The winding road stretched like a lazy river beneath a sky painted in pale blue and soft clouds.
Two full days had passed since the group departed from Brookmill, and during that time, peace had followed their footsteps. The wild Pokémon kept their distance, the weather was agreeable, and the wheel-ruts of the road remained dry and easy to navigate.
Not that the journey lacked movement.
Whenever they camped or paused for lunch, Shion and Jareth trained. Their sparring sessions once lopsided and cautious had become full-blown duels, albeit friendly ones. Kiba would practice advanced footwork and timing, and Jareth would coach Shion in defensive rolls and proper weight shifting.
"Keep your feet grounded when you call for Rock Slide," Jareth said, circling as Shion mirrored him. "Your partner follows your focus."
Shion adjusted his grip on the wooden staff they'd been using as sparring tools. "Right… grounded."
Kiba, perched on a nearby rock, gave a sharp bark of encouragement, tail flicking.
Meanwhile, Fena often busied herself nearby, gathering medicinal herbs, checking maps, and maintaining their travel logs. She only occasionally commented on their training usually with thinly veiled sarcasm.
Dunlin, ever the merchant, spent most of his time reviewing trade ledgers, sorting his cargo crates, and occasionally striking up conversations with wild travelers on the road.
It was a rhythm that felt comfortable.
Like a traveling family, each member with their own pace and pulse.
---
"Not far now," Dunlin called from atop the cart as the dirt road dipped between two rising ridgelines. "We should hit the outer rise by nightfall!"
Shion, walking beside Kiba, perked up. "That's Ternstone ahead?"
"That's the one," said Jareth, stepping closer. "Just past the stone archway. You'll know it when you see it."
Shion turned to him. "So… what's it like?"
A warm look crossed Jareth's usually reserved features, and he gestured toward the horizon.
"It's a mining town," he said. "Old, even by Ravelle standards. Carved into the sides of a ravine called Redcut named after the iron-rich soil. Most of the structures are built from stone. You'll see open quarries, smithies, and Pokémon haulers going back and forth all day."
He paused, brushing a hand along the handle of his pick-axe, which was strapped to his belt beside his sword.
"But what makes Ternstone special isn't just the rocks."
Shion tilted his head, curious.
"Legend says that long ago, when people feared attacks from raiders and corrupted beasts, the miners of Ternstone forged something with the help of ancient knowledge. They shaped earth into life. Manmade Pokémon, protectors built to watch over the mines and the village."
"Manmade Pokemon?" Shion asked, eyes widening.
Jareth nodded. "that's right golett and Golurk. Giants of earth and power. Said to be powered by runes etched into their cores."
Fena looked up from her notes. "I've read about them. Animancers from the old kingdoms believed the knowledge came from the ruins of a fallen civilization. They combined raw material with stored elemental energy… and willpower."
"Most of the Golett are still there," Jareth added, his tone more somber. "But not as many as before. Some fell dormant. Some were lost during cave-ins or accidents. And some… just walked away."
"Walked away?"
"They're Pokémon Shion. Just shaped by man. They each have their own will."
Shion felt a chill run up his spine. He imagined a darkened cavern, the echoing thud of massive stone feet… a Golurk striding alone into the mountain, never to return.
As the road bent again, narrowing into an uphill climb, Shion glanced down at Bidoof, who sat in his pack with half a berry lodged in his cheek.
"Hey," Shion said, voice quiet. "What about the Plate?"
Bidoof didn't answer at first.
Then he close his eyes.
There was a pause a longer silence than usual.
Finally, he muttered, "…It's here ."
Shion's breath caught.
"Here, as in close?"
"Close," Bidoof repeated. "Definitely within that guy hometown ."
Shion's heart pounded.
This was it.
After weeks of travel, sparring, discovery, and self-doubt they were finally close to a Plate.
He clenched his fist unconsciously, mind already racing.
What kind of Plate? How well was it hidden? Was it buried in the mines, or sealed beneath some relic chamber? Could it be guarded?
Would it even let him near?
The questions piled in faster than answers.
But one thing was certain:
He was getting closer to what this journey was truly about.
---
The road ahead crested the final hill of the day.
Beyond it, just faintly visible in the golden light of the setting sun, was a great arch of red stone natural, tall, and curving like the spine of some ancient beast. Beyond the arch, the terrain dipped dramatically into a canyon, where glowing orange lights began to flicker as the evening watch fires were lit.
That was Ternstone.
Shion stopped, staring out across the vista.
The rugged, geometric layout. The plumes of forge smoke rising from carved vents in the stone. The sound of hammering even at this hour. The silhouette of massive, slow-moving Pokémon among the carts and scaffolding.
He exhaled.
He felt ready.
---
That night, they camped just beyond the ridge, choosing not to descend until morning.
Jareth sat quietly by the fire, sharpening his blade and humming a faint tune from his childhood something old and rough, like miners used to sing.
Fena scribbled notes in her travel log, occasionally glancing toward Ternstone's lights.
Dunlin was already snoring in the cart.
Kiba slept beside Shion, and Bidoof… for once, was quiet.
"You alright?" Shion asked the not-so-Bidoof.
The chubby Pokémon nodded faintly.
"YYoucan feel it , don't you?" Shion whispered. "It's there. Waiting."
Bidoof looked at the flames, then toward the ravine.
"Yes," he said. "But not all things buried want to be found."