The mountain where the Aggron resided was unlike the barren one in Yuga's Ecopark, where nothing grew but exposed minerals. This mountain, though sparsely vegetated, had various berry trees scattered across its slopes.
According to the Aggron, these berry trees had been transplanted from other parts of the island to reduce the need to venture out for food.
While the Aggron could consume minerals, the mountain's mineral reserves were not abundant. If they consumed it indiscriminately, it wouldn't last long. Thus, their main diet consisted of berries, tender grass, and leaves, with minerals as a supplement.
Unfortunately, most of these berry trees were now destroyed due to the intense battle earlier. Many parts of the mountain had collapsed, and the trees naturally suffered collateral damage.
Seeing the berry trees that was carefully cultivated by their ancestors reduced to ruins, the Aggron sighed repeatedly, filled with regret.
Other Aggron, Aron, and Lairon also lived on the mountain. Along the way, Yuga saw some of them. Their reactions upon seeing Yuga and the Aggron varied; some were frightened, some angry, and others showed deep hostility.
Yuga and the Aggron soon reached the mountain's center, where Yuga discovered that the center wasn't the summit but rather a sunken valley. At the valley's bottom lay a sapphire-blue lake.
The lake's color was strikingly different from that of ordinary lakes. From afar, it gleamed like a crystalline gemstone, exuding an extraordinary beauty.
Yuga speculated that the lake's unique color might be due to its mineral composition.
The Aggron explained that this lake was their clan's primary water source. Without it, they wouldn't have been able to settle here for long.
The valley was expansive. It wasn't entirely surrounded by the mountain; instead, the mountain encircled only half of it in a crescent shape. The other half opened out into a vast green plain, dotted with Noctowl and Hoothoot pecking at grass seeds.
These Noctowl and Hoothoot appeared to be neighbors of the Aggron clan, living in symbiosis with them. Otherwise, they wouldn't act as the Aggron clan's scouts.
However, the Aggron told Yuga that during its time in the clan, no such group of Noctowl and Hoothoot resided in their territory.
A large portion of the Aggron clan's members lived by the lake in the valley, primarily consisting of female Aggron and young Aron and Lairon.
When they saw Yuga and the Aggron approach, their expressions changed drastically. The Noctowl and Hoothoot stopped eating grass seeds, took flight in panic, and scattered.
They all knew why their leader had left earlier. Now that the leader hadn't returned but its brother had, it could only mean one thing: the leader had been defeated.
A change in leadership wasn't something the Aggron clan couldn't accept. However, they were worried that the leader's brother might retaliate for past grievances.
Yuga ignored the reactions of the female Aggron, Aron, Lairon, Noctowl, and Hoothoot. He and the Aggron descended from the mountain and walked to the lakeside. The water was crystal clear, yet there seemed to be no signs of life within.
Could it be that the water was so pure that it couldn't support life? Yuga dipped his hand into the lake, scooped up a handful of water, and observed it for a few moments, pondering in confusion.
"Aggron~ Aggron~"
Just as Yuga was lost in thought, Aggron suddenly pulled at him and called out. Looking up, Yuga saw a massive whirlpool appear at the center of the lake. Huge amounts of water were rapidly pouring into the vortex, causing the lake's water level to drop visibly.
The other Aggron, seeing their vital source of water disappearing, rushed to the lakeside in a panic. Yet, faced with the vanishing lake, they were powerless to stop it.
Yuga quietly observed the whirlpool at the lake's center and thought: Perhaps the aftermath of the earlier battle caused some sort of collapse at the lakebed.
In just two to three hours, all the lake water was gone, leaving behind a mud-filled pit. At the center of the pit lay a massive, pitch-black hole.
It was clear that this hole had swallowed all the water from the lake.
Staring at the hole for a few seconds, Yuga turned to Aggron and said, "You should return to your Poké Ball for now. I plan to go down and investigate this hole."
Aggron nodded in agreement and was returned to its Poké Ball. Yuga then released Charizard and mounted it, flying directly above the hole before diving in.
Once inside, Yuga discovered that the space within the hole was vast, seemingly naturally formed. However, it was pitch dark, and he could only make out his surroundings by the faint light emanating from Charizard's fiery tail.
The air inside the hole was extremely damp. Yuga wasn't sure if this was its original state or if the influx of lake water had caused it.
Guiding Charizard to land, Yuga saw a subterranean river flowing before him. The water from the lake appeared to have joined this river, which flowed endlessly into the depths of the underground.
Peering ahead by the light of Charizard's flame, Yuga couldn't discern where the river ultimately led.
"Let's keep moving forward," Yuga said to Charizard, filled with a deep desire to explore this unknown subterranean world.
"Charizard~"
Charizard responded, its tail flame burning brighter, illuminating their path.
The underground river stretched on for an unknown distance with no end in sight. Gradually, Yuga noticed the appearance of some peculiar plants along the way.
These plants stood no taller than a finger, were entirely milky white, and emitted a bright luminescence in the darkness. From afar, they looked like flickering flames, strikingly beautiful. The sight reminded Yuga of the unquenchable fire he had once seen in the Nido family's underground lair.
However, these plants were extremely fragile. When Yuga reached out to gently touch one, it dissolved into starry specks of light, floating into the air and dissipating slowly.
Within the faintly fading glow, Yuga could sense subtle energy waves, but they were so faint that he couldn't discern their nature.
At first, these plants were sparse, with Yuga encountering only one every long stretch. But as he progressed further, their frequency increased, eventually appearing in dense patches.
Finally, after walking an indeterminate distance, Yuga came upon a massive underground lake. The waters of the subterranean river ultimately emptied into this lake.
The lake's water was a dazzling azure blue, radiating a faint glow that made the lake's surface shimmer like crystal. It was an extraordinary and mesmerizing sight.
Moreover, the glowing plants covered the ground along the lake's edge and even climbed the walls of the surrounding rock. Their radiance intertwined with the glow of the lake, illuminating the entire underground space as brightly as daylight.
What shocked Yuga the most wasn't the magnificent underground lake but the massive skeleton suspended above its surface.
At a glance, Yuga could tell this skeleton belonged to a bird Pokémon. It stretched over a hundred meters in length, its entire structure crystalline and jade-like. Within its translucent bones, faint, milky-white flames flickered and danced, dimming and brightening intermittently.
"This is... the skeleton of Ho-Oh!" Yuga exclaimed, astonished. He sensed the same aura emanating from the skeleton as that of the Eternal Flame.
At that moment, the voice of the system echoed in Yuga's mind.
...
[ Congratulations, host, for completing the special additional mission: The Secret of the Island. ]
[ Description: Beneath the earth lies the body of Ho-Oh, nourishing the entire island with its enigmatic power, enabling the island to flourish with vitality. ]
[ Reward: A Light Gate (capable of connecting two regions). ]
...
So, it really is Ho-Oh! Yuga finally understood why this Resurrection island harbored so many high potential and high level Pokémon. The island was blessed by the remains of a deceased Ho-Oh.
Ho-Oh who is revered as the "God of Life," is a Fire-type and Flying-type Legendary Pokémon. However, its unique divine power affects Pokémon of all types, not just its own.
Yuga was aware that in ancient times, there were many Legendary Pokémon, but aside from species like Lugia and Rayquaza, he hadn't encountered a second Tier 1 Legendary Pokémon.
Now, aside from the Ho-Oh of Mount Tensei, here lay another one. Yet, this one had died an unknown number of years ago.
The idea that such a supreme Pokémon could perish was difficult for Yuga to fathom.
The Eternal Flame beneath the Nido clan's territory was undoubtedly left behind by this Ho-Oh, likely the last flame it produced before its demise.
The flickering flames within Ho-Oh's bones weren't actual fire but a manifestation of its divinity.
As Yuga pondered these thoughts, the system's voice rang out once more.
....
[ Congratulations, host, for triggering Special Additional Mission II: Expanding Territories. ]
[ Description: As the number of Pokémon under your care continues to grow, Verdanturf Town can no longer accommodate the development needs of YoYo Day Care. Expanding territories has become an urgent matter for you. ]
[ Requirement: Claim a piece of territory on the island. ]
[ Reward: A standard Ecopark (not a Sub-Ecopark). ]
...
Seeing this mission, Yuga immediately understood the system's intention. He had suspected the system wouldn't just reward him with a Light Gate without a purpose. Clearly, this was all part of its plan.
But the system wasn't wrong. As Verdanturf Town thrived, the surrounding land had already been fully developed, leaving no room for Yuga to construct additional Ecopark.
In the past, YoYo Day Care's location was on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town. However, with the town's expansion, it had now become central.
Although Yuga didn't worry about space for raising Pokémon due to the Sub-Ecopark, the increasing number of Pokémon being sold by the Day Care necessitated a proper place for them. The current scale of the Ecoparks couldn't meet this growing demand.
Developing this island would solve that problem. The Pokémon bred by YoYo Day Care would have a designated home.
In fact, the Pokémon League encouraged large organizations to explore and develop unknown territories. The Pokémon world was so vast, with many untouched regions. These developments could effectively expand the domain of human civilization.
Many factions had already established secret bases in uncharted areas. The Moonlight Pearl Base Yuga co-developed with the Joy family was a similar example.
However, due to logistical and resource constraints, other factions wouldn't usually develop areas as remote from human civilization as Resurrection Island—it simply wasn't practical. Yet with the system's support, Yuga didn't have to worry about such limitations.
In truth, the League itself had pioneering teams, though few knew about them.
After thinking for a long time, Yuga concluded that whether it was to complete the system task or to ensure the future development of the YoYo Day Care, developing Resurrection Island was essential.
Walking to the lakeside, Yuga noticed that one of the tail bones of Ho-Oh's skeleton happened to extend to this spot. When he reached out and touched it, he instantly felt an overwhelming sense of pressure wash over him.
Although Ho-Oh was already dead, it still exuded an aura of majesty that demanded respect. This aura was contained within the skeleton, only manifesting when Yuga made contact.
As Yuga walked around the lake, he discovered that the water in this lake had a mild healing effect. While not very potent, it was sufficient to heal minor injuries, clearly a result of Ho-Oh's lingering influence.
Gazing at the colossal skeleton of Ho-Oh, an idea began to take shape in Yuga's mind.
After leaving the cavern, Yuga released Aggron's elder brother from its Poké Balls. Its were still injured and unconscious, so Yuga had Chimecho perform some basic healing on it. Once treated, Aggron's elder brother gradually regained consciousness.
Aggron's elder brother glared at Yuga with anger after its wake up, but under the watchful presence of Nana, it did not dare to act rashly.
Looking directly at the Aggron's elder brother, Yuga said, "How about we negotiate a deal?"
The Aggron's elder brother looked puzzled.
Yuga continued, "The content of the deal is simple..."
The system required Yuga to claim a piece of territory on the island, and after much thought, he decided that the Aggron clan's domain was the most suitable.
He proposed releasing all the Aggron, even ensuring that the Aggron's younger brother would not take over its leadership position, but in return, the Aggron clan's territory would have to belong to him.
Yuga assured them that they would not be driven out and could continue living there, but they would need to accept employment under Yuga, acting as the guardians of the territory.
Additionally, Yuga promised to provide them with an endless supply of food and ore.
After hearing Yuga's proposal, the Aggron's elder brother hesitated for a while before agreeing. Although its not particularly intelligent, it were not fools either; it understood that this deal was beneficial to its clan.
It wouldn't have to leave its home, and it'd have an unlimited supply of food. What's not to like?
Once he secured the Aggron's elder brother's agreement, Yuga had Chimecho fully heal the others Aggron injuries and instructed them to guard the lake's underwater cavern.
After arranging everything, Yuga planned to return to the Nido clan's territory to check on the progress of the negotiations between the Nido clan and the Joy family.