Chapter 45
Celebration
The party was in full swing, everyone was drinking oran berry punch and chowing on snacks that Belle had made.
"Isn't this a bit much?" Alex asks.
"Not at all! You both earned it!" Cleft assured them.
There were mummers of congratulations from the entire room, the guildmaster however needed to make a few announcements first.
"QUIET!" Wallace called, getting everyone to look at him in an instant.
"We'll be doing this for another hour or so, then we will take a break and give team Outriders their gifts! With that in mind...party on!" Wallace exclaimed.
"What gifts?" Blaze asked Wave and Paul. Vine was already lost in the crowd.
"You guys are gonna be moving out! The gifts will be to help you get started as a fully-fledged exploration team!" Wave explained.
"Oh..that makes sense...it just surreal...I've always dreamed of this and now its just, here" Blaze stammered, struggling to find the words.
"I need you two to come with me for a moment" Paul requested.
The two graduates nodded, Paul gave Wave a wink that told him everything he needed to know. Something big needed to be discussed and he had to cover for them.
The partygoers didn't even notice Team Outrider's absence…
Paul led them to Wallace's room, after shutting the door he smiled and completed their rank up. At last, they were at hyper rank
"Is that it?" Alex asked.
"No, but it's the excuse I needed to pull you aside. I have some very special gifts for you two that don't fit with the rest" Paul clarified.
"What are they?" Blaze asked, cautiously excited.
"Since you two are going to be a fully-fledged exploration team you need some serious training. I've arranged for Blaze to train on the Mist Continent with the same fire types that trained me when I first evolved" Paul began.
"What about me?" Alex asked.
Paul chuckled and said "i'm getting there, remember Koh? The Xatu who I mentioned a long time ago?"
Alex paused for a moment but then remembered and said "the Xatu who can see the past and future?"
Paul nodded and said "that's the one, I talked to him recently and he wants to meet you, he says he can help you master the inner power that you used to beat Dialga"
"Wait a minute..doesn't that me we'll split up for a while?" Blaze realized.
"Yes..but that's ok right?" Paul questioned.
"I suppose…." Blaze replied the uncertainty is his voice was clear.
"Blaze, Paul, and I have some human stuff to discuss...we'll catch up, go check on the party," Alex said, practically shoving his partner towards the door.
Blaze nodded and left, slightly confused.
"what's wrong?" Paul asked with a sigh.
"I need you to have Wave or Vine to talk to him, I was...gone for a bit and he doesn't want to talk about it" Alex began.
"Ah, a bit of pent up emotions...I make sure it happens" Paul assured him.
Soon enough it was time for presents. Everyone at the guild gave one. Carver gave them a 12 pack of reviver seeds, Chuck and Ned had made a display cabinet for trophies and possessions. Lana and Tesla brought them an armored deposit box from the Water continent that could only be opened with their expedition orb or a backup key. Belle's gift was an ultra-rare healing orb. It could be used an infinite amount of times as long as it had time to recharge.
Wallace and Cleft's gifts were up last. The Guildmaster's present were two silver collars for their mega stones. They were most surprised however by Cleft's gift.
In his beak was a paper slip that he handed to Blaze.
"Thank you for opening a new account at the Duskull Bank, your first deposit of 1,500,000 Poké has been stored away! For us?" Blaze asked in disbelief.
"Some are the 25,000 starter funds from the Exploration Team Federation. The rest is 75% percent of the money you've earned for the guild" Clef meekly explained.
"Are you kidding me?" Alex asked in disbelief.
"I know it seems hollow without the rest but it will keep us funded for at least five years" Cleft conceded.
"Thank you! That will keep us on supplies for a long time!" Blaze assured him before the two gave Chatot a hug.
"I hate to ask so soon but where will your new base be?" Wave asked as they finally gave Cleft a chance to breathe.
"Sharpedo Bluff, there's a cave under the cliff where I lived beforehand" Blaze revealed.
Lana nodded and said "We'll get the deposit box moved there"
The party continued into the night, soon enough though everyone was ready to sleep. After moving everything to Sharpedo Bluff, Blaze and Alex slept in their new base. One chapter had closed, but a new one was just beginning...
Atop Temporal Tower, Dialga was mediating in place, standing perfectly still with his eyes closed. Feeling the time steam flowing through him and out into the tower was relaxing to the Temporal Pokemon. His avatar had returned to the tower about a month ago. Just as promised Malcolm was keeping things on track while he was gone, but now he had the Tower to himself.
A familiar green flash alerted him to a visitor as he opened his eyes to see Malcolm with one hand behind his back.
"WHAT IS IT?" Dialga asked the look of disdain on the watcher's face was concerning.
"Remember how you told me to find out what caused Temporal Tower to start collapsing?" Malcolm asked in a cold voice.
"INDEED I DO REMEMBER, HAVE YOU DISCOVERED ANYTHING?" Dialga asked, his booming voice was slightly lower from his worry.
"You wanted to know what caused the Tower to start breaking apart? I found it" Malcolm answered as he revealed a massive, crystal orb full of shadowy energy.
"IS THAT?..." Dialga was too shocked to finish. He could feel the malice and evil coming from the object.-
Malcolm nodded and replied "the only energy that neither you nor I can detect without directly seeing the source, an orb of pure dark matter that was planted in the Arbiter's energy path through the tower, it wasn't a natural breakdown or a cosmic fluke, it was sabotage"
Author's note- Can't have a fun chapter without a little plot at least, there's my explanation for Temporal Tower's sabotage that's never explained.
1. I will be back to three chapter uploads
2. the next six chapters will be three-part journeys for one of our two heroes. The Fire Masters and The Sun Gazer. Leave a review which one you want to see first. if I don't get an answer then I'll begin with the sun gazer
