272 The Key

"Exactly, those are the ones. I didn't expect you to have knowledge about ancient Fossil Pokémon," Charles said with excitement.

Yuga smiled and replied, "I have some basic knowledge, but nothing extensive."

With Charles's guidance, they arrived at the heart of the ruins, where a stone door adorned with intricate patterns stood.

Charles explained, "Legend has it that behind this stone door lies a stone chamber containing secrets of ancient Pokémon. However, no one has ever ventured inside."

Yuga asked curiously, "Why hasn't anyone entered?"

Charles smiled and pointed at four round holes located in the center of the stone door, saying, "Because you need a key to enter."

Saying this, Charles pulled out a worn-out piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it, revealing four different-colored beads. He pointed to them and said to Yuga, "These are the keys to unlocking the ruins! I've been searching for them, but there were no leads."

Yuga looked at the four beads on the paper and felt a sense of familiarity. He thought to himself, "Could it be?"

Yuga then took out four differently colored beads from his system backpack and handed them to Charles. He asked, "Are these the ones you're looking for?"

Seeing the four beads, Charles immediately exclaimed, "Yes, these are the ones! Where did you find them?"

Yuga thought to himself, "So, it really is these."

These four beads had been taken from members of Team Magma and Team Aqua earlier, and Yuga hadn't figured out their purpose until now – they were the key to this ancient ruin.

It seemed that Team Magma and Team Aqua had their eyes on this ruin for a long time, and Yuga had inadvertently interfered.

"Let's try if these four beads can open the ruins," Yuga suggested to Charles, who was immersed in joy.

"Yes, yes, let's try it quickly!" Charles couldn't contain his excitement.

Yuga didn't know which bead should go into which hole, so he handed all of them to Charles to handle.

Charles, who had extensive knowledge of the ruins, placed the four differently colored beads into the circular slots on the stone door according to their positions: upper left, upper right, bottom, and center.

The entire ruin suddenly began to tremble, and the four beads emitted a faint glow. The stone door started moving towards the inside, and an entrance appeared before Yuga and Charles.

"Let's go inside," Charles said to Yuga with excitement.

Yuga nodded, and together with Charles, they entered the passage created by the moving stone door.

Inside the chamber, the first thing that caught their eyes was the wall covered in murals. It depicted scenes of ancient humans living harmoniously with ancient Pokémon, including Fossil Pokémon like Aerodactyl, Kabutop, and Omanyte, among others.

"This is amazing! These murals show the harmonious coexistence of ancient humans and ancient Pokémon," Charles exclaimed in excitement.

While Charles was engrossed in studying the murals, Yuga, not particularly interested in the artwork, walked around the chamber. He soon realized that the chamber wasn't very large; it was a circular room with the stone door, which was embedded with the four beads, standing in the center.

After a brief exploration that yielded no discoveries, Yuga found a place to sit down and decided to wait for Charles to finish his research before leaving. However, Charles, driven by his ambition to become an archaeologist, got lost in the murals and continued his research into the night.

Yuga eventually left the chamber and saw the pitch-black night outside. He decided that continuing the journey at this hour wasn't a good idea and opted to stay overnight.

Returning to the chamber, Yuga noticed Charles using a flashlight and taking notes in his notebook. Yuga walked over, tapped Charles on the shoulder, and suggested, "Charles, how about we have a meal and then continue your research? There's no need to rush."

Hearing Yuga's words, Charles nodded and joined Yuga in having a small meal. Afterward, he eagerly returned to his research, leaving Yuga shaking his head in amusement.

That night, Yuga took out a sleeping bag and lay down in the chamber, falling asleep. Before drifting off, he saw Charles still engrossed in his research.

In the early morning, when Yuga opened his eyes, he saw Charles wrapped in a blanket, sleeping soundly while still sitting upright. Yuga truly admired Charles's unwavering dedication to his research.

Yuga stepped out of the chamber, and at that moment, the sun was slowly rising, casting golden rays of sunlight through the entrance into the chamber, illuminating the stone door.

Turning his head, Yuga noticed that the four gems on the stone door were absorbing the brilliance of the sunrise, radiating a dazzling light. These beams gradually followed the patterns on the door, spreading across the entire door. Then, they extended throughout the entire chamber, causing the murals on the chamber's walls to start glowing.

When the entire chamber was covered in radiant patterns, the heavy stone door moved backward once more, revealing a descending stone staircase.

It was at this moment that Charles finally woke up amidst the considerable commotion.

Rubbing his bewildered eyes, Charles asked Yuga, "What's happening?"

Yuga didn't say a word but simply pointed towards the stone staircase below. The look of confusion in Charles's eyes disappeared instantly.

Surprised, he asked, "What is this?"

Yuga shook his head, indicating that he didn't know, but he shared what he had just witnessed with Charles.

"This is incredible!" Charles exclaimed. "Let's go down and explore."

Yuga nodded and followed Charles down the stone staircase.

Descending the stairs, Yuga and Charles found themselves in an underground cavern, and the cavern contained a large underground pool.

"It's an underground pool!" Charles exclaimed.

Yuga asked in confusion, "But why did the ancient people go to such lengths to conceal an underground pool?"

Charles shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

Suddenly, a column of water shot out from the pool, heading straight for Charles, who stood there in a daze, as if paralyzed.

Yuga quickly leaped forward, pushing Charles aside just in time to narrowly avoid the water projectile's attack.

"It's a Relicant!" Charles, lying on the ground, exclaimed with excitement.

Yuga thought to himself, "Is this guy really that excited about a Relicant? Is it worth risking his life for?"

The Relicant in the water seemed poised to launch another attack at Yuga and Charles. However, Yuga wasn't one to stand idly by and take hits. He released his Florges, addressing it, "Use Vine Whip to pull that Pokémon out of the water."

"Florges!" Florges nodded, and two vine whips swiftly plunged into the water. With a vigorous tug, the Relicant was yanked out of the water onto the shore.

Once on land, the Relicant was helpless and could only flop around desperately. Eventually, it succumbed under the effects of Florges's Magical Leaf and closed its eyes.

In reality, this Relicant was quite formidable, but it had chosen the wrong opponents.

Yuga tossed a Poké Ball, capturing the incapacitated Relicant, and then handed it to Charles, saying, "Since you're so fond of Relicant, it's yours."