Even though the door had closed behind them, the interior was not completely dark.
Their entry seed to have triggered so ancient chanism, causing the torches and lamps mounted on the stone pillars to flicker to life. Of course, after so many years, only a few of the lamps still functioned properly, their dim glow casting long shadows across the chamber. Still, it was enough to illuminate the vast hall before them.
The ruins resembled an ancient palace. Beyond the entrance stretched a grand hall, its center dominated by a series of steps leading up to a raised platform. At the top sat a solitary stone chair, its details obscured by distance.
This place might have once been a eting hall or a sacred worship chamber for the ancient civilization that built it. Perhaps a ruler had once sat upon that chair, or perhaps people had gathered here to pay homage to whatever—or whoever—occupied it.
The stone pillars lining the hall were covered in intricate carvings—images of legendary beasts and faded inscriptions in an archaic script. Aoki imdiately activated his system to scan the text, cross-referencing it with his database in hopes of translation.
Once inside, he found a step and sat down. His most urgent task was preparing the qualification potion for his Larvitar. If the Pokémon evolved without it, its potential could be severely stunted.
The "Earth mbrane" extracted from the Golurk they had defeated earlier might not have been the highest quality, but it was certainly sufficient. A rough scan of the other Golurk that had appeared afterward revealed that none matched the strength of the first one they had encountered.
Brewing a qualification potion was a far more complex process than crafting Pokeblocks. Fortunately, Aoki didn't have to do it manually.
Though he had been trying to rely less on his system, this particular task was too important to risk failure. The potion would determine Larvitar's future growth, and Aoki wasn't willing to gamble with that.
Still, when making Pokeblocks, he had begun attempting certain steps himself. Most of the ti, his interference resulted in failure, but occasionally, he succeeded.
There was sothing to be said for repetition. After watching the process thousands of tis, even a novice could mimic it passably. The real challenge lay in precision—asuring exact quantities, timing reactions perfectly, and controlling temperatures with absolute accuracy.
But Aoki had an advantage: his psychic powers. With Telepathy, he could fine-tune his movents, adjusting asurents and reactions with near-chanical precision.
His progress had been steady. Currently, he could reliably produce basic Pokeblocks without using his system. Interdiate ones succeeded about three or four tis out of ten—a respectable rate for a beginner. Advanced Pokeblocks, however, remained a challenge, with only one successful attempt in twenty.
But this was progress. Improvent.
Three hours later, the qualification potion for Larvitar was complete.
Two vials now rested in Aoki's palm—one filled with a transparent, khaki liquid, the other with a fiery, translucent red. These potions would ensure that when Larvitar and his other Pokémon evolved, they would reach their full potential.
Now, he could evolve them at any ti without fear of wasted talent.
Aoki rose slowly to his feet.
With the potions complete, he could finally focus on exploring the ruins properly.
While he had been working, his system had been analyzing the inscriptions on the walls and pillars, deciphering their anings. Most were hymns of praise—devotional texts dedicated to what the ancients called the "God of the Earth," the "Fiery Beast," and other such titles.
These were nas for Groudon—or rather, the primal Groudon of ancient tis.
The writings spoke of fanatical worship, of a deity that shaped the land itself. Unlike the artificially awakened Groudon later sought by Team Magma—a flawed, unstable creature—this was the true, primordial force of nature.
Step by step, Aoki ascended the stairs, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
His system projected translations before him, overlaying the ancient carvings with modern text. Viewed this way, the imagery had even greater impact.
According to the legends inscribed here, Groudon had forged the continents, clashing with Kyogre that shaped the oceans. Their battles had raged until Rayquaza descended from the heavens, forcing a ceasefire.
But the damage had been done. The world had been fractured—continents split, seas divided.
Groudon. Kyogre. And... Rayquaza.
Aoki knew these legends well.
Among the world's legendary Pokémon, these three were unique in their constant conflict. Dialga and Palkia warred in the fabric of ti and space, wtwo toyed with w and Team Rocket, Ho-Oh and Lugia remained elusive, and Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem had yet to awaken.
But Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza? Their battles were recorded history.
And Rayquaza had always been the diator.
Aoki reached the top of the stairs.
Before him stood a chair, carved from so unknown material—neither quite wood nor stone, yet untouched by ti. Beside it stood a stone tablet, its surface covered in ancient script, though parts had crumbled away.
This damage wasn't natural.
The entire hall bore signs of violence—walls dented as if struck by massive fists, pillars cracked and broken. Soone—or sothing—had fought here long ago.
His system finished translating the tablet's text.
And the first line made Aoki's breath catch.
His pupils contracted.
These ancient people... they weren't just ambitious. They were insane.
The translated words read:
"If the soul and essence of the earth, combined with runes, can create Clay Guardians... then could we not use the consciousness and energy of the Earth God, fused with the markings upon its body, forge a new Earth God? One that obeys our will?"
The "essence of the earth" had to be the Earth mbrane Aoki had extracted from the Golurk. The "Clay Guardians" were undoubtedly the Golurk themselves. And the "Earth God" could only be Groudon.
These people hadn't just worshipped Groudon.
They had tried to recreate it.
A man-made Groudon.
This wasn't just advanced thinking—it was the ancient equivalent of Team Rocket's most reckless experints.
Had Team Magma's later attempts to create a weaker, controllable Groudon been inspired by this?
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