The next day, I awoke shivering to a sea of glittering stars. It was dark. The water only darker in an infinite void stretching towards a murky horizon. But I could see just the faintest glimmer of sunlight starting to emerge on my left. Early morning.
I was tired, but too cold to go back to sleep. So, I stood and released Dewott from his Poké Ball to let him stretch before we set off once it got light. I massaged my aching fingers afterwards. I’d slept clutching Dewott’s Poké Ball tightly in case of attack. I wanted to use the time to return to the marshland to grab myself more berries, but Mai’s words about Gastly echoed in my mind and I restrained myself. Like it or not, Mai was a native to the Mirelands and her warnings needed to be taken seriously. In Unova, even if a random old man- half mad and frothing- told you to duck every time you heard a Lillipup bark, that was exactly what you did. Life only exists for those who heed warnings.
I’d gotten sand in my shoes during the night. Just like my clothes, they were ragged and filthy. So much so that I couldn’t actually see any of its thatch texture underneath all of the mud. I took off my thick white socks- now mottled brown and reddish- and let the sand fall from between my toes. Dewott splashed my feet with a bit of water to wash away the sand in a display of initiative I’d never seen from him before. “Uh… okay?” I shot him a quizzical look. “Now my socks will be wet.”
Dewott deflated and I sighed aloud. “Whatever,” I told him. “I’ll just let my feet dry out.”
They needed to be washed, anyways.
When light finally encapsulated my sandy shore, I took an hour to return to some berry trees for more aspear berries, hesitating slightly over the decision to grab Dewott some more chesto berries or not since he seemed to like them, before returning back. While up in the trees, Dewott kept watch underneath me. I… had to admit I was unwilling to use the same method Rei had done during his trial; getting Dewott to shoot some down with water. I preferred climbing myself. It was soothing to me. Got my mind off of things. Locating the closest branch that could support my weight. Feeling the scream of my muscles as I wrenched myself upwards. Being as small as I was, I was fairly good at it.
Back in Jubilife, I had always foraged my own berries. The farmers cultivated their own, but those always somehow tasted different.
Once back on the shore, I steeled myself and decided to do something I’d been putting off. Releasing Sliggoo.
I made contingencies. Dewott was by my side to help if I got into trouble. Sliggoo needed time to charge up its Dragon Pulse, allowing me to recall it if that happened. Dewott could shield me from Water Pulse. And I’d stand too far for whatever smashing move it used against Hippowdon to reach me. “Here goes.” I warned Dewott so he’d be ready.
I let Sliggoo out of its Poké Ball and braced.
But… uhhh…
Sliggoo slumped over its shell the second it emerged and, for a split second, I thought it’d somehow died in its Poké Ball- if that was even possible. But then I remembered that Lilligant had put the thing to sleep before I caught it. In all the chaos, I’d completely forgotten that small detail. I took a cautious step closer, ignoring Dewott’s alarmed cry. “Oh, hush. If it moves, I’ll recall it.”
Sliggoo’s shell was rock hard and smooth. Metallic. But its slug-like body was gooey and felt wobbly beneath my touch. I couldn’t see the rest of it within its shell, but what I could see looked surprisingly waiflike up close. Pallid.
A sleeping Sliggoo would do no good against attack. Part of the reason why children had to sneak out of the adult’s sightlines to Prelude Beach from Jubilife was because, on occasion, Gyarados liked to fire off Hydro Pumps at humans from afar. It was a big problem for those arriving to Hisui by boat, like I had. Only luck had saved me an encounter with one.
When I was younger, I often fantasised about being special. After all, I was the only survivor in my village of nearly two hundred. I was the only one in my group to make it to Hisui. I was the one of the few that weren’t drowned by Gyarados attacks. And I was so far blessed with good health and working limbs. Part of me used to wonder whether the world had preordained something for me in the future because of that. But now I was nineteen and I knew better. With people like Adaman and Irida waging war on an almost continent-wide scale, I knew I was nothing more than a Patrat forever cursed to flitter among the tall grass.
But maybe. Just maybe. I could become someone-
Sliggoo made a slight gurgling noise and I jerked in place. I clutched HARD at its Poké Ball. Watching it intently with focused eyes. It started to move. Shuddering. Slowly lifting itself upright and gazing right into my eyes with a mournful expression. It didn’t care where it was. It didn’t care who I was. It only cared that I had taken it away from its home.
With wheezing, squeaky exhales, it started to sob.
I watched it dispassionately. Sorry, but that act only worked on chumps like Arezu. I knew it’d blow my head off the second it got a chance. “You’re with me from now on, got it?” I said to it. “Like it or not, that’s what life has given you. It sucked for me, and it sucks for you. But who cares.”
More sobbing. How pathetic.
“Jeez, it’s like I’m back in Jubilife,” I rolled my eyes, recalling it. “Try listening to their stories for more than ten minutes if you REALLY want something to cry about. It’s like a lesson in how to stay stuck in the past back there.”
I saw Dewott out of the corner of my eye. “Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for it?” I asked in disbelief. “After it attacked you like it did. Really?”
I knew Dewott was naïve, but this was something else.
It took a few days to make it to the Cobalt Coastlands. Annoyingly, the tail end of Mount Coronet blocked off beach access to the place, so I was forced northwards into a natural valley that deposited me someone in the centre of the bay.
I was told to look for a U-shaped bay ahead of me, snaking down south towards finger-like protrusions from a large sandbank on the right side of my view. And sure enough, that was what I had stumbled onto. Ginkgo Landing was the name of the ground I stood upon. Named because the Ginkgo Guild used to headquarter here before some random girls started to steal from them. Now it was just an abandoned stretch of thin woodland and dark beach serving as a no man’s land between the northbound Pearl Clan and the southbound Diamond Clan. Anything was game here, according to Vesper. Meaning I needed to head south quickly towards Aipom Hill to meet up with a Diamond Clan member named Iscan. According to Adaman, he was the boy who’d spotted Irida flying all about the place.
My body was sore from all the travelling, but I headed right. My fear outweighed my tiredness, fuelling me onwards down south. The journey was quiet. The Coastlands offered picturesque views of the ocean and the Pokémon here were friendly. There were sly-like Glameow ducking into tall grass and I could see adorable little Spheal rolling around on the sand. There were Starly in the trees and Wormadam darting up and down branches. All was quiet save for the occasional cries of Pokémon. A soft salty breeze was reflected by my thick Diamond Clan hoodie.
As I ventured down south, I started to sight Tangela watching me with blank eyes from afar. Utterly still. There were Mothim who’d attack Dewott on sight, but it only took Hippowdon to emerge for less than ten seconds before they all scattered and never bothered him again.
I wasn’t sure of myself in navigating to Aipom Hill. How the heck was I supposed to know where it was?! But I was able to put two and two together when Aipom started appearing literally everywhere as I ventured further south. They were tiny- smaller than Dewott, even, and ran on four feet but would stand up on two. They had wide cheeky eyes and a big smile on their round faces with two big ears on the sides. A long tail led to a palm-like end with three finger-like protrusions jutting like a hand. I was really annoyed at their fearlessness. Even when Dewott lashed out with his good arm to send them away, they scarpered out of his shell slashes and made long arcing circles to sneak up behind me.
They tugged on my trouser leg and I kept having to kick them away. Annoying little dastards! One even pulled at my damned hair from behind. And even as I decided to go up the sloping hill, thinking it was- you know- the Aipom Hill I was looking for, they were still out and as annoying as ever. Eventually, though, they left me alone when I neared a pitched-in shack not too dissimilar to the tent-house things the people in the Diamond Clan Settlement lived in.
There wasn’t anyone around, but I could hear a grating wail from within the lone shack. Sat atop the ridged zenith of Aipom Hill, the cooking stove and salt-eroded wooden chair spoke to this Iscan person enjoying his sea-view from up high.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”
That infernal racket really made me cringe. It sounded like a baby was screaming its lungs out inside. But even when I knocked and listened in, no one shushed by damnable goblin and nobody answered. I tsked. Who just left a baby in their home alone?! What a jerk.
Nobody was in sight. All was quiet save for the crying. What was I to do? Wait outside like a moron? I tried the wooden panelled doors and blinked when they opened wide without any resistance. I stepped inside, recalling Dewott as I went.
A straw bed atop a wooden frame sat in the centre of the room, surrounded by strewn books by the dozens. The abused wooden slats creaked beneath my feet as I strode further inside. A dim candle flickered listlessly in the stale air but a hole in the roof covered by a lattice-like structure allowed enough natural light inside to see. It was messy. Covers were thrown off the bed and there was no reason to the books that had been tossed onto the floor. Men.
The source of my ire was at the far side of the wall opposite the entrance. Sat atop a thick wooden cabinet, a tiny blue thing with stubby legs and flappy arms wailed and wailed as it squirmed in place on its back. The enclosed walls seemed to echo its horrible crying. Unlike Sliggoo, this thing’s annoying wailing seemed more babyish than mournful, but I was still cautious as I approached it. Just in case.
The thing was certainly no human baby. It was a Pokémon. A Pokémon with a red gem on its narrow chest and a yellow belly button. Two antenna-like protrusions erupted from the top of its round head and those… eyes…
Large and innocent. Dark blue irises brimming with tears surrounded by yellow which extended upwards by black linings up to yellow eyelashes. Just looking into them was like my world was imploding. I felt a welling in my chest. An emotion I’d never felt before. And it was so strong that I was powerless to stop it blooming through my body in warming blanket of nostalgia and happiness and peace. Everything felt so… just so… RIGHT. My arms moved of their own volition. All logic fled. Replaced wholly by the desire to protect this Pokémon with all of my heart. “There, there,” I cooed in a voice I’d never used before in my life, picking the Pokémon up and cradling her in my arms.
Manaphy’s crying stopped and she smiled up at me. Her lustrous eyes lit up like a thousand sparks. I couldn’t help but smile back. The two ball-shaped endings on its antenna started to glow and my vision melted into a blurry scape of refracted light.
Peaceful. Floating within the thick, translucent coating of my egg. I felt nutrients slowly seep into my body, feeding me. The outside was so blurry I couldn’t make it out. All was warm and calm.
And then, the egg broke apart. Dry air felt coarse against my skin and my eyes watered uncontrollably. Scary. Scary. Scary! I cried. I wailed and cried and cried, but mother wouldn’t come.
Scary! Scary!
I cried until my mouth hurt, but I kept going. Crying. Scary. Painful! Mother!
All blurred until I was staring up at mother’s smiling face as she cradled me in her warm arms.
I returned to myself with a swirl of orange. Manaphy raised her flipper and softly placed it against my cheek. She was so sweet. I felt myself tear up knowing she had been so alone and afraid for hours after she hatched. Thank goodness I came when I did. Thank goodness I could ease her pain and get rid of her fear.
I found myself humming a tune, rocking Manaphy to sleep. “Haaa, ahh, ha, haaa ahh.”
It was a song I’d never heard before, but I knew it’d make Manaphy feel safe. “Haaa, ahh, ha, haaa ahh.”
“Go to sleep,” I whispered, glancing up at the remnants of Manaphy’s egg scattered on the floor- the water inside spilt all over the place. “Go to sleep…”
I had never felt this way before. Not to my parents, not to Cyllene, or Laventon, or anyone. Everything just felt so right and it was like I finally had found my purpose in life. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was that I was warm and loving and that Manaphy was safe.
I don’t know how long I stood with her in my arms. Silently. Just… looking down at her. But when someone wrenched Iscan’s door opened and the sound of Manaphy’s stirring assailed my ears, it was like I was burst out of a trance and had come back to life.
There was a woman. Honey brown hair in a mess. Wet. Wild eyes filled with panic. Distraught. She was tall- taller than me. Wearing Pearl Clan attire and sobbing her heart out as her frantic gaze landed on me.
A surge of protectiveness. “Get back!” I yelled, shielding Manaphy with my arms as she awoke to the commotion and started crying. “Get away from Manaphy!”
“Waaaaah!” Manaphy started bellowing with tears streaming from her eyes. “Waaaah!”
“Help me!” the woman screamed. “I need help! Oh, please!”
“Stay back!” I snarled, backing up into a book and sending it skittering across the floor.
“Waaaaaaah!”
“Please!” she continued, closing the distance. “There’s a boy. He’s hurt and unconscious and I don’t know what to do! I-I-Irida… she has him! She has him and I can’t save him!”
She was blubbering. Her face had a sheen of tears layered over her skin. I’d never seen puffier eyes in my life. But it could all be an act. Manaphy’s fearful cries sent spikes of emotional AGONY through my spine. “GET AWAY!”
“Waaaah! Waaaaaah!”
“I- I know I’m Pearl Clan, but I-I-I-I’m Iscan’s p-partner. Please… please help me!”
The name broke through my protectiveness and I gritted my teeth. “Iscan?!”
“Waaaaaah!”
“Please,” the woman ignored my question. “There’s a boy. Outside. I- I dragged him here from the shore. He’s hurt and- and I need to get inside. Please, please, please. I’ll answer any question you have for me a-after. But please just let me bring him in!”
I hesitated, but the woman simply darted back outside. Hesitation. Should I follow her? What if she was going to burst back in with Pokémon and attack Manaphy? Before I could come to a decision, though, the woman came back into view a moment later dragging an unconscious boy with short black hair and dangerously blue skin towards the doorframe. “Rei?!”
I gasped, the shock freezing my veins, before fumbling with Manaphy in my arms. “Hush, hush, please!” I begged her, but where could I leave her that’d be safe?! Oh! My hood! I lifted her over my head and nestled her into the hood section of my Diamond Clan hoodie. Her crying continued, but at least my hands were free. “I’ll keep you safe!”
“Waaaah! Wa-waaaaah!”
I ran outside to help the strange woman, grabbing Rei’s other arm and helping her to drag him inside. We both grunted and gasped against the strain and my muscles felt like they were being ripped apart, but in the end, we managed to just about get him through the doorway so that we could close the door behind us. “Oh, thank you!” the brown-haired woman tried to hold my arms, but I lurched myself away. “W-w-what do I do with him?!”
Everything was spinning. It was all so fast. I had to think about keeping Manaphy safe while dealing with the unexpected intrusion AND the fact that this random woman had been dragging Rei’s limp body around the place. “Waaaah!” Manaphy kept crying from her little nest in my hood. “Waaah!”
“Uh…” think think think! “Blankets!”
I wrenched the thick covers off of Iscan’s bed and flung them over Rei. I then lowered a shaking hand towards his cheek and almost gasped at the ice-cold sensation across his skin. “What happened to him?!” I motioned to his horribly burnt palms and charred clothes while I tucked him under the covers.
“Waaaaah! Waaaah!”
“He g-got burnt! But then she started to f-freeze him and I- I don’t know how to help!”
I wracked my mind. Did Rei ever have a fire type Pokémon with him? Uh, uh, uh. No! No, you stupid girl! Of course he didn’t! Else I’d have been HORRIFIED! “D-Do you have a fire type with you to warm him up?!” I tried asking the strange woman.
Somehow her eyes widened even further. “Growlithe!” she screeched so loud that it hurt my ears. “Where is he?! Where did I leave him?! He was here a MOMENT ago!”
“Waaaah! Waaaaaaaaaah!”
“Argggh!” I felt that creeping powerlessness again. I was THIS close to panicking myself. So much noise. So much stimulus. So much EMOTION. I hated, hated, HATED it! “I’ll check outside!”
Manaphy’s wailing followed me out, where a pacing Growlithe was waiting just outside of the door along with what looked like Rei’s Staravia perched on top of Iscan’s stove. “Get in!” I yelled at the tiny fire type, ignoring the spike of terror that accompanied any Pokémon I thought could produce flame. “Warm him up!”
“Oh, Growlithe!” the woman scooped up her Pokémon into her arms the second it bounded into the shack.
“Waaaah!”
“Let him down!” I barked. Gosh, this woman was so STUPID! “He needs to warm up Rei!”
Meanwhile, the Staravia had decided it was going to start wildly flapping and chirping loud as ever. I wanted to tell it to shut up! It was upsetting Manaphy. But I simply slammed the door shut as I re-entered the shack and opened up a space in Rei’s covers for Growlithe to crawl into. “Stay there!” I commanded it. “Keep him as warm as you can!”
“Oh, dear me!” the woman collapsed onto her legs and just crumpled over herself. “Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.”
“Waaaaaaaaaaah!”
She was hyperventilating. All colour had left her cheeks. I stood completely crushed by all this emotion and fear- torn between comforting Manaphy and tending to this woman. But Manaphy needed QUIET. And the woman wasn’t shutting UP! “Get a hold of yourself!” I snarled, crouching down to give her a good shake. “Breathe, you stupid girl!”
“B-b-but Iscan!”
“You think sobbing like a stupid idiot is going to help him?!”
“He n-needs m-m-my help!”
“Waaaaah!”
I stood and slammed my hands against my face, screaming into them in frustration. IT WAS ALL SO LOUD. I cast my eyes to Rei. He was covered, breathing, and had that Growlithe warming him up. He was fine. But I wasn’t. I needed to get out.
Abandoning the woman to her own stupidity, I left her and Rei inside the shack and smashed the door shut. “Waaaaaah!” I reached behind me and into my hood to retrieve Manaphy. “Waaaah!”
“It’s okay!” I said in a half-begging tone. “It’s okay!”
The second her big eyes met mine, she calmed down and the tears stopped flowing. I instantly felt a calming feeling wash over me. Manaphy was okay and that meant I was okay. As long as she was safe, all was right. I sat cross-legged on the hard dirt and kept Manaphy in my arms as she fell back asleep. That Staravia was flying in loose circles around us, letting out the occasional distressed caw as it dived and swooped over the shack. It was annoying me. I kept thinking it was going to attack Manaphy. But it clearly wasn’t happy about something so I let it do what it wanted.
I could hear the Pearl Clan woman inside sobbing. Who was she? What was she doing in Diamond Clan territory and why was she with Rei? All of those questions swirled in my head as I fought to stop my hands from shaking.
She was eventually going to calm down. And when she did. I was going inside and demanding answers.