September 27th, First Year

Akari bent low and pulled up the bundle of radishes from the frozen earth, wincing. She had been at the task for hours and now that the frost was beginning to set in, she could no longer feel any sensation in her toes. She glanced over her shoulder, immediately turning back to her task when two of the older men walked past her carrying full baskets of snow grain and frost carrots- she couldn't be seen slacking off.

She'd been doing her best to work for the Pearl Clan and shake off any suspicion that she was as much trouble as Commando Kamado had rumored her to be and thus far, despite the amount of work that she was already enduring, the people of the Pearl Settlement trusted her no more than when she had first stumbled into the stony village. Busy work, all of it. Tilling earth, pulling crops, sorting, cataloging, carrying things- all of it seemingly designed to keep her on her feet from dawn to dusk. Never a moment to slip away like she desperately needed to.

Volo had yet to reply to her letter and the longer Akari waited, the more nervous she became. Jaku had said that she would allow Akari to sort out her own mess, but Akari couldn't help but feel incredibly anxious. How am I going to get myself out of this? Jaku suspects Volo- it's a good coverup, but… Akari braced and tugged a particularly large radish out of the earth, balking at the twinge of pain in her back. How long before Jaku changes her mind? What if she sees Rei and tattles on me to the entire Diamond Clan?

"Ah. Good morning, Young Akari!"

Akari paused when a figure settled beside her, easily ripping out a particularly difficult group of clingy radishes by the stalks. She turned. "...Warden Ingo? And Mister Emmet?"

Beside his brother, Emmet grunted as he moved to the other side of the field. "Mmmorning." He paused, stretched out his back with a tired sigh, and then proceeded to reach down and yank out a clump of bulby, pinkish flowers. At Akari's confused look, the man grumbled, "For Pellervo. Herbs."

"Oh." She then laughed, focusing back on her task. "I forget that you have to work too, Mister Emmet."

"That is right, Mister Emmet." Ingo surmised, lightly pushing his brother as he mocked him. "You did happen to assault Commander Kamado-"

"And embarrass him in front of his organization. I am Emmet and I am aware of that fact." Despite the cheeky tone in his words, Emmet wasn't smiling. He instead stared disdainfully at the dirt underneath his nails before shaking his head and continuing back on his work.

"Are you two also harvesting the crops today?" Akari asked innocently.

"Emmet was tasked out to assist," Ingo answered calmly. "I am merely overseeing before I take my leave; I have a meeting with Lady Irida at noon."

The three worked in tandem for the rest of the morning. Emmet would silently rove back-and-forth across the crops in an erratic fashion, filling up his pockets with strange plants and herbs and occasionally passing them off to his Galvantula that grappled onto his draping white coat. Ingo would pry up the stubborn roots of crops with hands, leaving Akari to pull them up and place them in her basket, all the while talking about small things such as the oncoming weather and pokémon occasionally watching them from the shelter of their tundra dens. And as Akari slowly became overencumbered from the bounty on her back, she soon found her hands stinging. But not from pain, no.

My main problem is Rei. He knows everything that I've done up until now and if he wakes up and starts telling everybody what I did, I might as well be dead. Volo is taking care of him right now but if Jaku finds out…. Akari tasted something bitter on the back of her tongue as she paused in her ministrations, her fingers twitching. As far as everybody else is aware, I'm completely innocent. If I can shift the blame of Rei's poisoning to someone else, then all my worries would be gone. And who do I know who's constantly working on keeping Rei poisoned? … Volo.

Akari would have to sell out Volo. It stung as though she were being branded by fire. Volo was her only true friend in Hisui. She could trust him in ways she couldn't trust Ingo or Emmet or Jaku. He had been there for her when she had doubted herself or when she felt truly alone. He had been there to cheer her up when she had gotten injured or had witnessed something horrifying. He had been the one to give her hope despite her grim situation. Akari carefully reconsidered. She couldn't sell out Volo. Not her best friend. Not her only real friend. She needed more allies- not just Volo but adults within higher social standings. Adults whose influence could… wash over her own minor injustices and protect her.

"Young Akari? Are you feeling quite alright?" Ingo had stopped prying up the roots, his gaze slightly worried as he carefully checked her over. "You are shivering. Would you like an escort to Pellervo?"

"I…" Akari was trembling. She needed allies, yes. Allies in the form of Ingo and Emmet. She could work with Ingo. He was a kind and understanding man, one who was readily accepting and a bit too generous for his own good. Ingo had a major social standing in the form of his position as a warden of the Pearl Clan and as one of the only truly capable pokémon wielders in the entire region. He had already shown himself to be a trustworthy person having protected her during their times quelling nobles together.

Emmet was also a powerful wielder who had defeated Commander Kamado in less than an hour on a whim, no less. Akari didn't fully trust him. He was certainly more reserved and more serious than his brother, exercising more caution over things. But if she had them both on her side- if she could manage to deceive them- Akari swallowed. No. She needed to tell the truth. An actual truth- not just dig herself into a deeper hole. And there's no better time than now, she thought, realizing that her group had slowed majorly behind the others. "I-I… I need to tell you two something."

That immediately got Ingo's attention. He straightened up, crossing his hands behind his back. "Does it involve… our oath?"

"...Yes." So Akari told a half-truth. She told the truth she hadn't told during their meeting some few days ago- the silence she hadn't filled despite her other fallers sharing their own. She admitted to "accidentally" poisoning Rei with tears in her eyes. The rest of her lie followed suit- little white lies that flowed along like a cleared dam. Akari never framed Volo to be bad, instead mentioning that it had been "something" that had been forcing her to keep Rei asleep. That this thing- Akari blinked- her scapegoat had been with her the whole time- that Arceus had been pressuring her to do these awful things and that she just couldn't tolerate the pressure anymore.

That Arceus had been making her do a lot of questionable things. Moving her around like a puppet on a string. Cruel shows of faith. Vile shows of judgement. Punishing her with violence. Reigning in her refusal with gore. Recurring, vivid nightmares that made her sick to her stomach every morning. After all, if Akari could place the brunt of her crimes on a mythical deity that was too cowardly to show up and fix things themself, she could never be proven wrong. And when Akari had finally stopped her story- had finally uttered out her worries about Jaku not knowing the truth and about Rei potentially waking and exposing her, Akari both felt as though a major weight had been lifted and as though every nerve in her body was on fire.

The two brothers had been quiet throughout most of her explanation, their faces growing more and more concerned and perturbed the longer she talked about what Arceus had been forcing her to do. Emmet in particular looked sickened. He had been picking the petals off of his flowers throughout Akari's admittance and even now, he fiddled with his hands, his gaze fixed on a point just behind her head. Ingo on the other hand had shut his eyes and had crossed his hands behind his back, humming as if seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"I'm… I'm scared, and I don't know what to do," Akari squeaked. "Jaku said she would give me time to figure it out but I… I don't know." Akari swallowed, forcing herself to keep speaking despite the anxious voice in her head screaming at her to shut up. "A-and with what you guys said- about being attacked- about somebody hurting us… I think that… Well, I'm just-!" Akari hung her head in defeat, but the tears welling up in her eyes were anything but fake. "I don't know what to do… what I should do. I'm… lost. I need help."

Ingo calmly set his hand upon Akari's shoulder, steadying her, his touch gentle and soothing; something Akari desperately needed at that exact moment. "Worry not," his voice rumbled. He shot Emmet a calculated glance. Something flashed between the two of them- something that Akari was not privy to. And then Ingo fixed his cap and began herding Akari away from the rooted crops. "Thank you for confiding in us, Young Akari. Your predicament is certainly… concerning. Foreboding, to say the least. But it is good that you confided in us."

Akari couldn't help but reel at the overwhelming wave of relief that rocked through her, wiping her tears and snot on her tunic sleeve. "It is?" she croaked.

"Absolutely! Asking for assistance requires a great deal of courage," Ingo spoke, his tone both warm but cautious. "However, these are… well, quite serious matters that you are asking assistance for; especially if they were instigated by Almighty Sinnoh." Ingo hummed for a long moment, never letting his calming hand leave Akari's trembling shoulder. "If what you say is true then it would be best to make sure that your tracks to resolving this issue are unobscured and remain clear for the future to come."

"Safety checks are in order," Emmet muttered. "Poisoning. Battery. Coercion." The younger brother ticked them off on his fingers, his eyes narrowing more and more at each offense. He muttered something else under his breath before shooting the same unexplainable glance at Ingo. He then regarded Akari sternly as if she were a particularly large bug under his shoe. "You should notify the Diamond Clan. They are making sure your friend is well maintained. They should know about what is going on as well."

"I agree," Ingo nodded. He carefully steered Akari back onto the trodden path leading to the settlement, Emmet tentatively taking up her other side. "Young Akari… I am aware that these tracks may rattle your cab but I feel it would be best to report your current predicament to Lady Irida."

"What? Not her!" Akari exclaimed, fear bubbling in her throat. She took a quick step away from Ingo's gentle hand. "Ingo, you can't tell her! She'll kill me!"

"My lady would never bring any harm to you!" Ingo replied hastily. "Lady Irida is fair and your predicament is being crudely conducted by forces outside of our current understanding. If I were to explain your situation to Lady Irida, she may grant you permission to temporarily station your cab with the people of the Diamond Clan. It would provide you with the ability to check on Young Rei and perhaps reverse the rather cruel tasks Almighty Sinnoh has forced upon you."

"No! No, no no!" Akari panicked. "If you tell her and she doesn't take it well- there's no way she will- I'll be banished! I'll get kicked out! My pokémon are strong, but I don't think we'll survive alone!" Akari argued fervently. "Think about it! What is Irida going to say when I tell her that the god of her people is making me do these awful things?"

Ingo remained just as steadfast, waiting until Akari had cried herself out before responding. "I understand that you fear paramount retribution, but I must remind you that you confided in myself and Emmet to assist you with your dilemma and possibly conduct you to a means of bettering your conditions." His tone was concerned, no traces of suspicion or fear in his softened tone as he continued. "And I must impart to you once more that Lady Irida is a fair leader. I will advocate in your stead if you are uncomfortable presenting," Ingo offered. "To perhaps have you stationed with the Diamond Clan to fix the situation with Young Rei."

Akari considered the man's words for a brief moment. Irida could be a fair woman. She had already shown herself to be partial to Akari's plight in accidentally killing the previous Ursaluna noble, a sacred figure of the pearls. If Irida were to listen and if she were to take pity upon Akari and do as Ingo asked her, it would give Akari a chance to meet up with Volo and permanently deal with Rei.

But what would the suggestion be? What would her fix to her problem with Rei become? The briefest notion of murder entered Akari's mind for just a few seconds. The imagery of Volo's Gabite sinking its teeth into Rei's body and how quickly the boy fell to the Roselia's Sleep Spore. It made her nauseous just considering it. I didn't care when this all started, Akari thought, but now, the last thing I want to do is continue sneaking around. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of the secrecy. I'm tired of the danger I keep putting myself in. Akari steeled her courage and with her shaky voice, rasped, "Okay…. Okay. We can tell Irida."

Ingo gave the smallest of smiles and continued to guide Akari along the path. "Would you prefer for me to conduct the conversation? I will repeat to Lady Irida what you have told me. Or would you rather couple to me and retell your situation to Irida?"

"The first option."

"Very well." Ingo faltered for only a moment, once again locking eyes with Emmet who had until that point been shredding the flower petals strewn about his borrowed Pearl Clan tunic. Then he spoke again, quiet but firm. "All aboard."

The sun quietly slid toward the horizon. In a quiet part of the Pearl Settlement just on the outskirts near where Ingo kept his hut. Akari sat leaned up against a tree for support, one hand skimming along the rolls of a piece of parchment and the other firmly nested in the ruff of her Purugly's fur. Not too far away, Emmet cared for his own pokémon, feeding a handful of berries to his overgrown Vespiquen.

Akari let herself read over the sent letters. One had been sent from Laventon filled with tentative questions about how she was faring, how her banishment from Jubilife was going, how the Pearl Clan was treating her- the list went on. Another came from Captain Cyllene, sent from the courtesy of her Abra, also asking about how Akari was faring while also bringing good news- that the commander was reconsidering her banishment due to trouble weeding out bandits preventing the Galaxy Team's escapades into the Cobalt Coastlands and talk of the other nobles becoming frenzied. Of course. The last letter had been from Yuki- a simple hello and how-do-you-do much like the other previous letters. The only exception was that the boy had asked if Akari was able to catch a Snorunt, having sent a crude drawing of the specimen on the back of his paper.

Receiving the letters made Akari feel like crying even more. They did care about her. They didn't have to check up on her. They didn't have to add words of encouragement, or silly doodles, or introspective thoughts in the margins but they had and the thought that other people were actually concerned for her wellbeing made her feel all warm and fuzzy but at the same time, inexplicably guilty. She made a mental reminder to schedule a time to truly apologize to Professor Laventon for all of the ways she had been cold and rude to him.

"Akari."

She jumped at the quiet mention of her name, turning to where Emmet was seated within the warm embrace of his Haxorus. "Y-yes, Mister Emmet?"

Emmet in turn clicked his tongue. "I am Emmet. Just 'Emmet'. No need for a title." Emmet then turned his piercing gaze on her. "Do you know who is attacking us?" He asked plainly. No undertone. No politeness of carefulness or even reluctance at posing the question.

Akari swallowed. "Not really," she started off, fiddling with a strand of her hair. Admitting that she knew anything about it had been a mistake. Instantaneously, she could feel Emmet's hard stare bore into the side of her head. "I-I mean, I have a feeling that I know what's causing it," she stuttered, "but I don't actually know who."

"Who do you suspect?"

In the back of Akari's mind came a voice like settling gravel, sharp and monotonous and all-consuming. "TELL HIM," the voice urged Akari. She recognized it immediately as Giratina's. "SET HIM UPON ME, CHAMPION OF ARCEUS. IT WILL LESSEN HIS SUSPICION OF YOU, AND HE ALREADY KNOWS OF MY CONNECTION TO THE CHAMPION OF TIME."

…Jaku? Wait. Giratina. What do you mean you're connected to Jaku? Akari already knew that her fellow faller could transform into a pokémon under certain conditions. She then remembered the conversation she had heard between Emmet and Celebi, the onion fairy having proposed a theory of Jaku having been sent into the Distortion Realm causing some kind of previous confusion. Oh. Okay. Akari steadied herself. "I think it's Giratina. Like, actually Giratina that's attacking us."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why?" Emmet repeated himself. "What makes you think it's Giratina that is stalling our progress and causing harm to our cabs?"

"Well… Jaku and Celebi already admitted that being transported to Giratina's dimension was what caused her confusion and turned her into a pokémon. And both Jaku and Ingo were attacked in the middle of the night. Is there any other pokémon you know of that can readily get into the Distortion Realm? And besides that, isn't Giratina also a ghost-type pokémon?" Akari asked, her confidence starting to rise. "You said that some guy tried to capture Jaku when she was a pokémon. Well, couldn't a ghost-type just possess a person during the daytime?"

"...Verrry fair," Emmet surmised, turning back to tending to his pokémon. "Giratina is a neutral pokémon in Unovan stories, but we are not in Unova. We are also a few hundred years in the past." Emmet began to mumble under his breath. "That explains the lack of disturbance in the headquarters. And the night attacks."

Snowsteps echoed in deep snow. "I return!" Ingo announced, shuffling over to the both of them. He was almost immediately grabbed by his Haxorus which sat him down roughly next to Emmet, grooming the frazzled hair underneath the man's tattered cap with gusto. "And I bear good news."

"Good news?" Akari repeated dizzily. "What did Irida say?" she asked nervously, leaning forward.

Ingo didn't quite meet Akari's eyes. "My lady is… conflicted. She was rather concerned when she learned of what tasks Almighty Sinnoh has been coercing you to perform, but for the most part, she is choosing to believe in your account of details."

Akari immediately felt herself drop backwards into the snow, numb to the sensation of ice and frost settling onto her scalp. Relief, hot and wet, settled over her entire body as happy tears leaked from her eyes. "She believes me?"

"She does." Ingo gently helped Akari back into a sitting position. "This does not mean that Irida has looked over all of the conditions you have set, but rather, that she understands you may have other duties to fulfill- past transgressions you wish to right. To make a long story rather short, Lady Irida is both keeping your required labor time of two months while allowing you certain excuses to leave and fulfill obligations should you wish it. However, you must ask for permission before departing this station. You are still under control of the Pearl Clan."

It was the best news Akari had heard in a long, long time. She carefully wiped the tears from her eyes, trembling as she clung onto Ingo's warm hand to ground herself. She believes me! I can work with this! Akari started to feel the missing pieces in her mind click into place. With Irida opening up the way for her to rendezvous with Volo, all Akari had to do was figure out a way to overwrite Rei's memories so that he could never tattle on her. Then, everything would be perfect.

It would be Akari's last sin; the last wrong Akari would ever make. And after this, no more sneaking around, she promised herself, feeling her broken nails dig into the flesh of her palm. I can hate Arceus in public even despite the clans. Everything is going to be okay! Akari felt the weight of the Griseous Orb weigh heavily in her bag on her back. But first, a meeting is in order.