"What do you mean, 'we're not alone'?"
Blanche's voice sounded muted and distant, as if Candela were hearing them from underwater. Her head throbbed and she could feel her pulse pounding in her temples. It wasn't quite the debilitating pain that Dr. Dillinger had used on her before, but it came close.
"I'm in Hypno's head, and I see other people down here," Candela said, fighting through the migraine sensation. "This is… really, really strange."
"Strange" didn't come close to describing what it was to be inside the head of another being. To Candela, she was no longer in the cavern with the stream. She was standing near a rushing river, hiding behind a stalagmite. She could see Hypno's arm as if it were her own, but she couldn't control it. Or, she didn't think she could. She wasn't going to try. She could feel the cold wetness of the stalagmite beneath Hypno's yellow hand, and for some reason, it made her queasy.
"Where are the other people? Are they Rockets?" Spark asked in that muffled way.
"They're not close, and they're definitely not Rockets," Candela said.
The people Hypno was watching from his hiding place looked like living ghosts. A group of about 10 of them gathered water from the river in buckets while another three or four kept watch. Their skin was pale to the point of translucency, and even from a hundred feet or so away, Candela could make out green and purple and blue veins streaking their arms and legs. They wore woven tunics, dark and coarse, blending in with the rocks around them. The people guarding the water-carriers held long, hook-ended swords, the kind that might disembowel an enemy in a single swing.
"Can you elaborate?" Blanche asked.
Candela described the scene before her. She didn't like speaking when it felt like she was so close to these strange people, but they didn't seem to hear her. Unless she was somehow making Hypno make noise, how could they? Still, it was a disquieting sensation.
The people on the riverbank finished their task and the group departed through a large tunnel leading away from the river, lighting their way with fiery torches and small lanterns that appearing to contain chunks of glowing crystal and mirrors. As soon as the glow from their lights disappeared, Hypno made his move. He turned away from the bank and headed upriver.
"OK, the people left, and Hypno's turning around," Candela reported. "We're in an area kind of like the one we're in now, but with much more water. Like, rapids. And I think I see… yes, there's a waterfall ahead. Hypno's climbing up a slope to the top of the falls. They're maybe 40, 50 feet tall, super loud."
She waited, marveling at how Hypno's limbs felt like hers, and yet she was only along for the ride. She found herself thinking encouraging thoughts and trying to transmit them to him. Watch your step! Good, we're getting close! Her heart felt warm as she sensed gratitude from Hypno. It was like she could feel his thoughts, not hear them. They weren't in any language she knew. They were feelings, fleeting emotions, like little flashes of warning when he stepped on a slick rock, or the giddy flutter of optimism when he looked up and saw how close he was to the top of the waterfall.
"OK, we're at the top," Candela said. "Looks like a bunch of tunnels and streams feed into the falls a little further up, but they're all too wide and fast to cross, and the ceiling is really low in most places. There are a few rocks jutting out of the water at the top of the falls, just large and close enough to use as a bridge."
Hypno stepped onto the first stone, and Candela sensed how slippery it was. But Hypno seemed confident, and as he began to jump from stone to stone, a tunnel on the other side of the falls came into view.
"I think he's showing us a path away from the people who were on the bank," Candela said. "Our stream must feed into this area, so if we- OW!"
The pain in her head spiked. Hypno's vision blurred and Candela lost feeling in her fingers and toes as her connection with him faded. His shock and fear still stung her heart, and she wondered if this process was as painful for him as it was for her.
Then he was gone, and Candela was alone. Somewhere, she heard her friends shouting, but their voices were garbled and unstable, and she couldn't pick up every word.
"…need to…! She's bleeding! …going on?"
"… trying… not working, Spark… pull it off!"
Candela went from total numbness to feeling a powerful, choking heat. As she struggled to breathe, she sensed the presence of another entity, much like she'd sensed Hypno before. But this wasn't like Hypno. This was huge, and consumed by wrath and terror, and rather than letting her into its head, it was invading hers. Candela felt herself screaming, that raw rush of air cutting her throat, but she couldn't hear herself above the roar of fire and the horrifying, yet familiar, screech of a massive pokémon.
A flash of light, and the sound and heat were gone.
All at once, Candela was back in the cavern with the little stream, gasping for air. She couldn't see much, but she recognized Blanche's white hair close to her, and she reflexively reached for them. Blanche pulled her close and held her heavy head up to look into her eyes.
"Candela? Can you see me?" Blanche asked. Their delivery was calm and regular, but higher pitched than usual.
"Yes, mostly," Candela said hoarsely, her throat aching from the screaming.
The fuzzy outline of Spark's head appeared next to Blanche's. "Are you OK?"
Candela blinked a few times, bringing her friends into focus. Both of their faces were creased with worry, and Flicker paced behind them, producing small, anxious snorts and sighs. Candela laughed, but it sounded more like a cough.
"The things I have to do for a little attention around here," she joked. "Yeah, I'm OK. Shaken up, that's all."
The salty tang of blood seeped from her lips to her tongue. Candela raised her hand to her face and touched the warm blood that ran from her nose. She observed the crimson droplet on the tip of her finger before wiping it off on her jacket.
"You were screaming," Blanche said, sneering a little at Candela's decision to smear blood on her clothing. "I couldn't get the circlet to deactivate, so we had to pry it off of you. What happened? Did you see something?"
"Not exactly," Candela said as she rubbed the side of her head, glad to find the circlet gone. "I was pulled away from Hypno as he was crossing the stepping stones, and the next thing I knew, it was like I was being attacked."
"Attacked by what?" Spark asked, and he offered her a square of medical gauze from the duffel's first aid kit.
Candela held the gauze to her nose to stop the bleeding. "I think… no, I know it was Moltres. It was furious. I could physically feel its anger. And it was, I don't know, trying to force itself into my head. It was terrifying."
"Could you tell where Moltres was?" Blanche asked.
Candela frowned. "No, I couldn't. It was just suddenly there. I don't understand what it was doing. This is going to sound crazy… it's not like I know Moltres or anything, but from what I've experienced so far, it wasn't itself. Something was very, very wrong."
She hadn't realized she was shaking until Spark placed his hand firmly on her shoulder to stop her. He'd warned her. He'd predicted something bad would happen. An ugly little part of herself was pissed about that.
"Anyway, I'm fine," Candela insisted. "I don't know what happened with Moltres, but it's over now, and we should keep moving. I'm sure if we follow this stream, we can get to the waterfall. Hypno didn't have enough time to get too far ahead, and I want to get there before those strangers show up again, just in case."
"You don't think those people were…?" Spark started to ask.
Blanche stood and walked to pick up the Candela's circlet, which had apparently been tossed a few feet away after being removed. "It's highly unlikely that a society could survive so long in an environment as barren as this."
"Highly unlikely, but possible?" Spark said.
Blanche turned the circlet in their hands. "Yes. It's a fascinating possibility. If we weren't in our current position, I would be interested in investigating these strangers."
Candela's head pounded as she stood unsteadily. Flicker placed himself next to her, in case she needed something to lean on. "Of course you'd be interested," she said to Blanche.
"And you're not?" Blanche asked, lifting a single slim eyebrow.
"I…" There was no point arguing. "Yeah, OK, I'm interested, too. But you're right. Hypno seemed very apprehensive of them, so I guess we should steer clear."
Blanche handed the circlet and communicator to Spark, who tucked them into the duffel, which he then zipped.
"Hey… why do you think the circlet didn't deactivate?" Candela asked as she hefted the bag onto her shoulder. She was determined to prove that she was OK, though her head was still spinning a bit.
"It must be glitchy," Spark said. "It gave Blanche and me a shock when we took it off of you."
"It was odd, though. It wasn't really a shock," Blanche said, moving toward the stream.
Spark took the cue and climbed on Flicker's back, rubbing the ponyta behind the ear to show his appreciation for the help. "Pretty sure it was a shock. Thanks to Rutabaga, I know an electrical charge when I feel one," he said.
Blanche pressed their lips together, thinking. "Strange. For me, it was like the burn of accidentally touching dry ice."
Candela glanced between the other leaders. "You guys are seeing the obvious connection here, right?"
"The birds," Spark said, furrowing his brow. "Man, I'm getting real sick of being this confused all the time."
"Aren't you used to-" Candela awkwardly stopped herself mid-taunt.
Spark sighed, and though it was meant to be a comical gesture, Candela wondered if there might have been some truth to it. "My ego can take a joke, Candela. Don't worry about it. And yes, I am used to being confused, but it's not usually to this degree."
"I think we should be quiet," Blanche stated from ahead of them. "We don't want to draw additional attention to ourselves."
Candela and Spark exchanged amused looks, but followed Blanche in silence along the stream.
§
The stream gradually expanded as tiny rivulets joined it, and soon enough, the water had broadened enough that only a narrow path remained dry, right next to the wall of the tunnel. The ceiling had become claustrophobically low, and Candela had been forced to return Flicker to his pokéball. The leaders shuffled along the narrow strip of rock on foot, heads ducked to avoid bumping the ceiling, feeling their way forward through the partial darkness.
Candela heard the falls before she saw them. She was the last out of the tunnel and into the wide area of merging streams that she'd seen through Hypno's eyes before. Ahead, the top of the falls suggested an infinite drop into the unknown, but Candela reminded herself of the view from below. It was a considerable drop, but not as intimidating as it appeared from this angle.
"I guess these aren't so bad," Spark said, limping up to the stepping stones at the top of the falls. "It's like that creek we used to play in out in the woods. Except with a roaring waterfall and almost no light."
Water crashed and sprayed over the rocks, making them slick, but they were wide and flat and fairly close together. The ceiling was low enough that they could brace an arm against it for extra support as they crossed the 20-foot wide falls. Compared to everything else Candela had experienced in the cave, it would be a cakewalk.
Candela squinted down at the distant glow of crystals near the shore where the pale people had been. It remained vacant, as far as she could tell. Regardless, she didn't want to linger at the top of the falls in case they came back and noticed the conspicuous trio of strangers crossing the stepping stones. She took the first step and, finding it not as slippery as she'd feared, proceeded to the next stone. Spark followed her, keeping his hand to the ceiling to counter his injured ankle, and Blanche brought up the rear.
The progress was smooth until Candela reached the fifth stone. The pain in Candela's head came out of nowhere, like a railroad spike driven through her skull, blindingly intense. She staggered forward, her toes slipping over the edge of the stepping stone. Something caught the back of her jacket and pulled her back upright.
Then the rage hit. Instant, incendiary, unstoppable. It was a physical thing in her stomach, roiling and burning, spreading, taking control. What unfortunate creature had the audacity to touch her? She threw her elbow backwards, striking whatever had grabbed her. Candela's body followed the motion of her elbow until she was facing the offender.
He was a pitiful-looking thing, wide-eyed, weak. It would be a mercy to end his life. She drew back her fist to strike, but he lunged forward and caught it. He was yelling something, but she didn't care what he had to say. He was an obstacle to be destroyed. She twisted and struggled to escape his hold, and as she did so, she drew back her foot to find stable purchase.
But there was none to be found. Her foot fell into nothingness and the rest of her followed, pulling her attacker with her. No, not an attacker. Spark. The hatred vanished and a burst of adrenaline flooded through Candela as she plummeted into the dark water of the falls, her hands reflexively grasping Spark's wrists.
They hit the river below, and it felt like hitting concrete. The wind was knocked from Candela's lungs as the falling water forced her under the surface. Spark clung to her as they both tumbled through the cold darkness, buffeted by rocks, spun by the current.
As soon as they breached the surface, Candela sucked in a gulp of air and water. She choked and gagged and kicked frantically to keep from sinking as the river pulled her along. Spark rearranged his hold on her, hooking his arm around her waist so the other arm could be free to swim. But the current was too swift to fight, and Candela watched helplessly as they were washed away from the falls and from Blanche's panicked form at the top of them.
"Kick for the shore!" Spark shouted above the thunder of the rushing water.
Candela pulled herself together, despite the guilt and horror that threatened to paralyze her. She pumped her legs, thinking of the swim-training she and Spark had received from Blanche when they were younger. Remain calm, breathe, be purposeful with every kick and stroke. It had been much easier in the tranquil waters of a pool and while wearing a swimsuit rather than a drenched coat and boots.
The shore where the pale people had been whooshed by, out of reach. They were into the unknown now, kicking toward the cave wall, searching for shallows. All the while, the river flowed faster and tried to suck them into the depths. The light-giving crystals thinned and faded until all the world was blackness and the roar of the river and the cold, brutal torrent carrying them away. Candela didn't dare reach for her pokéballs. She couldn't risk losing her pokémon, or calling one out only to drown alongside her.
"You OK?" Spark asked, breathy and strained.
How could he ask that at a time like this? And after what she'd done? "Yes, fine, I'm fine! You?" Candela said, and more water rushed into her mouth for her to cough and spit out.
"Oh, things are going swimmingly," he replied.
Great. He had breath to waste on a pun. Sure. Was he trying to make her feel better for potentially killing them both?
Spark coughed but then went on. "Look ahead. Do you see that?"
A reddish gleam, bobbing, vanishing behind waves, reappearing closer than before. Candela had little time contemplate the light. She yelped as a rock struck her side and spun her around. Spark nearly lost his hold on her, and just has he'd secured it again, they collided with another half-exposed boulder. They bounced from rock to rock at the whim of the current until Candela's head connected with one of them, sending colorful flashes across her vision and completely disorienting her.
And then she felt herself slowing down, pulled by Spark's arm. Her feet brushed the bottom of the river, and she sensed she was being dragged into the shallows. Her vision still swam, but Candela could hear Spark's labored breathing. Her limbs wouldn't obey her. It was all she could do to keep her mouth above the waves.
Candela sensed something hard beneath her back. Ground, safety. Spark had hefted her most of the way ashore, and she felt his hot breath against her cheek as he lay next to her, shivering.
Alive. They were alive.
But they weren't alone.
Candela recognized the reddish light, now mere feet away. A torch, wielded by a tall, deathly pale man in dark robes. He walked toward them, slowly pulling the sword from his belt.
"Stay back!" Spark warned in a rough, waterlogged voice. Candela felt him reaching for a pokéball.
But he was too slow. The stranger brought the hilt of his sword down hard on Spark's head, rendering him limp, then turned to Candela. She had no chance to defend herself as the hilt cracked against her skull.