Harmonia | Pokémon Fanfiction

00 | Relic

Music in media: Relic by Austin Fray

Arc 1 | Next to Normal
( by Lucius )

10 January, Monday, 10 a.m. | Winter

Undella Bay was no stranger to visitors swimming in its long stretch of golden beaches, only it was winter, a time when hardly anyone batted an eye at the tourist trap, which gave Lenora an excuse to be that special someone who would do more than swim — in fact, dive — among the floating, melting drops of snow.

A Wingull perching on a weathered rock glanced at her as she released her husband's Relicanth into the waters, clung onto its tan body and basked momentarily in the chill sunlight and the bay's mellow synth-led arrangement. Some feet away, a horde of Spheal stopped rolling in the soft sand to squeal at the splash she made as she disappeared underwater, her puffy teal hair rippling in the gentle waves. With relief she ripped herself from these casual judgements, and turned to the deep blue where the Pokémon were too engaged in their game of tag to acknowledge her presence. Lenora had had enough judgment when she retired her duties as a Gym Leader three years ago to pursue her passion in archaeology. While she received recognition as one of the best black female archaeologists in the world, a slew of criticisms came for her head simply because she was the first black Gym Leader in the world and held the record till, in their eyes, she lost her place to a young white man with the privilege of being a DexHolder. Despite the dissenters, some of her supporters thankfully backed Cheren up.

At this moment, she was the freest she had ever been, and could not be more grateful to Cheren for taking the mantle. Then there was his student, Whitley, who handed over Zinzolin's documents upon her departure from Team Plasma, the peculiar group who once fought for the liberation of Pokémon, and later, for control and power in the ugliest form. Team Plasma and their Seven Sages were finally put in place a year ago too, blessing all. Thereafter, Blake left for Alola, Black and White left Unova to make BW Agency global, and Whitley went on to explore the world with the duo. Everything was fine; when heroes fulfilled their duties, no one would need saving anymore.

Relicanth glubbed, as if partaking in her feelings of comfort. But the comfort only made more evident the love of her husband, Hawes, who, upon learning from her she would be off to put Zinzolin's documents to good use that morning, begged her not to go, out of fear of the dangers that could live in the abyss. And what was the peace enjoyed by a region to the peace from a dive into the unknown?

Lenora, slightly bogged down by her diving gear, though not at all trifled, headed for deeper waters. The Alomomola near the surface, the Basculin, the Wingull, the Mantyke and Remoraid, were soon replaced by Clamperl, Huntail, Gorebyss, Lanturn, Eelektross, all Pokémon of the abyss. With a school of Lanturn guiding their young Chinchou about the waters, Lenora was lulled into further comfort as their presence illuminated her surroundings like fairy lights in a dark room, the chipped-off steeple of an underwater temple gradually brought into view.

The Abyssal Ruins.

Seaweed clung to its brick walls and Lenora swore she saw a Dhelmise leisurely circling a corner of the temple, though it was no longer there by the time she reached the entrance and took in the apparent darkness and a howling rush of air.

According to the documents, I can take only 493 steps. Coincidentally, it's Arceus's number in the Pokédex.

Drawing in a deep breath, Lenora propelled herself forward, into the ruins. All around her, shy cracks shimmered with tiny bubbles. From the entrance, it was clear the temple was a labyrinth by choice, not by accident when it sunk to the depths of the abyss, causing bricks to fall and stack atop each other neatly.