Chapter Text
Soul mates, eternal bonds, little red strings of fate tying us all together. Everybody on this earth has one person they are destined to be tied to, and no matter which direction you choose for your life to go in, destiny will always find away to bring the two mates together.
It’s different for everybody, some people receive their mark as young as ten, some as late as twenty but eventually destiny will reveal to you the name of your Soul Mate and one way or another they will find you or you them. Some people, obsessed over their mate, search far and wide dedicating their lives until they are united with the one person whose name had appeared within their skin.
Ayla received her mark not long after her eighteenth birthday, though she never really paid it much mind, she almost didn’t realise her Soul Mark had appeared until her mother pointed to the back of her neck exclaiming, “Ayla look! You’ve received your mark! You know their name!” She twirled around trying to see it in the mirror but it proved to be a challenge, holding a small hand mirror up to the bathroom mirror she could see the signature on her skin. She was excited but almost immediately felt slightly conflicted when she saw the messy almost violent word written at the base of her neck.
‘̶G̶u̶z̶M̶A̶’
“It… It looks like a bad gang tattoo….” she said to herself in the bathroom a bit dejectedly.
She tried to count herself lucky that it was in a place where she could not see it, she could hide the messy scrawl with her long red hair, and soon would often forget it was even there. She wasn’t the type of person to obsess over her life partner, she was driven by her work often losing herself in her studies. When this Guzma fellow would appear, destiny would take care of it she thought to herself. It’ll happen when it’s meant to happen, but right now her goal in life is to study as a Pokemon nurse and one day open and run her own Pokemon Center.
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“Alola?”
“Alola.”
“You can’t be serious?”
Ayla didn’t reply as she continued to sort through her drawers, folding clothes and placing them in a pink and blue suitcase sat on top of her bed. Her mother paced in the space by her open door, going on about this and that.
“Have you even thought this through? How you’re going to get there, where you’re living? How you’ll pay for yourself? How could you even think about signing up to something like this without even consulting me or your father first? I can assure you he won't be happy either.”
“Mum honestly, I’ve told you. It’s a school programme, funded and organised by The Pokemon Medical Academy for students who meet the grade requirements. I’ll be learning on the job, and I will be paid for my services. Everything else will be taken care of. Plus you’re acting as if I’ll be gone forever, it’s just six months, then I’ll be back.” She honestly felt like she had to spell it out every time she spoke.
“I still think it’s extreme. Moving all the way to Alola... Why can’t you do that here? In one of the Pokemon Centers here?” Stressing the final word.
Her mother worried, and continued to worry. It was overbearing but it came from a good place Ayla understood, but at 19 years old she craved independence. Kids half her age had already set off on their journeys catching and training their Pokemon halfway across the Hoenn region, though Ayla chose school over training many years ago, her love for the creatures drove her to help them rather than battle with them. But she still seemed to be tethered to home, her parents home.
When the ad came up on the bulletin board at the Hoenn Academy, ‘The Alolan Nurses Study Programme’ she couldn’t let that pass her by. Alola held a plethora of Pokemon she had only ever seen and heard of in books and pictures online, this was her chance to gain hands on experience with even more Pokemon and finally have enough qualifications graduate at the top of her class with a degree in Pokemon Medical Sciences. She signed her name and submitted her current grades without even a second thought.
Sure, she only applied two weeks ago and perhaps may have only told her mother yesterday, two days before the boat leaves for Alola, but this was what life was about! Spontaneous study trips hundreds of miles away from home… right? Plus she didn’t want to get her hopes up incase she didn’t get in, as soon as she knew she was in she told her mother.
“Think of the experience mum, it’ll be such a rare qualification to bring back to Hoenn. All the new Pokemon to study, the opportunities it’ll give me. This trip is invaluable.”
She felt bad putting her mother through all this worry (Even if it was a bit extreme, it wasn’t exactly her fault her mother slightly neurotic) but this was her life, she wanted to take charge and live it the way she wanted to. Her brother left over 7 years ago to raise Pokemon, and he’s the happiest he’s ever been.
“And besides Mightyena will be coming with me, won’t you buddy?”
The large wolf-like Pokemon raised his head from the pillow he was resting on beside her bed, let out a low rumbled huff and laid his head back down.
Mightyena was a gift to Ayla from her brother Alex, the large Pokemon evolved from the puppy he once was just before he set out on his own journey. Worrying about his sister, he told Mightyena to watch over her. It took the large pokemon some time to warm up to Ayla, feeling deprived of the adventure he could have had with Alex but soon he seemed to have found her company somewhat enjoyable and he’s not been more than ten feet away from her ever since.
This seemed to have sated her mother for the time being.
“You call home, everyday, you check in, everyday.”
She tugged at the bottom of her shirt before turning on a heel and making her way back down the long hallway, muttering to herself about still thinking this was too soon for her little girl.
Little Girl...
“You’d think I was still twelve years old…” Ayla looked to Mightyena shrugging her shoulders.
Sitting down on her bed and patting the space beside her, Mightyena jumped up and settled next to her. Burying her face in his thick mane she gave him a few scratches under his chin.
“Isn’t this exciting buddy? We’ll finally be able to see what it’s like, out of this little town, our own little adventure, hey, you can even make some new friends!” She beamed at her Pokemon.
Mightyena was relatively aloof and obviously had no intention of ‘making new friends’ but he bowed his head and humoured his little human, gently pushing his head into hers.
Running both her hands over his ears she got up, put the last few bits of clothing in her suitcase, zipped it up and set it aside. It seemed like such a small amount to take for six months but she didn’t own a lot and surely she’ll find more things when she gets to Alola.
As she turned to get ready for bed her hand automatically went to the mark at the back of her neck, if felt hot and pulsated slightly under her touch. Perhaps this was destinies way of telling her she was moving in the right direction. She looked to her Pokemon lazing about on her bed.
“Perhaps even this elusive Guzma fellow might make himself known to us too...?”
Mightyena just yawned and rolled over, opening only one eye to look at her. A small smile appeared on her lips at the possible thought of an Alolan romance... shaking her head she picked up a textbook and brought it with her into the bed, deciding to get some last minute cramming in before she turned in for the night.
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She almost thought she wouldn’t make it but the second Ayla stepped foot on the ship that would take her to Alola she breathed a very big sigh of relief. Setting her bag in the cabin above her, she released Mightyena from his Pokeball and took her seat by the window, Mightyena rested his head on her lap as she absentmindedly stroked the top of his head.
The goodbye she said to her family was harder than she thought it would be, reason being why she almost missed her ride to Alola. All the way to the docks her mother continually quizzed her, on what she would do as soon as she arrived, where she was going, where she was staying, where she would get her dinner. The constant fussing and worrying only served to swapping her excitement for anxiety, she spent longer than she meant to assuring her that she knew what she was doing, instead of collecting her ticket and getting her passport checked.
Though she did understand and appreciate her mother's worry, she just wished it wasn’t so full on. This would be the first time she’d ever set out and done anything on her own, and the way her mother worried often made her doubt herself whether she would actually be able to do this. But, it was only six months, her brother was gone for an entire year and a half before he first returned home to visit.
The journey was long, and the swaying of the boat had made Ayla feel slightly seasick, when she caught sight of the island on the horizon a spark of excitement had blossomed in her stomach… finding her resolve on the hours at sea she left her anxieties behind her and only focused on the exciting times that lie ahead. Whether it was her own heartbeat thundering in her chest, her excitement amping her up or her own imagination but the closer the island came into view her Soul Mark throbbed, making the back of her neck ache. Twice it has played on her mind during this trip, she thought it odd but pushed it aside focusing on the prospects of the study programme.
Reaching inside her bag she pulled out the Welcome Pamphlet that told what she would expect upon landing in The Marina.
“Congratulations young student! You have been selected to take part in our Alolan Nurses Study Programme!”
This is what you should expect the moment you land in The Marina!
One of our Head Nurses will be meeting you at The Marina when your vessel arrives, she will take you to get set up and settled in your new home for the next six months!
You will be assigned to a Pokemon Center and study under one of our qualified nurses, gaining hands on experience with the health care of Alolan Pokemon.
You will be expected to maintain a professional standard of working while also completing monthly assignments given to you by your mentors. As we say we are very hands on and expect you to take initiative to explore and gather your research independently. Alola is one of the most beautiful places in the world and we hope it entices you to step out into the beautiful landscape and explore our regions collecting information and data for your studies!
Alola!”
Ayla had read over this pamphlet fifty times over but each time she read it, she could feel herself burst with pride and excitement. Looking around she saw a few other young student nurses, all dressed in their pink and white uniforms, looking out the window each with equally excited faces as the island drew nearer.
“Are you ready buddy?” Ayla looked down to her Mightyena with a bright smile, his ears pricked as he sensed the excitement on board, looking up at hear he bowed his head as she drew him back into his pokeball.
As she and the other student nurses departed the ship they stayed together muttering questions to one another.
“Who did it say would be meeting us on The Marina?”
“The pamphlet said it would be a head nurse by the main entrance… I think.”
“But I don’t see anyone there.”
“Look!”
Ayla waved her hand in the direction of a pink haired woman in full nurse garb, dressed in pink from head to toe, her hair tied back in a neat dark pink loop behind her head. With one hand she held a black clipboard close to her chest, with the other she waved her arm as she spotted the group of students approaching her.
“Ladies! Alola! Welcome to Hau’oli City! How was your trip?”
The trip was long but not altogether unpleasant, the girls fell quiet so Ayla was the first to speak up.
“It was good, maybe a bit long, though I think I can speak for all of us when I say we’re a bit tired.”
Some of the girls flushed as they fixed their hair and straightened their clothes, 8 hours hanging out on a boat can leave a girl looking a bit disheveled.
A tinkling laugh left the lips of the nurse as she tilted her head. “I can understand, but don’t worry we just need to register you all with student visas for the islands, this will allow you to travel freely throughout all the islands, then I’ll be escorting you to your respective accommodations where you are free to use the rest of the day as you please. You wont be assigned to your Pokemon Centers until Friday since we’re still waiting on some students to arrive from the Kanto region.So you’re free to explore until then!”
Friday was two whole days away, all the girls looked amongst one another with excited glances, obviously already planning mini vacations in their heads or checking out the local shopping centers. Ayla would be lying if she said she wasn’t thinking of spending sometime at the beach.
Getting the visas sorted was altogether relatively painless, just a bit of queuing and signing papers. Ayla tugged her little suitcase behind her and let Mightyena out to stretch his legs as she and the other students followed the head nurse down a scenic path towards what would be the girls ‘Dorms’.
When they arrived no one could hold the little gasps that escaped their mouths, it looked like a beautiful little village, with small wooden huts the size of small bungalows all dotted in a little circle, around a large grassy area, sprinckled with wild excotic flowers.
“This is the student accommodation for all the medical students here on Melemele Island, it's a bit rustic but we hope you appreciate the local charm each hut has. You will each receive your own hut, they’re studio based rooms, so each room has a bed, a living area, a private bathroom and a small kitchen! I have each of your keys here, I hope you enjoy your stay with us!”
All the girls bustled forward to retrieve their house keys, excited running to the matching number on the keychain, laughing and smiling to one another all obviously excited for their own little adventure.
Ayla skipped up to her little hut and turn the key in its lock, stepping through the door she looked around what would be her new home for the next six months. Breathing deep she smiled to herself. She knew this was the best decision she had ever made.
Mightyena looked around with an approving look, jumping up onto the little couch in the living area already making himself at home.