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The cold winds of Hisui that blew down from Mount Coronet never felt so bitter as they did in this moment.
“Who or WHAT are you, Akari?!”
The eyes drilling into her as she walked past everyone in the village, as if they all came out to look at her in shock and suspicion.
“It is by the virtue of your efforts that you do not walk out of here in shackles.”
She felt like she wanted to cry, but, no tears would fall. She felt like she wanted to scream, but, no sound could escape her clench throat. She felt like she wanted to fight, but, her strength felt like a Gengar had taken home in her shadow.
“Please, be reasonable! This is a step too far, Commander!”
Her friends had tried their best, but, there was no reasoning with Kamado. Their voices drowned out by his rage and desperation.
“I do not believe this to be the last time we shall meet. As a member of the Survey Corp, I order you to survive!”
Survive...how was she supposed to do that, now...? She only had what she'd brought into the Headquarters with her. She had her most trusted partners, her Arc Phone, her Pokedex, her Celestica Flute, and what items she'd had on-hand after her last expedition. How long would these last her? What would claim her first: an enraged Alpha or the bitter cold?
She looked around at the base camp that always welcomed her when entering the Obsidian Highlands, now deserted, for fear of the red sky above. She was alone, now. She shivered, unsure if out of fear or the cold. She'd never considered it before, but, her uniform was quite thin.
“AKARI!”, she heard someone shout out to her.
She turned her head and saw none other than the two Clan leaders, Irida and Adaman, running to her, looks of concern and bewilderment plastered on their faces. Both wrapped her in a hug, tears immediately staining her clothes.
“This man is utterly outrageous!” Irida shouted, “treating someone who has done so much for Hisui, for us, for him, like this is just unconscionable!”
“Letting his anger take control of his decision-making is just insulting and an utter waste of time!” Adaman seemed furious and sorrowful. “Know that we, both Clans, do not support this decision.”
They both released her from their grips, faces red and puffy from the tears they'd shed on her.
“That's right,” Irida said, “if that man thinks you'll be accomplishing this alone, he's wrong. We'll muster whatever support you need, Akari. You will always have the Pearl Clans support.”
“As will you the Diamond Clan. If there is aught we can do for you, waste no time second-guessing and talk to us.” Adaman's gaze fixed upon her set her frozen mind at ease.
Akari took a deep breath, so grateful for her friends, at least, not abandoning her in this time. She looked back in the direction of Jubilife Village and felt her resolve steel itself.
She turned back to the two of them and suddenly took a kneel, to the shock of both of them.
“I will be quick, then, as time is precious. Adaman, Irida, you have been friends to me in ways I can never truly repay and would beg of you, now, in this moment of crisis: the Galaxy Team has shown me I am no longer welcome among them and I will not survive long in these wilds. I ask that you accept me into one of your Clans and I will give my all into saving our precious land of Hisui.”
The two leaders looked stunned at her for a moment before Adaman spoke up.
“Ah, I admire that resolve and quick-thinking. I accept your offer! Come, we have much planning to do, but, first, let's get you some food.”
“Wha-ADAMAN! I was going to take her up on her offer!” Irida protested.
“Oh, I'm sure you were, hence why I needed to act with haste!” Adaman teased; it was good to see he had not lost his humor in this crisis. “We of the Diamond Clan must be swift and decisive in all things, or had you forgotten, O Mighty Pearl Clan Leader?”
Irida made some sounds of indignation before sighing a giving a short laugh and throwing up her hands in a similar pose Adaman often adopted.
“Very well, O Swift and Decisive One. This does not change my offer, though. Perhaps through this collaboration, we can finally put aside these old grudges,” she said with a smile.
Adaman gave a short chuckle in response, “I think we would all benefit from that. Now, then, on to our preparations!”
And with that, they made their way back to their respective settlements, as well as Akari's new home.
* * *
After Akari's arrival at the Diamond Settlement, things began moving characteristically fast.
She had been shown universal support and was welcomed with the typical attire one would expect of a Diamond Clan member, their cobalt clothes suiting her well.
Shortly after, she had been contacted by Volo, introduced to Cogita, and given the means by which to stop this calamity. The Diamond and Pearl Clans acted in formation to give Akari clear passage to each Lake, meeting with the Pokemon of Legend who crafted the souls of man, finding her worthy in spirit, mind, and resolve, and bequeathing her the components needed to assemble the Red Chain.
With the Chain, she was able to quell Palkia's fury before Dialga made it's appearance, but, the Chain had not enough power to quell both Legends, shattering and forcing a retreat from the Temple. After a surprise appearance from Rei and Professor Laventon to help reshape the shards of the broken Chain into a Pokeball capable of replicating it's effects, Akari's rematch with the God of Time proved successful as the sky cleared and the vortexes slowly vanished.
It had been a month since then, now, and, though there were the occasional reappearance of small Space-Time anomalies, life was more peaceful that Akari could ever recall in her time in Hisui.
However, not all was well.
* * *
Rumblings were heard throughout Hisui, in encampments and settlements alike, that Kamado was still not satisfied with Akari's efforts. That he was still professing that she was the root cause of all of the hardship she had worked so hard to stop, and that the sparse occurrences now were somehow proof that she could cause these anomalies to start back up again any day. Sources say that he'd taken to wearing his battle armor at all times, seemingly ready for a fight that would never come.
This paranoia had all of Jubilife Village on edge. Villagers who were initially on Kamado's side began to question his decisions. Akari had been far from the first people Kamado had exiled from the village and yet she still saved the entire region; how many innocent people had been sent to their deaths by his decree and they'd just blindly nodded, gossiped, and spoke ill of them? The thought chilled many people.
Akari, in this time, missed her precious friends still in the village dearly. She'd heard word that Kamado denied many requests to return them to her, yet, even their attempts to release them back into the wilds proved unsuccessful. Akari was the most experienced handler of Pokemon the Galaxy Team had ever seen, capable of taming numerous Alphas with a smile; without her there, the ones deemed too dangerous to release began to grow resentful of their enclosure, desiring either to be returned to their master or break free from these confines.
All the while, Akari would look off into the distance toward the village, her precious Chatot on her shoulder and Pachirisu by her side, hand resting on the Celestica Flute in her obi.
* * *
Days passed, turning into weeks into months. The Clans' difference become more and more of a distant memory as the fresh memories of their collaboration stay vivid in their minds.
People begin appearing in the wilds, claiming to have been exiled from Jubilife, having been marked as sympathizers to Akari and the dangers of the Space-Time anomalies. Naturally, the Clans were swift to see these people and ensure their safety. These people would often track down Akari and give her apologies, some in tears and broken voices, others in angry shouts at Kamado's treatment of her and others. Akari, meanwhile, would always listen patiently, giving them that same soft, serene smile she gave any time someone sought her help back in the village and the time they needed to recover, before sent them on their way, letting them know that all was forgiven. After all, they were not the ones who ordered her exile.
One day, Rei appeared at the Diamond Settlement in the reds and whites of the Pearl Clan.
“He's like a man possessed, Akari.”
They were seated in Akari's domicile, tea at the table, already forgotten, despite still being hot. Akari scratched at Chatot's head while she listened as Pachirisu rested on her bed. All-in-all, they were much nicer than the ones she'd been afforded in Jubilife.
“He barely speaks anymore, all he does is look out of the window toward Mount Coronet, muttering about how the anomalies will reappear 'any day now.' Anyone who voices dissent is immediately banished. Did you hear that the Gingko Guild won't even trade with us, well, them, I guess, now, anymore? Somehow word of Volo's involvement reached his ears and I've yet to see him redder. Cyllene and I still try to feed your Pokemon, in secret, since he seems to think even that is somehow insubordination. I wasn't as quick as usual and, well, here I am.”
Rei sat in silence, staring at the table, past the table, into space.
“I'm scared of what is going to happen to Jubilife, Akari. I swear, any day now, something bad is going to happen and none of us will be able to stop it. I'm lucky Palina saw me when she did or else I'd be food for that Alpha Rapidash.”
“You're right, Rei. This is unacceptable.”
Rei looked up at Akari, her voice uncharacteristically cold, even though her face stayed that same happy-go-lucky look he was familiar with.
“And Professor Laventon?”
Rei picked up his cup, then, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, all of a sudden.
“Still working as diligently as ever. Moreso, honestly. I think he's burying himself in his work to avoid thinking about what's happening, but, progress has been as slow as a Gastrodon without you.”
“That's sad to hear, but, not surprising. Here, take a look; no harm in it anymore.”
Akari reached over to one of her shelves and tossed the small, leatherbound book she had used for her Pokedex. Rei picked it up and noticed that it was even more worn than he remembered as he flipped through the pages, noticing that the details in it seemed much more fleshed out and meticulous than Laventon's copies.
“You continued?”
Akari chuckled roughly, Chatot giving a small flap of his wings in anxiety, “Yeah. A part of me hoped that one day he'd seen the errors of his ways and apologize, but, if I have learned anything here, it's that time is short and it's better to spend it doing the things we love. Here, people like to talk to me. No one looks at me sideways or whispers behind my back. They like to hear the stories I make up, as entertainment is as valid a use of time as any in the lonely nights. I'm happy here.”
Rei chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat the book back onto the table. “I'm glad to hear you're fulfilled. I'm still figuring out what I can provide to the Pearl Clan, honestly. They seem to like my drawing skills, so, maybe portraits?”
Akari nodded slowly, in appreciation. “I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do, Rei.”
They spent the remaining time together talking about less heavy topics and talked long into the night, their laughter filling the empty space around them.
* * *
Later that night, deep into the time anyone should rightly claim for sleep, in Jubilife Village at the Galaxy Team Headquarters stood Kamado, ever in his battle armor, ever staring out at Mount Coronet. His eyes were red and it was clear that he'd not slept in far too long.
He was thinner, now; not enough to worry anyone under his large armor, but enough that it fell uncomfortably different on his body, now, making it difficult to move.
Every now and then, he would shift his gaze out from his watchpost and scan over the village, to see if ought was wrong.
All he saw, then, was dark buildings along dark streets. They'd had to conserve lantern oil for weeks, now, since their supply was running low and it would be another month before a shipment from Galar would arrive.
Some buildings showed disrepair, since there simply were not the resources to go around for nonessential construction anymore, and going out into the wilds was unfeasible, as most guards trained in wielding Pokemon had shown their true colors as sympathizers to that traitorous Akari.
He would stand here, as he had for months, now, thinking of ways to move forward, ways to prosper like he had hoped when he spearheaded this project, how to make his trusted villagers happy. However, this was not the case. People could barely eat; most had released their Pokemon to conserve food even tighter, and he could feel the eyes of everyone on him, now: the Clans, the Guild, the villagers, and, most of all, the eyes of Mount Coronet, staring down at him like a wrathful god.
In his weaker moments, he wondered if he had erred on his path. Should he have ignored the threat Akari faced to his people? Should he have listened when his supposed most trusted employees snuck behind his back to lend aid? Should he listened to the Clan leaders scream at him until their voices were hoarse and were told not to return? He felt like he had made so many mistakes and there was nowhere to go, now, but forward.
He would make his village prosper, no matter the hardship. This would just be another event in the history books of his people, his village, his city. No one would forget his name.
At that moment, he heard the distant sound of a flute.
* * *
The next morning, the Clans would be surprised to find people dragging themselves to their doorsteps and the various camps that littered Hisui. According to them, in the dead of night, a scream cried out and fires began to rage the village, as well as the many Pokemon remaining in Akari's Stable had gone on a rampage.
They saved what they could, but, it was not without cost. Some people died, many were missing, chiefly among them Commander Kamado. Without his leadership, the evacuation fell to Cyllene to manage. Luckily, thanks to some helpful Buizel, the fire was able to be extinguished and not spread further that the village limits, but, much had been lost and all were unsure if the village would be able to rebuild.
Some refused to accept the help of the Clans, choosing to stay at the Camp outposts, clinging to the hope that Kamado would be found and direct the reconstruction, but, many accepted the offers of help from the Clans. Unfortunately, all of Professor Laventon's notes had been lost in the fire, despite his efforts, but, thanks to Akari's notes, he was able to salvage much of his research thanks to her continued efforts.
Akari's loosed Pokemon were mostly able to be found and returned to her, showing signs of malnutrition and disease that had clearly been ignored for treatment under Kamado's strict policing of the Stables. While some were unable to be saved, many were able to return to full health and were able to be released back into the wild, each with a tearful goodbye from Akari as she played a different tune on her flute for each one.
After a month of recovery, the supply shipment Kamado has ordered for the village finally arrived, allowing people to begin reconstruction on the grounds of the burned village. With this, Cyllene stepped forward and claiming the post of Commander, declaring Kamado Missing In Action. Under her supervision, the people of Jubilife were able to build a smaller, but, more sustainable village, allowing them to prosper in relative peace.
Akari was happy with her place in life, now. Her friends were safe and able to live their best lives, now. As she kicked a random rock over a displaced section of dirt on the outskirts of the new Jubilife Village, she played her flute joyfully as it's tune echoed throughout Hisui.