Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
Something was very strange. After the defeat of the massive Giant Golurk, its remains faded away like a mirage, leaving not a single trace behind.
As for the ancient puppet Pokemon that had been revived twice, they returned to the exact formation they were in when Sato and the others had first entered the grand hall. Even the battlefield debris and damage seemed to reset, unchanged.
If not for the persistent pain in their bodies still jolting their nerves, everyone might have thought the entire ordeal had just been a dream.
Of course, it wasn't a dream—dreams don't kill people.
During the final stage, the Giant Golurk's ability to resurrect the ancient puppet Pokemon had caught the Team Rocket recruits completely off guard. Of the eight recruits who collapsed during the fight, three permanently closed their eyes then and there.
The remaining five were gravely injured. If not for their life-saving measures—and a bit of sheer luck—they might not have survived either.
Many others also sustained injuries of varying severity, and their Pokémon were in even worse shape.
In this brutal battle, several Team Rocket recruits lost two Pokémon each while fighting off the hordes of high-level ancient puppets. The rest were left with wounded partners, and their overall combat strength dropped by 20 to 30 percent.
Still, none of the Team Rocket recruits complained. After all, they had willingly come on this expedition, fully aware it could cost them their lives.
In fact, this was how they'd survived up until now on this mysterious island—danger was a daily affair.
But if they were going to face such extreme danger without any worthwhile reward, then these battle-hardened operatives wouldn't stay so agreeable.
To the crowd, the Giant Golurk had clearly been a major boss. Yet now that it was defeated, no gear dropped, not even a pile of remains. It simply vanished like an illusion, and that left many of the recruits frustrated and dissatisfied.
For a moment, many of the newcomers who had never been inside these ruins before turned questioning eyes toward Tomoki.
But in the face of those suspicious stares, Tomoki looked completely relaxed and rather expectant. He was gazing up at the ceiling of the grand hall, as though waiting for something valuable to appear.
Even his subordinates wore the same eager expressions, suggesting there truly was something up there worth the attention.
Seeing this, the others couldn't help but feel curious as well. One by one, they looked up to see what exactly had captured Tomoki's interest.
Sato also shifted his gaze upward. When he saw what lay above the hall, his expression turned contemplative.
He'd been suspicious of this ancient hall from the beginning. Buried under layers of desert sand for who knew how long, it was simply too well-preserved. Even after such an intense battle, not even a crack had formed.
In the end, he attributed the hall's resilience to the mysterious Unown that slumbered within. At some point, these enigmatic Pokémon had reawakened and were now converging high above in the chamber.
Upon seeing them again, many of the first-time entrants felt a chill run down their spines. Cold sweat broke out across their bodies, and the urge to flee gripped their hearts.
But when they looked back and saw that the grand gate behind them remained tightly shut—and remembered what Tomoki had said earlier—they forced themselves to suppress the instinct to run.
Still, everyone stood tense as though facing a deadly enemy, afraid the Unown might summon another terrifying creature.
"Hahaha~~ Relax. We've passed the first trial. The Unown won't be summoning any more enemies. What comes next… is the reward."
Seeing the nervous expressions of the newcomers, Tomoki gave a sly grin and laughed heartily.
Sure enough, as he said, the Unown did not summon any new monsters this time.
Instead, under the stunned gazes of Sato and the others, ornate silver treasure chests appeared out of thin air and floated toward the Team Rocket recruits who had just completed the ruins trial for the first time.
As one such chest stopped before Vanna and her partner, Kommo-o, they couldn't contain their excitement. They opened the box immediately—and were greeted by a brilliant flash of dazzling light.
Inside was a collection of vibrant, precious gems, glimmering beautifully. Vanna and Kommo-o's eyes instantly lit up with joy.
The other Team Rocket recruits, seeing this, eagerly opened their own treasure chests. As they beheld the wealth inside, all previous discontent from the hard-fought battle vanished. The entire group erupted in cheer.
"I forgot to tell you all—this place isn't just any ruins. According to our research, this was once a trial ground built by Mew for ancient humans."
"The enemies we fought earlier were merely phantom illusions of Pokémon, summoned across time by the mysterious power of the Unown. Defeat them, and they vanish."
"Only by defeating these illusions can one earn the right to proceed to the next level of the trial grounds."
"Of course, since this is a trial site, rewards are guaranteed. But each person only gets one shot at treasure. These silver chests are your rewards for passing the first layer of the trial."
Now that the threat had been defeated, Tomoki stopped hiding what he knew and began explaining the true nature of the ruins to everyone.
"So what you told me earlier—about encountering the three Legendary Titans in the ruins—was just you guys facing phantom illusions on the third floor? Not real Pokémon?"
Sato didn't open the treasure chest in front of him like the others. Instead, he stored it inside his storage backpack and turned to Tomoki with a questioning look.
"That's where you're wrong," Tomoki replied with a bit of exasperation. "Our encounter with the Regi trio on the third floor was real. There are countless ancient puppet Pokemon stationed in this place."
"What do you think our identity is here? We're intruders—outsiders breaking into a trial site. If we want to participate and earn the rewards, the only way is to fight our way through."
"You newcomers only made it to the first level so easily because of the scouting and groundwork we did beforehand. Without our knowledge and experience, it wouldn't have gone half as smoothly."
"Honestly, the reason I invited you all here is very simple: I want your help completing the third-floor trial."
Hearing this, Tomoki gave Sato an unamused look and explained bluntly.