Elodie stared absentmindedly out the window, watching the ocean go by. The plane was fairly empty, which gave her time to think. It had only been about a week since she'd left Blueberry Academy. After what happened concerning Kieran, she was both afraid of him and afraid for him. It made her wonder if she'd been too selfish. She'd returned his feelings for her, and yet, she still decided to put her streams first. What if she was the reason for his behavior? She shook off that thought. While she might've been a part of the problem, she wasn't solely responsible. According to what Carmine told her, he'd been acting that way since she'd left Kitakami, and after his friend, Florian, befriended and caught Ogerpon. Both events pushed him to change for the worse.

“Is that really it for us?” she mumbled to herself. “We confess, consider ourselves an item, then break up before even having an official first date?” A sad sigh escaped her. “I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me, Kieran. I should've known a long distance relationship wouldn't work with you.”

Her phone suddenly buzzed, causing her to fetch it from her bag. When she checked it, she found a message from Carmine.

“Weird. Carmine doesn't usually message me.”

She opened the message to read what it said. “Hi, Elodie. This is Kieran. I borrowed Sis’s phone so I could send this to you.” The girl gasped, hastily reading further. “I wanted to say I'm sorry…for everything. My behavior and the way I treated you was inexcusable. A lot happened this past week, and my sis and I took a leave from school, so we're back home in Mossui Town. If you aren't busy at the moment - and don't hate my guts - I'd like you to come visit me in Kitakami. I want the chance to properly explain and apologize in person.”

Elodie sat in stunned silence. She wanted to send a reply - let him know she forgave him and would hurry back just to see him. But her fingers wouldn't comply. They were shaking too much, and silent tears spilled from her eyes. It was all out of joy and relief.

“Kieran…”

~~~~~

Kieran gazed fondly at the poke ball in his hand, the one that held his Hydrapple. “Thanks for stickin’ by me through it all.” The corners of his lips turned down, his thoughts wandering. “At least I've got you. Even if she's gone.”

He'd spent a good three days hoping and wishing for a response to his message. But Elodie hadn't replied. He couldn't blame her. After the way he acted, she had every right to get as far away from him as possible and avoid all means of contact. It just made him angry with himself for going and ruining one of the best things he had.

He hung his head, fighting the urge to burst into tears. “Aw man…”

There was a knock on his door before it abruptly opened. “Hey, Kiki.” Carmine paused, looking at him. “Are you still in here moping? Ugh, don't go being a big crybaby all over again!”

“Shut up, Sis!” Kieran snapped. “How'd you feel if you went and scared off your crush?!”

“Don't shout at me!” she yelled. “I wouldn't be crying over it, that's for sure!” Stopping herself from saying more, she took a deep, calming breath. “Look, I need you to run an errand for me. Go down to the bus stop and wait for the next bus to arrive.”

Her brother blinked in confusion. “Um…why? Am I getting on the bus?”

“No, you dummy!” Carmine bit the inside of her cheek to keep from blurting anything out. “Just…do this one thing, Kiki. There's something I need you to pick up from the next bus. I can't tell you what it is, but you'll know it when you see it.”

Tucking away Hydrapple's ball, the boy slowly got up. “I don't get what this is about, but okay.”

Moving past his sister, Kieran left, still dragging his feet a bit. Carmine only smiled to herself. “Mission accomplished,” she quietly said. “The rest is up to you now, Elodie.”

~~~~~

Kieran paced back and forth by the bus stop, his head in the clouds. It wasn't long before the familiar motor of the bus snapped him from his thoughts. He had no idea what to expect when the bus slowed to a stop in front of him. Was he supposed to pick something up from someone? Maybe it was a pokemon? Could Florian have sent a gift or something? His mind went blank when his eyes landed on the figure that paused at the door. Elodie climbed out, looking somewhat hesitant when their eyes met.

“Hi, Kieran,” she greeted simply.

The poor boy felt so many emotions all at once. “E…Elodie…”

His eyes grew wet with tears, and his lower lip quivered. Seeing those little signs confirmed what Elodie had hoped - that the Kieran she knew was still there. She started crying softly, overwhelmed with joy. Before either of them knew it, she'd practically jumped on him, arms tight around him in a big hug. Kieran returned the gesture, holding her while silent tears slid down his face.

“I'm so glad…to see you,” he told her. “I didn't think I'd ever see or hear from you again!”

Elodie pulled back to look at him in surprise. “Carmine didn't tell you I was coming?”

He realized now what his sister had wanted him to pick up, and what a pleasant surprise it was. “No, but I think I know why.” He shook his head, trying desperately to dry his flow of tears. “I was so scared that you'd never come back. I…I thought for sure you hated me after what I did.”

Elodie hugged him again. “No! Never! I was worried and a bit afraid of what you were becoming, but I could never hate you. You mean too much to me.”

“Really? Wowzers…” He hugged her back, giving them both a moment for their tears to cease. “You mean a lot to me too. And I promise I'm working on doing better. Just you wait and see.”

A soft giggle slipped from the girl's lips. “I don't doubt that one bit.” She pulled away, her expression growing serious. “By the way, you said you'd explain what happened and everything…”

Kieran nodded. “I will. Can we go somewhere else though? I don't want my Sis to pop up and interrupt… You know how she is.”

“Of course.”

The boy held a hand out to Elodie, timidly looking away with that adorable smile she remembered. She happily took his hand, encouraging him by lacing their fingers together. Kieran's face lit up, but he turned and led the way. Instead of going to Mossui Town like she expected, he led her up toward Kitakami Hall where the festival would be held. Of course, the festival was over for the year, so there were very few people. There were only tourists and occasional passersby. Kieran brought her over to a bench that overlooked Fellhorn Gorge, their hands staying connected.

“So, um…first of all, I wanna apologize,” the boy shyly spoke up. “I acted like a big jerk back at Blueberry. I feel terrible for how I treated you. And the…the k-kiss… Man, I really went and screwed up our first kiss.” He turned his gaze to the ground. “I'm really sorry if I scared you or hurt you in any way. And I'm sorry to Candy too. I urged you both to battle.”

Elodie smiled. “I forgive you. And I know Candy, she'll forgive you as well.” There was a pause before she said more. “I'm sorry too, Kieran.”

He looked at her, bewildered. “Sorry for what? You didn't do anything wrong.”

“But I did.” With a sigh, she squeezed his hand in hers. “The night of the festival - when you gave me my Applin, Honey, and we shared our feelings - I stupidly thought that we could both keep going on just like that. I mean, who goes and gets a boyfriend only to ditch him in favor of traveling and streaming? I thought long distance would be fine, but I didn't ask you what you wanted.”

Kieran nervously fiddled with the strands of hair that still hung in his face. “That's still my fault though. I should've spoken up. That's back when I was too shy to speak my mind.”

“Still, I think we've both got room to grow.”

Kieran turned his head upon hearing people. A group of tourists were coming their way, hoping to snap pictures of the view. So, he stood Elodie with him, and proceeded up the path to Oni Mountain. Along the way, they paused when the path split, Kieran's gaze lingering toward the Dreaded Den.

“This was where Ogerpon lived,” he told her. “That night after we left the festival, I overheard my Sis and Florian. They met the ogre of legend…without me. And then they kept it from me for as long as possible.” His hand squeezed hers almost painfully. “I was so angry. I missed out on meeting the ogre, Florian went and caught it, it willingly chose him over me… Worst of all, you were gonna leave me. It all just made me feel weak and helpless.”

Elodie took his arm with her other hand, easing his grip. “That’s why you changed, isn't it?”

He nodded, looking at her. “Yeah. It didn't help that I always lost to Florian, Sis, and even you. I just thought…that if I got stronger, I could finally win… I could finally take what I wanted without anyone being able to get in my way.” He lowered his head. “That was a dangerous way of thinking.”

He lightly tugged the girl to follow again, leading her up the path along Infernal Pass. That's when Elodie asked, “So what happened to snap you out of…that battle obsessed you?”

“It started after I lost my title as Champion over at the academy. Florian beat me yet again. After that, we were assigned a trip to Paldea's Area Zero to find a mysterious and powerful pokemon called Terapagos. When we found it, I caught it to ensure I could finally beat Florian. But it turned on me, and a power I couldn't control was unleashed. Florian, Sis and me…we managed to beat Terapagos. But it had dawned on me that I couldn't force pokemon like Ogerpon and Terapagos to like me. Strength alone didn't make me a winner.”

“I see.” While walking, Elodie hugged his arm, causing him to glance at her with wide eyes. “I wish I'd been there for you. Sorry for not helping you when you needed me.”

“I-It’s okay. I was too much for you to handle, as proven when I battled you. In a way, I'm glad you left. It kept me from doing anything else stupid to make you hate me.”

“I already told you I'd never hate you, Kieran.”

“I believe you, but…you didn't see just how bad I was.”

Elodie didn't know what else to say on the matter, and neither did Kieran. Instead, they continued their walk in silence, listening to the sounds of wild pokemon. The boy led the way up some very long stairs to the very top of the mountain. Elodie gasped. She'd never been there before, though she’d heard plenty about the Crystal Pool. Among the rocky terrain was a pool of water with numerous glittering crystals rising up from its depths. Kieran took her over to the small bridge over the water, stopping on it so they got a good view.

“It's beautiful here…”

“That's why I wanted to bring you here. It's pretty and there's plenty of privacy so we can talk.”

The girl looked at him, a little concerned. “Is there really more to this story? I was hoping you'd finished explaining.”

Kieran blushed, turning his head away timidly. “Oh, no. I'm done talkin’ about what happened. I actually…wanted to discuss other things…”

Elodie relaxed upon hearing that. “Like…?”

“Like…well…the fact that I'm here to kinda rebuild my life. I've already patched things up with Florian, so…” Turning to face her, he took both her hands in his. “I wanna start over. You already know how I feel…and I think you still feel the same, r-right?”

Elodie nodded, a smile on her face. “Yes. I still like you. That hasn't changed.”

He exhaled in relief. “Good, ‘cause I still like you too, like, a whole lot. So can we just…maybe pretend all that at Blueberry Academy didn't happen? Can we start over as, um…you know…”

“A couple?”

“Y-Yeah…that.”

Elodie hugged him. “I'd love to. It'll be as if you had just gifted me my sweet little Honey.”

Kieran laughed lightly, holding her. “Where'd you get the name Honey anyway?”

“Because she loves eating anything with honey on it. Just like how Candy's fur looks like cotton candy.” They both laughed at that, until Elodie pulled away to look at him. “If we're starting over, does that mean we can have a proper first kiss?”

She was blushing, but so was Kieran. “I-If you want to… I wouldn't say no.”

They both leaned closer, embracing one another. Even though Kieran had kissed her at Blueberry, his heart was pounding in his chest as if that had never happened. When their lips met, it felt like fireworks were going off all around them, as if they were back at the festival. It was so pleasant, so perfect. Elodie could tell this was the real Kieran this time - gentle and sweet. And when they parted, the boy looked almost dazed.

“Wowzers…”

“That was nice,” Elodie added, causing him to nod. To better snap him out of his stupor, she pecked his lips, then his cheek. “C'mon, Kiki, you're gonna make me all flustered if you keep looking like that.”

“S-Sorry…” Kieran gave that soft, adorable smile she loved. “It was just so amazing…” His smile slowly began to fade though. “There is one last thing we have to clear up. Now that we're startin’ over, are you…gonna leave again?” Elodie suddenly looked really sad, which had the boy force a grin. “I mean, it's fine if you do. We'll stay in touch, and we'll see each other on visits.”

Elodie could tell it pained him to try and stay positive, and she, too, was beginning to dislike the idea of parting ways again. “No. I won't do that to you again. Long distance doesn't work for you, and honestly…” She placed a hand over her heart. “I don't think it's right for me either. I'd miss you too much.”

“But what about your streams?”

Elodie pulled away with a hum, slowly pacing from one end of the bridge to the other in front of him.”Well, I've been making the same content for years now. Maybe it's time for a change.” After a few moments of thinking hard on it, she clapped her hands together. “That's it! I could start up some battle streams! Imagine this, Elodie and Candy, taking on the BB League!”

Kieran smiled wide. “That's not a bad idea! There's a Gym Leader in Paldea that streams her battles, and she's super popular!” His mouth fell open when he fully processed what she said. “Wait…you wanna…? But that would mean…”

Elodie pumped her fist in the air. “I'm gonna enroll at Blueberry Academy! It'll be like a whole new type of adventure! Plus, I can still do the occasional travel streams whenever there are breaks or school trips. And then we'll get to learn and battle toge-”

Kieran suddenly engulfed her in a hug, happy tears falling from his eyes. “That would be great, Elodie! Perfect even! I'm so happy I could…I could kiss you!”

“No one's stopping you,” she replied, rubbing his back.

And so they shared kiss after kiss out of pure delight. Elodie had never seen the boy so overjoyed, and that alone let her know she was making the right decision.

~~~~~

Carmine smirked when Kieran and Elodie, hand in hand, arrived home hours after she sent her brother to the bus stop. “Well look who finally made it back. Did you guys go on a hiking trip or something?”

Elodie released Kieran's hand to tackle the older girl in a hug. “Good to see you, Carmine! It's great being in Kitakami again!”

Carmine smiled, hugging back briefly before pushing her off. “Save it for your boyfriend, would ya. Believe me, Kiki’s the one who needs all the hugs right now.”

“Sh-Shut up, Sis,” Kieran pouted, embarrassed.

Elodie laughed at the pair, feeling at home already.

“What's all this commotion?” Hideko, their grandmother, stepped into the room. “Oh, hello, Elodie. I didn't expect you to be back so soon.”

“Is it okay if she stays for dinner?” Kieran asked.

“Why, of course! She's like another granddaughter with all the times she's come by. Make yourself at home, dear.”

“Thank you,” Elodie answered.

Once the elderly woman left, Carmine spoke up again, “I do hope you two have this whole…” she gestured to the pair, “situation figured out this time. Don't want Kiki going all crazy again.”

Kieran crossed his arms at her. “I didn't go crazy.”

Elodie smirked at the older girl. “We've got it, thanks. You, on the other hand, should be shaking in your boots. Elodie, Candy and Honey are taking Blueberry by storm!”

Carmine gasped. “No way! You're gonna come to school with us?!”

Kieran took his girlfriend by the hand, smiling at her. “And she's gonna make some awesome battle streams. I know it.”

Elodie could hardly wait to officially enroll. It was about time she and Candy got back to battling again, and it would probably be a good experience for Honey. Not to mention she'd get to see Kieran and Carmine all the time, and possibly share classes with them. The best part though, by far, was that she wouldn't have to be away from Kieran again.