Melaine's Castle : Throne Room
O~hoho-hoho~!
Melaine turned to face a Trainer standing before her, in front of several Pokemon of various species. The young girl adjusted her glasses using both hands, keeping a neutral look on her face.
Um, Crown-Princess! We have reports that a Trainer has actually made it inside. He flew in on a Tropius that only took neutral hits from the Zzap! Crystal towers and he seems ready to fight you. I place his odds of victory over you at less than 0.001%, however. His team is strong and well balanced, but he lacks a dedicated strategy and lost one of his Pokemon to one of the Golurk in the Inner Wall Expanse.
Melaine held back more laughter.
Intruders who make it past my defenses need to solve my castle's many puzzles! There is little the common fodder can do to truly understand the complex nature of my challenges. He'll never reach me if the Golurk are giving him trouble already!
The girl nodded and adjusted her glasses again.
Of course! It is as you say, Crown-Princess.
----
Castelia City : Oceanfront Road
Allen would arrive in a city that was a borderline hellscape.
As the lower hanging purple clouds and dark sky sent an ominous message, the searing lights that rained from the sky amid a murky purple rain stung whatever living beings they struck directly, leaving burning scratches on those unprotected for too long. What was once one of the most lively and active cities in Unova was now almost a shell, a husk of what it once was. Standing tall in the city's horizon, dwarfing even the larger skyscrapers, was a castle made of crystals and jewels mixed with solid stonework.
Castelia City : Mode Street
As Allen ran through the streets, some areas of the city had crystals growing out of the ground, scattered around extremely large and tall crystals that pulsed a dark and shadowy purple color, with a sort of black central energy. Some of these crystals had even damaged or destroyed some smaller buildings, and some of the Wild Pokemon around them, such as Rattata and Zubat, seemed unusually irritated. Few Trainers were outside still, with the few that were mostly either seeking shelter or trying to have their Pokemon attack the crystals.
Castelia City : Central Plaza
When Allen finally reached the area where the beam originated, he'd find a new pathway leading to a large castle that lay before him, to the side of the town, near where the villa that belonged to the Grand Champion was. It was a winding road that nonetheless was lined with smaller crystals and jewels the entire way.
Castelia City : Melaine's Castle
At last, he'd reach the area where the beam originated. Standing before him, a large castle of multiple floors and expansive size that even destroyed some buildings in the area around the larger plot of land that the Grand Champion's villa used to occupy. A large gate at the front of the castle was closed, with the drawbridge lifted shut. A symbol on the drawbridge showed that several slots needed to be filled with some kind of items before it activated.
Furthermore, the walls showed little sign of allowing a way inside otherwise. The moat of sharp crystals leaking shadowy energy was a deterrent to other forms of ground approach, and perched upon sections of the crystal walls, towers were shaped, providing windows and vantage points for floating crystalline structures that reacted to the lightning strikes positively, showcasing an ability to potentially launch energy bolts at anything flying nearby. Their glow was also accompanied by dark red hues, besides the purple and black, perhaps indicative of something more.
Some wild Pokemon were roaming about the area, mostly Sigilyph that seemed to be following set patrol routes at a variety of altitudes. Claydol statues were arranged also at specific points around the perimeter. Watchog were carefully keeping observation posts atop the walls and on the ground level around the castle; their alert gazes and glowing eyes and bodies proving a rather unsettling reminder that if there was specific movement outside the castle, it was likely going to be recorded in some fashion. Occasionally, a faint rumble of the earth was felt, though it was almost unnoticeable to most, striking in time to large footsteps being taken. The heads and shoulders of Golurk behind the castle walls could be seen occasionally accompanying such tremors, giving a source to their occurrence.
Surprisingly, actual Trainers were present, some already in combat with groups of Watchog and Patrat, others tackling the Sigilyph. No one seemed to have had any progress made in their groups at finding a way past the walls. The most alarming observation was that there seemed to be some Trainers who were fighting against the Trainers who seemed to be seeking a way inside as if some Trainers were honestly siding with whatever caused the beam that now occupied this unnatural crystal cathedral of a castle.