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thespectral-wolf · 11 months

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Junctions - Part 2

Weeks after the space-time rift closed, Rei runs into Warden Ingo. It soon becomes apparent that despite sharing a similar fate, they don't know how to put themselves in the other's shoes.

Part 1

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“Psst! Rei! Hey, Rei!” Akari poked him in the shoulder, rousing the boy absorbed in his Pokédex. “Do you think we should worry about the alpha?” she pointed towards the large Clefable between the trees.

They were currently at the Fabled Spring to study the moon-dance of the Clefairies. While Rei usually completed the requests alone, with his hand still healing and unable to call the ride pokémon, Professor Laventon insisted that they go together. Of course, Akari didn’t need to be asked twice, as she wanted to see the phenomenon herself.

They even got to borrow the Professor’s camera to take some pictures – although between Akari, who was relatively new to the concept of photography, and Rei, who only ever used digital devices, figuring out how to use it was a challenge on its own.

He put down his ‘dex and brushed away some of the tall grass to see better. He watched the massive pokémon for a moment before shrugging.

“Clefables aren’t normally aggressive. As long as we keep low, we should be alright.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she nodded and rested her head on her hands. They were out there for more than an hour now, the full moon already bathing the mountains in its bright, silver light. So far, nothing happened.

“Have you ever seen Clefairies dance?” she asked, suppressing a yawn.

“Nah,” Rei scratched his temple. “It happens very rarely and I guess I couldn’t get myself to stay up late to watch it. But Cotton would always get very jittery during full moons. I had to make sure she got a good view of it, otherwise she wouldn’t let anyone in the house sleep.”

“‘Cotton’?” Akari raised her brow.

“Oh, right, Cotton is my Clefable… back home…” he felt a lump in his throat forming as he was reminded that his pokémon were left behind in his own time. His family probably looked out for them in his absence. He hoped that they were alright.

Akari lightly nudged him, snapping him out of the thought. “Hey, that means you know your stuff about Clefairies, right? Now I know who to turn to if I ever want one on my team,” she tried steering the subject. Her face showed understanding. She may not know everything about his life before Hisui, but she knows how much thinking about it hurts. Rei smiled.

“Hey look! Something’s happening!” she suddenly called out in a whisper, and they both laid low, eyes fixed on the lake.

Just as if on cue, a group of Clefairies appeared, lining up on the lakeshore. They started moving in unison while letting out small cries at the full moon. Akari and Rei watched the event with wonder. They were so enamored by the spectacle, they almost forgot to actually record it. Akari quickly jotted down notes on her own Pokédex, while Rei maneuvered the professor’s camera with one hand. He hoped there was enough light for the pictures to come out well.

But just as quickly as it started, the Clefairies got alert and dispersed.

With it all over, the two teens packed up and made their way back on the riverbank, carefully treading the rocky environment while whispering excitedly. It was a long walk back to the Mountain Camp, especially without the aid of Wyrdeer, but with the full moon lighting the area, they didn’t mind.

Arriving at a ledge, they decided to cut some of the way and drop down instead. Akari went ahead, taking the almost two-meter jump with finesse. Rei hesitated a bit. Despite the months he worked as a surveyor, he was still behind her in terms of physical fitness. Maybe he should just take the way around.

“Don’t get so worked up, I’ll catch you,” she joked, holding her arms out in emphasis.

Rei grimaced at her, took a deep breath, and aimed at an outcrop of rock to jump on, hoping it’ll make the landing easier.

As his foot made contact, it jolted, almost causing him to fall. The ‘rock’ pushed itself up and angrily rumbled at him.

“Shit!” he yelped, jumping away. They were staring down a Rhyhorn that looked very upset. The teens backed down. It roared and soon enough, the whole ground around them seemed to come alive. Three, four, five, six… they stumbled on a whole herd of Rhyhorns and Rhydons that now started to surround them.

“Run!” Akari grabbed his good hand and pulled him towards the direction not yet blocked by angry pokémon.

Their getaway did not last long though: they were quickly met with a cliffside. Without the option to climb it, all that was left was to battle the pokémon that quickly encircled them again. Akari sent out her Staraptor, Rei his Decidueye.

The owl ruffled its feathers and sized up its opponents. Their adversaries snorted and grunted in anticipation, ready to strike. Rei couldn’t waste time.

“Leaf Blade!” he pointed at the Rhyhorn directly in front of them. With quick moves, Decidueye sent a barrage of sharp leaves at the enemy, overwhelming it. At the same time, Akari’s Staraptor took on a Rhydon with Close Combat. The Rhyhorn fell immediately and did not get up, whereas the Rhydon weathered the damage, but seemed to be on the edge of fainting. Rei breathed out. So far, so good. If they can create an opening, they can flee without prolonging the fight. One of the Rhydons roared in rage, kicking up sharp rocks at Decidueye, digging into it. Another caught Staraptor off guard with a Rock Slide, the bird not standing a chance with its lowered defenses. Akari breathed in sharply, as she recalled her partner. Not good.

Rei was ready to shout another attack, when the earth started to shake beneath them. The kids grabbed at each other for support. Rocks and soil moved around as the glistering snakelike body of an alpha Steelix emerged, roused by the cacophony of battle. The other pokémon yelped in surprise but didn’t flee. Slowly and drowsily, the Steelix shook the last pebbles off it and its burning red eyes sized up the teens. It roared.

The kids shared a look. There was no way they’d be able to fend off this many opponents. They had to make a run for it. Wordlessly, Rei gave Akari a nod.

“Triple Arrows, Strong Style!” Rei called out, pointing at the alpha. Decidueye acted quickly, barraging it with sharpened feathers. The Steelix staggered.

“Go, go, go!” Rei yelled, and Akari bolted off. She rushed past a small gap between the pokémon, hoping that in the chaos they will not have enough time to react. But the sudden movement caught the Steelix’s attention: it turned, lashing its strong tail at the girl, and struck her with such force, it sent her flying to a nearby rock. Rei shouted in panic, forcing the large metallic snake’s attention back to him and Decidueye. It slammed its head against the bird, albeit with less force.

Rei anxiously watched Akari. She lay on the ground several meters away from him, clutching her shoulder, face contorted in pain. He had to do something, and quick. If he tried to run to her, he was risking being attacked by the pokémon, the only barrier between them and him was his stalwart partner demanding their attention.

“Triple Arrows again!” Rei cried out.

The arrows hit true, and the Steelix faltered, but it refused to back down. As Decidueye landed, he was immediately rammed by one of the Rhydons. Rei winced. Despite the type advantage, Decidueye cannot fight against this many. Should Rei send out another one of his team? Gastrodon or Goodra could fight the rock types, but he never had a double battle in his life. No, this wasn’t a trainer battle, wild pokémon rarely abided by arbitrary rules, this shouldn’t matter. His chest was tight, his thoughts becoming a scrambled, panicked mess. Decidueye side-eyed him, the battle already wearing it down, but still waiting patiently for his command. He needed to reach Akari, but how? He can’t, he couldn’t-

Something from the cliffs dropped at the Steelix, hitting it hard on the head. The figure of a tall pokémon stood in front of him, the moon practically lighting it up. It was Sneasler. The pokémon hissed in warning, claws ready to strike again. The alpha turned at the new offender, giving Rei the opening to gather himself and make his way to Akari.

“Are you alright?” he asked, trying to look for signs of injuries.

“I’m in… one piece…” the girl heaved. She tried to get up, but could barely pull herself from the spot.

Rei glanced behind him. Sneasler and the Steelix were not attacking yet, instead they exchanged growls and hisses in an attempt to intimidate the other.

He heard running footsteps, which soon came to a skidding halt. Rei looked up to see Warden Ingo standing frozen at the scene. His figure was clear in the moonlight, but his face was obscured by the brim of his hat. He seemed hesitant, hand hovering over the pokéballs on his belt and looking between the teenagers and Sneasler facing off the Steelix. Sneasler broke the stare-off with her opponent, and mewled at her warden. It seemed it was all that Ingo needed. He sprung up with surprising speed, throwing two pokéballs, releasing his Tangrowth and Machamp then ordering the two to fend off some of the Rhydons. As soon as the pokémon were distracted, Ingo sprinted past them, reaching Akari and Rei in only a few steps.

“Is anybody hurt?” even when keeping his voice down, Ingo sounded very loud.

Akari tried to sit up, but hissed in pain as she tried to move her shoulder. Rei caught her and glanced at the Warden. Ingo’s face was tense, he took in a sharp breath before standing up straight.

“Hold on you two,” he told them and commanded his pokémon, which forced the wild Rhyhorns to back away with devastating attacks. He reached for Akari, and lifted her.

“Come on, quick,” he called out, moving away from the fight while holding the girl. Rei called Decidueye back and followed. As they were getting further and further away, he couldn’t help but glance back ever so often at the pokémon still battling.

Ingo noticed the boy’s anxiety. “Worry not,” he said, not taking his eyes off the road. “They know how to handle themselves.”

Once they reached the camp, the security corpsman stood up with alert, raising her lantern.

Laventon, who was snoozing by the fire, jostled at the sudden noise. His eyes widened when he saw them and rushed there with panic.

“Oh my stars, what happened?” he immediately started looking Akari over.

“A whole herd… and an alpha… too many… overwhelmed,” Rei sputtered, hands on knees, his head rushing with adrenaline.

Meanwhile Laventon got Ingo to lay Akari down at the tent, and helped the girl take off her coat to get a better look at her injury.

“Can you lift your arm?” Laventon asked while examining the damage.

Akari winced as she tried to move it.

Rei only glanced towards them, catching a big, ugly bruise forming on her back, and her side where the Steelix hit her.

“It’s swollen, but I don’t think anything’s broken,” Laventon sighed after inspecting the bruises,” but captain Pesselle could tell more… you must get to Jubilife immediately,” he urged.

“We really don’t have to, I’ll be fine,” Akari tried to reassure him.

“I say you rather not go this late,” the guard chimed in, “Jubilife is almost a day’s walk from here. It would be risky to go out so late.”

“But you can’t expect them to camp out in the mountains in this state!” the professor protested.

Rei scratched at his bandaged hand. He wished he could call for Wyrdeer. He got better at handling stuff with one hand, but failed repeatedly to use his Celestica flute, the notes never coming out right. Now Akari’s hurt. This was his fault. He should’ve been more careful.

“My home isn’t that far,” Warden Ingo spoke up suddenly. Even he himself seemed surprised at it, and now with all eyes looking at him, he was shifting uncomfortably. He continued, eyes on the ground. “Akari can stay the night there. It would be more comfortable to sleep under a roof. If you wish, of course,” he quickly added.

“Oh, in that case,” Akari piped up, as if she just remembered something, “could Rei come along? I think he could use some proper rest too.” Rei’s attention snapped at his fellow surveyor. Akari was the only person he confided in about his fight with the Warden, and now she was setting him up for an uncomfortable situation. He gave her a dirty look, at which she just rolled her eyes. Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing.

He looked at Warden Ingo, who seemed equally awkward at the suggestion, eyes flicking between the kids, swallowing hard.

“Of course,” the man stammered.

Ingo did not have a reason to invite him. Rei did not have a reason to go. Rei sighed.

“Yeah, that’d be nice. Thank you,” he said reluctantly.

Laventon did not catch on to the tension between them, and smiled at the warden.

“Thank you, Warden Ingo, you truly are kind,“ he then turned to the children, “But you two should head for Jubilife first thing in the morning so you can get properly treated.”

“Should I send a message to Jubilife for an escort?” the guard asked.

“No need. I’ll sort it out,” Ingo said. “Signal, once you’re ready for departure,” he composed himself, straightening his back as much as he could.

After taking a little breather, Rei helped Akari up, supporting her. Ingo threw his arms up in his signature pointing pose, and led them. The teens walked a few paces behind him.

“Traitor,” Rei whispered in her ear, making sure Ingo did not hear him.

“Oh, come on,” she whispered back, “Warden Ingo hasn’t been to Jubilife since you apparently yelled his head off, and you refused to come to the Highlands because you didn’t want to run into him. You two act like little kids. Sort it out! Seriously, how did you manage to save Hisui when you can’t even handle an argument?”

“Throwing balms at pokémon is not even comparable to talking to people,” he hissed through his teeth. But Akari’s words did make him think…

It was true that he felt betrayed by the warden’s inaction. Did he only trust Ingo because he felt familiar? The uniform that had seen better days suggested that Ingo was coming from the same time or at least time period as Rei, and the man seemed as out of place as Rei felt. Comrades in fate, or something like that. Was he too quick to latch onto that idea?

Did he ever stop to think whether Ingo felt the same?

And it wasn’t like Rei was one to hold grudges. He didn’t use to, that is. He always strived to be on everybody’s good side and the idea of somebody hating him was one of the worst things he could have imagined. He knew better now of course. He has his captain to thank for that lesson. And he was angry. Angry at Kamado, angry at Jubilife, angry at Arceus, angry at whoever was responsible for all of this mess. But in the end, he didn’t tell those people outright how he felt, did he? Was Warden Ingo any different from those people? Would staying angry at him do any good?

Rei made his decision: this was not a bridge he wanted to burn. How he was going to mend it though, was another question.

They walked in silence for the rest of the way to the Warden’s hut. It stood under a treeline, protecting it from the ocean winds that blew from the shore not far from there. Ingo opened the door for them and urged them in. Before entering, he fished out his Celestica flute and played on it.

“Now my partners know where we are,” he explained.

Inside, Rei helped Akari sit down and took place next to her. Ingo opened a chest and started rummaging through it.

Rei looked around the room. It was barely furnished, only the essentials found there: storage chests, a dresser for clothes, a workbench, a futon haphazardly left on the floor. The Pearl Clan insignia hung from the wall, and there were all kinds of little stuff laying around the place… There were several items that looked like they were used for training and entertaining pokémon; a wooden beam from which he just noticed Ingo’s Gliscor dozing on; failed attempts of making pokéballs around the bench, tools and wood for whittling; a small figure of a dragon-type Rei couldn’t recognize sat on the dresser. In its simplicity, it resembled his own quarters in Jubilife, yet it couldn’t be more different. It actually looked lived-in. It actually looked like Ingo made a life here.

Ingo stepped to the kids, a vial and some wrappings in hand.

“You can use this on the injuries. It should help with the pain and the swelling,” he explained as he handed them over. Rei took them with a quiet ‘thanks’, and with some embarrassment, helped Akari to lift her garments to treat the bruises.

Meanwhile, Ingo turned away, took off his torn coat, and laid it on the dresser neatly folded, putting his hat on top of it. He then quietly turned to the hearth to stoke the fire.

Rei occasionally peeked at the Warden while carefully applying the medicine on Akari’s injury.

“If you are perhaps hungry, I can prepare something quick,” Ingo said in an unsure voice, turning to them. Rei couldn’t help but notice how every time the man addressed them, he always looked at Akari, not him. If Rei did manage to catch his glance, Ingo quickly avoided the eye contact. This whole situation was… awkward, to say the least.

Akari hissed as Rei applied too much pressure on the wound. He quickly apologized, and tried to be more careful while wrapping it. Akari answered Ingo:

“Thank you, but we’re more tired than hungry, I think.” She looked at Rei, and he agreed. It had to be around two in the morning already, and with all the action they had to go through, he wanted nothing more than to conk out.

Ingo nodded and went on to prepare a second futon, laying it out next to the other one. He made sure both of them were neat for his guests to sleep on.

“I do apologize in advance for the amount of fur that may be on the sheets,” Ingo coughed with a little embarrassment in his voice, “I hope you’ll be able to rest well nonetheless.” With that, the Warden sat back at the hearth, poking the wood to catch more flames.

Rei stared at the futons for a moment with furrowed brows.

“Uh, where are you going to sleep, Warden?” he asked. “I mean, Akari and I are used to sharing the camp’s tent when we’re both out surveying. It’s… really not that a big deal.” he tried to sound reassuring. Akari snorted.

“Speak for yourself, I like it when you don’t punch me in your sleep,” she joked.

“That only happened once!” Rei snapped back.

“Three times.”

“Fine.”

Akari snickered, and turned back to Ingo, “He’s right though. You don’t need to sleep on the floor, Warden.”

Ingo just waved it off.

“Don’t worry about that. The comfort of my passengers takes priority over mine,” he answered without taking his eyes off the hearth.

There seemed no point in arguing, so they thanked him and prepared to sleep, although it took Akari some time to find a comfortable position with her aching side and shoulder. Nevertheless, she was fast asleep, judging by her slow breaths. Rei wasn’t that quick to doze off. Thoughts still racing, he stared at the man for a little while – the smoldering fire deepened his wrinkles, making him look so much older and tired than Rei had ever seen him. Slowly but steadily, he drifted off.

#pokemon #pokemon legends arceus #pla #pokemon rei #trainer rei #pokemon akari #trainer akari #pokemon ingo #warden ingo #pokemon laventon #professor laventon #sneasler #steelix #pokemon fanfiction #fanfic #my works #gonna start experimenting with making illustrated fics

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bitchapalooza · 1 year

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I’ve always found the idea of Laventon being like religious as not so…. Him? I guess? He’s a man of science. He thinks a little more “logically” I suppose. So when he finds out Arceus is fucking real he probably shits himself—

#it isn’t that he’s like outloud of his doubts of arceus being real #like maybe he’s actually more of a skeptic than like atheist I guess #but regardless the end result is always going to be him freaking the fuck out that #this 15 year has a fragment of fucking god in their pocket and it fights for them #pokemon #pokemon headcanons #pokémon legends arceus #professor laventon

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amessageonthewind · 4 months

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Winter's Blessings

Synopsis: A particularly bitter winter puts the safety of the Pearl Clan at risk, and it's up to the Galaxy Team and the Diamond Clan to help them survive the harsh blizzard, uncovering an ancient tradition whose origins were lost to time.

Pairing: Adaman/Rachel during Legends: Arceus (spoiler alert for really far along in the timeline)

Author's note: Clue is an OC that belongs to my buddy @kammyclues.

Rachel’s first winter in Hisui had come bitter, the sharp wind biting and nipping at her soft skin as she stepped outside her warm lodge kept heated on the lit hearth inside. Though it started to grow colder and the ground beneath her feet lacked the spongey soft give it had in the autumn, she was still surprised by just how cold it felt when she stepped out. There was even frost on the rooftops of Jubilife Village despite the sun being just shy of its highest peak, small piles of snow collected in the shadows.

She shuddered, holding her arms. “Brrr! This is kinda chilly even for me…” The woman remarked, her loyal dark-furred Zorua on her shoulder pressing himself underneath her chin in an attempt to keep her sensitive and exposed neck warm. Laughing a little bit, she reached to give him a friendly scratch and nuzzled into his fur. “Heh…thanks, buddy.”

“Chilly, yeah?” A voice called out as he approached, her other fellow Survey Corp member greeting her warmly as he approached, his Pikachu following alongside him. “Winter doesn’t usually come this early, but I guess it couldn’t wait, could it?”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Rachel agreed, already making a mental note to dress a bit warmer if she was going to go out and do survey work. Especially if she was going to work in the highlands or the icelands, though it might be a better idea to skip them with this weather.

Though, she couldn’t help but worry about the Pearl Clan and Irida. If it was already this cold here, it was probably a hundred times worse in the coldest part of the region. “Oh, yeah! Almost forgot. Commander Kamado wants to see you.”

Nodding, Rachel began to make her way to the Galaxy Hall to see him. She never really liked meeting with him much, always acutely aware of how much of an outsider she was. Mostly because he took every opportunity to remind her of it whenever he could, as though she didn’t already know it and as though she hadn’t already gained the trust and companionship of the leaders of both clans.

Oh well, it couldn’t be helped. If Kamado wanted to be a shrewd and suspicious old man, then let him. It wasn’t Rachel’s problem and she had proven to be capable enough of looking after herself if he couldn’t do what needed to be done.

Making her way up the stairs up to his office, giving a friendly wave to Professor Laventon as she passed by, she spotted a familiar cerulean silhouette in the doorframe, eyes widening. Clan business. Of course. But to her surprise, Irida was not there. In her place was Calaba, Ursaluna’s aged warden of the Pearl Clan. It was odd, but perhaps this was an issue that didn’t need Irida’s oversight, which meant that maybe Rachel’s job would be easy today.

And maybe it meant that the relationship between the clans was improving. “Where’s Irida?” Rachel asked anyway, wanting to at least ask about the Pearl Clan leader (and her friend) and show her concern in both clan leaders. Speaking of which… “Why aren’t you more bundled up? You can’t stand the cold even at the best of times and it’s really crept up on us.”

Chuckling at her open concern, Adaman reached up to tug at the scarf she had given him last they ventured into the icelands together, smiling warmly at her as he tucked his chin into it more. “Winter did creep up on us in the mirelands, but we only really have to prepare for the dry season and then the wet season. But your scarf is surprisingly doing a good job of keeping me warm.”

Bashfully, a small grin creased her cheeks at the thought that he kept it so fervently. Kamado seemed to hum in vague interest at the prospect. “Yes, I had wondered why he was in possession of one of our scarves from our Survey Corp uniforms.”

Sensing a bit of judgement from her superior, Rachel shrugged, feeling a very minimal need to justify herself to him. “He was cold, so I gave him my scarf. Is that a problem?”

The weathered man shook his head, but it took him a moment before he responded at all as though he needed to actually think on that. “No, I suppose not. But that’s not why I called you here, Rachel.”

“Though the matter of Irida’s absence is relevant.” Calaba responded, the stout old woman turning to face Rachel. Stubborn and prideful, but when the chips were down, she was often the first to suggest working together for the sake of the common good regardless of clan relationships. The incident with Arezu had taught them all a lot in that regard, it seemed, and Rachel was always glad for Calaba’s council. “Normally, regular correspondence is expected. However, for a few days, now, things have been…silent from the Pearl Clan.”

“Like they haven’t been getting back to you?” Rachel asked, worry worming its way underneath her veins and creeping into her chest.

“Yeah, and it’s not just the Pearl Clan, either.” Adaman interjected, crossing her arms with eyebrows furrowed. His eyes were downcast, as though he were finding it difficult to stay in the present moment with the concerns currently at hand. “We haven’t heard from Sabi, either. And she’s normally pretty frequent with staying in touch with us while she’s at the Snowpoint Temple. To not hear from her is…strange. To put it plainly, it’s not like her.”

Now, Rachel was beginning to understand the potential severity of the situation. “So, you’re both worried that something may have cut them off in the icelands?”

Calaba nodded gravely, head hung. “That is what we’re saying, young one.” She replied, shaking her head with a low groan. “I’ve even confirmed with the other wardens to make sure there hasn’t been some mistake. Irida hasn’t been heard from the others.”

“And the other wardens haven’t heard from Sabi, either.” Adaman added.

This certainly sounded worrying and Rachel didn’t like the thought that something had happened to Irida, especially with the biting winter that was quickly looming over them all. Of course, those in the Pearl Settlement were naturally acclimated to the cold in the polar north of Hisui, Irida especially easily overheating in contrast to how easily Adaman caught the chills. But even for someone like her, in bad enough conditions, could even be too cold for her.

Rachel then turned to Kamado, dark-eyed gaze stern as she regarded her superior officer. “And you haven’t heard from her, either?”

Kamado shook his head. “The Pearl Clan leader hasn’t responded to my messages, either. And I admit, it is a cause for concern.”

So the situation was potentially grave. “So, then what do we do?”

“That depends on the severity of the situation…” Kamado replied, reaching up to worry at his dark beard. “The Alabaster Icelands are prone to blizzards quite frequently, but if the winter is particularly harsh, it may be too much for even us to handle venturing into.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, she shook her head. “You can’t seriously be suggesting we do nothing, knowing that this could potentially be a crisis.”

“I’m not saying that.” Kamado insisted sternly, squaring his shoulders at her. “But if the winter proves to be harsh in the icelands, then they could prove to be harsh here. We need as much of our resources as possible in that instance in case it grows harsher. We need to be mindful of how much of our help we need to offer without risking the welfare of our own people. Not to mention the risk that would be posed to our own if we were to send an expedition out there.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem, Commander!” A bright and commanding voice announced, heavy footsteps that could only belong to one person drawing nearer to his office as the fiery woman greeted the group. “I’ve just gotten a message from one of my own men just outside of the Alabaster Icelands. The blizzards are really bad, bad enough that not even a single Flying Pokémon is in the sky. It’s too dangerous for even them to fly, a lot of the local Pokémon hiding away from the storm.”

Widening her eyes at Zisu, Rachel crossed her arms, brows furrowed. “So if the local Pokémon are forced into hiding by the storm, then there’s a good chance that the Pearl Settlement might be cut off, too.”

“And the dangerous flying conditions would explain the lack of correspondence as well…” Calaba muttered, worrying at her chin.

Shaking his head at the Security Corp captain, Kamado continued to insist, staying rooted in his positon. “All the more reason to be conscious of our supplies and what we can offer.”

“Commander, with all due respect, we have plenty of supplies we can offer the Pearl Clan. We have food farmed from the finest crops in Hisui by the finest workers to till it. We’ve got lots of winter clothes and blankets we can offer, and plenty of firestarting materials to help them stay warm until the storm blows over.” The muscular crimson-haired woman in carmine uniform then turned to look at Rachel directly. “And, my Security Corp troops would be led by the best the Survey Corp has to offer.”

Blushing a little bit at the praise, Rachel chuckled a bit bashfully. She never knew what to do with praise. But Kamado still didn’t seem convinced. “Even if we have the materials, transporting them would still be incredibly dangerous and it’s not guaranteed that you won’t be attacked and lose the supplies to a wild Pokémon.”

“I’ve seen how tough Rachel’s Pokémon are, and mine aren’t anything to sneeze at either.” Zisu insisted, throwing an arm around Rachel and patting her shoulder a bit roughly, though the much smaller woman appreciated the gesture. “Besides, do you really have such little faith in your own Security Corp that you don’t think we can handle a blizzard?”

“I would never suggest that.” Kamado replied, sighing. His will was wavering, but his sense of caution still seemed to overrule the support for such a decision. “But there’s no guarantee.”

“Hey, hang on a second! Why are we all acting like I’m not planning to help?” Adaman quickly interjected, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Rachel, facing Kamado. “I’m worried about Sabi, naturally. She’s one of our own and she’s…just a kid. A very capable warden, don’t get me wrong. But she’s still a kid, regardless. But I’m just as worried about the Pearl Clan and about Irida.” His dark gaze then settled in Calaba, intent behind them as he regarded the old woman. “We may not always see eye to eye and our differing beliefs may put us at odds, but I don’t like thinking about a world where the Pearl Clan suffers and I didn’t do anything to help as leader of the Diamond Clan. We may be at odds, but we all share this ancient and sacred land of Hisui. We all have a right to live here, and it wouldn’t be right for me not to help. I have to do something and I know we can contribute our own supplies, too.”

Nodding, Calaba gave the young leader an amused smile, the age creasing pleasantly as she regarded the man. “Wise words, Adaman. You’ve grown quite a bit since Arezu’s little mess.”

Though Rachel was touched that Adaman wanted to help Irida as much as she did, she didn’t want to put the Diamond Clan at risk, either. “But what about your clan?”

“Mai’s in charge until I get back.” He replied, smiling affectionately at Rachel with a small smirk. “Besides, since I’m assuming you’ll be taking Wyrdeer with you, her duties will be better fulfilled back at the settlement in the mirelands. If there’s anyone I trust to run things while I’m gone, it’s her.”

“You know me so well.” Rachel replied just as warmly, a soft dusting of rose on her cheeks as she then turned to address Calaba. “And if you’ll allow me, I’d also like to take Ursaluna with us as well. If there’s a chance anyone from the Pearl Clan is missing, finding them as quickly as possible is a top priority.”

“Of course, I understand. You have my blessings, young one.” The old woman replied, turning to Kamado. “Well? It seems that we’ve reached an accord. Do you find this acceptable, Commander?”

Glancing between everyone, it was clear that Kamado was outnumbered and reluctantly, he sighed in defeat. “If the Diamond Clan is going to contribute as well and Captain Zisu is confident in the viability of this plan, then I suppose we are in accord.” He finally agreed, shaking his head. He then turned to address the Diamond Clan leader himself, his expression stern. “And in a way, Adaman is right. We all share this land. In a way, we do have to work together to preserve our ways of life. And if there is no Pearl Clan, there is no preserving their way of life.”

Nodding, the group turned to leave. “I’ll go round up the best of the Security Corp and get our supplies together.” Zisu said, patting Rachel on the back as she grinned. “Can’t wait to actually work with you and see you in action in the wild, Rachel! See you there!”

“I’ll go inform the other Pearl Clan wardens and let them know a decision has been made and help is on the way.” Calaba added, taking Rachel’s hand and patting it. “You’re a stubborn one. You’ll need that resolve.”

Smiling at her as she walked away down the stairs, Adaman was the last person in the room, gently putting an arm around Rachel and leaning against her. “I’ll go get everything ready.” He said to the woman, leaning in to murmur into her ear. “Meet you there?”

Looking up at him, Rachel gave him an affectionate smile. “Definitely. And you’d better bundle up properly, this time.”

Laughing a little, he walked past her down the stairs to go on his way to do just that, a joint effort now being achieved and the task before her feeling daunting. “Just a moment, Rachel.” Kamado’s voice said behind her. Pausing, she steeled herself, already mentally preparing for a talk about how as an outsider, she needed to prioritize keeping their trust above all else and how they were likely going to be quick to distrust her if something happened on her account. Nothing she wasn’t already used to. “Be careful…please.” He said quietly in a tone of voice that was rather…uncharacteristic of him, making Rachel turn to face the weathered commander. He was as visibly stoic as ever, but his slacked shoulder betrayed his concern. “The icelands will be more dangerous than any of your other expeditions. Please keep this in mind and do your best to help them without putting the relationship between the clans in jeopardy.”

Nodding, Rachel sighed through her nose. “I will, Commander.”

“And remember, if you fail…they will blame you first as an outsider.” He added sternly. “Keep that in mind.”

Ah, there it is. “I will. Thanks.” Walking out of the commander’s office, Rachel hung her head back. Of course he couldn’t help but remind her of her place as he always did. It was kind of redundant and useless at this point, considering how close she was with both the Diamond and Pearl Clan at this point. “You’d think he’d get tired of saying the same thing over and over again, wouldn’t you?” She said to Cedric, loyally seated on her shoulder.

He shrugged. “Eh, sometimes I think he just likes to hear himself talk and sound more intimidating than he actually is.”

Rachel couldn’t help but laugh a little as they talked in low tones to each other to not draw attention to themselves. “Yeah, he wasn’t even brave enough to spar with Stormfast when I offered the chance for him to. Yet, I can do it no problem and not be afraid.”

“She can be scary.” Cedric pointed out before he nudged his trainer affectionately. “But you’ve gotten pretty good with swords, now, thanks to her. Not to mention fighting an enemy that’s bigger and stronger than you. You finally managed to beat her, yesterday.”

“Yeah! That was huge!” Rachel exclaimed, quietly flexing her arms to feel the muscles in her biceps harden and bulk under her Security Corp uniform. “I feel like I’ve gotten so much stronger since we wound up here. Wait until everyone at home sees it.”

“You might even be able to pick up Clue without breaking a sweat.” Cedric teased, grinning at her with a toothy maw.

Rachel chuckled at her dearest companion. “We’ll see.” Someday.

As she walked out the door of the Galaxy Hall, a familiar face greeted her, blond hair covering half his face and tucked underneath his Ginkgo Guild hat, hefty backpack slung on his shoulders as always. “Good morning, Rachel.”

Smiling warmly, Rachel approached him. “Good to see you, Volo.” He had become such an inexplicably comforting presence since her arrival in Hisui, his eerie familiarity eventually explained by his resemblance to her sister, Cynthia. Which meant that he was likely an ancestor of theirs. That he was family. Not to mention that he also shared their passion for history and ruins made Rachel feel even more of a kinship. That she now knew where who she and her sister were came from. “The cold making your work any harder?”

“Oh, not at all! Though it’s kind of you to be concerned.” He replied, grinning at her before he put a hand on his hip. “What’s this I hear about a dangerous expedition into the Alabaster Icelands?”

Naturally, Volo would be curious. There was a fair bit of hubbub now, especially with Zisu running around and rounding up Security Corp members and starting to gather supplies in packed crates. “The winter’s hit the Alabaster Icelands pretty hard and we’re concerned that the Pearl Clan could be in a lot of danger due to the storm. The Diamond Clan is pitching in supplies and aid as well.”

“Is that so?” Volo replied curiously, bringing a hand up to his chin to ponder. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you. Though, if you’re interested, I may have heard something of a myth that may catch your fancy.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him. “A myth, you say. Do tell.”

“I may have to refresh my memory on the subject myself, but if I recall correctly, there is a quartet of legendary nature spirits that migrate to Hisui in seasonal rotation.” Volo continued to explain, eyes closed as he reminisced on the tale. “One heralds the spring, one heralds the summer, another the autumn, and another the winter. Each one brings something to Hisui, whether it be storms or blessings.”

Nature spirits. How intriguing. “And you think they may have something to do with the severity of the snowstorm?”

“It’s possible.” Volo replied vaguely, resting his hands at his sides as he regarded the smaller woman. “If I remember correctly, I believe the winter spirit is known as Tornadus.” Cedric’s ears immediately pricked at the name. It was…familiar to him. He had heard it somewhere before! “It’s incredibly powerful, but I have confidence in your abilities. If it is indeed causing the storm, then perhaps defeating it will abate it.”

Nodding appreciatively, Rachel gave him a smile. “Thanks for the heads up, Volo. I’ll keep that in mind while I’m out there in the blizzard.”

“Of course! Can’t have my favourite customer getting lost in a snowstorm, now can I.” Volo replied brightly, pointing as he spoke to her. “Be safe, Rachel.”

“Thanks. You take care, now, Volo.” She wished, walking away from Volo towards her lodge to get ready for the oncoming journey and quest. It sounded like it was going to be tough, so she needed to be properly prepared.

As she walked away, Cedric suddenly whispered into her ear. “I’ve heard that name, before.” He said to his trainer. “Tornadus. It’s a Unovan myth, I think.”

Raising an eyebrow at him, Rachel tilted her head. “Really?”

“Yeah. And Volo said that they migrate in seasonal rotations, right?” Cedric pointed out. “They might be migrating from Unova.”

“You really think?” Rachel asked, intrigued at the thought that their myths might have some overlap.

Cedric nodded, though his head was bent down in thought. “But…I only remember three nature spirits. Not four…so I’m not really sure what that’s about.”

Reaching up to pet him, scratching him behind the ears and ruffling the large tuft of fur on his head, Rachel nuzzled against his cheek. “Well, maybe we’ll figure that out on our own time.” She assured him as they stopped in front of the door to their lodge, hands on her hips as she took in a deep breath. “But for now, let’s get ready for a long trip in the freezing cold.”

It was just before sundown by the time everyone met up in the Alabaster Icelands - the golden hour. Though, one wouldn’t be able to tell with how thickly the sun was blotted out by dark clouds and how violent the snowstorm was. They could only see a few feet in front of them collectively, but Rachel had traveled through these icelands enough to know its hazards intimately. Feeling the biting winds whipping against her face, it became clear exactly why communications were cut off – these weren’t safe conditions for any bird Pokémon to fly in to deliver any.

She was confident she could guide them, the Security Corp led by Captain Zisu behind her with all the supplies gathered and pulled along on sled-like boards that helped them move easily over the ice and snow. But they would need to be careful.

Wyrdeer and Ursaluna were both dutifully by her side, waiting for the woman to give the sacred Pokémon her commands. They may not be hers, but for now, they followed her since she was in charge. “So, what’s the plan, Survey Corp girl?”

“There’s a chasm just ahead of us that blocks our way across.” Rachel pointed out, gesturing in front of them just where the blizzard cut off their visibility. “It’s not too deep, so if anyone falls in, they should be fine. But it’ll still be a pain to get across, especially with the supplies we need to ferry across. Making sure they get across without getting damaged is paramount.”

Zisu nodded in agreement. “Right you are.” She agreed, hefting her backpack onto the ground and pulling out a series of supplies, including pegs, ropes, and planks all tied together. “Lucky for you, I had a feeling we’d run into trouble like this. You’re pretty good on that Wyrdeer, right?”

Shivering beside her, Adaman nodded through chittering teeth. He was wearing one more layer than usual, which annoyed Rachel a bit. “O-oh yeah. Sh-she’s p-p-pretty good. B-better than s-some of our m-m-most exp-perienced.”

Shaking her head at him, she sighed. It wasn’t like she could blame him too much for this. It wasn’t like he was used to the cold and this was a lot worse than anyone could’ve anticipated. Luckily for her, she was prepared for this, too. Nodding at Cedric, he quickly grabbed something out of her own bag and handed it to her, Rachel walking over to Adaman and draping it over his shoulders, pulling the hood over his head. “Put this on.” She ordered, giving him a stern look to make sure he knew that it wasn’t a request.

Unable to argue with her, the Diamond Clan leader quickly slipped his arms into the long sleeves and tied the cloak together in front of him, nuzzling his face into the scarf and hood and breathing out a sigh of relief. Though, the soft pale grey cloak was…familiar, in an odd way. He recognized the texture and scent when he took a moment to examine it. “Is this…Wyrdeer wool?”

“Yeah, I groomed Wyrdeer a while ago while he was blowing out his summer coat to prepare for the winter, and I felt like all that undercoat would’ve gone to waste. So, I had an idea and went to Anthe and she taught me how to spin wool myself and she helped me make this cloak out of it.” Looking up at Adaman, Rachel continued to adjust his cloak to make sure it sat snugly on him, appreciating how it looked on him. “How’s that feel?”

Looking down at her, he couldn’t help but smile. This was one of the things he appreciated most about her. When she saw a use for something or a way she could accomplish something, she did it. She put in the effort to learn how, if she didn’t know how, and put her everything into learning a new skill for the sake of it. He’d seen plenty of her wooden carvings to see that for himself, and he’d heard the improvements to her flute playing as another example.

Anything made by her hands was made with care and effort, and he appreciated that very much about her. “Much better. Thank you.”

“Good.” Rachel replied, trying to smirk at him before she met his gaze and grew bashful, her cheeks growing warm at the way he looked at her so warmly and affectionately. “I…made it especially for you. To help you not be so cold all the time.”

Another thing that he liked very much about Rachel. That she did not hesitate to do a kind thing for others simply because she could. She noticed a lot of little things about others and remembered them fondly. It showed in the gifts she made for others and the ways she complimented people.

It was what made every little gift from her so important. Every single gift and compliment was genuine. Her kindness was pure and it made Adaman appreciate the world just a little bit more just because she was in his. “What would I do without you?” He asked in a playfully sarcastic way.

Matching his energy, Rachel scoffed at him. “Freeze to death, probably.”

Feeling a strong hand slap against her backside, Rachel jumped a bit, Adaman startled a bit too despite having the visibility to expect it. “Not to break up the tender moment, but the sooner we get these crates across that ravine, the better.”

Nodding, Rachel had to agree. “Right. Priorities.” Turning to Zisu, she bowed her head, giving the Security Corp captain her full attention. “What’s your plan, if you have one?”

“You jump across that chasm on Wyrdeer’s back with these pegs, ropes, and planks holding one end, and I’ll hang onto the other from the other side and then we’ll set them up on both sides and carefully ferry across the supplies.” Zisu explained, using her hands to further illustrate her point to the pair. “Then, once all of the supplies are on the other side, then we navigate towards the Pearl Settlement and make sure they get there.”

It seemed like a sound enough plan, if a bit precarious. But she couldn’t help but worry even still, looking up at Zisu with furrowed brows. “And you’re sure the ropes will hold the weight of the crates?”

“Positive.” The fiery woman replied, broad shoulders squared. “And then, the rest is all up to you.”

“No pressure.” Rachel replied sarcastically, though she wasn’t actually bothered. After all, she agreed to lead this effort and she was nothing if not committed to her duty and to her plans. Feeling Wyrdeer and Ursaluna nudge her from behind, the shorter woman reached to give them both an affectionate and friendly scratch. “Come on, Wyrdeer. I’ll need you for this.”

The large white deer Pokémon bowed his head respectfully towards her. “At your service, traveler.”

Taking end of the makeshift bridge from Zisu, Rachel got onto Wyrdeer’s back, gripping onto the saddle handles tightly to stay on, feeling Adaman climb on after her, his chest pressed against her backside. Though she didn’t feel nervous at the moment, she appreciated the Diamond Clan leader’s presence too much to refuse it. After all, an extra pair of hands would help her focus with the limited visibility.

With the man holding onto the end, Zisu followed Rachel as she carefully led Wyrdeer forward until she found the edge of the ravine, working on muscle memory at this point. She had jumped this chasm a number of times and the icelands were no longer alien and unfamiliar to her. She knew every landmark by heart, even in this blinding blizzard.

Soon enough, the lip of the ravine came into view, Rachel leaning forward to confirm it before she turned back to the Security Corp captain and giving her a thumbs up before leading the captain right before the edge of it. Once Zisu was in position, Rachel led Wyrdeer back enough to keep the ravine just barely in line of sight and far enough back to have a good running start to get across the chasm.

Despite how easily this came to her, there was still a great deal of trepidation as she stood before the precipice. She was confident she had the distance right and would clear it. She had the proof by the sheer number of times she had done it, so much so that it had become second nature, at this point.

And yet, that fear was still there. She needed to push it down for the sake of the mission. The Pearl Clan depended on it, and being here in this relentless maelstrom only confirmed that.

Just as she expected, she easily cleared the chasm, stopping on the other side and getting off of Wyrdeer, waving at Zisu from the other side as they both walked backwards and pulled the ropes taught. Zisu secured her pegs on one side while Rachel did the same on hers, the pair testing the strength of it by both stepping on the bridge. It was a bit shaky for humans, but the crates should be able to get across with ease.

Carefully, each member of the Security Corp precariously pushed each crate across the plank bridge to the other side, the progress slow and steady. Though time was of the essence, the Pearl Clan couldn’t afford any of these crates being damaged or lost, so they had to take their time pushing each one across. Adaman and Rachel were quick to pull each crate onto the other side, the humans along with them. One-by-one, each member of the Security Corp was ferried across with a crate of supplies for the Pearl Clan until everyone was on the other side.

As they prepared to clear Whiteout Valley, Rachel watching Ursaluna carefully climb across the icy wall on one side of the chasm until he made it across to join the others. Rachel brought out Emberheart and Vendetta to flank the group, Emberheart as a Fire-type could help protect the party from hostile Ice-types and keep the group warm if they got lost, and Vendetta knew the territory as a native to this polar icescape.

Frequently, Rachel referenced her Arc Phone just to be sure that they knew where they were going. The two things they needed to be the most aware of were the icebergs that jutted out from underneath the ice to the surface and then the holes that led to the underground ice cave network beneath Avalugg’s Legacy. Which meant that they couldn’t just blaze through the blizzard to get to the Pearl Settlement and needed to take their time, much to Adaman’s anxiety. Though, she would be lying if she said she didn’t share his sentiment. Every moment that passed was a moment that the Pearl Clan could be without aid longer and longer, and the last thing she wanted was to get there too late to help them.

Eventually, with careful navigation around the unforgiving landscape, the bridge that led to the Pearl Settlement became visible, and the group began to ferry the supplies across it as Rachel made her way on Wyrdeer’s back towards the entrance.

Hopefully it wasn’t too late…she’d be glad to see Irida and the appearance of the Pearl Clan leader alone would be enough to abate most of her anxieties.

But when they arrived at the Pearl Settlement, Irida was not the one to greet them. In-fact, not a one of the typical residents of the settlement were outside (naturally), and the people who met them were none other than Gaeric, Lord Avalugg’s warden, and Sabi, Braviary’s warden. Rachel could feel the tension in Adaman’s body behind her melt when he saw that his clan’s warden was alright.

Like usual, the young forest green-haired child seemed completely unfazed by the current circumstance. “My clairvoyance told me that we would meet you here.” She greeted them as they approached. “It also showed me that you would come to help us. Will that come to pass?”

“It will, Sabi.” Naturally Adaman was the first to respond, dismounting from Wyrdeer and quickly approaching the young girl to scoop her up and hug her. Normally, he would be a bit more formal when addressing a warden of his clan in front of others, but he was just so relieved to find her safe and taken care of. “Where’s Braviary?”

“Taking roost besides the hot spring.” The young girl replied, eyes sparkling at Rachel. “You were able to surmise that the Pearl Clan was in danger, yet they weren’t able to call for help. Am I clairvoyant? Or are you?”

“It is impressive that you were able to figure out that we needed help.” Gaeric pointed out, arms crossed as, for once, the cyan-haired man wore a jacket instead of walking around shirtless. For a man who prided himself on how resilient and unbreakable he was to do such a thing spoke to the true severity of the situation. “How did you figure that out?”

“The absence of communication wasn’t a good sign, and the frigidness that crept up on us certainly didn’t help.” Rachel remarked as Zisu approached with her Security Corp, pulling supplies along into the settlement. Regarding Gaeric with utmost respect, the Survey Corp member nodded at him. “I’m beginning to realize that simple inevitability is my call to action.”

“Well, I’m glad to see that your fighting spirit and burning determination hasn’t been snuffed by the storm!” Gaeric replied with a proud mirthful chortle. “We could certainly use quite a bit of it.”

Quickly, Rachel realized that Irida had not yet made an appearance and a note of dread began to hum in the back of her mind when she exchanged a worried glance with Adaman while Security Corp personnel filed past them, waiting for Zisu’s or Rachel’s orders before proceeding. “Where’s Irida?” Adaman asked.

Her worries about the grave circumstances breaking down Gaeric were only further confirmed, the man’s confident and brazen demeanour reduced to an unsure and listless visage that almost felt alien to witness from the warden. “She…hasn’t come back.”

Worry began to bubble into a quiet panic, Rachel’s fears beginning to make themselves impossible to ignore in the back of her head. “What do you mean she hasn’t come back…?”

“Earlier today, she realized that if something wasn’t done…the storm could lead to us losing some of our own.” The Pearl Clan warden admitted, tone distant as though he himself were lost without Irida. And given the circumstances, Rachel could completely understand why. Even though he was the mentor to the Pearl Clan’s leader, this whole situation was completely unprecedented, outside of the expected and thus completely uncharted territory. And, naturally, he was worried. “So, she took it upon herself to try and find help…and she hasn’t returned, yet.”

“Are you serious?!” This was bad. Very bad. The Pearl Clan was desperate and in need of help and now they were without a leader. “And she went alone?!”

“She left me in charge.” Gaeric replied, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to appear in control and in charge, but the fact that Rachel couldn’t be convinced only further unnerved her and made her even more anxious. “She didn’t want to put anyone else at risk. Normally, I wouldn’t worry. After all, she learned from the very best and mightiest that the Pearl Clan has to offer! But…this is unusual, and I have not heard the tones of her Celestica Flute playing for hours, now. It leaves me feeling…well, not optimal.”

Growling under her breath, Rachel couldn’t contain her exasperation and her worries. “Argh…even when she’s trying to ask for help, she still thinks she has to do it alone without anyone else’s help…” Of all the lessons that she desperately wished that both clans would learn, putting their pride aside was one of them. After all, pride doesn’t keep food on the table and won’t keep you warm. Feeling Ursaluna worriedly nudge her shoulder, she knew what she had to do. “I’m going to go out to find her. Nobody else come with me, I’ll take Ursaluna to track her and Wyrdeer to get her back home safely.”

“Great, I’m coming with you!” Adaman proclaimed, already making to follow her.

Stopping him with a hand against his chest, forcing him back. “No. You stay here.” She ordered, her voice stern and firm as she stood her ground. As much as she wanted to have him by her side, the last thing she wanted to risk was Adaman being lost, too. “You’re needed here and I can’t risk losing you, too.”

The worry that flashed before his dark eyes was palpable, and it nearly made Rachel flinch when she met his gaze. “But…you can’t go out in this blizzard alone, you could get lost, too!”

“I have the Arc Phone, it tells me where I am and where I’m going at all times.” Rachel reminded him, feeling somewhat fortunate, for once, that she had the assistance of Almighty Sinnoh on her side. “And besides, I’m more used to being in the wilds on my own than you are. I’ll be with my Pokémon, and Wyrdeer and Ursaluna will be with me, too. I’ll be fine.”

“But – what do you expect me to do? Sit here and wait for you to get back?” Adaman retorted, worried aggravation evident in his raised tone of voice. “You know me well enough to know I can’t do that.”

She nodded in understanding. She did know him well enough. “I know…and I’m not asking you to.” Turning to Zisu, Rachel gave the Security Corp captain her command. “Start distributing supplies. Ration the food and make sure everyone gets warmer clothes and blankets and that there’s enough firestarting material to last until morning in each tent. Ensure they know that Gaeric’s met with us and that there’s a search in place for Irida.” Waiting for the Security Corp to be busy, Rachel leaned close to Adaman, reaching up to pull him in and hold him tightly. The Diamond Clan leader didn’t hesitate to bend down to wrap his arms around her, pressing her tightly to his body for comfort. “These people need you. Gaeric is a very capable man and he was Irida’s mentor, but he’s not their leader. You are a leader. He’ll need your help to figure out what to do and to keep everyone calm and level-headed. Your job is to make sure that the Pearl Clan knows that the Diamond Clan won’t abandon them and to keep the peace and prevent mass panic and hysteria. Think you can do that for me…?”

Sighing, Adaman nodded, but his grip on the small woman tightened, the man pressing his face into the side of her head. He was almost afraid to let her go out of fear of losing her in the blizzard, too. “But what about you…?”

Silent for a moment, Rachel held him tighter, too. “If something happens to me…the Galaxy Team loses a member of the Survey Corp.” She pointed out, pulling back to look Adaman in the face, heart aching when she saw just how worried he was when he gazed down at her. “But if something happens to you…the Diamond Clan will lose its leader. I can’t risk that.”

Eyebrows furrowing, Adaman grabbed onto Rachel’s shoulders, the strength of his grip telling her that she should listen to him intently. “If something happens to you…” He paused, the thought caught in his throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, trying to force what he wanted to say out in the open. “…I’ll lose a dear friend. It’s bad enough that Irida’s missing…but I can’t bear the thought of the both of you getting lost.”

Softening, Rachel sighed through her nose and rested her hands over top of his, giving them a squeeze as she offered him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry.” She murmured softly to him. “Come doom or high water, I’ll make sure Irida comes home. I will bring her home. You have my word.”

“You’d better.” Adaman responded hardly, squeezing her shoulders before letting go of her, stepping back to let her go reluctantly. “I’m holding you to that.”

She was warmed that she had grown to mean that much to him, but right now, the task at hand was to find Irida and bring her home. She didn’t have to worry about the Pearl Settlement for now – it was in good hands. As she pulled Wyrdeer close, rallying Ursaluna, Emberheart, and Vendetta alongside her, Sabi giggled brightly at the woman as she turned to face the blistering blizzard once more. “Don’t worry, Rachel. I saw you stumbling across the bridge with Irida on your arm. Do you think it’ll come to pass?”

Regarding Sabi for a moment, Rachel knew her well enough to know a challenge when she heard one. It wasn’t about whether Sabi was right, it was never about that – it was about whether Rachel had the resolve to make her own way, whether Sabi foresaw it or not. Though she valued Sabi’s clairvoyance, she knew it was only a suggestion of the future rather than a prediction. “It’s not about what I think.” She said resolutely, gazing down at the young Diamond Clan warden with determination glinting in her dark eyes. “It must be done, so it will be. Simple as.”

Tilting her head, Sabi smiled at Rachel. “The real question is: will you succeed because I’ve seen it? Or in spite of it?”

That certainly was the real question, but now wasn’t the time for philosophical musings. Now was the time for action.

Tugging on Wyrdeer’s reins, the group was off, taking off into the snowstorm before it could get any worse. The sooner they located Irida, the sooner they could bring her back. Walking alongside Ursaluna, she put a hand on his backside, speaking gently to the large bear Pokémon. “Find the Pearl Clan’s leader, Ursaluna. You’re our only hope.”

As the Pokémon put his snout to the icy ground, Cedric leaned in to whisper directly into Rachel’s ear, feeling the worry rolling off of her like mist despite her best attempts to give the appearance of being in control of the situation. “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

“No.” Rachel replied immediately, patiently waiting for Ursaluna to catch a scent to try and find the lost Pearl Clan leader. Sometimes it could take a while for her to find a scent and they needed to be mindful of their surroundings, especially with consideration to the limited and lack of visibility. “But what choice do we have?”

Carefully, they navigated their way around the Alabaster Icelands, staying near Avalugg’s Legacy while they searched for any sign, any scent of Irida. It was difficult to do in this storm with how severe it was, but they needed to stay focused. They had a mission to accomplish and they would not rest until Irida was found and brought back home to her people.

She was likely looking for help, so they needed to try and find where Irida would have gone to look. But they also needed to be mindful of where she could’ve gotten lost and would have taken shelter. So far, Ursaluna wasn’t finding any sign of her around Avalugg’s Legacy in the centre of the icelands. That had to mean that Irida hadn’t taken shelter in the underground cave system, which meant they had to expand their search further.

But where to start? Where would she have gone to look for help? Where could she have taken shelter? Her only solace as to not getting lost was her Arc Phone, keeping her informed of her location at all times. Thanks for not completely forsaking me, almighty Sinnoh. Looking to Ursaluna, who was still moving slowly in an attempt to pay attention to any stray scent of Irida they could find, Rachel put a hand on the bear’s shoulder. “Any sign of her…”

Grievously, the Pearl Clan’s sacred Pokémon shook his head, nuzzling it into her hand. “I’m afraid not…the storm is wiping away every scent as soon as I catch it…” He moaned mournfully. He had ferried the Pearl Clan leader so many times that her scent was firmly committed to his memory, and yet when she was lost, he could not find her. “I’m sorry, traveler…”

The hopelessness in the Pokémon’s gruff voice gave Rachel pause, dread sinking into her gut that she forced down out of determined spite. “We can’t give up! She’s been gone for a day! We can still find her!” She said, nudging both Ursaluna and Wyrdeer. “Keep looking. We have to find her!”

As Rachel continued to press onward, Emberheart and Vendetta exchanged a look between them. They were naturally concerned for their wielder, but neither of them knew who should take the initiative. Normally, the Arcanine would, but since Vendetta was more familiar with this territory than she was having grown up and lived here, she felt that the Zoroark should. And since Vendetta felt that since Emberheart had known Rachel for longer than Vendetta had, the Arcanine should step up. But the inaction eventually led to inevitability, and Vendetta decided to make the decision to try and talk some sense into her.

Besides, this endeavour was partially driven by spite, which continued to intrigue the Zoroark. Spite to succeed and prove everyone wrong who was worried she would be lost in the storm, too. These continued demonstrations of spite, anger, rage, and hatred performed in the name of good – of kindness – slowly became less and less alien to Vendetta. What she had once seen as opposites in direct juxtaposition to each other she was beginning to realize was a catalyst for the other.

Spite was a spectrum, and humans had those in myriads. “Your conviction is strong…I’ll give you that.” Vendetta said to the human, flanking her dutifully alongside Emberheart, the Arcanine scanning their surroundings for any Pokémon that would dare try and interfere with their mission. “But you should consider what to do if you fail…or if time is not on your side. You must survive.”

Rachel grit her teeth, her jaw clenched as she glared at the white beast whose billowing rage whipped in the biting and cruel wind on sanguine tendrils from her brilliant and imposing mane. “None of that matters until we find Irida, and I won’t stop until she’s found.”

“But if you don’t make your own survival a priority, you will fail.” Vendetta pointed out, reaching out to grasp at her wielder’s shoulder, crimson claws digging into the thick fabrics that kept her body warm despite the frigid icescape around them. Though Rachel wanted to argue with her, she knew that Vendetta was right. If she didn’t protect herself, then Irida would be lost for good. “You can’t help anyone if you can’t help yourself.”

Relenting, Rachel let out a frustrated sigh. “If it comes to that…we’ll find shelter and try to wait out the storm.”

Nodding, Vendetta encouraged her to continue, the group following Ursaluna’s fruitful attempts to catch Irida’s scent. It felt bitterly hopeless, but Rachel wasn’t someone who obeyed odds. She was someone who succeeded in spite of them, so naturally, Vendetta stood firm by her. “If you hear her voice, be warned – it may be a trick.”

Scoffing, Rachel rolled her eyes. She remembered that all too well, when she once thought that Zinnia had followed her into Hisui and was lost in the Alabaster Icelands in the caves below, only to find that she had been tricked.

It was how she came to find Vendetta in the first place.

Suddenly, the Zoroark stilled, standing rigid and tall as her ears swivelled and twisted, as though she had caught a sound on the wind. Waiting intensely, Rachel’s eyes were glued to the white creature as she tried to discern what she was hearing. Finally, she spoke. “Her memories…! I can sense them!”

Eyes widening, Rachel gasped, reaching to take her Zoroark by the paws. “Where?! Where is she?!”

Regretfully, the Normal-Ghost-type shook her head, yellow eyes squinted against the snow that pelted her in the face. Despite having grown up in this bitter environment, it could still overwhelm even a creature like her. “I can’t sense where she is…only that she’s nearby.”

“But she’s close! That means we might be able to track her scent as long as we stay in the area where you can sense her memories!” Rachel cried, jubilation echoing across the frigid icescape before disappearing in the violent biting winds. Finally, real hope bloomed in her chest. If Vendetta could sense her memories, then that meant that Irida was alive! They would be able to find her and bring her home! Turning to Ursaluna, Rachel quickly climbed atop, gesturing out into the icy white that swirled around them. “Find her! She can’t be far!”

With renewed vigor, the Ground-Normal-type bear pressed his snout to the sharply cold ice beneath him, determined to find his clan’s leader. Now that they knew for certain she was close by and that she was alive, they couldn’t fail. They couldn’t give up, now that it was possible. Not when they were so close! Carefully navigating the blizzard, staying within the area where Vendetta could sense Irida’s memories, they found themselves patrolling and investigating Arena’s Approach. Perhaps in her desperation, the Pearl Clan leader was on her way to beseech the help of Lord Avalugg to save them.

Finally, Ursaluna caught the scent of his dear leader, moving at a much faster pace, running and galloping with even greater speed so much so that Wyrdeer struggled to keep up. Emberheart and Vendetta were on the Diamond and Pearl Clans’ Pokémon’s heels, running ahead to where Ursaluna was leading them. But strangely, when Rachel checked her Arc Phone, she saw that they were not going to the Icepeak Arena, but towards Icebound Falls tucked away in the south.

Once they approached, she immediately realized why. There was a tunnel that led from the greater expanse of the icelands towards the icefalls. So she took shelter…good.

As they approached, her hopes were confirmed when she spotted two familiar Pokémon emerge from within. It was Irida’s Glaceon and Espeon! “They’ve found us!” The Ice Pokémon cried, rushing up to Rachel to greet her warmly, reaching the woman and nuzzling her gloved hand gratefully.

“Just as I knew she would.” Espeon added, pressing himself against Rachel affectionately.

Gently petting them both, she was relieved that they were alright. “Where’s Irida?”

“She’s inside.” Glaceon informed Rachel, grabbing her by the hand gently in her jaws and tugging her along at a frantic pace.

Pressing along the woman’s side to push her onwards, Espeon mewed anxiously. “Flareon’s just inside, trying to keep her warm…but she hasn’t woken up for a little while.”

Then hopefully, they weren’t too late.

Entering the tunnel, Rachel recognized it in an instant, the strange hieroglyphics on the wall as perplexing as ever as she dismounted from Ursaluna and approached. She could recognize some of the shapes as the nobles, but some were unfamiliar to her. Huddled beneath the perplexing puzzle was the Pearl Clan leader herself, her Flareon desperately pressing his body against her paler than normal skin, her lips and fingertips turned blue. She was motionless, and seeing her pale still body, Rachel began to panic, even with Flareon’s efforts to try and keep her warm.

She was alive! She had to be!

Collapsing on her knees, she pressed her ear to the Pearl Clan leader’s chest, nuzzling past Flareon’s head to hear a faint heartbeat within the frigid skin pulled taught against her bones. Good…she was still alive. That at least was a relief, but she didn’t want to even think about what would’ve happened had she not been accompanied by Flareon and her other Pokémon. “Irida…?” Rachel said quietly, holding the blonde woman’s face in her hands. She felt as cold as ice as she shook her to try and rouse her. “Irida, come on! Wake up!”

Weakly, the Pearl Clan leader’s eyes creaked open, a small smile creasing her cracked sickly looking lips. There was no light in her pale blue eyes, only a fading flicker of life still within. “M…moth…er…?”

Shit, this was worse than she thought. Any longer in this cold and Irida would surely freeze to death, even with Flareon’s help. She was already delirious. “No…no, it’s me, Rachel.” She insisted. When Irida couldn’t maintain consciousness any longer, the Survey Corp member didn’t hesitate to beckon her Arcanine into the tunnel. “Emberheart, get her warm! She’ll freeze to death!”

Moving aside to make room for the large doggish creature, Rachel could feel the idle heat coming off of her fur. It wasn’t hot, but it would be enough to warm Irida and keep her out of the danger zone. Cedric didn’t hesitate to pull the thick blanket out of her backpack, handing it to Rachel and dashing over to Irida to check her heartbeat. It was weak…but there. For how much longer?

Not very if they didn’t act soon.

Gesturing to Ursaluna and Wyrdeer to stay put for now, Rachel then nodded to her Zoroark. “Vendetta, stand guard. Let me know if the storm gets worse.”

“As you command.” The white beast replied, dipping her head before standing vigilant at the exposed entrance, her massive mane blocking much of the way.

Which was good, since it would block the frigid blizzard air from getting into the cave and making Irida colder than she already was. Rachel wouldn’t be surprised if she was already suffering from hypothermia despite Flareon’s best efforts. Cedric had the blanket in his mouth and nodded at Rachel, Irida’s loyal Fire-type Pokémon at his human’s side ready to help.

Cradling the Pearl Clan leader gently, Rachel lifted Irida’s body from the ground, Cedric and Flareon then tugging the blanket underneath where she was before the Survey Corp member then laid her back down, again. Odd…didn’t Irida weigh more? Or did Rachel get stronger? She had been training a lot since she’d started sparring with her Pokémon in a regular basis.

But no matter. They had important matters at hand.

Wrapping the blanket around Irida and tucking the ends of it into each other to make sure she was tightly bundled, Rachel then pushed Irida into Emberheart’s side, hoping that she could make the most of the idle heat that the Arcanine was throwing off. Just a calm gentle warmth. Flareon then climbed up and sat on her, hoping to warm her up with his body heat, too. The gentle heat from both Pokémon would keep Irida alive and, if they took a moment to let her acclimate, they would be able to make the trip back to the Pearl Settlement in no time.

Looking up at Wyrdeer, Rachel reached up to him. “Do you think we can carry her?”

“Of course.” The pale grey deer replied confidently, gently nuzzling Rachel as he rested his forehead against her. “She has you to thank for saving her life and I’m grateful that the Pearl Clan will not lose another leader. I will lay down my life to be able to ensure she’s safely returned home.”

Smiling, Rachel pressed her forehead against his. The first of the sacred Pokémon that she had met, and in some ways, the closest to her. There was nowhere she could think of going without calling upon him to carry her. It was like they were one and the same. Did either clan realize how much each other’s sacred Pokémon valued and respected one another regardless of allegiance?

She hoped they would, someday. “You and me both…”

Grunting worriedly, Vendetta turned to address her wielder, trepidation creasing her brows as she approached Rachel. “The storm looks like it’s worsening…perhaps we should take shelter here for the night.”

Shaking her head insistently, Rachel refused. “No. We found her. We can take a moment so that she won’t die on the way back, but now that we found her, we can just take her home!” Despite her conviction, the Zoroark didn’t seem convinced.

Ursaluna seemed to agree. “If the storm worsens, I may not be able to navigate us back through scent. We may risk getting lost ourselves.”

“Trust me, finding Irida was the hardest part.” Rachel insisted, pulling out her Arc Phone to show the creature. “This device tells me our exact location at all times. As long as I have this, we’ll never be lost. We just have to make it across Avalugg’s Legacy to get back to the settlement, and everything will be okay.” Hearing Irida moan pitifully in her hypothermic slumber, Rachel wilted. At least she seemed to be recovering strength…slowly. “Just…let’s wait for her to be strong enough to hold on…then we’ll go.”

Taking advantage of the shelter that was now provided, the party waited until Irida was at least fit enough to travel. Outside, the blizzard continued its relentless assault on the Alabaster Icelands, and from the skies, the patron of winds watched closely. He had witnessed and brought every winter season for generations, and he had watched the Pearl Clan survive every one.

However, his disappointment when they lost many of their numbers to war was immeasurable. Only by communing with his fellow nature spirits did he learn of the feuds between the Pearl Clan and the Diamond Clan. The bringer of spring had told him of the similar dwindling in numbers of the Diamond Clan in the Crimson Mirelands, and it saddened her just as much to witness. After all, she was the patron of new beginnings, new life. It was natural for her to be saddened by the loss of life within the Diamond Clan.

But his own position as the patron of winter was not one of cruelty. He did not wish for creatures to perish nor did he purposefully wish so. He was the patron of survival of the fittest, those that could survive and make it through his harsh winters would survive through many seasons. Winter was about hardship and perseverance.

A will to survive. A will to live.

The Pearl Clan was squandering their chances for the survival of their future generations and was risking the death of their whole clan and culture through their feuds with the Diamond Clan and by refusing to beseech help. He knew they were quite prideful in that way, and it disappointed him. Humans were social creatures that depended on one another. That much he knew about them. To not ask for help to ensure their own survival was to go against their nature, to go against what made humans so strong. Their sense of community was one he admired.

And the last thing he wanted was to see a clan that had survived many of his harsh winters die out because they had forgotten what they were. His grief would be inconsolable.

So, he devised a trial. A trial that would test the mettle of the Pearl Clan’s will to survive and to see if it was too late for them to recover. By sending them a storm so severe that they had never faced, before, the grave circumstances would force them to realize how vulnerable they were and surely they would have no choice but to beseech the help of others – perhaps the Diamond Clan.

And then, surely they would realize that they were stronger together than they were divided and at ends with one another. It would be a step towards ending the legacy of senseless death between the clans and towards building a future where they ensured the other’s survival at the worst of times.

They would remember their humanity and come together to endure the greatest hardship he had ever sent their way. They had to, in order to survive. And if they had the will to, they would. He was certain of it.

The Galaxy Team was something different entirely. They were comparatively new to the land of Hisui compared to the clans, and yet they had by far the largest settlement both in size and in population. They had come from a land from far away and, from what he and his fellow nature patrons could glean from sequential observation, they studied the land of Hisui to learn from it and had a neutral relationship with both clans.

And, curiously, none of the Galaxy Team could speak with Pokémon like the clans did. None except, strangely enough, for this one. He did not recognize her and the Pokémon in the area spoke of her reverently, particularly its lord. She was a traveler from beyond the rift, having fallen into Hisui some time ago, and not only did she understand Pokémon, but she was making strides in bridging the gap that existed between the Diamond and Pearl Clans.

She even had the bravery to stop an enraged charging Piloswine in its tracks just to save the lives of the leaders of both clans. This was someone who not only had a will to live herself, but had a will to live threefold, enough to protect others and ensure their lives would endure as well.

Perhaps she was just what he needed to prove that the Pearl Clan was not yet lost. So, it was time to test her mettle as well.

Marching through the blistering white world in front of them, barely able to see their hands in front of them, the group had to proceed with extreme prejudice to the potential environmental hazards. Glaceon was taking the point position in front of Ursaluna who was trying to track their path backwards, Wyrdeer then walking slowly behind him with Rachel on his back with Irida in her arms still bundled in the blanket. Cedric was nestled against her, pressing his fur against her face in an attempt to protect her from the wind without suffocating her.

Vendetta and Emberheart flanked the Diamond Clan’s sacred ride Pokémon, Flareon and Espeon guarding the rear as they traveled. Rachel glanced at her Arc Phone to ensure that they were heading the right way, but occasionally on their way, they would get confused and have to turn around to try and navigate towards the Pearl Settlement. It couldn’t be that far…it couldn’t be that difficult.

But the only problem was that the Arc Phone didn’t tell her what direction she was facing – only where she was. It was getting colder, the wind getting more violent, and eventually, the wind would become impassable if they stayed out here for too long. The group huddled close together, yet every time Rachel checked the Arc Phone, it seemed like she was going in circles around Avalugg’s Legacy.

They couldn’t get lost…not now. Not when they were so close. They’d found Irida…she couldn’t give up now. “I don’t think…we can go further…” Ursaluna bemoaned miserably, shaking his head. “I can’t smell anything, anymore…we have no hope of being able to follow our trail back to the east…”

“He’s right…” Glaceon said, shaking her head from the front as she turned her head to address the group, the tassels on her head whipping violently in the white blizzard. Were it daylight, they might have gone blind. “Maybe we should take shelter until morning…!”

“No!” Rachel cried, shaking her head as she held Irida’s body closer to her own, refusing to let her go as though the moment she did, the Pearl Clan leader and her friend would disappear forever. “We’re not giving up! Not when we’re this close! We can make it!” They just had to keep going. They just had to… “So long…as I’m still standing…so long as I still draw breath…I will bring Irida home.”

So, onward they pushed despite the hopelessness that threatened to close in on them and freeze them in place. They moved slower and slower, snow sticking sharply to their skin and fur collectively. Rachel’s throat began to crack and grow dry with how heavily she was breathing. The chilly air was starting to suck the moisture out of her mouth and it was starting to grow painful.

She couldn’t fail. She wouldn’t let the Pearl Clan lose another leader. She wouldn’t.

Stopping, Vendetta perked up, the white Zoroark standing rigid as she began to growl. Her fur billowed threateningly, scarlet sinews of mirthful rage and lashing hatred glowed angrily like tongues of red hot fire from the deep earth within. She almost appeared to be twice her size as she snarled a warning to the group, backing up to be pressed against Wyrdeer. “Hold formation.” She ordered them, the white beast baring her fangs at the cyclones that surrounded and threatened to sweep them away in the violent and impassable storm. “The Winterbringer is here, and he bites with no mercy.”

At that warning, Wyrdeer and his passengers were boxed in the centre, their guardians forming a protective circle around them to face the dangers that laid out in the storm. For a moment, everything seemed to stand still despite the wind that continued its assault. As they all looked out into the whiteness, waiting in anticipation for what would come next, completely unsure of what to expect, it seemed like the world itself was drawing in a long breath.

Before it exhaled into a world of whirlwinds and cyclones that circled them relentlessly, completely preventing them from passing and pushing them in every which way. The sheer force of these biting powerful winds that swiftly pushed past and around them was enough to likely sweep them away, never to be seen again if they took one step out into the invisible world they were trapped in.

It pelted them, forcing them to hunker down as all of them began to attack at the impenetrable cyclones. The light from Emberheart and Flareon’s fire attacks was quickly swept away, the only source of light in this white realm they were forced to endure.

But in the brief flashes of light, Rachel spotted a shape whipping by. A shape that flew so fast that she could barely parse it as a shape, hardly even a silhouette. Yet, it was there. It was there clearly.

This Winterbringer was not actually trying to attack them. So what was it trying to do? What was the purpose of this? This storm? This attack?

There was only one way to get that answer. And if they could stop it in its tracks, perhaps they would. “Emberheart, Stone Edge! Agile Style!”

Obeying the orders of her wielder, rearing up with a mighty roar, the large Fire-Pokémon brought her paws down heavy onto the ice, the tremors echoing beneath their feet before sharp stone spires suddenly jutted out from the ice below with a shattered crackle, in the way of the figure zipping about and whipping the storm up worse.

Just as she predicted, the figure that was doing this smacked into the stone spires that had erupted from the ground at full speed, being suddenly thrown back by the impact, creating a temporary halt to the severity of the storm. They still couldn’t see the sky, but at least they could now move.

Without hesitation, Vendetta pounced on the now prone Pokémon, pinning it to the ground and snarling, holding its arms behind its back and sinking her teeth into its neck, rolling it over so that it faced Rachel.

Looking down at it from the back of Wyrdeer, the woman glowered at it. This Pokemon appeared to take the form of a humanoid, with green skin splotched with lilac, though its lower body was rendered invisible by the clouds that cloaked it. A long graceful violet tail with yellow spiraled ridges along it that resembled stylistic renditions of gales and winds.

Two horns jutted out of its forehead, a curled white quaff of hair on its head just behind them. It sported a jagged mustache of the same colour. Strangely enough, its hair also seemed to resemble the clouds that concealed half of its verdant body.

Cedric’s pale blue eyes met this Pokémon’s searching yellow gaze. He definitely recognized this Pokémon from home. This was indeed the Pokémon that Volo had warned them about, and Rachel was sure of that, too. “I gather you must be Tornadus.”

Chuckling amusedly, the Pokémon grinned at her. “Ah, I see that my reputation precedes me.” He commented, Tornadus seeming completely unconcerned with the situation he was currently in. Though, Rachel should’ve expected as much from a being such as him. “A pleasure it is to meet you in the flesh, Rachel. I’ve heard whispers on the wind about you.”

Narrowing her eyes, she had no patience for this thin veneer of small talk. Not when the situation was dire and he seemed to be the cause. “Did you cause this storm?”

Her will didn’t waver, even in his presence. That was good to see. “I bring the winter winds with me to Hisui. It’s what I am.”

Setting her jaw, the woman’s fingers dug deeper into the blanket that swaddled Irida snugly. “Abate it. Now.”

“I will. In due time.” Tornadus attempted to assure her, staring intently at her as he didn’t even attempt to struggle in Vendetta’s ruthless grip. “But first…the survival of the Pearl Clan must be assured. Only then will the storm abate.”

“If you would abate the storm, I would be able to do so.” Rachel retorted sharply, sneering at the green-skinned Pokémon of gales. Tornadus didn’t seem to understand the severity of the situation he caused. Or, he had purposefully caused it for some reason and was fine with the consequences of it. The grave consequences.

Shaking his head, Tornadus refused even still. “You misunderstand.” He insisted, meeting the woman’s gaze with a calm stillness that made her shudder as she sat there and listened to him. “I am not cruel. I simply bring hardships to determine who are strong enough to survive for seasons. After all, nature is chaotic and untameable. Only the strongest can truly survive.”

Growling, Rachel spat at him. “So, you’re fine with just weeding out the weak? Bringing death just to enforce an idea of strength at the cost of innocents?”

“Innocent and guilty matter not to me, but once again, you misunderstand.” Tornadus continued to speak calmly, regarding the human with respect despite the circumstances he was currently in. “Do you know what makes humans strong? What allows them to survive some of the most punishing of hardships?” Curling her nose at him, Rachel waited for him to explain. No matter what she answered with, he would tell her what he thought anyways. “…their sense of community.” That…wasn’t an answer she was expecting. “Humans are strongest when they band together. It’s how they have survived and conquered for centuries. Their strength lies in community, and the Pearl Clan over the generations has forgotten this. If they are to survive, they must not only remember their own humanity…but the humanity in their perceived enemies as well.”

So…this was some sort of test? Some sort of sick test? She couldn’t disagree with him, but why this? “If you were trying to teach them that, then why this?” Rachel demanded, tilting Irida so that she was facing away from the wind in her arms. “Why create this deadly storm to teach them that lesson when you could’ve taught it through kindness? Without risking their lives?”

“That is your role as a human, and humans seem to have a tendency to isolate themselves from opposing viewpoints, seeing any opposition to their beliefs as a personal threat.” Tornadus replied casually, as though this were just any regular conversation they could be having. As though they were merely speaking philosophy rather than actively gambling with the lives of innocents. “Nature teaches lessons where human kindness fails. My intervention was inevitable. You could even say that the inevitability itself was an invitation for my intervention.

“But regardless of my place in all of this, I ask you this, distant traveler:” Grinning, Tornadus’s eyes widened, clenching his fists tightly against the ice beneath him, clouds billowing around him. “How strong is your will to survive?”

A sudden twisting gale suddenly slammed into Vendetta, pushing her back into the storm and forcing her to release Tornadus, the gale Pokémon disappearing just as quickly as he reappeared, cackling into the ether as his presence was swept away with the wind, as though he and it were one and the same.

Leaving Rachel and her rescue party alone in the frigid and unforgiving winter gales below.

Completely unaware of the struggle that Rachel was enduring out in the icy wastes in the white blizzard outside of the settlement, Adaman was busy and hard a work helping the Security Corp distribute supplies and personally attend to the people of the Pearl Settlement at Gaeric’s command. The man was quite agreeable, surprisingly enough, and the pair actually worked very well together.

Naturally, the Pearl Clan was suspicious of the Diamond Clan leader helping them, but they accepted his help nonetheless, and speaking with them, he wasn’t met with hostility. “You don’t waste even a second. Do you, lad?” One of them commented as he ladled the woman in Pearl Clan robes a bowl of soup from the lit hearth.

Chuckling quietly, he handed her the warm bowl, his relief at seeing her eat bringing him only a little bit at peace. The truth of the matter was that he was trying to keep himself busy to not drive himself insane with worry. Rachel had been gone for a long time and he was already fearing the worst.

Helping these people was the only thing keeping him holding onto hope. He needed to believe in her. “I can’t just sit by and do nothing. Especially if there’s something I can do to help.” Adaman replied, hoping he wasn’t giving away just how scared he was for both Rachel and Irida. There wasn’t a minute that went by that he wasn’t quietly uttering prayers in his head to almighty Sinnoh to bring the both of them back safely. “I’m sure Irida felt the same way when she realized the danger her people were in. I’m confident it’s the reason she decided to take matters into her own hands.”

Humming worriedly, the woman held her soup in her lap in the tent, shaking her head. “And now she’s lost to us…and we’re at the behest of you and of our outsiders.”

Furrowing his brow, Adaman shook his head. These people needed to believe in her as much as he was trying to. “Rachel will bring your leader back. I promise she will.”

The woman met his gaze, eyebrows furrowed. “What makes you so sure, Adaman?”

He smiled warmly, remembering the way she openly scolded him when he doubted himself for a moment. Without hesitation, all the things she saw in him and admired about him spilled out and he was thoroughly unprepared for it. It was so passionate, so unprompted, and so heated. And yet, he knew it came from a place of genuine care and sincerity. She meant every word she said about him to him, and in a way…it changed him. It pulled him out of the near constant quiet doubt that whispered incessantly in the back of his mind.

He smiled as he regarded the Pearl Clan woman. “Because there’s no one in the world who’s like her. She’s the best of the Survey Corp that anyone’s ever known and when she cares about something, nothing can stop her.” He said, smirking a bit wryly. “Besides, despite my clearly blasphemous ways, I’m not doing too bad a job out here, am I?”

Chuckling at the Diamond Clan leader, the woman couldn’t help but shake her head. “No, I suppose not.” She paused, taking a moment to savour the warm meal, looking out towards the door to the tent that swelled and bent in tandem with the violent winter winds outside that put them in this position to begin with. “As a matter of fact, we’re all actually quite grateful that the Diamond Clan has not forsaken us…it warms the heart to know that we have not be left behind.”

“We may have our differences, but Hisui is both of our homes.” Adaman replied, repeating what he had said earlier in the Galaxy Hall when they were discussing what to do about the Pearl Clan. “Even at odds, I actually have a lot of respect for Irida and the rest of your clan. We value your clan’s safety as much as we value ours and we all have a right to live here. To do nothing would be to go against everything I stand for.”

Nodding, the Pearl Clan woman hummed in contentment. “Well said.”

Glancing at her now empty bowl, Adaman smiled at her. “Is there anything else you’ll need?”

She shook her head. “You’ve done plenty enough. But if we need you, we’ll find you.”

Nodding at her in acknowledgement, Adaman left the tent back into the frigid air outside. He pulled the cloak and scarf given to him by Rachel close to his body as he shivered, breathing in the comforting scent of the wild flowers and grasses and the sea that the woman always carried with her.

Even just her lingering scent on the clothes given to him made him feel safe. It gave him hope…that everything was going to be alright.

Spotting Gaeric looking out at the edge of the Pearl Settlement with Zisu at his side, holding up a lantern, Adaman approached, indents left behind by his footsteps swept away as quickly as he made them. “Any sign of them, yet?” He asked anxiously.

Shaking his head, Gaeric wore a solemn expression on his face. “Not a one, I’m sorry to say.”

Even Zisu’s signature warm optimistic demeanour seemed to flicker for a moment like a weakening candle, her brows furrowed and her eyes clouded with lingering fear. Not for herself, but for Rachel. Though they weren’t close, Zisu had a lot of admiration for the Survey Corp girl and a degree of affection as well. There was a brightness that she brought to the Galaxy Hall and the Training Grounds whenever she appeared and the compassion she had for both humans and Pokémon was something that endeared Zisu to her greatly.

She was a bright shining star in their little galaxy that served as their north star, guiding them towards a bright future by her resolve and her unwavering kindness. To lose that would be to lose one of the brightest lights in their world and Zisu didn’t like the thought of such a brilliant light being snuffed out like this.

Standing beside them, Adaman sighed solemnly. The storm was worse. He couldn’t even see the massive glaciers that towered over Avalugg’s Legacy, not even a distant silhouette. The sky and the very air was blotted out by white snow, leaving little room for hope left.

Adaman hated waiting. Especially when he felt like he should do something and knew that there was nothing he could do. “Things…aren’t looking good…are they?” Gaeric muttered, dropping his persona of impenetrable strength to show the Diamond Clan leader a rare moment of vulnerability. It was natural that the cracks would begin to show. Irida was not only his leader, but his pupil.

Losing her would be like losing his kin, something Adaman could empathize with – he felt the exact same way about his fellow Diamond Clan members and its wardens. For him, it was a bit more literal. He, Mai, Arezu, and Melli all lost their parents and guardians in a previous war with the Pearl Clan when they were children and bonded with one another, becoming more like siblings than anything else.

They were the only family he had. He would do anything to keep them safe.

“It’s hard not to assume the worst…” Zisu admitted, the Security Corp captain reaching up to rub at her neck, holding her lantern up higher to try and get a better view of their surroundings. But the blizzard only caused the light to blot out everything else by its sheer brightness far more than the blizzard itself was. “But – and I really hate to say it – there’s a good chance Rachel might be lost out there.”

Feeling his stomach twist at the thought of Rachel and Irida freezing out in the storm, Adaman tried to pull his hood in closer. The light from Zisu’s lantern was so oppressive in this blizzard that he was starting to feel a headache coming on and was tempted to tell Zisu to put it out. After all, there was no point in keeping it lit.

At least…that’s what he thought until he realized just how bright it was and how sharply it seemed to cut through the snow. The snow even seemed to amplify the light through the crystals.

His dark eyes widened, a glimmer of hope behind them that was beginning to spark into something more. “Captain Zisu, how many of those do we have?”

Glancing at the Diamond Clan leader with a curious look, the woman raise her eyebrow at him. “Enough for every member of the Pearl Clan and every one of us at least twice over. Why?”

Looking about the path towards the Pearl Settlement proper, he walked down towards the bridge, eyeing the trees at the edges. One towered above the rest and a plan was beginning to form in his head. Maybe there was something he could do after all! “I think I’ve got an idea how we can help Rachel and Irida get back home…!”

Huddled on the ground, left alone and weak in the absence of Tornadus, the group resorted to pressing against one another for shelter and warmth. Their will was fading, only a faint ember that was being desperately nursed by every last one of them, human and Pokémon. Rachel tried to will herself to keep going despite the severity of the storm, now knowing it was a test.

But she couldn’t. She could no longer push herself forward and she could only try and convince herself to take another step and fail. But while she had Irida, she would protect her no matter what.

She couldn’t give up…not yet…she needed to try again…they needed to get back home.

Were Glaceon not an Ice-type, she would be huddling close to her human as well. But she was cold enough, and they needed to get Irida back home to the Pearl Settlement before she froze to death. However, when she looked off into the icy distance, the Ice Pokémon spotted a peculiar sight. “What is that…?”

Looking up from cradling Irida against her chest to try and keep her warm, Rachel squinted when she saw what Glaceon was looking at. It look like a series of lights in the distance rising up and then settling in various places. It didn’t look like a random cluster moving erratically. Quite the opposite, the moving lights seemed to move in an organized fashion.

It was utterly bizarre. “How strange…”

Staring at the strange sight, Vendetta growled quietly as she stared into the distance. She didn’t quite trust it just yet, and the last thing she wanted was for her wielder and all the other Pokémon to get lost or misled by a malicious force that laid hidden in the blizzard. “Wait here for a moment.” The Zoroark grunted, getting up and walking on all fours through the snow. “If there’s anyone who knows tricks…it’s me.”

Before Rachel could protest, the Pokémon had already vanished into the storm, her white coat making her blend in seamlessly into the snow and ice. It was no wonder that Zoroarks and Zorua were able to blend in so well in this landscape.

Worried, Rachel huddled closer to Irida and Cedric, Emberheart and Ursaluna huddling closer in Vendetta’s absence. She stared into the blizzard, staring at the moving and then settling lights and anxiously waiting for her Pokémon’s return. The last thing she wanted was to lose Vendetta, too.

They couldn’t afford to lose anyone.

But, soon enough, Vendetta’s shape cut through the blizzard, the large white fox Pokémon yipping and whooping as she returned to the group. “It’s the Pearl Clan!” The Zoroark cried, rushing over to nuzzle into Rachel and nuzzle Irida back to life, the woman confusedly moaning and groaning as she was suddenly roused from her cold-induced slumber. “They’ve lit a beacon to guide us home! We’ve made it!”

Wyrdeer rising to his feet, the group didn’t hesitate to make haste towards the bright lights that beckoned them in the distance. Finally! Their efforts were not in vain! They did it! They had succeeded!

Irida was going to live and the Pearl Clan was going to survive!

“Come on! As many as you can!” Adaman called out to the Security Corp, trying to find another place on the tree to put another lit lantern. Any way to make the tree brighter to guide Rachel and Irida back to where they belonged he was going to take.

Even though the tree was practically bathed in bright oppressive light at this point.

Smiling, Zisu walked up to Adaman and put a firm hand on his shoulder, pulling him back and making him face her. “Hey…I think you’ve put enough lanterns on the tree.”

Even though he knew that that was true, it wasn’t good enough for him. Having to wait again made him fearful again and he didn’t want to rest until Rachel came back home. Only then could he finally rest and feel at peace. “But what if it doesn’t work? What if it’s not bright enough? I have to keep at it!”

“You’re not usually such a worrywart, Adaman.” Sabi teased, giggling at him as she walked up to him, hands behind her back with a cheeky grin on her little face. “Or have you always been and it’s somehow escaped my clairvoyance? Who can say?”

Rolling his eyes at her, Adaman let out a shaky sigh. He did his part, all they had to do was wait and hope. Hope and pray that this plan would work and they would be seen and would be able to guide their lost loved ones back home.

What seemed like an eternity passed, Adaman’s lungs feeling tight from the cold and how much he was holding his breath. All he wanted was to see their shapes emerge from the blizzard coming close to them. All he wanted was to know that they were safe.

All he wanted was to hold Rachel and know that she was real. To know that the nightmare was finally over.

“There they are!” Gaeric announced, pointing to a shape that began to materialize as it emerged closer, slowly gaining speed until they could be recognizable. Adaman would recognize the hulking figure of Ursaluna and the graceful shape of Wyrdeer anywhere. The Pokémon that surrounded them were all becoming more visible. “And she’s found Irida!”

At the sound of the Pearl Clan’s warden of the icelands, the Pearl Clan began to clamour out of their tents to meet the rescue party, cheering and calling out to them as the group finally emerged from the world of white. Rachel was carrying Irida tightly in her arms astride Wyrdeer and Ursaluna lumbered past the Pearl Clan members, exhausted from the harrowing rescue mission and content to simply sleep away the stress by the hot spring.

As Rachel atop Wyrdeer stopped before the tree that was lit with lanterns, Gaeric bellowed in jubilation as he rushed forwards. “I knew you would find her! There’s no one else whose will is as unbreakable as mine!”

Smiling at the man, Rachel gently passed Irida’s bundled body to the warden, letting him tend to her as her Pokémon followed her diligently. Glaceon glanced back at Rachel as she followed Gaeric, giving the woman a grateful nod before following him.

As Irida passed Adaman, she was awake enough to recognize him. The leaders of the clans exchanged a smile between one another. One that said more than words could, but they both understood the sentiment behind it. I’m glad you’re alive…

“See? I knew you could do it!” Zisu cheered, helping Rachel off of Wyrdeer and giving her a hearty slap on the back to welcome her back. “There’s nobody with your tenacity!”

The warm welcome was more than…well, welcome. The harrowing ordeal was all worth it just to see Irida welcomed back as swiftly as she was. But she didn’t expect Adaman to rush over to her and nearly knock her over, throwing his arms around her and squeezing her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re safe…!” He confessed, pressing his head into the crook of her neck, arms rubbing up and down Rachel’s back to press her as close to himself as possible. “You have no idea how worried I was…”

Smiling, Rachel eagerly hugged him back, squeezing him just as tightly. Though this outburst was somewhat unexpected, it wasn’t unwelcome. It was nice to know that Adaman cared so much about her. She felt very much the same way. “I told you I’d bring Irida back home.” She said, nestling her chin into his shoulder. “You know how I feel about making promises…”

Glancing up at the tree that they used as a beacon to bring her back home, Rachel squinted at it. Each lantern was hung on a branch all the way to the top as high as they could go. From down here, she could swear that the lanterns in the tree almost looked like…ornaments.

Wait…she’d heard a story like this, before. There was a story about two warring clans that came together to help the other survive a bitter storm, and every year on the same eve, they would have a truce where they would celebrate the blessings of winter and exchange gifts and uphold the truce until the morning when they would go their separate ways.

Was this…was this where Winter’s Blessings came from?

For the rest of the evening, there was nothing but joy throughout the settlement. Adaman and the Security Corp were exchanging stories and even playing games with one another to pass the time, laughing and brimming with mirthful abandon. Even Irida, once she was warmed up sufficiently and treated by Paselle of the Medical Corp.

Though, it was odd seeing a blanket on her shoulders. Maybe she would be a bit more careful about wearing warmer clothes in colder than average weather from now on.

It was also nice seeing Adaman and Irida getting along. Rachel could safely say that the Diamond and Pearl Clan leaders had become her dearest friends and this one night would go a long way to securing a future of peace and safety between the both of them going forward. It made Rachel happy to see them getting along so well, now.

Despite their animosity towards one another at times over their theological beliefs, they also had a great deal of respect and admiration towards each other. And, in this rare instance, even affection, it seemed.

Which was good. It meant that once Rachel went back to the world she belonged to, there was someone that had a chance of making Adaman happy. As much as she liked him, as much as she sort of knew that it was mutual, it just…couldn’t be. She had a life to get back to and the last thing she wanted was to be a burden on his life. She didn’t want to waste his time with a relationship that wouldn’t last.

But as long as he was happy, she was happy. That was good enough for her. The idea of Adaman finding someone that would make him happy after Rachel was gone brought her a profound sense of comfort.

At some point in the night, Rachel had fallen asleep where she had made herself comfortable amongst the revelry, cuddled up to Cedric and Emberheart sleeping alongside her to keep her wielder warm. The woman was so stressed that she fell into a deep sleep despite all the noise.

She didn’t even notice that Irida and Adaman were both standing right above her. “I didn’t even get a chance to properly thank her…” The Pearl Clan leader lamented, sighing as she shook her head.

Smiling, Adaman gently put a hand on his fellow leader’s shoulder. He never thought he would be so happy to see Irida, but after tonight, he knew he would never take her for granted ever again. “Let her sleep. You can thank her tomorrow morning.” He suggested, looking over at Rachel and admiring how peaceful she looked when she was asleep. She was always complaining about poor sleep whenever she was awoken in Jubilife Village from her lodge. The fact that she looked so at peace now said a lot about that that made Adaman a bit sad to think about. “She’s worked really hard to bring you back to your people…she deserves a good rest.”

“I know.” Irida replied, smiling at Adaman. “And she deserves just as much to know what her efforts mean to me. To the Pearl Clan.”

“And to me and the Diamond Clan.” The man added, raising an eyebrow at her. “I know she really stuck her neck out for you tonight, but…that’s just what Rachel does. It’s who she is. Someone who goes the distance to do the right thing, to help someone. And she’s gone out of her way for both of our peoples.”

“She has.” The Pearl Clan leader sighed wistfully, pulling her blanket tighter over herself. She still felt like she was running a bit hot, but after the ordeal in the blizzard, she would have to start to learn not to trust that feeling so much. “And she also deserves to know what she means to me as a friend, too…”

Nodding in agreement, his attention was immediately stolen by a small shiver accompanied by a subconscious chattering of teeth from the exhausted Survey Corp member, Rachel curling in on herself tighter around Cedric, pressing her back against Emberheart’s fur to better maximize on soaking up the heat.

Smiling, Adaman undid the cloak Rachel had so diligently made for her and gently draped it over her, tucking her in and ensuring she was properly covered up so she could sleep comfortably tonight. Once she was warm and enveloped, a small smile spread across her face, a curl of hair falling over her face and tickling her nose a bit.

Gingerly, Adaman reached toward to remove her glasses so she could sleep more comfortably, folding them and setting them aside where she would see them once she woke up, and gently brushing the hair on her head aside so it wouldn’t bother her, anymore.

He would give anything to make sure that Rachel could sleep easy every night. She deserved that much. “Sleep well, Rachel…you’ve earned it.” He whispered before he put a hand on Irida’s shoulder and guided her away. “Come on, let’s wrap things up. I think Zisu’s on her last game with Gaeric.”

Chuckling brightly, it was a relief to see her so full of life after the ordeal she went through. None of her Pokémon had left her side since she had returned to the Pearl Clan and Irida wouldn’t have it any other way. She was looking forward to going to sleep knowing that everyone was safe and looked after and the people she trusted most would be close by.

The night came and went, Rachel barely stirring in the night all bundled up and comfortably cuddling with her Pokémon. When the morning came, she noticed that the cloak she had given Adaman was draped over her like a blanket. She must’ve fallen asleep during the festivities, but she was thankful for it nonetheless.

Rachel had never been happier to see the morning sun, the storm had completely abated. Whatever it was Tornadus was trying to test the clans for, they seemed to have succeeded, thankfully.

The Security Corp and Adaman were all preparing to leave, the Diamond Clan leader staying behind a bit to speak with Irida for a moment. Just as Rachel suspected, the leaders of the two clans suggested the idea of an annual truce on the same night every year to try and maintain and improve the relationships between the two clans and to ensure that neither clan would forget what was done, here.

This was the origin of Winter’s Blessings, and Rachel counted herself fortunate to have witnessed it, perhaps even been a part of it. What a strange thing to think about…she was a part of something that she had celebrated as a child her whole life, and only now could she have known it? Time was a strange thing.

Was her world of the future – her present – shaped by her? She couldn’t know, but if this one part of it was, she was happy with this being her contribution. It was a reminder that she had more power than she thought, and she could use that power to make the world better.

That anyone could. And having the proof of that made it all worth it.

With everyone bidding their goodbyes, Rachel took Adaman astride Wyrdeer once more, dismissing Ursaluna now that the task was done and wishing him a happy hibernation. Zisu led the way, Rachel bringing up the rear. She handed him back his cloak, smiling bashfully at him. “Thank you…” She muttered, leaning against him subconsciously. “I…didn’t realize just how tired I was.”

Smiling, Adaman wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her head as they traveled across the icelands once more to make their way home though he could put on his new cloak, its warmth didn’t compare to Rachel’s and he much preferred it. She had very quickly become someone that made him feel warm inside and out, and he intended to cherish it for as long as she was in his world.

No matter how long or short that time would be. “You’re welcome.”

#୨⎯ A Message On The Wind ⎯୧ #୨⎯ Pokémon Trainer Rachel ⎯୧ #୨⎯ Leader of the Diamond Clan ⎯୧ #୨⎯ Then It Has Done You No Good At All ⎯୧ #୨⎯ Tricky as a Fox ⎯୧ #୨⎯ Leader of the Pearl Clan ⎯୧ #merry christmas

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waywardstation · 2 years

Text

Relief From the Heat

When a flash heatwave hits Hisui, and Kamado orders Ingo and Zisu to stay at their post at the training grounds, Akari does her best to bring them some relief from the humid heat.

I combined several prompts for this one; Hisui experiencing a heatwave, more Ingo and Zisu interactions, and Ingo hesitant to take off his coat. CW Anon also helped this indirectly by talking about a subject loosely relating to the solution at the end haha. Thanks CW!

Or, read it on AO3 here!

enjoy!

————

As the morning sun bore down on the Fieldlands, the wurmple kept close to the rivers in the shade of the trees.

As the leaves of trees and the grass wilted and curled, the bidoof waded into the shallow waters with the buizel.

As the muggy heat radiated from the cloudless sky, the shinx lazed beneath the cool, dark undersides of rocky cliffs.

It was much too hot in Hisui today.

The effects of the sweltering heat may have been apparent on the Pokémon, but it was two times as obvious with the residents of Jubilife Village, having turned it into a functional ghost town - no one ventured outside today.

Except for one, apparently.

As Akari pulled the door of her unit to step outside, the sticky outside atmosphere contrasting her relatively cool room surprised her.

Rei had warned her that Hisui’s current season was subject to bouts of heatwaves, but she felt that maybe he had downplayed it a bit; this was bad, and it was only morning! How hot would it get as the sun climbed higher, and the day approached noon?

By no means was it unbearable now…though Akari would favor the term “morbidly irritating.” However, she knew later that “unbearable” would quickly become a more appropriate term.

Akari glanced up at the sky from her unit door, confining herself to the cool shade of the building.

Not a cloud in sight.

It had been plenty cloudy yesterday; it had even rained! It had been raining for several days! What happened?

Though, that did explain why the air felt so damp; it was noticeably humid, and Akari felt that humid heat was almost worse than dry heat. Dry heat didn’t make your sweat cling to your skin, and humidity always made it feel hotter than it actually was.

Akari thought on her plans for today, a little thankful for the fact that there were virtually none. While she had not been asked to attend to any immediate duties, she had wanted to go out and work on some Pokédex entries on her own time today. But that was a completely voluntary decision, she could instead choose to spend the day inside, or go down to the coastlands’ beaches, and-

“Ah, good morning, Akari my girl! Excellent timing, you’re just who I was looking for!”

Akari flinched at the professor’s voice. If he was looking for her…

Laventon came up to her door with a certain spring in his step, perhaps eager to squeeze into the shade cast by her roof, and out of the hot street. Rei stuck close by his side and came up alongside the professor, also trying to fit under the shade. Laventon had taken to tying his coat around his waist, and Rei was using his hat to fan himself, but it seemed to do little; the two were still sweating a fair amount.

“Er, good morning, professor,” Akari greeted Laventon, a little hesitant as she slid the door to her unit open all the way. She could already guess what he was going to ask of her, but she was still hoping she was wrong. “Did…you need something?”

“As a matter of fact, yes! Rei and I were just about to leave for the mirelands,” Laventon informed her. “Today may be a bit hot, but we have a unique opportunity on our hands!”

‘A bit hot’ was a gross understatement, and by the questioning look Rei shot the professor from his side, Akari could tell her and Rei were on the same page.

“See, the weather has an effect on our more floral Pokémon,” Laventon explained. “The state of their plant-like counterparts closely affects their own states, and the effect of several days of rain, followed by a hot streak such as this, has yet to be documented! Rei and I are headed to study how the health of the Budew, turtwig, and petilil are fairing in the mirelands.”

Akari could see where this was going.

“Ok…” she followed along with the professor slowly, dreading where he was going with this.

“For the sake of progressing our research efforts, could I ask you to go out and study the cherrim that populate mount coronet today? There should be an outbreak, considering the recent rainfall. And with a sky like this, they’ll be blooming today; some studies on how several days of good rain effects their blooming forms would be quite valuable!”

There it was. Exactly what she was hoping would not be asked of her.

But she couldn’t really find it in herself to say no to Laventon. And on its own, taking in the professor’s words, she could see just how valuable of an opportunity this was…

“…Can do, professor,” Akari told Laventon, though her voice clearly expressed she wanted nothing more than to say no.

Laventon seemed to not even pick up on this, however, as he flashed her a big smile. “Excellent, my girl! Your efforts to further the Pokedex are much appreciated!”

The professor huffed in the heat, wiping his brow as he turned back to look at the hot street, leading to the gates. “Now, Rei and I should get going to the mirelands before it gets any hotter! I should be back by the end of the day for you to report your findings to. Good luck, Akari!”

As the professor left the safety of the shade, braving the heat to head for Jubilife’s gates, Rei gave Akari a look of pity, mouthing the word ‘sorry!’ to her before he turned to follow Laventon.

Akari stood in the doorway for a moment, a little deflated.

Well, there goes her day of hiding from the heat.

And Laventon had asked her to observe cherrim! On their own, they were already notoriously difficult to document. And with Hisui having many more cloudy days than clear ones, finding one in their blooming forms were even harder!

They were very spritely Pokémon, always hiding amongst out-of-reach foliage and rarely coming out, unless you forcefully shook them out of any trees they could possibly be hiding in. Akari always had some trouble finding any that would hold still long enough for her to document, let alone catch (which she was yet to do). But recently, Laventon noted that rainfall seemed to bring them (and other plant-like Pokémon) down to the ground, in order to soak up puddles and morning dew. So of course, the outbreak was calculated on the recent weather, and the documentation was expected.

And it would explain why Laventon wanted to pounce on rare opportunities like this, following such a recent observation. Combining rainy weather with strong sunshine, two things that nourished floral Pokémon’s foliage in different ways, would be an interesting event to document.

So she understood the importance of doing this for the professor.

Still hesitant to step into the sun, Akari moved out the door to her unit and shut it, staying in the sliver of shade that the short overhanging roof of her unit provided.

Akari quickly became aware of just how unfit the survey corps uniforms were for weather like this, tugging on her thick scarf. It was a wonder Rei hadn’t removed his when she saw him.

She hoped that the highlands would be a bit cooler than Jubilife today. She did not envy Laventon and Rei for venturing into the already-muggy, swampy terrain of the mirelands.

Speaking of Laventon and Rei…two people documenting would probably make the work go faster than just one. The professor was lucky to have Rei there to help him.

Akari glanced down the street, in the direction of the dojo. All of the storefronts leading down the path were shut in today, conserving what cool air they could, and the end of the street seemed to waver, with the intense heat sizzling off of it.

If Laventon could have an observation partner with him, shouldn’t she be able to as well?

————

Even in the shade of the dojo, the uncomfortable, damp heat drove just about everything else from the forefront of Ingo’s mind.

He was not one who did particularly well in the heat. Even before Hisui, he suspected he faired better in cooler temperatures, and counted himself lucky to be part of a clan that settled in colder territory.

But right now, he was not in colder territory.

He was in Jubilife village, subjected to the harsh, humid heat that the shade of the dojo only slightly lessened.

Ingo sighed and lifted his cap to wipe at the sweat that stuck to his forehead.

“Aren’t you like, really hot in that?”

From under the brim of his hat, Ingo glanced at Zisu off to his side. As a hot-blooded person herself, she was also sweating, and a little red in the face from the heat. But she seemed more concerned for Ingo at the moment.

After all, he was still wearing his heavy tattered coat, on top of his thick Pearl Clan tunic, and his insulating black underlayer.

“That’s just…a lot of layers,” Zisu elaborated further. “Maybe shed the coat, at least?”

“It is rather hot today, but I am alright, Miss Zisu; thank you for your concern.” Ingo replied, looking very-much-not-alright as he cleared his dry throat and tugged at the collar of his tunic.

Zisu had noticed Ingo had a very hard time parting with his foreign clothes that he had arrived with in Hisui. Besides the fact that it held immense sentimental value (as if removing it was removing one of the only parts of himself that he had managed to retain), it was like he viewed it as a work uniform, and would not take it off when working. Strange.

And in general, he seemed more conservative with his attire, appearing hesitant to shed layers around others in an effort to preserve etiquette.

But this was a little over the top, and whatever the case was, she did not need him passing out on her from heat stroke as the day went on. And if he wouldn’t take the first step, she would.

“No- here, look; it’s ok, just tie it around your waist.” Zisu told the warden as she fumbled with her heavy Galaxy Team overcoat uniform. She slipped it off and loosely knotted the sleeves around her hips, leaving her in a much lighter undershirt.

“I feel much better now, and you will too if you do the same thing! …At least, take the coat off,” Zisu told Ingo as he stared at her, considering how much more comfortable she seemed.

“Well…” Ingo muttered after a moment, thinking better of it.

“If you don’t, you’re going to be completely drenched in sweat by noon.” She pushed further, noting his look of hesitance. “And in humid weather like this-“

That did it; combined with the encouragement (or more like peer pressure) that it was ok to shed work uniforms, as well as the reminder of how miserable he’d be come noon if he didn’t change anything, Ingo caved. He mirrored Zisu and slipped his large coat off, carefully tying the frayed sleeves around his waist.

Zisu’s shed overcoat may have highlighted how strong she was, her muscled arms free of the large sleeves, but Ingo’s shed coat gave him a contrasting effect. He appeared even smaller next to tall Zisu, the absence of the stiff coat making his shoulders appear less broad, and the concealing tunic giving him a more ambiguous form.

“…this is much better.” Ingo agreed after a moment, huffing as if trying to expel all of the extra heat out of his system. The thick Pearl clan tunic was still a little stuffy, but the difference in temperature was immediate. “Thank you, Miss Zisu.”

“Ingo!”

Both Ingo and Zisu turned to the training grounds entrance to see Akari entering; she had taken to a speed walk today, as opposed to her usual running. The heat was probably to blame for that.

“Good morning, Miss Akari!” Ingo called back. “How are you today?”

“Melting!” The girl responded as she reached Ingo and Zisu, squeezing under the dojo’s limited shade with them both. “It’s so hot today, and the Professor just told me I had to go out to the highlands and document a Cherrim outbreak!”

Ingo had half-hoped Akari had come to request a battle like she usually did, but the other half dreaded it. It was no surprise he enjoyed them, as well as the new tricks and techniques she brought with her every time she battled him - it kept him on his toes! But today, he didn’t know if he could stand being in the full heat of the sun for a battle that would go on for as long as Akari’s usually did.

So at the proclamation, he felt a bit of relief.

“That sounds like a lot of work on a day like today,” Ingo commented. “But you mentioned your destination is the highlands, correct? It seemed cooler there when I departed from Lady Sneasler and her kits this morning. You should be able to enjoy more bearable weather there while you do your fieldwork.”

The look on Ingo’s face told Akari he wished he could experience the cooler temperatures as well.

“Well,” Akari pondered. “Laventon went out to document with Rei to help him, but I have to do it all alone!…But you know so much about Pokémon, would you want to come help me today?”

Ingo’s features brightened at the proposition; he appreciated Akari wanted him of all people to come help her, and he would have very much appreciated any cooler weather!

But…

“I apologize, but I cannot leave my station for today.” Ingo answered her question, a hint of regret in his voice as he crossed his arms behind his back. “Zisu and I had appealed to Commander Kamado for a day off, but he rejected it, should anyone still want to train today. He made it clear we are not to leave, and serve a full work day.”

“What?” Akari made no attempt to hide the surprise she felt at hearing that; Zisu’s hardened expression confirmed Ingo’s story.

That wasn’t fair! Everyone else in the village had a nice shop or store to retreat to, and at least get some form of relief from the heatwave! The dojo was much too stuffy for Ingo and Zisu to do the same, probably hotter inside than outside. The Ginkgo guild hadn’t even shown up today, their wagon vacant from the front of the building. And the Ginkgo guild always shows up; if it was too hot for them, then…

“All day? But…who would even come out here and train today in heat like this? No one’s even in the streets!”

“Regardless, it is Commander Kamado’s orders,” Ingo plainly answered.

“Easy for him to say in his big office, nice and cool indoors!” Akari jabbed, looking up at the Galaxy Team Headquarters, glaring right at the closed windows of Kamado’s room.

An intrusive thought to throw a small rock at his window crossed her mind, and she might have followed through with it if his office wasn’t three stories off the ground, out of reach.

“I regret not being able to take you up on your generous offer, Miss Akari,” Ingo continued the previous topic. “But I do hope you enjoy the cooler weather of the highlands today. Take care not to overheat your engine on the trip over, and stay hydrated! Safety first! Perhaps another time, with a less strict schedule to uphold, I can join you and offer my assistance.”

With the look of want in Ingo’s eyes, she could see he genuinely wanted to go with her, both to spend time with her, and to get out of this muggy heat to somewhere cooler; he would go if he could, but she knew he would never shirk his duties, no matter how unreasonable they seemed to be.

“Well, ok…” Akari accepted Ingo’s answer, and turned to go. “I should be back later!”

“Good luck with the research!” Zisu called after her, waving goodbye.

“We will be here,” Ingo added.

The two watched her leave the training grounds and head down the strip towards the village gates, but Zisu let out a chuckle when they saw her take a sudden left, and head into the Galaxy Team Headquarters building.

“How much you wanna bet she’s asking Kamado if you can skip work today and come with her?” The captain continued laughing as she elbowed Ingo’s arm. Zisu was more entertained than the warden, who mostly just felt appreciative that she wanted to try. She was very stubborn on aspects like this.

“No bet is needed,” Ingo shook his head with a more delayed look of amusement, not catching on that the question was rhetorical. “I’m sure we both know that is what she is attempting.”

After a few minutes, Akari left the doors of the building looking considerably more defeated than before - Kamado had indeed rejected her request.

Zisu laughed once more, louder this time - but again, out of amusement, and not mockery. “Oh poor girl, at least she tried!”

The two watched Akari make her way down the street towards the storage box near the gate and start rooting through it, as expected whenever she was about to go do fieldwork.

But unexpectedly, they saw her stand back up for a moment as if thinking, before heading with a certain quickness for the village’s Pokémon pasture.

Ingo found that a little odd; was she switching out a Pokémon on her team? Unless she was traveling to a harsher climate, or observing unusually hostile Pokémon, she had a solid team she stuck with, and didn’t usually change them. And observing Cherrim in the highlands checked neither of those boxes.

His confusion only grew when he saw her run back to her unit and go through the door for minute or so, before re-emerging and heading for the gates quickly.

The warden was unaware of Akari’s plans. At the storage box, she had given her situation some thought. The observatory work wasn’t supposed to take too long if the outbreak was all in one place, she figured - probably a few hours if she hurried, before the sun was at its strongest. Poor Ingo and Zisu were stuck here all day though, and couldn’t leave! She might have some time to help them out before the weather became unbearable, and gave one (or both!) of them heatstroke.

The warden kept his curiosity to himself as he watched her pull out her flute and play a tune, not bothering Zisu with his thoughts.

Ingo once again tugged back his hat to wipe at the accumulating sweat on his forehead. He watched Wyrdeer prance over the hills of the fieldlands and stop at the gates, allowing Akari onto their back, before trotting off in the direction it came from.

Yes, he would not bother Zisu with his thoughts. It was too hot to think out loud anyways.

————

By the time Akari returned on wyrdeer’s back, making her way back to the village, it had been several hours, right after the sun had reached its highest point in the still-cloudless sky.

It had been rough this morning, but Akari’s earlier predictions were right; it was almost unbearably hot now. In the highlands, Pokémon had been sluggish. But in the fieldlands, Akari barely saw a Pokémon, save for the ones wading through the shallow points in the rivers. All of them were resting in the shaded foliage of the protective trees, and cooled-down dens.

Ingo had been right, the highlands offered some shelter from the heatwave, with its many streams and rivers, and a cooler climate, closer to snowy terrain. It made her fieldwork more bearable. It had been mostly successful too; she was able to make some good observations she felt the Professor would appreciate!

Turns out, the rain had seemed to make Cherrim’s petals more sturdy and vibrant - their usually-pale pink petals were a more saturated color than she had ever seen before, and seemed thicker and more durable, quite a contrast to the delicate, fragile petals she had observed in the past. And the two red bulbs on their heads were bigger!

Akari hypothesized the bulbs worked similarly to cherubi’s second sprout, and stored nutrients. And with the Cherrim’s energy directly coming from the sunlight they absorb through their petals, she wrote hypotheticals questioning if stronger petals from recent rainwater absorbed more energy.

Akari hoped the professor would appreciate going over her notes and hypotheticals later - the trip had overall been worth it for the information she collected, but sadly she was still unable to catch a cherrim. They had so much energy that they’d photosynthesized from the hot sun, that they always zipped away before she could get a Pokémon out, or throw a pokeball…it had left her with a number of scuffs and grass stains on her clothes, in her attempts to go after them.

There would be other times, other chances, she supposed. She dragged her feet about doing the task, but it hadn’t taken that long (and now she knew to look for the weather to indicate whether Cherrim would be out or not).

Especially with her rushing, the survey work had otherwise gone by very fast, as she expected.

It was the detour she took that had taken up most of her time away…

Heading back to the fieldlands, she had noticed a gradual spike in temperature and humidity. The intense heat burned her skin, but the fabric of her clothes that protected her from the harshness ended up quickly overheating her and making her sweat.

She didn’t even want to know how Wyrdeer felt with that insulating double coat, so she let the noble go at the entrance to Jubilife with a quick thank you, and it rushed off in a hurry, no doubt looking for a place to cool down and escape the sun.

Akari rubbed at the sweat that ran down the back of her neck. This was ridiculous! If she walked through the gates of Jubilife to see two certain people still outside the dojo, ordered to stay there…

Her worries were confirmed as she approached the training grounds. The whole village was practically a ghost town, everyone still confining themselves to the cool indoors of their shops, except for the two people still standing at the dojo.

“You’re still out here?” Akari cried out as she hurried over to them both, who turned their weary attention to her in response.

While it was indeed a bit cooler in the shade of the dojo, it did nothing to alleviate the humidity - Akari would have compared them both to bergmite who had been left in the sun a little too long with how much they were sweating.

Zisu had thrown off her overcoat entirely, now in her hands as opposed to tied around her waist. Currently using it more like a towel, she had been wiping her face and neck with it. Ingo had taken off his Pearl Clan tunic at some point; now tied around his waist along with his coat, it left him only in his black underlayer. Ingo, a person who very much cared about proper dress code, had to be desperate if he had resorted to doing that at his workplace.

“Ah, welcome back, Miss Akari!” Ingo replied, exhaustion apparent in his voice. “I hope your fieldwork ran smoothly. You were gone for quite a bit longer than expected! I was starting to get worried.”

“Well, mostly, but-“ the girl started, caught a little off guard. She had run up, ready to fret over the two of them, not expecting Ingo to do it over her first. “ -but I’ve worried too; it’s much hotter than earlier! I hope you’ve gotten breaks, at least!”

“Oh, we have; we’ve spent them all at Beni’s, downing any cold drinks we can get!” Zisu answered. From the look on her and Ingo’s faces, Akari could tell they didn’t entirely want to do that. She knew The Wallflower could be pricy; which ended up making the food and drinks there more of a treat than a staple, every-day affordable meal. They both most likely blew a large part of the day’s income there just to keep hydrated.

“It is alright, Miss Akari,” Ingo could see the worry grow on her face, and attempted to soothe her. “We only have a few hours left until we can leave our posts.”

A few hours? The sun wasn’t going to set for at least another four!

“Kamado still won’t let you guys go?” Akari questioned. “Why won’t he-“

“-He came by after you left, and said after talking with you, he was considering giving us half-day if no one came around.” Zisu started, using her coat as a towel once again to dab at the back of her neck. “And all seemed clear, until a single Galaxy team member came by right before noon and requested a battle. Then Commander clamped back up, said we were needed full day incase anyone else came by.”

Zisu’s tone sounded like she’d have some very choice words to share with this person later, if she ever ran back into them. Zisu used no names. But Akari wondered if this was the troublesome Galaxy team member Zisu had brought up before, and if they had done this on purpose.

She would ask about that later. For now, she was frustrated.

“That’s not fair!” Akari argued. For the second time that day, she wanted to throw something at Kamado’s window. Maybe it was the incessant, boiling heat, but she found herself a bit easier to anger than usual.

“It’s not, but it’s what happened.” Ingo leaned against the dojo wall. Akari subconsciously noticed how…incomplete he looked without his coat and tunic. It was weird.

“Well,” Akari started slowly, trying to change tracks. “If you guys have to stay out here, I will too.”

Both Zisu and Ingo straightened immediately, fully ready to argue against that; there was no reason for her to stay out here and suffer with them! She could go cool down in her unit, or head to a cooler part of Hisui. The heat was clearly getting to her!

But Akari stopped them in their tracks before they could even start.

“-because! I brought some relief!”

Zisu and Ingo watched Akari turn to her satchel and root through it for a few moments, their interests peaked as she pulled out what she was looking for; a pokeball.

With a click, the handheld device released a rotom. But it wasn’t a small, zippy rotom they had come to expect by default; the large, bulky body and electric purple outline set it apart. It was a frost rotom!

“I was sent out really close to the icelands, and the fieldwork went really quick, so I thought I’d bring something back in case you guys were still here!” Akari gestured to the rotom, who opened one of its doors to her, a cloud of refreshing cold air puffing out. “It’s why I took a little longer coming back.”

She pulled out a handful of…something. Zisu looked at them in thorough confusion, but a delayed spark of remembrance came to Ingo’s face after gazing at them for a moment.

They were popsicles! And the chilly compartment of Akari’s frost rotom was full of them!

Or a version of them, more like. She held sticks out, with thick chunks of packed snow clinging to them. They seemed to be flavored with several different colors of juice. While appearing to be haphazardly made, it held together at least.

“I was really close by to the Icelands, so I thought I’d stop over there and make some of these!” Akari held a popsicle out to the both of them. “Take one! I used oran and sitrus berries for the flavors.”

————

The wicked sun was finally starting to set, allowing the baked ground and withered trees to finally cool off a little, before the process repeated again with tomorrow’s sunrise.

The humidity was still palpable, but at least the intense heat had lessened, and everyone in the village was grateful for that; the shops had opened their storefronts back up, and villagers were once again starting to traverse the streets in the cooler atmosphere.

Some Pokémon had even ventured back out, a flock of starly hunting in the sunset sky, searching for any last-minute meals they could swoop down on.

Akari sat between Ingo and Zisu on a bench that had been lugged out of the dojo and set against its wall, the three of them appreciating the cold air Akari’s frost rotom generated while they finished off the ice pops. Laventon and Rei were still yet to return, so at this point, Akari was just waiting to turn her pokedex recordings in for review.

“Thank you very much for providing these, Miss Akari! They were very relieving in the heat…and quite good!” Ingo thanked the girl as he added the now-empty stick to his handful of others beside him. Despite Akari using tree branches for the sticks, Ingo still kept them neatly collected, as if tossing the branches on the ground was littering.

Zisu held no such reservations, and after seeing Akari throwing them into the air to see how far she could toss them (suspiciously in the direction of Commander Kamado’s office), Zisu joined in, making it a contest. Akari’s rotom buzzed the entire time, encouraging them both.

Of course, Zisu’s sticks went much further than Akari’s.

“Absolutely!” The captain added onto Ingo’s thanks as she launched another stick clear out of the training grounds. “Where’d you learn to make these?”

“My hometown,” Akari answered after a moment, thinking back on the memories. “My friends and I used to make them when it snowed! Though, they were all much better at it than I was!”

“Well, I loved them!” The captain encouraged her. “You might have to bring more some time!”

Akari beamed at the support and compliment, just happy she could help her friends.

“Maybe I’ll have to tomorrow! Do you both have to come in again for more work tomorrow?” She asked, taking her last stick and throwing it as far as she could. It barely made it over the training ground’s fence. It was a little pathetic compared to all of Zisu’s throws, which easily cleared them.

“We haven’t received orders not to arrive at our stations again for tomorrows schedule,” Ingo answered, now leaning back and using the dojo’s wall for support. Resting, he had tipped his cap over his eyes to protect them from the setting sun. “So it appears so.”

“But what if it’s hot like this again?” Akari questioned. “Or even hotter? And what about that Galaxy team member from earlier? Was she the one who’s been giving you two trouble? What if she comes around again and makes you guys have to stay here all day again?”

“Don’t pay mind to her,” Zisu brushed it off, sitting forward in a more alert stance, as opposed to the relaxed one before. “She’s just vying for my position here at the dojo, and upset she can’t have it.”

Zisu wasn’t the only one with some apparent choice words in mind for this person, Akari thought to herself.

“Don’t worry, Miss Akari,” Ingo spoke up again from under his cap. “The heat wave and its troubles will depart in time, but until then, we both appreciate having you around the station.”

But Akari was already hatching a plan to save her friends from another day of sweltering heat.

“No wait, I got it; tomorrow, play up really serious heat strokes in front of Kamado so that he’s forced to let you both off work. Then, we can go to the beach at the coastlands!”

#pokémon legends arceus #Pokémon legends #ingo #warden ingo #submas #subway boss ingo #pokémon #subway masters #subway bosses #pla akari #Zisu #captain zisu #pokemon zisu #pokémon fanfiction #Pokémon fanfic #uncle ingo #Akari just wants to help her friends cool down #Kamado is way too strict with his work rules #waywardstationfanfic

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