Chapter 109:

The Sinnoh Knight

I couldn't help but to crack a smile. I spread out my arms and enjoyed the wind soaring through my hair. For a brief moment I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy the moment.

No Pokémon Gods. No shadow organizations and more craziness from Fate.

I was like a bird, soaring through the sky, free to go wherever. Unbound by anything but my own desire to fly away. The world was so small from up here. All the humans, Pokémon and their problems were nothing but dust on an endless canvas.

However, this rush of euphoria quickly died down when reality caught up to me. And the sound of people and Pokémon talking became too distracting. The basket of this air balloon was too cramped for my fantasies.

Fay and Midna were discussing how far they one could fall without shattering their bones, Dawn and Brock were talking about all the local dishes they wanted to try and Ash was trying to get the girl who steered the hot air balloon to host a Pokémon battle in the middle of the air; something about it being a good training for the flying Type Pokémon.

The girl stirring the hot air balloon with her Chimchar was Alicia Alore. It took me some time to track down the guide I wanted for the trip. But I believe it was worth it.

Alicia looked to be around my age. She couldn't be much older. She had shoulder long blond hair with curls and bright green eyes. She wore a simple set of clothes, nothing too fancy. She did a good job of stirring the air balloon though.

Underneath us, basked in a glorious light, was Alamos Town.

The city was located on top of a tall mountain, surrounded by steep cliffs on all sides. At the bottom awaited a sprawling lake with countless side streams and rivers. Only a single bridge connected Alamos Town to the mainland. The top of the mountain was decorated with red tiled rooftops, sun bleached walls and countless small back alleys that formed mazes that wouldn't be unfit for an ant colony. The closer the buildings got to the center, the higher they were elevated. All of this swirled towards two towers that stood proudly in the middle of the city.

The place where I was fated to meet the Gods.

"Say, what do you see?" I asked Luna. I leaned over the edge of the basket.

{I see a lot of people, and Pokemon.} Luna answered my question dutifully.

"Well, I see an opportunity." I whispered the last part, not wanting the balloon girl to give me strange looks. "This place holds the key to something."

Even if I didn't know anything about the future, Alamos town just looked to me like the place where a big quest would start, or end.

{I don't know about destiny,} Luna thought out loud, {but I can smell delicious food. Even up here I can smell the tasty snacks.}

The sky around Alamos Town was filled with other hot air balloons, people riding bird Pokémon and I even saw a few news helicopters.

The bridge to Alamos Town was packed with people as well. Seeing all of this, I couldn't help but to feel gleeful. Excited even.

Dawn joined me. She took a look at the towers. "You look excited."

I grinned. "That's because I am." I admitted. "Don't you feel it Dawn? Fate is calling us to this place."

Dawn gave me a weird look. As if I said something weird. Eventually she dropped it. She moved her hair out of her face, which didn't work so well because of the wind. Eventually she just tied her hair into a ponytail to get rid of it. I thought it looked rather cute. She wore white short pants today and a pair of sunglasses. She was definitely trying out the white and black theme.

"So, what do you think those two towers symbolize?" Dawn pointed at the tall structure.

Midna hopped onto my shoulder. "Like a pair of dicks."

"Dust, you should really teach your Pokémon better manners." Dawn scowled.

I shrugged. "It doesn't bother me that much. But she has a point. Especially the left tower has some interesting shapes."

"You two are horrible." Dawn shook her head but she gave the spires an extra look. As if she was considering the thought.

"They are the Space and Time Towers, made by Godey. The Mad architect." Alicia spoke up. "And they look 'weird' because Godey wanted to reflect the abstract nature of both space and time."

"Really?" Ash joined me and Dawn. "They do look like they could fall over."

"That's by design." Alicia said. "But trust me when I tell you. Those two towers are strong enough to withstand several disasters in a row."

Huh, that's interesting. From up here, the pillars really didn't look that strong.

"That's where one of us will be knighted." Ash poked me in the side.

"Where I will be knighted." I corrected him.

"Assuming either of you even makes it to the finale." Brock chimed in. "You know, the competition will be fierce."

"Not fierce enough." Fay spoke.

I wondered whether the competition would even finish, considering the surprise visit of Space and Time. Luna shared a look with me. I told her not to worry.

The balloon got closer to the city. Slowly, Alicia started lowering the hot air balloon. Navigating it to an empty field that was reserved for aerial transport. It was somewhat on the edge of the town.

A big Machamp and a man were waving around orange colored battens. Alicia waved down and the Machamp responded. He began guiding us down to an empty spot. Without the usage of language, the Machamp did an impressive job of guiding us down. When we finally touched down we were allowed to leave the basket.

Alicia was talking things over with the guy. Money was exchanged and she received a ticket.

Fay took a deep breath and stretched out her limbs. She scrunched her nose all of a sudden.

"Something up?" I asked.

"Aura," Fay mentioned. "This entire city is drained in energy. It's almost everywhere, in the soil. The trees and the air."

"Well, that's to be expected." I thought out loud. "It's supposedly really really old. Who knows what the hell happened here."

"Well," Brock interjected. He was holding up a tourist pamphlet that he had picked up from one of the stalls. "I can tell you all about it." He flipped open the page. "For example, did you know…that this city used to be a fortress?"

Ash slowly approached Brock. Giving him a grave look. He rested his hand on his shoulder and lowered his cap. "I am sorry Brock. But this time, you don't get to play the guide."

"I am done!" Alicia approached. "We can start the tour anyway now."

Brock winced and put away his pamphlet. "You took away my one and only joy in this world."

I shrugged. "Again, sorry. I just assumed with how we got lost once already, it might be a good idea to hire a guide."

"He's got a point you know." Dawn thought out loud.

"But getting lost is part of the journey." Brock tried.

"Pikachu." The yellow Pokémon riding Ash' shoulder argued.

"True," Ash said. "Anyway. Can we move on? I can't wait to find some interesting people to fight with."

We followed Alicia. The town itself was beautiful and charming. It really gave off Mediterranean vibes with white bleached walls, countless bridges and small rivers. And plenty of green to go around. The buildings in Alamos town were packed, but not too packed. There was enough space for everyone to move around and about. That was a good thing because the place was already crowded.

People from all over had come to this festival. I saw a lot of trainers, but also just families and tourists who were here for the festivities. A lot of wild Pokémon just moved around and about. Some of them interact with the locals, others staying away from them. I did see Pidove snipe some small child's sandwich. That was pretty funny.

The closer we got to the heart of town, the more crowded it became. Although, I started to doubt we'd ever get there with all the hold ups.

{I want that!} Luna pointed at a food stand.

The entire square was filled up with several of those. Each one of them inviting people to try one of the local foods for a buffed up price. I doubted half of them were even legit local treats, but the smell was quite good. A rich aroma that made me wish I could eat smells alone.

The target of Luna's desire were small, triangular shaped pastries. They weren't sugar coated, or drowning in chocolate. So I wondered why they specifically drew her attention.

"It smells really good." Dawn commented.

"Oh, those are Tiropitas." Alicia came to a halt. "They are small pies, made from wrapping up dough with sweets."

An elderly woman stood behind the stand. She had firm hands and was putting those to use by pushing and stretching dough and filling them up with feta cheese. Or it looked like it at least. Everytime she was done with folding one of those things, a Magmar blasted it with fire.

The woman gave us a deadstare look. "They are 3 a piece." Typical Alamos hospitality.

{Costs 3 a piece.} Luna spread out her arms. {That's a steal, right?}

"We'll take a bag full." Brock answered.

Luna smiled.

I facepalmed.

With a smile Brock took the back and handed out the pastries to everyone present. They were pretty alright I guess. About what I'd expect. A combination of freshness and the crustiness of dough. Brock put the leftovers away in his backpack for the other Pokémon.

I looked around the square. To see what other people were up to.

There was a fishing contest in the fountain. People and their Pokémon partner were tasked with fishing out one of the Magikarp. Obviously, the game was rigged as fuck. I saw a girl and her Charizard being pulled into the fountain by a freaking Magikarp.

It was pretty funny to watch.

"I want to try that." Midna said as she was following my gaze.

"I'm not going to that with you." I told her immediately. "Maybe Ash wants-"

I looked around, trying to find where the idiot had run off to.

Only to find him standing in line for the Magikarp fishing game. Pikachu standing next to him.

Needless to say. Things didn't go as Ash planned.

"Okay, Fay. Here's the strategy!" I yelled. "Do not fall off that platform."

"Oh, that's all?" Fay cried out as she dodged another strike from the Ekans tail. The Riolu managed to land back on the platform but her own sheer weight caused the disc to lean over. She started to lose grip. Underneath her a pool of water was awaiting whichever contestant fell off first.

Water splashed onto the platform and the fight quickly became a slippery slope.

Ekans uncoiled itself and moved over to his own side of the plateau in an attempt to balance the arena again. The snake's long and flat body was exceptionally well shaped for this game. It could easily lie down wherever it was most convenient.

The game was pretty simple. 2 Pokémon were put on a big plateau. Whoever pushed the other off it, and into the water wins. A weird mashup of Smash Bros and sumo wrestling and Fall Guys. It was entertaining to watch.

"Try avoiding the water!" Midna yelled. Her own fur was wet. She had already had her try.

"Anymore-" The arena shifted again. Fay jumped up just in time to dodge another tail swipe from Ekans. "Useful advice!"

{Do not lose!}

Around us a small crowd had gathered. Some were rooting for the girl with the Ekans. Others were rooting for me and Fay.

So far, Only Fay had been able to dodge Ekans. Their long body was optimized for balance and in a game where no special moves were allowed, anyone standing on 2 legs was at a disadvantage.

"Keep dodging!" I yelled, which might be the first piece of constructive advice Fay has gotten. "He can't attack forever."

"Nor will she be able to dodge forever." My opponent pouted. She pointed her fingers at Riolu. "Ekans, Dislodge the platform!"

"Fay!" Ash yelled all of a sudden. "Use Ekans body as a platform!"

I frowned. Huh, that wasn't that bad of an idea.

"Fay, from now on the floor is lava. Ekans' body is the only safe place to land!"

"Huh?" My opponent frowned. "Where's the lava?"

Fay understood my command. Instead of trying to find footing she took a leap towards Ekan. Using its midriff to stand on. Quite literally, surfing on Ekans' back. The snake tried to shake Fay off but she simply leaped up again -The one thing she was very good at- and landed on its tail.

"Coil yourself up!"

Big mistake! The moment Ekans pulled its entire body together Fay had a lot less place to stand on. But the snake also weighed a lot more. The platform started leaning to the right and Ekans started to slip.

The crowd around us started to cheer. The girl's eyes widened as the snake slipped down into the water. Fay smiled and jumped up, pushing the snake down into the water.

A splash followed before the girl could save her Pokémon from an unfortunate demise. Fay landed on the plateau, safely in the middle.

"And the winner is Riolu!" The guy running the attraction yelled. He started crowd did as well. Even the girl gave her a reluctant slow clap before storming off. "Now, pick your prize!"

Fay came back, holding a Lugia plush and a proud smile on her face.

"I do get paid extra, right?" Alicia asked me when we left the game.

"Ofcourse." I reassured her.

The girl smiled with renewed vigor. "Now, then, shall we continue the tour?"

We passed by several more things. There was a ferris wheel, a Pokémon beauty contest, and several live music performances and a lot of places where you could waste a lot of money.

I did try to memorize most of the city's layout and notable places. Big temples, churches or houses. I had looked up this information before, but seeing it in person was still different.

Alamos Town really was a beautiful place. It looked like a place that was ripped straight from my nostalgia. There were no ugly skyscrapers or other eye sores. Everything looked idyllic and peaceful. Up here it was hard to believe anything could ever change this.

As the continued the sun and moon swapped places in the sky. A dark blue dome surrounded the city. But to drive away the darkness thousands of tiny lights were lit across the city.

We had spent all day wandering around but I was sure we barely finished the tour. Let alone see everything there was to be seen. However, there was still one thing we had to do.

Around 9 in the evening we were coming closer to the two towers. You could practically see them from everywhere in the city. The way they spiraled above everything. The closer we got to them, the more people we saw and met along the way.

When we finally reached it there was already a lot of stuff going up. In front of the Space and Time Tower a platform had been built. A stage with spotlights, speakers and even big monitors that showed the ongoing events on stage. It was sponsored by several companies, few that stood out to me were Altru Technology and Cytech. The latter, I learned, was owned by Cyrus Industries.

There was already a performance on stage. A band named: Dragon Rage, were on stage. 4 people were rocking away. Shredding their guitars and vocal cords. Most curious of all was the fact that one of the band members, the drummer, was a Kommo-o.

It wasn't my taste per se but I could see they were having a blast.

We waited around for a while. Listening to music. I saw the others interacting with people, but that really wasn't my schtick. So I talked a little bit with Alicia instead.

She lived in Alamos town, made money by giving tours and giving people rides. She had plans to go to a music academy in Kalos next year.

I wanted to ask some questions about Godey's Garden but before I could, the music died down. A small applause came from the audience. The Dragon Pokémon surprised me by thrashing his own and his fellow bandmates' music instruments.

They left the stage quickly after and for a short moment it was silent. People were left talking, wondering about the next act. According to the time, the official opening of the festival should be happening right now.

Just as I said that my Pokédex started to buzz. I wasn't the only one as most people in the crowd suddenly got notifications. Phones, Pokéwatches and Pokédexes were opened simultaneously. A sea of lights appeared.

I too fished out my Pokédex. I got the message. I opened it and immediately the screen turned blue.

In white text was written: Registration Complete. Welcome to the Sinnoh Knight Festival, Dust.

"You got a message as well?" Ash came over to me, holding his own watch.

"No," I shook my head, "wrong number."

Before he could process that thought, the lights on the stage suddenly turned on. Spotlights all focused on a person standing there.

Chills ran across my spine as swelling music began playing from the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and children of all ages!" A femine voice came from the speakers, and from the stage. The sound echoing over the crowd. "My name is Flamera. As the mayor of Alamos Town, it is my pleasure to welcome so many new faces to Alamos Town on this delightful evening."

The lights on the stage slowly dimmed. The person on stage wore a long dress. Several shades of orange, yellow and red weaved together into a fiery pattern.

"I hope you all are enjoying yourselves so far?" she asked. The crowd shouted their approval. A storm of yes and cheers showered the stage.

The camera managed to catch a glimpse of Flamera's face. She had long orange coloured hair that fell down in almost fire-like patterns. She smiled at the camera. Her brown colored eyes gave it a seductive wink before she turned her attention back to the crowd.

"Glad to hear all of us are having a good time today! I am truly honored." She smiled graciously at the crowd. "For years, the Sinnoh Knight Festival has been the crown jewel of Alamos Town. But the story behind this festival is one that's often left untold. We take the Sinnoh as it is for granted, and the story of how it became this way, the myth, is now only an obscure legend."

The crowd was silent, completely ensnared in the speech. The lights behind her began to swell again.

"But no longer, because today we are here to reignite the flames behind the Legend! To see who among us will stand tall against insurmountable odds and save the day. Who will be the new Sinnoh Knight?"

Flamera's eyes passed over the crowd. "Forget not. Only a thousand years ago Sinnoh was a warring wasteland. Rampaging Pokémon, natural disasters and war lords ruled this land. That was until one day a hero rose from the ashes of war."

She held up a long piece of metal. The cameras zoomed in on it. I gasped, My eyes widened as I realized what it actually was.

"With this blade the Sinnoh Knight united Pokémon and man! Right here, in this city lies the foundation of Sinnoh!" She held up the sword high with one hand. The light fell on it, rainbow colored afterimages shimmered into existence.

"Welcome to the 1000th Sinnoh Knight Festival. In this town of legends and myths, let there be games and victory!" She lowered the sword to the floor. "Let there be another hero!"

A/N Salutations. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I was moving so that's why things took a little longer. But now I settled in and I am trying to see how long I can keep stuff in boxes before I inevitably have to decorate everything.

So, how is everything going with you all? I hope none of you are experiencing the worst moments of your life.

Oh boi. So, finally we reached the Alamos Town part. Man, I've been writing towards this part ever since I started it. It's one of those huge plot beats I never expected to hit, but here we are. 6000 followers and all. Kinda crazy.

So yeah. Obviously, 'some' parts of the movie's script have been rewritten to be better. Because honestly, I have never heard of a professional leaf blower, and seeing two plastic dinos with lights and sounds fight doesn't seem interesting, right?

Anyway, this was my monthly update. Thanks to Arxalier for editing and to the discord members for providing some feedback.

I hope this break was long enough because we ain't stopping anytime soon. There's an entire Insane World left to explore!

-CaptainMoonShine-

Reviews:

Guest: I love this story when is the next chapter coming out?

A: Today

DOOT76:

Did Luna plan her kidnapping or did she just improvise based on coincidences?

And we're finally going to Alamos! Hell yeah!

Can't wait for Dust to face the gods of time and space as he yells out "RAVAGE THEM!" And his shadow comes to life to take the shape of a certain phantom….

A: Luna improvised based on the circumstances.