My eyes widen. What leaves Lillie's lips makes little sense. She has never conveyed the image of a heroine, thinking back to the moment when Nebby made acquaintance with the Spearow. Yet she keeps her hands clenched into small fists, raised to chest height, as if she has actually jumped out of my bedroom window.

“You...” The words won’t come together, so I rephrase the question. “What were you going to do?”

“After you ran away, your father went to the port and Hala called me to ask to get your things. It sounded urgent.” She tightens her shoulders. “He told me it wouldn’t be easy, but ... it was the bravest thing I’ve ever done. I ... I’ve never just walked into someone’s house to take something that doesn’t belong to me.” Her voice changes to a soft peep. “And then suddenly I heard the front door ... and the window...”

She gets tangled in her own words as I raise my brows and piece the picture together. Hala is on my side. He sent Lillie to get everything I left behind. Almost as if he knew my things were still packed up and tucked away in a bag waiting to be picked up. Simultaneously, he’s coaxed Lillie a bit out of her shell with this, and it’s hard to believe she’s gone to such lengths to get something that could have got her into a lot of trouble.

“Thank you,” is all I can think of at first. With my things, the circumstances become easier. “You’re saving my journey right now.”

She shakes her head. “I’m glad I could prove to myself I could help someone when it counts.”

Briefly, Lillie takes a breath before sliding the backpack off her shoulders and holding it in my direction. I finally get to hold my things in my hands again and the lightness that settles on my chest all at once releases a heaviness I hadn’t noticed before. This backpack has everything I need in it and my first grab is for the Rotom Phone I packed when I was dragged home after the little Pokémon battle with Hau. My father wanted to return it, but couldn’t hide it well enough during the night.

Taking a look at the phone, so much more modern than my own, equipped with endless apps I’ve never seen before, increases the excitement inside. My adventure can begin.

But before I can turn around to look for the airship and prove that I can learn and be an excellent trainer, my gaze once again falls on the sea of flowers. Somewhere among the yellow splendour, Nebby is hiding and although it is quiet right now, I don’t want to leave it behind like that. Helping Lillie is the least I can do.

With a sigh, I slide the backpack onto my shoulders and take a deep breath. “I’ll just go check on Nebby so it doesn’t run off any further.”

“You would do that?” Lillie's eyes light up. She cares and worries about this Pokémon, but doesn’t train it. She possesses idiosyncrasies that seem unfathomable and yet I must confess I find the thought process interesting. There are more ways than fighting. That was made clear to me here from the beginning.

So I wave it off. “It’s not like it’s the first time, and it’s probably frozen in one place right now, anyway.”

“You think?”

I know it, I would love to tell her. But that’s something I don’t want to explain tonight. Thus, I give Lillie a pale smile before venturing into the sea of flowers with a leap.

The scent of sweet blossoms invades my senses and the yellow pollen floats through the air to envelop me completely for a breath. I give them a moment to settle before I push forward. The moon still gives off enough light to see well, but Nebby is a dark Pokémon and finding it might prove difficult. I could ask Zorua for help, but I would probably lose her amidst the flowers.

“How pretty. So pretty. Hello!” The Pokémon’s voice echoes around in my head again all at once, just when I don’t know which way to turn. The sound jerks my head to the side and makes my eyes glide over the surroundings until I think I spot, next to another Pokémon, the wondrous colour scheme of Nebby.

They have both settled on a small ledge, just above a path leading out of the sea of flowers. But before I can set another foot forward, I feel resistance that causes me to stumble. Momentarily, I look at my boots, but the flowers engulf me up to the waist and there is hardly anything that can be seen under the yellow blanket of blossoms.

Several times I try to pull my foot on, but I can’t get a step away from the spot. I have no choice but to dive under the flower cover and inspect the problem.

Without further ado, the plants pollinate me and when I can finally see my foot, it is a thick thread that has wrapped itself around my ankle. With my fingers I try to tear it off, to get rid of it somehow, but nothing moves. It feels as if it’s made of steel.

The next moment, a strange whirring creeps up to my ears, ending in sharp sounds. I lift my gaze to catch sight of a small green thing a few metres in front of me, which I vaguely remember from my childhood. Back then, it often hung from the trees in the garden. Now it creeps in front of me and although I should know its name, I just can’t think of it. This time, however, the Rotom Phone comes to my rescue.

The mobile hovers in front of me for a moment before it pops up its display and reads out. “Caterpie. Worm Pokémon. Type: Bug. It wears suction cups on its legs that allow it to climb inclines and walls with ease. As protection from enemies, it secretes a foul-smelling odour from its antennae. Caterpie is very voracious. It can devour leaves significantly larger than itself.”

Admittedly, this Pokémon does sound cute. But its strings are an unpleasant obstacle that I can’t overpower on my own. I have no choice but to ask my team for help.

Briefly, I pull the small balls out of my trouser pocket and pick the normal one without signs of use. It is the only clue that tells me Pikipek is in there.

When I let it out, it has already grasped the situation. Its feathers fluff up and with a few well-aimed attempts, it chops the thread between me and Caterpie in two. But that’s not enough. For Coro, this Pokémon is breakfast and I can’t hold it back as it charges at the worm.

Instead of watching, I burst back up through the blanket of flowers. My nose is tingling from all the pollen and my clothes are now shimmering yellow under the moonlight. Still, I force myself further through the field - this time faster than before so as not to encounter another caterpillar - and leave the rustling in the background. Coro knows what it’s doing.

Eventually I find my footing on the stony climb, which saves me from the plants and brings me closer to the image I could only see from a distance before. Indeed, Nebby has settled down next to another Pokémon, which I approach slowly. Its green shape looks almost as tall as Zorua and the leaves on its head shake slightly as it notices me.

Once again, the Rotom comes into view and I give it a moment to figure out what has settled there next to Nebby.

“Petilil. Bulb Pokémon. Type: Grass,” the Rotom’s playful voice begins. “The leaves on its head taste extremely bitter, but are excellent for exhaustion. They are very popular with seniors. Petilils prefer clear water and clean soil. If conditions worsen, they move on in groups.”

Melemele is the ideal place for a Pokémon like this. I can tell that much. On top, it seems friendly, which is why I venture closer and reach for Nebby. My fingers disappear a bit into the strange mass of its body before I somehow find a hold and bring it down to me. The small success in my heart, however, cannot compete with the voice in my head.

“Goodbye!”

The Petilil wiggles up and down happily for a moment before turning its back on me and going on its way. It seems like it’s been waiting for Nebby to be recaptured, and it’s refreshing to see Pokémon communicating with each other.

However, the nagging at my side robs the moment of its tranquillity. A glance at my feet shows Coro has returned and the gleam in its eyes conveys that the Caterpie must have tasted good.

“You really couldn’t just let it go, could you?”

The click lingers in its beak as it tilts its head and looks at me as if I don’t know how good a Caterpie tastes. In principle, I’m glad about that. On the other hand, I remind myself that there are people who find Caterpie just as tasty as Pikipek does.

“I don’t even want to think about this,” I sigh before pulling out its Poké Ball and calling it back. I don’t think another Caterpie will attack me once they’ve realised I have a ravenous bird.

The way back through the sea of flowers is easier than before, though still exhausting. I have to lift Nebby to keep it from being drenched in yellow pollen, and when I emerge on the other side at Lillie's, I feel like a Bellossom.

“You found it!” Immediately, Lillie rushes to her Pokémon and wraps it in her arms. “Nothing but worries you give me! I told you not to put yourself in danger all the time.”

“Doesn’t Nebby have a Poké Ball?”

Pursing her lips, Lillie looks at me. “I don’t have any balls and ... I can’t get my head around the idea of putting Nebby in one.”

“I think a ball is more comfortable than your bag, though. I’ll give you one if you like.”

Lillie waves it off. “Not yet. I ... want to think about it for a while before I decide.”

Her answer doesn’t really make sense, but it’s not my job to decide how she should act, either. If she wants to put Nebby in a ball, surely someone will take pity on her to give her one. After all, I only got mine together through the kindness of other people, because otherwise my father would definitely have got wind of it.

Together we turn our attention to the way back to the route from which I strayed. Lillie has put Nebby back into her bag and the silence the Pokémon emits makes me think it’s asleep. Still, I glance briefly over at her shoulder bag to make sure nothing is moving inside. The fabric remains motionless.

“Hey!” someone else’s long-drawn exclamation comes over us just as we step out from under the stone arch and I make plans to say goodbye. A sideways glance brings brown skin and dark hair into focus. Hau has found us.

He comes to a halt in front of me, propping himself up on his knees. He seems as drained as I was when I had to make this damn climb. His breath hangs heavy on his lips, and it takes a moment to catch himself.

“I’ve been ... looking all over for you,” he gives out with a gasp, making me take a step back. He may belong to Hala, but no one promises me he hasn’t sided with my father. My worries dissipate, however, when he raises his hand. “My grandfather ... wanted to give you ... something else to take with you on your way.”

“Hala?”

He nods before taking one deep breath and reaching into his pocket to pull out a small crystal. The engraved Z reminds me I, too, have found a stone like this.

“I joined your father’s little search party to give it to you, should I find you ... or to help you, if necessary.” He grins wryly. “It’s understandable why you’d want to leave. Alola is beautiful, but there’s so much out there to explore...” He shakes his head. “Anyway, this is the Fightinium Z crystal. My grandfather said it might help you if you want to explore this power.”

I accept the gift. Unlike the crystal I own, it is brown like the earth at our feet.

“It’s supposed to work mostly on Fighting-type Pokémon,” Hau elaborates. “Also, you want me to tell you again that crystals like this can be found all over Alola. It is said that they appear around here by the power of the deities when you least expect it. Then he laughed. He probably doesn’t know any better, either.”

“Meaning they are only found on this island?”

Quickly, Hau shakes his head. “They are easy to find on Alola. Be it in the wild or because the Pokémon honour these stones and sometimes build little altars to them. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find Z-Crystals outside of Alola. It’s just a lot harder.”

It’s an interesting thought to gather a few of these stones and find out if the power they contain can really benefit me. After all, I need to get stronger so that moments like the one with Raya don’t happen again. The fact everything is fine now has put a stop to the horror, and it doesn’t seem so scary all of a sudden, but I know something like that can’t happen again. We have to move on and any tool will do.

“Thank you.” Finally, I put the stone in my trousers to the other and give Hau a smile. We will probably never see each other again and yet I hope that one day he too can go on an adventure that fulfils him.

“No problem!” This time, he replies to me with a bright grin. “I hope you find what you are looking for on your journey.” Slowly, he takes a few steps distance until he waves at us one last time. “See you later, Lillie! And have a good trip, Domino.”

Finally, he turns around and starts walking back, while I watch him for a while, Lillie standing frozen beside me. Her eyes are also glued to his back, yet seem to look right through him.

“We should go. I’d still like to walk you to your destination,” the blonde puts in, and I can’t do more than follow. It is exactly what I should do, along with my team and the things that will make everything a little easier.

At the same time, I dig out the translucent stone I got after the fight with the Raticate and grab the Rotom Phone on my own this time. It sits in the side pocket of the backpack, in a small net from which it can dig itself out if necessary.

With a few touches on the display, I can switch on the scan function. Then I hold the stone under the camera. It takes a moment for Rotom’s strange voice to gather the information. “Normalium Z. A crystal that can help Normal-type Pokémon in a fight. Multiplies when needed.”

“It multiplies?” I raise my brows in disbelief, causing a hum to escape the Rotom.

“It does. It’s a mysterious item not yet known all about. A scouting party was able to determine that the aura and light that envelop trainers and Pokémon when they perform the Z-move are part of Necrozma’s light that shone down on Alola long ago. The crystals have absorbed and held onto that power.”

“And how do they work when you use them?”

“Nothing more is known than that feelings and goals must match between the Pokémon and its trainer. It’s a matter of being on the same wavelength for a moment to unleash the power,” Rotom explains.

That’s a lot of knowledge, and yet it’s only a vague fragment. No one seems to know how long the light lasts in the crystals or if it is used up at all. No one seems to know why it got stuck in crystals of all things and the thought that there is still much to explore in the field increases my curiosity.

“What does the Z stand for, anyway?” interjects Lillie. Folding her hands behind her back, she leans forward slightly.

“It comes from the term Zenith, because trainers and Pokémon team up for an attack.”

The summary leaves me with more questions than answers, so all that escapes me is a sigh. Probably this power won’t let me go and I will pursue it until I solve the last puzzle. At least when I have made halfway friends with the world outside.

Finally, I put the Rotom Phone back into its side pocket and try to block out all the questions for a moment. Racking my brains over such trifles in these seconds isn’t what I need. Escape comes first, then everything else.

“What’s your plan, anyway?” Lillie, too, turns her attention back to the real target and when her big eyes linger on me, it’s curiosity that pierces me. She’s probably the first person to get excited about my twisted ideas.

“I don’t have a plan. First, I have to get out of here,” I reply. “After that, I have to find my way out there and figure out what I want. Trainer? Do I want to tear the arenas apart and become the best? Or do I want to pursue the desire to know Pokémon better?”

“So something like a Pokémon Professor?”

Professor. The idea doesn’t sound bad. The more often this option is suggested to me, the more temptingly it settles in me. It would balance everything I want. I could learn about the world and whenever I find something interesting, people listen to me and discuss things. It’s a wonderful thought that leaves my heart slightly pounding before I clear my throat.

“Something like that, yes.”

“That’s a lovely thought.” Lillie seems to have her head stuck in desires that seem unattainable. Yet somewhere inside she’s holding on to them and for a moment I want to offer to just come with me. But if I’m honest, I can barely keep myself on my feet.

The airship also comes into view a little later, rendering suggestions and new ideas null and void. Once I’m on board that airship, there’s no turning back and Melemele and all its inhabitants will be behind me.

“We are here.” The awareness that we have arrived at the end also reaches Lillie. Her eyes are glued to the unusual flying object, whose majestic size could block out the sun - provided you stand in the right position and let your imagination run wild.

It is reminiscent of a gigantic submarine, its sides and seams decorated with bronze, so that when the sun rises it certainly shimmers as if it were made of gold. The rest is metallic grey and only the two sails at the back bring purple colour into play. Six windows on the side shroud themselves in darkness and the closer I get to the cliff, the easier it becomes to see over the edge. Just below the flying air chamber is a gigantic wooden shell reminiscent of a dinghy. The sturdy rails underneath suggest they can also dock on land. Away from it, there is nothing in the shell but an innumerable amount of supplies, bound together in containers.

The front of the floating submarine is made of glass, behind which is presumably the steering wheel, and for a moment I hope no one sees us. Immediately after, my gaze solidifies on the entrance - a heavy bronze door that protrudes slightly, practically inviting me in.

“I just hope there’s no one on board to catch me...”

“What are you doing then?” Lillie stands close beside me. We have unknowingly hidden behind one rock that towers at the end of this route.

“Running away,” I reply. “But I’m hoping to go unnoticed. I’ll just get in and go to the very back. Usually, that’s where you stow the supplies you plan to consume soon. Somewhere there I will settle down and travel along to the next island.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

I can’t hold back the amused snort. This whole action was dangerous from the start. Something that only occurs to her in these seconds. Lillie's naivety is almost adorable.

“It is,” I return as an ultimate affirmation. “But it’s just one risk I have to take. Thank you for bringing me my things. I hope you’ll take a little better care of Nebby from today on. From now on, I can't help you anymore.”

I don’t give her time to reply before I leap out from our hiding place and rush to the airship. My steps are so hurried that I stumble over smaller mounds several times until I reach the door and grab the turning wheel. My arms screech as I try to turn the bronze wheel anti-clockwise and open the door. It’s harder than I expected and it takes an interminable amount of time before I feel it give way.

All at once, the turning becomes easy and the door swings in my direction. It only takes one leap to slide inside the airship and close the door behind me. The walls are as lacklustrely metal as most of the outside, and instead of banishing me, my racing heart drives me to the right. With that, I follow the ship to the far end, where I find a door whose handle I push down.

In an instant, I find myself in the pantry as planned - a sprawling room with shelves and boxes behind which I can hide. I immediately jump over two and settle down. My breath is rapid, my heart thunders against my ribs so hard it hurts, and sweat sticks icily to my body. There are no windows in this place, no way to let the moonlight in, so the darkness reaches every corner of the room. I cannot see my hands in front of my eyes.

Slowly, I slide the backpack off my shoulders and tighten my legs to rest my head on the fabric. Holding something familiar in my hands holds peace that otherwise lurks in no corner of the ship. Thus, I get at least a few breaths in which to catch myself. At least until I hear the pantry door open again.

For a moment, my heart skips a beat, and I hold my breath. My shoulders shake, heat consumes my body, and every cell is ready to jump. But nothing happens. No light comes on. I can’t hear any footsteps and the door slams back into the lock.

Still, I count to ten. Only then do I dare to take a breath and let go of the tension for a moment. Peace that lasts only a blink of an eye before I feel someone settle down next to me.

This time, fear overcomes me and I reach for the Rotom Phone to turn on the flashlight. What meets my eyes is the panicked look on Lillie's face.

She opens her mouth, wanting to say something, but can’t bring herself to utter a word. Instead she swallows, as if realising all at once that she has made a terrible mistake. Yet she tightens her shoulders, swallows, and then looks me firmly in the eye.

“Take me with you!”

“What?” My body loses all tension and threatens to collapse. “Why?”

“Because I want to be braver. I... I want to find a way to protect Nebby and to do that I have to learn to dare. Staying here won’t get me anywhere, Domino.” Again, she clenches her small hands into fists. “You have nothing to worry about. I won’t hinder you. Just ... let me come with you.”

I’m really in no position to give out advice. As a runaway who broke into some unknown group to get as far away from Melemele as possible, I can’t claim to know what I’m doing. Lillie is no different in that respect. Refusing her would be the same as forcing her to stay on this island, and that would make me little better than my father.

So I settle down next to her again and try to shake off the tension. Now, with the two of us, it’s easier than before.

“If you want to come with me, then I won’t stop you,” I explain to her. “It’s your choice.”

I give her a smile, which she returns in wonder. Then a soft giggle escapes her and it’s probably the first time I’ve felt relief in a situation like this. The first step is taken. Melemele is as good as behind me and all at once, the tiredness that had seemed so trivial in the Pokémon Center overcomes me.

My body automatically leans back so that I find hold on the wooden box behind me. With the backpack between my legs, I switch off the flashlight and stow Rotom in the side pocket again.

Then I close my eyes, and the darkness behind my lids welcomes me with open arms. For a moment, I have nothing to fear.