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Chapter 11 — Museum of Alto Mare
"Here we are. The Museum of Alto Mare," Brock announced, looking up at the grand entrance. The opulence of the building itself and the elegance of its wooden doorway made them wonder about what it contained within its halls and galleries.
"It's more like a palace than a museum… Got a fancy air to it," Dawn commented. Piplup chirped in agreement. She glanced at the expansive plaza behind them, taking in the central fountain and the two imposing pillars that held the statues of Latios and Latias at its other end. "It's right at the city center, too. If it looks this good from the outside, I can't wait to see what's in it."
"Was changing our tickets too much of a hassle?" Ash asked while scratching the back of his head. "Sorry that I caused us to miss them yesterday."
"Yeah, you just had to run off to fight Team Rocket, right?" Dawn quipped, throwing Ash a teasing side glance while elbowing him. "We've dealt with them for what? A year nonstop? And you
still want to beat them up that badly?"
"Five years, in my case." Ash crossed his arms and pursed his lips. "But, well, yeah. I saw their balloon nearby and wanted to get rid of them before they did something dumb. Like, say, ruin the museum by attacking us inside there."
Pikachu let out a cry of approval and nodded firmly, earning a glare from Piplup.
Brock laughed and shook his head in amusement. "That's a good point; I'll admit that. Anyway, don't worry about it. I just bought new ones." He shrugged. "I took it out of your Sinnoh League prize money."
"You what!?" Ash shouted.
"Oh, look! The doors are about to open!" Brock gushed, completely ignoring Ash's question.
Meanwhile, at the far back of the group of tourists gathered outside the museum's entrance, a tall woman with two oversized twin-tails stared ahead in shock.
'I can't believe it. It's the kid that helped Latias during the poacher fight!' Annie thought. She casually reached up to her sports sunglasses as if to adjust them and tapped a hidden touchpad on the rim.
'That should get Oakley's attention. Maybe we can learn something from this.'
The museum's heavy wooden doors, each emblazoned with a carved emblem of Alto Mare, opened with a loud creak. "Welcome to the Museum of Alto Mare!" a burly old man with a round white beard and prominent round eyes called out enthusiastically to the crowd. "My name is Lorenzo, and I'm the museum's curator. You may redeem your ticket at the scanner and come in!" He stepped aside and motioned to the interior with the wave of a hairy arm.
Ash's group and the tourists gathered passed through the doorway with animated chatter and waved their tickets before the scanner. Three enormous paintings, each as tall as the dome-shaped ceiling, dominated the wall on the far end of the museum's first hall. They remained partially obscured behind a veil of subdued lightning, hinting at their contents but not fully revealing them. It cast a soft and flattering glow on the exhibits, forming an ambiance of reverence and intrigue in the room that greeted them. Rich, velvety damask wallpaper covered the vast walls as a backdrop to the museum's centerpieces.
The visitors stopped at the sight, as the first room felt like it belonged in another era. The magnificent skeleton of a strange draconic figure about forty feet in length stood in the hall's center, bathed in a soft and ethereal glow from the filtered sunlight. Those present couldn't help but marvel at the beast's size.
The bipedal creature's immense bones towered above the room as if it sought to dominate the landscape. Its colossal asymmetric skull, gaping maw, and teeth like serrated knives appeared ready to snap shut at any moment. Behind its long neck, the dragon's ribcage stretched out as a series of monumental arches, and its diminutive arms led to razor-sharp claws whose tips glistened against the dim illumination.
Frozen in time as an apex predator and as one of the world's most powerful Pokémon, everyone almost heard the echo of its primeval roar reverberating through the museum's halls. Its long and mighty wings curved gracefully at its sides and around the room, a counterbalance to its massive head and rounded tail, displaying the same distinct asymmetry that marked the dragon's features.
Each bone reflected the dragon's power and resilience, while each crack and hole scattered across its remains showed the scars of a horrifying battle from a distant past. The museum's lighting cast eerie shadows across the fossilized bones, giving the skeleton an otherworldly aura, as though the dragon's remains transcended death.
Lorenzo loudly cleared his throat to get the attention of those present. "Long ago, the peace of our ancestors shattered when an enormous dragon from a foreign land appeared over the horizon and terrorized this region of Johto. Why? We do not know. Unlike its home, we've suspected it found easy hunting grounds here from a lack of competition. After it turned our land into a frozen wasteland, countless heroes attempted to defeat it over the passage of years, yet all efforts failed due to its unparalleled might. Everyone—people and Pokémon alike—lived in fear."
Lorenzo walked to a nearby pillar and flipped a switch. An overhead light turned on and fully illuminated the central portrait hanging above the room—one of a Latios with a darkened hue of blue adorning his feathers and a fierce visage. "One day, this dragon provoked a local family of Lati, who fought it in retaliation."
Ash, Dawn, and Brock looked at the portrait of Latios hanging above the monstrous skeleton in front of them. They'd seen many clashes between Legendary Pokémon over their travels, one of which had led to the brief death of one of them. They collectively shuddered, knowing how destructive battles between Legendaries became.
"That battle escalated into a struggle for the freedom of Johto, which drew in countless Pokémon and people who came to the family's aid." Lorenzo flipped another switch, illuminating the two portraits at the Latios' sides, one of a young Latios and one of a young Latias. "Along with his brave children, who'd grow to become our guardian gods in the present, the three fought it to the death. Latios, the father, and the foreign dragon suffered fatal injuries in the fight. With his dying breath, the elder Latios brought the water and drowned the dragon, turning this region into an ocean, our streets into canals, and this room into the dragon's tomb."
Lorenzo flipped the final switch, which fully illuminated the entire room and revealed all the exhibits. He stepped in front of the skeleton and faced the tourists with a grim expression. "No one moved these bones. Here, exactly, is where the invader drew in his last breath and died. The few of our ancestors who survived the fight helped nurse the two injured children, who later founded this town in honor of their fallen father. That's when the town was named Alto Mare, which means high sea." He smiled and looked up at the three portraits. "It is said that Latios' soul remains in this area, bringing peace and prosperity to us all through his greatest gift to us… His children. They are our Guardian Angels who nurtured the town into the beautiful city it is today."
Annie's eyebrows rose so far that they appeared over the rim of her sports sunglasses. She fidgeted on the spot and raised her hand. "Um, excuse me? Can we ask questions?"
Lorenzo nodded politely at her. "Yes?"
"So, you're telling us the city's guardians… When they were
much younger and smaller…" Annie pointed at the enormous skeleton towering over the room. "Fought and killed…
that?"
Lorenzo chuckled in amusement. "Well, kind of? Their father did most of the work. Our guardians refuse all credit for it to this day, giving it to their father instead. But they took part in the fight, and, without them, it's unlikely their father would've won."
Annie frowned and slowly examined the skeleton from beginning to end to ensure the sensors in her glasses obtained an accurate reading. "It looks quite scary. Thank the guardians!" She discreetly shook her head once Lorenzo's attention left her.
'If I were such a big monster, I wouldn't lose to those two furballs. Oakley better look up records of that fight if they exist.'
"What Pokémon even is that thing?" Dawn asked. "It doesn't seem familiar to me. I've never seen anything like it in Sinnoh's ruins."
Ash took out his Pokédex and pointed it at the imposing skeleton. "I wonder what Dexter has to say about it."
"Pokémon unknown. No information available," the device said in a feminine voice.
Ash pouted while Pikachu laughed. "It always does that right when I need it the most," he grumbled.
"Mom, I want a picture! It looks cool!" a kid cried out from behind the group amongst the chatter of other tourists and visitors.
Brock moved closer to Lorenzo. "If there's more Pokémon like this out there… What'd happen if another returned to Alto Mare?"
Lorenzo cleared his throat again. "In times of peril, when threats loom on the horizon, the roars of our guardians boom across the city, rumbling through the canals. It's a call to arms, an invocation of courage and unity. In response, the city rallies and draws strength from their unwavering presence, knowing their guardians are watchful, ready to face any danger head-on to protect us," he said with animated gestures of his face and hands. He glanced at the skeleton's face and narrowed his round eyes. "We don't say its name in the city, as it's a bad omen. But should it ever return? Our guardians will win."
The crowd chattered and murmured excitedly amongst themselves in response to Lorenzo's speech, with many spreading out to take pictures with the backdrop of the skeleton and the three portraits.
Annie, meanwhile, rolled her eyes and discreetly blended into the background.
'That clown's speeches are so cheesy.'
Ash walked closer to its head and admired it for several moments, taking note of the numerous cracks and bends on the bones that signified the injuries it sustained during its final battle. "It's so big, like Lugia…"
"Look at the paintings," Dawn said while pointing upward. "Notice that all three are looking down right at the skeleton."
"That's pretty cool." Ash hummed in thought. "It's like they're standing victoriously over it." He blinked and glanced to the side when he noticed the doors that led to the other galleries swing open.
"You may all progress to the rest of the museum," Lorenzo announced. "I'll be walking around if anyone has questions. You may also contact any of our helpful staff."
Brock motioned to the open doorway. "Come on, let's go and take a look! Maybe they've got a cute girl exhibit somewhere here."
Dawn stifled a laugh and skipped after Brock, with Ash behind her. The group arrived at a spacious foyer with intricately patterned marble floors gleaming under the soft, ambient lighting and an ornate ceiling adorned with elaborate frescoes depicting scenes from Alto Mare's illustrious past. They followed along the first gallery and admired its contents with piqued interest.
Numerous artworks lined the walls, each receiving adequate space from the others. Each came accompanied by detailed descriptions placed on nearby plaques that provided historical context, artistic techniques, and the stories behind their creation. The colors of each piece appeared vibrant, the details meticulous, and the intent conveyed by the artworks palpable.
"You know something interesting about all the paintings featuring Latios and Latias?" Brock asked as he stopped on a painting depicting a young-looking Latios over a field surrounded by what looked to be old barns and farmers.
"What is it?" Dawn asked, turning to face her travel companion. "I see a lot of interesting things in them."
"Have you noticed how, the more recent the painting, the bigger and more mature the guardians look?" Brock pointed out. "If you look between the paintings in the right order, you can almost follow their growth through the years."
Ash stared at the four nearest paintings, all featuring the guardian Latios somehow. Once he figured out their chronology, he glanced between them in order. "I can see that, yeah."
"He looks pretty cute on the first one with the farms, but by the last one where he's over the canals, he looks just like he does right now, all grown up," Dawn commented. Piplup chirped in agreement.
Ash moved along and stopped in front of an enormous painting that went almost from floor to ceiling. It depicted a wildly clashing picture of calm skies over Alto Mare on its left side and darkened clouds over an agitated sea on its right side. Latias levitated between the contrasting skies, surrounded by a powerful blue glow. "This looks so cool," he commented. "What's going on here?"
Brock glanced at the railing protecting the painting and noticed a plaque on an elegant stand. "Here it is." He leaned in to get a better look at the fine print. "Our Guardian deflecting hurricane Otis from Alto Mare."
Dawn gasped. "Deflecting a hurricane? That sounds intense."
Brock continued reading. "And this happened forty years ago, too. Thanks to her, no casualties or damage."
Ash focused on the painting. "I wonder how old she is," he mumbled. "The story with the dragon bones makes her sound really old."
"We don't know," Lorenzo abruptly answered from behind them, prompting Ash's group to all make startled jumps. "Latias and Latios have always been part of Alto Mare and our history since its founding. Everyone's always known them since, well, forever. Her age is one of the questions she never answers."
"So, did she deflect the hurricane shown here?" Brock asked. "How?"
Lorenzo stared at the painting with admiration. "For us, there are things we can't fight—acts of mother nature. If a hurricane comes at us, get out of the way or brace for it. Yet, for Latias… She can fight the hurricane. She can win," he said while using a handkerchief to clean the plaque and ensure it remained pristine. "Our guardians regularly deflect hurricanes or tidal waves threatening our city."
Brock nodded along slowly. "She sounds like a Legendary Pokémon, alright."
"I've only known a few other Pokémon capable of doing things that big," Ash murmured, mind drifting to many of his adventures from Kanto to Sinnoh. "And they're all Legendaries."
"Yeah, and more often than not, they're bringing the calamities with them, not stopping them," Brock commented. "At least Latios and Latias are better in that regard."
Dawn glanced between Lorenzo and the painting repeatedly. "You and, well, everyone here really speak so highly of Latios and Latias. They're worshipped here."
"With good reason." Lorenzo cleared his throat and smirked. "Latias' benevolence extends beyond mere protection, for she is also a source of guidance and inspiration. The citizens revere her as a beacon of hope, seeking her wisdom during times of doubt and adversity. She listens to our prayers and imparts her limitless knowledge with a voice that resonates within us."
"Whoa, that sounds pretty awesome!" Ash grinned and clapped along with Pikachu, Dawn, and Piplup.
Bianca snorted and loudly stifled her laughter from the other end of the hall. "Granddad, if Latias heard that over-the-top speech, she'd be
so embarrassed. I'm already picturing her with a blush, a glare, and an official waiver to commit murder."
Lorenzo glared at her and put his hands on his wide hips. "Excuse me, I have to impress tourists so they leave good reviews for us. You'd be surprised at how impressed the average tourist is by a well-worded speech, especially if they caught sight of either guardian not long before coming here."
Ash, Dawn, and Brock turned to face Bianca. "Oh! I know you!" Ash exclaimed. "You took my photo after I won the race. What brings you here?"
Bianca smiled and adjusted her beret. "Inspiration. I'm not only a reporter; I'm also an artist. On downer days, I visit the museum to see the work of artists who were far better than I." She giggled and winked at Lorenzo. "And hear my grandfather's extremely over-the-top speeches about our oh-so-beloved guardians. I swear, not even Latios is
that dramatic."
Lorenzo adopted a playful expression. He waved an arm to motion to their surroundings and cleared his throat. "Immersing yourself in Alto Mare's museums is not just about viewing art and sculptures. It's about becoming one with the city's stories that have shaped it over centuries and learning about our rich culture. Is that what you crave for inspiration, my dearest Bianca?"
Bianca playfully elbowed his side. "Stop that!" she said amidst giggles. "See what I mean? You've practiced those elaborate lines a lot, and it shows." She smirked. "Now, I dare you to force Latias to sit through them without earning a bite from her."
"You're going to ruin my presentation." Lorenzo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Kids love those lines."
Bianca hugged the elder. "Oh, I'm sure you're doing a wonderful job, grandad."
Ash stared at Bianca with a mystified expression. "You seem like you know them. Latios and Latias, I mean."
"I do, quite closely, too," Bianca admitted with a nonchalant shrug. "I have a lot more privileges with them than most. Though I'm not their only friend here."
Lorenzo harrumphed and turned away. He noticed another group of excitable tourists eying one of the exhibits further down and, seeing an opportunity to lecture some more, walked faster down the hall.
"This will be fun." Bianca giggled and followed her grandfather. "Catch you guys later!"
Annie hummed from afar, having observed their interaction behind a family of tourists who, thankfully, talked a bit too loudly.
'Looks like the Latis have friends. That girl's not secretive about it, either. She said it loudly and without care.' Her eyes narrowed.
'That means she's not afraid. For a reason.'
Pretending to admire more artwork, Annie discreetly moved away from the family and walked ahead. She stopped beside the painting of Latias and the hurricane to allow her glasses to get a detailed video of it, gulping when she realized the powerful dragoness depicted in the art was her future opponent.
'Oakley, you better be watching and taking notes.'
Meanwhile, further down, Ash's group moved on and continued their journey through the museum, idly listening to the conversations of other visitors with staff; each group absorbed in their exploration of the exhibits across numerous galleries. Eventually, they arrived at a collection of glassware and sculptures of numerous local Pokémon in another wing. The intricate glass and marble sculptures, chandeliers, and ornamental pieces shimmered under colored spotlights with translucent beauty.
Ash glanced back, noticing Bianca and Lorenzo talking to each other nearby. He waved at them and patiently waited for them to walk over. "I remember Latias said that Latios sculpted the race medallion. Did he make any of the things here? Or Latias?"
Bianca burst out laughing. "Latias' art is bad. You wouldn't see any of it here. You can best find it at any of Alto Mare's public garbage bins."
Lorenzo snorted and covered his face with an arm. "You didn't have to do her like that."
"It's true! Those who know her, like,
know her, hold our breaths anytime it's her turn to write the name on the tour's medallion," Bianca commented with a wince. "She's messed up some. It's a good thing Latios always makes spares."
Ash laughed nervously. "It's a good thing mine came out pretty nice, then. What about Latios?"
"Latios' art is pretty good! But nothing here is made by him." Bianca shrugged. "He doesn't want to draw gazes away from the tributes others have done for the city, nor have it behind a paywall. Instead, he prefers to leave it in the city for all to see. He made many of the larger statues you see around the city."
"Here's a fun bit of trivia," Lorenzo started. "The two statues on the main plaza, the ones atop the pillars, were sculpted by Latios. But they aren't modeled after themselves, but rather, after their parents. It's a hidden tribute for them, not that any human can tell them apart. That is also the only mention we know of their mother. They've never explained further, so I can't say more."
"That's sweet," Dawn said. "He sounds pretty nice."
"Latios is a huge sweetheart." Bianca giggled. "A bit too much at times, even." She pointed to the hallway. "If you continue that way, you'll find the last big room, by the way. Second best and second scariest exhibit after the pile of bones we have as a welcome mat."
Lorenzo shook his head exasperatedly. "The biggest calamity of our history, and you call it a pile of bones."
"Yeah, because Latios and Latias smoked the thing along with their dad and turned it into a pile of bones," Bianca replied. "Serves it right."
"If we saw the dragon alive and in the flesh, I don't quite think you'd chirp so casually about it," Lorenzo pointed out.
"I asked what'd happen if another returned, even," Brock commented. "You were confident the guardians would win."
Bianca looked at him and nodded firmly. "Damn right, they would. If one returned, we'd need a bigger room for a second pile of bones to exhibit. Anyway, come, you'll like it."
Ash's group chuckled at their conversation and walked to the museum's main hall, where an expansive room greeted them. The museum's stained glass window dome, featuring a collection of portraits of Latios and Latias, reflected the bright sunlight and created a mosaic of colors that danced across the marble floor.
An enormous metallic construct dominated the room and stood at its center. Almost appearing like an ancient telescope, the machine featured a twisted myriad of steel beams and rings brimming with countless runes on their surfaces intertwined in complex arrangements along its structure. Eight enormous pillars held the machine in place, bound together by a thick metallic ring that served as a security railing and obscured it from view.
"What is
that?" Ash wondered, eyes widened. He gazed at the floor and noted the runes and rings carved into the floor that flowed seamlessly from the room's edges into the machine. "What's all of this?"
"I imagine this is the DMA," Brock answered. "I read about it in the book, but it's another thing to see in person. It's creepy."
"The DMA?" Dawn asked. Her gaze wandered to the top of the towering machine, where it almost touched the rooftop, and she shivered. "It gives me the chills."
"As it should," Lorenzo said as he approached them. "This is one of our most sacred treasures, built by our ancestors under the guidance of Latios and Latias. One that we haven't used to this day."
"Why did your ancestors build it?" Brock wondered.
"Our guardians' father barely defeated the foreign dragon at the cost of his life. Should one of its kind ever return, or another Legendary from another region or world, one that our guardians cannot defeat… The DMA
will," Lorenzo answered with a firm voice. "But, we have full faith in our guardians and pray never to use it for our defense."
Annie and some other tourists walked by and snapped a few pictures. "So, you're telling me this thing's a real deal?" she asked curiously. "No folklore? No tourist traps?"
Lorenzo nodded. "Oh yes. Alto Mare has never denied it. And neither have our guardians. It is both a defense and a deterrent."
Annie looked up at the machine, moving slowly to ensure the hidden sensors in her glasses caught every detail. "Interesting…"
Brock chuckled when another pair of tourists, clearly a young couple, posed for a selfie photo at its base with glowing grins. "What a thing to get cheerful over…" he murmured.
A flash across the windows along the second gallery of the room caught Ash's attention. He blinked and followed it with his eyes. He gasped when he saw a distinct flash of vibrant red and white feathers between the open panes of two windows. Ash leaned in to get a better look and walked ahead absentmindedly, with Latias' words from the prior day on his mind.
"Who made this?" a young woman asked Lorenzo while walking closer to him, along with a pair of children and a tall man.
Lorenzo smiled. "Our ancestors, along with the young Latios and Latias, built the DMA," he repeated to the newcomer. "They wanted to make sure that no one would disturb their peace ever again. Fortunately, it's remained off ever since. It's an ancient relic—" Lorenzo gasped. "Don't touch that!"
Ash made a startled jump and realized he had leaned over the protective metallic ring that circled the DMA's support pillars. He glanced at Lorenzo apologetically and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, I'm sorry! I gotta go!" He abruptly dashed off and headed for the nearest exit.
Brock shook his head in amusement and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "There he goes again. I wonder what he saw this time. Team Rocket again?"
Dawn shrugged. "Beats me—Same old Ash. Let's wait for him to come back on his own. He'll do so when his stomach next rumbles."
Bianca blinked and looked between the stained glasses at the top gallery and the doorway Ash ran off into. She hummed, whispered something into Lorenzo's ear, and walked away in a different direction.
Chapter End
Author Notes: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I wish you all an excellent time for the upcoming winter festivities full of love with your families.
Don't forget to leave a
Review or
Comment with your thoughts! I'd love to hear them!
Anyway, this means that Ash is just starting to get to the age where he's learning whether he's interested in girls and/or boys, something that only barely got explored in the anime. This leads to my next ask: potentially Biromantic Ash?