Frontier Brain—Brandon!

Brandon had been feeling quite bored recently.

Ever since becoming the Frontier Brain of Kanto's Battle Frontier, this was by far the most uneventful and idle year he had ever experienced.

The other Frontier Brains were probably in a similar situation.

The number of Pokémon trainers coming to challenge the Battle Frontier was visibly decreasing.

It wasn't because the number of new trainers was dropping, nor because the prestige of the Battle Frontier had diminished...

It was because there was one person whose prestige had risen too high.

Rather than coming to challenge the Battle Frontier, new trainers, young trainers, and even enthusiastic middle-aged trainers were now flocking to the Sinnoh region.

All aiming to win the Lily of the Valley Conference, challenge the Sinnoh Elite Four, and ultimately face the person who held the title of the world's strongest trainer.

The Battle Frontier had become somewhat like a shopping mall that remains open even during the "off-season" when other tournaments have ended.

The only difference was that their "prices" were higher.

But there was no helping it—after all, that person really was incredibly strong.

Even though this young, incredibly powerful trainer wasn't from the Kanto region, and Brandon hadn't met him in person, he still felt genuinely happy that such a strong new talent had emerged.

It gave him an excuse to step away from the Battle Frontiers for a while and return to his original hobby and passion—exploring and uncovering ancient ruins.

As someone who once dug up the legendary Pokémon Regirock from an ancient, buried ruin, Brandon's interest in exploration and archaeology was just as strong as that of a certain Champion from Hoenn who loved collecting stones.

After careful research and consideration, Brandon finally set his sights on an ancient temple deeply connected to him—or more specifically, connected to the three most powerful Pokémon under his command.

The temple located in Sinnoh's northernmost city, Snowpoint City—Snowpoint Temple.

Brandon quickly got in touch with the temple's caretaker, who had guarded the temple for generations.

When the caretaker learned that the famous strongest of the Frontier Brains—who was also the holder of the legendary Pokémon Regirock, Regice, and Registeel—wanted to visit, they immediately agreed and set up a time for his visit.

So, Brandon piloted the enormous Battle Pyramid all the way from Hoenn to Sinnoh.

After a warm welcome from the temple's caretaker, the priestess, the two of them got straight to the main topic.

The origin of Snowpoint Temple, and the true reason the priestess's family had guarded it for generations...

That reason being the legendary Pokémon slumbering beneath the temple—Regigigas, said in legend to have used ropes to pull the land, thus creating the ancient Sinnoh region.

For countless years, the signs of Regigigas awakening had grown more frequent, especially with the disappearance of its three guardians, the legendary Pokémon known as the "Regi trio." Though it was not an immediate concern, the priestess worried that one day, Regigigas would suddenly awaken.

She hoped Brandon could return the three Regi Pokémon to guard Regigigas.

Brandon, on the other hand, requested to see the legendary Pokémon with his own eyes. If everything was as the priestess said, he would consider leaving the three guardians at the temple.

Since Brandon had made such a significant promise, the priestess readily agreed to his request and personally led him to the core of the temple.

There, he saw the ancient "altar," the three pillars representing rock, ice, and steel that substituted for the missing Regi trio, and the ancient, crystalline gem at the center.

And on top of the gem, a small, yellow-gray Pokémon was lying down.

Before the priestess could recognize this Pokémon and figure out how it had gotten into the temple's core area, the little creature with a red crystal embedded in its forehead opened its sleepy eyes.

In an instant, psychic energy surged wildly.

Drawing from his deep knowledge of history and mythology, Brandon recognized the Pokémon immediately.

Uxie, the lake guardian of Sinnoh, embodying wisdom.

But something was clearly wrong with Uxie, and without hesitation, Brandon chose to engage in battle.

Whether it is to stop Uxie or to prevent it from disturbing the slumbering Regigigas beneath the temple, he had no other choice but to engage.

Regirock, Regice, and Registeel—three legendary Pokémon of the same rank as Uxie—were summoned simultaneously.

Even while being cautious, Brandon used his numerical advantage and tactical coordination to have Regice freeze Uxie.

Before Uxie could break free from the ice, Regirock and Registeel appeared behind it, smashing the ice and pinning Uxie to the ground with their massive limbs.

Yet despite this, Uxie continued to struggle, seemingly unaware of any pain.

Brandon frowned.

"Priestess, do you know what's going on?"

Seeing the priestess shake her head in confusion, Brandon fell into deep thought.

He knew that some legendary Pokémon could go berserk after awakening, but the Sinnoh lake guardians weren't supposed to be among them.

What could be the cause?

As he debated whether to temporarily capture Uxie and leave it to the Sinnoh League to handle, Regice—standing by and unoccupied—suddenly shifted its gaze toward the entrance of the temple and let out a grave sound.

"Regi... Ice..."

Hearing this, Regirock and Registeel, without hesitation, channeled their energy into their arms and knocked Uxie unconscious.

Then, they stood side by side with Regice, positioning themselves between Brandon and the temple entrance, ready to defend.

Seeing the three legendary Pokémon acting so seriously, the priestess was bewildered.

But Brandon, who shared a deep bond with the Regi trio after spending so much time with them, understood their actions. They were protecting him.

"So, an incredibly powerful Pokémon, with no effort to hide its presence, is approaching rapidly..."

Recalling Uxie's strange behavior, Brandon's expression turned grim.

And in the next moment, the overwhelming presence descended, one so strong that even Brandon could easily sense it. The mere presence and aura of it send chills down his spine.