2: A Lesson in Illumination

Not far from where Akari was training that morning, there was a bridge. It wasn't like the bridges in some parts of Hisui: the conveniently fallen trees, the rotting logs tied together with fraying rope, the ones that made you feel like you were taking a gamble with your life just by crossing. This one was wide and well-built, and in near-perfect condition. It was constructed with smooth stone, every piece cut to fit. Other parts of Hisui had ghosts of these stone bridges, now just piles of broken rocks and imprints in the ground.

"Hey, Volo…?"

"What is it?" The merchant looked down at Akari with a smile.

When they were standing side by side like this, Akari was reminded of how tall he was. Taller than most people in Hisui, by far. The buildings in the village weren't made for him; he had to duck to get through their doors. Akari had noticed that it was different when he'd walked through the stone doorway in the ruins at Heavenward Lookout. The top of the arch hadn't even grazed his cap. Maybe he wasn't so tall for a Celestica person, then.

"What happened to the bridges in the Mirelands?" Akari glanced down at the one beneath their feet. "I mean, why are they not like this?"

"I suppose they must have been destroyed."

"But why…? Why would people destroy bridges? Doesn't that just make it more difficult for everyone?"

"War, Miss Akari. You might destroy a bridge to stop your enemy from following. Or you might do it to stop yourself from retreating. To give yourself no choice but to continue your present course and fight on to whatever end."

Akari gasped in sudden understanding. So, that's where the saying comes from. About 'burning your bridges'.

The two travellers stood upon the bridge, looking up at a pair of tall, narrow waterfalls that were so symmetrical, they almost resembled curtains. Akari thought it was strange how Hisui had two places like this. There was a similar sight up at Heart's Crag, in the Icelands. If the world really was created by this Pokémon, Arceus, Akari thought it must have had a thing for twin waterfalls. Maybe they symbolised something, besides being beautiful to look at.

Maybe we can ask, if we do get to meet it. I think it'll be way down the priority list, though.

Volo was carrying something in his arms, a small bundle wrapped in thin cloth. Akari had been wondering what it was, but she hadn't thought to ask yet. She followed as Volo walked to the edge of the bridge, then watched as he unwrapped the cloth and let its contents tumble the short distance into the rushing waters below. It was just fishbones, the remnants of last night's dinner. It might have been nothing more than a Hisuian version of taking out the trash, but Akari noticed that Volo looked too contemplative for that, and that he'd held the bundle with more respect than someone would carry a trash bag.

"Why do you put them in the water?"

"Tradition!" Volo shook out the cloth, folded it, and tucked it into the side of his rucksack. "There's an old belief that if you set them free like this, and give thanks, they may go around the world and come back to you whole, someday."

Akari thought about vengeful zombie Magikarp, becoming vengeful zombie Gyarados - wait…would zombie Pokémon even evolve? Just as she was thinking through the logistics of this imaginary scenario she'd created, she absentmindedly reached into her pocket. When her hand brushed against her phone, it reminded her about something much more serious.

"Oh, Volo! I forgot to tell you something last night."

"This sounds important…?" Volo turned around to give Akari his full attention.

"I was looking at the map, and I think I found a shorter way to the next camp. Maybe. We might have to see if it works or not, but if it does, it means we get to avoid most of Wayward Wood and the quarry - wait, I can show you, instead of just talking…"

Akari took out her phone. Every time she did, she half-expected to find it dead. But whatever had happened to it during her fall had kept it alive all this time. It had also gained some new features, things which Akari could not explain. It wasn't the first time Volo had seen it: last time, he'd watched Akari using it to open cave doors that hadn't been visible before. She wondered if he'd realised, then, that she was just as surprised as he was. Phones, even in the modern era, didn't generally do things like that. No wonder Volo looked apprehensive now, as Akari held the device up to his face.

"What am I looking at?" He moved his head here and there like a snake, squinting. Then he gently pushed the girl's arm away with a laugh. "Do you actually rely upon this? You don't own a real map?"

"Hey, it is a real map! But I guess if you're not used to smartphones…" Akari wiped drops of waterfall spray off her phone screen and put it back in her pocket. She was disappointed, but not outdone yet. "Doesn't matter. I'll explain it when we get there."

"That may be best, yes. You must forgive my technological limitations, Miss Akari."

As they kept walking, Akari only hoped that she hadn't embarrassed Volo, and that he didn't think she was trying to show off with some fancy future device that he didn't understand. She'd meant what she said about the shortcut, but they could talk about it later. For now, they had enough to worry about.

Akari and Volo were not just there to admire the view. Their onward path, the entrance to Wayward Cave, lay between those two waterfalls.

It was something of a labyrinth, as its name suggested. Its paths were dotted with basket torches, here and there, but they were spaced far apart - budget constraints, Akari had once thought - and they didn't necessarily tell you whether you were going the right way or not. The only indication of that was a slight incline, getting steeper as you went along, until you could really feel it in your legs. But it was still very easy to take a wrong turn. And then there were the bats to deal with.

Akari took a Poké Ball out of her bag and released Clefable. She was on her mind, after the broken statue, and Akari thought that Volo might enjoy meeting her. And, from the gleam in his eye, it seemed she'd been right.

By now, Akari had learned that Volo got a certain look, when something had grabbed his focus. She had seen it a lot, since he seemed to be interested in so many things - including Akari herself, for her fallen-out-of-the-sky credentials and her Noble-quelling escapades. She'd found it overwhelming, at first, the fascination with which Volo would greet her whenever they met. But she'd gotten used to it. And he was interested in Pokémon, which Akari thought made a nice change from all the folks in Hisui who were scared and wanted nothing to do with them.

Volo nodded his head at Clefable, almost like he was bowing. Looking charmed, Clefable returned the gesture.

This Clefable had never been an Alpha, but you could almost believe it. She was bigger than average. But, besides that, she had that Alpha air that Akari couldn't really describe. In a wild Pokémon, it was the thing that would rattle your teeth. But in one that was tame, it was more of a confidence. And that was how Clefable carried herself, as she led the way into Wayward Cave. For reassurance, and out of fondness, Akari placed her hand upon the pink Pokémon's back, where her wings met, and followed her into the cavern.

They would not reach the first torch until they were a little way in. So, for now, they had to contend with the darkness and the cold, which set in fast once the daylight was shrinking behind them. Akari began to shiver and drew closer to Clefable, embracing her wings.

Poor Volo, Akari thought, since neither of his Pokémon would have quite the same effect if he were to let them out. She was pretty sure a Gible's blood ran cold, and Togepi was too tiny to give out much warmth.

"Are you okay back there, Volo?" She had to ask, since she couldn't see him.

"Just fine, Miss Akari!" He sounded like he was shivering, too, but still as upbeat as ever. "Thank you for being so attentive!"

Before they found a torch, they heard Golbat up ahead. Akari was hoping they wouldn't have to battle in the dark. But, more than that, she hoped that they wouldn't hear the Alpha Crobat this time. If they crossed paths with that thing, whether they had light or not, it would be impossible to outrun it or get past it in these narrow tunnels. The span of its four wings was enough to fill the entire space. If that happened, Akari knew she might need more than just Clefable to get rid of it.

Volo leaned in to speak to Akari, touching her gently on the shoulder as a warning beforehand. "Forgive me, but why Clefable? The Pokémon that dwell here are poisonous, no? Is she not vulnerable?"

Akari found herself laughing, not because anything Volo had said was funny, but because it was like he'd nearly read her mind. She also wasn't used to hearing people in Hisui talking about things like that, even now.

"Ah. Did I say something wrong, Miss Akari?"

"No. I'm sorry." Akari straightened her face, even though Volo couldn't see it. She thought that maybe she should not laugh at all, here, where it was dark and they had to walk in single file. They couldn't read each other's expressions. It would be too easy to misunderstand things. "It's just that you're the first person here who's talked to me about Pokémon types. I mean, other than the Professor. But he only talks about them in, like, a research way. Not in a battling way. But I wasn't laughing at you. I think it's cool!"

"So few here have discovered the fun to be had in battling! And yet, those of us who live and work outside of the village must learn how to battle, a little, if only for our own safety. One cannot help but learn a thing or two along the way. Not that I would ever lay claim to your level of - oof!- "

Akari stopped suddenly, causing Volo to collide with her back. In truth, she'd stopped listening a few seconds ago, because they had a problem.

It was pitch black now, and she was sure they should have passed at least one torch. But there had been none, and not a glow in sight to hint at where they might find one. There was no way they could go any further without some light; they would be feeling their way along the walls in the dark. Akari dreaded the red of the Alpha Crobat's eyes being the first and last light they saw.

Might as well serve ourselves up to the bats on a platter, if we try to go on like this.

"Clefable, use a quick Dazzling Gleam…?"

The tunnel ahead was lit up for a few seconds by bright white sparks, like something you might see just after lighting a firework. It didn't last, but in that quick burst, Akari saw the shadow of an unlit basket torch in the distance. Before the light could fade, she pointed to it with a quick finger.

"Did you see that? Do you think you can hit it with a Charge Beam?"

"Charge Beam…?" Volo repeated under his breath. It wasn't the kind of attack either of his Pokémon would learn, Akari thought, and perhaps he'd never heard of it.

Akari realised that she could have opted for a Fire-type move. But in the heat of the moment, with the darkness feeling like it was closing in, a focused zap of electricity seemed like a safer option. On the other hand, Akari and Volo were both damp from the waterfall spray. Electricity might have been more dangerous than fire.

But it was too late for that. There was another bright spark from Clefable, this one more like lightning than fireworks. Akari had to cover her eyes and look away, but when she turned around, the torch was aflame. She pumped her fist in victory and patted Clefable on the back.

"That was remarkably done!" Volo said from behind her, with a few appreciative claps of his hands.

"You wanted to know how she'll deal with the bats…?" Akari glanced back over her shoulder with a grin.

"Oh, I see." Now Volo was the one laughing. "I'm very grateful for Miss Clefable's protection. And I did not mean to question her presence before."

"So, do you think we can just take this and use it the whole way?" Akari frowned as she wrapped her fingers around the torch stand. "I don't really want to go lighting them all up one by one...and it's not like they really belong to anyone, right?"

Even though that Diamond Clan guy thinks he owns them.

Volo didn't answer, but Akari wasn't asking for permission. She picked up the torch, and they carried on.

Everything's fine now.

It must have been. They had light. They had Clefable for protection.

But Akari's teeth were chattering, and she wasn't sure if it was just the cold, or if she was feeling nervous. She'd never liked enclosed spaces like this; nor did she enjoy silence. It might have been smarter to walk in silence, so they could listen out for any approaching wild Pokémon, but Akari found it hard to say nothing when she had company. She would start imagining things, filling in the quiet space with loud thoughts, wondering if something was wrong even if there was nothing to suggest that. She knew that she should probably get better at dealing with silence - and she would try. Just not yet.

As she'd picked up the torch, Akari had been reminded of Melli, and now she had to get that story out of her system. She started telling Volo about the first time she'd come through Wayward Cave, and about how the Diamond Clan warden had taken away the torches, just to stop her from getting to Lord Electrode -

"Clefable, use Charge Beam!"

Now and again, Akari had to break off her tale for the sake of a wild Golbat. But it only took a single hit each time.

"…I mean he literally removed the torches, he didn't just douse them…oh, I guess it's like what you were saying, right? About wrecking bridges to stop someone getting any further? I never realised that Melli was treating it like a literal war…"

"Are you sure this is the right way, Miss Akari?"

Volo's question took Akari by surprise, as it seemed to come out of nowhere. She was glad to hear Volo's voice again, since he'd hardly made any comments on her story thus far, but what he said made her worry. Surely he wouldn't just let us go the wrong way, if he knew…?

"Well, not exactly," she answered, seeing no point in lying about it. Other than the time she'd had a guide, she'd never made it through Wayward Cave without going wrong at least once. And not having as much light as usual didn't make it any easier. "I thought it would be fine carrying this one torch, but…I can only see a few metres in front of me. Why do you think it's wrong?"

"It was an open question. I confess, I'm as lost as you are!" Volo seemed to find that funny. "Well, of course I am…since I'm following you…"

Akari didn't laugh. "I didn't say I was lost. But I'm only in front to direct Clefable, not because I wanted to be navigating."

"What about that…magical map of yours?"

The one you said wasn't real? "That won't help. It'll only show us that we're in Wayward Cave."

Melli's interference, in removing all the torches back then, hadn't done him any favours. It only meant that Akari had showed up with someone who knew the way. Someone from the Pearl Clan. That must have made Melli dislike her even more.

But Warden Ingo had been such a wonderful guide, Akari found herself wishing that he was here now. She'd been trying to recall the path he'd taken, even though all of these tunnels looked identical. Instinctively, she'd thought that she was right. But it became clear that she was not, when the torch's light was reflected back at them, bouncing off a dead end.

Tucked into a corner, in that same dead end, a small creature awoke from its sleep. It turned around, displaying those glowing red eyes that Akari knew very well by now. The hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck stood up on end. Though the Pokémon was tiny, its roar was strong enough to blow out the torch's light as it rushed towards the intruders with its teeth bared. Clefable put out her arms and took a wide stance.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

Clefable had it in hand before Akari had even finished giving her order, and the Alpha was done. After it was knocked out, and the torch relit by Clefable's Charge Beam, Akari looked down upon the pointed shape of a Gible. It lay on its back, limbs and mouth splayed open, red eyes closed for now.

The travellers hurriedly found their way back to their previous path, taking a different turn this time. When they'd reached the junction, and taken a pause to breathe and calm themselves, Akari held out the torch towards Volo.

"Why don't you lead for a while?" She was serious, but she smiled to soften the blow.

"Me…?" Volo looked uncertain as he took the torch from her hand. "But…what if there's a Golbat in front of us?"

"Well, what would you have done all this time, if a Golbat had attacked you from behind? Just shout 'bat!' and Clefable will take care of it! She'll be right behind you, Volo. And she'll listen to you, because I said so!"

"Right you are...Miss Akari…"

Akari was feeling pleased with herself for winning that little battle, until she realised that she could no longer see very well, with Volo's considerable height in front of her. And with Clefable between them, Akari felt as though she was constantly just out of range of the torch's light. But, anyway, she had made her bed and she had to lie on it. Her pride wouldn't let her admit that this wasn't the best idea, after all.

Now that she could see Volo, Akari thought he must have been having a bad time. With the torch in his hand, he could see where the cave ceiling dipped too low for him. Beforehand, she imagined, he must have been bumping his head a lot. He'd never complained, but maybe that was why he'd said so little during her story about Melli. Akari smiled sympathetically at his back before breaking the silence again.

"I've never seen a Gible in here before, let alone an Alpha. Aren't they usually outside, further up the mountain…?"

"That's a first for me, too."

"You could have caught it, Volo! Did you want to…?" Akari glanced back over her shoulder, wondering how easy it would be to find their way back to that Gible. The cave behind her looked so dark, it made her shudder. "Well, I guess it's too late now, but…if you ever want to catch something, just tell me before I knock it out, okay?"

"Me?" Volo laughed, which Akari was relieved to hear. "Did you forget, Miss Akari, that I already have a Gible?"

"Then you could have had two! Or do you think…? Would yours be jealous of an Alpha? I think some of mine would, actually."

"Is that so?" Volo turned his head slightly, though not quite far enough to catch Akari's eye. "I'm surprised you don't have a full team of Alphas. It would suit you very well, Miss Akari."

"I have caught an Alpha before," Akari said, feeling her face flush slightly in response to that grand compliment. "But…nope, not on my team right now."

Alphas were harder to control, at first. It was as though they found it more difficult than most Pokémon to accept their new status. Akari had yet to experience a situation where it would have been worth that added effort and patience, for a bit more size and strength. Not when her core team were already so well-trained. Four of them were with her now. The other two, she had brought along for research purposes, but she supposed there might not be time for that.

Fingers crossed that Gible is the only Alpha we run into in this cave.

As they went on, Akari was listening out for something else.

Wayward Cave had an underground lake, and some running water that would make itself heard once they got close enough. That would be a sign, not only that they were on the right track, but also that they were nearing the end. After that, there was only one path to the exit, impossible to go wrong.

A few Golbat later, and they reached the right place. Still walking in front, Volo ducked down for a final time before the tunnel opened up into a much larger cavern. The torch's light was suddenly amplified, red and gold flickering off the surface of the water and the surrounding walls.

Here, the travellers stopped for a short break. Since there was no place to sit, Akari leaned lightly against the wall, in the dryest spot she could find, trying not to let her back get too damp.

Volo set the torch down, went straight to the nearest rivulet of water and placed his cupped hand beneath it. Akari thought he must have been brave to drink water running down a cave wall without boiling it first. From here, she couldn't even see whether or not the water was running clear. But Volo didn't seem to care about that.

"I swear, you Hisuians are built differently," Akari said as she watched him.

"Oh? I've never heard that phrase before!" Volo was drinking one handful after another, apparently preferring this over whatever he had left in his own flasks.

"It just means you're tough, I guess. The first time I tried drinking water here without boiling it, I got sick. But you must have the…" Akari paused, wondering whether she knew enough about antibodies to explain them to someone else. Antibodies? Immunity? Was she even thinking of the right thing? Maybe not. "You must be used to it."

"If you get to my age, Miss Akari, you've survived a lot already! And should the Almighty One decide that water is going to be my end, after all that…? Well, so be it."

Akari laughed politely at what she assumed was a joke, since Volo didn't look that much older than her own fifteen years. She would have said he was somewhere around twenty, maybe a few years more. She wasn't the best at guessing ages, but she knew he was too young to be talking like an old person.

Or she thought as much, anyway. But when she considered Cogita, and the things she often said, it made her wonder if age was not quite what it seemed for everyone. Perhaps looks could be deceiving.

"So, about Cogita…I mean, Miss Cogita…" Akari cleared her throat nervously, hoping that this question wouldn't sound too intrusive. Cogita seemed like the kind of person who liked to keep things private, and Akari was sure that Volo would respect that on her behalf. "Are you two…related?"

"Not that I know of! Here…" As Volo returned from his watering station, he held something out to Akari and dropped it into the palm of her hand. "For Miss Clefable, in gratitude for her wonderful efforts."

When Akari held it up to the light, she could see that it was a round berry, mostly red in colour but tinged with yellow along the bottom. She recognised it as a Leppa berry, and the timing was perfect: Clefable had been using her Charge Beam attack so many times by now, she was running out of steam. Akari gave it to her Pokémon, who accepted it with a cheerful bow.

With Volo standing over her like he was, Akari took that as a hint that he wanted to keep moving. But, before they set off, she felt like there was something else she needed to ask. It wasn't important, she supposed, but it had been on her mind since she'd been telling her story earlier.

"Do you think Warden Melli was right about the frenzies?"

"That you shouldn't have calmed the Nobles?" Volo folded his arms. Right now, he reminded Akari of the way Laventon would sometimes look at her, if she'd asked a question that he thought was either strange or thought-provoking. She could never tell which. "What, and leave the Hisui region in such danger?"

"No, I meant…do you think the frenzies were a gift from Almighty Sinnoh? From Arceus?"

"I don't know what to believe about that, Miss Akari." As he spoke, Volo began to wander towards their onward path. Since he was carrying the torch, Akari had to follow. "You know me by now - I am a seeker of knowledge. But there are some things we may never know. We can only speculate! However, Warden Melli's belief, as you describe it, is not unique. There are old writings that say something very similar, in fact. 'Were not these bolts a gift to man? Were they not your almighty grace?' And yet…does that necessarily mean that calming the frenzies was the wrong thing to do? I would say not."

"Well, whether it was right or not, I still don't think Warden Melli likes me." Akari laughed, this time at herself, for giving this so much of her attention. She should have just dropped it, now that it was over. Why should it matter if Melli didn't like her? It wasn't like he ever came to the village. "But…I guess I don't blame him, if he really thought I was messing around with something divine."

It seemed that whatever Akari did, it would rub someone up the wrong way. She guessed that was just the burden of being a newcomer to Hisui, and someone who had arrived in such a strange way. Melli was just one of the people who'd made his feelings dramatically obvious.

"It's a shame you had such trouble with this fellow, Miss Akari. I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting Warden Melli."

Volo's answer sounded like one of those polite, empty things that people would say, when they wanted to kill a conversation without being rude. Akari thought that Volo must have learned how to be diplomatic, as a merchant. He must have learned how to say the right things, how to steer the conversation, but in a way that wouldn't offend anyone. Perhaps that was what he was doing now.

Akari was going to take the hint and drop it, but as she mentally rehearsed their long route ahead, she imagined Melli standing in front of the Moonview Arena, arms folded, looking sour as a lemon at the sight of Akari climbing the hill.

"The Summit Camp is really close to his Noble's seat." It was getting harder to talk and walk now, as they reached the steepest part of the cave. Akari could feel her lungs beginning to protest at being asked to fuel both things. She resisted the urge to tap Volo's back, wishing that he would turn around and see her grin, but he didn't. "If he's there, maybe we should go and say hi. Bet he'd love to see me again."

Volo said nothing, but Akari figured it didn't matter. She could smell fresh air, and there was daylight up ahead. As the path continued to test her, all she could think about was reaching it.