After a peaceful night at the Oldale Pokémon Center, I woke early the next morning to clear skies and cool air. The forest path glistened with dew, and distant Taillow chirped above the trees. Torchic and Lotad walked beside me in good spirits — it was the first real morning of our adventure.
"Alright, team," I said, stretching my arms. "Next stop, Dewford Town!"
"Tor!""Lot~!"
We followed the narrow path out of Oldale, passing through quiet fields where wild Zigzagoon scurried about. The smell of saltwater slowly filled the air as we approached a small river cutting across the trail. The water shimmered like glass, so clear I could see the smooth pebbles below.
"Let's take a short rest," I said, kneeling beside the river. Torchic pecked curiously at the stones while Lotad floated happily on the surface. I smiled — the scenery was peaceful, almost too peaceful.
Then I noticed something strange.
A dark shadow moved slowly along the riverbed — bigger than any Lotad. Its scales gleamed faintly with a metallic shine, and white fins flickered through the current.
"What is that?" I whispered, pulling out my Pokédex.
Relicanth, the Longevity Pokémon.A rare species that has existed for over a hundred million years without evolving. It is said to live in the depths of the sea.
"A living fossil… here?" I said, amazed. "I thought Relicanth lived in deep ocean trenches!"
The Relicanth suddenly surfaced near the bank, gasping weakly. Its scales looked dry, and there was a small scrape on its fin — it must have been swept inland by the tide.
"Lotad, use Water Gun — just enough to keep it wet!""Lot~!"
Lotad sprayed a gentle stream over the Relicanth, cooling it down. Torchic watched silently, concern in its eyes.
Just then, a man's voice came from the path behind us. "Wait — don't move away from it!"
I turned around to see a man in a blue researcher's coat sprinting toward us, holding a small case filled with instruments. His messy brown hair blew in the wind, and his glasses nearly slipped off his nose.
"You found it!" he said breathlessly. "Relicanth — I've been tracking it for days!"
"You're… a Pokémon researcher?" I asked.
"Yes — but not a regular one," he said, kneeling beside Relicanth. "My name's Dr. Kean, an independent researcher studying ancient Pokémon species and Hoenn's early ecosystems."
"Ancient Pokémon?" I echoed.
He nodded eagerly. "Exactly. Relicanth is living proof of Hoenn's prehistoric oceans. I've been studying how these Pokémon survived through the ages. It's rare to see one this far upstream."
After treating Relicanth's fin with a small medicine spray, Dr. Kean looked back at me curiously. "You must be a new trainer — I can tell from the way you helped it."
I scratched my head, smiling awkwardly. "Yeah, I just started my journey from Littleroot. I couldn't ignore it."
He smiled warmly. "That's the right instinct. Curiosity and empathy — both essential for understanding Pokémon."
He examined the Relicanth again before placing it carefully into a special water capsule. "If you have some time, would you like to visit my nearby research site? We're studying ancient carvings — they might explain the origins of some Legendary Pokémon."
"Really? That sounds amazing!"
Torchic chirped eagerly, and Lotad spun faster — both of them seemed excited too.
We followed a narrow path that wound between mossy rocks and waterfalls until we reached a small cave entrance. Two other assistants were setting up equipment outside, while strange symbols were etched into the stone walls.
"This place," Kean explained, "is what I call the Legacy Site. It's believed to be one of Hoenn's oldest ruins — even older than any known human settlement."
Inside, the air was cool and damp. My footsteps echoed against the stone as I shone my Pokédex light across the wall. Ancient drawings of Pokémon covered the surface — Relicanth, Omastar, and… something massive, with claws and jagged edges, sleeping beneath the earth.
"Dr. Kean… what is that?" I asked quietly.
He stepped closer, brushing dust off the carving. "That… is Groudon. A legendary Pokémon said to represent the land itself."
"Groudon…" I repeated, almost whispering. "I've read about it before — said to have fought with Kyogre long ago, right?"
"Exactly," Kean said, nodding. "The balance between land and sea, creation and destruction. These ruins might be one of the first records of their conflict."
I stared at the depiction — Groudon's body surrounded by flames and mountains, facing a great wave from above. Even though it was only a carving, I could almost feel the heat.
Kean smiled faintly. "Many believe these are just myths. But I think there's truth here — buried deep in Hoenn's soil. Perhaps some Pokémon still carry traces of that ancient power."
"That's… incredible," I said softly. "It's like every Pokémon tells a story of the world's past."
"That's exactly how I see it," Kean said. "If you continue your journey with that mindset, you'll understand Pokémon in ways most trainers never do."
His words echoed in my mind as we exited the cave. Outside, the sun was already beginning to sink behind the trees, painting the river in gold.
Kean placed Relicanth's capsule in a storage device. "I'll bring it back to the ocean once it's fully healed. Thank you for your help today, Stephen."
"It's me who should thank you," I said. "I never thought I'd see something like this on my first week."
Kean smiled. "If you ever find ancient ruins or strange Pokémon behavior, come find me. Trainers like you might one day uncover the next piece of Hoenn's forgotten history."
His words filled me with a quiet pride.
After we said goodbye, I set up camp near the riverside for the night. Torchic curled beside the fire while Lotad floated lazily in the shallows. The air was calm again — but the image of Groudon lingered in my mind.
"Groudon, the Pokémon of land…" I murmured, looking up at the starlit sky. "If such power truly exists, maybe we'll meet it someday."
Torchic chirped softly, as if agreeing.
The gentle river reflected the stars like a mirror, and for a moment, everything felt timeless — the world of Pokémon, ancient and alive, watching over us.