Chapter 499: Light and Memories
~Third POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Later, Lake Valor (Pearl's Side)]
*THUD*
Pearl landed hard on something soft, yet firm, letting out a groan as the wind was knocked out of him. Beside him, with an equally undignified thump, landed Dr. Footstep, who let out a startled gasp.
The sandstorm, though still roaring in the distance, seemed to have deposited them. Slowly, Pearl pushed himself up, rubbing his head. The air was clear here, albeit still carrying a faint scent of dust.
He blinked, trying to orient himself.
What he saw made him gasp, "What. The. Hell…"
They had landed on the gently sloping bank of a vast, shimmering lake. Its surface, a deep sapphire blue, stretched out under a sky that was rapidly clearing, revealing patches of brilliant, almost painfully blue. Lush green forests framed the far shore, their leaves rippling like emerald waves. The tranquility of the scene was a stark contrast to the chaos they had just endured.
Pearl breathed, his earlier anger at Diamond momentarily forgotten, "Whoa… It's… beautiful. Just look at it, Dr. Footstep! The way the light catches the water, the stillness… Nature really is amazing."
Dr. Footstep, less aesthetically inclined at the moment, was busy brushing sand from his hair as he muttered, "Remarkable velocity! The trajectory was… unexpected. A true testament to Hippowdon's kinetic output!"
Pearl finally tore his gaze from the stunning vista. His voice echoed across the expansive water, "Diamond? Azure? Platinum? Are you guys alright?"
Only the gentle lapping of waves answered him. A sudden wave of panic washed over him. He spun around, searching for his missing friends as he yelled aloud, "Diamond! Platinum! Azure! Where are you?!"
Pearl exclaimed, his voice tinged with alarm, "They're nowhere to be seen!"
He looked at Dr. Footstep, his brow furrowed with worry as he exclaimed, "We have to find them. They could be anywhere after that… that torn-a-doe!"
He caught himself, a small, frustrated sigh escaping him as he thought, frustrated, 'Argh! Even I'm doing it now!'
Pearl shook his head as he grabbed the eccentric researcher by the arm, pulling him along the water's edge, declaring, "Come on, Dr. Footstep! We need to search the shoreline!"
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[Sinnoh Region, Meanwhile, Lake Valor (Dia's Side)]
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the sprawling lake, Diamond regained his senses. He lay sprawled on a sandy patch, his hat still miraculously clinging to his head. A soft groan escaped him as he pushed himself up, grit clinging to his clothes.
He mumbled, spitting out a mouthful of sand, "Ugh… that was quite the scenic detour…"
He looked over to his side. Platinum was already sitting up, dusting off her impeccably tailored beige shorts.
Her braid was slightly askew, and a few strands of hair had escaped, but otherwise, she seemed remarkably composed, a testament to her inherent resilience. Her Empoleon's Poké Ball was still clutched firmly in her hand.
She asked, her voice calm despite the ordeal, "Are you alright, Diamond?"
He grinned, brushing sand from Lax, who had landed beside him with a soft grunt and was already looking around for food, responding, "Yep, just a bit… everywhere. Well, at least we didn't land in the lake, right?"
Platinum agreed, rising to her feet as she said calmly, "Indeed. That would have been... inconvenient. It seems we've been separated from Pearl, Azure, and Dr. Footstep. We should try to find them."
Diamond said, standing up and stretching, "Right. Probably best to stick to the shoreline. Less chance of getting lost again."
As they began to walk, their footsteps crunching softly on the sand, Dia's eyes drifted across the vast expanse of water. The lake was enormous, peaceful, and utterly captivating. Diamond mused, a faint, nostalgic smile playing on his lips, "This reminds me a lot of Lake Verity. Back in Twinleaf Town. That's where we saw them perform, you know."
Platinum looked at him, intrigued, and asked, "Who did you see perform, Diamond?"
He replied, a fond memory shimmering in his eyes, "Masters Costello Jiggly and Abbot Clef. They were legendary comedians. Everyone in Twinleaf loved them. Pearl and I would always sneak out to watch their shows whenever they were in town."
Diamond chuckled, the memory vivid as he continued, "They had this one act… Clef would always play the straight man, and Jiggly the quirky one. Clef was telling a story about how he went to the Lake of Rage in Johto, determined to catch the legendary Red Gyarados that lived there. He was so excited, talking about its power, its majesty…"
Diamond mimed Cleffa's animated gestures. Diamond continued, his voice dropping into Jiggly's deadpan tone, "And then, Clef said he finally hooked something, reeled it in with all his might, battling it for what felt like hours. He was sure it was the Red Gyarados! But when he pulled it out of the water… it was just a regular Magikarp."
Diamond paused for effect, just like Jiggly used to, as he continued, "The whole audience was silent, waiting for the punchline. Then Jiggly, with this completely straight face, just said, 'Well, of course, Clef. All Magikarp are red, aren't they?'"
Diamond burst out laughing at the memory as he continued, "The whole place just erupted! Pearl and I were practically rolling on the floor, we thought it was the funniest thing we'd ever heard! My stomach hurt for days from laughing so hard."
Platinum smiled, a soft, genuine smile that rarely graced her features as she added, "That does sound quite amusing."
Diamond agreed, still chuckling, explaining, "Oh, it was brilliant. After the act was over, Pearl and I, we were just four years old then, we were obsessed with the idea of a Red Gyarados. Pearl, he was so sure that if there was a Red Gyarados in Johto, there had to be one in Lake Verity. You know, being a lake and all."
Diamond's smile faded slightly, replaced by a more thoughtful, distant look as he mused, "So we decided to go find it. We snuck away from our parents – which, looking back, was probably not the smartest idea for two four-year-olds – and went straight to Lake Verity. We were so excited, running along the shoreline, looking for any sign of a giant red fish."
His voice grew softer, almost a whisper, "But then… I don't know exactly how it happened. One moment, Pearl was right beside me, pointing at something in the water. The next, he was gone. I yelled for him, but I couldn't hear his reply. The forest around the lake was really dense there, and I must have wandered off the path while looking for him."
Diamond's brow furrowed, his eyes distant, seeing a past event unfold, continuing, "I was scared. Really scared. I heard rustling in the bushes, and some bigger wild Pokémon started to appear. Graveler, Bibarel… they weren't attacking, but they were curious, and I was just a little kid, all alone. I tried to find my way back to where I last saw Pearl, just walking along the shoreline, hoping he'd magically appear."
He stopped walking, looking out at the shimmering surface of Lake Valor, as if peering into the depths of his own memory, as he continued speaking, "And then… that's when I saw it. The lake started to glow. Not just a reflection of the sun, but from within the water. A soft, gentle light, like a thousand stars captured underwater. And from that light, something emerged."
Diamond's voice was hushed, filled with a childlike wonder that had never quite left him, and he continued, "It was… shining. Like pure light given form. It was beautiful, graceful, like nothing I had ever seen before, or since. It floated there, just above the water, for just a moment, a silhouette of light against the darkening sky. I couldn't make out any features, just… pure, shimmering brilliance. Like a dream."
His eyes widened slightly, remembering the intensity of the moment as he tried to explain into words, "Then, as quickly as it appeared, it just… faded. Vanished. The light receded into the lake, and the water was still again, as if nothing had ever happened. It was so bright, so sudden… so impossible."
Diamond let out a soft breath, gazing at the lake, continuing, "I… I fainted, right there on the shore. I don't remember anything after that, just waking up later, Pearl and his dad kneeling over me, relieved. They said they'd found me passed out and thought I'd just been scared by the wild Pokémon."
He gave a small, self-deprecating smile as he stated resolutely, "But I always remember that encounter, Platinum. Every time I see a big lake, it comes back to me, clear as day. The light, the feeling… It was real. I know it was."
Platinum listened intently, her usual scholarly objectivity momentarily softened by the raw honesty in Diamond's voice. She processed his words, the details, the emotion behind them of his encounter.
She asked gently, her voice barely above a whisper, "… Why haven't you told Pearl about this, then?"
Diamond shrugged, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes as he said calmly, "I don't know. I guess… he probably wouldn't believe me. He'd just say it was a dream, or I'd imagined it because I was scared. We were so little. I figured there was no point. It was just… something I kept to myself."
He looked back at her, a faint blush on his cheeks as he said bashfully, "Why, I'm telling you now, I honestly couldn't tell you either."
Platinum met his gaze, a thoughtful expression on her face. She said, her voice quiet and understanding, "Perhaps… because you knew I would listen."
She offered him a small, understanding nod as she said, "A shining being in a lake… It certainly sounds like an extraordinary encounter, Diamond."
He only offered a small, grateful smile in return. They continued walking along the shoreline, the weight of his memory now shared, the search for their friends continuing in the vast, serene landscape of Lake Valor.
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[Sinnoh Region, Meanwhile, Lake Valor (Azure's Side)]
Elsewhere, high above the very same Lake Valor, Azure was experiencing a different kind of post-sandstorm recovery. His Togekiss, a magnificent creature of peace and power, had effortlessly soared above the worst of the vortex, its broad wings cutting through the turbulent air with serene grace.
Azure clung to its back, Pikachu and Eevee still securely attached to its jacket, panting slightly but otherwise unharmed. Pichu (Mew), having recovered from its initial shock, was now peeking out from its pocket, its tiny eyes wide.
Azure praised, patting his Pokémon's neck, "Whoa, Togekiss, good catch!"
He looked down at the swirling sand cloud receding beneath them as he muttered, "Talk about an exhilarating ride! You know, I think I finally understand what Jessie, James, and Meowth go through when they're sent blasting off again. It's a unique sensation, truly. Very… aerodynamic."
*THWACK*
Pikachu, with surprising agility, stretched an arm back and delivered a light yet firm slap to the back of Azure's head. It chirped, a clear tone of exasperation in its voice, "Pika-chuuuu! (That's your take from that?! IDIOT!!)"
Eevee followed suit, nudging Azure's ear with its head, a little growl of annoyance escaping it, "Eevee! (You let it happen?! LOOK AT MY FUR!!!)"
Azure rubbed the back of his head, wincing playfully as he surrendered, replying, "Ow! Alright, alright, I get it! Should've stopped that Sandstorm sooner! But you have to admit, it was quite the experience!"
Pikachu and Eevee exchanged a look that clearly communicated, 'He's impossible...'
Azure sighed, relenting, seeing Pikachu and Eevee's stares, muttered, "Fine, fun's over. Time to be the responsible bodyguard. I suppose I should work on locating the Sinnoh Dex Holders, shouldn't I?"
He scanned the vast landscape below, the shimmering lake, the dense forests, the distant mountains as he muttered, "Hopefully, they aren't in any danger."
As those words left his lips, Pikachu, Eevee, and even Azure himself shared a collective, deadpan expression. The unspoken sentiment was palpable as they thought, 'Oh, they are absolutely, unequivocally, undoubtedly in danger.'
It was a universal law, almost. Put the Sinnoh Dex Holders in a situation, and danger would inevitably follow.
Azure sighed as he said calmly, his voice now serious with a hardened expression, "Alright, Togekiss, let's put those Flying training skills to good use. Fan out, gentle circles. Keep an eye out for any sign of them. We're looking for one very particular, very pun-prone boy, one highly energetic boy, and one exceedingly elegant young lady. And probably a disheveled footprint enthusiast."
Togekiss let out a soft, reassuring coo and began to sweep gracefully across the sky, its keen eyes and Azure's trained gaze searching the sprawling landscape below, "Tooooo~ (Got it, daddy!)."
Azure pulled out his Arc Phone, checking its GPS coordinates, hoping for a signal, for any indication of where his charges might have landed. He also considered sending out his Dragonite, its speed perfect for scouting, or Arcanine, whose nose could follow the scent of what it smelled.
He had a formidable team, and finding three, possibly four, people in a wide-open space after a sandstorm, while challenging, was certainly within his capabilities. Azure thought, a determined glint in his eyes, 'Don't worry, guys. I'll find you. And then Pearl can properly lecture Diamond about his terrible puns.'
*Fwp*
With that, he focused on the task at hand, his bodyguard duties now taking full precedence over his transient amusement being blasted off. The search for the missing Dex Holders had officially begun.
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A/N: Hope you like the chapter!