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Brian would have breathed a sigh of relief when his gambit paid off, but there wasn't time. Working together, he and Lu pushed the door further open, the hinges protesting after however long they hadn't been used. No sooner had they dove through than a column crashed down where they'd just been standing, sealing off the exit. Well, no going back now. Where exactly were they? Unable to see, Brian pulled a Pokeball from his belt and opened it, releasing Grace from her ball and into his arms. The Ralts noticed it was pitch black, and wondered just what she'd been called out for. "I need ye to use Flash, Grace," Brian said. "We need to see where we are." The Ralts gave a nod he couldn't see, then light up with a soft glow, one that was just enough to let them see a few yards ahead of them.

What was this place? It looked like the entire room was made of steel. Exploring a bit, they could see small circles on the walls, though what they meant was anyone's guess. Brian took out his SNAG and snapped a few pictures of the circles, wanting to try and figure out what they were for at a later date. When his gaze fell on some kind of statue at the back of the room, he froze. What was a statue doing down here? Was this some kind of shrine? Wait, that form. Arms and legs, but no eyes. It looked like a Pokemon, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember which one. Riley's words echoed in his mind; he'd called this place the Iron Ruins, where the ancient legend slumbers. Why was that so important? What was it about this place that had Riley so worried about people reaching the ruins?

As he tried to think back, to try and remember if he'd read anything about the Iron Ruins, he heard a soft noise from Lu, and turned to see her kneeling before the statue. Her stance was one of reverence, one of respect. Where the ancient legend slumbers... Wait, if Lu was reacting like this, then that meant... Brian's face went pale as he realized what this place likely was. If the 'ancient legend' was slumbering, then that meant what they were looking at wasn't a statue at all, but a living Pokemon. And based on the metal in the room, as well as the location being deep within Iron Island, it was very likely a Steel-type. If that 'statue' was what he thought it was, then the last thing he wanted to do was wake it up. He scanned the room carefully. If he could find another way out without having to get too close to the 'statue,' then that was the best thing right now.

Brian searched the chamber inch by inch, running his hands along the walls as he searched for another way out. After checking all the walls, he realized that the only way out was probably the entrance they'd come through. Unfortunately, that entrance was now blocked by rubble, and no longer a viable escape route. He was beginning to wonder if they would ever manage to get out of this room, or if this would wind up being their tomb. Shaking his head to dispel such thoughts, he hardened his resolve to find a way out.

As he searched the walls again, he noticed a faint blue glow at one corner that seemed to get brighter the closer he got to it. Wait, was it somehow responding to his aura? Walking over to the spot, he placed his hand close to the spot, and something inside him told him this would require aura to figure out what was causing it. "Lu, I need yer assistance again," he said. The Lucario gave a slight growl as she came over, and the two repeated their actions with the door, despite not having any indication of what to do. As they did, Brian noticed a small Time Flower beginning to grow, and he wondered just what this was. He reached out to touch it, but hesitated as he recalled the previous three he'd managed to activate. Would this be like the others? Would he find out more about his past? There was only one way to find out. Steeling himself for whatever he would see, he touched the Time Flower.

The bright flash of light that accompanied him touching the Time Flower made Brian squint his eyes, and when the light faded, he saw a vision he didn't recognize. It looked like Riley here in the same chamber, but what was Riley doing here? The clothing the figure was wearing indicated this may not be Riley at all, but if it wasn't him, then who was it? What was the apparition saying about the Monks of Was? What, or who, was that? He listened as the apparition continued speaking, saying the 'golem' was sealed for another hundred years. Ah, so his suspicion was correct, then. That 'statue' was one of the Golems, and judging by the location and the shape, it was more than likely Registeel.

Seeing the apparition stare straight at him, even if it couldn't see him, made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Had this person known he would come here? He felt a hint of a chill when it passed through him, and he spun to see what would happen next. He hurried to the place the apparition was standing, and he noticed its hand was outlined with aura. Wait, what was it doing with the dots on the wall? Seeing the apparition disappear so quickly had him wondering if this might not be some sort of teleportation device, but if that was the case, then what was it doing here? Was it a safeguard in case the golem woke? Or was it in place in case someone got trapped within the shrine?

Brian studied the spot the phantom had touched, the pattern he'd seen etched into his mind. Could he do what the apparition had done? Could he activate whatever this was and use it as a way to get out of the shrine? There was only one way to find out. Closing his eyes, he took a calming breath, then tried to do what the apparition had done. He could see his hand glowing faintly, his aura somehow responding to his wishes. Seeing what he was trying to do, Lu recalled herself into her ball, just in case. Brian traced the pattern he'd seen, hoping he didn't mess it up, then lowered his hand again. "Arise," he said, hoping this would work.

When the aura surrounded him, it felt like Brian's stomach bottomed out as he was transported out of the shrine. He couldn't feel anything but himself being pulled toward the surface; he could see nothing but blue, making him wonder if he hadn't gone momentarily blind. It didn't last long, however, as the next thing he knew, he was standing on the ground, the sky above him and solid rock beneath his feet. Well, it looked like his gamble had paid off. Just what was that? Who was that man in the vision? And how long ago had that vision actually taken place? These were questions he would have to ask Riley, or try to find the answers on his own.

As he looked around, he could see that he was far above where he thought he'd been, and although he couldn't see much in the way of landmarks, he could just make out the dock he'd arrived at. Hmm, that was a better place to start than nothing. There were two main problems on his mind. First, did Riley make it out of the cave, and were he and his Lucario alright? Second, he needed to find out how to get back to Firebrand. He'd left the Magmortar in charge of protecting the Chimchar, so hopefully, he would still be there. Right now, however, his most pressing issue was how to get down from the place he was at. Seeing no other option, he decided his best course of action was to head for the docks. Once he reached that, he could ask about Riley.

Taking Lu's ball from his belt, he released the Lucario, who looked at him expectantly. "Looks like we made it outside," he said. "However, we've got a long walk ahead of us. Let's head for the docks so that we can find out if Riley made it out. If he's still inside, I want to go look for him, make sure he's alright. And we need to retrieve Firebrand, as well." The Lucario gave a nod as the two started walking. Hopefully, they could make it before it got dark, but if not, they would just have to keep going or camp out for the night.

Brian and Lu started on the long trek down the island, the sun beating down. The only thing keeping the sun out of his eyes was the hat he took out of his bag. Lu, unfortunately, didn't have any such protection, so she was left to suffer in the hot sun as they traveled. He could make out a few Geodude along the way, and they managed to startle a group of Wingull, of all Pokemon. The two dodged a few droppings lobbed at them, but otherwise kept going. Every now and then, Brian would notice what looked like transparent people, but as soon as he focused on them, they would disappear. Were these traces of aura? Or was there something else going on? Lu didn't react to them, which indicated that she didn't see them.

How long had they been walking? Actually, how long had they been trapped in the mountain? Was it hours, days? He didn't know for sure. Right now, all he wanted to do was find someplace he could get out of the sun. Thankfully, they eventually hit a slope that took them off the side of the island and onto flat ground. A short walk later, he could see the docks, and he was sorely tempted to jump into the canal, just to cool off. Before he could entertain this thought, however, a voice shouted, and he was suddenly surrounded by miners. Apparently, they'd been looking for him. He didn't resist the bottle of water placed in his hand, following along as the miners rushed him inside. The cool air felt wonderful on his sun burnt skin, and he had to be careful not to drink the cold water too quickly.

He let the miners push him into a chair, and not too long after, a familiar figure appeared and walked straight up to him. Riley looked dirty, but thankfully, none the worse for wear. "I've been better," he admitted, once his thirst was sated. "I'm lucky to be alive right now. How long was I down there?" Spotting a certain Fire-type, he called out to him. "Firebrand!" he said, and the Magmortar immediately honed in on his trainer's voice. He rushed forward until he was standing next to Riley, not pushing the man out of the way, but close enough to touch Brian. "Thank ye for protecting them, my friend," he said, reaching out to place a hand on Firebrand's cannon. "Are the Chimchar safe? Are ye and Lucario alright?" He directed these last questions to Riley.

Brian listened as Riley answered his questions, and he had to smile at the mental image he got from the news. "I wish I could have seen that," he said, chuckling. "I'll have to make a special treat for ye, Firebrand." He took another drink, finally starting to cool down. "There were Time Flowers in the tunnels," he said. "Remember when I said I had no knowledge of any of my family having aura abilities? Turns out, the aura from my side was sealed because one of my ancestors abused his abilities. That's why there were never any aura users in my family until now."

He gave a slight sigh, then looked at Riley with an apologetic look. "When we reached the cavern with the ruins, there was someone there," he said. "She said her name was Maeve, and that I was her cousin. Apparently, she's from the side of my family that still has aura abilities. I don't know what she was after, but I believe it had something to do with the ruins. She challenged me to a duel, and while we battled, the cavern collapsed. Maeve teleported away with a Baltoy, leaving me and Lu trapped. I know we weren't supposed to, but we had no choice but to enter the shrine to avoid being crushed.

Once inside, we saw what the ruins house. Don't worry, it sleeps still. I'm not fool enough to wake something that powerful. While we were searching for a way out, we found another Time Flower. We saw someone that looked like ye, Riley, but wearing different clothing. He mentioned ensuring the golem was properly sealed, and that the Monks of Was were safe for another hundred years. After that, he said something about his successor returning to the shrine, then infused his aura into a spot on the wall. I did exactly what he did in the vision, and found myself on top of the island. After that, Lu and I walked until we found our way down to the docks."

"My ancestor's connection to his aura was severed by his nephew," Brian explained. "His nephew wanted to ensure that none of his uncle's descendants took the path his uncle had. 'Only once one can truly form a bond with their Pokemon and use that bond to help the less fortunate will this seal weaken and fade.' That was the restriction placed so that the mistakes of the past wouldn't repeat themselves. However, that means I now have to deal with that side of my family watching to make sure that I don't turn out like that monster. I'm not sure how, but Maeve knew that ye'd started teaching me about aura."

He listened as Riley explained what he'd already figured out, that the golem was, indeed, Registeel. So the Monks of Was were the guardians of the shrine. That made sense, considering the destruction that would likely follow should the golem awaken. "Do we know what the disaster was?" he asked. "Was it Registeel, or something else?" His thoughts were derailed when Riley mentioned that the man Brian had seen in the vision was actually one of Riley's ancestors, Sir Aaron. Was that the man whose portrait hung in Riley's office? That would make sense. As he was thinking about this, he remembered something. "Riley, is it normal to see blue, transparent people on top of the island?" he asked.