Pokemon Heroes: Sinnoh Saga [Book 1]

Chapter 47: Solaceon Ruins, Mystery of the Past

"We were lucky to visit the Solaceon Ruins at a time when no archaeological digs or academic studies were going on. Otherwise the entire place would have been roped off and restricted to surveyors and academics only. You have to wonder whether or not archaeology destroys more history than it discovers; but that's a discussion for another time. I couldn't even begin to imagine our contribution to the world of history, archaeology, and Pokémon studies when we first visited the Solaceon Ruins. I also couldn't imagine that we had started one of the biggest, longest running mysteries of all our travels. What we discovered in the Solaceon Ruins haunted us until at least the Johto Region. More on that later...much, much later..."

Sam looked up at the Solaceon Ruins.

Three large, raised planes, flat on top, slanted sides. They were square in shape, with walls of smooth, brown sandstone. Windows dotted the side at regular intervals. Atop the raised plateaus were flat landscapes covered in clean-cut grass, stone pathways, and a large building, looking like a temple in the middle.

These three monuments were all that remained of the ancient Solaceon Town.

Few people knew exactly how many of these mounds existed at a single time in history, but it is known that the city itself was within the buried part of the mound. The windows marked hallways, rooms, and chambers within the ancient maze of rock and stone.

Atop, the temple and its grounds were no doubt temples used to worship the Legendary Pokémon that the ancient peoples of Sinnoh viewed as gods.

"Amazing isn't it?" asked Niya, her mouth curved into a smile.

She had been here before, back when she was travelling the Sinnoh Region for her Pokémon Contests. Back then though she was unable to visit the place up close, because of an archaeological dig that was happening.

Now this place had grown empty, for the time being anyway, and in a few weeks, at the height of summer, would be full of tourists from all across the regions, flocking to see what the Solaceon Ruins had to offer.

Eventually scientists and academics would return as well and rope off the ruins for an undisclosed period of time, until they'd found what they'd come looking for at least.

"Shall we go in?" asked Jeremy, curious to find out what the inside looked like.

"Pikaaaa," replied Pikachu, not so much answering as he was staring at these monuments in amazement. They were bigger than any of them could've expected or even imagined.

"Beautiful," said Alyssandra in amazement, looking up at these stone ruins in awe.

"Let's get going, before people start crowding the place," said Jeremy, walking towards one of the massive stone stairways that led up to one of the entrances, located in the side of the slanted wall of stone.

"The boy is very astute, Sam," stated Aurelio as he appeared behind in front of Sam and behind Niya as the group walked up the entrance to the ruins. Aurelio, as usual, had appeared from nowhere and without warning.

Sam had grown accustomed to it however, and no longer jumped when his grandfather made his presence known. Sam couldn't respond though, as his friends were around him. Of course, that didn't stop Aurelio from talking even more.

"The Solaceon Ruins," said Aurelio reminiscently, "I remember when Rowan and I first travelled here. The man nearly wet himself he was so terrified. Never did like ghosts or ghost stories that one...of course it didn't help that I kept jumping from random corners wearing one of my oni masks."