#(crys is wilin.. in a dungeon talking abt stone mf circles)

[kristallum]

"Multiple points of contact is what I assume, exactly," her voice echoes down the way, torchlight now revealing the end of the passage ahead—in actuality, the stretch had been a lot shorter in length than one could've assumed at its mouth. Tricks of the torches and the shadows they cast.

"There is entirely too much evidence pointing to that being the case, like– say, when using the Galarian stone circles as a point of reference, right? Those formations began appearing around 2500 B.C.E., which, as I mentioned, was two millennia before this palace's construction was completed... safe for me to say, I believe we've been under observation for far longer than we, as a collective society, can fathom."

Much more than food for thought—the two Champions are assembling a buffet. It brings Crys to chuckle, oblivious to the fact that Peridot senses something mechanizing behind the walls to both sides of the three explorers. And, chilling as the implications are behind Brendan's conjecture, the Johtonian bears a sheepish grin.

"Look at the two of us—musing over hypotheticals, all while not knowing where in the hell we are." Though it has been worth swapping around theories; the woman is left with a lot to notate once breaking out of the castle's labyrinthine depths.

The end ahead nears, and the upcoming way out of the dungeon becomes visible: oddly slanted for a passage presumably meant to be navigable, to their right appears to be a hatch of some sort—intraversable, making the downward slope leading towards the left their only option.

Crys leaps from the end of the previous hallway, a short jump down but one that forces her to balance against the slight tilt of the flooring below. "Strange, the way this corridor was designed. I wonder if this slope was built with the intent to drain excess rain water? Seeing as this region wasn't nearly as arid back then." She hesitates to express aloud the idea of the tunnel being built to dispose of waste.

A tiny tug at her sleeve, and Crystal's gaze meets Peridot; the Illumise's entire aura seems sour, and very displeased.

Her trainer simply takes this reaction as a sign to what they are all experiencing, flashing the pokemon a sympathetic smile. Best she can do is be reassuring in times like these, to be the rock for her entourage. "It's gonna be alright, Peri. We'll be out of here as soon as possible, no need to fuss."

Joined by Brendan, the two steady themselves downwards, banter continuing to be a welcome source of distraction. "This chute could've served to assist in the transport of materials, back before the empire's prime... it's pretty plausible, don't you think? Despite their proficiency with ancient technology, they were still a primitive people..."

Brendan's lips pursed and he nodded a little. He'd never actually asked May how her encounter with Kyogre had gone - he barely spoke of Groudon and what he'd felt during the battle. How powerless he'd been.

He kept an eye on Groudon, but nothing else. If he was honest with himself, he had no interest in making any sort of accord with Pokemon of such power. Let sleeping gods lie, as it were. Primal Reversion, though, was another matter.

"No, no, it is interesting." He agrees with her. "Don't worry about that, either. Truthfully, we barely know anything about it. I've actually still got the Orb. Not on me, but given everything-- I felt like returning it to Mt. Pyre wasn't ideal. The family are wonderful people, but their duties are ceremonial. Nobody was ever actually expected to take the orbs, nevermind use them."

It sounded harsh, but given what Aqua and Magma had managed to do, what good was it to give them a potential second chance? That had never felt like much of a choice. Besides, it kept it away from Groudon, too.

His eyes drift over the carvings again as he listens, nodding along with her thoughts. Its certainly interesting, that these Pokemon would tie so strongly to places of human spirits, or sciences. There wasn't an obvious overlap he could find there - not on the spot - but that didn't mean there wasn't one.

Still, that would take a lot more deliberation - and this wasn't the place for that, really. Not if they didn't want to starve to death or dehydrate. They only had so many rations, after all.

"The question then becomes, what was the point of origin? While these carvings suggest Unova - as do the landing rumors - that doesn't mean they weren't elsewhere though?" He muses. "Though this may point to the fact that they had multiple points of contact.."

Brendan scratches his cheek as the pair begin to walk down the only exit available. At first he assumes its a dead end, but as they get closer he realizes it isn't; there's just a drop at the end.

Odd design. Damage, maybe? Either way, he has some time to keep talking - which is why he misses the soft sounds of gears turning in the walls. He is, however, at least careful to keep an eye out for any murder-holes.

Which he doesn't see!

"We know how intelligent some Pokemon are, and these ones are capable of building ships. That must mean they have a whole civilization out there." He folds his arms over his chest, guided as he was by Illumise and Crys herself. "-- If that is the case, it'll certainly throw a wrench into entering partnerships with these Pokemon, on some level."