Lillie
The following morning, the two set out from Ilima's house. Ilima forged ahead of her, leading her up and into the mountain. It was a gentle slope, but a continuous one. Through fields of yellow pampas grass and then into the dark shadow of thick forest. Up and up and up.
After beating Ilima in battle, her mentor had fallen silent for a long time. Lillie had returned her bagon to the ball and was relaxing inside the house when Ilima finally came to her, expression stern.
"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" he asked.
"I… I need to get off the island and you have a boat," Lillie replied, trying hard to keep her voice level. "Only way you'll take me is if I complete the trial, r-right?"
Ilima nodded. "You could go home. Face your mother. The trial is dangerous, and taking it unnecessarily–"
"I defeated you," Lillie said, trying to sound confident. "So I should be able to handle it." Right?
Ilima hadn't responded then, rather turning and walking away. She thought he had an odd expression on his face, one that she couldn't quite place. She didn't press him about it.
A fierce chirping snapped Lillie from her memories. She looked up and around herself, at the pikipek flitting among the branches above her. Emerald leaves blanketed the sky, slivers of light poking through. The ground was soft and bare of grass, but filled with ferns and other small plants. Ilima kept ahead of her as he had the entire trip thus far.
Silent, always staring ahead.
Lillie followed. She tugged at her t-shirt and batted at the mosquitoes that were just now coming out in force, wishing she'd worn something with long sleeves. Ferns scratched against her legs. The forest around her was alive, even if she couldn't see the source of all the commotion. Whether it was the birds in the trees or the rush of pichu or yungoos scampering away from them, there was always movement around her. She kept one hand on Koa's pokeball just in case.
Two hours passed. The two remained quiet as they hiked up the mountain. When they finally stopped, Ilima held one arm out to his side and spoke for the first time that trip.
"We're here."
Lillie looked around them. A clearing nestled against a cliff face, one that stretched far above her. Thin, numerous trees packed tight around the clearing, pressing against the cliff in a rough semicircle. Ilima walked out towards the center, his shoes softly crunching against the sparse grass.
"This place?" Lillie tilted her head. "It's small, isn't it?"
"No." Ilima motioned her close with one hand. "Come here."
Lillie arched an eyebrow and sauntered over. She spun about, gazing up at the trees surrounding her. A trumbeak in the upper branches stared back at her, vibrant blue eyes shining amongst the green. After a moment the pokemon cried out – a high-pitched call – and flew up into the air. Lillie turned back to Ilima and he brushed a long, heavy fern aside, revealing a small tunnel into the cliff. The entrance was trimmed with greenery, small plants and twigs sticking every which way. The tunnel continued into a darkness that Lillie could see no end of.
"D-down there?" Lillie asked. She gulped, trying to quell a growing sense of uncertainty. Ilima nodded.
"Through there is the Verdant Cavern." Ilima let go of the plant and it slid back into place. "If you wish to turn back, now is your chance. There is no shame in going home."
"I don't have that luxury," Lillie replied, a heaviness in her tone. "What do I have to do?"
"Simple. You have until sundown to collect the Normalium Z and return it to me. It's in the bottom of this cavern."
"That's… that's it?" Lillie put her hands on her hips. "What's the catch?"
"A pokemon lives in this cave. A powerful, territorial beast. It is the Totem, the spirit of the Trial. In ancient times, the Totem would need to be slain for the warrior to return home in triumph, but..." Ilima shook his head. "It would be a pain to replace a pokemon over and over again, you know? So you guys grab a special rock instead."
"I don't have to fight it?"
"Why would I make you fight it? You can if you want to, but I highly recommend against it."
Lillie breathed in and then out. Sounds easy enough… right? Get in, grab the stone, get out. No hassle. No problems.
"And if I do this, you'll take me off the island?" Lillie asked, just to make sure.
"Yes, as is my duty as trial captain." Ilima nodded. "If you intend to complete the Island Challenge, then at some point you must return to battle Kahuna Hala. But since you have… other motivations, then that will be up to you."
"All this just to avoid taking a ferry." Lillie sighed. "I guess… I guess I just have to keep going."
She stared down into the grassy tunnel. She could see Ilima push the leaves aside. She hesitated at the entrance, staring into the maw. She thought she saw movement in the dark down below. Lillie breathed in and slowly she slid inside.
It was a few dozen feet of awkward crawling later that she realized she should have entered head-first. Lillie struggled against the tunnel walls, gingerly sliding her hands and feet across the sides. She could barely see past her own stomach as the passage turned down and away from her. Soon the entrance was no longer visible, but she could still see the rough details of her surroundings. Whether it got lighter or darker further in, she couldn't tell.
Her feet slipping over moss-covered rocks, Lillie spent minutes of crawling that felt like much longer. Her arms ached with the effort and her back stung from the many sharp rocks digging into her shirt. Lillie wanted nothing more than to stop and rest. The passage was just wide enough around to curl up in...
A gentle nuzzle on her right hand. Lillie turned to look.
A dark shape gliding over her skin. Lillie froze as she realized what it was. A sharp intake of breath. Lillie felt her heart pounding in her chest. Sweat droplets formed on her arm. She'd seen the insects before, but only ever at a distance. Under rocks or inside glass terrariums. Even then she'd kept a cautious distance, but now...
The centipede had crawled onto her hand, its long antenna gently nudging her wrist. Its many, many legs gently poked into her skin, their tips tinted a heavy blue. It sat motionless, its body nearly an inch wide and quite possibly eight inches long.
Kukui's voice echoed in her ears.
The bite of an Alolan centipede is considered one of the most painful experiences one can have.
A lecture from months before, one she'd barely listened to.
Its painfulness is often said to be as bad or worse than a gunshot wound, though it varies depending on the amount of venom present in the bite. Usually you can predict how venomous their bites will be depending on the color of their legs. If they're blue, stay far away.
Lillie stared at the vibrant legs – practically turquoise in color – and at its yellow and black striped antenna. It continued to examine her, the creature motionless except for its two long, slender feelers.
The pain can persist for up to twelve hours, and can provoke dissociation. Natives of the Old World would let themselves be purposefully stung in order to embark on a spiritual journey. When colonists brought the bug to Alola, the natives did much the same. They tend to be highly aggressive when provoked, but can't see very well. They respond to touch and sound.
The centipede had stopped moving. Lillie held her breath and lifted her hand slowly. Slowly, slowly, she moved her hand up and away from her body as the massive insect wrapped about. Even though it was just a few feet, the motion seemed to take ages. She struggled not to breathe, her chest sprouting in pain at her lack of oxygen. She set her hand down further up the tunnel, laying it flat against the rock. Curious, the creature turned its attention to its new surroundings.
She'd waiting too long.
She breathed in.
And the creature bit.
Lillie opened her mouth to scream but could not manage the sound. Her chest clenched hard, forbidding any air to escape. In a quick motion she shot her hand to the ceiling of the tunnel, smashing the insect's head against an outcropping rock. Its body crumpled to the floor, its many legs crawling all at once, turning it in circles.
The pain came in waves that washed over her whole body, reverberating outward from the bite. Dull yet vibrant and loud and everywhere. Lillie gasped, her free hand reaching for the bite wound and stopping short. She slid away from the dying insect, a panicked, uncontrolled movement that nearly knocked her over.
Lillie curled up against the tunnel wall, her feet planting into the opposite wall. She pressed against the rock face without even realizing it, the muscles in her legs involuntarily taut. Her entire right arm started to twitch with every wave of pain, eventually morphing into uncontrolled shaking. She struggled to still the limb, to stabilize it.
After a long moment, the tears came. She huddled over her now-useless arm, clutching it tight to her chest and pressing her knees to her chin. Panicked urges to scream, to shout, filled her, but she could manage none of it. Lillie sat immobilized for several minutes, shoulders bobbing with vicious, quiet sobs.
Eventually the initial shock faded. She breathed rapidly, shallowly. Her entire body was wet with heavy sweat. Without realizing it, she had fallen to her side again. Somewhat in control of herself now, she started climbing down the tunnel again, tears soaking her cheeks, the pain still shaking through her body with every movement. Every step, every motion, and she would have to stop, mind fuzzy, gritted teeth barely holding back a fragile cry.
What was already a long journey turned into an eternity, every step taking nearly all the effort she could muster. Every slight disturbance to her wound sent a tsunami of undeniable pain shooting through her, turning the constant shaking of her right arm into torrential tremors.
Lillie finally reached the end of the tunnel and collapsed out onto open dirt and rock. She barely acknowledged her surroundings, instead curling ineffectively on the ground. Her chest thrummed with a hundred tiny breaths, her head growing light.
As she lay there, clutching her trembling arm to her chest, she began to grow distant.
A memory triggered unbidden:
Walking amongst tall machines. Men in white like skyscrapers around her, speaking with words she could barely understand. Men with masks of shining metal. Up above her, the ceiling of the cubical room stretched far, far away.
Voices over the intercom. Familiar voices. The room grew empty. The white robed men had left her all alone.
She called out and nobody answered.
She called again, and it responded.
The world opened up and the eyes stared down. A long, long arm reached for her, flesh dripping from its skin. A tiny hand. Eyes of nothing.
It touched her and it shone with white snow and she saw nothing but darkness.
A sharp intake of breath and she was back.
Lillie devolved into a coughing fit, violent spasms rocking her body. After a moment they subsided. How much time had passed was beyond her. She struggled to her knees, looking around herself. Stiff pain broke into her senses, but this time it didn't cloud her mind. Her right arm still shook heavily and she could feel where dirt had plastered against many lines of tears, caking her cheeks.
The Verdant Cavern opened up around her, the ground dotted with grass and ferns. Moss lined the long walls that arced away from her into a domed ceiling. It was a massive and roughly circular room. A path to her right led down and away into a central pit. Numerous ridged stalactites ran along the ceiling, short and cuffed.
Lava stalactites. This area was formed by lava tubes.
She fumbled for her belt, careful not to move her right arm unnecessarily, and drew Koa's pokeball. The sound of the pokeball whining as it released him echoed throughout the cavern. She stood, each step careful and slow. Lillie walked, hugging close to the wall where the pathway snaked down into the interior. The loudest sound she could hear was the crunch of her own shoes against the dirt.
Koa ran past her, sniffing at the air.
She could feel her own breath shaking, her eyes watering up again. The pain refused to cease, barraging her with every step. Lillie huddled against the wall, her shoulder running along the rock. Along the ceiling stretched long cracks where sunlight could shine through. She still had time until the sun went down, but with no way to know how long she'd been unconscious...
I have to keep going.
The pathway turned down and away from her and she slipped to one knee. Her right arm flopped away unbidden, striking the rocky wall. Another offshoot of pain. Lillie cried out in full this time, a sobbing shout echoing into the chamber around her, and she stopped moving.
Lillie swayed, a hand racing to her head.
Visions played in her mind again.
"Don't you think this is going a bit far?" The hushed whispers of a coward.
"It's this or..." the stronger voice replied with words only half heard, silencing the craven one. "We don't have a choice."
"But..."
The voices faded away as she was led down the long hallway. White tile turned black in the absence of light. A strong hand in hers that shook with every step. White masks that refused to look at her.
"Here she is," a mournful voice called. The man in the mask let go of her hand, nudging her along with one hand. Gentle. "Get started."
"Excellent," said the other voice in the dark.
A wet nose against her leg brought her back to reality.
Lillie whimpered and gasped, trying to stand against the cave wall. Koa stood next to her, sniffing her leg. Lillie started to slip to the ground, her feet giving out.
"What..." Lillie withdrew her hands. They trembled heavily, the shaking traveling up her arms. Her entire body felt unstable, as if barely able to keep itself together. Strained notes erupted from her mouth, involuntary spasms of her vocal chords. Koa nudged her, eyes wide with confusion.
And then all at once it faded. The pain in her arm seemed to withdraw, the aching vibrations retreating. It was still there, only distant.
She stood uncertainly, one hand pressed firmly against the wall. Lillie stared down into the central hub of the Verdant Cavern. There was only one path, the corkscrew of dirt and rock that wound around the edges of the cave, spinning around as it descended down, down, down.
"I have to keep going..." Lillie mumbled, her voice sounding as if it was far away. She could not see the bottom of the cave from here, but still she pressed on.
Lights danced at the edge of her vision.
"Stop it..." she whimpered as the needle pricked her skin. She cried out, but there was no one to answer her plea.
The man in white withdrew himself, a vial of red, red blood in hand. She stared up into the fluorescent lights above and they burned into her vision. Somehow she couldn't look away. She didn't want to look away.
"Every time she's brought in here, she gets less responsive." A familiar voice whispering to the side.
"What are we supposed to do? Say no?"
She wanted to roll over, to relax, but she was bound to the seat. Above her a machine whirred to life, drowning the voices out. The sound grew closer and closer and closer…
She screamed.
"Get out of my head!" she shouted at nothing. The empty cavern open and silent except for her. She stood at the bottom now, at the end of the corkscrew path. It terminated in the center of the massive pit, a raised dais in the exact center of the roughly circular cave. When she'd arrived here, she had no idea. She was sweating heavily, her footing unstable.
Koa was growling – had been growling for a while, actually. An unsettled, uncertain sound coming from far away even though the pokemon stood right at her side.
She saw the reason: a shadow loomed, vicious and large. The shape of a large pokemon stood in front of her. Massive teeth and claws, a form similar to Ilima's yungoos, only much, much larger. What little flesh remained was swollen and distended, discolored and fatigued. The eyes were gone completely, leaving only two pitch black holes that stared into her. The lower half of its body had melted away, its exposed spine standing perpendicular to the ground. Long arms reached for her, the flesh dripping slowly off the bone.
Koa circled the massive body slowly, his eyes never once leaving the bloated mass.
Lillie's head spun. The light was burned into her eyes, shining purple with every blink. When she opened them again, she saw a twinkle on the rock platform. She stepped around the pokemon corpse, gingerly moving towards the shining light.
It lay unceremoniously near the corner of the raised rock, resting on one of its sheer faces. Lillie picked it up carefully. Small, white, adorned with a complete black circle with two incomplete semicircles around that. The Normalium Z. She slipped it into her shorts pocket.
"I did it," she said, her voice nearly silent.
Lillie collapsed against the platform, shivering. Somehow she felt so cold. Light sprinkled in from above – cracks in the moss covered ceiling. Shafts illuminated sprinkling dust that reached down to her. Koa had followed her around the corpse of the Totem, gingerly sniffing at Lillie. After a while the pokemon looked about before fixating on something laying against the far wall.
"What's up, Koa?" Lillie asked, gently patting her pokemon's head. Even just moving her free arm ached. She turned towards where he looked.
When she saw it, she froze.
A cage of yellow metal like circular disks extending outwards. Four pairs of them, with a final pair intersecting them lengthwise. In the center lay a sphere of cold purple enclosed, a familiar black balled shape floating within. It lay against the far wall, leaning against the rock. Motionless.
"Nebby?" Lillie gasped.
There was no response. The pokemon had changed somehow. It was silent, as if asleep. It simply lay there. There was no reaction to its name, no recognition. If it was even the same pokemon, that is. Lillie stood slowly.
It had been nearly a month and yet…
Lillie limped over to the silent pokemon and crouched before it.
"Did you do this?" Lillie looked back at the Totem pokemon. "What are you even doing here?"
There was no response. Not even the slightest movement. Lillie grit her teeth, reaching down with one hand. She wrapped her hand around the pokemon's roughly ovaline shape and pulled. It wouldn't budge, not even slightly.
"How heavy are you?" Lillie grunted, struggling to lift him to no effect. "I can't..."
Then, all of a sudden, the click of metal bumping against rock, and the rigid pokemon rose. She pulled at it gently and it followed without effort. Even without touching the pokemon it would sit motionless in the air, as if waiting for her.
Lillie stood, cradling the pokemon under one arm, and walked back to the ramp. Above her the path reached away, circling up into the rest of the Verdant Cavern.
She stopped at the corpse of the Totem and stared for a long moment.
"I'm sorry," she said, even though it would never hear her.
And she limped up the rocky path, every step agitating her still-aching wound. Koa raced on ahead of her and she cradled the silent and motionless Nebby under one arm. One step after another. One step after another.
The journey back was slow progress, but constant. When she reached the tunnel leading out, she paused, hesitating, but only for a moment.
A deep breath in and she dropped to her hands and knees, beginning to crawl.
She reached the body of the centipede, its crushed head oozing a thick liquid she didn't want to recognize. Lillie paused, watching as its many legs still lazily shuffled about. Even dead the creature refused to be still. Lillie grabbed a fistful of dirt, covering the insect completely, and continued on.
When she took that last step out into the fading afternoon light, Ilima was there. He smiled down at her, extending a hand and pulling her up and out of the tunnel. For a long moment they both stood there silently. The tears had long since dried on Lillie's face, but the dust and dirt remained. Her clothes were a mess, torn and dirtied. Every few moments she'd feel the heavy wave of pain emanating from the bite, but it no longer knocked her off her feet. Under one arm she carried Nebby, the pokemon not having uttered a single sound. Lillie gingerly pulled the Normalium Z from her shorts pocket and Ilima nodded.
"Congratulations, Lillie," her mentor said softly. "What an incredible trainer you have become."
Author's Note: Not many reviews this time, so notes this time around will be short. Next chapter will be the epilogue for Part I.
guy - Thank you!
CrazyNinjagoFan1 - I'm glad you liked it! I'm a big fan of cliffhangers.