Gladion steadily stirred from his slumber by the morning sun hitting his face. He groaned softly and rolled over to face the opposite direction, at least until he heard the rustling of trees and smelled the salty sea breeze. He peeled his eyes open and turned his head, realizing that the sliding door to the balcony was open. Chloe was there, her hands on the railing as she gazed out at the ocean, Salazzle and Espeon by her side. Looking at the clock on the wall, the blond saw that it was still rather early in the morning, and only a few of the pokemon were even awake. Wonder what she's doing up this early.

Before he could give it another thought, a shadow loomed over him. Looking up, he met the silver gaze of Silvally. The pokemon looked between him and the girl on the balcony, then slowly reached down and took the back of his shirt in its mouth, pulling him out of bed and to his feet.

Gladion gently pushed Silvally off before sighing quietly. "Yeah, yeah, I'll go see what's up."

He quietly crept around the other pokemon, most still asleep while the rest were awake but groggy. Finally stepping out onto the balcony, Salazzle and Espeon looked at him before moving away to give him room. Chloe didn't shift her focus away from the sea for even a second as he approached and stopped beside her.

"You're up early," the blond said with a tired smile. "Something on your mind?"

Chloe glanced at him, but otherwise kept her gaze out at the scenery, a smile gracing her lips. "Not really. Just had a dream that reminded me of a few years ago...when I left my dad and started my adventure. It just got me thinking is all."

"Oh? I bet it was tough leaving home for the first time. It was for me despite my convictions."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, it's always hard turning your back on all that you know. But sometimes you just need to do what you feel is right, even if that means going against your own family." She finally turned her head to look at him, smiling lightly. "After all this Ultra Beast business is over with, I'm determined to meet the Tapus and find out exactly what happened 8 years ago when I lost my memory."

Gladion smiled. "Sounds like quite the goal you have in mind. I'd be happy to tag along and give you a hand if you don't mind."

Chloe moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder. "I wouldn't mind at all. In fact, I'd really like to have your company a bit longer."

The boy was rendered speechless, a dark blush covering his face. That response surprised him a little, especially the sudden contact, but he didn't oppose it. It felt really nice having her that close, and it made him realize once more just how hard he was crushing on Chloe. He stood there with her for several moments just enjoying her company and the view. The beautiful sunrise made the ocean sparkle, and the occasional Wingull or Pelipper soared over it. The gentle sea breeze blew over them, causing Chloe to hum softly in content.

Salazzle and Espeon grinned at each other, happy for their trainer. It was easy for all the pokemon to see at that point that Chloe and Gladion had feelings for each other. There wasn't a doubt that those two had really opened up and learned to enjoy each other's company.

"It'll be a while before room service brings breakfast," Gladion said, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them. "You want to get a little more sleep?"

"Hmm, honestly I don't think I can go back to sleep. I might just get an early start on grooming my pokemon."

Gladion smiled. "Okay then. I think I'll do that too. I doubt I could get back to sleep after all this anyway."

Chloe picked her head up to look at him. "All what?"

The boy blushed a little, turning his head away to hide the redness of his face. "Y-you know...the scenery, our chat..."

Chloe leaned closer with a smirk. "I can see you blushing. You just like hanging out with me, don't you? Admit it."

Gladion sighed in frustration. "So what if I do? That's kind of a compliment, isn't it?"

The redhead laughed lightly. "I guess it is. Try not to get too enraptured by the view without me."

She gently nudged him before turning and going back inside, Salazzle and Espeon following. The girl took a seat on her bed, digging out a brush from her bag as Espeon laid across her lap. Chloe took off her bow long enough to brush through the pokemon's purple fur. Gladion took a few moments out on the balcony to let his flushed cheeks fade to their normal hue before going back inside as well. Seeing as Chloe was grooming her pokemon, he figured he'd do the same.

With a small yawn, he called Umbreon over for a brushing as well, removing her bow first. "Chloe, anywhere you want to go after this? Until Faba gets me some information, there's still no leads on Nihilego."

The girl hummed, finishing with Espeon and fixing her bow back. She moved to Salazzle with a wash cloth, taking off her choker to wash off her smooth skin. "Not really. If anything, I'd just like to maybe visit the Ruins of Life. There's always the slim chance that maybe, just maybe, a Tapu will appear for me."

Gladion smiled a little, fixing Umbreon's bow before moving on to Lycanroc. "Sure, I don't mind." He suddenly noticed her Braviary fly out the window and disappear. "Where's he going?"

Chloe smiled, glancing at him before moving on to brushing Ninetales. "He's just going down to bathe at the fountain with the other flying types. He'll be back in a few minutes."

"You sure trust him, you trust all your pokemon." The blond finished with Lycanroc, starting on Zoroark's thick fur next. He held back a chuckle upon seeing Salazzle laying across her trainer's bed, smiling sweetly and waving at Lycanroc, who nervously avoided her gaze.

Chloe paused after giving Ninetales a quick brushing, looking at him. "Don't you? You're pokemon trust you a lot, you know."

Gladion nodded. "Of course I do. My team and I have a strong bond. It's just rare to see someone else with such a strong connection to her pokemon. Not just your pokemon though, all pokemon, even wild ones." He moved on to brush down Silvally. "Say, do you have any idea where this connection with pokemon came from? I know you don't remember most of your childhood, but did your father tell you anything about it?"

Chloe sighed softly, her smile fading. "My dad didn't know anything about it either. He said that pokemon just seemed to like me, and that's why Tapu Bulu saved me in the past." She gestured Tyrantrum over, and he laid his head on the edge of the bed while she got a clean cloth to polish his rocky scales.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did Tapu Bulu save you from?"

Chloe opened her mouth to reply, but stopped herself, unable to answer that. "You know...I'm not sure." She hummed, thinking aloud. "Daddy never told me exactly what happened, just that the Tapu saved my life. Maybe he never wanted to traumatize me with the details since I was so young." She sighed. "Guess that's something we can talk about if I ever decide to go home."

Gladion smiled over at her, both of them finishing up the grooming. "Chloe, I know it can be difficult to face family, but it's a good idea to tie up loose ends. When you feel the time is right, you should go home and talk with your father. Believe me, you're going to want to at some point. I'd even go with you if you wanted."

The redhead turned to face him, seated on her bed with a playful smirk. "You want to come to my home and meet my dad?"

Gladion gave a confused look, tilting his head to the side. "Something wrong with that?"

Chloe giggled, her legs crisscrossed. "Don't you know what happens when a girl brings home a boy? The boy gets a stern talking to by the girl's dad, and depending on what the dad thinks, the boy might just get kicked out." She smirked slightly.

Gladion chuckled. "Aren't you exaggerating a bit? Not all fathers are like that."

"No, but I can tell you one thing," the girl said, leaning forward a bit, "my dad would probably throw a fit if I brought you with me." She twirled a few strands of hair around her finger. "I'm Daddy's little princess, after all."

Gladion stood, chuckling as he approached her. "I'll take my chances. I'm not afraid of-"

Before he could stop himself, Salazzle had stuck her tail out just enough to trip the boy. Gladion fell forward right into Chloe, causing her to fall back on the bed. Gladion managed to catch himself before he completely flattened the poor girl, but he still found himself on top of her on the bed, face-to-face with her. They both stared, completely frozen and wide-eyed, their faces flushed.

"G-Gladion..." Chloe stuttered out, her voice trembling more than it should. She managed to tear her eyes away from him to glare at her partner. "Salazzle!" The pokemon only snickered at them.

Gladion cleared his throat, jumping off her as soon as he realized what he was doing. "C-Chloe...I'm sorry...I didn't..."

The redhead sat up with a frustrated sigh. "It's not your fault, don't worry about it." She frowned at her partner. "Salazzle, I thought we were over this. Stop putting us in ridiculous situations."

Salazzle shrugged, giving an innocent look. "Lazz salazzle, lazzle."

Gladion straightened up, the redness of his face slowly fading. "A-anyway, we should get our clothes and get changed. Room service will bring breakfast any time now."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "Right. I guess I'll go first. Be right back."

She hurried out to go get her clean clothes, still feeling embarrassed. The girl accepted that she had feelings for Gladion, it was obvious she'd taken a liking to him, and at some point, she was going to have to tell him. But when, even she didn't quite know.