"What were you doing just now?" Raifort asked curiously as she stopped and waited.

  Naoki pulled out the stone he had pocketed earlier and held it up. "I found a lot of these gem-like stones back there."

  Raifort examihe stone briefly before hazarding a guess. "It might be a fossil of some a creature. The seismic activity here millions of years ago caused the extin of many a Pokémon."

  "A Pokémon…" Naoki murmured, his thoughts drifting.

  He recalled the Pokémon fossils discovered in variions: the Helix and Dome Fossils of Kanto, as well as Aerodactyl's Old Amber; the Root and Cw Fossils from Hoenn; and the Skull and Armor Fossils of Sinnoh.

  Then there were the fossil Pokémon from Unova, Kalos, and Gar. But twions stood out for their ck of fossil Pokémon—Alo and Paldea.

  "This stone might be highly valuable to fossil enthusiasts!" Raifort said with a smile. "I suggest you hold onto it. You might be able to trade it with collectors for something iing iure."

  Naoki thought about it for a moment and realized she was right. Currently, Paldea didn't have the facilities to revive fossils. To revive this fossil, he'd have to travel to Kanto or Hoenn, which wasn't feasible in the near future. Especially with the baby Eevees due to hatch back at the ranch soon, he'd be busy g for them.

  He resolved to keep the stone for now and revive it when the opportunity arose. He only hoped the teology to revive suique fossils was widely avaible.

  Pocketing the fossil, Naoki followed Raifort as they tiheir journey. Before long, they reached the entrao the royal city ruins.

  The staircase leading into the ruins was cracked ahered, littered with boulders and thick yers of dust.

  Raifort ko touch the stoeps, rubbing some dust between her fingers before blowing it away. "It's clear no one's been here in ages. Perfect—I won't have to worry about someoio the treasures."

  She raised her head, gazing at the shadowy silhouette of the ruined city in the distance. Her lips curled into a determined smile. "Let's go. First, we o find the chamber where the Paldean Empire stored its secrets."

  Naoki nodded and followed her up the worn steps. Passing through a crumbling archway, they officially ehe city.

  The once-majestic royal city was now a shadow of its flory. Residential buildings y in ruins, their colpsed walls and shattered foundatioifying to the immense destru wrought by the Treasures of Ruin during the Paldean Empire's downfall.

  "They really earheir reputation as disastrous forces," Naoki muttered under his breath, marveling at the scale of devastation.

  Suddenly, a rustling sound from behind caught his attention.

  Naoki began to turn, but Koraidoed faster, letting out a thunderous roar. "Raao!"

  A powerful wave of oppressive energy radiated from Koraidon, sending a gust of wind surging outward. The sudden force drove back a group of sneaky Mimikyu Pokémon attempting to ambush them from the shadows.

  Naoki actally made eye tact with one of the ghostly figures. An icy chill ran down his spine as an unnatural ess enveloped him.

  "Be careful!" Raifort shouted, her voice urgent. "Those are Mimikyu! Seeing their true form be dangerous. Avoid making eye tact with them!"

  Naoki snapped out of his daze, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He ted eight of the shadowy Pokémon lingering nearby, their ghostly flowing faintly in the darkness. Despite Koraidon's intimidating dispy, the Mimikyu seemed unfazed, advang cautiously as if testing their resolve.

  "They're not bag down," Naoki muttered. His tone hardened as he issued a and. "Koraidon, use Fmethrower!"

  "Raao!" Koraidon responded, its maw opening wide as fmes began to swirl and gather. A searing beam of fire erupted from its mouth, engulfing the ghostly Pokémon in a wave of intense heat.

  The Mimikyu let out eerie cries of pain as the fmes forced them to retreat. Their forms flickered aed into the darkness, leaving the area eerily silent once more.

  "Stay alert," Raifort warned, her Zoroark reappearing from the shadows to stand at her side. "Zoroark says there are more Pokémon in this area—not just the Mimikyu."

  Naoki nodded, his hand instinctively brushing Koraidon's side. "Uood. Let's move carefully from here."

  Raifort surveyed their surroundings, her sharp eyes assessing the yout of the ruins. “This must be the entrao the royal city,” she remarked. “Based on the architecture of the time, the main castle should still be further up.”

  The two pressed onward, with Raifort taking the lead, navigating through the rubble and identifying their path. Naoki followed closely, with Koraidon vigintly sing their surroundings to guard against any sudden attacks from the Pokémon inhabiting the ruins.

  As a historian and field researcher, Raifort’s expertise in a civilizations and her uny knack for unc the past proved invaluable. Her excitement alpable, her steps quiing as they heir destination.

  Eventually, the pair arrived at a weathered wooden door adjat to peared to be the main hall of the castle.

  “This is it!” Raifort excimed, her face lighting up with excitement.

  She stepped forward, eager to push open the door and uncover what y within. However, Naoki’s sharp eyes caught an unusual movement in the rubble fnking the path.

  “Wait—something’s wrong,” he said, his voice tense.

  Before Raifort could respond, the ground trembled violently. Dust and debris flew into the air as two massive, golem-like Pokémoed from the ruins, their stone bodies crag with energy.

  Golurk.

  The two imposing Pokémon stood motionless for a moment, their heads swiveling unnaturally as their glowing yellow eyes locked onto Raifort he small door. Without warning, one of the Golurk surged forward, its massive fist raised high and glowing with energy as it prepared to strike.

  “Look out!” Naoki shouted.

  Koraidoed instantly, ung forward with a burst of speed. With a resounding roar, it swung its tail cloaked in dragon energy, delivering a devastating Dragon Tail that sent the attag Golurk tumbling backward.

  Meanwhile, Raifort’s Zoroark leaped into a, its movements swift and precise. Fag the sed Golurk, Zoroark used its Dark-type advao outmahe lumbering guardian, evading its powerful blows with ease. With a bination of agility and super-effective moves, Zoroark ma down its oppo in short order.

  As the battle cluded, the golden light in the eyes of both Golurk dimmed, their massive bodies slumping bato the rubble from which they had emerged.

  Raifort let out a sigh of relief, clutg her chest. “That was close. Thank you! It seems I really did choose the right person for the job.”

  Naoki, still on edge, oward the wooden door. “We celebrate ter. Focus oask at hand.”

  “Right.” Raifort straightened herself, her excitemeurning. With a firm push, she opehe door and stepped inside.

  Naoki peered in from the doorway, peared to be an a archive. Dust-covered tomes and yellowed scrolls were scattered haphazardly across the floor, the room bearing the weight of turies of . Without hesitation, Raifort began bing through the dots, her eyes sing for aion of the Treasures of Ruin.

  Left with little to do, Naoki sat down on the crumbling stairs leading up to the castle hall. Koraidoled beside him, its vigint gaze never leaving their surroundings.

  Reag into his pocket, Naoki retrieved the gem-like fossil he had picked up earlier. Turning it over in his hands, he examis unusual shape and crystalliure. The faint shimmer of the fossil reflected the dim light filtering through the ruins.

  Koraidon’s eyes were fixed oos curiosity mirr Naoki’s own.

  Naoki raised an eyebrow and asked, “Koraidon, do you know what this is?”

  “Raao…” Koraidon tilted its head uainly, letting out a low sound.

  Seeing this, Naoki realized that Koraidon didn’t kher. He had assumed that a Pokémon with ties to the a past might reize the object.

  He held the stone up to the light once more. After being ed, it didn’t resemble a traditional fossil at all. Instead, it gleamed like a gemstos translut surface reminding him of amber.

  “Maybe I could make it into a pendant,” Naoki mused, an idea f in his mind. He held the stone against his neck, testing its weight. “It’s a little big, but it could work as a nient.”

  Before he could ponder further, Raifort’s excited voice echoed from ihe room.

  “I found it! The part that details the Treasures of Ruin! With this, I locate the four disaster Pokémon!”

  Naoki turned, his curiosity piqued. The mention of the legendary Pokémon of disaster brought old myths to mind. ed, he asked, “Are you sure about unsealing them? What if they go berserk and bring disaster to Paldea again after being freed?”

  Raifort hesitated, her excitement briefly dampened. Naoki’s words struck a chord, reminding her of the darker aspects of the legend.

  The story told of the four Treasures of Ruin—a Pokémon transformed inters of camity through the accumution of human greed and malice. The part she had uncovered might hold the key to their whereabouts, but also to the warnings left behind by those who had sealed them away.

  Leaning closer, Raifort carefully began deciphering the aext, her expertise in archaiguages allowio tra with ease.

  The part read:

  “To suppress the four Treasures of Ruin, the king summoned a renowned Pokémon trainer. Usi ented stakes, the trainer sealed each disaster Pokémon within its shrine.

  Those whose hearts are tainted by greed must not break the seals, for they will unleash camity upon the world once more. Only those with pure iions may uhe treasures, allowing their true forms to be revealed.”

  Raifort murmured the passage aloud, her voice thoughtful.

  “Only those with pure hearts…” She paused, her expression shifting to one of mild unease.

  Was she truly someone free from greed? She doubted it. Her sole reason for seeking the Treasures of Ruin was to cim them for herself—a far cry from the purity of i described iext.

  Raifort awkwardly cleared her throat, a sheepish look crossing her face. Still, she wasn’t oo back down after ing this far. She rolled up the part and tucked it int before turning to Naoki.

  “Well, my part’s done. Now it’s your turn to collect those s! If I’m right, the treasure vault should be this way!”

  Naoki caught a glimpse of the part as she put it away but chose not to pry further. His goals were simpler and less ambitious than hers. All he wanted was to gather enough s to help his Gimmighoul evolve into Gholdengo.

  Naoki and Raifort walked along the crumbling path, navigating through most of the ruins until they finally reached the castle’s treasure vault.

  Perhaps to deter theft, the door and walls of the vault were structed from a remarkably durable material. Despite turies of exposure to rain and groundwater, they remained pristine, retaining their inal strength and form.

  The door was securely locked. Naoki instinctively turo Koraidon, sidering breaking the lock by force. However, before he could act, Raifort pulled a small metal pick from her bag and began fiddling with the lock.

  With a soft click, the loapped open.

  Raifort pushed the door ajar, and before Naoki could express his surprise at her lock-pig expertise, his attention was immediately drawn to the gleaming treasure inside.

  A mountain of gold s glimmered uhe faint light, their brilliance captivating.

  “Wow! That’s… so many gold s!” Naoki excimed, wide-eyed.

  Raifort stood in the doorway, a satisfied smile on her face. “Looks like your wish is about to e true.”

  Grinnio ear at the thought of his Gimmighoul evolving into Gholdengo, Naoki walked in with Koraidon and began scooping s into his bag.

  After a couple of trips, he paused and, without warning, y down on top of the pile of gold s.

  Raifort tilted her head, perplexed. “What are you doing?”

  Naoki closed his eyes, sinking slightly into the treasure. “You know how in pirate movies, they always show someone lying on a pile of treasure? I wao know what it feels like.”

  “And? How is it?” Raifort asked, suppressing a ugh.

  Naoki sat up, brushing stray s off his arms. “Holy? It’s not fortable at all. Hard and cold.”

  At that, Raifort chuckled, her voice eg softly in the room.

  Naoki shook off the thought auro pag the gold s into his expandable bag. Among the s, there were also various gold and silver ors scattered around—items like an intricately designed golden , a ruby neckce, a pigeon-egg-sized gemstone, and an eborate goldeer.

  Despite their obvious value, Naoki seemed unimpressed. Items like the and scepter, relics of a long-dead king, felt eerie to him. He preferred to stick to the practical: gold s.

  “I’ll just take the s. The rest is all yours,” he said casually.

  “You don’t want these?” Raifort asked, her surprise evident. She gestured toward the ornate scepter. “A piece like this could sell for tens of millions outside.”

  Naoki hesitated briefly at the mention of such a staggering sum. But as he gnced up, he caught the gleam in Raifort’s eyes—a subtle yet deliberate test.

  It clicked in his mind. Raifort was gauging his iions.

  She had read the tents of the part earlier with him present. He recalled the specifie: Only those with pure iions and clear minds remove the seals.

  The challenge was clear. Would he choose the promise of wealth and glory, or The Treasures of Ruin?

  Naoki didn’t need long to decide. His goal was already set.

  He wahe Treasures of Ruin. Specifically, the idea of owning his very own Chi-Yu, the legendary snow leopard Pokémon, had captivated him.

  He gave Raifort a firm look, his decision unwavering. “No, I’ll stick with the s. That’s all I need.”

  Naoki’s primary goal for this journey had always been to collect the gold s, and nourpose was fulfilled.

  Hearing his decision, Raifort nodded, a look of uanding dawning on her face. Her tourhoughtful, even a little impressed.

  “You’re resolute, I’ll give you that... Alright, I uand. I’ll take care of the rest. After I’ve trahese parts thhly, I might need your help again. I’ll t on you then!”

  “Sure thing,” Naoki replied with a smile.

  ...

  With the exploration of the underground ruins successfully pleted, Naoki and Raifort retraced their steps out of the cavern and back to the scorg Hot Desert.

  By the time they emerged, the sky was bright, signaling the arrival of m.

  Exhausted from a sleepless night, both of them looked worn out.

  Raifort drove Naoki and Koraidon straight back to Cascarrafa City.

  At the city’s interse, the two bid each other farewell.

  “What’s for you?” Raifort asked, stretg slightly as she gnced down the bustling street.

  Naoki stifled a yawn. “Heading home for some mueeded sleep. What about you?”

  “I’ll find a hotel a for a bit. Thanks again for everything. Let’s team up again if the opportunity arises. See you!”

  With a wave, Raifort turned and disappeared into the streets of Cascarrafa City.

  Naoki climbed onto Koraidon’s bad started his journey home.

  Koraidon, equally fatigued, seemed eager to return. Pig up speed, it covered the distao the ran less than ten minutes.

  Once back at the ranaoki released all his Pokémon from their Poké Balls.

  inally, he inteo give the s he’d collected to Gimmighoul, but his exhaustion got the better of him. Tossing the backpack full of s onto the living room floor, Naoki trudged to his room and colpsed into bed.

  Half-asleep, Naoki felt something hard and slightly unfortable in his pocket. Without opening his eyes, he fished out the object—a gem-like stone he had found in the ruins—and zily tossed it onto the floor before drifting off into deep slumber.

  A short while ter, Indeedee ehe room holding a steaming cup of hot milk.

  Seeing that Naoki had already fallen asleep, Indeedee quietly set the milk aside and began tidying up the room. Pig up Naoki’s discarded clothes, it prepared to put them in the washing mae.

  As Indeedee turo leave, its gaze fell on the mysterious stone Naoki had tossed aside.

  Curious, the Pokémon walked over and picked it up, studying it briefly. Then, with its natural pent fanization, Indeedee carried the sto of the room and pced it in Naoki’s dedicated ste area for evolutionary items like Fire Stones, Water Stones, and Everstones.