April 14th, First Year

Akari rocked up behind the party, stilling as a fierce wind stirred up loose snow and dust into her face. "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 the fieldlands campsite causing what was supposed to be a temporary evacuation to last for days with no end in sight. Nobody knew what had caused it. Nobody knew how to deal with it. Akari had been one of the few who had been awake when the thing had spawned in, hurrying to get everybody to safety before the dangerous pokémon could spawn in.

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 blister. People were still missing, a swarm of rabid bug-type pokémon having ravaged the camp shortly after midnight. Akari tried not to think about the fact that there were dead people inside that distortion or the fact that their emergency supplies were dwindling shorter and shorter by the day.

A new briefing brought a new task: find and quell Lord Kleavor the very day they received Commander Kamado's letter back. Needless to say, the commander had not been thrilled about the excess of casualties in the fieldlands.

Warden Ingo, his head bowed and his eyes fixed on the distant horizon, quietly led the party as they cut through the tall grass of the plains. He had been one of those chosen to try to recover the dead or injured the day after the tragedy. He hadn't come back as the same person afterwards. Ingo led the party at a relentless pace, a strange pokémon floating alongside him. Violet flames spilled out of its crystalline head, one metallic black arm wrapped around the warden's shoulder as if afraid to let him go. Akari hadn't seen him bring out that pokémon before.

Even after all that time had passed, Warden Ingo triggered no fuzzy memories of her elusive past; not even a hint of recognition. Akari had seen Jaku speaking with the older man wondering if perhaps they knew one another. She found herself wishing that she weren't so alone out in Hisui. Maybe if she had somebody she knew there with her, her tasks wouldn't seem so impossible.

In time, the party had arrived at the wide river that separated the Horseshoe Plains from Grueling Grove in the northeastern section of the Obsidian Fieldlands. Ingo's massive Tangrowth made short work of pulling a few trees out of the ground and laying them across the river to make a bridge, Ingo being the first to cross to test its stability.

At the slightest protest from a scout about needing 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 with Chandelure at his side.

Rei, Komuro and Daigo all settled around each other leaving Akari to sit in a patch of dead grass by herself. She 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 exclaimed. "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, his finger wagging. He looked all too pleased with himself at how he had 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 evident 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, giving 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 either."

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," Akari argued. "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 smirk. "If Almighty Sinnoh's Champion is to succeed, then they'll need strong pokémon to help them. Give me one minute. I know something that might give you a leg up in your 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 with the man. There were a lot of exaggerated hand gestures. Akari strained to listen. Whatever it was he had 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 as though 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've done survey work before, 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 sparse, yellow grass in the shade of a large boulder. He'd taken off his brimmed hat and stowed it at his belt, tucking the extra slack of his apron into his pockets. Volo then turned back to Akari, leaning down so that he was almost at eye-level with her. "I take it you're familiar with catching pokémon, yes?" he asked, his voice much softer than it had been before.

"Of course!" Akari balked. "How else would I have passed my first task?"

"Okay, okay! No need to become so defensive, now!" Volo teased. "Now here's a bit of a skill check," he muttered, staring intently at the rolling hills before them. "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 then whittle away its strength. After that, you catch it."

Volo gave her a pitying glance and it was the first time she had seen the friendly merchant frown. "Is that what the survey corps taught you? No, no, no," he chided. "There's a smarter and more efficient way of doing it. Watch." The man deftly crept forward on his hands and knees until he was at the edge of the grass, a regular pokéball readied in his hand. Before him was a Bidoof. Volo 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, the man involuntarily freezing when the ball went whistling across the field. It smacked against the back of the Bidoof's head, encapsulating the poor thing in a flash of light. Without so much as a twitch, a spark flew upward 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 Akari 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?"

"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?" Akari questioned, crossing her arms across her chest.

Volo backed away, his hands raised 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."

Akari snorted. "Ha ha. Very funny. Didn't realize you were such a good scout the way you go on about your supposed prowess." Akari then blinked. "Is that how you caught Togepi?"

Volo winced. "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 and broke free, trilling as it snuggled against Volo's chest.

"Aww! That's so cute!" Akari gushed. "She's such a little baby! And you had to hatch her from an egg? Volo, this is the cutest little pokémon I've ever seen." Akari carefully patted the baby pokémon, grinning uncontrollably as the small cherub nuzzled against her hand. "Do you have more of these little guys? You know, 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… would you like to 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. Bits and pieces of the underlying grass could be seen as circular indents revealed their location. Carefully, Volo moved forward until the two of them were just at the edge of the tall grass, holding at his hand and gesturing for her to remain silent. He pointed toward the far side of the valley they were in, the reflecting light of the titanic pokémon before them reflecting in the merchant's determined eyes; an alpha Rapidash.

"You're going to catch it," Volo whispered, sliding her a heavy black pokéball. He grasped for her hand and rolled the contraption into her palm.

Akari winced, struggling to hold the leaden weight as she crouched lower in the grass. "Are you insane?" she hissed.

"Not at all. That pokéball was specifically 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- you know- heavy."

"Huh," Akari drawled. "Who would've thought? So mystifying."

Akari stared apprehensively at the beast; it was the very same creature that had chased Jaku into the river and had nearly killed her. Warden Ingo had easily managed to defeat it some time ago, but now it proudly prowled the plains, its mane emanating steam as it turned its head this way and that. She felt her insides twitch and shudder, but Volo laid a hand upon her shoulder, giving her a small thumbs up before he retreated back into the tall grass. She took a deep breath, squeezing the heavy ball. All I have to do is get close and toss it when its back is turned... Who am I kidding? I'm gonna get torched!

As if sensing her thoughts, Volo sighed and 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, recoiling back from Volo's grasping hands. "Just watch me!" She breached the edge of the grass and crouched low, the heavy ball weighing considerably in her hand. Thankfully, the Rapidash was already facing away from her. Akari crawled along the edge of the pond and moved into the cover of another large boulder only a few paces away from the creature's flank. If it noticed her then, she was as good as dead. But the creature kept grazing.

Akari took a deep breath and lobbed the ball as hard as she could 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 jogged 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 roiled along her fingers and burned at her palm before settling into a clammy heat. Akari grimaced. This doesn't feel right.

Beside her, Volo cocked his head. "What's the matter? You don't seem too excited for someone who just captured an alpha pokémon on their first try." He motioned for Akari to copy him and sit in the tall grass and when she did, he carefully set a gentle hand upon her knee. "Remember what I told you: you're not alone out here."

"It's not that," Akari mumbled. "It's just… Sometimes I think Almighty Sinnoh made the wrong choice choosing me," she admitted. "Surely, wouldn't it be easier for Arceus-" Akari paused. Arceus. That was its name. Not Almighty Sinnoh but Arceus. The name brought an overwhelming sense of dread to her and a pulsing headache began to throb behind her eyes.

At her side, Volo froze, his sympathetic smile widening with something akin to fascination and surprise. "I think… I think it's time we return back to the others." He carefully helped her to her feet, not speaking the entire way back.

The two of them had made it back to the others in record time. 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 certainly hoped she would. Maybe in the time that I came from, I would be the strongest pokémon wielder. I would have plenty of strong pokémon to protect me! And maybe I'd be strong too! Then, nothing could make me 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 was supposed to be The Heartwood. She saw Warden Lian recoil from her position in the back of the party, feeling a strange pang in her chest when the boy clutched at his hat and slowed, his wide eyes taking in the brunt of the damage around them.

Dappled sunlight reached beyond the broken fluid-stained branches of the forest, red and brown snow piled against fungi-covered stumps. Strings of thorns had been ripped up and draped across barren branches, bits and pieces of dead pokémon large and small scattered about them like grisly barbed wire. The forest was filled with the sounds of buzzing wings but no birdsong; a promise of what was yet to come. There was no birdsong, no sound of a stream tumbling down the hills, no occasional cry of a pokémon. Nothing. The party 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.

It stood on a trunk wider than her own longhouse room, the thick roots twisting and digging through the earth to form a lattice network with the others, some sections thicker than her own torso. It stood tall, no branches allowing for purchase to climb as the great giant rose into the sky, its canopy heavy and thick and enshrouded in mist and frost. It dwarfed the other trees in the vicinity. Casted them in darkness. Swaddled the grass-covered arena in dense shadows. Silence hung over the massive clearing, solemn and heavy.

Akari moved forward and laid one quivering hand upon the trunk, trying but failing to make out the top of the tree. Something about the sensation was familiar to her. The sound of the topmost branches swaying in the wind had been so loud and disorienting that Akari had barely registered Warden Ingo's summonings. Rei tapped her on the shoulder and moved her back, motioning for her to remain silent.

"Warden Ingo?" Akari whispered. "Is it time already?"

"It is, Young Akari," Ingo responded solemnly. "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 in this endeavor would be greatly appreciated. I must ask: which pokémon are you currently coupled with?"

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 imbalances."

Akari started forward. "A-are you sure?" she stuttered.

"Absolutely!" Ingo 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 Akari's 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, adjusting his hat on his head. "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," Akari stuttered. "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, Young 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 when they moved. He gently held them out to her. "Warden Lian created these particular balms to help soothe the lord; it is a different kind than the ones previously tested on the populations around the Horseshoe Plains. While I keep Lord Kleavor engaged in battle, I would ask that you please throw these balms at it to try and incapacitate Lord Kleavor. If possible, 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. I won't be doing any of the fighting! On a darker sidenote, Akari was relieved at the prospect of getting to stay on the sidelines. Deep down, she had been excited at the opportunity of proving herself to be the capable champion Arceus had deemed her to be. Enough to send me into the past, she thought.

Upon Warden Lian's signal, the rest of the group retreated behind the goliath trunks of the surrounding trees leaving Akari and Warden Ingo to stand near The Heartwood; Lord Kleavor's nesting tree. Akari craned her head up to stare at the branches. Lord Kleavor is up there somewhere. All we've got to do is put it down. All Akari could hear was the wind in the branches and the buzz of swarming pokémon from afar. Rapidash and Oshawott stood at her sides, their eyes locked on the dark trees around them.

From beside her, Ingo stalked around the base of the tree, his hands clasped around his back. The man seemed sharper. The hunch had disappeared from his back, his shoulders were set back, his hands were clenched around the pokéballs at his waist. It was almost as though he were a different man altogether. He paused, briefly glancing into the canopies before turning back to Akari. Without a sound, he pulled out a long cylindrical white object from his pocket- a flute- and brought it up to his lips. Warden Ingo took a deep breath and then blew it.

The flute's shuddering tones pierced through the silence, causing a cluster of Silcoons to fall off of the main trunk and onto the arena floor. The Heartwood gave a ghostly shudder, its roots trembling. Then appeared Lord Kleavor. The creature was much larger than both Akari and the other scouts 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 emitted a harried screech and then lunged at Warden Ingo.

Akari immediately leaped away from the fighting, beckoning her pokémon into the fray as she readied a balm into her hand. Sparks of blinding 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 Ingo's Magnezone had once been.

From the sidelines, Akari's fellow survey corpsmen tracked their movements like scavengers would a piece of rotting meat. Warden Lian stood at the helm, eyeing Ingo like a hawk as the boy reached his hand into a canvas sack. Akari met his gaze and nodded. I'm not alone, she repeated to herself. I can do this.

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 it swung, scattering large chunks of bark and dirt in her direction. A blast of fire turned the splinters to ash as Akari's Rapidash countered, its eyes glowing scarlet as it casted Hypnosis on the creature.

Ingo's 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 thunderous roar, throwing up a wave of dirt and sand to blind the two pokémon wielders.

"Akari, get down!"

Akari barely had time to register Ingo's terrified shout before terrible white-hot pain shot through her neck and sent her tumbling back. Time slowed down. The leaves stood at a standstill. Bits and pieces of the balm that she had thrown were suspended in midair. Lord Kleavor's blade was a hair away from 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 throat 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 became 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 all the while, 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 up underneath it. It stood defiantly, hissing as its exoskeleton cracked and broke apart. With a loud ripping noise, Machamp was down, one of its legs bleeding profusely. Ingo's Tangrowth broke free of its pokéball then, its tendrils lashing furiously.

"Cover your mouth and nose!" Ingo commanded.

A cloud of spores erupted from the Tangrowth and just as Lord Kleavor began to sway on its feet, the Tangrowth used its appendages to latch onto the noble and 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 beneath her feet. She glanced toward Ingo who had just barely dodged the ground falling away at his feet. The ground in front of her then exploded upward, 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 lobbed another balm at Lord Kleavor and as the creature turned to swing at her amidst Tangrowth's vines, Akari's Rapidash turned, reared, and struck at the lord so viciously that a sizable chunk of its rock exoskeleton had been completely shattered. Rapidash continued its violent assault as Lord Kleavor finally broke free of Tangrowth's hold.

"Mars, Agility!" Akari found herself calling.

The alpha huffed, responding to the minute nickname. It ran circles around the lord, weaving in and out to kick and strike blow after blow until the noble 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. It growled- snarled even- weakly fighting to stand before it collapsed onto the floor of the arena, working its dulled blades through the earth. The sound of wind in the trees intensified until Akari was forced 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 laid upon the ground, its flanks heaving and its eyes fluttering. With one final growl, it fell silent, the golden glow leaving its body.

"Lord Kleavor!" Lian abandoned his position at the top of the hollow, sprinting down to the injured creature. He looped his arm around his noble's head and stilled, a few tears slipping down the sides of his cheek as he turned to both Ingo and Akari. "He's back to normal!"