The Golurk crumbled into dust, and from the swirling debris, a dark, smoke-like mass slowly erged.
Through supernatural perception, it beca clear that this entity bore the traits of a Ghost-type Pokémon.
In other words, this apparition was the spectral essence infused into the clay giant's form—likely the source of its sentience.
Aoki frowned as he observed the strange phenonon before him.
Logically, once the energy core dissipated, this entity should have vanished as well. After all, it wasn't a true Pokémon—rely a manifestation of thought and spectral energy.
Hiss!!!————
Suddenly, the shadowy mass emitted a piercing shriek, the sound reverberating violently throughout the cavern.
It was astonishing that sothing so small could produce such an earsplitting noise.
But as the screech echoed, the environnt began to shift.
The ground fractured violently, jagged rocks of varying sizes bursting free and hurtling in all directions. Aoki and his companions, standing in the square before the ruins, beca the primary targets of the flying debris.
Then, from within the fissures, more figures erged—Golurk, accompanied by smaller clay constructs.
More of them materialized along the cavern walls, their numbers swelling rapidly.
Aoki's expression darkened.
No one could have anticipated that such a place housed so many dormant clay guardians.
What were they protecting?
The Pokémon surrounding Aoki sprang into action.
The initial rockfall had been manageable, but now, the sheer volu made the situation perilous.
Shielded by his team, Aoki watched as his Pokémon shattered the larger boulders. Slowking erected a shimring Psychic barrier, deflecting as much of the barrage as possible.
Occasionally, Aoki would slash his hand through the air, his Spatial Rend ability splitting apart the heaviest projectiles before they could breach Slowking's defenses.
Then, the clay giants and their smaller counterparts levitated ominously, the runes on their faces pulsing with a sinister red glow as they closed in.
Each clay giant moved with chanical precision, hovering like armored sentinels, their hollow gazes locked onto Aoki and his team.
"We can't hold out like this," Aoki communicated telepathically. "Slowking, do you see the ruins' gate ahead? Teleport us there imdiately. The rest of you, stay alert for ambushes!"
"Slow… king!"
Nodding, Slowking unleashed a surge of Psychic energy, the barrier contracting tightly around the group as the surrounding rubble was flung aside.
Fortunately, the distance to the ruins' entrance was short, allowing Teleport to activate near-instantly.
Just before the Golurk's assault landed, Slowking's power whisked Aoki and the others away—reappearing directly before the massive stone gate.
The entrance lood ten ters high, an enormous "Ω" symbol carved into its surface.
Without hesitation, they rushed inside.
Creatures like the Golurk were ideal guards, but they were seldom permitted within their masters' sanctums. Once inside, they would likely be safe.
If things turned dire, Slowking could always Teleport them out.
Now that they had found the ruins, retreating empty-handed wasn't an option.
With combined effort, the team forced the colossal gate open just enough to slip through before sealing it again behind them.
The door's thickness was staggering—even thicker than Slowking's massive fra.
As expected, once inside, the clay giants did not pursue. They lingered outside, patrolling the entrance but making no move to breach it.
Aoki exhaled in relief.
anwhile, Team Magma, who had entered the ruins from the mountaintop, were now descending cautiously under their commander's orders.
Unbeknownst to them, the ruins above were part of the sa structure Aoki had entered—just at a much higher elevation. Mistaking the summit's gate for the primary entrance, Team Magma had chosen a far more treacherous path.
Their descent was fraught with obstacles—sealed doors, ancient traps, and crumbling pathways making every step a trial.
Then, things worsened.
A distant, shrill cry echoed from below, faint but unmistakable.
In response, the walls around them cracked violently. Stone doors that had stood open suddenly slamd shut, splitting the Team Magma operatives into isolated groups.
From the fractured stone erged more clay giants and their smaller kin. Though fewer in number than those below, their appearance in the cramped passages was catastrophic.
A two-and-a-half-ter behemoth swinging wildly in a narrow hallway left no room for evasion.
Casualties mounted instantly.
Fortunately, their leader reacted swiftly, deploying his strongest Pokémon to counter the ambush. The clay constructs were dismantled, but not without cost.
"Report," demanded a middle-aged man, his attire marking him as the expedition's leader.
"Commander Yu, three dead, five critically injured," stamred the subordinate, sweat beading on his brow.
"Useless," Yu snarled, whirling toward the passage ahead.
Yet, the mont his back was turned, the fury in his eyes dissolved into icy calm. His trembling shoulders were the only sign of his feigned rage—a performance so convincing his subordinates didn't dare et his gaze.
Internally, Yu was calculating.
This was interesting.
When he faced them again, his mask of anger returned.
"Move! Keep descending! Whatever's happening below takes priority!"
He strode ahead without a backward glance. The dead were irrelevant; the wounded would be retrieved only if they survived until his return.
This was a scouting mission—casualties were expected.
Even if they all perished, Maxie wouldn't reprimand him—so long as the intelligence gained justified the losses.
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