~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Evening, Canalave City – Grand Canalave Hotel]
The sun had long since dipped below the horizon of the docks of Canalave City, bathed in the flickering amber glow of gas lamps and the rhythmic, pulsing neon of its harbor. The air here was different from the rest of Sinnoh; it tasted of salt, old paper from the massive library, and the cold, tallic scent of the nearby canal.
But the atmosphere inside the Grand Canalave Hotel was far from serene. In one of the high-end suites—provided by the sheer weight of the Berlitz na—the air was thick with the residue of a frantic day…
*Bzzzzt*
A television humd in the corner, its volu low, but the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the Sinnoh News Network was a constant, jarring reminder of the chaos. "Breaking News: Celebrated Pokémon Researcher Professor Rowan and Sir Berlitz are missing. Last seen near Canalave Library. Authorities investigate potential kidnapping."
Platinum Berlitz sat on the edge of a plush velvet chair, her movents thodical and rhythmic. In front of her stood her newly evolved Rapidash. The Pokémon echoed the elegance of its trainer, its mane of cream-colored fire flickering with a gentle warmth that took the chill off the evening air, "Raaaap…"
Platinum ran a specialized grooming brush through the Rapidash's coat, her eyes focused, though her mind was miles away. The evolution had happened during the confrontation with Byron, the Canalave Gym Leader.
It should have been a mont of triumph, a milestone in her journey, but it was overshadowed by the chilling sight of her father and the Professor trapped within a high-tech, impenetrable energy cube. She'd let fear grip her.
Platinum whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling of Rapidash's flas, "I was so certain it was him. I accused a Gym Leader... a man of honor. I let my fear and anger cloud my judgnt."
Pearl piped up from across the room, "Hey, don't beat yourself up, Lady!"
He was pacing the length of the ornate rug, his hands behind his head, his face a mask of restless energy. His Infernape, Chimlar, sat nearby, mimicking his trainer's agitated movents by tapping a rhythmic beat on the floorboards with his knuckles as Pearl continued, "Anyone would've thought the sa, Platinum! A guy with a shovel's aura, farming and a brooding look standing over your trapped dad? It's a classic villain setup! It's practically a cody sketch gone wrong!"
Diamond was perched on a stool by the window, munching slowly on a slow-cooked Pecha Berry tart. He swallowed and looked at Platinum with soft, empathetic eyes, adding, "Pearl's right. Besides, Byron didn't seem to mind once he realized we were just worried. And... Azure cleared it all up."
The ntion of their fourth companion caused a lull in the conversation. Azure Sky was a mystery wrapped in a trainer's vest. He was the one who had finally decoded the situation: Byron wasn't the captor she thought; he was the first responder. Team Galactic had been the true architects of the tragedy.
Platinum said tiredly, her hand pausing on Rapidash's flank, "The money. The 1.5 billion Poké Dollars. My father... he thought he was freeing . He was swindled. That money... he says it was used to fund sothing called the 'Galactic Bomb'."
Pearl stopped pacing in his place, his eyes wide as he muttered, "A bomb? What does a bunch of weirdos with bowl cuts need a bomb for? Are they planning on blowing up the League? Or the Library?"
Diamond mused with his arms crossed, his brow furrowing as he reached for another tart, "If they wanted to destroy sothing, they wouldn't need that much money… That's enough money to buy... well, all the tarts in the world. And then so. It's too much for just a big explosion."
The door to the suite clicked open.
*Click*
The trio turned as Azure walked in. He looked tired, but his gaze was sharp. On his shoulder sat his partner Pikachu, ears twitching in the quiet room. Nestled inside the collar of his jacket is a small Pichu (w). Eevee slept soundly on his head.
Around his neck, hanging from a sturdy silver chain, was the GS Ball, its gold and silver casing gleaming strangely in the lamplight. Pearl shouted, rushing toward him, "Azure! What's the word? Is the Old Man Byron still banging his head against that cube? Did you guys get them out?"
Azure offered a small, weary grin. He stepped further into the room, leaning back against the mahogany doorfra as he replied, "Relax, Pearl. The 'Old Man' didn't need to break the cube. We managed to bypass the cage that Galactic used to lock it. Your father and the Professor are out, Platinum. They're safe."
*Thud*
The brush slipped from Platinum's hand, clattering onto the floor. She let out a breath she seed to have been holding for hours, her shoulders finally dropping from their rigid posture of worry.
Rapidash let out a soft, lodic whinny, leaning its head down to nuzzle its trainer's shoulder, "Neeee!!"
Azure continued explaining further with a calm expression, "They're currently being looked after in the Gym's private dormitories. Byron's personal dics are checking them for exhaustion and so lingering effects of the energy field, but they'll be fine. They just need a night of rest."
Diamond sighed, leaning back against the window, "Thank goodness. I think I can taste my food now."
Azure's voice dropped an octave, regaining that serious edge that commanded attention, "However… There's a 'but' coming. I spent the last few hours talking with Byron and the Professor while they were being treated."
Platinum stood up, smoothing her skirt. Her noble upbringing demanded she face whatever news was coming with dignity asked, "What is it, Azure? Does my father... does he want to see ?"
Azure sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he explained, "In a way. But not in the way you'd hope. Platinum, after seeing the scale of what Team Galactic is capable of—after seeing his own money used to build a weapon—your father is terrified. And Professor Rowan, for all his talk of research and destiny, agrees on one point."
He looked her dead in the eye as he continued, not avoiding eye contact in a serious voice, "They want you to stop. Imdiately. They're planning to have you escorted back to Sandgem Town as soon as they're well enough to travel. As long as Team Galactic is active, your father won't permit you to continue the journey. He thinks it's too dangerous. He thinks you've seen enough."
The room went deathly silent. Even Pearl, usually the first to protest, found himself speechless. This was the end of the road.
The tradition of the Berlitz family—the pilgrimage to Mt. Coronet—was being cut short by the very thing that made the journey necessary: the reality of the world's dangers. Diamond and Pearl turned their gaze toward Azure.
Diamond, despite his usually carefree nature, was observant. He noticed that while the news was grim, Azure didn't look defeated. In fact, he looked almost expectant. Diamond said quietly, "… Do you agree with them? Do you think she should go ho?"
Azure let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head, replied confidently, "Heh! Nope! Not for a second."
Platinum looked up, her blue eyes shimring with a mix of surprise and burgeoning hope, and asked curiously, "You... you would defy my father's wishes? Even when he's the one paying for your services as a bodyguard?"
Azure pushed off the doorfra and walked toward her, stopping just a few feet away. He stated bluntly, eyeing the trio, "Platinum, I took this job because I knew what was coming. I've seen enough of this world to know that when things get this dark, you don't run back to the safety of a mansion. Shadows don't disappear just because you close your eyes. They grow."
He looked at the trio, continuing, "Besides, I've watched you three. I've watched you handle Gym Leaders, Galactic grunts, and the hardships of the road. You're not the sa kids who left Sandgem. And I suspect Platinum already has her own answer."
Platinum stood tall. The flickering fire of her Rapidash reflected in her pupils, giving her a fierce, ethereal look as she stated, "I will not return. Not yet. Sinnoh is my ho. If my family's wealth was stolen to bring harm to this land, then it is my responsibility—my duty as a Berlitz—to ensure that harm is neutralized. I cannot hide in Sandgem while the world burns with my family's na on the fuel."
She looked at Diamond and Pearl as she said confidently, "And I won't do it alone. I have no intention of letting you two go. Through everything, you have been more than just companions or 'bodyguards' by proxy. You are the two knights of Platinum Berlitz. We started this together, and we will see it to the end."
Pearl's face turned a bright shade of crimson. He began to stamr, his usual bravado lting into genuine emotion, "K-knights? Us? I an, I am pretty heroic, but..."
Diamond just smiled, a wide, genuine grin that made his eyes crinkle, and said happily, "Knights, huh? I think I like the sound of that. Knights get to eat at the round table, right? Most round tables have great snacks."
Pearl said overexcitedly, slamming his fist into his palm, "It's a deal then! We're in. Team Galactic doesn't know what's coming for 'em!"
Then, his face fell slightly, realizing an issue as he asked in a confused tone, "Wait. What is coming for them? We still don't know what their plan is. A bomb is a bomb, but where are they putting it?"
Platinum turned her gaze toward Azure. She noticed the way he was idly thumbing the GS Ball around his neck.
A small, knowing smile played on her lips as she asked bluntly, "I have a feeling you already know the answer. He's been three steps ahead of everyone since the mont he joined us. He's thwarted Galactic's plans in the past, even dealing with that mysterious woman, Sird. Azure... you didn't just stumble into this information, did you?"
Azure's grin turned sly. He took a seat on the edge of a table, looking like a master strategist at the end of a long campaign, and confessed, "You're sharper than the Professor gives you credit for, Platinum."
Platinum said calmly, walking toward him, "It's more than just being sharp…"
She pointed toward the ornate ball hanging from his neck, stating, "I've heard stories. My family keeps records of many things—myths, legends, and the trainers who encounter them. There is a story of a trainer from the Johto region who carried a Pokémon that could traverse the fabric of ti itself. A Pokémon that could only be contained within a special Poké Ball marked with the letters 'G' and 'S'."
Diamond and Pearl gasped, leaning in. Platinum whispered, "Celebi… The Ti-Traveling Pokémon. You knew about my father being trapped. You knew about the bomb. You even knew how to recruit Diamond and Pearl by making that bet with in the beginning. You didn't just take a job as a bodyguard for the money. You're here because you know the future."
The silence that followed was heavy. Azure looked at the GS Ball, then up at the ceiling, as if seeing through the hotel roof to the stars above.
He chuckled, a low, lodic sound. Azure confessed with a pleased grin, "You're right on the money, my lady. Bravo!"
Internally, Azure felt a twinge of amusent, thought, 'But no, it was all thanks to my… taknowledge!'
Azure would have a hard ti explaining to people who lived inside the Adventures world you were 'reading' about. How could he tell them he ca from a world where their lives were stories?
But he couldn't just break their world. But Platinum had provided him with the perfect 'in-universe' cover as he thought, 'If she wanted to believe it was all Celebi's doing, I wouldn't correct her. In a way, having the GS Ball and being a transmigrator weren't that different—both gave a perspective beyond the 'now'.'
Azure lay casually as he breathed, his voice solemnly weaved his lie, "Celebi warned . It allowed a glimpse into the possible futures of Sinnoh. I saw the darkness, the silence that follows an explosion. I saw the lakes going dry. And I saw that I couldn't stop it alone. Celebi showed the people I needed to bridge the gap. It showed three young trainers who would hold the fate of the region in their hands. That's why I pushed for Diamond and Pearl to join us. That's why I've been training you all so hard."
Pearl asked in a startled tone, his voice shaking, "The lakes? What do you an, the lakes are going dry?"
Azure's expression beca grim as he explained, "That 1.5 billion? It went into a device designed to evaporate one of the Great Lakes of Sinnoh: Lake Verity, Lake Valor, and Lake Acuity... Next Saturday."
Diamond's tart fell from his hand, landing unnoticed on his lap, and he muttered, "But... why? Why go through the trouble…"
Hearing his question, Azure replied simply, "To find them. The Lake Trio. Uxie, sprit, and Azelf. Team Galactic needs them to forge sothing called a Red Chain. They want to summon the creators of ti and space themselves—Dialga and Palkia—at the Spear Pillar. They want to unmake this world and create a new one in Cyrus's image. A world without emotion. A world without spirit."
The gravity of the statent felt like a physical weight in the room. The three Dex Holders huddled closer together, the warm glow of the hotel room suddenly feeling fragile against the cosmic threat Azure had just described.
Pearl was the first to break the silence. He looked down at his hands, then at Azure, asking hollowly, "So... was it all a lie then? The journey? Our training? Did you just... manufacture our friendship because a ti-traveling onion-fairy told you to?"
Azure walked over and gave Pearl a playful flick on the forehead.
*Thwack*
Pearl recoiled as he exclaid, "Ow! What was that for!"
Azure grumbled, though his eyes were kind, and said softly, "For asking a stupid question. The future I saw was a possibility. The friendship we built? That's reality. I've traveled three regions, Pearl. I've seen the summit of the Battle Frontier and the depths of the ocean. But I've always been alone. My Pokémon are my family, but I've never had... companions. Friends who could keep up with ."
He looked at the three of them, a rare mont of vulnerability crossing his face as he stated honestly, "I've enjoyed every second of this journey. The danger is real, but so is the bond. Don't ever think otherwise."
Diamond let out a soft laugh, wiping a stray crumb from his chin, "Haha! I knew it. You're a big softy under all that 'Ultimate Trainer' talk."
Platinum smiled, her heart feeling lighter than it had since they stepped off the on Canalave City added, "It seems your 'vision' was correct about one thing. We are exactly where we need to be. And we are with the people we were ant to be with."
Pearl repeated, his voice gaining a hard edge, "Next Saturday. Then we don't have much ti. We need to get to those lakes."
Azure nodded, agreeing with Pearl. Then he looked at her, his eyes reflecting the soft light of the room as he asked, "I told you once, Platinum. You wanted an adventure? You wanted to see the world beyond the mansion walls to experience? Well, here it is. It's ssy, it's dangerous, and the fate of the world is on the line."
The young heiress nodded. She walked over to the window, looking out over the flickering lights of Canalave City. She thought of the wild Pokémon she'd encountered, the roar of the crowd in the Heartho Contest hall, the blistering cold of the sky winds, and the simple joy of sharing a al with Diamond and Pearl.
Platinum whispered, her reflection in the glass looking back at her—not as a sheltered girl, but as a woman prepared to fight for her ho, "It has been the adventure of a lifeti… And it isn't over yet."
Azure agreed with a knowing grin and stated proudly to them, "Not by a long shot! Get so sleep, all of you. Tomorrow, we go to the Gym. We tell your father and the Professor that the journey continues. We don't ask for permission. We tell them that the knights of Sinnoh are moving out."
Pearl cheered, punching the air, "The Knights of Sinnoh! I like that! We need capes! Dia, do we have enough in the budget for capes?"
Dia replied nonchalantly, already reaching for the box, "I think we should spend it on more tarts first…"
As the boys bickered in the background, a lighthearted soundtrack to the looming storm, Azure stood by the door. On his shoulder, Pikachu gave a soft, rhythmic snore. Eevee was already asleep, and the little Pichu (w) tucked itself deeper into his jacket.
Azure looked at the three of them—his friends, his team. He knew the battles ahead would be brutal. He knew the Galactic Bomb would change the face of the region. But as he looked at the resolve in Platinum's eyes and the unshakeable bond between Diamond and Pearl, he felt a spark of sothing that even his taknowledge couldn't predict.
He felt hope.
Azure murmured to the quiet city outside, "Goodnight, Sinnoh. Rest well. You've got the best defenders you could ask for."
One by one, the lights in the suite went out. The only remaining glow was the steady, comforting ember of Rapidash's mane, standing guard over its trainer as the city of dreams drifted into a restless but determined slumber…
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!
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