DPA009: Challenge! The Fortress Of Steel!!

is the 4th chapter of Volume 2 of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!.
==Synopsis==
Mitsumi and Jupiter are still battling against each other with their Pokémon. The battle gets interrupted by Jun and Professor Rowan, who are here to help Mitsumi. Saturn and Jupiter retreat quickly as they received orders from Cyrus to do so. Hareta and Piplup are meanwhile somewhere else and Byron wakes them up. After a quick meal, Byron leads Hareta and Piplup somewhere to test them.
==Chapter plot==
The chapter begins with Mitsumi and Jupiter still battling each other, Mitsumi with Infernape and Leafeon and Jupiter with Toxicroak and Golbat. Mitsumi orders her Leafeon to use Sunny Day and Infernape to use Fire Spin, which power is increased by Sunny Day. Toxicroak takes the Fire Spin head on and Jupiter orders Golbat to use Air Slash, successfully knocking out Mitsumi's Leafeon and hurting Mitsumi as well. Jupiter says to her that she should give up buying Hareta more time but Mitsumi still believes that Hareta will beat Cyrus. As response what Mitsumi said, Jun arrives with his newly evolved Staraptor. Professor Rowan also appears but Jupiter isn't surprised by them and wants to battle Jun but Saturn stops her. He says that they received orders from Cyrus that they are moving to their next phase. Jun aks to Saturn and Jupiter if they are running away but Saturn states that their plan is more important that beating them and they fly away with their Golbat. Professor Rowans says that they need to find the three keys first before Team Galactic does and he sends Jun and Mitsumi to the lakes. Jun and Mitsumi walks to their destination, with Mitsumi still wondering if Hareta is okay.
Hareta and Piplup are sleeping when they are waken up by a man, who gives them food as well. The man asks why they were in the water when he found them and Hareta responses that they were battling against Cyrus but lost and were blown away into the water. The man mentions that Hareta's will to battle grows with losing battles and Hareta asks how the man knows his name. The man says that he has heard of Hareta from the Oreburgh Gym and reveals to be Byron, the Gym Leader of Canalave City and the father of Roark. Byron brings Hareta to the port of Canalave City and walks off into a building, leaving Hareta wondering where he went and follows him. Byron is standing on his gym, calling it the fortress of steel. Byron says that if Hareta wants to become stronger, he needs to conquer the fortress and defeats them. Hareta quickly jumps up and is stopped by the first barrier. He needs to get pass the swinging iron bars and when Hareta is about to get hit by one of the iron bars, he stops it by biting it, shocking Byron.
To stop the other iron bars, he orders Piplup to use Brine to stop them, shocking Byron as well when the attack successfully stopped all the bars. The second barrier is the fast-moving walkway and to pass it, Hareta tries to jump across. He barely makes it with the help of Piplup's Water Gun. He also makes pass the third barrier and arrives at the top. He encounters there an Onix and two Steelix, a three on one battle. He is about to order Piplup to attack Steelix but is countered with Onix's Earthquake and then with Rock Slide. Byron is pushing Hareta like he did to Roark, willing that Hareta to become stronger. When Byron mentions if Hareta is going to give up, Hareta says that he gives up and falls down. Byron is surprised by his answer but Hareta is just joking around and comes back up. He throws Piplup into the air and orders to use Whirling Brine, successfully knocking Onix and both Steelix out. Hareta and Piplup appears in the front of Byron and wants to battle him. However Byron mentions that the battle is already over, revealing that Piplup is sleeping due to Bronzor's Hypnosis. To scare Hareta even more, he almost is attacked by Bastiodon's Take Down. Byron states that Hareta needs to train more and says that he should go to Iron Island. Hareta tells him that he wants to be stronger and that he will go to Iron Island. 
==Gallery==
Category:Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! volume 2 chapters