The Ruins of Oldale Town!

"We're almost there," May said, glancing down at her Pokédex. "Oldale Town is just about ten minutes away."

"Great," Ash replied, as they continued on the path. Beside him, Ashly walked with a spring in her step, while Pikachu perched on his shoulder, as usual. Ash couldn't wait to reach Oldale Town to get some well-deserved rest after two and a half days of travel and two days of training his Pokemon. However, something soon caught Ashly's sharp eyes.

"Brother! May!" Ashly suddenly exclaimed, her voice breaking the calm. "Look over there!" She pointed toward a set of crumbling ruins in the distance, half-hidden by overgrown foliage. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she turned back to Ash, her face set in an irresistible pout. "Can we go check it out? Please?" she begged, giving him her best puppy-eyed look.

Ash sighed, unable to say no to his little sister's pleading expression. He looked at May, his expression clearly asking for her opinion. "What do you think, May? Should we check it out?"

May couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Ash's helpless face. "Yeah, why not?" she said, smiling. "A quick detour won't hurt us. We've got a lot of time until sundown."

"Yes! Thank you!" Ashly squealed, as she practically skipped toward the ruins. Ash and May followed as Ash sighed once more.

As they approached the ruins, the true size of the place became apparent. A massive, ancient gate stood tall, still intact despite the weathering of time, though the rest of the structure had long since crumbled into piles of rubble and debris.

"Whoa! This is so cool!" Ashly exclaimed, her eyes wide with curiosity as she examined the weathered stones.

"I wonder what kind of place this used to be," May mused aloud, a hint of curiosity in her voice as well.

"This looks like it could have been some kind of palace..." he muttered absently, his thoughts wandering. 'This place isn't in the games or the anime. What's going on here?' he wondered silently, his mind running at top speed, checking memories to see if something like this was mentioned in some other Pokémon-related media or not.

"You guessed right, young man," a new voice joined their conversation, causing them to spin around in surprise. A middle-aged man with a kind face and dusty clothes approached them. "This is indeed the remains of an ancient palace," he continued, smiling at them warmly. "More specifically, it once belonged to the royal family of the Hoenn Region."

'Royal family of Hoenn?' Ash thought, his brow furrowing. 'I've never heard anything about a royal family in Hoenn before...'

"Who are you?" May asked.

The stranger chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ah, my apologies. I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Professor Alden. I'm a researcher, or perhaps more accurately, an explorer. I specialize in studying the history of the Hoenn royal family and their legacy."

"A royal family..." Ash repeated, still trying to wrap his mind around this unfamiliar piece of history. It felt like a whole new layer of the Hoenn region was unfolding before him, and he knew it had to be something to do with the Randomizer effect that was affecting the world.

Professor Alden continued, his tone becoming more serious. "I've spent a lot of time exploring these ruins, but take it from me—these structures are old and unstable. I've had more than a few close calls with collapsing walls. I'd advise you all to keep your distance."

"He's right, Ashly," Ash nodded in agreement. "We should get going. It's too dangerous to hang around here."

"But—" Ashly began, her face falling into a pout once again.

"No 'buts,'" Ash cut her off firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "We'll come back later, after we've rested in Oldale."

Ashly sighed after being scolded by her brother but knew better than to push back when Ash used that tone. She sulked a bit, kicking at some pebbles on the path as they turned to leave the ruins behind.

May chuckled softly, watching Ashly's deflated mood. 'What I wouldn't give for an obedient younger sibling like her,' she thought with a sigh.

As they resumed their journey toward Oldale Town, the atmosphere began to calm again, but Ash suddenly felt something odd. A strange sensation crept into his mind—a faint whisper, almost like a voice calling out to him. He whipped his head around instinctively, scanning the ruins behind them, but saw nothing unusual.

"Ash, what's wrong?" May asked, noticing his sudden tension.

"Did you hear a voice just now?" Ash asked, frowning.

May looked at him with confusion. "No, I didn't hear anything."

Ash turned to Ashly and Pikachu. "What about you two? Did you hear anything?"

Ashly shook her head, still kicking at the stones. "Nope, I didn't hear anything." Pikachu also shook his head, his ears twitching but not indicating any unusual sounds.

Ash furrowed his brow, glancing back at the ruins once more. "Hmm, my ears must have been ringing or something," he said, trying to shake off the feeling. But his eyes lingered on the ruins for a moment longer, the unsettling sensation gnawing at the back of his mind. 'Was it really just my imagination?' he wondered, though he chose not to voice his concerns aloud.

With one last glance at the ancient structures, Ash turned back to join his companions, but his mind was still racing with thoughts of the ruins and the mysterious voice.

******

"Oh, it's evening already," Ash muttered as he rubbed his eyes and stretched his limbs, feeling the stiffness in his body ease slightly. After arriving in Oldale Town earlier that day, the first thing Ash, May, and Ashly had done was head straight for the Pokémon Center. They quickly booked a room for the night, eager for some rest. After that, they enjoyed a light lunch before the girls decided to explore the town, leaving Ash, who was exhausted from the previous day's and today's early morning intense training, to stay back and take a much-needed nap.

Now, feeling somewhat refreshed, Ash got up from the bed and washed his face before heading down to the Pokémon Center's lobby. As soon as he arrived there, he noticed the room was fuller than before with quite a lot of trainers than before. Then he approached the front desk, where Nurse Joy was busy but carrying the ever-present cheerful smile on her face.

"Nurse Joy, are my Pokémon healed?" Ash asked politely.

"Yes, they are," Nurse Joy replied with a warm smile. She placed a tray on the counter, holding five Pokéballs along with a familiar yellow figure. Pikachu, who had been resting with the others, leaped onto Ash's shoulder with its signature cry, "Pika!" Ash grinned, patting Pikachu affectionately.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash said as he retrieved his Pokéballs from the tray and clipped them back onto his belt. "By the way," Ash continued, "I'd like to register for the Ever Grande Conference."

Nurse Joy nodded, taking his Pokédex and scanning it quickly. "Of course, just give me a moment," she said. After a few seconds, she handed the Pokédex back to him. "Trainer Ash Ketchum, you are now officially registered for the Ever Grande Conference. You have seven months to collect eight Gym badges from any officially league-sponsored Gyms to qualify for the tournament. Best of luck—I hope to see you earn those badges before the League begins!"

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," he replied before turning to head toward the cafeteria. There, he found May and Ashly already seated at a table, chatting over their drinks.

"Hey, girls," Ash greeted as he walked over to them. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder to sit on the table next to Ashly. "How was your outing? Find anything interesting?"

"Not really," May replied with a small shrug. "It's a small town, so there wasn't much to do."

"But we did some shopping," Ashly added, looking more cheerful. "And I got the supplies you asked for."

"Good," Ash nodded, appreciating her help. "So, what do you say we grab something to eat?"

Both girls agreed, and the three of them soon got their meals and sat back down to enjoy a relaxing dinner. Then, just as they had barely started eating, a familiar voice caught their attention. "Aren't you the kids from earlier?" Turning toward the source, they saw Professor Alden standing there with a tray of food. "Mind if I join you for dinner?" he asked with a friendly smile.

"Of course we don't mind, Professor," Ash replied, gesturing to the empty seat beside him. The professor sat down, and soon they were all eating and chatting. Conversation flowed easily as they recounted their day, with the Professor offering his insights on Oldale Town's history and Pokémon.

After a while, Ash found an opportunity to ask something that had been on his mind since their encounter at the ruins. "Professor," Ash began, "can you tell us more about the royal family of Hoenn? I've never heard about them before."

Professor Alden's face lit up with excitement at the question, his grin spreading wide. "Ah, I see you're interested in the history of this region," he said, leaning in slightly. "To understand Hoenn's royal family, you first need to understand the ancient royalties of the Pokémon world."

"Thousands of years ago, long before the world as we know it today, these lands were ruled by ancient royal bloodlines. These families weren't just rulers of their regions—they were blessed by the guardians of their lands, the Legendary Pokémon we know today. Each royal family was said to have been granted the favor of these powerful creatures, allowing them to maintain dominion over their territories."

Ash, May, and Ashly listened intently as the professor spoke. Ash, especially, found himself surprised by this new information.

"However," Professor Alden's tone became more somber, "around 800 years ago, something catastrophic happened. All of the ancient kingdoms, spread across multiple regions, collapsed within the same timeframe. The cause of this widespread destruction is still unknown to us today. Our research community is still trying to piece together what kind of calamity wiped out these kingdoms so completely. The ruins we see now, like the ones we visited earlier, are all that remain."

Ash's brow furrowed as he absorbed the information. 'Something that powerful... wiping out entire civilizations?' The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

"Now, as for the royal family of Hoenn," the professor continued, "our recent research has indicated that they had a unique connection to the Legendary Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre, the rulers of land and sea. We still don't know the exact nature of this connection, but we are still trying to find out about it."

"Hmm... Professor, is it really okay for us to know about this?" May asked, her voice laced with hesitation. "We don't want to get in trouble for knowing things we shouldn't."

Professor Alden chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't worry about that, May. Everything I've shared with you is public knowledge. It's just that not many people take an interest in the ancient history of the Pokémon world anymore, so it's not exactly common knowledge."

The conversation eventually drifted into lighter topics, though Ash remained quiet, lost in thought. His mind whirled with what Professor Alden had told them. He had always thought of the world of Pokémon as a place full of adventure and discovery, but the idea of a disaster that could wipe out nine different regions around the same time was terrifying. 'What were the Legendary Pokémon doing when this happened?' he wondered. 'And why didn't anyone intervene?' His thoughts lingered on Xerneas, the Life Pokémon, who should have played a role in preventing such a calamity.

Ash shook his head, deciding to set those thoughts aside for now. He was sure that one day, as he continued his journey, more answers would reveal themselves, either by some coincidence or purely due to the luck of Ash Ketchum himself.

After finishing their meal, Professor Alden bid them farewell and left. A few minutes later, Ash stood up and turned to May. "Hey, May, can you keep an eye on Ashly for a bit—maybe an hour or two?"

Ashly, overhearing, immediately puffed her cheeks in protest. "Hey! I'm a big girl! I don't need supervision!" she grumbled, crossing her arms.

Ash ignored her complaints, smiling as May chuckled. "I don't mind," May said, giving Ash a curious look. "Where are you headed?"

"Don't worry, I've just got some personal business to take care of," Ash said cryptically. Then, he turned to Ashly, giving her a mock stern look. "Ashly, be good and don't cause May any trouble, okay? I'll be back soon."

Ashly huffed, clearly still annoyed but didn't push the matter any further. With a final wave, Ash left the Pokémon Center and started walking toward certain ruins.

******

"Let's see what kind of secrets you're hiding," Ash muttered to himself as he stepped cautiously into the ruins. The eerie quiet of the night surrounded him as he ventured deeper, his footsteps echoing off the ancient stone walls. Only Pikachu accompanied him, the electric mouse staying close by his side. 

The reason Ash had returned here, after initially deciding to leave, was the strange voice he had heard earlier that morning. At first, he had thought it was just his imagination, but deep down, he knew it wasn't just his ears playing tricks on him. There was something or someone trying to reach him.

Ash hadn't brought May or Ashly along for this very reason. He had no idea what he would find here, or if the entity calling to him was good or malicious. He couldn't risk putting his sister and the new friend in danger without knowing what he was up against.

As he wandered the ruins, his mind began to drift. The stillness and crumbling walls tugged at his imagination. He could almost see the place as it might have been centuries ago, bustling with life, filled with people going about their daily routines. The grand halls that now lay in ruin must have once been filled with light, the laughter and voices of people echoing through these halls.

Before Ash knew it, an hour had passed. He had been aimlessly wandering, lost in thought, when he suddenly came across something that pulled him back to reality—a wall, different from the others. Something about it made his skin tingle.

'There's definitely something here,' Ash thought, his gaze narrowing as he took in the sight of the wall. Like many of the others in the ruins, this one was decorated with intricate patterns and symbols. However, this wall had something that none of the others did—a diamond carved into the bottom section of the stone, glowing faintly in the dim light. And it was from that diamond that Ash felt the strange sensation emanating.

His curiosity got the better of him. He reached forward, placing his hand on the diamond engraving. The moment his hand touched the stone, a soft green glow enveloped his body, and the diamond on the wall began to glow pink. Ash stepped back in shock as the ground beneath him rumbled. He instinctively grabbed Pikachu and pulled him close, fearing that the wall might collapse.

But instead of crumbling, the ground in front of the wall split open, revealing a staircase leading down into the earth. Ash stared at the stairs for a long moment, his heart racing.

Ash stared at the staircase for a long moment before turning towards Pikachu and asking, "What do you think, Pikachu? Should we go down?"

"Pika..." Pikachu shrugged, telling Ash to do whatever he thinks is best.

Ash chuckled softly. "Alright then, let's go." He then released Cyndaquil from its Pokéball. The stairs ahead looked pitch black, and they would need Cyndaquil's fire to light the way.

"Light up the branch, Cyndaquil," Ash instructed, holding up a thick piece of wood. Cyndaquil obliged, igniting the tip of the branch, which Ash used as a makeshift torch. With Pikachu on his shoulder and Cyndaquil leading the way, Ash began his descent into the unknown.

The staircase seemed to go on forever. After five minutes of walking, Ash still hadn't reached the bottom. He considered turning back, but something urged him forward—whether it was the voice from earlier or his own curiosity, he couldn't say. They continued on for what felt like twenty minutes, the air growing cooler and the stone walls slicker as they descended deeper.

Finally, they reached the bottom and stepped into a large chamber. The room was massive, its high ceiling supported by stone columns that had stood the test of time. In the center of the room was a large rectangular box, like a sarcophagus, and a podium standing beside it.

Ash surveyed the room, noticing various objects placed on stone shelves, untouched by time. Vases and decorative items lay frozen in place, like relics from another world. But what caught Ash's eye the most was a small picture frame sitting in one corner of the room, almost hidden behind some of the larger artifacts.

Curious, Ash walked over, picked up the frame, and looked at the photograph. The picture depicted four people and one Pokémon. Two men with black hair stood at either end of the picture, each holding staves. Between them were two women seated on elegant chairs—one with brown hair, the other with golden hair. And near the leg of the golden-haired woman stood an elegant Diancie, the diamond Pokémon.

Ash's gaze lingered on the details. The golden-haired woman wore a necklace with a Key Stone, while the Diancie had a Diancite embedded in her earring.

But then Ash's eyes widened as he noticed the Orb stones that were decorating the staves of two men in the picture. The first man's staff had a bright red orb with the Omega symbol while the other man's staff had a blue orb with the Alpha symbol on it and Ash knew exactly what it was.

"Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire..." Ash muttered under his breath, knowing what kind of effect it could trigger in Legendary Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre. Thinking on his feet quickly, Ash directly placed that picture in his bag. "The world, and especially Hoenn, will be a safer place if no one knows about these artifacts."

Then he took a deep breath and surveyed the room once more but didn't find anything of importance. There were just more kinds of vases and other decorative things on the other shelves, so Ash turned his attention to the large rectangular box in the center of the room.

He inspected it closely, but there didn't seem to be any obvious way to open it. His eyes then shifted to the podium beside it, and when he approached it, the strange feeling he had experienced earlier was back, stronger than before.

"Pikachu, Cyndaquil, stay back for a moment," Ash said, holding up a hand to caution his Pokémon. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the podium. The instant his palm made contact, a green glow surrounded his body once more. This time, the glow spread throughout the room, lighting the chamber with a soft, mystical light.

"Pika!" "Cyndaquil!" Pikachu and Cyndaquil both looked around the room with wonder in their eyes.

But Ash had no time to admire the glowing room. As soon as the light filled the space, the large box in the center began to glow as well. Slowly, the lid creaked open, revealing the Pokémon inside—a sleeping Diancie. 

The Diancie slowly stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she looked around the room, confused.

Ash took a cautious step forward, his heart pounding. He took in the sight of the diamond Pokémon, and his eyes widened even more as he noticed the Diancite earring dangling from her ear. 'Isn't that... Diancite...?' he thought, remembering the Diancie from the picture he had just seen moments ago. 'No way... It can't be...' he thought.

As if sensing Ash's presence, Diancie turned her gaze toward him, her eyes soft and curious. She floated toward him, her voice gentle. "Diancie…" she said in a soft, vulnerable tone, causing Ash to freeze in place.

'Why is she calling me… princess?' Ash thought, utterly baffled. But before he could process any of this, he heard footsteps approaching the chamber.

Immediately, Ash snapped his head and saw two Team Magma grunts entering the room, followed by a young woman with lilac hair wearing a red hoodie with yellow horns.

'Shit...' Ash cursed as he stared at the woman in front of him. 'Out of all the people who could have discovered me here, why the hell did it have to be a Team Magma's Admin, Courtney!'

To be continued...