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The ground trembled with muffled thuds, one after another. Before Luther's eyes, the earth seemed to sprout a cluster of "radishes", except these radishes were brown, squirming, and alive.
Leading them were the Dugtrio, glaring furiously at Luther. Behind them, the rest of the Digletts mimicked their stance, eyes blazing with anger.
It was understandable. Anyone would be upset if they poked their head out of their home to see who's there, only to be stepped on.
Luther tried desperately to calm them down. He explained that he was just a passing Pokémon Trainer. Sandshrew and Jumpluff joined in, trying to mediate. Slowly, the flaring tempers of the Diglett began to subside.
Then Chikorita suddenly lashed out with her 'Vine Whip', pointing at the Dugtrio while chattering excitedly to Mai, laughing the whole time.
Jumpluff, Eevee, and Sandshrew froze, staring at Chikorita in utter disbelief.
Luther and Mai had no idea what she had said. Before they could react, Jumpluff sprang up and kicked Luther backward.
As Luther stumbled, Jumpluff's 'Bullet Seed' burst forth, firing in a rapid volley. Eevee and Sandshrew quickly whipped up dust with 'Sand Attack', retreating back to Mai's side.
Only then did Luther realize the full scale of the assault. The Dugtrio and their swarm were charging at him with relentless fury.
'Bullet Seed' toppled two of the Diglett, but it was no match for the leader trio. Commanding their numbers with uncanny coordination, the three unleashed a 'Mud-Slap' barrage at Jumpluff.
Two fists against four hands, Jumpluff could barely keep up. She patted Chikorita lightly on the head, then leapt onto Luther's shoulder.
Her message was clear: Luther understood immediately. He grabbed Mai's hand, and they bolted.
Jumpluff disrupted the advancing Diglett clan from atop Luther's shoulder, while Eevee perched on Mai's, launching 'Shadow Ball' backward to slow their pursuers.
Breathless, Luther stole a glance at Chikorita mid-run. "What did you say to them?!"
Chikorita's face fell. She had only meant it as a joke, finding the Dugtrio absurd.
"They look so weird," She mumbled.
Luther blinked, realizing how much chaos a simple comment had caused.
They ran for a while, until something clicked in his mind.
'Wait a second… Why am I running? It's just Dugtrio. We can handle this.'
He threw three Poké Balls in a practiced motion. "Marill, Ice Beam! Espurr, Psyshock! Kirlia, Psychic Power!"
Mai, seeing Luther halt, quickly responded. "Corsola, Slowpoke, Water Gun, now!"
The Dugtrio skidded to a stop, realizing trouble, but the rest of the Diglett swarm, caught off guard, was swept aside by the incoming moves.
Marill's 'Ice Beam' knocked some Diglett senseless, but the trio was far from defeated. They burrowed beneath the ground to dodge the next attack, then shot back up, ramming Marill and sending her sprawling.
They fired 'Stone Edge' toward the cavern ceiling. Rocks and debris tumbled down, forcing Luther to order his Pokémon to cluster closer for safety.
Marill, furious, leapt back into the fray, swinging her fists at the Dugtrio.
Before she could land a blow, mud from the trio's 'Mud-Slap' blinded her. Helpless, she flailed wildly.
Seizing the opportunity, the Dugtrio struck with 'Headbutt', slamming directly into Marill.
"Dugtrio are right behind you! Turn around, 'Ice Beam', now!"
Marill reacted, spinning to face them, but the trio was already nearly on top of her. There wasn't time to execute Ice Beam properly.
The ice energy in her surged, but she forced it down, swinging a massive icy fist forward.
A chill erupted from her hand, freezing around the trio. The punch landed with devastating impact, sending them sliding across the cavern floor for several meters before they finally stopped.
The Dugtrio glared stubbornly at Marill, muttered to the Diglett behind them, and then collapsed, utterly defeated.
The remaining Diglett exchanged wary glances, then settled in a spot a short distance from the three leaders, neither leaving nor attacking.
Luther almost dashed forward to scoop up Marill in celebration. Almost three months had passed since she'd been struggling with 'Ice Punch', and now, somehow, she had landed it perfectly.
He forced himself to stay calm and focus on the task at hand. Stepping forward, he threw a Poké Ball at one of the unconscious Diglett. The Diglett wriggled once, then, with a faint ding, it was captured.
The other Diglett, observing Luther, twitched nervously. Their tiny eyes flicked left and right, fixating on the rotund blue ball of energy that was Marill.
Her presence alone was overwhelming. The Diglett could do nothing but huddle together, letting out low, restless murmurs.
Luther crouched beside the Dugtrio leaders.
The Diglett cautiously shuffled forward. Marill puffed out her little belly and raised her fists, mimicking their movements. Her display startled some of the Diglett, forcing them back in hesitant retreat.
Luther tapped each of the Dugtrio gently. The ones that had been unconscious began to stir, shards of ice from Marill's punch still clinging to their bodies, prickling painfully.
Mai seemed to understand what Luther intended. She rummaged in her backpack and produced a bottle of healing spray, leaning down to mist the wounded spots on the Diglett.
The icy sting gave way to a warm, tingling sensation.
Sensing no hostility from Luther and Mai, the Diglett held its ground, letting Mai's hands evenly apply the healing potion over the injuries.
The pain easing, the Dugtrio's wary eyes softened. Once the unconscious ones had fully recovered, they wordlessly regrouped with the rest of the Diglett swarm.
Considering strength, capturing the three leaders was the optimal choice.
But the Dugtrio were clearly the heads of this colony. In a wild Pokémon group, the sudden absence of a single evolved leader could spell disaster for the entire colony.
Leaders provided defense, guarding the territory and resources from intruding Pokémon. Their departure left the group vulnerable.
"I'm sorry about Chikorita," Luther said gently. "I don't know what she said to offend you."
The Dugtrio's anger had already eased considerably. They simply nodded, silently accepting his apology.
Suddenly, Sandshrew leapt to his feet. The three leaders and their swarm pivoted toward the mine's branching tunnels.
Luther's senses immediately went on high alert.
The mine echoed with harsh scraping sounds, the screeching of rock under pressure. Something massive was moving within the darkness, emitting a chilling, grinding rhythm.
The three leaders surged toward Luther, with the nervous Marill preparing to relive the thrill of Ice Punch. But as she swung her fist, Luther shouted--
"Stop!" She slammed it into the ground instead, yelping in pain.
The Dugtrio nudged Luther's legs, then, leading their swarm, retreated swiftly.
Trusting his instincts, Luther followed. Whatever had terrified the three leaders, it was wise to run.
They hadn't gone far when the ominous sound behind them grew louder. Luther risked a glance into the dark recesses of the mine.
In the shadows, something scraped along the rock walls. Its massive silhouette loomed, like a gaping mouth stretching up from the depths.
Mai shivered and swept her Pokédex across the darkness, not expecting much. Yet the device immediately responded with remarkable detail.
"Giant Steel-type serpent. Iron Snake Pokémon. Its body, forged under subterranean pressure and intense heat, is harder than any metal. Its steel fragments cling together, reflecting flashes of light across its armored body."
Luther swallowed hard, his grip tightening.
The rest of the world could wait. They had to stay alert, prepared for anything. The new year had begun, but in the shadowed mine, survival came first.
(End Of This Chapter)