The ground continued to tremble beneath Ignivar Town.
Dust drifted from the broken street as Elior stared into the dark tunnel that had been blasted open.
The remaining agent of Team Umber stood between him and the entrance.
But the tremors had shaken the agent's confidence.
"…This wasn't supposed to happen yet," the agent muttered.
Infernyx stepped forward, flames rising like a blazing wall.
Voltiger crackled with electricity.
Lunashade's shadow stretched across the ground and into the tunnel, as if trying to reach something deep below.
Elior pointed forward.
"Move."
The agent hesitated.
Another powerful tremor shook the ground.
Stone from the broken street slid into the tunnel entrance.
The agent clicked his tongue in frustration.
"This mission has changed."
He returned his Pokémon to its Pokéball and stepped back.
"We've already achieved our objective."
Elior frowned.
"What objective?"
The agent smiled beneath his hood.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Before Elior could react, the agent threw a small device to the ground.
A cloud of thick black smoke exploded around him.
When the smoke cleared—
He was gone.
Only the dark tunnel remained.
Professor Kaedra ran forward.
"They escaped deeper into the ruins!"
Elior looked down into the tunnel.
A warm current of air rose from the depths.
Not just heat.
Energy.
Infernyx felt it too.
Its flames flickered wildly.
Voltiger's electricity sparked nervously.
Lunashade stepped forward without hesitation.
Its silver eyes glowed brighter than before.
Elior nodded.
"…We're going down there."
Kaedra grabbed a lantern from a nearby supply crate and activated it.
A bright orange light filled the tunnel entrance.
"Be careful," she warned.
"These ruins are ancient."
"They might be unstable."
Elior stepped into the tunnel.
Infernyx followed beside him, its flames lighting the rocky walls.
Voltiger ran slightly ahead, electricity flickering like small lightning bolts along the ground.
Lunashade moved silently behind them.
The deeper they walked, the stranger the tunnel became.
Natural volcanic rock slowly changed into carved stone walls.
Ancient symbols covered the surface.
Kaedra stopped beside one of them.
"These are the same markings from the tablet."
Elior looked closer.
The carvings showed three figures standing together.
A creature of flame.
A creature of shadow.
A creature of lightning.
Below them—
A massive shape slept beneath the earth.
Voltiger's sparks suddenly jumped violently.
Infernyx's flames flared.
Lunashade stopped walking.
Its eyes locked onto something ahead.
At the end of the tunnel, a massive cavern slowly opened before them.
Glowing crystals filled the chamber walls.
At the center—
Something enormous lay beneath layers of stone and magma-like rock.
Its body was barely visible.
But its breathing shook the entire cavern.
And standing near the ancient creature—
Three members of Team Umber were setting up strange machines around it.
One of them turned as Elior entered the cavern.
"…So the Resonance trainer followed us after all."
The agent smiled calmly.
"Perfect."
He activated the machine beside him.
Energy began flowing into the sleeping titan.
"Let's see what happens," he said quietly,
"when Resonance meets the ancient guardian of the earth."
The titan's eyes suddenly flashed open.
And the entire cavern began to shake.
And the journey continues....