As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the desert in hues of orange and red, Raifort drove the off-road vehicle steadily forward, the trail of dust rising behind them blending into the hazy air.
The dry, hot wind carried yellow sand in its gusts, blowing against them relentlessly. Though evening had fallen, the heat lingered, refusing to dissipate entirely, leaving the air warm and heavy.
Nearly ten hours had passed since they had entered the desert. Aside from one brief stop for food, the majority of the day had been spent traversing the vast expanse of sand.
Throughout the journey, Naoki had seen a side of the world that was utterly foreign to him, a stark contrast to the familiar terrain he was used to.
The fiery red sun painted the desert in surreal, otherworldly tones.
The Pokémon inhabiting the desert were a testament to its harsh environment. Predominantly Ground-types roamed the terrain, with no sign of the usual bird or Grass-types one might expect elsewhere.
Donphan families wandered aimlessly, their young Phanpy playing mischievously around their parents' legs.
Hippopotas herds lounged in groups, burrowing into the sand to prepare for the chilly desert night.
Gigantic Golurk stood solemnly in the distance, their massive forms arranged in a natural circle. The silhouettes could easily be mistaken for ancient ruins if one didn't look closely enough.
"It's incredible," Naoki murmured, taking in the vibrant and alien desert ecosystem.
Raifort, focused on the road ahead, nodded in agreement. "It is. I remember feeling the same way the first time I ventured out here. Nature is vast, humbling in its scale."
She paused, her expression darkening slightly as she recalled a past experience. "I once witnessed a sandstorm here. It came out of nowhere, connecting the earth to the heavens. The desert was alive, raging in its fury."
"How much farther?" Naoki asked, snapping her out of her reverie.
Raifort glanced at the radar mounted on the dashboard. "We're close—about five minutes out."
True to her word, five minutes later, the vehicle came to a stop behind a towering sand dune.
Raifort hopped out of the vehicle with practiced ease, retrieving a compact yet professional-looking piece of equipment from her bag.
Curious, Naoki followed her and peered over her shoulder. The device displayed a radar map, a faint blinking signal indicating it was scanning the area.
"This… is this what you use for tomb raiding?" Naoki asked, his tone half-teasing.
"It's archaeology," Raifort corrected sharply, shooting him a glare.
"Right… archaeology," Naoki muttered, though his expression said otherwise.
The radar emitted a faint beep, signaling it had found something. A small red dot pulsed steadily on the screen.
"Got it!" Raifort exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.
Without hesitation, she pulled a Poké Ball from her belt. A flash of white light revealed her Zoroark, its sleek frame exuding a quiet confidence.
"Zoroark, scout ahead," Raifort instructed firmly.
The Illusion Fox Pokémon nodded silently and darted off, its movements fluid and calculated. Within moments, it disappeared into the dunes.
Raifort turned to Naoki. "We'll wait here until Zoroark comes back with its report."
Naoki nodded in agreement. Seizing the opportunity, he began preparing dinner for their group.
Releasing Slugma, Naoki placed a frying pan atop the Pokémon's warm body. He added oil to the pan, waiting until it sizzled before cracking eggs into it.
Before long, the smell of sizzling eggs and cutlets filled the air, carried on the evening breeze.
Even Koraidon couldn't help but salivate, its nostrils flaring slightly as it inhaled the enticing aroma.
Raifort raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "You're a surprisingly good cook!"
Naoki shrugged. "You pick up a few things living alone on a ranch."
He carefully placed the fried eggs and cutlets between slices of bread, crafting simple yet delicious sandwiches. Naoki distributed the sandwiches among the group, ensuring the Pokémon were fed first.
Koraidon eagerly grabbed its portion, devouring it with gusto. The way it ate—completely absorbed in the meal—was almost comical, earning a chuckle from Raifort.
She took a bite herself, her eyes widening in surprise. "Not bad! I knew I made the right choice bringing you along."
Naoki rolled his eyes. "I'm not here to be your personal chef."
Raifort laughed, clearly enjoying teasing him. "Relax, I'll need you and Koraidon for the real work soon enough."
As they bantered, Zoroark reappeared, its silhouette illuminated by the flickering light of the campfire.
Raifort handed it a sandwich before asking, "What did you find?"
Zoroark gave a sharp nod, signaling its success.
Raifort couldn't suppress her excitement. A confident smile spread across her face. "Excellent! We'll set off as soon as everyone finishes eating!"
Naoki glanced at the darkening sky and couldn't help but interject, "It's getting pretty late."
Raifort waved his concern aside with a gleam in her eyes. "That's no problem. My Grumpig knows Flash—it can light up any dark environment. Besides, don't you think exploring ruins at night adds to the adventure?"
Naoki hesitated but ultimately shrugged. "Alright, your call."
After all, he wasn't the leader of this expedition—just a hired hand whose main goal was to recover the coins hidden in the ruins. Everything else could be left to Raifort's enthusiasm and expertise.
By the time they finished their meal, the desert was enveloped in complete darkness. The once sweltering heat gave way to a sharp chill as the temperature plummeted. Both Naoki and Raifort changed into warmer clothes in preparation for the cold night ahead.
Naoki, always mindful of Koraidon's comfort, brought along a custom-made warm vest. It was a thoughtful piece he had tailored himself, cutting off the cuffs and removing unnecessary buttons to ensure it fit Koraidon perfectly. As he fastened the vest around the Pokémon, Koraidon gave an appreciative grunt, clearly enjoying the warmth.
Meanwhile, Raifort released her Grumpig from its Poké Ball. The stout Pokémon stood tall, its pearl glowing faintly even before Raifort issued her command.
"Grumpig, use Flash!"
A burst of dazzling light illuminated their surroundings, casting sharp shadows on the desert sand. The brightness was almost blinding, akin to the beam of a high-powered searchlight.
Raifort clapped her hands in satisfaction. "Perfect! Now we can move out without a hitch!"
Naoki sighed inwardly, biting back his urge to comment. Though Raifort exuded an aura of refinement, she was a force to be reckoned with—headstrong, fearless, and remarkably resilient. Her reputation as a scholar didn't do justice to her raw toughness. This was someone who had once dived deep into submerged ruins in a single breath. She wasn't one to shy away from danger.
With Zoroark leading the way, Grumpig lighting the path, and Raifort walking briskly ahead, Naoki followed alongside Koraidon, trailing behind. For about fifteen minutes, they trudged through the sand, the crunch of their footsteps the only sound against the desert's stillness.
Suddenly, Zoroark stopped.
Naoki looked around. The area seemed completely barren—nothing but endless dunes stretching out in all directions.
Raifort squinted at the landscape, puzzled. "This doesn't make sense... Where's the entrance to the ruins?"
Zoroark's gaze shifted toward a hollow depression in the sand, its sharp eyes catching something subtle.
Raifort followed its line of sight, moving closer to examine the area. Her expression lit up as realization struck. "It's quicksand! Could the entrance be hidden underneath?"
Zoroark nodded in confirmation.
Raifort's face broke into a wide grin, her excitement bubbling over. "Amazing! Everyone, put on your goggles and dust masks—we're going down!"
Naoki's eyes widened. 'Was Raifort seriously planning to jump into the quicksand?'
'Could it truly lead to the underground ruins she was so eager to find? And if so, wouldn't it be incredibly dangerous?'
Raifort waved off Naoki's concern with a grin as she adjusted her gear. "Don't worry! My Zoroark and Grumpig will be fine in their Poké Balls for now. I'll go first, and you two follow right after!"
Without hesitation, Raifort leaped straight into the quicksand.
Naoki watched in horror as her figure was swallowed up, the shifting sands devouring her entirely. It was like watching someone disappear into the maw of a desert monster.
"Is she... gone?" Naoki muttered, wide-eyed. His mind raced. 'Could Raifort really have survived that?' After all, in the Pokémon games, there was never any mention of Raifort exploring such perilous places.
Had his involvement pushed her into taking a dangerous risk?
Just as panic was about to overtake him, a faint, muffled shout emerged from below the ground. Naoki strained to listen.
"Hey! It's fine! Come down already!" Raifort's voice echoed from below.
Relief flooded through Naoki. 'She was alive!'
Hesitation melted away. He quickly adjusted Koraidon's makeshift mask to cover its mouth and nose before taking a deep breath. Together, they jumped into the quicksand.
The sensation was disorienting. The quicksand pulled them downwards in a spiraling motion, and before long, gravity took over. Naoki felt weightless for a brief moment before he and Koraidon landed softly on a pile of sand.
Coughing, Naoki struggled to his feet. His mouth was full of gritty sand, and he immediately began spitting it out.
In the glow of Grumpig's Flash, Raifort stood nearby with Zoroark and Grumpig, a smirk on her face. "The first time's always rough," she teased. "You'll get used to it."
Naoki scowled, still spitting out sand. "This is the first and last time! Once I've collected all the coins I need, I'm done with this whole treasure-hunting business!"
Raifort's expression turned playful as she locked eyes with him. "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really," Naoki replied, brushing sand off Koraidon's scales.
Raifort leaned in slightly, her tone dripping with curiosity. "Even if it means uncovering priceless treasures—gold, silver, relics of untold value?"
"I don't need that stuff. It's useless to me," Naoki said flatly, thinking of the Pokémon on his ranch. Even if he had the money to buy more land or villas, he could never leave his Pokémon behind to enjoy them.
Raifort chuckled, seemingly amused by his conviction. "I understand," she said with a shrug. "Let's move on."
Beneath the quicksand was an entirely different world. Ancient, sand-buried structures loomed in the dim light, their crumbling forms hinting at a long-forgotten civilization. A ruined watchtower stood sentinel among the dunes, its silhouette eerie and majestic.
Naoki couldn't help but pause to take it all in. "This is incredible…"
Raifort, however, seemed unfazed. She walked ahead, her focus on the path forward. "The real discoveries lie deeper. Keep up."
The passage narrowed, and the group moved in single file, Grumpig's Flash illuminating the way. The air grew noticeably thinner, and Naoki's breaths became shallow. They must have descended to a considerable depth.
Finally, the tunnel widened into a massive, dark cavern that stretched far beyond the reach of Grumpig's light.
Naoki stopped in his tracks, staring into the void. "What… is this place?"
Raifort's eyes gleamed with recognition. "If I'm correct, this is one of the great underground cavities formed millions of years ago during massive tectonic shifts."
She turned to Naoki, her tone growing more excited. "I read about this in the library at Paldea Academy. Long ago, this region was rocked by an unprecedented earthquake. These caverns were formed during that event. And if the records are accurate, there should be several of these cavities scattered throughout Paldea."
Naoki murmured to himself, "A giant hollow…"
Raifort's expression grew thoughtful. "During the time of the Paldean Empire, there was a legendary disaster Pokémon called Ting-Lu. It is said to have caused a massive earthquake that led to the collapse of the royal city. A massive fissure opened in the earth, and the once-prosperous royal capital sank into this very place."
Naoki, however, found his thoughts drifting to something else.
'Could it have been the legendary Regigigas that caused this ancient seismic event?'
He recalled the Pokédex entry for Regigigas, which described it as a colossus capable of pulling entire continents into place, shaping the world's landmasses as we know them today. But the timeline of Regigigas' actions remained ambiguous, and Naoki couldn't be certain if the earthquake that devastated the Paldean region was connected to this mythical giant.
"We're getting close!" Raifort exclaimed suddenly, her voice pulling Naoki from his musings. "The ruins must be just below us now. We need to find a way down."
After a moment of contemplation, she reached for another Poké Ball on her belt.
In a flash of white light, a Braviary emerged, spreading its powerful wings wide.
Raifort recalled her Zoroark to its Poké Ball and mounted Braviary with practiced ease. "I'll head down first," she called back to Naoki.
Naoki quickly followed suit, climbing onto Koraidon's back. Together, the two descended into the black abyss of the cave system.
The descent was far from straightforward. The cavern's terrain was a labyrinth of jagged cliffs, winding tunnels, and yawning chasms that seemed to stretch endlessly downward. The air grew colder and heavier with each passing moment.
It was impossible to tell how long they traveled before Koraidon and Braviary finally landed on a rocky outcropping at the cavern's lowest point.
The dim light from Grumpig's Flash was no longer enough to illuminate their surroundings. Shadows stretched far beyond the reach of its glow, leaving much of the vast cavern shrouded in darkness.
As Naoki wondered how they would navigate in such conditions, Raifort rummaged through her backpack and pulled out two helmets with attached night-vision goggles.
"Here, put this on," she said, handing one to Naoki. "These goggles will help you see everything clearly."
Naoki took the helmet and slipped it on. The moment the night-vision activated, the world around him was transformed. The once-indistinct shadows gave way to a clear, eerie green-tinted view of their surroundings.
They were standing atop a cliff that overlooked a vast expanse. At its base, nestled in the darkness, lay the ruins of an ancient royal city.
Even in its ruined state, the city was awe-inspiring. Broken towers and crumbling walls stood as silent witnesses to the passage of time, their grandeur now eroded by countless centuries. The remains of the city stretched far into the cavern, a haunting reminder of its former majesty.
"There it is!" Raifort's voice trembled with excitement. Her eyes gleamed as she gazed at the ruins. "The lost royal city of the Paldean Empire… we've found it!"
Without waiting for Naoki, she urged Braviary forward, soaring down toward the ruins.
Naoki sighed and urged Koraidon to follow, though his excitement didn't quite match Raifort's. While the ruins were undeniably fascinating, Naoki's true focus lay elsewhere—specifically, on the terrain itself.
The massive cavity surrounding the ruins was full of evidence of ancient geological upheavals. Cracks and collapsed sections suggested that the cavern had experienced multiple collapses over the millennia.
Rainwater and groundwater had gradually eroded the soil and rocks in the area, causing repeated collapses over time.
As Naoki scanned the terrain, his attention was drawn to a cluster of oddly shaped stones scattered on the ground.
Curious, he brought Koraidon to a halt. The Pokémon landed, allowing Naoki to dismount and examine the stones more closely.
Brushing away the thick dirt and dust covering the first stone, Naoki uncovered a startling discovery.
"This is... a fossil?!" he exclaimed in surprise.
And not just one. Scattered around him were several more stones of similar nature. However, as Naoki inspected them, he quickly noticed a key difference—many of the fossils were incomplete. Some were split cleanly in half, while others were nothing more than jagged fragments.
What puzzled him even more was their peculiar appearance. These stones didn't resemble the fossils of any Pokémon he recognized. Neither the spiral shape of an Omanyte fossil nor the sleek structure of an Aerodactyl fossil matched the shapes in front of him.
"Could these have come from a Pokémon?" Naoki wondered aloud.
But their crystalline, gem-like appearance raised doubts. He mulled over the possibility that they might not be fossils at all, but remnants of gemstones unearthed from the ruins of the ancient royal city.
"Could gems even fossilize over time?" he mused, studying the shimmering surface of one of the stones.
Koraidon, standing nearby, seemed just as perplexed, tilting its head curiously as it sniffed at the strange stones.
While Naoki's mind raced with theories, a shout broke his concentration.
"Naoki!" Raifort called from ahead, her voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space.
"Coming!" Naoki replied. He hastily pocketed the most intact of the fossils, leaving the fragmented ones behind. He mounted Koraidon, which leaped smoothly into the air and sped forward to catch up with Raifort.