With enough effort, they’d managed to find their way into the strange Mechanical Kingdom that appeared underneath Littleroot. Hideo had wanted to explore it ever since it appeared, though he’d yet to have a chance until now. He’d made sure to prepare for it, well-equipped and ready to explore an unknown land.

A Ralts sat on his shoulder - at least, that’s how it would look to everyone else. This was around the place where Uxie appeared, and it only felt appropriate to bring Uxie along. But he still had to be discreet about it, so a little bit of Skill Swapping ensured that it could keep the Illusion of being just any other Pokemon.

His attention was immediately on the rhythmic noises that seemed to surround them. “Almost sounds like we’re in some kind of giant clock,” he said, both to himself and the others, “There’s a rhythm to it. How'd something this big get made?"

But more importantly, they had to orient themselves. "You guys see anything interesting yet?” It would help them decide where to look first. As far as Uxie was telling him, this place was massive, like the size of an actual kingdom.

Uxie currently Illusion'd as a Ralts, sitting on Hideo's shoulders

Hideo unsure where to start first - consults others

Gwyar Wledig , ana fell , Arashi Akiyama

MECHANICAL KINGDOM: HGCA

Shall we?

"Quite astute— indeed, 'tis shockingly similar to the cacophony heard within Galar's Big Ben." Observed the oldest of the bunch; Sootopolis Police Deputy Chief, Gwyar Wledig. "'Tis rather bizarre... Historians oft theorize the first man made gear to have been inspired by Klinklang and its kin— but such pokemon were mostly confined to the western hemisphere before travel brought them across the globe... For an 'ancient' kingdom such as this to be found within a land as far east as Hoenn... Hmm..."

Assuming they truly were explore an ancient Hoennian civlization... well, either historians's theories needed to be revised, or intercontinental travel had ocurred much earlier than most historians believed.

But even assuming it truly was ancient... how? The amount of resources, technology, man and pokepower, required to build such a place. Found in such a tiny piece of land...? Gwyar could feel goosebumps crawling over his skin, his smile stretching slightly.

How very exciting...!

"Such an gargantuan, yet intricate system... One cannot help but wonder. Who —or what— winds it back?"

Besides the man, Raki the Riolu peered around with open great curiosity, a wide smile on his face. This was... an completely new experience in all senses! The puppy's excitement was palpable, and fortunately for Hideo, hearable.

Due to how quickly his gaze fleeted from mechanism to mechanism, Raki almost missed the flash of neon green at the corner of his eye.

Almost.

Swift as any pup, Raki's gaze snapped in the general direction of the green. But he didn't quite see much... wait. Was that... a patch of green on one of the gears...?

The puppy stopped walking besides the group to stare at the patch with open bemusement, slowly tilting his head to follow it as the gear continued to turn...

TL;DR
-Gwyar speaks about Galar, Gears and their theorized history.
-Raki spots something green.
-Raki stops and stares at it.

ana fell, Arashi Akiyama, Hideo Kino,

Hideo nodded along with Gwyar Wledig 's history lesson, about half of it registering with him. “Definitely the first I’ve heard of clockwork stuff in Hoenn,” he said. “With all that dimensional stuff going on lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if we really just landed in some weird clockwork dimension. Wonder if the people here are clockwork too…”

As for what Arashi Akiyama said? "'What the fuck' is part of what we're here to find out," Hideo answered, “And unless we’re all having the same dream right now, we’re very much awake.”

The louder-sound of some clockwork stuff moving drew the boy’s attention, helped by the yelp he heard right afterwards. It wasn’t long until whoever it was fell down to their level, thankfully saved by one of their own Pokemon. Seemed they weren’t the only ones exploring here. “Don’t think that’s a clockwork person,” Hideo mused aloud, before raising his voice. “Wanna join us? It’s better to look around these places with other people!”

Though where they were going to look was his main question - until both this new person and Arashi pointed out something off in the distance. His “Ralts” took notice as well, bringing it to Hideo’s attention.

“Sounds like we found our first thing to check out,” Hideo said, turning towards the others. “Well, we won’t get it if we stand around and do nothing. Come on!”

And with that, he was off, on his merry way to go find whatever it was everyone had their attention on. It’d be up for everyone else to follow - he wasn’t going to wait. He was sure he was ready for whatever came at them.

Hideo hears ana fell 's fall, offers to have her join group

Uxie takes note of the green thing everyone else points out

Hideo goes off with little thought to the green thing

(Hideo's pushing things forward, moving along the story without thinking things through)

(surely there will be no consequences from this)

Gwyar Wledig , ana fell , Arashi Akiyama

MECHANICAL KINGDOM: HGCA

Shall we?

"Language." The cop chastised Arashi Akiyama absentmindedly while still taking in their surroundings, a little too giddy to really care about the youth's potty mouth. "Hn? Did he?"

He stopped and half turned, giving the frozen Raki a curious look for but a moment before himself noticing what the puppy was looking at.

A hideously green spot savagely contrasting with the beauty of the ancient machinery.

"What in the blazes is that?" The man said bluntly as he stared at it, brow furrowing ever so slightly.

At that moment, the young Hideo suddenly raised his voice, the words reverberating through the seemingly empty Kingdom with an omnious sonority, drowning out the constant echo of clockwork for but a moment.

And in response, an eagle-like screech rang back in return, the shrill sound thrumming through their bones as the entire kingdom quaked.

A large shadow swept past the group, the children, the cop, and the unknown woman, with startling swiftness, a sweeping gale of wind that threatened to throw them off their feet following in its wake.

Stumbling to the side, Gwyar didn't even notice the green spot bolt into hiding as he looked around wildly.

"What was—?"

CRASH!

A booming clap sent them all flying as something giant crashed behind them without warning, blocking off the path from which they had come from.

As Gwyar forced himself to his knees and looked over his shoulder, his eyes grew wide, his jaw slightly agape as he found himself staring at a—

"A Dynamaxed Corviknight...?" The man mumbled to himself briefly before the giant 'creature' reeled back and released a deafening screech, the power behind it enough to send even the heavy man hurtling back, his puppy flying after him with a panicked shout.

"Not a Corviknight!" Hissed the man as he skidded along his back before rolling backwards and to his feet, his gaze more focused now. "That is not a Corviknight's cry... — an Automaton?!"

Upon closer inspection... yes. They could see intricate designs similar to the clockwork around them if they looked hard enough into the joints of the beast; see the lifeless glow in its red, crystal like gaze.

Gwyar's arm snapped towards his belt—

And the creature moved with startling speed, bolting towards them before the man even reached his pokeballs.

"Galatine!" The man shouted; his shadow jolted upwards on cue, taking upon the form of a sword and shield and summoning a barrier!

"We must retreat to shelter!" The man shouted, picking up Raki as Galatine struggled against the sheer bulk of the giant automaton.

This thing was massive, could fly, and moved at speeds that challenged its bulk. They did not have enough information to fight it without the very real possibility of injury or death... best to retreat for now and gather information later!

ana fell, Arashi Akiyama, Hideo Kino,

Hideo shot a thumbs up at ana fell , more than ready to add another member to their expedition crew. Though before the music marking the arrival of another party member could play through his head, it seemed they had another arrival.

A large, mechanical arrival, from what Uxie told him, and from what Gwyar said.

Hideo nearly joined Arashi Akiyama and ana fell in breaking Gwyar Wledig 's chastising as the massive beast hit the ground. He was lucky Uxie covered his ears before that massive screech, because it hurt even through that cover.

And it was enough to tell him that they shouldn't stick around. And lucky enough for him, Uxie had already picked out a great spot to find cover: a nearby castle. “To the castle!” he announced, his stride unbroken from before - he was just receiving direction this time, to get away not only from the massive threat before them, but also to escape the piercing noises it was making in the scuffle.

Fortunately for them, it wouldn't be hard to find an entrance inside - one small enough that their pursuer couldn't immediately follow them through. They'd find themselves in a pretty spacious room - one that they could hear echoes as they moved through.

Just what kind of room did they end up in?

Party member acquired (poggers)

Pursuer acquired (notpoggers)

Hideo runs to the castle

Gets inside, finds a spacious room

Gwyar Wledig , ana fell , Arashi Akiyama

MECHANICAL KINGDOM: HGCA

Shall we?

"Shush and run!" Snapped Gwyar at Arashi Akiyama as they sprinted away from the automaton and towards the Castle.

Bit of a pity to have to immediately go for the obvious crowning jewel of the site when there was so much left to explore, but he wasn't about to risk his life to maintain the authenticity of the experience.

They managed to lose the giant automaton once inside the safety of the castle's walls, the large man taking a moment to breath a sigh of relief. Besides him, Raki dropped on his bum and panted, gulping onto a bottle of water.

"Is that my—?" Deal with it! "I thought so."

Having followed the surprisingly agile Hideo Kino into the castle walls, they all now stood in a spacious chamber with, as it turned out, quite the macabre décor. At ana fell's commentary, the blonde man released a soft whistle.

"Terribly dreary." The man said as he approached the fossilized bodies in the wall, cupping his chin and rubbing it in thought. "It does not fit the gear aesthetics at all."

He half turned back to the group.

"Think it might be related to whatever ended this civilization?"

ana fell, Arashi Akiyama, Hideo Kino,

Hideo took a moment to catch his breath, gulping down a water bottle of his own. He offered some to the "Ralts" on top of his head, but it silently refused - it hadn't exerted itself much beyond guiding Hideo around.

Though he nearly dropped it when ana fell gave him some info on what the room was made out of - and Gwyar Wledig indirectly confirmed it. "That's…grim," he said, "They're just part of the walls?"

Hideo paused for a moment, thinking on Gwyar's question. "It…might be part of it? I'd be surprised if an entire civilization got stuck in these walls, but maybe they're part of all the buildings around us?" His "Ralts" urged him to get closer, the boy following along and allowing it a better look inside. "Not just human parts in there. Ralts here is saying there's Pokemon parts too."

"But why'd they even get stuck behind these in the first place? Did they get stuck behind here? Or did they get put here alive and starve?"

So many questions to ask aloud - and little time to dwell on them. Hideo's "Ralts" seemed to perk up, sending a telepathic message to everyone. Clear words, unlike most Telepathic Pokemon's messages.

HEART. SOUL. MECHANICAL. APPROACHING.

Hideo got the words immediately - ones he'd heard before. Ones related to Volcanion - that he'd "seen" down here when the area was first revealed under Littleroot. "Ah shit," he muttered, putting the pieces together pretty quickly.

"Guys, we gotta get ready. I think Ralts is saying Volcanion is coming." He could feel his heart beat in his chest - they were going to have to deal with a powerful Pokemon soon. "I dunno if we can hide from it-" No way was he going to hide with a bunch of dead bodies. "-so do you guys see anything we can use to get ready for it?"

He wasn't exactly skilled at putting defenses up, or dealing with mechanical stuff.

Quick sippy

Oh boy more dead bodies

Uxie helps Hideo identify them as a mix of human and pokemon bones

Uxie telepathically warns everyone of incoming Volcanion

Hideo can't do much to help on preparing for them

Gwyar Wledig , ana fell , Arashi Akiyama

MECHANICAL KINGDOM: HGCA

Shall we?

"Volcanion...?" What in the world was a Volcanion?

Something dangerous, if these normally suicidally confident children seemed nervous about it.

Narrowing his eyes, the man took a step back towards the center of the room and turned his gaze upwards, holding a digit to his temples as he properly examined his surroundings. Not the materials that made up the walls around him, but the room itself— its purpose.

Castle Construction and Architecture was a topic he well versed in. He had no choice in the matter. Alien as the technology around him was— the principles remained the same... right?

Look for purpose.

People on the walls? Didn't tell him anything; for all they knew, the whole castle was like this. What else was around them...? Gear like mechanisms covered every inch of the walls.

Why? Aesthetic flair?

No. Too much steel. Separate pieces were not needed were etching would've sufficed.

Every other piece of machinery served a purpose in this city... what was this one's?

The entrance had been tiny— it had not been centered, nor had there been any gate either. Not a Foyer, then. Yet, the room was massive... unnecessarily so, for what it held.

Which was either nothing, or corpses.

Unless.

He looked around once more, eyes wider. Looking beyond the complexity of the systems running along the walls, he saw a pattern emerge. Repeating hexagonal shapes, like a Vespiqueen Hive's honey storages.

"... Storages...?" Muttered the man briefly, before his eyes widened. "A warehouse!"

Unremarkable back-entrance, massive size... It could be. But how to operate it...?

He swiveled in place, eyes snapping from wall to wall as he power walked around the room. What was the mechanism, what was—!

"Oup!" So distracted with looking around the man had been, he hadn't seen the indent on the floor until he had stepped on it. Nearly tripping, the man quickly recovered his balance before looking down at the cause.

He found himself staring at an empty gear indent.

"Eureka!" Blared the man loudly, before turning towards his team. "Quickly— fetch a Klink!"

Or Klank, or Klinklank! Whatever they had on hand!

ana fell, Arashi Akiyama, Hideo Kino,