Pokemon Heroes: Sinnoh Saga [Book 1]

Chapter 87: Scramble to the Summit

"Climbing Mt. Coronet to reach the Spear Pillar is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the weak, or the undetermined. Not even the seasoned veteran. Nilama always said that one who travels to the Spear Pillar should do so with a purpose; and a damn good one at that. Having almost fallen to my death several times on the way up, I whole-heartedly agree. No one but the craziest or most determined person in the world would ever want to come up here. The craziest person was ahead of us, and now our most determined souls were there to follow and stop him. Doubt was the last thing on our mind at that point, survival was more important as we climbed the icy-hewn, snow-covered slopes of Coronet. That was the hardest, most dangerous enemy you'd face on the mountain. Survival. Stronger than any Pokémon—you didn't get to see the Spear Pillar by climbing Mt. Coronet. You got to survive the Spear Pillar by surviving the mountain."

They were nearing the Spear Pillar.

The higher up they went, the more ruined statues and murals they could see.

Some were still intact, others were wrecked though, by age or by Team Galactic—it was an even mix.

Nilama was prostrate within at the loss of culture and heritage, and the destruction of these ancient ruins and artefacts.

Sam and Rowan felt a similar loss, as did the Hiker Brothers, but they kept their sadness to themselves.

They had passed through many perils to reach here.

Hours of climbing, being only steps behind Team Galactic.

They faced sheer cliff faces, narrow ledges, harrowing winds and ice. Snow that nearly made them slip and fall to their deaths.

The snowy mountainsides lead back to the inner caverns and twisting tunnels and steep, ancient staircases.

Which eventually bled back out snow-covered mountainsides and even worse blizzards.

Sometimes they'd reach another lit cavern with crystals and they could see ancient check points, sacred hovels dedicated as shrines for travellers—even what seemed to be an ancient tea house.

Waterfalls cascaded around these ancient ruins carved into the mountain itself, making a beautiful side and sound to all who beheld it.

If they weren't on a time limit they would've stopped to admire it and document the existence of this place, where none had set foot in millennia.

But alas, luxury of time was not on their side.

Right now, the group needed to give chase to Team Galactic.

The team up front, Sam and his friends, talked amongst themselves in hushed whispers as they crept up the dark caverns leading to the Spear Pillar.

"I'm glad you guys weren't hurt," said Alyssandra gently, "We were worried Team Galactic might try to hurt you to get back at us."

Niya shrugged. "They were a little rough in the way they treated us, but we were mostly left alone. Left to watch Cyrus work on the Red Chain and rip the gems from the Lake Guardians. That wasn't exactly pleasant. But otherwise, we had faith you'd come get us before we outlived our value."

"Though we were planning out an escape just in case," smirked Jeremy.

"I'm sorry we took so long," replied Sam, "We had to stop by Lake Verity, and then gather people to properly attack Veilstone City."

"How did Maylene take that?" asked Niya.

Sam shrugged. "She wanted what was best for her people, and what's best for her people was to push Team Galactic from her city. She was pretty upset that this was all going on under her nose without her knowing. She mostly left them alone...until they stopped being so benign."