“A Growlithe? Is that a joke?”
Guzma’s laughter thunders in my ears. His colossal Pokémon – over two metres tall – sends a shiver down my spine. The silvery armour, the heavy claws, the shape of a bug capable of destroying everything in one fell swoop; it could hardly be more intimidating. Yet it is a battle we have to fight. Although I can rely on Amethio, if I approach it scared, I will never grow as a trainer. I need to achieve more, deliver more, show more skill.
“Raya, ember!” Eventually, I snatch the first move.
Growlithe’s chest puffs out slightly before she throws a thin stream of fire at our opponent, which I scan with Rotom on the side. Simultaneously, the opposing Pokémon retreats.
“Golisopod. Type: Bug/Water. Hard scale Pokémon. It uses its six arms skilfully in battle. With the help of its huge claws, it can even slice through air and salt water with a single blow. The hard armour on its back is as tough as diamond. It will stop at nothing.”
I swallow. If it knows just one good water attack, we’re screwed. No fire in the world can win against a flood. What’s more, this Pokémon is like a fortress that Raya can only burn down with great difficulty.
“Ridiculous!”
When I look up, Guzma has pursed his lips. To him, my attempt to win this fight is nothing more than a dance with a flame that will burn me.
“Golisopod, razor shell! Show these losers who’s knocking down who.”
Guzma isn’t impressed by Raya’s attack or my unshakable gaze. He and his Pokémon seem to be of the same type – something that complicates the battle when I order Growlithe to dodge. Meanwhile, the Golisopod pulls two clam shells from its armour, the edges so sharp they gleam like freshly honed knives.
In the next breath, it throws its blades at Raya, and while she dodges one of them, she blasts the second into pieces with a fireball. What remains is a shimmering cloud of dust in the light of the setting sun.
“Try to attack it at the grey-brown parts!” Immediately, I point at our opponent. “Fire fang included!”
“What a cute strategy!” Guzma is still not convinced by what we’re offering him. “Golisopod, show these two what destruction means! Sucker punch!”
While Raya is still leaping forwards, her opponent lets out a snort. In the next blink of an eye, it stands in front of Growlithe, one arm raised to smash her down and end the fight. The two black claws are so long they could impale her. It makes me hold my breath. Heat builds up under my skin. This way we’ll lose.
“Forward, Raya. Tackle!”
Golisopod’s claws slash down at my Growlithe in the same breath as she throws herself with force against its chest. The black talons miss her; its body bends forward. In the next blink of an eye, four slender arms wrap around Raya, robbing her of her freedom and pressing her against the enemy.
“Look, what an intimate embrace!” Guzma bursts out laughing again. “I wonder how tightly you can hug a Growlithe before it turns ugly...”
His thought, loosely tossed into the room, is nothing more than a subliminal command to Golisopod. The bug’s arms instantly wrap tighter around Raya’s body. She struggles; her paws trying to create scratches that have no effect on the opposing Pokémon, and all I can do is bite down hard on my lower lip. His way of fighting is anything but fair.
“What? Was that all for such a big mouth?”
My eyelids lower. I mustn’t panic. Raya isn’t conveying any sign of being unable to fight yet. I don’t need to intervene. She needs my trust.
“Is trust all you have? You’re not a normal child, little girl.”
The heat under my skin rises. Every breath feels icy on my lips. The deep voice in my head drips like honey on all my thoughts – on the frustration underneath. It’s always the same. Someone breaks the rules, and a battle erupts between Pokémon, who suffer instead of their trainers. When you’re on the losing side, you quickly notice these aspects.
“Come on, girl! If you don’t pull something off, I’ll break your Growlithe into pieces.”
I slowly open my eyes. Raya’s breathing is heavy. I can see the trembling resistance of her body against Golisopod’s firm embrace. Something has to happen. It needs a plan, a way out, an idea.
My teeth grind.
“You’re going to lose, little girl.”
“Raya, gather your fire and spew it at this beast with all your might!” If all we have left is brute force, that’s exactly what Guzma gets.
Growlithe doesn’t have enough breath to gather as much fire as I imagine, but when she presses her snout firmly against Golisopod’s torso and in the next moment a flame flares up, more than ember and less than flamethrower, I can hear myself breathe a sigh of relief. Golisopod lets out a sharp screech and as it releases its arms, Raya seems to get away. A misconception spitting in my face as the Bug-type Pokémon lashes out in the same blink of an eye and thunders a heavy arm against Growlithe. A harsh bark escapes her. A second later, she hits the wall with force, unable to howl.
“Do you want to see her die?”
As soon as she hits the floor, I feel a rush in my body. Everything in me wants to run to her, help her, do something – and yet I remain motionless. This time I’m prepared!
Without further ado, I reach into my bag and pull out one of the hand-sized bottles sloshing with pink liquid. A clean throw in Raya’s direction allows her to catch the hyper potion and bite into the thin plastic. The healing kicks in immediately, bringing her back to her paws and setting the fire in her eyes ablaze.
Clenching my hands into fists, I shoot a glance at Guzma. I never thought I would have to act so impersonally towards my Pokémon. I would much rather have taken Raya in my arms and given her the potion from my hand. Battles like this are nothing more than a poor joke. A statement that people don’t dare put themselves on the front line.
“That’s exactly it. Humans are cowards.”
The heat in my chest rises.
“Boo hoo! The way you’re looking, it almost seems like you’re really trying to knock me down now!” Guzma’s amusement makes me grit my teeth. “Got another trick, or are you really as weak as expected?”
I’d like to slap him, grab him by the collar, shake him and ask what all this is about. Then again ... why all the work? If Guzma disappears, Lillie won’t have to worry anymore and all of Alola will be free of Team Skull.
A fleeting look at my hands supports this thought. The ring on my finger has a reddish glow. The fire in my chest flares up to my throat. In these seconds, it seems as if I could destroy everything – together with Raya.
“Take it, my power, little girl. Take it and burn your enemies to the ground.”
My shoulders shake under the tension in my body. Raya wants to win this fight. Anger ruffles her fur and makes my heart race. The stone on her collar glows crimson. Out of nowhere, a gaunt hand seems to lay itself on mine. My body reacts, raises my arm. Hissing fills my skull as I realise my almost soundless voice.
“Raya... Inferno overdrive!”
“Inferno what?” A snort overcomes Guzma. “Are you creating new a-“
He gets no further when he notices Raya. Every hair on her body quivers. Her muzzle opens, she gathers the fire into a ball – an all-devouring monster that only stops growing when it has reached the size of a medicine ball. The seconds freeze. Every movement remains non-existent; and yet, in the next breath, the fireball chases towards Guzma.
The carpet burns. Someone behind me screams – presumably Guzma’s henchman. Meanwhile, the boss jumps to the side, saves himself on the bed, probably only feeling his burnt trouser leg, while Golisopod catches fire. The collision with the Pokémon causes the flame ball to burst. The sudden brightness is blinding, sparks fly. A flickering pillar rises and breaks through the ceiling with a loud bang. Stone crashes to the floor and lightness floods my heart. Now the heat only exists on my cheeks, dancing through my hair and caressing my body in tiny fire blossoms, eliciting a smile.
In these seconds, the battle between us is beautiful. I can’t hear the Golisopod wailing. All I can see is Guzma pulling out a ball and calling his Pokémon back. The tremor shooting through us all seems to affect him, too.
As the pillar of flame dies down, we are left with the burning carpet and opaque smoke. The wood in the room threatens to catch fire and, as a cough shakes through me, the unexpected flight of fancy falls away. Suddenly there is no more beauty left here – just smoke, blackness and the wide-open eyes of Guzma, who can’t make a sound.
This is our chance.
I hastily call Raya back, then whirl round to Amethio. He’s holding the Poké Ball with Zagsi in one hand – a Z-Crystal between his fingers – while he puts the other in front of his mouth and nose. A nod of his head signals authorisation to flee. There’s nothing left here but burn scars and the certainty I’ve gone too far.
Along with that voice in my head.
Lost in thought, I run after my companion to the window through which we broke in. A little later, we jump through the broken frame, mindful of the shards, and mount Corviknight on the fore-roof. A wing beat later, we’re in the air.
From above, the damage I’ve done only looks half as bad. There’s a hole in the roof and the flames are flickering out into the fresh air, but it’s a far cry from the room below.
Lips drawn into a line, I rest my forehead on Amethio’s shoulder. “Sorry.”
“What was that?” The calm in his voice seems brittle.
“I ... used the Z-Move ... I think...” I explain, drawn out. “Somehow ... it just got the better of me.”
Telling him about the voice makes no difference. It doesn’t change the fact this victory was brought about by the power of the crystals.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Amethio only grumbles wordlessly at my explanation. All his thoughts are probably centred on how this power works and how much damage it can do. No one can guarantee that a fire from Raya won’t eventually be big enough to burn down an entire island.
The thought makes my skin crawl, so I pull away from Amethio’s shoulder and take a look at the roads below us. The meadow is barely recognisable behind its thick layer of mist and the distance I had to swim seems insignificantly short up here. However, it takes until nightfall before Corviknight reduces the altitude. The calm I found in this long hour turns into a shallow palpitation at the sight of the lab. Guzma and the battle fade into the background. For a moment, I just want to be proud of myself. I’ve brought Zagsi back – albeit with help – won the fight and kept my promise. This time I haven’t failed to achieve my goal.
When we land, I’m the first to slide off Corviknight’s back. Amethio takes more time, but doesn’t hesitate to press the unfamiliar ball into my hand; the little sphere that will brighten a child’s eyes in a few breaths.
Straightening my shoulders, I climb the stairs and burst inside. The girl – placed like a dirty doll on a white chair – looks immediately in my direction. Her eyes, red-rimmed, gleam hopefully as she pushes herself out of her seat and runs towards me.
“Did you save it? Is Zagsi all right? Did they hurt it?”
Without answering, I put the ball in her hands. Immediately, a sniffle escapes her before she lets the Pokémon out and the strange creature with a helmet on its head appears.
Almost casually, as she embraces her Pokémon, I check the entry in the Pokédex and, to my surprise, the little fellow turns out to be an evolutionary form of Meowth. A Galarian Meowth, to be precise. Instead of becoming a graceful Persian, it has evolved into a Perrserker.
“Thank you!”
The moment the girl turns back to me, the Rotom lands in my pocket. In the next, she wraps her arms around me so I can pat her on the head. At least for two breaths, I’m like a hero to someone in this world. That’s more than I ever dared to hope for.
Just as Amethio is about to intervene, probably to urge us onward, the image of my marvellous, heroic deed is shattered by the buzzing of my Rotom. It darts out of its hiding place without being asked, and as it accepts the call by itself, my breath catches.
“Domino?!” Conia’s animated voice thunders through the line. “Lillie... They’ve taken Lillie!” An agonised sigh escapes her. “There were five of them. I ... just didn’t stand a chance...”
It’s Amethio who suddenly stands next to me and seizes control. “Who took her?”
“Rabble from Team Skull. A Plumeria, sir.”
“Did they say where they were going?” I manage, but Conia’s snort doesn’t allow a glimmer of hope.
“I’ll take care of it.” Without giving Conia the chance to give a decent answer, Amethio hangs up and presses the Rotom into my hands.
Eyes round as eggs, I press it to me. “You’re taking care of it even though Lillie isn’t part of the Explorers? Doesn’t that contradict your actual goal of not wasting time you could devote to Rayquaza?”
“Don’t misunderstand.” His rigid expression leaves no room for questions. “If the assumption that Rayquaza comes from another dimension is correct, any research into dimensional rifts will be to our advantage. Team Skull wants Lillie and her Pokémon. We’ve been warned about this. In addition, her behaviour towards the Aether Foundation is questionable. Something’s not right.”
“Her behaviour? You’ve ... seen it?” Amethio sees Lillie so rarely it’s like a fever dream to hear him say something like that. Everything else in his comment slips right past me.
“When I told her she’d been rejected as a member of the Explorers,” he replies. “She panicked when I suggested that the Aether Foundation might be a better option for her Pokémon.”
“Panicked? Lillie?” My head is spinning.
“She said her Pokémon needed help, not fake affection.”
For the blink of an eye, I let Amethio’s statement melt on my tongue. Associating false affection with the Aether Foundation reminds me of Lusamine’s speech about every Pokémon being worthy of her love. Words Lillie probably hasn’t heard in that context. The news keeps it short. The reports are neutral. There are probably photos of Lusamine somewhere; but her statement about love?
My lips feel like dead leaves. “You think ... Lillie ... Team Skull and the Aether Foundation are connected?” It sounds idiotic, but the boy who warned us makes a lot more sense that way. Then there’s Tapu Lele’s statement. “Ever since a certain Pokémon was taken against its will ... the dimensional rifts have become more frequent...”
“We’ll look into it.” Instead of waiting for me to come up with a conclusion, Amethio turns away and aims for the exit.
But the possibilities opening up paralyse me. I can’t even turn towards the girl, who has now broken away from me to look around in confusion. All I can see is Amethio’s back, the way he falters briefly because the sensor hasn’t opened the door yet, and the moment his eyelids droop slightly. In the next breath, someone rushes inside and grabs him by the collar. The blond is unmistakable.
“They’ve got her!” the boy gasps in Amethio’s face. “They’ve got Lillie!”
His chalk-white face turns briefly in my direction as he tightens his grip on Amethio’s collar. He is barely taller than my companion and yet he forces him onto his toes.
It’s only a brief happening, however, before Amethio grabs the guy by the wrist. “Hands off!”
A gap forms between the two of them in an instant, causing the blond to wipe his face uneasily with both hands.
“I told you to watch her,” he finally says before lowering his hands. “Instead, she’s with Team Skull now.”
“And you know why,” Amethio states coldly.
A sideways glance from the nameless boy threatens to trigger a fight between the two until his eyes fall to the ground, exhausted. “They’re after Cosmog.”
“Cosmog?” My brows lift. “Do you mean Nebby?”
Without answering, he confirms my question by continuing. “If this Pokémon falls into the wrong hands ... it could cause a worldwide catastrophe – starting with Alola.”
“In whose hands?” Amethio remains unimpressed. Only his hands are clenched into fists, showing tension.
The blond hesitates briefly. “Into the hands of the Aether Foundation.”
“What do they want with Cosmog?”
“Doesn’t matter right now!” Raising his voice, he snaps at Amethio before looking back and forth between him and me. “Fact is that Guzma has told me that Cosmog is in his possession and that a large part of the group is to meet up. It’s my signal to get out. I can’t leave Lillie hanging.” He presses his lips together briefly. Then his gaze lingers on me. “She’s my little sister.”
The delayed answer to my unintentional question in the accommodation. They are siblings – the complete opposite of each other in terms of character.
“I knew you would come here. There’s no other place worth mentioning,” he continues. “Actually, I wanted to beat you up for your failure, but,” he grits his teeth for a moment, “if you’re planning to help Lillie, I’ll take you with me.”
“Of course we want to help!” Me out of friendship, Amethio, because of his instructions.
A glance at my companion doesn’t raise objections. He probably knows that we won’t get more information out of him, but will have to piece together our own picture. One that is becoming clearer and clearer. Amethio was right. Skull, Lillie, and the Aether Foundation are connected. The latter party wants Nebby, which the first one got. Probably a well-paid job to keep the gang afloat for a few months. Now we just have to find out how Lillie and her brother fit into the picture.
The unnamed guy who impatiently forces us out of the lab introduces himself a little later as Gladion – an eighteen-year-old troublemaker who is pursuing his own highly secretive goals. All the while, he sets the Aether Paradise as our goal.
Thanks to Amethio’s Corviknight and a Skarmory at Gladion’s side, we reach a remote, unofficial docking port on the other side of the Ula’Ula almost two hours later, but night is already hanging low over the island and the darkness is swallowing up what it can. In the meantime, I have contacted Conia. Amethio has instructed her to go back to the ship and wait for further instructions. The focus keeps us all from asking wild questions, making statements, theorising, and acting. So none of us say a word as we make our way to a yacht hidden under a tarpaulin, waiting to be used for shady deeds. The badge of the Aether Foundation is emblazoned on the side of the boat like a warning.
The interior has the same level of comfort we experienced alongside Faba. So it’s hardly surprising that Amethio and I sit next to each other again while Gladion takes the wheel.
The hum of the yacht reaches deep into my bones. Tingling clings to my skin. Excitement seems to be in my every pore and yet I can’t help but close my eyes and surrender to exhaustion. The stress of the day has drained me and awareness begs me to settle into a more comfortable position. The pain in my shoulder has become an unceasing throb somewhere between the meadow and now. So I consciously drop my head onto Amethio’s shoulder. He is free to complain.
But he remains silent.
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》 WHISPERS 《
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Only a soft murmur reaches me as Amethio wakes me with a gentle shake. When I open my eyes, it’s so dark I can’t see my hand in front of my eyes and I have to cling to his shirt to avoid falling flat on my face.
Thanks to him, we both arrive silently on the jetty of the Aether Paradise – on the lowest floor, which is sealed off from prying eyes at night with an electric gate. Gladion probably has an ally here if we’ve made it behind the barrier to dock next to another yacht. We are unlikely to be noticed.
Light shimmers in the distance. Conversations filter through to us. The late shift is presumably trying to contain the contents of the piled-up boxes, which have been stacked a good two metres high and spread out all over the place. It plays into our hands and yet I don’t dare let go of Amethio’s shirt for a moment. My grip only loosens when Gladion appears next to us, his stare fixed toward the light.
“I assume our destination is the lift.” Without further ado, Amethio breaks the silence between us, his voice lowered.
Gladion barely manages a nod. “Unseen, if possible.”
No plan. Nothing to cling to as the two boys take the lead and I’m left rooted to the spot for a moment. What these two are trying to do is dangerous and yet neither of them has any doubt of success.
With a barely perceptible sigh, I follow, straight along behind boxes, plagued with constant palpitations. Yet I can’t help but glance over our low hiding places and watch the workers in their white uniforms, which, in constant motion, offer more than enough gaps to slip through. The fact we sneak through the goods unseen like shadows in the night becomes less surprising with every step we take. Even Team Skull could easily have managed this small break-in up to this point.
The first hurdle only becomes apparent the moment we reach the lift. Gladion immediately takes over the control panel, but fails to set anything in motion.
“Damn...” Huffing, he turns to us. “We need an employee’s card to set this thing in motion.” His mouth twists briefly. “As you’d expect...”
As Amethio’s shoulders slump, it’s clear creeping around is no longer an option. Probably because he always approaches things with a plan in mind, ready to get problems out of the way if he’s given no other choice.
“You stay here.” He doesn’t even let Gladion’s stunned gasp get through to him as he turns on his heel and heads straight for the voices.
Tensing my whole body, I listen as the sounds get louder. Pokémon make noises. Shouts echo in the distance and when Amethio emerges from the shadows – Ceruledge close behind him – I don’t even want to know which Pokémon he has crushed so he can show us two identification cards. Both in different colours.
Gladion accepts them without a single question and as his eyebrows rise, the corners of my companion’s mouth pull down. “What is it?”
“One of these cards can take us to the basement,” Lillie’s brother replies. “Which also means new goods have arrived for testing. No Pokémon ... they usually take care of that first. Probably lab supplies that might raise questions if anyone else gets a look at them.”
“Does that mean we’re going down?” I can’t help but cross my arms in front of my chest to keep the chill from creeping out. “What do we want there?”
“If one of the three internal researchers is up here, the others are probably taking a break in the cafeteria.” Gladion presses his lips together briefly. “I don’t know enough about Cosmog. Only that it can trigger a catastrophe. Maybe we’ll find out more in the research labs.”
“And what if something happens to Lillie in that time?”
“She’ll be fine,” he affirms stiffly. “But we still have to hurry.”
A quick glance at Amethio reveals his lack of enthusiasm, and he is probably right. There is no added value in taking a detour. It could end up costing us valuable time.
“We’re going up,” my partner suddenly decides.
“Do you want to face the people from the Aether Foundation unprepared?” Firming his chest, Gladion holds the cards in front of him. A weak move, putting Amethio in possession of both plastic passes.
“No one will ask us questions about an unknown Pokémon.”
“But who knows how they can use it against us?”
“We’ll find out.”
Some days it’s hard to believe, but Amethio is so goal-orientated he tends to tune everything else out. Trivialities that don’t promise guaranteed success are just as worthless as a plan that fails. He is dealing with these islands of Alola in order to gain information about Rayquaza’s whereabouts. Without Gibeon’s orders, he wouldn’t even willingly deal with Lillie and her disappearance, which, in the grand scheme of things, is terrifying. When he wants something, tunnel vision seems to dominate. Everything else is just a component he’s saddled with, so he doesn’t get lost in the middle of his deadlocked search.
All Gladion can do is submit to Amethio’s pressure. In the end, we all pursue the same goal – more or less – so the lift takes us to the top in the next blink of an eye.
It’s just as uncomfortable as the first time. My stomach seems to press into the backs of my knees and the palpitations turn to deep breaths to suppress the slowly building nausea. That’s all I have left before our ascent stops and we find ourselves in the entrance area of the Aether Paradise – Faba right in front of us.
His arms folded at chest height, he grins broadly. “Predictable, Gladion. You’re just as calculable as ever, as if you’ve learnt absolutely nothing in the last two years. Not that I’m surprised, considering you were with those dimwits of Skull.” Giggles escape his throat, buzzing in my ears. “But this is the end of your rope.”