The ancient people who built these ruins certainly had great ideas.
They actually hollowed out Groudon's Sword of the Cliff to create a tower-like structure, saving materials and not having to worry about stability.
Truly a craftsman.
Seeing the tower constructed from the Sword of the Cliff, Natsuhiko could almost completely confirm the ownership of this alternate space and ruins; it must be Groudon without a doubt.
However, Natsuhiko was still a bit curious; how did Hoshino Ryosaki, or rather his grandfather Hoshino Ryuzi, know this alternate space belonged to Groudon?
Was it guessed?
Or was there some basis?
Or perhaps the leaders of the League actually knew that the owner of this alternate space was Groudon?
Shaking his head.
"If you can't figure it out, don't bother thinking about it. Regardless of whether the League knows or not, the ruins still retain their original appearance, proving they haven't been explored by the League. If there is anything valuable inside, it should still be there."
He walked with his Pokémon towards the entrance beneath the Sword of the Cliff.
Perhaps due to long neglect and sand constantly falling from above, a thick layer of sand had already covered half of the entrance.
Natsuhiko had to recall Tyrantrum.
He walked into the Sword of the Cliff.
You might not believe it, but there was a day he would walk into the Sword of the Cliff.
Because the scale of this Sword of the Cliff was so large, the space inside was also large once it was hollowed out.
No need to worry about visibility.
The red patterns flickering between the cracks on the wall emitted a faint light, enough to illuminate the entire space.
The first floor was empty and had nothing, just sand flowing in from outside covering the entire ground.
Beside it was a spiral staircase clinging to the wall.
The staircase wasn't added later; it was carved out from the Sword of the Cliff by ancient people, and the rock forming the stairs was identical to the wall rock, with the same distribution of dark red patterns.
Stepping on it felt very sturdy, and a faint warmth spread from the soles of his feet to his entire body.
With curiosity and caution, Natsuhiko slowly ascended the stairs.
Perhaps due to the "grand" arrangement, each floor had high ceilings; the first floor, including sand coverage, possibly exceeded ten meters.
Tap, tap, tap...
The clear sound echoed through the space as the thick heels of his high-top shoes collided with the hard steps of the stairs.
Arriving at the second floor.
Due to the design where the base is larger than the top, the second floor was a lot smaller than the first floor, but still very large.
Natsuhiko finally saw the Pokémon living within the tower.
Several Geodude and Graveler, along with a handful of Golem, lived here and showed no hostility toward Natsuhiko and his Pokémon, merely watching his every move.
Natsuhiko had no intention to disturb them. Seeing there was nothing valuable on the second floor, he stepped onto the stairs leading to the third floor.
It's when he saw these Graveler and Golem that Natsuhiko finally realized.
The ancient people's choice of hollowing out the inside of the Sword of the Cliff was indeed ingenious, but it obviously wasn't them who hollowed it out; it must have been done by a Rock-type Pokémon.
One of the foods for Rock-type Pokémon is rock rich in minerals.
Are there rocks more mineral-rich than the Sword of the Cliff here?
The Sword of the Cliff contains minerals from magma, minerals from the deep earth's crust, and minerals from the depths of the earth. Most importantly, it also contains Groudon's energy.
A small Sword of the Cliff might not be noticeable, but such a large Sword of the Cliff; if hollowed out by a Rock-type Pokémon, the benefits it would gain should be enormous, right?
In thought.
He reached the third floor.
Whoosh—
The sound of something slicing through the air approached.
"Yongji!"
Yujira reacted instantly, waving the spoon in its grip, its psychic powers deflecting the unexpected attack.
And Natsuhiko used this opportunity to catch sight of the Pokémon living on the third floor.
Its overall appearance resembled a horse, standing over 2.5 meters tall, with brown fur and a large amount of black hair styled into "dreadlocks." In the middle of its mane was an orange pattern, and its legs had mud-made protectors resembling thick boots.
Earth-type Pokémon, Mudsdale!
It should be registered in the Alola Region as a Pokémon; an excellent mount.
Though Mudsdale's running speed isn't very fast, its strength and stamina are remarkable.
It's said to be able to pull over 10 tons of goods and run nonstop for three days and nights, proving to be an outstanding hauling Pokémon, boosting the entire development level of the Alola Region and stabilizing goods circulation.
However, if Mudsdale seriously starts running, its kicks against the ground are powerful enough to leave big holes in asphalt and stone pavements, so it's unsuitable for towns and roads constructed by the League. Otherwise, the goods might never be delivered before Officer Jenny arrests you for "vandalizing public property."
But it's precisely because of this that it's better suited to regions like Alola, where development is relatively less advanced.
Its feet are equipped with mud-made protectors that amplify the power of each kick during attacks.
Thus, its kicking power is terrifying during attacks, being one of its weapons; a car in front of it could be handled with just one kick.
At some point, cars became a standard to gauge a Pokémon's strength, such as Hippowdon that crushes a car with a bite, now Mudsdale that demolishes a car with a kick.
If you can't knock a car flying in one hit, you're embarrassed to claim you're a strong Pokémon.
But this does reflect Mudsdale's power from another perspective.
Living on the third floor were several Mudsdale, not just one. The attack launched at Natsuhiko was merely from one close to the stairway.
Looking up.
The entire third floor housed about ten Mudsdale and seven or eight Mudbray.
Mudbray evolves into Mudsdale.
After its attack was deflected by Yujira, the Mudsdale showed no surprise or anger, instead calmly watching as Natsuhiko and his Pokémon slowly ascended the stairs to the third floor.
Mudsdale shares one characteristic—stoicism—a reason it's widely loved and often used as mounts.
Natsuhiko surveyed the third floor.
His gaze lingered on two seemingly close Mudsdale not far away.
These two Mudsdale were even more robust and emitted a heavier aura, probably the leaders among these Mudsdale, the heads.
Natsuhiko turned his head towards Togetic and whispered, "Am I missing a few haulers in my plan?"
"Togepi," Togetic nodded energetically, eyes sparkling like stars as it looked at Mudsdale.
Natsuhiko lightly rubbed his chin.
Truly, no man can resist riding a white horse; after all, even if he's not a prince, he's like Tang Monk.
Although Mudsdale isn't a white horse, the color doesn't matter.
The point is, Natsuhiko thought, Mudsdale looked somehow cooler than Tyrantrum.
Especially with that dreadlock style.
No wonder he thought this way; Tyrantrum stood 2.5 meters tall, and Mudsdale was also 2.5 meters tall. Compared to a human frame, Tyrantrum seemed a bit smaller.