~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, anwhile, Heartho City – Restaurant]
The afternoon sun over Heartho City was golden, casting long, elegant shadows across the cobblestone streets. At an outdoor table at the prestigious Grand Heartho Hotel restaurant, the atmosphere should have been one of relaxation. A spread of gourt sandwiches, Berries, and steaming tea sat before the group, but the air was thick with a tension that even the city's famous serenity couldn't dispel.
Azure leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the surrounding plaza with the practiced ease of a veteran. Beside him, Diamond was focused on a particularly large mashed potato sandwich, though his usual gusto was tempered by a thoughtful frown.
Azure said calmly, his voice low and steady, "Supplies are sorted. dical kits, high-grade potions, and enough dried rations to last us three weeks on the road. We won't need to stop for a long ti once we hit the trails."
Platinum, the young lady of the Berlitz estate, nodded gracefully, though her fingers trembled slightly as she held her teacup. Across from her, Pearl was sketching a map on a napkin, his movents frantic and energetic.
Pearl muttered, referring to their harrowing encounter with Cyrus in Celestic Town, "After what happened with Cyrus 2 days ago, we aren't just tourists anymore. We're targets now… He was looking for sothing ancient. If we're heading to Mt. Coronet, we're heading right into his backyard."
Platinum looked up, her eyes sharp, and added sternly in a serious voice, "I agree with Pearl. We cannot afford to dally. The Pokémon League and the Association are already tightening security on the routes. If we don't move now, they might close the passes to the mountain entirely."
Azure agreed, his mind already calculating the risks, "Mt. Coronet is the goal…"
He adjusted his jacket, feeling the slight weight of the Pichu (w) nestled in his inner pocket, continuing, "But we need to be smart about it. You're not just kids on a journey anymore. We're targets."
*CLICK*
The conversation was abruptly cut short by a flickering sound. A large television mounted on the restaurant's exterior wall, usually reserved for Contests or weather reports, suddenly hissed with static before a 'Breaking News' banner flashed across the screen in bright crimson.
The banner scrolling across the bottom of the screen read: CRISIS IN CANALAVE: RENOWNED RESEARCHERS MISSING.
The group froze. Even Dia stopped chewing.
The news anchor's voice rang out, drawing the attention of every patron in the plaza: "This is a special report from Canalave City. Disaster has struck the 20th Annual Pokémon Researcher Conference. Reports are coming in that two high-profile figures have vanished without a trace from the Canalave Library."
*Screeeech*
Platinum's face went deathly pale. She stood up so abruptly her chair scraped loudly against the stone floor as the news speaker continued, "The missing individuals have been identified as the renowned Professor Rowan of Sandgem Town, and Sir Berlitz, the current head of the Berlitz House."
*Click*
The screen flickered to a photo of two n. One was a stern, elderly man with a magnificent white mustache—Professor Rowan. Beside him was a man of noble bearing, wearing glasses and a gentle smile.
The world seed to stop for Platinum.
The sounds of the bustling city faded into a muffled hum. Azure was on his feet in a second, his hand resting supportively on the table near her. Dia stopped chewing mid-bite, his eyes wide with shock.
Platinum whispered, "No..."
Her hands flew to her Rotom Phone. With trembling fingers, she dialed a familiar number and asked, "Sebastian! Sebastian, answer !"
*Bzzt-Bzzt*
Azure, Dia, and Pearl watched in silence as Platinum listened. Her eyes welled with tears, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the device. The butler's voice ca through, strained and breathless: "Lady Platinum! Thank goodness you've seen the news. I... I have just arrived in Canalave. The security footage was wiped. There are no witnesses. Your father... the Professor... they are simply gone."
Platinum lowered the phone, her head bowing as her long blue hair shielded her face. A single tear hit the tablecloth. She said, her voice a fragile thread, "He's been kidnapped… By Team Galactic. It must be."
Azure sighed, a heavy, weary sound. He knew the narrative was shifting, but living it was different. The climb to the mountain peak would have to wait.
There was a father to save. He looked at Dia and Pearl, and the fear in Platinum's eyes was real. Azure said calmly, his voice firm and commanding, "Change of plans. Mt. Coronet can wait. We're going to Canalave."
Dia nodded, his expression hardening. For once, the food was forgotten as he stated in a serious tone, "The mountain isn't going anywhere. We must go to Canalave."
*SLAM*
Pearl said furiously, slamming his fist onto the table, "Right! We'll show those Galactic creeps what happens when they ss with our friends!"
Dia nodded, his usual lethargy replaced by a sharp, focused glint, and uttered, "If the Professor is missing, he must be hungry. We must find them."
Azure didn't waste a second. He stood up, tossing a handful of credits onto the table to cover the bill as he explained seriously, "Everyone, grab your gear. We're leaving now. We'll pay the bill and move."
He reached for his Arc Phone from his pocket as he commanded calmly, "Porygon-Z, co on out!"
*Bip-Boop-vrrrk*
With a digital bip-boop-vrrrk, the glitchy, hovering Pokémon materialized, its head tilting at an impossible angle. Azure commanded, "Everyone, hold hands. Porygon-Z is going to teleport us to Jubilife City to bridge the distance. From there, we fly. It's the fastest way to bypass the mountain range."
They huddled together—Platinum, Dia, and Pearl gripping Azure's arms. Azure commanded, "Porygon-Z, Teleport us to the Jubilife City terminal."
*Zzzzzzip*
The Pokémon's body began to glow with a discordant, pinkish-purple light. The air around them began to hum and vibrate, the molecules of the atmosphere screaming in protest. The air around them began to ripple with blue, pixelated energy, "Vvvvvvv-ZAP!"
The sounds of Heartho City began to distort, the chatter of the crowd turning into electronic static. In a flash of digital static, the group within the Heartho restaurant vanished…
*ZAP*
In a flash of light, the plaza was empty…
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Jubilife City]
*FLASH*
The transition was jarring. One mont, they were in the warm afternoon of Heartho; the next, they were standing in the neon-lit streets of Jubilife City as evening began to set in. The sudden shift in air pressure made Pearl's ears pop.
They materialized in the center of Jubilife City, the neon lights of the Pokétch Company building blurring in their peripheral vision. Without a second's delay, the group moved to the outskirts. Azure shouted, "Mount up!"
*POP*
He released his Togekiss, her broad wings shimring in the twilight. Pearl summoned Ryu, his elegant Dragonair; Platinum called forth her Altaria, a cloud of soft blue feathers; and Dia released Branch, his towering Tropius.
Azure pointed westward, "To Canalave! Pass Route 218!"
*FWP*
The four flyers took to the sky. The wind whipped against their faces, a cold, salt-tinged breeze blowing in from the sea. Below them, the landscape of Sinnoh blurred into a tapestry of greens and browns.
They flew with a desperate urgency, the silence between them filled only by the rhythmic flapping of wings and the distant roar of the ocean. Platinum rode in silence, her eyes fixed on the distant silhouette of the Canalave City lighthouse.
Her father was there. Sowhere…
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Evening, Canalave City]
*Fwp*
The flight was a blur of cold wind and rushing sea spray. They soared over the shimring blue waters of the channel, the sun sinking below the horizon and painting the sky in deep purples and bruised oranges.
They touched down near the Canalave Library. By the ti they crossed the drawbridge leading into Canalave City, the sun had dipped below the horizon, staining the sky in bruised purples and deep indigos.
The city was unnervingly quiet. Usually, the sound of the canal's water and the distant hum of the shipyard provided a rhythmic backdrop, but tonight, the atmosphere was oppressive.
The city of books and bridges felt unnervingly still.
The massive stone building, usually a beacon of knowledge, was draped in shadow. They made their way toward the grand library, but as they approached, they saw the yellow police tape and the heavy iron barricades.
Yellow police tape fluttered in the wind like tattered ghost-ribbons. Barricades blocked the main entrance, and an eerie, heavy silence replaced the usual bustle of scholars. Pearl hissed, looking at the barricades, "Late… The investigation is already underway, but there's no one here. It's too quiet."
Platinum whispered, her eyes fixed on the library's heavy oak doors, "This is the place. This is where they were last seen."
Azure scanned the periter as he remarked calmly with narrowed eyes, "That's because the investigation is over for the night. If they were abducted here, the culprits are likely long gone, but… wait."
Azure's eyes moved upward, past the library, toward the towering, industrial silhouette of the Canalave Gym, adding, "Or because soone doesn't want people looking too closely. It would be troubleso if word got out that the Berlitz heiress is here. We need to be careful."
*MUFFFLE*
Platinum suddenly cried out, "Father?"
She turned, her head cocked as if listening to a frequency only she could hear, as she exclaid, "I heard him! I heard his voice!"
Dia called out, but she was already running, "Platinum, wait!"
Platinum cried out, "Look!"
She wasn't looking at the library. She was looking at the massive, steel-clad building adjacent to it—the Canalave Gym.
She breathed, her face pale, "I heard it. I heard my father's voice!"
Azure reached out, but the girl was already running, "Platinum, wait!"
She wasn't heading for the library. She was sprinting toward the Gym—a massive, multi-tiered structure of steel and iron. High atop the building's roof, sothing caught a stray beam of moonlight. A glint of silver, sharp and unnatural.
She had spotted a glint of light atop the Gym's highest spire—a reflection of the moon on sothing tallic. Driven by a desperate hope, she sprinted toward the Gym's entrance. The boys had no choice but to follow.
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Canalave City – Gym]
*BOOOM*
They burst through the heavy doors and found themselves in a massive industrial elevator. As soon as all four were inside, the doors hissed shut with a heavy CLANG.
*CLANG*
*K-thunk*
*Whirrrrrr-CHNK*
The floor lurched. The platform began to rise at a dizzying speed. A massive hydraulic platform, hidden in the pavent, shuddered into life.
Pearl shouted, stumbling as the platform began to rise, "Whoa!"
*SSSSSSSSS*
The chanism hissed with escaping steam—as they were hoisted upward with violent speed. The city floor fell away. Dia and Pearl gripped their stomachs, their faces turning a shade of green that matched Dia's Torterra.
Azure growled, bracing himself, "It's a lift! Stay sharp!"
Dia groaned, "Ugh… I hate… vertical transport…"
*CLANG*
The platform locked into the upper floor of the Gym with a heavy CLANG. They were inside now, surrounded by the sll of grease, hot tal, and ancient dust.
Platinum stepped forward, ripping her silk scarf from her neck as if it were suffocating her. She peered into the gloom of the rafters, demanding, "Who's there?"
From the shadows of the central arena, a massive silhouette erged. He was a man built like a fortress, clad in heavy mining gear, carrying a shovel that looked more like a great axe. The man's voice bood, echoing off the tallic walls, "Coming here at this hour? The library is closed, and the Gym is off-limits. If you're lurking in the dark, you're either a thief or an enemy. And I deal with both the sa way."
Azure narrowed his eyes as he muttered, "Byron."
The Gym Leader of Canalave didn't offer a handshake. He slamd the butt of his shovel into the ground...
*BOOM*
Bryon said resolutely, his voice a low rumble, "If you want answers, you'll have to dig them out of in a battle! I am Byron, the master of these steel walls! And I won't let any suspicious shadows roam my city!"
/////
[Sinnoh Region, anwhile, Oreburgh City – Oreburgh Mines]
While the tension peaked in Canalave City, the air was much dustier in Oreburgh City…
*Thwack-thwack*
Deep within the Oreburgh Mines, the rhythmic thwack-thwack of pickaxes against coal echoed through the tunnels. A rugged worker, gri-streaked and tired, wiped sweat from his brow. Beside him, a Psyduck nicknad Yellow waddled, its head tilted in perpetual confusion. The worker muttered to his Psyduck, "You're lucky that kind trainer brought you back, Yellow. I don't know what I would've done without ya."
*RMBL*
Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate. It wasn't a cave-in; it was the rhythmic thumping of heavy footsteps. From the darkness erged Roark, the Oreburgh Gym Leader, accompanied by his faithful Cranidos.
The worker chuckled, "You're working 'em hard tonight, Roark!"
Roark stood before his partner, a Cranidos. The prehistoric Pokémon was glowing with a fierce, pulsating white light. The energy was so intense that it illuminated the dark tunnel like a second sun.
*FLASH*
The worker shouted, shielding his eyes, "Roark! Is he...?"
Roark stood tall, a confident smile on his face as he declared, "He's been ready for a long ti. Go on, Cranidos! Reach the next level!"
The silhouette of the Pokémon shifted, growing larger, bulkier, its skull thickening into a massive, iron-hard do. When the light faded, a Rampardos stood in its place, letting out a primal roar that shook the cavern walls, "ROOOOARGH!"
The worker breathed, "Incredible! You knew, didn't you?"
Roark pushed up his glasses, a small smile playing on his lips as he replied, "I could feel it. He's been restless. Strength like this can't be contained forever."
The worker said in awe, patting his Psyduck, "You're a better man than your old man. Even if he is the one who called you to Canalave."
Roark's expression darkened. He adjusted his glasses, explaining, "My father… Byron acts on instinct. He's wild and intense, and he doesn't like secrets. He told about the 'strange n' in Canalave. People in grey uniforms, lurking in the library, reading books that haven't been touched in centuries. He's been tracing them. The news about Mr. Berlitz and the Professor… it just confirms his worst fears."
The worker nodded as he said in a worried tone, "My Yellow went missing for a week before so kind soul found him. There's bad business afoot, Roark. Your father might be a hothead, but his instincts for danger are usually spot on."
Roark sighed helplessly as he stated with a tired expression, "I know. But he jumps to conclusions. He sees a shadow and swings his shovel at it. I just hope he hasn't started a fight he shouldn't have. He sees everything as a challenge to his 'Iron Defense.'"
Just then, a Gym Apprentice ca sprinting down the tunnel, his boots clattering on the tracks. The boy panted, stopping to catch his breath, "Master Roark! Master Roark! Challengers! At the Gym!!"
Roark blinked as he asked, confused, "Challengers?"
Roark sighed as he got ready to get back to work. Unaware of the events unfolding Canalave City…
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Canalave City – Gym]
Back at the Canalave Gym, the battle had already begun. Byron bellowed, tossing two Pokéballs, "Bronzong! Into the fray!"
*Pop*
Two massive, bell-shaped Pokémon materialized. They hovered in the air, their ancient bronze bodies etched with mysterious runes. They humd with a low-frequency vibration that made Azure's teeth ache.
Byron roared, wielding his shovel like a sword, "Steel is the ultimate defense! Let's see if your spirit can chip it!"
Pearl shouted, "Platinum, wait! Let us help!"
Platinum's voice was like ice, "No!"
*Whip*
She ripped her scarf—the one carrying her hard-earned Gym Badges—from her neck, tossing it aside as she declared, "He has my father! I will deal with him myself!"
*Pop*
She stepped forward, her Empoleon materializing in a flash of blue light. The Emperor Pokémon looked at its trainer, sensing her fury, and let out a defiant cry, "Empooo!! (I'm ready, my lady! My power is yours to command!)"
Platinum commanded, "Empoleon! Aqua Jet!"
*FWOOOOSH*
Empoleon beca a blur of pressurized water, slamming into the two Bronzong with the force of a tidal wave!
*CRASH*
The Bronzong didn't budge.
They swung back and forth like pendulums, absorbing the impact.
Dia noted, his eyes narrowing, "Steel types. Their defense is massive."
Byron grinned, his teeth flashing in the moonlight as he commanded, "A direct hit? I love it! I love the spirit! But my Bronzong thrives on the attack! Now, show them the price of your haste! Payback!"
The Bronzong glowed with a dark, vengeful energy. Because Empoleon had struck first, the power of the move doubled. The two bells swung forward, slamming into Empoleon's chest with a sickening THUD.
*THUD*
Platinum cried as her Pokémon was sent skidding across the tal floor, its flippers digging deep furrows into the steel, "Empoleon!"
Pearl analyzed, his voice tight, "He's using a defensive counter-strategy. He wanted her to hit him first. He's baiting her!"
Azure warned, advising her, "Platinum, stay calm! He's testing your resolve, but you're fighting with emotion. Switch it up!"
Platinum took a deep breath. She looked at Byron, who was laughing, celebrating the 'ironclad' nature of his team. She saw the way he glanced montarily at a set of heavy industrial curtains at the back of the arena.
She didn't need to be told twice. She realized this wasn't just a battle of strength—it was a battle of information.
Platinum scread, her voice trembling, "Where is he? Where is my father? Tell , or I'll level this entire building!"
Byron blinked, his bravado flickering for a split second, "Your father? What are you—?"
She sized her mont, seeing Byron's confusion, as she ordered, "Empoleon, get up! Ponyta, co forth!"
*POP*
Platinum released her second Pokémon. The fire horse appeared, its mane flickering with intense heat, "Hreeeee!!"
Byron ordered, "Bronzong! Flash Cannon!"
*Ding-dong*
The bells began to glow with a blinding silver light. Platinum scread, "Ponyta, ignore the Bronzong! Use Flathrower on the rafters! Burn it all down!"
Byron's eyes went wide, "What?!"
Ponyta reared back and unleashed a torrent of white-hot fire. But instead of aiming for the Pokémon, the stream of fla arched high over the arena, catching the heavy velvet curtains that draped the back wall.
*FROOOOOSH*
The fire didn't just target the Bronzong; it swept across the arena, catching the heavy velvet curtains draped along the back wall. The fabric ignited instantly, the fire roaring upward as it burned.
*Whirr-crack-woosh*
As the curtains disintegrated into ash, the light of the fire revealed a hidden alcove. Platinum's breath hitched. Azure and the boys gasped.
Embedded in the back wall was a massive, reinforced glass cube, shimring with a faint blue energy field. Inside, sitting on simple chairs, were two n. They looked exhausted, their clothes rumpled, but they were alive.
Platinum shrieked, "Father!"
Mr. Berlitz looked up, his eyes widening behind his spectacles. Professor Rowan stood, pressing a hand against the glass, his mouth moving, though no sound could escape the vacuum-sealed chamber.
Platinum turned on Byron, her face a mask of pure rage, "You! You kidnapped them! You locked them in a cage like specins!"
Byron stood frozen, his shovel drooping as he muttered, "I… wait. I didn't kidnap anyone! I found them! I was keeping them—"
"LIAR!"
Platinum's grief and fury surged. Ponyta felt its trainer's heart, its mane exploding into a pillar of white-hot fire…
*FLASH*
The light beca blinding, a roar of thermal energy filling the entire Gym, "Vrrr-HREEEEEEEEEE!"
The fire horse's body stretched and grew. Its legs lengthened, a jagged horn sprouted from its forehead, and its flas turned a brilliant, searing white.
The evolution was instantaneous. A Rapidash now stood where the Ponyta had been, its eyes glowing with power. Without waiting for a command, Rapidash charged, its hooves striking the tal floor with the sound of thunder.
*Clop-clop-BOOM*
It struck the two Bronzong with a Flare Blitz so powerful that the shockwave knocked Pearl and Dia off their feet. The Bronzong were sent flying into the walls, collapsing into heaps of dented bronze.
Byron stared in genuine shock. He looked at the fallen Bronzong, then at the girl, and then at the scarf she had thrown aside, being carried by his Shieldon. His eyes landed on the glinting tal pinned to the silk.
He saw the badges that Platinum collected. The Coal Badge. The Forest Badge. The Relic. The Cobble Badge. The Fen Badge.
His breath caught. He looked at the girl's face—the fierce eyes. He looked at the man in the glass cube. Byron whispered, the pieces finally clicking together, "Berlitz… You're… you're the daughter? And you… You defeated Roark?"
He looked at Azure, who was standing with his hand on a Poké Ball, a look of grim calculation on his face. He looked at Diamond and Pearl, who were already rushing toward the glass cube to find a release chanism.
Byron lowered his shovel completely, a look of profound realization—and dawning horror—crossing his face. Byron groaned, rubbing his temples, "Oh, stones and steel… I've just picked a fight with the only people in Sinnoh who can help , haven't I?"
The glass cube humd, the Professor's frantic gesturing becoming more violent. Azure stepped forward, his eyes locked on Byron. Azure said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low octave, "Explain. And you'd better start with why the Berlitz heir's father is in a cage, or my Lucario is going to have a very long conversation with your ribcage."
The tension in the room was a physical weight, thicker than the smoke from the burning curtains, as the true scale of the conspiracy in Canalave began to unspool…
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!
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