[ episode eight ]

The cave was filled with the dim, warm light of the morning sun, the air full of the salty tang of saltwater. Clair awoke just as the sun breached the mountains. She quickly brushed her hair and pulled it into a familiar ponytail before heading to the mouth of the cave. She had to tiptoe around her Pokémon, who were cuddled beside her, but nearly tripped over the stranger's long legs. He leaned against the wall, chin to his chest, hair covering his face.

Clair had always been the early-to-rise type. Whether that was from the elder's harsh training or her own circadian rhythm, she didn't know, but it certainly made for a few pleasant hours of peaceful silence. She exited the cavern and headed into the light of the rising sun, noticing with quiet surprise that the environment was a lot different than she expected. As jagged as a dragon's tooth, this part of the coast reminded her of her beloved mountains in Johto. Cliff walls sharply cascaded straight into the ocean's depths. Fallen boulders littered the beach below, creating an almost cookie-crumble appearance from this distance. In the water, stones and small sandbars struggled under the weight of the rising tide. The roar of waves crashing against the massive cliffside brought strength to her heart.

Clair jogged up the jagged path, leaping from the well-worn path to a nearby boulder, and climbed to the top of a thick, flat rock. Wingulls screamed overhead. They soared past the cliff Clair was on, gliding along the air current with ease. And way above, in the purple-orange sky, was the stars—or what was left of them. Fading with the coming sun, she saw that Polaris wasn't where it should be. Perhaps she'd missed it—it was dawn, after all. A pang of… something hit her. So familiar, yet so different.

She wasn't in Blackthorn anymore.

Clair stayed on the rock overlooking the ocean for another half an hour before she made her way back to Connecting Cave and her Pokémon.

The stranger was already awake. He stared through cool grey eyes as she came inside, watching her as she steadfastly ignored him. Clair rolled her sleeping bag and collected whatever belongings that had magically escaped her pack during the night. Windie had been busy.

"You are kind," he said, his voice rough from sleep.

It took a moment for Clair to understand him. It irked her—not just the words, no, but the sincerity of them. If only the clan members could see her now: disheveled, unkempt, alone. They'd laugh at her.

Clair wheeled to face him, jaw set. "No, I'm not," she retorted with a harsh laugh. "I'm the furthest thing from kind."

A moment's pause.

"This one… wonders your name."

Just great. After the hell he put her through yesterday, now he wants to talk? Sure, fine, whatever, she'll talk.

"Call me Clair," she said, pronouncing her name the Johtonese way. It sounded so feminine in Latin. Clara. Ugh. "Let me guess, you're going to reveal your name now?"

The stranger nodded. "This one… is AZ. A beginning. An end." Then he turned, his entire body shifting. "The little dragon. It seeks you."

Fascinating.

Clair wondered how this man came to be so chatty overnight. Not like she was any help; she ignored him for the rest of the evening after she fed the others. Her stomach growled, but she ignored that, too. It'd be several hours before they reached the next checkpoint, and she—

Wait a minute!

Did he say dragon?

Clair turned, peering past her sleeping Pokémon and into the deep halls of the cave. Hidden in the shadow of a boulder was the Axew. It slunk into the shadows at her gaze, but after a few seconds, it cautiously slid back into view.

"How did you know it was there?" she hissed, glancing at AZ from the corner of her eye.

The man said nothing. He raised his hand and beckoned the young dragon over, speaking to it in soft, gentle tones. It reminded Clair of the songs she sang back home, of the spirituality of dragons and their deep connection with her clan. Almost without a second thought, the Axew bounded into AZ's arms. It stared at Clair with gleaming red eyes.

How could someone not from her clan do that?

She was lost. So truly, desperately lost. Dragons didn't just trust people, but most people weren't over 8 feet tall, either. Who was this AZ? More than just some bozo, or simply a homeless man with a few gifts? Kalos was confusing, filling her with thoughts and ideas she didn't want to have. And yet here she was.

Spirits save me.

Clair was saved from her thoughts by Windie waking up. The little scamp stretched, kicking Jude's head in the process. And then she noticed the Axew. Windie launched herself at it, chittering excitedly and grabbing its little claws in hers. They shared a conspiratorial look at Clair before rushing off out of the exit of the cave, leaving AZ, Clair, and a very confused Jude behind.

"Windie! Don't run off!" Clair shouted after them. She hurriedly gathered her belongings, shouldered her bag, and ran off after them. Jude fumbled to catch up.

When Clair arrived, Windie and the Axew were playing and rolling in the dry yellow grass of the cliffside. Jude mimicked Clair by putting his hands on his hips, his face pulled into his trainer's signature frown.

So Windie wanted to play, huh? And while the dragon was distracted…

"Jude, I have an idea," Clair said with a grin. "Tackle Windie. Make her work for it. Let her know that you mean business."

That Axew was as good as hers.

Jude stared up at her for a brief moment before a look of wonder flashed across his face. He let out a sharp bark and launched into the grass after his teammate, hitting her with a light aura-tinged fist. Windie went reeling into the grass, placing a paw on her shoulder from where she'd been hit. She chirped angrily at Jude, but he was on her again, this time with a swift kick to her forehead. Windie barked and rolled out of the way—Jude was on her in a flash. She spat a spark of flames in his direction, while Riolu ducked and weaved. He came at her with another kick, this time connecting with her torso.

The Axew's eyes head went this way and that as it watched the Pair fumble to get the upper hand on each other. With a peek over her shoulder to make sure that AZ was going to stay put—he'd come out of the cave to follow them—Clair snuck her way through the grass, a Poke Ball in her hand. She hated what she was about to do. A bond was achieved through trust and competition—stealth was a cheap way to catch a Pokémon.

Windie and Jude were fighting in the open now. The Braixen spit more flame at Jude, but his quick attack made it easy to dodge. Clair sunk into the grass, watching the young dragon with keen blue eyes. Enlarging the capsule, she moved forward. Jude leaped into the air, fist full of aura, and slammed into the ground, missing Windie by mere inches. She kicked him and shot away. Axew looked on in earnest.

Clair waited.

Just as the two young Pokémon were about to collide—Windie growing ever more irritated—Axew jumped into the fray. Clair didn't think—she leaped in as it charged forward to the center of the battlefield, tusks flying. Just as is struck both Windie and Jude, the Poke Ball collided with the dragon right in the back of its curved head.

It let out half a roar as it disappeared. Clair rushed forward and clamped her hands on the capsule, forcing it shut. The ball struggled, but she held on through sheer force of will. Then, as suddenly as it began, it quieted. The Axew had been caught. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Clair looked at the capsule for a long moment before placing it into her shorts pocket.

"Windie? Jude?" she asked, voice filling with concern. The two had mirrored gashes on the respective sides of their faces, but both appeared okay. Shaken and scared, but okay. Clair wiped the blood with her hands. Not terribly deep, but it would definitely take antibiotics and some time to heal. Windie licked Clair's face, an apology. "Next time, listen to me," she chastised, holding her Pokémon close to her. "I won't always be around to save you."

Back at the mouth of the cave, AZ waited patiently on a ramshackle bench. Next to him was Clair's backpack. The man stood when she returned, his face contorting with worry when he saw the blood on Windie and Jude's faces.

"We're fine," she said, waving off his unvoiced concern. "Just a little blood. It'll wash out."

Clair unclipped the water jug from her backpack and grabbed a spare undershirt from a pocket. She moistened the fabric and gingerly placed it upon Windie and Jude's cuts, cleansing them from blood and debris. Hmm… they were deeoer than she thought, and worse on Windie's face than Jude's. When she finished, Clair placed a large bandage on their cheeks. "There, all better," she said, giving each of them a kiss. "Now don't do that again."

【-】

Traveling through the rest of the route became more of a hassle as they drew nearer to Ambrette. Trainers wishing to make a name of themselves battled on the flatter grounds, and some popped out of the grass to challenge Clair. Jude must have had a lot on his mind, as he battled with all his strength each time. Windie had fire in her heart, too; she spewed flames at anyone who came so much as near her. Her psychic abilities seemed to have appeared overnight, because with one flick of her branch, a small beam of purple energy barreled through the tip and careened into the chest of one particularly unlucky Mienfoo.

They made it to Ambrette with most of the early afternoon gone. AZ was content to keep his slow, meandering pace behind Clair, and Clair was more than happy to ignore him. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since morning. She preferred it that way.

The town of Ambrette was as surrounded by mountains and cliffside just like the rest of Muraille Coast. Buildings cobbled together from concrete forms and driftwood perched precariously on the hills, clifftops, and between boulders. A small, coastal town, but not one filled with fishermen or the like. The ocean's sweet, salty breeze flowed into and around them, and Clair had a vision of Olivine City. And just where she expected one to be, she spotted an imposing lighthouse tucked away on the shore, surrounded by rocks and the crashing waves. Clair smiled to herself. Jasmine would love it here.

While there was no distinct Pokémon Center, there was a nearby clinic that treated both humans and Pokémon. Clair brought AZ to it and parted ways with him there. She opened her mouth to speak, but the large man simply raised his hand. With a nod of his head, he turned away, and was gone. Without so much as a backward glance, Clair went into the clinic to get her Pokémon treated. The attendants argued with her about placing them in their capsules for quicker treatment, but Clair refused. She only allowed them to take Aella—the Axew—in her Poke Ball instead. Windie and Jude were seen quickly, and their wounds tended to. Clair didn't think the nurses did a better job than she did at cleaning them, but at least they were given antibiotics.

By the time Windie and Jude were patched up, it was nearing late afternoon. Clair was hungry, and she had no idea where to go. She supposed she could find accommodation at a hotel and explore what this town had to offer before moving on. The town unfortunately held no Pokémon Gym, but it did boast a museum and an aquarium. Clair booked a room at the Seaside Inn, paying twice the going rate, even for Blackthorn, money for a simple queen bedroom. After a brief nap and a shower, Clair changed into fresh clothes and went to find an early dinner. Windie and Jude were excited, bouncing up and down as they made their way through the boardwalk. They must have made up. Aella was still in her capsule. Clair figured they would have time later, or tomorrow, to figure each other out.

They stopped to eat at a local BBQ joint. While the food wasn't quite like that in Johto, Clair supposed it wasn't all that bad. Ambrette was much less stuffy than Lumiose, that was for sure. Windie and Jude had a good time, enjoying the savory sweet and tangy sauces and nibbling on the bones. Clair had to take the bones from them before they got too carried away. After dinner, she treated her team to a trip to the boardwalk, where the water lapped the oyster-laden concrete pillars. Various shops boasting colorful shell jewelry and gaudy Alolan shirts lined the docks facing the ocean. Between clothing stores were food shops, and further down the pier were merchants selling freshly-caught fish. Clair breathed it all in.

"Clair? Is that you?" a girl's voice called out.

Clair breathed out.

So much for peace and quiet this evening.

"HEY CLAIR! IT'S ME, SINA! HELLO!"

The voice came from behind them. Soon the shuffle of feet on wooden planks grew near, and Clair turned to greet a tanned Sina and a red-faced Dexio. She wore a large straw sunhat, black sunglasses, and a red shawl over a cute two-piece swimsuit. Dexio's garb was a simple white tee over blue Alolan-print shorts. Sina grinned at Clair and enveloped her in a hug. "Hiya! I didn't expect to see you so soon!"

"Um, yeah," Clair replied, her words stunted. "We just got here."

Dexio waved in greeting. "Us, too. Sina wanted to see the Aquarium, so we stopped by after spending the day on the shore. After last night's rain, the weather's been beautiful." He looked over his shoulder. "Seems to have deterred the tourists, too. Forecast said it'd be another thunderstorm today."

Sina grabbed Clair's hand and pulled her along the boardwalk. Windie leapt by her side. "She doesn't care about that, Dex! She wants to see the sights! Smell the air! Feel the breeze!"

Clair allowed herself to be pulled along after Sina, listening as she rambled about her time at the Aquarium.

"—so then we saw a Relicanth!," Sina went on, smiling hugely, "It was just chilling under a rock, but it was SO BIG—"

They continued to walk down the boardwalk, passing a store that sold bleached sand dollars. Sina looked at each of them, continuing as she did so.

"Now, Toxapex is super unique in that it's got these huge tentacles and an itty-bitty head underneath! Its favorite food is Corsola, and OF COURSE I paid to feed it a branch! It grabbed my hand! It was so slimy!" she squealed. "I even got to feed a Mantyke! Dexio loved it, didn't you, Dex?" smiling over at her partner.

"Well, that's not—I mean—they are my favorite—" he managed.

Sina stopped and turned towards Clair. She leaned forward, her smile widening. "I even saw a Mega Stone in a Clamperl's mouth!"

"But it wasn't, though," Dexio commented. "The Rangers would have noticed. Besides, there's no evidence that Pokémon can even create Stones. All research points to them being made through pressure and time, similar to diamonds."

Sina wheeled around and glared at him. "It was!" she pouted. She turned to Clair, her lower lip quivering. "I know what I saw. Besides," she retorted, mimicking Dexio's voice, "I didn't say the Clamperl created it. Maybe it had its mouth open and it fell in or something. Pokémon are strange creatures, as the Professor says!"

"Even if the Mega Stone fell into the Clamperl's mouth, that Clamperl had been that exhibit for years. If you're suggesting that the Rangers who operate the Aquarium somehow missed this crucial piece of research information…"

"Okay, okay, we get it," Clair interrupted. "You apparently seem to know more about the location of these Mega Stones than Sina." She looked him in the eye, frowning. Sina was about to speak, but Clair put her hand up, silencing her. "It's quite rude to insinuate your partner doesn't know half the things you do. If you're so much of a team, how about you listen instead? Maybe she's right."

It was Dexio's turn to frown. When he looked to Sina, his gaze softened. "I'm sorry. The Professor said that Mega Stones can be found anywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. I'll do more research, see if anyone else has found a Stone like that."

"Maybe we can go back to the Aquarium, do a little recon?" Sina asked, her voice filling with its usual cheer. "Do you want to come with us, Clair? It'll be fun! We can see the sights, get some ice cream, pet the Mantyke again…!"

Listening to Sina got her heart pounding. Yes, she nodded to herself, that did sound nice. Clair opened her mouth to speak—then stopped. She liked these two. She pursed her lips, her cheeks tinging red. Clair didn't have any friends. What made her so special?

"Maybe another time," she replied, refusing to meet their gaze. "Is it true that the local Gym Leader enjoys rock climbing?" Lance had implied so much in his previous text message. "I'm interested in seeing what sort of challenge his training field holds."

"If you like climbing, you might enjoy Spikes Passage!"

"It's rockier than Muraille Coast, and one can only pass through on the back of a Rock- or Ground-type Pokémon, otherwise you'll get seriously injured. There's been reports of rock slides happening lately, so I'd be careful if I were you."

Sina ribbed him in the side. "Hush, Dexio, you'll scare her. At the end of the path, there's a gorgeous cavern called Glittering Cave. I won't tell you, though—you'll have to see for yourself!"

"Between the rock slides and the lightning storms, I'm sure she'd agree that it's dangerous," Dexio said, affronted. "We haven't been because our Pokémon aren't strong enough to handle those kinds of conditions," he explained. "Sina's admittedly better than I am at battling, but our Eevee aren't cut out for that environment. I'm sure your Riolu will have a better time of it. Speaking of, have you caught any other Pokémon?"

Clair glanced down at Jude. He'd remained by her side for the entirety of their stroll down the pier. While Windie was always off chasing a scent or inspecting a shiny, Jude was steadfast, loyal. She scratched behind his ears. "I'm sure Jude will be fine on the journey ahead," she affirmed. "Windie, too. With his aura and her newfound psychic abilities, they're able to protect themselves."

Sina's eyes widened. "You've heard of Aura? Then you must meet Korrina. She's, like, a prodigy at it! A skill she's honed from her grandfather, Korrina's an absolute legend—she's the youngest person ever to be able to Mega Evolve her Pokémon!"

Clair grit her teeth. Someone so much younger than her was so much more accomplished. She could hear her grandfather's voice now, chastising her for not meeting his impossibly high standards, for not being at Lance's level.

"She's definitely a resource to use to find out more about Mega Evolution," Dexio said, nodding, cutting his partner off short. He quickly changed the subject, to which Clair was secretly grateful "But visit Glittering Cave first if you won't come with us to the Aquarium." He shared a grin with Sina. "All work and no play makes for a very dull life, indeed. Consider it a good warm-up for Grant, the next Gym Leader. Though he uses Rock-types, he often puts experienced Trainers to shame."

A Rock-type user? Made sense, considering the Leader's reputation for rock climbing. Clair had read somewhere that he also enjoyed gemstones and fossils. The conversation, however, had moved past what was really informative: Mega Stones and Mega Evolution. Korrina was young, pretty, and full of hope—everything she wasn't.

Clair shook away the intrusive thoughts. That didn't matter now—what was important was that she get to this Spikes Passage and train.

"Then I'll be sure to do that first," Clair said, grinning with a hope she didn't feel. "I plan to conquer these gyms. Grant is only the second step."

"That's the spirit!" Sina whooped. Her phone beeped inside the black bag at her side. She fished it out, checked it. Frowning, she typed a quick response. "That was the Professor, Dex," she said to her partner. "He wants us to make a follow-up tomorrow about the you-know-what."

Dexio nodded. "We're sorry, Clair, but we must go. Maybe we'll be able to catch your Gym match on TV."

"Wait! Can I get your number? Text me if anything happens—I wanna know!" Before she knew what she was doing, Clair had gotten her phone out and handed it to the who inputted her and Dexio's numbers into it. Sina handed the phone back to Clair, giggling. "There! Now you'll be able to text me any time. I really wish we could have hung out more."

"Um, yeah." While she was certainly no Whitney, Sina's energy certainly reminded Clair of her. It was infectious, really, and Clair found herself disappointed that the two had to leave. Friends wasn't something she was used to having. Friends weren't something necessary, according to her grandfather. All she needed was to pay attention and focus on herself, and the betterment of the clan.

Clair brushed away those thoughts. "I'll let you know when the match is," she promised. "It would… be nice if you saw it."

Sina's face lit up. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" she exclaimed. "Okay, but we really gotta go. Don't forget to check out Glittering Cave!"

"Nice seeing you," Dexio said, nodding farewell.

The two left with waves and smiles. Clair couldn't remember the last time someone was happy to see her, much less wanting to meet up again. It was different. It was nice. Clair pursed her lips to hide a smile. Jude nudged her hand with his head—having him by her side always seemed to steady her. Windie walked a few steps after Sina and Dexio, but then, as if realizing they weren't coming back, she stopped. Her ears drooped. She came back over to Clair, looking crestfallen.

"We'll see them again," Clair told her, kneeling to rub the side of her face. "They're going to watch our Gym match, see how much you've both grown." She poked them both in the nose. "But first, we have to harness those new powers of yours."

Not to mention see how that Axew would fit into their trio.