Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

As Cain approached the chamber, the remaining Ghost-type Pokémon—Cofagrigus—that still had enough strength to fight began to attack desperately. Protecting the coffin inside the room was their top priority.

However, their efforts were to little avail. Slowking and the rest of Cain's Pokémon firmly held the Cofagrigus back, preventing them from crossing the doorway. Only Cain and Mismagius managed to enter the room.

The place was a completely sealed space, save for the single entrance door. Unlike the outside, this chamber was impeccably clean. Both the walls and floor indicated that the ancient inhabitants placed great importance on this site.

While the coffins outside were in ruins, the one inside remained in perfect condition.

Although its design was simple and even somewhat modest, the fact that this coffin remained intact while the others had decayed suggested that it was made of extremely special materials.

"Mismagius, open this coffin. Let's see what's inside," Cain ordered.

Mismagius, still euphoric after having recently defeated a Cofagrigus of a similar level, showed no hesitation at Cain's instruction. Her eyes glowed red, and with a burst of psychic energy, she began slowly lifting the heavy coffin lid.

The weight was considerable; had Cain tried to open it himself, he likely wouldn't have managed. But to his relief, there were no traps or hidden mechanisms inside the coffin.

After scanning it with his psychic ability and system to ensure there was no danger, Cain approached the coffin.

This place represented a fusion between technology and the knowledge of an ancient civilization. It was reasonable to think that a coffin of such importance might be protected by traps. However, all Cain found inside was a fine layer of dust and a sheet of special paper.

Though it looked like ordinary paper at first glance, it was clear that the material was not common, given that it had withstood the test of time. Using a layer of psychic energy to avoid damaging it, Cain carefully lifted the sheet.

What the Cofagrigus had been so fervently protecting wasn't the coffin itself—it was the knowledge written on that sheet.

After scanning the characters with his system, Cain noticed they were identical to those he had seen engraved on the walls of the grand entrance hall. Using the system's translator, he managed to interpret the text preliminarily.

The sheet contained details directly related to the creation of the Groudon-inspired Golurk previously mentioned in the monolith inscriptions. But unlike those superficial records, this document included precise instructions for the construction process.

Of course, many of the materials mentioned seemed exclusive to that era. Some of the material names were completely unknown, and they might no longer even exist. Thus, replicating this creation process today would be impossible.

However, as he read further, Cain found new and crucial information. After countless failed attempts, the Groudon-inspired Golurk had finally been successfully created.

It possessed unique abilities linking it to Groudon, and its arrival was met with great excitement by the kingdom's people, who believed their earth god had finally granted them protection.

But their joy was short-lived. It wasn't long before the Golurk began to show signs of instability. It became increasingly difficult to control, and its unchecked power became a threat to the kingdom.

The kingdom's ruler, who had personally overseen its creation, gave the order to seal it away to prevent catastrophe. However, this decision was met with fierce opposition from his subjects, who viewed the order as a selfish attempt to retain power, fearing that the Golurk might usurp his authority.

Amid the chaos, a rebellious movement arose aiming to overthrow the king. Though this group appeared to have popular support, it was in fact being manipulated by traitors within the royal court itself.

The true enemies of the king were dissident court members, who sought to exploit the widespread discontent as a pretext to usurp the throne.

Despite ongoing political conflicts, the king devoted all his attention to containing the Golurk, whose power continued to grow uncontrollably.

To him, preserving his own life or his place on the throne was irrelevant. His priority was to ensure that the creature he had helped create would not destroy the kingdom he loved.

Eventually, the king was overthrown. In his final moments, he wrote the words found on this sheet, entrusting them to his most loyal followers to be placed in the coffin.

In his final message, the king expressed his regret. He acknowledged that his responsibility as a leader included dealing with the consequences of his own mistakes.

Though he saw himself as a descendant of the earth god, he chose to seal the Groudon-inspired Golurk, ensuring that its power would never again threaten his people.

Cain finished reading and let out a sigh. The story behind this place was more complex than he had imagined. In his mind, he began to picture an ancient kingdom that, in its obsession with achieving divine power, had sealed its own fate.

"A kingdom that lived and died under Groudon's shadow," Cain murmured. "The irony couldn't be more obvious. Their salvation was also their ruin."

Although the details of how the Golurk was sealed remained a mystery, Cain had no doubt that its connection with Groudon had had catastrophic consequences.

Moreover, if Larvitar had sensed a calling, it was very likely that the Golurk was still somewhere within this sealed space.

On the back of the sheet, Cain found a map of the area. A specific section was completely shaded, probably indicating the Golurk's location.

Upon exiting the room, Cain saw that his Pokémon had finished battling the Cofagrigus and Yamask. Though victorious, many had suffered injuries.

"Florges, help them recover," Cain ordered.

With a graceful motion, Florges used Grassy Terrain to generate a field of healing grass.

Cain also distributed Pokéblocks to restore his team's energy. Meanwhile, the members of Team Magma began descending to the deepest level of the place, led by their mysterious leader, moving with impressive speed.

(End of chapter)