Chapter Text
A gentle late morning breeze was blowing through the ruins of the temple at the top of Mount Coronet, but Volo barely noticed it. His attention was fixed on the woman standing beside him. He watched carefully as she brought the azure flute to her lips and blew into it almost as gently as the breeze that was now softly weaving through her dark hair.
Volo prided himself on his composure, but as the last notes of the ancient melody echoed through the Coronet Highlands, he couldn’t help the way he anxiously looked around waiting for something to happen. He didn’t have to wait long. As the air around them stilled, a soft light appeared at the edge of the temple, slowly glowing brighter as it grew and warped into an impressive set of stairs that seemed to reach the heavens.
As Volo stared at the magnificent sight in front of him, he didn’t realize how wide his smile had become until he heard the soft giggle from beside him. He probably looked manic. He quickly regained his composure and shot her an unamused look as she did her best to stifle her laughter.
“I’m sorry. I knew you would be excited, but I didn’t realize you would be this intense.”
Volo rarely let his guard down around others, but he made an exception for Akari, the mysterious woman who fell from the sky. She had worked hard for him and earned the right to know at least some of his secrets, but he still kept certain parts of himself buried deep. She could try to unearth them if she wanted, but just like the ancient texts and artifacts he studied, he was the only one capable of deciphering them.
“Can you blame me? We’re about to meet the god of this world.” He looked down at her with narrowed eyes and his usual playful smile and continued, “It seems to me that you’re not showing enough enthusiasm.”
He stepped forward and Akari followed. As they approached the foot of the stairs, they both stopped and stared in awe once again at the seemingly endless staircase made of light.
Volo couldn’t believe how close he was to finally reaching his goal. He spent so many years pouring over old texts and visiting ancient ruins, searching for answers, and now, all he had to do was ascend the stairs and it would be there waiting for him. He would finally be able to meet the Original One, Arceus. After all the tragedy and heartache he endured, he would finally be able to remake this world into a better one.
He also couldn’t believe how easy it had been.
He had Akari to thank for that.
When Volo first learned of the strange woman who fell from the sky, he didn’t know if she was meant to be an obstacle or a gift. All he knew for certain was that she was a rare relic that needed to be handled carefully until he could uncover her secrets and determine if she held any value.
It took some time, but with his charm, it was easy to get close to her, and with his connections as a merchant, it was even easier to keep tabs on her.
He learned that she had very little memory of her life before she fell through the rift, and unfortunately for Volo, no memory of what she saw inside the rift. She was an optimistic and compassionate person, but perhaps too much so. She never hesitated to help anyone that asked. What surprised him most was how competent she was at catching Pokemon and commanding them in battle.
It was somewhat alarming when he discovered that she had been collecting the ancient plates connected to Arceus, but she didn’t seem to know what they were and had no plans to use them.
With all the information that he had collected, it would make sense to conclude that she was a potential threat. Anyone with the ability to command strong Pokemon in battle held a frightening amount of power in their hands.
However, Volo couldn’t ignore the potential benefits of having that power on his side. If he could find a way to control her, then not only would he have a competent battler at his disposal, but he would also have access to the plates he sought. He just needed to wait for the right opportunity to earn her trust and loyalty.
That opportunity appeared before him when the gods of time and space clashed and the sky bled.
Akari was still sitting in the exact same spot where Volo left her when he returned with the dinner that Cogita helped him prepare. He sat down next to her and handed her a bowl, but she still didn’t move. She just continued to stare blankly into the campfire.
She was like this when he found her aimlessly wandering the fieldlands under the red sky. She was exiled from Jubilife Village and abandoned by everyone else. She was miserable and lost, barely recognizable as the upbeat and cheerful Survey Corps member who fearlessly calmed the rampaging nobles. It was a shock to see her in such a pathetic state. He almost felt bad for her, but not bad enough to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
With nowhere else to go, she followed him to Cogita’s retreat without question. When they arrived, her exhaustion was evident, so Volo set up camp not far from Cogita’s cabin.
Akari still hadn’t taken the bowl of curry that Volo held out to her. He sighed and placed his own bowl down so he could scoot closer to her.
“It’s been a long day. You should eat something.” He spoke gently and made sure to wear an expression to match.
She still didn’t move.
He scooped up a bit of the curry and held it up to her face.
“Would you prefer it if I fed you?”
His tone was slightly more playful when he spoke again, but his face remained soft with concern. “Because I will feed you if I have to. I won’t allow my favorite customer to go hungry under my care.”
It was subtle, but he finally elicited a response from her. She averted her eyes slightly for just a moment before raising her hands to take the bowl from him. At first, she just stared at the bowl in her lap, but when she realized that his eyes hadn’t left her, she finally relented and took a bite. It was a small one, but he breathed a heavy sigh of relief and picked his own bowl back up.
“I know this is a difficult time for you, but I’m sure you’ll feel better once you’ve had some food and rest.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “And no matter what happens, I’ll stay by your side.”
They remained by the campfire for a while after dinner. Volo would occasionally break the silence with ramblings of his travels and his favorite ruins to explore. At some point during one of his stories, she leaned on him and his arm wrapped around her as she rested quietly against his chest. He enjoyed her warmth, but he made sure not to get too attached to it. He just needed to comfort her a little. He needed her to open up to him, to trust him, and to rely on him and only him.
When he felt the time was right, he switched the topic of conversation back to her.
“I’ve seen some incredible things and met some fascinating people in my travels but, I must say, none of them are anywhere near as incredible and fascinating as you are.”
He glanced down at her and she adjusted her position slightly, but didn’t respond so he continued.
“This world can often be cruel, but you’re always so selfless and compassionate, always willing to help others, always putting their needs before yours, even when they don’t deserve it.”
He heard her sniffle.
“It’s refreshing to meet someone as kind as you, but I can’t help but worry about you. It must be exhausting to remain kind when others don’t reciprocate.”
He heard soft sobs escape her as she sunk further into his embrace.
“So I was wondering… Akari, what do you want? What would make you happy?”
Volo never cared much for what other people wanted, but he knew that he could use Akari’s desires to manipulate her and bring him closer to his own goals. For the first time that day, Akari spoke. He didn’t actually pay too much attention to what she said. She rambled about vague memories of home through her tears. He looked at her with kind eyes and a reassuring smile, nodding along as she spoke. What she wanted wasn’t actually important. All that mattered was that she wanted something . He made sure to let her finish before he spoke again.
“I think I may be able to help you, my friend. I’ve learned all kinds of useful things from studying the myths of this land, and I’ve discovered a being that would certainly be capable of giving you what you want. Would you like to help me find it?”
She was looking up at him now and after a brief moment she nodded. His smile grew. It really was too easy.
“Wonderful!” He tilted his head towards the sky before continuing. “We can discuss this more later, but first we’ll need to deal with that rift in the sky. Let’s get some rest for now and make for the lakes in the morning.”
Volo had successfully planted the seed, and he would continue to watch over it carefully and nourish it, as he helped Akari with her daunting task of proving herself to the lake spirits and quelling the frenzy of the Pokemon in the rift.
Originally, Volo had hoped that Arceus would make an appearance during Akari’s scuffle with Dialga and Palkia at the Temple of Sinnoh, but he didn’t fret too much when it chose to remain hidden. He was perfectly content because he understood that he would be receiving a different gift from that ordeal.
As he watched the distorted sky return to normal and the rift close, he said a silent prayer. He thanked Arceus for blessing him with such a beautiful gift – a tool that he would make good use of. That’s all Akari was, right? A divine tool bestowed upon him by his god.
The sudden feeling of a petite hand brushing against his own pulled Volo out of his thoughts. He glanced down at Akari as her delicate but lightly calloused fingers intertwined with his. She hesitated slightly before looking up at him – perhaps to hide the light blush dusting her cheeks – and met his gaze with her typical optimistic smile.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
Volo never cared much for what other people wanted, but as he felt the warmth of Akari's hand in his and saw the brilliant light that radiated from her smile, for a brief moment, he wondered if she would want to be a part of the new world he planned to create. He wasn't sure how this thought wormed its way to the front of his mind, but he didn't allow himself to linger on it for too long, and turned his attention back to the stairs in front of them.
“I’m ready,” he replied.
Volo took the lead and they began their ascent hand in hand.
With each step he took, Volo couldn’t ignore the chaotic flurry of emotions swirling around in his head. He was relieved that he was so close to his goal and ecstatic at the thought of finally meeting his god, but there were still thoughts that troubled him. Why had it taken so long to reach this point? Volo often had moments when he doubted if his god could see his devotion. Despite how hard he worked or how long he waited, his god never provided the answers that he desperately sought. He wondered if Arceus had deemed him unworthy and had forsaken him.
He couldn’t prevent the negative thoughts from poisoning the rest so the storm in his mind continued to rage. So many emotions battled for dominance within him as they ascended higher and drew closer to the heavens. It took every last bit of control he had to appear calm and collected on the outside, but his hand still trembled slightly.
Akari must have noticed.
She placed her free hand on his arm, caressing it gently. “I can understand why you’d be nervous. It’s not everyday you meet the god of this world. But I hope you’re not getting cold feet.” She rested her head on his arm and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “You’ve worked so hard for this. If anyone deserves to meet Arceus, it’s you.” She was too kind for this world.
As they pushed through the clouds, the sky darkened and the air felt lighter and sparkled as if stardust were filtering down from heaven. It was soothing and calmed his nerves, allowing him to think more clearly.
Akari was right; Volo did deserve this. He had the blood of the Celestica people coursing through his veins. He devoted his life to studying, understanding, and seeking out Arceus. He worshiped Arceus more fervently than any other. He had no reason to worry.
He was thankful to have his divine gift at his side to ease his concerns.
When he looked at Akari, he swelled with pride. He was the only one wise enough to see her for the divine blessing that she was. He accepted this gift gracefully, caring for her and molding her into the perfect companion. He treated his gift well and created something extraordinary, and he couldn’t wait to present his accomplishments to Arceus.
Perhaps he would entertain that unusual thought that snuck into his mind a moment ago. He was proud of his gift, so why not keep her by his side in his new world?
Volo awoke to the early morning songs of a group of Starly outside his tent. He wasn’t in any rush to get out of bed, but when he noticed the empty space beside him, he pushed himself off the ground, suddenly wide awake.
“Akari?”
He heard something shuffling just outside his tent and instinctively reached for a pokeball.
“Oh, Volo?” He relaxed when he heard her voice. “Sorry! I’m just right out here. Give me a sec, okay?”
After a brief moment, the tent flap opened, and he was greeted by Akari’s cheerful smile. “Good morning!” she sang before settling down next to him. “I woke up early so I decided to get some breakfast ready.” She placed a basket of berries between them.
“Breakfast in bed?” His face lit up as he reached for a berry. “This is why you’re my favorite.”
With the incident involving Dialga and Palkia behind them and the rift closed, Volo was now traveling with Akari to collect the remaining plates scattered across Hisui. She continued to prove that she was a useful asset to him. He also enjoyed the other little perks of keeping her at his side.
Volo continued to pick at the berries, but noticed that Akari hadn’t touched hers. She just sat there quietly, looking down as her hands fiddled with the hem of her skirt.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No, nothing’s wrong.” There was a pause before she looked up and met his gaze with a more serious look in her eyes. “But I did want to talk to you about something.”
He studied her curiously. “Oh? Do go on.”
She took a deep breath. “So I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been slowly recovering memories of my life from before I arrived here through the rift, and well… “ She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I also remembered something from…” Another pause. “... from when I was inside the rift.”
His eyes widened, but he did his best to keep his voice steady. “Please, continue.”
“Volo, I… I saw Arceus.”
“YOU SAW IT?” he blurted out carelessly as he grabbed her shoulders. She jolted slightly at his sudden outburst. He realized his mistake and loosened his grip, but he couldn’t completely erase the excitement written on his face. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, but this is incredible! How lucky you are to have met Arceus! This is so exciting! Please, what else can you tell me?”
“Well, there really isn’t much more to tell. There was light. It was strange and confusing, but Arceus did speak to me. It told me to seek out all Pokemon and then I could meet it again.”
Volo was speechless as he desperately tried to sort through the mess of thoughts and emotions brought on by this new piece of information. He also had to deal with the ugly, jealous part of him that wanted to wrap his hands around her neck and demand to know why she was so deserving of his god’s favor. His grip on her shoulders tightened again. However, before those dark thoughts could develop further, she continued.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this sooner. After everything that happened with Kamado and Jubilife, I wasn’t sure who I could trust or who would trust me. But…” She sighed and smiled slightly. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice, but also relief. “It’s clear to me now that I can trust you.”
Volo reigned in his unruly thoughts and diffused the tension that he foolishly allowed to build inside him. He couldn’t scare her away. Not now. He relaxed his body and softened his gaze as he pulled her into an embrace.
“You have no idea how delighted I am to hear you say that. I’m glad you feel you can trust me with something like this.”
She melted into his arms. “You’ve been helping me out this whole time, and you were there for me when I needed you most.” She pulled away just enough to look up at him. “And now I want to return the favor.”
“Oh?”
“We now know that I have a guaranteed way to meet Arceus. I just need to catch every Pokemon in Hisui. And when I’ve earned the right to stand before Arceus again, I want you by my side”
Every word that fell from her mouth fueled his belief that she was brought here just for him. He pulled her closer and kissed her hungrily. She yelped in surprise but welcomed him, returning his affection without hesitation. His hands began exploring her freely, appreciating how small and soft and perfect she was. He trailed kisses down her jaw to her neck, causing a few giggles to slip out of her, but those quickly transitioned to soft moans.
“You really are a divine gift.”
He dipped her down to the bed roll and hovered over her for a moment, admiring how flushed and breathless she was.
She chuckled. “I take it you like my idea then? I still have plenty of Pokemon to find, but if we work together then we can collect the remaining Pokemon and plates in no time. Don’t you agree?”
He nodded and wasted no time diving down to nibble on her neck again. He wanted his divine gift to sing for him. She wrapped her arms around him and brought her lips to his ear, whispering, “You’re too good to me, Volo.” He bit down just a little harder and pulled another moan out of her, but she continued, “I can’t wait to see you stand before Arceus.”
He really did have her wrapped around his finger and he loved it. He wasn’t attached though. She was still just a tool – a sweet, witty, adorable tool, and he would be a fool not to appreciate everything she had to offer.
As they drew closer to the top of the stairs, Volo soaked in the cosmic energy of their surroundings. The sky had faded to a deep midnight purple and glittered brilliantly with stars in every direction. Pulsing waves of divine light lined either side of the stairs. It felt like he was walking alongside the aurora borealis he once saw from atop the mountains in the Alabaster Icelands. Akari reached out her free hand to let it ride the waves of light as she whispered under her breath, “Beautiful.” He was captivated by the way the dancing waves bathed her in an ethereal pink light.
It truly was beautiful.
When Volo looked down, he noticed that the world below had completely disappeared, replaced by a seemingly endless void that glowed with a strange green light. He didn’t mind though. He no longer needed that world. Everything he needed was waiting for him at the end of this staircase.
Thinking about it flooded his body with anxious energy once again. He glanced at Akari and wondered how she managed to remain so calm. It made sense for her to have developed nerves of steel after surviving countless dangerous situations during her time here in Hisui, but they were about to stand before the god who created this world. She had to have been at least a little intimidated, but he hadn't felt her tremble even once.
They would reach the top in just a few more steps, and he couldn't meet Arceus with trembling fingers. He took deep breaths to steady his racing heart, and reminded himself that he had planned carefully for this moment. He would present Akari to Arceus and thank the deity for its gift. He would convince his God to answer all the questions that plagued him. And then he would demand that Arceus lend him the power necessary to remake this world.
If for some reason, Arceus failed to recognize Volo’s wisdom and grant him the power he needed, then he would conquer his god by force.
"Is that really the face you plan to wear when you meet Arceus?"
What? Did he let his composure slip again? And what was that strange tone in her voice?
He blinked at her in confusion. She smiled sweetly and looked concerned. "You're still nervous, aren't you? Don't worry, you're ready for this, and I'll be right by your side."
He didn't have time to fully process her first question and the unnerving manner in which she asked it before they reached the final step.
They both turned their attention to the large circular platform in front of them and stepped onto it. The pulsing waves of pink light encircled the platform, making it feel like a grand stage or arena. At their feet, a large symbol that covered the entire platform glowed softly with a white light. Volo traced the overlapping circular patterns with his eyes, immediately recognizing the symbol from his research. The large circle in the center represented Arceus, and the three smaller circles surrounding it represented the three lesser gods, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. They had finally reached Arceus' domain.
They stood in the Hall of Origin.
However, Arceus did not appear to be present. Beyond the large platform, there was nothing. It was almost unsettling how still and quiet and empty it was. Volo looked to Akari and motioned for her to summon Arceus. Their hands parted and she took a step forward.
“Arceus!” Her voice echoed throughout the hall. “It’s me, Akari. I’ve completed your task and met all Pokemon in Hisui. So…” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Will you meet with me again?”
Volo feared that the anticipation would eat him alive if he had to wait, but thankfully, Arceus was a merciful god and answered Akari’s call instantly. It appeared from a ball of pure golden light that materialized at the other end of the platform. Its entrance was graceful. It made no sound when its pointed feet connected with the ground, but ripples of light pulsed outward with each step. Volo admired the simplicity of its form; Arceus was an elegant being of pure white and gold, and it stood before them proudly. It was a magnificent sight to behold.
Upon finally seeing his God appear to him, all of Volo’s anxiety and doubts from earlier melted away.
“Thank you, Akari.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, but he didn’t look at her. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Arceus. With the sudden burst of confidence surging through him, he stepped forward and prepared to address his God.
“Arceus, I want to thank you for bestowing this divine gift upon me and granting me an audience with a being as incredible as you. I am Volo, a descendant of the Celestica people that once worshiped you, and I stand before you to–”
Akari suddenly walked past him, waving her hand dismissively.
“That’s enough, Volo. I’ll take it from here.”
Her sudden interruption stopped him dead in his tracks. He stared at her incredulously as she continued to walk forward without even sparing him a glance. In his shock, he didn’t notice when she finally stopped walking and reached into her satchel. Before he could fully grasp what was happening, Akari tossed three pokeballs into the air and when the light within them took form, Volo found himself surrounded by three looming shadows.
The pressure hit him first. It was immense and suffocating but it was nothing compared to the familiar chill that crept up his spine as a powerful force knocked him down. As soon as he hit the ground, a weight pressed into his back keeping him firmly in his new place, face down on the floor of the Hall of Origin. He couldn’t turn around enough to get a good look at his attacker, but he didn’t need to. He already knew that it was one of Giratina’s six legs holding him down, and the other two shadows on either side of him were most likely Dialga and Palkia.
“AKARI!” Despite the massive pressure crushing his lungs, he drew whatever breath he could and screamed. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?”