There's Treasure Inside

Part 4: The Search

To find the Compton trailhead, you need to look for a dirt road located next to what looks like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre house. This road will take you to a small dirt parking area. Nearby, at the edge of the woods, you will find two signs. One is for the Hemmed-In Hollow Trail as well as the Sneeds Creek Trail. I would take the Hemmed-In route down to the Buffalo River area and come back up following the Sneeds Creek Trail. Kevin’s knee was well enough that he was able to drive. He dropped me off and wished me luck. We agreed we would meet back at the trailhead at 7 pm. The time was 7 am, giving me one last shot with 12 hours to complete the job.

In his book, There’s Treasure Inside, Jon Collins-Black mentions coming across a sign with Froakie, his imaginary frog-based Pokémon guide. I will add the quote here, along with real-world Pokémon equivalents added in brackets.

“When we arrived at our hiking spot, the weather was sweltering. Maybe high summer wasn't the best time to hide this treasure after all, I thought to myself. The air felt hotter than a Charizard's (Dragon’s) breath. But the Froakie (Frog) didn't seem to mind. He told me not to worry, as it would be unlikely that we would encounter any fire Pokémon along our way. I wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about, so I just smiled and feigned relief.” (Since the route is one to a river and water, it would not include Fire Pokémon, as water is their weakness)

“It was at that moment that I heard a loud noise. I could have sworn it sounded like a Mabosstiff (Dog). But the Froakie, pointing to a sign, said that was unlikely, too. "And we won't see any Bouffalant (Buffalo) either, just so you know," he added. I didn't tell him I already knew this, as I'd done at least a modicum of research before we left. I was just happy the Froakie seemed so engaged. We headed off up the trail.”

The sign for Hemmed-In Hollow shows a no dogs allowed symbol. The Ponca Wilderness area has a no-dogs-on-trails policy. The sign also mentioned the Buffalo River written on it, though with some basic research, you will find that buffalo have not been present in the area of the Buffalo River for 100 years. So this one sign, much like Jon's story, would prompt a conversation about not seeing any dog-type Pokémon or buffalo Pokémon in the area.

As I head down the trail, down some very steep natural rock stairs and dirt descents, the trail was deep in trees, as Jon mentions. As well, this area in Arkansas was the overlapping epicenter of 13 and 17-year broods of Cicadas hatching in the summer of 2024, when Jon hid the treasure.

“Though I will never forget that the Ninjask (Cicadas) were everywhere. And in the midst of them all, I spotted a Pheromosa (Cockroach). What a strange and beautiful creature it was. I continued on some ways more. I wished the Froakie hadn't left. Although the path was increasingly hemmed in, I was quite worried I might lose my way.”

Note, Jon says the path became increasingly Hemmed-In, which is, of course, the name of the trail. Towards the bottom of the trail, there is an offshoot to Hemmed-In Hollow Falls. Take a close look at the image of the Froakie and Greninja in Jon's book. They have a water drop and a downward V on their chests. This is not how they appear in official Pokémon images; these changes suggest a clue, specifically a waterfall.

“I decided to stop for a drink. I sat on a rock in the middle of it all. From where I was, I noticed a couple of Mudkip (MudPuppy, native to the region) and a Swampert (Salamander, also native). Their playful, gliding movements warmed my spirits.”

After hiking a rather wet and treacherous natural rock ledge outcropping, hanging above a rocky drop, I managed to reach the falls. As I suspected, when I arrived, there was a lone rock, sitting there, in the middle of it all, not to mention a Salamander waiting to greet me. Jon later makes a comment about clapping while sitting still on the rock.

“The Froakie and the Greninja clapped feverishly in response. "It's impressive how well you do that," I acknowledged. They winked at me knowingly.”

He fakes being impressed by how well they clap, and they wink knowingly, like they are in on some joke. While I was sitting on that rock, I yelled and clapped, and since the falls are located in a natural rock amphitheater, the result was an impressive echo. An echo that would make a couple of people clapping sound like many. Just as in the story, I needed to reverse course to reconnect with the main trail. This takes me further to come across the end of Sneeds Creek, which, from this route, is the first time I reach the "waters edge."

“In what became a stroke of fortune, the Greninja informed me he knew every corner of the area. We reversed course. As I followed, each step began to remind me of being five years old again. The forest opened up. An eagle greeted us from high above. Minnows decorated the water's edge. I even got to witness a few Magikarp (Carp) conversing with a Seaking (Koi Crap/Goldfish). Nature was alive all around us.” “The Greninja also introduced me to a wise Golem (Boulder) who happened to have a great idea about where we could hide our treasure. We circled back. We left the box not far from a place where locals turn up from time to time.”

Right at this spot, when you first hit Sneeds Creek, you encounter a large stone column. This is our Golem. Now look closely at the highlight on the Greninja's Neck. It's actually a column, and if you look to the left above the eye near the “ear,” you will see a set of spots indicating a path up on a high level behind the column. He says he circles back, which is what the path does to get back up behind the stone column golem if you look at a trail map.

He says he hid the treasure not far from a place where locals turn up from time to time. There are ruins near this location, the foundation blocks of a very old school that used to be here, where locals would gather for school. It was burned down and rebuilt twice. They would turn up from time to time.

Notice the Froakie is holding up three fingers and jesturing northeast with the other hand. On a map oriented north, there are three trails that meet up to the southwest of the rock column; from there, Froakie’s outstretched hand is gesturing northeast toward the rock column. I believe Froakie's hand position and fingers are another clue. Now, if you look at the Froakie’s legs, you will see the page rip near the Froakie's tail that is in the same shape as the bottom of Sneeds Creek Trail.

Before I get into my physical search, let’s finish Jon’s story and how it relates to the area. The circle on the Greninja's foot resembles an old-fashioned car grill, or possibly the bluff rock wall patterns, both of which can be found on Sneeds Creek Trail. Meanwhile, the photograph Jon provides resembles sections of the creek. Not to mention, if you look closely, there is a hidden Mewtwo in the image. Mewtwo is a Pokémon found in a cave, and there are caves along the side of Sneeds Creek.

“To my dismay, almost every photo I'd shot was terribly overexposed! Perhaps it had something to do with taking photographs of expanded reality? I had no idea. Oddly, only one picture was preserved well enough to make any sense out of it. I don't even remember taking this photo, although I do reckon it was closer to the end of our day.”

He says he forgot having taken the picture, and one of Mewtwo's powers is to make people forget. Meaning he passes the cave, taking Sneeds Creek Trail on his way back to where he started his day. He says the photo was taken towards the end of his day, which also lines up.

I began to search where the trail drawn above the Greninja's eye would indicate to go, using the rock column to place the location. The search was slow going, as the area was covered in thorny vines that would snag your feet and trip you up, or cut into your arms and clothes. However, I paid little attention, driven on by the feeling of being so close to my end goal. Lucky the snake guards on my shins and calves took most of the brunt of those low-lying thorns. I searched in every rock crevasse, under overhangs, and rotten logs.

Every time I was sure the next spot would reveal the silver Pokémon box, but after an hour, I found nothing. This can't be, I was so sure. If not here, then where? I pulled out Gaia and used the GPS to plot my route and "mowing the lawn" sort of speak to cover all the ground behind the rock column from past the path to the old school ruins. I searched in front of and around the column. I found nothing, and it had been hours. Once again, I was running out of time.

Perhaps he hid it near the old Henderson house on the way to Sneeds Creek, as a place where locals turn up? Or in one of the caves. At the top of the creek, there are three old cars; maybe the three fingers meant the cars? I scrambled along the trail and through my thoughts as I searched for alternative locations, both physically and mentally. All I found in the cave was a red cave salamander and various spiderwebs. Nothing near the Henderson homestead ruins, nothing near the old cars, even though one of the grills could resemble the spot on the Greninja’s foot. Nothing by the river, although I found a few spots that looked fairly similar to the photo in Jon's book.

My time was up; I needed to start the long uphill hike up the bluff if I was going to be out by nightfall. I had failed. There was so much ground to cover, perhaps I had been close, or perhaps I was wrong in my interpretation. Either way, the truth was, with a massive storm, a lost day, a misguided trail, and half a day of hiking to reach the area, there was no time left to look on this trip.

I hadn't had an issue with biting insects all day, and I finally realized why. They seemed to be waiting for my slower hike back up, and then they attacked me every step of the way. By that point, I gave little fight in return, having given in to my physical exhaustion and thoughts of defeat.

The next day, I decided I would not go home empty-handed. Before heading to the airport during the last few hours of the trip, I decided to go on a treasure hunt of a different sort by visiting the various flea markets and card shops of Harrison. There, I assembled a deck of my daughter's favorite Pokémon cards in order to present her with her own sort of Pokémon box when I returned home.

I could have, of course, waited until I got home and found similar cards in my hometown. Though I felt that by getting these cards while on my Pokémon hunt, it attached a story to them that they would fail to have if I got them another time. I assembled the cards as a gift to my daughter, but in a strange way, they provided the personal perspective that I needed after this endeavor.

It reminded me that stories have value. For example, if you melt a fresh bar of gold, it will be worth its weight in gold. But a gold bar from a Spanish mule train found on Panama's Camino Real or a bar of gold with old trade markings from the Atocha shipwreck will be worth far more than its weight in gold. It's the same material; the only difference is the story it bears. And while I haven't returned home with the Jon Collins-Black box, Kevin and I are okay and live to hunt another day. I have gained a new memory, along with a new story to tell, and that alone holds value in my book.