I Choose You...

Chapter 15: New Information

Gladion's POV:

I watch Moon play with her Pokémon. Absol and Yuki seem to hang out a lot, and personally I think they're cute together. Don't think like that! You're acting like Lillie!

Today we have three very important visitors coming to Alola. I've heard good things about them, and my mother invited them to stay at the Aether Paradise. They are supposed to be some sort of team leaders, though Lusamine says they aren't evil. But villains never think they're evil. At least mother didn't.

We're waiting for them to arrive outside of Moon's house to kill the time. Though she's having fun, she looks nervous and uncomfortable.

But I don't think she'd want me poking into her business, so I just watch her. Her hand twitches. She quickly covers it. She's a little more jerky today. Not in how she acts, but with her movements. She's making what seems like involuntary faces in weird forms. Once and a while a strange noise will escape her throat, and she tries to hide it.

Moon eventually gets up, brushes herself off, announces that she's getting a drink, and goes inside, leaving me to watch her Pokémon. They look concerned for her, watching her slowly walk inside. I can't stand it anymore, so I follow her, giving the Pokémon a 'stay put' look.

I don't let her know that I'm following. I'm quiet coming in. She goes to the kitchen and fills a glass with water, but sets it down to get something else that she can't quite reach. I decide to make myself known.

"Hey," I say, startling her. "What are you doing?" I ask in a friendly way.

"Oh, um, nothing," her hand starts twitching again. She hides her hand behind her back. "Why'd you come in here?" She asks in a quiet voice.

"I'm concerned about you. You don't seem okay. What are you trying to get?" I ask, moving toward the cabinet.

"No!" She cries, blocking my path. "I mean, um... please, I can get it." Now I'm curious. What doesn't she want me to see? I'm taller than her, so I simply peek over her head to see into the open cabinet.

My jaw drops when I see that the only thing in there is a pill bottle.

"Moon, what... why?" I ask gently, and bend down so I'm eye level with her. "Why do you have those?"

"You don't understand... I... I need them. You don't- hey!" I'm shoving past her now, to try and get to them. I need to see what they are and why she has them.

I grab the bottle and Moon tries without success to get them from me. Now she's crying, and more of her is twitching, and more aggressively.

"Moon, answer me. Why do you have these, and what are they for? When you give me a reasonable answer, I will give them back," I say. She gives up and throws herself onto the couch. She gestures for me to sit as well.

It just doesn't make sense to me. The label is all marked up, so I can't read it. But Moon doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would just take drugs for no good reason. Which is why I'm concerned. I'm not aware of any problem she has. She exhales loudly.

"Well, you see... to start off, I don't just take drugs. I have a reason. But... I've kept it hidden, which is why you haven't found out." She says. "I only have to take one, and they're small. I only need one a day." Still no answers.

"But what is it you take them for then? What don't I know?" I'm pressuring her. I don't like to, but if it means answers, so be it.

"It's for my... my um...Tourette's Syndrome." I fall out of the chair.

"What?!? Tourette's?!? Really? You could've just told me, you know," I tell her. She looks relieved. I toss her the bottle and she smiles.

"I'm pretty good at hiding it, mostly. The medicine helps, but there's no real cure." She smiles again. "I'm glad I told you!" She goes back to the counter where she set her drink, removes a single tiny pill, and takes it. I try not to stare, but I can't help it.