As foolish as it might be to say I have to admit that, to an extent, I'm almost terrified of this world.
The nights come as a comfortable familiarity, but as renewing as the sun feels when it cuts across the horizon, the sudden brightness that blankets the landscape is jarring. I can never really get used to it over the course of days that pass as I travel down to the southern regions of the continent. I feel sluggish trying to stay active during the nighttime hours only, but I can hardly get any sleep during the day. It's as though my body has already grown accustomed to that sort of cycle even though my mind hasn't by a long short.
In other ways, I almost believe that when I do fall asleep I'll just end up waking up back in the future, or Dialga's men will be looming over me, or somehow I'll find out that Lira's really gone, or there will be some other concern that I haven't even thought of yet. Being always on the move—albeit slowly—means that I can't afford to stop anywhere to find a decent place to take shelter in. Headquarters was safe, and so was the hole that made my and Lira's home before that. Even on the run, we had time to consider where to hide ourselves away and in the very least I knew the kind of Pokemon I had to look out for.
Which brings me to my third issue. Not only do I not have the slightest idea about what the Pokemon from this time are like, but there's so many of them—thousands more than there are in the future. The population hasn't suffered yet. And they're all so active and out in the world, far different than the majority who take cover within the sanctuary of their own shelters in mine. Part of the time, it seems as if two complete strangers can cross paths and nevertheless they'll treat one another like old friends.
It's all so terrifying because it's all so alien. I don't understand this world, how everyone can be so at ease and casual with one another. Granted, I've seen some less than savory types as well, but nothing like in the world I know. So I avoid towns. I stay away from main travel routes. I weave my way through the lively forests, valleys, and mountain trails.
I'm naturally cautious, and with the tension and paranoia I feel just carrying the one Time Gear I have, I feel like every eye will train on me in an instant if I cross paths with anyone. I'd look guilty. I'd look like a criminal. People would notice. Or maybe not. No one else seems to hold that kind of caution, but I'd rather not risk it.
I end up moving at a taxingly slow pace as a result. Even when using Dig, there are an unknown multitude of dwellings beneath the earth I could accidently come across. I tried to travel solely by that and just barely managed to avoid crossing paths with a Nincada tunnel by hearing their voices through the thin wall of rock that remained unbroken between them and me. If Lira was with me, she could just sense a path around them. But I can't do anything like what she can do.
It didn't really occur to me before how badly I need her by my side as well. I have—and always will—view myself as a protector for Lira, but her skills with aura and the Dimensional Scream really have come in handy over the years. We relied on her abilities to get much of the information we gathered to prepare for this mission. Without them, what can I really do besides review the things she had recorded down for our journey? I'm just a regular Pokemon.
It's been nearly two weeks after I've collected the first Time Gear. I'm nearly to the Southern Jungle and I've stopped for a moment near a winding creek in the forests that encompass it. I can already see where the flora has begun to gradually shift from temperate to more tropical plants. From the Southern Jungle, I'll then have to find the old Boulder Quarry—a place where high quality stones for building material and even evolution were said to be found before it was shut down in my time. It's said that one can find a cave path that will then lead to Limestone Cavern.
I know that place will be bustling with Pokemon. I'll need to create some kind of distraction if I'm going to search the quarry with any semblance of ease. But what? Anything I could think of would likely only keep them back for a short time.
"If only I had your unorthodox way of thinking…" I say it to the air, but with my partner's face in mind. I can only guess the isolation is beginning to work its way at me. Of course there's no response. "Then again, you'd probably come up with some hair-brained scheme that'd nearly get us killed in the process."
In some ways, she developed a worse sense of risk vs. gain than Ri: She'd take heavy risks that would ultimately get her hurt or worse if she failed to overcome them. She'd take on opponents twice her size. She'd gamble her safety by exposing herself to enemy forces in order to divert attention away from another team. She'd even run into danger if it meant gathering enough food for a struggling family for a day. Maybe, as humors of her species had been told, she was a superb strategist to make it this long on those types of bets. Or maybe she was just plain lucky.
Her luck or her skill, I could use a bit of either right now. I need to come up with a plan of action soon.
A course voice abruptly slices through my train of thought, "Will you hurry it up?! We haven't got all day!"
"Sorry, sorry!" another voice exclaims, slightly higher than the first. They're coming my way.
"I've met Slugma faster than you!" I lunge upward into the treetops for cover, waiting for them to pass by. "We're already late as it is, and with the orders we've got coming in we can't afford to waste a second. I swear, you'd think those Gurdurr were trying to build an entire town overnight!"
Finally they come into view, and I feel my entire form stiffen when I find out what they are: Five Sableye. It takes a certain force of will to remind myself that these aren't the same Pokemon that I fought against in my time. None of the Pokemon in this world have sworn loyalty to Primal Dialga yet. Primal Dialga doesn't exist yet.
Three of them lug a large sack of tools on each of their backs while the other two drag a pair of carts with food and other supplies. Based on what they're carrying alone, I know that they must be headed toward the quarry as well. And—unfortunately—based on their words, there seems to be little chance that I could sneak around the miners who work there. It sounds like they're all going to be busy for a long while.
One of the pair dragging behind a cart is noticeably slower than the rest, despite his attempts to keep up with the others. They grimace at the sight of the creek as they pass beneath the tree I'm standing in, but the water is shallow and the current isn't strong. They find the lowest point to cross it, one by one, but as the last Sableye struggles along he runs over a stone jutting out of the ground with one of the wheels and the supplies he carries wildly rattle within the cart—enough so for a seed to fly out of it. A Blast Seed.
Even as far away as I am—safely at a distance—I instinctively raise one arm in front of my face. The group of Sableye below dive behind whatever cover they can find as the seed falls to the earth, and we wait. We wait a full two minutes before the Ghost-types sigh a collective breath of relief when the Blast Seed remains stable where it lies on the ground.
The one that I assume to be the leader walks over toward the other and smacks him in the back of the head. "Be a little more careful, will you? I don't want you blowing me up!"
"Sorry…" he echoes again, rubbing the now sore spot.
"Give him a break: He's new," one of the others pipes up.
"In that case, let him on your digging team!" the first retorts, "For fifteen years I've been working those mines and I am not about to go slack on anyone just because they came unprepared to handle the job!"
With a few additional choice words spoken, they begin on their way again. Without hesitating, I follow them from above. Why wander the jungle when they'll take me straight to where I need to go? I'll have to make sure that they don't catch on, but it seems like they're too invested in their own thoughts to even consider the possibility of being followed. Like everyone else in this world, they appear to imagine themselves being too secure. They're slower than I am, but I can bear through with it.
I hadn't imagined the quarry to be as deep in the jungle as it truly is.
We spend a few more days travelling into its depths—much longer than I would've preferred. I miscalculated the time it would take to make it this far and I can feel it wearing on my nerves. But at least I'm here now… I try to maintain some form of optimism, Even if it did take longer than I'd hoped.
Staring at the quarry's large entryway, I don't know what to think. The Sableye went in earlier that morning, but as other miners appeared and headed inside I held myself back in the shadows. There's so many of them, and likely they're all scattered about within the quarry in their own teams. There's no way that I can enter within being seen. And a Grass-type lurking about a series of caves? Only an idiot wouldn't think to find that odd.
What occurred when I first spotted the Sableye did give me an idea, however—and there's plenty for me to work with. They only took a small portion of supplies inside with them, so there's plenty left behind. Not just from them either, but from the other miners as well. I have my pick of anything I could want of theirs.
I remember, back when I was still a Treecko and living with my parents, I had stolen a Leppa berry from a Vileplume's stall. At the time, I had been starving and I knew other people around me who did it. Plenty of other children my age did it without thinking twice. Food was expensive and it was just a matter of survival. I thought, as a vendor, the Vileplume had more than he could ever hope to eat anyway, and so I took one. Rightfully so, my father had worn my hide out when he found out about it. Ever since, I have never once stolen anything from an innocent person.
Until now. Now I really don't have much of a choice. Now, my six year-old self reemerges as I loot through the various carts and crates that litter the area. There is a Larvitar that's supposed to be keeping watch, but he's fallen asleep. There's no one stopping me.
I take only what I need: the Blast Seeds I imagine they use to tear new paths through the caves when their natural abilities fail. And I'm careful about it—taking only two or three at most from a few different containers so that they'll go unnoticed. It's so incredibly easy for me.
Blast seeds come in various qualities, but all of them could do a fair amount of damage. One of them was enough to seriously injure a person in a fight: Group a bunch of them together and if you're not careful you could end up killing yourself with them. I have no intention of hurting anyone, but I need this explosion to be big if I'm to clear everyone out of there.
I come and go without disturbing the slumbering Pokemon, making my way inside the quarry. A shiver travels down the path of my spine as I'm swallowed in darkness by the grim familiarity of it, but I wouldn't dare try to use a Luminous Orb in here. There are a few dimly lit lanterns deeper in, but they only cast just enough light to tell where you're going—nevermind with any true detail.
Ri and Lira could use their auras to find their way around an unfamiliar place, but for my sake whenever we were in that kind of situation they would create a source of light with their aura to help me see. I've never tried using it in a situation like this before, but I use Energy Ball to hold a small sphere within the palm of my hand. Instead of the soothing, blue radiance that either of them would normally manifest, electric green and ultramarine sparks crackle around a vivid, white center. I only use just barely enough power to maintain it.
My heart thuds so loudly within my chest that I begin to worry that others can hear it as well, but I have to go even deeper. This quarry has been in use for centuries, and it shows in the labyrinth of paths carved from it. In many ways, it's worse than the maze-like temple set in the Northern Desert at the Underground Lake. Only when I hear the tink of metal striking rock to I know that I've gone deep enough.
If I can hear the miners, then they'll definitely be able to hear the blast. Focusing on the sound, I veer of course a bit until I come across a dead end. Perfect. The Energy Ball dissipates in my hand and once again I'm engulfed by shadows. Alright, Lira, let's see if one of my unorthodox plans can match the insanity of any of yours.
I jump up to the cave's ceiling and brace my weight against the frame of the more stable looking of stalactites clustered together. Then, I throw the handful of Blast Seeds with all of my might down to the earth below.
The mere seconds I have to second guess myself are wasted. There's no avoiding the eruption of dust and rock that occurs the instant the seeds strike against the ground. The blast is exactly how I wanted it: Loud and rattling. My ears begin to ring and the whole of the area of cave I'm in vibrates enough so that one of the stalactites nearby me is shaken from the ceiling and shatters to the earth. I can only imagine the worst, but the stalactites I brace myself against remain in place: Only a few rocks tumble from the piece of ceiling where I am, faintly striking my back and my skull before also falling the rest of the way down.
The area in front of me doesn't survive the explosion as well. I see a small crater in the patch of earth where the Blast Seeds combined power struck hardest milliseconds before it's buried by the collapse of the passage entryway. I'm not worried—I can dig beyond it—but there's no way the miners could ignore a work of destruction this size. If that much wasn't obvious, the resulting screams muffled in the distance more than give it away. I feel bad for them, thinking of the ensuing panic, but I have a job to do.
For the longest wile I don't move. I remain where I am for so long that my arms and legs begin to scream from their fight against gravity. However, just as I expected would happen, a Pokemon pops out from the earth to check on the passage. It's a Geodude, and had he not made as much noise as he did when appearing I might not have even noticed him—considering how well camouflaged he is among the rubble. All I can really make out of him are the whites of his eyes as he flicks his gaze around the blocked tunnel.
"Anyone hurt in there?" I hear a miner shout from the other side.
I know his species' eyes are accustomed to this poor lighting, so it comes as a relief that he never bothers to look up. "There's no one in here!" he hollers back, "Must've been a tremor that caused this section to collapse."
"If it was a tremor we would've felt it," the first counters, "But nevermind that now. Just get back over here. We need to get out of here and make sure everyone's accounted for."
"But—!"
"We follow procedures! I don't care what kind of Pokemon everyone is or how used to the environment the claim to be! Not to mention the Lairon are gonna have a come apart and I don't think anyone wants to be here for that. We go now and we start back up first thing in the morning. Now come on!"
Begrudgingly, the Geodude does what he is told. Only after I'm certain that I'm alone again do I drop back to the earth, rubbing the aching muscles in my arms as I squat down.
I won't go back out there. Not yet. I have to wait for the miners to leave and there's also the Lairon they mentioned that I have to worry about. Now that I think about it, I think I remember studying something along those lines with Lira: That Lairon inhabited the deeper parts of the quarry. I have the upper-hand, but I'll need to be careful about them.
So as disconcerting as it is, I sit there in the darkness and wait for the hours to pass. It's the only thing I can do for the time being until I can be absolutely certain that I'm free to move without being noticed.