For five days, Aoki and Steven conducted a thorough search across the vast Great Hoenn Desert.
However, due to the immense size of the desert, they had yet to find any trace of the League traitor they were pursuing.
Their mission wasn't solely about locating the fugitive, though. The extensive search also served as rigorous training for their Pokémon, allowing them to adapt to the harsh desert environment and grow stronger through battles against wild Pokémon.
Only when their Pokémon reached sufficient strength would Aoki and Steven venture deeper into specific zones for prolonged investigation.
Life in the desert was harsh, but the results spoke for themselves.
In just five days, Aoki's Poliwhirl had reached level 31, while his Marshtomp had climbed to level 29—nearly gaining a level each day.
Steven's Pokémon had also seen significant growth. His Anorith had reached level 31, and his Lileep had risen to level 33.
Though their primary objective remained the capture of the traitor, the two Trainers were undeniably using the mission as an opportunity to strengthen their teams.
Steven, ever the disciplined Trainer, found himself gradually influenced by Aoki's unorthodox methods.
Then, on the sixth day,
Steven noticed something unusual.
Following their usual routine, the two had been battling wild Pokémon when they passed a dense cluster of cacti. After defeating the Cacnea lurking within, Steven spotted a small, oddly shaped rock protruding from the sand.
Intrigued—as a rock enthusiast—he bent down to examine it.
When he tried to dislodge it, however, he found it firmly attached to something much larger beneath the sand.
After some digging, they uncovered what appeared to be the roof of an ancient structure.
Ruins weren't uncommon in the Great Hoenn Desert, and Aoki and Steven had encountered several already—most of them long since looted.
But this one was different.
Neither Aoki's intel nor Steven's memory indicated any known ruins in this area.
Curious, they ordered their Pokémon to carefully excavate the site.
The shifting sand made the task difficult—each scoop caused more to spill back in.
Fortunately, Poliwhirl and Marshtomp provided a solution. Poliwhirl sprayed water to dampen the sand, preventing it from sliding, while Marshtomp used Mud-Slap to solidify it.
Slowly, the ruins were revealed.
Ancient walls emerged, their surfaces etched with strange, archaic script. Aoki frowned, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.
After hours of digging, they uncovered a rooftop entrance—a hatch-like structure with a rusted ring handle.
"Should we go in?" Steven asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"We have to," Aoki replied. "If the traitor really is hiding in the desert, an undiscovered ruin would be the perfect place. This might be exactly what we're looking for."
Steven nodded in agreement.
Together, they pulled the ring, lifting the hatch to reveal a pitch-black void below.
Aoki gave Steven a firm look, then leaped inside with Marshtomp and Poliwhirl.
The drop wasn't far—only about three or four meters—and Aoki's psychic powers cushioned his landing.
"Clear!" he called up.
Steven, ever the showman, dusted off his coat before jumping in, Anorith and Lileep at his side. Aoki softened their descent with a psychic cushion.
Once inside, Aoki used his powers to shut the hatch behind them.
The sand above, dried by the sun, would soon shift back into place, concealing the ruins once more.
Aoki led the way, torch in hand, while Steven followed closely with his Pokémon.
The interior was surprisingly intact—no sand, just layers of undisturbed dust.
"This place is solid," Aoki muttered, scanning the walls. "The dust suggests it hasn't been opened in centuries. But..."
He paused, torchlight illuminating a patch where the dust was noticeably thinner—a faint imprint, barely the size of a fist. Read complete version only at Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"Is that... a footprint?" Steven asked.
"If it is, our target is skilled. This could be a partial print from a controlled landing. Most people wouldn't even notice it."
"So this really could be their hideout," Steven mused. "The cactus cluster above was a marker. Without my interest in rocks, we might've missed it entirely."
Aoki nodded grimly. "Stay sharp. The traitor's dangerous, and this ruin... something's off about it."
His eyes traced the strange carvings on the walls—then realization struck.
Before he could speak, the ground trembled violently.
Dust rained from the ceiling, thickening the layers on the floor.
Aoki and Steven exchanged glances.
That tremor hadn't been natural.
Something in this ruin was awake.