A week later, Alex and the group flew on Mantine south of Hau’oli City over the waters and boarded the airship before it took off and headed south toward Poni Island. They had a great time in Melemele, shopping even more than they had in Akala due to the much larger industry in the area compared to the tourist trap. It felt like they had gotten a real taste of the Alola region rather than a manufactured one made for the sake of scamming tourists. Now, they were aboard the airship, relaxing until they arrived on Poni Island tomorrow morning.

“Hey, Dad,” Alvera greeted as she sat next to Alex on the couch near the large window overlooking the sea at sunset.

“Hey, sweetie,” Alex replied.

“I can’t believe we’re already halfway through our vacation,” she said with melancholy as she stared at Malia and Nohea, who were chatting with their parents at the dining table.

“We only estimated between a month or two for the entire trip, and it’s almost been a month. I’d say we’re right on track,” Alex replied before noticing Alvera’s mood. “How’s your photography going?”

“Ah, it’s doing fine. It’s a lot better compared to a year ago before the Zapdos incident. I’ve gotten plenty of invitations to go on paid expeditions all over the world, and my fanbase loves my photos. I’ve even gotten commissions to photograph certain Pokémon or areas. Honestly, it’s turned out far better than I had been dreading over the past years of silence.”

“That’s good,” Alex said with a smile before turning more serious. “What’s wrong?”

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Manage your harem…” Alvera said, looking down in embarrassment.

“I don’t really ‘manage’ it,” Alex replied. “They’re people with their own personalities, lives, and interests, so I just support them and let them do their own thing. But I don’t think that’s what’s really bothering you.”

“I’ve… had certain relations… with—”

“You had sex with Malia and Nohea, and now you think you need to do something about it, but because of your photography career that requires you to constantly travel, you won’t be able to maintain a relationship with them unless you can somehow convince them to drop everything and come with you?”

“Yes!” Alvera nearly shouted before slumping back into her seat in frustration. “It’s driving me insane.”

“Do you love them?”

“I… I’m not sure. Maybe? I don’t know. It’s all so confusing.”

“Let me preface this by telling you a little secret,” Alex said as he leaned in, prompting Alvera to lean in as well. “I can’t fall in love with women.”

Alvera’s eyes widened in shock. “How? But… the moms… You have a harem!”

“It’s why I can so easily just have sex with random people and leave them to their own decisions. I don’t know if your mothers have told you anything, but I’ve had plenty of other women besides them. They’re just the ones who stuck around. The reason we have a harem relationship is because it’s convenient, not because it was the goal or because I insisted. It just turned out that way without me having to think about it. Do you know why?”

“Because they decided on it?”

“Yes,” Alex said with a nod. “They decided on it, built up whatever rules they have between each other, and worked it out themselves. All that was required from me was to agree and be present. You need to understand that relationships are always a two-way street. Since I’m agreeable, they made all the decisions. The reason you’re so frustrated right now is because you don’t understand what Malia and Nohea want from you. Figure that out first, and then you can decide what to do.”

“Do they know that you don’t love them?” Alvera asked, hooked on the fact that Alex wasn’t actually in love with his own wives.

“Of course. That’s how we got along quite well at the start. It was just sex, driven by convenience and pleasure, until one day it wasn’t, because we started talking. Now I have to use Gardevoir to implant memories of love from Mesprit so they can feel loved. It’s this overly complicated situation that’s honestly a headache most of the time, but I’m proud to say it worked out quite well.”

Alvera sat and stewed on the information her dad had just dumped in her lap. She tried to apply it to her own situation and concluded that she either needed to be like her dad and not care, or figure out what they actually wanted from her to move on.

“Listen, Alvera,” Alex said, noticing she was still confused. “I’m not an expert on love and I will never claim to be one. All I can say about your situation is that you have plenty of time in the world to do what you want. You can drop your career to start a family and pick it back up again when you have free time, and you will, because you’re already at Elite rank.”

“You can ignore love and relationships and just have as much sex as you want, or none at all, while focusing on your career. What’s important is that you make the appropriate sacrifices depending on how much something means to you. You’ll eventually find out that there was absolutely no rush at all from the very beginning. Take your time, relax, and just be yourself.”

Alvera thought about it some more and realized she had been panicking for nothing. Maybe they were just family friends who had sex for fun and their headspace was completely different from her own. It put into perspective that she liked the idea of traveling with the twins and sharing a life with them but was afraid and frustrated that it wouldn’t happen.

Her dad was right. It was a two-way street and the twins’ decisions mattered as much as her own. If it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, then it just wasn’t meant to be.

“Thanks, Dad,” Alvera said as she reached over and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Anytime, sweetie,” Alex said as father and daughter turned toward the window, watching the setting sun wash the sea in molten gold and deep orange light.

The next day, early in the morning, the entirety of Poni Island came into view through the window as they approached from the north.

The Vast Poni Canyon dominated the center of the island, formed of rich brown earth and volcanic rock. Its rugged terrain was exposed and weathered, with deep striations of darker stone cutting through the slopes like natural scars. Around it, dense green vegetation spread across the ridgelines and into the valleys in uneven bands, softening the otherwise harsh landscape.

Along the northeastern coastline of the Poni Gauntlet, pale beaches broke up the darker terrain, their sand glowing softly in the first light of dawn. Mist lingered over the low areas near the shore, drifting between cliffs and shallow dips in the land, while the higher ground stood clear and sharply outlined against the brightening sky. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

To the southeast, the Poni Plains stretched in wide, rolling fields of green and gold. This area felt exposed and expansive, with wind rippling through tall grasses in visible waves. Occasional rocky outcrops broke the terrain, but overall it was the most breathable, open part of the island, suggesting space for travel, training, and long traversal routes.

On the southern side, Seafolk Village rested above the water, its clustered platforms and structures suspended over the sea. The settlement drifted subtly with the ocean’s motion, tethered yet seemingly unbound, with bridges and walkways connecting its sections in a layered vertical design.

Just southwest of Seafolk Village, Exeggutor Island sat isolated in the water, low and rocky, partially ringed by reef and shallow turquoise currents. It felt like a natural landmark, with sparse but hardy vegetation shaped by constant wind and salt spray.

To the north, the Battle Tree rose above the surrounding terrain, a massive structure shaped like a giant mythical tree, set apart from the natural landscape. Its tall, symmetrical form contrasted with the island’s rough geography. Even from a distance, it felt imposing, standing tall against the sea winds.

It also happened to be their first stop on Poni Island, with the same plans as at the Battle Royal Dome, where they would have participated in a few fights. However, now that they had apparently left their Pokémon behind at Poké Pelago, their stop might be cut short.

“What do you all think?” Marlo asked. “Should we just move on to the next area, or does anyone want to participate or watch?”

“I don’t want to watch or participate, but I do want to walk around outside. It looks like such a beautiful place,” Sable commented.

“I want to watch,” Clarissa said. “I’m interested in how their battles are conducted and the difference between places like the Battle Frontier, Battle Towers, or the Battle Subway in Unova.”

“I want to participate, but I know my Pokémon aren’t ready, so I’ll just watch as well,” Alvera said.

“We want to participate!” Malia and Nohea said. “They have mixed battles that would let us fight as a pair.”

“Sounds like we’ll have to split up then,” Alex said. “Two groups, those who want to head inside the Battle Tree and those who want more time to explore the area.”

It was a good compromise considering the number of women who didn’t want to watch Pokémon battles, like Nyx, Rhea, Sable, Celise, Talia, and Maris, and of course Alex himself. He had never been a fan of official battles, since they always felt just a little bit staged to him. Besides, it wasn’t as fun as being in the ring himself.

And so, with their plans decided, they headed out on Mantine, cutting across the open sea as the Battle Tree loomed larger ahead of them beneath the rising sun.