Chapter 3: Rescue in the Ravine

The map covered the entirety of a wide, flat boulder. It was a large canvas square with accurate lines of the whole of Hisui – tracing pathways and rivers, mountains and canyons.

There was a small group around me, a mixture of clan members, survey and medical corps personnel, and all their Pokémon partners. We were seeking all kinds of medicinal plants to help Nurse Pesselle try out different concoctions for medicines to treat the poorly Pokémon, as well as the villagers.

"Is everyone set?" I stood back from the map, to which my watchers all nodded. "Okay, stay in your pairs. Any sick Pokémon, capture and bring back. We'll treat them in Jubilife prior to release."

The corps members saluted their assent, and the clan members nodded eagerly. Pairing off together and progressing forward, my own partner came forward as I began to roll up the map.

I had known Mai since I arrived in Hisui. She had made me feel welcome in her land, and her happy Munchlax would often rush to greet me on our encounters in the Obsidian Fieldlands. She looked much the same, though her hair was a little longer, and she had added more Pokémon embroideries to her jumper and leggings.

"Shall we head off?" she asked, hands on hips.

I nodded, and we started our descent out towards the riverside, where we knew we were sure to find plenty of medicinal leeks and bugwort blooms. We were quiet mostly, only congratulating each other on a well-picked plant or nicely-spotted blossom. Our Pokémon played in the long grass as we scoured the flora for the ingredients we needed. The Diamond clan had experienced a small outbreak of sickness amongst the children and their Pokémon – experiencing severe fatigue for the humans and an almost rabid psychosis for the Pokémon infected. I could tell Mai was mulling these things over.

"Are you alright?" I asked, sitting back on my heels from where I'd spotted another leek and proceeded to pull it free. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."

Mai laughed, though the sound was false and resentful. "I suppose there's always a crisis. It's good to see you – I wish you'd written," she turned away from me, pretending to pick some Oran berries from a nearby tree.

I paused and stood up with my leek in hand. I gently tucked it into a canvas sack that we'd brought with us.

"I'm sorry," I admitted, reaching up beside her to pluck some berries. "You're right; I should have written."

She smiled at me then, and we spent a moment pulling the berries down in amicable silence.

The stillness was broken by some high-pitched screeching. It was a scream of panic, piercing the relative peace we'd managed to find in the valley. Mai looked at me, frowning in concern, and gestured down the river.

"It's coming from down there," she shuddered.

I looked immediately for our Pokémon, who were nearby in the long grass. Umbreon's head was cocked to the side, listening intently, as Espeon chittered nervously. Munchlax had wide eyes and was spinning on the spot, trying to source the noise.

"Can you still summon Basculegion?" Mai asked me earnestly, pulling her flute out of her back and passing it to me.

I took the Celestica flute in hand; the truth was I wasn't sure. I hadn't seen my Pokémon friends for years – if I tried to summon their help now, I wouldn't have blamed them if they decided I wasn't worth the effort.

Lifting the instrument to my lips, I prepared for the inevitable embarrassment of abandonment. The notes came back to me easily, and I played Basculegion's song with all my hope and strength. The crisp timbre hung around the fieldlands – Wurmples and Bidoof looking up from their usually constant grazing.

I could feel my cheeks redden as Mai looked on expectantly. I looked up and down the river, ignoring the judgemental looks from a small pack of Buizel on the opposite bank. They were sat at the shoreline, their intense gaze looking at the pair of humans that were almost infringing on their territory.

I was about to turn to Mai, and if I had done so, I'd have seen a knowing smile – but then I saw it too.

A bulge in the surface of the river, a tell-tale fin poking out towards the sky, tall and spined. A ferocious looking fish-pokémon sped towards us, its nose out of the water to display its long, scarlet barbels and emerald scales. Its red eyes focussed on me, increasing speed at such a rate I was convinced it was going to burst onto the sand in front of us.

I took a step back, concerned, and held my hands up in front of me. I needn't have worried. Basculegion halted accurately, the force of its stop sending a large spray of frigid water over us all. I laughed – different feelings of relief flooding me with warmth despite the chill.

Umbreon grumbled and shook the droplets from his coat as Espeon delicately licked her paws.

"Hey old friend," I grinned, wading into the water and rubbing Basculegion on the nose. "Remember me?"

He was also a Pokémon of little words, but something told me he was pleased to see me. His tail flicked out of the water, causing another splash. Mai gestured at me.

"Oh, right," I remembered the harrowing sound we'd heard earlier. "Basculegion, do you think you can take all of us?"

He snorted, as if offended by the idea he couldn't convey that amount of weight across a body of water. He turned, proffering his broad and scaled back for us to climb onto.

I had to pick up Umbreon to get him onto the large fish – he wriggled and scratched as I clambered in front of Basculegion's prominent dorsal fin. Espeon climbed up gracefully, as Mai helped push Munchlax up next to us. Once she was seated and holding on securely, I gave our ride a small nudge.

"Someone's in trouble, Basculegion," I explained, leaning forward to talk into his ear – in order to communicate over the fuss Umbreon was making. "We need to head upriver. Will you help us?"

The Pokémon grumbled its assent and pushed forward through the water with alarming speed. Umbreon hid inside my jumper, and I winced as his claws dug into my chest and shoulders.

Mai let out a small whoop! – the speed at which Basculegion coursed through the water was exhilarating and the views of the Fieldlands were spectacular. Pokémon on the banks and in the grass took no notice of us as we coasted by; distracted by their grazing or mingling. Mai pointed to some Starly doing a mating dance, flapping their soft grey wings at each other and hopping in little figure-of-eight loops. There was a group of Buizel sunbathing on some rocks by the water's edge, chattering away in their harsh voices. Occasionally they would drop into the cool water to shake off the heat, and then scamper back ashore to re-join their friends.

Suddenly the landscape began to rise around us into the deep valleys and gorges which were home to copious Magicarp and a few volatile Gyarados. We didn't have time for any altercations today, so I kept my eyes peeled for the latter.

The screeching had resumed – the high-pitched screaming and whining echoing off the tall walls of rock that surrounded the fast-flowing river. Mai and I swivelled in our seats, trying to find the source of the sound.

"There!" Mai pointed over my shoulder, up at the steep cliffs.

A frantic Luxray paced back and forth, releasing the pained sound down below. Around her feet scampered two small Shinx, both similarly agitated.

"What's wrong with her?" Mai mumbled, craning her neck upwards.

The Pokémon was treading awfully close to the edge, her paws loosening small rocks and pebbles that were falling into the water with little splashes. She would stop periodically and look down below – her cries lengthening in anguish.

My gaze followed hers, and landed on another Shinx, who was hanging onto a small ledge, his back legs pawing at the unstable rock surface, unable to get a good grip with his claws.

I took Umbreon out of my shirt (much to his disagreement) and pulled off the red scarf that was part of my Survey Corps uniform. I tied it from my right shoulder to my waist and stood up – balancing carefully so as to avoid plummeting into the icy water around us.

"Akari? What are you-?" Mai's question was cut short as I leapt towards the rocks.

If I had thought about it for any longer, I'd have bottled out. I was determined not to let the little Electric-Type Pokémon disappear into the depths below. Fingers hooking onto crumbly place-holds, my boots kicking new ledges into the stone, I advanced upwards.

"You're doing great!" Mai would call from time to time, as I focussed my view at the rockface above.

I could see Luxray, still moving constantly in her anxiety and mewling down at her baby. The Shinx had begun to cry for help, under the realisation that it was quite stuck and wouldn't be able to hang on forever. I could see its little back paws still scrabbling for a hold, and tried not to look up into the dust and debris it was kicking down on me.

The climb wasn't too difficult for someone with hands. It was high, but I'd scaled similar surfaces with Espeon and Umbreon tucked into a pack on my back. I assumed a comparable entity would be acceptable here.

"Hey little guy," I pulled myself up next to the little Pokémon. "Let me help you…"

It looked at me – startled. The initial shock wore off and it suddenly began to scream – its piercing cry only furthering the anger and worry its mother was suffering. She began to roar down the cliff face, and Shinx began batting at me with some sharp claws.

I yelped as he came awfully close to my hands – and swung backwards. At this point I looked down at Mai and our Pokémon. Bile filled my mouth. It was higher than it had looked.

"You're doing great!" her voice echoing and amplifying with the acoustics of her surroundings. "Just grab him!"

"I'm trying!" I grunted, making a grab for the scruff of his neck.

The little Pokémon shrieked as I stuffed him into a makeshift sling, wrapping the scarf around him and twisting it as if he were in a cloth cocoon. His little claws began to emerge through the material, and I swung him onto my back – my only option was to continue the climb and reunite him with his mother before he either chucked himself down the ravine or the two of us together.

"You can do it!" Mai's voice was further than ever, and I resisted the urge to look down again.

I watched my hands and feet intently, not wanting to lead myself astray or take a wrong footing. The Luxray had paused her panic for a moment, beginning to understand that her baby was getting closer to her, rather than being kidnapped by a human. She began to chitter above, her pacing halting and her face a steady goal for the end of the climb.

One foot in front of the other, I thought to myself, ignoring the occasional stab from Shinx claws through my scarf and my tunic, one hand, then the other.

My right hand hooked over the crest of the top, and I almost laughed with hysterical relief. I was panting, sweating, and the Shinx had almost torn himself out of the makeshift container. Unhooking it from my body, I shoved him onto the edge of the cliff and could hear Mai cheer below – though by now her voice was eerily faint.

The Luxray finished off the rest of my scarf with a powerful stroke of her claws and admired the disorientated cub with lots of purring and nuzzling. I grinned at them, taking a deep breath, ready to haul myself up next to them. The Luxray looked at me with her yellow eyes, peaceful at last. She picked up her stray in her mouth as the other two Shinx stayed sensibly away from the cliff.

I lifted myself onto the edge, my knee touching blissfully touching solid ground. I released my hold on the rock just as Luxray turned with her baby to go home, her long black tail hitting me square in the mouth.

I flinched backwards, and felt my stomach turn over inside my body as gravity seemingly abandoned me, weightless in the air as I plummeted towards the dark water below. I didn't have time to register Mai's cry of panic or my own terror as I squished my eyes shut and waited for the inevitable impact.

This was really going to hurt. I prayed survival was still on the cards – the cliff was high.

I screamed.