The Hidden Ruins (Exploration)

The Hidden Ruins
"Ancient secrets are best left untouched."

This page contains details about the exploration The Hidden Ruins, and contains quest spoilers.

To return to the list of Special Explorations, click here.

Requirements
The user must not currently be embarked on any other exploration, and have at least one slot open in their party to begin the quest line. Additionally, the following requirements are specified: This exploration has a cooldown period of 30 days.
 * 8000 interactions
 * 130 Pokedex entries
 * 30 achievements
 * 128 point fee

Task 1
" 'Hey, watch it!' a surly-looking construction worker shouts at you. Looking around, you notice a large bulldozer slowly moving in your direction. You quickly move out of the way and survey the area. Trees are being uprooted by a behemoth of a machine, while off to the side sits a large truck ready to haul them away. ' Nothin' to see here, kid. Now if you'll excuse me, we have a resort that needs buildin'.'

''As you're about to make your way back to the hiking trail, you hear the worker shout something to one of his colleagues. Glancing over your shoulder, you notice the very same bulldozer with smoke billowing out from underneath it.''

'' 'Hey, kid! You wanna come lend us a hand?' You walk back towards the group of large men. 'We need some supplies to fix this thing. You think you could do it? There's a hardware store just down the road from here. Just take that path back to the road and you should be able to get there easily. We'd do it, but we still gotta work with what we have.'" Metal Coat and Metal Powders can be purchased from the Shop. If there are none currently for sale, the Pass Power 'Purchase Power' allows users to buy items not in the shop right now.''
 * Have 1 Metal Coat and 2 Metal Powders in your Inventory

Task 2
"You return to the man-made clearing an hour later, supplies in tow. You open up your backpack and pull out the items that the men had asked for. The larger man graciously accepts them and hands them to the group's mechanic, who has already begun working on the vehicle.

''After nearly half an hour, the bulldozer starts up again and resumes its work. You see the large construction worker, whom you've already assumed to be the head of the group, making his way towards you. Before he can say a word to you, however, a chorus of shouts rise up from across the clearing near the excavator. A few of the other men have formed a circle around something. Curious, you follow the head of the construction crew over to the commotion.'' '''What... is this?' the large man gasped.''

 'No idea,' replied another worker.

'' 'Maybe this is what those guys were looking for?' says another man. Everyone turns towards him. 'What? My cousin works at some historical research place or something just up the hill from here.'''

''The man in charge turns towards you. 'Hey kid, you up to helping us again? We can't dig if there's any important artifacts, and if what Larry says is true, then you'd best go to that place he was talkin' about and get one of them scientists down here.'"''
 * Get 500 interactions

Task 3
"' Hello?'

''No answer. The lights are on in the lobby, yet the receptionist's desk is deserted. Shrugging, you decide to look around the facility yourself. The constant, gentle hum of the central air system follows you from room to room.''

''Your stroll throughout the facility brings you to a room lined with bookshelves. Your curiosity draws you further in to look for anything that could be useful. One immense leather-bound book catches your eye. You clutch it with both hands and pull it to the nearby study desk, where you drop it on the table with a loud thud and take a seat. The cover crackles as it opens and gives way to immense blocks of research notes. You flip through the pages, taking note of several interesting illustrations. A photograph taped to one page draws in your gaze. It’s of a strange Pokémon you’ve never seen before. A caption below the picture proves useful in identifying it.'' ''Relicanth have existed for 100 million years without ever changing. First discovered in 1938 after previously being thought to be extinct.''

 'Can I help you?'

''Startled, you jump out of your seat and knock a lamp off of a nearby table. A young man with short black hair and glasses catches the lamp and places it back where it was. He brushes the dust off his hands on his white lab coat.''

'' 'Oh. So Tabitha's not around. Well at least it looks like you've found what you were looking for,' he says, pointing to the book. You mention the statue that you saw earlier, and a smile spreads across his face.''

'' 'Show me where you found this! I must see it!' he exclaims.''

''On the way out of the building, he locks the door and shuts off the lights. After shoving the keys in his shirt pocket, he inhales the fresh outdoor air deeply, as if he hasn't been outside in months. You also notice that he brought the book with him. Maybe you'll get another chance to look at it later.''

'' 'The name's Professor Linden, by the way. I have to admit, I'm not exactly surprised that you found this statue. We've known for a while that there was an ancient temple built around this area long ago, but we weren't sure of its exact location. This place has changed over the years, especially more recently with all of this construction going on.'''

 'But enough about me, let's see what you've found.'"
 * Get 500 interactions

Task 4
"You arrive at the construction site with Professor Linden in tow. The men are sitting around eating their lunches. They each lock their gaze on the professor as he walks by-- whether out of admiration or irritation, you are uncertain. The head of the crew sets aside his lunch and leads Professor Linden over to the partially exhumed statue.

'' 'So, we've found this... I dunno whatever it is, but it's right here in the dirt and we don't wanna dig it up if it's important.'''

''Linden approaches the statue and rubs his hand along the indentations, admiring every detail. He makes himself comfortable on a nearby tree stump and places his book on his lap. He feverishly flips through the pages until he finds what he's looking for.'' ''He points to a sketch of a large stone archway between two statues identical to the one in the ground. Jumping up from the stump, Linden begins pacing.''

'' 'Judging by this sketch and the positioning of the statue, the doorway should be…' he suddenly stops, pointing to the ground below his feet. 'Here. The doorway should be around where I'm standing. Problem is, we'll need to be delicate with digging out the entrance. None of your brutish machines will do.'''

 'What if we use a Pokémon to do it?' asks one of the men.

'' 'That's a start,' the professor begins devising a plan. Turning to you, Linden says, 'Okay, well since you look like the type that likes to find and raise Pokémon, I'll give you this task. Get us a Ground type though. Other than that, it doesn’t matter what you get. Just hurry back once you're done.'" The Pokemon must be obtained after the start of this task. Pokemon adopted from the shelter, as eggs or hatched Pokemon, DO count for this task.''
 * Have a Ground type in your party

Task 5
"'Excellent find!' Linden praises your newly obtained Pokémon. 'Now, I just remembered the work of one of my colleagues in the Sinnoh region that should help us.' He brings you over to the book on the stump and sits in front of it, pointing to one of the pages.

'' 'You see here, humans and Pokémon have been bonded for a long time. My fellow scientist conducted an experiment to prove his hypothesis that a Pokémon with a close bond to its trainer would perform better. He performed several different experiments in different scenarios, and came to the conclusion that indeed they were more skilled than Pokémon that were freshly caught.'''

The puzzled look on your face lets Linden know that you're not impressed with this piece of what seems to be common knowledge.

'' 'Well, it's a bit of an older study that he did years ago, but it's become standard knowledge among trainers nowadays. So, here's what I've been meaning to get at…' he hands you a red rubber ball.''

''Your expression has yet to change. You're beginning to question whether or not this man even graduated from college.''

 'Here, go spend some quality time with your new friend.'”
 * Have 50 people feed your Ground type a berry

Task 6
"After spending some quality time with your Pokémon, you return to the statue. A stick, spray-painted yellow, sits in the ground several meters away. The professor looks up from his book and notices your arrival.

'' 'Ah, excellent! Now we can commence with the excavation!' he exclaims, clasping his hands together. 'Very well then, all I need you to do is dig where that yellow stick is. I suggest digging a bit in front of it so you don't accidentally collapse the entrance in on itself.''' ''The sun is no longer high in the sky, but the hole has successfully been dug. The crew tosses a rope down the side of the pit, securing it to one of the nearby vehicles. The scientist brings his book over to you with a specific page held open.''

'' 'Now before you go down there, keep an eye out for this,' he points to a sketch of a stone tablet with several odd symbols on it. 'We've found fragments of tablets similar to this one, but if you come across something that looks like this, make sure you get a hold of it. Those that left this temple here guarded it not with brute force; rather they protected it with encrypted puzzles using these symbols.'''

''You nod and make your way down the hole using the rope. At the bottom, you look up at the professor. He tosses you down a flashlight. Turning around, you gaze into the temple's gaping maw. A cool breeze flows from within, sending a chill down your spine. You turn the flashlight on and enter the enveloping darkness."''
 * Get 750 interactions

Task 7
"After making your way through the passage, you come across the central chamber. Standing in the middle is a majestic statue of Relicanth, the Pokémon you saw before in the book, and Wailord. You admire the amount of detail the ancient civilization put into the statue. At the base of the statue rests a stone slab with several bumps and indentations. Remembering the professor's words, you realize that this must be why he asked you to find the tablet.

''Looking around the room, you notice several tall pillars with indentations and artwork all over them. If this civilization truly safeguarded this place with intellectual puzzles, then perhaps this was the first." This item can be found randomly on the site, with higher chances the more time passes. The Pass Power Search Power will increase the chances on encountering the item.''
 * Find the Special Exploration Item

Task 8
"Embedded into one of the pillars is a rectangular chunk of rock. Upon pulling it out, you find several carvings that appear to be similar to the alphabet along with the same odd dot patterns. You carry the stone over to the statue and compare them. You begin translating the markings on the statue, and its message forms in your head. ' In the beginning, this cave rested beneath water In our time, it rested amidst trees. This cave became a sanctuary To those that came before But, their power was too great And thus they were cast inside, Bringing no harm to our villages. Only the brave, the wise, The large, and the small Shall master these...' 

''The last word seems unfamiliar to you. Looking back at the statue and remembering the last few lines, the puzzle becomes a little bit clearer." The Pokemon must be obtained after the start of this task. Pokemon adopted from the shelter, as eggs or hatched Pokemon, DO count for this task.''
 * Have a Relicanth and Wailord in your party, both at level 50 or higher

Task 9
"You run your hands along the two indentations at the base of the statue, noticing their size compared to an average Pokéball. You place the two Pokéballs in each indentation, causing the statue to emit a hollow thunk! You jump back as it begins to rumble and shift. Ancient mechanisms pound beneath the floor. As the statue begins to shift towards the end of the chamber, a large staircase is revealed. You remove your Pokémon from the statue and grab your trusty flashlight, descending into the next chamber. The first thing you notice as you enter the cave is an enormous statue of an ancient Pokémon. Perhaps this was the Pokémon species mentioned in the engraving? While you contemplate the mysteries of this place, you walk towards the statue, noticing more engravings. You pull the stone tablet out of your pack and translate the text.

'' 'Here stands the sentinel of rock, Sturdy and immovable In its time, no man could move it, No man could break it. We sealed it among its kin, To be moved only by them.'" Hard Stones can be purchased from the Shop. If there are none currently for sale, the Pass Power 'Purchase Power' allows users to buy items not in the shop right now.''
 * Have 3 Hard Stones in your inventory

Task 10
"You grab 3 Hard Stones from your pack and place them in a large stone bowl at the base of the statue. Your feet tremble as the ground shakes, and a stone passage opens off to the side of the chamber. You march into the next chamber, never taking your gaze off of the statue. As you enter the next room the first thing you notice is another huge statue. It looks similar in shape and size to the one in the previous chamber. This one, however, is sculpted entirely out of ice. The craftsmanship of this civilization is definitely remarkable.

Before you become too engrossed in admiring the artwork, you find another engraving, this time perched on a cylindrical stone block.

'' 'Here stands the sentinel of ice, Unpredictable and wild. Those who underestimated it Paid the ultimate price. Only the cautious and wise Could pass its icy test.' ''

''You slide your pack over to the far end of the room. It comes to a stop on the stone platform where the statue stands. Aiming the flashlight down in front of you, you can see several things swimming in the water beneath the layer of ice."''
 * Get 500 interactions

Task 11
"Upon reaching the solid floor at the end of the room, another passageway opens up. You gather your things and head on through, turning back once more to the statue. For a brief moment, you could have sworn that the odd symbols on its face flickered. Nonsense aside, you continue onward into the temple. This time, you wind up in a room that looks similar to the central chamber. Another statue rests at the far end, this one looking sleeker than the others-- almost as if it were made out of solid metal, which doesn't seem plausible for such an ancient civilization. As you take a step out into the room, several walls rise up from the ground, forming an immense labyrinth. All that stands between you and the statue are a couple hundred walls. Firmly clutching your flashlight, you enter the maze.
 * Get 1000 interactions

Task 12
"After nearly getting lost in the complicated maze, you finally reach the end of the room. Once more, there is a pedestal with the strange symbols on it. You pull out the stone and translate its cryptic message.

'' 'Here stands the sentinel of steel, Tempered by countless trials. It moved across our lands, Driven by an unbreakable will. Your willpower has been proven, Now go forth and awaken them.' '' ''Another entrance opens, and you run inside. The entrance seals itself behind you, and not long afterwards you hear the sound of clanking metal and moving stone. Looking back in front of you, you see a staircase winding upward. You follow it as it takes you up to another area.''

''The phantasmal howl of air passing through the chamber swirls around you, making the room feel exponentially smaller than it actually is. The three round objects placed within the exposed portions of the nearby pillars pique your curiosity. However, it could be very likely that you would only be able to grab one of them. But which one will it be?" The egg chosen here will determine your reward at the end of the exploration.''
 * Pick one of the three eggs

Ending
"As you grab the egg, the whole temple rumbles and you almost drop it. As you had anticipated, the other pillars lowered into the ground with their treasures left unclaimed. You quickly look around the room, noticing that the way you came in is now sealed. Before you start panicking more than you already had been, a rectangular pedestal emerges from the floor. You run over to it, translating its characters with ease. Practice makes perfect, after all.

' ''Three shall walk this land once more. Three to give us power, awareness, and will. Three shall walk this land, Pokémon and man, hand in hand. Go forth, you have been chosen. Go forth, for they have been awakened.' '' ''The wall slides open, leading back into the chamber with the statue of the two marine Pokémon. You continue outward into the orange light of the outdoors. You climb up the rope with the egg nestled firmly in your arm and greet the professor. The look on his face is comparable to that of a child at their birthday.''

'' 'Well then! Our noble adventurer returns!' he exclaims.''

''After explaining the whole ordeal to him, you go your separate ways. A week later, news spreads that the construction crew has cancelled their plans with building the resort due to a “gas pipe leak”. On the television, they show the clearing with trees being replanted. To anyone else it seems like a pointless story, but you notice something very important.''

The statue and the hole to the temple were both covered up with dirt."

Reward
''The egg awarded is based on your choice in Task 12. It will be added to your party upon completion of the exploration.''
 * Registeel, Regice, or Regirock egg