It was a nice sunny day, as our trio walked through the mountain pass completely unaware of Radiant Garden's doing deep within the mountain itself.
The sun shines down on the rocky path, casting shadows from the jagged formations. Birds can be heard chirping in the distance, and the sound of water from a nearby stream echoes.
Kai looks around, taking in the scenery while occasionally checking his surroundings for any wild pokémon.
Hikari was humming a soft tune while on a lomg rock formation keeping her balance up with her arms out.
Zoah walks under her, watching her balance act with slight concern.
"Careful up there. Don't fall."
Kai looks up at her, impressed by her balance but also cautious of the height.
She grins down at them, enjoying the view from above, "I'm fine! I used to do this back home all the time."
The rock is about 10 feet high, and she takes a few small steps along the edge.
Zoah stops walking, crossing his arms again with a slight frown, "That doesn't make me feel better. Get down before I have to catch you again."
Kai watches the interaction, amused by their dynamic once more.
"Wheee" Hikari falls down on purpose towards Zoah.
Zoah sighs deeply as she falls, instinctively catching her in his arms again, just like before.
"You're doing this on purpose now."
She giggles, enjoying the catch and his reaction. He sets her down firmly this time, holding her shoulders to keep her from doing it again.
"Stop being a child and walk normally."
Kai tries to hide a laugh, finding their playful bickering entertaining.
Hikari puffs up her cheeks like a pout playful hitting his shoulder, "You know I can't help it when I'm with you meany."
He rolls his eye again, not falling for the pout, "I'm not mean. I'm practical. And you're being reckless."
He lets go of her shoulders and starts walking again, gesturing for her to follow properly.
She sticks her tongue out at him but obeys, walking beside him with a mock pout still on her face. Kai walks on her other side, trying to hold back a chuckle.
"You two act like siblings." He comments quietly.
Zoah glances at Kai, "We're not siblings. She just acts like one."
Hikari perks up at that, looking between them, "Hey! I do not!"
Kai smirks, "You totally do. The pouting, the jumping on him, the teasing. All sister things."
Zoah nods in agreement, smirking too now.
Hikari gasps dramatically, putting her hands on her hips, "I am not your sister! I'm your... your..."
She trails off, not finishing the sentence. She doesn't know how to label their relationship either. Zoah raises an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
She blushes slightly, realizing she can't come up with anything else. She mumbles something under her breath, looking away.
Kai grins wider, clearly enjoying her flustered state now, "What was that? I couldn't hear you."
She mumbles louder but still quiet enough, "Nothing... just... shut up."
Zoah chuckles at her embarrassment, finally having the upper hand in this conversation.
Kai laughs openly now, enjoying this victory moment, "Aww, she's speechless. This is gold."
He nudges Zoah playfully, both of them enjoying teasing her together now.
Hikari's blush deepens, her face turning red. She looks like she wants to argue back but is too flustered to form words. She crosses her arms and stomps ahead a bit, pretending to be mad.
Zoah and Kai follow behind, chuckling and exchanging amused glances.
As she stomps, a small pebble rolls under her foot, causing her to stumble slightly. She catches herself quickly, but it makes her even more frustrated.
"Ugh! This is not fair!" She exclaims, spinning around to face them with a flustered glare.
They both stop, trying to look innocent but failing miserably as they hold back more laughter.
"What's not fair, Hikari? Us being right?" Zoah asks with a teasing tone.
Kai snickers, covering his mouth with his hand.
Hikari stops and turns with a snap and looks at Zoah at the face, "Stop being so mean to me when all I want to do is be close to you because you know I have a thing for you!"
Zoah has a soft smile and shakes head slightly then speaks softly, "I know you do. And you know I'll be there for you." He pats and rubs her head.
Her expression softens at his touch, the anger melting away. She leans into his pat, her previous pout turning into a small smile.
Kai watches the gesture, his eyes widening slightly as he realizes the depth of their bond. He stays quiet now, sensing the moment between them.
Zoah continues rubbing her head gently, his voice gentle as well, "Just don't fall off cliffs, okay? I can't keep catching you every time."
She nods, looking up at him with a mix of affection and slight guilt for worrying him.
"I'll try...but no promises." She says jokingly, trying to lighten the mood again.
"Hey umm....which way?" Kai breaks the heartfelt moment as they come up to a split three way pass.
Zoah removes his hand and looks at the split path, checking his map app again. He points to the left path.
"Left. It leads to a cave system that cuts through the mountain faster."
Hikari looks at the cave entrance in the distance, her curiosity piqued by the mention of caves.
The cave mouth is dark and foreboding, with faint echoes coming from within. There are warning signs posted nearby, stating that the caves can be dangerous due to unstable ground and wild pokémon activity.
"Should we really go in there? It looks kind of spooky." Kai says, eyeing the signs with hesitation.
Zoah reads the signs and considers their options, "It's the fastest route, but we'll have to be careful. The signs mention Geodudes and Zubats. And watch for traps."
Hikari looks at the cave with a mix of excitement and caution, "I've never been in a cave before. This could be an adventure!"
Zoah sighs, knowing she'll want to explore anyway, "Of course you'd find it exciting. Just stay close to us and don't wander off."
He starts walking towards the entrance, keeping a watchful eye on her and Kai. Kai follows closely behind, pulling out a small flashlight from his bag. The cave entrance grows larger as they approach, the darkness swallowing the light from outside.
"I'll lead with the light. Hikari, you're in the middle." He says, taking the protective position between her and the front.
"Oh I know. Chimchar, come on out and stay perched on my shoulder. Your flame tail can light up around us." Hikari says calling out Chimchar as it appeared and comes up on her shoulder next to her head.
Chimchar hops onto her shoulder, its tail flame flickering brightly. The light from its tail casts dancing shadows on the cave walls as they step inside. The temperature drops noticeably, and the air feels damp and musty.
The sound of dripping water can be heard somewhere in the distance, along with the occasional scuttling noise. The ground is uneven and rocky, making their footsteps echo slightly. Zoah pulls out his own flashlight, adding more light to the area.
Kai shines his flashlight ahead, illuminating the path that winds deeper into the cave system.
They walk carefully, the path narrowing slightly. The walls are covered in mineral deposits, some glittering faintly in the light. Above them, the ceiling is high and jagged, with stalactites hanging down.
Suddenly, there's a clicking sound from above, and a small rock falls from the ceiling, hitting the ground nearby.
They all freeze at the sound, looking up. Kai shines his light upwards, revealing more stalactites and possibly a nest of some kind.
"What was that? Did you see something move up there?" He whispers, keeping his voice low.
A small looking land crab scurries. Zoah managed to scan it with his arm band as it comes up and reads; Klafful, the cluster crab pokemon, pre-evolved form of Klawf. A normal type. Klafful's are normally seen in caves or caverns bundled together.
The Klafful scuttles away quickly, disappearing into a crack in the wall. The arm band's information appears on Zoah's screen.
He shows it to the others, "Just a Klafful. They're harmless but they live in groups."
"Awww it seemed so cute." Hikari says
Kai relaxes slightly, lowering his light.l, "Cute, but they can still pinch if you get too close. And remember, they're not alone in here."
Zoah nods in agreement, continuing to scan the area for any more signs of movement.
As they move further in, they hear more clicking and rustling sounds from deeper in the cave. The path splits again, this time with one way leading to a larger chamber and the other continuing straight ahead.
The chamber seems to have a faint glow coming from it, suggesting there might be something or someone else in there.
Zoah stops at the split, debating which way to go. The glow from the chamber looks like it could be a natural phenomenon, but it could also be a pokémon using its abilities.
"Which way should we check first? The chamber or the straight path?" He asks quietly, keeping his voice down in case there are other listeners.
Hikari looks at the chamber with curiosity, drawn to the light, "The chamber. I want to see what's glowing."
Kai seems hesitant but agrees with her, "We should check it out. But stay alert." He glances at Zoah for his decision.
A very faint banging was heard with some clattery and faint sounds of machinery.
Zoah's ears perk up at the banging sound, recognizing it as mechanical. He frowns, now more suspicious of the source.
"That doesn't sound natural. It sounds like... digging."
He gestures for them to move closer to the chamber entrance, but stay hidden behind a rock formation to observe first.
A truck door shuts as it moves to leave the cave. The trio not knowing rock pokemon such as Carbink were in there as the Radiant Garden logo was on there.
"Hey boss, the excavation is successful. Shall we pack up?" Says a grunt as the boss signals everyone to pack up.
"Round up and move out. We're done with excavating the diamonds." The leader of the group says
The grunts start loading crates into the truck, each crate containing what appears to be the pink diamonds they found. The leader looks satisfied with the haul, counting the number of crates.
Zoah watches silently, realizing they're from Radiant Garden. He recognizes the logo and whispers to the others.
"Radiant Garden... they're mining the diamonds here."
"They're a pokemon preservation group. They must collect diamonds and such and sell them for profit to help their organization because they don't get funded by the Hōseki government." Kai says
"They're good people that give back to the people helping them in return while rehabilitating wild pokemon that get hurt in their preservation." Kai adds further "They're well respected. They wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone or anything."
Zoah nods, but something about this operation feels off. They're taking too many diamonds, and the way they're packing up quickly suggests they don't want to be seen.
"Then why are they sneaking around in caves? And why do they need so many diamonds for their organization?"
Hikari watches as the last crate is loaded, her expression puzzled.
*The truck starts up, its engine rumbling. The leader checks his watch and signals the driver to move out. They begin to drive away from the chamber, heading toward the exit of the cave system.*
As they pass by the rock formation where the trio is hiding, Zoah notices a few grunts talking among themselves.*
"This is our third haul this week. The boss is getting greedy."
"I know. Madame Director isn't gonna be happy with this....think we should say something?"
Zoah strains to hear their conversation, his interest piqued by the mention of the director and the director's potential disapproval. The grunt who mentioned the third haul seems concerned about the greedy boss.
"The boss is going behind her back. She said only a certain amount per week."
"Yeah, but he wants to give a big gift to his boss. A diamond necklace for his boss. He's in love with her."
"Ugh, he's gonna get himself fired one day....or worse."
The grunts shake their heads and get into the truck, leaving the conversation at that. The truck drives off, leaving the cave quiet again. Zoah processes the information about the boss being in love with the director and breaking rules for gifts.
"They're stealing from their own group for a love interest... that's not preservation. That's just greed." He mutters, disgusted by the motive.
Kai looks shocked as well, "That's illegal and immoral. They're using their position to line their pockets and give gifts to a woman."
Hikari looks angry now, her protective nature kicking in, "We should tell someone about this. They're hurting their own pokemon sanctuary for personal gain."
Zoah nods firmly, "We need to find out more. There's got to be more evidence in that chamber."
They wait until the truck is completely gone, then emerge from their hiding spot. The chamber entrance is now clear, the glow still visible from within.
Zoah leads the way cautiously, his flashlight sweeping the area for any signs of the grunts returning.
"Stay close and be quiet. We're going in."
They enter the chamber as everything seems empty, no drill, no pick axes, no conveyor belts....just broken up rocks and boulders.
They looked around and noticed that there were debris purposely placed over some clusters of pink diamond veins covering them.
"Looks like some of the grunts purposely covered up exposed diamond veins so their...'boss' doesn't see them." Zoah says
*Hikari notices the debris and the obvious attempt at hiding. She kneels down, brushing some of the debris away to reveal a small glimmer of pink.*
"They're trying to hide these from the boss so he doesn't take them. But why would they cover them up if they're supposed to be mining?"
Kai examines the area more closely, noticing how strategic the cover-up is."This is deliberate sabotage against their own leader. They're protecting the diamonds from being taken."
"At least the grunts have a moral code." Hikari says
Zoah agrees, impressed by the grunts' sense of right and wrong despite working for a corrupt boss.
"They're not all bad. Just the ones at the top. The boss must be putting pressure on them to get more diamonds, but they refuse to help him take everything."
He looks at the covered veins, contemplating their next move, "We should uncover them and take photos as evidence. Then report this to the proper authorities."
"But if we do, potentially we could become a target...and I don't want to become a target. Zoah, we just started our journey together and...I don't want to be anyone's target already." Hikari says
Zoah breathes in with a contemplating look and then sighs,* "Then we hold off on this. Who knows if the authorities will even listen to two teenagers words against an organization that probably will pay to weasel right out. This is a losing battle anyway." Zoah says
Kai nods in understanding, understanding the risk involved, "He's right. We're just beginning trainers. They'll dismiss us as kids trying to make a fuss. We need proof that can't be ignored."
Hikari looks frustrated but knows he's right too. She stands up, dusting off her hands, "So what do we do with this information then? Just let them keep stealing?"
"We leave it as is until we catch them in the act with authorities around. This stays between us." Zoah says thinking of a logical approach.
*The three of them agree to keep it secret. They cover the exposed diamond again, making it look undisturbed. Hikari looks around one last time, making sure nothing else seems suspicious.*
"This feels wrong... knowing and not doing anything."
Kai checks his watch, "We'll wait for the right moment. Until then, we continue our journey and stay alert for more Radiant Garden activity."
With that the three head out where they come through the exit of the cavern coming out of the other side of the mountain. Ahead, they see Sapphire Town and the illustrious Water Tower within the town.
The sun is setting as they exit, casting an orange glow over the town. The Water Tower stands tall, its blue and white design reflecting the evening light. The town itself looks peaceful and bustling with people going about their evening routines.
Kai points ahead, "There it is. Sapphire Town and the Water Tower. We made it through the pass."
"Hey look, a pokemon center." Hikari points out nearby the mountain pass exit.
Sure enough, there's a smaller pokemon center located near the exit, similar to the one on Route 3. It's a convenient spot for travelers to rest after coming through the mountain.
"Good eye. We should stop there for the night and continue to the guild in the morning." Zoah suggests, already feeling tired from the day's journey.
When they reached it and head inside, Lo and behold, Akira was there sitting in the lounge area.
Akira looks up as they enter, his eyes widening when he sees them. He quickly tries to act casual, but his face shows irritation at their presence. He's sitting alone, scrolling through his phone.
Kai notices him too and tenses slightly, remembering their earlier falling out. Hikari glances at Kai, then at Akira, recognizing him from before. Zoah maintains his usual stoic expression, walking past him to the reception desk.
The nurse at the desk greets them with a warm smile.
"Welcome! How can I help you three?"
Akira watches them from his seat, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Two seperate rooms." Kai says
The nurse nods and checks her system, "Two rooms, got it. Will that be one night stay?"
Akira scoffs quietly at Kai's request for separate rooms, thinking they're trying to avoid him.
Zoah looks back at Akira briefly, noticing his scoff. He turns back to the nurse, "Yes, one night. And healing for our pokémon too, please."
The nurse hands them two room keys and directs them to the healing machine.
After healing their pokemon, Hikari and Zoah said their goodnight to Kai leaving him by his room before heading their room and settling in and getting into bed.
Kai watches them enter their room, then goes into his own. He sits on his bed, thinking about the day's events and the encounter with Akira. He wonders if Akira will cause trouble while they're in Sapphire Town.