Mark of a Legend: Ravaged World, part two Chapter 32: Reign of Chaos, a pokémon fanfic

Thanks to IanAlphaAxel for reviewing the previous chapter.

Chapter Thirty One: Reign of Chaos

"I don't even know why my father paired me up with you. It's not like it's going to change anything," Roark muttered, aiming the flashlight at the corridor ahead. There were no lights this far down in Iron Island's abandoned mines. "I still can't believe he wanted you over me to represent Oreburgh Gym. You don't even train Rock-types!"

Riley glanced over his shoulder, giving the boy a sympathetic look. Roark hated that expression. It was the same expression the boy had given them after their last battle in which he had destroyed Roark's team with a single Pokemon. "If it makes you feel any better, I told your father I didn't want the role. I told him he should give it to you instead. You should talk to your father about it – laying the blame on me isn't going to make you feel better."

"I did talk to him about it, but he just said that he feels I don't quite understand what it means to be a gym leader. It's not like he can talk; he lost to Dawn as well!" Roark spat, crushing a ball of dirt under his shoe. He readjusted the torchlight sitting on his helmet. Two flashlights were better than one. "He thinks I'm useless. That I'm incapable of being a good gym leader."

"Come on, Roark. Don't think like that. I'm sure your father doesn't think you're useless."

"So why did he offer it to you then?"

There was a three second pause before Riley responded. "Your father opened the gym up when you were just ten years old, Roark. He didn't think you were old enough at the time. Most ten-year olds are just beginning their journeys – not running gyms. I was fifteen when it was offered to me and by that point, I already had a couple of years of experience. He didn't offer it to me because you're a bad trainer – he did it to protect you, Roark. He didn't want to force you into it."

Roark held back a bitter response. Why hadn't his father told him any of this? He was going to be demanding answers from the man after this trip down into the depths. To think he had to hear what his father thought about him from a bitter rival. "That may be so, but it doesn't make it right."

Riley just sighed. "I don't know what else to say, Roark."

The tone in Riley's voice indicated he was growing a tad bit frustrated with talk about the gym, so Roark changed the topic to the task at hand instead. "Why did you want to bring me down into the mines with you?"

"I wanted to show you something cool," Riley replied, turning around to smile, his eyes shining with excitement. "I was down here the other day while you guys were at the Champion ceremony, and I stumbled across this chamber. I haven't told your father about it yet – I figured you might want to see it before him."

A secret chamber his father didn't know about? Any chance to brag to his dad about something new brought him great delight. Maybe then his father would stop treating him like a young kid who knew nothing. "What's in this chamber? How did you find it?"

"I decided I wanted to investigate the area where the mines had started, so Lucario and I took a different path down, one we hadn't taken before. It took us down an old abandoned lift into an area where there are no lights and Pokemon. Most of the place had caved in, but there was one path that was still open. We followed it and found ourselves in a chamber. And you know what the weirdest thing was?"

"What?"

"There was a golden plague on the wall with hieroglyphics on it."

Roark lifted a brow. "Hieroglyphics? Ancient druidic script?"

"Yeah, weird right? Anyway, it got me thinking about the world we live in. How much do we really know about our land and its inhabitants? New Pokemon are being discovered all the time – what if there's another Pokemon down here?" Riley sounded so excited about it that Roark couldn't help but feel excited too. Imagine the surprise when he told his father they had uncovered a new Pokemon.

"Let's go down to this chamber!"

Riley grinned. He led the way towards a path that had been blocked off for 'dangerous hazards', but Riley had been there before so obviously it can't have been that awful. They hopped onto an old lift which surprisingly still worked, although it was a little squeaky, and descended into the darkness. The mines were already dimly lit, but at least you could still see. Down here though, it was pitch black. If it weren't for their lights, they wouldn't be able to see a single thing at all.

"Over this way," Riley said, veering to the right. It wasn't a hard path to take – it was the only path not blocked by fallen rocks. Roark followed after the older boy, walking through a narrow opening until they found themselves in a wide open chamber. "This is it. This is the secret chamber."

Roark looked around, examining his newfound surroundings. It was a reasonably large place that looked like any other cavern underground, but it was the addition of the hieroglyphs that made this place stand out from being ordinary. The script was written on a golden plague written in ink. Amazingly, the writing was still legible, even after all these centuries.

"Pretty cool, right?" Riley said.

Roark nodded. "Yeah, it's amazing." He walked over to press his hands against the writing, the script feeling strangely warm to the touch. "You think there's something behind it? Maybe it's a tomb or something."

"We could knock it down, but first, let's take a picture for proof." Roark nodded. He took out his Poketch and took a few images and even recorded it, just encase someone thought he had simply edited a photo. Riley did the same then put it away. "I'll use my Pokemon. They're used to drilling through walls," Roark added. Riley stepped aside and Roark summoned his Cranidos.

"Be careful, we don't know what could be behind it."

Roark nodded. "Use Headbutt, Cranidos Take down that wall!" The dinosaur nodded and rammed into the wall. The first attack caused a few cracks to appear. Crandios repeated his attacks until the wall began to fall apart. Riley moved forward and started pulling the rocks away and Roark assisted until the hole was big enough for both of them.

Riley stepped through first and Roark followed close behind. "What in the name of Arceus…" Riley said slowly, glancing down at the item before them.

Roark gazed down – at first, it looked like someone had drawn symbols onto the floor, but upon closer inspection he noticed it was actually a door. "It's a door," he said, pointing to the hinges on the sides. "What's a door doing down here?"

"Look, the same hieroglyphics are carved into the door." Riley pointed to the symbols and Roark noticed he was right. They were identical, except these ones were on a door and not on a wall. He dropped down and tried to open it, only managing to lift it up a few inches. "A little help here?"

He dropped down besides Riley and placed his fingers in the opening then pushed it upwards. With their combined strength, they managed to open it completely, pulling back the door to reveal layers of soil. "Soil? What on earth?" Riley leaned down closer and reached down a hand to touch the soil. He picked a bit up then glanced at Roark, his brows furrowed.

"Huh, soil." He dropped it back down then stepped away.

"Why would someone fill up a hole with soil? You think the druids were trying to stop something from coming out?""

"We could dig up the soil and see what's beneath it," Riley suggested. "We could've stumbled onto something great here. Maybe there's a Pokemon down there."

"We don't have any digging tools though, and my Pokemon are too big to fit in this small space. We'll have to come back down later with some shovels."

Riley took a few steps back. "Yeah, you're right. We'll return later. We should probably bring down food and water as well. I have a feeling we're going to be down here for awhile. Come on, let's go."

Having another person around in her house was strange, especially since that other person was male. Steven had moved in much to her younger sister's delight. He didn't fill in the shoes of her grandmother, but it was nice to have somebody else around to help with the household duties. Steven was an excellent chef – one of the best actually – and Cynthia was secretly glad because her cooking skills were less than stellar.

"The script shown in your grandmother's photos appear to be of a druidic nature," Steven said, pointing to one of photos. "I did a bit of research into the lives of the druids and it appears they liked to live in caves because it protected them from the elements from the surface level. The caves were also used as burial sites."

Cynthia glanced up, a blonde brow arched. "Burial sites?"

He nodded and leaned forward. "The druids believed in the after life – they believed once someone had died, their spirit would roam the earth and haunt the living unless they were trapped. That is why they buried their dead inside the caves – cavern walls are thick and spirits can't pass through them. The dead were buried far below the ground to keep them inside to protect the living."

"How does that connect to the script we have seen in the photos?"

"Druids would hide the valuables of their fallen comrades inside these burial places to stop thieves from their graves. What better way to protect your valuables then to have spirits guarding it?" Steven explained, pulling back to lean in his chair. Jade was sitting across from them, her newly hatched Togepi sitting on her lap. "Your grandmother stumbled upon something she wasn't supposed to have found."

"But we don't know what that is," Cynthia said, brushing a bang of blonde hair away from her face.

He looked at her meeting her eyes. "We will in time."

"Where do you propose we start looking? You say the druids lived in caverns – there are many caves in this region. It could take us months to find the ones that were used as burial sites."

"Iron Island should be our starting point."

"The old abandoned mines?"

Steven nodded. "It's a good place to start. Byron and Riley own that place – they know the island better than anyone else, and they could lead us down to the mine's deepest secrets. Iron Island is a mystery still – we know it was once a mining area, but we never knew the reason they closed the place down."

"Byron bought it seeking to turn it into a training zone for selected trainers."

"But why? I think there's more to Iron Island than we know."

"You think Byron is holding information back? Why would he want to do that?"

"Protection… or he's covering up guilt."

"I've known Byron for years and not once has he given me a reason to doubt him. If he had been convicted of crime, I would've known about it. Information about all the gym leaders is accessible to me through the database." To have Steven imply she was harbouring a criminal unsettled her – Byron was much older than her after all, and spent the majority of his time underground or on Iron Island. Was he hiding something? Is that why he bought out Iron Island? She had never questioned him about it before. "If there's a slight chance that Byron might be guilty of a crime then what do you suggest I do? This crime could've been committed many long years ago… It wouldn't mean anything now."

"We'll have to talk to him. Why would a father prefer his only son not to take the role of a gym leader?"

"Protection? Roark was young at the time when Riley was offered the job."

"Bugsy from the Johto region was twelve when he inherited the title."

"Why would he give the position to Riley? That's the question."

Cynthia had heard the name Riley before, but had yet to meet the man. He was rumoured to be a skilled trainer specialising in high attack, and was praised highly by Byron. Riley looked after Iron Island while Byron carried out his responsibilities at the gym. Was Riley connected to this in some way? Had that been why Riley was offered the job at Oreburgh Gym instead? Too many questions and no answers. It made her head hurt.

"Byron isn't bad, is he?" Jade asked. "He's not like those funny people with the bowl haircuts, right?"

Cynthia shook her head. "No, Byron is not like them at all." She stood up and walked over to her younger sister and sat down besides her, pulling the girl into a tight embrace. "You have nothing to fear, Jade. Those people with the bowl haircuts are no longer a threat to us." Galactic no longer had a leader to rally under, and without one, they were nothing. "Steven and I are going away for awhile. You don't mind staying with the neighbours again, do you?"

Jade shook her head. "I'll be fine! I'll have my Togepi with me." She glanced down at the baby Pokemon sitting on her lap, and stroked its head, causing the Pokemon to wriggle its body with delight.

"You know what number to call if something goes wrong, all right?"

The girl nodded then turned to Steven. "Will you cook dinner tonight? Cynthia can't cook."

Steven chuckled. "Of course… that is, if it is all right by Cynthia?"

"It's fine by me. Tomorrow will be a big day."

Paul picked himself up from the ground, his right hand pressed up against his cheek. The slap had stung, but it paled little in comparison to what he had experienced in the past week. He spat at the ground and threw a hateful glare in the direction of Hunter J. The woman simply laughed, amused by the defiance in his eyes. "Whatever happened to not caring about Team Galactic? I thought our goal was simple – to capture Pokemon and sell them on the black market. And now here we are hiding in the jungle on this godforsaken island with an army of idiots."

He had returned from the failed mission to bring in Dawn thanks to her annoying blond friend, but he hadn't expected to find Hunter J with a few hundred grunts with terrible haircuts huddled around her. Some of them were even kissing her feet, hailing her as their new master. He soon discovered the woman had taken control of the remaining grunts of Team Galactic, but for what purpose, he didn't know. Hunter J always recruited enough people to capture Pokemon, but she had never aspired to lead an army.

"I will not turn down an opportunity to harvest Pokemon parts, but that is no longer our priority," Hunter J replied curtly, hands crossed over her chest. "Have you heard the news? There's an illness on the mainland. Pokemon are falling sick to a mysterious illness. I do not wish to waste time harvesting parts from the sick. No, I am setting my focus elsewhere for the time being – the Pokemon League."

Paul snorted. "You want to become the next Champion, do you?"

She shook her head. "I wish to control it."

Paul couldn't help himself – he threw his head back and laughed. "What makes you think the league hounds will lick your feet like your new pets do?" The new pets referred to the former Galactic grunts of course. They followed Hunter J everywhere when she allowed it. When she didn't want them around, they were chopping down trees and building huts under the supervision of Mars and Jupiter. Hunter J desired to make a base within the jungle to use its environment to her advantage.

"These grunts will be loyal to me."

"Only until they find a new master."

Hunter J's expression hardened. "Cyrus and Charon were unfit to rule. They were both weak. They didn't know how to play their cards correctly." A cold smile spread across her face. "I, however, know exactly what cards to play, and I can say with full confidence, this world will be ours for the taking."

"You think you can face the combined wrath of the league and its gym leaders?"

"I do not plan to take the battle to them, Paul. This will be a battle won without Pokemon."

Paul snorted. "Are you going to fight them with your fists then?"

"Infiltration."

"An undercover agent. Who did you have in mind?"

Her smirk widened. "You'll find out in due time."

"You don't have one, do you?"

"I will."

He knew she wasn't joking – Hunter J didn't joke around. She took whatever she could, whenever she could. The woman was always one step ahead. It was the reason why she had survived this long without being detected by the authorities. "What do you want me to do?"

"Trust in me."

"You ask a lot."

She moved towards him and placed both hands on his shoulders. "You owe me, Paul. You owe me a great deal, and I will not let that debt go unpaid." She withdrew her hands and dusted off her clothes of invisible dirt.

He grimaced. Of course she'd have to resort to bringing the debt up to get things her way. She could've simply let him rot, but she had chosen to bring him under her care to work for her to pay her back in other means aside from coin. It was how he had ended up in this position in the first place – he had crossed paths with the wrong person, and now he was in her debt. She had a hold over him and she knew it.

"What do you plan to do with the Magma Stone? You know they'll probably come looking for it," he said changing the subject to something other than debts. Hunter J had the Magma Stone and it was guarded day and night by her Salamence. No one was allowed to come near it – one day, a grunt had strayed too close, and the dragon had almost made a quick meal out of him.

"I'll sell it to the highest bidder," she replied. "We could always do with new equipment and technologies," she added with a smirk. Paul didn't respond – rather than use the power as her own, she preferred to sell it for a price. In a sense though, he could understand why she did it – she would no longer be held responsible for it. If any damage was caused the blame wouldn't be cast upon her. "Actually, I do have a task for you. You can make yourself useful by delivering this potion to a buyer."

He narrowed his eyes. "A potion? What parts did you use and what are you marketing it as this time?"

"Houndoom blood, with crushed Gyarados scales. You can thank the former Galactic leader for the parts." She reached a hand down into her pocket and pulled out a vial of murky dark blue liquid. Paul didn't want to know how she had obtained these ones, but had a slight suspicion it probably involved some form of torture since that was her style."

She handed it to him and he took it from her, placing it in one of the inside pockets of his jacket. "Who is this buyer?"

"He's called Saturn. You won't miss him – he's one of the commanders of Team Galactic. Tell him this potion should ease the pain, and make it easier for him to sleep at night. I'll need you back here as you have done the task – can you do that, Paul?"

"Don't insult my intelligence. Of course I can," he replied gruffly, shoving both his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Good. Track down Jupiter while you're at it too – she's gone missing. I'll prepare our forces for the raid."

Paul stopped. "Raid? You're thinking of going out there and attacking?"

"We need to show the world why they should fear us. I'll be seeing you soon, Paul. I want you to be there." She chuckled.

He turned his back to Hunter J and walked away well aware her eyes were boring into his back. If he repaid his debt, would she set him free, or would he forever be tied to her?

"That's it, I can't take it anymore," Johanna said, storming into the bedroom, white flour all over her clothes. "If she says one more word about my cooking skills, I swear, I am going to throw something in her face. And it's not just the cooking – she's always watching me, always commenting on something that I've done wrong."

Cyrus even spotted some in her hair and wondered how it had even ended up there, but dared not question it, noticing the redness in her eyes. The poor woman was stressed and his grandparents had been to blame. Rising from his chair, he walked over to her, and pulled her in close. She pressed her head against his chest and sobbed. "You shouldn't let her words get to you, Johanna."

Johanna drew in a deep breath and wiped her eyes using her left hand. "She thinks I'm useless! I know she does! She's always hounding me, using every chance she has to say something negative! Julia was crying the other day, and I was going to comfort her, but your grandmother takes over, and says she can handle it. It's like she wishes that I didn't exist!"

"That's not true."

She rolled her eyes and forced a dry laugh. "She has no problems with you or Dawn – it's me she doesn't like. I've spent weeks trying to get along with your grandmother, and at first, things were going perfectly fine, until Julia was allowed to come with us." Johanna took in another deep breath, pushing her dark blue bangs away from her eyes. "I can't stay here another night."

"We could head back to Twinleaf Town. We'll be far away from my grandparents then."

"It's too far away from a decent Pokemon Centre, and not to mention, far away from the league. Dawn has chosen not to live there, but she has to remain within a couple hours travel at least." She wiped her eyes again then heaved a deep sigh. "This was supposed to be a fresh start for all of us. A chance to rebuild and move forward, but nothing is going to plan." More tears rolled down her cheeks. "And it's not just your grandmother – I'm worried about you, about Dawn, and everyone else close to us."

"There's nothing to fear – Charon is no longer a threat."

"That's what you keep telling me, but I'm not convinced. You toss and turn at night, pleading to someone to stop the bloodshed, and you'll confess." Her eyes softened. She reached up a hand towards his right cheek, fingers gently brushing up against the skin, eyes locked on his own. "And it's getting worse, Cyrus. There are moments when you scare me."

He looked to the side for a few moments then turned to face her again feeling guilt pour through him. "I don't mean to scare you."

"I know you don't, but when you wake up in the middle of the night and lock yourself up in the bathroom for a few minutes, what else am I supposed to think? You're stubborn – and I know I won't be able to get it out for you, but I hope one day you'll speak of it before the damage is done. You have a family, Cyrus – They need you. I need you. I won't lose you – not again."

Silence fell. Once there was a time he cared little for those around him, but things had changed since his days in Galactic. In Galactic, all he had to care about was himself and his plans. It was much simpler then since he didn't have any emotional ties to anyone. Of course, that all changed when he learned about Dawn's existence and his connection to. Overtime, his loyalty towards his company had weakened, replaced by a growing one towards his family.

"That's not true."

"We could head back to Twinleaf Town. We'll be far away from my grandparents then."

"There's nothing to fear – Charon is no longer a threat."

He looked to the side for a few moments then turned to face her again feeling guilt pour through him. "I don't mean to scare you."

For most of his life, he had only known the about the darker side of human emotions, and the ugliness it brought. Pretending to act like emotions didn't exist was much easier than accepting them and learning how to cope. It was through the actions of Dawn and Johanna did he eventually realize emotions weren't the negative force he had believed them to be. Although he now accepted feeling wasn't a bad thing, there were still a few things he had trouble expressing – love.

Physical love came easy enough to him, but saying it in words was far more difficult. Johanna often told him she loved him and their children, but he couldn't bring himself to speak the same words back. It wasn't that he didn't like her – if he didn't, he wouldn't even be here – but he was a firm believer actions spoke louder than words. "We could move someplace else in this city, or move to Pastoria or Veilstone. Those places aren't too far away from the league."

"What about Stark Island?"

Stark Island. His jaw tightened. He didn't have fond memories of that place, but Johanna didn't know that, and he made Dawn promise not to speak of it. It was a secret kept between them and Dawn was happy enough not to bring it up. "It's an island resort. We'll have to deal with annoying tourists."

"We'll have the same problem with noisy locals in Veilstone City." She paused then continued. "They're selling properties alongside the beach. Big fancy villas are being sold. It'd be a good place to live – you could find a job there, Cyrus. Rumours say Battle Frontier will be the most expensive project in all of Sinnoh."

"You want to run a resort."

She shrugged. "It would be a nice change of pace from the usual."

To live on an island where five of his Pokemon had been tortured to death, to once again set foot on a place responsible for his almost sleepless nights. The island was home to a secret graveyard only a few people in the population were aware of. Instinctively, he brought a hand to his lower back where the iron pipe had been used. The wound had healed, but the scar remained, a permanent reminder of the blood that had been spilled. It served as a reminder that he had succumbed and given Charon the details of Dawn's current whereabouts thereby placing her life in danger. She had survived of course, but if it had gone wrong, he would've been the one to blame.

"But what about your job in Hearthome? I thought you liked fashion."

"I don't mind starting a new, Cyrus."

"They are very costly villas."

"You told me a few weeks ago that money wasn't a problem."

"We should ask Dawn what she thinks."

She raised an eyebrow then nodded. "Fair point. Moving houses will be tough for her – she's only just settled into her new role while Cynthia is taking leave for six months." With a sigh, she brought her fingers to her temples and rubbed them, sighing once more. "You're right. I shouldn't let your grandmother's words get to me. I'm stronger than this. I can deal with her." Her tone wasn't convincing to his ears, but he nodded.

"I have a suggestion – why not book a weekend at the Hotel Grand Lake?"

"And leave Julia in the hands of your grandmother?"

"We can take her with us." Although it was tempting to leave her behind for a weekend to escape baby-tending duties, he knew she was still heavily reliant on both parents (especially her mother). The dream of avoiding diaper changing duties was going to remain a dream at this point. "Dawn will be at the league this weekend anyway so she'll be busy."

"I suppose that's all right if Julia comes with us…" Her expression brightened. "I have always wanted to dine there. I hear the food is fantastic." She then winked. "And the beds are of great quality too."

"Yes, a good night's sleep is always welcome."

"Well, that wasn't exactly what I was implying, but that's also true." Her expression turned serious once more. "You can tell them. If I say something, your grandmother will assume ill of me. Well, I'm just going to head down to the shops and pick up some groceries for tonight's dinner." She poked him in the chest. "When I return, I expect her diaper to be changed. You're not getting out of it this time."

Cyrus grumbled. Johanna was right – there was no chance he was getting out of it today. Dawn usually did it when she home, or sometimes he managed to convince his grandmother to do the task, but not this time. She left the room, and Cyrus sighed, resigning himself to the arduous task that lay ahead.

Byron was busy in the kitchen baking a cake when Cynthia entered the room. She could smell the aroma of chocolate mud cake wafting through the open windows of the cottage. Her stomach tightened, and it wasn't because of the cake, but because of what was to happen next. Steven believed Byron was hiding something and planned to ask a series of questions until he was satisfied. He acknowledged the other man with a nod while Cynthia sat herself down on one of the stools at the bench.

"Cynthia, Steven, it's a pleasure to see you both," Byron said, turning around to face them, a delighted smile on his face. Cynthia took note of the chocolate stains on his apron and was reminded of herself in the kitchen. "I'm sorry that I didn't stay for the after-party – I had a few things that needed to be done around the house."

Steven wasted no time in getting to the point of their meeting. He reached down into his bag and pulled out Carolina's documents, laying them out on the table for the gym leader to see. "What do you know about these photos, Byron?"

Byron turned away from decorating his cake, and glanced down. He raised a brow then looked up, eyes searching for answers. "Where did you find them?"

"They belong to my grandmother," Cynthia answered, leaning forward. "She took these photos when she was younger…But hid them away for whatever reason. Steven and I believe you may know something about them since you're the expert when it comes to matters like these. What do you Byron?"

The man placed his baking utensils down on the table then sighed, as if he had been expecting this moment. He looked down at the photos again. Cynthia suspected he would've pretended he knew nothing about them if he wasn't standing across from two Champions. "They're tombs," he said. "The druids built them many years ago to stop a great evil from escaping… Or that's what the former owner of this place said when I purchased this island."

"Tombs?" Cynthia repeated, exchanging a look of surprise with Steven. "What do you mean great evil?" Surely there was nothing more fearsome than Giratina?

Byron heaved a sigh. "When I purchased the mines, I was told about the history of the place. The former owner claimed the mines had to be closed because they discovered it was once a temple of the druids. The miners dug deep and stumbled across a prayer room with a tomb inside. The miners believed it was haunted and therefore they left, selling the rights to the land to myself." He ran a hand through his hair and took in a deep breath then continued. "I'm not one to believe in matters of faith, but it does feel this place differs from the ones on the mainland."

"What do you mean?" Steven said his right brow quirked.

"The Pokemon here are stronger, as if they gain energy from the soil itself. It's hard to explain it without actually witnessing it with your own eyes, but the Pokemon have a higher defence than what is considered natural." He peered down at the first photo, eyes examining the druidic hieroglyphics. "The script reads, 'Registeel, the second of the four seals."

"Registeel?" Cynthia murmured.

"The second of the four seals…" Steven mused, bringing a hand to his chin. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Byron shrugged. "Druids used to place seals on tombs to trap lost spirits inside their coffins, but they also drew symbols on objects they considered sacred." He gestured down at the photo. "The first of the seals was placed upon the highest point in Sinnoh – the earliest druids built the columns on the mountain peak thinking it would bring them closer to Arceus. They prayed for Arceus' light, and hoped the silent God would keep them safe from the evils of the world."

Steven fell silent, lost in thought, but Cynthia wasn't. Her grandmother had uncovered these tombs yet for some reason failed to complete her research. Perhaps she had always intended for Cynthia to fill in her shoes after she retired from being the Champion? "Snowpoint Temple. Ancient script and humanoid Pokemon. My grandmother saw something the day she took these photos and it turned her off completing it. What else do you know?"

Bryon shrugged again. "I'm only telling you what I was told from the previous owner. He said the tombs would only reopen should the first seal break. When the first one breaks, the other three will unlock and the grand coffin will reopen. The Old One will awaken once more and the earth shall tremble beneath its feet," he answered. "I can't tell you anymore than that – that's all I know."

"And you decided not to speak of this until now?" Cynthia said.

"There was no reason to speak of it. I purchased this island to turn it into a nature reserve for Pokemon – not to open it up to the public to debate its history."

The man had a point. Cynthia decided not to argue the matter since she knew she would've done the same thing if she had been in this position. Besides, if everyone knew about the druids' history here and the tombs, how many criminal organizations would emerge to unveil its secrets? Steven was still silent. She wondered what he was thinking.

"You mentioned the columns built upon the peak…" Steve said slowly then turned to face Cynthia, a troubled expression on his face. "Did you see columns?"

"We did, but they were all destroyed when the rift to the Distortion World was opened."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The Distortion Word… sacred place to the druids… Cyrus was used to open the gate… the gate…" he murmured. "Gatekeeper… What am I missing… Think Steven." At this moment, it seemed like Steven had forgotten he was with other people, so lost in his thoughts trying to solve this. She wanted to help him, but had no theories of her own unless…

"What if the Distortion World was the first seal?" she said. It sounded ridiculous at first, but it made more sense saying it out aloud. The magical barrier on top of Mount Coronet had been broken and the rift to the Distortion World opened for all people. Giratina had been locked inside by Arceus himself. If Byron's earlier comments about the other seals breaking as a result of the Distortion World being opened were true…

"Regigigas," Steven said softly.

Byron and Cynthia looked at him, confused.

"I had assumed it was nothing but a legend, but these photos combined with your words… If these seals have broken then I fear for the worst. In the legends, Regigigas was seen attacking people with powerful beams."

Another legendary Pokemon in Sinnoh? First she learned of Giratina, and now this. What other legendary Pokemon were yet to be discovered? "Arceus created Regigigas?"

"And the early druids locked him away before the beast could awaken, thinking it was too powerful," Steven answered. "That must've been why Snowpoint Temple had been built – the druids feared it, but respected its power and gave it a shrine. We should head on over to Snowpoint Temple and ask Candice a few questions if it's not already too late. We may have to call upon the power of the gym leaders and the elite four to defeat Regigigas."

"How do you defeat a beast so powerful?" Byron said.

"The druids did it once before, and I would assume the magical columns on Mount Coronet had something to do with weakening the beast," Steven replied.

"But the columns have been destroyed," Cynthia pointed out. "How do we destroy him now? This is not Giratina we are dealing with." At least with Giratina he was trapped within another realm – Regigigas wasn't. Legendary Pokemon could be defeated, but she hadn't heard of anyone actually defeating one in battle before.

"Only a descendant of the druids would know the answer to that question," Steven said.

"The druids are long gone."

"But their knowledge is still with us and carried on from generation to generation," Steven added. "Treasure hunters and Pokemon rangers are our best bets. There has to be someone who has in-depth knowledge of how to defeat him. Come, let us depart to Snowpoint Temple. We will make our final stand there," he added, rising from his chair. Cynthia could only exchange a worried glance with Byron who seemed just as lost as she did. "Inform the other gym leaders – I will inform the league. Meet us at Snowpoint Temple," Steven added.

Byron nodded. "I will be there."

Cynthia drew in a deep breath. A Champion's job was never done.