CHAPTER 1: The Edge of History
-:-
La Ciudad Dorada was a community built in the center of a vast island region located in the southern sea. Most of the region's settlements were on its coasts, leaving the inland kingdom to anchor its realm in the interior largely isolated from the outside world. Much of La Ciudad Dorada's immediate surroundings were barren desert, with the settlement itself situated in a fairly mountainous area. As a result, journeys into the city were a grueling ordeal for any would-be travellers, leaving passage on foot to be considered an unwise proposition at best. The progress of time had done little to ease the difficulty of travel via roads and routes, with the only real means of convenient access from the outside world to the kingdom being the railroad Matt and Cassy arrived on.
"Last stop, La Ciudad Dorada! Last stop!"
The conductor's announcement beckoned the train's passengers, Matt and Cassy among them, to file off onto the platform. It was much busier than Matt had anticipated; he'd boarded the train early and mostly kept to his cabin during the trip, so he had little idea just how many people were interested in visiting the remote kingdom. As he and Cassy worked their way through the crowd of tourists - both human and Pokémon - she kept reading from a travel brochure she'd picked up. Her enthusiasm left her unfocused on the crowds around her.
"Come to Dorada Coliseum and partake in a traditional Alliance Battle," she recited from the paper. "An Alliance Battle is between two three-person tag teams, each member entering only one Pokémon. First created as an exhibition fought between knights for the entertainment of the royal family, this tradition of showing gratitude for one's allies has become a popular destination for visitors to La Ciudad Dorada." Turning up to Matt with a shine in her eyes, Cassy said, "We need to do that! Swellow and your Aggron would make great partners."
"I'm sure Tony appreciates the praise, but remember, we're here for work." Matt rebutted, focusing his attention more towards navigating through the train station. "We can sightsee later."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Cassy replied, dismissively waving her hand before pointing at another page in the brochure. "How about this, then? 'A must-see destination for all visitors is Dorada Theatre, the center of the arts in the kingdom. Under the guidance of its patron, Count Fernando VIII, Dorada Theatre currently hosts performances paying tribute to the rich history of La Ciudad Dorada. Even newcomers to the kingdom will be able to learn much about its past and traditions by attending a show.' Sounds like something that would help us out, don't you think?"
"Perhaps you're right on that," Matt acknowledged, "but it's probably best if we meet with Fernando first. I don't think we should keep him waiting…"
Matt and Cassy exited the station through an archway covered in flowers. The solid stone under their feet gave way to a pathway broken up by blades of grass growing through it, leading into the city proper.
"Whew…" Matt took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead with it. He thought about how the people around at the station were dressed and sighed again. "I should've worn something lighter."
"The city of La Ciudad Dorada is known to for its sweltering weather, characterized by surprisingly humid air in spite of the surrounding desert," Cassy read from the brochure. "While may seem harsh to outsiders, its citizens have grown to coexist with this climate, and integrate it into the character and traditions of the city."
"I get it, I should have done my homework," Matt said with a self-deprecating laugh, scratching the back of his head.
"Seems like I have to tell you that a lot," Cassy sarcastically added before returning to the brochure. "This sentiment, the feeling of gratitude for nature and the coexistence with it, can also be seen in the ways the city has been designed to exist as one with nature. The city's industries have been constructed using the unique properties of Arcane Science to avoid pollution."
Cassy folded up the brochure and looked around. The buildings nearby were constructed in close relation with the trees around them. Some were even built around said trees, using them as a design element. Iron structures, particularly water wells and aqueducts to carry their bounty, laced carefully around both the buildings and trees, clearly laid out in such a way that they avoided fouling either. The blue lights were everywhere, too.
"Not that you couldn't tell just by looking around," she observed. The sound of children chattering reached her ears, drawing her attention over to one house nearby, where a mother was pumping water with her three kids around her. Alongside them was a Skiddo nipping at the grass around the family's well. The sight made Cassy smile.
"That's where we have to go." Matt pointed up to the opulent castle towering over the rest of the city. "We better get on our way. I don't think that time is on our side right now."
-:-
Some time later, Matt and Cassy emerged from the narrow street they had been on into a spacious plaza. Numerous vendors had stands set up all around them, selling food, souvenirs and more. While Matt looked around and thought about whether anything he saw interested him, Cassy returned to the brochure.
"The plaza outside of Lingote Palace houses the city's main marketplace," she read. "Tourists may taste the many varieties of berries grown in the city's rich soil, taste dishes from its distinctive cuisine, or purchase items crafted by its artisans. This is truly a must-see location that all visitors to La Ciudad Dorada should make a part of their travels."
"I'd like to go and see everything, but we don't have time to waste," Matt said, wiping his forehead again.
"If you say so. It says the way to access Lingote Palace is there." Cassy pointed to a steep hill on the other side of the plaza, which had a number of open-air elevators running up its side. Once again reading from the paper, Cassy said, "Lingote Palace is built on the Sacred Hill overlooking the rest of La Ciudad Dorada. To reach the palace, take the elevators built onto the side of the hill."
Following the advice of the brochure, Matt and Cassy walked across the plaza to one of the open elevators. Cassy boarded first, and she was the one to press the button that sent the lift on its ascent. While they waited, Cassy returned to the brochure once again as a way of breaking up the silence.
"In addition to the opulence of Lingote Palace, visitors to La Ciudad Dorada should make sure to experience the panorama from the top of the Sacred Hill. It is said that the ancient kingdom that once stood on this land extended from the Sacred Hill all the way to the mountains that can be seen from its peak. Additionally, the site is famous for its spectacular view of the sunset and sunrise when the weather is clear."
"I can already see what they're talking about!" Matt exclaimed. He was standing at the elevator's guardrail, looking out over the city while shielding his eyes with his hand. Even though they hadn't yet reached the top of the hill, he could see over the buildings to the desert landscape beyond, the sands glittering in the blazing sun. Beyond that, mountains spread out across the horizon, reaching far enough into the sky that snow could be seen on some of their peaks.
"Amazing…" Cassy uttered in awe after joining Matt at the rail. "If the kingdom really reached from here all the way to those mountains, it must have been incredible…"
"It's a shame it fell," Matt added. "I wish we could have seen it at its peak. Or at least I wish it lasted long enough for my grandfather to see it. If what's here now is really as threatened like Fernando made it sound in his letter, we'll have our work cut out for us, but we have to do something to save it."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Cassy replied.
Matt and Cassy couldn't look away from the view of the vast landscape spreading out before them. As the elevator went further up the hill, their perspective kept changing, giving them an increasingly clear overlook of the entire territory. They were so caught up in the view that when the elevator reached the end of its track, they were both thrown off balance and had to grip the rail when it stopped. Beyond the startling stop, both found their breaths similarly taken away by the sight that greeted them when they turned around.
Lingote Palace, a massive castle built from white marble accentuated with rainbow-colored stained glass, stood before them. All around the gleaming palace, the rest of the hill was covered in a seemingly endless sea of flowers, broken up only by wrought iron arches shaping a dirt path between the elevators and the palace.
"What a lovely garden," Matt commented as he and Cassy started their way down the path, surveying the flowers and the Pokémon living amongst them. There were a number of Combee flitting from blossom to blossom, collecting honey while a Wobbuffet with red lips watched them. Two Chatot sat on a portion of the rail surrounding the garden and preened their feathers.
"Ah, look at that," Cassy said, pointing to a place in the flowers where the tails of three Sentret could be seen, giving away where their owners were. She gasped in surprise immediately afterward when a pair of Chingling floated overhead and landed in the garden, chiming happily all the while.
The two were so caught up in taking in the sights that they didn't notice when they approached an iron bench where two others were already sitting. Both were young women of roughly Matt and Cassy's age, though neither had much else apparent in common between themselves, Matt or Cassy.
"Excuse me, are you here for the tour?" one of them, who wore a plain white coat with a furred collar and had her brown hair tied into three buns, asked Matt and Cassy.
Cassy scowled at the interruption, but she still stopped walking when Matt did, and he didn't notice her expression.
"I guess so," Matt answered, before pausing and meekly adding, "well, not really. I don't know? Technically?"
"You missed the cutoff for the most recent tour's start, unfortunately," the woman informed them. Gesturing to the other young woman, who was still sitting and reading a book, she added, "The two of us just got here and got turned away as well, so we're waiting for the next one."
"Yeah, that's not how this is going to happen," Cassy interjected. "Matt, give me the letter."
Without thinking about it, Matt reached into his bag, retrieved the letter from Fernando and handed it over to Cassy. "What are you going to do?" he asked once she already had it.
"To let them know we were invited."
Cassy walked off in the direction of the castle's front gate with the letter, leaving an exasperated Matt behind. He extended his hand in her direction, but his attempt to stop her withered away long before it could even come alive.
"You were invited?" The woman tilted her head and furrowed her thick eyebrows. "What did she mean?"
"I guess I should introduce myself, since we'll be going on the tour together," Matt said, chuckling nervously. "I'm Matt, she's Cassy. We're classmates at the Rustboro School in Hoenn… we were invited here by Count Fernando VIII because he wishes for me to follow up on archeological research my grandfather did here."
"Your grandfather… would he happen to be Sutter Chiaki? The famous archeologist and explorer?"
Matt immediately shrank back when he realized the woman knew who he was. His face turned red, and he quietly replied, "I see you know of him… might I ask what made you realize it?"
"Sutter Chiaki's work closely involved my people as well, so it was known that he had a grandson named Matt." When Matt returned the look of confusion she had just shown him, the woman brought one of her gloved hands to her chest. "My name is Sheena. I am the priestess that guards the Tenganist temple in Michina Town. Right now, I'm on a pilgrimage to learn more about the history of my people. That's why I've come to La Ciudad Dorada. My people have a historical connection to this land that I wish to learn more about."
"So that's how you knew… my grandfather's research here ended up involving your people as well."
"That's a part of it," Sheena said. "At some point, I would like to ask you some questions about Sutter and his work. Perhaps after the tour?"
"I don't have a problem with that." Matt looked over to the castle gate, where Cassy was showing the letter to the two women clad in Bronzong-themed armor who stood guard, and sighed. "She might be at that for a while, so who knows when the tour will even start."
"Then let's get to know each other and pass the time," the other tourist with Sheena suggested. She shut the book she was reading and jumped to her feet, causing the ribbon in her blue hair to shake. She took ahold of her billowing, gold-frilled black skirt and curtsied, saying "I'm Eleanor Laplace. I'm an engineer and I came here from Kalos because this place's technology fascinates me."
"Technology?" Matt questioned.
"Oh, you'll love it!" Just getting to talk about machines excited Eleanor. "There's a place in Kalos called the Azoth Kingdom. It's an entirely mechanized city built from the designs of the great inventor Nikola using Arcane Science! Well, it turns out La Ciudad Dorada is considered a sort of sister city to the Azoth Kingdom. It has its own type of Arcane Science that's similar to Nikola's but still unique. I'm just fascinated by all types of machines, so I had to come here and experience La Ciudad Dorada's technology for myself."
"I can relate to that," Matt said to Eleanor. "I'm into robotics and science myself. I've been studying them with Newton Graceland at the Rustboro School…"
"The Newton Graceland?" Eleanor exclaimed. "You have to show me some of the designs you've worked on with him! Anyone who gets to work alongside someone like Dr. Graceland must have some real talent in them!"
Sheena raised her hand to her mouth and gently laughed. "Your energy is admirable, Eleanor. I hope I enjoy this tour as much as you clearly will." When she glanced over to the castle gates, Sheena saw something that made her blue eyes go wide. "It appears there's some sort of incident," she said to Matt and Eleanor.
Following Sheena's direction, Matt and Eleanor looked to the castle gates and saw Cassy heading back towards them. The guards stood at attention for the person who was with her, a tall, well-dressed young man whose blond hair was carefully combed into a sweeping style.
"You can say thank you any time you want," Cassy proudly said to the others as she stepped aside to let the man approach them.
"Allow me to apologize for not giving you a clear schedule to follow," he said, before putting his hand on his heart and bowing. "I'm Count Fernando the Eighth. It is my pleasure to finally meet you, Matt Chiaki."
"I… well, it's an honor, sir," Matt nervously sputtered in response.
"Did you bring the puzzle box?"
Matt nodded and reached into his bag, producing the box as Fernando requested. Its golden surface glistened in the sun, creating light that reflected in Fernando's intense green eyes as he examined it.
"So this artifact finally has found its way home," the count said. "I thank you for returning it."
"I can't say I know the entire story behind it," Matt admitted.
"That's fine, I didn't expect you to." Fernando turned back toward the castle and gestured over his shoulder. "Come, we have much to discuss. Let's head to the museum."
"Wait!" Just getting up the nerve for that one word took so much out of Matt that he had to catch his breath after saying it. Still, Fernando stopped walking to listen to him, so he considered that a relief. "It wouldn't be fair if you just took Cassy and I along on a special tour. Please, bring Sheena and Eleanor with us."
"Oh, come on," Cassy complained. "You know we have a lot of work to do."
"It might actually turn out to be helpful for us," Fernando said, though he did not turn around. "Perhaps they will have perspectives that will aid in our quest. Sheena, Eleanor, those were your names? Consider yourselves lucky, you're going to get to go on a very special tour today."
"Thank you!" both Sheena and Eleanor replied.
"Save your gratitude for the history you're about to witness. Now, let's get started. Come with me."
Fernando led the quartet past his guards and into the palace, passing underneath a huge stained glass mural that surrounded the castle's entrance. The group felt the air inside circulate with a cooling breeze, and Matt wiped his forehead again as relief from the heat set in.
Immediately past the entrance to Lingote Palace was a long hallway lined with more stained glass windows, which cast colorful sunlight onto the marble floor. The group had made it a fair distance inside before Fernando started speaking to them again.
"The reason why I summoned you to my kingdom, Matt, is because we are currently under a threat unlike any we have seen in ages."
"I could tell from your letter it was serious," Matt said. "But what exactly is the threat?"
"It is twofold," Fernando replied. "We have been threatened with invasion by outsiders who wish to steal our treasures. Compounding that is my sister, Rosalita… she has betrayed the kingdom. When news of the threatened invasion reached us, she murdered our parents, King Fernando VII and Queen Sophia."
A chorus of gasps went up among Fernando's four guests.
"I knew this would be serious, but… murders?" Matt thought. "Like my grandfather… was she connected to it somehow?"
"Why would she do something like that?" Eleanor openly wondered.
"She has always been envious that I was chosen to ascend to the throne over her," Fernando answered sadly. "I can only surmise that she intends to aid the invasion in exchange for help seizing power for herself. She stole two of the three clues to the Golden City's location after the murders, and she kidnapped our family's royal Pokémon as well."
By this time, the group had reached a large set of double doors far down the hallway. Fernando stopped and turned around before continuing his explanation.
"And that is why I summoned you here, Matt. Our administrative functions are in disarray with everyone trying to figure out who can be trusted and who is in league with Rosalita. But even with two of the clues and our family's Pokémon, she cannot find the Golden City without the puzzle box, as it is the map that will reveal the Golden City's location in the end. If she cannot find it, she cannot seize power, as there is something sleeping there that all new rulers must obtain first. We must find it before she can, or La Ciudad Dorada will be lost."
"The temptation of great power can corrupt even the most noble hearts," Sheena commented. "I know. I've seen it firsthand. But what is this power you speak of, exactly?"
"You will see," Fernando answered as he pushed the doors open. "Welcome. To the history of La Ciudad Dorada."
Beyond the doors awaited a spacious room filled with exhibits around its walls and center. Ornate iron arches spread out overhead, and an intricate design of yellow, green, blue and tan covered the floor.
"This is the museum?" Matt asked to get confirmation. "It's impressive."
"As it should be. It's one of my kingdom's proudest places, where all of our history is kept for the world to appreciate."
Eleanor immediately broke from the others and ran right to a display case containing models of the train and other devices.
"This is exactly what I came here to see!" she exclaimed in excitement. "Just riding on it was exciting enough, but I want to really see how it works."
"The railroad, like all the rest of our technology, runs on the energy created by our Arcane Science," Fernando explained before adding, "but you probably knew that already. It allows us to prosper while having little effect on our environment."
"What are those other things?" she asked, pointing at a group of vehicles resembling old-fashioned cars and trucks, all of which had the same blue lamps on them as the locomotive.
"Exactly what they look like, vehicles produced locally by our engineers over time after combining the principles of Arcane Science with sparks of inspiration from abroad. These models are of older designs than what we have now, but the basic principles that power them remain the same."
"And these!" Eleanor exclaimed, moving on to a series of model buildings inside the case. Each of them had not only the Arcane Science lamps, but numerous moving parts such as large gears and wheels. "Those are the city's industrial plants!"
"Arcane Science allows us to produce everything we need with minimal, if any, pollution," the count informed her. "Instead of having to use coal, oil or gas as the outside world does, we are able to harness the life energy of our land to power our kingdom and its industry. That is the meaning of Arcane Science – utilizing the power of nature so we may thrive without damaging it."
Meanwhile, Matt and Sheena watched Eleanor converse with Fernando, and neither could help smiling at her enthusiasm.
"Hey, Matt, come here," Cassy called from nearby. "Look at this."
Sheena followed Matt as he joined Cassy at a red velvet rope, which was blocking off direct access to a painting in a golden frame. It depicted an elderly man in a dark suit with a thick, white beard and small, round spectacles.
"I know who that is," Matt said after putting his hand on his chin.
"Godey, the famous Sinnohan architect," Sheena identified. "He was a Tenganist and created works of art inspired by our beliefs. But why is a painting of him here?"
"Because he was the architect who created this museum," Fernando said as he and Eleanor rejoined the others. Unlike the clear pride he showed while showing the machine models to Eleanor, his expression had become inscrutable. "My grandfather, Fernando VI, was interested in Godey's works in Sinnoh, namely the Space-Time Tower in Alamos Town even before its completion. He hired Godey to design a reconstruction of this museum for us."
"Was your grandfather the king at the time my grandfather came here?" Matt asked. "He told me he worked with a Fernando, but he didn't tell me which one. If the Space-Time Tower was incomplete at the time, I think it lines up."
"You're right about that." Fernando broke from the group and stepped a short distance away before speaking again. "Want to meet the old man?"
Matt cocked his head. "Meet him? I don't understand."
"Then follow me and you will."
Matt and the others, who were as puzzled as he was, followed Fernando past a number of other paintings. They only got brief glances at each one, but the recurring theme of vast, lush landscapes shared by humans and Pokémon quickly became apparent. One painting in particular, depicting a gigantic Pokémon holding a tiny one in its hand, caught the attention of Eleanor and Sheena.
Eleanor tapped Sheena on the shoulder and whispered to her, "Regigigas and Shaymin, right?"
"Right," Sheena replied. "Both legendary, mythical Pokémon in Sinnoh. They must be here, too…"
"Well, here we are." Fernando stopped and stepped aside, gesturing to a line of golden statues against the wall. "Say hello to my grandfather… and all the kings before him."
The statues were of men of a variety of ages, all of them bearing at least rough similarities in appearance to their living descendant. There were six in all, with an open pedestal for a seventh at the end of the line. In front of each statue, as well as the empty stand, was a plate bearing the name of the individual king depicted as well as the years of their rule and some information about them.
"Monuments to each king…" Cassy observed.
"They aren't just monuments," Fernando corrected her. "These are the past kings themselves. As in, their bodies."
Almost immediately, Cassy recoiled with such force that she collided with Matt and nearly knocked him down. Sheena curled her lip. Eleanor, on the other hand, had no discernable reaction at all.
"Their… bodies?" Matt uttered. "Forgive me for saying this, but isn't that a little… morbid?"
"That's not for you to decide, to be frank with you," Fernando snapped, his voice remaining low but his manner becoming deadly serious. "This is a sacred custom that dates back to the beginning of our kingdom."
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine, I forgive you," Fernando huffed, cutting Matt's apology off. "You're just a child. You haven't had the time to absorb the world the way your grandfather did."
Matt shrank back, too embarrassed by his faux pas to say anything further. His silence allowed Eleanor to step into the conversation.
"I don't quite understand. Can you explain the custom to us?" she asked.
"Now that's a good question. You see, once the life granted to our king reaches its end, we take great care to preserve them in gold so that they will never be forgotten. It is our way of honoring those who have gone to the Golden City and received its blessings."
"They do appear too lifelike to just be statues, now that I look more closely." The way Eleanor carefully examined the faces of the preserved bodies left Cassy to blanch in disgust. "It's rather intimidating to stand before six kings…" Eleanor suddenly realized something and turned around. "Wait, you're the eighth, right? Why are there only six here? Where is the seventh?"
"We haven't finished the process on my father yet." Fernando shut his eyes. "When my sister murdered our parents and fled, it left us in a state of crisis. We've had to focus on defense against her coup and it's left us no time to properly honor him yet."
"And to help against that coup you called me here," Matt said, finding his voice to seek confirmation of his belief.
"Precisely," Fernando replied. "We should move to the next part of the museum. It is necessary for you to understand what has happened here in the past."
"Wait!" Eleanor called out as the others started to follow Fernando away from the line of previous kings. "I have one more question!"
"Just one more before we move on," Fernando said over his shoulder.
"I just looked at these signs," Eleanor explained, "and I noticed the dates. Fernando I was in power over seven hundred years ago! How is that possible? How are there only eight generations over that much time? I don't understand how each king could live that long."
"They didn't all live for the same amount of time," Fernando corrected her, "but the answer is something you're about to find out. Come this way."
Eleanor frowned, but still left the gallery and rejoined Matt, Cassy and Sheena. The four followed Fernando all the way to end of the museum, past numerous exhibits, until they reached the back wall. Spreading out across that wall was an immense mural cast in bronze. Its scale in both physical size and in terms of the sweeping events it depicted left the quartet stunned at the sight of it. Even at a glance, the portrayals of humans and Pokémon engaged in an odyssey of peace and conflict that played across the artwork impressed upon the viewer the scope of La Ciudad Dorada's history.
"Sutter told me there was an amazing mural here he thought I should see," Matt said as he stared up at the artwork with the others.
"This is not the one your grandfather saw when he was here." Fernando's voice carried a hint of bitterness, and even though all of his guests heard it, none of them noticed him tighten his fists. "The original mural was replaced by this carving as the final piece of Godey's design of the museum. Once everything calms down, I intend to replace it with a new painting created by artists from La Ciudad Dorada, as the original one was."
"Would you donate this one to another museum?" Sheena asked. "It would be a shame for it to go to waste, and I can think of at least one museum in Sinnoh that would gladly accept it."
"Sure. They can have it," Fernando replied with a dismissive scoff. "That's a matter for another time. For now, the story of my kingdom."
Matt and the others followed Fernando's indication to the beginning of the tale depicted by the carving. The very first section showed people and simplistic buildings, all gathered under a large sun. Around them was a rough landscape dotted by a small number of plants.
"Long ago, this land was a desert where a small community of people dwelled," Fernando explained while his guests examined the artwork. "Life was difficult for them, but they worked hard and were in turn rewarded enough by the land permitting them to survive. So it was for a while, and the people were happy. However, it did not last. Eventually, the environment grew harsher, and the people struggled to just survive day by day. All seemed lost."
Fernando stopped talking and gestured for his guests to follow him to the next part of the mural, which they did. They found themselves looking up at a depiction of people surrounding a mountain while a man in a cape stood atop it, his arms spread to the sky. At his side were a Lucario and an insectoid Pokémon, while in front of him a single flower was planted. Above them all was the shape of the same hedgehog-like Pokémon Sheena and Eleanor had seen in the painting earlier.
"Just when the people were about to give up hope, a wanderer appeared," continued the count. "From where he came, they did not know. He was accompanied by the Pokémon called Lucario and Golisopod, and took pity on their suffering. In order to restore hope, he climbed the Sacred Hill and atop it planted a single flower, which he called Gracidea. He then asked the people to think of everything in their lives they were thankful for. The Gracidea flower responded to their feelings of gratitude, and from the golden light it cast, the Gardener of Gratitude emerged… Shaymin."
"I know stories from Sinnoh about Shaymin," Matt commented, not taking his eyes off the carving. "I knew it appeared in response to gratitude, so this all makes sense to me."
"Is there any knowledge of who the wanderer was?"
Sheena stepped forward and said in response to Cassy's question, "I can tell you, if Fernando would like me to."
"Go right ahead," Fernando urged.
"Well, he is the reason I came here in the first place," she said to the others. When she turned her eyes back up to the figure in the mural she missed Fernando clench his teeth, an act Matt, Cassy and Eleanor also didn't notice. "The writings of my people say that this man was a Tenganist warrior priest from the Ransei region who wandered the world in search of something."
"Something?" Cassy repeated, puzzled.
"It's not known what he was searching for, unfortunately. What is known about him is that he was extremely powerful and skilled in channeling Gaia, the energy that flows through the planet and all living things."
"I've heard that word before…" Matt said, again putting his hand on his chin while he searched his memory. "I think my grandfather mentioned it in passing, but I don't know anything about it."
"I would be happy to tell you more once we have some free time," Sheena offered. She brought her hands together in front of herself almost as if she was praying. "For now, though, what you should know is that it gives my people power. Every one of us is different… for example, I'm able to connect with the hearts of humans and Pokémon to communicate with them. The wanderer, on the other hand…" Sheena turned to Fernando. "Is it correct to say his power is a key to La Ciudad Dorada's history?"
"A very astute observation," Fernando complimented her, his earlier frustration seemingly gone. "Here, have a look at this."
The count guided his guests' attention to the next section of the carving. The wanderer was there, again standing over the people with his arms spread out, but in front of him were Shaymin and the shape of what appeared to be a fountain, along with a man wearing a crown. Behind him, meanwhile, was the gigantic Pokémon from the painting with Shaymin.
"Regigigas!" Matt exclaimed in surprise.
"You recognize it, the Colossal Pokémon?" Fernando ventured.
"There's no way I couldn't," Matt responded, "having grown up in Snowpoint City. I didn't know it was here too."
"As the people continued to express gratitude for what they had," said Fernando as he resumed the story, "Shaymin brought new life to the land, turning the once-barren desert into a lush paradise. With his work done, the wanderer entrusted Shaymin with the responsibility of ensuring the people stayed on the path of righteousness. A leader emerged among the people, one with the exact values Shaymin sought. In order to ensure wise leadership would continue and keep the kingdom on the correct path, the wanderer took all the people to where Regigigas slept. They knew not where it came from, but the wanderer taught them that it would watch over and protect them as long as they continued to be gracious for what the land gave them. He then built a fountain whose waters flowed with the life energy of the earth, gave Shaymin control of it, and invited the leader of the people to drink from it. When the leader did so, his body was invigorated and his life, greatly extended. He was my ancestor, King Fernando I."
"As I thought," Sheena said. "My people say that the wanderer was so skilled in using Gaia that he even discovered a way to infuse it into his body and render himself unaging. It makes sense that he could construct a device to do that for others."
"What did you mean by him giving Shaymin control of the fountain?" Eleanor asked while Matt stood nearby, lost in thought.
"To clarify," Fernando explained with his finger raised, "only Shaymin can make the fountain's life-giving waters flow, to ensure that only those judged worthy can obtain its power and lead our kingdom."
"I'm beginning to understand what the threat you summoned me here to help with is," Matt suddenly said.
"Oh?" Fernando wondered.
"You said your sister murdered your parents and stole two clues to the Golden City's location along with the royal Pokémon, which I assume is Shaymin. If that's correct, and your conclusion that she wants to usurp the throne is correct, I have to guess that the fountain is in the Golden City and she intends to take Shaymin there to obtain eternal youth."
Fernando joined his hands behind his back, shut his eyes, and smiled. "There's that brain that I knew would help me reach the Golden City before her." He pivoted around and beckoned his guests to follow. "The kingdom grew over several generations," he narrated as he guided the group past a depiction of Lingote Palace towering over a massive city filled with flora and Pokémon. "Eventually, as you know, it grew into an empire that stretched out into the horizon visible from the Sacred Hill. For many years, this prosperity continued unabated. However…"
Fernando came to a sudden stop, prompting the others to do so as well. They all looked up at the carving and found a very different scene playing out in front of them.
No longer were the residents of La Ciudad Dorada coexisting. They were locked in combat, both the humans and their Pokémon allies divided into two groups and viciously fighting. At the center of the chaos, two identical figures wearing crowns stood in opposition to each other.
"It clearly didn't last," Cassy guessed. "Who are those two in the middle of it?"
"The contemporary king and his… closest advisor," Fernando replied. "The king's advisor desired the power of the throne for himself and organized a rebellion. Soon, the royal court broke into two factions and La Ciudad Dorada descended into civil war."
"Sounds like the exact opposite of gratitude," Eleanor commented.
"Another astute observation," Fernando said while leading the group forward. "The war consumed the entire kingdom, and both the leaders and their people lost view of what to feel gratitude for. They lost their way, and, well…"
Instead of finishing his sentence, Fernando simply gestured to the mural, and once the quartet saw what was in front of them, they immediately understood.
The imagery was stark and unmistakable. Regigigas, with three smaller Pokémon around it, was smashing through buildings, roads and everything else in its path. Anything not within immediate reach was destroyed by projectiles and beams the four Pokémon deployed instead. Everything around them was aflame. Matt, Cassy, Eleanor and Sheena all understood exactly what the stakes were even before Fernando spoke again.
"When the kingdom lost its way, they fell victim to a great curse. Regigigas awoke from its slumber, summoned Regirock, Regice and Registeel to its side, and wrought terrible vengeance on the kingdom. It didn't matter which side of the war they were on, none were spared from Regigigas' judgment. Before long, the king and his advisor realized what they had done and laid down their arms."
Fernando took a single deep breath before escorting the group to the final part of the carving. The two identical figures now stood among broken buildings and ruined earth, raising their hands to Regigigas. Shaymin was in the air over their heads, giving off beams of light. Unlike the previous part of the mural, this one made its viewers relax. Even without explanation, they were able to see its message of peace.
"Once again, the king, his advisor and the rest of the people gave thanks for what they had. Shaymin was energized by these newfound feelings of gratitude, and was able to use its light to calm Regigigas. Regigigas and its three subordinates returned to sleep. The king and the people agreed not to rebuild their empire beyond the city surrounding the Sacred Hill, choosing instead to abandon that land as an act of respect for Regigigas' power. They built the Golden City around Regigigas' place of rest as a tribute to it, then obscured its location in order to hide both Regigigas and the life-giving fountain from everyone but a chosen few. And that…" Fernando turned around and put his hands on his hips. "...is the history of my kingdom. Do you understand why it is so urgent we find the Golden City before Rosalita does?"
None of the four answered at first. The story was still sinking into their minds.
"Yes," Matt finally answered, his voice low. "If Rosalita gets there first, she'll end up unleashing the curse again and Regigigas will destroy everything here. Everything it didn't destroy the first time."
Fernando nodded approvingly, but before he could say anything Eleanor asked him, "Doesn't she know what will happen?"
"She believes her vision for allowing La Ciudad Dorada to join deeply with the outside world is the righteous path." Mentioning this was getting Fernando emotional again, and this time he tightened his fists in full view of his guests. "She believes that beyond everything else. It's a game of life and death for the kingdom, and her obsession will destroy it!"
"If there is a risk of Regigigas awakening, I should come along as well," Sheena volunteered. "As I said, I can communicate with the hearts of humans and Pokémon. Should the worst case scenario occur, I can use my power to try and calm it down before anything happens."
"That will be helpful," Fernando replied, "though allow me to warn you that doing that with Regigigas won't be easy. That must be the absolute last resort."
"We'll have to work hard enough so it doesn't come to that," resolved Eleanor.
"What makes you want to be a part of this?" Cassy asked her.
"If you think about it, building a whole city out of gold must have taken some real ingenuity. I've got to see the Golden City so I can figure out how they did it." Eleanor frowned and turned her head away from Cassy. "Besides, I…"
Their conversation was cut off by the sudden sound of a bell's ominous chime. As soon as he heard it, Fernando looked up toward the ceiling with a look of shock on his face.
"What is that?"
Initially ignoring Matt's question, Fernando pushed past him and started heading back to the museum's exit before abruptly turning around. "As of this moment you four are soldiers of this kingdom," he declared, running his fingers over the golden buttons of his mint-green silk shirt. "We're under attack."
-:-
Outside Lingote Palace, the flower fields were aflame. The Pokémon living there fled the hilltop for their lives as gouts of fire rained from above. Four Pokémon, seemingly unsupervised by any trainer, were carrying out the siege with only a single Bronzong deployed by one of the guards to stand in their way.
One of the attacking Pokémon, a Magmortar wearing a glowing collar, turned both of his cannon arms toward an as-yet-undamaged patch of flowers and launched a wave of flames. The guard immediately replied, swinging her staff and calling out, "Bronzong, Protect!"
Her Pokémon responded with surprising agility, flying in front of Magmortar's Heat Wave and crossing its arms to generate a shield of light. It worked to deflect the flames, but within moments an Electivire - also wearing a glowing collar - bounded over Magmortar, using magnetism to propel herself. She produced electrified netting from her fingers, trapping and shocking Bronzong.
"Bronzong, try to escape using Gyro Ball!"
Bronzong exerted every ounce of its strength to try and force itself up, but ultimately, all it could do was raise its arms. Electivire's Electroweb held the Steel-and-Psychic-type Pokémon down and continued to conduct electricity into it.
With Bronzong sufficiently restrained, the collared Probopass sitting at the edge of the hill rotated to face the fourth attacker, a tortoise-like creature whose red-and-yellow body was covered with partially melted bits of metal armor. Probopass's eyes glowed with a green light that also surrounded the other Pokémon, who then levitated through the air as Probopass turned herself back towards Bronzong. Probopass deposited the other Pokémon near Electivire and Magmortar, and she stomped up to stand between them. All three then started to build up fire, with Magmortar gathering flames in his arms while the other two did so in their mouths.
"Bronzong, get out of there!" the guard plead with her Pokémon to no avail.
All three attacking Pokémon released blasts of fire at the prone Bronzong at once, the middle spinning into a cyclone shape while the others remained straight. The guard planted her staff in the ground, shut her eyes and braced herself for what seemed like the inevitable brutalization of her partner.
Her frightened state was broken not by the explosion she was expecting, but by the sound of a Poké Ball opening alongside a cry from an unexpected voice.
"Sally, Hydro Pump! Hurry!"
She reopened her eyes and discovered that Fernando, Matt, Cassy, Eleanor and Sheena had arrived alongside her at the gate. Matt was the one who had thrown a Poké Ball, releasing a Salamence who immediately spit a flood of water that turned the attackers' flames into harmless clouds of steam.
"Are you alright?" Fernando hurriedly asked the guard. When she nodded wordlessly, he instead asked, "What is all this?"
"They came over the side of the hill and just started burning everything," the guard shakily explained.
"That's… that's Heatran," Sheena said to the others as she stepped back. Her arms and legs shook as she pointed at the quadrupedal Pokémon between Electivire and Magmortar. "The Pokémon that's the living soul of volcanoes and magma…"
"What's it doing here?" Cassy wondered, her lip curling.
"Rosalita's begun her attack…" Fernando said to himself, though loud enough for his guests to hear. He turned to the guard and instructed her, "Have your Bronzong put out the fires. We should be able to deal with these four."
"Yes, sir." Recovering her composure, the guard pointed her staff at Bronzong. "Bronzong, Rain Dance!"
Even while still trapped underneath Electivire's Electroweb, Bronzong was able to lift its arms between the threads. Its eyes flashed white three times, and after the third flash, dark clouds gathered over the garden. Within seconds a heavy rain had begun, and the fires throughout the garden were soon well on their way to being put out.
"What other Pokémon do you have?" Fernando demanded of the group.
"If this was a one-on-one battle I have confidence Sally would be enough," Matt replied while reaching into his bag, "but looking at this… if I'm not mistaken, Heatran's Fire and Steel-type?"
"Yes, Fire and Steel," Sheena confirmed.
"Then I think I know what to do. Anton, Rocky, make your mark!"
In a single swift motion, Matt pulled two more Poké Balls from his bag and threw the spheres, which burst open in twin flares of light to release a Rhyperior and a Hitmonchan. Sally landed next to them and roared while the two Pokémon sized up their opponents; Anton stomped his heavy feet and Rocky hit his boxing gloves together to get ready.
The presence of new opponents drew the attackers' attention away from Bronzong. Heatran was the first to act, opening her wide iron mouth so light could gather inside of it. Magmortar rushed Matt's Pokémon before Heatran's attack completed, his arms glowing with green light.
"Rocky, stop Magmortar with Drain Punch!"
A green, swirling vortex took shape around Rocky's right arm as he ran forward to meet Magmortar. Both of them struck each other at the same time, and while they separated some green energy floated out of Magmortar's body and merged with Rocky, healing some of the wounds he had just suffered. Magmortar quickly recovered, however, and rushed back in to strike Rocky a second time to complete his Dual Chop.
At that point, Heatran could hold no more light in her mouth. Probopass locked onto Magmortar and lifted him out of the way with Telekinesis, giving Heatran the opening she needed to launch a powerful Flash Cannon attack at Anton. The Rhyperior was nowhere near agile enough to escape from the light, so he braced himself and took the beam's effects head-on.
"Good thing Anton's ability is Solid Rock," Cassy commented to the others. "That would have hurt him much more otherwise."
Fernando stepped up next to Matt and put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "It looks like that Probopass is playing a support role for its teammates," the count observed. "If it was knocked out of the fight, the others might lose their coordination."
"That's a good idea," Matt agreed, "but it's probably going to be tough breaking through to it." Turning to Anton, who was breathing deeply after taking Heatran's Flash Cannon, he directed, "Anton, see what you can do with Drill Run." He then said to his Salamence, "Sally, give Anton some air support."
While Sally pushed off into the air with her powerful wings, Anton started rotating the horn on his nose like a drill and lumbered forward with as much speed as he could muster. He had Probopass in his sights, but Heatran intervened by firing a quicker, less powerful Flash Cannon at him. Sally shielded her teammate by cutting off Heatran's attack with her own stream of fire, causing both forces to cancel each other out in an explosion of heat and smoke. Anton nodded and gave a growl of appreciation to Sally, who replied with a grunt that allowed some stray embers to slip from her mouth.
Suddenly, Electivire propelled herself into the air by projecting magnetic force from her hands. She cast an Electroweb from her fingers to repel Sally, who retreated rather than be trapped like Bronzong was, then pulled her fist back to punch the ground when she landed. The seismic wave that resulted knocked Anton off his feet, creating an opening for Heatran to fire Flash Cannon directly into his face.
"Sally, try to get Probopass from the air! Hydro Pump!"
Having dodged the Electroweb, Sally attempted to fly forward again, but as soon as she opened her mouth Probopass levitated Magmortar into her way. Magmortar unexpectedly discharged electricity from his body, a Thunderbolt that traveled up the water coming from Sally's maw and made her howl in pain as the shock coursed through her body.
"These aren't just random Pokémon, Matt uttered in frustration. "Rosalita trained them well…"
"My sister knows she needs an effective fighting force to take the throne," Fernando remarked.
While Matt and Fernando tried to work out a strategy, Sheena stepped forth. "Allow me to try using my power and connect with their hearts. I may be able to slow down or stop their attack." Sheena clasped her hands together and chanted, "Transcend the confines of time and space!"
When those words came off her lips, the world melted away in Sheena's mind. No longer did she see herself on the Sacred Hill with Fernando, Matt or anyone else beside her. Instead, her mind placed her consciousness in a sea of blue light with only the hearts of the Pokémon around her for company. Her visualizations of Anton, Rocky and Sally all had gentle blue auras around them, but Heatran, Electivire, Magmortar and Probopass were all cloaked in an intense red.
"Please, stop your attack," she mentally implored them. For a brief moment, it seemed to work. Sheena could feel herself connecting with them and sensed their hesitation to continue, but just as she smiled at her apparent success a flood of energy from the collars intensified their red auras. Their collective rage broke Sheena's concentration and forced her back into reality, where she stumbled back.
"Sheena!" Eleanor exclaimed in concern.
"They're too overcome with anger…" Sheena weakly said to the others. "I can't reach them. Just as I thought I got through, those collars influenced their minds, or at least they did on the three besides Heatran… Heatran doesn't have one, whatever's controlling it must be elsewhere."
"Wait, did you say collars?" Sheena's words made Matt stop to adjust his glasses and examine his opponents more closely. When he noticed the devices around the necks of Electivire and Magmortar, and around the red magnet on Probopass's head, he could feel his stomach sink. "Cassy…" he blankly said, "do those look familiar to you?"
"Collars with blue, glowing lights on them…" she said, squinting at Electivire and Magmortar. "Sure sounds like what your grandfather's secretary and those guards said they saw that night…"
"What is she speaking of?" Fernando questioned.
Matt didn't answer. He was too consumed with the storm of emotions the presence of the collars dragged up for him. "They're the same as the one that Dragonite wore…" he thought, staring down at the ground with his mouth hanging open. "That means that whoever sent these four… they have to be connected to the guy who killed him!"
Cassy could tell from intently watching Matt what was about to happen. "Whatever you're about to do, don't do it before you think-"
"Rocky, go for Probopass with Drain Punch!" It wouldn't be accurate to say Matt ignored Cassy. Instead, he was completely unaware she'd even said anything. "Anton, hit Heatran with Drill Run!"
Neither Pokémon hesitated to follow their trainer's direction, even as reckless as it was. Rocky sprinted past Heatran, whose attention was drawn away by Anton heading straight for her. The legendary Fire-and-Steel-type Pokémon stomped one of her cross-shaped feet against the ground, sending a glowing yellow light cracking through the earth that ultimately erupted beneath Anton, knocking him down.
Rocky, meanwhile, found his path to Probopass blocked by Electivire and Magmortar. Electivire cast an Electroweb at Rocky in an attempt to ensnare him, only for the Fighting-type to weave around it. As soon as Rocky did so, Magmortar responded by extending his arms and aiming his cannons in the Hitmonchan's direction, while Electivire drew in a deep breath. Even in the rain, their combination of Heat Wave and Flamethrower had enough strength to send Rocky flying back to where he started when they hit him, leaving him covered with burn marks.
"Matt, calm down and listen to me," Cassy said while Rocky pushed himself back up. "I have an idea. At the school I read about Heatran. If I'm remembering correctly, Heatran's ability is Flash Fire. If you can get Rocky to copy it with Role Play, what just happened can't happen again."
"...because Rocky will absorb all their flames," Matt realized.
"Let me help you open up a path," volunteered Eleanor. "I can help."
"Alright," Matt agreed, "when you see an opening, try to distract Electivire." After seeing Eleanor nod in acquiescence, Matt turned his attention to his Pokémon. "Rocky, use Role Play on Heatran! Anton, you try Drill Run again!"
Rocky remained in place while his hulking teammate trudged forward once more. The Hitmonchan locked met Heatran's glare, causing his eyes to turn the same orange color as Heatran's. Heatran paid him no mind, instead opting to focus entirely on repelling Anton's approach. She aimed to again hit him in the face with Flash Cannon, only for Sally to swoop in from above and block it with her own Hydro Pump.
"Alright, Rocky, this is it! Go for Probopass as hard as you can!"
Sensing her opportunity, Eleanor threw a Poké Ball of her own and called out, "Persian, show that Electivire your Foul Play!"
Eleanor's Persian burst from the Poké Ball, and as soon as she materialized her differences from a normal Persian became apparent. She was purple instead of the usual tan color, and her head was fluffy and round.
The two Pokémon, Rocky and Persian, sprinted side-by-side toward their foes. Electivire tried and failed to snare them in an Electroweb, and after dodging it the pair split from each other. Persian grabbed Electivire with her front legs and flipped the Electric-type Pokémon into the air; Electivire managed to stabilize herself with Magnet Rise only for Sally to plow into her headfirst as a purple aura enveloped her body.
Left without his usual partner, Magmortar pressed on alone in a bid to protect Probopass. He again targeted Rocky with his arm cannons, but when he launched his Heat Wave from them, Rocky felt nothing from it. Empowered by his newly acquired Flash Fire ability, he was able to simply run through the flames, his body absorbing any that made contact with him. Seeing this, Magmortar didn't budge and instead shifted tactics. Electricity sparked around his body as a Thunderbolt started to take form. Before he could strike, however, Magmortar was blown away by a pulse of black energy rings Persian launched from the gem on her head. With that, Rocky had a clear path to Probopass.
Seeing the danger she was in, Probopass used her Telekinesis to levitate Heatran toward herself. This proved to be a fatal mistake. With her back now turned, Heatran couldn't protect herself. Sally seized the chance to knock Heatran to the ground by blasting her with water, where Anton was ready to keep up their counterattack by smashing his rotating horn into Heatran's side. A pained croak sounded from deep in the legendary Pokémon's throat, and her legs gave out.
Finally, with nothing left standing in his way, Rocky was able to pummel Probopass. The swirling green energy shifted between his hands with each punch, and with every strike he landed more of his visible injuries disappeared. For a short while all Probopass could do was wince and endure the blows, but eventually, she had enough. She released a magnetic pulse from her body to throw Rocky back, then detached the three small noses from her sides. Her eyes and the eye-like shapes on the small noses all glowed at once, and Electivire, Magmortar and Heatran were picked up by her Telekinesis. Propelling herself with her own magnetism, Probopass floated away, taking her three allies with her.
The battle left a grim situation in its wake. The garden atop the Sacred Hill, which had been lush and beautiful less than hour before, lay in smoldering cinders. Even though the fires were out the damage was done.
"This is my fault, isn't it?" Matt uttered, falling to his knees as the severity of the destruction before him sank in. "If I didn't bring that puzzle box here…"
"Rosalita would have done this no matter what," Fernando said, just managing to contain his anger. "We can rebuild. We will rebuild, just as we always have. But to think she would resort to such acts… her thirst for the throne knows no bounds."
"This will only be the first battle of this war," Cassy warned.
"You're right," Fernando agreed, "which is why it is urgent we find the Golden City before her. If she gains eternal youth this will never end… we should retire to the castle library to examine the clue I still possess. She may already be on the trail of the two she stole."
-:-
At the edge of the city, away from the destructive battle at Lingote Palace, a young woman and young man stood in the shadow of one of the towers. Both had jet-black hair that matched their lightweight jackets, and carried six clockwork Poké Balls each on said jackets. The young woman was also wearing a device on her wrist that projected a red-and-black image of several Pokémon - specifically, Probopass, Electivire, Magmortar and Heatran.
"Lookin' like the test run was a success," she said, examining the image. "Bit tough keepin' track of so many Pokémon at once when they're fightin', but I'll get used."
"You were always the better of us two at it, Sis." The young man reached into his coat, retrieving a comb that he ran through his pompadour. "'ey, Sis. When we've got that Shaymin and all that gold, where do you want to go and spend it?"
"With that kind of cash, we could go anywhere." She shut off the projection, walked to her brother, and reached up to put her hand on his shoulder. "Where do you want?"
"Gotta admit, would be nice to head home and get to live like the bigs do for a change. Y'know, like Phenac City? Total opposite of those streets we grew up on."
"Bein' able to go off to that Realgam Tower and not get looked down on by those people… I like the way you think, Bro. Promise you, we ain't comin' off this job anything less than filthy rich ourselves when all's said and done."
END of CHAPTER 1
