After waiting for their conversation to end, Ethan found himself, Cynthia, and Caroline moving to the ruins here in Celestic Town. Now that he was actually walking down the slight decline that led toward the opening to the ancient site, Ethan got a much clearer picture on how old these ruins really were. For some reason, he’d been filling in the blanks with his game knowledge. It turned out that the game didn’t do the history of pokemon any justice.
Unlike the games, where the entrance to the ruins was a simple black entryway, the whole ramp leading towards the large ornately carved opening was detailed with ancient etchings and pictures of time past. People and pokemon were shown doing various activities in open plains and small hovels.
The moment they entered inside, the already mild temperature dropped to freezing. As these ruins had long since been explored and even built around, the inside had been faceted with overhead lights, handrails, and smoother stairs. Ethan looked over the marvelous wall paintings showing locations around Sinnoh. Massive lakes, swamps, mountains, plains, forests, snowy tundra, and what Ethan guessed was Spear Pillar—the top of Mt. Coronet.
When they entered the main chamber of the ruins, Ethan instantly noticed the detailed ancient pillars stationed around the room, holding up the roof. The east wall showed a picturesque lake nestled between mounds of rock and mountains. Lake Valor, home of Azelf. Rimming the sprawling wall painting, was Unown script acting as a border.
The northern section of the ruins showcased snowy trees and yet another lake pooling through the wilderness. The lake was frozen over and the face of a familiar lake guardian was drawn into the ice. This was Lake Acuity, the home of Uxie. This painting, like just the other and the next, also had Unown script lining the artwork.
The west side, following the other sections, showed the third and final lake of the three guardians. Lake Verity, home of Mesprit. Of course, the artwork was beautiful and showcased the scene from one of the many trees breaking through into the clearing the lake sat in. Tall evergreen and pine trees littered the background and pokemon swam about.
Thankfully, all of the lights highlighted the ancient markings, giving the area the feel of a tourist attraction. It made things easier to see and didn’t give him cave trauma.
“What do you think?” Caroline asked, making him realize none of them had spoken a word since they entered.
“It’s a lot more robust in person.” Ethan replied honestly. The game made this ruin just a little hole in the wall.
“And what do you make of the ancient art?” Caroline nodded off to the walls.
“Well, I assume you’re asking what I know about it all?” Ethan asked, earning a nod in return. “I’m sure you already know that these are the three great lakes of Sinnoh. Verity, Valor, and Acuity. They are the homes of the legendary lake guardian pokemon. Do you know about them?”
Cynthia answered his question, jumping into the conversation. “We have records from Hisui about their existence. We believe that they represent spirit while the space-time duo, Dialga and Palkia, represent substance. For what, we do not know.”
“Do you know their names at least?” Ethan knew them, of course.
“Yes, although we are not one-hundred percent sure if they’re accurate.” Caroline answered as she took in the art for what must have been over the thousandth time. It was clear that the older woman loved the history of this place.
“Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit. I don’t remember exactly what they represent, but like Dialga and Palkia, who represent Space and Time, they represent… feelings?” Ethan hedged, wishing his memory was better. “One was definitely the representation of willpower, that I remember. All three together are capable of keeping Dialga or Palkia in balance, but not at the same time. They also can’t do anything against Giratina.”
“Giratina…?”“Giratina?!”
Both Caroline and Cynthia instantly latched onto the name. Ethan hemmed and hawed to keep them antsy. He hadn’t ever really had the chance to show off yet! “You don’t have to worry about Giratina… I think. I believe me telling you about Team Galactic stopped that disaster before it could even begin.”
Caroline practically shoved her way through Cynthia as she strutted up to him with eyes alight with historic vigor. “Who is Giratina? We’ve seen the name, but know next to nothing about the legendary pokemon.”
“And how did you hear its name? To my knowledge, Giratina has been trapped in the Distortion World since time immemorial.” Ethan asked a question back. Giratina, in the lore, had been created by Arceus at the same time as Palkia and Dialga at the beginning of existence. Since Giratina was violent, Arceus banished them to the Distorion World. Nobody should even have records of them, let alone their name.
“Historic records show that a hero stopped Giratina in its quest to defy Arceus in ages past. Little is known about the battle itself, other than Giratina was a pokemon of a human at the time.” Cynthia practically shoved her grandmother away as she herself pushed forward, eager for knowledge as well.
Ethan was really regretting not buying a Switch to play the Legends Arceus game right about now. What she was referencing had to be from that game. Sadly, he didn’t know much, or anything, about it. “Well, Giratina is the representation of antimatter. I don’t know much else about it to be honest. It’s a ghost and dragon type pokemon. There’s also a orb thing it could hold onto? Sorry, that’s about it.”
“And this script surrounding the paintings on each of the walls here? Can you read them?” Caroline asked, already having pen and paper in hand. Cynthia was more technologically savvy, opting for a tablet similar to an IPad.
Ethan looked at each of the paintings and decided to read out the awkward text. They were all single lined and wrapped around the paintings—the top was even upside down!
He started with the east side. The one showcasing the domain of Azelf.
“Many saw the path, yet none walked it. The Blue Flame placed fire within the silent and courage within the weak, and then even the smallest of creatures challenged the mountain. Be cautious—will without wisdom is a blade without a hilt; it cuts the hand that bears it.”
He had to fill in some of the blanks, as some of the text itself had faded over time. It wasn’t anything major, just a letter or two that he easily figured out with context.
“And the next?” Caroline asked, pen stilled once more. Her eyes weren’t leaving what she’d just written.
Ethan walked to the north, where Lake Acuity was, then read about Uxie.
“The world was bland until the Golden Eye opened. It gathered the footsteps of beast and leaf, of mountain and rain, and stored them where time and space could not reach. Knowledge without measure leaves no room for self. The Silent One watches with unclosing eyes, and all forgotten things return to it.”
He gave them a minute or two to write down the translation. To be honest, translating the script was pretty fun. It felt nice sharing the information to those who actually cared about it. He himself had some interest, but he wasn’t ever going to be publishing research papers or anything.
Seeing as they just looked at him, waiting for the third passage, he read that one as well. This was about Mesprit.
“Rivers flowed though no heart stirred to follow them. Then, the Crimson Spirit scattered itself across creation. Joy became laughter, sorrow became tears, fear became caution, and love became chains stronger than iron. Those who curse their grief curse also their happiness, for both are woven from the same thread. All hearts beat, but only through the Crimson Spirit did they feel.”
“Arceus bless you, Ethan.” Caroline murmured, too lost in her notes to notice her own speech.
Ethan would have some different words for the space llama, but he’d keep that to himself. He strolled around the ruins once more, as it was a fairly small cavern, then noticed the tablet situated in the very center of the room. He’d glossed over it before, thinking it was just a centerpiece, but it too had script written on it. From the entrance, the view of it was blocked from the pillars holding up the roof. The walls instantly grabbed your attention, causing you to miss it.
“And what’s this?” Ethan asked. He read the short much more legible script and answered his own question. “To know without feeling is emptiness. To feel without resolve is stillness. To act without knowing is ruinous. This the Three circled one another, and mankind awoke.”
The moment he finished speaking the words, dozens of pokemon materialized out of the air. Instantly, both he and Cynthia instinctively released their own pokemon. Ethan’s first instinct was for Smeargle, who appeared ready for battle. Cynthia threw out, of course, Garchomp. Caroline simply stood by Cynthia’s side, either not bringing her pokemon or opting to not release them.
The pokemon floated through the air, twirling and bouncing, rearranging and spelling. Ethan’s pounding heart began to calm as he recognised the. They were Unown. In person, Unown were much creepier than he’d imagined they would be. Their bodies were completely black, light seemed to disappear where it touched them. Their large starkly white eyes were opened and observing him as they levitated about the cavern.
“I think we’re safe…?” Ethan hazard a guess. He wasn’t overly familiar with the pokemon, only knowing they had many different shapes of letters and were found in ruins.
He followed them with his eyes as he gently pulled Smeargle back right by his side, laying a hand on his shoulder to ease his friend's worries. Slowly, the Unown shifted, spelling a word in mid-air with their bodies. ‘Friend’ Then they twirled and flowed into a line, spelling a new word as many shifted spots ‘Welcome’.
“Uhh… Welcome to you too?” Ethan lamely replied as Cynthia and Caroline slowly began to lose their caution at the sight of the very rare Unown.
The Unown either didn’t hear him or ignored him completely, opting to continue their twirling dance in the air. Some even floated gently into the walls themselves, going through the rock as if it didn’t exist and disappearing. One by one, over a minute or so, all of the Unown vanished, either by going through the walls or simply blinking out of existence.
Once he was sure that they were all gone, he just had to ask. “What the fuck was that?”