Pokémon: Chronicles of Freedom

According to the murals, the Unown seemed to have coexisted with the inhabitants of Celestic Town for some time.

It was unclear whether the Unown appeared by chance or if they truly had a deep connection with the town.

After briefly observing the mural, Cain followed Cynthia further inside.

As they advanced, they encountered more murals, all depicting Unown, each with different shapes.

Cain carefully counted them: there were a total of 27 murals. He wasn't sure if he had miscounted, if one was missing, or if there had simply been 27 from the beginning.

However, he had the feeling that these murals were trying to convey something, though he couldn't quite understand what.

After passing the murals, Cain, guided by Cynthia, arrived at a large hall.

The moment he stepped inside, he was completely astonished.

At the center of the hall stood two enormous statues.

Although they were somewhat worn by time, the level of detail was astonishing. The sculptor had captured the essence of the figures so realistically that they seemed almost alive. If not for the holes where their eyes should have been, they could easily be mistaken for real beings.

These statues represented the two great gods of the Sinnoh region: Dialga, the god of time, and Palkia, the god of space.

Without a doubt, Celestic Town's legends were deeply connected to these two Pokémon.

While Cain marveled at the sight, Cynthia remained calm.

Anyone seeing these statues for the first time would have the same reaction.

According to the stories, these statues had been sculpted by a powerful ancestor of Cynthia's family, who had dedicated nearly ten years to carving them, achieving an almost perfect representation of the legendary Pokémon.

Dialga.

Palkia.

Once Cain managed to compose himself, he noticed three smaller statues near the two great ones.

They depicted three Pokémon with two tails each, known as the lake guardians: Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf.

These Pokémon, often called "the three spirits," were responsible for granting wisdom, emotions, and willpower to humans.

Although the statues of the three spirits were impressive, they paled in comparison to those of Dialga and Palkia.

However, this did not diminish their status as deities venerated by the people of Celestic Town.

"These two large statues represent Dialga, the god of time, and Palkia, the god of space. The three smaller ones are..." Cynthia began to explain.

"Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf," Cain interrupted, naming the three spirits.

Cynthia looked at him in surprise.

This man knew far more than he let on.

"Exactly. Uxie, the god of wisdom; Mesprit, the god of emotions; and Azelf, the god of willpower," Cynthia continued, explaining the divine titles of the three spirits.

Cain nodded, understanding the significance of these statues.

This had to be one of Celestic Town's greatest secrets.

The fact that these sculptures were so detailed suggested that someone had seen these Pokémon in person.

While encountering the three spirits might be plausible, seeing Dialga and Palkia was a completely different story.

Those two Pokémon did not reside in the Pokémon world but occasionally appeared in it. They were extremely territorial and mercilessly attacked any intruders in their domains.

Moreover, Dialga and Palkia were natural enemies due to the overlap of their territories, leading to constant clashes. Fortunately, these battles rarely occurred in the Pokémon world, as the world had its own protector.

Cain walked around the statues, carefully observing them, but he found nothing unusual.

However, next to these statues was an empty pedestal, as if something had once stood there but was now destroyed.

It didn't seem to have completely vanished; rather, it had been broken. Only small fragments remained on the base, resembling part of a leg... a sharp leg?

Except for these remnants, there was nothing else.

Cain stared at the broken pedestal for a long time, and his heart skipped a beat.

A name surfaced in his mind—a Pokémon's name: Arceus, the god of creation.

When that name appeared in his mind, three small dark symbols on his wrist began to faintly glow.

The light was so dim that no one in the dark hall noticed it.

But... why was the statue broken?

And had someone truly seen Arceus?

The fact that there were remains of an Arceus statue here suggested that someone must have seen it.

Cynthia noticed that Cain was fixated on the broken pedestal and briefly showed a complex expression, which she quickly concealed.

This was Celestic Town's last secret, one that had yet to be revealed.

Cain pondered over the broken pedestal for a long time without saying a word, and Cynthia didn't explain why it was in that state.

Eventually, Cain wondered: Who would have had the courage to destroy a statue of Arceus?

That question lingered in his mind for a long time.

However, it was a question without an answer, so Cain decided to set it aside.

When he regained his focus, Cynthia spoke:

"There are some special records here. They are written in several lost languages. Even in Celestic Town, we don't have a complete record of them. But the legends of Sinnoh began here."

(End of chapter)