skull.

"So you're one of the kids on their island challenge?" He studied her, squinting, and his thorough examination made her want to turn invisible. He concluded with a snort. "Hmph, you're pretty old to be dong that sort of thing, ain't you? You some kinda exception to their worn-out traditions?"

"This here's Alondra. She just moved to Alola recently and was a few days shy of the cut-off point. The Tapu gave its blessing personally" Kukui explained. When she risked a glance at Guzma, she noticed the mention of her situation caused a darkness to cross his features. It was definitely anger, not just annoyance. Professor, just stop! He's going to hate me if you don't stop! She begged internally. Of course he didn't. "Discovery! New experiences! Adventure! She's loving every minute of it. Alondra and her Primarina can unleash some real powerful moves." No no no! Don't brag about my battle abilities! He's going to hate that! Right on cue his brow furrowed. "So if you think you are the strongest trainer on these islands, Guzma, why don't you battle her?"

Oh, he was twitching now. Darn it Kukui, you just had to insult his pride and insinuate I am a match for this guy? You are some kind of sadist under that carefree facade! "Tch! This move fanatic is getting me all riled up!" Finally his gaze rested on her left wrist and the frown on his face deepened. "You've got a Z-ring, huh kid? Why even bother with the island challenge? What's the point of it?"

Oh boy, she had to answer a question now. She prayed her voice would not abandon her. "That's what I want to find out," she ventured. It was all she could say because if she were honest, she had no idea why beating unusually tough Pokémon and their allies was important for someone like her who'd rather explore and discover than battle.

He gave a dark chuckle. "See, there it is. You don't even know. They probably set you on that path because that's just what kids do here. And you, an outsider, don't even understand why, you just follow along." He shook his head violently. It seemed his frustration was reaching the breaking point, though what exactly bothered him was lost on her. "Watch closely Kukui. Someday I'm gonna destroy you. But first I'll destroy everything you care about!" He crossed his arms and his agitation seemed to reach a fever pitch. "Wanna see what destruction looks like? Here it is in human form – it's your boy Guzma!"

Suddenly he grabbed a Pokeball from his pocket and tossed it in the air. Everyone in the crowd pushed back as a huge, armor-plated Pokémon was released in a burst of light, towering before the girl. It chattered aggressively, antennae quivering. She should have been afraid of that, but despite how wary she was of its trainer, the Pokémon itself was an exciting new discovery. She'd never seen this species before, and her brain spun as she tried to decide what type it was so she could battle it properly. There wasn't much time to think, being that everyone was watching her intently to see how she'd respond. Her gut said ground type, so steeling her resolve, she called out Toño, her Primarina.

"Scald!" she commanded, beginning the battle. Toño obeyed, but the boiling water seemed to just drip off the creature. Guzma gave a cocky snort, clearly unimpressed by her lack of knowledge of his Pokémon, and commanded it to use Razor Shell in retaliation. While it wasn't effective the creature had such high attack that it did a fair amount of damage. Ah, a water type… Her face burned a bit in embarrassment as she hastily withdrew Primarina. Toño was her strongest but it was clear the opposing Pokémon had the upper hand in the matchup. She wracked her bran for what to do. If it was water, electric or grass would be great choices, but it still seemed like part bug… Electric would be the safest bet.

"Rafael, let's go!" she called as she released Magneton. Meanwhile, Guzma had his Pokémon using Sword's Dance to up its attack even further. "Quick use Spark!" But her opponent was faster and landed a Razor Shell before Magneton could respond. It was strong enough to knock it out in one blow. Now she was completely embarrassed as she withdrew her Pokémon, and her opponent's sneer seemed to grow. It was hard to say whether she was flustered because of him or having such a large audience, including Kukui.

Now there was nothing left to do but gamble on the bug part of the creature before her. "Osvaldo I'm counting on you!" she cried as she summoned her Toucannon. Its defense wasn't so great but if she could land a critical blow… Osvaldo was quick. He should have the first move. "Drill Peck!" As she anticipated the bird launched into action before its foe could respond, pecking the creature violently. She was surprised to see the giant bug return to its Pokeball upon being attacked. Apparently she wouldn't have to worry about surviving a blow after all.

"Well done Golisopod," Guzma murmured quietly, switching out Pokeballs. It was as if he didn't want anyone to hear him praising his Pokémon, but she heard it all the same. Could it be he actually cared about them? But people who stole Pokémon weren't supposed to be like that! Her thoughts were interrupted as he called out Ariados. Ah, at least this time she knew what she was dealing with. In response she switched out Osvaldo for Carlos, her dependable Arcanine. She figured she'd probably need Osvaldo when he brought back Golisopod.

Ariados had tried to sucker punch him, but without an attack it was useless. That left Carlos prepared with a Flame Wheel to finish the spider in one hit. "Return, Ariados." Then under his breath, he added "I'll heal ya up as soon as we're done." Again, completely out of character, but there was no time to contemplate that. There was a big decision to make as Golisopod returned to the battle: switch out right away or have Carlos go down fighting so she'd be guaranteed the first hit. Honestly, she was afraid if Toucannon didn't go first it would be taken out without a chance to do damage. This was a decision she always hated making and usually she was not forced to do it because she outclassed her opponents by that much. Guzma was forcing her hand. Licking her dry lips she gave Carlos the command: Extremespeed. It was guaranteed to go first and just maybe it would be enough…

It wasn't, and as soon as Golisopod withstood the attack it managed to use Razor Shell to knock Arcanine out. A bitter feeling overwhelmed her as she called him back, feeling responsible for his injures. "Thank you for your help, Carlos. I'll make sure to get you to the Pokecenter as soon as possible." Taking a deep breath, she summoned Osvaldo. "This is it. I'm counting on you to finish this." One drill peck later and it was done. She expected him to pull out another, praying it would be a Caterpie or something she could handle with her battered team, but to her relief it seemed he had only brought two Pokémon.

"I see. Great work, I guess…" he growled through gritted teeth, recalling Golisopod. Then, to her surprise, he stomped over while digging in his pocket for her earnings from the battle.

"Thanks?" Meekly, she held out her hands to accept it, but as soon as he passed the money off to her, his hands went to his head, grasping at his hair in a way that looked painful. She took a step back in fear.

"Guzma, what's wrong with you? Now's the time for your vaunted team to let loose and destroy everything!" It was bizarre, like he'd stopped paying attention to those around him and was having an angry conversation with himself. Was there…something wrong with him? He looked ready to fly off the handle, but oddly it seemed that he wasn't angry AT her, but rather at himself.

Her thoughts ground to a halt when he finally addressed her again. "It was Alondra, right? I'll remember you as someone I'll be happy to beat down any time!" He was looking at her now with a gaze that could pierce right through her, grey eyes sharp as daggers despite the bags under his eyes. It was as she feared: he was going to hold a grudge against her. Suddenly, he burst forward and right between her and Kukui. Even the previously heckling audience didn't dare raise their voices to mock him as he stormed out of the gardens. His abandoned grunts looked at each other nervously.

"Don't mess with the boss, yo! You don't want him to get serious!" one declared, doing his best to maintain his cool. With that, both followed behind in the path he had plowed. Just like that, the spectacle was over. What a relief…

Still, the crowd could be heard muttering, and she wished they would stop. "Team Skull will have to go lick their wounds now! Getting beat by a kid just doing her trials…" Part of her was incredibly relieved she'd been able to defeat that Guzma guy with everyone watching so she wouldn't be a failure. But oddly enough, another part of her wanted to lose just to calm him down. It had been a close battle, and hearing the people talk about him like he was some kind of weakling was wrong. He was stronger than anyone she had faced thus far in her trials, and if he'd been carrying more Pokémon…

"Aue, Alondra, you are one righteous trainer!" Kukui cheered, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Great show!"

"Sir, it wasn't…"

"What did I say about the formalities? Drop the 'sir' thing!"

She heaved a sigh. "Fine. Kukui. Look, he was really strong. I got lucky, so don't go blowing this out of proportion. He looked mad enough the way it was…"

"Psht, he acts tough, but he's harmless," Kukui dismissed with a wave. "He'll just throw a fit or whatever and go sulk somewhere."

"Really? I guess that means you do know him, don't you?" she inquired, studying his face carefully.

She caught it. The moment his normal grin flickered. "Yeah, when we were young. But it's been a long time and things have changed. Don't worry about him, 'kay? He'll accomplish nothing but self destruction in the end." He shook his head. "There's no reasoning with him. Believe me, I've tried."

"So he wasn't always like this?"

Kukui shook his head again. "Forget it, Alondra. Let's get to the real reason I called you here, shall we?"

She sighed, following Kukui as he began to walk away from the bridge in the direction of the shelter in the middle of the garden. The discussion was closed, but it was obvious something had happened between them in the past. And whatever that something was, it seemed to have really mentally affected the boss of Team Skull. She winced as she recalled the pained look of distress on his face and his frustrated rantings as he lost the battle. It wasn't embarrassment that she could tell, loss of pride, or anything like that. Everything had been directed inward. It was the expression of someone who hated themselves, and she knew because she'd harbored similar feelings inside herself. When she thought of that, she realized she felt a little less afraid of him. That, and the way he spoke to his Pokémon. And…how oddly gracious he had been towards her when she defeated him. He was not a simple villain, and suddenly she was desperate to find out the secrets he held. Perhaps their paths would cross again. And if they did, at least this time she'd know what type his Golisopod was…

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She didn't realized she'd started giggle until he grunted, shifting in her lap. He raised his head groggily. "What's so funny?"

"I was just remembering the first time I met you and how intimidating you were. And then, just thinking about how cuddly you are, really."

"I ain't cuddly!" he pouted, getting up and scratching the back of his head with a slight blush. "I am destruction in human form!"

"Whatever you say, Guzma. But I happen to like cuddly destruction…"

He groaned and face palmed. "Don't you go around telling anybody else that! I've got a reputation as a hard dude that I need to maintain, ya know? Especially if I'm gonna be battling every day." He paused, turning his gaze to the horizon and frowning. There was silence, but she didn't push him to express his thoughts. She knew by now that he would express them when he was ready, and so they simply sat side-by-side on at the cliff's edge taking in the view. Finally, her patience was rewarded. "Did I really scare ya the first time ya saw me?" he asked quietly. "I know that's what I was aimin' for back then, but now…"

"Hmph, you know I was a total wimp back then. A dirty look had me cowering. But, more than that…even though you scared me a bit, I could tell there was something else there. And I wanted to find out what it was you were hiding. Happily, I figured it out, and now you're here with me."

"Couldn't fool ya, could I?" He reached around her shoulders and pulled her tight against his chest, breathing in the scent of her hair as the breeze sent strands floating in the air. "I'm glad someone was able to see through all my bullshit."

"And I'm glad that an awkward, quiet girl like me is good enough for you."

He snorted. "Hey, the real you ain't quiet at all!"

"Not many people figure that out," she insisted, then sighed. "Not many people have ever gotten to really know me…"

"I'm lucky I've gotten to. And I mean that, no joke." He looked away into the sunset once more. "Still can't believe everything worked out like this. There's nothing more I could ask for, and I got it all even after all the shit I did. So, I'm gonna make sure I earn it every day from here on out. I'm gonna make you the happiest girl in Alola. And I'm gonna be the best kahuna I can. Neither you or Tapu Bulu will regret taking a gamble on me."

"I believe you," Alondra murmured into his shoulder. "You're going to be great." Then, she perked up. "Speaking of that, tomorrow is your big day. We should probably head back to town and get ready for your first challengers."

"Yeah, I s'pose you're right." He stood up, then reached out a hand to haul her to her feet. His big hand found hers and their fingers intertwined as they started down the path. "But before calling it a day, I intend to work on my first promise…"