Nurse Joy’s painkillers have turned the screaming of my body into a dull throbbing. However, I can barely shake off the tiredness, and breakfast slides down my throat agonisingly slowly.

Sitting together with Lillie and Conia in the integrated cafe is a distraction, but apart from that I can’t help but keep glancing at the reception desk, behind which a nurse is waiting for patients. Hopefully, one of them will allow me to visit Mirra soon.

I put my fork down with a sigh. The fruit salad can’t get me to eat. My stomach seems to be tiny and full of stones. The rest of me is barely noticeably shaking, although I can’t identify any problems.

“They’re coming...” As Lillie sits up straighter and tightens her shoulders, my attention falls to the entrance of the center.

Amethio, Gladion in tow, is just crossing the threshold. They take long strides towards our table, causing Conia to jump up, ready to take orders. Lillie, meanwhile, is slow to rise, unable to look her brother in the face.

“Were you able to find anything?” Her hands clasped so tightly that her fingertips turn red, Lillie finally lifts her eyes. Her brows are drawn together, giving her a terribly unfamiliar determination.

“Some of the Aether Paradise workers survived the collapse. Including Miss Wicke,” Amethio begins as I struggle to get to my feet. “She couldn’t share many things with us, but she knew a way to open Ultra Wormholes.”

“A legendary Pokémon,” Lillie breathes in the next gasp.

Amethio nods. “To summon this Pokémon, we need two flutes that have to be played on an altar on Poni Island.”

“So we have to get these flutes first?” Just the thought makes Conia’s shoulders slump. “Are there any clues?”

“Many,” Gladion interjects as he pulls a golden flute from his red belt pouch. Dark orange traces a pattern across the metal and the protruding sun emblem gives it a certain grace befitting the islands of Alola. “I already have one.”

“That’s...” Lillie’s eyes widen. The faltering of her words provokes a silence no one dares to interrupt until she herself regains her composure. “Mum used to play it sometimes ... at night when she was alone.” A forlorn smile creeps onto her lips. “It was a gift from dad because...” She breaks off.

“Because she’s as beautiful as the sun in his eyes,” Gladion finally finishes her sentence before putting the flute away. “We just need the counterpart. Supposedly, the sailors here know where to find it. That would save us a trip to the library.”

It seems quite simple. We grab the other flute, summon Lunala or Solgaleo, rescue Lillie’s mother, help Nebby, and make sure that no more uncontrolled Ultra Wormholes are opened. Then again, it’s seven o’clock in the morning, the day only has twenty-four hours, and spending each of them in motion seems to be a nightmare for my body. Staying here would probably be the wiser option and yet, one look at Nurse Joy makes the bile rise in my throat. I don’t want to wait for someone to take away the bad feeling inside me.

While the others start moving, I cling to the edge of the table with one hand. “Amethio!”

He’s the only one who stops and looks at me. Lillie merely glances over her shoulder while Conia pushes her towards the exit. To where she won’t notice the discussion I’m having here.

“I’m coming with you,” I begin, pressed. “I can probably contribute a thing or two. Especially in relation to the legendary Pokémon.”

“You’re staying here.” His answer is exactly what Conia warned me about.

“That ... wasn’t a question.” Sighing, I loosen my stance. “I’ll come with you and try not to be a drag.” Every other word gets a little quieter until I’m just mumbling. “Not like it’s going to make any difference to you...”

“Your condition will slow us down,” Amethio replies coolly. “If you want to be useful, stay here and wait for orders. It may be incomprehensible to you, but your ability to communicate with Pokémon is too precious to waste here.”

My mouth twists instantly. He shows it to me often enough and I can usually overlook it, but this situation leaves no room for ignorance.

“Is that all?”

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“My ability may be special, but it’s nothing great. And if I can help, I’d rather be involved than sit around here. What’s going to happen?” A soundless snort escapes my throat. “More problems that might get me killed this time? Gibeon wringing your neck, should I get lost? The fear that I’ll ruin everything?” My hand clings tighter to the edge of the table. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m anything in your eyes other than an assigned waste of time. In the Lush Jungle, in the meadow, in all those moments when I would have preferred to take a break rather than go on – have you ever once thought about investing a little more time in something? Taking detours to get other information? Would you have come into contact with the Ultra Wormholes in any other way, or would you already be in another region to get your hands on Rayquaza?” I close my eyes briefly. “Maybe I should have told Gibeon that I’m doing my thing and setting myself apart from you. So I could learn. Maybe then the mistakes I make would weigh heavily enough to make me question my future decisions more harshly.”

“Domino...” He tries to interrupt me, but fails.

“You’re an ice-cold control freak, and we saw where that leads in the Lush Jungle. And right when I think you’re just being headstrong, you remind me how much better off you’d be without me.” My hand comes away from the table. “I’m inexperienced and at a clear disadvantage compared to many who grew up with Pokémon and were prepared in schools. That’s no secret. I’m chaotic and indecisive and unprepared. But that-“

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

“Doesn’t give you the endurance you need to help us with the legendary Pokémon,” he finally interjects, his voice raised to match mine. “You put yourself in irrationally dangerous situations because you act and don’t think! Disobeying my orders on Ula’Ula so you almost fell to your death. Your hallucinations in the meadow, which could have ended worse. Jumping off the boat to save your Pokémon. You could have drowned!”

“But I didn’t!”

“Because we got you out of the water in time!” His hands clench into fists as he calms himself under tension. “It’s my job to watch out for you.”

“An order from Gibeon?”

This time he frowns. “A request from Hamber, because you’re inexperienced but could achieve a lot.”

“Then just ignore it if it’s just a request anyway and I’m too much trouble for you.” My gaze drops to the amethyst around his neck, which he wears in a triangular silver setting. “I’ll come with you.”

Silence engulfs us for a moment. All the words between us are said and I can’t help but wonder at my pent-up frustration. I thought I had accepted Amethio’s behaviour, but the truth seems to be different. Mirra’s condition has pushed me to the edge of my repression skills and now I’m standing here, annoyed with the boy who fascinates me on other days.

Eventually, Amethio’s sigh snaps me out of my thoughts, so I look at him again. His eyes are glued to me, but contain an understanding that gives him strange warmth. “Why?”

“I need a distraction,” I confess dully. “If I stay here and wait...” my eyes dart to the reception desk, “I’ll go mad. The thing with Mimikyu... I don’t want to think about it. Her little body, her determination ... her life ... she gave everything she had to help. I can’t sit here and ... do nothing...”

Amethio closes his eyes briefly. The decision inside him is set and as he reaches into his trouser pocket to pull out three balls, my next breath is much easier. My team returns to my possession.

“If you need a break, you say something,” he then starts. “No fights. You’ll let me know if you’re feeling worse or if anything else is wrong.”

“Of course...” I’m already pushing him to the back of my mind as I tuck my team into my belt pouch – back to my potions and Rotom – until he grabs me by the arm.

The next words slip hesitantly from his lips. “You’re part of the Explorers ... of my team.”

“And worthless without my ability.” After all, I would never have become part of this organisation without it. Something even Amethio can’t deny, so he lets go of me.

But as he turns to leave, he leaves a hint of doubt at the thought. “No one of us is worthless.”

Before I can follow him, even find words to stop this moment from ending, it is someone else’s exclamation interrupting me. A hasty glance to the side brings black hair into focus, cut short – a young woman who looks vaguely familiar.

“I really didn’t want to spoil your argument,” she stops next to me and puts a hand on her hip, “but I overheard your little conversation just now and thought I had to intervene.”

Her far-too-large sunglasses bring her friendly smile to the fore before she sighs at my raised eyebrows. Amethio, meanwhile, shifts back to me and the tension between us is clearly not yet off the table.

“You fought me. On Akala. Do you remember?” Immediately, she points to her face. “You were looking for information about the black Rayquaza and I wanted a fight.”

“The tourist with the Glaceon!” I gasp. “Your hair was blonde...”

“It was. There was ... a little undercover mission with my partner and we thought we’d try a makeover so neither of us would stand out!” Her smile widens. “I’m Sina and I think I can give you a tip.” A clearing of the throat emerges before she grows more serious. “I’m an assistant to Professor Sycamore, out to research Fairy-type Pokémon. This was supposed to be a holiday until I heard that the guardian deities of the islands are also of this type. As a result, my partner Dexio and I stumbled across a few dodgy statements from Team Skull, which somehow got tangled up with the Aether Foundation, or rather the Aether Paradise.”

Her appearance from back then is taking shape. Presumably, she was already on the trail of those schemes when we first met her.

“I actually wanted to see if there was anything I could do to get to the bottom of it, but now that the Aether Paradise has blown up and I can see who’s responsible, I’m sure I don’t need to extend my ‘holiday’ any further,” explains Sina. “You’re looking for the Moon Flute, aren’t you?”

She reads us as if we were the daily newspaper – just as she did the first time we met. This time, however, Amethio doesn’t let on whether he is annoyed or disturbed by the circumstances. Instead, he puts a hand on his hip and raises his eyebrows in expectation.

“I see you’re developing a bit of patience!” Sina’s smirk makes the corners of his mouth twitch downwards, nonetheless. “If you want the Moon Flute, you’ll have to go to Exeggutor Island. It’s a small isle nearby and can be reached in half an hour by motorboat. The islanders built an altar there a long time ago, on which the flute rests. Practically an open secret.”

“And we can just take it?”

“Normally you shouldn’t do that if you don’t want to end up on some list of wanted criminals, but you have good intentions.” Smiling gently, Sina tilts her head. “I think the inhabitants of Alola will forgive you if you put the flute back after your adventure.”

“The Sun Flute too?”

“It is, more or less, under protection of the Aether Foundation. A decision that was made with a lot of money.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Not important to you.”

“Thank you,” is all Amethio can manage before he simply turns away and heads for the exit again, behind which the others are presumably slowly succumbing to nervousness.

“Boys. Some of them really are a thing of their own.” Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Sina looks after him and for a moment I can’t help but think that she would get on much better with Amethio in my shoes. “Take care of yourselves. Not all legendary Pokémon are friendly. Who knows how it will be with Lunala or Solgaleo.”

I don’t manage more than a weak nod before Sina heads off to her own business and I have to make sure I’m not left behind. More exhausted than before, I drag myself out of the Pokémon Center into the scorching sun of the region. The others have gathered a few steps away from the entrance, ready to divide up the tasks that Amethio has probably already passed on in brief words.

“I’ll accompany Lillie and Domino,” he explains, just as I come to a halt beside him. “Conia, you and Zir will take care of the delivery from the research lab. Master Gibeon’s balls mustn’t get lost.”

“And I’ll take care of a map of this island so we can find the altar for summoning,” Gladion adds.

It’s a quick, clear division accepted by everyone as a matter of course. The next moment, our group splits up and I stay behind with Amethio and Lillie. The latter lifts a small key.

“Gladion gave us the yacht,” she begins, her body full of vigour. It’s the first time I’ve seen her like this. There is hardly anything left of her shy demeanour. Instead, she looks like she can handle any adventure thrown at her. In light blue shorts, a white top and matching boots, she seems like an angel on a journey – a thought that makes me smile.

As she takes the lead to take us to where Gladion has docked, I still have to take one last look over my shoulder. Conia has brought fresh clothes for me. The pain in my shoulder is kept in check, and I am reunited with my team. The questions and mysteries start to unravel. But no matter how well the circumstances develop, I can’t get Mimikyu out of my head.