Mountains rise on all sides and the small forests – I hardly know what else to call all this greenery – give our surroundings an idyllic touch. The entrance to the mines of this place isn’t far and yet it feels like we’re walking for ages through unknown territory to get there. Half in thought, I wipe my sweaty hands on my dark, calf-length jeans. The bigger the entrance gets, the faster my heart beats. The instructions from yesterday and the confinement of the submarine are suddenly swept away.
When Amethio first sets foot in the dimly lit mine, I swallow dryly. Then I follow with Zir and Conia. The workers have fixed small lamps to the uppermost corners of the walls at regular three-metre intervals. The orange glow gives the rock a warmth that is hard to find elsewhere in this place. Isolated from the sun’s rays and the cosy breezes, goosebumps spread across my arms.
“They’re probably already here, aren’t they?” As quietly as possible so as not to provoke an echo, I address Conia, who is walking close to me.
“Likely,” she whispers back. “You saw the airship. They won’t waste their time messing around.”
Snorting, I think back to the powerful image of the ship on which the Rising Volt Tacklers are travelling. It’s nothing like the graceful appearance that carried us from one island to the next. Instead, the individual components that have been painstakingly put together are recognisable. A boat that has been extended and polished in order to equip it with a huge air chamber and all kinds of technology to make it fly. Whoever is responsible for this must know something about their craft. At least I can hardly imagine creating something like this with my own hands.
Meanwhile, Conia’s voice gets a little louder. “But why would Rayquaza come to a place like this?”
“Maybe it just feels comfortable here?” Zir’s casual tone doesn’t take our circumstances seriously; as if Rayquaza is nothing more than a handful of Pokémon harbouring no danger and is only good at playing hide-and-seek.
“Then maybe we can catch it while it’s sleeping!”
“Don’t take it lightly.” Amethio’s sudden statement snaps me out of my thoughts. The slight sigh that resonates with his words silences the other two. “This is Rayquaza we’re dealing with.”
He turns the previously faint lightness in everyone’s step into crushing unease and I don’t know whether Amethio takes pleasure in this or whether he actually believes he is already close to his goal. So far, there is no voice in my head. Rayquaza can’t be heard. There is no danger.
As soon as we reach the first cave, divided into three paths, he stops. “We’ll split up. Zir, Conia, you’ll take the right-hand section. Domino will take the left with me.”
Unified agreement is all that exists between us before our routes divide. Suddenly it’s just Amethio and me. His gaze appraises me briefly – my shoulder is still not fully healed – before we too move forward. Asking him if we shouldn’t split up as well is out of the question. In his eyes, I’m still not capable of looking after myself – despite my training and new battle experience. I can only stay close to him and ignore the centre passage as we take the left side.
However, the tunnel only holds us for a short time before we arrive in another cave, filled with countless corridors that could throw us into a labyrinth from which there is no quick escape. Scattered boxes rest against the walls, filled with tools and safety equipment that have no recognisable value whatsoever. The walls are marked out with thick ropes and sidelights, and glowing rocks come to the fore – small and shimmering like jewels that have been placed here at random intervals. I can hardly take my eyes off them, while Amethio doesn’t even look. He neither scrutinises the magical glow nor focuses his interest on anything other than Rayquaza. His tense nature is still the same.
“How should we proceed in this mess?” Brows raised, I cast a sideways glance at my companion, whose eyes roam over our surroundings. Shortly afterwards, he takes out his Rotom Phone before moving a step closer.
A map appears on the display, revealing the inner workings of the mines. With this, it suddenly seems very easy to find our way between the rocks and tunnels.
“We’ll investigate this area,” he begins slowly as he circles our territory with his index finger. “Rayquaza could be hiding anywhere here. As soon as-“
“They’re everywhere!”
A roar spreads through my skull and I immediately put my hands to my head and clench my teeth. The coldness on my skin increases and although I should be used to the Pokémon’s voices by now, this one is so loud it threatens to burst my eardrums.
“You can hear it?” Undecided, Amethio takes another step towards me, his fingers twitching, but he doesn’t dare touch me. Instead, he looks around once more. “Can you tell me where it’s coming from?”
“You traitors!”
“At least I can tell it’s not Rayquaza,” I gasp. “It’s a female voice. High-pitched and hissing.”
“Another Pokémon?” His eyes widen.
“I think we have to follow that way.” Uncertainly, I point a finger in the first direction that feels right. It’s like back in the Lush Jungle. All I have left is a vague, sinking feeling in my stomach; the hope that I’m not taking the wrong path.
But every step I take makes my legs feel weaker. My muscles screech, my fingertips throb and I have to wipe the sweat from my forehead twice while unrestrained screams rain down on me. Distorted with rage. Pointed. Desperate. As if someone is trying to swim to the shore with their last ounce of strength to avoid drowning. Simultaneously, demolished walls come to the fore, adorned with deep scratches someone must have smashed into them with great force. The glowing stones are scattered across the floor. The next breath trembles on my lips. Amethio lets out a harsh snort. I can barely follow his reaction before we set foot in the next cave area – guarded by a man who turns to us with his powerful Charizard and a hopeful “Liko, Roy!”. Hope that turns into a wry smile. “Amethio... Of all the places to meet you... And I see you’re in unknown company?”
I have no clue how to behave towards a person who is an enemy of the Explorers but a stranger to me. All I can do is nod my head slightly, like a friendly, curt bow, before uttering a weak “Domino”.
Our counterpart’s expression becomes more rigid. “Hey, hey, this is a bad joke, right?” His Pokémon is already lowering its head. “Domino Simpell?”
The answer sticks in my throat. This stranger there knows my name and although I can’t think of a reason right away, it’s the tightness in the pit of my stomach that almost makes me flee. Moving closer to Amethio, just a single step, is the only thing saving me from doing something stupid.
“A worried father told us to bring his daughter home... Who would have thought we’d find her with the Explorers of all people...” He runs a hand over his face while the corners of my mouth twist. My father is thinking of me. “And then at Amethio’s side too... I haven’t seen you since the last island!”
Amethio isn’t open to conversation; it’s clear when he pulls a Poké Ball out of his trouser pocket and lets Ceruledge out the next moment. His silence is deafening and I don’t know if it wouldn’t be wiser to take a few steps back. A fight is inevitable.
“Oh, boy... It’s been so long and you can’t even say hello?” Our opponent’s body tension relaxes as he puts a hand on his hip and steps aside to let his Charizard step forward.
“Enough banter. Let’s get started.”
“Impatient as ever...” He shares the same opinion as probably everyone who has ever run into Amethio. “Charizard, go!”
There’s a confidence on both sides that’s easily beating my best days. Amethio knows what he wants and his opponent seems to be so used to fighting him he doesn’t care much more about the situation. It is as if he has realised running away isn’t an option and he has to take things as they come. His attitude towards such an unexpected encounter is admirable.
“Get out of here!”
My shoulders shrug as I stumble a step to the side and bump into Amethio. His firm stance holds me, but his attention doesn’t even graze me. Beneath the screeching words in my head is a drawn-out sound from the throat of a Pokémon as it shimmies along the rock walls towards us. For a breath, our eyes are glued to a passageway to our left.
In the next, Amethio catches himself. “Ceruledge, phantom force!”
The stranger immediately turns back to us. “Hah! You won’t catch me while I’m looking the other way!”
In the same blink of an eye that Ceruledge disappears into a dark mass at its feet, Charizard lets out an affirmative growl. Its trainer pays full attention while the Fire-type Pokémon listens quietly. No one is rushing their options, no one is showing a lack of caution – as you would expect from trainers who have already fought endless battles.
“Fall to your knees and hope!”
It rings in my ears. Whoever has to face this fury, I hope Conia and Zir don’t get themselves into unnecessary trouble.
In the background, I can hear Ceruledge’s swords clashing against Charizard’s claws, but I can’t concentrate on the fight. Alien gasps cause my body to tremble, and although I shouldn’t interfere, my fingers slowly move to the belt pouch where my team rests. Part of me wants to lull myself to safety, at least with the thought of quick help, because Amethio doesn’t have time to protect us both in these seconds should something break free from the darkness of the passage. One of us has to pay attention to our surroundings. It’s all I can do.
“Too weak. Too simple-minded. Very different from him. And yet all the same!”
My heart is pounding so hard against my ribs my breath slips past my lips. Deep gasps are impossible. The feeling of suffocation wraps its claws tightly around my throat. My hand is already sliding into my bag. I clutch the first Poké Ball I touch as tightly as I can.
“Get out of here! Just like he did. Get out!”
My next breath trembles. That voice, so loud and distorted with rage, seems to break. What remains is a bland aftertaste – as if all hope has long been nothing but a strange dream out of reach.
“It’s suffering...” I whisper to myself. Unheard and unheeded, while the other two are consumed in their struggle, unable to pay attention to anything but each other.
“You will regret your intrusion!”
“Amethio...” My voice is only a breath. “It’s coming...”
“Really? First you want to play hide and seek and then tag?” Our opponent scratches the back of his head as if he’s at the end of his rope.
And Amethio doesn’t even seem to hear me. “Finish it! Night slash!”
They are both ready for their last move, but don’t get to attack as the first heavy chunks of stone crash to the ground. Tremors shake the mine, reaching into my bones and robbing me of the courage to put one foot in front of the other. In the next blink of an eye, a coal cart chases out of the left aisle, carrying two children and three Pokémon, pursued by a figure whose blazing flames adorn black grace.
“It’s beautiful...” We all look in the same direction and I’m sure we share at least that thought for a split second. This Pokémon, which only stops when Charizard throws a flame and captures it in mid-air so that it can cast a sharp glance toward our opponent, is one of the most wondrous creatures likely to be found in a Pokédex.
“So that’s what was screaming?” Amethio’s widened eyes and slightly open mouth give him the temporary fascination of a child. His clenched hands tremble.
Meanwhile, the Pokémon spreads its wings, so it seems impossible to look away. Hot flames combine with oppressive blackness. Billowing energy in a hot flaming pink colour is released and descends on our surroundings.
“Pests!”
Without further ado, I click my tongue. I want to say something, warn Amethio, do something, but when this creature flaps its wings so vigorously that a whirlwind arises – strong enough to tear down the walls and break through the ceiling – it’s already too late. What remains is a single moment in which Amethio pushes me off with so much force that I stagger back and fall onto my ass. I barely manage to protest before rocks crash between us. Dust swirls up, stinging my eyes. I can’t see a thing. The world blurs.
I rub my hands over my eyelids several times and slide back even further. The quake is still going on. I can hear the walls cracking. Tears run up both sides, but my legs are shaking too much for me to get up and run away. Instead, I keep listening, my heart pounding in my throat.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Domino!” Only when Amethio’s voice gets through to me do I hold my breath and try to contain my inner turmoil. “Try to get out of here!”
“What about you?” I shakily push myself to my knees.
“I’ll catch up with you!”
It sounds like a promise. A statement he’ll stick to so that I don’t worry. If he says he’ll come, then all I can do is believe him.
I suck the air deep into my lungs. Then I gather all my shaken strength and push myself to my feet. It feels like I’m standing on a board, ready to catch the next big wave. My first steps are so unsteady I have to support myself with one hand on the rock wall. But every metre gets a little easier until I stumble through the passage at a gentle trot.
A vibration in my pocket makes me immediately pull out the Rotom Phone. Amethio has found a few seconds to send me the map of the mine. With that, even I can get out of here. But the first passage leading out has collapsed. The only way out from here forces me further into the mine, into the cave where the Pokémon and the children came from. From there, two paths lead out. So I start walking.
Every breath hangs raspy in my throat and even though I know I’m alone here, I keep looking over my shoulder. Apart from the damage in some places, everything here looks the same. Not a soul is hiding. Not a single Pokémon is within range. Not even when I reach the cave where the creature came from does anything change. Tents are scattered between torches of light, but the workers are long gone.
“They run away like traitors. I look away and they reappear!”
In a flash, my attention is drawn to a passage where the darkness is engulfing. In the next, flames light up, bathing the surroundings in a faint glow and spreading out as soon as they reach this cave. Blue eyes look down on me as if I am the last pest to be eliminated. My skin itches. My shoulders shake.
“Where are ... the other two?” I force out stressed.
“Gone. Run away. Like they all do. Like he did.”
“Who?”
“You understand me?” It lowers its head. “So you’re like him!”
“Like who?” Sweat trickles down my temple. “Who are you talking about?”
“Traitors! You’re all the same. Liars! Deceivers! You left me behind!”
It just ignores my questions. Talking to this Pokémon has no value. Starting a conversation here and now that doesn’t come close to countering the rage in its body doesn’t solve any of our problems. It seems to want revenge, while only getting out matters to me.
“You could get rid of it.”
Another voice settles in my skull, familiar and yet only a mysterious component I still can’t place.
“There are so many crystals here ... every one of them is suitable as a Z-crystal.”
A battle in which I once again put everything on the line because I can’t control the circumstances. The amount of fear running through my bones is probably perfect for Mimikyu and her black hole. But the cost is too high.
“It’s your only chance,” the deep hum of my senses replies.
“It’s not,” I hiss. In these seconds, I have no one to protect. Nobody depends on me and my actions. There is no dangerous situation I have to straighten out somehow. It’s just me and this unfamiliar Pokémon.
That means running away is also an option. One I take as I gather all my courage and run – away from my opponent, away from its anger, and away from a fight I can’t win.
Still, the Pokémon’s screech thunders in my ears and I only just manage to throw myself behind a rock before an explosion knocks more rubble to the ground. A glance around my hiding place brings the debris into view. I am not yet sealed off from the escape route, but if it were to attack again, my situation could quickly turn into unimaginable misery.
Thoughtfully, I pull my side plait tighter. The tug on my scalp stops me from worrying too much about everything that could happen. I can’t just start running. Conia has hammered that into my head more than once in the last few weeks. But what can I do without putting myself and my partners in danger?
My lips press together. Thinking in this way is much more difficult than simply following my instincts. I try my best not to throw my progress and the efforts of others overboard, but the exit is only a few steps away. If I jump up now and start running, I could disappear before that Pokémon sets my ass on fire.
My muscles tense, I fixate on my way out. I have to jump up and start running. It’s really easy. My fingers dig into the earthy ground. Jump up. Start running. My eyes wander to the Pokémon. Its gaze wanders over the surroundings as if it is looking for me. I look back at the passage. Jump up. My heart is racing. Start running. I only have this one shot.
And just as I’m about to force my body to run, I hear voices. Not in my head. Not loud enough for me to understand them straight away. Once again, I dare to look out of my hiding place – straight at the two children and Amethio’s opponent. With four Pokémon in their luggage and dirty up to the tip of their noses, they confront the creature I was just about to run away from. Now I press myself against the rock and listen.
“Looks like its anger hasn’t gone away yet...” The oldest of them keeps his eyes firmly fixed on the Pokémon, while the tanned boy lets out a “Galarian Moltres”.
They’ve probably put more pieces together in the short time chaos has befallen each of us than I ever could. I don’t know where Amethio is, nor have Zir and Conia contacted me. I could write to them, but without knowing what situation they are in, it seems wrong to interrupt. Still, I want to contribute something and right now I’m in a situation where that’s possible.
Far too slowly, I pull out my Rotom while named Moltres lets out a long screech and the group takes a step back. The recording starts.
“Do you have a plan, Friede?” The boy clutches his Pokémon tighter to his chest.
Amethio’s opponent nods. “First, we’ll draw its attention to us!”
We’re separated by maybe six metres, and I bet we’d be in a better position if I tried to help. But I’m not one of them. My father sent this group after me, and my legs are as soft as Ditto. I can only watch as the boy sends his Fuecoco into battle – naming it with complete confidence, as if it could actually win against Moltres – and as it joins Charizard in flamethrower that raises the temperature between the rocks significantly.
Moltres only needs a flap of its wings to dodge the flames so they eat into the rock, half bounce off and cause no further damage. However, smoke is produced, forming a thick, black cloud blocking the Pokémon’s vision. The girl uses these seconds to send Sprigatito – the Pokémon that Conia once told us about – ahead.
Small paws trample around on the ground, causing shimmering green dust to rise – far too slowly. Before it can realise its plan, its opponent sweeps the smoke away with a flap of its wings. In the next, it blows down its feathers so hard that crescents of wind hurtle down on the group. Only the party’s Pikachu manages to dive into the attack in time and disperse the compressed air with an electric shock. Gusts of wind break through the mine, tearing at my hair and forcing me to raise an arm in front of my eyes to avoid getting stones in my face.
“Sprigatito, leafage, now!”
The Pokémon’s trampling speeds up. Shimmering dust settles on the ground again. In the next blink, its dark green chest fur glows, seems to peel off and deform into leaves that shoot in a bright beam at Moltres. A dense storm of leaves that bounces meaninglessly off its opponent’s flapping wings.
“Once more, leafage!” The girl, Liko I assume, tries again – with the same success as the first time. The attack fails to reach Moltres, and the contemptuous snort in my head seems almost amused by it.
“You aren’t travellers. You aren’t like him!” It lingers rigidly in its place. “Aren’t you?”
“Liko, have Sprigatito jump up at Charizard! We’ll try to get as close as possible!” Friede remains unfazed, ready to analyse every mistake and find the best way. In this regard, he seems much more thoughtful than Amethio.
They immediately put his plan into action. Sprigatito finds space on Charizard’s head and the powerful wing beats of the Fire-type Pokémon carry it near Moltres so quickly that I can barely follow it with my eyes.
“Circle it!” Friede yells after them. “And then flamethrower!”
While Charizard is still adjusting its flight path, Moltres swings gallantly after it in a half-turn. It never takes its eyes off its opponent for a second, dodging the flames in such majestic swings that Charizard can hardly help but follow the absurd dance. Simultaneously, the boy joins in. A second flame is thrown in the Pokémon’s direction, leaving it no chance to dodge. Fire presses against black feathers, forcing it to remain motionless.
“Hot! Way too hot!” A gasp runs through my whole body. “I’m burning!”
Immediately, my fingers slide into my pocket and feel Ying’s worn ball. If they keep this up, they’re going to hurt this Pokémon seriously. Its feathers are already ruffling under the fire. It will barely withstand the flames any longer. I have to step in, do something, help this creature and calm it down – if this bunch allows it.
But I can’t get out of my hiding place before Moltres’ inward scream makes my legs buckle. All at once, it flaps its wings down with such force that the flamethrower shatters into sparks and the following leafage is blown away. Not even Charizard can lean against the storm, crashing heavily into a rock wall and losing Sprigatito, who only makes it to the ground unscathed with the full force of Pikachu’s body.
“Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out!” Moltres wildly snaps its head from side to side before catching itself and fixing its opponents. “Traitor!”
Running away and leaving this Pokémon behind until it calms down a bit sounds like the only safe course of action to my ears. But instead of stepping back, it’s Liko who bridges a few metres to the Pokémon as if she is immortal.
“Please calm down...” she begins, “We are not your enemies.”
“You’re traitors! All of you!” Moltres yells back – completely incomprehensible to this girl.
Still, she digs a ball out of her breast pocket. A “thing” that seems to come from a completely different time. “We have Poké Balls ... like yours.”
“And we met Rayquaza,” Roy adds. He too is holding one of these strange balls and for a moment, I can understand why Amethio is so interested in this black dragon.
All the things that are part of this mystery are no less strange than Rayquaza itself; like this Moltres, which once again flaps its wings in rage. A second storm passes through the mine and I barely avoid coughing.
“Why are you so angry?” Liko’s shoulders slump. The ball disappears into her blue jacket. She seems to genuinely want to understand, a bit like Lillie did with Nebby. But there is no understanding here – on either side.
Moltres’ hatred swells. Bright red flames envelop it, accompanied by an animalistic scream stinging the ears. Friede shouts something, but I can’t hear it. All at once, they take cover and throw themselves behind the rocks that it had previously brought crashing to the ground with its attack. Only Roy remains standing in the middle of the escape. A glance back brings his Fuecoco to the fore, whose short legs have stumbled over a rise. He dashes back to his partner, unable to escape, so Pikachu jumps in. At breakneck speed, it raises the hairs on the back of my neck with its static as it crashes into Moltres like a bolt of lightning, smashing into the Pokémon’s body with all its might.
Moltres is torn upwards – crashing into the ceiling. Pikachu, meanwhile, drops and hits the ground hard on its side. Yet it forces itself back to its feet. It’s ready to go further than necessary, and although I don’t want to think about it, I see Mirra in it. In its heroism and its courage to put itself in danger when necessary.
As Liko moves towards the Moltres again, I shake my head. In those seconds, she puts everyone present in danger. She makes a decision so detached that in the next blink of an eye, I realise how similar we are. Rash and hasty – perhaps even death-defying.
“Tell me, Galarian Moltres... I want to know... What’s on your mind?”
“Get out of here! Get lost!”
Even if she could understand this creature, there are no words in the world good enough to soothe this Pokémon. It doesn’t want to talk, doesn’t want to listen, just wants revenge on a memory I can’t grasp. Its wings flap wildly, ready for the next attack, and as Liko lunges over her Sprigatito to protect it, the mysterious ball rolls out of her jacket pocket. A soft click seems to sound in my head, closely followed by a soft female voice cradling me gently in its arms.
“What has happened to you?”
Golden light shines as a figure emerges from the ball and stands metres tall in front of Liko, spreading its protective leafy arms. Its form is so powerful that Rotom fills this absurd moment with side information.
“Arboliva. Grass/Normal-type. A very peaceful and kind Pokémon that usually stays under two metres tall.”
“How big is this one?”
“About five, I guess.”
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, parched. This Pokémon is a giant and its breathy sound, like wind chasing through the cave, reaches my senses in a flood.
“How far do you want to fall?” Arboliva’s whole body trembles. “Where has all your pride gone? How much more damage do you want to cause?”
For a blink of an eye, Moltres seems to calm down. But its eyes narrow to slits and the threatening sound leaving its throat burns in my heart. “Until Lucius comes back and repents for leaving me behind. Until then,” its voice grows louder, “I will destroy any traitor who stands in my way!”
Once again, powerful wing beats chase crescents of wind down on Arboliva. They tear at its leaves, at its body, leaving resinous cuts and eliciting a painful groan from the Pokémon.
“How are we supposed to fight something like this?” Holding his Fuecoco firmly in his arms, Roy lowers his head and again it is Liko who refuses to give up.
“It’s all right, Roy.” She lifts her head and looks at Arboliva, as if thanking the Pokémon from the bottom of her heart. “Battling isn’t all there is to being a trainer. Finding out how a Pokémon feels and sharing those feelings with them... That’s ... my path as a trainer.”
My hands claw into the rock that protects me from all of this. This girl is as stubborn and pushy as I am, but she has the same determination Lillie found in herself. Liko is a trainer who knows her way. The certainty elicits a heavy snort from me.
“Thank you for this decision.” Arboliva only glances down at Liko for a moment before it rears up in all its splendour once more. But it no longer speaks.
Instead, I can feel the ground pulsating. Warmth presses against my knees and my ring flashes at regular intervals. My body feels like it is gaining new strength in the same breath that Sprigatito is wrapped in green light. Its energy overflows, eliciting a sound ready for battle. Then it uses leafage, so dense and full of shiny green pearls the whole mine seems to shimmer. At the same moment, Roy throws a ball, releasing a Flying-type Pokémon whose small body lingers discreetly amidst the storm of leaves. However, it flaps its wings wildly to carry Sprigatito’s attack, together with Charizard, to Moltres. The scent of flowers fills the entire mine.
For a breath, leavage cloaks the Pokémon completely. Its wing beats slow down and the whimpering in my head loses any hint of anger.
“W-Why don’t you just leave? What do you want from me?” Finally, Moltres lands a few steps in front of Liko, no longer overwhelmed by its hatred. The soothing scent in the middle of this attack has dampened the anger. “Why? Come out and tell me why you brought these people here.”
I press myself tighter against the rock. It looks down at Liko, but it doesn’t speak to her. She also realises the circumstances when she pulls out a glowing pendant in amazement. Judging by Amethio’s explanations, it must be the necklace the Explorers wanted to take possession of.
The glow of the light blue crystal expands. Beads of energy dissolve, float around, and deform the small gemstone all at once. A round head forms, crooked legs emerge, and as it detaches itself from Liko’s hand, the shimmer bursts to reveal a creature appearing just as tall as Mirra. Its dark body gains striking grace through light blue accents. Rings, diamonds, a carapace reflecting the pendant – it hardly seems of this world.
“I’ve missed you!” Its childlike voice reminds me vaguely of Nebby.
“What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean?” It tilts its head. “I’m looking for all of you!”
“For what?”
“What are you talking about?” Liko stands behind them, completely oblivious, and I wonder if she would join in the conversation if she had my ability.
“To see him again! All of us. He hasn’t forgotten us, I know that. He’s still thinking about us. Of you. Of me. Of the others. One last time. We can say goodbye. I can feel it.”
“After all this time? Just one last time?” Moltres’ voice wavers.
“One last time.”
The understanding between the both of them seems to be based on a shared journey – an adventure they took together a very long time ago. These small, insignificant words are enough to elicit a howl from Moltres. A drawn-out, painful sound that gets under my skin and lowers my eyelids while rain falls as if we are no longer in the middle of a cave.
Pink mist drifts thickly over the ground and I take one last deep breath. It’s better if I seize the moment to get away. In these seconds, it feels like I’ve already seen everything. So I grab my Rotom, stop the recording and duck through the haze to the passage that will lead me out in a roundabout way.