And the waves will crash and fall, the seasons will change and one day, she may be happy; she may be fine. She may sit on this beach and it may no longer sting like the salt of the ocean in an open wound as she bleeds, bleeds out into the sea.
But if he asks her not to remember, she hopes he knows that’s the only thing she cannot do for him.
| “i’m just a story you’ve been told.”
the story of a champion and a boy from the other side of the ultra wormhole - told in reverse.
Four years after her father's death and moving away from Kanto to the tropical islands of Alola, Moon is beginning to feel like her life is finally taking a turn for the better.
She's got a matchmaking job she's good at, a supportive friend, and the house where she spent her early childhood.
Everything is looking great!... Except for the continuously growing debt of her late father's house, and the fact that Gladion, her direct supervisor, seems to be holding a personal grudge against her.
Gladion Aether, the son of the President of a renowned matchmaking company —and the obvious choice to take over the presidency— has two very well-defined goals in life: He'll find a way to prove himself to his mother, and he'll make Moon's life a living hell.
He'd rather die than work with the female matchmaker for a day longer... Or so he thinks.
When the tables are turned and his place as Lusamine's heir is suddenly at risk, he'll have to choose between two almost equally bad alternatives:
He can either let his sister sit at his mother's chair instead of him, or collaborate with his archnemesis to fulfill the dream he's built his life around.
So much for Moon's life taking a turn for the better.
.:Leviathan chatter:.
After having seen Master Lugia pass above them, having slept for a night, they were on the way to a supposed “Merfolk city”, which sounded quite interesting on its own. But Gladion had a hard time believing that some merfolk were that humongous. Luna didn’t really have any good explanation herself, as the Masters had always been talked about and described as Leviathans among merfolk.
Magic…? // she said. The answer of hers didn’t sit well with him, finding that to be ridiculously simple.
That’s hard to believe! They are humongous! How are they not being spotted from the sky if they are the size that they are?! // he said, asking her and sounding a little agitated.
I don’t know… Even I, a merfolk, don’t know everything about my kind… // she replied. Gladion just sighed and groaned while rubbing his face.
I’m sorry… // she added, pouting a little.
It’s… It’s just… Hard to believe! // he exclaimed, wildly gesturing with his arms, finding it all ridiculous beyond belief.
Why is it hard to believe? From what I remember….you humans don’t really believe merfolk exist. But…here we are. // she said, tilting her head slightly to the side with a sweet smile on her lips.
At least from everyone that’s seen me has always been gawking… // she added, getting a little uncomfortable thinking about it.
Gladion just looked at her stunned and a little uncomfortable himself, having a hard time arguing with her about it. She then just smiled, followed by some laughter due to his expression which she found funny. He knew that she wasn’t wrong per se, but his point were that, as a human, how could the Leviathans never have been seen from above?
Why weren’t there any sightings or photos of them by people in planes? Of course magic were playing a part, but in what way? Did they camouflage themselves to the human eye while merfolk could still see and interact with them?
So many more questions were arising, and knowing that they were heading to a merfolk city of sorts, he hoped that there were something of a library or an archive there, so he could do some research about the matter.
— — —
More mermaid AU stuff. :)
And it’s for Lonashippingweek 2022 (aka Lonashippingday 2022)
It’s time for our 5th annual Lonashipping celebration. It’ll be on July 31st. However, after conversations with past contributors this year will only be a day instead of a week.
Rules: any and all forms of art and writing (sfw and nsfw) are welcomed | canon and AUs acceptable!
[please use #lonashippingweek2022 & feel free to @ me to ensure a reblog]
this year we have two prompt options, but this is also an opportunity to finish any past lona works you may have.
↓ ↓ ↓ prompt options ↓ ↓ ↓
Summer
History
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. They are open ended for a reason!
my knowledge of pokemon shipping names is below average so please enlighten me, both gladionxselene from game and gladionxmoon from pokespe are called lonashipping? or is there actually other names? thanks in advance
so truthfully this is something I've wondered for the past 6 years but for some reason there's only ONE ship name to encompass all versions. so game gladion x selene (or moon, which is a whole other conversation) and pokespe gladion/pokespe moon have all been lumped under lonashipping
truthfully there are two other ship names used for these characters as well but they never really gained as much traction unfortunately and were always seen as just *other options* to lonashipping rather than a different version of the ship (these being mahinashipping and lunaredgeshipping, however mahina in itself was also a debate cause supposedly some other pokemon ship had this name too and idk what it was about gen 7 not being organized in its ship names at ALL)
idk who has pokemon ship naming power but it'd be nice to have two to you know...have the same naming conventions as other ships in the Pokemon fandom
so in the end....at least on this blog I do reblog/encompass all versions of the ship, however when it comes to my fanfic it is game gladion x selene (/Moon) unless otherwise stated and tagged with pokespe Moon
idk if this helped at all ;-;
tldr; every other gen has two ship names for game vs pokespe, gen 7 does not LOL
It’s that time of year again, and we’re celebrating the whole week (from 23rd March to 29th March) by making lonashipping content!
For inspiration, we’ve prepared a prompt list based on priority attacks:
Day 1: King’s Shield - Bodyguard/Assassin/Target
Day 2: Helping Hand - Helping hand/Assist
Day 3: Bide - Slowburn/Anticipation
Day 4: Feint - Secret/Fake
Day 5: Revenge - Vengeance/Counter
Day 6: Follow Me - Follow Me/Side by side
Day 7: Free day
All kinds of content are welcome! Tag your works with #gladmoonday2022 (even though we’re doing a week, haha). If none of the prompts appeal to you, feel free to come up with your own ideas! All gladmoon content is good <3
———-
It was the first time he had seen a human, since their race died off millions of years ago. He had only read about them from books, and since it was only written, many did believe that humans never existed in the first place. As well as a few religions have sprouted throughout the last centuries, worshipping them.
Now that he were looking at one, he still had a hard time believing that she was, in fact, a human. Not sure what to do, he just turned around and started to walk away, figuring out that he didn’t want to deal with her, as it could prove to be dangerous. She just looked at him walk off. Standing there alone, the darkness slowly consuming her surroundings, she hurried after him, keeping her distance, just enough for the light around him to light up her path enough for her to see.
Gladion tried to ignore her, but the footsteps behind him freaked him out, more so because she was following him. He eventually stopped and turned around, pointing his weapon at her, asking harshly why she were following him.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Pokemon Sun and Moon | Gladion x Moon | T rated | Whump, Angst, Hurt & Comfort
Summary: It’s been a week since Moon vanished into the Ultra Wormhole. Three days since Lunala returned without her. Far too long since they'd last talked.
And in the shadows, the dangers that lurk are not just monsters, but also the feelings they had cast aside.
______
It’s just like any other day.
The setting sun shines from his window, the last vestiges of light sinking underneath the ocean. The Pikipek and Wingull chirp loudly as they fly through the air. The sea breeze carries the scent of the salt, lingering on his tongue. The sound of waves is rhythmic as they crash against the shore.
It’s just like any other day, bright and happy and safe in beautiful Alola.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Pokemon Sun and Moon | Gladion x Moon | T rated | Whump, Angst, Hurt & Comfort
Summary: It’s been a week since Moon vanished into the Ultra Wormhole. Three days since Lunala returned without her. Far too long since they'd last talked.
And in the shadows, the dangers that lurk are not just monsters, but also the feelings they had cast aside.
At first glance, Gladion looks like a person you don’t want to mess with. Her torn black clothes, her permanently furrowed face and cold/calculating eyes were not exactly welcoming features, and yet for Moon there was something that did not convince her…
“You know you can’t beat me. You’ll just get your Pokémon hurt for no reason. They’re good Pokémon”
It’s terrible weather for the day that decides the rest of his life.
Gladion squints out into the gray horizon, the islands of Alola coming in and out of sight as the ship bobs in the choppy waves. Wind whips his hair into his face; it’d be better if he turned and faced it, but he’s making a point to keep his back to the distant white walls of Aether.
“What are you skulking about for?”
He hears two ship hands scuffling about behind him, just over the wind. They must not think he can hear them, as they continue their conversation with the rope rigging whining to punctuate.
“I thought she might be here.”
“Even the fish don’t want to be out here in whatever Tapu-forsaken storm is brewing, much less the queen.”
The mention of his mother leaves a bitter taste in his mouth, one that not even the salty spray coating his cheeks and coat can get rid of. As nice of an excuse her title gives her in regards to staying safe and dry rather than participate in their peoples’ traditions, he knows the real reason she isn’t out here shivering with them.
Queens don’t attend executions.
— In Gold We Trust | [1/7] | The Wheel of Fortune
[Lonashipping Week 2021]
Summary: Decades ago, two children discovered a mine and went home with their hands filled with gold.
Years later, the ambitious duchess of the Aether house decided to uncover a fortune, heedless of the dangers hidden underneath.
And todayー
"So I am a jerk now? Your lipstick on my lips last night speaks a different story."
"I wasted good lipstick on your stupid lying mouth. The least you could do is look grateful."
ーthings have simply derailed just a little bit.
Wordcount: 4,578 words
A/N: I am back posting on tumblr and it's only to promote my lonaweek hell of a fic /stretches leggy
have nothing to say other than 1. whoever guesses what this AU comes from will get a million cookies and 2. I enjoyed myself enormously hehe :) enjoy!
—
Gladion is 25 when he meets her, rosy on the cheeks and butterflies in his stomach.
"You dance well despite saying you have never danced before."
She chuckles. "Am I not full of surprises?"
That she is. Meeting Moon has been a spark of fun in an evening as dreadfully boring as this one, strained with etiquette, silent chidings from his mother, and the vacant space left by sister.
He hears people speculate about him, about his mother, about why his sister is nowhere to be found, about the true intentions of his family behind this lavish and lively party.
After learning how to swim by her, she swam off, coming back with a few fishes and handed some to him. He just stared at the fish, which was already dead. Being stressed and in panic mode for a while, it definitely faded away in an instant when he held the fish by its tail. She started to munch on one, telling him that he should eat in order to get his strength back.
As ironic as it was, being a marine biologist, he hated fish as food. Much less, raw fish. Not feeling any appetite, he just kept looking at the dead animal, trying to gather courage to take a bite. HIs mind going through every species of fish he knew, analysing it and trying to figure out if it was a poisonous one.
You not hungry? // She asked him, her voice muffled by the food in her mouth.
I…I’m fine…Thanks… // he muttered, swallowing thickly.
You have to eat something! It’s no good swimming on an empty stomach! // she exclaimed, taking another bit of her fish. You don’t like this type of fish? I can get a different one! // she then added, trying to sound cheerful.
I’m…I’m fine! // he replied quickly.
It took a few good minutes before he even took a bite, trying his best not to gag in front of her. When she saw him take his first bite, she lowered her shoulders, feeling content that he would survive after all. Gladion, on the other hand, wished that he had just drowned at this point.
Hau is sure something is going on with Gladion and Moon.
He can't quite say what it is, but there's an itch under his nose. He knows it's probably nothing, but they're together more often than ever, and while these two weeks of vacation had been spent mostly in togetherness, Hau has spent most of these two days with Lillie alone while Gladion and Moon 'trained' for 'something very important'.
Gladion is known for being lackluster with words, but Moon is just suspiciously dismissive. Something is off.
"What the hell do I know? Those two have always been close. Is this why you called me? I'm painting my nails right now."
Plumeria sounds irritated on the phone, but Hau doesn't let that deter him. Lillie fiddles with her sundress, seated right beside him on her bed. "You spend lots of time with Moon at the Battle Tree, right? I bet she's told you somethin'."
"I don't know a darn thing, kid. I bet she's got better things to do than fuss over some boy." Plumeria snickers. "Do you really think something's going on with those two?"
Hau trades looks with Lillie, who sighs. "They have been awfully busy with each other, and I'm certain Moon had a hickey on her neck yesterday."
"Yeeeeah, after the disco night. That was a weird night."
"Why? What happened?"
Hau wags his eyebrows, teasing. "Aw, so you are interested!"
"If Moon's gonna start losing battles because she's smitten, I might as well know why." Something slams shut at the other end of the line. "Fine. Tell me the details."
Hau puts her on loudspeaker. "Can you hear me?"
"Clear as day."
Lillie bites her lip. "So… they usually spend lots of time together, but it's unusual for them to go out on their own without us. I don't think they're avoiding spending time with us, right?"
Hau rubs her shoulder reassuringly. "Told ya' it wasn't that."
"Make it quick, you two. No lovey-dovey stuff allowed."
Hau gulps, laughing nervously. "Right. So we think they might have a thing going on. Lillie's right about the hickey– she had a pretty bad bruise, and when I asked, she just said she made out with some guy at the disco, but that's bullshit. She's not into that kind of stuff."
"So you think it's Gladion who's givin' her the hickeys?"
"Kinda weird to think about– no, kinda gross to think about, those two makin' out, but it's what makes the most sense."Hau grins. "Something's going on with them, and we gotta figure out what it is. They're not gonna tell us, so we should find out on our own."
Lillie fiddles with her thumbs. "But… why are we so sure they have feelings for each other, to begin with? I always thought they were just, um, very good friends."
"I mean, I'm surprised you didn't know, but the kid's always liked Moon. Like, even before she became the Champion."
Lillie gasps scandalously as Hau erupts into laughter. "I knew it!"
The blonde pulls the phone from Hau, shaking. "Really? How do you know such a thing!?"
"It was kinda obvious when you saw them together, and it's not like Gladion's that hard to read, considering he's a rock. The moment he gets soft and feelsy, it's very obvious." Plumeria laughs, half knowing, half happy. "It's weird that you didn't notice, Lillie. It's not like Moon makes herself hard to read either."
"I– I always had a hunch, but she always said he was just a friend, nothing else," Lillie says. "And Gladion… I can't say I didn't notice, but I also thought he was simply fond of her."
"Guess hickeys are his way of giving hugs now." Hau can hear the smirk in her voice. "All that aside, I doubt they'd be that dumb to get touchy with each other in a vacation. Or go on dates, having you two around. They're not that inconsiderate."
"What's up with them, then?" Hau asks, taking the phone back from Lillie. "I don't wanna be nosy, but they're hiding something from us. It's getting annoying."
Lillie hums in thought. "They might be genuinely busy with battles, even if we went on vacation so Moon would take her mind off that. Clair and Lance didn't help last week, and Gladion likes battling her a bit too much."
"You can always ask them right away, y'know– that way you wouldn't have to call me while I do my nails."
Hau ignores her in favor of an idea. "We can always, um, follow them around a bit? And keep an eye on' em. If they see us, we can say we're walkin' around."
At the other end of the line, Plumeria sighs. "That's an awful idea, kid."
But Lillie disagrees, "It might not be. I'm also curious, and come to think of it, we have done very little sight-seeing this week. We can make up for that."
Hau and Lillie exchange pleased sly grins, giggling to themselves. Plumeria groans. "Now that you two are scheming, can I hang up? My battery's running low."
"Sure, but…" Lillie fishes the phone from Hau's hand. "One last thing… can I see your nails, please? I want to buy some nail polish and I need ideas."
"Sure."
—
Hau and Lillie decide to bide their time and wait patiently.
He's tasked with looking out for Gladion, whereas Lillie does the same for Moon. They're not exactly meddling, but they're trying to wiggle their way into the situation as subtly as possible.
As much as they're trying, it doesn't seem like they're doing much. They talk and act as they always have– sans the few moments Hau notices Glaidon's touch lingers more on Moon than usual, that he looks at her very often and always does so with a little smile.
Plumeria already confirmed he's probably head over heels for her, but Hau is only noticing it now, so he does what he does best: tease him about it.
As they walk to their bedrooms after a day out at the beach, having left the girls at the bar, Hau grins. "So… what's up with you and Moon?"
Gladion jolts. Barely. But he does. "What do you mean?"
"You two are looking very cute lately. Like, really cute." He doesn't miss how Gladion's key nearly falls off his shaky fist, and his cheeks grow rosy. "Woah. I knew you had a thing for her, but not that badly."
The blond grunts and spins towards Hau, frowning as menacingly as Hau knows he can muster. "Absolutely nothing is going on between us. Nothing. I'm just helping her build a new team before she goes back to the League."
Hau arches an eyebrow. Moon has never asked anyone for help with training her Pokémon. Sounds like bullshit. "Uh-huh. Why, though?"
"Um, she's been out of it for more than a week and she's feeling a little antsy about it. She doesn't want to get rusty."
"Dude, Moon's been out of the League for weeks before. Remember Unova? She's never wanted any help with-"
Gladion squares his jaw and jams his key into the lock, opening it with force. "That– That's none of my business. Ask her if you're so curious, damn it!"
And the door swings shut again.
So that was something.
—
The following day, Moon explains that she'd be out with Glaidon training in a new Kanto-style gym that's opened in Heahea City. Hau and Lillie take that as their cue to follow them, so clad in pamelas and sunglasses they went, trailing after the pair.
They don't immediately head to the gym, and that rings alarms in Hau's head. As they spy on the two from a corner to the street, he gasps. "He wants to hold her hand. He's moving it a lot."
Lillie sighs. "The port is crowded. I'm losing sight of them. Where are they going, really?"
Hau grins. "Only one way to find out!"
With wide grins, they tiptoe across the street and further into the crowd. Hau can still see Gladion's baseball cap and Moon's oversized pamela, walking into an ice cream parlor that Hau loves with all his heart.
A few minutes later, they happily walk out of the parlor. Moon is laughing at something Gladion just said, and he looks as bothered as ever. Nothing is out of the ordinary here, making Hau question why they'd go out on their own if they're not on a date or battling.
They sit down on a bench near the sandline. Gladion looks upset. Genuinely so.
"Do you think they had an argument and are trying to make up?"
Hau turns to Lillie. "Did they look angry at each other this morning? Because they didn't to me."
The duo watch Moon and Gladion for a few minutes. Nothing happens, and after a while, Hau gets bored and distracted. They should have tagged along– it would surely be more fun than watching them have fun.
Lillie gasps. She points forward and leans closer to Hau. "Look, they're very close! Are they going to kiss?"
"No way," Hau squints as Moon scoots closer, and he can see a smirk, he thinks, but-
Someone crashes with Hau and makes him fall to the ground face first. The man runs past him and Lillie, shouting an apology. Lillie hurries to help Hau off the ground with a concerned frown. "Goodness, are you okay?"
Hau groans, rubbing his arm. "Just a scratch. People are always in a hurry here."
Lillie offers him a hand and helps him get up. Her touch lingers a second more than necessary, rubbing his knuckles with her thumb before letting go.
He rolls his shoulder and turns back to the bench, only to find it's absolutely empty.
He gets up from his hiding spot, gaping in indignation. "Dude, they're gone! Where did those two run off to?"
Lillie gasps and rushes past Hau to the bench, looking all around the port. They're nowhere to be seen– not at the juice bar, the shops at the other side of the road or anywhere nearby. She sighs, playing with the hems of her shirt. "Do you think they saw us and ran off somewhere?"
Hau shakes his head. "I doubt they saw us, but where did they even go? I can't see them anywhere."
The blonde turns to Hau, shaking her head. "Let's forget about this. I think we lost them, and it's been enough stalking for today."
Hau is still irritated, though. Where had those two ran off to? They looked like they were about to kiss. Had that been just his imagination?
He turns to Lillie, who is just as confused as he is, and grabs her wrist, leading her across the road. "C'mon, let's get ice cream. My treat."
—
The next day, the four of them have breakfast. They plan their day, which they'll spend together for once. Moon offers heading to Lush Jungle to watch the Pikipek and maybe play with the Comfey, an idea that Lillie finds cute– so much so they start gushing about it.
Only Hau notices how fondly Gladion is watching Moon, sitting very close to her. He clears his throat.
"Oh, forgot to tell you two!" Hau grins, one corner higher than the other. "We saw you the other day."
Moon chokes with her lemonade and Gladion tenses up. Lillie's eyes widen, just as troubled, and the Kahuna is sure he's hit a juicy spot. Gladion grabs Moon's lemonade and takes a generous chug while Moon laughs. "Oh, you did?"
"We were takin' a walk around the port zone and we saw you there. Did you like that gym you went to? You gotta take us there sometime!"
Hau expects Moon to panic, because she sucks at lying and he doesn't expect them to have gone to the gym. Moon and Gladion trade looks, and she smiles sweetly. "It was lots of fun. A few trainers there nearly beat me, and Gladion-"
He slaps a hand on her mouth with a shaky smirk. "No need to tell them about how I did to brag about your victories, Champion."
Moon removes his hand and they start bickering like they always do, and the only thing Hau finds suspicious in the situation is that everything is as normal as can be. They're arguing about the smallest of things at the loudest of voices, and he's sure a battle will ensue within the next 5 minutes.
Lillie scoots closer, whispering, "I suppose it was nothing, then? Could we have assumed wrong?"
Hau hums. He hasn't seen much suspicious activity he can prove, and the image of them almost kissing at that bench could have been a mirage. Maybe they're just on very friendly and affectionate terms now, and that hickey on Moon's neck that day might have come from some other dude.
He doesn't want to think Moon is hooking up with other dudes when Gladion is head over heels for her, though– but it's her life.
Hau takes a sip of his Tapu Cocoa. "We might have, yeah."
—
The following day is the day they go back to their usual busy lives. Moon is due at the League, Hau has Kahuna duties to look after, Gladion as a company to run and Lillie has a thousand things to do at the Aether Conservation area.
They must catch their ferry back to Melemele at ten o'clock, they've agreed to meet at the lobby in five minutes and Gladion and Moon are nowhere to be seen.
Lillie looks at her watch with a grimace. "They're usually the first ones to be here. What could be holding them up?"
Hau sighs. "Moon texted me saying her shower wasn't working properly so she's using Glaidon's while he packs his stuff."
The blonde smiles nervously. "They're taking a little too long, though. Silvally must be chewing on Glaidon's clothes again."
Hau groans. "Man, I woke up early to be here on time and I bet they're gonna be late. Let's go check on them. I got Gladion's key with me."
They leave their suitcases at the lobby and head to Gladion's bedroom. They speculate on the ways they'll have to peel Silvally off Gladion's suitcase, how Moon might have her own clothes destroyed by the beast and how irritated Gladion will be about going shopping with Moon in compensation for the damage.
Hau slides the key and the door clicks open.
And their hearts leap out their throats as Moon and Gladion gasp, stopping their activities to look at the intruders with blatant shame.
Moon is lying under Gladion, hair wet and shirt ridden up her stomach. Gladion's hands are in her hair and waist, and Moon is bunching the front of Gladion's half-undone button up dress shirt.
Lillie gasps.
Moon laughs nervously as Gladion groans in defeat and buries his face in Moon's neck. "Um, I can explain. We were, um…"
Words fail her. Gladion mumbles a curse against Moon's shoulder and Hau's mind finally catches up with what's going on.
