With a groan on my lips, I wave some air at myself. The toe of my boot taps on the ground as my gaze sweeps out of one of the large front windows and scrutinises the mountain, whose steam appears in the distance like a small forest fire. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I soak up the image of Akala. It is an island that is hardly different from Melemele and yet at first glance there are enough differences to ease the heaviness on my shoulders.

In a few minutes we will dock at Heahea City’s harbour. I will set foot on another island - without my father. The distance between us is growing and yet it’s impossible to shake off the constricting feeling that he’s going to turn the corner at any moment.

Ying’s quiet grumbling in the background distracts me. A glance over my shoulder reveals she is sitting just two steps behind me - as if she wants to give me strength from a distance without robbing me of too many worries at once. There are so many things that have piled up inside me over the last twenty-four hours that the journey hardly seems that important.

“This isn’t how I imagined it,” I mutter quietly as I push my bottom lip forward. I should shove all the questions that are suddenly plaguing me away and tackle them when the opportunity presents itself. Racking my brains over something that I’m not going to find an answer to now isn’t helpful. That’s probably what Zorua is trying to make me realise.

“Domino!” In the end, it’s Lillie who buries my thoughts completely and straightens my shoulders. The light blue summer dress on her body flutters around happily, matching the sparkle in her eyes. As always, she carries her shoulder bag with her. “We’ll be there soon!”

“Indeed.” I nod briefly. “Do you have any idea where we’re going?”

She shakes her head hastily. “No. But ... our journey has only just begun and ... well ... I’ve heard that the Explorers want to split up to look for that Pokémon.”

Lillie doesn’t have to say it to make it clear. It’s written all over her face. She’s longing for another little test of courage, and this “splitting up” seems to become a part of it.

The brief shudder that runs through my body immediately afterwards tells me we have docked. This time, I take a deep breath before turning my attention to the new island. Then I bridge the distance to Lillie, call Zorua back into her ball as I pass by, and put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure there are a few things to discover here.”

She clutches the strap of her bag tighter before agreeing, and together we head for the exit of the airship. When we arrive, the door to the outside is open and the three members of this unit have gathered.

As soon as I get out, Zir’s eyes wander in my direction. “There you are!”

I give him a brief, wry smile. Almost automatically, I wipe my damp hands on my grey jeans, where the Rotom Phone hides in my trouser pocket. My partner’s Poké Balls are firmly anchored in my belt, along with two empty ones that I have attached a little way away. Then I casually run my hands through my hair, which I have neatly tied back in a ponytail. This time, I leave the backpack behind.

“We’ll split up.” Amethio, who only casts a curt glance in my direction, gets straight to the point. “Zir will stay on the ship to follow should we need it elsewhere on the island. The rest of us will try to get information on Rayquaza.”

“Are we going individually or in teams?” Conia holds a hand on her hip as she glances at me and Lillie. “I’d say we’re safer in a team. We haven’t heard back from the boss yet and letting them out of our sight could lead to problems.”

Despite the friendly chat in the morning, there’s still no trust. I can’t blame her; after all, we’ve only known each other for a few hours and people who are exploring something don’t like to share their secrets with outsiders. I would hardly be any different from Conia.

“I-I’d love to go with Conia!” Lillie eagerly raises her hand as if she is reporting to class, and her decision surprises me at least as much as her chosen one.

“Then that’s settled. Unless you have other plans, Amethio, sir?”

He lowers his eyelids briefly, as if he doesn’t want to think about it. “We should leave now.”

So I’m going to go with him; the guy who is about as talkative as an offended Jigglypuff. At least he doesn’t give me any reason to start a conversation or worry about questions he might ask me. Instead, I hastily follow him as he sets off.

But after just five minutes of walking towards Heahea City, the silence between us makes uncomfortable waves. Amethio’s stillness is heavy, as if he’s chasing something with all his might, and I can’t help but think of topics I can use to lure him out of his shell.

Half in thought, I try to loosen the tight collar of my brown blouse so the orange ribbon slips a little.

“Have you been looking for this Rayquaza for a long time?”

“For two months,” he replies. “We took up the pursuit after the first sighting.”

His expressionless face makes it impossible to judge whether he even wants to talk to me. But as long as he answers, everything seems fine. “Are you planning to catch it if you find it?”

“If possible.”

“And then?”

“We’ll take it to headquarters.” His gaze remains fixed ahead. The violet colour of his eyes seems icy for a moment, as if a completely different scenario is running through his mind. Something I can’t grasp, so all I can do is turn away.

So, like him, I turn my gaze to Heahea City, whose shops and tower blocks slowly pass us by. It’s bigger than Hau'oli, but the island charm hangs in every crack and reminds me that my father is only an island hop away.

Only the thought makes my chest tighten, so I put my hands in my trouser pockets and turn my attention back to Amethio. “Where do we start?”

“We’ll ask around.”

“At random?” I raise my eyebrows.

But Amethio casts a narrow glance in my direction as if he’s reprimanding me. “You can tell by looking at some people they know something favourable to us.”

Without further ado, I take a closer look around. The scattered figures loitering in front of shop windows or chatting happily with each other all look the same to me. I can’t help but scratch the back of my head. “I think I’ll just follow.”

He doesn’t respond and although the tension between us flares again, this time it’s no longer awkward. Instead, it harbours something busy that makes my hands sticky. His way of proceeding would be impossible for me alone. I’d be talking my head off trying to find the right person to talk to.

Amethio, however, settles quickly and heads for an old man in front of a shop window, his gaze somehow distant. With his hands clasped behind his back, he conveys the image of an adventurer who is now sitting out his holiday in a floral shirt.

“Excuse me,” Amethio interrupts the stranger’s unfamiliar muses.

It takes a moment for him to turn to us. “Yes? How can I help?”

The old, raspy voice carries something familiar, as if he tells stories every night about adventures he once had. Part of me wants to listen to him for hours. The rest of me hangs on Amethio’s lips, hoping to pick up clever phrases that I can use myself.

“Did you happen to come across a black Rayquaza? It flew over Alola.”

“A ... what? No, my boy.” The old man lets out a short laugh. “And you shouldn’t believe a story like that, either.”

“Why?” I can’t help but ask.

“Because Rayquaza isn’t black,” he replies. “When I was young, following my work as a pipe welder all over the world, I once saw it in the sky. They say it came down to us to see if the world was a good place, and then it disappeared again. And I can tell you, just like all my colleagues from back then, that Rayquaza is as green as the woods.” He clears his throat briefly. “There were almost two hundred of us back then, and I’m sure other people who have seen Rayquaza also describe it as green. On top, that’s how it was recorded in the archives, which are much older than I am.”

The answer sticks in my throat. The Rayquaza I’ve seen doesn’t match this description at all - not least because it was searching for something. A fact that triggers a brief flash of inspiration in me.

“Thank you for your time.” As Amethio bids a brief farewell to his first target, I move ahead.

It takes a few breaths for Amethio to catch up with me. “What is it?”

“This man said that Rayquaza is green. But what we’re looking for is black,” I state the obvious to him. “That means there are at least two of them.”

“So?” His enthusiasm for my words fails to materialise. He’s probably already thought this far himself or knew beforehand that this strange dragon also exists in green.

“What if one Rayquaza is looking for the other?” I continue. “When I saw it, I heard it looking for something. It didn’t know where to go ... and then it flew off.”

Slowly, Amethio puts a hand to his chin. This time I have his interest and whatever he’s thinking about, it implies that he believes me. Compared to Conia, he doesn’t doubt my weird ability.

“It’s looking for someone,” Amethio finally states.

“Someone?”

“It escaped from an old Poké Ball.”

“So you’re assuming it’s looking for the owner of that old ball?”

He nods once before stopping and looking to the side. To our left, a hotel rises a few metres away, its white and blue paintwork exuding an air of elegance. The tourists scattered around the forecourt seem like the perfect people to talk to and although Amethio hesitates for a moment, he finally sets his sights on the two of them.

The information I gave him must have shifted something in his plan, but the goal remains the same. We have to find Rayquaza. Everything else comes afterwards.

The targeted travellers are looking at a map together. Equipped with backpacks and sturdy shoes, hiking seems to be the top priority for both of them. But when the woman looks up and sees us, a smile appears on her lips that seems to emphasise: “I know why you’re here.”

It’s probably because of Amethio’s presence. He doesn’t even need to start the conversation as she points her finger at him and brushes her short, blonde hair behind her ear.

“You’re definitely not from around here!” She smirks. “And you seem to be looking for something.”

We stop a few metres in front of her and her brunette companion, who is still studying the map.

“We’re looking for a black Rayquaza,” Amethio replies matter-of-factly.

“I see.” The stranger lowers her hand. “You’re looking for a Pokémon whose name is probably not even known to many people. I assume the results are meagre, huh?”

For the first time, I see emotion on Amethio’s face. His eyelids lower slightly as he furrows his brows and turns down the corners of his mouth. This stranger seems to have hit a spot that almost annoys him a little, and I can’t deny that her words make sense.

From everything I’ve heard so far, Rayquaza seems to be a rare Pokémon you only get to see if you’re lucky. So it’s perfectly normal that many people have never heard of it.

“You’ve seen it,” Amethio realises dryly. Everything in him seems ready to force a passable answer.

“Who knows?” The stranger shrugs. “But maybe I’ll remember if someone fights me!” Her grin widens. “Ever since I set foot on this island, I’ve been looking for a good fight!”

Just as Amethio is about to pull out a Poké Ball to reply, Zorua lets herself out of without being asked. It freezes Amethio’s movement before he loosens up again.

“I’ll take care of that,” I interject. “It’s the perfect opportunity to get to know new Pokémon and learn something from a battle.”

He knows I’m still at the very beginning. This also means that I can probably put up a better fight than he - after all, I’m not out to smash this stranger into a frying pan as quickly as a Chansey egg.

Rotom rises into the air at the same time, ready to scan my opponent’s Pokémon. The sudden tingling under my skin leaves dots on my body, and each breath intensifies the fluttery feeling in my chest. In these seconds, I can prove I’m ready to learn from my every mistake.

My fingers are ice-cold as I knowingly send Zorua into battle. After the Pokémon Center and the mess we both left behind, it’s time to puff out our chests and show what we can do.

The blonde, meanwhile, takes a step back before grabbing a ball and shortly afterwards sending a strange bird into battle, its red and white appearance causing my eyebrows to rise. Rotom clears up my confusion in the same breath.

“Delibird. Delivery Pokémon. Ice/Flying-type Pokémon. It always carries food with it. It’s said that people who disappear often only survive because of it.”

It sounds like an interesting opponent, and I concentrate fully on it as I give Ying the first command. “Scratch!”

She immediately rushes towards her opponent, but slashes her claws into nothing. The Delibird dodges so skilfully it escapes my gaze for a blink of an eye before suddenly standing next to Ying.

“Fake out!” My opponent gives the command in a firm voice, and in those seconds I realise that this Pokémon already knew what to do first - as if they start all their battles this way.

Before I can warn Ying, the Delibird rams one of its wings into her side. It resembles a blow with a flat hand. Not very strong, but the more often it hits, the more it drains my Zorua.

Meanwhile, Ying stumbles two steps to the side before she catches herself. Her opponent is nimble on its flat feet and therefore someone we shouldn’t underestimate. We both know we have to be smarter. Zorua’s brief glance in my direction conveys wordless understanding.

I look at the circumstances for a moment. Then I remember a sequence of movements that Ying has already performed. “Try Bite, like you did with the Raticate you had to save us from!”

Her ears twitch. Then her tail wags for a split second before she jumps the distance to the Delibird. Her opponent dodges again as she opens her small mouth to bite. But this time she doesn’t let herself be hit by an unsolicited fake out. Instead, she instantly jumps back from the spot, narrowly avoiding her enemy’s wing flap. Her paws come up before the Pokémon can retreat and with a leap forwards she rams the Delibird with her entire body.

“Delibird, don’t be discouraged. Quick attack!”

Ying’s attack is powerful, but not enough to sweep the Delibird off its feet. It doesn’t move for a moment, but when it tenses its body, I hold my breath. In the next moment, the Pokémon chases forward at a hasty pace - faster than any human can run - in a steady circle around Zorua. We can only watch and wait, unsure which direction the attack will come from.

“Ying...” The decision for our next action rests heavily on my shoulders, but Delibird is bigger than Zorua and she knows no attacks to defend herself. “Brace yourself with all your might.”

Our only advantage is her robust body. Ying knows this as well as I do, so she gets ready with her legs apart. Shortly afterwards, Delibird strikes like a Graveler.

Its body thunders with all its might against Ying and the momentum sweeps her off her feet. However, she is prepared. Her paws wrap around her opponent and pull them along. They turn and crash together several times and I can see that Zorua is using every ounce of her weight to knock the Delibird to the ground with extra force.

After the third impact, they both lie on their backs for a moment until Zorua picks herself up again. Shaky and exhausted, but definitely still able to stand on all four paws.

“Not bad,” my opponent comments. “But will you be able to stand up to this?”

In one fluid motion, she calls back her Delibird and sends a second Pokémon into battle. The temperature seems to drop by a few degrees and noble, blue skin stretches in different shades over a creature that reminds me strongly of an Eevee-evolution.

“But it’s not Vaporeon,” I whisper, and this time it’s Amethio who has a few words for me.

“This is Glaceon, the ice variant.” His expressionless face almost seems to be telling me I can make up the rest myself. Fortunately, Pokémon types and their weaknesses are common knowledge, even for someone like me.

“Ying, come back. You fought great.” Eyes still fixed on the Glaceon, Zorua disappears into her ball and I reach for another of my comrades. Her appearance is wordless.

Orange fur is being shaken and as Raya lets out a lively bark, I’m sure we can win.

“Raya, bi-“

“Baby-Doll eyes!” the blonde interjects, causing me to falter. My Growlithe tilts her head.

Glaceon, meanwhile, sits down and makes its pretty, round eyes look even rounder. The sparkle in them and the desire for love suddenly settle so deeply in my bones that I would love to give it all the treats and snacks I have. If only for a breath, before my brain switches gears and I blink a few times.

“Raya! Don’t get distracted. Bite!”

But Growlithe is indecisive. She leaps forwards, ready to bite, but only catches the back leg as her opponent dodges. On top, her bite is about as powerful as the punch of a newly hatched Ditto.

The Pokémon dances to the side before gaining speed and suddenly becoming almost impossible to track with the naked eye. My counterpart doesn’t need to put the attack into words to make me understand it. Her smirk is enough.

“Raya, this Pokémon is smiling at you!” My voice rises. “If you don’t attack it properly, it will end up defeating and laughing at you. It will consider you weak.”

Growlithe's ears twitch. She might not like the thought of being considered a weakling.

“Ember! Go after their attack!”

With a snort, she wrinkles her nose before taking a deep breath and turning her attention to Glaceon with new fire in her gaze. Then she shoots small flames after the barely noticeable blue line that surrounds her.

The fireballs crash to the ground, spraying sparks and lingering for a moment before extinguishing. It’s enough to slow Glaceon's pace. All at once, it has to jump over the hot spots, dodge and avoid ember. Until it puts too much power into one jump and opens a window of opportunity.

“Go!” My hand snaps to my side and Raya rushes ahead.

She leaps towards the Glaceon to ram it, but misses. Her opponent’s movements are agile and allow it to land on the ground unscathed. Raya lands a few steps behind it, her chest already filled with fire, which she shoots in Glaceon's direction in renewed fervour.

“Dodge! And then icy wind! Let’s show them that Alola’s heat isn’t enough to melt us.”

Glaceon struggles to follow the first command. It manages to jump back just in the nick of time and escape the fire. Simultaneously, the temperature continues to drop and as I can see my breath, I realise that if I don’t come up with a plan, we’re going to lose.

My shoulders shake. Cold eats through my body. Small things that hardly bother Growlithe. But the ice crystals that form in the surrounding area and stick to Raya’s fur threaten trouble.

I chew on my lower lip. Circumstances are coming to a head and even though I could certainly send Pikipek into battle after Raya, I don’t want to put her through another defeat. The only thing left is an experiment. Either that or I have to give up.

“Raya, you need to stow your heat!” I have no plan if she realises what I want her to do, but it’s all I can think of in those seconds. Even Amethio next to me widens his eyes slightly, as if he can’t comprehend my command.

I hold my breath for a moment. Then Growlithe sprints off - at the same moment Glaceon fully unleashes its ice storm.

Icy cold tugs at my hair and flutters through my clothes, threatening to freeze my body. Meanwhile, ice crystals swirl through the air, controlled by Glaceon. It leaps through the storm like a fairy, while Raya tries to avoid the sharp, small stones. Whenever they whizz past her, they shatter on the ground. Simultaneously, vapour rises from her body.

In the next breath, one of the ice crystals hits her. My hands clench into fists, my heart beats up to my throat, but Raya doesn’t even falter. The ice melts before it can reach her body and as we both realise the circumstances, it’s a delighted bark from Growlithe that spurs me on.

“Break through!”

Raya immediately starts moving. Her body chases through the ice as if it is a pile of old wood that she no longer has to fear. Her sights are on the Glaceon and although she might be able to reach her opponent with bite, something else is on the tip of my tongue.

“Ember!”

Raya’s paws stop. Her chest puffs out. In the next blink of an eye, she shoots a small fireball towards Glaceon. Then another. Until she chases the balls after the Pokémon like a pistol - and hits it.

A small flame clings to Glaceon's front paw and elicits a hiss from it. When it hits the ground after another jump, icy wind collapses. It limps two steps, then stops. Meanwhile, the blonde claps her hands.

“That’s enough, I give up.”

My breath stops for a moment as disbelief spreads inside me. Somehow, I’ve turned the circumstances around. I put Raya in charge, even though nurse Joy advised against it. Seeing her strong body there in front of me overwhelms me.

When she glances in my direction, however, it is with a lively wagging tail that she dispels my worries. She seems to have enjoyed this fight as much as I did.

And once again, we have learnt something new.

“Not bad!” With a nod, the stranger puts her hands on her hips. “Good work, that was really fun! You’re pretty strong.”

“Thanks.” I give her a smile before Amethio takes a step forward.

“Have you seen what we’re looking for?”

“Oho, impatient as it seems.” She simply ignores the uneasy undertone in his voice. “Fine. Yes, we’ve seen the black Rayquaza too. It flew over the island and then headed for the mountain.” She points briefly at the seething monster. “It has probably settled there.”

“Does that mean ... we’re going up there?” The thought alone makes my forehead sweat. My last climb was a hill that took all the strength in the world. Climbing a real mountain is one of those things I don’t even want to consider.

Amethio, however, nods icily. “Via route 4.”

I like flatland. A sentence I’d like to write down for him and then wander up and down like a lost Slowbro in protest with a sign.

“Can’t ... we just fly up there?”

“It’s too hot for the airship,” he replies. “Besides, we can’t miss any clues.”

My shoulders slump. I wanted this adventure, I really did, but someone should have warned me about the mountainous landscape of some regions. Then I would have prepared myself athletically.