Gym Leader Ike's Research Log: Entry #01

Location: Shastor Mountain Range
Date: 16th September

Alright, so I’m not much for the whole “research log” thing, but this is too big to just leave in my hiking journal. I’ve been trekking up the western side of Shastor for a few days now—really rugged terrain, perfect for getting my legs burning—and I stumbled across something weird today. I mean, really weird.

It was a tablet, buried under some rubble near a cliff edge. I’ve been up this trail a dozen times, and this thing’s never been here before. Some kind of stone slab, pretty ancient looking, with markings that made my brain hurt just staring at them. I’m no expert in ancient stuff, but it’s definitely old—like “this was here before people even thought about Poké Balls” old.

The inscription on it caught my eye. I can’t make heads or tails of the whole thing, but I copied it down exactly:

Now, I’m no scientist or codebreaker—heck, I leave that stuff to the eggheads down at the Pokémon Research Facility—but this feels important. I remember some old stories about the Kostawes region—legends about ancient titans and whatnot. People used to say there were forces at work here before humans set foot in these mountains, and this tablet might be tied to that. Maybe it’s talking about the Shastor range itself, or something hidden beneath it?

I’ve got Tundruff, my trusty partner, keeping watch while I jot this down. He’s always had a nose for things that aren’t right, and when we found this thing, he got real tense. Fur bristling, low growl—you know the look. Tundruff’s instincts are sharper than most, and if he’s on edge, that tells me there’s more to this than meets the eye. We’ve hiked these mountains for years, and he’s never reacted to anything like this.

There’s been a lot of mystery in this part of Kostawes, and I’ve heard enough about the old ruins around here to know this isn’t just some random rock. Gonna take some pictures of the tablet, bring it down to town, and see if anyone smarter than me can crack this code. I’ve got a gut feeling that this ties into something big. Something ancient.

One thing’s for sure—I’ve never seen anything like this up here, and I’ve hiked every inch of these mountains. Whatever this means, it’s gonna be important for Kostawes. Maybe a key to something hidden?

End log. Gotta get back before the sun sets. These mountains are no joke after dark. Tundruff’s already getting restless.

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