Chapter 45: Sinnoh-8 [Celestic town ruins]

Sam's Pov. Celestic Ruins

WHROOM

WHROOM

WHROOM

I watched in awe as the drones flew ahead, seamlessly scanning the chambers with their mirage technology.

"....There is a Dusk stone in the pot there. Collect it."

Archer moved with confident ease, his keen eye spotting hidden compartments and valuable artefacts, from ancient pots to Dusk Stones.

"Watch your step," he warned, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "And keep an eye out for the arrows."

My heart jumped to my throat as his words rang true, various traps were sprung across the corridor which led to us being assaulted with poisonous arrows to even fucking pitfalls.

He remained unfazed in his run, and with a calculating look he commanded Porygon, "Protect".

The Porygon teleported in from us to cast protect. In the same stride, it used a Light screen to act as a missing ground, allowing us to overcome the pitfalls.

"Sam. Take charge. The way ahead needs more Pokemon."

Nodding to Archer's signal, I released my Pokemon- Gardevior took the lead with other Pokemon forming a circle around her.

Porygon got back to its duty as a solemn protector of Archer.

CRACKLE CRACKLE

Derek, our bodyguard captain, kept a watchful eye on our surroundings, his Ampharos crackling with electricity ready to fight any threat. "Stay sharp, everyone," he ordered, his voice cutting through the silence. "We're not alone in these ruins."

His words proved prophetic as wild Pokémon groups ranging from crobats to even ghost Pokemon like Gastly and Haunters erupted out of the shadows, their fangs gleaming with the light.

But our team was ready. Led by Metagross, whose imposing presence filled the chamber, the attacks started. Metagross's Psychic held most of the rocks in the path to defend from the Screeches.

SCREECCCH

BOOOOM

BOOM

"Ampharos, discharge!" under Derek's command, the Electric-type Pokémon started sending arcs of electricity crackling through the air towards the Golbat tribe.

GOLLLLL

Meanwhile, Derek's Arcanine stood tall and vigilant, its fur bristling as it scanned the surroundings for any signs of danger. "Arcanine, Flame wheel" Derek instructed, his voice calm yet determined. "Mow down the obstacles."

ARCANNINNEEEE

WHROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

As the flame wheel crushed the rocks and boulders in our path, clearing the way. We ran forward, out of these Pokemon territories.

ZING

Archer, ever the strategist, released his Beedrill to scout the area for any signs of danger. We soon released our Beedrill which formed a herd as a scouting team.

----------------------------------------------------------

Throughout the day, we encountered a myriad of traps and Pokémon threats, including the occasional poison gases, to occasional geodude and electrobes. Though the majority were Crawdaunts and Psyducks leading Corphishes.

Any injuries were swiftly tended to by Archer, his skilled hands working with ease while Metagross led the rest of the team forward using the drones. While our Pokemon cleared the way, I noted that some trainers in the group found a Pokemon that moved their hearts.

Jon took a likening a corphish and captured it.

My reverie was abruptly interrupted by a shift in the ruins' patterns, noticeable in the language and artistic style of the structures. The weird part is there were images of Kleavor and rock-type Arcanine Stone sculptures.

"This is the Hisui remnants, a time bygone..."

Archer explained that this indicated an older section of the ruins, possibly dating back to the Hisuian era—the original name of Sinnoh when Arceus, the creator of the world, was said to have been more directly involved with the realm.

The concept of Arceus, the legendary Pokémon believed to be the creator of all existence, left me momentarily stunned. It was difficult to fathom such immense power residing within a single Pokémon.

"....It is here where we will find the item I want."

As Archer revealed that the item he sought might be hidden within this ancient section of the ruins, I nodded in understanding.

"Sigh! The drones are not picking up anything. Metagross uses Psychic to scan the area. " Archer commanded, his voice echoing through the corridors.

"Focus on any areas that seem out of place."

The metallic Pokémon nodded in understanding, its glowing eyes narrowing as it concentrated its psychic energy.

Initially doubtful, my scepticism soon faded away as the Unown symbols began to glow and separate from their surroundings, like the vapour that rises in the sun.

 Archer with his silver eyes moved towards them, making me almost scream out in fear. The legends of Unown are very well known. Just touching them is a mystery to be researched that may lead to cold to even space explosions.

But, they were meticulously rearranged under Archer's hand. His explanations shed light on my puzzlement. "These Unown," he began, his voice carrying a hint of reverence, "their shapes may seem simple, but their meanings are anything but. They can represent numbers, letters, and even concepts. But their interpretations can vary depending on the period they appeared and location in respective to the sun."

We observed in silence, each lost in our thoughts as Archer worked his magic with the Unown.

Jon busied himself with capturing every moment on his Apex phone, while Samantha indulged in a few selfies, including one that featured Archer. I have a feeling the edited version will be in the headlines in no time.

After what felt like an eternity, Archer finally declared, "Finally done."

His words were met with the rumbling walls of the chamber. With a burst of cold air, they began to split open to reveal a breathtaking sight beyond.

--------------Celestic Ruins, Hidden chamber-------------

PIT PAT PIT

PIT

WORLD

PIT PIT PAT

A magnificent waterfall cascaded down into a pool below. There was a path over the pool that wound its way towards a grand temple at the centre.

Inside this open temple, three imposing statues stood guard, their arrangement under the drifting sunlight from the hole-in ceiling evoked a sense of sacredness in us.

Archer strode towards the statues, his steps echoing in the chamber as he approached each imposing figure.

The first statue, carved from stone with intricate details etched into its surface, depicted a majestic creature with sharp edges and metallic accents. Its Centurian form exuded power and authority, an aura that reminded me of time itself. A weird concept to remember just from a look.

"Dialga," Archer announced, his voice resonating with reverence as he gestured towards the statue. "The master of time."

Moving to the next statue, Archer's gaze shifted towards a towering figure that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow. Its sleek, armoured form stands broad on two limbs with a sleek clawed gauntlet hand, embodying the vast expanse of space in its every curve and contour.

"Palkia," Archer declared, his tone tinged with awe as he acknowledged the statue's significance. "The guardian of space."

Archer's voice echoed in the chamber as he delved into the significance of each statue. "Each of these Pokémon was created by Arceus personally," he explained, his words carrying a weight of reverence. "They are tasked to act as the cornerstones of this world, with the space-time duo shaping the very fabric of reality and guiding its progression."

Finally, Archer's attention turned to the last statue, a dark and foreboding Serpentine figure that seemed to emanate a form with centipede legs. Its twisted form twisted and contorted, embodying the contradiction to reality.

I listened intently, captivated by Archer's words as he continued. "This Pokemon, in particular, is the embodiment of antimatter," he elaborated. "It serves as a guardian of sorts, containing any object that dares to defy the rules of reality within its realm, no matter how powerful it may be. In a way, the distortion world's existence is responsible for the mechanisms of Pokemon Type energies, acting as a sort of counterweight in the scale of this world."

He drawled two circles weighing equally on a scale. "This allowed the Pokemon to arise and flourish in the world. But, it needs a guardian. A thankless and cruel position banishing the holder from the very thing that they are working towards- the Pokemon world. A position that can only be fulfilled by him."

"Giratina," Archer proclaimed, his voice tinged with utter fear as he regarded the statue. "The ruler of the Distortion World."

As Archer led us to the centre of the chamber, my eyes fell upon a rotating device with intricate mechanisms and multiple layers of movement. It seemed to pulsate with energy, its purpose shrouded in mystery.

"This," Archer announced, gesturing towards the device with his wide arms, like a zealot he shouted "is the space-time axis. It reads and measures the state of reality itself, crafted from unknown materials by unknown craftsmen, operating on unknown principles."

Far too many unknowns, but I am starting to understand the sheer weight of the device. A device capable of monitoring the world at large. I know which part is not going into the video. In fact, I wonder whether the newly rising lust for fame can prompt Archer to reveal these things.

CLANG

RING

CLANG

Archer's movements were deliberate as he adjusted the positions of the rings surrounding the space-time axis.

THUCK

"Work. Damn it."

With a sudden kick that made Jon choke in surprise, Archer set the mechanism into motion, causing the floor of the chamber to shift.

SHAKE SHAKE

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE

"OH, my God."

From the split arose a white, equine Pokémon with an androgynous appearance with a vertically striated underside. The striated pattern has similar recurrences on the underside of its mane, tail, and face. Its four pointed feet are tipped with gold hooves. Its long mane juts away from its head, and its face is Gray, with green eyes and red pupils, and a green circular pattern below its eyes. Its neck is fairly long, with two pairs of extrusions to the sides, and a flap-like feature on the neck's underside that is coloured white like much of the body. The most beautiful part is the golden cross-like wheel attached to its body by its round abdomen.

The three statues consisting of Giratina, Dialga and Palkia seemed to dip into the ground for a foot or two as if to convey respect for the new statue.

And the respect was felt as the new statue levitated into the air, under the glow of the entire cavern. 

THUCK

Before I knew it, I was kneeling in respect and awe at the scene happening in front of me. A move that was mirrored by everyone because a guess was forming in our minds about whose statue this was.

THUMP

THUMP

THUMP

Archer, the only one who wasn't kneeling started walking towards it while saying, "Arceus, the creator of the world."

I felt my legs feel weak at his causal nature of saying that there is a fucking statue of Arceus. If the statue depicting its appearance exists, then some encountered it and made an effort to build this place to show respect. Fuck, I guess there is no way this info will leave into the public.

Anyone existing in this room can call for Alliance-approved info sealing. 

As we rose to our feet, we did our best to burn the sight in front of us. Looking at the depiction of the creator is something one can boast about for an entire life.

Archer, on the other hand, searched for some mechanism on the mouth of the Arceus and pressed it to reveal an opening under Arceus's feet. An opening from which three discs rose and drifted towards the other three statues.

While two of them were empty, one held an orb whose sheer presence was causing the Pokemon to cry in fear.

GARRR

METTTAA

BEEEEE

ARCAAAAA

AMPHORAS

My heart raced from the collective shouts and red eyes of the Pokemon, fearing a fucking stampede, "Damn it. What the fuck is that orb?"

Archer reminded me while approaching the platform nearest to Palkia, where an orb rested upon a pedestal, "Look closely at the orb and the statue of Palkia."

The Orb resembled the core of the Armor depicted in the statues, pulsating with an otherworldly energy.

Sensing my curiosity, Archer motioned for me to join him.

As I drew closer, I noticed Archer's silver-hued scanning eyes showing flickers of fear, a rare sight for someone as composed as him. I could somehow feel that he resolved himself and set his apprehension aside, he reached out and retrieved the orb from its pedestal.

Handing it to me, he spoke with a grave tone. "Store it in the isolation box. I brought one from Silph Corp researchers specifically for this purpose."

I nodded solemnly because I didn't want to see what would happen if it was left just like that.

But Archer's warning only added to the weight of the situation. "Be careful," he cautioned. "The Luminous Orb is a powerful item, but it also serves as a signal to Palkia under the right circumstances. Make no mistake ."

I glanced at the statues of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, their imposing forms casting shadows across the chamber.

Archer's words lingered in the air as he gestured towards them, his eyes glowing with silver hue. I could guess he had gotten some info from the scans of the ruins, Though the knowledge he derived from it, made me gulp in fear.

"Their might makes legendary Pokémon look like lollipop-sucking babies," he remarked, his voice tinged with a mixture of reverence and dread as he clutched his scars. "Trust me on this—they are real, and you don't want to meet them."

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Time-space axis was carefully packed and moved out of the chamber. Derek formed a perimeter with me at the centre carrying the lustrous orb—a newfound artifact capable of summoning Palkia, a Pokémon I had only just learned about today.

According to Archer, Palkia embodied concepts on a level beyond even legendary Pokémon. Even the concept it embodies is a freaky one like Space.

Curiosity gnawed at me as we made our way out of the ruins, prompting me to a question Archer, "Do you plan to call upon Palkia?"

Archer blinked, seemingly pulled from his thoughts. "What?"

I repeated myself, a hint of my impatience creeping into my tone. "Do you plan to call upon Palkia?"

Without hesitation, Archer replied, "No way. I want it for research, not to plan a suicide."

An unknown weight left me at his words. The slight sagging of shoulders around us suggested it was shared by everyone.

Archer due to his position and pressure from the said position is becoming like a one-man show. It can be better said that he is becoming a Tyrant. His decisions and orders must be followed to machinic precision. So, his potential usage of the orb put a lot of pressure on everyone.

It's good that he just wants to be a nerd with it. I have never been thankful for my decision to let him be a nerd while we grew up. Who knows if my decision to make me a jock might put some active thoughts in Archer's brain. Like world domination, catching Arceus, World domination etc. 

Good job, past me.

SIGH

It's not like Archer doesn't care about others' opinions, rather by the time our opinions were raised his super brain would have already included them and much more into his plan. A phenomenon that is becoming much more common after he acquired porygon. 

Hey, in another way, it could be said that Archer makes the right decision most of the time.

Something I am coming to see as a mark of leadership. Though this kind seems to be his brand of leadership, it's just that I need to find my kind. Especially with Archer's increasing tendency to give me more responsibilities. Like carrying an item of immense power while he happily walked with his head in the clouds.

Suddenly, Archer came to a halt, signalling for the rest of us to do the same. His expression shifted, a mix of determination and concern flickering across his features as he addressed me directly. "Sam, take the rest of the group back to the chamber we arrived in. Your Gardevoir should have no problem teleporting everyone from there. I have a task to attend."

KATA

KATA

KATA

Before anyone could protest, he dashed forward accompanied by Porygon, Metagross, and his Beedrill. It was clear that his decision had been made, leaving us with no choice but to obey.

SIGH

Assuming my role as second-in-command, I rallied the group with a mixture of reassurance and humour. "Alright, everyone, let's head back. Archer can take care of himself. It's us who will have the challenging journey back to the hotel."

Little did I know, without Archer's guidance, our return trip would prove to be a pain in the ass. Navigating back through the ruins without the aid of his all-seeing computer eye left me on my toes.

"Good job, Derek. I am thankful for your decision to mark the way."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Archer's pov

KATA

KATA

I dashed through the labyrinthine chambers, obstacles clearing before me as Metagross and Beedrill effortlessly handled any threats. Porygon2 hovered protectively by my side, shielding me from traps as we pressed forward.

It took some time, but eventually, I arrived at the chamber that had drawn me here with its intriguing data and images.

Stepping inside, I beheld a girl around my age, her long blonde hair cascading down to her waist. She had a cute face, adorned with a blue shirt and skirt accented with white trim, and a blue ribbon tying back her hair.

Before she stood the Pokémon I had rushed here to confront: a Spiritomb, a volatile entity composed of 108 restless souls known for its violent tendencies. According to the data from the drones, this particular Spiritomb had fixated on a human target, prompting my urgent intervention. Encounters with Spiritomb in the wild often resulted in fatalities, with a staggering 30% mortality rate.

I was preparing to realize Electivire to intervene and protect her, but I was taken aback as I witnessed the girl in action. Against all odds, she was holding her own in battle. Commanding a Roselia and a Garchomp of all things.

I could only grumble inwardly as this is the 4th person, I knew who had a Garchomp line Pokemon. Since, when did they become so common? Most importantly, why can't I have one?

"Roselia, start with Petal Blizzard!"

WHOOOSHHHH

 The Roselia responded swiftly, summoning a whirlwind of razor-sharp petals that sliced through the air with precision, striking the Spiritomb's bandages that went for the girl's neck.

As the Spiritomb attempted to evade the flurry of petals, she called out to my Garchomp. "Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!"

ROOARRRRRRRR

With a thunderous roar, the Garchomp charged forward, enveloped in a cyclone of draconic energy. It slammed into the Spiritomb with tremendous force, delivering a powerful blow that sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The spiritomb bent a full 360 degrees, dispersing the effect of the move and retaliated with a surge of dark energy, unleashing ominous shadows that threatened to engulf the opposing Pokémon.

"Roselia, dodge and counter with Magical Leaf"

 With graceful agility, Roselia evaded the dark energy, then retaliated with a volley of glowing leaves that shimmered with grass energy. The Magical Leaf is a special attack that can intervene with all types of energies. It showed its effects by cutting a path through the shadows towards the Spiritomb.

The girl seized the opportunity to press the advantage. "Garchomp, follow up with Dragon Claw!"

ROARRRRR

THUD

THUD

TUUD

The Garchomp's claws crackled with energy as it slashed through the air, unleashing a powerful Dragon-type attack aimed at the Spiritomb's vulnerable point- the Mask.

SLASHHHHHH

To my surprise, the Garchomp held the disoriented Spiritomb by the mask, instead of clearing distance. 

SPIIIRRRIIII

The mass of spiritomb started wrapping around Garchomp who gathered his dragon energy, not caring about the danger.

"Roselia, use Sweet Scent to create a distraction!" The Roselia released a sweet and enticing aroma into the air, luring the Spiritomb from the Garchomp.

ROSELIIIAAAAA

With the Spiritomb momentarily distracted, she said, "Garchomp, now's our chance! Use Dragon Pulse!"

With a mighty roar, the Garchomp unleashed a concentrated blast of draconic energy, sending it hurtling towards the Spiritomb with unstoppable force.

BOOMMM

I expected Spiritomb to be sent flying, but it didn't move an inch. On close observation, I felt my respect for the girl rise. Vine whips rose from the ground and formed knots around the Spirtomb, forcing it to stay trapped and face the Dragon pulse in kissable range.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The combined efforts of both Pokémon proved to be too much for the Spiritomb to withstand.

THUCK

With a final throw of a Pokeball, the Spiritomb was ensnared within a pulsating light.

3

2

1

TING TING

The shaking Pokeball soon stopped signalling its capture.

My hand left the pokeball seeing the girl crushing the dangerous spirit tomb. I immediately started clapping, this was an incredible sight considering she didn't even give Spiritomb a chance.

"You know, as long as the rest of your team is just as strong as those two, there should be no problem for you to get a good position in the Lily Valley conference," I remarked, offering her a genuine compliment as I approached her.

Her response caught me off guard. "It is impossible, Mr. Archer," she said, her tone resolute yet it felt weird to me. Despite her defeatist words, there was an undeniable aura of confidence surrounding her, kind of reminding me of myself.

Confidence cultivated by my talents, fame and fortune. Most importantly by needed to establish myself as a leader, but hers, I could see was an innate part of her character. A rarity I only observed in very few people in both my lives combined.

I observed as she released the captured Spiritomb and engaged in a silent conversation with the Pokémon. Intriguingly, despite the Spiritomb's volatile nature, it showed no aggression towards her.

As she retrieved her Pokémon and approached me, extending her hand in greeting, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Archer. "

I reciprocated the gesture with a firm handshake. There is no need to reject a talented trainer's gesture.

 "Nice to meet you, miss, but I don't know your name?" I inquired, curious to learn more about the skilled trainer before me.

She nodded understandingly. "Well, it's understandable considering we didn't meet until now. Though you should know my grandma, Carolina. I am Cynthia."