Vol. I, Part 3: Chapter 24

  Nuvema Harbor was small, hardly the same size as the one in Castelia. It was typically populated by fishing trawlers and recreational skiffs rather than commercial fleets. But today, Pier 3 had been cleared for something much larger.

  They arrived at the docks early in the morning. Nate checked the straps on the heavy-duty dollies. Inside their transport cages, the Electric-types moved restlessly. In the reinforced tank nearby, the Tynamo swam in restless loops through the filtered water. They were going home, and they seemed to know it.

  “Skyla should be here any minute,” Nate whispered to the glass of the tank. The Tynamo didn’t react to his voice, but somehow, Nate knew they understood him.

  The scheduled 7:00 a.m. arrival time was getting closer. Mr. Orens stood center of the pier, scanning the skies with his hand shielding the glare. Professor Juniper, Ms. Gabby, and Bianca were inspecting the Electric-types, ensuring everything was prepared for the transfer. Castform floated in between the cages, happily cheering as it passed each species of Pokémon.

  Nate sat on a weathered wooden crate next to Hugh. Both were silent. He felt a mix of emotions swelling in his gut, fatigue and adrenaline along with excitement and anxiety for their upcoming mission.

  “You know, Nate,” Hugh started, his voice quiet against the lapping waves. “No matter what we find in that cave, promise me you’ll have my back.”

  Nate kept his eyes on the horizon, watching the morning sunlight reflect off the ripple of the sea.

  “For sure, Hugh. Promise. We stick together as a team. No matter what.”

  “Look out for the others, too.”

  Nate turned to look at his friend. Hugh was leaning on a rusted light post, one leg propped up and arms crossed.

  “What’s got you all sentimental?”

  “Nothing.” Hugh shifted his resting leg, looking down at his rubber boot. “It’s just… they’re good people. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

  Nate shifted on the crate. His insulated boots felt heavy, kicking his heels against the wood with a hollow thump-thump. “No one’s going to get hurt, Hugh. They’re all strong Trainers.”

  “But strength alone doesn’t win battles. It takes teamwork. Rosa told us that. Remember?”

  Nate offered a slight nod. “Yeah, she did. She’s pretty smart. And tough.”

  His gaze drifted across the pier. Rosa was sitting on the concrete near the water’s edge. Her knees were pulled tight to her chest in the same defensive posture she’d held on the bleachers before their battle. Hilda and Hilbert sat on either side of her, lost in their own thoughts. None of them were talking.

  I hope she’s doing alright.

  Nate felt a low-frequency rumble vibrate the crate beneath him. The sound rapidly amplified, shaking the foundation of the pier and scattering a flock of resting Wingull into the sky.

  “That’s Skyla!” Mr. Orens called out, clamping a hand over his cap to keep it from flying away as he signaled the ground crew.

  Nate checked his phone.

  6:59 a.m.

  Skyla was right on time.

  The team gathered near the entrance to the pier, shielding their eyes against the mist as a massive, slate-gray cargo plane broke through the clouds. It banked sharply over the harbor, looking like a breaching Wailord before straightening out. Instead of landing gear, two enormous hydroskis deployed, slicing toward the surface of the water.

  “Talk about an expert landing,” Hugh stated, impressed.

  Who is this Skyla?

  The plane sailed down the length of the harbor, twin walls of sea splashing outwards as it came to a halt adjacent to the pier. The turbines slowly spooled down. With a loud hiss, a large cargo door lowered from the fuselage, doubling as a ramp as it met the concrete.

  A woman with vibrant auburn hair and a form-fitting blue flight suit vaulted down the ramp. She fixed her goggles to the top of her head with a confident flick of her hair and flashed a high-energy grin at her audience.

  Woah.

  “Morning, Nuvema!” Skyla shouted, her voice easily carrying over the dying engines. “I hope you guys are packed light, because we’re on a tight schedule if we want to beat the afternoon updrafts over the mountains!”

  Two flight-hands hurried down behind her, immediately coordinating with Mr. Orens to begin moving the electric cargo.

  Professor Juniper stepped forward, her lab coat fluttering in the breeze. “Skyla, thank you for coming on such short notice.”

  “Are you kidding? Anything to get these Pokémon back to their homes!” Skyla’s eyes scanned the pier, landing on the cages of the Electric-types. Her expression softened for a brief second, shifting into one of professional respect. “When I dropped them off, I didn’t have high hopes for them. But I have to say, I’m impressed. They look like they’ve been through a lot.”

  “They have,” Ms. Gabby said, stepping up beside Juniper. Castform hovered close behind her shoulder.

  Gabby’s voice was stiff, her posture defensive. She had abandoned her usual lab coat for practicality, wearing a fitted olive field jacket over a tactical turtleneck. Dark cargo pants were tucked into rubber-soled boots and her red hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.

  “I take it you’ll be accompanying us for the investigation?” Skyla asked, giving Gabby’s tactical apparel a thorough once-over. Her eyes landed on Castform for a brief second, giving her pause.

  Us?

  “Yes, I will be. They are my students, Skyla. I am responsible for them,” Gabby replied sternly. “I didn’t expect you to be joining at the last minute.”

  Juniper stepped diplomatically between them. “I briefed Skyla on the mission. It is in her best interest to join the investigation.”

  “Chargestone is in my backyard,” Skyla explained, her playful edge hardening. “That anomaly was strong enough to wipe out my navigation systems for nearly forty-eight hours. My pilots have been reporting ‘Dead Zones’ all across Mistralton and Driftveil ever since the incident. If we don’t stop whatever is in that cave, I will have to ground my entire fleet.”

  Gabby let out a slow, measured breath, giving a stiff nod. “Very well. But safety is our priority. If I say we leave, we leave.”

  Skyla let out a short chuckle and shook her head. “Oh Gabriella. Always business with you.”

  She looked past the women, locking eyes with the seven teenagers. “So, this is the Junior Varsity Team.”

  “They’re my Field Research Team, Skyla,” Juniper corrected gently. “And they’ve earned their seats on that plane.”

  Nate felt a surge of pride. They’d spent hours training their Pokémon, reviewing battle strategies, and studying type match-ups. They were ready, and Juniper trusted them.

  “If you say so,” Skyla shrugged, pivoting to address the group. “Alright, let’s get moving! Dollies first, then the water tank! I want these little sparks secured and the ramp up in ten minutes!”

  The quiet morning instantly dissolved into motion. Nate grabbed the handle of a dolly loaded with huddled Joltik, while Hugh and Hilbert took control of the others. He pushed the cart down the pier, the wheels clattering over the concrete.

  Suddenly, the front wheel caught a jagged seam in the pavement. The cart jerked to a dead stop. Nate launched forward, his chest colliding hard with the metal handle.

  A sharp flare ran up his side. Nate threw a hand over his bruise, grunting as the pain pulsed and faded. He gripped the handle, waiting for the sting to recede. It had been almost a week since the Aggron attack, but the deep bruising still ached when provoked.

  “Careful, Nate.”

  Rosa was suddenly next to him. Her presence alone almost alleviated his pain. She reached out and steadied the cage that drifted off the dolly.

  “Your side,” she said, her eyes searching his face as he forced his breathing to level out. “Does it still hurt?”

  “Yes, but not much. Only when I move certain ways.” Nate straightened out, trying to keep his expression neutral. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”

  Rosa pressed her lips into a tight line. He could tell she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t push it.

  “Okay,” she let out quietly.

  She picked up the Emolga cage she had set down to help him. “Listen, Nate. I don’t—”

  “Hey! Nate! Rosa! C’mon we’re about to leave!” Cheren’s voice shouted over the sound of the engines starting to spool up again.

  Nate looked around. Everyone was already onboard. They were the only ones left on the pier.

  “Let’s go,” Nate said. He pushed the Joltik cart forward, taking care to avoid the cracks this time. Rosa followed with the Emolga, but he felt her eyes linger on him as he moved.

  Inside the cargo hold, Nate secured the Joltik cage, tightening the nylon straps until the ratchets clicked firmly into place. When the last cage was settled, the team made their way up a narrow flight of stairs into the passenger cabin. Nate took a seat on the left side, sandwiched between Hugh and a small circular window.

  Outside, the massive wing cast a shadow over the pier. Juniper and Mr. Orens remained on the concrete pier, watching the final preparations.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Ramp coming up!” Skyla’s voice echoed over the intercom.

  The heavy door groaned as it lifted, sealing with a definitive ca-chunk-hiss that pressurized the cabin.

  The engines started, vibrating through the seats. The plane began to pivot, bobbing up and down with the waves. Through the glass, Nate watched Juniper and Mr. Orens slide out of view as the aircraft completed a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, facing the open water.

  They surged forward, moving faster and faster along the water. Then, the sensation of weightlessness took over as the nose lifted.

  They were airborne.

  As Skyla’s cargo plane entered the Mistralton airspace, the cabin’s interior lights flickered and died. A second later, the red emergency strips along the floor automatically kicked on.

  Bianca gripped her armrests. “What’s happening?”

  “We hit the Dead Zone,” Skyla’s voice came crackling over the speakers, distorted by static. “Don’t worry, I’ve been flying over Mistralton my whole life. I know the skies better than my own gym.”

  Outside the windows, it was severely overcast. Lightning struck between the peaks of the mountains. They were not like the jagged, white lighting bolts Nate was used to, but neon blue streaks of electricity.

  “Uh, guys. Are those lightning bolts normal?” Hilbert asked from his window seat, one row in front of Nate.

  “That’s discharge from Chargestone Cave.” Cheren explained, his voice tight as the plane shuddered. “The electromagnetism is leaking into the atmosphere,”

  So, this is it. Chargestone Cave.

  The plane broke through the top layer of clouds, revealing the vast mountain range that cradled the Mistralton valley. It was lonely, secluded, and dotted with farmland, reminding Nate of Aspertia. Yet amidst the trees lay a bustling city. The largest building was the air traffic control tower standing in the center of it all.

  The landing gear struck the Mistralton runway, the hydroskis replaced by rubber wheels that screeched against wet asphalt. Light drizzle began to pepper the plane as it slowed to a halt.

  “Okay, okay, ride’s over!” Skyla announced, emerging from the cockpit and marching down the aisle. “Move it, R&D! Let’s get this cargo unloaded before the rain picks up.”

  The team unbuckled. The sudden silence of the stopped engines made the ringing in Nate’s ears feel deafening. As they stepped onto the tarmac, they were met with three rugged-looking pickup trucks idling near the hangar.

  Cheren immediately slipped into team-leader mode. “Alright, let’s get everything loaded up.”

  Bianca stepped up, weighing the logistics of the load in her mind. “We’ll put the Joltik together in the first truck, and the Klink and Klang in the second. Tynamo and the three Emolga go in the third.”

  “Yes ma’m!” Cheren rolled up his sleeves. “Hugh, help me secure the Tynamo tank.”

  Hugh and Cheren ran off to the cargo bay to retrieve the heavy water tank.

  “Guess this is the last time I’ll see my cute little Emolga,” Hilda said, her face brooding.

  Hilbert stepped up behind her, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Yeah. Joltik, too. I’m going to miss the little fuzzball.”

  Hilda reached up and squeezed his hand, glancing at him over her shoulder. “We’re just a bunch of softies, aren’t we Bert?”

  “Too soft, Da. Way too soft.”

  They wandered off to grab their Electric-type friends to say goodbye one last time.

  Bianca patted Rosa's arm. “C’mon, let’s go help them say goodbye.”

  Rosa nodded, taking a step toward the cargo hold.

  Before Rosa could follow Bianca, Nate called out to her.

  “Hey.”

  She stopped and turned to face him. The grey light of the overcast sky made her blue eyes look impossibly bright.

  “Hey.”

  “Back there… on the pier,” Nate started, his voice sounding quieter than usual. “Right before Cheren yelled at us to board, you were about to say something.”

  “Oh. That,” Rosa whispered. She looked away briefly, raising a fist to her chest in a defensive posture.

  “You’re guarding your left side,” she noted quietly. “And your breathing is too shallow.”

  Nate blinked, instinctively straightening up, which only triggered a dull flare of pain. “I told you, it only hurts with certain movements. I’m fine.”

  “I don’t think you should be going with us.”

  “What? Why not?”

  “Because that bruise hasn’t healed yet, and your ribs are likely compromised,” Rosa reasoned, laced with that clinical authority she had inherited from her mother. “If we get in a situation where you have to strain yourself or move fast, you’re going to risk more injury. You’re a liability to yourself.”

  Nate opened his mouth in protest, but stopped. Deep down, he knew she was right. He still ached. No matter how much he downplayed it, the dull throb was constant. Not as agonizing as days before, but enough to make him hesitate. And if he had hesitated for even a fraction of a second with that Aggron, he wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation.

  “I made a promise to Hugh,” Nate finally said, staring at the wet pavement. “I told him I’d have his back. If I backed out now, I’d…”

  Nate struggled to find the right words. He felt it was his duty, his purpose to go. But no one forced him. No one asked him to put his body on the line.

  Am I being irrational?

  Rosa looked at him, not with judgment, but with quiet compassion. She listened. She heard him.

  “You’d feel like a failure?” Rosa finished for him.

  Nate nodded. Her words spoke volumes. “Yeah. I would.”

  Rosa stared out toward the mountains, looming over them like an overbearing father shrouded in mist.

  “I get that.”

  She turned back to him, offering a gentle smile. “Don’t push yourself. Okay? If you need a break, tell me. I’ll wait for you.”

  Nate felt his face heat up. He wondered if she could see the contrast of his red cheeks against the grey clouds.

  “I will.”

  A voice interrupted the moment.

  “Well, well. Look at you two.”

  Nate and Rosa both jumped. Hilda had silently materialized next to them, effortlessly balancing an Emolga cage against her hip. A slow, highly suspicious smirk spread across her face.

  “Hey. W-what’s up?” Rosa stammered, taking a quick half-step back from Nate.

  “Oh, nothing,” Hilda hummed, wiggling her eyebrows. “You guys having a nice conversation?”

  “Hilda…”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She waved a dismissive hand at them. “Continue on with… whatever it is you’re talking about. The rest of us will load the trucks.”

  She walked off toward the trucks, her grin never leaving her face.

  Hilbert, pushing a Joltik crate along, passed by Nate and gave him a quick wink without saying a word.

  What was that about?

  Nate turned back to Rosa, who was now just as red as he was.

  “Umm, we should probably help load the trucks,” she said, forcing a laugh.

  Nate returned the laugh. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  Standing around watching his teammates do the heavy lifting felt wrong, but as he walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Rosa toward the convoy, he decided that, just for the moment, he didn’t really care.

  Skyla looked like she was on a Sunday cruise. She drove with one hand casually draped over the top of the steering wheel, her other hand tapping a beat on her knee to a song that was barely audible over the static fuzz of the radio.

  The wheels of the truck screeched as she took a sharp turn at forty miles per hour. Mud splattered against the passenger window, obscuring the view of the steep drop-off into the Mistralton valleys below.

  Hugh gripped the handle above the door, bracing himself as the centrifugal force threatened to jam him against the glass. In the cramped middle seat, Nate sat rigid, arms tucked tight into his sides, making himself as small as possible to keep personal space. He favored his right side where Hugh sat, their shoulders brushing and Hugh’s elbow digging near his gut. By contrast, Nate made a conscious, desperate effort to keep at least an inch gap between his left arm and Skyla.

  She was young and very pretty, probably no older than twenty-four. Despite her charm and eye-catching looks, she carried herself with effortless confidence. Her eyes pierced through like a Skarmory’s gaze that made Nate feel unapologetically bashful.

  Why is she so damn intimidating?

  “You boys are awfully quiet,” Skyla noted. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror to check on the convoy behind them before landing on her passengers. “You nervous or something?”

  Nate could feel her eyes on him from his peripheral vision. He only glanced her way before staring out the rain-soaked windshield. “Just, trying to stay focused.”

  Hugh kept a death grip on the handle above.

  “You know, I realized in all the rush, I never actually got your names. I don’t think I saw you when I first dropped off the Pokémon.”

  “We weren’t there,” Hugh replied, his voice tight. “I’m Hugh.”

  “Nate.”

  “Hugh and Nate. Got it,” Skyla grinned, sizing them up with a quick side-glance. “So, have either of you ever challenged a Gym Leader before?”

  “Well… ” Hugh said, his eyes darting to Nate. “I guess that depends on what you mean by challenge.”

  Skyla raised one eyebrow, silently inviting elaboration.

  “I battled Roxie from Virbank City,” Nate offered, watching Skyla’s reaction closely. “For a ferry ride to Castelia.”

  “Roxie?” Skyla let out a sharp, genuine laugh. “She doesn’t hand out favors for free. Let me guess, you won?”

  “I did. Just barely.”

  The memory of the battle with Roxie flashed in Nate's mind. He could visualize the aura surrounding Koffing, the terrifying out-of-body experience, seeing the world through Riolu’s eyes, and the green-haired man who had called Riolu’s amnesia a 'void.'

  Skyla let out a short chuckle. “You must be a very capable Trainer then.”

  “We handle ourselves just fine,” Hugh muttered, eyeing the speedometer as it climbed.

  “I can see that,” Skyla said, her tone shifting. The playfulness remained, but there was an assessing look in her eyes now. “I saw how you handled loading those Pokémon. You guys handled them like… well, like partners.”

  “We just want to get them home safely,” Nate said.

  “Good. Keep that attitude,” Skyla said, turning her attention back to the winding mountain road. “Juniper trusts you enough to send you all out here. If she says you’ve earned your place, I believe her. I don’t care if Gabriella thinks you’re just kids.”

  Nate felt the animosity in Skyla’s voice. There was certainly history between Ms. Gabby and Skyla. That much was obvious.

  “Why do you call her Gabriella?” Hugh asked, seemingly unable to read the room.

  Nate cringed in his seat, and not because his side was aching from his cramped position.

  If Hilda was here, she’d stomp on his foot.

  “Because Gabby is the woman that deeply loves her Pokémon,” Skyla replied with emphasis on the name Gabby. “Gabriella is the scientist that takes her job too seriously.”

  “But if she didn’t take her job seriously, she wouldn’t have volunteered to join us,” Hugh argued, his tone stubborn.

  Nate was stunned.

  Hugh, defending Ms. Gabby?

  Skyla sighed. She glanced at Hugh with surprise before her expression smoothed into something unreadable. “I know she’s just trying to protect you. But sometimes, you just have to let the young ones fly.”

  “You might think she’s too controlling, but at least it shows us she cares,” Hugh replied.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I like Gabby. But somewhere along the way, she had a change of heart.” Skyla gripped the steering wheel tighter. Her face focused on the road, lost in her thoughts.

  “I’ll leave it at that,” she said after a brief pause.

  Hugh, wisely, did not press Skyla any further.

  Outside the window, the atmosphere was changing. The humidity was being replaced by a dry, static charge.

  Suddenly, a loud snap erupted from the radio speakers, followed by a high-pitched whine that drilled into their ears.

  Hugh flinched, covering his ears. “What the hell?”

  Skyla reached over and clicked the volume knob to ‘Off.’

  “And there goes the radio,” she announced. “We’re officially entering the Dead Zone.”

  The trees were thinning out, replaced by rugged gray rocks and scrub brush. They were deep into the mountainside now, and not a single trace of civilization remained. They were in the wilderness. No radio. No comms. Just pure instincts.

  The convoy rounded a final bend, tires crunching loudly as Skyla pulled the truck onto a wide gravel shoulder. Ahead, a massive, gaping maw in the side of the mountain came into view. The entrance to Chargestone Cave was glowing. A faint, electric blue light pulsed from within, illuminating the hole.

  “Well, boys,” Skyla said, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning to face them. “Welcome to the belly of the beast.”