Walking through the inner passage of the ruins, using the lighting equipment left behind by the Pokémon hunters, Oliver could clearly see the murals carved into the stone walls on both sides.
The murals depicted many different scenes.
Some showed small human figures being slain by Pokémon.
Some showed humans offering certain items to Pokémon as tributes.
Others portrayed Pokémon fighting one another in brutal battles.
As he walked and observed, Oliver gradually pieced together a rough story in his mind—one that likely belonged to the human tribe that had once built this ruin.
Long, long ago, a human tribe had lived here.
At that time, humans had not yet invented Poké Balls, and their relationship with Pokémon was far from harmonious. Most interactions relied on brute force and enslavement, which meant that only a few humans were capable of controlling Pokémon at all.
The tribe's primary source of food still came from hunting.
But ordinary humans were no match for Pokémon.
Every hunting expedition meant that someone would never return.
Before long, nearly all the tribe's able-bodied warriors had perished. The remaining people no longer dared to hunt, and the entire tribe stood on the brink of extinction.
Then, a Pokémon appeared.
A Pokémon that flew in the sky.
It taught the humans how to cultivate crops and helped them enrich the land, turning barren soil fertile.
Whenever Pokémon attacked the tribe, it would descend from the heavens to protect the humans, ensuring that none were harmed.
Gradually, the people began to regard it as their guardian deity.
When the first harvested crops ripened, the humans were astonished to discover that they were truly edible. From then on, they selected the finest portion of their harvest each year and offered it as tribute to that Pokémon.
Time passed.
Generations of humans were born and died within the tribe. Even the eldest among them no longer knew when their guardian deity had first appeared.
Yet that mysterious protector still resided on the mountain peak not far from the tribe, silently watching over them.
At the foot of the mountain, humans lived peaceful lives—working at sunrise, resting at sunset. With farming providing a stable food source, the tribe prospered and grew.
Still, every year without fail, they offered their best harvest to the guardian deity, praying for favorable weather and abundant crops.
That was where the murals ended.
The passage itself also came to an abrupt conclusion.
The story frozen in stone ended on a scene of prosperity—yet the present ruins stood in decay, clearly showing that this civilization had ultimately vanished into the river of time.
Oliver was deeply curious about the mysterious Pokémon described in the murals.
Unfortunately, its depiction was far too abstract. Its form even seemed to change between carvings, making it impossible for him to identify what Pokémon it was.
"You've entered many secret realms," Oliver asked Mu Xue beside him. "Are ruins with such detailed murals common?"
Mu Xue shook her head.
"Ruins themselves are rare. Most of the ones we find are already reduced to rubble. A structure this intact is extremely uncommon."
Ruins within secret realms were traces left behind by humans from another world. For the Pokémon League, they were crucial clues in uncovering the truth behind the origin of secret realms.
However, most discovered ruins contained no information related to the appearance of secret realms themselves—only records of events experienced by the humans of that world.
"According to the murals, that Pokémon taught humans agriculture," Oliver said thoughtfully. "That alone is fascinating. It's a shame the story stops here… I really hope this ruin contains what happened afterward."
By now, Oliver's curiosity had been completely hooked. He desperately wanted to know what tragedy—or transformation—had led to the downfall of such a flourishing civilization.
At the end of the passage lay a vast, open chamber.
In the very center stood a massive stone table—now completely empty. Judging by the disturbed dust patterns, it was obvious that the Pokémon hunters who arrived earlier had taken whatever had been placed on it.
In one corner of the chamber, Oliver and Mu Xue discovered a staircase leading downward.
After descending, they entered yet another long corridor.
Just like before, the walls on both sides were covered in murals.
Oliver and Mu Xue exchanged a glance, then slowly moved forward together, deeper into the heart of the ruins.
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