Adaman turned toward the door of the hospital. “Come,” he said, “I’ve got another Diamond for you to meet.” In a mere second, he was gone through the door. Alec shot a hesitant glance back at Arezu — she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon — before following after Adaman.
He turned sharply to the left once passed the hospital’s threshold, strangely moving away from the center of the village. Alec mentally grumbled as he again struggled to keep up with Adaman’s abnormally long strides. Legendaries Above, he even had to break into a light jog to keep up with his speedwalking pace.
“Where are we going?” Alec asked once he was caught up.
“You need a way to get past the Pokemon rampaging at Cloudpool Ridge,” Adaman said, looking down at Alec from the corner of his eye. He didn’t slow his pace, as if his legs were moving on autopilot as a secondary muscle memory action. “One of our Noble Pokemon would be a perfect help for you, so hopefully it’s willing.”
Alec tilted his head. “You sure it’s a good idea to rely on a Noble? What if something happens to it, too?”
“From what we’ve seen so far, a Noble will only rampage if it’s struck by the lightning from the rift. Our watchmen said they saw a bolt hit Brava Arena the night before everything turned into a disaster, so try your best to avoid any sudden thunderbolts, yeah?” Adaman said in a half-joking tone. Alec didn’t understand how he could be laughing at a time like this, but he had no better option than to go with it.
It was rather poetic that he (hopefully) would be helped by a Noble to go fight another Noble, both belonging to the same clan. He briefly wondered what Adaman meant when he said that it could help him. Was it a Flying-type that could carry him above everything? Maybe it was just really strong, enough to fend off anything that might attack them.
Either way, he followed Adaman regardless, hoping for whatever threads he could find, to help everyone he possibly could.
----------------------------------------
Adaman led Alec for about ten minutes past the edge of Solaceon Village. Based on his mental map of the land, Alec figured that they were near the area where he’d seen the Temple of Space. The area surrounding it was very layered, walled off by unscalable cliffs, meaning he couldn’t see the Temple itself. In his head, he could almost see the route he’d take to get down there if he needed to, though.
When they finally stopped, Alec quickly found a small boulder to sit down on and rest his legs. For all his time in Hisui, he felt like today he’d broken his record for steps taken — and it was barely passed noon. Maybe he was being a little dramatic, but that didn’t change the fact that his feet hurt!
Adaman, like a small Pokemon smelling the air for food, looked around intently, eyes scanning the horizon. He continued for a moment longer, before he seemed to locate what he was searching for. From a concealed pocket on the inside of his coat, Adaman pulled out a strange-looking bone-white flute.
Is that made out of bone? Alec wondered, staring as closely as he could at the strange instrument. Its size wasn’t uniform along its length and the holes weren’t perfectly spaced along it, meaning it had likely been hand-carved. Is he planning on imitating a Pokemon cry to attract one to us? Maybe this Noble’s favorite food is another species of Pokemon, and it likes sacrifices, Alec thought with a shiver.
When Adaman finally took a deep breath and blew into the flute, an almost otherworldly note resonated through the air. The breath in Alec’s lungs caught itself, freezing in place. He felt like he was in the front row at a rock concert, where the bass from the speakers was loud enough to send vibrations through his entire body. If there was any sound in the world that could shatter glass, this was it, without a doubt. With practiced precision, Adaman danced his fingers along the body of the flute, leading the tone in a fast-paced dance. Inexplicably, the feeling in Alec’s bones remained perfectly constant even as Adaman played different notes and paused to take breaths. It was as if the song itself was making him feel like he was staring down Arceus again.
Adaman held the final note of the song for several seconds, fading out with a slow vibrato effect until nothing but the sound of the wind in the trees remained as his harmony. It didn’t last, as a faint percussive sound caught Alec’s attention a moment later. Coming from the woods, the hoofbeats of a strong-sounding Pokemon thundered in perfect rhythm.
Just then, Alec realized that Adaman’s song wasn’t to attract prey for the Noble. It was to attract the Noble itself.
A moment later, a massive four-legged figure burst from the trees. No way. It can fly? Alec mentally gasped, seeing the Noble sail through the air. However, it reached an apex and began to fall back to the ground, meaning it had jumped, not flown. It looked like it was falling way slower than it should’ve, Alec thought. Like it’s defying gravity, somehow.
The massive Pokemon reminded Alec of a Stantler, a common Pokemon to find in the woods back home. The Noble had a fine grayish-white fur coat with a thick beard that almost reached the floor. Atop its head, it had two perfectly symmetrical antlers that were completely straight save for a few sharp-angled bends and branches in them. The sight reminded Alec of a snow-capped mountain with a few trees dotting the peak, confidently daring brave souls to summit it.
With the antlers included, the Pokemon was easily eight feet tall. Its landing seemed to shake the earth — Alec swore he saw a small shockwave rustle nearby bushes. Only Kleavor had made Alec feel like he was truly small, and Kleavor wasn’t very much bigger than he was. The massive Noble’s presence weighed on Alec like a submarine at the bottom of the sea.
Secondarily, Alec noticed the woman riding on the back of the Noble, immediately recognizing her to be the Warden Adaman had mentioned. Though she didn’t exude the same presence that the Pokemon did, the height difference made her seem far more intimidating. She had short black hair with long bangs that hung down over her forehead and wore a similar outfit to Adaman’s, though hers was more feminine in design.
Once the Noble Pokemon landed and came to a stop, the Warden deftly swung her leg over the saddle and hopped off, landing on the ground with a light grunt. “Before you say anything,” she said, “I’ve heard the news. I’m doing all I can about the Cloudpool situation.”
“That’s not what I’m here for,” Adaman replied. “Alec, this is Warden Mai, and Noble Wyrdeer.”
It all clicked in Alec’s head. How Adaman wanted him to get past the danger. His eyes widened and he took a small step back as he met the massive Noble’s — Wyrdeer’s — eyes. It snorted and stamped the dirt with its hoof.
“Who’s this?” Mai asked, gesturing to Alec.
“You’ve heard the rumors of the Galaxy soldier quelling Kleavor, I assume. This,” Adaman deadpanned with a gesture in his direction, “is Alec. He’s volunteered to help Lilligant, too.”
Again, Wyrdeer stamped the ground. Mai looked initially surprised but quickly shrugged it off. She raised her hand to her chin and nodded slowly. “Not much muscle on him … nervous look in his eyes,” she muttered, sizing up Alec.
She hummed, raising her eyebrows. “Dang, kid. You must have some solid reflexes if you took on Kleavor without, y’know, dying.” She patted Wyrdeer on its side. “This is Wyrdeer, the fastest Pokemon in all Hisui.”
Strangely, she looked upward for several seconds, locking eyes with the towering Noble. They both stood like stone-carved statues and neither of their expressions betrayed any emotion for Alec to pick up on. He briefly wondered if he’d said anything strange to confuse them, or what they possibly were doing.
Finally, they broke eye contact and looked away from each other. Mai blinked several times, as if she had just left a dark room for a bright one, but Wyrdeer was entirely unphased. “Okay,” she said, “but remember this is just a one-time-only thing, out of necessity.”
“The Diamonds will be in your debt, but our Wardens are protective of their charges, rightfully so,” Adaman said. “Please, don’t mistake Mai’s wariness for ungratefulness.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Mai said, drawing attention back to herself. “My Lord doesn’t let just anyone on his back; you’ve gotta earn his respect first.” To punctuate her statement, the Noble forcefully huffed and stamped the dirt with a hoof.
“How do I do that?” Alec asked.
And then, something changed. Alec felt an inexplicable feeling in his mind, of worry and curiosity and urgency. The liquid emotions swirled and churned, announcing their presence but not changing Alec’s own mindset. This foreign mind was separate and distinct from Alec’s own psyche. It was as if his head suddenly had two bowls in it, one containing the chemical solution of his own emotions, the other containing this new presence. If Alec’s mind was a drinking cup, this presence was the size of an ocean, swirling and crashing with ship-wrecking waves.
Like a derailed train, Alec’s mind raced past his thoughts at a breakneck pace. This had to be the doing of some Pokemon. It reminded him of how Arceus had summoned him. He’d certainly felt as terrified back then.
He winced and clutched his head in his hands at the strange overload of feelings. Legendaries Above, what was going on? A quick glance at the others revealed their unsurprised faces — did they know what was happening to him? Were they expecting it?
But then, Alec locked eyes with Wyrdeer, and everything made sense.
It’s a Psychic-type, it must be, there’s no other explanation, Alec thought. The foreign bowl swirled, allowing pride and satisfaction to bubble to the surface. It’s reading my mind!
Legendaries Above, Alec completely lost track of how long he absentmindedly stood there, eyes unfocused and zoned out, watching the waves of emotion churn in the two metaphorical bowls. In all likelihood, it was only a handful of seconds, but it felt like half an eternity to Alec. During the moment, neither he nor Wyrdeer moved a muscle.
Slowly, the liquid from the bowl began to drain, leaving an empty bowl that soon faded too. Fully disconnected and alone in his head again, Alec was overcome with mental exhaustion, like he’d just finished taking a long semester exam for a difficult class.
“Deer,” Wyrdeer said, giving a small nod toward Mai. She seemed to understand the unintelligible statement, as she stepped forward and rummaged in her satchel. She pulled out a magenta-colored berry and tossed it to Alec.
“Eat it, it’ll help,” she said with a small smile. “It’s a payapa berry; they help with headaches.”
Alec wordlessly nodded his thanks and took a massive bite of the berry. It didn’t have any prevalent flavors like most of the other berries he’d eaten. It was a bit tangy and citrusy, but otherwise not noteworthy at all.
“If you haven’t already figured it out,” Mai said, “Wyrdeer’s a powerful Psychic. Earning his trust requires more than just actions. My Lord prefers to understand people on a deeper level. Regardless, he’s decided that you’re worthy to mount him.” She beckoned for Alec to approach.
Alec nervously looked back to Adaman, who waved his hand, as if to say, Go ahead, don’t waste time. He reluctantly crept closer, though Wyrdeer seemed significantly less intimidating than it had before.
“Remember,” Mai warned, “that Wyrdeer is far older and far stronger than you. You’ve earned his respect, so you need to respect him too.” She patted Wyrdeer’s saddle, gesturing to the leather stirrups hanging down on the sides. As she spoke, she acted out her instructions as an example. “When you mount, put your opposite leg in the stirrup, push up, and swing your leg over.”
Alec nodded, watching the movements of Mai’s nimble legs as closely as he could, knowing he’d have to imitate her in a moment. In a single fluid motion, she was seated firmly on Wyrdeer’s back. “Got it?”
Alec shrugged and approached to try himself. “I guess.”
Mai jumped off with the same deft acrobatics she’d displayed earlier. Alec lifted his foot up to the stirrup, doing his best to mimic her example, but she held out her hand to stop him. “Your posture is wrong,” she corrected. She gently grabbed his wrists and repositioned his arms. “Like that.” It felt strange for her to grab his hands while half his weight was placed on the stirrup.
“Okay,” Alec nodded, determined. He shot one last worried glance over to Mai— who showed no indication that Alec was doing anything wrong — then shoved off the ground with his back foot. With the fluidity and grace of a falling brick, Alec tried to throw his leg over Wyrdeer’s back.
From his inexperience, he hadn’t pushed off the ground with enough force to make it over, leading to him uncomfortably and embarrassingly dangling, half-on and half-of. Thankfully, Wyrdeer remained completely still as a statue throughout the attempt, where any movement on his part would’ve led to Alec being thrown to the dirt.
Mai stepped in, grabbed him by the arm, and helped him back to his feet. She gave a few brief nitpicks on his foot placement and the like before stepping back to allow him to try again. This time, Alec made sure to jump with enough momentum, though his form wasn’t any better. “Ha!” he cried in success, seated comfortably atop the proud Noble.
Immediately, he noticed that the strange feeling from before — where he felt another mind nudge against his — appeared again. Quickly, he recognized it as a familiar presence. Wyrdeer. This time, the Noble’s mind was full of peace and determination, letting Alec mentally relax.
“Nice,” Mai praised. “Though you may want to hang on.”
“To what?”
“Wyrdeer’s mane.” Alec looked at the back of the Noble’s head, where the fur that comprised his “beard” wrapped all the way around. Sensing a wave of acceptance from Wyrdeer, he grabbed two low-hanging tufts of fur and held on tightly. Wyrdeer seemed pleased. He took a deep breath to steady himself.
“My Lord,” Mai addressed. “Please take Alec on a short run around the area, for him to practice riding.” Wyrdeer nodded in confirmation. Recognizing that Alec was ready to go, he slowly started walking forward to allow the boy to get his bearings.
“Whoa,” Alec quickly found himself unsteady and unbalanced in the saddle. It shifted like a tectonic plate under Wyrdeer’s muscular back, making him feel like he’d slip off after each hoofbeat. Thankfully, Wyrdeer hadn’t picked up the pace, giving him ample time to adjust his position. Though his thoughts were separate, Alec couldn’t help but feel calm as he felt the soothing assurances in Wyrdeer’s mind next to his.
Before long, Alec finished the trial-and-error process of figuring out how to sit properly. Mai and Adaman looked pleasantly impressed that he’d managed it so quickly.
We’re gonna have to go faster than this if we want to make it to Lilligant, Alec thought.
And immediately, Wyrdeer overflowed with courage. Something that quickly drained out of Alec’s mental cup once he noticed the grand deer pick up the pace, breaking into a trot.
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“Ah!” Alec shouted, quickly redoubling his grip on Wyrdeer’s fur and leaning forward in the saddle. Wyrdeer’s trot quickly escalated into a canter, into a gallop.
Legendaries Above, this wasn’t good! Alec felt the telltale rush of adrenaline buzzing through him, making his veins tingle and his heart pound as his body recognized danger and responded accordingly. If Wyrdeer leaned to either side by so much as a degree, Alec would be thrown from the saddle and get injured. Rationally, he would’ve wanted to stay safe to allow him to challenge Lilligant uninjured, but his mind was shifted into its primal, fight-or-flight mentality. Just keeping his body intact was enough motivation.
You’re not going to die, the rational part of his mind said. Deep down, he knew he’d be completely fine in the long run — the worst he’d get from a fall would be some scrapes or shallow gashes on his arms.
But that’s not what he felt in the moment. No, there was no doubt in his mind that a single mistake would send him tumbling, breaking his bones and rendering him helpless. He could only press his head deeper against Wyrdeer’s neck.
Mentally flailing, Alec looked inward toward Wyrdeer’s presence …
… and felt the Noble’s courage.
He inhaled and exhaled steeply, through his grit teeth and clenched jaw. Suddenly, the buzz of the adrenaline didn’t seem so loud. The whooshing of the wind — exaggerated by his panicking mind — now sounded barely faster than a whisper. He slowly opened his eyes and straightened his back. Around him, the world flew by, no longer represented by individual trees but blurs of green.
His eyes watered against the rushing winds that beat against him. The tear droplets flew off behind him, blown by the wind to vanish. This was exhilarating! It reminded Alec of the few roller coasters he’d ridden before.
He looked upwards, directly toward the sun on the horizon, and spread his arms out like an Unfezant riding the skies. The wind whipped at his clothes and hair, tossing them about in disarray. Lost in the thrill of the intense speed, Alec whooped into the winds. “Yeah!” he cheered, though his voice was lost to the winds.
Reaching inwards, he again recognized Wyrdeer’s mental presence, overflowing with courage as it had before. Though he couldn’t know for certain why he felt that way, Alec took a guess:
It was to save Lilligant, his fellow Noble. Wyrdeer knew that Alec was his only shot at saving Lilligant. This practice ride, the moment so insignificant to Alec, Mai, and Adaman, was the twig that upheld Wyrdeer’s entire world.
I’ll save her, I promise, Alec thought. The purpose of the practice ride remained the same, to prepare Alec as best as possible for his mission tomorrow morning.
Cloudpool, get ready, he thought. Because tomorrow, the cavalry arrives.
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One long ride later, Wyrdeer finally slowed down to a trot, then stopped entirely. Alec didn’t know where they were — the scenery was unfamiliar to him — but they were definitely a considerable distance away from the Diamond settlement.
What’s happening? Alec briefly wondered. Wyrdeer shook its head and he felt a sense of finality from his mental presence. In response, Alec hopped off the saddle and stretched, feeling a wave of vertigo in his head and soreness in his legs.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Wyyyyyr,” the Noble snorted. It looked straight at him and closed its eyes. Alec felt the unexplainable urge to close his eyes, too.
With his eyes shut and the world cut off, Alec focused entirely on Wyrdeer’s mental presence. The passive noises of the mirelands steadily grew quieter — the wind, the trees, the Pokemon. Soon, the world was entirely quiet.
It wasn’t anything like when he was in the void with Arceus. Alec could still feel the wind on his skin and the signature pull of gravity.
What is this? Alec wondered. His mental voice echoed in his head, like he was talking down a long tunnel. Like a blurry camera zooming in on something far away, the swirling ocean seemed to focus and clarify in his head. Wyrdeer.
Alec snapped his eyes open. The world was exactly the same as he left it —
— save for the floating slab of metal that floated before him. It was a bright magenta color and the same shape as the Insect Plate. The air distorted around it, like the wisps of heat coming off a hot campfire or the pavement on a blazing day.
Legendaries Above, Alec thought. Arceus had said that all the Nobles protected a plate and that he would encounter the rest throughout his journey.
He sighed. “I guess it was about time for another one of these,” he deadpanned. Wyrdeer didn’t react; it continued to stare at him.
With a small shudder and flinch, Alec reached out and grabbed the Plate —
And Alec’s eyes flew open.
Like an electric shock — but distinctly different — invisible energy leaped from the Plate up Alec’s arm, toward his core. It spread throughout his body, giving his entire being a bizarre sense of warmth.
He felt energized, like he could do anything! That jolt of energy still coursed along his veins, like his body was a battery. Suddenly, the extremely daunting task before him didn’t seem so bad. Lilligant looked like just another hurdle for him to leap over, before setting his sights on the next one.
If the Insect plate had represented sensory overload, this one represented ambition. He wanted to go train with his Pokemon, practicing new Moves and growing to new heights. But merely physical training wouldn’t be enough.
No, his sights were higher than that.
He’d accomplish things mere physicality couldn’t. A rumor he’d heard several times back home said that one could develop mental abilities if they meditated and trained for long enough, and now he basically had cosmic assurance that it was true. I’ll do it, he thought. No matter how long it takes.
By any means necessary, using all the resources available to him, he’d stand atop the world —
— And the moment faded, returning him back to reality. With it went all the sudden emotions Alec felt during the episode.
The first thing he noticed was that he felt a little bit woozy, so he sat down on the grass to rest and process his thoughts. Immediately, he realized that this was likely the Psychic-type plate, based on both Wyrdeer’s typing and the motivations he felt. For all outward attributes, save for color, the Psychic-type plate was identical to the Insect Plate. It weighed the same and had the same unnatural coldness to the touch.
“That wasn’t so bad,” he muttered. Thankfully, those crazy thoughts the Plate injected into his head were gone. He knew that abandoning his current goals in favor of those would be time-consuming and fruitless. Still, the prospect intrigued him, from the back of his mind.
Arceus said all the Plates represent some aspect of their respective Type, he thought. The Psychic one must represent the urge to grow smarter and more mentally powerful in them. Momentarily, he wondered how its lingering effect would manifest in him.
With a sigh, he slipped it into his satchel, down in the deepest pocket next to the Insect Plate.
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Just as Arezu had said, there was a large stockpile of medicinal leeks and Dazzling Honey, Lilligant’s favorite foods, back at Solaceon Village. Adaman allowed him to take what he needed after a full explanation of his plans, which were to help make the ingredients into balms to pacify Lilligant.
Back in Jubilife Village, Alec yawned deeply. By the time he got back, the village was beginning to shut down for the night. As he passed through the gate, Alec waved to Dorian and the night shift guard who replaced him every evening. All the shops in Jubilife’s market, including Anvin’s, Colza’s, and Anthe’s, were shut down for the night. People still milled about but the streets seemed far less lively.
However, Alec had a destination in mind. Just like last time with Kleavor, he was headed to Laventon’s lab. Although he knew the recipe for making the balms, he needed the equipment at the lab to make them. If Laventon couldn’t help out, then he’d at least allow Alec to use his lab.
Once he arrived, he knocked on the door. Instead of Laventon answering, Akari stood across the threshold, looking surprised to see him. “Hey, Alec, how’s it going?” she greeted warmly. Behind her, Alec noticed Rei and Laventon having a conversation.
“Hey,” he answered. As soon as they heard him, Rei and Laventon dropped what they were doing and stood up. Alec shrugged his satchel off his shoulder and entered the lab, allowing Akari to shut the door behind him.
“Evening, my boy,” Laventon said. “Come by to drop off your catches, I assume? You’re already putting your second star to such good use. I’m glad you’re so determined to help with my research.”
“No, sorry, I didn’t have any time today to catch any Pokemon.”
“You got your second star? Congrats,” Rei interjected. “Seen anything cool?”
Laventon’s question went unanswered. “Yeah, the mirelands have plenty of new Pokemon we haven’t documented before; it’s great,” Alec said. “Though it’s, uh, really muddy and smells awful.”
Akari laughed. “That fits with what I’ve heard of it. Don’t worry, everywhere else in Hisui is great.”
“Except for the icelands,” Rei shuddered. He spoke as if he was referencing some inside joke that Alec wasn’t a part of.
“Except for the icelands,” agreed his twin with a knowing nod.
Legendaries Above, Alec hoped that was true. The fieldlands were calm and peaceful, almost like a painting of a landscape. They were picturesque and beautiful. However, Alec couldn’t imagine anyone painting a picture of an awful swamp like the mirelands. The Pokemon there — mostly Ground and Poison types — loved it for all its damp and muddy scenery, but that made it extremely uninviting to humans.
He barely remembered much of Hisui from the map in Kamado’s office, but the one thing he could recall was a large tundra in the northwest quadrant of the Hisuian landmass. All signs pointed to it being extremely cold there, but Alec had never really been bothered by the cold. He was a competitive swimmer, and his team practiced outdoors. That meant near-freezing temperatures all winter, and his only warmth would be his own body heat.
“Cold?” he simply asked.
“Cold,” they answered in unison.
Inwardly, Alec sighed, contented. The moment was like a warm blanket, protecting him from his worries out from under its folds. It almost made him forget about why he was here, because he needed …
“Listen, I uh, need your help,” he said to everyone.
“What for?” Rei asked, straightening his posture.
So the rumors hadn’t spread enough yet. Alec sighed, knowing they’d certainly object to what he was about to say. “Another Noble is rampaging. Lilligant this time.”
Complete silence.
Alec faintly heard Akari gasp. Rei shook his head. “I guess there isn’t any way I can stop you from doing this, right?”
“Yeah,” Alec sighed.
“Okay then. How can I help?”
Alec smiled gratefully and hefted his satchel onto the table. It was absolutely bursting with jars of honey and bundles of leeks. Hopefully the pleasant smell of the honey would counteract the fetid stench of mud and grime that clung to it.
“Same as last time — making balms. Professor, you still remember the recipe, right?”
“Absolutely, my boy. I would be honored to help,” Laventon said, pulling up a chair for himself to the table. “By the King’s Armory, you’ll have a veritable arsenal of sweet-smelling projectiles by the time the sun sets.”
Alec cracked his knuckles. It was time to get to work.
----------------------------------------
By candlelight, the quartet worked for the remaining hours of daylight. Since their numbers had doubled, their work went by twice as fast. Ah, math. Something Alec hadn’t thought about for a month. Good riddance.
They chatted as they worked, which did slightly slow down their progress. Alec didn’t mind, for he was happy for anything to take his mind off of Lilligant. He wasn’t nearly as afraid as last time, but he still thrummed with adrenaline after every breath and footfall.
Alec grabbed Rei and Akari’s attention. “When do you guys think you’ll get your second stars?”
“We already have ours,” answered Akari with a giggle. “Had it for years.”
Alec’s expression turned to shock. "Really?" he asked.
“Yep,” Akari said, popping the ‘P’. “We just choose to stay in the fieldlands ‘cause it’s safer there. Before you showed up, Rei and I never bothered with getting training our teams to be stronger. We just stayed strong enough to be self-sufficient.” Seated next to her, Rei nodded in confirmation.
“So you could’ve kept me company in the mirelands this whole time?” Alec asked, feigning betrayal as he carefully crushed another leek under his knife. It gave way with a firm yet wet crunch, allowing him to mix it with the dazzling honey. By now, the pleasant aroma of the honey had seeped into the room itself. Laventon’s lucky, he thought. He gets to smell honey for the next few days, instead of more mud like I do.
Akari just shook her head and chuckled, not bothering to reply.
----------------------------------------
“It was Lilligant you said was rampaging this time, right?” asked Akari, midway through rolling the honey into a balm shape. Rei and Laventon had just left the lab to fetch as many buckets of water as they could carry.
Alec nodded. “Yeah, why?”
Akari frowned. “Nothing, it’s just that her healings can’t happen anymore, if she stays crazy.”
“Healings?”
“Yeah, she can heal people. It’s one of her, y’know, Noble superpowers, or something like that. A couple of years ago, I fell down a hill while playing and broke my leg. The Diamonds rushed me to Lilligant, and she healed me.” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that.”
Alec’s eyebrows raised. “Really? She’s got the same powers as Audino?”
“Yeah, though we don’t have that species of Pokemon here,” Akari commented. “You should ask the Professor about it, when he gets back.” She finished the balm she was working on, setting it aside atop the fast-growing pile of ready ones. Then, she began on another, restarting the tedious and mind-numbing work again.
“I don’t want to give him something else to worry about,” Alec murmured. “Though, I thought the Clans were, uh, reclusive with their Nobles. Why’d they let you get close to one?”
Akari shrugged. “I got lucky, I guess. The friend I was playing with was a Diamond, so that probably helped. She ran off and got some Diamond guards and they took me to their settlement.”
Alec clenched his teeth together and looked down at the wooden table, deep in thought.
“What’s wrong?” Akari asked.
“Lilligant’s Warden is wounded, too. I gotta save Lilligant, or else her leg will be amputated.”
Silence. Alec sighed deeply, knowing that there wasn’t anything Akari could say, besides offering him a vague encouragement or platitude. They both knew Alec didn’t want to hear it. Faintly, Alec heard her murmur something inaudible under her breath.
“What did you say?” he inquired.
“Nothing,” she smiled, waving her hand and setting aside another finished balm. “I just hope that no one gets hurt.”
----------------------------------------
A large pile of sweet-smelling balms rested at the center of the table. Alec checked his necklace watch. It was 8:13, and the sun had long vanished from visibility. His pile of supplies taken from the Diamonds had nearly dwindled to nothing, but Alec figured that they’d made plenty.
“I think that’s plenty,” Alec said, wiping off the blade of his knife on a rag he’d borrowed from Laventon. He rolled his wrist in circles, massaging the joint to alleviate the pain from continually working for so long. “Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Rei said, bending backward to stretch his back. Of the four, he’d been the most efficient — and the least present in their conversations. Alec began to unload all the extraneous items in his satchel so he could carry all the balms. Things like empty Pokeballs were left behind for safekeeping at the lab.
“Hey, be careful,” Akari said. “Don’t get hurt too bad this time. You still haven’t battled me yet, and I want it to be a good one.” The twins turned toward the door to leave and go to bed for the night.
“Heh, sure,” Alec agreed, offering his hand for her to shake. The deal was struck. “Goodnight, y’all.”
“‘Night,” smiled Akari.
“Stay safe, and good luck,” said Rei, just before the door closed behind him.
Once he finished rearranging the contents of his satchel, Alec began to grab the balms and load them into his satchel, one by one. He made doubly sure that they were situated near the top, where he could reach inside and grab one easily, without needing to grope around for one. If there was one thing he knew that he needed for the fight, it was the ability to stay focused on Lilligant the entire time. That meant no distractions.
Beside him, Laventon looked awkward, like he was trying to find the proper words to say. Eventually, he stepped forward and inhaled. “Make sure to, um, be careful. I’m sure you will, but …”
He trailed off. Alec smiled warmly. “Yeah, I’ll be careful. I’d hate to get hurt and leave the ‘Dex down a member until I get better.”
Laventon nodded, satisfied. “And make sure to remember as many details as you can! The more precise, the better — like what Moves it uses, its height, anything.”
Alec chuckled. “You got it, Professor. Good night.” With that, he shrugged on his satchel and disappeared into the night.
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The world was moving fast. Side to side, up and down, in and out of view, everything. Not too fast, though. Just the right amount that seemed perfect for the time.
Lilligant had no idea what was going on.
That didn’t matter, though. The only thing that mattered now was her dance.
Her domain, Brava Arena, had never been greener. Fantastic! She spun and spun and spun, calling forth the flora to dig their roots deeper, for fear of being uprooted.
At her command, more thickets sprung up from the dirt, growing at a rapid and explosive rate, all fueled by her power.
She twirled again, hanging in the air for a tad longer than gravity would normally allow. Ever since her instincts had been awakened, she’d never felt more alive.
They screamed at her, but she’d quickly gotten used to their discordant, grating sounds. By now, it sounded more like a pleasant melody, like the sound of pouring rain. Chaotic, yet beautiful.
Now, there were no powers in all the land that could stop her advance. The flora would push forward, like an unstoppable infantry, until her roots could sink all the way to the center of the planet.
She briefly thought back to the human she’d seen some time ago. An hour or a year? It barely mattered, for she’d dealt with her accordingly, for her crime of opposing her. Her instincts had especially liked it when she did that.
Lilligant hit the ground smoothly, barely making a sound, and sprung back up into another majestic twirl.
Lilligant was alive. The dirt was alive, the sky was alive, the rain was alive. The music she danced to only grew louder as she continued. It was so beautiful, she had to keep going. Every step, every twirl, every flip brought a new measure to that melodious symphony. By now, simply the thought of silence would bring a chill through her body.
She imagined that the unbearable silence of before would make her ears bleed. Ears bleeding and confusion and silence and nothing and silence and everything she hoped she'd never have the misery of hearing again. No, never again. Please.
The other Pokemon used to not hear her song. How could they possibly be hearing it, for they weren’t dancing alongside her? She couldn’t imagine hearing this majestic song and not moving to it.
The moment she first attuned the song, the first thing she did was share it with them, too. All of her fellow Grass-types. None of them danced, strangely enough. Why?
Why resist that all-consuming, sanity-shredding, life-rending orchestra?
But that didn’t matter, though. What was she thinking about again? That's right, the Pokemon of the Ridge.
But that didn’t matter, though. What was she thinking about again? That's right, how she’d will the flora to cover all Hisui.
But that didn’t matter, though. What was she thinking about again? That's right, that beautiful, beautiful song.
And that mattered. Nothing else in the entirety of Hisui mattered more than that song.
So she danced.
Her legs never got tired.
So she danced.
How long had she been dancing?
So she danced.
It could have been years, or days, or seconds. The sun went down and up again in an eyeblink.
So she danced.
And danced, and danced, and danced, and danced.