Sandshrew was utterly bewildered. One moment, he had just finished a hearty dinner, satisfied and ready to leave. The next, an 'Ice Beam' struck him from behind.
Dazed, his thoughts scrambled, he barely had time to register what had happened before a Poké Ball smacked against his face.
And just like that, he became one of the many Pokémon now sitting down to breakfast.
Luther tore a piece of bread, popped it into his mouth, and glanced at Sandshrew. He broke off a crumb and held it out. Sandshrew hesitated, then darted his tongue out, rolling it up and swallowing it clean.
"Listen, I did capture you," Luther said evenly, "But I'm not your Trainer. Your real Trainer is someone else. Judging from the voice I heard, she's a girl."
He broke off another bit of bread and handed it over before continuing, "And she's got quite the pedigree, personally trained by one of Sinnoh's Elite Four. She's not the kind to look down on you just because of your Ability. Honestly, she's about as ideal a Trainer as you could hope for."
When Luther mentioned that Sandshrew's Trainer was someone else, the little ground-type's ears drooped. That hint of disappointment didn't escape him.
And it wasn't without reason. Even wild Pokémon, through inherited memory and instinct, knew well enough the bonds, and betrayals, between Trainers and Pokémon.
The last thing Luther wanted was for Sandshrew to think he'd been traded away like some commodity.
But the moment Luther described the prestige and strength of the Elite Four, Sandshrew's eyes lit up. His spirits rose, and an eager spark flickered in him. This was a Pokémon who wanted to prove his strength.
Mai returned from her scouting, chewing on her bread.
"Even though it's called the Abandoned Mine Area, there are signs of activity. Not far from here, I found a fire pit. Nearly buried in snow, but clearly used not too long ago."
"That's normal," Luther replied. "Three roads branch out from this place, all connecting to big towns. The miners back in the day were mostly locals. And this spot is sheltered from the wind, making it a decent resting point. Any Trainer passing through would likely camp here."
Still, the emptiness of last night had put him on edge. The word abandoned carried a lingering chill, and the desolate air around them only deepened it. He'd doubled the Pokémon on night watch just in case.
Turns out, he was worrying over nothing. There were no Ghost-type Pokemon haunting the dark, no rowdy Ground-types stirring up trouble. Just a quiet night.
"Sandshrew," Luther asked suddenly, "Do Steel-type Pokemon roam this area?"
Sandshrew pressed his claws against his head, squeezed his eyes shut in thought, then shot up and bolted in a specific direction.
"Wait, hey!" Luther scrambled, grabbing his pack and rushing after him.
Mai left Pachirisu and Chansey to hold the camp, scooped up Chikorita, and dashed after them.
The snow-covered ground looked deceptively smooth. In truth, it was pocked with hidden pits and uneven dips. Following Sandshrew's trail, Luther nearly twisted his ankle more than once, each time a jolt of cold sweat pricking his back.
At last, Sandshrew led him to a yawning mine shaft carved into the mountainside. From the outside, it was nothing but a black, bottomless maw.
Rusting metal frames clung to the walls, remnants of racks once used for miners' tools.
"This is the place?" Luther asked.
Sandshrew nodded vigorously, then began gesturing with all his might.
Luther squinted, trying to follow the frantic signals. From what he could gather, only two things were certain. This mine wasn't abandoned after all, plenty of Pokémon lived here. And among them, the Steel-types Luther was searching for sometimes appeared.
The tunnel was wide, evidence of the massive effort once poured into its excavation. Luther guessed this had been one of the major veins back in its mining days.
His suspicion was quickly confirmed. Jumpluff's glowing spores lit the cavern, revealing an old wooden board nailed to the wall. Carved into it were records: the amount of gold ore unearthed on a given day, the number of workers dispatched.
This was Mine No. 1, the busiest, most productive shaft of them all.
They walked for some time. The air didn't feel thin, which let Luther's chest ease a little.
But the deeper they went, the more holes riddled the rock walls. Before long, four, maybe five different branches split off from their path.
"You're sure Pokémon live here? We've been walking forever and haven't heard a thing," Luther muttered, frowning.
Something didn't sit right. From the entrance to this point, the soil on the ground bore the marks of having been tilled, signs that Ground-types had been active here, even beneath the floor of the mine.
And yet, the only sounds since entering were their own footsteps. No skittering, no rustling, nothing.
Sandshrew scratched his head, baffled as well.
In Mai's arms, Chikorita yawned. She had stayed up most of last night, sneaking away after Mai fell asleep to pester Kirlia into playing with her. Kirlia had tried to send her back to bed, but Chikorita's endless energy wore her down, and in the end, the two spent half the night "training."
By morning, it had taken Mai shaking her twice just to wake her. She stumbled through breakfast, bleary-eyed, rubbing at her face with 'Vine Whip'.
Now, fighting drowsiness in Mai's arms, Chikorita's half-lidded eyes caught something the others didn't: the faintest shift of earth. The soil heaved ever so slightly, as though something moved beneath it.
And not a sound accompanied it.
Her eyes snapped open. She fixed on the crawling patch of dirt and thrashed wildly against Mai's grip.
"Chikorita? Hey, calm down, I can't hold you like this, ah!"
Her 'Vine Whip' looped playfully against Mai's neck, making her flinch. In that moment of loosened arms, Chikorita slipped free.
By the time Luther registered what happened, Chikorita's Vine Whip had already lashed a nearby rock with a sharp crack.
The cavern's silence shattered with her cry: "Come out, I saw you!"
Jumpluff, Sandshrew, and Eevee froze, confused, their gazes flicking between her and the rock.
Sandshrew darted forward with Eevee, who pawed the stone aside and sniffed the ground. Nothing. No scent, no movement.
Luther scooped Chikorita back up and tugged at her leaf with a helpless sigh.
"Really now… Who taught you to act out like this? You're even picking up bad habits, teasing Mai like that?"
Mai's face flushed red as she recovered and promptly pinched Chikorita in retaliation.
The little grass-type squeaked in pain, wriggling, desperate to tell them what she'd actually seen. But between Luther tugging her leaf and Mai's fingers digging into her side, her protests went unheard.
And then, Luther froze.
Something hard pressed against his sole. Not rock, not soil, something else. The sensation crept from his toes to his heel. Sharp. Uneven. Unmistakably alive.
His body tensed, but he didn't let it show. He forced his balance steady, quietly stepped back a few paces, and slid a hand into his pocket. His Pokédex flicked open, scanner aimed beneath his feet.
A reaction.
"Diglett, Mole Pokémon. Moves underground to tunnel forward. Known to strike from unexpected angles. A trio born as one, they think and act in unison, bound by extraordinary teamwork."
Cold sweat trickled down Luther's back.
He and Mai exchanged a horrified glance.
They weren't just standing near a Diglett nest. Luther was standing directly on top of one.
On the heads of Dugtrio, no less.
(End Of This Chapter)
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