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Chapter 152 - Chapter 152. Research Across Eras

Chapter 152. Research Across Eras

Eve carefully translated the meaning of the inscription.

Natsume set his gaze on the long table to the side.

On the table lay many valuable items excavated by the expedition team.

Stone tablets, Pokémon sculptures, and a handful of odd little trinkets covered the long table.

"Natsume, these Pokémon statues all seem to have strange patterns drawn on them," Honora said.

She picked up a Diglett statue and showed it to Natsume.

The dirt on the statue's surface had been cleaned spotless, revealing the pitch-black lines within.

According to the expedition team, there was a small ruin on the cliffs along both sides of the stream.

"These all came out of one ruin, so it's normal they share similarities," Natsume said, picking up another statue—this one a Psyduck.

"Why are they all black?" Honora asked.

"Maybe the pigment used for coloring oxidized over time and turned black?" Natsume tilted his head.

As he spoke, Natsume raised the statue.

"The black lines don't have any luster, so they probably aren't copper, lead, or sulfide compounds.

Maybe the material used back then was iron-based?"

"But we also have to consider environmental factors."

With that, Natsume frowned.

Did people of that era already use iron?

That seems to contradict the Pokémon League's historical research, which says it should have been the Bronze Age.

After a moment, Natsume came around.

"There's another possibility.

These lines originally had various colors, but after being buried underground for too long, complex reactions blackened them."

Thinking of it that way made much more sense.

If those lines were multicolored…

Natsume turned his eyes to the two statues.

With his powerful psychic sense, he immediately pictured a Psyduck and a Diglett in his mind.

Following the flow of the lines on the statues, the two Pokémon each donned patterns—blue and earth-yellow.

Construction complete.

They looked extremely similar to the Primal Reversion forms of Groudon and Kyogre.

"It should just be a kind of secondary processing people of that period did to their statues."

Natsume set the statue back on the table.

"Natsume, you do know a bit about this field," Eve said, stretching and turning to look at Natsume and Honora.

"I had some interest before and read a few articles," Natsume answered casually.

"I see," Eve nodded.

"But there's one thing I need to correct," Eve said, picking up a tiny statue from the desk by the computer.

It was a miniature Pikachu statue, etched all over with dense black lines.

"We've tested it.

The coating used to draw these lines is black to begin with, and its chemical properties are extremely stable, so it won't change color in any environment."

"Even with modern technology, it's hard to find such a coating.

I have no idea how people of that time managed it."

Eve stretched again, then turned the computer screen toward the two of them.

"Huh?

You already finished decoding the black sphere and the spoon?" Honora leaned in, curious.

"Uh—" Eve's expression grew a bit odd.

"Unlike the bronze bell, the inscriptions on these two implements keep repeating the same sentence," Eve said with a wave.

"Then what did I copy all night for?" Natsume leaned in as well.

While tracing, he had also noticed many repeated character orders.

But considering there might be some trick to it, and in the spirit of rigor, Natsume copied everything down.

"It proves you have patience!" Honora cheered him on.

"This passage is a little strange…"

Eve stood from her chair and showed them the translated text on the screen.

"To destroy the world, there are two forces."

"Black darkness stains the sky."

"Golden eyes tangle the aura."

"The dispute that split the world left people helpless."

"The sky opened a gate to another world, and golden light burst forth."

"The power that quelled all this turned into a sphere and vanished at the horizon."

"I don't get it.

What a strange description," Honora frowned.

"All the following text is a repetition of this passage," Eve said after a pause, then spoke with care.

"Mm, it must be very important information to be repeated like this."

"Hold on.

I think I saw something similar in the bronze bell," Natsume said.

He sat down and used the mouse to pull up the countless words—those ramblings of the ancestors—on the bronze bell.

The mouse wheel spun, and lines of characters streamed down like tadpoles.

At last, the cursor stopped in front of one passage.

Seventy-eighth passage:

Darkness like ink, soaking the firmament;

Golden pupils turning, rending the long sky.

Strife split the world, and the masses prostrated;

Heaven's gate gaped wide, divine light poured down;

The power of the end sank into eternal night.

"Ms. Eve, doesn't this feel like it's saying the same thing?" Natsume pointed at the screen.

"Though the expression is different, the meaning is—wait!"

Eve caught on.

"Natsume, you mean the bronze bell and the black sphere and spoon are not products of the same era!"

At the side, Honora also put it together and said with sudden realization:

"I get it.

After the ancient period, someone came into contact with the black sphere and the spoon, decoded the words on them, and left the bronze bell as a record!"

"Judging by the style on the bronze bell, that person might have lived in the final years of a wartime era…" Eve said, then faltered, losing confidence.

"In that period, both literature and language already leaned modern.

Why would they still carve with ancient characters?"

Eve was baffled.

"No idea.

Maybe they didn't want later generations to have it too easy," Natsume said, rubbing his nose.

If he were that person, he just might do the same.

An ancient Jigglypuff was sealed in this bronze bell.

Maybe that person obtained it somewhere, or maybe they learned the origin of ancient Pokémon and created it.

If it's the latter…

Isn't this basically the opening report of a thesis?

A little nonsensical, a little sloppy in format, a little abstract in behavior…

But to have such a remarkably forward-thinking mindset thousands of years ago—and even build in anti-theft encryption—was impressive.

Natsume couldn't help but admire it.

"All right…" Eve tilted her head, conflicted.

It seemed that, before their own time, predecessors had studied the other implements that sealed an ancient Gengar and an ancient Alakazam.

But why hadn't that person left any effective information?

Unconvinced, Eve read the bronze bell again and again.

Aside from learning from the bell which Pokémon were sealed in the three implements, it explained nothing else.

"Ms. Eve, have you tallied exactly how many times that passage appears on the black sphere and the spoon?"

"How many times they add up to, how many they differ by—there might be a hidden key," Natsume suggested.

"Really?"

Eve blinked, thinking Natsume had a point.

At the desk, the girl widened her eyes and began counting.

"Uh… Natsume, didn't you trace them?" Honora sidled closer.

Natsume should know how many times it appears.

"I forgot."

Natsume waved a hand.

After he realized the latter half was all the same text late last night, he had peace of mind leaving the remaining work to Gengar.

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