As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the desert in hues e and red, Raifort drove the off-road vehicle steadily forward, the trail of dust rising behind them blending into the hazy air.

  The dry, hot wind carried yellow sand in its gusts, blowing against them relentlessly. Though evening had fallen, the heat lingered, refusing to dissipate entirely, leaving the air warm and heavy.

  Nearly ten hours had passed sihey had ehe desert. Aside from one brief stop for food, the majority of the day had beeraversing the vast expanse of sand.

  Throughout the journey, Naoki had seen a side of the world that was utterly fn to him, a stark trast to the familiar terrain he was used to.

  The fiery red sun paihe desert in surreal, otherworldly tones.

  The Pokémon inhabiting the desert were a testament to its harsh enviro. Predominantly Ground-types roamed the terrain, with no sign of the usual bird rass-types one might expect elsewhere.

  Donphan families wandered aimlessly, their young Phanpy pying mischievously around their parents' legs.

  Hippopotas herds lounged in groups, burrowing into the sand to prepare for the chilly desert night.

  Gigantic Golurk stood solemnly in the distaheir massive forms arranged in a natural circle. The silhouettes could easily be mistaken for a ruins if one didn't look closely enough.

  "It's incredible," Naoki murmured, taking in the vibrant and alie ecosystem.

  Raifort, focused on the road ahead, nodded in agreement. "It is. I remember feeling the same way the first time I ventured out here. Nature is vast, humbling in its scale."

  She paused, her expression darkening slightly as she recalled a past experience. "I onessed a sandstorm here. It came out of nowhere, eg the earth to the heavens. The desert was alive, raging in its fury."

  "How much farther?" Naoki asked, snapping her out of her reverie.

  Raif the radar mounted on the dashboard. "We're close—about five minutes out."

  True to her word, five mier, the vehicle came to a stop behind a t sand dune.

  Raifort hopped out of the vehicle with practiced ease, retrieving a pact yet professional-looking piece of equipment from her bag.

  Curious, Naoki followed her and peered over her shoulder. The device dispyed a radar map, a faint blinking signal indig it was sing the area.

  "This… is this what you use for tomb raiding?" Naoki asked, his tone half-teasing.

  "It's archaeology," Raifort corrected sharply, shooting him a gre.

  "Right… archaeology," Naoki muttered, though his expression said otherwise.

  The radar emitted a faint beep, signaling it had found something. A small red dot pulsed steadily on the s.

  "Got it!" Raifort excimed, her voice brimming with excitement.

  Without hesitation, she pulled a Poké Ball from her belt. A fsh of white light revealed her Zoroark, its sleek frame exuding a quiet fidenbsp;

  "Zoroark, scout ahead," Raifort instructed firmly.

  The Illusion Fox Pokémon nodded silently and darted off, its movements fluid and calcuted. Within moments, it disappeared into the dunes.

  Raifort turo Naoki. "We'll wait here until Zoroark es back with its report."

  Naoki nodded in agreement. Seizing the opportunity, he began preparing dinner for their group.

  Releasing Slugma, Naoki pced a frying pan atop the Pokémon's warm body. He added oil to the pan, waiting until it sizzled before crag eggs into it.

  Before long, the smell of sizzling eggs and cutlets filled the air, carried on the evening breeze.

  Even Koraidon couldn't help but salivate, its nostrils fring slightly as it ihe entig aroma.

  Raifort raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "You're a surprisingly good cook!"

  Naoki shrugged. "You pick up a few things living alone on a ranch."

  He carefully pced the fried eggs and cutlets between slices of bread, crafting simple yet delicious sandwiches. Naoki distributed the sandwiches among the group, ensuring the Pokémon were fed first.

  Koraidon eagerly grabbed its portion, dev it with gusto. The way it ate—pletely absorbed in the meal—was almost ical, earning a chuckle from Raifort.

  She took a bite herself, her eyes widening in surprise. "Not bad! I knew I made the right choice bringing you along."

  Naoki rolled his eyes. "I'm not here to be your personal chef."

  Raifhed, clearly enjoying teasing him. "Rex, I'll need you and Koraidon for the real work soon enough."

  As they bantered, Zoroark reappeared, its silhouette illuminated by the flickering light of the campfire.

  Raifort ha a sandwich before asking, "What did you find?"

  Zave a sharp nod, signaling its success.

  Raifort couldn't suppress her excitement. A fident smile spread across her face. "Excellent! We'll set off as soon as everyone finishes eating!"

  Naoki g the darkening sky and couldn't help but interject, "It's getting pretty te."

  Raifort waved his aside with a gleam in her eyes. "That's no problem. My Grumpig knows Fsh—it light up any dark enviro. Besides, don't you think expl ruins at night adds to the adventure?"

  Naoki hesitated but ultimately shrugged. "Alright, your call."

  After all, he wasn't the leader of this expedition—just a hired hand whose main goal was to recover the s hidden in the ruins. Everything else could be left to Raifort's enthusiasm and expertise.

  By the time they fiheir meal, the desert was enveloped in plete darkness. The once swelteri gave way to a sharp chill as the temperature plummeted. Both Naoki and Raifort ged into warmer clothes in preparation for the cold night ahead.

  Naoki, always mindful of Koraidon's fort, brought along a ade warm vest. It was a thoughtful piece he had tailored himself, cutting off the cuffs and removing unnecessary buttons to e fit Koraidon perfectly. As he fastehe vest around the Pokémon, Koraidon gave an appreciative grunt, clearly enjoying the warmth.

  Meanwhile, Raifort released her Grumpig from its Poké Ball. The stout Pokémon stood tall, its pearl glowing faintly even before Raifort issued her and.

  "Grumpig, use Fsh!"

  A burst of dazzling light illumiheir surroundings, casting sharp shadows on the desert sand. The brightness was almost blinding, akin to the beam of a high-powered searchlight.

  Raifort cpped her hands in satisfa. "Perfeow we move out without a hitch!"

  Naoki sighed inwardly, biting back his urge to ent. Though Raifort exuded an aura of refi, she was a force to be reed with—headstrong, fearless, and remarkably resilient. Her reputation as a schor didn't do justice to her raw toughness. This was someone who had once dived deep into submerged ruins in a single breath. She wasn't oo shy away from danger.

  With Zoroark leading the way, Grumpig lighting the path, and Raifort walking briskly ahead, Naoki followed alongside Koraidon, trailing behind. For about fifteen mihey trudged through the sand, the ch of their footsteps the only sound against the desert's stillness.

  Suddenly, Zoroark stopped.

  Naoki looked around. The area seemed pletely barren—nothing but endless duretg out in all dires.

  Raifort squi the ndscape, puzzled. "This doesn't make sense... Where's the entrao the ruins?"

  Zoroark's gaze shifted toward a hollow depression in the sand, its sharp eyes catg something subtle.

  Raifort followed its line of sight, moving closer to examihe area. Her expression lit up as realization struck. "It's quid! Could the entrance be hidden underh?"

  Zoroark nodded in firmation.

  Raifort's face broke into a wide grin, her excitement bubbling over. "Amazing! Everyone, put on ygles and dust masks—we're going down!"

  Naoki's eyes widened. 'Was Raifort seriously pnning to jump into the quid?'

  'Could it truly lead to the underground ruins she was so eager to find? And if so, wouldn't it be incredibly dangerous?'

  Raifort waved off Naoki's with a grin as she adjusted her gear. "Don't worry! My Zoroark and Grumpig will be fine in their Poké Balls for now. I'll go first, and you two follht after!"

  Without hesitation, Raifort leaped straight into the quid.

  Naoki watched in horror as her figure was swallowed up, the shifting sands dev her entirely. It was like watg someone disappear into the maw of a desert monster.

  "Is she... gone?" Naoki muttered, wide-eyed. His mind raced. 'Could Raifort really have survived that?' After all, in the Pokémon games, there was never aion of Raifort expl such perilous pces.

  Had his involvement pushed her into taking a dangerous risk?

  Just as panic was about to overtake him, a faint, muffled shout emerged from below the ground. Naoki straio listen.

  "Hey! It's fine! e down already!" Raifort's voice echoed from below.

  Relief flooded through Naoki. 'She was alive!'

  Hesitatioed away. He quickly adjusted Koraidon's makeshift mask to cover its mouth and nose before taking a deep breath. Together, they jumped into the quid.

  The sensation was disorienting. The quid pulled them downwards in a spiraling motion, and before long, gravity took over. Naoki felt weightless for a brief moment before he and Koraidon nded softly on a pile of sand.

  Coughing, Naoki struggled to his feet. His mouth was full of gritty sand, and he immediately began spitting it out.

  In the glow of Grumpig's Fsh, Raifort stood nearby with Zoroark and Grumpig, a smirk on her face. "The first time's always rough," she teased. "You'll get used to it."

  Naoki scowled, still spitting out sand. "This is the first and st time! Once I've collected all the s I need, I'm doh this whole treasure-hunting business!"

  Raifort's expression turned pyful as she locked eyes with him. "Oh, really?"

  "Yes, really," Naoki replied, brushing sand off Koraidon's scales.

  Raifort leaned in slightly, her tone dripping with curiosity. "Even if it means unc priceless treasures—gold, silver, relics of untold value?"

  "I don't hat stuff. It's useless to me," Naoki said ftly, thinking of the Pokémon on his ranch. Even if he had the moo buy more nd or vils, he could never leave his Pokémon behind to enjoy them.

  Raifort chuckled, seemingly amused by his vi. "I uand," she said with a shrug. "Let's move on."

  Beh the quid was airely different world. A, sand-buried structures loomed in the dim light, their crumbling forms hinting at a long-fotten civilization. A ruined watchtower stood sentinel among the dunes, its silhouette eerie and majestic.

  Naoki couldn't help but pause to take it all in. "This is incredible…"

  Raifort, however, seemed unfazed. She walked ahead, her focus oh forward. "The real discoveries lie deeper. Keep up."

  The passage narrowed, and the group moved in single file, Grumpig's Fsh illuminating the way. The air grew noticeably thinner, and Naoki's breaths became shallow. They must have desded to a siderable depth.

  Finally, the tunnel widened into a massive, dark cavern that stretched far beyond the reach of Grumpig's light.

  Naoki stopped in his tracks, staring into the void. "What… is this pce?"

  Raifort's eyes gleamed with reition. "If I'm correct, this is one of the great underground cavities formed millions of years ag massive teic shifts."

  She turo Naoki, her tone growing more excited. "I read about this in the library at Paldea Academy. Long ago, this region was rocked by an unpreted earthquake. These caverns were formed during that event. And if the records are accurate, there should be several of these cavities scattered throughout Paldea."

  Naoki murmured to himself, "A giant hollow…"

  Raifort's expressiohoughtful. "During the time of the Paldean Empire, there was a legendary disaster Pokémon called Ting-Lu. It is said to have caused a massive earthquake that led to the colpse of the royal city. A massive fissure opened in the earth, and the once-prosperous royal capital sank into this very pce."

  Naoki, however, found his thoughts drifting to something else.

  'Could it have been the legendary Regigigas that caused this a seismic event?'

  He recalled the Pokédex entry figas, which described it as a colossus capable of pulliire tis into pce, shaping the world's ndmasses as we know them today. But the timeline igas' as remained ambiguous, and Naoki couldn't be certain if the earthquake that devastated the Paldean region was ected to this mythical giant.

  "We're getting close!" Raifort excimed suddenly, her voice pulling Naoki from his musings. "The ruins must be just below us now. We o find a way down."

  After a moment of ption, she reached for another Poké Ball on her belt.

  In a fsh of white light, a Braviary emerged, spreading its powerful wings wide.

  Raifort recalled her Zoroark to its Poké Ball and mounted Braviary with practiced ease. "I'll head down first," she called back to Naoki.

  Naoki quickly followed suit, climbing onto Koraidon's back. Together, the two desded into the bck abyss of the cave system.

  The dest was far from straightforward. The cavern's terrain was a byrinth of jagged cliffs, winding tunnels, and yawning chasms that seemed to stretdlessly downward. The air grew colder and heavier with each passing moment.

  It was impossible to tell how long they traveled before Koraidon and Braviary finally nded on a rocky outcropping at the cavern's lowest point.

  The dim light from Grumpig's Fsh was no longer enough to illumiheir surroundings. Shadows stretched far beyond the reach of its glow, leaving much of the vast cavern shrouded in darkness.

  As Naoki wondered how they would navigate in such ditions, Raifort rummaged through her backpad pulled out two helmets with attached night-vision goggles.

  "Here, put this on," she said, handing oo Naoki. "These goggles will help you see everything clearly."

  Naoki took the helmet and slipped it on. The moment the night-vision activated, the world around him was transformed. The ondistinct shadows gave way to a clear, eerie green-tinted view of their surroundings.

  They were standing atop a cliff that overlooked a vast expa its base, led in the darkness, y the ruins of an a royal city.

  Even in its ruiate, the city was awe-inspiring. Broken towers and crumbling walls stood as silent wito the passage of time, their grandeur now eroded by tless turies. The remains of the city stretched far into the cavern, a haunting reminder of its former majesty.

  "There it is!" Raifort's voice trembled with excitement. Her eyes gleamed as she gazed at the ruins. "The lost royal city of the Paldean Empire… we've found it!"

  Without waiting for Naoki, she urged Braviary forward, s down toward the ruins.

  Naoki sighed and urged Koraidon to follow, though his excitement didn't quite match Raifort's. While the ruins were undeniably fasating, Naoki's true focus y elsewhere—specifically, oerrain itself.

  The massive cavity surrounding the ruins was full of evidence of a geological upheavals. Cracks and colpsed ses suggested that the cavern had experienced multiple colpses over the millennia.

  Rainwater and groundwater had gradually eroded the soil and rocks in the area, causied colpses over time.

  As Naoki sed the terrain, his attention was drawn to a cluster of oddly shaped stones scattered on the ground.

  Curious, he brought Koraidon to a halt. The Pokémon nded, allowing Naoki to dismount and examihe stones more closely.

  Brushing away the thick dirt and dust c the first stone, Naoki uncovered a startling discovery.

  "This is... a fossil?!" he excimed in surprise.

  And not just one. Scattered around him were several more stones of simir nature. However, as Naoki ied them, he quickly noticed a key difference—many of the fossils were inplete. Some were split ly in half, while others were nothing more than jagged fragments.

  uzzled him even more was their peculiar appearahese stones didn't resemble the fossils of any Pokémon he reized. her the spiral shape of an Omanyte fossil nor the sleek structure of an Aerodactyl fossil matched the shapes in front of him.

  "Could these have e from a Pokémon?" Naoki wondered aloud.

  But their crystalline, gem-like appearance raised doubts. He mulled over the possibility that they might not be fossils at all, but remnants of gemstones uhed from the ruins of the a royal city.

  "Could gems even fossilize over time?" he mused, studying the shimmering surface of one of the stones.

  Koraidon, standing nearby, seemed just as perplexed, tilting its head curiously as it s the straones.

  While Naoki's mind raced with theories, a shout broke his tration.

  "Naoki!" Raifort called from ahead, her voice eg slightly in the cavernous space.

  "ing!" Naoki replied. He hastily pocketed the most intact of the fossils, leaving the fragmented ones behind. He mounted Koraidon, which leaped smoothly into the air and sped forward to catch up with Raifort.