“Where are your most powerful Pokémon?”

Arezu resisted, at first, but she eventually told me of two candidates that came to her mind.

Firstly, down in Sludge Mound, a newly evolved Hippowdon. And secondly, something called a ‘Sliggoo’ that had garnered a pretty cool reputation for attacking Diamond Clan members down in the Holm of Trials.

But first, I needed to sort out Dewott.

I was forced to climb a tree and shake some branches to drop a few oran berries on the ground, where Arezu gathered them for me. And then, I wandered around the shrubbery for a medicinal leek that seemed to actually just grow everywhere in Hisui. After collecting what I needed and taking a Poison Sting to the arm from a seriously angry Budew, I returned to the Diamond Clan Settlement to prepare myself.

“Owww!” I couldn’t stop the few tears that seeped from my eyes when I yanked out Budew’s stinger from the soft flesh underneath my forearm. It hurt badly- even more than getting splattered with water from Bibarel, but I’d been through worse. I was stronger than that. Better.

“You need to let Nones look at that,” Arezu softly huffed while checking over my wound. She had wanted to be the one to yank the stinger out, but I insisted I did it myself.

“No, I don’t.”

“You really feel like making it halfway to Sludge Mound and then falling ill?” Arezu went all motherly and smothering in this really oppressive way.

“That won’t happen.”

“Sheesh, okay then.”

Arezu watched me prepare Dewott’s potion. I bet you anything she already knew what I was doing, but let me be while I worked instead of being all superior about the way she did it or whatever. Making a potion for Pokémon was a joke. It was literally just tearing off a strip of the medicinal leek and wrapping it around a crushed oran berry for Dewott to eat. I made three potions for Dewott before Arezu made me eat the fourth. I gnashed my teeth on the bitter herb, grateful for the sickly taste of the oran berry countering it, and challenged Arezu to make me eat more. “Happy?”

Arezu just watched me with a concerned look on her face.

Dewott was in a bad shape after taking a Leaf Blade from Lilligant. But the three potions worked their magic and I waited as his scars slowly faded and he gained energy. It was always morbidly fascinating to watch a Pokémon regenerate. Why did they heal so much quicker than we did? Laventon had told me it’s because Pokémon are born to grow and evolve really fast, so they naturally heal very quickly too. When I asked why we don’t heal and evolve, Laventon laughed warmly. “Oh, we do,” he’d told me. “Just very, VERY slowly in comparison. But we have our heads to make up for that, dear girl. We’re one of the most intelligent creatures on the planet.”

Whatever that meant.

A strong Leaf Blade was healed within half an hour for Dewott, but a little Poison Sting from a dinky Budew would take a day or two to properly heal even with the restorative potion I’d consumed. And that was assuming it hadn’t poisoned me. Arezu told me it depended on how developed Budew are, but even though the one that got me was small, it was always better safe than sorry.

What tosh. If a Budew was enough to take me down, then I deserved to go.

An outpost- Bogbound Camp- was set up very close to Sludge Mound. Arezu said it was let them keep an eye on the southern portion of the Crimson Mirelands and also to watch out for the Hippowdon that usually lived there.

“Only a single Hippowdon are ever present in the Crimson Mirelands,” Arezu explained to me without prompt. “Hippopotas compete with each other for dominance and only the sole strongest Hippopotas can evolve into Hippowdon. The strongest of those live down in Sludge Mound, so that’s almost always where Hippowdon is found. They’re a menace and are extremely territorial… not to mention loud. Sometimes, we have no choice but to cull Hippowdon if it starts to threaten to clan, but another always evolves a few weeks later.”

Eugh, fascinating, huh? But as boring as that was, it was DEFINITELY going to be relayed to Laventon when we reunited. “You won’t care if I catch it, then?”

“You’d be doing us a favour- like with the Graveler. There’s a joke in the settlement about getting the Bogbound Camp guard. That it’s the worst job in the world and that Adaman only sends people that slight him there. If you get near a Hippowdown- and that includes if IT gets near YOU- it’ll just start spewing sand literally everywhere. Not having to deal with that for a while will make you the most popular girl in the Mirelands.”

Sounds perfect.

“Look,” Arezu stopped me before I could set off. “Your Dewott is no match for Hippowdon. Half the time, I had to send Lilligant down to deal with one when it got too aggressive. Are you SURE this is wise?”

With a Pokémon like Hippowdon, I wouldn’t be useless anymore. I wouldn’t be frail. “Yes.”

“Alright, I won’t stop you,” Arezu sighed. “But I’m coming with you.”

I shot her a glower and she pouted back at me. “Oh, don’t pull that face. You heard Adaman tell me to look after you. Besides, strolling up to the people down at the Bogbound Camp and telling them you’re going to fight a Hippowdon will NOT go well. I have sway down there. With me, they’ll let you be.”

Totally not just wanting to get away from Adaman, right? I so badly wanted to call her out on it, but decided to just keep quiet. Apparently, Adaman was going to be going around to all of his territories and telling his underlings to keep an eye out for Rei or Irida. How kind of him…

He was definitely itching to start fighting the Pearl Clan.

Anyways, we left all that behind and spent a couple of hours preparing for the trip down. Dewott would be our main defender considering Arezu wasn’t confident about calling Lilligant to her aid. I had five empty Poké Balls strapped to my belt. Five shots at catching Hippowdon and Sliggoo. I would need to go back to Jubilife to craft more without the mining tools they had to acquire tumblestone.

When we set off, Arezu forced me down to a begrudgingly slow crawl. It was really freaking annoying because the Graveler down by Bolderoll Slope kept spotting us and attacking. Thank goodness Dewott was super duper good at taking them down by this point.

Unfortunately, the Croagunk by the Scarlet Bog were just as bad- though we were thankfully able to avoid most of the Hippopotas by following the wide and rapidly flowing Valor River on our left.

“Water Pul- uhhh, Slash!” I yelled, remembering Rei’s advice not to use water moves against Croagunk.

Unfortunately, Dewott was so fast at spitting out Water Pulses that he let loose before I could even get halfway through the command. The attack raced above the mud in a blur and slammed against Croagunk, but while the force of the impact sent the thing tumbling, its dry skin started to soak up Dewott’s water and its muscles begun to bulge. I felt panic rear its ugly head at my mistake.

I was useless. I was useless. I was useless.

Of his own volition, Dewott managed to parry a heavy-hitting Poison Jab with one of his scallop shells. A one-two Slash attack pushed Croagunk back and it was thankfully a scary enough counter that the fiend ran away with a cringe-inducing howl/laugh. “What happened?” Arezu regarded me with widened eyes the second Dewott started running back to me. “You froze up.”

I blinked and recovered my senses. “Oh, please. I didn’t.”

“You did!”

I gave her my nastiest glare and she help her hand up. “Okay, okay… you didn’t, then.”

The rest of the trip past the Scarlet Bog was uneventful. No injuries. Dewott was still able. But as we crossed into Sludge Mound with a good number of hours before sunset left, we still had to make it to Bogbound Camp.

Arezu kept flinching and shooting furtive glances across the river. I HATED it so much because I always thought we were under attack when she did it. But nothing ever happened.

After the sixth time she unexpectedly tensed, I stomped my feet and snapped. “What?!”

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“Lilligant’s following us,” Arezu’s words replaced my heated anger with a cold wash of dread. “She’s across the river- in the Droning Meadow somewhere- but I can’t see her.”

I rubbed my temples and tried not to give into the panic that wound its way through my heart like a ticking music box. Of COURSE things get complicated. Of. Course. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I can sense her.”

‘I can sense her’. Totally a reliable thing to go off of. Was she TRYING to make my life difficult or what?? “Whatever,” I huffed, quelling my fear and working my shoulders to try and relieve the anxious pins that fluttered across my skin. “Ignore her.”

I can be strong. I can be strong.

Arezu’s slow walk cost us time, and it was dark by the time we reached Bogbound Camp. There were seven Diamond Clan members dotted around- all of which knew and greeted Arezu warmly. She could talk to them and let them fawn over her as much as they liked. I was going to sit in my little corner and enjoy my time alone.

Back in the ball, Dewott. He worked hard today, but we both needed space.

There was a strong urge to rush off deeper into Sludge Mound to confront that Hippowdon. I was scared that, upon awakening the next day, I’d lose the courage I’d built up in my gut. My thoughts went to Rei and I was surprised to find I actually worried over his safety. What was Irida doing with him? If she killed him… if she killed him… I guess Cyllene would be happy, maybe? But would I be happy if Cyllene was happy? I didn’t think so anymore.

Arezu found me before bed to give us to go-ahead tomorrow morning. None of the Diamond Clan guards would stop us. She asked again if I was sure about this and I said yes. Then, after assurances that the guards would keep watch for Lilligant overnight, she finally left me alone.

Hippowdon wasn’t hard to find the next day. Its throaty, deep cries could be heard from atop Mount Coronet. The thing TOWERED over other Hippopotas and made them look absolutely miniscule in comparison. It rose to around neck height on all-fours. A giant head was, like, three-quarters mouth which opened impossibly wide to expose teeth the width of my arms. U-shaped eyes glowed red among the sun’s waxing glow and sand dribbled out of six gaping blowholes lining its back.

Arezu and I found Hippowdon just in time to watch it drag a poor Croagunk into its giant mud pond. A crunch and a snap later, it was no more. “I need it out of that pond,” I whispered to Arezu, ignoring my pounding head and fluttering heart. “I can’t throw a Poké Ball that far.”

“Would one of those even catch it?” Arezu asked back, glancing down to my belt. “They don’t look… secure.”

Compared to Rei’s clumsy efforts at making Poké Balls? Oh yeah, they were secure alright. But… facing down a Hippowdon… “I might need to weaken it, first.”

My hand went to my pouch where it was attached to my belt at the small of my back. There were two scatterbangs inside. I only kept them for emergencies, but stunning a Pokémon DID make it easier to catch. Five Poké Balls. I needed any advantage I could get. I released Dewott and the proud Pokémon grabbed his scallop shells, instantly alert. “I’ll… eugh… I’ll… need you,” I cringed at the admission. “Can you help? That thing doesn’t look weak.”

Dewott immediately agreed with a cheeky smile, which instantly disappeared when his eyes fell onto Hippowdon’s lurking form. And that was while half of it was submerged within mud. I took in a deep breath. If I yelled, it could attract other Pokémon. Hippowdon looked like it was a solitary menace- no Pokémon were present at all in a pretty wide radius around it, but if it was the alpha or whatever of Hippopotas, then I’d bet a potato mochi meal that it could call for help if provoked.

I would have to rely on Dewott to get its attention. Luckily, his Water Pulse was fast, practised, and accurate at long range. That would be my opener. If Rei were here, he’d jump right in like he did those Shinx without a care to his own safety, but I was different. “Tell me what you know about it,” I demanded of Arezu, who was eyeing a Hippopotas nearby. Thankfully, the tiny Pokémon looked too wary of Hippowdon to draw any closer.

“Hippowdon aren’t stupid, but they aren’t exactly clever, either,” Arezu explained. “They can launch mud pretty far at you, but that’s the extent of their ranged abilities. In close quarters, Hippowdon are unstoppable. They are slow, but hit harder than anything you’ll find in the Mirelands. They are also extremely hard to properly damage.”

“So, attack it at range,” I summarised. If we could avoid its mud attacks, Dewott could pepper it with Water Pulses until it faltered. Mud pools like that were sticky and moved like sludge. If Hippowdon tried to charge us, it’d probably be slow. But then… damn! So would Arezu…

“See those spiracles?” Arezu pointed out the six holes on its back. “Hippowdon store lots, and when I say lots- I mean LOTS- of sand inside their body. If you prolong the battle, you’ll find yourself in a growing sandstorm. At range, it’ll make Hippowdon hard to find. In close quarters, it’ll start to peel off your skin.”

“You need to go,” I said to her. “It’s too dangerous for you, here.”

She was a liability, but I didn’t want to say that to her face. Blast… I was getting soft. “How heavy are you?”

Arezu blinked. “Excuse me?”

I sighed indignantly. “Would I be able to carry you?”

“No, I don’t think so,” she blushed and averted her eyes.

So, if Hippowdon got to me, Dewott and I could run. But Arezu couldn’t. I felt like a Pidove cornered by Rattata with a broken wing. All my options didn’t seem very appealing. “Arezu,” I decided to just be blunt. “If you stay while I fight this thing, you’re going to die. Head back and I’ll meet you in an hour.”

Arezu looked like she wanted to argue, but she eventually softened. “Yeah… I guess I’ll always be holding you back if I stayed. Look, let me at least climb the hill behind us. I’ll watch you from afar in case anything goes wrong.”

“So, you can watch me get mauled by it?” I remarked snidely.

“You joke,” Arezu’s tone turned dark. “But you don’t know the pain of getting injured so badly it crushes your bones. If Hippowdon got to you, you’d be lucky to die.”

I clenched my fists to steady myself. That did not help my brewing fear at all. “I’ll be fine.”

A hand clenched onto my arm and roughly pulled, forcing me to look into Arezu’s intensely red eyes. “If Hippowdon gets close to you, promise me you’ll stop this craziness and run.”

Craziness. Sometimes, you needed to be crazy to be powerful. I was DONE being the victim. “I’ll do what I want,” I wrenched my arm from her hand. “And as much as you seem to think otherwise, I actually plan on surviving this.”

My abrasiveness had made her angry, I could see it. But Arezu quietly dropped her hand, grabbed her walking stick, and silently departed for the hills. I watched her hobble away, my eyes escorting her slowly towards the rocky shelves that would serve as an audience stand to my battle. Now alone, I drew a jagged breath. This really was craziness, huh? I used to overhear the villagers talking about their ‘heroic ordeals’- facing down Pokémon to defend their family or throwing themselves into danger in a bid to help the rest escape. I thought they were either crazy or lying. Maybe both. But in this moment, I understood completely. Some things were worth risking.

“Dewott,” I tried to keep my voice steady, but it came out slightly high pitched and ragged. “Do it.”

My Pokémon looked unsure, but he knew better than to question me. With a deep inhale and a bubbling of water, Dewott spat out his fastest Water Pulse.

Breath in. The jet of water rushed towards the unsuspecting Hippowdon.

Breath out. The attack hit Hippowdon directly on its mouth.

Breath in. Hippowdon roa-

Breath out. -red and the throaty bellow ec-

Breath in. -hoed throughout the swamp.

“Dewott,” breath in. “Keep attacking!” breath out.

Hippowdon turned.

Breath in.

Head reared.

Breath out.

Roar and swipe.

Breath in.

Stop.

I couldn’t breathe. The air froze in my lungs. With one giant swoop of its head, Hippowdon sent a giant spray of mud soaring through the air. I felt wooden as I craned my neck to follow the attack’s path as it arced down towards me. Oh, n-!

I dived out of the way just in time to avoid the majority of the Mud Bomb, but the resulting explosion sent the thick substance splattering all over my clothes. I grunted LOUD when some of the mud went into my eye and I immediately curled over to try and rub away at it.

My world became pain. My left eye was SCREAMING. The mud. It needed to get out. It needed to get out. IT NEEDED TO GET OUT!

I felt something’s rubbery skin on me and ice-cold water dribbled down my face, washing away the mud and my salty tears. I kept my hand clamped over my eye but Dewott forced it off to get to it and I whimpered at the horrible sensation of all this water running down my eyeball. But it worked and I recovered. Crying, sobbing, snot-covered and lips trembling, but I could see again.

What met me was anarchy. Hippowdon was rearing its head for another Mud Bomb and there was sand erupting from its spiracles like water. Already, a big pile of it had gathered around the thing and had piled up out of the muddy water’s grasp. I started sprinting when another giant spray of mud flew high into the air towards me. This time, I was fast enough to avoid the majority of the mud, but a good amount still clipped by back as it spattered all over my clothes. “Oh, blast!” I sobbed, whipping my head-cloth off of my mud-caked hair and throwing it away. “Oh, no!”

Dewott was doing his job, pelting Hippowdon with Water Pulse after Water Pulse. I knew Dewott could keep going for a while, but Hippowdon barely even seemed BOTHERED by the attacks, let alone harmed. I felt a surge of despair. Hippowdon was way too strong to be stopped. It wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t good enough. And even as Hippowdon readied another Mud Bomb, I stopped. I had made a mistake thinking I could catch this thing. I had made a terrible mistake. My world collapsed around me and I somehow managed to stay upright. It all went back to that fire. The burnt wood. The ash. The flashes of white between charred walls. Sniffs and smells. Smelling for me. Looking for me. Hunting me. I was powerless to stop it. I was powerless to survive. I was powerless to live.

“Mum…?” I couldn’t tell whose voice it was speaking. It sounded so quiet. So lonely. So afraid. “Dad…?”

There were stomps. A battle cry so loud that it felled some of the burnt buildings with its sheer volume. I clenched my ears and dropped to my knees as the consecrated sound filled my mind. Stomps. Hippowdon. Stomps. The White Beast. All going to kill me. Going to kill me. Kill me…

A rough pain exploded into my side and I screamed in fear and panic. “No, don’t kill me! Don’t-” but my words were cut off when I slammed onto my shoulders. My head smacked against the mud-covered ground and my vision burst into static. There were screams and cries. Bellows and echoes.

I was wet. Covered in water. My hair clung to my face in strands. My eyes focused on the world. Vertical. Mud and sand everywhere. I could feel the grains whipping at my hair.

Where was I? This isn’t my home? What happened?

“Eugh-EUGHHHHHHHHH!” Hippowdon’s cry snapped me back to reality. Sounds returned. Sensation. I was on the floor and in agony. Dewott was on top of me. He’d used an Aqua Jet to push me out of the way of the Mud Bomb. So much water. So much sand.

I gagged and coughed out sand from my mouth as I stood. Hippowdon had risen fully out of the water, obscured and murky with all the sand racing past my vision. I saw red among the veil of grains. Staring at me.

Blue eyes… Blue eyes among white. The White Beast was looking… for… me…

No! I had to focus! What was wrong with me?! WHY?!

But my heart stopped in my chest as I heard the fervent stomps. Those red, angry eyes. Drawing closer. Charging me.

Hunting me…