Noticing Haunter's gesture, Maen immediately knew something was ahead. Without hesitation, he silently activated his dark power, preparing himself for any potential danger.
From the tunnel in front of him, the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed in the darkness.
Click... click... click...
"Wait! I mean no harm!"
A voice suddenly called out from the shadows.
Maen kept his guard up but didn't attack immediately. Instead, he saw a faint glow ahead, followed by the figure of a man carrying a backpack and a flashlight.
But what truly caught Maen's attention wasn't the man—it was the Pokémon following him.
A Metang.
And not just any Metang—a shiny Metang.
A different-colored Metang?
Then, Maen finally took a good look at the man's face. Something about him seemed familiar.
And then it clicked.
Steven Stone.
A well-known stone fanatic, heir to the Devon Corporation, and future Hoenn Champion. However, at this moment, Steven was still just a young man, and his Metang had yet to evolve into a Metagross.
The realization made Maen relax. Steven was someone he could trust.
Steven seemed to notice Maen's shift in demeanor and smiled.
"Hello, Trainer. My name is Steven. Nice to meet you."
Maen smirked. "Of course I know who you are. The young heir of the Devon Corporation? You're pretty famous. My name is Maen."
Steven's eyes lit up as he noticed Maen's excavation tools. His excitement was palpable as he eagerly asked,
"Maen, are you here for fossils and stones too? Have you found anything yet? Can I see?"
The pure enthusiasm on Steven's face was amusing, but when Maen shook his head and replied that he hadn't found anything worthwhile, Steven's excitement dropped slightly. Then, realizing his behavior, he gave an embarrassed chuckle.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away. I tend to get excited when it comes to stones."
Maen waved it off. "No problem. But Steven, did you really come all the way from Hoenn just for this?"
Steven nodded. "Yeah, I originally came to Kanto to visit the Pewter City Science Museum. I heard they have some rare fossils on display, and I was hoping to buy a few. Then, I heard about rare stones in Mt. Moon, so I decided to stop here first before heading to Pewter City."
Maen nearly rolled his eyes. Buying fossils from a museum? Steven really was a mining maniac with money to burn.
At that moment, Haunter, who had been hiding within the walls, suddenly emerged and whispered something to Maen, pointing toward a nearby rock face.
"A hidden cave?"
Thanks to his dark powers, Maen could understand the emotions and general meanings of Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon. He quickly grasped what Haunter was trying to say.
Apparently, while Maen and Steven had been chatting, Haunter had been phasing through the stone walls, scouting the area. And it had just discovered a cave hidden behind the rock wall.
The problem?
It was sealed off.
Maen didn't have a Pokémon capable of breaking through solid rock. Sure, he and Haunter could try smashing their way through, but the cave environment was fragile. Reckless digging could trigger a collapse.
Wait.
Wasn't there an expert in excavation standing right next to him?
Slowly, Maen turned to look at Steven.
Steven: "???"
---
A Hidden Discovery
"Come out, Aggron!"
After Maen explained what Haunter had found and asked if Steven was interested in checking it out, Steven enthusiastically agreed. After all, the thrill of discovering the unknown was one of his greatest joys.
With Aggron's raw strength and Haunter's guidance, the two carefully chiseled away at the rock wall. Before long, they managed to break through, revealing the entrance to a hidden cave.
The moment they stepped inside, both Maen and Steven froze in surprise.
This wasn't just some ordinary cave.
The walls bore clear signs of human excavation.
And yet, they had just broken through the only entrance.
That could only mean one thing—this was once an ancient, sealed-off site.
A lost ruin.
The dark, gaping entrance before them might have looked eerie to others, but for Maen and Steven, it was nothing short of exhilarating.
Without hesitation, they stepped inside.
---
An Ancient Passage
As they ventured deeper, the narrow tunnel gradually transformed into something much more structured.
Strange carvings lined the stone walls. The once-rough ground was now unnaturally smooth, as if intentionally paved.
Both Maen and Steven were now convinced—this was an ancient ruin.
Curious, Maen took out his Pokédex and snapped some photos of the carvings, intending to send them to Professor Oak once they got out.
Steven, noticing the device, raised an eyebrow.
"Maen, you have a Pokédex too? What a coincidence! We should exchange contact info when we get out."
"Sure," Maen agreed. He had no reason to refuse. Not only was Steven the heir to the Devon Corporation, but he was also a genuinely good person. Having him as a friend could only be beneficial.
They pressed forward, the passageway growing wider with each step.
They were getting close to something.
And then, finally—
They reached the end.
And what they saw left them speechless.
---
The Tomb
A massive stone chamber stretched before them.
At its center lay a huge sarcophagus, surrounded by several smaller ones.
The walls were adorned with ancient murals, their faded colors still telling stories of an era long past.
One word immediately came to both Maen and Steven's minds.
"Tomb."
---
To Be Continued...