Pokemon: A New Path-Treasures of Ruin[490]

The next morning, the heavy snowfall that had persisted throughout the night showed no signs of stopping.

Looking out through the frosted window, Naoki saw that the snow stretched far into the distance, covering everything in sight. It was as if the world had been transformed into a vast, frozen landscape of pure white.

Snowflakes continued to fall steadily, and without even stepping outside, Naoki could easily guess that a thick layer of snow had already blanketed the roof of his house.

With the snowstorm raging on, going out was out of the question. Having finished breakfast, Naoki settled into a chair by the fireplace, a book in hand, enjoying a rare moment of peaceful solitude.

His Pokémon, however, seemed entirely unbothered by the weather.

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Some ran around the house, playing joyfully, while others curled up next to Naoki's rocking chair, peeking at the book in his hands as if they, too, were reading with him.

For them, simply being with Naoki was happiness in itself.

Despite being unable to leave the house, Naoki found a sense of calm in the gentle sound of snowflakes falling outside. There was something comforting about staying indoors, wrapped in warmth, surrounded by his Pokémon.

Just then, his Rotom Phone vibrated, the notification tone breaking the quiet atmosphere.

Glancing at the screen, he saw that the message was from Raifort.

[Raifort: I've finally solved the mystery of the Treasures of Ruin!]

[Naoki: Oh? What do you mean?]

[Raifort: I've been combing through ancient records and texts, and I've finally pinpointed the exact locations of the shrines where the Treasures of Ruin were sealed! The next step is to go to these sites and release them from their seals!]

Raifort was sending these messages from her faculty dormitory in Mesagoza, her excitement evident even through text. Along with her message, she attached several photographs of aged scrolls and ancient murals.

[Raifort: Look at this! The Pokémon wielders of the past used enchanted stakes to seal away the Treasures of Ruin within their respective shrines.]

[Raifort: Each of the four Pokémon has its own shrine, and around each shrine, eight stakes were driven deep into the earth to suppress their power. In other words, if all eight stakes are removed, the corresponding Pokémon will be set free!]

Naoki carefully examined the pictures Raifort had sent.

The engravings on the shrines featured intricate symbols, including stylized variations of the "Fu" character and circular longevity patterns.

However, these symbols weren't originally from the Paldea region. Instead, they belonged to an ancient civilization from the Far East, the homeland of the Treasures of Ruin.

In that distant land, such markings were believed to ward off malevolent forces.

[Naoki: The Treasures of Ruin wield great destructive power, don't they? If someone removes the stakes without caution, wouldn't that risk unleashing the same calamity that befell ancient Paldea?]

His thoughts drifted back to the ruins he had explored alongside Raifort in the Great Crater of Paldea. The once-thriving royal city had collapsed into the earth, swallowed by the catastrophic earthquake, dooming its people to be lost in history.

[Raifort: That won't happen! According to the descendants of the ancient Pokémon wielders who sealed the Treasures of Ruin, only those who have forged a deep connection with Pokémon can remove the stakes. This bond will pacify the Treasures of Ruin and prevent them from running wild.]

[Raifort: I'm counting on you for this, Naoki! Please, help me one last time!]

Naoki stared at the message, silent for a long moment.

"Seriously?" He muttered to himself.

Naoki recalled that in the games, Raifort had fully entrusted the players with the task of unsealing the Treasures of Ruin.

But now, it seemed like Raifort actually wanted to witness the event firsthand.

[Naoki: Do you want to go with me?]

[Raifort: I wish I could! But I skipped too many classes to go on adventures, and the principal finally caught me… So, I have no choice but to leave everything to you, Naoki!]

Naoki was speechless.

As expected of Raifort, someone who was practically born to be a treasure hunter!

In his mind, he imagined the Treasures of Ruin, Pokémon said to bring calamity wherever they went.

But if their abilities were reversed using his cooking techniques, could they become blessings instead?

It was an interesting thought.

[Naoki: Alright, but it's snowing heavily right now, and the ranch is busy preparing for the New Year. I'll go after the celebrations.]

[Raifort: No problem! I've waited this long—what's a few more days? But once you catch them, you absolutely must bring them to me!]

Naoki agreed without hesitation.

[Raifort: I'll send you the exact locations of the Sealed Shrines now. Just register them in your Map App, and your Rotom Phone will automatically navigate for you. Some shrines are located halfway up mountains, but since you have Koraidon, you should have no trouble reaching them.]

With that, Raifort shared a link.

Naoki clicked it, and his Pokémon Map App updated with four marked locations.

The Grasswither Shrine, where Wo-Chien slumbers, lies north of Casseroya Lake, deep in a wooded area. The Ice Rend Shrine, where Chien-Pao is sealed, is high in the Glaseado Mountains, at the end of a frozen mountain path.

The Firescourge Shrine, which houses Chi-Yu, rests beneath a secluded waterfall in North Province (Area Two), hidden amidst a beautiful bamboo forest.

The Groundblight Shrine, home to Ting-Lu, is located beneath a steep cliff in East Province (Area One), deep within the wastelands.

Naoki glanced at the marked locations before closing the Map App.

The terrain varied widely, but with Koraidon's climbing and gliding abilities, reaching them wouldn't be an issue.

[Raifort: Then I'll be waiting for your report back here in Mesagoza!]

After the call ended, Naoki leaned back in thought.

There was a lot to prepare for in the coming year.

Not only did he have to capture the Treasures of Ruin, but he also had another promise to keep—helping Giratina deal with Arceus.

At that time, Calyrex would be a crucial ally. So before then, he needed to maximize its power.

Obtaining the Grassium Z-Crystal was one key step.

With a Z-Ring, Calyrex could unleash Bloom Doom, a devastating full-force Grass-type Z-Move, which would significantly boost its battle potential against Arceus' Avatar.

For this, he would need to travel to Alola and earn the approval of the Tapu Guardians.

This was one of the many reasons he planned to buy a villa in Alola.

That way, his Pokémon ranch could stay in Paldea for most of the year, but when winter arrived, he could take them to Alola for a tropical retreat.

A timely call interrupted his thoughts—his Rotom Phone was ringing again.

It was from Redfin, a real estate agency in Alola.

"Hello, is this Mr. Naoki? This is Redfin Real Estate Company. We've found a property that matches your requirements."

"Oh? Where is it located?" Naoki asked.

"It's on Akala Island, in the northeastern Alola Region. A villa ranch just went up for sale."

Akala Island…

Naoki quickly pulled up a satellite image of the island.

The terrain was diverse—a towering volcano to the north, rolling green hills in the northwest, and lush jungles covering the southern region.

To the southwest, he spotted Konikoni City, connected by the tunnel.

And at the heart of the island, nestled in the meadows and pastures, lay Paniola Town.