April 14th, First Year
"We're really doing this?"
"Naturally." Rei rummaged around in his satchel until he found a smoke ball, hooking one onto his belt loop. "We kind of have to, Akari. There's no other way around it."
"But still."
Four days prior, a massive distortion had broken over their campsite causing what was supposed to be a temporary evacuation to last for days with no end in sight.
She turned to glance back at the grayish hill; the distortion had spread to completely engulf the western side of the river like a seething gray corridor. People were still missing, a swarm of bug pokémon having ravaged the camp shortly after midnight. Akari tried not to think about the fact that there were dead people inside that distortion, nor the fact that their supplies were dwindling shorter and shorter by the day.
A new briefing brought a new task: find and calm Lord Kleavor the very day they received Commander Kamado's letter back. Needless to say, the man was not thrilled about the excess of casualties in the fieldlands.
Warden Ingo, his head bowed and his eyes fixed on the horizon, led the party as they cut through the tall grass of the plains. She hadn't had the motivation to speak to the older man since the incident at camp.
He was one of those chosen to try and recover the dead or injured the day after. He didn't come back the same person afterwards. He led the party at a relentless pace, a strange pokémon floating alongside him. Violet flames spilling out of its crystalline head, one metallic black arm wrapped around the warden's shoulder as if afraid to let him go. She hadn't seen him bring out that pokémon before.
Even after all this time, Warden Ingo brought no fuzzy memories of her past. Not even a hint of recognition. She'd seen Jaku speaking with the older man; perhaps they knew each other? Akari found herself wishing that she wasn't so alone out here. Maybe if she had somebody she knew here with her, her tasks wouldn't seem so impossible.
Soon, they were at the wide river that separated the Horseshoe Plains from Grueling Grove. Ingo's Tangrowth made short work of pulling some trees out of the ground and laying them across the river, Ingo being the first to cross and test its stability.
At the slightest protest from a scout about wanting to rest, Ingo had stopped and declared that they would be "coming to a stop" to better be prepared for the monumental task ahead of them. The older man then went and perched himself on a rock, staring off into the distance.
Rei, Komuro and Daigo all settled in a loose clump leaving Akari to sit in a patch of dead grass by herself. Akari let Oshawott out of its ball, watching as the little otter immediately flopped into the grass, seeming bored with both her and the world. Such a jaded little pokémon. Akari held out her hand to her partner who gave it a slightly offended sniff. It continued to look pointedly away from her.
"Still being a particular customer, eh?"
Akari nearly toppled over as a finger poked into her back. She turned. "Mister Volo!" She couldn't help but grin. "I thought you and the Gingko Guild were staying behind. What are you doing out here?"
"We merchants make our best profits when we're closest to the action," he lectured her, finger wagging. He looked all too pleased with himself at how he'd startled her, setting down his pack as he perched on a nearby log. "It's the first rule in being effective at making sales!"
Akari smirked. "What's the second, then? Having a death wish?"
Volo chuckled. "Come now, young Akari! That's not what Almighty Sinnoh's Chosen should say when given a monumental task such as this. A little more bravado, if you would."
"Oh, excuse me." Akari cleared her throat loudly with an edge of sarcasm. "I cannot wait to be struck down by one of Almighty Sinnoh's empowered spawn. It would be such an honor." With a jaded smirk, she added, "I wonder if they'll make statues of me in case I fail."
"Sorry to tell you, but statues are only made of those who perform great feats of strength. You'll have to actually succeed, my dear."
"Boo! And here I was thinking I would look great in casted marble."
"That's the spirit!" Volo cheered. He reached into his pack and handed her three potions. He gave her a warm smile when their hands brushed up against one another. "And you must remember that you won't be facing this task alone. You'll have your warden doing most of the work. All you have to do is chip in whenever you can and do what he asks of you."
"When you put it like that, you make it seem easy," Akari admonished. "But still." She glanced over at Oshawott, the pokémon being soundly asleep. "I don't think I'm quite there yet when it comes to helping. Not much good in a fight when I have a baby pokémon and a huge bug-type pokémon that probably won't be much good in a fight."
She rolled an extra pokéball into her hand, observing the shiny wood contraption that held what she knew to be an alpha Beautifly. Will this thing attack me again? Will it rip me to pieces?
"You did just fine against Togepi," Volo argued.
"That's different. Togepi is a baby and it only knows Tackle. We're talking about battling a murderous pokémon here."
Volo placed his hand on his chin and looked over toward a lower section of the plains, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "You're right," he smiled. He then glanced over at her with a mischievous glint in his eye. "If Almighty Sinnoh's Champion is to succeed, then they'll need strong pokémon to help them." He then lit up with a devious grin. "Give me one minute. I know something that might give you a leg up in this fight."
With a clap of his large hand on her shoulder and a delicate whisper to stay put, Volo swaggered over to Warden Ingo and struck up a vibrant conversation. There were a lot of exaggerated hand gestures. Akari strained to listen. Whatever it is he said, Warden Ingo shook his head, gave him what looked to be a pokéball, and went back to resting with his team.
Volo returned looking like all his prayers had been answered. "Well, there you have it! We have permission from our friendly neighborhood warden to do a bit of 'survey work', so-to-speak," Volo announced as he returned to the tall grass.
"Permission to do what exactly?"
"You'll see. Follow me. You haven't had much of a chance to do survey work, yes? I take it you won't be able to go home until you 'seek out all pokémon' so let me teach you a technique that will make studying them a cinch."
Volo led her deeper into the Horseshoe Plains until they were both hidden in a clump of thick gray grass partially hidden in the shade of a large boulder. He'd taken off his hat and stowed it at his belt, tucking the extra slack of his apron into his pockets. He turned back to her. "I take it you're familiar with catching pokémon, yes?" he asked, his voice much softer than before.
"Of course. How else would I have passed my first task?"
"Okay, okay! No need to become so defensive, now!" he teased. "Here's a bit of a skill check," he began, staring at something Akari couldn't see. "What's the best method for catching pokémon?"
"Oh, I know this one!" Akari brightened. "You're supposed to engage it in combat first and whittle away its strength. Then, you catch it."
Volo gave her a pitying glance and it was the first time she'd seen the friendly merchant frown. "Is that what the survey corps taught you? No, no, no. There's a smarter and more efficient way of doing it. Watch."
Volo deftly crept forward on his hands and knees until he was just at the perimeter of the grass, a regular pokéball readied in his hand. Before him was a Bidoof. He flanked the Bidoof until the creature's back was turned away from him.
In the blink of an eye, Volo had swiftly launched the pokéball at the Bidoof, encapsulating the poor thing in a flash of light. Without so much as a twitch, a spark flew from the ball noting success.
"You see, when catching pokémon or even battling them, you'll find it much easier to startle your opponent than face them head on." He gave her a sly smile. "It gives you a wonderful advantage." Volo then released the Bidoof and in one swift motion, snapped the ball apart across his knee as though it were a reed.
"That's amazing! When did you learn this?" Akari pondered.
"Ages ago! Why, I thought you already knew that handy little trick! If you didn't know something as basic as that-"
"Just what exactly are you trying to imply here?"'
Volo backed away, hands up in a mocking surrender. "I surely wouldn't be implying that Almighty Sinnoh's Chosen One would need a whole new refresher on how things work around here! No, sir!" In an undertone, he added, "Seems like the future you came from doesn't really teach the essentials."
"Is that how you caught Togepi?"
Volo blinked. "No. I've had Togepi since she was an egg. She's right here if you were wondering," Volo patted at a hidden pokéball belt at his side. It wiggled at the mention of its name.
"Aww. That's so cute! I could absolutely see you as a pokémon breeder, hauling around eggs all the time."
"A breeder? Me? I think that's enough," Volo waved her off, noticeably refraining from making eye contact with her. After a while, his eyes traced back toward the plains. "Say, you wanna put that trick to the test?"
Volo led her further up into the plains until they came to a lovely pond, ice creeping around the edges of the water. Carefully, he moved until they were just at the edge. Akari saw the great beast first: an alpha Rapidash.
"You're going to catch it," Volo whispered, sliding her a heavy black pokéball.
"Are you insane?"
"Not at all. This pokéball was engineered to catch pokémon more successfully when you catch them from behind. They're called Heavy Balls. All you have to do is get really close since it's heavy."
Akari stared apprehensively at the beast. This was the very same beast that had chased Jaku into the river and nearly killed her. Warden Ingo had easily managed to defeat it, but now it proudly prowled the plains, its mane emanating steam as it turned its head this way and that.
She felt nauseous… but Mister Volo looked worry-free as if he knew she would prevail. All she had to do was get close and toss it when its back was turned. Who am I kidding? I'm gonna get torched!
As if sensing her thoughts, Volo reached to take the ball back, his smile apologetic. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I understand completely-"
"No, no! I want to! I can do this!" Akari promised.
She breached the edge of the grass and crouched, the heavy ball weighing considerably in her hand. Thankfully, the Rapidash was already facing away from her. She crawled along the edge of the pond and moved so that she was just behind the pokémon's leg. If it noticed her now, she was as good as dead. But it didn't.
Akari took a deep breath and threw the ball at the creature's flank, retreating as quickly as possible as it was drawn into the ball. "Get down, get down!" she shouted, throwing herself to the ground.
There was a pause and then came a pair of hands shaking her shoulder. "Akari! Akari, you caught it!"
"…What?"
Volo ran out from the grass toward the heavy ball, scooping it up and tossing it at her. "What did I tell you! Of course this would be quick work for Almighty Sinnoh's Chosen One! Here."
Akari held the heavy ball in her hands, flinching at the sudden burst of heat along her palms. It didn't feel right so she tucked it away.
"You don't seem too excited for someone who just captured an alpha on their first try." Volo lowered his tone, taking a seat in the grass. He motioned for her to copy him and when she did, he carefully set a gentle hand on her knee. "Remember what I told you: you're not alone out here."
"It's not that. It's just… Sometimes I think Almighty Sinnoh made the wrong choice choosing me," she admitted, knowing that nobody else from the corps would hear her. "Surely, wouldn't it be easier for Arceus-"
Akari paused. Arceus. That was its name. Not Almighty Sinnoh but Arceus. The name brought a great sense of dread to her and a headache began to form behind her eyes. From beside her, Volo looked giddy like he'd stumbled across an invaluable fortune but he said nothing more.
The two had made it back to the others in record time. If Akari seemed a bit more cautious and slightly spooked then it was just their eyes playing tricks on them. Once Warden Ingo had taken account of everybody, he set off across the river and the party was soon cresting the Obsidian Falls.
Warden Ingo had made short work of the hostile pokémon they came across, even skillfully disposing of the alpha pokémon that targeted them. Akari wondered if she would ever become that strong. She hoped she did. Maybe in the time that she came from, she would be the strongest pokémon wielder. She would have plenty of strong pokémon to protect her! And maybe she'd be strong too! Then, nothing could make her afraid like… She averted her gaze away from the approaching treeline. Like now, she thought miserably.
Time seemed to quicken, and the party had emerged from a rock tunnel into what used to be the Heartwood. She saw Warden Lian recoil, feeling a pang in her chest when the boy clutched at his hat.
Dappled sunlight reached beyond the broken fluid-stained branches of the forest, red and brown snow piled against fungi-covered stumps. The forest was filled with the sounds of buzzing wings. A promise of what was to come. There was no birdsong, no sound of a stream tumbling down the hills, no occasional cry of a pokémon. Nothing.
They crossed over steep gullies and wide clearings until they eventually came to a stop atop a large hill just in front of the largest tree Akari had ever seen. The sound of the branches swaying in the wind was so loud that Akari had barely registered Warden Ingo's summonings. Rei tapped her on the shoulder and gestured her forward.
"Warden Ingo?"
"Miss Akari," Warden Ingo greeted her. "Commander Kamado had emphasized the importance of imparting to you this: my partners and I will be responsible for keeping Lord Kleavor at bay. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. I must ask: which pokémon do you have?"
Akari released both her Oshawott and her freshly-captured Rapidash. She kept Venus, her Beautifly, in its ball. Upon being released, the Rapidash tossed back its head and snorted, peering down at Akari with an unimpressed stare. Oshawott didn't so much as even look at her. Akari didn't want to know what Warden Ingo would think when he realized that one pokémon hated her and the other was too strong for her to command efficiently so-
"Bravo! These partners of yours should do nicely, despite the obvious power imbalance."
Akari started foward. "A-are you sure?" she stuttered.
"Absolutely!" He began muttering under his breath. "Lord Kleavor is a bug and rock type but it is most agile. Having Oshawott use Water Gun would slow it down just enough. Rapidash can use Hypnosis to tire it out and in conjunction with High Horsepower… " He raised an eyebrow at the hidden pokéball on her satchel. "You have an extra passenger?"
"Venus? No, no, no," Akari shook her head. "I don't think- with what's going on here- the bugs and all- Venus is a bug-type so…"
Warden Ingo gave her an odd stare. "It is not my duty to inform you which pokémon you can and cannot enlist assistance from during this fight. I only ask for your full cooperation."
"O-of course. I just- I don't think sending out a bug-type would be a, uh, a good idea."
"That would be correct. I would rather not take the chances. However, Miss Akari, I have a proposition for you."
"Of course! What do you want me to do?"
The warden produced from his large pack a few handfuls of woven thread bags that clacked together. He gently held them out to her. "Warden Lian created these balms to help soothe the lord; it is a different kind from the ones previously tested on the populations around the Horseshoe Plains. While I keep Lord Kleavor engaged in battle, I would ask that you throw these balms at it. Please try to stay as far from the fighting as possible."
Akari felt a little dejected at the note. She gave a nod and took the heavy balms. She wouldn't be doing any of the fighting! On a darker sidenote, she was relieved at getting to stay on the sidelines. Deep down, she'd been excited at the prospect of proving herself to be the capable champion Arceus had deemed her to be. Enough to send me into the past, she thought.
Everybody else had retreated away from Grandtree Arena. All she could hear was the wind in the branches and the buzz of swarming pokémon from afar. Rapidash and Oshawott followed along, eyes wary as Warden Ingo led the way into the arena.
The man seemed sharper. The hunch had disappeared from his back, his shoulders were set back, and his hands were clenched around the pokéballs at his waist. It was almost as though he was a different man altogether.
At the two's arrival, the tall tree gave a ghostly shudder. Then appeared Lord Kleavor. It was much larger than Akari predicted it would be. The large creature glowed a sickly golden color, its eyes a solid milky white as it flew down the trunk of the tree and landed, its two wedge-like blades sinking into the dirt with a sickening sclunch. It gave a harried screech and then flew at Warden Ingo.
Akari leaped away from the fighting, beckoning her pokémon into the fray as she readied a balm into her hand. Sparks of light erupted from the battle. Warden Ingo dodged around his pokémon, his ear-shattering voice echoing around the clearing as he commanded his pokémon to and fro. Lord Kleavor reared up to slash, sinking its blade into the earth just shy of where his Magnezone was.
From the sidelines, her fellow survey corpsmen watched like scavengers would a piece of rotting meat. Their eyes tracked the flurry of movements from either side, waiting for their moment to step in and assist their leader.
Akari tossed a balm. It splattered against the back of the lord's head. To her utter surprise and horror, Lord Kleavor then cranned its head around to glare at her and swung, scattering chunks of the tree in her direction. A blast of fire turned the splinters to ash as Rapidash countered, its eyes glowing scarlet as it used Hypnosis on the creature.
Machamp caught the stunned Lord Kleavor in a vice-like grip and forced it to the ground only to get violently thrown across the clearing like a small pebble. Akari tossed another balm. Lord Kleavor gave another roar, throwing up a wave of dirt and sand to blind the two pokémon wielders.
"Akari, get down!"
A terrible white-hot pain shot through her body in the frame of a second. Time slowed down. Lord Kleavor's blade was an inch away after slicing through her throat, the rusted surface slick with fresh blood. Is that my blood?
Time restarted. Not a second before she ducked did one of Lord Kleavor's blades slice through the air where her head had once been. Akari threw herself backwards, taking in long heaving gasps as she struggled to right herself, her hands feverishly grasping for her neck. No wound. "What-"
Lord Kleavor raised its blades to strike. Another Flash Cannon surged from Ingo's Magnezone and the creature was forced to step back right into Akari's approaching Rapidash. It reared and stomped the Lord into the ground using its horn to impale and toss it into an awaiting Machamp's hold. The clearing soon became stained with blood.
It was a frenzied dance with Akari being forced to move at a moment's notice to avoid being disemboweled or decapitated. Warden Ingo was right in the thick of it, enveloped with sweat but smiling like a madman, calling urgent commands to his pokémon who obeyed to the point where they moved before the warden had even finished calling the move.
Machamp forced Lord Kleavor back into the ground, straining as the Lord got its legs back under it and forced itself to stand. With a loud ripping noise, Machamp was down, one of its legs bleeding profusely. Tangrowth broke free of its ball, tendrils lashing furiously.
"Cover your mouth and nose!"
A cloud of spores erupted from the Tangrowth and just as the creature began to sway, the Tangrowth used its tendrils to keep it from swinging its blades again. No matter how hard the Lord fought, no matter how many tendrils it managed to cut or bite through, new tendrils would always take their place.
Magnezone fired off another Flash Cannon. Akari threw another balm. As the balm hit its target, Akari felt the ground shudder under her feet. She glanced toward Ingo who had just barely dodged the ground falling away at his feet. The ground in front of her exploded upwards, sending pebbles and large stones high up into the air.
Akari dodged another stray Earth Power and rolled so that she was just behind the creature. She would put Volo's back-strike technique to good use. She lobbed another balm at Lord Kleavor and as the creature turned to swing at her amidst Tangrowth's vines, her Rapidash turned, reared, and struck at the Lord so hard that a good chunk of its rock plating had been completely shattered. Rapidash continued its violent assault as Lord Kleavor finally broke free of Tangrowth's hold.
"Mars, Agility!" she found herself calling.
The alpha huffed. It was running circles around the Lord, weaving in and out to kick and strike blow after blow until the Lord was unsteady on its feet. Another Sleep Powder from Ingo's Tangrowth had the creature kneeling. With one last toss, Akari's balm splattered against Lord Kleavor's face.
The air seemed to vibrate and an otherworldly glow emanated from the beast. Akari was suddenly knocked off of her feet. The sound of wind in the trees intensified until she had to cover her ears, her Rapidash protecting her from the sudden blast of wind as the light from Lord Kleavor disappeared.
A cold silence filled the clearing. Akari covered her eyes as Rapidash nosed her to her feet, the new kind of sunshine warming her face. She blinked. Not even a few paces away stood Lord Kleavor, its body bloody and broken as it yet towered over her, its frenzied glow having vanished.
