Chapter 521: Declaration!
~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Next Day, Canalave City – Grand Canalave Hotel]
The morning sun over Canalave City did not bring its usual sense of coastal serenity.
Instead, the light that filtered through the heavy velvet curtains of the Grand Canalave Hotel felt like a countdown. Inside one of the opulent suites, the air was thick with the residue of a restless night.
The revelation Azure had dropped the evening before—the Galactic Bomb, the impending evaporation of Sinnoh's sacred lakes, and the capture of the Lake Guardians—hung over the group like a guillotine blade.
Azure stood by the window, his silhouette framed by the dawn. On his shoulder, his Pikachu shifted, its cheeks sparking faintly with shared agitation.
Nestled in his hair, a fluffy Eevee yawned, while the small, disguised Pichu (Mew) poked its head out from the collar of his jacket. Azure's gaze was fixed on the distant horizon where the Iron Island sat. Behind him, the three Dex Holders of Sinnoh—Platinum Berlitz, Diamond, and Pearl—were finishing their preparations. The silence was brittle, shattered finally by a firm knock on the door.
*Knock*
When the door opened, it wasn't a hotel attendant. Standing in the hallway were three figures who commanded immediate attention: Byron, the steel-willed Gym Leader of Canalave; Professor Rowan, his face a mask of stern concern; and Mr. Berlitz, Platinum's father, whose eyes were wide with a mixture of relief and paternal terror.
Mr. Berlitz her father cried out, rushing forward as if to shield her from the very air of the room, "Platinum! Thank the heavens you are safe. We came as soon as we could!"
The reunion was frantic. Mr. Berlitz and Professor Rowan, having been recently rescued from the clutches of Team Galactic, were in no mood for further risks. Professor Rowan stated, his voice like a grinding stone, "The journey ends here, Platinum. The situation with Team Galactic has escalated beyond a pedagogical exercise. It is no longer about learning; it is about survival. You will return to Sandgem Town immediately."
Mr. Berlitz nodded fervently, his hands shaking as he explained to her, "The danger... It's too much. We will wait for the International Police or the Champion. You are a child, Platinum. My only daughter."
Platinum stood perfectly still. The noble grace she had carried since birth was there, but it was tempered now by something harder—something forged in the snowy routes and dark caves of their journey.
She looked at her father, then at the Professor. Platinum began, her voice soft but echoing in the suite, "I value your thoughts more than almost anything. I understand the fear that grips your hearts. I understand that you see a world that has become too dark for a girl who, until a few months ago, had never stepped outside a mansion's garden."
She turned slightly, looking at Azure, who remained leaning against the window, and then at Diamond and Pearl, who stood awkwardly but firmly behind her. Platinum said, her voice rising, "But you did not hear me… Last night, when Azure told us of the Galactic Bomb... I was terrified. I wept in the dark because the weight of it felt like it would crush my ribs. But then I remembered the road. I remembered the things I have seen—things no book could ever truly capture. I felt the heat of a Chimchar's flame, the spray of the ocean, the exhaustion of the climb."
She stepped toward her father as she continued, "I have spent this journey lying to these three. I told them I was a guide, that I knew where I was going, that I was more than I was. I am deeply embarrassed by those lies."
She paused, her eyes shimmering, declaring, "I swear, I will never lie again. And to honor that promise, I must speak my truth now: I am not going home."
Mr. Berlitz gasped, "Platinum, listen to reason—"
She interrupted, gesturing to Azure, Diamond, and Pearl, who were loyally waiting, "I have my knights. Azure has guarded my life with a strength that defies explanation. Diamond and Pearl have guarded my spirit with their laughter and their courage. They are fighting to protect Sinnoh. How can I, a Berlitz, turn my back on the very land that gave my family its name? The lakes—Verity, Acuity, and Valor—are the soul of this region. If they evaporate, Sinnoh dies. I will not let that happen."
The room fell into a stunned silence. Even Azure turned away from the window, a small, proud smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Platinum declared, her voice ringing with the authority of a queen, "Next Saturday… Team Galactic intends to detonate their bombs. I am issuing a warning to the world, and a promise to the Lake Guardians: I will protect you."
Rowan and Mr. Berlitz took a step toward her, perhaps to grab her shoulders and plead one last time, but their legs buckled. They fell into the nearby armchairs, groaning.
*Thud*
Rowan muttered, rubbing his knees, "Our bodies... Stiff... that cage... the energy it drained..."
Platinum said, moving to the door where her Rapidash's Poké Ball sat on the dresser, "Father, please…"
She clipped it to her belt and looked back, stating, "This time, I will not listen. Azure told me everything. He knows the person who captured you. He knows the darkness we are facing. If I run now, I am not a Berlitz. I am a coward."
Mr. Berlitz cried out, desperation coloring his tone, "You are not strong enough! You are just one girl against an army with cosmic ambitions!"
Byron, who had been silent throughout the exchange, suddenly stepped forward and uttered, "Is that what you think, Berlitz?"
*POP*
Before anyone could react, Byron unclipped a Poke Ball, issuing a command, "Bronzong, go! Extrasensory!"
*SHIIII*
The bell-like Pokémon materialized in a flash of blue light, its eyes glowing with a terrifying psychic intensity. A wave of shimmering, distorted air surged toward Platinum with the force of a high-speed train.
Platinum shouted, "Rapidash, protect!"
*CLANG*
In a blur of fire and speed, the fiery horse appeared, its mane erupting in a brilliant violet-red. It didn't just block the attack; it leaned into it, its hooves digging into the hotel carpet, its horn glowing as it dispersed the psychic wave with sheer physical will...
*BOOOM*
The shockwave shattered a vase on the side table, but Platinum didn't even flinch. Mr. Berlitz screamed, "Byron! What are you doing?!"
Byron let out a booming laugh, recalling his Bronzong, "Bwahaha!!! I'm showing you that your daughter has grown teeth! Look at her! She didn't even blink."
Byron reached into his coat and pulled out a long, sturdy grey scarf—the Mine Badge of Canalave, fashioned into a ceremonial garment. He walked over and draped it around Platinum's neck. Byron said firmly, "She earned this! We fought a proper battle while you were being rescued. She's capable. She has the steel."
He looked at Mr. Berlitz as he said calmly, "You think the police can handle this? I didn't even bother calling them when you were captured. This is beyond the law. This is a war for the spirit of the world. Only those with the bond of a Pokémon can fight it."
Byron turned to Professor Rowan, as he stated, giving Azure a knowing grin, "Think about it, Professor. Earning six badges in 50 days? That's unheard of. In Hoenn, the fastest kids take 80 days or less to get eight. She's a prodigy. She's grown faster than we could have imagined. She reminds me of my Roark when he told me he was going to be a Gym Leader. You can't hold back the tide."
Rowan looked at Platinum, then at the badge-scarf around her neck. He sighed, the fight leaving his shoulders, and uttered, "It seems... I have been a poor teacher if I cannot recognize when a student has surpassed the lesson. Very well. I pledge my support."
Mr. Berlitz looked at his daughter, seeing the fire in her eyes—a fire he realized had been stoked by the three boys standing with her. He looked at Azure, recognizing the calm, lethal competence of a true master.
He looked at Diamond and Pearl, seeing the unwavering loyalty in their stances. Mr. Berlitz whispered, "Azure... Diamond... Pearl... Thank you. For guarding her. For being friends, I couldn't provide in a mansion. If... if this is her path, then I ask you to keep her safe. Please… keep her safe."
Azure gave a sharp, professional nod with a cheeky grin, "She's my client, sir. But more than that, she's a teammate. No one touches her."
Rowan stood up, his joints popping, and asked, "If we are to do this, we must do it right. The Pokedexes—give them to me."
Diamond and Pearl handed over their devices. Azure, however, kept his hands in his pockets. Rowan asked with a wry smile, "Still refusing, Azure?"
Azure replied, his Pikachu mimicking his cheeky grin, "I told you in Sandgem, Professor. I've got a long-standing streak of avoiding those things out of spite for Oak. I'm not breaking it now. I'll stick to my old-school methods."
Rowan chuckled, knowing his feud uttered, "As stubborn as ever. Very well."
He made quick work of the upgrades for the others as he explained, "There. The Pokedexes will now show gender differences and register Pokémon from outside the Sinnoh region. A necessary tool for the battles ahead."
Platinum spread a map of Sinnoh on the hotel table. Her finger traced three points, explaining, "Lake Verity in the south. Lake Valor in the east. Lake Acuity in the frozen north. They are the targets."
Pearl shouted, his face paling as he did the mental math, "But they're too far apart! If we go to one, the others are defenseless. We can't be in three places at once!"
Diamond looked at the map, his usual relaxed demeanor replaced by a heavy frown, and muttered, "How many bombs do they have? If they blow them all at once..."
Platinum said grimly, with a conflicted expression, "Given the funding Galactic has, we have to assume they have three."
Azure said calmly, his voice cutting through the panic rising, "Then there's only one way… We split up."
The room went silent. The thought of separating after all they had been through was a cold needle in the heart.
Pearl said sternly, his jaw set in a determined tone, "I'll take Lake Valor. It's near Pastoria. I know those routes."
Diamond added, clutching his Munchlax's Poke Ball, "I'll head to Lake Verity… It's where we started. It's... It's home. I won't let them hurt it."
Platinum said seriously, with a determined expression, "And I will go to Lake Acuity. The harshest path. I will see it through."
Azure added in a serious tone, "I'm going with Platinum. The north is treacherous, and the Galactic presence there will be the heaviest if they're targeting Uxie, the being of knowledge. It fits their leader's profile."
The four of them stood in a circle, their hands meeting in the center for a firm, silent fist-bump between themselves…
*BUMP*
It was a pact. A promise to survive.
As Diamond and Pearl began to pack their things, eager to catch the next flight or boat to their respective destinations, Azure stepped toward Byron. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
The 'bodyguard' aura Azure usually wore evaporated, replaced by the crushing pressure of a high-level Trainer. Azure said, his voice dropping an octave, "Byron…"
The Gym Leader looked up, his eyes narrowing. He sensed it immediately—the change in the air. Azure said calmly, pulling a darkened, custom Poke Ball from his belt, "I stayed in Canalave for two reasons. One was to ensure the Berlitz family was reunited. The second... I've got a tradition of my own."
Azure looked Byron in the eye as he openly declared, "I don't want a standard Gym match. I saw how you fought Platinum. You were holding back, testing her. I want an Ace Gym Match. Six on six. No holding back. I want to see if the 'Steel of Sinnoh' can actually hold the line against what's coming."
Byron's grin was slow and predatory, whispering, "Oh yeah, punk…?"
*CRACK*
He cracked his knuckles, the sound like iron snapping, and replied loudly, "An Ace Gym Match? From a boy who's conquered the Battle Frontier? I thought you'd never ask. I was starting to think you were all talk and no iron."
Byron said seriously, gesturing toward the door, "Let's go to the back arena of the Gym. Professor, Berlitz—stay here and rest. This isn't a battle for the faint of heart. And besides… I've been meaning to tango against you from the others… Let's do this, punk!"
*WHOOOOSH*
Byron's cape flapped from the sudden gust of wind as he overdramatically carried his shovel. Azure couldn't help but grin, thinking, 'How the hell is this man aura farming to create this wind? Nah, someone gotta stop him and that someone is me!'
With that, the group followed Byron to his Gym…
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Canalave City – Gym]
The atmosphere in the Canalave Gym was electric, smelling of ozone and heated metal. The floor was made of reinforced titanium plates, designed to withstand the crushing weight of Steel Pokémon.
Platinum, Pearl, and Diamond sat in the front row of the spectator stands. Pikachu and Eevee sat on the railing, their eyes wide. In the center of the stands, Azure's Rotom and Gengar had dragged out a mahogany commentator's desk, complete with 'Action 6 News' microphones and headsets.
Rotom buzzed, its screen flashing a neon grin, "HELLO CANALAVE! I'm your host, Rotom-TV, and beside me is the Queen of Creep, Gengar! We're coming to you live for the match of the century: The Uncrowned Champion versus the Man of Ore!"
The Gengar gave a mischievous cackle, waving a tiny flag that had Azure's face on it, much to the annoyance of the stony-faced statue referee standing at the edge of the battlefield. Byron raised his Rotom Phone.
*BEEEP*
A blue laser swept over Azure, scanning his belt. Six slots appeared on a holographic display above the field. They remained empty of names, showing only the power levels, which were staggering.
Azure's lineup was set: Infernape, Lucario, Gallade, H-Lilligant, Shiny East Sea Gastrodon, and Alpha Rhyhorn.
|Name: Infernape (Flame Pokémon)
|Type: Fire/Fighting
|Tera: Fire
|Level: 45
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Charcoal]/[Fist/Flame Plate]/[Expert Belt]/[Punching Glove]
|Ability: Blaze EX (Activates upon command. Boosts Fire Moves by 100%)
|Nature: Serious
|Moves: Protect, Work Up, Bulk Up, Taunt, Slack Off, Torment, Swords Dance, Aura Sphere [A][S],Flame Wheel [A][S], Flamethrower [A][S],Double Kick[A][S], Fire Pledge [A][S], Blast Burn [A][S], Flare Blitz [A][S], Power-Up Punch[A][S], Drain Punch [A][S], Fire Punch [A][S], Thunder Punch [A][S], Aerial Ace [A][S], Dig [A][S], Tera Blast [A][S], U-Turn [A][S], Feint [A][S], Grass Knot [A][S], Iron Tail [A][S], Close Combat [A][S] (IM),Mach Punch [A][S] (IM), Fake Out (EM) (0 Moves Left to learn)
|Name: Lucario (Aura Pokémon)
|Type: Fighting/Steel
|Tera: Fighting
|Level: 44
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Expert Belt]/[Fist Plate]/[Black Belt]/[Lucarionite]/[Lucarionite Z]
|Ability: Steadfast
|Nature: Serious
|Moves: Protect, Endure, Work Up, Foresight, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Life Dew, Aura Sphere [A][S],Vacumm Wave [A][S],Power-Up Punch [A][S],Drain Punch [A][S], Counter [A][S],Flash Cannon [A][S], Bullet Punch[A][S], Metal Claw[A][S], Blaze Kick [A][S], Bone Rush [A][S], Tera Blast [A][S], Shadow Claw [A][S], Quick Attack [A][S], Extreme Speed [A][S], Aerial Ace [A][S], Bulldoze [A][S], Dragon Pulse [A][S], Rock Smash [A][S] (HM), Detect (IM), Mind Reader (EM) (0 Moves Left to learn)
|Name: Gallade (Blade Pokémon)
|Type: Psychic/Fighting
|Tera: Psychic
|Level: 43
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Twisted Spoon]/[Galladite]/[Fist/Mind Plate]
|Ability: Sharpness
|Nature: Adamant
|Moves: Protect, Teleport, Double Team, Reflect, Light Screen, Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Swords Dance, Safeguard, Dream Eater [A][S], Future Sight [A][S], Confusion [A][S], Psyshock [A][S], Hidden Power [A][S], Aura Sphere [A][S], Power Up-Punch [A][S], Psycho Cut [A][S], Sacred Sword [A][S], Aerial Ace [A][S], Air Slash [A][S], Fury Cutter [A][S], Night Slash [A][S], Leaf Blade [A][S], Aqua Cutter [A][S], X-Scissor [A][S], Slash [A][S] (IM), Magical Leaf [A][S] (IM), Disable (IM), Destiny Bond (IM), Mean Look (EM) (0 Moves to learn)
|Name: Lilligant (Hisuian) (Spinning Pokémon)
|Type: Grass/Fighting
|Tera: Grass
|Level: 43
|Gender: Female
|Held Item: [Miracle Seed]/[Meadow/Fist Plates]/[Zoom Lens]
|Ability: Hustle
|Nature: Jolly
|Moves: Protect, Growth, Sunny Day, Recover, Synthesis, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Aromatherapy, Leech Seed, Teeter Dance, Quiver Dance, Leaf Blade [A][S], Leafage [A][S], Mega Drain [A][S], Magical Leaf [A][S], Energy Ball [A][S], Solar Blade [A][S],Drain Punch [A][S], Axe Kick [A][S], Mega Kick [A][S], Aerial Ace [A][S], Poison Jab [A][S], Rock Smash [A][S] (HM), Defog (HM), Victory Dance (IM), Endure (IM), Healing Wish (EM) (0 Moves left to learn)
|Name: Rhyhorn [Alpha] (Spikes Pokémon)
|Type: Ground/Rock
|Tera: Ground
|Level: 41
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: [Rocky Helmet]/[Leftovers]/[Earth/Stone Plates]
|Ability: Rock Head
|Nature: Brave
|Moves: Protect, Sandstorm, Roar, Stealth Rocks, Stone Edge [A][S], Smack Down[A][S], Rock Blast [A][S], Bulldoze[A][S], Dig [A][S], Drill Run [A][S], High Horsepower [A][S], Mega Horn [A][S], Counter [A][S], Horn Attack [A][S], Thunderbolt [A][S], Flamethrower [A][S], Ice Beam [A][S], Tera Blast [A][S], Stomp [A][S], Fire Fang [A][S], Thunder Fang [A][S], Ice Fang [A][S], Dragon Rush [A][S] (IM), Rock Polish (IM), Metal Burst (IM), Rock Slide [A][S] (EM) (3 Moves left to learn)
|Name: Gastrodon (S) (East Sea Variant) (Sea Slug Pokémon)
|Type: Water/Ground
|Tera: Water
|Level: 39
|Gender: Female
|Held Item: [Leftovers]/[Rocky Helmet]/[Earth/Splash Plate]
|Ability: Sand Force (Hidden Ability)
|Nature: Relaxed
|Moves: Protect, Mud Sport, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Recover, Harden, Acid Armor, Muddy Water[A][S], Water Pulse [A][S], Water Gun [A][S], Hydro Pump [A][S], Hidden Power [A][S], Mud-Slap[A][S], Earth Power [A][S], Mud Bomb[A][S], Ancient Power [A][S], Body Slam [A][S], Dive [A][S] (HM), Surf [A][S] (MH), Whirlpool [A][S] (MH), Mirror Coat (IM), Counter (EM) (0 Moves left to learn)
Azure smirked as he chose those 6 for this match. Then paid attention to Byron's side, hearing a click.
*Click*
Byron's side of the field hissed as six Poke Balls rose from a mechanical lift. He tapped the Key Stone embedded in the head of his shovel. Byron bellowed, "Azure! I've seen many trainers, but you... You have the eyes of someone who has seen the end of a hundred battles! Show me the strength that will protect my region!"
Azure said, his voice echoing in the metallic chamber, "I don't intend to just show you, Byron; I intend to overwhelm you! Prepare for battle!"
With that began Azure's Sixth Gym Badge!
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter! And also, the latest news, I've finally finished up the Sinnoh Arc, reaching Chapter 582. That means I can finally begin working on some in-between chapters, and not only that, start planning for the Unova Arc!