It was still mid-afternoon by the time Bibi had decided he’d had enough of his fellow species. Up atop Golett’s shoulders, I was surprised at how much time I had left until dark. Adaman had us up by sunrise today and the fight with Lilligant only took a couple of hours at most- travel times included. It was so strange how much could happen in a single day. I had awoken in the Diamond Clan Settlement ready for a fight and ended up hanging out with Toxicroak in Pearl Clan territory after being kidnapped by its leader. And it wasn’t even the evening yet.

We headed east.

Golett followed the natural pathway that weaved through the plate-like plateaus of rock that formed walled ridges surrounding us. We stopped a couple of times when Edith found a berry tree to pick. She was adept enough at flight now that she could make passes on hanging berries to pluck from the trees. She was kind enough to share her hauls out with Bibi and Ralts. Even Golett had a couple deposited into his hand.

The food reminded me that I needed to find something to eat. I had no idea how long Irida would be. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be gone any length of time close to what I’d need to starve- but I still wanted to scavenge for my own comfort.

I had considered hiding among the trees and shrubbery. Maybe Irida would assume I’d escaped and would fly off. But it wouldn’t change the fact that I was surrounded by Pearl Clan guards. Not to mention, if feeling destructive enough, she could literally freeze me out of my hiding spot with that Glaceon.

The first indication that we were growing close to Islespy Shore were the guttural bellows that echoed into the sky. It sounded as though there were a chorus of Pokémon simultaneously screaming for no apparent reason. The Toxicroak lounging by the pools of water didn’t seem to mind it, though, so I supposed it was a normal occurrence. It took only ten minutes after that to reach the sandy shore of Islespy, where the source of the bellows was revealed to be a herd of Sealeo and Walrein lazing on the beach. They were chubby and had dense ocean-blue fur. Sealeo were smaller than Walrein and had cute black eyes and giant whisker-like protrusions from its nostrils while Walrein were larger and had beadier eyes complete with a pressed-up snout and giant tusked teeth serving as the foreground to a giant mane of fluffy white hair. The stench emanating from them hit me from atop the sand/grass border and I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

I noticed most of the Sealeo were eying me warily. Some had flopped themselves into the sea and had their heads poked out with their big black eyes focused onto me. The Walrein, for the most part, ignored me. I quickly spotted a campsite tucked on the south side of the bay far from any of the lounging Pokémon and considered approaching.

There were people around. I could see them in the distance and they wore the same uniform as Lian- bar the oversized hat. Pearl Clan members. But, as much as I instinctively wanted to hide away, I knew they likely wouldn’t hurt me if Irida wanted me here. They could have food, water, and shelter. But what if they chained me up for fear I’d try to flee? It could definitely be a mistake to approach.

My decision was made for me when Edith screeched a warning and started furiously flapping her wings atop of Bibi. Golett turned of its own volition back towards the grasslands and I met the eyes of a man with close-shaven brown hair in Pearl Clan attire. He had a giant Empoleon next to him eyeing me with a naturally stern scowl. I found I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the blade-like flippers relaxed by its sides. They reminded me too much of Lilligant’s bladed arms.

“Stinks, huh?” the man nodded behind me towards the Sealeo and Walrein.

Golett hadn’t made any movements- a good sign. I trusted its judgement enough to assume the man had no ill-intentions… yet. “They do…” I admitted cautiously. “Loud, too.”

The man chuckled. “We used to have big problems with the Walrein until Palina brought me and Empoleon here to set them straight. I’m Vicus. I assume you’re Irida’s next victim?”

You could say that again. “I’m Rei. And… I guess that’s a way of putting it.”

“Are you injured?” Vicus frowned up at me on Golett’s shoulders. Even up at this height, I was just about eye level with his huge Empoleon.

“No,” I shook my head. I recall not trusting Vicus’s intentions at this stage, but he seemed genuine enough to open up to a tad. “I got hit with a Psychic earlier and I had to get Golett to help me.”

“Mothim, huh?” Vicus made a tsk noise. “Been hit by a few of those. They hate humans around here and will attack on sight unless you press yourself against a Pokémon. Good thinking riding your own. I’ve never seen a Golett before, though. He looks menacing.”

“Golett’s from Unova,” I explained. “Also… why are Pokémon here so hateful to us?”

“Spring Path and our bay here are really secluded. Aside from Toxicroak, nothing here will eat other Pokémon. No predators meant that everyone here’s friendly towards other Pokémon. When we showed up, however, that all changed. Now, we’ve become the predators and our ‘prey’ try to fight us off as best they can.”

I nodded along at that.

“By the way…” Vicus cocked his head at me. “Why did Irida bring you here?”

“She kidnapped me from my friends,” I averted my eyes. “I don’t know if she hurt them or not.”

I heard Vicus sigh. “Why am I not surprised… I’m sorry, lad.”

My eyes flitted back to his. “You are?”

“Not everyone in the Pearl Clan are exactly… happy about her,” Vicus admitted. “There are those who would like nothing more than to see Irida dethroned as leader. But an equal amount adores her. We’re composed pretty much entirely of the former at Iselspy. Irida shoved us here to get us out of her way. There’s more of the ‘doubters’ down by Windbreak Stand and across Castaway Shore. If the Diamond Clan attack the Cobalt Coastlands to take down Arcanine, the majority of casualties will be members who oppose Irida before she can mount a counter offense. Most of her supporters are within the Icelands where it’s safest.”

Intentionally putting your opposition into dangerous positions as fodder…

“Why don’t you…” I trailed off. Asking why Pearl Clan members won’t rebel against their own leader might not have been a good idea.

But Vicus knew exactly what I was thinking. “I don’t know how much you’re aware of clan hierarchy. But in the Pearl Clan, power is concentrated mostly in the upper echelons of the clan. Irida’s not only our leader- she’s the most powerful clan member by far. And those who could stand a chance to band together and oppose her are all loyal.”

“Why not leave?”

“There is no leaving,” Vicus laughed as if the notion was unthinkable. “You’re born in the Pearl Clan and you die in the Pearl Clan. You’re who you are whether you like it or not.”

That sounded really cultish to me- though maybe that’s seeing it from a future, more progressive, lens.

Vicus spoke into the silence. “Why don’t you come with to the camp? We’ve got a great view of the ocean and we’re all friendly. Guarding this dump is like the easiest job in the world so we’re all pretty laid back. Come on, you’ll like us.”

I decided to go along with it. Vicus seemed genuine enough and maybe I could use their distrust of Irida to my advantage somehow. I felt hale enough to dismount Golett and did so after some thought. Striding atop a six-foot tall Pokémon to their camp might not give off the best impression. Vicus rambled about something or the other, but I was too busy recalling all of my members to listen properly. If that Empoleon of his wanted to throw hands, I was likely doomed- Pokémon or not.

The campsite was one giant white-coloured tent with an orb-like crest plastered across the fabric. Four bedrolls were strewn out inside among a quaint cooking stove and various pots scattered around the floor. Outside and surrounding a small open-air fire were the other three Pearl Clan members.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Two of them were lying horizontally across a Machamp’s four arms as it bench-pressed them rhythmically like they weighed nothing. A woman with icy blue eyes and blonde hair falling from her raised hood glanced at me with a bored expression. Some sort of thin stalk protruded from her lips and she looked bundled within her clothes.

When the blue-eyed woman was lowered in Machamp’s arms, the Pokémon used its two other arms to raise a man with neat brown hair lying casually with his neck craned into a leather-bound book. He turned his head towards me and smirked. “Hey, a newbie!” he was interrupted when Machamp lowered him.

A moment later, he was raised again. “It’s always good to see new blood! How’d you manage to anger Irida this time, eh?”

“He’s not of our clan, Hectar.” Vicus explained with a slight exhale.

The blue-eyed woman was raised again and cast a slightly interested gaze my way. But she remained quiet as she was lowered closer to Machamp’s abdomen and Hectar was raised again. “He isn’t?”

“No, he’s not. In fact, I…” Vicus paused to wait for Hectar to be raised again, “I don’t even know where he’s from.”

“I’m from Jubilife,” I supplied.

“Jubilife?!” a short woman with side-parted brown hair rose to her feet by the fire and gaped. “You’re joking!”

“Are you?” Vicus cocked a brow.

I nodded. “Yeah… I mean, no! I’m not joking.”

The woman shot Vicus a horrified look. “But Cyllene…!”

Blue-eyes spoke up for the first time in a caramelly voice. “Not our problem.”

“This could be a good thing, Mille,” Vicus seemed optimistic in contrast. “Irida’s finally making mistakes.”

The brown-haired woman, Mille, considered. “Or we’ve now got a massive target on our backs by keeping him here.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” I muttered with more than a hint of resignation. “Cyllene hates me. She wouldn’t lift a finger to help.”

Not if it would go against her old clan, anyways…

“Does this matter?” blue-eyes sounded bored. “Nothing will change.”

“It will if Irida decides to lump us in with him!” Mille snapped. But then, as if realising her own behaviour, she immediately softened and shot me an apologetic grin. “Sorry… I should’ve thought before opening my mouth. What’s your name?”

“I’m Rei.”

“I’m Hectar!” the brown-haired man called. He waited until Machamp lifted him up again to send a wink my way. “And the sulker in front of me is Leuca. You’ve already met Mille and Vicus!”

“I don’t sulk,” Leuca huffed. “I just want to be left alone.”

“Sounds like sulking to me.” Mille blinked.

Without warning, a cold and wet tentacle wrapped itself around my ankle and I jerked my leg back in surprise. “Wha-?!”

“Oh, Octillery!” Mille scolded the slimy red Pokémon. It had two eyes that gave it a lazy expression and had a long cannon-shaped snout erupting below its eyes. “Why aren’t you patrolling?”

“Because there’s nothing but Sealeo in there.” Leuca remarked dryly.

I shuddered at the feeling of dozens of suckers detaching themselves from my skin, leaving slight red circular bruises on my ankle. The Octillery looked up at me and flourished its four tentacles, exposing the yellow-coloured suckers that had wrapped around my limb. “Hi,” I gave it an awkward smile.

“Sorry. Octillery loves touching things,” Mille explained. “But he’s my partner Pokémon. That Machamp there is Hectar’s-”

“You know it!”

“- the Empoleon is Vicus’s, and… wait. Where’s your Honchkrow?”

Leuca shrugged casually. “Heck if I know.”

Mille sighed. “Well, there’s a Honchkrow who belongs to Leuca. But he’s probably terrorising Dustox up on the cliffs or something.”

I noticed that every clan member bar Adaman and Irida owned only a single Pokémon. I wondered why, but never asked and instead chatted for a while and I was treated to salt cakes for dinner before we settled in for the night. I had to sleep on the floor by the fire, which was pretty uncomfortable, but the warmth eventually started to lull me to sleep.

Though there was a problem.

The Sealeo and Walrein would not shut up. Their roaring bellows echoed into the night until mercifully stopping sometime in the very early hours of morning when I finally felt myself drift off.

An empty, circular cave. The shape of an upturned bowl. Cracked pillars lined the walls intermittently, although their use had long since expired to time.

Eyes.

Eyes flew everywhere. They zipped past me in a whirl and stared as they all formed chain-like patterns in the cave. There were thousands of them. Abstract shapes resembling letters. Unblinking eyes.

Thousands. Thousands.

I heard an eerie tune.

Laaaaa. Laa.

Laaaaaaaaaa. Laaaaa.

Giratina’s maw. Eclipsing red eyes. Muted. Sharp jagged teeth drawing ever closer.

Then.

A bright yellow light. Giratina’s roar.

Everything went white.

The next morning, I woke perplexed by my strange dream. While I massaged my temples, Mille had noticed me while starting up the fire again. “Morning,” she had to half-yell over the Sealeo and Walrein. “Join me for breakfast!”

I complied, too groggy at the time to think much, and watched her spark a small flame which started to lap greedily at the spattering of dead twigs she had gathered at the base of the wood. “Release your Pokémon for me.”

I blinked. “Eh?”

“Let me see them!” she smiled.

I released all four and beckoned them close to me. “Wow, four of them…” Mille’s eyes slid past each one as Bibi nuzzled my leg and Ralts took his place on Bibi’s back. Edith stood by them preening herself and Golett approached and offered Mille a hand. She had to raise her head to meet its eyes. “He’s scary…”

“Golett, get back please!” I told it before it could further intimidate the Pearl Clan member.

Golett complied and I took its hand instead. I flinched momentarily when its finger lightly stroked across my knuckles. Was it displaying affection?

“I still can’t believe you about those Poké Ball thingies,” Mille clutched a hand close to her chest. “May I see?”

“Sure,” I handed my spare, empty one over. I had spoken wistfully to the clan members last night about Jubilife and my work in the Research Team. Mille in particular had seemed fascinated over Laventon’s inventions and had expressed disbelief over the village’s fear of Pokémon. It was saddening, in a way, to talk about the good professor. I wondered if I’d ever be able to see him again.

After Mille had inspected every nook and cranny of the device, she handed it back to me. “I can teach you how to craft them, if you want.” I offered her.

Her eyes widened. “Can you?!”

I nodded. “As long as we can borrow Machamp for a while.”

Mille’s eyes drifted towards Hectar sleeping half-strewn over Machamp’s prone form. “I’ll get Hectar to agree to that.”

We both looked over to the fire and noticed it had died out while we were talking. “Shucks,” Mille clicked her teeth together. “I’ll have to restart it.”

She took note of my Pokémon. “Can that thing produce fire?”

“Golett?” I shook my head. “Nope.”

“Okay, okay…” Mille mulled over them a bit more. “We’ve got a Bibarel, a Kirlia, a Staravia, and a… Golett.”

I noticed she’d referred to Ralts as ‘Kirlia’- his evolved form. And, looking at him, I decided it was probably best to go along with it. After the intense battling of late, it looked as though he finally managed to fledge himself into a healthy Kirlia.

Mille lit another fire and nodded towards Edith. “Get your Staravia to stoke the flames with its wings.”

“Edith,” I relayed the request to her. “Do your best.”

She agreed readily and started flapping her wings, but it wasn’t enough to get the fire going much.

“Alright…” Mille considered. “Has she got Double Team?”

My eyes widened. Of course! I’d completely forgotten about Double Team! I asked Edith to try again with two more copies and two shimmering Staravia melded out of her body. “Not a bad Double Team…” Mille nodded approvingly. “Have you been practising?”

The added help started to massage the fire to life. “Yep, although not of late…” I replied while watching Edith go. I didn’t miss the welling of pride at the compliment. “Things have been hectic lately.”

With the fire now going strong, Leuca emerged from her tent and crouched by the flames. Her moody blue eyes seemed enraptured by the fire, but she jabbed a finger in the air. “There.”

“What?” I asked, motioning to Edith to stop and thanking her with a small nod.

“Honchkrow,” Leuca muttered as if that explained everything.

“Oh, he’s back!” Mille’s gaze turned skywards. “That’s a relief.”

“Yeah…”

I looked to the skies and, sure enough, a faint bird-shaped Pokémon circled above us far up in the air.

“Can you get your Bibarel to fill this with water?” Mille flourished a large cooking pot in her two hands. “I assume it’s got some water moves?”

“Go on, Bibi.” I encouraged him to give it his all.

Mille yelped when a blast of water struck the pot and sent it tumbling out of her hands. “Whoa!”

“Bibi!” I scolded him. “Not so forcefully!”

Bibi turned to regard me with a confused stare while Kirlia lightly slapped him across the cheek. Edith cried out in indignation when water splashed onto the very feathers she’d spent her precious time preening. A bit had gotten onto Golett, too, but it didn’t seem to mind.

Always causing chaos… oh, Bibi…

Mille recovered and Bibi managed to tone it down enough to get some water into the cooking pot the next time around. I watched her prepare some sort of porridge, her movements calm and practised. “Hearty Grain porridge!” she declared to me. “My favourite easy-to-make breakfast.”

I nodded my thanks and took a bowl.

“Did Honchkrow steal us another batch of grains from the Mirelands?” Vicus sat down with his Empoleon to eat with a gentle smile. “My favourite.”

Leuca nodded lazily, her eyes fixed on the steaming bowl cradled in her hands. “A couple of days ago, yeah...”

“Isn’t that Diamond Clan territory?” I asked with a slight frown.

“I guess…”

“Honchkrow brought some back one day,” Hectar also joined us for breakfast and was quick to start wolfing down his food. He spoke again between mouthfuls. “Totally on his own, too. And since we like it so much, we encourage him to steal us some on occasion.”

I blinked, still confused. “But wouldn’t that anger the Diamond Clan?”

Vicus nodded. “Almost certainly,” though he didn’t sound very concerned. “A lone Honchkrow would definitely raise alarms if he was caught. I bet those folks have a pretty good rundown of who has what Pokémon, too, so a Honchkrow could only be from the Pearl Clan.”

I wondered if Vicus was intentionally allowing Honchkrow to steal from Diamond Clan territory, considering his anti-Irida beliefs. Murkrow could only evolve through the use of an evolution stone, so wild Honchkrow were likely rare if not impossible.

Leuca met my eyes, tucked away as her face was behind her white hood. “I won’t tell if you don’t…”

What an odd bunch of characters Irida left me with…