Unknown Day, Unknown Year
Twinleaf Town was empty. This was something Akari didn't find all that disturbing. No. Everything was where it was supposed to be, wasn't it? Barry had left for Sandgem earlier with Chimchar, and Lucas had gone off to help Professor Rowan that very same morning... Or was it Rei? No, she must have had the names switched up. Lucas was helping Professor Kamado. That had to be it.
She found herself in a strange black-and-pink dress leaning against a spiky tree, watching as a flock of Starlys took flight into a pitch-black sky. Lake Verity oozed from a hole in the void from within the far-off woods, spilling into the empty lakebed where it should be… used to be?
"HAS ALWAYS BEEN," corrected a drawling voice, sharp like wood cracking apart in a fire. Low like rumbling thunder. Acidic in her ears with a grit that reverberated around in Akari's bones. "WILL ALWAYS BE."
"Hello?" Akari called, moving to stand in the middle of the dirt path. She moved to raise her hand but stopped, noticing how wet her sleeves were. "Huh?" Akari lifted her arms, pinching the thick cushy sleeves of her tunic between her fingers. Wasn't I just wearing a dress, though? The sleeves were sticky with something slimy and red. "Oh. Gross."
"WELCOME HOME, LOST ONE," the voice growled, its voice slithering back-and-forth between her ears. "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR A LONG, LONG TIME."
"Home," Akari echoed in the same flat tone as the beast. She stared at the empty two-story houses behind her with their pitch-black windows and non-existent doors. "This is home? This is my home?"
"YOU ARE HOME," the disembodied voice corrected her. "IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE SPOKEN WITH YOU, LOST ONE. SUCH A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE LAST HAD A CHAT."
Akari glanced at the sky. "Who… who are you?"
"WHO AM I? I… I AM ARCEUS." A beast Akari couldn't even begin to describe descended from the black heavens, its hundreds of blood-red eyes staring straight through her. It curled around the trees and houses, crushing them like dry grass underfoot as it circled around her like a serpent. Gray, black, and red scales glittered in faded starlight, becoming bigger and brighter as the great deity coiled around her. "I AM YOUR BENEVOLENT GOD. I AM THAT WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR." It lifted her up away from its many clawed feet, peering down at her with its wickedly curved beak. Its golden tusk-like horns curled merely inches away from her face. "I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOUR PROGRESS, LOST ONE. IT SO PLEASES ME TO FINALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU FREELY."
Akari felt… good. She felt… excited. This was familiar… right? This was something she had experienced before… How? Akari reached out a hand to touch the creature. An unspeakable amount of thin bony arms reached out to embrace her as well.
Unknown Day, Unknown Year
Akari woke up sweating, grasping at the thin pelt blankets atop her. All she could hear was her own pulse blasting against the inside of her skull. She was clammy and she felt as though she were burning from the inside, her peripheral vision foggy. She tossed back the blankets, blinking at the pitch-black sky outside her shoddy little tent.
It was nighttime. Or was it really? Crickets chirped loudly amongst the thick white fog that curled around the tent like grasping, pale hands. Rain pelted the muddy ground. Akari winced as her bare feet sank into the wet earth. Shoes. She had forgotten to put her shoes on. She couldn't walk home without her shoes on.
She turned to head back into the tent, pausing at the sight of empty cots; so many of them, more than should be able to fit inside a tent so small. As she returned to her own cot, the tent lengthened and distorted, the walls twisting upwards so that her cot was now on the ceiling. Of course. Of course, that would happen. That always happens.
Her shoes dropped from the ceiling. Akari grabbed them and put them on. Couldn't just leave for the day without putting on her shoes. She didn't bother to clean the mud off her feet or change her blood-soaked shirt. She needed to find her mother... Her mother?
She quickly exited the tent, arriving onto a deserted street. Street? Am I supposed to be on a street? Houses and tents and statues and trees thronged the sides of the road, a thick and calming fog swirling around the structures. It was so cold. Too cold.
"Dawn!"
Akari snapped around, glimpsing a leg disappearing at the other end of the street. She darted across, reaching for empty air as the figure rounded the corner. She began sprinting, watching in dismay as her mother (?) disappeared around yet another corner. Her mother sure was fast! Was it just her or were people never supposed to be able to walk that fast? Did her mother always have more than six legs?
"AN ILLUSION." The voice boomed through the streets, freezing Akari in place as the fog cleared up. The many-legged figure before her paused, all ten of its legs folding upon one another like a squashed spider until her mother dissolved into the pavement with an agonized scream. The voice continued. "COME TALK WITH ME, LOST ONE." The creature slithered over the pavement behind her, dragging along pebbles and stones and rubble as it went. "TURN AROUND. IT IS OKAY. YOU CAN GAZE UPON ME. LOOK AT ME. TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT ME. TURN AROUND, LOST ONE."
So Akari did as it asked. She turned around.
Unknown Day, Unknown Year
Akari woke up sweating, grasping at the thin pelt blankets atop her. All she could hear was her own pulse blasting against the inside of her skull. She was clammy and she felt as though she were burning from the inside, her peripheral vision foggy. A cool hand settled atop her forehead, something cold dripping down her cheek and onto her pillow. She felt hot. Too hot. Her hands were numb, and she could not move apart from forcing her eyes to open ever so slightly.
"Still feverish."
"For how long?"
"Maybe a day or two? It'll wear off eventually."
"So it's not fatal then?"
"I should hope not."
Akari groaned and turned over, her limbs as heavy as stone and her head stuffed with cotton. The cool hand returned to her cheek, a pair of dark eyes meeting her own. The figure tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shushed her feverish whimpers, gently bringing the blankets around her chin again.
"SLEEP WELL, LOST ONE. ALL WILL BE WELL SOON. HAVE FAITH."
August 15th, First Year
Akari shuddered awake, biting her lip as the sting of the cold settled into her skin. A nightmare. She shook her head and slowly edged out of her cot. Ever since she had recovered from her paralysis, she'd been having these horrible nightmares every other day. Dreams within dreams within dreams, all of them making little to no sense. All of them fading like mist in the sunlight upon waking. And when she woke, she would feel bone tired.
She moved to get dressed, slowly sliding on her tunic and bags. Today, she was to journey with the clansmen to gather as much stuff as they could from the Diamond Heath and the surrounding area to make balms for Lady Lilligant. She had only agreed to it days before, barely remembering the long talk that she had had with Adaman upon arriving back from her brief excursion with Warden Ingo.
It had been a surprise figuring out that the older man really did have a brother; one that looked nearly identical to him. She hadn't spent much time with either of the men, more so gravitating toward Volo in order to gain information as to their plan to gather more plates. And thus far, there hadn't been any important changes. The small trip had given Akari the chance to restock her equipment, though.
"Akari, are you ready in there?" came Rei's voice. "Shige says we're leaving! Like, right now!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Akari yelled back. She rubbed at her eyes, moving to gather her messy tangled hair in her hands. She was trembling. What she wouldn't give to stay in bed just a little bit longer. She gathered her things, met Rei outside, and left with the rest of the patrol.
Training with Warden Ingo would have to wait until tomorrow or the next day. As far as Akari knew, the man was preparing to fight the noble in a few days' time. She would assist too when the time came; a fact that made her only a smidgen nervous. Akari wanted to take her time with getting stronger. If she wanted to be a strong pokémon wielder, then she needed to take the time to foster working relationships with her partners.
"Akari, are you even listening to me?" Rei moved so that he was now obscuring her view, Tot fast asleep on the boy's shoulder. He looked irritated, his eyebrows furrowed as he obstructed her path to stop her daydreaming. "You're not," the boy replied tersely to himself. "You're still half asleep."
"I'm awake," she argued, picking up her pace as she sleepily stumbled around him.
"You look half dead," Rei snarked. "Fine. I guess I'll repeat myself for the hundredth time this morning. Let's review. Warden Calaba is missing and Lord Ursaluna is now frenzied."
"Frenzied?" Akari whipped around, her eyes wide.
At the head of the group, a man just a few years older than her turned to glare at her, shaking his head with exasperation. He then rolled his eyes at Rei. "I thought I told you to leave her be, Rei. Lise told you that Akari is still shaky from her fever. Lay off."
"I wasn't even doing anything, Shige!" Rei retorted.
"Lord Ursaluna is frenzied?" Akari asked again. She still couldn't remember how long she'd been out for. When had she developed a fever? She had only just arrived back to the mirelands two days prior.
"Sure is," Shige droned, breaking Akari out of her inner monologue. He kept a firm hand on the saber at his side. "We-" he gestured sarcastically at the large group of rangers around them "-are going on a patrol to make sure the territory is safe and gather balm supplies for Warden Arezu." The man turned to face forward, adding in a low enough voice that Akari could hear, "Man, why'd we have to take the catatonic one along?"
"I can go back to camp then," Akari growled. "If you're going to insult me, then do it to my face. Clearly, I'm too unwell to travel."
"Yeah, can you? It'd make our jobs way easier." Rei quipped.
"You've been unwell since you got here. The least you could do is walk with us on a simple patrol," Shige retorted. "You don't have a choice anyhow. You have to pay back all that time you spent eating our food and using our firewood to keep warm while you were paralyzed, you dirty freeloader-"
"That's enough!" A rough hand came down on Shige's shoulder and forcefully yanked him back, a pair of hard brown eyes landing on her. "Shige, don't be rude to our guest." The tall ranger with the dreads- the scout known to Akari as Akanti- gave her an apologetic grimace but the way he sucked his breath through his teeth suggested that the man wanted to voice the same opinion. "She's here to help us. I didn't hear you complain when Ine or little Hosu were stuck in the healer's tent."
"That's different- they're our clanmates!"
"So is Akari!" the older clan member argued. "Listen," Akanti growled, jabbing one finger into Shige's chest. "You show Akari respect. You can't blame people for getting sick and she's got a tough job to do coming up and she's just come out of a bad fever. Do her job first; then you can make all the comments and complaints you want."
Shige tore his shoulder out of the older man's grip; if he could hiss, Akari knew he would've at that moment. He snorted, shot her a menacing glare, and then headed back to lead the patrol. Akanti was only a pace behind them. The rest of the patrol had followed along, not daring to look in her direction.
Rei came up alongside her, not quite meeting her eyes but still looking angry. "…Do you still need a refresher?" he asked quietly.
"…Yeah," she muttered. She couldn't ever remember Rei being this soft with her before. Especially not after their verbal spat the month before.
Rei's recap was… something else entirely. There were parts Akari was aware of such as her fever and of Adaman's plan to take down Lady Lilligant. Then there were new parts. Warden Ingo was traveling with his twin brother now due to the increased risk for earthquakes and landslides. Apparently, they were off attending to some secret business.
In a horrifying addition, Lord Ursaluna had also become frenzied. According to Rei, Warden Arezu had come squealing into the camp soaked in her own blood yelling that Warden Calaba had been mauled to death by her own noble. Rei had accompanied Adaman and a few other clan rangers to inspect the territory near the Droning Encampment downriver. As he spoke, the boy's eyes were glossed over with terror; the Droning Encampment had been broken apart by a massive sinkhole. Adaman and Lady Irida of the Pearl Clan had been corresponding to work together and host everybody in the Cloudpool Ridge Encampment.
It wasn't safe enough to move the bodies yet. Tens of rangers were missing, some only found by what was left of them after the river had burst its banks and drowned whoever had been foolish enough to stay behind and try to rebuild. Warden Calaba's body still had yet to be recovered. Nobody knew where Lord Ursaluna was; the great big beast had tunneled beneath the earth and was causing mayhem on the surface.
The group soon emerged at the short expanse of heather-covered moorland where the territory of the Diamond Clan began. They crossed the mess of torn-up grass and exposed rabbit holes, eventually coming to the stone hollow where the Diamond Settlement used to be. Now, it was just a mess of torn-up trees and destroyed huts. Mats of overgrown algae stuck to everything: houses, boats, knicknacks. Everything had been soaked with rainwater. Boats and canoes had been turned over, floating in destroyed pieces in the dark, sickly water.
Mud squelched under Akari's boots as the group spread out to check the remaining huts and salvage whatever they could. Others moved off to the trees, peeling off bark, berries, and specific leaves. If they found any bodies, Akari didn't hear. She was too focused on the sounds of snuffling at the edge of the clearing where the wooden spike wall had been torn away. Akari crept closer, her eyes focused on the swatch of white and pink fabric stuck to something dark and brown. It was almost too faint to be heard correctly: faint wheezing. "Something's over here!" she called over her shoulder, hurrying over to the injured person. A terrible mistake.
A huge figure in the undergrowth immediately snapped its face around to stare at her, two blistering, beady eyes glaring down at her as the creature grew in size. It reared up onto its massive legs, two large bulky clawed arms raised to fight as lightning flashed overhead. A bear. Not just any bear, no. Its thick shaggy pelt was matted with dirt, branches, and even mold, long tearing gash wounds across its belly and throat as if some poor soul had tried and failed to put it down long ago. Its claws alone were the length of her fingers. Its slavering jaws, bloody drool dripping into the tall grass, opened wide in a blood-curdling roar. Akari felt it rattle around in her bones. And there, stuck haphazardly to the beast's back like some sort of shoddy craftwork involving glue, was Warden Calaba's body.
She looked rotten and twisted as though the noble had broken her limbs apart to stick her up onto its back. Half of her face was covered with mud and mold, the other revealing pale, waxy flesh. What little of her corpse was showing had torn apart skin and clothes, a mess of whites, pinks, and reds.
"Don't move." There was a gentle but firm hand on her back as Rei approached on her left and Shige on her right. "Mister Shige, get her out of here."
"Rei, you're not old enough-"
Rei took another step forward, rolling a wooden pokéball into his awaiting hand. "I'll buy us time," he promised. His voice trembled on every syllable. He took two more steps forward, a new partner summoned out into the clearing. A Floatzel. "Aqua Jet!" The orange weasel was a blur as it slammed into Lord Ursaluna, every little rain droplet and puddle coalescing into a singular, titanic wave that tore up trees by the roots as the duo fought off the noble.
"Up! Let's get out of here!" Shige wrenched her up by the arm and dragged her backwards, just in time for her to see Rei summon out another of his pokémon: a Sneasle. Akari narrowed her eyes. Otto.
Akari didn't waste a single moment deliberating on whether or not to help Rei. "Mars, help me out!" Akari called forth her Rapidash and scrambled to get atop its back, digging her boots into her partner's flanks to get away from the settlement as fast as possible. The huge Rapidash readily assisted and with a toss of its head and a minute to let two other clanmates climb aboard, the alpha was galloping west, back to Cloudpool Ridge.
She had been the first of the entire patrol to get back. Adaman, Wardens Arezu and Melli, and a few clan rangers had been waiting at the gate. Adaman was first to reach her.
"What's going on out there?"
"It's Lord Ursaluna!" Akari replied, leaping off of her partner. "We found it! It was lumbering around the lake! And-" Akari paused, fighting off a wave of nausea "-we… we found Warden Calaba."
Adaman quickly ushered her and the other two rangers into the tent, making sure to shut the entrance tightly before gathering them all around a warm fire. Warden Arezu gave them mugs of tea to help warm them up as they slowly dried off.
"Okay," Adaman began, holding his face in his hands. He glanced first at her, his eyes shining with exhaustion. "You found Warden Calaba?"
"We did. We just… we couldn't… we… we couldn't bring her back to camp."
"She's stuck to Lord Ursaluna, Adaman," clambered one ranger. "She's… she's dead, Adaman. She was already starting to decompose the way she looked. Can we… should we… can we host a vigil for her?"
"That wouldn't be nearly enough." Warden Arezu had been guarding the door but now the redhead was hunched over, her nails digging into her arms as weak tears began to stream down her face. "This is my fault. If I would've taken care of Lady Lilligant earlier, this wouldn't be happening-"
"You were powerless-" Warden Melli began, but Warden Arezu shot him a glare filled with fire and brimstone.
"Me? Powerless? Are you gonna say that it's not my fault too?" Arezu laughed miserably. "We're supposed to take care of our own nobles, yet here I am crying like a child while other people solve my problems! I shouldn't have asked Warden Ingo for help; Lady Lilligant isn't his charge. She's mine and I've done nothing about it."
"It's not your job alone," Adaman cut in. Swiftly, he moved so that he was sitting beside his younger warden, a comforting arm around her back. "Did Warden Lian or Warden Mai quell their nobles on their own?"
"…No."
"Were either of them responsible for the deaths caused by their nobles rampaging?"
Arezu laughed again, rubbing at her eyes before devolving into angry tears again. "That's how it should be! I might as well have murdered them myself! I haven't done anything to help!"
"You have," Warden Melli retorted. "You may be useless when it comes to physical power, but you gave us a decent head start on making the balms for your noble; that's half of the battle. Besides-" Melli sniffed, not quite meeting her eyes as he too crouched to sit beside her "-battling isn't your strong suit. Leave that to those who are. I assure you, Warden Ingo doesn't care that you're not taking his spot. The old fool is probably just excited to order around his pokémon some more."
"Melli," Adaman growled.
"What? It's the truth, Adaman."
"So what are you suggesting I do?" Arezu sniffled.
"Isn't it obvious? You worked with Warden Calaba," Melli stated incredulously. "Surely you've got some kind of knowledge in that tiny little head of yours that could help us calm Lord Ursaluna down." After a moment of silence, Melli mumbled, "You do, don't you?"
"…I have… a few ideas."
"Great… Good." Adaman was back on his feet, pacing. "I will send a letter to Clan Leader Irida to inform her about the loss of Warden Calaba. For now-" he turned to address all of the people in the tent "- we must focus on keeping this place fortified. We've got Pearl Clan rangers here; let's put them to work."
"Can they work?" Akari blurted out. When everybody's eyes had turned to her, she twitched back, a smidgen cowed by her own impulsiveness. "I-I mean, didn't they just go through a flood and an earthquake? Shouldn't they be kept in the camp for now? They're probably afraid now that their homes are gone."
"So are ours," Melli quipped back. He leaned back to better glare at Akari, giving her an unimpressed glance. "The difference between the Diamond Clan and the Pearl Clan is that we of the Diamond Clan don't waste time wallowing. We have things to do. Tragedy can wait." Melli turned. "Adaman, can I take a group of Pearl Clan rangers to haul some stones from the cliffs? We'll need to reinforce the camp walls."
Adaman gave a begrudging nod. "That's… a good idea, Melli. See to it quickly, thank you. Oh, and next time, a bit gentler, please?"
"I don't play nice." With a swish of his wet hair, Melli had left the tent, his boisterous voice echoing through the clearing as he quickly gathered up a patrol. Warden Arezu was next, taking out another massive patrol to gather ingredients for both nobles, leaving just Akari alone with Adaman.
"What should I do?" Akari squeaked nervously. She felt a tad intimidated under the clan leader's wary gaze, knowing that despite her working for him, she hadn't had the necessary time to truly understand the man.
Adaman hummed, still pacing before the hearth. "Your job is to prepare for your upcoming battle with Lady Lilligant. No patrols for you. Link with Warden Ingo and his brother to continue your training as soon as possible." He finally sat, defeated, pondering the flames as he leaned back against the support pillar of his tent. "Resting would be smart, wouldn't it?" he chuckled quietly, not directly looking at Akari as he spoke. "But we don't have the leisure to care for our sick and dying." His gaze connected with hers. "I admire your optimism in these times of fear, but… hmm, take this with a grain of salt; sometimes, if you want to climb a tree, you may have to break a few branches on the way up. It's never easy, making decisive decisions, especially not when people's lives are on the line, but you should always strive for the bigger picture and do what's right."
After pondering for a while more, Adaman finally dismissed her and Akari was grateful to leave. Was that a compliment or an insult? Did I say something wrong? Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should've just kept my mouth shut-
"Ah, there you are! Over here, my dear."
Akari turned, knee-deep in mud, to see a familiar blonde struggling through the mud to get to her. "Mister Volo!"
The man in question winced. "How many times must I tell you to quit with the formalities-"
He paused when Akari flew forward and embraced him in a hug. She didn't even care that all the rainwater from his poncho was now soaking into her tunic. "You're okay! I can't remember what the previous days have been like; I completely forgot what happened after Jubilife. So much has been going on recently and I feel so confused! It's good to see you!"
Volo scoffed and pointedly looked away, pulling the hood of his poncho tighter as he hugged her back. "Ah. That's why I came to visit, my dear. Well, that and to bring precious balm ingredients per Adaman's request. Really, the pleasure's all mine. It's such a rare occurrence to run into you now that you're running all over the place because of these nobles. What would I do without my favorite customer?"
"Become poorer, I think."
"So now I'm poor, huh? That's low."
Akari laughed. "It really is good to see you, Volo. I don't think I'm even relatively close to getting back to speed on what's going on here."
"Yes, well, having random fevers will do that to a person," the merchant joked. "And in case you're wondering, I'm here delivering more herbs to the Diamond Clan as well. Haven't been able to find any more paralytic medicines but- well- we'll keep trying!" He glanced around before bending to whisper, "And I managed to obtain another plate while you were out, too."
Volo had obtained the Meadow Plate from Warden Arezu under the guise that it would help Warden Ingo and Akari fend off the great noble by limiting its potential power; a lie that had somehow worked. Now, they had three plates in all. They had so many more plates to obtain.
"So the plates are definitely connected to the nobles," Akari started, "but it's their wardens who possess them. Makes sense that if you have bits of yourself scattered around the mortal world, you'd entrust them with the strongest pokémon and the people they trust."
"Correct! And if I'm not mistaken, I might know the location of the Earth Plate: the one that belongs to Lord Ursaluna."
Akari cast a sad glance into the woods. "Warden Calaba might've known where it was. But she can't hand it over to us. She's… she's dead." Akari thought Volo looked a bit too smug, so she turned to face him, her arms crossed. "Well? What do you know?"
"If I'm correct, we won't even need to calm Lord Ursaluna to get it. It might just be at Calaba's Hideout."
"Hideout?"
"That's right. The Pearl Clan has a settlement here in the Droning Meadows. No doubt, that's where the plate is. If we can secure that plate, we can move on to the other nobles; maybe even get the plates before they become frenzied. We'd be on the fast track of summoning Arceus. Nobody gets hurt and we both get what we want. Wouldn't that be neat?"
Akari squinted at the man, not sure as to whether he was brilliant or just comically insane. "Are you saying we should go to a destruction zone, break into a dead old lady's house, and steal a plate to summon god more efficiently?"
"Not stealing, per say," Volo hummed. "More like, borrowing. You want to speak to Arceus, don't you?"
"I do," Akari nodded fiercely. "We both want the same thing; answers. I'd do anything to get my memories back."
"Anything at all, hmm? Then I'm sure our dearly departed Calaba won't mind if we put that plate to use."
"When do we go?"
"Tomorrow morning, just before dawn. You can just tell the guards that you're accompanying me to the second checkpoint on the route for merchants. I need a strapping young hero to protect me and my wares," Volo fanned himself dramatically. "A good protector. And who better than you?"
"Who better than me?" echoed Akari smugly. "You need a teenager to protect you. How sad."
"Don't get too big of a head now! I brought something else for you too besides the Meadow Plate." He ushered her over to a quiet section of the camp where leafy trees hid their forms well. Once he was sure that they were alone, Volo set down his pack and reached inside, his eyes practically gleaming. "Another gift. I think you'll like this one the same way you took to that Glameow I caught you."
Akari paused. "Volo… you didn't."
"I did!" He drew up a shiny wooden pokéball with delicate strokes of blue and white paint along the lid. "I caught his one just for you! I just had a little inkling that you two would go perfectly together." He held out the pokéball. "Go on- release them! They've been dying to meet you."
Akari excitedly accepted the pokéball. What kind of critter did he catch this time? A Buneary? A Vulpix? A Budew? Her questions were answered once the little thing materialized in front of her.
It was small and lean, its shiny blue feathers sparkling with rain drops. It gave a nervous peep before waddling closer to inspect Akari, its big eyes shiny as it settled next to her feet. It looked up to stare curiously at her. "Pip?" A Piplup. Volo had gifted her with a Piplup.
Without so much as a word, Akari took the little thing into her arms and snuggled it to her chest, warm tears cascading down her face as the tiny bird nested into her tunic. Why am I crying? It's just a silly little birdie? Why am I getting so emotional over a water-type pokémon?
"You like it?" Volo asked smugly.
"Yes!" Akari sobbed in return.
August 16th, First Year
It was raining when they set off. Akari had been sure to bring an extra set of boots and a bedroll in case they had to take a break during the trek. The guards hadn't questioned them too much when they had first set off apart from telling them to take extra care and watch their footing.
Now that both of the nobles were frenzied, Akari felt the need to be especially careful, often readjusting the cloth over her nose and mouth in case any sinkholes opened up and displaced the thick layer of spores coating everything. Volo had warned her about the multiple sinkholes dotting the bogs. If they weren't careful, they would fall right into one. A short distance away, the two of them had spotted what looked like tangles of leaves and slime bubbling up from a crack in the ground. "Petilil sproutlings," Volo muttered. "Why would they make their nests in the ground?" The older man turned his gaze away from the crushed leaves and slime.
"How are we going to steal this plate, exactly?" Akari asked after a while as they approached a massive sinkhole. So large that Akari was having trouble seeing the bottom.
"I've delivered herbs to Warden Calaba before. She has her own tent a ways away from the rest of the Droning Encampment; far enough that nobody will know we're there. That's if we're being quiet. Now that the place is ruined, we won't have to worry about being seen or heard. They'll just think we're there looking for Calaba."
"That's all fine and dandy Volo, but those tents have doors and they're all buried underneath rubble. What's the plan?"
Volo flashed her a coy grin. "I know how to pick locked doors. A handy trick I learned in my younger days. Came in handy when-" he stopped himself, his eyes alight with mirth. He cleared his throat and faced forward to stare across the wetlands, smiling. "Ahem. You don't need to hear the rest of that."
"Come on! Don't tell me you were a thief!"
"I wasn't!" Volo swore. "Honest!"
They had been walking for most of the day when both of them had decided to stop and take a break, Akari perching herself on a fallen tree. The sun was now sitting high in the sky, barely visible from the blanket of storm clouds above. When they set off the next time, Akari could've sworn she felt eyes burning into her back. She whipped around. A pair of beady eyes peered back at her before hastily vanishing into the shadows of the tall grass. A wild pokémon? She called forward her trusty steed. "Mars, burn through that grass and take care of that interloper."
Mars did as it was told. It reared and stomped at the ground, its fiery mane expanding to set the grass alight. As the wild flames licked at the tall grass, a wave of rainwater splashed upward, putting the fire out almost immediately. Another jet of water hit Mars straight in the face, causing the great mare to take a few confused steps backwards.
"A pokémon?" Akari whispered to Volo. When he shook his head, Akari took a step forward. "Show yourself! You're wasting our time!"
"I'm right here!" Out came Rei from the tall grass, his Floatzel snarling as the two picked their way out to stand before Akari and Volo. His eyes were cast in shadows due to the brim of his hat but Akari could easily see the angry sneer of cold contempt that he wore. "I should've known you'd be sneaking around instead of helping out!"
"Sneaking around?" Akari scoffed. "I'm helping! We're just retrieving something from-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You talk loud enough for anybody listening to hear," Rei coldly dismissed her. "I know what you two are doing. You're off to steal some sort of… plate from Warden Calaba's house. Both of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves! She's dead! Last I checked, plates don't have anything to do with what's going on right now."
"It's because Almighty Sinnoh asked her to," Volo responded with his signature customer-service voice. "You didn't seem to have a problem with Warden Ingo bringing in the Old Verses."
"That's because Warden Ingo never stole them out of a dead person's house not even a day after they died. And I wasn't asking you, Volo. I was asking Akari."
"Rei-" Akari growled, but Volo was faster.
"It's more than that," Volo retorted, stepping out in front of her. "They're plates for pokémon; not for humans. Collecting this specific plate would give us an edge on Lady Lilligant." His tone held none of the softness that Akari regularly heard in his tone. It was sour and bitter and harsh. She shared a knowing glance with Volo. They needed to get Rei out of there so they could continue. Distract him. The last thing they needed was a nosy tag-along or worse, a snitch. "This is a private matter."
Now it was Rei's turn to glare at Volo. "Again, I'm not asking you, creep. Shouldn't you be doing your job instead of hanging around a girl almost half your age?"
"We're just friends!" Akari yelled back in frustration, ignoring the strangled sound the merchant had made at that nasty comment. "If you're so concerned with the camp, then go back and help them! I've got something else that Almighty Sinnoh wants me to take care of!"
"So Almighty Sinnoh condones stealing from a dead lady?" Rei challenged. He took another step closer, his Floatzel matching his every move. "Does he also condone killing helpless baby pokémon because I know you're guilty of that too. Some champion you are, right? I bet you enjoy flaunting around that power to get whatever you want. Lying to those that want to help you, excusing every bad action that you make, sneaking around like a Zoroark with some guy that's just here to get something out of you." Rei's eyes flashed with anger but not towards her; toward Volo. Rei took a step forward so that he was only a pace away from her. "You're coming back to camp with me," Rei stated. "Right now."
Akari blinked and then backed away, scowling. "I'm not going anywhere with you, you brain-dead moron! Volo and I are friends; nothing more! What we're doing here is none of your business!"
"It becomes my business when you treat other people like objects and put them in danger, Akari! You didn't even try to save Warden Calaba or help! You didn't help Yuki either! You ran away! You just sat there like a Snorlax-"
"Shut up."
"-waiting on other people to make decisions for you. I thought you were supposed to be a champion, not a lackey!" Rei spat. "What have you actually done as a champion?" Rei snarled. "Without help? What have you done besides make situations worse and lash out at people the second they disagree with you?"
"I said, shut up!" Akari screamed. "I don't have to take this from you! Either stand aside or-"
"Or what? Are you gonna hurt me like you hurt Oshawott?" Rei turned to Volo. "Did you know about that? She didn't lose that Oshawott that Professor Laventon lent her. Oh no. She killed him. Brutalized him. Had her Rapidash crush him to death. I only found out because Yuki's new Mr Mime clued me in when we were both checking in on you during your little coma. Did you know that, Volo?"
"Of course, I knew," Volo grunted, scowling. "It was grisly, that. Psychic-type pokémon are useful for a lot of things." He turned to Akari, his tone sharp and demeaning. "Should've had your Rapidash burn the area to get rid of the evidence."
Akari flinched. The dream! The vision that the Mind Plate had given her! She had… no. This was just an echo of the same scenario, but different. I can still take control of this situation. She swallowed, clenching her fists. "So what? It's just a baby pokémon. They die early all the time. You keep your mouth shut Rei, or I'll shut it for you. I don't need to kill you to keep you quiet, you know." With a flip of her hand, she released her Beautifly, Venus, who fluttered its wings threateningly. "Your move."
"My move?"
"I don't care anymore, Rei." Akari took a step forward. Rei took a step back. Is he afraid of me? …Good. "We need those plates and we'll steal them if we have to. I want to see it. To hear it; Arceus. The thing that brought me here. For it to answer me. I want my memories back. I want to go home." Lightning had struck on her last word. "I want justice."
"You're crazy," Rei whispered. "Fine. We can do this the hard way. A battle to settle it then."
"I don't think so." Volo unlatched a pokéball at his waist, a dainty Roselia appearing at his side, thorns at the ready. "You know too much, and we can't have you opening your mouth and mucking up our plans."
"Mucking up-" Rei started- "what are you even talking about? You- Akari, are you even hearing this? This isn't right. You wouldn't-"
"Roselia, Poison Powder-"
"Marshall, Quick Attack and then Aqua Tail!" Rei's Floatzel was already a step ahead, twisting as it summoned another wave of dark, muddy water. The Roselia was quickly overwhelmed, bubbles spewing from its mouth as the jet of water blasted it into a clump of rocks. Rei's Floatzel backed up to its trainer, both looking horrified but determined. "So this is what I'm up against, huh? You were going to poison me?"
"You won't stand aside," Akari retorted. "You want a battle? Fine!" she declared, switching out her Rapidash for her Glameow. "You can have one! Saturn, Fury Swipes!"
The small feline wove its way through the vicious waves of the Floatzel's attacks, springing onto its face to rip at its eyes, tear at its legs, and wrestle it back into the tall grass. Before Rei could pull the two apart, the Floatzel's head had been battered so viciously that it stumbled about on its feet, blood oozing down its face before falling face-first into the mud.
"Otto, let them have it!" Rei roared. "Icy wind!" The minute the little weasel's paws touched down into the grass, a bitter wind tore up the grass and loose sod, bringing with it ice-cold rain and hail, turning the curling fog to a creeping mist. "Metal Claw!"
Akari waited, calling her Glameow back in anticipation of the Sneasel's attack. The pokémon burst up from the ground, teeth glinted as it surged forward to strike. "Slash, now!"
The move came only seconds too late. By the time Saturn's hooked paw had arched toward the advancing pokémon, Otto had already lacerated its side, hooking one claw under its belly to toss the thin cat into the mud. The weasel then squealed as a large Growlithe appeared, sinking its fangs into the Sneasel's leg and hoisting it off as though it weighed a pebble's worth. The Sneasel swiftly retaliated and feigned, taking a chunk out of the Growlithe's ear.
"Distract him, Akari!" Volo snarled at her shoulder. "I have a plan but I need you to make an opening for me!"
"Got it!"
Volo snapped his head back around to face the battle, his one good eye narrowed. "Growlithe, Fire Fang!"
Otto was quick to try to retreat; Saturn had thrown itself onto its attacker, holding its face down with one paw and its legs down with another. With a heady growl, Volo's Growlithe fixed its teeth into Otto's throat and shook him like a wet branch, the skin beginning to burn and blister. Something popped.
"Otto, Brick Break! Get back to safety, buddy!"
Otto spat in acknowledgement, lashing out at the Growlithe with a ferocious howl, smashing apart a chunk of its rock-like hair and horn to pieces. With another swipe, the Sneasel fought its way free, hitting Akari's Glameow so hard that Saturn was sent tumbling into a tree. Otto quickly backed up to its trainer, standing ready despite how torn the flesh around its waist was.
A flash of light lit up the clearing. Saturn hissed, low and loud, as its form began to change. Covered with mud, its fur dirty and on-edge, stood a battered Purugly, its hackles raised, beady eyes glittering with malice as it charged forward.
"Fake Out!"
"Dodge, Otto! Then, Low Sweep!"
Saturn had become much, much faster after its split-second evolution, making contact with its target as it slammed a hefty paw into the Sneasel's face, another digging into the creature's ribs. In return, the Sneasel took Saturn down to the ground, tearing at anything it could until Otto was eventually brought down by Saturn seizing its throat and choking it out.
Rei cursed loudly. "Alright, it's your turn Lance!" He tossed his pokéball straight up into the air, a large Golbat generating a cutting wind that knocked Akari's Purugly back to the other side of the field. Clouds of dust and loose gravel now obscured the battlefield. "Get that damn cat out of here! Air Cutter!"
Akari shielded her eyes, rolling another pokéball into her hand as the unconscious body of her Purugly tumbled past. "Venus, it's your turn-"
"Thunderbolt!"
Huh? Akari didn't even have time to process what had happened before Venus's fried form had plummeted to the ground. Two of its wings had caught fire. Huh?!
"Lance! Agile Style Agility! Tot! Strong Style Brick Break!"
"Dodge!" Volo called, the man wincing as his pokémon was immediately set upon by both Rei's Golbat and Pikachu. In one fell swoop with Golbat enhancing its partner's speed, Pikachu landed three consecutive Brick Breaks before being lifted back into the sky by its partner: a formidable pair. As lightning struck again, the Pikachu siphoned the strike into its tail, its golden fur glowing with electricity. The clouds parted, strips of sunlight making the spots of blood in the grass glow.
Akari swallowed. She couldn't toss out her new Piplup. And Mars was weak against water.. but it might just work. She summoned her last partner's pokéball into her palm and tossed it as hard as she could. "Mars, Megahorn!"
The large mare set upon the battlefield in a blaze, clearly angered by Rei's past aggression and eager to strike down an enemy. Despite Rei's desperate calls to his partners to get lower, the Rapidash reared up onto its legs, batted the Golbat out of the air with one hefty hoof and then proceeded to ram its horn straight through its heart, instantly killing the small thing in a blaze of fire.
"No!" Rei ran out onto the field to catch what was left of his partner, recoiling as bits of charred flesh and blood splattered into his open hands. Using Rei's back as a springboard, Tot unleashed a blast of supercharged electrical energy directly into Mars' face. The Rapidash staggered backwards, its muscles twitching as it attempted to right itself after the brutal attack.
Rei rose, his eyes brimming with angry tears as he attempted to call out a final command only to stop. A horrible scream of agony escaped from his lips as he collapsed backwards, viciously clawing at something that had his side in its jaws; a Gabite. The dragon-type took Rei down to the ground and hungrily tore at his flesh, using its claws to tear apart his legs, arms, and face.
"Nice work," Volo praised Akari, his silver eye flashing with excitement. "Gave me enough time to restore Roselia's health and then some. Now then," Volo muttered, casting his venomous gaze to Rei's bleeding form. "Let's put this brat to sleep."
Akari smiled, grateful that the battle was finally over. "Agreed."
Tot attempted to fight off the large Gabite only to be punished as the larger dragon-type shoved it full force into the earth. It lifted the Pikachu off of the ground by its ears before repeatedly slamming the small mouse into the rocks, side-to-side, only stopping when the thing had stopped crying out in pain.
"Roselia, Sleep Powder." The flower pokémon gave a faint chirp as it emerged, healed, bringing forth a cloud of sticky particles from the ground. The spores covered Rei head-to-toe with the stuff in the blink of an eye. Rei didn't even have a chance to cover his nose or mouth. He gagged, groaning with pain as he attempted to crawl away. Gabite only sank its claws deeper into his torso.
"Sleep Powder?" Akari muttered. "Reminds me of when I fell ill that one time. Trying to replicate something, are we?"
"It will keep him sound asleep for some time yet," Volo explained, nodding at Akari's quick deduction. "Long enough so he can't tell anybody in the Galaxy Team or clans what we're planning. Maybe he'll even forget about it if we keep him under long enough."
"Good idea." She watched as Rei eventually crumpled to the ground, eyes glossy and skin pale. His breaths had become labored. "Where do we put him?"
"Back in the camp. Maulings aren't that uncommon nowadays," Volo pointed out. "We'll just stash him somewhere nearby and pick him up on the way back to camp. Make up some story. We can say that we found him like this. Say he was attacked by an Ursaring."
Has Volo always been this devious? Am I becoming a willing accomplice to murder? No, Akari shook her head. We're only poisoning Rei. Keeping asleep. Not killing him. And besides, Volo was right. Meeting Arceus and forcing it to answer her might lead to her being able to force it to take her back home. Her real home. Volo had been her greatest ally since she had arrived in Hisui. She trusted him to lead her in the right direction.