The rainforest canopy of Akala Island held its breath in the late morning heat, cicadas buzzing like tiny generators in the leaves. Dew still clung to the ferns. The air tasted like damp bark and distant seawater. And somewhere down a narrow trail that only Kina Aukai would dare call a path, a girl crouched silently in the underbrush, watching a set of fresh hoofprints disappear into the loam.
Kina touched the ground with two fingers, eyes narrowing."Not Mudsdale," she murmured. "Too light. Too staggered. Maybe—"
A loud squawk interrupted her.
THWAAA!
Toucannon swooped overhead and smacked her in the shoulder with its wing in the most judgmental way possible.
Kina sighed. "Yes, I know I said I'd go home sooner. Yes, I know Sliggoo is waiting. And no, I'm not going to fall in another mud pit again."
Toucannon gave her the you always say that look and took off.
Kina rolled her shoulders and stood, stretching her back until it cracked. She had gotten up before dawn to follow these tracks purely because she felt like something was off. That was how she worked: instinct first, rationale second. And usually, instinct was right.
But this time, something else was pulling at her.
Something buzzing at the edge of her thoughts since yesterday.
Cyrus.
The call she'd taken half-asleep echoed in her head in pieces:
Bloodmoon Mountain. Aggressive Ursaluna. He wants me to come with him. Just me.
She hadn't said it out loud yet. If she did, it might become too real too fast.
She pushed through the foliage and stepped into the clearing behind her home—a small wooden lodge built against a volcanic ridge, surrounded by trees and mist. Her family was out working, so it was quiet.
Except for the chaos she lived with.
Sliggoo barreled toward her the moment she appeared, sliding across the grass like a gelatinous missile.
"Oof—hey, hey, I'm alive." She laughed softly as she hugged it. "You worry too much."
Sliggoo burbled and nuzzled into her chest.
Then Growlithe hopped onto a boulder, barking proudly, demanding attention. Mudsdsale snorted from its spot near the shade of a banyan tree, stamping once in a slow greeting. Leafeon dozed by the porch, waking only to give Kina a sleepy blink. Araquanid hovered behind the water barrel, peering out with its eerie, curious stare.
Her whole world. Her whole wild, chaotic world.
And she was about to leave them again.
Sliggoo tapped her leg, sensing the swirl of emotion she was trying to hide.
"Yeah," she whispered, stroking the top of its gooey head. "Something came up."
She sat on the porch steps and finally let herself feel the weight of the decision.
Cyrus needed her.
And the thing she wasn't admitting out loud:She had missed him.
Travelling with him had felt easy—too easy. He filled quiet space with warm thoughts, sarcasm she could volley back, and a kind of careful bravery that scraped at her ribs.
But going with him to Bloodmoon Mountain?
That wasn't a casual hike.That was danger with teeth.
She reached for her field kit and flipped it open: maps, scent-blockers, mineral chalk, spare gloves, her climbing harness.
She drew in a slow breath.
"Alright," she said to her team, "we're doing this."
That was all it took.
Growlithe barked triumphantly.Toucannon shrieked like a victory horn.Leafeon stretched gracefully and began packing her smaller items with vines.Mudsdale approached and touched its forehead gently to her shoulder.Araquanid dipped its bubble over her hand, cool and reassuring.
Then Sliggoo climbed into her lap, puddling across her legs with a soft chirp.
"I know, bud." Kina smiled. "You're coming too."
Her stomach fluttered—equal parts anxiety, excitement, and something more complicated, the kind that made her rub the back of her neck and stare at the ground.
"You think Cyrus is gonna freak out when he sees how big you've gotten?" she asked Sliggoo.
Sliggoo squeaked proudly.
She grabbed her gear bag—already frayed from lava-rock scrapes and swamp mud—and began packing with practiced efficiency.
Tracking harness.Her weather-ready boots.Her scent-masking cloth.Medic herbs.A woven bracelet from her mother for good luck.Pokéballs—cleaned, checked, polished.
She paused only once, holding the bracelet between her fingers.
"And… don't let anything happen to him," she murmured.It was meant for herself as much as her team.
The last thing she packed was her battle outfit—dark teal, wave-patterned, sleek and fitted. She wasn't planning to use it. But Bloodmoon Mountain wasn't known for respecting your plans.
When she stepped outside, everything was ready.
Her team had formed a loose ring around her, like a sentry formation they developed themselves years ago: Mudsdsale towering behind her, Growlithe on the right, Leafeon on the left, Toucannon above, Araquanid hovering close, and Sliggoo glued to her hip.
"You guys make this harder," she muttered with a half-smile.
She checked the sky—sun leaning toward early afternoon.
She tapped her holo-band and opened Cyrus's contact.
Her heartbeat skipped.Stupid.She rolled her eyes at herself and hit "Call."
The screen pulsed once.Twice.
Then—
"Cyrus?" she said, voice softer than she intended.
The camera flickered on with his face appearing, bright and startled, like he wasn't expecting her to call so soon.
"Kina?" he said.
She straightened automatically."Hey. I'm packed and ready. When's the plane coming?"
There was a pause on his end—enough that her stomach twisted.
Then he smiled.
"You're really coming?"
"Of course I am," she said, brushing her braid back with forced nonchalance. "Someone's gotta keep you from waking the mountain gods again."
He laughed, warm and relieved.
Kina looked away, cheeks warming despite herself.
"Afternoon pickup, Plane should already be at the nearest airport" he said. "You sure you're good to go?"
She glanced at her team—each of them watching her like they already knew her answer.
"Yeah," she said, voice steady now. "We're ready."
Cyrus nodded. "Then… I'll see you soon."
The call ended.
Kina exhaled through her nose, shut her eyes, and whispered a final thought to the empty air:
"Just don't be reckless."
She stepped onto the path leading away from the house, Sliggoo sliding beside her as the rest of her team followed like shadows.
The jungle hummed around them, thick and alive.
Kina Aukai was on the move.