Chapter 446: Revival Project
~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Oreburgh City – Oreburgh Mine]
*Stomp*
*Stomp*
*Stomp*
The sound of heavy boots echoed from the deeper shafts. A man emerged, his face smeared with soot but his eyes bright with the thrill of discovery. He carried a heavy pack filled with what looked like ancient, fossilized remains.
The worker shouted, "The foreman is back!"
Roark, the Gym Leader of Oreburgh, wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He looked at the group, his gaze lingering on Azure for a moment longer than necessary. Roark said to his crew, "Sorry, I'm late, boys. I was in Canalave City. My father... he had some urgent news regarding the new preservation initiatives."
He then turned to the teenagers as he asked curiously, "I assume you're the ones who cleared out the training sector? Impressive work. My name is Roark."
Platinum stepped forward, performing a perfect, high society bow as she politely requested, "I am Platinum Berlitz. I wish to challenge your Gym."
Azure stepped up beside her as he added, "And I'm Azure. I'll be accompanying her, though I'd like a match as well, once she's finished."
Roark's eyes went wide. He dropped his bag of fossils with a heavy thud.
*Thud*
The clatter of stones echoed through the chamber, but Roark didn't seem to notice. He stepped closer to Azure, his breath hitching. Roark whispered, "Azure? As in Azure Sky? The... the Azure Sky? From the Oak-Rowan dossiers?"
Azure blinked, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips as he replied, "Word travels fast in the League circles, I see."
Roark suddenly grabbed Azure's hand, shaking it with such vigor that Eevee had to leap from Azure's head to his shoulder to keep her balance as he thanked him, "Thank you! I... I don't think you realize what you've done for our history! For our heritage!"
Pearl and Dia exchanged a confused look. Pearl asked in confusion, "Uh, did we miss a chapter? Why is the Gym Leader acting like he just met a legendary hero?"
Roark turned to them, his face flushed with excitement as he exclaimed, "You don't know? Ever since Prof. Oak retrieved the data and specimens from the... Ahem! Azure here was the primary field agent! He's the one who provided the genetic markers and the behavioral data that allowed the Sinnoh League and the Breeder Association to finally revive the extinct Hisuian forms!"
Azure felt a pang of nostalgia. He remembered the cold winds of the Alabaster Icelands, the thundering hooves of the Wyrdeer, and the terrifying sight of Wild Kleavor in the midst of a frenzy.
He had worked tirelessly with Oak to ensure that those creatures weren't just footnotes in a dusty scroll. Azure said quietly. "I didn't think the public knew."
Roark replied, lowering his voice, calming himself down, "The public doesn't. But the upper echelons—the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, Champion Cynthia—we all know. You gave us back a piece of our soul."
Roark gestured back toward the inner sanctum of the mine as he said excitedly, "Wait here. I want to show you the fruits of your labor. The League gave me these three as part of the reintroduction program. They aren't fossil Pokémon in the traditional sense—they were brought back through the Hisuian revival project."
Roark reached for three Dusk Balls at his belt and tossed them into the air.
*POP*
The cavern was suddenly filled with an intimidating presence.
The first was a Hisuian Arcanine. It was larger than its Kantonian cousin, its coat a deep, volcanic red, with mane and tail made of hardened, grey igneous rock. It let out a roar that sent a vibration through the very floor, a sound like grinding tectonic plates, "ARF!"
The second was a Hisuian Avalugg. Instead of the translucent blue ice of the modern era, its body was encased in a massive, jagged armor of black rock and ancient permafrost. Its jaw was a terrifying visor of stone, clicking as it settled into a defensive stance, "Ava… Ava... Krr-ching!"
The third was the most striking: Kleavor. The noble evolution of Scyther was a creature of wood and obsidian. Its arms didn't end in blades, but in massive, wickedly sharp stone axes. It swung them lazily, the sheer weight of the stone cutting through the air with a menacing woosh.
The Sinnoh Dex Holders—Platinum, Pearl, and Dia—stood frozen, their eyes shining with a mixture of terror and absolute awe. Pearl breathed, his usual bravado completely gone, "They're... they're real. I've only seen drawings of these in the ancient murals at the Eterna Museum."
Dia reached out a hand, almost touching the rocky mane of the Arcanine, before pulling back muttering, "It feels... like history is breathing."
Azure walked forward, his boots crunching on the gravel. He stopped in front of the Kleavor. The Pokémon looked down at him, its obsidian eyes reflecting the dim cave light. Azure reached out and placed a hand on its hardened chest.
The Kleavor let out a low, vibrating hum, recognizing the aura of a man who had walked alongside its ancestors. Azure said, his voice thick with emotion, "You've raised them well, Roark. They aren't just specimens. They're proud."
Roark nodded, looking at his Pokémon with paternal pride, and boasted, "They're a handful, especially the Arcanine. Its temper is like a volcano. But they've revitalized the interest in rock-typing across the region. We owe that to you."
Platinum stepped closer, her scholarly mind already racing, and she was stunned and muttered in a voice of disbelief, "The physiological differences are staggering. The integration of mineral deposits into the cellular structure suggests a much more volatile environment in the ancient past."
She looked at Azure, her respect for her bodyguard reaching new heights, and asked, "You lived among these?"
Azure looked back at her, the Pichu (Mew) in his jacket shifting and letting out a tiny, soft cry. Azure said simply, "It was a different time. A harder time. But it was beautiful all the same..."
Roark recalled his Pokémon, the light of the Dusk Balls bathing the cave in a purple hue as he said calmly, "Two days, Lady Platinum. Two days from now, we have our match at the Gym. I'll use my standard team for your first badge, of course—I wouldn't want to overwhelm a new challenger with Hisuian legends just yet."
He then looked at Azure with a knowing grin as he declared, "But for you? When do we have our Ace Battle match? I'm bringing the big guns. I want to see if the man who saved the past can handle the fire of the present."
Azure grinned, a rare, genuine expression of excitement as he fired back, "I wouldn't have it any other way."
As Roark departed to prepare his Gym, the group began their trek back toward the hotel. The soot-stained air of Oreburgh didn't seem so dreary anymore.
Pearl asked as they exited the mine, the evening stars beginning to twinkle above, "Hey, Azure?"
He replied, not looking, "Yeah?"
Peral asked nervously as he said in a hesitant voice, "That Arcanine... do you think I could get one eventually?"
Azure chuckled, reaching up to scratch Eevee behind the ears as he replied calmly, "How about focus on your Chimlar first, Pearl. But who knows? The world is a lot bigger than the maps say it is."
Platinum walked in silence, her mind already formulating strategies for her Piplup. She looked at the boy walking beside her—Azure Sky, a teenager who'd seen much of the world and Legends he'd faced in his path.
She had hired him as a bodyguard, but she was starting to realize that she was traveling with someone more than just a Champion. He was a bridge between what was lost and what could be.
Inside Azure's jacket, the little Pichu (Mew) poked its head out, its large, blue eyes looking up at the moon. It let out a tiny, happy spark of electricity—a fake discharge to keep up appearances—but Azure felt the warmth of its psychic energy.
Azure whispered to himself, "Two days."
As the group reached the hotel, the sound of Pearl and Dia arguing about a new joke involving a "Kleavor and a haircut" filled the air, proving that no matter how legendary the world became, some things never changed.
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Next Day, Oregburg City – Oregburgh Mine]
Azure had disappeared early in the morning. He knew that for Platinum, Diamond, and Pearl to grow, they couldn't rely on him.
He had his own team to tend to—his Alpha Rhyhorn and Gible needed space to stretch, and his Porygon-Z was currently busy optimizing the hotel's local area network, searching the Sinnoh Region's Dark Web. He retreated to a secluded part of the mines, releasing his current training lineup.
*POP*
Chimchar and Riolu immediately began a sparring match, their movements a blur of fur and blue aura. Ralts sat cross-legged, meditating alongside the Shiny Hisuian Zorua, whose ghostly illusions flickered like pale silk in the wind.
Azure cautioned, his voice echoing, "Don't overdo it, Riolu."
He looked down at the Pichu (Mew) in his arms as he commanded softly, "And you... Keep the transformation steady. If the League finds out a Mew is wandering around Oreburgh, we'll have a media circus."
The Pichu (Mew) gave a playful cry and nuzzled his chest, "Pi! Mew! (Alright, Dad!)"
Azure sighed, rubbing his temple, but he smiled as he focused on his team. He had a Gym Battle to win.
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Meanwhile, Oregburg City – Outskirts]
Meanwhile, back near the city outskirts, a very different kind of training was taking place. It was certainly… entertaining.
Pearl screamed, blowing a whistle that sounded like a dying Skarmory, "NO! NO! NO! NO! Piplup! Your Water Gun is too linear! Roark's Cranidos will sidestep that and turn you into a pancake!"
Platinum wiped sweat from her brow. She was wearing a focused, almost fierce expression as she asked, "Then what do you suggest, Pearl?"
Diamond walked over, wearing a giant, poorly drawn cardboard mask of Roark's face. He was holding a rock. Diamond said in a monotone voice, "I'm a rock! I am very sturdy. I am… also thinking about lunch."
Peral's eyebrows twitched, hearing and seeing his friend Dia's actions. Pearl barked, "DIA! BE SERIOUS! Okay, Lady, look. Diamond is the target. Use the terrain! Piplup, use the rocks to jump! Change the angle!"
Pearl turned to his Chimchar, Chimler, as he commanded, "Chimler, show them! Scratch, but use the momentum from the boulder!"
The Chimchar shrieked, launched itself off a rock, and spun in mid-air, its claws glowing. Platinum watched intently as she murmured, "I see... It's not just about the move. It's about the physics of the environment."
She turned to her Piplup, commanding, "Again!"
For hours, the three of them worked in a chaotic but rhythmic harmony. Diamond provided the opposition (mostly by commanding his Pokémon, standing still, and eating snacks while being a target), Pearl provided the tactical shouting, and Platinum provided the cold, hard intellect.
Platinum said excitedly during a break, her voice soft, "I've read every book on type advantages. But the books didn't mention the way the dust gets in your eyes, or how the rhythm of a Pokémon's breathing changes when it's tired."
Pearl said proudly, gesturing wildly, sharing his Trainer experience from what he learned from his father, "That's 'cause books are written by people sitting in chairs! Battling is done by people who aren't afraid to get dirty!"
Diamond nodded, his Munchlax nodding in sync as he said sagely, "And people who know that a good battle deserves a good meal afterward. I've prepared triple-layered sandwiches for the final session."
Platinum chuckled, a genuine, warm sound as she stated honestly, "I think I'm starting to enjoy this."
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Meanwhile, Sandgem Town – Rowan's Lab]
While the youth of Sinnoh prepared for battle, the elders were filled with a different kind of tension. Professor Rowan stood by his window, staring out at the sea. Behind him, Mr. Berlitz—Platinum's father—was pacing the floor, his lab suit crinkling with every nervous turn.
Mr. Berlitz said nervously, his voice trembling slightly, "I've finished the preparations for the Canalave conference, Rowan. But my mind is at the foot of Mt. Coronet. My daughter... she's never been away from the estate for this long."
Rowan turned, his bushy eyebrows knitting together as he assured him softly, "She is a Berlitz. She is capable."
Mr. Berlitz exclaimed, throwing his hands up, and fired back, "I know that! But Sebastian sent me a report. The bodyguard... the boy we hired on your recommendation and the word of Professor Oak... he's already deviated from the plan! He recruited two commoners! Two twelve-year-old boys who want to be comedians!"
Rowan let out a short, dry laugh as he'd been informed, and he stated, "I've seen the files on those two. Diamond and Pearl. They lack refinement, yes. But they have something most scholars lack: heart. And instinct."
Mr. Berlitz argued with his eyes hardened, "But he gave them Pokedexes! Those are priceless instruments of research! He gave them the other starter Pokémon! He's turning my daughter's pilgrimage into a... a group outing!"
Rowan walked over and placed a heavy hand on his friend's shoulder as he stated calmly, "Samuel Oak doesn't give his trust lightly. Azure Sky has seen more of the world than you or I ever will. He isn't just a bodyguard, Berlitz. He's a catalyst."
Rowan looked toward a map of Sinnoh, his finger tracing the path to Oreburgh as he continued, "The boy knows that the road to Mt. Coronet is treacherous. Not because of the wild Pokémon, but because of the shadows moving in the corners of this region. He's building a team. He's giving your daughter peers, not just servants."
Mr. Berlitz sighed, deflating into a chair as he said nervously, "I hope you're right, Rowan. I really do. But if I find out those boys are teaching my daughter bad puns..."
Rowan said with a rare, tiny smirk, "The puns are inevitable. But so is her growth."
/////
[Sinnoh Region, Nighttime, Oregburg City – Oreburgh Grand Hotel]
Back in Oreburgh, the sun had finally set. The group had reconvened at the hotel. Diamond was fast asleep on a sofa, a half-eaten sandwich still in his hand.
Pearl was frantically scribbling notes into a notebook, his Luxio, Rayler, sparking occasionally with nervous energy. Platinum sat by the window, watching the moonlight glint off the soot-covered rooftops.
Azure walked over, handing her a warm cup of tea. Azure said calmly, "You're thinking about the match."
Platinum said softly as she had her gaze at the window in a nervous voice, "I have memorized every type-advantage. I have read three volumes on Rock-type physiology. I know that Roark's Cranidos has a high physical attack but lower defense. Yet..."
Azure finished leaning his body against the wall in a calm voice, "Yet the books don't tell you how it feels when the stadium lights go on. Or the way the air vibrates when a Pokémon roars."
Platinum looked at him. She couldn't help but ask for his experience in a curious tone, "How do you do it? You've stood before thousands. You've faced legends. Do you ever feel... small?"
Azure looked at his Pikachu, who was currently trying to share a berry with the Pichu (Mew) and Eevee in his jacket. Azure admitted, "Every time. But that's the point. If you don't feel small, you don't grow. You're a Berlitz, Platinum. You're a scholar. But in that arena, you're just a partner to your Piplup. Trust him. Trust yourself. And if things get too heavy..."
He pointed at himself as he grinned smugly, "... remember that you've got me standing behind you."
Platinum smiled—a genuine, rare expression that softened her regal features as she whispered, "Thank you."
From the shadows of the corner, Azure's Darkrai briefly materialized, its crimson eye scanning the room for any sign of impending disaster. Finding none, it vanished back into the darkness.
The stage was set. The City of Energy was ready. In forty-eight hours, the first Gym Battle for the Sinnoh League Tournament is about to commence…
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A/N: Hope you guys liked the chapter! And be sure that the Gym Leaders will definitely use the Hisuian Region Pokemon in their team line-ups for future challenges ahead.