February 28th, First Year

Jaku twisted her feet deeper into the mud and held her footing as Shige swung, the two pieces of bulky wood clanking together. Shige pushed down harder, white-knuckling the hilt of his blade. They flew apart and charged at each other again. Speckled with mud and soaked with sweat, they kicked up dirt and grass as they hacked at each other, watched closely by Captain Yani and the other guardsmen.

Shige swung down hard again and Jaku met him head on, but she wasn't prepared for his next move. Swiftly, he seized the blunt side of her blade with his free hand and kicked out her knee, sending her sprawling into the mud with a loud squelch. The edge of his blade was now pointed directly at her throat. He stood panting and gasping for air, his eyes alight with excitement and victory.

"Very sharp, Shige!" one guard called.

"Next time, put more force into that kick!"

"Push him back next time! Let him have it!"

Jaku dropped her wooden blade into the mud and reclined back, trying her best to ignore the aching throb in her knee. She heard Shige drop his wooden blade too.

"Too much for you?" he asked with a smirk. "Come on now. You can do better than that." He spared a glance at the forming bruise on her knee. "It's not that bad, is it?"

Jaku chuckled, putting her arms behind her head. "Not bad at all but my knee hurts like a bitch, though. Are you trying to put me out of commission or something?"

"Get stronger then. Maybe next time, you might avoid it."

"You are terrible."

"No, I'm not!"

"Liar." She took the hand that Shige held out for her and pulled herself up. They both looked like a hot mess. Shige's blonde hair was now stained red and brown, strewn with twigs and pebbles. Jaku's was none better.

"Let's get some water," Shige yawned, rolling his shoulders back. "I'm so thirsty, I could drink the entirety of Lake Valor!"

"I'd love to see you try."

"Hurry up, then!"

They moved over to the fallen log and took a seat as the next two guardsmen strutted into the muddy arena to fight. Captain Yani had explained that it was a good way to keep their skills sharp while building comradery. This was her current assignment. Keiji had finally tasked her to being a guardsman. Not what she'd had in mind, but it was better than watching the children all day.

She had even made a friend in Shige during her time working as a guard. Well, she wouldn't call him a friend moreso as a friendly acquaintance. Shige was a man with a lot of unpopular opinions, and he never failed to speak his two cents, even if nobody wanted them. He was arrogant, courageous, and if she were being honest, the man tended to hold himself up on a pedestal.

The mirelands had been frozen for the last three days, and with the sunny skies, she was grateful to have the chance to stretch her legs. Though the swamps were still frozen and they endured a landslide every other few days, it was still better than the winter hellscape of the fieldlands.

"Wanna fight another round?" Shige broke into her thoughts. As he spoke, his eyes were still focused on the two fighting men. "Since you're an outsider, you're gonna need a whole lot more practice before you can get up to speed. You're not even at my level yet. What're you gonna do if you get hounded by a wild Psyduck?"

Jaku twitched up an eyebrow at him. "Says the man that doesn't even have a pokémon. I've caught three. What do you think of that?"

"Not all of us are well-acquainted with those beasts, Jaku. And didn't you get ran into the river by a Rapidash?" He smirked at her as she stared at her hands. "Thought so."

"That alpha Rapidash that was over ten feet tall and would've scorched me to death had I not jumped into the river that very moment. How about you go and talk to that alpha Vespiqueen on the other side of the river. Then you can go mouthing off to me about who needs practice."

Shige rolled his eyes, braiding back his long golden hair as his eyes followed the clashing guards around the arena. "I'm so sorry that you feel that way, Jaku. If I would've known how sensitive you are-"

"You know, Rez did mention to me that one time where you got stung by a herd of Roselia and pissed yourself," Jaku quipped.

"…I don't know what you're talking about."

Another guardsmen in the vicinity chuckled and slung his bulky arm over Shige's shoulder. "Oh? Didn't you know?" He gave Jaku a devilish grin. "On his way back from the Holm of Trials during somebody else's trial, he slipped off of a mound and fell right into a group of Roselias. Was completely poisoned for a week. His tent reeked to high heavens! Imagine not being able to fight off a bunch of sentient flowers."

"They're vixens, I tell you!" Shige hissed, batting the guard's arm away.

"Itty bitty flower ladies," the guard cackled. His warm gaze settled on Jaku. "Shige here barks more than he bites. Hasn't fought off a single invasion yet and now he's talking all big and mighty like he's one of the rangers-"

"You haven't fought off an invasion either!" He turned sharply to Jaku. "Don't listen to Talaos-"

"Remind me again how you managed to swim right up to a den of Hippowdon during-"

Shige covered Jaku's ears, his eyes flashing with mock fury. "She can't hear you! Better not say anything you might regret later! Hint hint!" His calloused hands were rough on the side of her face. She grinned.

"What're you gonna do? Move my bedroll?" Talaos laughed.

"That's enough, you three." Captain Yani strode over with his face in his hands looking absolutely exasperated. "If you can horse around over here, you can head back to camp and assist with dividing the day's catches. If the foragers don't need you, go straight to Adaman and assist with whatever he needs done. Understood?"

"Yes, captain!" the trio responded.

Once the old man had turned his back on them and started to walk away, Talaos almost immediately flashed her another coy smile. "Sooo. Did Shige mention that one time where he-"

"Talaos. Don't."

"Come on," Jaku yawned, standing. "Let's get back to camp before the sun sets. Don't want to get trapped outside now."

"Not after last time?" It was Shige's turn to be the teaser. Jaku blushed.

"Hey Talaos. Pass me your machete."

When they'd returned back to camp, Jaku had barely enough time to change into a fresh pair of clothes before a knock sounded on her tent door. It was a senior guard, fresh off of the noon guard with a curious look on his face. What he'd said was a bit of a shock: she was being summoned to Adaman's tent immediately.

She fished Dusk out from under her blankets and quietly made for Adaman's high-pitched tent, settling her partner on her shoulder where it nestled into the hood pouch with a squeak.

Adaman's tent, or the leader's tent, was the biggest and most ornate structure in the village. It was built upon old scaffolding and braced with large boulders, vines creeping up the sides as though it hadn't been moved in a long, long time. The beam of the overhang was covered with numerous trinkets and chimes, each rustling and clacking together noisily in the wind.

She carefully knocked on the doors and waited until at last, the doors to his tent opened. The warmth from inside billowed out as steam, swirling around Jaku's boots as Captain Yani emerged. At the sight of her, his characteristic frown turned into a scowl.

"Jaku. Adaman has been waiting for you. Head inside now."

The inside was much larger than it looked on the outside. Intricate black, gold and red embroidered screens stood against the walls, lit lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The floors were made of polished marble and a set hearth lay in the very middle. The walls were ordained with paintings of what she thought were the previous clan leaders and heaps upon heaps of scrolls, papers, and quills. The same garish trinkets held aloft outside the tent were also strewn about inside.

In the middle of the tent, poised to stare at the door with his eyebrows furrowed, was Adaman. A Leafeon lay in his lap, purring as the clan leader ran a bandaged hand along its back.

Jaku approached quietly and bowed before settling on her knees. She kept her eyes cast onto the floor, trying her best to demonstrate the courtesies that Rez had preached to her about.

"Jaku. Thank you for appearing in such a timely fashion," Adaman rumbled. His voice was strained. Faint.

"Of course, Clan Leader. How may I be of assistance to you?"

Adaman cleared his throat and sighed. "You don't need to be so formal. I don't know what Rez teaches the newcoming rangers these days, but- enough of that. I need your full undivided attention here so just leave out the pleasantries. I'm sure you've overheard what happened in the fieldlands a while back."

Jaku paused. "Uh… I think? The fieldlands? Was it Lord Kleavor?"

"That's almost right. Lord Kleavor flew into a frenzy about a month ago and so far, his warden, Lian of the Pearl Clan, has not been able to get close in order to calm him." Adaman raked his fingers through his hair, one hand on his temple as though he had a headache. "Nobody has managed to get close. Not even those Galaxy Team folks have managed it."

"Okay…?"

"I understand that you have not yet been given a place in the Diamond Clan yet. Keiji may have assigned you to being a guard for the time being, but it won't be permanent. I assure you, I'm not dragging my feet when it comes to that. Rather, I'm debating how we should use you to your best strengths to better benefit the clan and you."

"…Good to know, but why are you telling me this? Shouldn't Keiji be relaying this to me? I mean- I just-" she flinched as Adaman raised an eyebrow at her- "Keiji is always relaying to us guards not to bother you unless it's an emergency so…?"

"Normally, you would be right but there's something else to this situation in the fieldlands. Something that I could definitely benefit from if I were to send you there. Warden Mai hasn't heard a peep from the Pearl Clan or the Oreburrow Settlement about the situation with Lord Kleavor and from the reports I keep getting from the Sandgem Encampment, things are only getting worse."

Jaku narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You want me to help do something about Lord Kleavor, don't you?"

Adaman started forward, pinching the bridge of his nose as he nodded. "Yes, though I'd assumed you'd want nothing to do with it. We don't often get involved in the affairs of the Pearl Clan, but it's gotten so bad that even the Galaxy Team and their pokémon wielders can't function."

"The Pearl Clan didn't ask you to send help, did they? They don't seem like the type to." Jaku had been told about the Droning Settlement farther south on the east bank of the river but she had never gone to see it for herself. She'd only ever seen a Pearl Clan member on the other bank while gathering roots but they gave her a fleeting glance and ignored her completely. Isolationists, probably.

Adaman stood and began to pace the tent. "They didn't. Originally, the Pearl Clan was going to deal with it themselves, but with the mauling incidents and Warden Lian being so young, they have nobody who can take the Lord on. Clan Leader Irida even tried contacting her far more experienced warden, Warden Ingo, to try to take care of it. He would be the only one who might be crazy enough to do it." At her expression of confusion, Adaman explained. "He's a faller like you and Akari, but he fell almost two years ago. I've met him once. A strange one, that Ingo guy."

"You said 'tried'," Jaku cut through, trying to ignore the fact that there was yet another person who didn't belong here just moseying around with the Pearl Clan.

"Irida hasn't heard anything from him yet. All wardens tend to live around their lords in order to keep them in their best condition. Warden Ingo just so happens to live in the Coronet Highlands in a secluded part of the mountains that's notoriously difficult to reach. It may take weeks to find him and another week for the man to even get here. I- we don't have that luxury of waiting if you get my gist."

"Of course," she nodded, her hands trembling. "What would you like me to do?"

"I'm not expecting you to defeat this Lord, first and foremost" Adaman cut in. "Rather, I want you to travel to Jubilife Village and head out with the Galaxy Team scouts to take notes on how the creature acts from afar. Try to divulge as much information as you can from the Pearl Clan if they're there."

"Wait. Hold on. I'm banished from Jubilife Village. I can't go back there."

"You can. Commander Kamado rescinded his original verdict. You can only visit the village. You can't do anything within like buy or sell things or use their shops. Kamado is dead set on making you feel as unwelcome as possible, but not to worry. The Gingko Guild is the exception. You can buy from them and they've got pretty much anything you could think of."

Jaku scowled. "And what if I say no? What if I don't want to visit Jubilife Village and work under Kamado's rules?"

"Ah, but you won't be working under Kamado's rules," Adaman alluded. "Kamado was the one who asked for further assistance and seeing as how he personally requested that I send you, I made him agree to some terms and conditions if you accepted."

"Oh- oh. I see."

"That and I want you to go. You'd be much more helpful there than here. Keiji has been mentioning your little escapades into the bog to fight wild pokémon. You didn't think nobody would notice, did you?"

Jaku turned a new shade of red. "I mean- it wasn't- I meant no harm! Dusk just needs her exercise too and-"

"Will you do this for me?"

Jaku swallowed. "You want me to travel to Jubilife and study Lord Kleavor and his frenzy until we either come up with a way to defeat him or until Warden Ingo arrives? Is that right?"

"Correct. I don't want you to defeat Lord Kleavor, but I need you to assist in keeping that area safe and should Warden Ingo need your help, I expect that you'll lend a hand. This is a matter that includes all the clans now. Are you up to the task?"

"You're asking me?"

"It's more like an order, but you're an outsider and I don't expect you to die for a clan that hasn't taken you in fully yet. What will it be?"

Jaku swallowed thickly. Adaman had a point. "I'm doing this for the Diamond Clan," she vowed. "I'll do my best."


March 3rd, First Year

The next three days passed in a blur. It poured the morning of her departure and continued pouring well into the next day as she traveled with Talaos and a handful of guards that Keiji had sent with her. The entire party was silent for the journey, eyes watching the forests, hands straying at every strange cry that echoed from the woods and hills. After dragging herself through the swamp for so long, the solid earth under her boots felt unnatural as though she were too light.

They made it to Jubilife at sunhigh on the third day. It was much quieter this time as they stepped up to the wooden gates. They huddled together in the fur-lined tunics, holding their sabers as they waited. Here in the fieldlands, winter still had its cruel fingers twisted into the terrain and this was no clearer than the calf-deep snow that they stood in. The gate was eventually hauled up and over and the Diamond Clan members moved in.

A heavy silence hung in the air as though the entire village was holding its breath. Shutters were closed and children hung back by the doors of their homes, eyes wary and frightened. Why were they scared? Lord Kleavor hadn't even come this far.

"Jakucho! What're you doing here?" Rei poked his head out from a long building to her right, a sturdy-looking Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He waved, but the worry in his eyes shone clear as he stepped outside.

"I'm here on a mission for the Diamond Clan. Oh, and it's just 'Jaku' now." She glanced behind him. "I don't take it Akari is far from here, yeah?"

Rei flinched. "Well, I think you oughta come with me to the Galaxy Headquarters and find out. I didn't hear much about the mission but I know Kamado isn't happy about Adaman butting in or putting in his two cents. If you couldn't tell, things have gotten worse in the past few days." He began to lead her towards the Galaxy Building.

"Care to elaborate?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Come on."

Jaku remembered being walked down this road twice. The first when she and Akari were being led out to the Fieldlands in their skimpy void clothes and the other when Adaman was escorting her away.

This time though, absolutely nobody lingered on the streets, instead peering out from their windows or the shades from their doors. Windchimes clanked noisily against one another in the rough winds and much to her annoyance, snow began to fall.

"Everybody is either on guard duty or out scouting," Rei stated, noticing her discomfort at the emptiness of the village. "With Lord Kleavor being frenzied, the commander wants all eyes and ears to be focused on guarding the village."

"How come you're not out there then?"

"I- I was! I was with Akari- scouting, I mean." He rubbed the back of his neck. "We were the first on the scene. Akari is… busy. I'm supposed to leave tomorrow to go scouting. Watch your step."

Jaku was first to hold open the door and stared in dismay at the state of the inside of the building. Scouts were pacing the floor, some hurrying between rooms and others slumped against the wall. A pale orange room to her right was cordoned off and from behind the thick screen, she could hear groans of pain and a faint sob.

Rei grabbed at her sleeve. "Come on. Captain Cyllene is waiting."

"…Sure."

They carefully stepped into the central room on the bottom floor. It was just as Jaku remembered it. The walls were a faint shade of blue. The captain's desk was cluttered with papers, quills, and ink. A stack of pokéballs was placed on an abandoned desk right next to the door leading to Laventon's study. If there was anything that might suggest that nothing was out of order, it would be this room.

At their arrival, the captain looked up from her papers and nodded, giving Jaku and her clanmates a terse nod. "Thank you for escorting the Diamond Clan here, Rei."

"No problem, captain. Anything else I can do for you, captain?"

Captain Cyllene shook her head. "No, thank you, though. Rei, please make your way to the briefing room down the hall." She then turned to Jaku's group. "I'm aware that Clan Leader Adaman has sent for you all to survey the damage and assist in our efforts to gather information on Lord Kleavor. If things go smoothly, please be sure to send him my thanks."

"Of course, ma'am," Talaos nodded. "We will be sure to pass on the message. Is there anything else we should be aware of before we take our leave?"

"No, however-" she motioned for Jaku at the back of the group- "I request that Jakucho stay behind for a small briefing of sorts."

Talaos gave her a passing glance before nodding. "Of course." He turned to her. "We'll be waiting for you at the gates of the village. Don't be long now."

"I won't," she replied quietly. Once the rest of her clanmates had exited the room, Jaku opened her mouth to speak. "What can I do for you, ma'am?"

"Clan Leader Adaman has most likely told you about the commander's request for you being here. We of the Galaxy Team cannot force you to do anything due to the conditions that Adaman proposed. If you would be willing, might I ask for your cooperation on another matter?"

"And that would be?"

"Abra." She glanced at the psychic pokémon floating around a coat hanger in the corner of the room. At the mention of its name, it floated closer to hover over the captain's shoulder. "Abra has been my partner for many seasons, but I have heard from many of my scouts that Abra has an evolution. As the captain, my duty is here in Jubilife. I sense that Abra would like to become stronger, but I am unsure of how to proceed."

"If you'd like, I can take Abra with me on the scouting missions. If I'm remembering correctly, Abra evolves to- what's its name- Kadabra! Abra evolves into Kadabra with enough experience which you can only get through battling," she rambled. "Either that or with experience candies but those usually cost a fortune."

Apparently, a certain professor had been listening in because Jaku could see a garish purple hat peeking in from the door on her left. His eyes were gleaming, a pen and a notebook in his hands as he scribbled furiously in his notes.

After a tense conversation about Abra and experience, the captain had begrudgingly allowed her to take Abra along on her mission. The psychic-type floated a pace behind her at all times, humming as though pleased with the adventure before it.

Rei had encountered her in the main hall and motioned for her to follow him into the room to the left. The same room that the groans of pain had been coming out of. Rei rapped sharply on the door frame.

"Who's there?" came a sharp voice.

"It's Rei. Jaku is here too. Can we talk to Akari?"

Jaku froze. She could hear a faint conversation and another groan of pain before a tall, pink-haired lady moved the screen back. She looked half dead on her feet but gave Rei a kindly smile as though she were used to his antics.

"She's awake. Keep it short, though."

"Yes, ma'am."

Jaku followed him toward a cot tucked away in a corner and there, half-wrapped in bandages and slathered with balms was a very miserable-looking Akari. At the sight of Rei and Jaku, she gave a weak smile.

"Rei."

"You look better than the last time I saw you, Akari. Looks like that medicine is doing its job." Rei took up a seat by Akari's cot. Jaku chose to lean against the wall, eyes furrowed as she took in Akari's battered state.

"Rei. What's going on here? Don't tell me you encountered Lord Kleavor."

"What? No! No, no, no! I didn't! Really," Akari rasped. "It was an accident with a Shinx."

Jaku narrowed her eyes. "Really? A Shinx?"

"Yes, really. I just wasn't paying enough attention. I just really wanted to pick up the baby. I didn't see the Luxios until they were right on top of me. Rei was with me, but that's not why he brought you here. I was hoping to speak to you, actually. I haven't seen you in weeks."

"That's because I live a whole three days away. It's been a month. Keep it brief, Akari. I have to get back to my clan."

"You know how before you left, I was talking about doing as my tablet said? The whole 'seek out all pokémon' thing?"

"Yeah?"

"This weird surge of lightning struck the night after we both finished our trials. The exact night! Kamado seems to think it has something to do with our arrival here. He thinks we're both bad luck or something."

"The man is just paranoid, is all."

"But after the lightning struck and the clan leaders came here, he specifically requested you. I heard Adaman here a few days ago and from the sounds of it, neither were too happy about the situation. The commander kept mentioning the alpha Rapidash. It was a back and forth conversation- more like an argument- but I know the commander was close to waging war on the Diamond Clan if Adaman didn't send you."

Jaku blinked, remembering the heavy bags under Adaman's eyes. "So that explains why Adaman looked as though somebody had stepped on his toes. He didn't tell me the part about waging war." Another reason to dislike Kamado. "…Go on."

"Look, these bruises aren't deep. I'll be back on my feet by tomorrow. I think the commander is planning on making us deal with it before Warden Ingo gets here-" she glanced at Rei- "not you, of course. Just myself and Jaku. Can we-"

"Well neither of us are exactly power-wielding champions. I don't know what he's expecting me to do but as far as I'm aware, I'm only doing what Adaman told me to do: study the Lord and wait for Warden Ingo to show up. I'm here to gather info. That's it. Dealing with Lord Kleavor is the Pearl Clan's issue for now. Anything else I do will have to come from Adaman's mouth or it's a no-go."

"I-" Akari looked like she wanted to say much more but she bit her tongue and looked away. "I-I understand. As soon as I'm able to, I'll join you and Rei in scouting. It'd be better if we stick together. I think Kamado is set on giving us the most dangerous jobs. You are going to scout with us, right?"

"Hey, the commander is pretty strict but I don't think he's got it made to get you two killed!" He tried to laugh it off but squirmed when neither Jaku nor Akari brightened. "I think we'd better scram, Jaku. Let's not make this conversation more morbid than it already is. Akari needs her rest, after all."

"Right."