After arriving in Pacifidlog Town, Lapis' group decided it was now or never to find the Sealed Chamber. Trinity stayed behind with Yuki Mizu while the boys went to Route 132 to resume the search. Eventually, they found the right diving spot on Route 134 and entered the underwater cave. Samir translated the inscriptions within, but they were stopped by Hamsetrin. Weldon challenged the man to a battle; however, the latter made it a Water type only double battle. To Hamsetrin's surprise, the Kantonian had Harry's Swampert, which he used with his Gyarados to defeat the man's Wailord and Relicanth. Hamsetrin refused to accept defeat until he was forced to retreat when the accessory associated with Regirock revealed itself. With nothing else stopping them, Lapis and the other three Trainers proceeded through the Sealed Chamber. Will Weldon be able to achieve the goal that fate has guided him to?

Lapis' Pokémon:

Zuli (Lvl. 46 Swampert, male; Item: Soft Sand): Impish Nature, Torrent Ability, moves: Tackle, Strength, Mud Shot, Surf

Bixbite (Lvl. 44 Camerupt, male): Bold Nature, Oblivious Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Tackle, Ember, Earthquake

Onyx (Lvl. 47 Mightyena, female; Item: King's Rock): Mild Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Take Down, Rock Smash, Crunch, Bite

Pearl (Lvl. 47 Grumpig, female): Lax Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Psychic, Psybeam, Shock Wave, Confuse Ray

Celestite (Lvl. 45 Altaria, female): Gentle Nature, Natural Cure Ability, moves: Fly, Safeguard, Take Down, Dragonbreath

Amethyst (Lvl. 47 Vileplume, female; Item: Miracle Seed): Quiet Nature, Chlorophyll Ability, moves: Petal Dance, Acid, Poisonpowder, Moonlight (currently in PC)

Pokémon sent to the PLA: Tiger Eyes (Linoone, male), Citrine (Makuhita, female), Kyanite (Electrike, female), Moonstone (Swellow, female), SmokyQuarz (Numel, male)

Chapter 42: Uncovering a Forgotten History

Lapis and his group walked through the opening leading deeper into the cavern. It was a tight corridor, so Akasha, Samir's Espeon, and Weldon's Electabuzz had to lead the way. After several minutes, they reached a small chamber with three openings. Three carved elemental symbols adorned the top of the tunnel entrances.

"Ice, Rock, Steel," Steven analyzed. "These tunnels must lead to the underdepths of Island Cave, Desert Ruins, and Ancient Tomb."

"Why would they need to do that?" Lapis questioned.

"It's because of potential cave-ins," Samir answered. "In ancient underground structures, the builders usually created multiple entrances so they wouldn't be trapped by potential cave-ins."

"Guess that makes sense."

Weldon crossed his arms. "We should probably split up to cover more ground. Since we don't know what's going on above the surface anymore, we need to get to the Regis as quickly as possible."

"I agree," the rare stone enthusiast replied. "Then I shall head towards Registeel."

"And I'll find Regice," Samir volunteered.

The Kantonian turned to Lapis. "Who do you want to go with, Lapis?"

"Do I have a choice?" The glares from his peers answered his question. "Fine… I'll go with Leland."

Steven chuckled. "Let's meet back here once we gain our respective Regi's trust."

The younger Trainers nodded, and the group separated into their chosen tunnels. Lapis walked close behind Weldon and his Electabuzz. The Nuzlocker noted the walls had carvings of the ancient landscape and the various Pokémon that resided in them.

"So…you really wanna do this, Leland?" the teen asked.

"Yeah. I'm more sure than ever now, even though I'm still a little scared." Weldon adjusted the cufflinks. "Trin told me that the last Guardian was the first one. The one who created the Regis. So…I don't know if the Pokémon will accept me since they haven't interacted with humans for almost 3,000 years. Not only that…I'm going to the place where my dad was last seen. No one could find any evidence of him dead or alive, but if I see a skeleton down there, I…I wouldn't know what to do…"

Lapis was unsure on how to respond, so he gave him his usual blunt opinion. "Well, you've done everythin' you could, and you ain't gonna know if your dad's there till you get there."

The younger Trainer chuckled. "You're right. I just have to see if fate is on my side."

"Hold on, Weldon," Electabuzz warned, raising his arm. "There's a Pokémon in the way."

"It's a Banette," Lapis surmised. "But where the hell did he come from? We ain't seen any wild Pokémon here."

"He's likely a guard. Maybe that means we're getting closer to the Desert Ruins." Weldon moved out of the way. "I'm guessing you want to try to catch it?"

The Nuzlocker smirked. "Guess I'll finally play a part in this. Bixbite, use Ember!"

The Camerupt unleashed the small flames, but it was too much for the Ghost type. The critical hit ruined the capture, but that wasn't the worst part. The Ghost type's eyes glowed purple, and he pointed to the ancient Pokémon carvings. The depictions on the wall glowed purple, as if the fallen Banette infused them with power. To the boys' shock, a Claydol, Sableye, and Golbat materialized in front of them and prepared to attack.

"Banette must have activated an ancient booby trap!" Weldon exclaimed. "Run, Lapis!"

The two tried to break through with Electabuzz's Thunder and Bixbite's Ember, but the Sableye used Detect to evade and the Golbat landed critical hits with Air Cutter. Then the Claydol prepared its most dangerous move.

Weldon was able to cross the Pokémon barrier and shouted, "Lapis, hurry! The Claydol is going to use Explosion!"

"No need to tell me twice!"

Lapis ran but then tripped on a protruding stone. He froze in fear as he saw the Clay Doll Pokémon shaking violently. Then, the explosion occurred. Lapis closed his eyes and shielded his face with his arms, but was surprised he didn't feel its full force. When he saw the aftermath, his heart sank.

"Bixbite!"

He sprinted towards his badly hurt Camerupt, who was able to get back onto his feet. The Nuzlocker wanted to scold his Pokémon, but with more Golbat, Claydol, and Sableye materializing around them, he knew escaping was more important.

He switched the Fire type with his Flying type and shouted, "Celestite, Dragonbreath!"

The Altaria cleared a path for her Trainer with the Dragon type move, and they rejoined Weldon and Electabuzz. The group dashed down the corridor, evading or knocking out the Pokémon protectors. Eventually, they reached a dilapidated chamber. The remaining Pokémon chasing them dematerialized back into the wall murals.

The boys panted. "Th-That was more excitement than I bargained for," Weldon muttered.

"Tell me about it. You look around while I heal my Pokémon."

Weldon grinned. "Good idea. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Once the Kantonian was out of earshot, Lapis healed the most injured member of his team.

"What the hell were you thinkin', Bixbite?! You could've fainted from that Explosion!"

The Camerupt flinched, then responded, "I…I just wanted to do what SmokyQuarz regretted not being able to do… That was one of the things I promised him when we first spoke to each other, Lapis."

His anger subsided as he petted the Eruption Pokémon. " Sigh… Just be careful next time, 'kay? You're lucky you survived."

The Fire type gave him an affectionate nudge. "You don't have to tell me twice."

They chuckled, and Lapis turned to healing a preening Celestite. Once he was done, Lapis returned them and walked to Weldon.

"Find anythin', Leland?"

"Maybe…"

Weldon guided the teen to a pile of broken stone and wood. They looked up and saw an opening on another floor several stories above them.

"That hole must've been made during my dad's incident. Plus, I don't see any skeletal remains in that pile. We can try going to the floor above and see if we can find anything."

The Kantonian let out his Gyarados, which gave him a boost. But he didn't step onto the upper floor.

"What's goin' on, Leland?" Lapis called out.

"I-It's my cufflink!" he shouted. "The sandy orb's glowing!"

Something within the debris pile glowed yellow, as if responding to the accessory's presence. Then, that something threw off the wood and stone, forcing Weldon to return to the ground. Once the dust settled, a large golem made of tan and red rocks loomed over the Trainers.

"R-Regirock…" Weldon stuttered.

The Legendary Pokémon's face had dots arranged in the shape of an "H", which it turned on and off in various patterns as it attempted to communicate. But all Lapis heard was irregular humming.

"Do…you know what it's saying, Leland?"

The Kantonian stroked his chin. "Kind of… I can make out some of the words, but I can't understand most of them. Most likely it's because Regirock only knows how to communicate in Ancient Braille."

"So what were you able to understand?"

The Rock type raised its right arm in a threatening manner.

Weldon frowned. "It sees us as a threat. Looks like I have to battle Regirock to get it to calm down."

His Gyarados inched forward, ready to defend his Trainer.

"Wait, wouldn't your Venusaur be a better choice?" the Nuzlocker pointed out.

To his surprise, Weldon gave him an awkward smile. "Actually…that's who I traded with to get Harry's Swampert… But I did anticipate this could happen, and I have faith in Gyarados. I know he's tired, but he's never one to back down from a challenge."

His Water type nodded and glared at the Legendary Pokémon, activating its Intimidate Ability. But their opponent's body gave off an iridescent shine.

Weldon clenched his left fist. "Clear Body… I didn't expect it to have that ability. Looks like we won't have much of an advantage."

Gyarados, undeterred, roared. Regirock responded by surrounding itself in a reddish-purple energy. Lapis was confused to see its Speed decrease but its Attack and Defense increase.

"What kind of move's that?"

"It's Curse," Weldon answered.

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "I've seen Curse before, and it didn't do that to the Pokémon that used that move."

The more experienced Trainer chuckled. "That's because you've likely seen it being used on Ghost types. Curse acts differently on them compared to other types."

"Huh. Good to note…"

"Anyway, you may want to get on Celestite for this. Gyarados, Surf!"

Not wanting to get wet in another musty place, the Nuzlocke ascended over the chaos as the Atrocious Pokémon summoned a large wave. The Rock Peak Pokémon raised its arms, creating a watertight barrier with Stone Edge.

Weldon gave a soft smirk. "I had a feeling Regirock would have ways to counter its weaknesses."

Regirock then created several silver orbs made of rock and hurled them at the blue Pokémon.

"That's Ancient Power! Gyarados, dodge with Waterfall!"

His Pokémon nodded and shot up within a geyser, missing the super effective move. He then struck Regirock, who withstood the attack well.

"Ice Fang!"

Icy blue energy appeared along Gyarados' mouth, forming into sharp fangs. But as he lunged at the Regi, the Water type was met with a powerful Thunderpunch uppercut.

"Gyarados!" Weldon shouted as his Pokémon fell onto the floor. "Can you keep going?"

Gyarados slowly lifted himself up, but it was apparent that he was still tired from the earlier battle against Hamsetrin.

His Trainer took a deep breath. "We need to end this quickly. Waterfall!"

The Atrocious Pokémon charged at the Rock type, and it attempted to impede its opponent with another Ancient Power. Despite the pummeling, Gyarados powered through and struck the Legendary Pokémon again. Regirock tried to counter with a Thunderpunch, but both Trainer and Pokémon were prepared.

"Gyarados, hold on and use Payback!"

The Water type rolled with the punch and smirked. He then unleashed the purple orb with increased power, knocking Regirock back.

"Surf!"

The tidal wave towered over the Rock type. It tried to create another Stone Edge barrier, but the wave was able to cross over the peaks. Regirock's protection backfired as the water was held in by the makeshift wall. Then, the pillars retreated into the ground, releasing the Rock Peak Pokémon from its watery prison.

Weldon and Gyarados braced for a counterattack, but the Regi lowered its arms and communicated with the Kantonian in Ancient Braille.

"What's it sayin' now?" Lapis asked as they landed on the moist floor.

Weldon's face showed confusion. "Regirock. I still can't fully understand you. But…" He raised his left arm, revealing the sand-colored orb. "I know you don't see me as an enemy anymore. If we share a bond, I believe we can truly understand each other then."

The Legendary Golem raised its left arm and touched the Legend Guardian's outstretched hand. Orange energy emanated from the orb and surrounded the human and Pokémon. After the light disappeared, Regirock again spoke in Ancient Braille. Weldon's eyes flashed with recognition, and he smiled.

Lapis was taken aback by the sight as it reminded him of his own journey. He instinctively petted Celestite's neck, and she responded with an affectionate nudge. Regirock then focused its energy into the orb and disappeared. Weldon rejoined the two, wiping a tear from his eye. Lapis returned his Pokémon, and the humans headed back to the meeting spot.

"So what happened?" the Nuzlocker asked.

The Kantonian breathed a sharp sigh. "Well… After I bonded with Regirock, it told me telepathically that it was happy to see me."

"Happy to see you? It attacked us!"

"Yeah…but it was because it saw us as strangers."

Lapis relaxed. "Guess that makes sense, since it and its buds were sleepin' for so long…"

Weldon gave him a nod. "As we battled, it seemed to recognize I was related to the people who created it and its companions: Susumu Tsuyoshi and one of his sons, Kenzō. That's when it realized I wasn't its enemy."

Lapis stroked his chin. "That seems…very coincidental, don't ya think?"

"I honestly don't know… I don't know much of my ancestors from my mom's side, never mind my dad's. But, I trust Regirock's words. It couldn't have been influenced by outside forces due to its slumber. Anyway, we should hurry back. We don't want to keep Samir and Steven waiting."

The Trainers returned their Pokémon and headed back to the room with the three tunnels. But they were surprised to see Steven and Samir were not there.

"Where's Stone and Patajhad?"

"Based on our experience, it seems they also likely ran into trouble with the other Regis." Weldon became worried. "I hope they were able to calm them down."

Suddenly, screams echoed through the ice and steel tunnels. Samir and Steven ran into the room, followed closely by a Pokémon made of sharp ice and a Pokémon made of rounded metal, respectively.

Weldon immediately pressed the brown orb on his cufflink. "Regirock, I summon your presence!"

The Rock Peak Pokémon materialized, raising its arms towards its fellow golems. It communicated to them via Ancient Braille, and the others responded in return.

"Thank Arceus you were both here already!" Samir exclaimed as he regained his breath.

Lapis asked, "What happened to both of you?"

"It seems we have both angered Regice and Registeel," Steven explained, wiping his brow. "Samir, that was an excellent decision to have Regice follow you here."

The research assistant chuckled. "Ditto."

Weldon then approached the other Legendary Titans, who have calmed down considerately. "Regice, Registeel. I know I haven't gained your trust yet. But I need your help to save the world from Groudon and Kyogre, who have woken up again. Will you both side with me and Regirock as your new Legend Guardian?"

The Ice type and Steel type looked at each other, then at Weldon's cufflinks. After talking to the Kantonian, they raised their right arms. Weldon let them touch the accessories, and they then disappeared into the jewelry. Regirock followed suit, leaving the humans to the quiet surroundings of the Sealed Chamber.

Weldon looked at his group with a big smile. "Let's head back to Pacifidlog Town."

A few hours later…

It was sunset as the group returned to the town floating on the coral reef. Yuki and Trinity waited for them at the west dock.

"There you are!" the Coordinator greeted. "We were worried about you guys when I wasn't able to call you."

Samir grinned. "Well, we were underwater in an underground cave."

Trinity braced herself. "Did you…succeed, Weldon?"

Weldon showed her his cufflinks, which now gave off a faint pulsating energy. "You tell me, Trin."

The woman showed a relieved smile. "You…really did it… How did you find Regirock's orb?"

"It's…a long story…"

As the reunited group talked about their recent adventure, Lapis received a call from Detective Kei. After letting the rest know to go on ahead, he answered his PokéNav.

"Hey, Detective Kei."

{Lapis! Is everything okay?! I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past several hours!}

"Oh… Guess I didn't have service down there." Then he remembered why the detective would've called. "Wait, did you-?"

"Find Jade? Yes, we rescued her earlier today. She was shaken, but otherwise, she's not badly hurt."

Thank Arceus… "Did Team Aqua say why they kidnapped her?"

{That's the strange part. After we found Jade at their hideout, they've denied knowing she was there in the first place. Even their leader, Archie, has confirmed this.}

So he was telling the truth after all… "Thanks for lettin' me know, Detective."

{Of course, Lapis. Take care of yourself and your Pokémon. With the battling drought and thunderstorm, we need a miracle to stop those Legendary Pokémon.}

After hanging up, Lapis ran back to the Pokémon Center. Once inside, he saw the group talking to a man with medium length turquoise hair and matching colored eyes. He wore a white beret and cloak, which covered his turquoise and white shirt and purple pants.

"Lapis, over here!" Weldon called out.

Once the Nuzlocker joined them, the strange man smiled. "Ah… You must be the Trainer doing the Nuzlocke challenge. It's unfortunate we have to meet now instead of at Evergrande City."

"And you are?"

"Oh, silly me!" he replied with a laugh. "My name is Wallace, the Hoenn Champion."

"Huh."

Wallace leaned forward. "That's…all you have to say?"

"What else d'you want from me?"

The Champion sighed. "It seems my name does not carry enough weight unless it's a Contest…"

"Wallace…" Steven said with an annoyed look. "Don't we have other pressing matters to attend to?"

"Oh, right. Groudon and Kyogre have now reached their climax within my hometown, and they are tormenting my fellow people. Will you all come with me to Sootopolis City and aid me in stopping them?"

Weldon nodded. "Now that we have the Regis on our side, hopefully we can stop Groudon and Kyogre if Summer and Aster can't find Rayquaza."

"Then let's not dawdle! To Sootopolis City!"

As they prepared to leave, Lapis gave his Poké Balls to the nurse and pondered his conversation with Detective Kei as he waited. If Jade wasn't kidnapped by Archie, then who did? And what did they hope to gain by framing Team Aqua?

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of Lapis' experience within the Sealed Chamber?

What did you think of Weldon's bonding with the Regis?

Will the group be able to end the conflict between Groudon and Kyogre?