~ Chapter 95 ~
Sunnyshore, the City of Sun
"Sunnyshore City was truly something else. You'll see why in a moment, I'm sure. But it was also something…final for us all. The last city we'd travel to together before I faced the Pokémon League. It would be the last city we travelled to with Jeremy, because in a few weeks time he would be going off to join the Pokémon Rangers. It was the first city Lyss and I travelled to as a couple. It was also where we met a future friend of ours, as well as travelling partner, but that's a story for a later date."
Sam, Lyss, Jeremy and Niya perched atop the small mountain range that surrounded Sunnyshore City.
Nestled on the white-sand beaches of Southern Sinnoh, and backed by a forested mountain range, Sunnyshore City was the beacon of the Eastern Sinnoh Sea.
It truly was a city of the future.
While speaking with Saturn, he had learned that as a means of funding Team Galactic's endeavours, and not wanting to give up on their original dream of renewable energy, Saturn secretly sold green technology to Volkner to help him use less power when powering both his Gym, the city, and the lighthouse.
Saturn had done this under an assumed identity, and surprisingly, this technology had allowed Sunnyshore, a city about the size of Hearthome, use about half as much energy as Hearthome City.
The streets were covered in durable solar panels, as were the raised walkways, bike paths and solar-powered magnet train that ran about the city.
"Where do first?" asked Niya.
"The Gym," stated Sam flately, "I couldn't get ahold of Volkner or the Gym on the way here…I need to go make my appointment in person."
"That's odd," added Niya, "I wasn't aware of any gym closures coming up…we could have delayed our trip here if that was the case."
"Maybe they were just busy?" suggested Lyss, who walked close to Sam, firmly holding his hand.
Sam shrugged. "We'll see once we get there."
They proceeded down the crowded streets.
The buildings were a mixture of older adobe homes and newer brick and mortar and glass.
Everything was retrofitted with solar powered generators, solar panels, house batteries and water basins to collect and purify rainwater.
Most homes weren't larger than a single storey—some were two storey duplexes, however.
Even the commercial buildings weren't overly large or tall.
The tallest building in the city was the Sunnyshore Lighthoues sitting atop a large outcropping of land to the west of the city, up on a high sea shelf.
Even at a distance it could be seen from kilometers around.
They passed a massive, building that was long, with high windows, and a high vaulted ceiling and beautifully painted adobe walls.
"That's the bazaar," explained Niya as everyone watched the bustling crowds go in and out as they went about their day, "Some of the rarest finds in Sinnoh are going to end up here."
"You've been?" asked Jeremy.
Niya nodded. "Once," she added, "It's bigger than it looks, and it's busy. It's been here since the Sunnyshore tribe settled here millennia ago."
Sam looked out on the massive city.
It sat not just down by the flat land that once formed a shore, but also carved into the terraces of the high mountains and cliffs that surrounded the city, spanning up and down the coast.
Sunnyshore was a city as large as Hearthome or Jubilife, but the buildings were not as tall, and so, they spread out.
Jubilife built up, as did Hearthome to an extent, but Sunnyshore, to keep their adobe bungalows and duplexes as the uniform building style, built outwards, having endless coast to expand upon.
"The Sinnoh Region is both beautiful, and insane," Sam heard some blonde girl in the bazaar crowd say to her Eevee perched upon her shoulder.
"Lots of tourists come here specifically for the bazaar," explained Niya, "Especially people who follow the travelling merchants that go between Driftveil, Olivine, Slateport and Vermilion."
"The trade network is that interconnected?" asked Jeremy in amazement.
Niya nodded.
"We'll need to stop by there later," noted Sam, "But we need to get to this gym first; we're burning day light."
It was another half hour before they finally reached the Sunnyshore Gym towards the northern part of the city.
It sat atop what was once a small hill, with several escalators lifting people up the size of the hill towards the gym.
It also connected to several of the raised walkways and a bullet train station atop the platforms.
"Can I ask something?" asked Jeremy, wiping sweat from his forehead, "Why didn't we take the bullet train?"
They were hot, sweaty, and weary. They had drunk through all of their water and stopped not too long ago to refill and had nearly emptied them again.
Sunnyshore was not a misnomer.
Though occaissionally a breeze would blow from the water, most days, humidity accompanied the heat, the mountains encompassing the area in its own weather system.
"I…I didn't think that far ahead," sighed Sam, "I'll learn from my mistake and buy a map and some train passes going forward, deal?"
They climbed the escalators towards the gym and…frowned as they saw the gym was closed, and also locked, barred and near boarded up.
"What the hell?" demanded Sam.
"This…doesn't make any sense," panted Niya as she wiped swear from her face, "How does a gym just close?"
Jeremy examined the giant "CLOSED" signs posted all over the windows.
Sam looked around to see if anyone was around, a local, who could explain what was happening. Maybe this was a sick joke.
"Excuse me," asked Sam, tapping a brown haired, blue-eyed girl on the shoulder, "Do you know anything about this gym?"
The girl turned and shrugged. "No, I'm sorry," she explained, "I took the challenge here about a month back, but last minute my gym battle was cancelled and the gym's been closed since. I'm not from here, and I don't know anything about it."
"Oh," said Sam, realizing that this person was probably also on their last badge, and waiting to head off to the Pokémon League to battle the Elite Four and Champion. Sam had competition.
"Can I ask your name?" asked Sam, suddenly, trying not to seem rude.
"Azaraya," answered the girl with a raised eyebrow, "Azaraya Miso. I'm from Celestic Town. You?"
"Sam Accardi, from Twinleaf Town," replied Sam, "You're waiting to get your last badge, I assume?"
Azaraya nodded. "Me and my team just need to take down Volkner to be eligible to challenge the League."
"Feeling confident?" Sam asked harmlessly sizing up his competitor.
"Pretty confident, yeah," she smiled, "Umbreon, Piplup, Buizel, Sneasel, Absol and Shellos. That's the team I plan to sweep Champion Valentina with."
Sam kept his worry to himself.
Was this girl going to take out the Champion before he even got a chance?
He had seen other gym challengers often when he first started his trip.
Ever Pokémon Centre was filled with young trainers looking to challenge the gyms and take on the League.
But ever since Fantina, that number had steadily declined.
In fact, since Canalave City, Sam hadn't seen a single person looking to take out the Elite Four.
Maybe because of the debacle with Team Galactic, or maybe it was legitimately the case…regardless, it's what Sam had noticed, and even Valentina said that this was common.
Still…that he might not get to Valentina first worried him.
He felt as if something would be taken from him.
Alyssandra grasped his hand and gripped it tight. "Sam?"
She seemed to know what he was feeling, though she didn't let Azaraya in on what was going on.
Sam snapped back into focus. "Apologies just got lost in my thoughts. Have you heard anything about this gym?"
Azaraya shook her head. "Nothing. Someone said it was closed to renovations but I haven't seen or heard any work crews in there. The gym's been deserted as far as I can tell."
"Thank you," smiled Sam, before waving goodbye to Azaraya and letting her go on her way.
"You okay, Sam?" asked Alyssandra.
Sam shrugged. "Just a bit…just coming into reality that's all."
No one pressed further, though he knew Alyssandra would later.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Jeremy, "We came all the way out here for nothing…half of the day is gone. What can we do?"
Sam looked out over the city.
He could see most of the city before him from atop the hill where the gym stood.
"Let's get a map at the train station, get some passes, and go find a place to stay," sighed Sam.
"No Pokémon Centre?" asked Niya.
Sam shook his head. "It's hot, I dragged you all out here for nothing. I need a warm shower in a giant tub. Screw it, I'm paying for a nice hotel."
Jeremy snorted. "Planning on spoiling us to death? You're gonna have some big shoes to fill after you beat Valentina; what can top the Hearthome Grand Hotel?"
Sam smiled. "I'm sure I'll find something."
He had some ideas in mind, but that would have to wait.
For now, they'd need to find a place to lay their head for the night.
Sam also hoped that a local hotel, being the centre for tourists run by knowledgeable locals, would have some information on why the gym was closed.
Tomorrow, they'd go by the bazaar, as an apology for dragging his friends all the way out here in the heat for nothing.
The evening was cool, and the breeze from the ocean blew through the town finally.
The lapping of the waves against the shore was audible from the cliff side hotel.
It was only four stories tall, but it was one of the nicest hotels in the areas.
It was nestled atop a cliff, with tunnels leading down to the beautiful beaches below.
Sam sat out on the balcony of the suite they were staying in, Jeremy and Niya having long gone to bed.
Alyssandra had gone to bed too, not too long ago—or at least Sam had thought.
They were up late planning the rest of their stay, but also compiling and editing the small, overly crammed with footnotes journal that they had compiled with their Creator Pokémon.
It was starting to come together…and spill into a second journal.
They had no plans to publish this book, but they intended to learn as many secrets as they could…and then bury these secrets with them when they died, or pass them on to future Creator Champions.
They hadn't decided yet.
Sam was still scribbling away into his leatherbound journal, he was now on his fifth journal of the trip, writing away at the events of the day, putting his thoughts, feelings and adventures down to paper.
This was something Sam wanted to publish one day.
His adventures with his friends, weirdness and all; but more than publishing it, Sam wanted to leave this behind for his future children, or any apprentices he took on in the future.
Something they could take, read and learn from, for the times Sam couldn't be there…maybe more than just them, anyone looking for some guidance in this Pokémon World.
It was a weird dream, Sam had to admit, and he did admit, but he wasn't willing to give up on it just yet.
Suddenly the door opened and Alyssandra came out.
She brushed her messy hair from her face as the wind blew it about, and pulled her silk robe tighter around her as she adjusted to the cool night air.
She wore a simply pair of slippers, some sleeping shorts, and a light tank top.
She sat down next to Sam, who was laying with his feet up on the chaise lounge.
"Still writing?" she asked with a yawn.
Sam nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I won't be much longer."
"That's a lie, and we know it," laughed Aurelio; "You'll be out here for at least another hour."
Sam ignored his recently returned grandfather, placing his pen so he could mark his place in his notebook then closed it, and placed it upon the table beside him.
Sam rubbed his eyes and looked at Alyssandra.
She was staring at him, smiling at him.
"What's wrong?" asked Sam.
Alyssandra shrugged. "Nothing."
"What do you mean, nothing?" asked Sam, "How do you just…do that and say it's nothing?"
"But it is nothing," chuckled Alyssandra, "I'm just happy. I love you and I'm happy, is that a crime?"
"Yes," smirked Sam cheekily.
"Sue me then," replied Alyssandra indignantly.
The two laughed and Sam went back to his writing.
"Will you be much longer?" she asked.
Sam shrugged. "Shouldn't be, not much longer."
Alyssandra nodded and waited for a moment, before getting up and lying down beside Sam, nestling herself into him as she snuggled up close and attempted to fall asleep.
"What are you doing?" asked Sam.
"If you won't be much longer, you won't mind me cuddling up here," she replied with a yawn, "I won't be here long enough to fall asleep."
"Is this what my life is going to be like now?" asked Sam with a sigh.
"Get used to it, my boy," laughed Aurelio, "You'll never have a late night up working alone again."
Sam sighed.
He put away his journal and pen, and ceded defeat to Alyssandra.
He wrapped his arms around her, and the two drifted off to sleep upon the chaise lounge on the balcony, the sound of the waves and the ocean breeze in their ears.
Perhaps what his grandfather described wouldn't be so bad.
It would definitely take some getting used to, though.
