Here's another chapter, where we finally get started on investigating the ruins, like the murals and the hidden chambers. What lies within? What will our students discover about Galar's history? We'll have to find out!

Pokemon Academy Best Girl Elimination Round is almost complete. Today's the last day! So if anyone still wants to cast their votes, the time to do it is now! The poll is on my profile! Polls will close when the next chapter is published, and a new poll will be posted with the top 5 girls! The results will be posted here. In the meantime, get to voting if you haven't already!

Nominated: Sango, Cynthia, Elaina, Kate, Dakota, Ayame, Marion, Kitty, Serefina, Madison, Alcea

DJ Dib Dab: Hope you come back soon!

ConfusedCradily: Maybe she really is just a good person. Some people can just be nice you know, not everyone needs an ulterior motive.

DDDD1416: Thanks for your character, though I'm not sure when I'll get to use them.

Aquahaze675: If Elizabeth's daughter is important, I might bring her in. Thanks for the character, not sure if I'll use her or not, but it's always nice to see more.

Thunder Fire: It's build-up, things will get serious soon, I hope. I've got a scene I want to get to, it's just a matter of getting there properly.

Mercury - Mercuraneous: The Children of the Oracles will certainly be doing something of importance soon, I can promise you that.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 265

When they reached the large viewing platform, Kate climbed off the back of Elizabeth's Doduo, and promptly collapsed. Her legs had absolutely no strength. Fortunately, before she hit the ground, Sango was there to catch her by the shoulder, helping her steady herself.

"Sorry…" Kate apologized. "I'm not used to stuff like this…"

"It's fine, it's fine," Sango smiled, patting her on the back. "Just sit down until you get your strength back!"

Kate nodded, Sango helping her sit. The girl leaned against the fencepost connecting the railing to the platform, waiting for the feeling to return to her legs. She looked up at the large mural, and for a moment she almost forgot to breathe. Seeing it up close like this… the books did it no justice at all. It was truly a masterpiece. If she wasn't already sitting she might have fallen to her knees in awe.

Sango was also breathless for a moment, standing before the ancient monument of Galarian history. She still didn't understand why her father was so obsessed with stuff like this, or why Blake and Kate were so interested, but right now… she kind of got it. There was just something… beautiful about it, even if it looked like something she had drawn in kindergarten.

She wasn't the only one in awe of the large thing, the other students were also speechless. Which was weird, because it was just a mural. And as Sango noted, it wasn't even that nice to look at. And yet… it stood there with such weight that she couldn't really blame anyone.

"Students! Come here." Professor Reinhart clapped his hands together and called them to attention. Several of them snapped out of their awestruck expressions to look towards the teacher, while a few continued to sneak glances at the testament before their eyes.

Professor Reinhart stood in the center of the circular plaza build in front of the mural, clearly designed for tourists. But there were no tourists here at the moment, the monument had been closed to the viewing public.

Professor Reinhart cleared his throat, turning to point at the large mural towering over them. Sango noted that he was wearing his usual dark clothes, this time wearing a black turtleneck and grey pants, but was also wearing a white lab coat that she had never seen on him before. Seeing that he was standing next to Sonia, who was also wearing a lab coat, Sango briefly wondered with a snicker if this was some childish impulse to show her up on the professor's part. She had expected her father to be with them as well, but apparently he wasn't. What was he up to, she wondered?

"Professor!" Sonia snapped, yet still remaining as polite and affable as she could. "I understand that you are passionate about teaching your students, but please keep in consideration whose excavation site this is?"

The professor coughed in embarrassment, letting his arm drop awkwardly to the side.

"I-Indeed, quite right," he said, nodding. It made sense that Sonia would be so aggressive about this, considering her position. As a recently-minted professor whose discovery of the hidden chamber of Stow-on-Side and her newly published book on Galarian history being the main credentials under her belt, she was clearly going to be very possessive of her findings. If she was to lose out on something like this, she might not be seen with the prestige she deserved. Aurore understood that, and stepped aside to let her have her moment in the sun.

Sonia stood center stage, a big smile on her pretty face. She took a deep breath, and began her speech.

"Welcome to the mural of Stow-on-Side! For thousands of years, this mural has stood as a testament to the efforts of the Twin Kings of Ancient Galar to fight back against the Darkest Day," Sonia explained. "As you can see, even after 3,000 years, the mural stands, undefaced. Now, before we take a look inside, does anyone have any questions they'd like to ask?"

Nikita raised her hand, and Sonia called on her.

"You said it was undefaced, but then why is there a big hole right in the center of it?" She asked. Indeed, there was a large hole in the center of the mural. Fortunately, it was not as though the entire mural had collapsed. You could still make out the brilliant sword and shield and the flowers. There just happened to be a large opening at the bottom, reinforced by a large archway built around it. It was wide enough for several people to enter, and what secrets lay within were hard to guess; the dim glow of lamps could be seen burning deep inside, but other than that, nothing more could be made out.

Sonia's face turned bright red, and Professor Reinhart snickered.

"Er… ahem. That was due to some… unforeseen circumstances," Sonia said, clearly thrown off. "N-never you mind that! What is important is that the damage was not enough to ruin the monument's testament to our past, and our historians have worked hard to preserve it."

Sango had something she wanted to ask, so she raised her hand as well. Sonia called on her next.

"About the defacement thing-"

"En-enough about that!" Sonia frantically sputtered. "Some kid did something stupid, that's it!"

"No, that's not what I was asking about," Sango frantically clarified. She looked to Elizabeth for confirmation.

"O-oh. Then, um… what?"

"I was wondering… you said that this mural has been around for 3,000 years?"

"Exactly!" Sonia said, nodding.

"Then, um, if you don't mind me asking… how?" Sango didn't really understand. That mural was a little sloppy, but it was so… vibrant! Such bright colors, showing no traces of wear… it looked like it could have been painted yesterday! She wasn't an archaeologist or anything like that, but she knew that outdoor exposure would wear stuff away eventually. "Wouldn't it… I don't know… have worn away by now?"

Sonia smiled from ear to ear, her teal eyes shining excitedly.

"Strange, right? I know!" She chirped. "It's all due to the beauty of where it was positioned!"

Sango didn't really understand, and her face didn't, either.

"Let me explain. The people who first painted this mural, they did so not with actual paint, but with a special form of carving. They scraped out the image they wanted, and then filled the gaps with special colored dyes so that they would stick better."

Sonia walked over towards the entrance, beckoning for the students to follow after her. Kate took a deep breath and shakily stood up, stumbling forward. At least she could feel her legs now, even if they were still very, very sore.

"Take a look," Sonia stepped aside, encouraging the students to observe the mural up-close and personal. As Sango looked, she could see what the woman was talking about. Rather than being a smooth surface, or even a naturally rugged one as would be expected of a cliff, the wall had been smoothed out, and then gaps cut into the rock to color.

"Whoa, this is really cool," Sango said. "Can we touch-"

"No," Sonia snapped. She calmed down from her outburst and smiled. "Sorry, no, after recent events, only authorized personnel are allowed to physically examine the mural. Now, does that answer your question?"

"Um… a little, but, still, 3,000 years of time…"

"You can thank the climate for that," Sonia answered her. "There's a reason that the Twin Kings chose this as the location for their mural."

"Really?" Reiner asked, his eyes shining. "What reason?"

"Simple!" Sonia said. "The dry, arid air of the desert keeps things preserved very nicely. Because this mural was drawn on the side of a mountain, it has its own natural advantages. While the wind in the desert is already very sparse, we are aware that it comes from the far north; it blows around the mountain, down towards Stow-on-Side. Wind and rain are often the main causes of wear for things like this. But being a desert, this area gets no rain, and almost no wind ever comes from the South, East, or West. So by putting the mural here…"

"It's spared from many of the wears of the climate," Nikita understood, nodding. Sango nodded along with her. That made a lot of sense, and it was a really cool thing to do, too. Nikita clearly agreed. "Wow, that's so cool! But I have another question!"

Sonia was worried that Nikita's next question would be as… problematic as the first one, but kept a strong face as she called on her.

"So, um, this mural is so cool, especially considering how big it is, but… how?"

Sonia blinked.

"How?"

"I mean… look at it!"

Nikita looked up at the mural, which towered over their heads, far higher than any of them could ever reach. And it was perfectly proportioned, as well, like someone had painted on a normal-sized canvas, rather than the side of a mountain.

"Something this big… how did they make it?" Nikita asked.

Sonia let out a sigh of relief. She smiled.

"That's still being speculated, actually," Sonia said. "Many people believe that pokemon could have been used to get to the high places, but the way they actually were able to create such detailed work on the sword and shield, proportioning it perfectly in relation to spacing with the rest of the mural. That much attention to detail, even if the details aren't that… detailed, it shows some amazing feats of coordination."

Nikita gasped.

"Wow, that's cool, too! And you don't even know why? Wow!"

"Well, I think that's enough questions for now," Sonia laughed. "If we keep this up, we won't even get to see the best part! The mural's amazing and all, but wait until you see the toy surprise inside."

Sonia laughed to herself and walked under the wide archway, gesturing for the students to follow her.

Sango glanced at Silver with a smile, heading right after Sonia with no hesitation. Reiner, Nikita, and the other students followed after, while Kate and Blake took up the rear, with Elizabeth and Reiner in the very back to keep an eye on the kids and make sure they didn't get lost.

Behind the mural was an enormous chamber that took Sango's breath away. There was a lot of that going on today.

In the large circular room, lit by lanterns hung overhead, was a massive statue depicting four figures. Two of them were human, and the other two must have been pokemon. The two men carved in stone wore suits of armor and matching crowns, but the two pokemon standing before them were even more impressive. They were canid in appearance, facing out towards the wall the mural had been painted on. So when the students walked into the chamber, they got an up-close look at the pokemon from straight-on, and they were imposing, to say the least.

The pokemon on the right held a broad, solid shield in its mouth, and the pokemon on the left clutched the hilt of a long, sharp sword in its fangs. Even though they were carved out of stone, it was so intricately done it made one question the sloppy design of the mural that covered it. The eyes in particular were distinct; Sango could not help but step closer to take a better look at them. Even in the dim glow of the lanterns, she could see the detail carved into the stone. It was like the eyes of these pokemon were reflecting life within them. A shiver ran down her spine.

"No touching," Sonia said, placing a hand on Sango's shoulder and guiding her back to the other students. "Now, as you can see, these statues represent the kings of ancient time, who fought side by side with these trusted pokemon during the Darkest Day! For a long time, people only believed there to be one hero, but recent discoveries, including these statues, have cause historians and professors like myself to reevaluate those findings!"

Sango started tuning Sonia out as she went on the history spiel, unlike the other students, stuff like this wasn't really of much interest to her. What she was interested in, however, were the different pathways leading off from the large central chamber they were in.

"…So at some point, it became apparent that history was being altered. But due to my extensive research, assisted by some particularly special trainers, I was able to uncover many of the truths that have been hidden from the people of Galar, including this very statue, itself!"

Sonia turned and gazed longingly up at the large statue, her whimsical smile illuminated by the throbbing flames of the lanterns.

"There are still many secrets left to uncover about our ancestors and their history," Sonia concluded. "There are many things still un-deciphered on these walls. You'll only be getting a small look at what was hidden here, I'm sorry to say. Most of the 'treasure', that is to say, artifacts, that were entombed here with these statues have been taken and are being examined. What we learn from this single excavation site may rewrite our history books entirely!"

"Damn, that is awesome," Reiner agreed.

"There are other locations I thought that I might show you," Sonia said. "Certain areas are off-limits to visitors, but there are still a few rooms that are worth checking out! Come along!"

Sonia led the group around the statue, towards one of the tunnels behind it.

"Doctor Skye?" Sonia stood at the entrance of the tunnel. Like the chamber itself, the tunnel was paved with smooth white stones, suggesting it was not a natural feature of the mountain; rather, it had been carved by human hands.

"Yes, professor?" Elizabeth asked, stepping to the front of the group.

"I'll be needing your help with this," Sonia said. "Come!"

Sonia and Elizabeth took the lead, walking into the passageway.

"As you can see, the walls here depict many images of humans and pokemon working together," Sonia explained. "But this language is slightly… difficult. Ancient Galarian is a tricky language. We're having trouble translating many of the words written here."

"So that's where I come in," Elizabeth nodded.

"Exactly! When it comes to ancient languages, you're the best in the field!" Sonia agreed. "Not only a professor, but a doctor! You're as amazing as my grandmother!"

"N-no, I'm nothing as special as… well. That's a sight." Elizabeth was in the middle of playing off her abilities when they reached the next chamber, a round, circular room much smaller than the one they had just come from. And in the center of that room, she saw something a little more interesting than a mural.

Large words in a language that had gone unused for centuries were scrawled on a pedestal, and again on a large archway in the back of the chamber. The archway framed two heavy stone doors. Carved on the front of the doors was the depiction of a large dragon head, its eyes made of glittering violet crystals and its fangs were carved of shiny black obsidian.

"Whoa! Look at that wicked door!" Sango said, running forward. But Elizabeth held her hand in front of the energetic girl, shaking her head.

"What's behind it?" Nikita wondered aloud. She turned to Sonia. "Will we get to see?"

"We don't know," Sonia shrugged. "We haven't been able to find a way to get it open. Some suggested we break down the wall, but-"

"Absolutely not!" Elizabeth snapped, recoiling like Sonia had just suggested drowning a school bus full of children.

"-As I was saying," Sonia continued, a little miffed at the interruption, "we believe that the historic value such a monument possesses is more important. If the door remains closed forever, then so be it. But we won't risk any more harm coming to national relics."

Elizabeth sighed in relief, and then turned her attention back to the chamber itself. Looking around, this chamber was practically empty. No murals, no ancient script, nothing except for the door and the ornately decorated stone pedestal.

Elizabeth set her backpack down and pulled out her journal, walking up to the pedestal to get a closer inspection of the words. There was a flat dais on top, and a smooth section wrapped around beneath it, a belt where the words were inscribed. She found the starting point, and walked around the pedestal, copying the words down into her journal.

"We've already got copies of those back at-"

Elizabeth held her hand up, cutting off Sonia.

"I prefer to get my own version, with my own eyes," she replied. "In case you missed something… there we go. Now, for the dais…"

Elizabeth rose to her feet to inspect the disk itself, and found something else intriguing. It was covered with dirt, but she could make the faint traces of… something underneath it.

"Have you cleaned this?" She asked, looking back to Sonia.

"We just got started on this room a few days back," Sonia replied. "Once we realized we couldn't open the door, we decided the other rooms took precedence. We wanted to save this one for you, as well as them."

Sonia glanced back at the students. Elizabeth understood what she meant.

"Do you kids want to see the process of cleaning a relic?" Elizabeth asked, gesturing the students to come over to watch.

As the students gathered around her, Elizabeth withdrew a small brush from her vest pocket and lightly wiped some dust away, taking care to only shave off a few grains at a time. Whatever was underneath the dirt, she wanted to be very careful not damage it. She lightly brushed and flecked more and more dirt away. It was a long, grueling process, but eventually, what was inscribed on the stone plate was clear to see.

A strange image was carved into the dais. In the very center was a strange round shape, and spreading out from around it were five intricately drawn patterns of symbols, more artistic than linguistic, each shaped almost like a line. Like…

"It's a hand, I think," Elizabeth said. "A right hand."

Sonia frowned.

"So you think…"

"Maybe if someone places their hand on the marking, the door will open," Elizabeth nodded. "Should we give it a try?"

Elizabeth removed her glove and placed her hand on the dais.

Nothing happened. She felt a slight tingle running up her fingers, but the door remained completely unmoved.

"…Well, so much for that," she shrugged.

"I can try," Sonia said. She stepped up beside Elizabeth and replaced the older woman's hand with her own. Like with Elizabeth, nothing happened.

"Looks like our theory was wrong," Elizabeth frown. "I'll get started working on the translations, maybe that'll help us figure out how we can open that door."

"Awesome! With you on our side, we'll be able to figure it out, no problem!" Sonia cheered. She led the students out of the back chamber, ready to pack it up and head back to camp.

Elizabeth moved to leave, but paused. Something didn't sit right about this. There was something odd about the room. She turned to look at the door one last time, and felt… off. She couldn't describe it. It was like something was calling out to her. She shook her head. She needed to get some rest, she'd get started on the translations after dinner.

So the ruins hide some deep secrets! Will Elizabeth be able to translate? Will they find a way to get through that door? We'll have to find out!