They spoke of how powerful Rayquaza was, of how it had once helped them drive away countless other Pokémon.
Nathan, however, was caught in his own thoughts. Dead?
Could energy-bodied humans actually die too?
"Yaya, don't tell me you're the only human in this world who exists as an energy body?" Nathan suddenly asked.
"I don't know," Yaya shook her head softly. "I've lost a lot of my memories. In my memories, there's a blank space… and before that blank, I was just an ordinary human."
Her words left Nathan stunned for a moment.
Originally, he had always thought that since he had the system, since he carried memories others did not possess, he would be omniscient in this world, a man who knew everything.
But now, reality slapped him in the face—what he knew was still far too little.
This world was vast beyond comprehension. There were countless things humans had never explored, countless secrets they had yet to unearth. And when it came to Pokémon, there were just as many mysteries that humanity remained completely ignorant of.
Yaya continued to lead Nathan through the ruins.
Before long, the two arrived at an open clearing.
"Even though I've never captured a Pokémon myself, and I've never seen Rayquaza with my own eyes," Yaya said as she looked over the ground, "I do know that many people covet Rayquaza's scales."
As she spoke, Nathan noticed something unusual—the ground here was covered with pits and hollows.
Each pit was roughly twenty centimeters deep, with a width of just one or two centimeters.
"So… you brought me here to tell me that Rayquaza's scales are buried in this place?" Nathan asked curiously.
Truth be told, his heart was already burning with desire.
After all, he'd seen Rayquaza's scales in the system store before. The price for just one piece was astronomical—well over ten billion. That kind of figure wasn't even something he dared to dream of.
"That's right," Yaya nodded. "There really are Rayquaza scales here. Quite a lot of them, actually. But unfortunately, my strength is too small… I couldn't get them out no matter how hard I tried."
As she said this, Yaya walked over to one of the pits.
Her little hand reached into the narrow hole, as if trying to retrieve something from inside.
But after struggling with all her strength for a long while, she couldn't so much as budge whatever was inside.
Nathan crouched down beside the pit and leaned over to take a closer look.
At the very bottom of the hole, something faintly glowing with a pale blue radiance shimmered.
He could only see its side and couldn't make out its true form, but based on Yaya's words, he was certain—this had to be a scale from Rayquaza.
"Let me try," Nathan said, his eyes flashing with golden light.
This was a treasure beyond compare! And there were so many pits scattered here.
If every single pit held a Rayquaza scale, wouldn't that mean he'd just struck gold?
Even if he didn't sell them for money, just possessing such a quantity of Rayquaza's scales would be an unimaginable windfall.
He eagerly reached his hand into the pit to grab one. But—his hand wouldn't go in. The opening was far too narrow.
"Yaya, can I break the ground apart to take the scales out?"
The treasure was right in front of his eyes, yet untouchable. The frustration made his heart itch.
But as long as he could destroy the ground, everything inside would be his.
"Go ahead," Yaya said carelessly. "Even if you flatten this entire place, it doesn't matter."
This area had once been used as Rayquaza's dwelling. But now that Rayquaza no longer came here, the place had already lost its purpose. Why feel any attachment to it?
"Then don't blame me for being rude."
Nathan grinned and released Mewtwo.
Although Volcarona was also a Legendary-class Pokémon, when it came to sheer destructive power, Mewtwo was far more efficient. Fire couldn't move the ground, but Mewtwo's psychic force certainly could.
Nathan pointed to the pit. "Mewtwo, break it open for me."
Since what lay inside were Rayquaza's scales, he wasn't worried in the slightest about them being damaged. Legendary Pokémon scales—no matter how small—were not things that could be casually broken.
Mewtwo swished its tail and struck the ground with tremendous force.
A deafening boom shook the ruins. But when the dust settled, Mewtwo was clutching its tail in pain, eyes wide with shock.
That strike had been reinforced with Iron Tail—yet the ground hadn't suffered the slightest damage. Instead, the recoil had left its tail throbbing.
Nathan gaped at the unbroken surface. What the…?
The sound was loud enough, yet the ground wasn't affected at all. Wasn't this just ordinary stone?
"Mewtwo, what's wrong with you? Did you not eat enough for breakfast?" Nathan teased.
Mewtwo froze, then its face darkened.
All its life, it had taken pride in its power. Now its trainer was mocking it for being weak? That was intolerable!
With a sharp breath, Mewtwo floated silently into the air. It gathered every ounce of its strength, then plummeted downwards with a colossal fist aimed at the ground beside the pit.
"Whoa, hey! I was only joking—you don't need to go all out!"
Nathan quickly backed up a few steps.
He couldn't help but worry. What if Mewtwo still failed to break the ground and ended up driving the scales even deeper underground?
With a thunderous crash, the earth shook. A faint cracking sound followed.
Nathan looked on anxiously—only to be struck dumb.
Mewtwo… had broken its own bones.
The sight left him speechless. This whole situation was just… painfully awkward.
"Don't say anything. Heal me, then send me back."
Before Nathan could even speak, Mewtwo's voice echoed in his mind.
Obediently, Nathan healed Mewtwo's injuries and returned it to its Poké Ball.
Staring once more at the pits, he sank into deep thought.
What the hell is this ground? Why is it so unbelievably hard?
"Yaya, you already knew this would happen, didn't you?"
Nathan turned to the little girl, who was munching on snacks at the side.
She shook her head.
She hadn't expected it either. At first, she really thought it was just because she was too weak.
But now… it was obvious. It wasn't that she was weak. This place itself was abnormal beyond belief.
Should I try another Pokémon? Nathan wondered.
But if even Mewtwo couldn't do anything, what could the others possibly achieve?
Then a thought struck him—Xerneas!
If anyone could handle this, surely Xerneas could.
He released the majestic Life Pokémon and pointed to the pit. "Can you help me break open the ground here?"
The moment Xerneas heard the request, its expression shifted. Surprise, confusion, and uncertainty flickered across its face as it gazed at the earth.
"I can't," Xerneas said at last, shaking its head. "This place contains the power of the cosmos. Not even I can affect it. Unless a Pokémon wields the power of the universe itself, no one can break through."
"The power of the cosmos…?"
It was the first time Nathan had ever heard such a term. But he quickly understood.
The power of the cosmos—wasn't that one of Rayquaza's exclusive abilities?
And Rayquaza was the only Pokémon capable of wielding it.
In other words, this was the lingering might of Rayquaza itself.
How could his Pokémon, who had never even left the atmosphere, possibly touch such a power?
A dark suspicion crept into Nathan's mind.
Was Yaya deliberately messing with him?
Why bring him here, why tell him about Rayquaza's scales?
If he hadn't known, he wouldn't have longed for them. Without that longing, he wouldn't now feel this crushing disappointment.
He brooded in silence, lost in thought.
Should he conceal this place from everyone else? Or… no, he definitely had to.
If others discovered that Rayquaza's scales lay here, countless people would surely come flocking.
And now that Rayquaza had pledged to protect humanity, what if another Pokémon someday gained mastery over the power of the cosmos?
If someone truly managed to take away these scales… he would have nowhere to cry.
After all, he was the first human to ever step foot here!
Wait a minute—his own Pokémon might not be able to do anything, but he still had the system.
That's right! He still had the system store!
Maybe, just maybe, the system contained exactly what he needed.
At once, Nathan began frantically searching through the system shop.
But to Yaya and Xerneas, he just looked like he'd frozen on the spot—standing there blankly, staring at nothing, like an idiot.
"Oh no," Yaya whispered nervously. "Big brother didn't go stupid because he couldn't get Rayquaza's scales… right?"
(End of Chapter)