For several long seconds after the mysterious figure disappeared into the darkness, Alex remained completely still, staring at the exact place where the silhouette had stood, because although the stranger had vanished almost instantly, the sound of that unfamiliar voice continued echoing through his mind with a disturbing sense of confidence that made Alex realize this person had not simply stumbled across them by accident.
Someone had been watching them.
Someone had known about the ancient Pokémon.
Someone had known that Ragnarok would awaken.
And somehow, that person had been close enough to leave behind a brand-new collar without being detected.
Alex slowly tightened his fingers around the metallic device.
The collar felt cold against his palm.
Too cold.
Damian stepped beside him, his Poké Ball already held tightly in his hand.
"Alex, give me that."
Alex handed it over.
Damian examined the collar carefully, turning it from one side to the other while studying every small detail engraved into the metal.
Yellow stood behind them, nervously watching the trees.
"Are we seriously going to stand here while whoever that was could still be hiding nearby?"
Damian didn't look up.
"If they wanted to attack us, they already had several opportunities."
Yellow frowned.
"That doesn't make me feel any better."
"It wasn't supposed to."
"Wonderful."
Alex glanced toward the mountain.
Another tremor passed beneath their feet.
The ground shook gently at first, but the vibration quickly became stronger until loose stones rolled down the hillside and several nearby trees rattled violently.
Far in the distance, another red flash illuminated the sky.
Alex stared at it.
"We need to find out who made that collar."
Damian nodded.
"Agreed."
Yellow looked between them.
"Before or after we deal with the giant ancient monster underneath the mountain?"
Alex paused.
"Both."
Yellow sighed.
"I knew you were going to say that."
A distant roar suddenly shook the forest.
This one was different.
It wasn't coming from Ragnarok.
It was the ancient Pokémon.
The sound carried across the trees, followed by an enormous explosion that illuminated the clouds above the mountain with a strange red-and-black glow.
Alex looked toward the cave.
"They're still fighting."
Damian slipped the collar into his bag.
"And we're going back."
Yellow stared at both of them.
"You're actually serious?"
Alex nodded.
"We can't leave the ancient Pokémon to fight that thing alone."
Yellow crossed her arms.
"And what exactly are three trainers and three Pokémon supposed to do against something that can shake an entire mountain?"
Alex didn't answer immediately.
He looked down at Charmander.
The little Fire-type stared back at him with determination burning in its eyes.
Alex smiled faintly.
"We don't know yet."
Yellow groaned.
"That's not an answer."
"I know."
The three trainers began moving toward the cave again.
But they had only taken a few steps when Charmander suddenly stopped.
"Char!"
Alex immediately turned.
"What?"
Charmander pointed toward the forest.
Alex followed its claw.
Nothing.
Just trees.
Darkness.
Mist.
Then he noticed something.
A branch was moving.
Very slowly.
The wind wasn't blowing.
Alex raised his hand.
"Stop."
Everyone froze.
The branch continued moving.
Then another branch shifted.
Something was moving through the trees.
Quietly.
Carefully.
Following them.
Damian slowly reached for another Poké Ball.
"Someone's there."
Yellow whispered.
"Do you think it's the person from before?"
Alex nodded.
"Probably."
Damian stepped forward.
"Come out."
Nothing happened.
Damian's voice became firmer.
"We know you're there."
Silence.
Then—
A metallic object flew from the darkness.
Damian reacted instantly.
He knocked it aside with his arm.
The object struck a tree and embedded itself deep into the bark.
Alex stared at it.
A small metal blade.
Yellow gasped.
"They're attacking!"
"Not yet," Damian said.
He looked at the blade.
"It's a warning."
A second object suddenly struck the ground between them.
Then a third.
All three objects were small metal discs.
Each one carried the same symbol as the collar.
Alex stared at the markings.
"What does that symbol mean?"
Damian shook his head.
"I don't know."
A voice echoed through the trees.
"You don't need to know."
Alex immediately turned.
The mysterious stranger stepped out from behind the trees.
This time, there was no lightning to hide them.
Alex could clearly see the figure.
They wore a long, dark coat that reached nearly to their ankles, with a hood pulled over their head and a metallic mask covering the lower half of their face.
Several pieces of equipment were attached to the coat, including Poké Balls, communication devices, and several strange metallic containers that Alex had never seen before.
The stranger's eyes were the only visible part of their face.
Cold.
Focused.
Completely calm.
Yellow took a step backward.
"Who are you?"
The stranger looked at her.
"That isn't important."
Damian immediately stepped forward.
"Then why are you following us?"
The stranger's gaze shifted toward him.
"Because you entered a place you were never meant to find."
Alex stepped forward.
"We found the cave because you left the collar."
The stranger became silent.
Alex held up the metallic collar.
"You wanted us to find it."
The stranger's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're observant."
Damian frowned.
"You led us there."
"No."
The stranger shook their head.
"You led yourselves there."
Alex's expression hardened.
"Then why leave this behind?"
The stranger looked toward the collar.
"Because I needed to know whether you were capable of recognizing what it was."
Yellow stared at them.
"Recognizing what?"
The stranger slowly turned toward the mountain.
"The beginning."
A tremendous explosion erupted from the cave.
The entire mountain shook.
The stranger didn't even flinch.
Alex did.
He turned toward the mountain.
"What beginning?"
The stranger's voice became quieter.
"The beginning of the end."
Yellow's eyes widened.
"That's dramatic."
The stranger looked at her.
"You have no idea."
Damian stepped closer.
"Tell us what you know."
The stranger remained silent.
"Who is Ragnarok?"
No response.
"What are those ancient Pokémon?"
Still nothing.
"What happened to Professor Hayes?"
The stranger's eyes shifted toward Alex.
That question finally got a reaction.
"You know Professor Hayes?"
Alex nodded.
"We found his journal."
The stranger's posture changed slightly.
"Where?"
"In the abandoned camp."
The stranger slowly lowered their head.
For the first time, Alex noticed something that looked almost like regret in their expression.
"Then he's dead."
Alex stared at them.
"You knew him."
The stranger didn't answer.
"You knew Professor Hayes."
The stranger turned away.
"Knowing him doesn't change what happened."
Alex stepped forward.
"Then tell us what happened."
The stranger remained silent.
Damian's voice became sharper.
"You're the one who sent him here, aren't you?"
The stranger suddenly looked back.
"No."
Their voice carried an unmistakable edge.
"I tried to stop him."
Alex frowned.
"From doing what?"
The stranger stared toward the mountain.
"From awakening Ragnarok."
Another tremor passed through the forest.
The stranger continued.
"Professor Hayes believed Ragnarok was nothing more than an ancient Pokémon, an undiscovered species whose existence could rewrite everything humans understood about the history of Pokémon."
Alex remembered the journal.
Professor Hayes believes we've found evidence of an unknown species.
The stranger continued.
"He was wrong."
"What was it?"
The stranger looked toward Alex.
"Ragnarok isn't merely a Pokémon."
Alex waited.
The stranger finally spoke.
"It is a weapon."
The words hung in the air.
Yellow's expression changed.
"A weapon?"
"Not one created by humans."
The stranger looked toward the mountain.
"A weapon created by nature itself."
Alex felt a chill run through him.
"Why?"
"Because there are forces in this world that cannot be defeated by ordinary Pokémon."
Damian narrowed his eyes.
"And Ragnarok is one of those forces?"
The stranger shook their head.
"Ragnarok is the answer to them."
Alex frowned.
"Then why are you trying to stop it?"
The stranger looked directly into his eyes.
"Because every weapon eventually becomes a threat to the person holding it."
Before Alex could respond, another enormous roar erupted from the mountain.
This time, the sound was accompanied by a wave of energy that raced across the forest.
Trees bent.
Leaves exploded from their branches.
The ground cracked beneath Alex's feet.
The stranger immediately looked toward the mountain.
"It's happening sooner than I expected."
Damian stepped forward.
"What is?"
The stranger reached toward one of the Poké Balls attached to their belt.
"The second awakening."
Alex's heart dropped.
"The second?"
The stranger nodded.
"Ragnarok was never alone."
The mountain suddenly split.
A massive crack appeared along its side, glowing with an intense red light that illuminated the entire forest.
Yellow stared upward.
"There's another one?"
The stranger looked at Alex.
"There are three."
Alex's eyes widened.
"Three what?"
The stranger's answer was almost a whisper.
"Three ancient Pokémon."
Another explosion erupted.
The mountain began collapsing.
The ancient forest shook violently.
And from somewhere beneath the earth, a second roar answered Ragnarok's cry.
Then a third.
Alex stared at the mountain in horror.
Three enormous voices echoed through the night.
Three ancient powers were awakening.
And the mysterious hunter beside them had already reached for their Poké Ball.
"Now," the stranger said, "we find out whether your generation is capable of surviving what the last one couldn't."
Alex looked at Charmander.
Charmander looked back.
Its tail flame burned brighter than ever.
Alex clenched his fist.
"Then let's survive."
The stranger looked at him for several seconds.
Then, unexpectedly, they nodded.
"Good."
They pulled the Poké Ball from their belt.
"Because from this moment forward, there is no going back."
The mountain exploded.
And the darkness beneath the earth finally opened.
To Be Continued… 🐉🌑⚡🔥
Next Chapter: "The Three Ancient Pokémon"