image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/af719b3a-31fa-4760-b1e1-ec5e05645eb7/dhmfgvg-0e4403b0-9789-47d4-b716-5009022c2e12.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_400,q_80,strp/pokemon_act_2_image_by_ereschkigai_dhmfgvg-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NDAwIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvYWY3MTliM2EtMzFmYS00NzYwLWIxZTEtZWM1ZTA1NjQ1ZWI3XC9kaG1mZ3ZnLTBlNDQwM2IwLTk3ODktNDdkNC1iNzE2LTUwMDkwMjJjMmUxMi5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.rU8bxyuX7EwUj7932rci0UshM5TRzSWe0PUUu8oNo3M]
I don't understand much about friendship or love as it's seen everywhere.
But I know that both need a certain freedom,
and that we sometimes forget where the boundaries are.
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Everything I don’t have on me ends up in a box Conia shoved in front of me after the airship finally departed from Poni Island. That was almost a week ago and I could have had everything packed by now, but apart from my studies and preparations to fly to Unova, I hadn’t prepared for a change of course.
Sighing, I tape up the carton and wipe my forehead with the back of my hand. My senses are spinning.
We have spent almost three weeks doing nothing in Alola. Time in which Amethio has fulfilled his mission. The balls ordered by Gibeon are resting in two boxes in the pantry and the original instructions are still lurking above us: we are to arrive at Unova’s headquarters. However, a subtle hint from Bellro has changed our course. Suddenly we’re gliding through the Galar region and I’m not sure I’ve understood half of what Zir has told me, somewhere between boxes and training battles.
We’re tracking a group called the Rising Volt Tacklers. According to Amethio, they’re troublemakers with the same goal as the Explorers. The only difference is they have advantages, which he didn’t want to explain to me any further and I didn’t ask. The point when I’ll be seamlessly introduced and finally realise what’s going on here will come. I’m sure of it.
“Domino?”
I raise my eyes in a flash. Conia has poked her head into my room and raised her eyebrows.
“Are you done now?”
“I am.” My hand taps on the box. “Everything tucked away neatly.”
She nods, barely noticeable. “We’ll land in five minutes and switch to another vehicle.”
“How long will it take to move everything?”
“The stuff is being sent to Unova by other members of the Explorers,” she replies. “We’re only moving what we have with us.”
In my case, that’s just my team, Rotom, two hyper potions and a repel spray that I’ll probably never use.
“Will someone finally enlighten me?”
“Amethio.” She pushes a little further into my room. “He’ll give you the key details once we’ve confirmed the location of the Rising Volt Tacklers with Bellro.”
“Is there a reason for the delay? The last few days would have been good enough to explain.”
A sigh escapes her lips. “You’ve hardly seen him lately. Zir and I ... don’t know what he wants to tell you. I would ramble on endlessly ... and Zir is quick to stray off topic.”
So they left it to Amethio to save time and not keep me in suspense on what would probably be a six-hour story. That’s almost a nice thought, if it weren’t for the problem that I’m the only one completely in the dark.
A brief shock pushes my thoughts aside. We’ve docked. Conia doesn’t need to say it. One last look at the room I shared with Lillie not so long ago leaves me with the heavy feeling of saying goodbye. The next moment, I tighten my shoulders and leave all this behind.
Conia leads us in hasty steps to the exit, which Zir is about to open with the help of the wheel and two powerful pulls. In the next wink, warm sunlight filters inside and the certainty that Melemele Island is far behind me grows.
Galar isn’t nearly as hot as Alola. Dark green can be seen in the distance. Slight elevations promise an ascent to a nearby town. There are many things to see here, no doubt, but we’re not here to settle down and watch more time pass. The lonely harbour where we have landed has three jetties and a small storage hut, which I pay no further attention to. Instead, my gaze lingers on a submarine, which Conia points out and which we head for resolutely. A quick walk takes us to the huge metal monster, which casts distinct shadows beneath the surface of the water.
“It’s a bit cramped in the main corridor,” Conia starts, “but the rooms offer enough space to not feel trapped.”
All I can do is nod. I’ve never seen the inside of a submarine before and I don’t think the Explorers have stuck to a classic interior design. I can only climb up the metal steps on the side and follow Conia down through the upper opening.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Artificial light burns in my eyes briefly, and it takes a few blinks to get used to this new environment. The main corridor is indeed cramped. It’s not big enough for a second person to walk alongside – if I stretch my arms out, I can touch the walls with my elbows.
“Has all the food been put away?” Zir’s voice thunders down at us from above and even though it doesn’t echo down here, everything seems a little louder.
“I gave the order yesterday. They said everything was done,” Conia shouts back, and I’m almost relieved when Zir joins us finally.
“Instructions?”
We walk close behind each other in line, Conia in the lead.
“Control room,” she replies, before activating the automatic sensor of a doorway after two closed passages and leading us into a room filled with a steady hum.
Monitors stretch out over a control panel that has more buttons than Alola has Pokémon. A wide table in the centre of the room stands out thanks to its anti-reflective glass and a glance at the blackness behind it makes me guess at another screen. There’s so much technology here that I hardly dare lift a finger, while Conia and Zir throw themselves onto swivel chairs and enter data I can’t follow. I was already out of place in Alola, but this feels like a technical home for a Marowak – we’re rather simple-minded.
“Are all the preparations made?” As Amethio enters the room, I move a little closer to the nearest wall so as not to be in the way.
“Everything necessary is in place, sir,” replies Conia.
Zir, meanwhile, turns to face him. “Someone is asking for a video chat.”
“Who?”
“Hamber... sir...”
“Put him on the screen.”
Without further ado, Amethio steps closer to the monitors until an older man in a suit appears on one. His grey hair is neatly groomed, giving him the appearance of a wealthy man. One eye covered by a thick fringe, he seems to scrutinise Amethio. He would probably like to sigh, but his posture remains upright, unwilling to give in to careless reactions with no room for a snort.
“You’ve strayed off track,” he finally announces in a raspy voice. His closed eye allows for no speculation. “Master Gibeon has ordered you to travel to Unova without detours. Why the diversion?”
“The Rising Volt Tacklers seem to have found an interesting lead that could not only lead us to the black Rayquaza, but also give us more information about the pendant that the girl is carrying.”
“Acting on your own to this extent without prior consultation makes you appear untrustworthy.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“You’ve been removed from the hunt for Rayquaza. Your target is Un-“
“Enough complaints!” Amethio leans on the edge of the control panel, more heatedly than before. “The pendant is within our grasp. Are we really going to waste this opportunity?”
Well played! Tilting my head, I watch as Hamber – the man I’m supposed to turn to if I need anything – freezes in his stance. Instead of continuing to latch onto the Rayquaza, Amethio focuses on something else that seems just as important to the Explorers as the Pokémon. This makes it almost irrelevant that he shouldn’t pursue Rayquaza any further. Encountering it would be nothing more than a nice side chance.
Finally, Hamber lets out a soft sigh. “I take it your destination is Galar?”
“An unconfirmed location there, yes, sir,” Conia speaks up. “The information comes from Bellro.”
As the old man nods, Bellro moves further and further into the image of a reliable informant for me. He really does seem to know his stuff.
“I assume, as always, he has refrained from sharing said knowledge with the others if he has already sold it to you,” Hamber replies. “That means you have the advantage. Very well, I’ll let Master Gibeon know. Your goal is the pendant. Everything else is irrelevant. Do what is needed to get it in your possession. As soon as you know more, send me brief messages about the situation at regular intervals.”
Before Amethio can find the breath to protest, the transmission switches off. Still, his hands clench into fists before he stands up.
“You’ve heard it. Our target is the pendant. Everything else comes after.”
He has a wonderful way of turning “is irrelevant” into “comes after” and for a moment I find it hard not to grin. The knowledge that I’m not the only one to fail at his stubbornness is liberating.
“How are we going to proceed, sir?” Brows drawn together, Zir tilts his head.
“I’ll decide that as soon as we have the exact location of the Rising Volt Tacklers.”
“Meaning, while we’re waiting, someone will explain the things I still don’t understand?” I barely noticeably raise a hand. Before we come into contact with this troupe, I should learn at least part of the story.
For a moment, three pairs of eyes rest on me. The next, Zir and Conia turn to the screens again, while Amethio bridges the distance to me in three steps.
“About three months ago, we were instructed to secure a pendant whose mysterious powers seem to be important.” He puts a hand on his hip. “Originally, we were supposed to bring the girl wearing this pendant with us. However, the Rising Volt Tacklers got in the way and escaped with her.”
In short, Gibeon wants something belonging to someone else and negotiations over it have failed thanks to this third-party.
“After that, we came into contact with the black Rayquaza during a battle against the group in question. This encounter led to our mission to follow the Pokémon and capture it.”
In which we all failed miserably, as Rayquaza isn’t a creature easily packed into a ball. The image shapes up.
“That’s why you were in Alola...” And that’s probably why he’s so obsessed with Rayquaza. It must have slipped through his fingers more than once before the islands – or rather, he was so fascinated by it right away that he simply can’t let go.
His shoulders lose tension. “The pendant could give us an advantage during the hunt, provided we find out how it works.”
We are in a situation where the goal is clear, but the rewards are of uncertain depth. On top, it’s not clear to me why the girl is running away with her pendant – or has she been kidnapped? Judging by Amethio’s calmness, that’s not the case and I’m sure that if she’s younger than me, there’s a good chance a parent is also after these Rising Volt Tacklers.
“What’s stopping this bunch from doing business with the Explorers?”
“They want to get to the bottom of it themselves,” Amethio replies.
That’s all he throws at me. He probably doesn’t want to admit that he embodies the image of evil from time to time. If the members of the Volt Tacklers are basing their behaviour on that, it’s obvious why the girl doesn’t want to talk.
“The message has been received.” It’s Conia who ends our conversation. “A Galar mine seems to be the target.”
“A mine?”
“Information says the black Rayquaza is hiding there. Apparently, the workers there have spotted a mysterious, large, black Pokémon causing problems. Since then, some of the work has been cancelled because it’s attacking people.”
They were right. The target between the Explorers and the Volt Tacklers is the same, and it seems the latter is quicker to get started. Means it’s easier for us to follow the opposing side secretly and show up when the opportunity arises.
“Keep on course. This time, we’ll get the pendant and Rayquaza in our possession.”