Chapter 656: Relic Castle
~Third POV~
[Unova Region, Route 4 (Sandstorm) – Relic Castle]
The exterior of the Relic Castle on Route 4 was bathed in the harsh, glaring sunlight of the Unova desert. Sand whipped across the ancient, crumbling stone walls, a swirling tempest kicked up by the coordinated arrival of the team. Bound tightly by heavy-duty ropes against a weathered sandstone pillar, Sage Ryoku of Team Plasma trembled, his face flushing a deep, furious purple at what had occurred.
His elaborate uniform was dusted with grit, his carefully maintained facade completely shattered. Backed into a corner by four figures emerging from the fading sandstorm, the old man barked out a desperate, cracking question in a desperate tone: "How?! How did you wretched brats find out about this rendezvous?"
Stepping forward through the settling dust, Azure twirled a sleek device between his fingers—the very spy's phone lifted from the intercepted grunt.
A soft, synthesized click emitted from the speaker, perfectly replaying Ryoku's own pompous voice confirming the drop-off coordinates.
Azure offered a casual, lopsided smirk, his eyes glinting with amusement. Azure replied smoothly, leaning back slightly against the solid, reassuring bulk of his Tyranitar, "Oh, it was terribly easy, really."
On Azure's shoulder, Pikachu shifted uncomfortably, letting out a small, warning "Pika…" while the hidden Pichu (Mew) tucked deep within Azure's jacket let out a quiet, melodic chime of agreement. Azure continued, "Your dear observer had a very distinct vocal tic. Mimicking it over the radio was child's play. Honestly, Sage, you have my gratitude. You saved us the trouble of hunting you across the entire desert by standing out here in the open and waiting like a polite little guest."
Ryoku shrieked, veins bulging on his forehead as his face turned from purple to a toxic, enraged crimson. He roared, "You… you manipulated us!"
Driven entirely by blind panic and burning humiliation, he slammed his hand down onto three separate Poké Balls attached to his belt, hurling them violently onto the stone courtyard. "If I am going down, you insolent whelps are coming with me! Rip them to shreds!"
*POP*
The heavy containment spheres popped open in flashes of harsh white light, releasing three massive, terrifying silhouettes. A Druddigon, a Mandibuzz, and a Chandelure materialized, but something was profoundly wrong with them.
Their eyes swam with an unnatural, milky haze; thick, dark veins throbbed across their skin and feathers, and wild, guttural roars tore from their throats. They thrashed in an agonizing, frenzied state, their auras blazing with a terrifying, synthetic pressure.
Grimsley frowned, his sharp eyes narrowing as he adjusted the collar of his coat. Beside him, Azure's expression cooled, though his lips remained curled into a mocking smile with a narrowed expression.
Grimsley stated bluntly, his deep voice cutting through the wind, "They're drugged. Tch. How distasteful."
Azure elaborated, crossing his arms, "Chemically hyper-stimulated…"
His Arc Phone buzzed in his pocket, Rotom's voice chiming in with a digitized gasp: "Bzzzt! Warning! Extreme neurological overload detected! Those Pokémon are hopped up on illicit performance enhancers, pushing their levels well into the high sixties! Champion-class metrics, master!"
Black's jaw dropped in absolute horror. He shouted, his hyper-focused eyes widening in sheer disbelief, "Drugged?! Team Plasma is doing that to their own Pokémon?!"
White pressed a hand to her mouth beside him, her face pale as her Solosis, Solly, pulsed with distressed psychic waves as she muttered, "How despicable can you be to treat your own Pokémon!"
Ryoku roared, pointing a shaking finger at the teenagers, "Pokémon are nothing more than tools for the liberation of true freedom! Those three were meant to break Volcarona into submission, but you will serve as their graves! They are obedient to my commands, and they possess the power of Champions! I am stronger than you!"
Grimsley and Azure exchanged a single, amused glance. A second later, both burst into unadulterated laughter, the sheer absurdity of the old man's claim echoing off the ancient ruins: "AHAHAHAAH!!!"
Azure even went so far as to wipe a faux tear from the corner of his eye, chuckling lightly. Azure laughed, turning to the Elite Four member as he said in a joking tone, "Oh, that's a rich one! Grimsley, the old man thinks he's stronger than us."
Grimsley replied smoothly, a dark, wicked smirk playing on his lips, "Delusions of grandeur. A classic symptom of a sinking ship. Say want to make this a game? Winner takes out the most. The loser owes the winner a favor? You in?"
Azure grinned smugly, accepting, "Deal."
Enraged beyond reason by their mockery, Ryoku shrieked the command to attack. "Druddigon! Dragon Claw! Slaughter them!"
The chemically crazed Druddigon charged forward with a deafening screech, its claws glowing with a jagged, emerald-green aura of pure destructive energy. It lunged directly at Azure's Tyranitar, bringing the massive Rock/Dark-type down with a vicious swipe, intending to destroy it, but…
*CLANG*
Sparks flew wildly into the air, but Tyranitar didn't even flinch. The armored behemoth stood completely unfazed, its stony hide absorbing the Champion-level blow as if it were a gentle breeze. Tyranitar flashed a razor-toothed, incredibly smug grin.
Azure whispered, "My turn… Dragon Tail."
*WHIP—CRACK*
With a swift, devastating pivot of its thick, rocky tail, Tyranitar whipped around. The kinetic force slammed into Druddigon with the velocity of a freight train, sending the hulking dragon hurtling backward across the courtyard.
*RMBL—THUD*
It crashed directly into the charging Mandibuzz, which was locked in a parallel frenzy, and both drugged Pokémon tumbled violently into the deep, fractured crater near the Relic Castle's main entrance, instantly knocked out cold.
Ryoku's jaw hit the floor, his eyes bulging in terror. He exclaimed in pure terror, "W-What?! Impossible!"
Azure smirked, pointing forward again, ordering, "Too slow! Tyranitar, finish the trifecta. Strong Style Dark Pulse, right through that Chandelure's Flame Burst!"
*Vrrrrr—OOOM*
Before Chandelure could unleash its torrent of hellfire, Grimsley's Tyranitar roared in sync, unleashing a colossal, roaring beam of concentrated, pitch-black malice. The dark wave swallowed Chandelure's fire attack whole, obliterating the flames in a concussive shockwave of shadows!
*BOOM*
The beam slammed the ghost-type straight into the sun-baked stone floor, kicking up a massive plume of dust and debris. When the smoke cleared, Chandelure's flame sputtered out entirely, its eyes spiraling as it collapsed into unconsciousness beside its fallen comrades.
*Thud*
Silence fell over the Relic Castle courtyard, save for the whistling desert wind.
Ryoku trembled so violently his knees buckled. His mouth worked silently, a frothy, incoherent mix of spittle and rage bubbling over his lips as his brain utterly refused to process the sheer gap in power.
*Thud*
With a final, pathetic wheeze, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he passed out cold on the spot, folding like a cheap tent from sheer, unadulterated fury. Azure let out a long breath, lowering his hand as he said in a casual tone with a smug grin, "Well. Looks like I won the bet, Grimsley."
From deep within Azure's jacket, a ghostly purple head phased through the fabric. The Gengar cackled vocally, its voice echoing eerily in the desert air, "Kehehe! The boss crushed 'em! Pay up, fancy suit!"
Grimsley's lips twitched into a reluctant, wry smile as he looked at the unconscious Sage and the three knocked-out Pokémon, ignoring the talking Gengar. Grimsley muttered, shaking his head, "A bet is a bet. The loser owes a favor. And I suppose I'd rather not stay in your debt for long, Azure."
*Snap*
Without missing a beat, Azure snapped his fingers. He said in a confident tone, "Right then. Use it now."
Black blinked, stepping forward out of sheer confusion. He asked in a confused tone, tilting his head, baffled, "Wait, right now?! You're cashing in a favor from an Elite Four member on the spot?!"
Azure replied with a wink, turning his attention back to Grimsley, "Efficiency is the name of the game, Black. I'll take a Key Stone and a matching set of Unova Mega Stones, if you please. I've been meaning to expand my arsenal. And make it double!"
Grimsley sighed, pulling out his own sleek Xtransceiver, muttering before grumbling in an annoyed voice at the end in a hushed but pissed tone, "You drive a hard bargain, kid. I'll make a quick call and have one of my associates courier them over to the agency by tonight... motherfucker asking double a set…"
Before Black could interject, demanding answers about Mega Evolution—a phenomenon still largely foreign and mysterious to most Unova trainers—the ground beneath their feet suddenly shuddered violently.
*RUMBLE*
A low, guttural vibration echoed from the deep bowels of the earth beneath the Relic Castle: "VEEEE!!!!"
*THWUMP*
Instantly, the ambient temperature in the desert skyrocketed, the cool breeze turning into a scorching, oppressive wave of heat that made the air shimmer and warp. White gasped, stumbling back a step as sweat instantly beaded on her forehead as she exclaimed, "Wh-What is that?! Is the castle collapsing?!"
Azure's eyes widened, not with fear, but with a sharp, predatory excitement. A wide grin spread across his face as he looked toward the gaping mouth of the ancient ruins.
Azure said, his voice brimming with absolute confidence as Pikachu hopped off his shoulder to brace himself, "Relax, White. The castle isn't collapsing. It looks like the desert's guardian just woke up from its nap."
From the dark, searing depths of the Relic Castle entrance, a brilliant, blinding aura of golden fire illuminated the stone walls. The Sun Pokémon had arrived.
/////
~Hilbert B. POV~
[Unova Region, Route 4 (Sandstorm) – Relic Castle]
The arid, sun-baked dunes of Route 4 rolled away into the horizon like petrified waves of copper and gold...
Looming ahead of us, the ancient, weathered masonry of the Relic Castle cast long, jagged shadows across the desert floor, vibrating with the residual tremors of a brutal clash. So this is what clashes between Elite Fours or higher are like...
*BOOM*
A deep, subterranean rumble shook the loose sand beneath my boots, kicking up a gritty haze that stung my eyes. Azure and Grimsley had just finished cleaning house. Sage Ryoku was currently out cold, crumpled pathetically against a fractured pillar, having literally fainted from sheer, unadulterated fury after his Team Plasma grunts got bulldozed.
The rogue Druddigon, Mandibuzz, and Chandelure they'd dragged out had already been hauled back into their respective Poké Balls by Azure's terrifyingly massive Tyranitar. And then, the desert air grew heavy. A suffocating, shimmering wall of dry heat radiating from the mouth of the ruins signaled the arrival of something monumental.
*FWOOSH*
Flames danced across the sand. Stepping out from the ancient shadows was an icon of Unova. A majestic, moth-like titan with wings burning like twin fires. Volcarona. The Sun Pokémon. It looked less than thrilled to be yanked from its deep, centuries-long slumber by Team Plasma's nonsense.
My breath caught in my throat. My heart slammed a frantic, deafening rhythm against my ribs. Volcarona. Seeing it in books was one thing—gawking at Alder's legendary ace was a rite of passage for every kid in this region who ever dreamed of wearing the Champion's cape. But standing right here, facing down a wild one?
This was it.
The missing puzzle piece for my team.
Azure, standing a few yards off with his impossible entourage, casually adjusted the cap on his head. Perched proudly on his shoulder, Pikachu gave a cheerful, high-pitched "Pika-pika!" while the little Eevee resting on his head let out a soft yip.
He flashed a confident smirk, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Azure called out, his voice cutting cleanly through the roaring heat, "Need a hand, Black? I've already got my own shiny Larvesta, but a powerhouse like that won't go down easy. Don't burn yourself out before the League, kid."
I yelled back, my blood rushing with pure adrenaline, "I got this!"
I cast a glance over at White, who was standing beside her Solosis, Solly, clutching her nervously, her eyes wide as she stared at the blazing moth. Beside her, Azure's floating Rotom phone whirred to life, its screen flashing a neon blue grin.
Rotom squawked playfully, chiming in with a mischievous tone, "Bzzt! Temperature levels are rising dangerously! Air conditioning units are not installed in the desert, kupo—err, error, wrong game!"
From the shadows behind Azure, a slender, dark purple hand materialized, followed by the wicked, glowing grin of Azure's Gengar. Gengar cackled, its voice dripping with teasing amusement, "Heh. Let's see if the kid gets roasted like a marshmallow."
I didn't care about the commentary. My mind was locked onto one target. I roared, throwing a Poké Ball forward, "Go, Brav!"
*SKRAWK*
My majestic Braviary hit the field, wings unfurled, kicking up a fierce gale. I commanded, pointing forward, "Brav, use Tailwind!"
*Fwp-Whooosh*
Brav beat his massive wings with earth-shattering force, a torrent of roaring wind rushing across the sands to push back the encroaching wall of searing heat. But Volcarona wasn't about to be outdone. With a graceful, terrifying flutter of its fiery wings, it unleashed a violent vortex of amber flames.
My eyes widened, realizing the move. Fire Spin!
*WHOOSH*
In a fraction of a second, a cage of roaring, crimson fire erupted around us. Brav and I were trapped, the intense heat stealing the breath right from my lungs. The flames crackled and hissed, casting blinding, chaotic light across the dunes.
And then—Volcarona vanished.
The fire was still blazing fiercely, roaring like a caged beast, proving the Pokémon hadn't fled. It was using the blinding light and the dancing shadows of the flames to cloak itself. My vision blurred. The over-dreaming, the sheer mental pressure of my ambition, started flooding my brain with a blinding wash of white noise.
My knees wobbled—No!
Snap out of it!
I gasped, tossing my Munna's Poké Ball downward, "Musha, out!"
*POP*
The pink, dream-eating tapir materialized instantly, floating right beside my head. Musha cooed softly, sinking her soft snout right into my temple, "Munnn..."
*GULP*
She inhaled. Deeply.
In an instant, the chaotic, blinding white fog inside my mind was devoured, replaced by a profound, razor-sharp, ink-black clarity. Reasoning Time.
My pupils dilated...
The world around me shifted. Everything snapped into rigid, crystalline geometry. Hexagons. Hundreds of glowing, translucent hexagons overlaid my field of vision, mapping the wind currents, the thermal density, the vector angles of the blazing inferno.
Through this heightened state of perception, my mind calculated the impossible. Volcarona wasn't invisible; it was refracting its body heat directly into the glare of the descending Unovan sun, hovering right above the apex of the fire spin's thermal draft.
Gotcha. I shouted, my voice slicing through the roar, "Brav! Clear the air! Blow away those fiery scales!"
*WHOOOSH*
Brav didn't hesitate.
He folded his wings and pulled a massive tailspin, generating a localized hurricane that swept the burning ember-scales away into the desert sky. The blinding glare cracked, and Volcarona's true position was violently exposed against the orange twilight.
I ordered, "Now! Brave Bird! Maximum power!"
Brav screamed a battle cry that shook the ancient stones of Relic Castle. Surrounding himself in a blinding aura of pure, unadulterated blue-white energy, he shot upward like a literal missile, soaring past the thermal currents and crashing straight down with catastrophic force.
*KABOOM*
A shockwave of sand and compressed air exploded outward, sending a massive cloud of dust billowing across Route 4. Volcarona let out a startled, pained screech as the heavy physical blow struck its fragile chitinous armor, sending the Sun Pokémon spiraling down to crash hard against the sun-baked earth.
*THUD*
It kicked up one final plume of dust and lay still, chest heaving, thoroughly exhausted. Physical defenses. That was its weak spot.
Without missing a beat, I ripped an Ultra Ball from my belt and hurled it forward with all my might…!
*THWUMP*
The heavy sphere struck Volcarona squarely in the chest, instantly dissolving it into a beam of red light and sucking it inside. Silence descended upon the dunes, save for the crackling of dying embers.
*Click*
The ball shook. Once.
*Shake*
Twice…
*Shake*
Three times…
*CLICK*
I threw my fists up into the air, a wild, triumphant grin splitting across my face as I sprinted over and snatched the ball off the ground. I shouted at the top of my lungs, "YES! I caught a Volcarona!"
White blinked, lowering her hands in sheer disbelief, while Azure chuckled, giving me an approving nod. From Azure's jacket pocket came a tiny Pichu, clapping its tiny paws together silently.
Deep in the psychic ether, a melodic, tsundere sigh echoed in my mind from Meloetta. She grumbled mentally, though a hint of amusement colored her tone. 'Hmph. He managed it. Don't let it go to your head, human.'
I whipped out my Pokédex, scanning the device as golden data scrolled across the screen, saying, "[Volcarona, the Sun Pokémon. Female. Lv.69. Moves…]"
*Click*
I chimed aloud, clicking the release button, "Alright! Let's get you patched up, girl. I'll nickname you... Volca!"
*POP*
With a flash of light, Volca materialized on the sand. I immediately reached into my bag, pulling out a Max Potion and spraying down her singed wings. But instead of resting, Volca let out a piercing, distressed cry, thrashing her wings wildly as she tried to drag her exhausted body back toward the dark, yawning entrance of Relic Castle.
I stepped forward, holding my hands up defensively. I said in a worried tone, "Whoa, whoa! Easy, Volca! You're hurt!"
A soft, telepathic voice resonated directly into my mind, 'She says... she cannot leave her egg behind.'
I looked down, blinking in surprise. It wasn't Musha. It was White's Solosis, Solly, translating the frantic mental waves of the giant moth. Next to Solly, White gasped, her eyes softening as she watched the mother Pokémon desperately clawing at the sand.
Volca looked back at me, her compound eyes wide with exhaustion and fierce maternal terror, trying one last time to inch forward before her legs gave out beneath her. I stared at her for a second, then a grin broke across my face.
I couldn't just leave a mother's baby behind.
That wasn't the kind of trainer I wanted to be.
That wasn't the Champion I'll become.
I said firmly, marching right past her into the suffocating warmth of the Relic Castle's entryway, "Don't worry. I'll get it."
Navigating the ancient, crumbling corridors by Volca's words and the glowing geometric map from Azure's Rotom Phone, I managed to locate a hidden, heat-sealed alcove deep within the ruins.
Resting in a nest of warm, glowing silk was a singular, massive Larvesta Egg, pulsing with a gentle, fiery heartbeat. Carefully, I scooped it up into my arms, feeling the comforting warmth radiating against my chest.
When I emerged back into the blinding desert sun, I walked straight over to White and carefully transferred the heavy egg into her trembling arms. I told her, flashing a confident grin, "Here. Take care of this."
White's jaw dropped. She exclaimed in a tone of disbelief, eyeing me, "M-me?! Are you sure, Black?!"
Solly chimed in helpfully, floating in a small circle around White's head, 'She will keep your egg safe and warm, Volcarona. Trust us.'
Volca paused, her fiery wings drooping as she stared at White holding the precious burden. She looked back at me, meeting my gaze. She was hesitant—she had just been beaten by me in battle, after all.
But seeing the absolute sincerity in my eyes, and watching White gently cradle the shell, the proud moth finally let out a soft, trusting hum, bowing her head in acceptance. Grimsley's smooth, gravelly voice broke through as he finally marched the bound Team Plasma grunts out of the ruins, tossing a wave our way, "Alright! I'm taking these miserable losers off your hands. Good luck out there, kids. You're going to need it."
I shouted back, clenching my fists, "Thanks, Grimsley!"
The road ahead was clear. The Unova League was waiting. Azure was waiting. Every single step I'd taken, every battle I'd fought, every dream that had ever threatened to overwhelm my brain—it all led to this.
With Volca and her soon-to-be-hatched child backing us up, I knew, without a single shadow of a doubt, that I was going to give it everything I had. Because I'm not going to give up without a fight!
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter! Also decided to rename Black to Hilbert Black and White to Hilda White.