This tunnel is very long.
Extremely long.
But along the way, you can always find some Original Groudon Shell Fragments of various sizes, rules, and shapes, no, fragments.
They are all pieces about the size of a thumb, some even smaller, just the size of a thumbnail.
But say no more.
Altogether, a fair number have been collected.
These fragments were taken care of by Togetic.
In its own words.
'I'll help you piece them together.'
When it comes to puzzles, Togetic is the most "adept".
Natsuhiko didn't have any particular expectations, so he simply let Togetic improvise.
Because there were so many fragments, Chimchar also joined in on the "puzzle" process.
The two Pokémon followed them, chattering about where to place one piece or another, with high spirits.
Chimchar drew a big circle with its hands.
Togetic shook its head, took out a long thin piece, indicating that it wouldn't work like that.
Then it turned its little eyes, and with its tiny hands together, it pulled horizontally from the inside out.
Chimchar's eyes lit up instantly, nodding repeatedly.
That's reliable.
Togetic still has insight and ideas.
So under Togetic's direction, the two Pokémon pieced the fragments together.
They encountered another piece.
This one was slightly larger, but not by much.
Yujira picked it up with its psychic power and delivered it to Togetic and Chimchar, while Natsuhiko's attention was elsewhere.
Because it seemed that this long tunnel was finally reaching its end.
In the dim distance, the end of the tunnel was an orange light.
He couldn't help but quicken his pace.
They hadn't encountered any attacks from wild Pokémon along the way, so Togetic and Chimchar had the interest and time.
As they approached.
The orange light became more apparent.
Along with it, of course, came an increasing temperature, and even with his psychic barrier, Natsuhiko's forehead still beaded with sweat.
The most noticeable change was in the flame at Chimchar's tail, which was very vibrant and full of energy.
Finally.
With the last step forward, the scene before Natsuhiko's eyes changed.
The monotonous dark tunnel turned into a towering rock chamber filled with orange light, and the first thing that caught his eye was something hanging at the top of the rock chamber, radiating a rich orange light, like a small sun.
"A... cocoon?"
Natsuhiko stared at the glowing object, easily seeing it was a cocoon wrapped in thick silk.
Because the vast rock chamber's top was densely covered with silk threads, like a heavenly canopy, fixed on the surrounding rock walls, distributed regularly with that cocoon as the center.
The light emitted from the cocoon was like a burning sun, but these glowing white silk threads showed no signs of burning.
And that state had been maintained in this chamber for an unknown number of years.
Chimchar, the most sensitive to Fire Energy, blankly looked up at the cocoon overhead, feeling...
It was like a massive congregation of Fire Type energy, so immense it couldn't even describe it.
"Chakeyi!"
The sharp-eyed Togetic spotted another fragment on the ground, almost identical in shape and size to the one in its mind.
It was the last "puzzle piece."
Without hesitation, it picked up the fragment.
Then mustered some effort, slightly laboriously embedding it bit by bit into the outline of the object in its hands.
With the insertion of this stone piece, the previously somewhat scattered fragments became completely solid, with seams almost invisible.
And indeed.
Togetic had a knack for "puzzle-making," having pieced together something...
Natsuhiko's gaze moved downward, finally seeing, directly beneath the glowing cocoon, a dark red fragment about the size of a basketball, with golden patterns standing out vividly, appearing even brighter in the descending light.
It was an Original Groudon Shell Fragment.
It was also the largest piece Natsuhiko had seen so far, bigger than the two pieces he'd previously collected combined.
As he squinted his eyes contemplating whether taking this fragment might lead to any adverse effects, Togetic handed over the assembled piece to him like a treasure present.
Feeling the warmth from his palm's touch, Natsuhiko instinctively grabbed.
"Hmm?"
He quickly felt a peculiar sensation from the touch and shape.
Something's off.
No matter how Togetic pieced it together, the reconstructed shape shouldn't be a somewhat rounded object with only some edges and corners.
Warm, smooth, hardened, and elongated....
Natsuhiko couldn't resist looking down.
Then.
He was completely stunned.
Togetic flew in front of him, hands on its hips, proudly lifting its head, showing an expression like "Come on, praise me, I want to hear it."
Yet Natsuhiko's attention was completely absorbed by the object he held.
No way.
This result.
How could it be so different from what he expected?
He thought Togetic's "puzzle" meant piecing together these scattered fragments back into the shape of fragment pieces.
So what's there to marvel at in pieced-together fragments?
His attention was always elsewhere, wary of any sudden attacks.
Who'd have thought, Togetic and Chimchar indulged in an impromptu assembly after all.
Raising the object in hand, holding it horizontally, his mouth twitched constantly.
What had Togetic and Chimchar actually pieced together?
A... stick!
Though the shape was slightly irregular and the surface wasn't very smooth, with some prominent edges, there's no denying it — this was a stick!
After all that, you only managed to concoct a stick?
Natsuhiko looked at Togetic and Chimchar on the ground, both gazing at him expectantly.
Natsuhiko pressed his temple.
But, still smiling, he gave the two little ones a thumbs-up, "Well done... good job."
"Chakeyi!"
"Gēkē!"
A smile lit up on both Togetic and Chimchar's faces; especially Chimchar, who breathed out a long breath and appeared much relieved.
Natsuhiko retracted his gaze, repeatedly scanning the stick in his hand.
Indeed.
The two little ones have strong hands-on abilities.
They actually managed to force these irregular and differently sized fragments into a stick, and when gently swayed in hand, it felt structurally solid, tightly assembled, giving no sign of falling apart.
The stick wasn't even that long, perhaps only half a meter or so, due to not having collected too many fragments.
The entire stick was a dark red hue, with golden patterns flickering across its length.
The more one looked, the more appealing it seemed, even becoming increasingly beautiful.
But then again...
Would Original Groudon really not come alive from the ground if it knew its body fragments were toyed with like this?
Starting with a toothpick, and now a stick....
Hold on.
Natsuhiko glanced at the stick in his hand, then at the delighted Chimchar on the ground.
So...
"Should we name this stick 'Ruyi Golden Cudgel'?" Natsuhiko muttered.
Brother Monkey, did you enter the wrong scene?