Chereads / Pokemon: Final Days / Chapter 28 - Chapter 22 - Upgraded System & Into A New Adventure!

Chapter 28 - Chapter 22 - Upgraded System & Into A New Adventure!

Ehe! Hello, Trainers! We are so back now xD~ Let the adventure continue!! :D 

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The sun was already up when Haru finally left the room, feeling a bit embarrassed after all the shouting earlier. Kasumi was waiting for him in the small living area of the Pokemon Center, arms crossed and a not-so-pleased look on her face.

"Are you done being loud?" Kasumi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that," Haru replied, rubbing the back of his head. "But hey, how about we head out and do something fun before we get back to... you know, collecting badges and training?"

Kasumi sighed but nodded. "Alright, but you're paying for breakfast."

They headed to a nearby cafe, a cozy place where the smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. As they ate, they talked about their plans for the day.

"I've heard from Flint that there will be a small festival happening in here as a celebration after the battle from Team Rocket," Kasumi said, scrolling through her Phone. "We could check it out. I hear they have some rare berries and they would open the Pokemon Contest early just because of this."

"A festival sounds fun!" Haru said, his eyes lighting up. "We can relax a bit before we dive back into training."

'There's also a Pokemon Contest? based on my memories from my first life, in the Anime, there's something like that here in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Kalos.' I thought to myself.

"Hey, What are you spacing off again? Come, let's finish this so we can help and go to the festival" Kasumi complained as she eat tons of food with happiness.

'My Pokedollars...' I sighed.

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After breakfast, they made their way to the festival. The town was bustling with people, stalls lining the streets with various goods on display. Haru and Kasumi helped a little and explored the market, buying some snacks and looking at the different Pokemon-themed trinkets. They even participated in a few mini-games, where Haru won a small plush of a Pikachu.

"See? I'm not just a moron. I've got skills!" Haru said, waving the plush in front of Kasumi.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Kasumi teased, though she couldn't help but smile.

As the day went on, they found themselves near the contest hall. Curious, they peeked inside to watch a few performances. Trainers and their Pokemon showcased their skills in creative ways, from dazzling light displays to synchronized moves.

Watching the contest sparked something in Haru. "You know, maybe we should enter one of these someday. It looks fun, and it's good training for our Pokemon too." I said with a lot of excitement 

"Maybe," Kasumi replied, thoughtful. "But first, we should focus on our current journey."

The sun was beginning to set by the time they left the festival. The walk back to the Pokemon Center was peaceful, the streets quieter now as the day came to a close. As they approached the center, Haru suddenly remembered something important.

'Oh, right! The system said it was upgrading today!' Haru exclaimed inwardly, suddenly excited again, Haru looked at Kasumi and said, "Let's get back inside!"

"Sure!" Kasumi wearily said.

Back in their room, Haru sat on the bed and opened the system interface. The upgrade process was just finishing up.

[ System Upgrade Complete. New Functions Unlocked. ]

"Alright, let's see what's new," Haru said eagerly.

[ The upgraded system now includes enhanced search functions, allowing for more detailed Pokemon data and better item management. There's also a new feature for tracking rare Pokemon encounters and a map that highlights special locations you've visited or missed. Also, you can use the system to record or save data ]

"Whoa, this is going to be super useful!" Haru exclaimed, scrolling through the new features.

I continued, intrigued. "That map function could help us a lot. We might find places we overlooked before. Though the system gave me a town map, I did not use it that much. Now, with the system, it's much more easier."

As Haru explored the upgraded system, a new notification popped up.

[ Adventure Quest Unlocked: Explore the Forgotten Ruins! ]

"Huh? What's this?" Haru said, opening the quest details.

[ A mysterious set of ruins has been discovered deep in the forest to the south. Ancient Pokemon lore suggests that these ruins may hold secrets about legendary Pokemon. Investigate the ruins and uncover their mysteries. ]

Haru's eyes lit up. "Looks like our next adventure is calling us." I ran to Kasumi's room and told something about the Ruins. Though, I said that I found this based on the ancient maps we got from the Team Rocket Hideout. 

"For real?!" Kasumi gasped.

Haru nodded, feeling a rush of excitement. "Yeah, and I have a feeling this one's going to be big. Let's get ready and head out first thing tomorrow."

With their next destination set, Haru and Kasumi spent the rest of the evening preparing for their journey. As they went to bed, the anticipation of what they might find at the ruins filled their minds, making it hard to sleep. Tomorrow, their new adventure would begin.

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The next morning, Haru woke up early, his mind still buzzing with thoughts of the ruins they were about to explore. He quickly got ready, eager to start the new adventure.

Kasumi, on the other hand, was still half-asleep when he knocked on her door.

"Come on, Kasumi! We need to get going!" Haru called out, trying to sound cheerful even though he was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up," Kasumi mumbled, dragging herself out of bed. "You're way too energetic for this early."

After a quick breakfast, they checked their supplies and made sure they had everything they might need. Potions, Pokeballs, food – they were ready. The system's map function showed the location of the Forgotten Ruins deep in the forest to the south, a place they hadn't explored yet.

Kasumi looked at me checking the supplies and said, "Let's say goodbye to Flint and the others before we go to that Ruins." I nodded and we go to the Pewter City Gym and we saw Flint, Officer Jenny, some detectives, a Pokemon Researcher and Brock.

We waved our hands to them and looked at us and said, " YO! Haru, Kasumi! What are you doing in here early in the morning?" Flint waved back to us. 

"We want to say goodbye for now as we need to head -

Before I can say anything, Kasumi cough a little and I stuttered a little and continued,

"Cough, we need to go Viridian City to battle the gym there." I said as I found an excuse because the Ruins is a hot item and a lot of either good or bad people might have some intentions.

"Oh, you guys are leaving already?" Brock said reluctantly and we said,

"Yes, we need to continue our path as we need to realized our dreams!"

Brock looked at us admiringly and said, "When I get older, I'll definitely find you guys and I'll tell you my dream!"

I looked at Brock and said inwardly, 'A Pokemon Doctor in the future' and said to him, "Go little Brock, we'll wait for you."

We smiled to each other and the others looked at us and solemnly said, "Thank you for the help in the mt. moon. Best wishes in your journey!"

Flint also said, "We'll battle again when you return in here someday."

Kasumi and Haru looked at each other and smiled then siad together, "YES!"

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As they left the town, the forest quickly grew denser. The path was less traveled, with tall trees casting long shadows over the winding trail. The air was cooler here, and the sounds of wild Pokémon echoed in the distance.

"This place feels different," Kasumi said, looking around cautiously. "Like it's hiding something, Is this Viridian Forest?"

"That's probably because it is and yes, this is Viridian Forest," Haru replied, checking the map from the system, "I think we're getting close."

After about an hour of walking, they reached a clearing. In the middle stood ancient stone structures, partially covered in moss and vines. The ruins looked old, almost forgotten by time. Haru and Kasumi exchanged a look, both feeling a mix of excitement and unease.

"This must be the place," Haru said, stepping forward. The ruins had an eerie, yet fascinating aura about them. "Let's see what we can find."

They carefully made their way through the ruins, exploring the broken pathways and crumbling walls. Strange carvings adorned the stones, depicting Pokemon in ways they hadn't seen before.

"These look like legendary Pokémon," Kasumi noted, tracing a finger over one of the carvings. "But something's different."

"Yeah," Haru agreed, examining another part of the wall. "It's like these Pokémon had some kind of connection to this place."

As they ventured deeper into the ruins, the system suddenly pinged.

[ New Objective: Find the Hidden Chamber ]

"Hidden chamber?" Haru read softly. 'There's more to this place than we thought.'

The map on the system interface highlighted a spot further into the ruins. They followed the directions, eventually reaching what appeared to be a dead end – a solid stone wall blocking their way.

"Now what?" Kasumi asked, looking at the wall. "There's no door or anything."

Haru studied the wall for a moment, then an idea struck him. "Maybe there's a mechanism or something. Let's check around."

After a bit of searching, Haru noticed a small, circular indentation in the wall, just big enough for the Unknown Key he received earlier. With a mix of excitement and nervousness, he inserted the key.

"What is that?" Kasumi puzzledly looked at the key.

"I got this from the treasures of the Mt. Moon. I thought that this key is for this." I said as I lie without batting an eyelid. 

"Team Rocket must want to find this." Kasumi muttered softly and nodded a little. 

As I put the key in, for a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a loud grinding noise, the stone wall began to move, sliding to the side and revealing a dark passageway leading further underground.

"Looks like we found our way in," Haru said, his voice echoing slightly in the narrow space.

Kasumi nodded, her earlier sleepiness now fully replaced by curiosity and a bit of tension. "Let's be careful. We don't know what's down there."

They entered the passage, the light from the entrance quickly fading as they descended. Haru turned on a flashlight, lighting the path ahead. The walls here were covered in more carvings, but these seemed even older, almost worn away by time.

'System, record this' 

[ Affirmative ]

At the end of the passage, they entered a large chamber. The air was thick, and the only sound was the quiet dripping of water from the ceiling. In the center of the room stood a stone pedestal, and on it rested a small, glowing object.

"What is that?" Kasumi whispered, her eyes fixed on the glowing item.

Haru approached cautiously, the light from his flashlight revealing more details. The object was a strange, crystal-like stone, pulsating with a faint, bluish light.

[ New Item Acquired: Mysterious Stone]

The system's notification popped up as soon as Haru touched the stone.

"What kind of stone is this, huh? I wonder what it's for," Haru said, holding the stone up to get a better look.

Before Kasumi could respond, the chamber suddenly began to shake. The ground rumbled, and dust fell from the ceiling.

"We need to get out of here!" Kasumi shouted, grabbing Haru's arm.

They turned and ran back through the passage, the shaking growing more intense with each step. By the time they reached the entrance, the ruins behind them had started to collapse, stones falling and walls crumbling.

Just as they made it out, the entrance caved in, sealing the ruins for good. Haru and Kasumi stood there, catching their breath, staring at the now-closed path.

"That was close," Haru said, still holding the stone tightly.

"Too close," Kasumi agreed, her heart still racing. "But at least I think we got what we came for."

As they walked back through the forest, the excitement of the adventure was still fresh in their minds. The Mysterious Stone felt important, though neither of them knew exactly why.

"So, what do you think this stone does?" Kasumi asked.

"I don't know," Haru replied, glancing at the glowing stone in his hand. "But I have a feeling it's going to lead us to something big."

"Obviously" Kasumi rolled her eyes.

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As they reached the edge of the forest, They saw a Sign named: Route 2. Haru looked back at the path they had taken. "Ready for the next adventure?"

Kasumi smiled, the tension from the ruins now replaced with excitement. "Always."

Together, they set off towards the next town, eager to see what new challenges awaited them, and what the Mysterious Stone might reveal about the ancient Pokemon world.

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