When Can I See You Again?

They meet at a party, or, at least, that’s the first time Guzma recalls seeing her. Maybe they met up before on the road — he beating her down for cash, or maybe she gave him a potion while travelling — but Guzma is one hundred percent, absolutely positive, that they first talk there. She’s swaying under the strobe lights and she’s a wee thing, petite and unassuming. But the way she moves? The way she goes from partner to partner, dancing with, but obviously not… Guzma knows that he has to talk to her, just once. He saddles up after her latest partner leaves, and they have a good time.

Her name’s Dahlia and she’s just as sweet as she looks. After a dance, the two are sitting at one of the little tables someone — probably Kahili, because Arceus knows she’s the only one with a good head on her shoulders, so of course she thought about seating at her own “congrats on winning the challenge” party, the nerd — set up at the outskirts of the impromptu dance floor.

For the next month and a half, the two of them meet up nearly daily — Guzma showing the younger girl around the islands, showing off their famous golf courses (Guzma fails mention that he used to be the junior male champion, that he’s from a dynasty of golfers, until after their third round — Dahlia pouts for days and, while she continued to accompany Guzma, she wouldn’t talk to him either, preferring to curbstomp any trainer the duo found), and the volcano and anything else he can think of.

It’s a fun time and Guzma can forget about the stress and hardships working under Hala, of dealing with his father. He’s sad to see Dahlia leave, but they keep in contact as well as they can, despite the distance. He’s positive, abso-fucking-lutely positive that he’s never going to forget her.

And he doesn’t, but the rose tinged memories of Dahlia grow dimmer as time goes on. They don’t darken, certainly, but it becomes bittersweet after failing to become a Trial Captain. He just wants to forget so he sticks with battling, and then there’s the formation of Team Skull and keeping them numbskulls from running wild — he’s got no time to daydream about bright eyed girls with brighter smiles. He visits her, once, right after she moved to Alola though — Guzma’s rough and awkward and leaves the housewarming party as soon as it’s socially acceptable, although his gift is there, hidden behind a potted plant. 

(Dahlia finds it while cleaning up her small home later that night,
after all the guests leave.
The sun patterned Vivillion that greets her when she opens the love ball is
so pretty, so perfect, that she tries to contact Guzma right away,
but the number he gave her fails to connect.
She emails him anyways, gushing over the pokemon.)

There are requests to meet up, but Guzma claims he’s busy. There’s taking over Po Town, and working with Lusamine and Aether behind the scenes, and then the shit storm that is the Ultra beasts and…

Guzma can’t face her. After being so thoroughly used by Lusamine, of failing so hard for so long, how can he look at Dahlia and say “I want something more?” to the gal he likes — no loves — when he’s such a failure.

Perhaps it’s a good thing that Dahlia believes in Fairy Tales, in love conquering all, of evil spells that can be weakened and destroyed by true feelings.
Because even if Guzma tries to ignore her, to hide away, Dahlia is unwilling and unable to let things slide — she’ll drag him out into the light and the party even if she had to crawl into the cave herself to get him.