The warmth in this place seems to be different to that engulfing the entire island. Peace settles into my fibres and whenever a pleasant sigh slips over my lips, I have the feeling the world is turning a little slower.

The meeting with the hologram, with Gibeon, has no further significance. I am now part of the Explorers, a member who can go on adventures to discover this world. I get to stay with this team, Lillie won’t leave us, and for a moment that makes the rich green grasses a little more idyllic.

Pokémon loll about sporadically in this place. Now and then you see a Cutiefly flying past or a Surskit jumping over the water. Chirping fills the background and as I lean back a little to take a look at the sky, I can hardly believe I’m on the run or that strange Pokémon could appear anywhere at any moment. The world seems too peaceful for that.

But I know better. So does the voice in my head. It has been silent since I left the ship with Conia and Lillie. My name no longer spreads in a strange echo through my skull. Still, the image won’t let me go. This woman talking to me in these scenes – the more I see her, the more I want to feel her touch on my skin. She conveys warmth I can’t grasp.

“I could sit here forever...” It is Conia who finally breaks the silence between us and adjusts the Pokémon egg on her lap.

As there is no need for us to investigate, she is wearing a sky-blue summer dress with black accents, combined with a hat. In that sense, she and Lillie seem to share tastes, even if Conia’s clothes do hug curves the blonde lacks.

“I wish I could let Nebby out here. But ... it would probably get lost somewhere,” Lillie adds, resting the flat of her hand on her shoulder bag. As quiet as her Pokémon is, it’s probably asleep, which also means she might not be carrying any more repel sprays around with her.

“We can stay here until Amethio gets in touch,” I finally start, but get no further when Conia puts her head back in her neck.

“He’s efficient with his work. We certainly won’t get much more time.”

“Maybe we’ll be lucky and collecting his planned information will prove difficult.”

“You want him to have trouble?” Her gaze slowly wanders in my direction, so I wave it off.

“I wish him a hunt involving the capture of a Diglett. As fast as they can disappear underground, he’d certainly be busy for a while.”

A smirk crosses Conia’s lips as she closes her eyes for a moment, possibly imagining the scenario. “He would certainly find a quick solution. And maybe that’s for the best. I mean ... don’t you want to go back to him soon?”

“Why would I?” Without further ado, I raise my eyebrows.

I’ve spent more than enough time with Amethio since running away from home, and I can’t deny that I enjoy a bit of time with Lillie and Conia. Lillie is a pleasant travelling companion and Conia is turning out more and more to be a friendly young woman who has her seriousness, but apart from that has a kindness in her that somehow holds this bunch together perfectly.

“Because you two are a ... nice team...” She frowns briefly before a slight blush creeps onto her cheeks. “You ... well ... I’d say the boss has his cool sides...”

“You ... like Amethio?” I immediately sit up straighter. It’s unexpected that Conia would approach me in this way. So I raise my hands immediately. “If you’re worried, I can assure you I’m not interested!”

Conia’s eyes widen with every word and although I would like to assure her even more, only a wordless breath escapes my lips. It takes a moment before she raises a hand. “That’s not what I meant.”

My shoulders slump. “Then what?”

Only after she’s cleared her throat and thus caught herself does she dare to attack the subject.

“You two spend a lot of time together and you seem to understand each other,” she begins slowly. “I don’t know either, but ... what’s it like with you two? Are there tensions?”

I hardly dare to ask because it’s obvious. Conia is trying to figure out if Amethio and I feel a certain attraction to each other or if I like him – the way girls sometimes like boys their age. It’s one of those phenomena I’ve never dealt with – at least according to my memory – and when I summarise my time with Amethio, there’s one thing I can say in particular: short.

“There’s nothing,” I mutter in reply. “I mean, we haven’t been on this journey together very long and ... I wouldn’t say there’s anything to suggest that we’re ... getting closer...”

“Of course not...” Conia’s sigh sounds almost disappointed. “The thought of someone taking the place at his side and watching over him was just too tempting.”

“Do you often worry about Amethio?”

Her eyelids droop. “Sometimes. He’s helped Zir and me a lot.”

I could ask questions, go on, but the mood we’re in leaves no room for anything deeper. In addition, I am now part of it all. I can ask her another time how she and Zir fell over Amethio.

Meanwhile, a quick glance at Lillie brings her bright red head into view. Her gaze fixed on her clenched fists in her lap, she makes no sound.

“Is everything all right?” I lean forward cautiously to glimpse at her face.

“W-Wonderful.” Her uncertainty gets the better of her again, even though I had almost thought she had overcome this hurdle. “But ... I’ve never talked to friends about ... l-love.”

“And now you want to tell us you’re in love with Amethio?”

She raises her head in a flash and shakes it so violently her hat falls to the ground. “That’s not what I meant!”

Conia also leans forward. “Then what?”

“Love... I-I’ve never been in love... N-Not like adults.” She lowers her eyes again. “But talking about it ... it feels like I have Butterfrees in my stomach...” Without further ado, she puts her hands to her face. “I-I don’t know how to say this...”

“The thought fills you with joy,” Conia summarises. “When you’ve never been in love and you’re young ... there’s often this thought that love must be something great.”

“You talk as if you’ve lived half your life...” I add. “You’ve been in love before?”

She purses her lips. “Once. For a fortnight.” Then a smile creeps onto her features. “When I think back, it was probably stupid, but everything was new and he was pretty. I think that’s where it all starts.”

“With new and pretty?”

She hums in agreement. “Maybe you’ll feel the same way one day. And Lillie, too. You’re both new to travelling – and to the Explorers ... more or less.”

I can’t say Amethio is ugly. Yes, his appearance and style are unconventional, but he’s nice to look at, I’ll give him that. It’s probably not a healthy combination considering Conia’s words, but even if I fall victim to him, two weeks is bearable.

Just the thought makes me smile, while Lillie lets out a restrained laugh that sounds as shy as the way she talks about love.

Just as I’m about to change the subject, my Rotom emits a sound. It burrows out of my pocket before sliding into my hands and opening a newly received message. Amethio’s name is emblazoned over the few words.

There are clues in Tapu Village. Maybe you’ll find the guardian deity there – it sometimes makes an appearance.

No big explanations about who I should meet or what to expect. All I can gather from his message is that I’m supposed to go to a village alone to collect unreliable information. Simultaneously, it’s the first mission I’m pursuing as a member of the Explorers.

“It looks like we’ve conjured up the end of the idyll with our idea.” I struggle to get to my feet. Part of me doesn’t want to let go of this garden, of the wondrous tranquillity you probably won’t find anywhere else so quickly. Still, there is a job to do and I have, more or less, promised to be useful.

“So he got in touch...” Conia’s statement conveys the same air of listlessness hanging over us all. None of us are longing for wild events right now – and maybe there aren’t any – but we still have to comply.

“T-there’s a boutique nearby. I’ll probably ... stop by there if none of you need me.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“I’m going to gather uncertain information,” I reply.

“And I need to do some shopping,” Conia adds.

So we all have a goal and parting ways suddenly seems easy. Still, I look back at the Malie Garden with a whimper.

My short walk takes me past sheltered car parks, straight to a crossroads, with signs pointing in three different directions. I have to step closer to realise the possibilities. Tapu Village lies south of Malie City – an eternally long walk along Route 12 and 13.

“Where? Why?”

It’s a soft whisper reaching my ears and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I recognise this sound, this desperation, the distorted sound of a creature that would have almost killed me if it hadn’t been for Amethio.

My gaze wanders uncertainly over my surroundings. I don’t know where the voice is coming from or how to find it.

“Stone. There’s rock everywhere... Why am I here?”

Again, I look at the information on the sign. Rock means it might be somewhere near the high mountains found on this island. Mount Lanakila is so high, however, you can only vaguely make out the top from down here and I don’t think a voice can reach me from so far away. That leaves Blush Mountain to the south and Mount Hokulani to the west.

“Beings. More of these ... creatures!”

Does it mean humans? Pressing my lips into a line, I scrutinise the information on the sign. Blush Mountain doesn’t give much of a clue, but there’s an observatory on Mount Hokulani. That’s the only lead I can take.

Amethio won’t be thrilled that I’m burning his indirect instruction, but my curiosity wins out. The snort on my lips prepares me for my endeavour – and before I know it, I’m heading straight ahead.

It’s only ten minutes to Route 10, and yet I’m panting slightly as I quickly find a spot in the shade. My top is all sweaty. I pluck at the fabric around my chest with my fingertips to create some cool air, then take a look at the path in front of me.

Trees and bushes nestle against each other. Meadow sprouts along the side of the main path. A couple whispers to each other as if a Haunter is about to emerge from the shadows at any moment and when I notice an old lady sitting on a picnic blanket, sniffling, I can’t help but approach her. I know my goal is different, but ignoring someone in this state is wrong.

As soon as I get a better look at her, her thick ankles catch my eye. Her hands are shaking and she is wiping her wet eyes with a handkerchief.

“Can I help you?” Without further ado, I move a little closer before kneeling down. “Do you need anything? Do you want me to get help?”

Her blurry gaze lifts and although she sees me, it seems as if she’s looking right through my body. Still, my mere presence is enough to raise her eyebrows.

“My child, have you perhaps seen some Stuffuls?”

“Stuffuls?” The corners of my mouth turn downwards. Apart from the garden, I haven’t seen a single Pokémon on this island – especially not small, pink fluffy ones.

“We were going to have a picnic, and I let them all out to play,” the lady explains, “but they are very careless and wander off rashly. I wanted to guide them back to the blanket, but ... I could only get to two of them before my legs swelled up.” Her fingers move to her ankles. “The heat is really getting to me. I should have got some help for this trip...”

“Shall I try to gather your Stuffuls back together? Maybe you can call someone to help you in the meantime.”

“That’s very sweet of you, dear.” She puts on a wry smile. “But I don’t have anything to call...”

Without further ado, I grab my Rotom Phone. “I can lend it to you.”

“You would do that? Thank you! For someone to go to so much trouble for an old woman ... thank you. I don’t know what else to say...”

“Not worth mentioning.” People in need deserve help. That’s one thing I know is right. Someone taught it to me once, and it remains a lesson I’m happy to follow if I can put a smile on someone’s face at the end.

“How many Stuffuls am I looking for?”

“Eight. There are eight of them.”

A hesitant nod comes over me. Eight is a house number. Alone, this could take forever, which means all help is welcome. So I let my partners out of their balls before finding a picture of the playful Pokémon from the net – easier than I thought – and showing it to my team.

“Can you help me find eight of these fluffy Pokémon? This old lady could really use our help.”

Always careful to keep their distance, my three companions now press close together and look at the photo. Only when they have memorised every hair do they each make a different sound of confirmation before they storm off to explore Route 10. In the meantime, I hand my Rotom Phone to the stranger.

“We’ll send them back to you when we find them.”

The old woman’s eager nod is enough confirmation for me, so I also set off on Route 10 to search. Finding Stuffuls is probably difficult, but it’s not impossible either.

Sauntering along the path, I scrutinise the meadow and the knee-high stones, occasionally straying from the path to inspect some corners. Quivering shadows are inspected – no matter how pointless it seems – and even a glance up at the trees, at places left open by the foliage, isn’t left out.

At least until two large eyes look back, causing me to stumble back a step and, in the next breath, something rushes towards me. The startled cry sticks in my throat. But before I can raise my hands, before the Pokémon seriously injures me, someone rams it in the side.

I have to blink several times before I recognise Ying. Her small body stands wide-legged in front of my attacker – a Fearow – and her hissing seems almost frightening. She probably hasn’t gone far because she prefers to stay close to me, and in these seconds I can’t be thankful enough for that. The injuries caused by the Spearows are almost completely healed. I need no more battle scars.

“Scratch!”

Ying’s ears twitch. My command sets her body in motion and as she dashes at the Fearow, wild flapping is its response. The Pokémon’s long beak tries to peck at Ying, but proves terribly inaccurate at hitting a body as nimble as Zorua’s. The moment she delivers two powerful blows to the Fearow’s face, tearing out a few feathers with her claws, is our decision. The Pokémon flees in an instant.

In a hurry, I find myself next to Ying to stroke her soft fur, and when she raises her head, the warmth in my heart can hardly be contained. I have a feeling she’s blossoming lately. She doesn’t disguise herself in the Explorers’ ship, and even when we were fighting Plumeria, she was just herself. She seems to be getting more confident, to have a clear goal in mind. This journey is shaping each of us.

“Let’s keep looking.”

This time with Zorua by my side, we turn our attention back to the runaway Stuffuls and it is indeed thanks to her eyes that we locate two of these fluffy creatures.

Our little rescue mission works brilliantly – until I round a corner and spot two guys from Team Skull waiting at a bus stop. Unfortunately for me, one of them has a Stufful tucked under his arm so he can cover its muzzle as well.

“Anything else would have been too easy-going, wouldn’t it?” My teeth grind. The heat aside, Team Skull is the last thing I want to see.

Groaning, I run both hands over my face. Only then do I dare to walk straight up to the two idiots and put a hand on my hip.

“Would you be so kind as to let the Stufful go?” Raising my brows, I jut my chin. It’s important to exude dominance in front of these guys, even if I might be weaker.

“What is it?” Although he’s wearing a skull scarf over his mouth and nose, he rubs the latter as if it would have any effect. “The Stufful is ours, all right so far?”

“No,” I reply stiffly. “This Stufful probably belongs to an old lady. Either you give it to me or I’ll have to take it.”

It’s amazing how big my mouth can get when I need it the least, but if they won’t give me the Pokémon willingly, my only option is to fight.

“Did ya hear that?” Giggling, my conversation partner turns to his mate.

Both are absolutely average, if it weren’t for their blonde hair with a terrible yellow shade. With every passing second, their appearance gives me more and more hope of having a chance.

“Still hasn’t realised who’s in charge here, huh?” comments the other. “Hey, if ya think you’re bold enough for a battle, then just come and take it. But don’t come crying at the end, got it?”

Only a raspy sound of agreement escapes my throat before Ying stands in front of me. She understands exactly what our task is, and she doesn’t even flinch when the two guys send a Munchlax and a Growlithe into battle.

We have to be especially careful. Simultaneously, I seize the first move. “Ying, bite!”

She obeys on the spot, charges forward and opens her little mouth as-

“Dodge!”

The targeted Munchlax sways heavily to the side just in time before Ying can ram her teeth into its body. The next command echoes through the air immediately, bringing Growlithe to the fore. However, the ember it tries to spew at my Zorua’s feet misses when Ying gallantly leaps backwards – in the same blink of an eye when a small body thunders like a projectile, beak first, against the Fire-type Pokémon’s head.

A loud howl rings in my ears while I recognise Pikipek. His quick wing beats give him the chance to hack at our opponent two more times before he retreats. The Growlithe, however, jumps backwards and hides behind its trainer’s legs.

“Hey, man, you’ve got to get that thing! It’s just a bird!”

But the Growlithe refuses to fight any further and the Munchlax won’t budge an inch without instructions. Orders that aren’t given to it, because its trainer jumps forward squealing like a Miltank. His leg is on fire. Raya stands behind him, tail wagging as if no cloud could disturb her.

The terror loosens his grip on the Stufful’s snout and when the Pokémon bites mercilessly into his hand, all he can do is let go. As it lands on all fours, the guy lets out one curse after another.

“Shit! What’s going on now?” Blood drips to the ground. “That stupid creature bit me!”

“Should definitely have it checked!”

“Now?”

“I think so...”

They are both so confused it takes a moment for them to turn to me.

“Then take the rabid beast. Doesn’t bring much cash, anyway!”

And with that, they leave. I, for my part, look after them for a while before approaching the last Stufful. My Pokémon have already included it in their ranks and it seems to feel comfortable enough to be taken in my arms.

Its seven kilos are straining my muscles, but it’s not very far back to the old lady. I press it against me the whole way, whenever the noise in my head gains strength, without uttering a word.

When I reach the stranger, she is already waving at me from a distance – surrounded by seven other Stuffuls. And when I reach the blanket, I finally lower the Pokémon back down to the ground.

“Thank you!” Her gleam makes me grin. The heat on my cheeks is unfamiliar. “I managed to reach my daughter. She’s going to pick me up. Until then, I’ll take good care of my little friends.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

She immediately rummages around in her handbag, a worn, large one she previously used as a back support. The next moment, she pulls out pastries wrapped in paper – the grease stains give it away.

“It’s not much, really, but it would make me happy if you accepted this as thanks.”

I can’t refuse. This lady is too friendly for that.

“These are malasadas,” she explains eagerly as she hands me the four pieces. Each one is almost the size of a plate. “They are a speciality in Alola and are also very popular with tourists.”

“Thank you!”

My good deed for the day is done. Now all that remains is the noise in my head, which I try to follow.

Meanwhile, my team is enjoying the malasadas and savouring the gift before I call them back into their balls and resume my journey. Once again, I head for the bus stop, where I study the notice for the next one. If I am patient, I could easily make the ascent. A glance up the path reinforces my decision. There’s no way I’m going to attempt a hike uphill when it feels like fifty degrees.

The malasada in my hand is the ideal way to pass the time. The sweetness and the crispy baked dough give the slightly spicy finish an energising note. I could get used to the food here.

But my peace doesn’t last long as my Rotom vibrates and I glance at the display. It’s a call from Conia.

When I answer, it’s breaths she huffs in my ear before her quivering voice gets through to me.

“Domino?” I can hear her gulp. “The egg has hatched.”