amaotonovel Chapter 556 - 556: 556. The Flute Of God Is Stolen
Chapter 556 - 556: 556. The Flute Of God Is Stolen
Jubilife VillageLugia flapped its powerful wings and descended near the village. Chris had it land just outside the village limits to avoid causing any unnecessary alarm among the residents.
The two travelers quickly made their way through the village entrance and headed straight for the Galaxy Team headquarters to report on their mission.
"You go ahead and report the mission. I'll head to the laboratory," Chris said to Akari, waving as he turned toward Laventon's laboratory.
"Alright, thank you for all your hard work," Akari replied cheerfully. She walked briskly toward the Galaxy Team headquarters, her steps light with excitement. This time, she had so many incredible things to report to the captain!
When Chris arrived at Laventon's laboratory, he found the professor completely absorbed in his study of the Spooky Plate and the Pixie Plate. The researcher was so engrossed in examining the ancient inscriptions on both stone slabs that he didn't even notice Chris's arrival.
"Professor, how is the research coming along?" Chris called out in greeting.
Laventon jumped in surprise. He spun around and stared at Chris in astonishment. "Weren't you just sent out on a mission a few days ago? Why are you back at headquarters already?"
"The mission is complete," Chris answered casually. He stepped forward and stood beside Professor Laventon, examining the two stone slabs placed side by side on the table. Although he couldn't decipher any of the mysterious writing himself, this didn't stop him from admiring the remarkable power emanating from the Pixie Plate.
"You finished it so quickly?" Laventon couldn't help but mutter in disbelief. If his memory served him correctly, Chris should have been traveling to the pure white frozen lands in the northern part of the Hisui region. The round trip alone should have taken at least half a month. How had he returned so soon?
"How is the progress on deciphering the two stone tablets?" Chris asked, changing the subject.
"It's still in the early stages," Laventon replied with a shake of his head. Although having an extra slab for comparison was helpful, these artifacts were from an extremely ancient era. Deciphering them was far from simple. Only a few days had passed since he began his research, and that was simply not enough time to make significant progress.
"I see. Well, make sure you finish it before I leave," Chris said, patting Laventon on the shoulder before leaving the laboratory.
When Chris arrived on the second floor of the Galaxy Team headquarters, he found Team Leader Cyllene waiting for him. She stood with her usual stern expression, dressed in her professional uniform, her cold gaze fixed on him.
"I heard that you've completed the mission?" she asked directly.
"Yes. Adaman and Irida's letters of gratitude shouldn't take long to arrive," Chris confirmed. As someone who had helped facilitate peace between the two clans, Chris knew that while Adaman and Irida might not travel to Jubilife Village to thank him in person, they would certainly send letters of appreciation. Those letters were likely already on their way.
At the speed of Flying-type Pokémon, the letters would arrive either today or tomorrow at the latest.
Cyllene nodded silently. Although the swift completion of the mission seemed somewhat unbelievable, she knew that neither Chris nor Akari would tell lies that could be so easily exposed.
"By the way, Team Leader Cyllene, do you know where the King of Aggron is?" Chris asked suddenly.
Cyllene paused, caught off guard by the unexpected question. After a moment of thought, she answered carefully.
"I don't know the exact location of the King of Aggron, but all ten noble Pokémon are cared for by either the Diamond Clan or the Pearl Clan."
"If I remember correctly, the King of Aggron is under the care of the Diamond Clan."
"Oh, I see," Chris said, feeling relieved. As long as someone knew about it, that was good enough. If no one had known, he would have needed to spend considerable time searching for it himself. Since the Diamond Clan was caring for the noble Pokémon, he could simply ask Adaman directly. The clan leader probably hadn't left the Snowpoint Temple yet.
"Chris!"
At that moment, Akari came down from the third floor and spotted him. She waved enthusiastically. "The captain wants to see you!"
"Alright, I'll be right there," Chris responded, getting to his feet and heading upstairs. Cyllene followed behind him.
When they reached the third floor, they found Commander Kamado sitting at his desk with a serious expression on his face. His brow was furrowed deeply, as if he were contemplating some weighty matter.
Upon seeing Chris arrive, Kamado stood up from his chair.
"Chris, I've finished listening to Akari's report. You did an excellent job," Kamado said with genuine approval in his voice.
"Not only did you explore the Snowpoint Temple thoroughly, but you also managed to defeat both Adaman and Melli in battle."
"It seems you're stronger than I initially thought." Kamado looked at Chris with evident admiration.
Chris thought to himself that he was getting tired of hearing this same sentiment over and over again.
"Come, please sit down," Kamado said, gesturing toward a chair. He sat back down at his desk. "Cyllene, please pour two cups of tea."
"Yes, Captain," Cyllene acknowledged.
The two men sat down facing each other across the desk.
"Captain, I assume you didn't call me here just to praise me, did you?" Chris asked with a slight smile on his face.
Kamado nodded gravely, and the deep furrow between his eyebrows appeared once more.
"I have another task I need to trouble you with," he began.
"Normally, since you've just returned from completing a mission, I should allow you to rest for a while before assigning you any other duties."
"However, the Hisui region hasn't been very peaceful lately. There have been unusual disturbances in various locations, which means Galaxy Team's members have been deployed throughout the region. This has caused a significant shortage of personnel here at headquarters."
"It's no trouble at all. The trip to Snowpoint Temple wasn't particularly exhausting. If you have a task for me, Captain, please feel free to assign it," Chris replied immediately and enthusiastically. He had expected Kamado would mention the next mission right away, but this was somewhat unexpected timing.
"That's good to hear," Kamado said with a nod. He reached under his desk and retrieved a report, which he pushed across the desk toward Chris.
"The day after you and Akari left Jubilife Village, Galaxy Team's headquarters was burglarized, and a valuable treasure was stolen."
"This is the on-site investigation report. Please take a look."
"If possible, I would like you to catch this thief as quickly as you can."
"Stolen?" Chris exclaimed in surprise. His first thought immediately went to the Pixie Plate, as it was Galaxy Team's most valuable treasure. However, he had just visited the laboratory and seen both the Pixie Plate and the Spooky Plate with his own eyes.
Picking up the report, Chris quickly scanned through it.
The stolen item was a flute called the "Celestica Flute." According to the report, when blown, it would summon the aid of certain Pokémon.
Chris remembered that this was the item used for summoning riding Pokémon in the game.
Additionally, he recalled that the melody of the Celestica Flute was similar to the opening notes of the Azure Flute—the very flute that could summon Arceus himself.
The timing of the theft was suspicious. It had occurred the day after he left the village.
Chris immediately thought of a particular someone.
"If there's anything in the report you don't understand, you can ask Cyllene for clarification. You can also go directly to the storage warehouse where the theft occurred," Kamado explained. "If you need any resources or assistance, you can submit a request to Cyllene."
"Understood. Thank you, Captain," Chris said, accepting the assignment.
After walking out of the Galaxy Team headquarters building, Chris glanced back up at the third floor, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Commander Kamado was more perceptive than Chris had initially given him credit for.
Akari surely hadn't held anything back in her report to Kamado, which meant she must have told him about Regigigas giving Chris the Primal Rock and various other items from the Pokémon.
However, Kamado hadn't asked Chris to hand over the Primal Rock. Instead, he had immediately assigned him another task. It seemed the commander had chosen to forgo claiming those treasures for himself, opting instead to treat Chris well and keep him as a valuable asset to the team.