Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Video Game). I don't own the picture (cover). Or the song.

(qwertuno and SilentReadersMatter)

(Hope you enjoy.)

When he found her napping in the fieldlands camps with Klevor of all things, Rei genuinely thought he swallowed something bad. Did it give him some kind of food poisoning?

What in the holy Arceus?

Akari layed in the sun, eyes closed and body relaxed on Klevor's stomach. Breathing up and down with her stop and somehow not attacking for her daring to get that close to him.

"Klevor?" Rei dared to whisper out loud, questioning his sanity. "Is she asleep?"

"Kleeeeeee."

Rei waved his hands in alert as Akari stirred a little form her nap. Looking at her resting form, he deduced the injuries and bruises accompanying her forehead and skin where she took off the uniform. Showing she encountered an alpha or even a normal Pokémon and coming out not victorious.

"Klevor..." Rei trailed off, taking in a more soothing tone. "I need to get Akari to a human doctor. Please may I take her to some help?"

Klevor's answer was to flash it's claws with a warning growl. Eyes starting to glow a mystical golden glow, the Pokémon pulled Akari closer and wrapped its arms around the injured child, silently letting Rei know he could stay, but wouldn't be stealing the child away from the Pokémon. If needed, it would resort to brute force.

"Klevor...."

Rei jumped once he heard the actual stirring of Akari. Opening her eyes, the girl blinked twice before getting off Klevor's back and stretched her arms and legs.

"Kleeeeeeeeeeeeee..."

"Doof doof..."

She patted his head. Bending down in one knee, Akari petted the wild bidoof on its head as well. It tended to be one of the more tame Pokémon in comparison.

Unlike the alphas.

Not knowing Rei was watching them, Akari gently grasped the Bidoof's cheeks and pressed her head against its own just to test how far its limits stretched. The bidoof crooned in a friendly manner as Akari let it's head go, hopping off a few seconds later to attend it's own business.

Turning around, Akari got out her flute and started playing a tune. Rei watched in horror and amazement as a Pokémon appeared in a magical glow.

Wyrdeer.

The Klevor left without saying anything of importance. Saddling on the other pokemon's back, Akari brushed a hand through Wyrdeer's mane. She earned a gruff grunt in return.

Akari never said your welcome.

Kicking it's side gently, the Wyrdeer sped off without Akari noticing Rei coming out the bushes just next to where she'd been.

She really is something special.

***

The next thing Rei experience made it much harder to comprehend their existence. He harboured much hate toward all Pokemon since he didn't know much about their species in general.

And the Pokemon shared that sentiment.

"Go Mister Mime!" He summoned the pokemon. "Use your special move!"

Mr.Mine pretty much just stared. It hated the master who caught it. It considered him weak, incompetent, etc. Suddenly another pokeball went flying and a togetic appeared out of nowhere in the middle of both partipants.

Rei and the Alpha Rapidash.

Akari styled protectively in front of the other trainer. Eyes glaring with a fury he'd never seen in the usual gentle girl, she extended her arm and silently communicated with the other Pokémon.

Sylveon suddenly used swift, the Rapidash obtaining around halfway damage. Akari Pokémon were stranger than when they last met. At least a much, much higher level. Laventon finally explained Ray's about the levels of a Pokémon. How they'd grow from weak to strong.

A basic term of survival of the fittest.

The alpha Rapidash used hypnosis, causing the Pokémon to droop its head and eyes to close momentarily before snapping them awake and staring at Akari, awaiting orders that never came. Instead, Akari gave it an apologetic glance and sent it back into its pokeball, sending out Luxray in its place.

The Pokémon used thunder, creating an visible cloud and sending electric spiralling all over the Rapidash's body. Shaking its body in pain, the alpha fainted, letting them know they had won the battle.

The glare on Akari's face could not be more scarier. Not even the alpha Pokémon felt comfortable as it shifted in place from side to side with its hoofs crossing over the other in uncertainty.

Akari waved her hand with one finger.

Naughty.

She threw the pokeball. It landed perfectly on the Alpha's head. One shake, two shake, three shakes later, it's caught.

Akari picked up the pokeball and placed it in Rei's hand, essentially offering an alpha to him of all people. He stared at the other trainer gobsmacked she'd even think to give a Pokémon she caught to him of all people.

"Why?" Rei asked breathless. "It's yours."

Akari shrugged in a tired stance. She summoned her pokeball once again and Rei came face to face with Luxray. It allows its trainer to get on its face as Wyrdeer had something else to deal with as an important deity of the Fieldlands.

He stared when she rode Luxray off into the distance. The Pokémon looked back and stared with approving eyes. It liked the other trainer. At least her Pokémon didn't want to kill him.

Rei was glad he had a friend like Akari.

***

Next time he saw Akari, it turned out she was facing one of the frenzied. Nicknaming then became a common thing and even a little joke implanted in the village on how the girl would have to face next.

Rei questioned why the lords couldn't take care of their own problems. They practically pressured Akari into solving their problems by claiming her as a saviour. Before she had went into facing the frenzied, her Pokémon weren't reacting the most...friendly toward any of them.

Rei never knew she caught a Floatzel.

Gotta catch 'em all, I guess.

The quote wasn't so charming as he looked at the possessive Pokémon surrounding Akari's sleeping form. All of them wouldn't allow Rei even one step closer than necessary. The lords weren't allowed five feet before Luxray struck with a warning thunder wave. They only learn their lesson once Akari's Leafeon full on unleashed a leaf blade which finally made the lords back off a little that the Pokémon were at ease. Stepping away little by little, Akari's battle team were content enough to turn their backs trusting Akira and the others not to attack their trainer from behind.

"Why are they acting like this?" Irida wondered thoughtfully. "Pokémon aren't usually...hostile if they are caught."

"Do you not see it?" Adaman pointed out rather sadly. "The scars and bruises. The Pokémon are fulfilling their duty. They're protecting their trainer."

"They do not care for others." Laventon intervened. "I know pokemon because of this outsider. These ones in particular are known to be extremely aggressive. It's a wonder why Akira picked them."

Rei observed the pokemon as the three talked their little theories. Observing the little things such as their protective stances, determined expression, he felt his own hand reaching for his pokeballs. He wondered if his Pokémon would do the same given the situation.

A part of him said no way in hell.

A crying croon from Luxray caught Rei's full attention. Inspecting Akari close he could, he realised she was full of recent bruises and cuts. Not busy scarring from a battle, but recent enough to be hours or minutes earlier. The Pokémon were ensuring their trainer wasn't hurt. However, they weren't knowledged in medical. And none knew any healing moves. Rei knew the only option was to somehow convince the pokemon to let him take Akari to a doctor.

Suddenly, Akari stirred and stood on her two legs whilst her eyes were being rubbed tiredly. She glared at her Pokémon momentarily before her eyes landed upon Akari and the others staring there.

Panic and distrust immediately settled.

Akari's body shook upon seeing the lords and the expectation they placed in the girl to save all the frenzied. Whimpering so quiet only her Pokémon heard, they took it as a sign to protect their trainer no matter the cost. Even the lives of these other trainers. Even the lords. Even Rei.

That's when Rei realised their pokeballs were at the side. What the hell was Akari thinking leaving them vulnerable? Then he saw the Floatzel guarding them and swatting Akari's hands as he tried wrestling them out it's grip. They must've desired to stay out than Akira allowed.

Rei dodged the incoming electro ball. He allowed a scowl to cross his face. Sprinting a little closer, he dodged again as leafeon attempted swift. One of the stars hit his arm and he had to pause to check a wounds. Only an incoming bruise. He'd work on that after settling this mess.

The pokemon were more traumatised than Akira. Summoning Urslana, Rei dodged its accidental attack before standing to the side as he allowed the guardian to do its job. The giant bear Pokémon received the story by the togetic and roared at the Luxray for causing this much of a mess.

Akari finally managed get its pokeball. She returned the sulking pokemon and walked close to Urslana before climbing on its back, striking the fur and calling another on her flute. It disappeared and in its place was Wyrdeer. She laid her head in its head.

The Pokémon merely huffed, but didn't reject the gesture. It sensed its rider needed this moment of comfort. Wyrdeer looked at Rei, then turned so it bent down and let him climb on it's back. It's rider wasn't fit to control where he moved and when. So Rei taking her back was the only option it saw benefiting the situation.

Rei nodded and rode with it back to the village.

***

Next time he happened to see Akari, she was mad he lied to her face. When he levelled up his pikachu to a higher standard than he realised, Akari's Leafeon suffered quite a bit of damage.

They fought in the village outside the front gate.

Akari outright screamed as it fainted, blood leaking out the wounds it obtained. Eyes haunted with fear and hasting to tend to its wounds, Akari's eyes were incased in a golden glow that overtook her irises and pupils the moment she saw her Pokémon injured to the bone.

Rei never said about Akari being sane.

"Akari, I didn't mean to hurt them." Rei hurriedly apologised, capturing the glowing fury in Akari's eyes. "Just take them to be treated and they'll be fine."

Akari stared, then she gestured with her head between Leafeon and Rei. The other trainer rolled his eyes as she wanted him to do this the old fashioned way. A punishment of sorts. Justice for her Pokémon by making him carry Leafeon all the way to the medical centre.

Fair enough.

Rei bent down and picked up the Pokémon, hoisting it's across both his shoulder before settling it more comfortably on his back. It crooned appreciatively so that was a bonus. His own Pokémon glared in jealousy.

Akari started working, oblivious to the negative emotions the like in emanated from one to the others. Rei glared right back at them all.

"I caught every single one of you. How does it feel to lose to a lousy trainer?"

He remembered how they mocked him in battle.

His pokemon almost looked disappointed as he ran after Akari like a lost puppy. They never liked him and he never liked them. It wasn't with the effect when they tried killing his constantly.

Rei just never tried to bond with his Pokémon.

***

Holding Akari within his arms as she cried herself to sleep became a common thing between the two of them. Not too intimate, not too sibling rivalry like. Her Pokémon surrounded them both enduring no funny business was happening.

A bit paranoid in Rei's opinion. Defeating Lilligant took its toll on Akari. She wasn't the strong, independent outsider everyone portrayed her little to be. Akari put up a front to become the exact same thing everyone thought her out to be according to the rumours. On the inside, she was a scared teenager who wanted to go home.

A scared little kid. Just like most of the population of Jubilife village. Mostly made up of kids and young adults to keep the population going and for the strong to replace the weak when the time came. In the village, rules were more harsher than the outsider worked knew or wanted to think. Pokémon were used to their advantages and depending on the trainers, some would wish they were sent back into the wild. Maybe all of them wished to be released back to their natural habitats.

"CHUUUU!"

Rei's certainly did. Pikachu had been going on like this for an hour. Even whilst Akari had cried, the little thing just refused to shut up, let alone be quiet for a second.

Only after Luxray's warning growl did the pikachu shut its mouth. Rei reminded himself to give the helpful Pokémon a treat after Akari's breakdown. She was frightened at having to face the next frenzied noble which could cost her life.

She unleashed an explanation of all the feeling and emotions she bottled whilst being in the village and other arenas. Turned out she hated the prejudice everyone assumed about her being all dangerous and unkind. Rei knew Akari.

She was as gentle as can be. When she wasn't mad and forcing to carry her Pokémon as punishment. The rumours everyone spread were utter bullcrap. He pulled the girl closer until she laid her head on his shoulder. Rei allowed the closeness for now. He noticed Akari absently petting the pikachu. Little rat enjoyed the affection. Akari offered the pikachu on his lap and turned over to her sides, falling asleep almost immediately due to exhaustion. He couldn't blame the chosen one. Saving the world must be exhausting.

His pikachu actually cuddled up to him and the others followed his head. You know what? Rei honestly let them since Akari proved Pokémon weren't bad. He stared absently whilst petting the pikachu, imagining that swirling cloud containing the Pokémon they now knew to be Arceus. A creator of their world, the sole creator of Sinnoh and other regions. Why did he come back? What did he want from Akari?

Acreus planned something. Involving the suffering of trainers and its chosen one included. The people of Hisui may have been parasites to a Pokémon of Arceus' status, but they were living and breathing being sharing their same land.

All of their lives mattered.

Laying back on his pillow, Ray found he had a new perspective. Pokémon weren't always bad and people weren't always honest like Akari's need to place on a mask where she pretended to be a saviour.

Turned out the hero wasn't always strong one after all. Rei would be there to provide a shoulder to lean. Shirt to soak up her tears and be there in general.

It's just what friends do.