Chapter 50

Inside Rock Mountain Ruins

Hikaru cautiously approached the broken giant stone statue, noticing that half of the H-shaped marking on the ground was buried under rubble.

As he examined the statue, knowledge surged into his mind:

[Ancient Craft: Giant Stone Statue (Damaged)]

[Description: A statue used for worship and the sealing of Regirock. Currently, no power can be felt from it—it is severely damaged.]

It was a powerless, half-collapsed statue, meaning Regirock was no longer here.

"The surrounding minerals… If I look closely, these seem to have crumbled from inside the ruin's walls."

"So, it's said that Regirock repairs its body using special stones. Did the ancient people offer minerals in its temple for this very reason?"

Aside from these materials, Hikaru also gathered iron ore and limestone, storing them in his backpack. Among them, a high-quality metal piece stood out—

[Rare Material: Fragmented Iron]

[Description: Naturally formed metal fragments, can be processed into locks and other small parts.]

[Forging Insight: Gained some knowledge from skilled blacksmiths.]

Additionally, Hikaru easily found Soft Sand in the collapsed area of the ruins. Piles of it had gathered naturally.

[Rare Material: Soft Sand (Quartz)]

[Effect: Fine-textured sand. When held, it boosts the power of Ground-type moves.]

[Crafting Unlocked: Unique Glassmaking Technique (C)]

By refining Soft Sand, unique glass products can be crafted while retaining the material's original effects.

[Unlockable Items: "Marbles," "Glass Whistle."]

Oh, that's the Hoenn Region's specialty item—the "Glass Whistle."

However, the Glass Whistles in Hoenn were made from volcanic ash. Local glassmasters refined them into different types with unique effects.

"I wonder what kind of special effects my version will have."

Hikaru continued searching the ruins. When he touched a fallen wall section and unearthed some heavy, uniquely textured, and differently colored stones, more information surfaced:

[Rare Material: Ancient Rock]

[Description: Rock that has either fallen from Regirock's body or was assimilated by it. It is said that every stone comprising Regirock's body was excavated from different lands, and similar rocks can be found across all geological layers of the world. Some Rock-type Pokémon also shed or create similar stones.]

[Contains powerful Rock-type energy or has been infused with strong psychic power.]

[Crafting Unlocked: Ancient Architecture Technique (B)]

When combined with Ruin Engraving and Environmental Sculpture techniques, it allows for the recreation of buildings with an ancient aesthetic.

[Discovered Clues: Regirock, Garganacl, Stonjourner, Carbink, Diancie, Tree of Beginning.]

[Unlockable Items: King's Rock, Cleanse Tag (Outer Shell).]

[King's Rock: A naturally formed, crown-shaped stone. With the right crafting technique and Ancient Rock, it can be refined into an artificial King's Rock. However, it does not unlock the crafting method for "Ancient Crown."]

"Oh! So this is Ancient Rock! That means it's stone assimilated by powerful Rock-type Pokémon!"

"I can now craft King's Rock and Cleanse Tag!"

King's Rock was a held item that sometimes caused opponents to flinch when attacking. If given to Poliwhirl or Slowpoke, they could evolve!

Meanwhile, the Cleanse Tag was a brilliant, translucent charm. Holding it prevented stat reduction from an opponent's moves or abilities.

Some theorized its core material came from Carbink's diamonds or Metagross' steel hide.

This item was particularly hated by Pokémon with Intimidate—though, of course, only by opponents!

"Having a Legendary Titan in the ruins means it's possible to craft items like these!"

From the material descriptions, it wasn't just Regirock that could generate Ancient Rock—other Pokémon could as well.

For example, Garganacl's orange crystals were crystallized Rock-type energy. It absorbed sunlight through them, which then reacted in its energy core and was fired as light spheres from its mouth.

Meanwhile, Stonjourner's Pokédex entry stated that its rock composition was identical to monoliths, and it had a unique ability, "Power Spot," that enhanced teammates.

And of course, Carbink and Diancie were self-explanatory.

The Tree of Beginning was believed to be the origin of Fossil Pokémon. The rocks from that site contained crystalline life energy.

This confirmed that Ancient Rock's effects were similar to Ruin Stone—the two could substitute for each other.

Ruins contained the spiritual energy of ancient civilizations, infused by their beliefs and emotions. This spiritual essence was a real phenomenon in the Pokémon world—otherwise, how else would Ghost-types and Psychic-types exist?

Hikaru realized this temple held more treasures than expected. Many minerals had fallen from its collapsed walls.

By now, he had gathered a substantial amount of materials, and his backpack had become extremely heavy. Thankfully, Celebi used Psychic to make the bag float, significantly lightening the load.

"Thanks, Celebi."

"Tii~" Celebi patted its chest.

Leave it to me! No problem!

"Could the Ancient Crystal be in here? Or… is it part of the floor?"

Hikaru searched for one last item that could be found in Rock Mountain Ruins—the Ancient Crystal.

The most crystal-like objects in the ruins were the circular "eyes" of the giant statue and the large H-shaped marking on the floor. After all, the H-symbol glowed when stepped on, emitting a clear, yellow radiance resembling crystal.

Sweeping away the dust, Hikaru touched the transparent part of the H-symbol. Immediately, knowledge flooded his mind.

[Precious Material: Ancient Crystal (Not Yet Acquired!)]

[Description: A rare ancient crystal with mysterious powers. It can communicate a Pokémon's will to humans, allowing deep understanding between them. It can also be used to seal Pokémon.]

[Unlockable Item: Cleanse Tag (Core).]

Hikaru looked around carefully and finally found a massive, broken crystal in a corner, seemingly embedded into the wall as an additional structure.

"I found Ancient Crystal!"

[Knowledge Gained: Heart of the Crystal – Can communicate telepathically with ancient Pokémon.]

[Crafting Unlocked: Unique Tool Crafting (C+)]

By combining Pokémon materials, tools for production or rituals with unique abilities can be crafted. This may require forging techniques.

[Unlockable Item: Protective Gear.]

With all necessary materials gathered, Hikaru and his Pokémon left Rock Mountain Ruins. Thanks to Celebi's Psychic, carrying the heavy backpack was effortless.

Following Celebi's lead, they headed southwest.

Before long, they arrived at Celebi's Shrine, located in a clearing within the forest.

This shrine differed from Oak Woods' shrine—it was built entirely from stone, resembling the one from "Pokémon: Celebi - Voice of the Forest."

It featured a stone base and an altar, though it had noticeable differences.

Its design matched the style of Shinto Ruins.

However, the upper half was missing, and the altar itself had been destroyed. The base also had numerous cracks and missing pieces.

"Alright, let's start the repairs. First, I'll reshape the ruin stones into a proper altar. The severely damaged parts will need a full re-sculpting, while smaller cracks can be filled and polished to restore their surface."

With Doublade's help, Hikaru began cutting stone.

Meanwhile, Petilil and Celebi assisted by polishing and restoring the base.

Finally, glowing moss was placed, giving the shrine an ancient, mystical aura.

"Tii!"

Celebi joyfully placed its small statue inside the altar.

At that moment, knowledge once again surged into Hikaru's mind—

[Ancient Craft: Celebi's Shrine]

[Effect: Time Leap – Acts as Celebi's time-travel anchor. Occasionally, mysterious items from the past and future will appear.]

Just then, behind the shrine, something rolled out.

A bright green fruit tumbled forward.

It was a Micle Berry!

(End of Chapter)

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