1. Ash's Story (Part 8: Ancient Sinnoh and Ultra Dimensions)

Chapter 25

The next morning, we meet up with Adaman and Irida in front of our quarters. Adaman greets us with a cheerful remark, "Isn't it nice getting up early?"

Irida groans in response, "Is it? It's not as if getting up early changes what you can do with the day."

"Yes, it does! It opens up possibilities...such as responding to Commander Kamado's invitation today in a timely manner!" Adaman insists.

"Well, I got that same invitation, and I had to wake up even earlier than you to run all the way here for it!" Irida retorts.

"Come on. No need to grouse so much over a nice little early wake-up," Adaman says, turning to us. "Are you coming, too? I'm sure we all can guess what the commander wants with us."

"Yes, we'll join," I affirm, and Irida adds, "Yes, do come. Galaxy Hall is quite close anyway."

Once the two have left, Alice turns to Rei, "We did get to see the Diamond Settlement, but where is the Pearl Settlement?"

"Oh, it's a really far away place from here," Rei replies. "You'll know it soon."

We exchange confused glances, but we decide to follow Kamado's lead. "You've now quelled the frenzy of four nobles," Kamado announces.

"Yeah... it wasn't easy..." I mutter, feeling the weight of our previous challenges. "I suppose there's a fifth one?"

"When word of these frenzies arrived from all over Hisui, I feared what would become of us," Irida comments. "But here we are, already preparing to quell the final noble."

"Yeah, who would've dreamed some strangers who tumbled out of the sky would be our salvation?" Adaman muses. "Life never does stop surprising you."

"The only lord left to be quelled is Avalugg, which lives in the Alabaster Icelands," Kamado reveals.

Alice and I widen at the mention of Avalugg, especially Alice since she knew Avalugg so well because of her father.

"He is also the largest of the nobles, according to what Irida told me," Kamado adds. "Your mission is to quell Avalugg, the final lord! And perhaps in doing so, we may trigger some change in the space-time rift as well!"

"You can count on us," We nod in unison. Adaman chimes in, "Avalugg may be the Pearl Clan's noble, but my clan and the Galaxy Team will have to step up to resolve this, too - for the sake of a brighter future!"

"Then let us all meet in the cold reaches of the Alabaster Icelands. Until then," Irida suggests as Kamado asks to speak to us alone.

"No matter how many of these frenzied Pokémon you may quell, the fact remains that you are strangers to our world. No small number of people still regard you with suspicion and distrust. The most you can hope for is to gain the trust of as many as possible, and to do that, you must prove yourself through your actions." Kamado's words are stern and laden with caution.

We nod in agreement as we leave the office, but as we arrive at the first floor, a sudden scream echoes from the level below.

"That's Captain Cyllene!" I exclaim, and we hurriedly dash to her office, only to find her sprawled on the floor with a Wurmple inching past her.

"A-Abra! Teleport this Wurmple outside! At once!" Cyllene commands, urgency in her voice. Abra swiftly complies, vanishing the bug with a teleportation. After noticing our startled expressions, Cyllene swiftly composes herself, hurrying back to her seat. "Ahem. So. You're to survey the Alabaster Icelands next. This is the most treacherous clime you'll face in all Hisui."

She rises abruptly, continuing, "But you have made progress. It seems you have earned yourselves a star." Cyllene presents us with our seventh star, alongside the recipes for Gigaton Balls—an Ultra Ball version of Heavy Balls.