Snowpoint Temple? That's where Regigigas is sealed! Could this be the mastermind's true goal—awakening the legendary giant?
Summer's expression darkened. Regigigas may be hindered by Slow Start, but its sheer strength was undeniable. It was, without a doubt, the most powerful opponent he had ever faced.
And in the middle of this snow-covered terrain, its massive size alone could trigger devastating avalanches.
"Damn it, that temple holds a powerful Pokémon," Rei muttered, his face grim.
The guards, just recovering from the illusions, also noticed the chaos at the mountaintop. Watching the massive chunks of ice and snow tumbling down, their faces paled with fear.
"That's Snowpoint Temple! What's happening up there?!"
"Weren't there guards stationed there? No way—did something happen to them?!"
"What do we do?! Someone get the chieftain, quick!"
Panic spread among the already-exhausted villagers. They had barely recovered from the nightmare and illusion attacks, and now, another disaster loomed over them.
BANG!
The wooden door was kicked open, and Irida stormed in, eyes sharp despite the tear stains on her cheeks. Clearly, she had suffered through an illusion as well.
"You idiots!" she snapped, glaring at the frozen guards.
"Why are you just standing there?! Evacuate everyone—NOW! We can rebuild our home, but if we lose our people, we can never bring them back!"
That finally jolted them into action. The guards quickly released their Pokémon, carrying the elderly and children, while others gathered emergency rations and followed behind.
Irida turned to Summer and Rei. "You two, evacuate with them."
But Summer shook his head. "I overheard Rei earlier. The Pokémon sealed in Snowpoint Temple is extremely strong. If we just let it rampage…"
Irida frowned. "…You're not wrong."
She hesitated for a moment. Summer had already saved the village once—letting a guest take on such a dangerous task wasn't something she could allow as chieftain.
The villagers had now gathered in the center of the village. Their exhaustion was clear—barely any of them had gotten proper rest, and now they were being forced to flee.
Irida took a deep breath. "Listen up! Head for the Alabaster Icelands! The terrain there will minimize avalanche damage! Leave the rest to us!"
Her calm and authoritative voice reassured them. With the guards leading the way, the villagers began their retreat.
Before they left, she singled out two of her warriors.
"Cell, go find Lord Avalugg's warden. We need his help."
"Gweyn, take your Stantler and ride to the Pearl Clan's base in the Snowpoint Valley. Arezu should know this Pokémon's weaknesses."
"Chieftain, are you sure about waiting for Avalugg?" Cell asked. "It'll take hours to get there!"
Irida didn't answer. Instead, she reached into her robe and pulled out a peculiar flute.
She brought it to her lips and played a tune—a haunting yet commanding melody that echoed through the frozen land.
A loud screech pierced the sky as a Hisuian Braviary descended. Unlike normal Braviary, its head feathers burned with ghostly purple flames, a manifestation of its incredible psychic power.
"It'll take you there," Irida said, gesturing to the bird.
Gweyn nodded, climbed onto his Stantler, and rode toward Snowpoint Valley, while Cell hesitated before mounting the Braviary.
"…And what about you, Chieftain?"
Irida didn't respond. She simply continued playing the flute.
Braviary flapped its wings, lifting off the ground. "Just GO!" Irida commanded.
The moment they took off, she turned back and narrowed her eyes.
"…Why are you two still here, Rei, Summer?"
Rei sighed, crossing his arms. "Well, it's simple—I don't want whoever's behind this to get what they want."
He glanced at his Pokémon. "And my partners definitely don't want to let them get away with it either."
"Besides," Summer added, "you're planning to go to the temple anyway, right? We might as well make a team effort out of it."
"…Tch. Fine," Irida muttered, gripping a Poké Ball. "You better not slow me down."
Summer smirked. "Was about to say the same to you."
The three of them turned toward the temple and charged forward.
Snowpoint Temple was an ancient stone structure, rumored to have existed since before recorded history. Now, it was shaking violently—chunks of stone crumbling from its exterior, threatening to collapse entirely.
Deep within the temple's lowest chamber, a colossal Pokémon slowly stirred.
Regigigas.
The black dots on its head flickered to life as the massive titan shook off its restraints. Its once dull, lifeless body slowly regained its brilliant white sheen.
Floating around it were three peculiar slabs—each radiating an eerie glow.
A man stood before it, arms wide, his golden-blond hair catching the dim light. His white and gold-trimmed coat contrasted sharply with his emerald-green trousers.
He gazed upon the awakening titan, eyes gleaming with mad devotion.
"Rock Plate… Iron Plate… Icicle Plate… Yes… Yes! Reclaim your lost power, oh mighty giant!"
Regigigas trembled, then roared, shaking the entire temple.
"…Yes, that's it," the man whispered. "You and I—we share a common enemy."
His name was Volo.
Eight years ago, his plan had failed. But rather than wallow in despair, he spent every moment since then uncovering Sinnoh's ancient mysteries, seeking an even stronger force to aid him.
He had found it in Regigigas.
Legend spoke of the Giant King, its strength so fearsome that even Arceus itself had sealed it away.
If Arceus feared Regigigas, then surely it must hold the key to its defeat.
To break the seal, Volo had traveled across distant lands, retrieving the lost Plates of the Titans. Now, with them restored, Regigigas could rise once more.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from the titan as it lifted a massive arm. Its fingers glowed ominously, gathering searing energy—
Then, without hesitation, it fired a blinding beam straight at Volo.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently as the blast obliterated the wall behind him.
But Volo had already dodged. He rolled to the side, landing in a crouch, breathing heavily.
"…Tch. So you lack rational thought?" His smile faltered slightly. "Did I misinterpret the myths?"
A pause. Then, he let out a low chuckle.
"No matter," he murmured. "This is merely… a temporary setback."
His obsession burned ever brighter. No matter how long it took, he would see his revenge realized.
"…Darkrai," he called, voice calm.
From his own shadow, a black, wispy figure emerged, its blue eyes glinting in the darkness.
"Our work here is done. Get me out of here."
The shadows churned, engulfing him as he sank into the void.
As he disappeared, he sneered.
"…Let's see how you handle this mess without her to save you."
Summer, Rei, and Irida arrived just in time to witness a massive explosion tear through the temple.
A brilliant energy beam shot from underground, shattering stone and ice, sending debris flying.
Rei's breath caught. "Wait… That thing's already awake?!"
Irida didn't respond. She was scanning the area for the temple's guards when a voice called out behind her.
"Chieftain, I'm here."
She turned to see a man peeking out from behind a boulder—Coal, the guard assigned to Snowpoint Temple.
"Coal, you're alright? That's a relief."
Clutching his arm, Coal stepped forward. His clothes were stained with traces of blood, and his expression was filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Chieftain. This happened because of me… I failed to protect the temple."
Irida jumped off her Hisuian Braviary, her face filled with bitter regret. She didn't blame him—he had likely been caught in an illusion and even suffered injuries. If only she had considered the temple sooner...
"Don't blame yourself, Irida. Something's coming," Rei warned.
"I know." Irida's gaze remained locked on the ruined temple as she pulled out a Poké Ball. "Braviary, take Coal to the Alabaster Icelands."
"But—! I already failed once! I can't just—"
Braviary hesitated, reluctant to leave. It wanted to stay and fight alongside her.
"You're in no condition to battle! This is a direct order—now GO!" Irida's voice was sharp and commanding.
Left with no choice, Coal climbed onto Braviary's back. As the bird took off, he turned for one last look at the crumbling temple.
From the shattered ruins, a massive, pure-white arm emerged.
Coal gritted his teeth, fists clenched in frustration. Please… be safe, Chieftain. The Pearl Clan needs your leadership.
"Here it comes!"
Summer shouted, bracing himself as his Pokémon stood ready for battle. Beside him, Irida and Rei released their own Pokémon.
Rei's team consisted of Staraptor, Pikachu, and Mr. Mime, while Irida sent out Glaceon, Flareon, and Espeon.
"Rillaboom."
Summer gave a nod, and Rillaboom responded immediately—lush grass spread across the battlefield, activating Grassy Surge.
"Mr. Mime, Light Screen!"
"Espeon, Reflect!"
At their trainers' command, shimmering protective barriers rose around the group.
BOOM!
A colossal arm swept through the area, demolishing what was left of Snowpoint Temple. The full form of Regigigas was now in plain view, its black markings glowing a menacing red.
"So this is what Dawn faced all those years ago…" Rei muttered, eyes wide in disbelief.
"We can't let this thing reach the Pearl Clan," Irida said firmly. But how were they supposed to stop something like this? Even Palkia had been overwhelming back then…
"…What's that?"
Summer suddenly noticed something hovering over Regigigas's head—three floating slabs, each carved from different materials: rock, ice, and steel.
"Plates?"
Irida recognized them instantly. They were the same Plates Dawn had collected. But… weren't they supposed to have vanished along with her?
"If we take those out, maybe we can weaken it?" Rei suggested.
Regigigas raised its arm once more, bringing down another devastating blow—the entire temple was reduced to rubble.
"We have to test it! Glaceon, Ice Beam!" Irida commanded.
"Glaaace!"
A chilling beam of ice shot toward Regigigas, but before it could even land, the Icicle Plate and Iron Plate shimmered— the attack vanished on impact.
"…What?!" Irida gasped. Not even a scratch?!
Regigigas didn't react. It simply turned and began marching down the mountain.
"Its target is the village?!" Rei shouted.
Summer's mind raced. If normal attacks don't work, then…
His fingers brushed against a small, pink slab tucked away in his bag—the Pixie Plate.
Of course.
"Irida, Rei! We're heading to Lake Acuity!"
"What? Why—" Irida began, but then froze.
Regigigas had stopped moving. Slowly, it turned to face them instead.
"It's reacting to the Plate…?"
Summer swiftly put the Pixie Plate away. If this thing was drawn to Plates, they could use that to their advantage.
Without wasting another second, he bolted toward the lake.
Irida and Rei exchanged glances before following close behind. Summer had solved crisis after crisis—if he had a plan, they'd trust it.