"An Arceus fanatic, known as 'Alpaca Bro,' the ancient version of Cynthia... And he's still alive, unchanged? He must be over a hundred years old by now!"
"But then again, the Pokémon world does have some individuals who achieve longevity through various means. Did Volo find a way to live forever too? Or was he always immortal?"
This was one of the long-standing questions among players, as Volo, after being defeated by the protagonist during the Hisui era, had once proclaimed in a fit of desperation:
'One day... One day! I will unravel every single mystery of the Pokémon legends in Hisui! And I will meet Arceus! No, I will make it submit to me! No matter if it takes years… decades… or even centuries, I will not stop!'
This statement led many to believe that Volo had already lived for an exceptionally long time. He also had a rather familiar relationship with Cogita, a character speculated to be a human avatar of Arceus, although Volo himself never seemed to realize her possible divine connection.
Moreover, Volo, Cogita, and Cynthia all bore striking resemblances to one another. Volo was likely Cynthia's ancestor, while Cogita's true identity remained shrouded in mystery. If Volo was the ancient Cynthia, then Cogita was Cynthia in her primal form.
Perhaps the ancient people of Sinnoh were never meant to have normal lifespans in the first place.
"I'm a craftsman from a nearby village, sent by the villagers to deliver supplies. Of course, I do have some interest in the ruins of Shinto."
Hikaru pushed aside his wandering thoughts and focused on the conversation. He brought Doduo to the front of the cabin, tying its reins to a pillar. The bird curled up into a resting position, closing its eyes as if preparing for a nap.
"Your clothes don't match those of a village craftsman. Did you move here from another region? I never thought someone would actually settle in this forgotten land of Shinto."
Volo chuckled. Naturally, an outsider's clothing was completely different from that of the villagers. His gaze then landed on the Honedge peeking from Hikaru's back.
"Oh? That's a Pokémon I haven't seen before."
"Yo~" Honedge glanced at Volo with mild curiosity.
A traveling merchant, huh?
This guy definitely has some rare treasures.
Volo led Hikaru into the largest wooden cabin, where an elderly man and an Abra resided.
In the game, once the protagonist arrived in the ruins of Shinto, they could use this elder's Abra to teleport home.
"Grandpa, the village has sent you supplies."
Hikaru couldn't help but smirk when he heard Volo refer to the mountain elder as 'grandpa.' Considering Volo was likely far older than him, it was amusing to see him pretend to be young. Though, on second thought… Volo might actually be younger than the elder.
If this old man was also a descendant of the ancient Sinnoh people, then his presence here made sense.
A normal person wouldn't choose to live in such an isolated ruin. Since he was its guardian, he must have a deep connection to this place.
"Oh, thank you! But I don't think we've met before. Are you a new ruins investigator?"
"Ah, actually, a well-known team of researchers from Johto was here about two months ago. They were investigating connections between the Ruins of Alph and this place. But in the end, they didn't find anything useful."
The elder shook his head, and Volo took the opportunity to introduce himself.
"My name is Volo. I'm just an insignificant merchant passionate about history and mythology. My love for ancient knowledge led me here, and for now, I serve as a guide for mountaineers and explorers of these ruins."
"There aren't many ruin researchers who visit this place. It's not easy to reach alone. From late spring through all of summer, the blizzards stop, making it the only viable time to travel here. But once summer ends, while the distant villages may still see autumn, here, the snowfall begins immediately."
"Of course, the reason I stay here is because of my love for history and mythology. I have knowledge I seek, so I wait for researchers to uncover something valuable, hoping to gain access to precious knowledge."
"After all, a good merchant must personally verify valuable people, things, and information."
"A successful merchant understands the importance of information. If one fails to keep up with the world's trends, they will be eliminated by the harsh reality of competition. That's why I stay here—to collect fresh intelligence."
At this point, Volo suddenly spread his hands and sighed in frustration.
"But things haven't gone as planned! I thought the researchers would discover something, but in the end, they found nothing. In my opinion, it's because the ruins did not choose them. Ah, but that's just my personal take on it."
"Do you know about the ancient verses?"
Volo smiled as he explained his reason for coming here. His voice held a nostalgic tone.
"They were ancient poems discovered in Hisui long ago. Every region has such texts—old, cryptic messages found in ancient relics. But there was one particular verse that caught my interest, even though I read it too late."
'Pure and solemn, imbued with an indescribable power.'
'The land of Hisui and Shinto—both bear striking similarities.'
"The verse specifically mentioned the land of Shinto, which made me believe this place contained ruins related to my research. But at the time, I was still in Sinnoh—oh, Hisui is the old name for Sinnoh. You might not have heard that term before~"
"In the myths of Shinto, ancient people received life from Pokémon and entrusted their lives to them in return. As a result, humans and Pokémon shared even deeper bonds than they do now. Every action people took was intertwined with Pokémon's power."
"The ancient ruins here preserve the myths of both Johto's Ruins of Alph and Sinnoh's Spear Pillar. This suggests that, in ancient times, the people of Johto and Sinnoh had interacted."
"Long ago, a group of Sinnoh people migrated to this land. They missed their homeland, so they built a shrine here—what we now call the ruins of Shinto."
"And this temple was dedicated to a Pokémon revered as a god—Arceus. Have you heard of that name?"
"However, there are no images depicting Arceus left behind, which is truly unfortunate."
Hikaru listened attentively. Some of these lines were almost identical to the ones from the game—it felt as if he were playing through the story in real-time.
"You're knowledgeable about ancient history? Let's exchange information!"
Volo beamed at Hikaru, eyes filled with anticipation.
Should I just tell him Arceus's base stats? I bet he wouldn't know that!
"I only know a little about ancient history. If you're looking for valuable intelligence from me, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Though, I did read some ancient mythology books in Sinnoh's Canalave Library—but they were just stories."
"I did come across ancient texts stating that Arceus was born from an egg in a void and created the universe with a thousand arms, using itself as a light to illuminate Sinnoh."
"The people who migrated here brought unique traditions to Johto, such as performing ritual dances to honor legendary Pokémon. Through music and dance, they celebrated the power of mythical Pokémon."
Hikaru simply recited the Pokédex lore, making sure not to reveal any deeper secrets about the ruins.
But since Volo mentioned the ancient verses… Had he already collected all of them?
In the game, ancient verses weren't required for completing the main story. They were collectibles that fleshed out the world's lore.
And even after a hundred years, Volo still hadn't met Arceus. He must have already figured out the conditions needed, but Arceus simply refused to acknowledge him. Even if he gathered everything, he still couldn't enter the Hall of Origin.
After hearing Hikaru's response, Volo visibly deflated.
Most of the information was already known to him. However, the mention of ritual dances piqued his interest.
Perhaps it was worth investigating Johto further.
And also the Michina Ruins in Sinnoh.
Volo pondered for a moment before his usual grin returned.
"Well, history and myths are always fragmented. There are still countless ruins worldwide. Not everyone holds unique knowledge."
"But thank you for your insights! Even without proof, hearing a different legend is still worthwhile!"
"By the way… have we met before?"
Volo suddenly looked contemplative as he studied Hikaru.
"For some reason, talking to you gives me a strangely nostalgic feeling."
Hikaru shook his head. "No, I don't think we've met. I only arrived here recently. If we did cross paths, it must have been somewhere in Sinnoh, just briefly."
Volo nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, perhaps. Maybe we simply had a fleeting encounter somewhere before."
"Speaking of which, since you're a craftsman, would you like to buy some rare materials? I've traveled across all of Sinnoh, and I have some truly valuable goods!"
Hikaru had been humoring Volo partly to see if he had any rare materials.
"Oh, and speaking of materials, I happen to have something truly mysterious!"
Volo's eyes gleamed as he reached into his bag and pulled out a stone tablet.
"I found this near the ruins of Shinto."
The slab was deep red, small enough to fit in one hand. One side was smooth and blank, while the other bore faint, ancient inscriptions.
"This is an ancient plate of unknown origin. Similar ones have been discovered in my homeland. If given to a Pokémon, it seems to enhance certain elemental moves."
"If you offer 20,000, it's yours! A special price, just for you!"
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