Chapter 696: The Ancient Poison Hall
"The tremor just now—I don't think it was caused by that person," Cain said.
Steven's expression was somewhat serious as he nodded. "It definitely couldn't have been that person; otherwise, the League wouldn't have sent just the two of us."
"Then that means this site probably has something hidden," Cain responded, his face equally serious.
As he observed the inscriptions on the walls, Cain recalled something that led him to a possible conclusion.
This place wasn't a simple ancient ruin where people had lived. Instead, it seemed to be a... poison hall!
The reason Cain found the inscriptions on the walls familiar was because, in the information he had received from Team Rocket about the "Toxin Nutrition" technique, the ancient, undeciphered inscriptions found in certain locations matched closely with what he now saw on the walls.
This also explained why this ruin was buried much deeper than others and why there was only a single entrance resembling a window or door in the ceiling. Once inside, Cain noticed no windows in the walls.
Although the structure was incredibly solid, it wasn't completely sealed. After all this time, Cain and Steven didn't feel the air inside was stale. In fact, the air within the site was even fresher than outside.
So, could the earlier tremor have been caused by a Pokémon that had survived since ancient times, growing by using the "Toxin Nutrition" technique?
Cain's expression darkened.
He pondered whether it was wise to proceed further. Although the League traitor they were searching for was likely hiding deeper within, was it worth the risk for that person?
However, while Cain hesitated, Steven had already made his decision.
"Come on, Cain, let's move forward. No matter what's down there, since we've come this far, we can't just leave without finding out," Steven said.
Hearing Steven, Cain, who had been wrestling with his thoughts, finally made up his mind.
Steven was right. Whatever Pokémon was down there, if it had never left the site, it meant it was either confined or didn't have the strength to escape.
Otherwise, why would the place have trembled? It was likely that the Pokémon still hadn't managed to break free.
With that reasoning, Cain set aside his concerns about the risk.
Moreover, if the traitor managed to control that Pokémon, they would create a formidable enemy for the future.
Torches in hand, the two began descending a wide hallway that led downward.
The hallway consisted of a massive spiral staircase, so deep that its end couldn't be seen from above—only darkness.
The site was completely silent. Apart from Cain and Steven's footsteps, only the occasional sounds of small Pokémon could be heard.
Not even Pokémon that typically thrived in darkness, such as Zubat, were present.
This indicated that, aside from the air, the site was perfectly sealed.
After an hour of walking, they finally reached the bottom.
Judging by the ruin's depth, it seemed to be buried over five kilometers underground. It was clear that the temperature was considerably higher than when they had entered.
Stepping onto flat ground again, Cain and Steven felt somewhat strange after so much time descending.
They exchanged glances and both withdrew their smaller Pokémon. This was no longer the right place for training. The real mission was about to begin.
Cain released two Pokéballs, and Slowking and Drapion appeared before him.
Steven also released two Pokéballs, from which emerged Shiny Metagross and Aggron.
As soon as Drapion appeared, it displayed an unusual expression. It seemed uncomfortable, even frightened, as if something here terrified it.
Seeing Drapion—a Pokémon that feared neither foe nor circumstance—react this way surprised Cain.
Even when facing the Regis, Drapion hadn't shown fear.
"What's wrong, Drapion?" Cain used telepathy to connect with his Pokémon's mind.
The response he received was an inexplicable sense of sadness and fear, as if something in this place deeply unsettled it on a primal level.
Cain understood what was happening and tried to calm Drapion. After receiving an affirmative response, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As for Slowking, it didn't seem to have noticed anything unusual.
When Cain looked at Steven's Pokémon, Shiny Metagross and Aggron, he noticed that both had grown significantly since the last time he had seen them.
The last time Cain saw Metagross, it had already reached level 49, nearly at the brink of becoming a quasi-elite-level Pokémon. But now, its growth had been so remarkable that Cain couldn't help but be impressed.
Metagross had reached level 53, firmly establishing itself as a quasi-elite-level Pokémon.
Moreover, as a Shiny pseudo-legendary Pokémon of high quality, it was much stronger than an ordinary Pokémon. And with Steven's commanding abilities, it became a formidable opponent.
Shiny Metagross was beginning to showcase the potential it had gained through its evolution.
However, the Pokémon that had changed the most was Aggron.
Pokémon: Aggron (Light Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 49
Type: Steel + Rock
Ability: Sturdy
Held Item: Hard Stone
Egg Moves: Body Slam, Smelling Salts, Head Smash, Stealth Rock
Basic Moves: Tackle, Harden, Mud-Slap, Headbutt, Metal Claw, Rock Tomb, Roar, Iron Head, Rock Slide, Take Down, Metal Sound, Iron Defense, Double-Edge
Learned Moves: Earth Power, Magnet Rise, Stomping Tantrum, Iron Tail
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Water), Earthquake, Shadow Claw, Stone Edge, Bulldoze, Swagger, Substitute, Dragon Claw, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Flamethrower
Not only had it evolved, but its quality had risen to light purple, and its level was at 49, right on the edge of the advanced level.
Steven, being quite wealthy, had equipped Aggron with moves like Dragon Claw and versatile moves such as Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Flamethrower, making it adaptable to various battles.
Aggron was almost fully developed as a combatant. All it needed now was to level up further and gain more battle experience.
Cain, for his part, possessed a Mega Evolution stone for Aggron, but he couldn't give it to Steven. Moreover, Mega Evolution couldn't yet be revealed, or Cain would lose his advantage.
If it came to competing for Mega Evolution stones, who could match the resources of the great families or the League itself?
(End of Chapter)