Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

Cain stared at the "Ω" symbol carved into the rock before him and couldn't help but shake his head with an ironic smile.

"Well, it seems everything ties back to Groudon," he murmured in a self-mocking tone.

The use of that symbol indicated that Team Magma had sent at least one Elite Officer. Not just anyone was authorized to use it—not even standard Officers.

"An Elite Officer... This could get complicated," Cain thought as he felt a slight headache coming on.

As little as he respected Team Magma, anyone who had reached the rank of Elite Officer in an organization of that caliber was likely an Elite-level trainer. And not the mediocre kind he had encountered in Mauville City.

"Slowking, have you detected any traces of psychic energy?" Cain asked.

The Slowking beside him nodded and made a soft sound, transmitting his answer directly into Cain's mind.

"So there are psychic markers here as well... At least they don't appear to have been placed by an Elite-level Psychic-type Pokémon, or this would be a much bigger problem," Cain reflected, relieved by Slowking's report.

At that moment, Honchkrow returned from its aerial patrol. Cain extended his arm for the Pokémon to perch on. After months of training, his arm could handle Honchkrow's weight with ease.

"Graah!" Honchkrow exclaimed, reporting what it had observed.

Cain narrowed his eyes as he processed the information. According to Honchkrow, it had spotted a few people near the summit of the mountain. Additionally, there was a structure that looked like ancient ruins. However, due to the guards posted at the entrance, Honchkrow hadn't gotten too close to avoid being noticed.

"An ancient structure? That could mean this place was inhabited by humans in ancient times, perhaps during the era of early civilizations," Cain mused.

Although he initially considered sending Honchkrow back to maintain aerial surveillance, he quickly changed his mind. A Pokémon like Honchkrow was too conspicuous in this environment.

Cain released another Pokéball, summoning his Flygon. This Pokémon, which had recently reached quasi-elite level, was a much more suitable choice for desert terrain. He ordered it to patrol from the air and raise an alarm if anything unusual was detected.

In a desert region, the presence of a Flygon wouldn't draw as much attention, so long as it wasn't carrying anyone.

With Flygon airborne, Cain continued climbing the mountain with Slowking and Honchkrow.

According to Honchkrow's report, only two people were guarding the entrance to the ruins, meaning the rest of Team Magma was likely occupied inside. This gave Cain more room to maneuver.

As he advanced, something caught his attention. Near a pile of rocks, a Heatmor was foraging. This Pokémon, known for feeding on minerals and metals, was not an unusual sight in such an environment.

Though officially recorded in the Unova region, its presence had also been documented in volcanic and high-temperature zones in other regions.

What truly intrigued Cain was the direction in which the Heatmor fled upon noticing him. The Pokémon moved toward a pile of rocks and began shifting them, revealing a small passage before slipping inside.

Once inside, the Heatmor repositioned the rocks, sealing the entrance.

"Interesting... If it had just entered a hole, I wouldn't have thought much of it. But sealing the entrance afterward... That's something worth investigating," Cain thought.

Wasting no time, he released three of his Pokémon: Drapion, Lairon, and Larvitar. Drapion began clearing the rocks with its powerful claws. Meanwhile, Lairon and Larvitar used earth energy to reinforce the tunnel walls as they progressed.

Cain also recalled Flygon. He couldn't afford to ignore what might be underground. If Team Magma was searching for something in this region, this hidden tunnel might also lead to something important.

To Cain's surprise, the tunnel did not ascend toward the mountain's summit but instead descended into the depths. At first, he thought he might have made a mistake, but as Drapion moved ahead, the passage grew wider.

Eventually, they found themselves in what appeared to be a natural tunnel reinforced with clay bricks.

"This wasn't made by Pokémon... Looks like the work of ancient humans," Cain observed as he inspected the tunnel walls.

As they continued, Larvitar tugged at Cain's clothes, signaling something up ahead. Cain stopped and looked to Slowking, who extended its psychic energy to scan the area. After a moment, Slowking nodded, confirming the path was clear.

Shortly after, they emerged into a large space. A powerful sense of antiquity filled the air. The smell of rotting wood and a slight acidity invaded their senses. It wasn't unbearable, but it was intense.

The light from Cain's torch revealed a vast underground hall. But what truly left him breathless was the massive structure at the center of the chamber.

The building, constructed directly into the cavern, stretched all the way to the ceiling, fitting perfectly without leaving any gap between the surfaces.

Its scale rivaled that of modern buildings, but its design lacked any contemporary technology, making it all the more impressive.

Most striking of all was the enormous "Ω" symbol carved into the main door of the structure, covering its entire surface.

"An ancient civilization that worshipped Groudon... And not just any Groudon, but its primal form," Cain thought, completely mesmerized by the discovery.

(End of chapter)