“Wh-what ... is that?” This time Lillie’s voice comes through to me clearly, overpowering the beeping in my ears but not allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief.

My whole body trembles. A few hairs have wrapped themselves around my fingers and every wrong movement seems to tear directly at my scalp. It’s impossible to take my eyes off the crack in the sky; the blackness lurking warningly behind it. Purple flickers somewhere in between and although it seems insane, it threatens to burst out in flashes – like flames, only sharper and more dangerous.

“No. Please.”

For a breath, my body stiffens. Between all the confusion, a voice emerges, and it’s not the first time I’ve heard it. Instantly, I take my attention away from the crack in the sky and look down at Nebby, slowly moving towards the danger. Lillie tries to stop it, but all she can do is reach out for it. Her legs threaten to give way.

“Stop it,” whimpers Lillie’s Pokémon. “Don’t. Not ready yet.” Its little body trembles. “Fine. It’s fine.”

Once again, I look up at the dimensional rift. Sure enough, the edges seem to be contracting and whatever lurks beyond is at risk of being trapped again. It’s hard to believe, but Nebby is proving an influence on this hole, on this abnormality – and that’s probably why I can hear it. This Pokémon is something special, I can’t deny it.

The next moment, the crack closes. The confusion in my skull collapses and I’m left with an exhausted void, so I lean on my knees and take a deep breath. Meanwhile, Lillie’s legs give way and she lands with her bum on the ground.

“Was... Was that a...”

“Dimensional crack,” I confirm. “Luckily, it didn't turn into an Ultra Wormhole.” Then my gaze falls to Nebby. “What are you?”

Slowly, it turns in my direction and looks at me with endless dark eyes. Its glamour and the shimmer of its somehow unsteady form make it look terribly powerful for a moment.

“Unknown,” Rotom interjects. “There’s no record of this Pokémon. If you find out anything about this creature, you can send a note to the main professors’ department. They will check the entry and ensure one is made for my database.”

Without blinking, I keep my eyes fixed on Nebby. From what I’ve seen, Rotom’s entry isn’t surprising. But part of me believes I can get information directly from the Pokémon itself if I ask the right questions.

Meanwhile, Nebby is getting closer, and my hopes are rising. If it could, it would probably be looking at me sideways right now. Immediately afterwards, it replies, “Hello.”

“Hello,” I respond. “Can you tell me where you’re from?”

Its lively wiggling back and forth is almost provocative. “Have a nice day.”

“Please... You’d be helping Lillie a lot so she can bring you back. To where you belong.”

“Lillie!” It wiggles around a little more happily before floating over to my companion and snuggling up to her. “Lillie good!”

“That’s probably not going to work...” With a sigh, I scramble to my feet.

“What did Nebby say?” Lillie’s eyes are glued to me.

“Nothing special. It doesn’t seem to form complete sentences often. And it doesn’t seem to ... understand me properly either.” Mouth agape, I scrutinise Nebby. It seems to be at the level of a toddler – never older than two or three. “But it’s glad you’re okay.”

“Nebby...” Lillie immediately embraces her Pokémon and lets the moment pass by. I, for my part, turn my gaze to the sky again.

There’s no trace of the dimensional rift left and whatever tried to get out, I don’t want to think about it any longer. The only thing I know for sure is that Amethio has to show interest in all this. It certainly may not have been Rayquaza, but by now we have new ways to spin theories and the more we learn about this world, the easier it will be to understand and cope with.

“We should keep going,” I decide after a few minutes, during which Lillie has slowly picked herself up and is still cuddling Nebby close to her face. My decision elicits only a murmur of agreement from her and although we should proceed with caution, slowly and without stress showing, my steps are quick. Everything in me just wants to get to the next town and report on what has happened.

A little later, we cross the threshold into the tunnel. The uneven stone floor crunches underfoot and the light chain attached to the ceiling provides enough light to find our way comfortably. Hammering echoes along the walls and if I stretch my head far enough, a handful of workers can be seen on one side. Their picks and chisels smash stone while muffled conversations trickle through the breaks.

The hustle and bustle slows my steps, causing Lillie to pause breathlessly beside me. Yet she doesn’t complain once and it’s almost amazing to know she won’t let it get her down. This journey is just as shaping for her as it is for me.

Our movements echo off the stone walls the deeper we go into the tunnel. The main path is marked by small signs. There are warnings about turn-offs if you don’t have an escape rope. The Digletts, to whom this tunnel was named, are probably lurking somewhere along the way.

“It’s not far to the exit,” says Lillie. “Turn twice, go up the stairs and you’re already outside.”

“Did Kukui tell you about this?”

She nods hastily. “H-He wanted to make sure I didn’t get lost.”

Compared to my father, the people of this island are so friendly it’s almost too good to be true. Then again, maybe that’s just normal. I can’t say I really know anything about normality.

“D-Do you hear that?” When Lillie suddenly stops, the thoughts in my head fade. Instead, I pause too.

I try to listen for a moment. My head is still throbbing, albeit not as bad, so it’s hard to hear the sounds creeping quietly through the atmosphere.

“What do you mean?” In the end, all I can do is ask.

But Lillie doesn’t answer. Her gaze rushes through our surroundings, causing her to turn round once before she puts her head back on her neck and sucks in a sharp breath of air. Not a single sound leaves her lips. I have no choice but to look up as well. And my breath catches in my throat for a moment.

“Lillie... Did you use the repel spray before we entered the tunnel?” The sweat on my hands tingles all the way to my fingertips.

“N-No.” The tremor in her voice is almost remorseful. “I-I’ll ... do it now.”

I don’t need to tell her we shouldn’t move too fast. Those Pokémon up there on the ceiling have already noticed us, but they’re happy with us standing still. The little creatures’ gleaming teeth are so striking I just want to sigh miserably. But that would send about seventy Zubats after us, which I can’t handle with my team alone.

Meanwhile, in the background, I can hear Lillie opening the bag. The zip whirs. The spray cans rattle. We’ve almost made it – when a scream nearby makes the screeching of the Zubats ring in my ears.

I’m about to ask what idiot is making such a noise when two guys turn the corner; members of Team Skull. And the worst thing: I know them both from the berry farm, which they tried to take over like wannabe gangsters.

They run towards us at full speed. The Zubats above us are already flapping their wings and, as if that isn’t enough, the two Skull dorks bring a cloud of smoke with them, which only at second glance turns out to be an angry crowd of Digletts.

“Shit...” is all I can manage. A simple statement that Lillie underlines as the spray can slips from her hand.

As soon as it hits the ground and sends some serious noise through the tunnel, the Zubats above us are almost unstoppable.

“Run!” My voice thunders through the tunnel, far too loud and yet barely loud enough to compete with the Pokémon. In the next blink of an eye, Lillie and I have already grabbed our legs and are running for our lives – at the same instant as the two boys line up next to us.

“Shit man! They said catching Digletts was easy.” One of them looks over his shoulder in panic. “They probably short-circuited when we tried to shave one’s hair!”

It’s hard to put into words how incredibly stupid that sounds. Whatever these two guys were planning, it went very wrong. The Digletts are right on our heels and the Zubat swarm is threatening to catch up with us.

We just barely reach the stair leading up to the next one. The exit is within our grasp and as soon as we emerge into the sunlight, we all jump to different sides.

“Fun!” While Nebby cheerfully comments on our chaos, I roll onto my back.

The Zubats have paused within the last few inches of darkness before fleeing back, and the Digletts are nowhere to be seen. They probably don’t think much of chases outside their territory.

“Dude, what the fuck? These things are wild.” The Skull guy who has landed next to me scratches the back of his head. His blue hair almost glows under the sun. “The boss is gonna make slugs of us if we don’t go full hard.”

“Then you should try to gather your seven senses first...” Mouth twisted, I can’t keep a comment to myself.

It seems to be the one moment when he realises I’m actually here. Lillie is lying on the opposite side with the other idiot, panting. They are both almost more unathletic than our side.

“Yo, you’re the odd one from the farm, man!” Instantly he jumps up and I do the same. If he’s looking for a second fight, he’s welcome to it. “How about leavin’ your Pokémon over here?”

Giving him a chance to grab his Poké Balls and make our lives more difficult is out of the question. These guys are no challenge. They’re nothing like a wild Pokémon that knows special attacks and could bite or burn me. There are moments when you have to prove yourself and against Team Skull it’s easy to pretend I’m the queen of the world.

So I leap forward and grab the boy by the arm as he tries to reach for his teammates. His eyes widen and his shoulders shrug. My heart leaps, but doesn’t get a chance to race before I step on his foot. He gasps, hunches forward slightly and comes down far enough to catch a headbutt from me – hard enough to make him stumble back and fall on his bum.

The pain throbs in my skull too, but thanks to the headache from before, it’s easier to grit my teeth. Part of my body tingles in protest, but yields as I turn and sprint to the other side of the meadow. Without further ado, I grab Lillie by the hand and pull her to her feet. Her astonished squeals ring in my ears, Nebby firmly squeezed against her chest with her other arm, and as soon as she is on her feet, we take off running. Away from Skull and away from this tunnel that no longer matters.

“Do you know w-where we have to go?” Lillie’s breath is getting thinner. Her panting clearly reaches my ears.

“We’ll just follow the path!” It’s easy to find Konikoni. There’s only a track leading away from the tunnel and when I see cobblestones on the right, the town seems close enough to touch.

With Lillie’s hand firmly in mine, I can feel sweat forming between us. Still, we don’t stop until we’ve passed through the heavy gates of Konikoni City – past the four pillars, under the magnificent roofs. The stone main path echoes our footsteps with a light clack and the people standing everywhere, selling their wares behind stalls, bring colour with them.

“I-it ... is ... very nice ... here,” Lillie gasps several times. Her hand slips between my fingers before she props up on her knees and collects herself.

My eyes linger on the market, on the ornate buildings with their curved rooftops, and on the colours. It is probably the most unique city I can remember; the most colourful and also the liveliest. It’s captivating enough to push Team Skull aside. The encounter was just one of many problems that don’t matter.

“Do you know where we need to go?” I take in the atmosphere one last time before turning to Lillie and tilting my head. Amethio hasn’t explained where we’ll meet them should we arrive in Konikoni.

“N-No... Conia just said we’d find her in this city.” Slowly, Lillie straightens up and looks around. Her eyes also linger on the goods, the stalls, the colours, but she doesn’t find anyone at first.

We push on wordlessly. Each of us sets our sights on one side. Heavy perfume mingles with incense, the scent of fruit and notes I can’t categorise. The hustle and bustle is infectious. Lillie and I get into a rhythm, a steady flow of small steps and pauses, bringing CDs and candles to the fore – until I get caught on Conia’s grey-blue hair.

I immediately put a hand on Lillie’s shoulder before walking towards Conia. Bodies bump against mine, probably my companion’s too, and the air seems hard to breathe.

“Conia!” Only when I almost reach her do I call her name and her eyes immediately dart over her shoulder. When she recognises us, however, her eyebrows rise before she holds out her hand to me. A kind of saving rope, which I immediately take so she can pull us towards her with a tug.

“There you are,” her greeting almost has a hint of relief. Her reproving look, however, suggests little in that direction. “Our boss has settled in Maho’s family restaurant. Zir is looking round the natural medicines, and the ship has docked at the lighthouse.” She points briefly to the other end of the town.

“And w-what is this?” Lillie, who has somehow managed to squeeze in next to Conia, holds an oval fragrance tin in front of our noses.

“Smoke,” explains Conia. “It attracts wild Pokémon, can calm them down, put them to sleep and more. It can be used in many ways.”

Smoke – another thing I’ve never seen before that seems incredibly helpful. According to Conia’s description, these products can be used for almost anything. The only pity is I don’t have the money to buy any of it. My team would certainly appreciate some relaxation help.

“I-I think I’ll stay with Conia and then ... visit the boutique.” The gleam in Lillie’s eyes looks like the chase never happened. “What about you?”

“I’m going to see Amethio.” Reporting back to him is the only goal directly in front of me. After that, I can still think about what to do next. Maybe there’ll be enough time to do a bit of research.

They both dismiss me with a nod, so I drop back into the crowd and end up on the centre path a little later, looking for the restaurant Conia mentioned. In fact, Konikoni offers only five houses and a Pokémon Center. What really brings this town to life are the traders who have set up their stalls in every corner.

The sign “Maho’s” is emblazoned above one entrance. It brings me a whole step closer to Amethio and as I stride through the door, I am greeted by the warmth of a room where people are chatting and food rolls out of the kitchen on a constant loop. Dark red furniture stands out against the cream-coloured tiled floor, making everything look a little posh and homely in equal measure.

My gaze wanders over the guests, the dishes, the ceiling lights and finally over Amethio’s mop of hair. He sits alone at a table for four, his eyes fixed on his Rotom Phone. He doesn’t notice me sneaking up on him. Instead, a barely perceptible wince runs through his body as I grab the chair opposite him and settle down. His interest is immediately focused on me, even if it is only subtle. At least one question is on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn’t ask it.

“The research ... did you know there are Pokémon from another dimension?” It’s hard to broach the subject when he doesn’t ask questions. But mine is interesting enough to engage him in conversation.

“I’ve heard about it... More or less.” His eyes widen a little. “That other dimensions exist is a long-held belief constantly being researched. The results can be read in the associated magazines.”

“And they write about Pokémon travelling here?”

He shakes his head gently. “They share the results, but no costs or side effects they can’t confidently explain and present.”

“We... Lillie and I saw a dimensional rift.”

“At the research institute?” He raises his brows.

“Outside.”

For a moment, Amethio opens his mouth, but makes no sound. His eyes widen, his grip on the Rotom Phone tightens – and I can understand him. What I’m telling him is an issue that could hardly be more interesting. Other dimensions mean other worlds, other Pokémon, other options, and other people.

“It was only brief, but it was there,” I continue. “The history of Alola tells us that some Pokémon came through the Ultra Wormholes a long time ago.” My eyelids droop. “Maybe... I mean, could it be... What if the black Rayquaza also came from another dimension?”

My question hits the mark as Amethio leans back and puts a hand to his chin. It’s an option. An idea. An adventure worth experiencing if the Explorers are interested. But when Amethio finally lets out a small sigh, the imagined adventure seems to collapse.

“It’s possible,” he begins slowly, before looking at me again, “but that doesn’t matter for our search. First, we have to catch Rayquaza.”

Everything else comes after that – his simple summary.

“Does that mean it’s of no interest to the Explorers yet?”

“I’ll pass it on,” he replies. “Our superior will decide what to do with the information.”

My hopes aren’t completely lost. It’s a small success, but it makes me smile. That’s all I can do for now. What remains is for me to find a task to fill this day – assuming Amethio doesn’t need me.

“Has Bellro turned up yet?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

“Should I stay?” It’s a stupid question, so I quickly change my choice of words. “Do you require me for anything, or can I look around the surrounding area a bit?”

“You can-“

“Sugar doll!” It’s Bellro’s chirpy voice, making me jump up and whirl around in one movement. The sudden shock fades as quickly as it came. Still, I give him my chair. My time in this place has run out, and it doesn’t seem as if Amethio needs me.

Bellro, however, is a different problem. His broad smile and hasty steps in my direction make me stumble back – until Amethio grabs me by the belt of my bag and forces me to stand still. My gaze only darts briefly in his direction, though, completely blocking out the tugging of his fingers.

“So, have you tried to conquer the world since we last saw each other, or are you too scared?” Bellro leans down right in front of me. His eyes pierce my body with a gleaming mischief I can’t escape.

“I ... haven’t got round to it yet.” The wry smile on my lips is probably not very convincing. Bellro’s grin flattens and when he straightens up again, I know that I no longer play a role, at least in these seconds.

So I can turn my gaze to Amethio, who is no longer restraining me. Instead, he expresses with a curt gesture for me to leave. Nothing stands in the way of my little research.

I make a hasty retreat out of the family restaurant and into the heat, which welcomes me with open arms. Only then do I pull out the Rotom and look at what can be found near this town – apart from the Diglett’s Tunnel. There isn’t much on display. The only place worth visiting is the Memorial Hill, which leads up to the Ruins of Life. A destination Lillie will probably soon set her sights on if she really hopes to find a solution for Nebby.

Perhaps there are answers we can pursue.

Answers to tempt me.