Chapter 273: The Green Gem and Florges
Yuga's refusal left Charles deeply disappointed, but he didn't push the matter further. He silently began packing up the ancient Pokémon remains.
While Charles gathered his belongings, Yuga and Florges thoroughly inspected the cave, confirming that indeed nothing remained. They decided it was time to leave.
"Are you ready? Once you are, we can leave!" Yuga called out to Charles.
"I'm coming, just a moment," Charles replied.
He removed his coat, packed all the ancient Pokémon remains into it, and slung it over his shoulder, panting as he rushed over to Yuga.
Together with Florges, they climbed the stone staircase, preparing to exit the cave. Meanwhile, the unknown fossil, released by Yuga, was being carried by his Chimecho, who followed along.
When they emerged from the cave and returned to the stone chamber, they noticed that it was already late morning, and the sun shone brightly outside, casting warm rays into the chamber through the entrance.
Just as Yuga was about to remove the four gems from the stone door and leave the chamber, the green gem among them suddenly floated out, hovering above their heads and emitting a strange green light.
"Florges!" Florges, by Yuga's side, exclaimed.
Turning around, Yuga saw a green orb floating out from Florges's body. It was heading towards the green gem.
Yuga recognized this green orb; Spectral Celebi had once extracted it from Florges's body. He was just puzzled about why it had reappeared.
The green orb approached the green gem, then transformed into a thin beam of light that gradually entered the gem. As a result, the green gem became even more radiant.
When the light on the green gem finally faded away, Yuga and the others saw it slowly floating towards Florges, eventually settling on her chest.
At this moment, Florges began emitting a faint green glow, and a Grassy Terrain appeared momentarily in the chamber. Blades of grass sprouted, flowers bloomed, and then everything withered away, repeating the cycle.
Within this Grassy Terrain, Yuga, Charles, and Chimecho all felt as though they were immersed in a warm spring. Their entire bodies felt cozy and comfortable.
But what did Florges, with her eyes closed, experience during this time?
She felt as though she had transformed into a common blade of grass, experiencing the cycle of life from sprouting to withering. It was as if she had gained insight into the essence of life, the world of Grass-type Pokémon, and the power of Grass-type energy.
When Florges opened her eyes again, the Grassy Terrain in the chamber vanished instantly, and the warm sensation disappeared from Yuga, Charles, and Chimecho.
At this moment, Yuga remembered to check on Florges's condition and quickly approached her, his voice filled with concern.
"Florges, are you okay?" Yuga asked nervously.
"Florges," Florges gently shook her head.
Yuga noticed that the green gem was now seemingly fused with Florges's chest. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remove it.
As he carefully examined the green gem, he could faintly see green fluorescence shimmering inside it, a beauty he hadn't noticed before.
Yuga hurriedly asked his internal system, "System, do you know what's happening here?"
The system responded, [ These four gems appear to be a special artifact created by ancient humans. They were originally in a sealed state but have now been activated by the ruins. ]
Perplexed, Yuga asked, "But how did it become a part of Florges's body?"
The system explained, [ It seems to have become a part of Florges's body, similar to an organ. I'm not sure of the specific effects, but there seem to be no downsides, and likely some benefits. ]
Yuga felt that Florges's demeanor had changed noticeably, gaining an indescribable sense of dignity, somewhat resembling how he felt when facing Dratini's mother, even though Florges didn't possess such power.
Yuga inquired, "Did that green orb cause Florges to merge with the gem? Why didn't it merge with Chimecho but chose Florges?"
The system replied, [ Yes, that green orb holds the residual power of a Legendary Pokémon, carrying its unique divinity, which triggered the gem's response. ]
Yuga was puzzled, "Residual power of a Legendary Pokémon? Why don't I remember encountering any Grass-type Legendary Pokémon?"
Regardless, since Florges seemed fine and had likely gained benefits, Yuga wasn't too concerned about where this power came from.
Since the gem reacted to Legendary Pokémon power, Yuga wondered if it would work on Dratini. He recalled when Spectral Celebi placed a similar orb of Zapdos's residual power into Dratini.
Yuga decided to try it later; perhaps Dratini could benefit too.
Yuga examined the green gem on Florges's chest once more, noticing how it complemented the green on her body. It was nearly impossible to notice without close inspection.
"What's happening, Yuga?" Charles, witnessing the previous events, was startled.
Yuga smiled and replied, "Nothing to worry about. Let's leave this place quickly."
Charles sensed Yuga's reluctance to explain further and nodded in agreement.
Yuga reached out and removed the remaining three gems from the stone door. These were valuable treasures that he couldn't afford to lose.
As soon as the remaining gems were taken down, the stone door began closing outward. Yuga hurriedly led Chimecho and Florges toward the exit, with Charles following closely.
Once they were outside the chamber, the stone door closed shut, sealing the ruins once again.
Charles caught his breath and expressed his gratitude to Yuga. "Thanks to you, I was able to enter the chamber and learn about the ancient Pokémon and the ancient human way of life. I'm truly grateful."
Yuga chuckled and shook his head. "If you hadn't told me how to open the chamber, even with the key, I couldn't have entered. So, it's not a matter of who should thank whom. We've both gained something, haven't we?"
After a short rest, they went their separate ways. Yuga resumed his journey towards the Petalburg City. As for the unidentified fossil, he stored it in his system's backpack after parting ways with Charles.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone