But who could have guessed that the moment Aoki revealed that peculiar slip of paper, the eyes of the two Claydol statues flickered to life simultaneously, glowing with an eerie crimson light. Their gazes locked onto the paper clutched in Aoki's hand, their ancient mechanisms stirring to attention.
The Mismagius hovering beside Aoki tensed, sensing the overwhelming danger radiating from the two colossal Pokémon. Aoki's fingers tightened around the Poké Ball containing his Altaria, ready to summon it at a moment's notice. If a battle erupted, Altaria could hold one Claydol at bay while he attempted to dismantle the chains sealing the door. But if the chains proved unbreakable, retreat would be his only option—facing two Golurk head-on, with an entire squadron of Team Magma grunts and their formidable executive lurking nearby, was a fight he couldn't win.
For a long moment, the Claydol remained motionless, their hollow eyes tracking the paper as Aoki shifted it slightly. A faint hope flickered in his mind—Could this paper bear some kind of insignia or key?
Cautiously, he took a single step forward.
The Claydol didn't react.
His confidence growing, Aoki advanced further, keeping one hand on Altaria's Poké Ball while the other held the mysterious slip aloft. The Slowking at his side, though weaker in battle, could still provide a defensive barrier if needed. Meanwhile, the Mismagius floated protectively beside him, her spectral form shimmering with restrained power.
Then—clink, clink, clink—the chains binding the door began to rattle, slithering like metallic serpents. The heavy links twisted and coiled, scraping against one another with a grating screech before finally retreating into the walls. The symbol Ω glowed faintly on the door's surface, and with a deep, resonant groan, the stone slab began to rise.
Aoki hesitated at the threshold, peering into the darkness beyond. The chamber inside was pristine, untouched by time. Candles flared to life along the walls, their flames unnaturally steady despite the centuries of neglect.
This was no ordinary prison.
The two Claydol, having fulfilled their duty, returned to their silent vigil, their eyes dimming once more.
Steeling himself, Aoki stepped inside, followed closely by Mismagius, Slowking, and his restless Larvitar. The moment he crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind him, the chains reforming with a metallic clank.
The room was lined with empty cages, their purpose unclear. No bones, no remnants—just cold iron bars and dustless floors. Whatever had been imprisoned here had either escaped or been removed long ago.
"Larvi!" Larvitar suddenly barked, his stubby claw pointing toward the largest cell at the far end of the chamber. The red markings on his head pulsed faintly, a sign of agitation.
Aoki approached cautiously, his boots echoing against the stone. The final cell was unlocked, its interior barren save for a single, massive coffin propped against the back wall.
The coffin was enormous—easily three meters tall and two meters wide—bound in thick chains, each link etched with the same Ω symbol. Aoki's psychic senses brushed against it, but the material repelled his probing, as if designed to nullify supernatural detection.
Larvitar, however, was practically vibrating with nervous energy, his claws twitching as he stared at the sealed container.
"System," Aoki murmured, "scan the inscriptions on the walls and translate them." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel·fire.net
The text revealed a grim history:
This chamber had been the personal project of an ancient king, a last-ditch effort to contain the rampaging Groudon-shaped Golurk he had created. The formulas and diagrams scrawled across the stone detailed his desperate attempts to siphon the primal energy from the construct's core, rendering it inert. The coffin itself was a prison, designed to leach away the Golurk's power until nothing remained.
But the king's notes ended abruptly.
There was no record of success—only theories, calculations, and a lingering fear of what would happen if the Golurk ever broke free.
The Ω emblem on the chains splintered.
A noticeable red glow appeared from the horns on Larvitar's head and his eyes burned red.