Pokémon Mars 2

Chapter 9: The View

Construction had begun on the Contest Hall and Pokéathlon Dome. The sewer renovations were underway, as was construction of the sewers and metro line that would serve the Battle Frontier. Nyx wasn't sure where the money had come from – Jamie was MIA, so she suspected Wish – but the fundraising target had been reached for the project she proposed: a temple commemorating the battle with Arceus atop Mt. Coronet. She didn't mind if people used it to worship Arceus, but to her, Arceus was just another Pokémon and she hoped the temple would remind the people of Mars that their world was this way because of a Pokémon's actions.

Ironville was vibrant with new year decorations. It wasn't actually the Martian new year, but the residents usually used Earth's calendar. Twinkling fairy lights were strung between buildings. Dancers paraded huge Mega Rayquaza costumes through the streets to thank Rayquaza for stopping the destruction of Ironville. Nyx opened the door whenever one passed the lab. Volo loved watching them. It seemed a shame to leave Ironville during a time so cheerful that the residents could forget there was any danger, but the Harmony Project had more Pokémon to introduce.

An airport was under construction near Delta Lab 3, at the feet of Mt. Coronet. Until it was completed, however, driving was the only way to reach the largest mountain in the Solar System and the Coronet Sea beyond. All of the team but Firmino and Lambert boarded a Team Aqua bus. Nyx's heart ached when she saw Firmino and Volo shrinking in the rearview mirror, but she couldn't take a baby out of Ironville and Firmino was busy with the sewer renovations. Lambert was too old for such a bumpy journey.

If they paused life for Cipher, they would never get any work done or find joy in anything. Nyx switched the stereo on and turned it up. They were transported back to their grand tour of the Earth when they all sang along until their voices were hoarse. Everyone told Zorua to stay in Ironville, but no-one was surprised when one of their boxes opened an eye.

Nyx thought she would love driving on Mars, like Firmino did, and she was right. There were no other vehicles in sight. She could put her foot down and just drive, forgetting everything but the little community inside the bus and their surroundings that would still kill them if they got the chance, but that was a welcome challenge for an off-road driver like Nyx.

After five hours, they stopped by a river to rest and admire their transformed surroundings. Mt. Coronet was still over 100 miles away, but it occupied the entire horizon. Its slopes were buried under a cloak of blinding white snow. Tall grass and hardy flowers had sprung up around the river, thanks to the Shaymin and Enamorus that Arceus gifted to the new world. A suspension bridge reached across the river, its mighty pillars of red stone blending into their surroundings so easily that they almost looked natural. There was a lane exclusively for Pokémon. Cipher had certainly been chased out of the Creation program.

They drove a few miles north, past the bridge – since any evil teams would cross there if they were driving – and prepared to released some Spritzee, Swirlix, Ralts, Snom, Torchic and Ponyta in the flowers by the river. Palmira's Cinderace smashed the ice so they could release more Feebas and Magikarp in the river. The fish had come from the caves of Mt. Coronet, so they were used to bitterly cold water.

A ranch with a Pokémon Nursery, like the one Nyx's parents ran, was planned nearby. One day, Pokémon deposited in PCs on Mars would need somewhere to live, and more Pokémon Nurseries and farms would be needed. The young astronauts imagined Trainers their age, eventually younger, cycling alongside the river with Eggs they picked up from the ranch and catching the Pokémon they introduced there.

Cameras and the emergency box were unpacked. Since the spot was at least five hours from any settlement, they pitched heated tents and camped out to ensure the Pokémon settled in. In the day, they explored their surroundings in pairs, admiring the frosty grass, the looming Mt. Coronet and twisted, rust-shaded rock formations. At night, they lit a campfire. Many of the Pokémon gathered around them as they played board games and came up with spooky stories. On their third evening there, Sonnet nervously challenged Praise to a battle. Although his Pheromosa kicked one of Praise's Buzzwole so hard that it flew over the bus and into the river, Sonnet lost. Mercury encouraged Sonnet to share his dream with the rest of their friends. The atmosphere was so relaxed and jovial that he did.