The room was deathly silent...as always. And just like usual, Alola was peaceful. The skyline was calm and the skies were clear. It had been impeccably tranquil so far today for the young Champion.

Well...it had been. He could hear the distinct sound of footsteps coming up the stairwell. The boy perked up, his sky blue eyes peering curiously at his approaching adversary. But his curiosity became dread, and then a horrifying anxiety as he noticed who it was. His breathing hitched, a fearful shock spreading across his face.

"H-Hau-" he stammered, hardly able to get the other boy's name out of his mouth.

Hau blinked as he caught a glimpse of his beloved's emotional state. He'd just walked in and the Champion was already collapsing into an attack...

"Sol...I can wait until you're ready..." Hau offered quietly.

"I...I..." Sol muttered, his hands stretched out over his eyes. "...th-thank you..."

His mind was ablaze with the horrific thoughts of a breakup spurned by their oncoming battle. All he could hear was the sounds of their cries; his longing to keep Hau around and Hau's incredibly saddened screams and pure hatred. Hate. He couldn't stand to think of that. Knowing Hau hated him would be a fate worse than death...

Sol was simply petrified. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his one and only. His heartbeat quickened, pulling his breathing with it. The Champion's fast, ragged breathing broke into a jagged wail.

Hau covered his ears, flinching at the harshness of the sound. It hurt him to see his beloved like that, but there wasn't much he could do about it. At least...he'd never really tried to help for fear of hurting him more. This time, however, he decided to try.

"Sol..." Hau's gentle voice rang out through the air. "What's wrong...?"

It was as if a trumpet had sounded, loud and clear through the muddled screams of war. At last, a grip on reality!

The blonde boy looked out from between his shaking fingers. "...I-I...I'm afraid, Hau..." His voice was soft and scared, like that of a frightened child.

"Afraid of what?" he asked, still maintaining that gentle tone.

"...I-I-I...I'm afraid th-that...that you're n-not going to...to come back i-if I...if I..."

"...if you what?"

"I-if I...if I win..." Sol replied, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Hau's silver eyes were suddenly aglow with that comforting sunny light they always had. "Aue...Sol, I'd never do that to you... I'm not gonna leave you, ever!!"

"A-are you sure...?"

Hau quickly provided his pinky finger. "Promise!!" he exclaimed with a smile.

Sol slowly wrapped his pinky around Hau's. The beginnings of a smile formed on his lips. "Th-thank you..."

"Of course. Anything for you!" Hau exclaimed. He helped pull the young Champion to his feet, giving him a comforting hug. Sol welcomed the embrace, sniffling. So Hau had figured it out. He finally figured out what Sol needed most at times like those. It may have taken him almost a year, but the Champion was willing to forgive him for taking so long to understand.

As for right now, however, he had a battle to win.