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"Of course it isn't real," Nanmu said with a smile. "It's only a replica. That said, its size is actually larger than an ordinary Wailord's, which is why it gives off such an overwhelming sense of pressure."
Leaving the main hall behind, the group entered the second exhibition area.
Unlike the spacious lobby that served as a transitional space, this room was a true exhibition hall.
Glass display cases lined both sides, each one showcasing highly detailed models of Pokémon that lived in the oceans.
Not only were Pokémon from the Hoenn region represented, but there were also specimens from Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and even Unova's seas. Each model was crafted with astonishing realism, so lifelike that they could almost be mistaken for the real thing.
"So impressive…" Misty couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Among everyone present, no one loved Water-type Pokémon more than she did. Seeing so many at once made her happier than winning a battle.
Still, she couldn't help but ask, "Curator Nanmu, why not use real Pokémon instead? Wouldn't that be more effective?"
Nanmu chuckled. "This is a museum, not an aquarium. My focus is on research on marine Pokémon. Using models allows me to safely study their anatomy without the unpredictability of live Pokémon."
That explanation made sense—real Pokémon were difficult to control, especially in a research setting. Still, it was hard not to wonder how much could truly be learned from models alone.
After passing through the exhibition hall, they continued deeper into the museum. Soon, they arrived at another section, where an orange-colored submarine model came into view.
This time, Nanmu didn't wait to be asked.
"This is a multifunctional submersible I designed myself and built at my shipyard," he explained proudly. "With it, I can descend to the ocean floor and directly observe wild Pokémon in their natural habitat."
His tone made it clear—this submarine was one of his proudest creations.
Throughout the visit, Max had been visibly excited. After enthusiastically praising the submarine, he turned to Kai and the others and said,
"It's such a shame my sister and Brock didn't come! They're missing out on so much—what a huge loss!"
"What's the big deal?" Misty shot him a look. "Your sister has more important things to do, and Brock specializes in Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon. He wouldn't be that interested in a marine museum anyway. Don't judge everyone through a kid's perspective."
Max immediately fell silent.
Whether it was because of the punch she'd thrown at Drew earlier or simply Misty's sharp temperament Max was clearly intimidated by her. Forget talking back; he didn't even dare meet her eyes.
As they talked, the group eventually returned to the room where they had first seen Nanmu.
Only then did they realize it was his office. No wonder he had heard them earlier when Max tried to climb in through the window.
Nanmu walked to his desk, picked up a small, exquisitely made leather case, and placed it in front of them.
"The real reason I closed the museum today," he said, "was to study this."
With that, he opened the case.
Everyone leaned in—and froze.
Inside the elegant case lay nothing more than a pitch-black, oval-shaped stone.
It was about the size of a palm, completely charred in appearance. Aside from looking as though it had been burned, it didn't seem special at all.
"What is that?" Ash asked in surprise. "Some kind of rare gemstone?"
Nanmu shook his head. "No. It's not a gem just an unidentified stone I discovered deep underwater. But don't let appearances fool you. The scorch marks you see are caused by heat generated from within. No matter how deep it's submerged, it continuously emits heat."
That immediately caught everyone's attention.
They cautiously reached toward the stone and before even touching it, waves of heat radiated outward. In just moments, the room itself seemed warmer.
Kai glanced at the case more carefully. Thick thermal insulation lined the interior no wonder the heat hadn't been noticeable before.
Nanmu then turned on a nearby computer and displayed a scan of the stone. The image clearly showed an unknown heat source at its core, endlessly releasing thermal energy.
"That doesn't make sense…" Max muttered, pressing his face closer to the screen. "A stone shouldn't be generating heat on its own. It's supposed to be inert."
Nanmu nodded. "I've considered many possibilities. While I still don't know how it was formed, I'm certain of one thing—this stone was not created naturally. It was shaped by the power of a Pokémon."
"A Pokémon's power?" Ash's eyes widened.
Something capable of producing such an anomaly couldn't be an ordinary Pokémon. Only legendary Pokémon were known to possess power on this scale.
Nanmu didn't keep them guessing.
"Have you ever heard of Groudon?"
Ash was about to ask what that was—but when he noticed Kai's calm expression, he paused and simply nodded. "Of course. It's a Legendary Pokémon, right?"
Before Nanmu could respond, Max eagerly chimed in, eager to show off. "Groudon is one of the super-ancient Pokémon! It's said to be the embodiment of land itself the Pokémon that created continents and expanded the earth!"
Nanmu smiled approvingly. "Exactly. And that's why I believe this stone was formed by Groudon's power."
Hearing this, Kai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He hadn't expected a casual museum visit to involve Groudon at all.
And where Groudon was concerned, one name inevitably followed—
Team Magma.
News of this stone wouldn't stay hidden forever. If Team Magma learned of it, they wouldn't hesitate to seize it by force.
It seemed very likely that this place would soon become the stage for another confrontation.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!