After leaving the Petilil in Lila's care, Lucien immediately set off for the mines.
From a distance, he could already see the miners at work, men wielding pickaxes and shovels, digging out chunks of clay from the reddish earth. The freshly excavated soil was being loaded into carts, pulled by sturdy Bouffalant, their thick manes shaking as they trudged down the mountain path toward the settlement.
Wild Geodude could occasionally be seen clinging to the rocky slopes nearby. Luckily, the miners were careful to keep their distance, and the Pokémon showed no aggression.
"Where's that serpent-like beast you mentioned?" Lucien asked, his gaze sweeping toward the rocky ridges above.
Morik, the blacksmith overseeing the miners, pointed nervously at a jagged ridge ahead.
"Over there, Your Highness," he said. "It emerged from that gap earlier. The whole ground shook, like an earthquake! But it didn't attack us. It just… slithered back into the mountain."
Lucien narrowed his eyes. That description fits perfectly…
"An Onix, most likely," he murmured.
Following Morik into the mine, Lucien was surprised to find that the interior had already been hollowed out into an intricate network of tunnels. The miners lit torches to guide the way, but even with the flickering light, the sheer scale of the caverns was astonishing.
"You didn't dig this yourselves, did you?" Lucien asked.
"Of course not!" Morik shook his head. "We could never carve out something like this. Judging by the smooth walls and the size of the tunnels… it must've been that giant serpent beast!"
Lucien crouched, brushing his fingers along the rocky grooves. The traces were unmistakable, these tunnels had been burrowed through by Onix itself.
"Our miners have found signs of iron ore and coal deeper down," Morik continued, his voice low. "But… the deeper we go, the darker it gets. We've heard horrible roars echoing below. We're too afraid to venture further."
Lucien pondered a moment. 'Iron and coal… both are critical for forging weapons, tools, and machines. We can't ignore this mine.'
"I'll go down and see for myself," he decided firmly.
"Your Highness, please don't!" Morik blurted out, alarmed. "We still don't know what's down there. If something were to happen to you..."
Lucien raised a hand, smiling faintly. "It's alright. I can protect myself."
He gestured toward Snivy and Dratini, both of whom straightened proudly beside him.
"The passage is narrow," Lucien continued. "Too many people would only make it dangerous. Just give me a torch. Wait here until I return."
Morik hesitated, then reluctantly handed him a lit torch. "Please be careful, Your Highness."
Lucien nodded, then descended into the depths with Snivy and Dratini by his side.
The deeper they went, the damper and darker the air became. Water dripped rhythmically from the ceiling, echoing faintly in the gloom. The flickering torchlight revealed small Pokémon scurrying across the tunnels, Sandshrew rolling into tight balls and tumbling away; clusters of Diglett burrowing along the walls; and even a startled Drilbur, who froze at the sight of Lucien before hastily digging itself into the ground.
"So far, none of them seem aggressive," Lucien noted quietly. "As long as we don't provoke them, it should be safe."
But just then;
A deep, guttural roar shook the entire mine. The torch flame trembled violently.
Lucien froze. Snivy tensed, tail flicking defensively, while Dratini raised its head, emitting a wary growl.
The sound rumbled again, echoing from the very depths of the cavern. ancient, powerful, and furious.
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "That… isn't Onix."
But rather like the cry of a Pokémon Lucien had heard before.
'Druddigon.'
"From the sound of it, it seems to be some distance away," Lucien thought.
Even so, Lucien couldn't be certain that the Druddigon wouldn't come this way.
The Druddigon species were ferocious and cunning — they often invaded tunnels carved out by other Pokémon, claiming them as their own lairs.
If left unchecked, they would drive out or devour the original dwellers, whether Excadrill, Onix, Diglett, or even Dugtrio.
Who knew when that crimson-faced dragon might decide to claim this mine for itself and attack the miners?
"Snivy?"
Sensing something, Snivy suddenly turned toward a narrow tunnel.
Lucien followed its gaze and noticed a massive slab of stone half-buried in the wall. Its surface was carved with intricate, time-worn symbols, patterns that looked almost sacred.
Lucien froze.
'Those markings…'
He stepped closer, brushing away the loose earth. The carvings were ancient, lines swirling in the shape of the sun, surrounded by concentric rings and geometric motifs.
"Could this be…" he murmured. "The relic of an ancient civilization?"
From what Lucien understood, this era corresponded roughly to the medieval age, an age of lords and knights. But before that, there had existed far older peoples, primitive, totemic cultures that had revered Pokémon as divine beings.
Perhaps this mine was once part of their domain.
As Lucien pondered, the faint sound of scraping rock echoed from a side passage.
A small Geodude rolled out from the darkness.
At first, it didn't react, but when it spotted Lucien and his companions, its eyes flared with anger.
"Geo!"
Lucien sighed quietly. "As expected… short-tempered as ever."
"Snivy, use Vine Whip!"
Snivy darted forward, its vines snapping out with a sharp crack.
Smack!
The strike hit cleanly. Geodude, weak to Grass-type moves, was sent flying into the wall with a dull thud.
But the sound of the impact echoed down the tunnel.
Rumble… rumble…
The ground began to tremble. Pebbles fell from the ceiling.
Then came a thunderous roar from the depths.
A massive shadow rolled forward, shaking the entire mine.
Lucien's expression hardened. "That's not a Geodude…"
From the darkness, a hulking figure emerged, a boulder-bodied Pokémon with four thick arms and jagged ridges of stone.
Graveler.
The evolved form of Geodude and far more dangerous.
The Graveler noticed the fainted Geodude at Lucien's feet, then turned its molten-orange eyes toward him, fury blazing.
Lucien reacted instantly. "Dratini, Twister! Snivy, Vine Whip!"
The two Pokémon attacked in perfect sync, a spiraling wind burst and a flash of green energy crashed into the Graveler's body.
But against its solid rocky shell, the attacks did little more than make it stumble.
Graveler roared furiously, slamming its fists together. The sound reverberated through the entire tunnel.
Lucien's instincts screamed at him. "Retreat! Now!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Graveler hurled itself forward, rolling with unstoppable force, like a living boulder. The mine shook violently as Lucien, Snivy, and Dratini dashed for the exit, dust and shards of rock pelting their backs.
They burst out of the lower tunnel just in time. Behind them, Graveler's furious roars echoed from the depths, the ground trembling beneath their feet.
Lucien turned to the anxious miners and said, voice firm but calm, "Don't enter the lower tunnels for now. Focus on extracting ore from the upper layers first."
...
Stones Plzz
Read chapters ahead @Keepsmiling P@reon