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After Sato captured the Krokorok, the large expedition team once again resumed their journey. This time, everything went smoothly along the way—they didn't encounter any major trouble.
Finally, around 10 a.m., the ruin exploration team arrived at the stretch of desert that concealed the Mew Ruins.
Judging from the barren surroundings, it was clear that the entire ruin was buried beneath layers of yellow sand. If Tomoki hadn't confidently declared this as the burial site of the Mew Ruins, it would have been hard for Sato and the others to believe it.
However, as the expedition team ventured deeper into this sandy desert, Sato gradually became convinced that there truly were ancient ruins hidden beneath the dunes.
He saw several half-buried remnants of ancient puppet soldiers poking out of the sand—specifically, shattered parts of Baltoy, Claydol, and Golett.
Judging by the degree of weathering on these ancient puppet remains, it was clear they had been destroyed not long ago. If Sato guessed correctly, the ones responsible were none other than Tomoki's group, who had narrowly escaped from the Mew Ruins earlier.
Clearly, the ancient puppet soldiers within these ruins were extremely tenacious, pursuing intruders relentlessly—even after they'd fled.
"The entrance to the ruins is right beneath me," Tomoki declared as he walked a circle across the sandy terrain and finally stopped at one spot. "But it's once again been buried by sand. We need to clear the sand above the entrance and allow air to circulate with the inside of the ruins. Otherwise, the oxygen levels inside won't be enough to support exploration."
Everyone had worked hard to get here, hoping to gain something from the ruins—so of course, they weren't going to turn back just because of a little sand.
Once Tomoki pinpointed the entrance location, the group released several strong Pokemon and began directing them to dig up the sand covering the entrance.
With the combined efforts of their Pokemon, it wasn't long before they uncovered severely weathered mud bricks. As they expanded the excavation, a thick brick wall emerged at the site.
"Good. Timos, it's your turn."
Tomoki's eyes lit up at the sight of the ancient wall. He gestured for the excavation crew to halt and turned to a masked Team Rocket operative beside him.
"Yes, sir."
"Come out—Victreebel, Arbok, Vileplume. Use Acid on that brick wall."
The man, called Timos, bowed respectfully before releasing three Poison-type Pokemon—all above level 45—and ordered them to corrode the ancient wall.
As soon as Timos gave the command, the three Poison-types spewed pungent black liquid from their mouths. As soon as the acid hit the brick wall, thick white smoke began to rise.
Soon enough, under the effects of the Acid attacks from Victreebel, Arbok, and Vileplume, a large hole was corroded into the wall. From it oozed a sinister black mist along with the stench of rot—gases that had been sealed in the ruins for who knew how long.
"Everyone step back! The gas coming out of the hole is toxic. It's not highly poisonous, but better not to breathe it in," Tomoki shouted as he quickly backed away from the dig site.
The rest of the team immediately ran toward the upwind direction, afraid of inhaling the ancient, stagnant air released from the ruins.
"What do you mean 'the entrance is here'? He's obviously tunneling in like a thief. Still, Tomoki is clearly skilled at this. Looks like this isn't his first time entering ruins this way…"
Watching from a distance, safely upwind, Sato couldn't help but mutter silently to himself while staring at the dark opening.
The venting of toxic gas continued for over two hours. Eventually, the stench began to fade—but the eerie black mist continued to seep from the hole. Clearly, it wasn't something ordinary, and even the harsh sunlight couldn't quickly purify it.
During this period, the exploration team rested and conserved their strength. Once one of Tomoki's subordinates confirmed that the toxic gases had mostly dissipated, the team prepared to officially begin their ruin expedition.
Looking down from the entrance, even sunlight could only form a bowl-sized glow on the floor—showing how deep the shaft truly was.
Thus, everyone had to rely on small Flying-type Pokémon to descend through the tunnel into the ruins.
Before entering, Sato released Natu and Alakazam—both Telekinesis-type Pokémon capable of teleportation—and instructed them to plant a psychic anchor at the entrance.
This anchor would serve as a vital safety measure for Sato. If he encountered an overwhelming enemy or found himself trapped deep in the ruins, the psychic marker would function as a precise spatial coordinate, allowing Natu or Alakazam to teleport him back to safety.
Of course, each psychic marker only covered a range of a few dozen meters. If Sato wanted to ensure safe teleportation back to the entrance, he would need to place new markers every few dozen meters—creating a linked chain of teleport points.
Once the psychic anchors were established, Sato had the powerful Alakazam use Telekinesis to levitate both himself and Thomas down through the opening into the ruins.
By the time they descended, more than a dozen members of the expedition team were already inside. They had scouted the surrounding area and confirmed it was safe, according to returning scouts.
The passage below the shaft appeared to be a wide corridor within the ruins. It was spacious enough for seven or eight people to walk side by side without issue.
Both sides of the hallway were flanked by thick stone walls. With the help of flashlights, everyone could clearly see countless ancient carvings on the stone—though many had been worn away by time.
This area was the first floor of the Mew Ruins, which Tomoki was clearly familiar with, having explored it before.
Moreover, the ancient puppet soldiers patrolling this level had evidently been cleared out. The expedition team encountered no dangers on their way in.
Before long, Tomoki confidently led them through the maze-like corridors into a mysterious grand hall.
The scene inside was one of chaos. Broken pieces of ancient puppet soldiers littered the floor, and the ground was riddled with craters—evidence of a fierce battle.
"Stay alert. The real trouble is about to begin," Tomoki warned grimly, glancing around the intact walls of the chamber.
Just as he finished—
BANG!!!
A loud crash echoed behind them. The stone door they had just passed through slammed shut—on its own—and at an alarming speed.
At that moment, strange creatures began to emerge from the surrounding walls. They looked like letters, but each had a single eye in its center. These mysterious beings descended from the walls and quickly assembled in midair, lining up in a deliberate sequence...