Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A deafening silence pierced through the four dark figures standing upon the school rooftop, scarcely illuminated by the glittering moon that hung in the otherwise dark sky above. A thick tension lay in the air around them as if a heavy fog were encasing them each, straining their every movement.

Liko gripped her pendant tightly to her chest as she held her breath, not daring to break the silence, scared of what might happen should she. Sprigatito stood poised beside her, ready to pounce as soon as its trainer gave the command. Three figures stood before her, all dressed in suits and prepared to attack.

Liko knew not who they were nor why they were here; all she knew was they were willing to do anything to get their hands on her pendant, and she was prepared to do anything to keep them away.

“Well?” the youngest of the three figures in front of her questioned with a deep glare. He had been the one to first approach Liko for her pendant under the guise of working for her grandmother. He was clearly the leader of the ominous trio and the most ruthless.

“No way!” Liko shouted into the night sky, finally releasing her breath. As she let the cold night air hit her, a shiver went down her spine. Her legs trembled, and her eyes held back tears.

“Then we’ll battle for it,” the man responded in an almost apathetic tone. He reached into his pocket to retrieve a Poké Ball before Liko had even a chance to respond. “Go Ceruledge!” he shouted as a red beam illuminated the rooftops, and as it dispersed, a flaming giant stood in its place.

Liko instinctively flinched back from the flaming Pokémon as its very presence sent another shiver down her spine. She knew she and the small grass cat stood no chance in battle, but they had no choice but to fight or surrender, and Liko wasn’t one to give up that easily. She looked down towards Sprigatito as it gave her a reassuring nod before leaping in front of her, letting out a small hiss along the way.

Liko had to do this not only for herself but for Sprigatito as well. “Alright, let’s do this, Sprigatito!” she shouted, careful to hide any doubt and fear in her voice.

The opposing trainer let out a callous scoff as he waited for her first command.

“Sprigatito use leafage!” Liko shouted with a swing of her arm, as soon as the command left her lips, her small partner jumped into action, bounding towards the menacing Ceruledge and letting off a fierce leafage with a hiss.

“Blow it away.” The silver and black-haired trainer opposing her called indifferently. With a single swing of its flaming sword arms, the attack was wiped away in an instant. Liko let out a gasp as the battle was over before it had even begun. Their only attack that could affect the opposing Ceruledge was rendered useless just like that.

“Now, use night slash!” the opposing trainer called with a hint of arrogance, as if he, too, knew he had already won the battle. In perfect sync with its trainer, Ceruledge was already on the move towards Sprigatito before the command was even finished, and in the blink of an eye, it swung its arm, and the battle was over.

Liko’s eyes widened as her partner was sent flying into the wall behind her and landed with a thump. Liko turned her head and ran to her Pokémon, not glancing the other way. The small green cat was covered with scratches, and as Liko picked it up, it slowly blinked open its eyes and let out an apologetic mew for failing its trainer. Liko tightly cradled Sprigatito in her arms as she blinked back tears. Sprigatito weakly licked her hand as it sent a glare to the opposing trainer, who was now walking towards Liko, his two lackeys trailing close behind with an arrogant glint in their eyes. The Ceruledge stayed in place, only turning its head to watch the interaction with intrigue as its purple flames danced in the night sky, beautiful as they were chilling.

“It appears you’ve lost, now be good and hand over the pendant,” the younger trainer demanded, now standing only a foot away from the timid Liko.

Liko gave up no words in response and only looked down at her poor partner and the pendant on her neck. It was because of her own incompetence that she lost the battle and let her friend get hurt so badly. If she were to hand over the pendan, they would leave her alone, and Sprigatito would be safe.

Liko set down Sprigatito and stood up, reaching behind her neck to take off the pendant. Sprigatito’s eyes widened as it realized its trainer was about to give up, and through the pain, it let out a loud hiss and lunged towards Liko, grabbing the pendant from her hand and landing beside her with a fierce growl.

“Sprigatito!” Liko exclaimed as the pendant was ripped from her hands. The other trainer’s expression turned to a slight glare as he witnessed this. They were so close to completing their mission, and he wasn’t about to let some first-stage grass starter get in his way.

“Control your Pokémon!” he demanded with a hint of anger in his voice that made Liko jump. She hurriedly reached her hand out to Sprigatito, but it pushed her away with its claws. It began yowling at Liko fiercely, trying to make her see reason, but the young girl didn’t understand what her partner wanted.

“Please, Sprigatito, give it back,” Liko pleaded with the grass cat, but to no avail. Seeing its trainer wasn’t going to be convinced, Sprigatito turned around and, with a mighty leap off the school rooftop into the starry sky, it landed onto the grass below and darted away, determined not to let the mysterious people take its trainer’s beloved pendant.

Liko, without a second thought, hopped up and found the closest ladder down from the roof to chase after her partner, who was quickly escaping from view.

The three figures remaining on the rooftops all glared at the sight unfolding before them.

“Amethio Sir, how should we proceed?” one of the three trainers, a blue-haired girl, asked.

“I’m not letting that pendant escape!” Amethio declared as he beckoned his Ceruledge forth, who was watching Liko and Sprigatito run with an intense fascination.

The two trainers following Amethio nodded at his command and waited to follow his next move.

“Ceruledge use Psycho cut!” Amethio called to its partner, and in tune with his words, Ceruledge effortlessly swung its blades, releasing a powerful strike heading directly towards the small grass-type Pokémon, which was still bounding away with Liko on its tail.

The green cat’s eyes widened as it saw the attack headed directly for it, and in a moment of fear, it froze in place, not daring to move.

“Sprigatito!” Liko called out to her partner as she ran to catch up with it. She panicked as she saw the attack heading towards her already hurt Pokémon and knew she had to do something. She wouldn’t let her partner suffer anymore because of her mistakes, and in a moment of desperation, she leaped towards Sprigatito, wrapping it in a warm hug and using herself to shield it from the incoming attack. The sweet smell of its fur captivated Liko, almost letting her forget about everything that was happening as she closed her eyes, bracing for a hit that never came.

A moment later, Liko slowly blinked open her eyes, expecting to be in pain, but instead found herself still hugging Sprigatito as it sat staring wide-eyed around them. Liko looked up, realizing something was amiss, and found a beautiful sight around her. A force of some sort was surrounding them. It was vaguely green and glittered beautifully underneath the moonlight. It appeared to have shielded them from the attack. She jumped back in shock when she noticed something moving. In front of the young girl was a small creature, which appeared blue in color, and it stared at Liko curiously through big blue eyes before suddenly glowing and turning into… her pendant?

The green light around them faded out of view, and the Pokémon-now-pendant dropped into the grass beneath them. Liko and Sprigatito shared a glance of shock as they both tried to piece together what had happened.

The three trainers still on the rooftop each momentarily froze as they watched the scene unfold beneath them. Amethio was the first one to regain his composure and began immediately formulating a plan for what to do next.

Liko had been so frozen by the events that she hadn’t noticed the three trainers dismounting from the roof and resumed pursuing her until they were mere feet away from her. As she realized what was happening, Sprigatito had already jumped into action, leaping out of her arms and grabbing the pendant from the grass. Liko stood up, preparing to chase her partner down for the pendant once again, but to her shock, the small grass cat only dropped the pendant into her hands and looked at her with a fierce look.

Liko nodded, finally understanding what her partner truly wanted for her. She grabbed the pendant and swiftly ran into the forest bordering the school grounds, following Sprigatito’s lead, the three trainers still hot on her trail.

Chapter Text

Trudging through the dirt, Liko and Sprigatito hurriedly made their way through the forest surrounding Indigo Academy. The full moon shone down on them both, illuminating the otherwise dark forest with its dancing beauty. The faint silhouettes of trees raced past her in a blur, and though Liko could hardly make out a thing in the haunting darkness, her legs were moving with a grace beyond her understanding. Sprigatito, too, moved with a chilling elegance, weaving through trees and roots as though she’d done this countless times before. Despite this, neither of them knew where they were headed. It was all Liko could do to keep moving forward, to not collapse in a pile of tears. A thousand thoughts flooded her mind altogether, all fighting to make their way to the front. One singular question beat out the others in a torrential downpour, though.

Why?

Why was this happening to her? She came to this school to find herself, but not in this way. The pendant was a gift to help her. Now it was only leading to her doom. If not for the fact that it had saved her life moments prior, she would have already taken the thing and tossed it far away from her. This entire situation was the pendant’s doing, that which she was sure of… No. That was a lie. The sparkling gem did nothing wrong; it was her precious treasure. It was her own incompetence that had placed her in this impossible scenario. She had failed to connect with her Pokémon and had paid the ultimate price in battle. She didn’t blame the pendant; she blamed herself.

A loud yowl pierced the stale night air, along with Liko’s thoughts. Abruptly stopping, she was faced with Sprigatito’s glare once again. A parting in the foliage lit up the small clearing the pair had stopped in, just enough for Liko to get a long look at her partner. Scratches lie scattered underneath Sprigatito’s minty green fur, which was now ruffled and dirty; the way Sprigatito despised it. The tiny cat looked exhausted, her legs were trembling, and she seemed as though she’d keel over in pain any second. Despite all this, her magenta eyes locked with Liko’s and held nothing but determination.

Liko had failed her Pokémon, yet the tiny grass type still believed in her every step of the way. For reasons unbeknownst to her, Sprigatito trusted Liko fully. She kept her gaze locked with the cat as tears welled in her eyes. She hadn’t failed in one regard after all; she’d made a genuine connection with her Pokémon. The grass-type wanted nothing more than for her trainer to succeed, and she was finally understanding.

The wind picked up, rustling Liko’s hair slightly. Sprigatito’s fur too swayed in the wind, and while Liko exhaled, slowing her sobs, Sprigatito took in a deep breath, moving her gaze from Liko to upwards with one more piercing glare. Noticing the shift in her partner, Liko too shifted her gaze upwards, face dropping with fear.

A huge shadow loomed over both of them, broad wings unfurled, blocking out the moon itself. The sound of metal creaking and feathers clanging together rang through Liko’s ears as the giant lowered itself towards them. The winds picked up, shoving her to the ground, reaching an arm out to grab Sprigatito, all she could do was shield her face from flying projectiles with her free arm. Whether it was the sound of the wind roaring or Sprigatito’s own hissing, she wasn’t sure. The sound filled her ears, bouncing through every crevice in her brain, making it impossible to form a singular thought. Inches from her face, she could make out piercing claws reaching for her. Threatening to shred her very being apart with the slightest touch.

Heavy talons wrapped themselves around her arms with a force strong enough to rip them off if they so wished. Squinting through the storm surrounding her, all she could make out were piercing red eyes watching her every move. Sprigatito’s hisses morphed into high squeals as she desperately tried to cling to her trainer's arm amidst the chaos. Liko herself couldn’t help but let out a shriek of distress, sure she was going to perish in this very moment. The beast was going to shred her limb from limb, and she could do nothing but wail in fear, clawing at the metal talons pinning her to the ground. The full weight of the creature settled on top of her, threatening her very ability to breathe. She could do nothing more than shut her eyes and try not to burst.

The winds had since settled, when she wasn’t entirely sure, but it meant nothing as she was already prey to the hulking beast before her. Slowly, she felt the beast begin to rise, shifting its weight, allowing her to breathe. Gasping for breath, Liko reopened her eyes to find the bird’s wings had once again unfurled to their full majestic beauty, as it once again began flapping, kicking up more wind, forcing Liko’s eyes shut once more. Sprigatito had wormed her way to Liko’s front, desperately clinging to her jacket with its claws piercing through the cloth to the skin. Liko could hardly blame her; she was just as terrified. And as she wondered how the beast was going to end her, she felt her arms being lifted against her will with the might of a storm. She once again let out another shriek of desperation, feeling her body being split into two as she was forced into a standing position, then dangling as she felt the ground leave her behind. Or, perhaps she had been the one to leave the ground; it was impossible to tell.

All she knew was that in this very moment, the beast was the only thing keeping her suspended, and if it chose to let go, she would certainly perish. Hardly able to make out anything over the wind, she was positive she heard the faintest familiar voice.

“Excellent work, Corviknight.” The voice praised. Liko knew that voice; she was sure of it. It was the same voice that had cornered her on the roof only moments before. Amethio had caught up to her after all.

She kicked helplessly at the night sky as the Corviknight soared above the treetops with powerful flaps of its wings. The cold touch of the metal talons keeping Liko’s arms was the only thing keeping her grounded. She could hardly even feel the claws piercing her skin where Sprigatito was clinging for dear life against her chest; she could faintly see blood seeping through her shirt, though.

Beneath her, the land stretched out for miles; the sight would have been beautiful, if not chilling, given the circumstances. The moon, which had felt so far before, was now in her grasp, yet she couldn’t reach out to it with her arms restrained. Left only to watch it pass her by, she tilted her head downwards in despair. Greeting her in the depths of her despair was the very pendant that had been the catalyst for everything. A faint glow emanated from it, as if wanting to ignite once more, but simply unable.

Two more creatures emerged from the grasp of the darkness, revealing themselves to be two Skarmory, adorned with the two trainers following Amethio before, with little autonomy of their own. The girl wore her blue hair wrapped around her head with two strands sticking up in the back, defying gravity. The male was awkward upon his smaller Skarmory, with his broad shoulders and larger disposition; it would have been a comical sight to anyone not currently in her position.

Liko wasn’t laughing; she was doing everything she could to not break apart into sobs in that very moment. Sprigatito mewed worriedly, trying to catch Liko’s attention, but her trainer was far too gone into her own thoughts to respond. A torrent of blame flooded Liko’s mind, and she was unable to do anything but let them absorb into herself as she helplessly dangled from Corviknight's grasp.

The pendant’s light pulsed rapidly, falling into perfect sync with Liko’s own rapid heartbeat. She looked away from the pendant, not being able to handle it at the current moment. She did her best to tune into the conversation happening above her.

“We have what we came for, let's leave before anything else gets in our way,” the same quiet voice of Amethio commanded.

“But, Sir, we were only tasked with going after the pendant. Is bringing back the girl really necessary?” a deeper voice asked. Liko placed it as belonging to the other male in the trio.

“You saw that light earlier; it reacted to her. There’s more to this pendant than meets the eye, and she’s the key,” Amethio explained without a hint of room to argue. And neither of his subordinates does; they simply nod.

Amethio looked down at the helpless girl suspended from his Pokémon, with an intense stare. For a second, there almost seemed to be something akin to sympathy for her, but if it's there, it's gone as quickly as it came. He simply raises his head and commands Corviknight to fly back into the icy grasp of the night, leaving Liko to do nothing but watch the darkness swallow them whole, drowning out even the glow of the pendant. Her partner is terrified, clinging to her chest, claws piercing skin. She can only hope that somehow they will release the trembling cat.

Chapter Text

Friede held the missing poster in his hands, unable to take his gaze off it. The picture of the small girl giving up an awkward smile taunted him. He almost wanted to throw up right there, but he held his composure. The girl in the photo didn’t know she was going to go missing. That this photo was going to be churned out on hundreds of missing posters in a singular morning, just to find one girl. A girl that Friede had been meant to protect.

The Rising Volt Tacklers had been hired by Friede's former teacher, Mrs. Lucca, to find and protect her daughter. How could they say no to protecting some innocent girl? “I trust you, Friede, I know you’ll bring her back home safely,” Mrs. Lucca had told him, looking up with those trusting eyes of hers. The same trusting eyes stared back at him now in the form of her daughter, whom he had failed.

His crew had been doing their job diligently, scouring the school grounds for any sight of the small thing, which Friede had been warned would be quite shy at first. There hadn’t been so much as a single sighting of her anywhere. Friede had been able to feel the morale of the crew dropping as the days passed without any sign of the kid. He himself had been doing his best to go out and search from the skies on his Charizard, even during the night on the off chance she was somewhere out there, he was going to find her; he had to. Mrs. Lucca had placed her trust in him; those words meant everything to him. He couldn’t falter.

But last night, Mollie and Orla stopped him, begged him to get some rest. He’d been working tirelessly for an entire week he’d gone with hardly any sleep. It was true, Friede had felt the effects of his exhaustion. The bags under his eyes threatened to drag him back down to the ground every time he flew off on Charizard, yet how could he leave a child in danger’s grasp? They had assured him that resting for one night wouldn’t cause any harm, that the girl would still be there when he awoke, and he had relented. He had abandoned Liko that night and now…

Friede clenched his fists, wrinkling the paper he was holding ever so slightly. The name on the poster haunted his vision, even when he tried to look away. 

Missing; Liko 

He continued to stare at the paper, hoping maybe if he stared long enough, the sheet would eventually give up Liko’s whereabouts. The poster did nothing of the sort and only stayed slightly blowing in the wind until Friede could no longer bear it and released the sheet, letting it fly off to who knows where. If he hadn’t stopped that night, he would’ve found her. She would be here right now, and they could be off to Paldea to deliver her back to Mrs. Lucca within a few days. The poster caught itself on a branch, rustling helplessly in the wind. Those small blue eyes seemed to be staring back at Friede, calling out for help. He wanted to reach out his hand and comfort the girl; tell her it was all going to be ok, but now he didn’t even know if it would be. 

“Pika,” the deep voice of his partner Pokémon called out to him. Friede turned his gaze towards the small yellow figure of his Pikachu standing with his arms crossed, a determined glare on his face, and a pilot's hat upon his head. 

“Cap, any luck?” Friede asked with a hint of desperation in his voice, clawing through his usual confident demeanor. The Pikachu sauntered forward, quickly shaking his head as he hopped onto his trainer’s shoulder. Friede sighed and took out his Rotomphone, silently begging for any of the crew to call him, to tell him they found something, anything. As if Arceus had answered his prayers, his phone began to buzz excitedly. 

Friede almost dropped the phone as he fumbled to answer the call, hoping the voice on the other side had good news. 

“Friede, Rockruff found something, you'd better get over here quick,” the deep voice of Murdock answered in distress. Friede's eyes widened, and without so much as a response, he hung up the phone. Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed the familiar Poké Ball of Charizard, and with a gleam of red light, the giant dragon stood in front of him with a roar. Even from inside the Poké Ball, Charizard knew the situation and was just as ready as Friede to take action. Friede smiled at the winged lizard before mounting it. With Cap still on his shoulder, they took off. He could only hope whatever Murdock had found would lead them to Liko. 

~

The world was quiet, except for the low groan of shifting metal. Four steel walls surrounded her from every angle, closing in on her when she looked anywhere, but meeting their gaze. Liko sat curled in the corner of the room, knees pressed tightly to her chest. She looked downwards and felt the walls pressing against all sides of her body once more. But she couldn’t look up to face them. The very air felt stale and damp, filled with the same water burying her miles beneath the ocean’s surface. 

She was afloat in a Submarine in the ocean’s depths. Nobody could hear her screams now, so she had stopped screaming. She had stopped fighting. She now only sat upon the cold floor, awaiting the inevitable. She was so tired she hadn’t slept a wink all night, terrified of losing herself if she slipped for even a moment. She reached down and stroked a dozing Sprigatito who was pressed up against her side. She could hardly blame the grass-type for having fallen asleep; she, too, had been through so much. Liko tried not to focus on the fading scratches beneath her partner’s fur as she repeatedly brushed her trembling fingers over Sprigatito’s fragile body. The motion being the only thing keeping her from falling apart entirely. 

Her pendant lay still against her chest, rising and falling in sync with Liko’s breathing. Its glow had all but dimmed completely, for it too had been swallowed by the icy depths of the ocean. Liko clutched it occasionally, holding it up to her face, silently begging for it to react once more, or speak to her, to reassure her it had a plan. The gem stayed dark, though, offering Liko nothing but another crashing wave of despair as she realized how hopeless her situation had truly become. 

She didn’t know what these strangers wanted with her, or where they were headed. She was only certain she was going to do everything in her power to keep what was hers safe. She couldn’t fail Sprigatito again; the thought was simply too much to bear. 

The sound of footsteps caught her attention, and she looked up towards the door. She instinctively clenched Sprigatito’s fur a little harder than she intended to out of fear, causing the grass cat to awaken with a low growl. Liko’s eyes flicked to her partner apologetically, but before she had the chance to speak, the metal door slid open with a quiet hiss. 

Sprigatito instantly hopped up, placing herself between Liko and the door, arching her back and hissing wildly. Liko started reaching out an arm to Sprigatito to try to calm her, but paused halfway through when she noticed the figure in the doorway. The same wavy two-toned hair framed the familiar piercing stare of Amethio’s eyes as he stood in the doorway, one arm on his hip, the other holding a plastic bag of sorts. 

Liko pulled her hand back from Sprigatito and condensed herself into a tighter ball than before. Amethio took a step into the room, his gaze drifting from the hissing Pokémon to the trembling girl in the corner. He stepped closer to Liko, paying Sprigatito no mind, and held out the bag he was carrying, intending for her to take it. 

Liko didn’t dare to move, just stared at Amethio, trying to keep herself from trembling. Amethio sighed when he realized the girl wasn’t going to touch the bag and gently placed it on the ground in front of her. 

“It’s food,” Amethio stated plainly, keeping his gaze locked on Liko, “it will be another day before we dock, don’t try anything before then.” He warned her with a deeper glare than before. His gaze moved ever so slightly from Liko’s eyes down to the pendant around her chest as if the threat was meant for the glittering gem more so than her. 

Liko stared at Amethio long and hard with wide eyes. What did he want with her? She had so many questions, her mind was racing faster than she could comprehend. Then, on a whim, her lips parted. She felt her voice come out shaky at first, but she was able to get a grasp on it. Before her brain could realize what she was about to do, she spoke. 

“Where?” were the only words she could muster. She wanted to ask more, to shake this man till he told her everything she needed to know, but was unable to form the words.

Amethio paused, clearly not expecting the girl to speak to him. He paused for a moment, running through the risks of revealing any information to her in his head. After a second of silence, he spoke. 

“Paldea” was the only information he was willing to give up, but still, it was something for Liko. She was a little less in the dark than before. A light had turned on, and even if it was a thousand miles away from her, eventually, if she kept pushing forward, she’d be able to grasp it. She nodded solemnly and finally reached out a hand, grabbing the bag of food, whispering a thank you that she wasn’t quite sure if Amethio had heard as he exited the room without another word. A part of her swore she could faintly hear the words “Don’t thank me, I don’t deserve it,” before he left, but she had no way of knowing. She was simply plunged into loneliness once more, as Sprigatito nuzzled her way into Liko’s lap.

Chapter Text

Sunlight.

Liko had almost forgotten what it felt like. She closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the day melt into her skin, burning away the lingering harshness of the cold metal floor she’d been forced to sleep on. Even Sprigatito could hardly deny how nice the sunlight felt on her fur. Liko pitied the grass-type for being kept from the sun for so long; it was like keeping a Wailord from the water. It just wasn’t right. 

The sunlight wasn’t hers alone, though; the Explorers, as she’d learned, was the name of the group that captured her, surrounded her, soaking up her precious sunlight. She felt like a tiny weed in a forest, desperately reaching to grab a single sunray for herself before all the towering trees around took every last bit for themselves. The explorers towered over her, trapping her between their branches, with nowhere to run, she had no choice but to silently follow, head lowered, legs trembling. 

The air of Paldea felt so different now; the same air she’d grown up in all her life was no longer familiar to her. She longed to chase down that familiarity to grab it in her hands and soak it in along with her sunlight. But she was a prisoner to her own familiarity. She barely recognized herself anymore. She could barely keep it together. Her hands never stopped shaking, and the tears never seemed to end. 

Sprigatito, too, seemed so new. Her wounds had healed, but her mind hadn’t calmed. She’d grown wary and guarded; she hissed at the slightest of movements, her tail lashed harshly at any sudden noise, a shift from her previously carefree behavior. Still, Liko appreciated having her partner by her side. 

The group was walking through a town. They had docked in Paldea and left the Submarine behind. Liko was thankful to be out of the confinement of the room, yet she still felt as if she had been buried alive, and no matter how long she clawed at the earth, she was still suffocating. Her lungs were filling with dirt, and it wouldn’t be long before there was no room left to breathe. 

The rough cobblestone beneath her feet threatened to trip her if she wasn’t careful. Beside them, a market was selling fresh fruits and bottles of water. The colors seemed so bright after so long staring at the dull Submarine walls. Liko longed for a sip of the clear waters of her home region or to bite into a fresh orange just as she did when she was a child. Her stomach churned at the idea, craving a childhood that felt so foreign to her now. The market vendor seemed to sense her longing stares and called out to her.

“Hey, kid, I can see you taking a look. Why not ask your…” he paused, seeming not to know how to address the serious-looking people surrounding her, “Friends to stop and take a look?” 

Liko flinched and looked down, not wanting to attract attention, fearing the Explorers would punish her. Amethio shot the man his signature piercing glare, and he quieted down. But the damage had already been done. Liko’s heart ached deeply for her parents and the life she had left behind in search of her purpose. She no longer wanted to find herself, just a life she’d already owned. She felt a little more dust settling in her lungs, and breathing became a little harder.

Passersbys paid the group odd looks, but nobody dared speak up. Liko could hardly blame them, for if she, too, were a stranger to her situation, she would’ve kept her head down and moved along.

As they reached the edge of the town, Amethio paused abruptly, almost leaving Liko to run into him. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a Poké Ball. Liko knew where this was headed, but violently denied the truth in her mind. With a red gleam, the beast appeared: Corviknight. Liko had to do everything to control her breathing, to keep from falling to her knees in that very moment. Her time was almost up, the soil was piling up in her lungs, she could feel it. The grit climbed its way up her throat, and she knew she was coughing up dust. 

~

Sprigatito stared wide-eyed at the hulking armored bird. It seemed even larger than last time. If the two got upon the bird, they’d never get back down. She could feel Liko’s heart beating faster than she ever thought possible. Her ears flicked, and her tail lashed. Even the scent was enough to make Sprigatito’s fur bristle on edge. It all made her angry. Everything these humans did made her so angry. 

This was her trainer, her partner that they had hurt. They had tried to silence her with fear, but it hadn’t worked. Even as the bird raised its wings, she wasn’t scared. She didn’t tremble at the sight. Her claws dug into Liko’s arm, without meaning, but she had no control. Corviknight let out a screech that sent every hair on her body standing straight. It’s feathers still reeked with the scent of the school they had left behind. The school they had taken her from, the friend they had damaged without care, her friend, her trainer. Sprigatito had chosen Liko because of the spark in her eyes. She saw that spark during her interview for Indigo Academy. She saw that spark when she first showed off her cherished pendant. Even when faced with an impossible challenge, that spark remained. She knew it was still there, she knew Liko didn’t want this, she just had to ignite it. These people had tried to erase her spark. They tried to take the sunlight from Sprigatito, down in that underwater prison.

No. Never again. 

Her tail lashed harder. These humans could do all they wanted, steal all the sunlight they could, but they would never take Liko away again. Sprigatito felt a growl rumble deep in her chest. She wasn’t scared, never again. Her ears pressed back, and her eyes hardened into a glare as she made up her mind. Without a second thought, she leaped from Liko’s arms, green light sparking at her fur. 

~

Liko’s eyes widened as a green storm of leaves erupted from the tiny cat, filling the entire area within seconds. She shielded her eyes, unable to see through the bright glow of light emanating from her partner. The force of the blow caused her legs to buckle, and she fell to the ground, gasping for air. Her mind exploded into pain as the dirt reached a boiling point. She felt it spilling out of her mouth onto the ground, burying her alive for a second time. She brought her hands to the ground, trying to catch a breath that didn’t exist. Her eyes shut tight, and the weight of the earth above pushed down with the force of a mountain. She couldn’t move if she tried. Tears poured from her face, though absorbed by the soil. This was it; there was nothing more she could do. 

Her lungs burned with a force she couldn’t bear; the weight pressed them down, threatening to burst them. But then, just faintly, she felt it. A single thread of air slipped through the tightly packed earth and into her lungs. It was tiny and fragile, threatening to blow away at even the slightest touch, but it was real. Liko felt her eyes flutter open, and through a blur of tears existed movement and light. A tiny beam flickering, but there. And at the front of it all…

Sprigatito. 

The cat bared its teeth as its paws moved in a strangled fashion, clawing its way through the dirt. Her actions barely did anything against the force of the earth, but that didn’t matter to Sprigatito. The grass-type refused to leave her partner behind beneath the soil. Each swipe of the paws jostled a little more dirt free, growing the beam of light ever so slightly. Liko wasn’t being abandoned. Sprigatito was here to drag Liko back into the sun when she got lost in the shade. Sprigatito was her light.

Liko’s hands itched to join her, to reclaim the light, but the ache in her lungs kept her frozen. And yet through her fear, she felt it, Sprigatito calling out to her. The cat shouldered what Liko could not; this time, Sprigatito was all the sunlight the two had been denied, and it was hers to claim, too.

In that moment, Liko realized the truth; she wanted it. She wanted to escape, to keep going, to protect what was hers. She didn’t want to fall beneath the earth again. She moved to join Sprigatito, desperately digging away at the growing soil. Together, they were able to push back the grit and the dirt. The beam of light grew stronger with each passing second, and Liko’s lungs began to clear.

Her spark, the one that Sprigatito had always seen, the one she’d thought had been smothered by the dust, flickered to life once more in her chest. She clutched her pendant close to her face, begging it to help her once more, and it answered. 

All at once, the jewel exploded with light, melting away the dirt around her as Liko finally broke through to the surface, meeting with the sunlight once more, but this time it was hers and Sprigatito’s alone. She wasn’t a weed in the forest; she was the ivy, and she’d climb as high as she’d need to find it again. And once more she was able to breathe. 

The explorers all froze at the commotion, each sending out their Pokémon to shield them from the onslaught. Even the usually calm Amethio was caught off guard by the sequence of events, but even he acted quickly. Sending his Corviknight into the light, to see what he could not. Diligently, the Pokémon obeyed, screeching loudly as it barged into Liko’s light, trying one last feeble attempt to plunge her back into the darkness. Its wings sliced through the light of the pendant as it dived for Liko, but Sprigatito was poised. With a yowl louder than anything she had ever produced, her fur sparked a bright green glow once more, but it was different than last. She leaped forward with a speed never seen before, slamming into the bird, catching it off guard long enough for Liko to avoid its incoming attack. Sprigatito had just learned a new move: Trailblaze.

The pendant’s light, reacting to the situation, intensified, hindering even Corviknight’s ability to hunt down the girl. And once the dust settled and the light dissipated, Liko had disappeared from sight. 

~

Friede stared at his Rotomphone, rewinding the footage time and time again. The video itself was blurry, but that was her; he was sure of it. The same raven black hair, with a tinted blue underside, the same brown uniform he’d seen on hundreds of other students, and those same blue eyes filled with a spark he’d never seen before. 

He looked up from his phone out the window of the airship, the Brave Olivine, at the looming grey clouds outside. A storm was brewing, but the crew didn’t have time to wait around. Every second he delayed, Liko ventured further from his grasp. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice; he’d fly through rain and wind if that's what it took to save her. 

He wouldn’t fail again.

~

A small boy wandered across the beach in awe of the waves lapping at the shore. He stared out across the expansive ocean for what felt like eternity. How he longed to sprout wings and soar alongside the Pidgeys of his island, far away from here. 

A ping from his Rotomphone grabbed his attention away from the waterside, and he peeked a look at the screen to see a notification for a viral video. Opening it up, he found himself enamored by footage of some girl’s Sprigatito firing off one of the largest leafages he’d ever seen at an opponent twice its size, before something near the girl erupted into a blinding light covering the entire screen before fading away, leaving nothing but the bird in frame. 

Roy’s eyes lit up watching, and he replayed the video countless times. Whoever this strange girl was, she was amazing, and he wanted to meet her.