Rotom’s ringing keeps me half awake in the cold of the night. It’s hard to believe, but recently the temperatures have dropped significantly – at least once the sun has gone down. September is slowly foreshadowing what’s coming in autumn and although I’m glad I’m no longer tortured by endless heat, I don’t know if I’ll like winter any better.

  “Domino?”

  When Amethio finally picks up, I can hear myself breathe a sigh of relief. He’s quite a distance away and I could call absolutely anyone – Zir and Conia, for example – but I can’t deny that I’m always drawn back to Amethio. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been able to rely on him and, despite his rebukes and the fact we don’t get along smoothly, he gives me a certain security that makes me feel at ease.

  “Where are you?”

  His sudden question snaps me out of my thoughts, causing me to suck in my breath shakily and hug Coro’s feathery body tighter. “At the Dragonspiral Tower.”

  This time, I detect a deep exhalation on the other side, causing my shoulders to tighten. He doesn’t seem to have been any less tense than I was. Presumably, Ghetsis’ plan of a little lie didn’t quite work out.

  “You knew I wasn’t sent on a mission?”

  “It was obvious,” he replies. “When I received your message, I already knew something must have happened. Hamber wouldn’t give you a job without my knowledge, and you never deemed it necessary to tell me about your trips with Spinel before you left.” A brief silence spreads between us and for a moment I think I can see him in my mind’s eye – standing there and closing his eyes because he can hardly believe what he’s about to say. “Besides, you were going to run errands and then return.”

  He already knew I was in trouble when I didn’t come back on time. All because he trusts my words. Probably because I discuss everything else with him. The certainty brings a smile to my lips. To my astonishment, he pays more attention to my actions and idiosyncrasies than I would ever have expected. He notices me and my heart thanks him with a gentle leap.

  “I take it you’ve started looking for me?”

  “We’ve been waiting for something to happen,” he returns. “Some people witnessed the fight between you and Ghetsis in the streets or ran away. From there, we tried to find out where he would take you. However, we don’t know where Plasma is hiding. So we waited until a professor gave us a clue about you being in the Chargestone Cave. Together with Ghetsis and this N.” His breath is now running a little faster through the line, as if he is hurrying along the corridors of the base. “We quickly realised Plasma was planning to take you to the Dragonspiral Tower. We wanted to bring you back before that, but according to Hamber, the circumstances would have been too dangerous.”

  “Too dangerous?” They’re not wrong. I don’t want to know what Ghetsis would have done to N if they had intervened.

  “You said something to the professor that probably meant more than first thought.”

  I remember. The moment Aurea tried to get me out and I told her I wanted to help N – she must have understood there was a reason. The two of us would have gotten away for sure. However, my words conveyed something would happen if we ran away. She picked up on my insecurity and passed it on. Basically, she saved N’s life and the tightness that suddenly forms in my chest makes me swallow hard. I don’t want to think about how desperate everything seems right now. We haven’t reached the end yet, N isn’t safe. There’s a gap between us and I have to cross it before Ghetsis does.

  “Thank you...” is all I manage. “Not coming was the right decision.” I take a long breath, my shoulders shaking. “I hope you could recover anyway.”

  “I’m fine,” he snorts wearily. Surely, when I left, it was his last day of rest. He just wanted to stick to the deadline he’d been given, while fulfilling the promise between us on the side. Still, it can’t be good to be hounded out of a rest session only to see stress ahead. “Do you need help?”

  “I’ll be fine,” I reply in a flash. I don’t want to burden him with any more. He shouldn’t have to come and rescue me again. I have only myself to thank for these circumstances, so I’ll get out of this on my own. “But could you tell me where the Light Stone was last seen? That legendary piece to summon Reshiram?”

  “The Light Stone?” I don’t need to see him to know he raises his eyebrows. “What do you want with it?”

  “I ... need to do something. Can you just answer the question?” Reluctantly, I pull my legs tighter, hoping that Coro’s warmth will take away some of the chill running through my body.

  Amethio, meanwhile, takes his time before answering with a snort. “It is said it disappeared centuries ago in the ‘Relic Castle’. A ruin where nothing has been found for years.”

  I don’t want to believe that I’m any better at searching than any of the experts who have specially equipped themselves for a treasure hunt, but it’s the only clue I have. Maybe a bit of luck will play into my hands and the Light Stone will fall into my lap without further ado because it senses I need it more than anyone else right now. If I don’t find it, I’ll have to face N with my team and that could be problematic when it comes to Zekrom. Not much is known about this creature, but it has a power that a simple Pokémon can’t block. It’s not for nothing that the dragons here are known as legends. They can make a difference, really change things – with sheer force.

  “I’ll get back to you when I have what I’m looking for,” I finally throw at Amethio before hanging up – just as he takes a breath to protest. We haven’t been a team for long, but I’ve spent enough time with him to know what he would have said next. We’ve been at each other’s throats far too often in such a brief space of time for anything else.

  Taking one last deep breath, I pull myself together and call Coro back into his ball. Then I tuck him into the side pockets of my sweater along with the others and the Rotom Phone, and push on.

  The night’s chill isn’t nearly as bad as what I experienced in the cold store, but I can’t say my legs are warm. Every breeze shivers a little on my skin. I’d like to have something else to wear, I’d love to take a shower and do something about the pain of the fall down the steps, but there’s no time.

  As soon as I think I’m so deep in the surrounding forest that there’s no going back and forth, I grab Rotom again. The reception out here isn’t the best, but it’s enough to open a map of Unova and find out where the palace Amethio was talking about is located.

  However, the distance on the map already seems gigantic, not least because Castelia City is closer to my destination than this damned Dragonspiral Tower. What’s more, the distance calculator robs me of all hope. The gap between me and the palace is almost six hours – assuming I had a car and an aeroplane to carry me over Twist Mountain. However, taking a diversion would take much longer and I would see almost the entire region. Then again, I’m travelling on foot. The likelihood of me even reaching the next town seems relatively low in my current state.

  Pressing my lips together, I dial Amethio’s number again and let it ring until he picks up half an eternity later. He seems to enjoy making me sit on my poor decisions a little longer than necessary.

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  “I know what I said,” I start when I’m sure he’s listening on the other side of the line. “Still, I’ve realised I don’t have time to walk all the way.” I purse my lips. “Is the offer to help still on?”

  “I’m already on my way.”

  “How long will it take?”

  “A while.” A short pause. “If Corviknight gives it its all, about an hour. But then we’ll have to rest up there.”

  No matter how we spin it, I’ll lose time. But the same is probably true for Plasma. After everything that’s happened, I don’t think Ghetsis will immediately set off to capture N and make his life hell. With any luck, he’ll spend the next few hours complaining about his aching bones while I rest in the safety of a warm room. On top, it allows me to actually prepare myself for the circumstances.

  “You wouldn’t happen to have any clothes for me?” I can guess the answer, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

  To my astonishment, however, Amethio makes a sound of approval. “Conia noticed that you’d turned up. She gave me a bag for you.”

  This time I can clearly feel my heart leap for joy and even if it’s not for Amethio, I realise it with relief. In these seconds, Conia is my personal angel.

  “Do you want me to wait for you somewhere?” In the end, I pause in one place for a moment, hoping Amethio will fly over me at any second. A silly thought, considering how far away he is.

  “Stay where you are. Then I can track you on the Rotom Phone.”

  It’s very simple and, just like always, and I don’t have to worry about what’s coming next because I know Amethio won’t leave me hanging. That’s the only reason I give him an accepting hum before hanging up again and surrendering to the silence. In the meantime, I have no choice but to let Ying out of her ball and snuggle up to her for some warmth.

  Leaning my head against her chest fur, I close my eyes. Behind them, my thoughts, concerns and worries bubble up and I can’t shake them off. N is on his way to see what he can do. He will challenge and defeat the champs currently in the region; he will show the people of Unova that he is the chosen one. And then he will act.

  It’s a scenario I don’t want to imagine. I’d much rather think about Amethio, about the fact that with his help I might be able to do something before N decides in favour of stupidity and Ghetsis throws him away. Sure, this guy won’t jump N’s bones right away, but as soon as the opportunity presents itself, he’ll take over. He’ll wait until N has done what he’s supposed to do and then Ghetsis will take his place to control what isn’t his.

  Again, I shake my head until Ying lets out a grumble of confusion. Gently, I stroke her muzzle. Then I cling to Amethio again, to the only thought that seems good in this confusion. Perhaps because we’ve spent the last few days together and I’ve experienced him in a way that makes him much more fragile than he would probably ever admit. We’ve made a promise and been more open with each other than I ever thought possible on Poni Island.

  It’s strange. We barely know each other at all, really. I don’t know what he likes or what desires he carries with him aside from Rayquaza. I didn’t even know what his surname was until recently and it probably doesn’t look much different to him. A groan escapes me. It certainly looks very different to him. After all, he’s watching me in a way I completely miss.

  My thoughts stop. Thinking about it is confusing. It feels like we know nothing about each other, but if I’m honest, when I try to piece together everything I recognise about him, we have a deeper understanding of each other than I expected. Our characteristics take centre stage in this.

  And that’s despite we spent most of our time together in Alola. I’ve spent these months we’ve been in Unova mainly with Spinel and yet – I’ve hardly been able to get Amethio out of my head for a second. Since my escape, he’s been the only person I’ve been able to feel at peace with. In a very short time, I trusted him enough to fall asleep by his side, resting my head on his shoulder repeatedly and hoping he would wait for me to return when I stumbled into Ultra Space with Lillie.

  I’m sure it wasn’t love at first sight. Certainly not. I was still making fun of it in Malie Garden. And yet I can’t find the point in my memories where I fell in love. Was it the seconds during his exercise when I got closer to him? Was it this strange tension that caught up with me? Or was it the dreams and imaginings when I was out with Spinel, where I slowly realised what it was like to miss someone so clearly?

  There are endless possibilities on offer – as if all of this crept up on me. As if a little distance was enough to point out I was already unconsciously drawn to him from the very beginning. To his long eyelashes, the way he wears his hair and the icy stare behind which hides a hothead whose tunnel vision reaches to the ends of the earth.

  Half in thought, I pull my legs closer to my upper body and rest my head on my knees. Thinking about Amethio is nice, even if I can’t answer many questions. Liking him is strange. It’s kind of unprepared and comes out of nowhere. Or maybe I’m just imagining it. Perhaps I’m a little blind to the creeping feelings I’ve been harbouring. Fact is, I want to know more about him, want more time with him, and part of me hopes he will help me with N too.

  Instead of dealing with this mess alone, I should communicate and get an ally on board. No one promises me I can find the Light Stone and get Reshiram on my side. But I could get Amethio involved. He’s strong enough to make a difference.

  As I swallow dryly, the thought clouds my mind. Rayquaza already didn’t see him as an opponent, and even if I want to believe it, in reality, it’s unlikely to be any different with Zekrom. It’s not a Legendary Pokémon for nothing. I can’t imagine that after all these years of rest, it’s any weaker than Amethio told me. Together with Reshiram, it has destroyed Unova once before. That takes power. A lot of it.

  However, Zekrom doesn’t seem like an evil Pokémon. It listened to my request, even though it acknowledged N. It has acted, even though I have nothing to say. Maybe I can talk things through with it.

  Or maybe I’m just naive.

  It’s much more likely that it listened to me because it understood the circumstances. N’s safety is top priority for this Pokémon. It does everything it can to ensure its newly chosen hero isn’t wiped off the face of the earth within the first four seconds. N’s wishes and dreams are also Zekrom’s. At least, I can hardly imagine it any other way with a creature that falls in historical records in connection with said dreams.

  My thoughts are spinning. The blackness behind my eyes intensifies and with every new thought I have, I seem to forget the world around me. Plasma won’t find me here, and the cold doesn’t seem so bad around Ying. I can get used to it.

  And then there’s this pleasant warmth that spreads over my shoulder. It’s a little different from Ying’s fur, heavier and a little more alive because I can feel the pressure through the fabric of the jumper. Sleepily, I lift my head to see if another Pokémon has joined us. But my eyes immediately catch Amethio’s violet gaze.

  In an instant, I sit upright, my eyes wide open, to make sure I’m not imagining things. “You’re here already?”

  “I told you I’d be here in about an hour.”

  He was true to his word; pushing Corviknight to reach me as quickly as possible. The growing relief steals the tension from my body and, as my shoulders slump, I don’t think I can move. A wave of calm washes over me, certainty that everything will be a little easier now, and when Amethio offers his hand to help me up, I accept.

  Wordlessly, he drags me to his Flying-type Pokémon. Ying disappears into her ball and climbing up seems easier than anything I’ve ever done before. As soon as I wrap my arms around Amethio’s waist, we rise into the air.

  In those seconds, everything seems to be in the right place. Resting my head on his shoulder, I dare to press myself close to him until he lets me know with a tap on my forearms that I’m taking his breath away. So I loosen my grip a little and enjoy his closeness in other ways – his smell, his warmth, and the silence.

  Amethio doesn’t ask a single question. He knows I’m going to talk to him, anyway. I always do in cases like this. Because it’s important. Because it’s all I have in these seconds. Still, I let a few minutes pass. My heart beats faster. He can probably feel it drumming against his back. Or perhaps I’m just paranoid and he doesn’t notice any of this.

  Yet I can’t shake the sudden flash of thought at the back of my mind. N’s affection for the Pokémon, his love for all the friends he’s made out there – is this feeling comparable to my feelings for Amethio? Or is it more like my love for Ying? Is it warm and exciting, or is it a mixture of security and worry?

  He has told me so much, but none of it seems to fit.

  It shouldn’t matter, but it’s a question I have to ask him. A question I will ask him as soon as we meet again. Maybe then I’ll understand why he finds decisions difficult.

  Finally, I take a deep breath and speak up. However, I don’t let go of Amethio, nor do I pull my head from his shoulder. In the next moment, everything that has happened in the last few days leaves my lips. The reason I ended up leaving with Ghetsis, that they locked me in a cold store, that I want to help N and how he sees things in the world. Our conversations, our disagreements, his wishes, his dreams, my hopes.

  And somewhere along the line, I ask for help.