"Alright, let's let them off and get out of here."
"Huh? Just like that?" Agumon asked.
"Yeah. We intruded on their turf, and we've already achieved our goal. No need to waste more time here."
Since Aoyagi said so, Agumon had no objections.
With that, Aoyagi headed toward the crack in the boulder.
As he walked, he glanced back at the Unown overhead.
They were still bawling, showing no signs of stopping.
It was clear this wasn't an act—they were genuinely upset.
Aoyagi watched for a moment, then sighed helplessly. He pulled out the berries Agumon had left him earlier and placed them at their feet.
Then, with Agumon in tow, he left the ruins.
…
"Phew~"
Feeling the fresh air outside and the cool breeze on his skin, Aoyagi took a deep breath.
"This place looks amazing," Agumon said, standing at the edge of the ruins, gazing around in awe.
In the distance stretched a lush, endless green forest. Closer by was a square clearing rising from the ground.
The massive ancient ruins sat at the center, dividing the clearing into four equal sections. The whole scene resembled an ancient fortress surrounded by its garden territories, grand and imposing.
But what shocked Agumon most were the two towering statues at the ruins' entrance.
The one on the left depicted a four-legged creature with a long neck and tail, its back lined with scale-like spikes and a massive chest plate embedded with a diamond.
The one on the right stood upright on two legs, with a long tail, round shoulder plates on both sides, and a massive crest extending from its head to its winged back.
"Aoyagi, are these statues based on Pokémon too? They feel so… intimidating," Agumon said.
Aoyagi nodded. "Yes, they're ancient Pokémon—more precisely, Legendary Pokémon. Their existence predates even this continent. Many humans once followed in their footsteps."
Hearing "Legendary," Agumon's eyes widened, clearly grasping the weight of the term.
"But if they're that powerful, why put their statues here?"
"To guard the ruins, of course."
"Guard? They're guards?" Agumon was stunned.
Aoyagi glanced at the statues and explained, "Don't underestimate these ruins. They're at least two thousand years old and still standing without a hint of collapse. That alone shows how significant they were in ancient times. It's only natural to have powerful Legendary Pokémon as guardians."
"Okay… but it's a shame such a well-built place is empty now, with only those grumpy black Pokémon left," Agumon remarked.
Aoyagi shook his head, saying nothing.
A two-thousand-year-old ruin, standing resolute, might seem desolate now, but Aoyagi knew it likely wasn't a place for human habitation. It was probably a site for worship and storage.
Worshipping what?
Aoyagi's gaze settled on the towering statues.
In ancient Sinnoh—Hisui, as it was once called—people revered Arceus, the Creation God, who birthed Dialga, the ruler of time, and Palkia, the ruler of space.
Ancient Sinnoh people prayed and offered blessings here, hoping for Arceus's protection.
As for what was stored here…
Aoyagi cast a deep glance back at the ruins.
Over the past week of exploration, he'd confirmed the presence of hidden chambers, secret compartments, and their contents' locations. But he hadn't touched them.
They were items of immense value, capable of reshaping an entire region—or even the world.
First, fragments of Arceus's lost Plates.
Second, the Spear Key, a tool to summon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, created by Arceus.
This was why he'd decided to leave once his goal was met, taking Agumon with him.
With such treasures, the ruins couldn't possibly be guarded by just thirty-two Unown under level 10.
After thousands of years, even the weakest guardian Unown should have grown stronger through time.
Deep within the ruins, on walls covered with ancient murals and scripts, far stronger Unown—survivors of millennia—must lurk.
They were the true guardians.
Minor skirmishes might not stir them, but awakening them could spell trouble.
He and Agumon weren't strong enough to tangle with them yet, nor was there a need to.
When he was stronger, or when the plot kicked off, he'd return for those items. The Plates' transformative power was too tempting.
But… what was the current timeline?
Aoyagi fell into brief thought.
After a week of living like a wildman, he had no way to pinpoint the exact time.
The only clue was that Team Galactic hadn't yet come for the ruins' treasures, meaning the Sinnoh arc hadn't started.
"I need to hit a nearby town to figure things out. But first… food."
Days of eating only berries weren't starving him, but his stomach craved something else.
Having completed the ruins' exploration and summoned "Pokémon" Agumon, whose combat prowess gave him confidence, he could now hunt for meat.
"Agumon, let's find some food, then check for nearby towns to get the lay of the land."
"Sweet!" Agumon perked up at the mention of food, following Aoyagi down a stone staircase in the corner of the clearing, heading into the dense forest.