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pokemonvillage · 1 year

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Title: Birds of a Feather Characters: Volo, Akari AO3 Link: (Here) Word Count: 2868 Warnings: Shippy! My take on Akari. Spoilers for events after defeating the Fifth Lord and Mission 13, and if you squint/know what you're looking for, spoilers for the whole game.

In a ‘harsh, cruel world’ where you had to struggle to survive, fit in, or get tossed out to the ravenous fangs of the wilds… Who could trust you if you were deemed an outsider? Who could you trust?

The first day of her exile had been spent wandering with no recourse, turned away by those she hoped she could trust. The first night had been little better; she’d wasted the day supplicating for aid and couldn’t make even the most basic shelter, despite those red skies casting an eerie glow over everything.

And then Volo found her, sometime in those hours between late and early. His familiar smile, his kindness, the ready way he spoke to her without fear, blame, or reservation… The dam broke, the tears came, and embarrassingly (in retrospect) she couldn’t stop herself from hugging him. When was the last time she’d hugged anyone? Other than her Pokemon, months. She used to give her mom a hug every time she saw her! Her friends, too. Needless to say, people in Hisui weren’t exactly used to such sudden displays.

He accepted it kindly enough though, touching a hand atop her head and saying nothing as he let her have her moment. Where would she have been without him? Yes, she had her Pokemon, she could have found a way to survive, but it’d have been hard and time-consuming, and would wear her down in every way possible.

They made their way to Cogita’s hideaway, made introductions, settled on the most basic accommodations. Exhausted as she was, Cogita opted to wait until the morning to speak on the weighty matters of duty and what must be done next.

So her second night in exile -the first at Cogita’s retreat- Volo set up his little tent bedecked in Ginkgo Guild colors. It was no bigger or more elaborate than the ones the Survey Corps used, but plenty enough for them both to sleep, he assured her. She was so exhausted that she couldn’t offer much in the way of even polite resistance, or ‘worry about the implications’.

Volo sat just under the further edge of the tent, a variety of papers and old books splayed around his lap. He poured over them by the light of the campfire with a weighty focus she could feel, but was too tired to comprehend before she inevitably dozed off.

The third night, however, with a clearer goal in mind and a renewed sense of purpose, she sat up under the tent, hugging her knees and staring into the campfire. Haruki was curled up at her side, one of his long ribbons curled loosely, almost idly -but certainly with purpose- around her ankles as he lightly snoozed.

“Shall we get an early start in the morning then? I’m afraid I don’t think that red sky will give us the luxury of taking our time,” Volo mused as he moved to hunker down beside her, words never accusing or harsh, always with an air of levity.

“Yeah, probably a good idea to get a move on it,” she nodded, not taking her eyes away from the fire for a moment. But then she turned her gaze towards him with a smile, feeling that innate relief and comfort that always seemed to come with his presence. “Thank you again, Volo. You know, if this really works, you’ll be a hero,” she said with complete honesty, but also a hint of playful teasing. He blinked at her, eye wide and brow raised high.

“How exactly do you imagine that? You’re the one who’ll be having to face these trials, might I remind you.”

“And it’s not as if anyone else would have been able to point me to Cogita’s doorstep, and gotten me the information on these trials,” she gave a firm nod of her head, “Nope, it’s all thanks to you.”

“Haha… I suppose that is true,” he chuckled quietly, thoughtful for a beat before he continued. “Though I’m more than happy to leave all future accolades to you. After all, I’m merely interested in-”

“The ruins,” her voice overlapped with his, laced with a laugh. His own laughter followed suit.

“You know me too well,” he said praisingly, but in the back of her mind there was a blip of a thought: that she didn’t know him well enough at all. Not nearly as much as she wanted to, at least.

Though, that was probably for the best. All of this stuff with the rift seemed connected with her, of course, but once this was solved, and she’d sought out all Pokemon as she was told… she’d be going back home, right? It wasn’t like she was avoiding making friends or any close connections, and she didn’t think she could have stopped it if she wanted to, but she was constantly aware that one day she would go home and leave all of this behind. At least, that was what she hoped. Or what she thought she hoped…

For a while there, she’d been getting very comfortable with life here. She thought she was a part of Jubilife Village now… But now she had to wonder, how much of it had just been polite masks of friendship and civility, and how much doubt and mistrust had still lived on beneath those masks? Living in exile definitely made it feel a bit easier to want to go home these days.

Part of her didn’t care so much about having her name and deeds slandered, she knew what she’d done, and why she’d done it, even if she didn’t always have the best answers or reasons, none of it had been out of malice or ill intent. But it still hurt… To have fought so hard, to have so many wounds marring her body for these people, and to be so easily cast out, as if on a whim. Even if she told herself ‘she understood’ why, it didn’t change the weight or the feeling of betrayal.

“Vee…” Haruki nudged his head against her thigh, the ribbon around her ankles hugging her, soothing away some of the dark clouds in her heart. With a wry smile, she reached over to stroke her hand between his ears.

“You alright? You got really quiet…” Volo spoke softly, and she nearly started at the sensation of his fingers delicately brushing the strands of her hair back from her face.

“Oh, sorry…” shaking her head, she felt her cheeks warm as she sat up straighter. Yeah, she’d completely zoned out there for a minute, though maybe she could just chalk that up to the exhaustion and trauma. “What were we saying?”

His lips slightly pinched, he tilted his head at her with a thoughtful hum. “Nothing important, I’m more curious what’s on your mind now.”

It felt gently like concern, and she both appreciated that and… felt apologetic for it. He had already done so much for her, after all…

“It’s nothing, really, just… still kind of coming to grips with it all,” she shrugged and stretched her arms out over her knees, trying to get fully back in her body as opposed to in her head. “There’s not really any time for that though, I know.”

He was quiet for another brief moment, before he shifted a little, in a way that seemed almost to accept what she’d said and move along. His hand reached up to remove his cap, the other smoothing over his hair briefly before he fiddled with the hat in both hands.

For just a split second, she instead made a different realization: he was fidgeting. Was he nervous about something?

“It’s a harsh, cruel world, isn’t it…?” he said very softly, and she couldn’t make out much from his expression in profile, that one silver eye locked on the simple patterns and threads of his cap. “No matter how much you do for them, how presentable you are to their expectations, you’ll always be an ‘outsider’ first.”

And then, she had the sudden inkling that she was on the precipice of understanding… Just why he kept very carefully measured distances between himself and others. Polite, smiling, friendly, quick with a joke or a helping hand, but rarely did it seem to go much deeper. The people of Jubilife or the Celestica people, or even the other Ginkgo Guild merchants… Cogita, too, or so it seemed.

She remembered when he’d found her napping in the Fieldlands that one day, not long after she’d first arrived. He’d extended cautious concern to her, but now she realized… He understood how hard this world could be. He had at least half expected her to be dead.

And in a ‘harsh, cruel world’ where you had to struggle to survive, fit in, or get tossed out to the ravenous fangs of the wilds… Who could trust you if you were deemed an outsider? Who could you trust?

Suddenly, she felt very cold, and very lonely, and hugged her knees tighter.

“I think… that’s why it’s important to stick together,” she spoke in an almost helplessly small voice, her words feeling more like a desperate, foolishly hopeful prayer rattling coldly in her hollow chest. They were supposed to be warm, kindling to chase away the chill. “When we find the people we really connect with.”

It was a simple, straightforward sentiment, one you could find anywhere. But she was talking to him, and she knew she was talking to him, because in this moment there was recognition. That all along, perhaps, he’d seen a bit of himself in her, and maybe that was why he’d always been a little kinder to her. Maybe that was why, even though it made him fidget with some discomfort, he opened up and gave voice to one tiny sliver of himself he didn’t allow others to see or hear.

She felt him looking at her, and shyly raised her gaze to meet his. Again, she couldn’t quite make out what he might have been thinking, except that he seemed to be thinking deeply. Maybe he’d call her naive, or foolish.

It wasn’t like she expected much… Almost all she wanted was a friend, someone who could accept her. And she would do the same, she’d never had a problem making friends after all… But she couldn’t help fear that he would laugh, or dismiss her, or turn her away. That she would lose the last warm, human connection she had.

The cool tips of his fingers touched the side of her face, and a shiver ran down her spine. For just a minute she couldn’t process this gesture or the reaction; some part of her brain tried, but failed. But then he was leaning closer, and her heart suddenly thudded against her rib cage as all parts of her brain were instead scattered into a frenzy. Surely he wasn’t- Was he?

His eyes closed, and she felt his lips touch hers before her eyes fluttered shut as well. So sweet and soft - brief, but the moment lingered lazily around them. He didn’t push deeper for more, but instead slowly drew back, his hand drifting lower to rest against the side of her neck, thumb brushing her chin.

“I…” his voice cracked slightly for how small it was, before he swallowed and gave a small shake of his head, close enough that the strands of his hair tickled her face. “I’m sorry, that was…” he mechanically pulled his hand back, and sat straighter.

But she grabbed his hand and leaned back in, kissing him again. She didn’t want him to apologize, she just wanted him to keep kissing her. And she knew damn well she shouldn’t have. Hadn’t she just been telling herself she was going to leave after all of this, that it was better not to get too involved with people? But she also knew there wasn’t any helping matters where the heart was concerned.

And how… How could she want to leave if she was falling in love with him?

Then, however, she felt what he’d probably felt; a rise of embarrassment at how sudden and forward this all was, and jerked back, face red.

“Sorry- uh, I mean…” she shook her head, and he laughed - bright and jovial.

“Perhaps we’re both getting a little ahead of ourselves?” he suggested with a smile, his hand holding onto hers. “Though I suppose I am the one who started it,” playfully, he gave a wave of his other finger. “I’ll accept any punishment you deem fit, Miss Akari.”

Right, it was probably a rather serious offense in these times, wasn’t it? But she just laughed and shook her head, grateful for his levity, feeling a very real weight lifting off of her heart. Though, he was probably right, they were probably getting at least a little ahead of themselves.

“Hmm, I’ll have to think up an acceptable punishment to fit the crime,” she grinned teasingly. No, she wasn’t going to call attention to the fact she’d kissed him back so they were pretty much even. “I’ll be merciful though, so don’t worry too much.”

“Truly, you are too kind,” he placed his hand over his chest and gave a bow of his head, and she laughed some more.

“Syl…!” beside her, Haruki chirped up, and Akari blushed as her laughter turned sheepish, petting him.

“Oh geez, I forgot we had an audience here,” she chuckled, “Don’t worry about me, Haruki, I’m feeling better now.” Which she said naturally, as Haruki was often very in tune to her emotions, and she wanted to simply reassure him. And not thinking at all that she was giving a rather obvious confession to just how happy that simple kiss had left her.

Haruki was appeased though, giving her a happy little cheer and nudge of his head before settling back down to snooze.

“Maybe he’s worried I’ll put him out of his job,” Volo teased musingly with a smirk, and Akari blinked back at him, taking just a moment to puzzle what he’d said and what she’d said together, before she felt that heat return to her face.

“Haha, don’t be silly,” she shook her head, “Both of you are irreplaceable.” It was a simple enough thing to admit, even if it was still a little embarrassing.

“Irreplaceable, huh?” he repeated, that surprised look on his face again, almost like she’d said something truly bizarre. For just a split second he went still again, gaze shifting away, and she thought it felt very similar to when he’d been fidgeting with his hat before.

“Well, regardless… I had just wanted to say…” he spoke haltingly for a second, before he found his stride, “I agreed with what you said before. That we should stick together. After all, with my knowledge and your skills, I daresay we’ll accomplish much.”

“Like saving the world,” she said with a laugh and shake of her head, hugging her knees again. He was so close, she wanted to just… lean over against him, but managed to refrain.

“But before we can hope to accomplish anything, I think you ought to get some rest. It’ll be you and your Pokemon facing the trials of the lakes, after all. Though, of course I’ll be cheering you on.”

Her gaze turned to the red skies as he spoke of rest and trials, sobering her slightly.

“Mmm, yeah, all right,” she sighed and started moving to get herself laid down for sleeping. Yawning and half-asleep, Haruki followed suit. “But,” she spoke as she shifted around, “just you being with us is more than enough… It really does mean a lot to me, you know?”

After all that exchange about outsiders and acceptance and sticking together, she was pretty sure he did.

“I know,” he answered quietly, and she gave a small laugh to herself.

“Maybe you’re my good luck charm.”

“I’m afraid buttering me up won’t get you any discounts, my dear.”

She gave another laugh, curled up on her side with Haruki curled up against her stomach, watching as he pulled a book out from his bag. Though she might have told him he ought to get some rest too, it was probably for the best, or her thoughts and nerves might get the better of her. The former were already bouncing all over, thinking not about trials or red skies or exile, but kissing him again. Holding his hand again. Butterflies in her stomach thinking about him lying close to her, despite them each having their own bedroll.

But rather than him falling into that steady focus while reading by the campfire she’d witnessed a few times by now since she’d known him, he shifted around towards her, leaning on one hand. Her heart thudded quietly once more, awed by the sight of him silhouetted in the glow of the fire, and that faint red glow from the night sky.

“Rest well, Akari. I’ll see you in the morning.”

That was obvious, of course, but the sentiment behind those words weren’t lost on her. Perhaps she presumed too much, but what else could she read from them? ‘I’m here. And I’ll be here. You can count on that.’ One of the few things that she could rely on, and the comfort she took in hearing it was not small as she hugged Haruki a little tighter to her with a smile.

“Mm, you get some rest too…” she replied softly, and with a faint smile he turned back. “Good night, Volo.”

#writing: akari #ship: wishes & stars #bonds: volo #volokari #one shot #semi-angsty romance stuff #volo #pokemon volo #pokemon akari #pokemon legends arceus

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doodlejoltik · 26 days

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the unwinnable game

[~2.7k words. Read it here or on Ao3]

Zugzwang (from German 'compulsion to move'; pronounced [ˈtsuːktsvaŋ]) is a situation found in chess and other turn-based games wherein one player is put at a disadvantage because of their obligation to make a move.

Centuries after their battle atop Mt Coronet, Rei confronts Volo in a nondescript forest, somewhere on Pasio. But the answers he's seeking aren't so easily given.

aka. a continuation of that one dialogue cliffhanger in the Mysterious Stones chapter because I'm extremely normal about these two

///

“There's something you'd like to say, isn't there… Rei?”

Volo turns around and Rei musters up the bravest expression he can.

Now that he's here, he doesn't know what to say first; all his planned questions bounce around his head, clamouring for dominance. Why are you here? How? Since when? You have a Togepi and a Togekiss? Why a tournament? What do you know about the mysterious stones?

Were we ever really friends?

That is, it takes an embarrassingly long time for Rei to respond. In the end, what he says isn’t a question at all. “That Togepi in the ruins was yours.”

Volo only shrugs. He's got a languid smile on his face. “It might've been. She likes running around.”

Internally, Rei is relieved. So he hasn't been seeing things. But he doesn't let it show on his face, and crosses his arms. “Why’d you hide from everyone for months, and only show yourself now?”

“Now, I wouldn't call it hiding,” Volo replies, waving his finger. “This is a big island, and I've made a good few acquaintances here on Pasio already! Perhaps our paths simply didn't cross.”

With the number of times Rei has visited the ruins for mysterious stone research, the odds of that are vanishingly unlikely. “But why didn't you even try? It's not like I've been keeping a low profile.” Of course, the reason is probably something like I tried to end the world and it would be awkward. And that's what Rei needs Volo to say.

The Arc Phone sits heavily in his belt satchel, recording every word.

“Oh, I was just preoccupied. The ruins here are simply fascinating! Even though they're replicas, teasing apart all the ancient cultures used in their construction is such a fruitful area of study. You know me.”

Yeah, I know you. “Find anything interesting about Arceus?” Rei snarks.

“Not particularly!” Volo shakes his head, looking disappointed. Then he perks up, and continues, “Now, Dialga and Giratina however…”

“Oh?” Rei seethes quietly. Of course he had been watching. Why hadn't Giratina said anything?

“It’s curious, isn’t it, how they have seen fit to partner themselves with new wielders?” Volo smiles. “And Palkia too, I’ve heard.”

“It is interesting,” Rei forces out, adjusting his scarf. He recalls Volo's last parting line about Arceus, all those months ago. “Nice to know that they've bonded willingly with people in this time,” he says pointedly.

Ignoring Rei's tone, Volo continues, “That man, Cyrus, who controls Palkia. What a character, wouldn't you say?”

Rei has a lot of thoughts about the Sinnohans’ decision to allow Cyrus - a man who has literally tried to remake the world and not disavowed said goal - to keep the embodiment of Space with him. He'd thought Adaman and Irida had to be joking, at first. What would the Captain think if she saw what her descendant had turned the Galaxy Team into…

“I suppose you see yourself in him.” Rei says flatly.

It's only the two of them here, in the middle of a forest, in the dead of night, so Volo should have no reason to be evasive. And yet -

“Hardly,” Volo laughs off. “Intellectual curiosity, nothing more.”

This is going nowhere. Does Volo seriously think he can fool him again? Probably not - every remark is undoubtedly purposeful, but with just enough plausible deniability to appear innocent. So maybe he just wants to mess with him. Great.

A different strategy, maybe. He’ll surely make a mistake at some point if Rei keeps pushing. “This… tournament that you proposed,” Rei says. “I suppose you're participating?”

“Naturally!” Volo says cheerfully. “Battles on Pasio are done in teams, are they not? Perhaps you'd like to-”

“No.” Rei glares at him. Oh, now, that was going too far. Going to shut that line of conversation immediately.

“So hostile,” Volo sighs. “A united Hisuian contingent would've been a sight to see. Well, the clan leaders should be more receptive, at least.”

“Not if I can help it,” Rei says, crossing his arms. He’s well aware of how childish it sounds, but the thought of his friends falling for Volo’s innocent merchant act, again, is too horrible to consider. Mentally, he rapidly revises his priorities - he has to meet with Adaman and Irida as soon as possible and explain everything. Tomorrow, ideally. Does he have the energy for that? It’s something like one in the morning, right now. He's dead on his feet. But he’ll make it happen. He has to, before Volo does.

But what if he’s already too late? When had Rei last spoken to them? The dance competition, that wasn’t that long ago, right? At least a week, maybe more, his mind supplies. He'd just been so busy… and surely they would have told him if they'd met Volo.

This little anxious spiral must be evident on Rei’s face somehow, because Volo chuckles, stepping closer. “The world doesn't revolve around you, Rei. Not here.”

“You don’t get to act all high and mighty,” Rei snaps. “Not when you’re pulling everyone along on your own strings. I suppose you think you make the world go ‘round.”

But Volo has a point, no matter how much he hates to admit it. Rei’s been assuming he was someone significant to this whole saga. The appearance of the mysterious stones coincided with his and Akari’s arrival to Pasio, after all, so was he really wrong for thinking that?

And Arceus spoke to him first. That had to mean something.

“On the contrary, I simply meant that we’re all on equal ground,” Volo says. For the first time, goes unspoken.

“I’ll still beat you,” Rei vows. He’d done it before, he could do it again. No matter if he was still favoured by Arceus or not. “Because my bonds with my Pokemon, and my friends, are real. And you don’t know what that feels like.” Though intended to be a sharp jab at Volo, instead, a deep bitterness colours those final words.

Volo’s expression twists into something briefly unreadable before it settles into a polite half-smile. “You’re quick to assume the worst of me.”

“Quick?” Rei barks out a harsh laugh. “No, it was exactly the opposite.” He’d been strung along so thoroughly, accepting every strange behaviour as simply one of Volo’s little oddities. Only up at the Celestica Ruins did those allowances start to crumble – and by then, it was too late.

Volo’s look at Rei is one of intrigue. The way Rei's seen him examining ancient ruins, like he's something Volo wants to observe, or study.

And Rei has had it. Enough dancing around the subject, trying to draw it out of Volo; clearly it’s never going to happen. “Is this all just a game to you? You tried to destroy the world! You want me to think you care about anyone?”

Volo raises an eyebrow. “That's a bold claim. Surely if that had happened, it would've ended up in the history books, somewhere.”

Well – okay. The only person who knew what happened was the Professor, sort of. And Cogita. Arceus knows how she found out. But Professor Laventon didn't know half of it, even, Rei had just incoherently vented everything emotional and hurting at him, swore him to secrecy, and then hoped that he'd never have to unpack that again.

Clearly Arceus had other designs.

“We were friends.” Rei’s voice cracks a bit, there; he hates how true it is. “I thought we were friends. But you were going to kill me for standing in your way!”

Volo frowns. “Now, why would I do that?” He takes a few paces towards Rei and smiles, purposefully, grin stretching tight across his face. “I wouldn't want to lose my favourite customer, after all!”

Stumbling backwards to regain the distance, Rei exclaims, “I’ve bought maybe one thing from you. Stop calling me that!”

“Recipient of free samples, semantics,” Volo shrugs, entirely unaffected, and Rei wars with the competing urges to punch him or bolt into the treeline.

“Play dumb all you want,” Rei hisses, “but you’ve already shown your hand. I could tell them everything. You won’t be able to fool anyone ever again.” Least of all me.

Volo tilts his head with a smirk. “Well then, why are you here?” he asks, calling Rei’s bluff.

And though he can’t know that the Arc Phone is listening in Rei’s satchel, Rei realises that his motivations must be laughably transparent. Maybe Volo thinks Akari, or Cynthia, is watching the whole thing from the treeline. The specifics of it don’t matter, really. Rei’s been outplayed from the very beginning.

Volo makes a little movement with his hand. There's a sudden rustle of movement behind Rei, and he whips around, hand on Decidueye's Pokeball -

But it's just Volo's Togepi, who warbles in alarm and quickly toddles past him.

“What would people rather believe in?” Volo says lightly. “The accusations of a boy who jumps at shadows?” He bends down to pick up Togepi. “Or in the innocence of their friend?”

In Volo's arms, Togepi lets out an adorable squeak.

Over the Pokeball on his belt, Rei’s hand is trembling with misfired adrenaline. He carefully drops his hand to his side and raises his head up high. “Cynthia trusts me. I’ve been here for months, and we’ve worked together on the mysterious stones since they were first found.”

“And so?” Volo shrugs. “A working relationship is hardly worth much. I thought you would've known better, with what Kamado did…”

Rei flinches.

The worst part about it all was that no matter what ulterior motives Volo might have had, back then, when he’d been thrown out into the wild with barely a few days’ worth of supplies – Volo had been there for him when nobody else was.

Volo had seen Rei fall apart and put himself back together with forced cheer. And so, he knew exactly where the cracks were, where to strike with his words to disassemble Rei all over again.

Of course Rei knows Cynthia is responsible, and smart, and has been nothing but friendly to him – but he doesn't really know her, does he? And Volo is her ancestor. Which is pretty obvious, honestly. She’d probably like him immediately.

Just like everyone else did. Including Rei.

“Besides, you're not the only one who's been making friends in high places,” Volo adds smoothly. “I’ve heard that Bettie’s word is quite well regarded.”

So now that Rei had wised up to Volo's true nature, he'd gone and found himself new people to use. “You’ve always been like this, then,” Rei huffs. None of it had been real; their entire ‘friendship’ had been predicated on Rei's usefulness. “They deserve to know the truth about you.”

“Truth? Or your own opinion?” Volo scoffs. “You think so highly of yourself, Rei, but you're not the beloved Hero of Hisui here. No…” he smiles. “You're entirely ordinary. Do remember, it was everyone in that stadium who heard Arceus' voice.”

Admittedly, that stings. He'd thought - maybe - that Arceus was finally telling him why He'd brought Rei here. What he was supposed to do in this strange new land. But he'd failed, unable to clearly hear Arceus’ voice.

Rei spares a thought for the Arc Phone, once a vessel for divine inspiration, now reduced to recording mortals’ petty feuds. His messages to Arceus have been left on read for months. He's probably allowed to be a bit petty, at this point.

Volo continues, “Imagine! Any one of us could become Arceus’ champion.” Togepi makes a little noise. “Yes, even you,” he says indulgently, lifting her up to face him, and she goes cross-eyed following his waving finger.

It's horribly cute, the sort of thing Rei would've been charmed by before. And it's clear Volo is no longer taking Rei seriously at all.

What starts out as a wavering thought suddenly asserts itself with startling clarity. “I don't need anything from you,” Rei realises. He'd told himself he was here for evidence, something concrete he could hold against Volo, and that was true. But beyond that, he'd been after something entirely more personal.

He can walk away.

“I don't need anything from you,” he repeats, with force this time.

Volo turns his attention away from Togepi, and this of all things is what finally seems to make him genuinely confused. “Leaving so soon, Rei?”

Rei doesn't elaborate. He turns on his heel to stalk through the forest back to civilisation. Now, because if he says anything more he doesn't know if he'll ever bring himself to stop. Because he's asking for something he'll never get.

Volo's saying something. He doesn't care to catch all the words, though some of it filters through - “challenge”, “tournament”, and “rivals” among them. The general shape of the message is clear. They'll meet again; Rei's powerless to stop that. But as best he can, he'll shake off whatever lingering grip Volo still has on him.

He doesn't stop walking as the trodden earth turns to paved cobbles under his feet, and he makes it all the way up his building's winding stairs to the little studio apartment that he's been given. Home, for now. Collapsing onto the lone armchair, he takes the Arc Phone out of his satchel and turns off the recording. Thank Arceus for divinely bestowed infinite storage, he supposes.

Rei knows that if he were to listen to it, there'd be nothing of use. Only hidden barbs and Rei’s own ugly, wounded anger. It feels fitting to delete it, to banish the whole encounter to memory, and perhaps eventually, less than that.

He doesn't, and instead tucks it away in a folder several layers deep.

Maybe Professor Laventon wrote about the whole disaster in his private diaries. Rei knows he has them, bless the man. He'd once stumbled into the Professor's office late at night, after an exhausting, terrifying escape from an Alpha, ready to tell Laventon off for sending him there – and startled the Professor fiercely, who quickly shut the manuscript he was writing with a blush. So even if Rei had sworn him to secrecy, he might have confided in the written word.

That's something he can set Cynthia on digging up, then. Even just the suggestion that Laventon, the First Pokemon Professor, had such personal writings, would probably send her into an unstoppable research frenzy. That much about her, at least, he knows. If it still existed in this era, Cynthia would almost certainly find it.

And maybe he doesn't need evidence. Not for the people who matter, anyway.

Akari’s only a few doors away, their apartments close neighbours just like back in Jubilife Village. If he wanted, he could wander over there once the sun rose, have her fantastic tamago rice, and tell her everything.

Is he ready to take that step into thin air? To trust that he'll be believed, in something that's infinitely more convoluted and improbable than the simple plea – “I don't know why the sky is red, it's not my fault, I only ever did what you told me to” –

Well. Volo might've been the last one to break his trust, but he was in no way the first.

Can he make good on those words that he’d levelled so confidently against Volo? That his bonds with his friends are real?

Akari had never doubted. And Adaman and Irida had gone against Kamado's will, risking the standing of their people, just to help him. He would be doing them a disservice if he didn't at least try.

And in this dangerous game, it might be the only winning move.

Even as he makes this decision, he feels the pull of sleep. It's offensively late, or early, in the morning now, depending on perspective, and all of this is Tomorrow Rei’s problem.

There's no energy left to even stumble to bed. Rei falls asleep right there in the lumpy armchair, hand loosely gripped around the Arc Phone, Adaman and Irida’s Poryphone numbers on the screen, ready and waiting.

And, though Rei will certainly wake up sore with a crick in his neck come the morning…

For the first time in a long while, his dreams are not restless.

39 notes · View notes