Cold. I remember the cold. A blizzard with screams lurking behind its beads of ice. My teeth are chattering and the yellow summer dress can’t keep me warm.
A blurred shadow grabs my arm. Something barks in the background. Fire devours ice. A Hoppip leaps in my direction, but I can’t even brush it with my fingers before it is engulfed by the flames. The green on its head flickers briefly. The rest turns black. A sharp yelp rings in my ears.
I think I can see it crying.
Tripping over my little feet, the hand makes sure I don’t fall. So I look around, at sky-blue walls, their wallpaper rippling under the heat of the fire – but the warmth doesn’t reach me.
My heart is pounding so fast against my ribs that I can’t hold back the tears. The water in my eyes bathes my surroundings in mosaic.
And the hand just drags me onwards.
I wake up in a cold sweat. The goosebumps on my arms make me shiver briefly before my gaze glides over the room’s furnishings. The previous day has passed uneventfully and both my Pokémon and my body have enjoyed the break. At least halfway. The sore muscles make me groan.
At the same time, I try to cling to the dream, but it is no longer within my grasp. The images are just pale facades that shatter when I try to approach them. The Lillipup incident is probably hitting me harder than I thought.
I should go to the Pokémon Center to ask about it, but then what? It’s not mine and it certainly won’t be happy to see me.
Shaking my head I push the thought away. Amethio certainly doesn’t want to waste time, which also means I should forget about what happened yesterday. That’s better than dwelling on things that only make me feel guilty.
I sweep the duvet aside and push myself onto the warm wooden floor, straight into a neighbouring bathroom. The quick shower removes the sweat from my skin before I throw on my clothes and tie my hair into a bun. The front strands frame my face and although every muscle in my body aches, I feel the same drive that was my best companion on the first day.
Equipped with my usual things, I make my way to the lunchroom, where only Amethio is sitting and drinking tea. Looking off into the distance, he doesn’t seem to notice the way his two Pokémon are staring at him while stuffing their faces with Poké Beans.
“Good morning,” is the first thing I say. Thanks to the Rotom Phone, I haven’t missed the fact it’s just after eleven.
Amethio’s gaze wanders in my direction. “Good morning.”
“Have you had breakfast yet?” I slowly settle into the chair opposite him.
“No,” he replies, before pointing curtly at his Pokémon. “There’s enough for everyone.”
I nod briefly before grabbing my balls and throwing my team at the food. Amethio’s Pokémon make no move to reject my party, and as Raya’s head disappears into the food bowl, I’m sure nothing will happen.
“How much time do we have before the inhabitants of Paniola disappear again?” I lean on the table more focused than before. Maybe we’ll find out something about Rayquaza today.
“I’ve already questioned most of them,” replies my counterpart. “We’ll meet with the last one in an hour.”
I purse my lips briefly. He has done most of the work alone. Which also raises the question of why he needs me at his side at all. Perhaps I would have been better off with Conia and Lillie. Not least because my information-gathering skills are non-existent.
“Do you even want me to come with you?”
“He asked for you.” Barely a muscle stirs on his face as he takes a sip of his tea. “If you’re not there, he won’t utter a word.”
My mouth opens automatically, but the words don’t come. The fact there’s someone who won’t say a word if I’m not there turns my stomach. Yet my heart is pounding. There are a thousand reasons why he wants me there and part of me is curious enough to want to jump up and get hold of the solution. But my legs remain motionless, so the server comes to the table and takes the order for breakfast. Rushing things is the one element my body clearly curses – at least in these breaths.
Only the roasted Magikarp pulls me out of my thoughts. The sweet and sour smell dispels my doubts. Simultaneously, voices reach my ears, even though there is no-one else in range apart from Amethio and me. With my eyes fixed on the Magikarp, a blurred scene from a sultry afternoon plays in my head. Back then, a woman leant down to me and raised her finger to tell me something I didn’t want to believe at first. Later, she made me look it up in an ancient book and all her stories held true.
It’s a vague memory of something that sends a shiver down my spine and forces me to look at Amethio all at once. He probably won’t be interested in my question any more than all my other attempts, but hearing someone else’s view seems like the only support I can find in these seconds.
“Did you actually know that there were once creatures on this planet that weren’t Pokémon?” I tilt my head. “Some of these animals still exist. They don’t have any special abilities and can’t be used in Pokémon battles. You can’t even catch them with a ball and there are no evolutions.”
This time Amethio’s eyes widen a little and I’m sure I finally have his attention.
“They say they’re at least as rare as legendary Pokémon these days. Unfortunately, I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen one of these animals and I have to admit ... I haven’t paid attention to them for a very long time.”
“I know what you’re talking about,” Amethio replies, making me forget about my breakfast. “Some people have already seen them. Some say that the Pokémon classifications are based on these creatures.”
“Have you ever seen one?”
“A butterfly.”
Without further ado, I lean forward. So the stories from back then aren’t just part of my twisted world! “If they modelled the varieties of Pokémon after them ... do you think they’re remnants of a world before our time?”
He seems to think for a moment before lowering his eyelids. “It’s possible.”
“Then I wonder ... where they came from and how our Pokémon came to be.” The idea alone is so intriguing that I lean back half in thought. “Maybe they are the predecessors of our Pokémon. Maybe these creatures have evolved, which also means that every Pokémon was once something completely different hundreds of years ago.”
“Maybe.” Amethio doesn’t allow himself to be distracted from his omelette. “They say that some Pokémon bear a strong resemblance to the legends of that time. But that’s nothing more than speculation.”
“We could get to the bottom of it!” My head is so warm that my cheeks are burning. It’s impossible to suppress the slight excitement. This world is literally sitting on a mystery that has been left unexplained, and it seems to me like something that could bring a great deal of insight into the world of Pokémon. But my counterpart just shakes his head.
“Many have tried their hand at this research and given up.”
“Which doesn’t mean we can’t find anything.”
“No state funds research like this.”
My shoulders slump instantly. It’s incredible that all of humanity has given up, it seems to me. Unravelling the mystery behind the Pokémon and their ancestors remains a distant dream for the time being, one that I will mourn until I come up with an idea to find out something after all. For now, I’ll just have to give up and concentrate on the main topic: Finding Rayquaza.
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》 W H I S P E R S 《
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The heat of Alola makes it difficult to breathe calmly. The humidity in this place weighs heavily on my lungs and although I pluck at the collar of my blouse a few times, nothing improves.
Amethio, by contrast, isn’t bothered by the weather. His destination is at the top end of Paniola Town, to the side of the Pokémon Center. I follow him, my eyes fixed on the wooden house he’s aiming for. All at once, the fact the man will only talk within these four walls if I’m there comes to the fore. Something about me must have tempted him to take this step and the knot in my stomach won’t let go. Instead, it tightens further as soon as we enter the property and Amethio knocks on the bulky wooden door of the entrance. His straight posture and tense shoulders are nothing like my uncertain fidgeting. You can tell he’s been through seconds like this before.
When someone opens the door, I hold my breath and dare to look past Amethio to a man who must be about the same age as my father. His short blond hair is adorned with white streaks and the checked shirt on his body exudes the charm of a man in his forties. He doesn’t look like someone who belongs on this farm, but his furrowed brows and the deep wrinkles on his cheeks make it hard to see him as part of the city.
“There you are.” Before Amethio can say anything, the man steps aside. “Come inside. We’ll go to the backyard.”
In fact, we both hesitate for a moment before accepting the invitation – straight into a sparse interior that contains only the bare essentials. It reminds me of home. These places have no hint of homeliness. They only serve as a means to an end.
The backyard opens up in front of us a little later with an open space and a few bushes with small oranges growing on them.
“My name is Powell,” the stranger begins. I can’t help but watch his every move. “You’re here because you want to know about the Black Rayquaza.”
No answer is needed. All his words are nothing more than pale statements. He goes over the facts as if to make sure he’s not forgetting any of this.
“I’ll tell you what I saw if I get something in return.”
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“And that would be?” Amethio’s calm is the only thing that seems unthreatening in these blinks. His presence defuses the crushing feeling in my chest. It’s good to know I’m not standing here alone, trying to answer questions.
But when Powell points his finger at me and deep furrows form between his brows, all I can do is swallow dryly. “I want a Pokémon battle against you.”
That’s why we’re in the backyard. That’s why I needed to come along. This man is challenging me, and even if the gesture seems exciting, I can’t take much pleasure in it. There is absolutely no reason to compete against me. I’m not a celebrity – at least I hope I’m not – nor have I fought in the neighbourhood. Unless, of course, he saw me fighting the tourist. Perhaps he was so fascinated by my handling of the icy wind that he sees me as a respectable trainer.
“All right!” Without further ado, I reach for a ball. I’ll show him how nimble my partners are.
As she has already proved herself in the last fight and her nature is just as fiery as her element, I decide in favour of Raya again. According to the Rotom Phone, she loves fighting, so I try to fill her heart with fond memories of victories.
But when my opponent sends a Carbink into battle, I hold my breath for a moment. I can’t remember if fire Pokémon have a weakness to rock, or if I can breathe a sigh of relief. I remember that fire is weaker than ground, but the rest is hidden somewhere behind a thick wall of black fog.
“Time for a little payback.” My counterpart stiffly crosses his arms in front of his chest. But he doesn’t give me time to think about his words before his Carbink attacks.
Its floating form, barely taller than Pikipek, moves back and forth in serpentine waves. Its body, a rock, gleams subtly due to the unevenly embedded crystals. Meanwhile, its cotton-like collar puffs out above it.
“Smack down!” My opponent’s first move follows immediately afterwards and while the little Pokémon is using its invisible powers to break a chunk of rock out of the ground and make it float above its head, Raya puts her ears up.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I whisper. “Dodge and as soon as the opportunity presents itself, ember!”
Raya’s barking pauses only briefly before the human-sized chunk is hurled in her direction. She immediately starts moving. A gallant leap to the side causes the clumsy attack to miss, while in the very next blink of an eye, she throws a small fireball at the Carbink. A direct hit that lands in the centre of the Pokémon, but does no damage. The flames roll off like water.
Using fire attacks against this small piece of stone will be tough.
“Bite!” With a snort, I point at our opponent. At a man who just shakes his head before pointing in my direction with a nod.
“Harden. Make sure that Growlithe bites its teeth out on you.”
The shimmering glow of the reinforcement makes Carbink’s stony rabbit's ears quiver. In the next breath, Raya appears in front of it, snatching at the fur collar. The sound that thunders in my head is reminiscent of fingernails on a blackboard. It’s a scream that even Growlithe shrinks back from and elicits another fireball from her, which has just as little effect as the previous one.
However, the rock-hard façade doesn’t even end when Raya lands on the ground, ready to launch the next attack. Before I can say anything, before I find a gap in the middle of this defence, my opponent snaps his fingers. The brief tremor beneath my feet causes Growlithe to sway. She stumbles to the side, about to catch herself again, when the ground beneath her cracks and bends upwards. It happens so quickly that the stone edge crashes hard against her ribs, eliciting a yelp from her.
The momentum carries her a few metres upwards and although I want to run forward to catch her, I know Powell won’t accept intervention. I have no choice but to watch Raya hit the ground while the tightness in my stomach brings nausea to my throat.
Maybe I should call her back and try Coro or Ying. But watching Raya struggle to heave herself back onto her paws and let out a low growl makes me hesitate. She doesn’t even have to look at me to tell me she doesn’t want to give up. As a trainer, I should be the last person to stand in the way of my Pokémon’s wishes. It’s better for Raya’s pride if I grit my teeth and see that we somehow turn the tide. The only problem is that we don’t have time.
Before either of us can get a grip on ourselves, our opponent’s loud voice announces the “ancient power” attack.
“Raya, ember! Shoot the stones and bite!”
We have no attacks that can do any actual damage. Still, we have to stay on the ball and while fist-sized stones are being shot at Growlithe like projectiles, my Pokémon charges forward.
I can see her breath puffing out her chest before she spits out small fireballs and pulverises her opponent’s attack. The heat from its short snout hasn’t completely dissipated when it reaches Carbink and bites. Flames blaze, her attack combines flames with sharp teeth, and although it seems like an unknown attack out of desperation, there is no visible damage. Instead, the Carbink makes a sweeping turn and shakes Raya off.
She flies in my direction, ready to land skilfully. But the ground shifts just before she lands and she twists one paw. Raya unintentionally crashes onto her side and this time, she can’t get up.
“Carbink, sma-“
“Come back,” I interrupt my opponent’s next move. Growlithe can no longer win this fight. It’s time to rely on Ying.
But as soon as I have called her out of the ball, hidden behind the illusion of another Growlithe, I realise that this fight isn’t for her. Memories of Bonsly bubble to the surface of my senses and the sudden racing of my heart forces me to wipe my sweaty hands on my trousers.
In contrast to Bonsly, Carbink seems much more robust. What’s more, it floats and its attacks are tougher than “tackle” and “copycat”.
My mouth opens, ready to give a command, but the words don’t come. I don’t know which attack would be best. Even when Ying glances in my direction, my body can only surrender to the quivering cold suddenly engulfing me.
Clenching my teeth, I wait. It’s easier to react than to make the first move.
“Stone edge!”
He plans another raise. Another blow to my Pokémon’s ribs. I swallow.
Ying holds herself on her paws better than Raya when quaking. Balance isn’t a problem. The rest is in my hands.
“You need to be careful! The attack is coming from below!”
I won’t fall for this game a second time. With Ying, I will win, even if it seems difficult.
Her gaze is fixed on her paws, intent on dodging when the edge flicks upwards. Expectations are high between the sound of crunching stone. And when the attack is released, my breath catches.
The stone edge doesn’t rise under Zorua. Instead, it soars sideways a few steps beside her. We both react too slowly, too shocked by the betrayed expectation to act. The only thing I can see is the sharp edge digging into Ying’s side and taking her breath away. Blood bursts from her mouth, splattering to the ground in tiny beads, eclipsing the audible crack. Her illusion fades.
“I give up!” The fight no longer matters. Instead, I run towards Zorua. Her panting breath and clearly dented side convey that her ribs have been broken. We need to get to a Pokémon Center immediately.
“You still have a Pokémon that can fight!” Powell, instead of letting me go, juts his chin. His wide-legged stance allows no argument, but his desire rolls off me.
“I said I give up!”
I’m too scared to call Ying back into the Poké Ball. In there, I can’t see what’s happening to her. So I carefully pick myself up with her in my arms. Her weight tugs at me, familiar and yet completely alien.
“And I said you have another Pokémon!” This time he roars and I can’t understand what’s wrong with him. He conveys the image of a madman and my parched throat knows no other words to get past him. In return, he takes the freedom to launch Carbink at me.
“Smack down! Give that brat a reason to run!”
With Ying in my arms, I can’t possibly run away, dodging flying rocks and making sure I don’t cause her any more harm. Still, the ground shakes and as a large rock threatens to break out beside me, my steps falter. My fingers tremble. Zorua suddenly weighs heavy as lead and my eyes are glued to the rock that will probably kill us both. A quick glance at the Carbink’s cool pearly eyes tells me that this isn’t the first time it’s gone too far.
The only chance I have is to press Zorua lightly against me and brace myself. Running away isn’t impossible.
Just as the rock the size of a Blastoise hovers over the Carbink, I suck in the air.
We both wait.
Staring at each other.
And as it moves the rock, it is the sudden, lightning-fast movement of another Pokémon that takes the tension out of the moment.
Dark armour, fiery blades. Human-sized, yet with eyes that couldn’t be less human.
With my mouth open, I watch as the Carbink’s ear breaks as if it is just a porous piece of wood. The image shocks me just as much as it shocks the Pokémon, whose attack collapses, so the stone falls straight down – burying the Carbink beneath it.
“Carbink!” Powell also suffers temporary gasping before turning to Amethio, whom I had completely forgotten about. “Who said you could interfere?”
Instead of stopping at my post, I hurry to my companion. I want to get past him, want to save Ying, but he catches me by the arm before I can disappear.
“Hey!” I hastily turn my head in his direction, but Amethio merely gives me an indefinable sideways glance. With his other hand, he reaches into his trouser pocket to pull out a small vial.
“Mix this with water and give it to your Pokémon.”
He doesn’t have to say any more. His gesture prevents me from causing Zorua any more pain by running to the Pokémon Center. It also relieves my panic for a moment. The powder he gives me seems to solve all my problems.
So I carefully lay Zorua down at his side. The rattling sound of her lungs is wheezing by now, so I run in a flash to the first available tap, pull open the cupboards and grab a bowl. The powder dissolves within seconds and when I get back to Zorua, she already seems to know I have an aid. She tries to lift her head but fails. I have to support her carefully with one hand before I can put the medicine to her snout. In the meantime, I listen to the conversation between the other two.
“You seem to overstep the mark a lot. They talk about it in Paniola.” Amethio’s rigid expression makes his opponent visibly grind his jaw. At the same time, the rock breaks in two and Carbink emerges. But its stamina is exhausted and its form cracked, so it lands on the ground next to its trainer.
“Like I care about the words of those good-for-nothings out there!” Raising his voice, Powell spreads his arms. “What’s wrong with teaching someone a lesson?”
I can’t ask, even though I have no idea what he’s talking about. I’d rather focus on Zorua. Her panting is heavy and the whimpers leaving her body make me shiver to the bone. The only good thing is that I recognise the reason behind her suffering.
The ribs bulge. The previously crushed side gains shape, and any injury heals within seconds. The effect is so great that Ying finds up on her paws barely two breaths later and looks at me as if I have worked magic.
“A lesson?” At the same breath, Amethio lets slip the question I would have liked to ask.
“Indeed!” Powell’s hands drop. “People like this girl have yet to learn Pokémon are valuable and not toys.”
“I never saw them as toys!” I interject.
“And what was that about the Lillipup you set on fire? If your friend hadn’t been here, you would have watched that poor Pokémon die.”
Words I cannot deny. My body was so rigid in those seconds that I couldn’t do anything. And even if the shock hadn’t hit me like that, what could I have done? I don’t have a water Pokémon or a burn heal. Better, I have nothing on me that can help, and I had sworn to be smarter than that.
I can’t help but lower my gaze. With what little money I have, I can buy a potion at best, or two antidotes for some ailment I can’t possibly foresee. In Lillipup’s case, a simple potion would have done nothing. But with a burn heal in my pocket, this fight would never have happened.
Clenching my hands into fists, I bite my lower lip so that Zorua’s wet nose nudges my cheek. She tries to understand my emotional state and even though I want to swallow it all, I can only justify myself.
“I was unprepared,” I confess meekly. “The Lillipup attacked me and my Growlithe was just there. What happened next ... what was I supposed to do? It’s a Pokémon in the wild. Things like this ... they happen.”
Sometimes it’s hard to admit mistakes, but besides the fact I was inept in those seconds, it’s also a fact Pokémon often die horrible deaths in the wild – and on purpose under the watchful eyes of other trainers. In my case, it was an accident.
“They don’t have to happen!” Powell stomps with vigour. “You should watch your back when you turn around. As soon as your friend here looks away, I’ll-“
Ceruledge’s blade stops just short of the man’s nose, causing the words to stick in his throat. Amethio has probably enough of the shouting.
“You said you saw Rayquaza.” The calm of his body remains unwavering, as if he has nothing to do with any of this. “Where?”
“As if I-“ Again, Powell’s words are cut off as Amethio’s Pokémon slides the blade just past his neck. The heat from its body frizzes his hair and the burnt smell spreads through the surrounding area.
He swallows a few times as he stares at Amethio. Part of him seems to be weighing his options. The rest of him trembles under Ceruledge’s proximity. He probably realises that his counterpart won’t hesitate to hurt him if it comes down to it. Despite this, Amethio doesn’t otherwise give the impression of condoning senseless violence.
“Route 7,” Powell finally says. “It was there. Briefly.”
Without answering, Amethio calls his Pokémon back into the ball. The Carbink can no longer fight, Powell is no threat in his eyes, and as he turns to leave, I jump up and call Zorua back. At the Pokémon Center, I’ll have my team nursed up and then the journey will continue.
The next breath chases deep into my lungs. I have to forget this moment. I have to learn from the mistake and move on. That’s the law of this world out here. A fact I have to swallow.
“Domino.”
My whole body flinches as I suddenly look towards Amethio. He’s already standing in the doorway, on his way out, while I’ve stopped somewhere in the middle. But my stiff behaviour and uncertain smirk don’t seem to reach him. Instead, he points to a commode a few steps away from me.
“Take it with you.”
Then he turns and disappears outside, while my gaze lingers on an egg the size of a football.