Chapter 314: The Two Orbs
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Fortress City – Gym]
Miles away, nestled amidst the swaying trees of Fortree City, the Gym was a hive of worried activity. The recent earthquake, a tremor that had rippled through the region, left the air thick with apprehension.
Winona, the Gym Leader, floated gracefully on a gust of wind, her green cloak billowing around her. Her usually serene expression was clouded with concern as she addressed her fellow leaders, she asking, her voice calm but underlined with tension, "Is everyone alright after that jolt? And your Pokémon?"
A chorus of shrugs and grumbles answered her. Brawly, the Fighting-type Gym Leader from Dewford, stretched languidly, his perpetually laid-back demeanor only slightly ruffled as he replied casually, "Just a bit of a shake-up, Winona. My Machoke just did some extra squats, I guess."
Flannery, the fiery Gym Leader from Lavaridge, stomped a foot, her red hair appearing to crackle with annoyance. She continued, her gaze sharpening, "It's more than that! Another tremor and the whole region's going to be in an uproar!"
Roxanne, the Rock-type Gym Leader from Rustboro, adjusted her hair, her analytical mind cutting through the rising complaints, "And frankly, Winona, I'm still not sold on this idea of letting Sapphire join us. Most of us didn't agree, and now, with things unstable..."
Flannery, on the other hand, argued back, pouting at Roxanne's words, interrupting her, "But we need all the help we can get! Plus, she already got our badges, doesn't that prove she's already strong!"
Roxanne merely sighed, hearing this as she said firmly with her arms crossed, "Flannery, Winona's decision was made with good intentions. However, I disagree that introducing a new, unproven element at a time of regional instability is... concerning. But we shouldn't make any rash decisions. Let's wait until Tate and Liza arrive. Their insight, especially concerning seismic activity, could be invaluable."
Winona sighed, pressing a hand to her temple, looking concerned as she explained, "I understand your reservations about Sapphire. But I genuinely believe her spirit and unique connection with nature could be an asset in these strange times. As for Tate and Liza… I just wish they'd arrived already. I sent word to them hours ago."
A chill, unrelated to the wind, snaked down her spine as she thought, 'I hope they're safe. Wherever they are…'
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Nighttime, Mt. Pyre]
High above the clouds, atop the mystical slopes of Mt. Pyre, Tate and Liza walked with a purposeful stride. The air here was thin, crisp, and imbued with an ancient, spiritual energy in the air.
Whispers of the past seemed to drift on the wind, rustling through the gnarled trees and around the weathered stone monuments. Tate, the elder twin, usually the more reserved, had an unusual tension in his shoulders.
Beside him, Liza, ever bubbly, was unusually quiet, her brow furrowed. Liza began, her voice a telepathic murmur only audible to her brother, "The meeting... Winona will be worried. The earthquake must have rattled everyone."
Tate replied, his own thoughts echoing hers as he said calmly, "She'll understand, Liza. Some responsibilities simply cannot wait. Our other duty, the one we cannot speak of… it calls louder tonight."
Their 'other job' was the guardianship of ancient secrets, a legacy passed down through generations. They were attuned to the subtle shifts in the world, to the ebb and flow of ancient energies.
*Wooosh*
Tonight, an unsettling tremor had moved through the mountain, unrelated to the recent earthquake, a disturbance that resonated with something far more sinister. Tate sensed, his eyes scanning the gathering twilight as he muttered cautiously, "That presence… It's stronger now."
A primal unease prickled at his skin, a cold, calculating energy that felt utterly alien to the sacred mountain. Liza added, her voice laced with a rare tremor of fear, "Like a dark cloud settling over the heart of the mountain."
They continued their ascent, their steps light and sure, guided by an instinct honed over years of protecting the mountain's delicate balance. The air grew heavier, thick with an unseen malevolence that seemed to draw them deeper into the cave system that burrowed into Mt. Pyre's peak.
The source of the evil presence, they knew, lay at its heart. Suddenly, the cold, spiritual air of the cave was replaced by an oppressive wave of heat.
*Wooosh*
It struck them with the force of a physical blow, making the very stone around them feel hot to the touch. The scent of ozone and something metallic permeated the air.
From the shadows, figures emerged, clad in distinctive, deep crimson uniforms. Team Magma. One of the Team Magma Grunts sneered, a crude scanner clutched in his hand, "Well, well, if it isn't the pint-sized guardians of this glorified rock pile."
*Beep*
Its red light pulsed, indicating a strong reading. The grunt answered arrogantly, "The scanner never lies. The Red and Blue Orbs are here, just as the Lord predicted!"
Another grunt stepped forward, his eyes glinting with malicious glee as he announced, "You two are in over your heads. Hand over the Orbs, and maybe we'll let you keep your pretty little Pokémon!"
Tate and Liza exchanged a look, their shared resolve solidifying. In quick succession, they hurled their Poké Balls into the air as they popped open.
*Pop*
Their Pokémon, Solrock and Lunatone, materialized from their Poké Balls, hovering protectively before them, their eyes glowing with an ancient, unwavering light. Tate declared, his young voice ringing with authority, "You will not desecrate this sacred mountain."
Liza added, a spark of defiance in her eyes despite the suffocating heat, "And you certainly won't lay a hand on the Orbs!"
The Grunts, confident in their numbers, lunged forward with their Mightyena and Crobat. Tate and Liza, however, moved with an almost supernatural coordination.
*Shiii*
Solrock and Lunatone pulsed with psychic energy, creating a shimmering barrier that deflected the incoming attacks. The twins themselves, moving as one, darted to the side, their movements a blur.
Tate commanded, "Now!"
Solrock unleashed a blinding Flash, momentarily disorienting the Grunts' Pokémon. They acted frustrated by this.
*Shii*
With them blinded, Liza ordered, "Rock Slide, Lunatone!"
*Swf*
*RMBL*
A cascade of jagged stones rained down, hitting the Mightyena and Crobat with surprising force. The Team Magma Grunts, regaining their composure, launched their own counterattacks, initiating a frantic Double Battle.
But it was clear from the outset that Tate and Liza, despite their youth, were a force to be reckoned with. Unaware of the flickering fire illuminating the area, slowly circling them as they focused on the battle…
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Mt. Pyre – Summit]
Unseen by the battling groups below, at the very summit of Mt. Pyre, an old woman with hair like spun moonlight watched the unfolding drama. Beside her, her husband, his face a map of ancient wrinkles, gripped his gnarled staff.
Their eyes, though dimmed by age, held a sharp, knowing light. The old woman whispered, her voice like rustling leaves, "They've invaded the mountain. Just as the prophecies foretold. And Tate and Liza... they are fighting them."
The old man rasped, a tremor in his voice along with a tone of shame in his words, "Too young, my dear. Too young to bear this burden alone. The Orbs… they are too powerful to fall into the wrong hands."
He looked at his wife, a silent understanding passing between them as she said solemnly, "We vowed to protect them. No matter the cost."
Their vigil, spanning decades, would not end now. They would stand in defense of the ancient artifacts as long as breath remained in their bodies.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Mt. Pyre]
Back within the heart of the mountain, the battle intensified. Tate and Liza, though feeling the oppressive heat, moved with grace and precision.
Tate commanded, and the Rock/Psychic Pokémon began to glow with a pale, celestial light, its defenses and special defenses rising, "Solrock, Cosmic Power!"
*Shiii*
Liza echoed, and her Pokémon mirrored the action, bolstering its own stats in the process, "Lunatone, you too!"
*Shiii*
The twin guardians knew the Grunts' ground and flying types would struggle against their Rock-type Pokémon, especially with their boosted defenses. The Grunts, growing frustrated, ordered a barrage of tackles and wing attacks.
But Solrock and Lunatone, invigorated by their stat boosts, shrugged them off with remarkable resilience. Tate yelled, "Now, Psychic!"
*SHIII*
Solrock unleashed a powerful wave of mental energy that slammed into a Mightyena, sending it skidding across the rocky floor. Liza added, "And Icy Wind, Lunatone!"
*WOOOSH*
Then a blast of freezing air erupts from her Pokémon, striking both a Crobat and another Mightyena, slowing them down and causing them to shiver despite the heat. Their combination attacks were devastating, hitting multiple targets with precision.
The Grunts' Pokémon were starting to show serious signs of wear, their movements becoming sluggish, their attacks weaker. Liza, seeing their opponents falter, couldn't help but let a bit of her youthful exuberance show as she declared, "See? I told you! You should just give up now! You're clearly no match for us! Just leave, before we send you all packing down the mountain!"
She finished with a triumphant grin, only for it to waver as a sudden dizziness washed over her. The intense heat, combined with the exertion of battle, was taking its toll.
She staggered, grabbing Tate's arm for support. Tate asked in a concerned tone, his brow furrowed with concern, even as he kept their Pokémon focused on the fight, "Liza, are you alright?"
*Ssss*
Before Liza could answer, an unsettling realization dawned upon them. Despite the powerful attacks, despite the obvious damage they had inflicted, the Team Magma Grunts' Pokémon, though bruised, were not fainting.
They merely shook off the impacts, their eyes burning with an unsettling, unwavering intensity. Liza mumbled, her voice hoarse, her confidence beginning to crack under the relentless, inexplicable resilience of their foes, "They're... they're still going? Our attacks… why aren't they hitting properly?"
Meanwhile, above them, hidden in a precarious rock formation, Blaise and Tabitha watched the twins' struggle. Blaise, a slender man with sharp, intelligent eyes, a calculating smirk playing on his lips, leaned against the cave wall.
Tabitha, corpulent and brutish, let out a booming laugh, his voice echoing off the cavern walls. Tabitha roared, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye, "They struggle against phantoms! Truly magnificent, Blaise! Your illusions are fooling them splendidly!"
Blaise merely smiled, a predatory glint in his eyes as he smugly replied, looking down on the Gym Leaders, "The mountain's heat is a powerful amplifier, Tabitha. These grunts they're 'fighting' are mere constructs, projections of heat and light, imbued with enough illusory tenacity to drain the twins' energy. Why waste our actual forces on children when deception works just as well?"
Tate and Liza, completely oblivious to the deception, continued to pour their energy into attacking something that wasn't truly there. Their frustration mounted, their exhaustion growing with every unyielding blow they landed.
Each powerful Psychic or Rock Slide seemed to pass through their targets, leaving them momentarily stunned, only for the 'Grunts' to rise again, an infuriating, mocking parody of resilience.
With the twin Gym Leaders thoroughly distracted, Blaise moved. He produced a more advanced version of the scanner, its beam sweeping across the ancient chamber.
It hummed, then locked onto a specific area. He whispered, a tremor of anticipation in his voice, "The Orbs. They're close."
He moved with a swift, almost silent grace, leaving Tabitha to enjoy the twins' futile struggle. Tabitha followed behind as backup in case something happened or Azure suddenly popped up out of nowhere.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Mt. Pyre – Summit]
Blaise emerged into a hidden alcove, a sacred space where two ancient pedestals stood. Upon them, bathed in an ethereal glow, rested the Red Orb and the Blue Orb, pulsing with raw, unimaginable power.
Before he could reach them, a frail but determined figure stepped into his path. It was the old woman from the summit, followed by her equally determined husband.
The old woman declared, her voice cracking but resolute, "You will not touch them! These Orbs are the sacred heart of Hoenn! You cannot be allowed to claim them!"
Blaise merely scoffed, an expression of disdain crossing his face as he uttered, "Move aside, old relics. Your time is long past. Magcargo! Sandstorm!"
With a casual flick of his wrist he quickly brought out his Poke Ball. It was hurled in front of them as it popped open.
*Pop*
*Woooosh*
Magcargo appeared as a surge of sand erupted, not a direct attack, but a powerful, forceful wave that effortlessly swatted the elderly couple away, sending them sprawling against the cavern wall. They cried out in pain, but their eyes remained fixed on the Orbs, filled with a heartbroken despair.
Blaise approached the pedestals, his heart pounding with triumph. He reached out, his fingers closing around the cool, smooth surfaces of the Red and Blue Orbs.
*Shiii*
They pulsed, vibrant and alive in his grasp. A wave of immense power surged through him, making his hair stand on end.
He breathed, a wide, triumphant smile spreading across his face as he muttered, "Victory. Lord Maxie will be most pleased."
*Beep*
But his moment of glory was abruptly shattered as Tabitha's phone beeped. Tabitha's voice, usually jovial in its malice, suddenly crackled with fury as he alerted Blaise of the news from his Rotom Phone, "Blaise! Blaise, you won't believe this! News just came through... the Jagged Pass base! It's been annihilated! Destroyed!"
Blaise froze, the Orbs still clutched in his hands. His triumphant smile vanished, replaced by a look of utter disbelief. He echoed, his voice rising in surprise, "Destroyed? What are you talking about? Who… who would dare?"
Tabitha looked up and growled in bitter frustration as he revealed who, in an angry voice, "Fuck! It was that bastard! Azure fucking Sky!! And with his little Pikachu and annoying Eevee too!"
Blaise froze, hearing this before dismissing it. He spoke in a cold tone, ordering, "… It doesn't matter. We need to inform Maxie of this soon. Fortunately, I kept the fuel needed for the Submarine, but we need to go. Now!"
With that, they immediately left the area as time was of the essence. They ignored the couple as they struggled to get up…
/////
A/N: Reach the goal of 100 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!