Chapter 20: Cave Encounters!
Leon and his siblings spent their days quietly, venturing out only for food and other supplies. Suddenly, two weeks had gone by, leaving just two weeks before the ferry's scheduled arrival.
The siblings may have their quiet days but this wasn't the case for the outside. There had been several reports of youngsters going out into the wild. These youngsters were around Leon and his sibling's age.
They had dispersed to various parts of the island, emboldened by their new Pokémon. Unfortunately, many of them had suffered at the hands of Pokémon they couldn't cope with.
There weren't any death encounters, but some youngsters had been severely injured. Furthermore, the Mayor couldn't stop these upcoming trainers from venturing out to capture Pokémon.
This was against the law under the Pokémon Alliance bill!
Young trainers who were thirteen years and under could be stopped by the Mayor from going out. However, those who were fourteen years and older were allowed to proceed without any obstacles.
"They have no experience or understanding of Pokémon. At least a basic understanding would be enough for them." When Leon heard about these reports over the days, he could only sigh.
Leon's knowledge of Pokémon wasn't extensive, but he did play the games occasionally and watched the show a bit. He had also researched a few Pokémon in his previous world, so he had some level of knowledge.
"Do you have all the gear packed and ready to go?" Leon turned to his siblings and asked.
"Yep! We have the helmets, flashlights, and everything else ready." Leona nodded and showed some of the items she had packed.
"Perfect, now we can explore Terra Mountain." Lars had also packed a few items for this trip.
Leon decided to explore Terra Mountain more thoroughly this time. Last time, it was too dangerous to go alone, but now things were different.
'Carvanha! This time, I'll make sure to capture you!' Leon thought of the Carvanha, who had tried to bite his arm off. Things would be different because he had Pokémon that could handle it.
"It's raining hard today, this is just what I wanted." Once the trio arrived outside, they were met with a downpour.
Even in this weather, these young people still purchased supplies and ventured into the wilderness. This has raised concerns among many parents due to previous incidents.
However, the young trainers started forming parties to handle wild Pokémon—which made things much easier for them.
Leon and his siblings began to walk down the street. This time town guards were walking the streets on the orders of the mayor.
"We're going to Terra Mountain this time, I heard some youngsters were climbing up the mountain." Leona began to converse with her brothers.
They were sporting their raincoat, and boots as they were last time. Of course, they had other things within the backpacks they bought.
"They did in group, I heard some of them have come across some Geodude and even the rare Machop. Those Machops were too much for them, even for those people with Taillows."
Lars had been constantly updated on the circulating news in town. He talked to a few youngsters who recognized him as the Pokémon salesman.
"Machops is a tough one, it isn't exactly easy to take down. Not to mention, Taillow is a half-normal type, so it can hit it for neutral damage."
Once Taillow fell into Machops hands, it was pretty much fair game for it. Machop's strength could easily suppress Taillow before delivering a series of thrashings to it.
Leona and Lars both nodded in understanding, as Taillow appeared fragile. Upon reaching the gate, they were stopped and checked by the townsguards. Some recognized the siblings and allowed them to pass without issue.
One of the guards with cold eyes was keeping an eye on them from behind. Shortly after, he hurriedly abandoned his position to make a "report."
"There's an actual path that can be used to get to the mountain?" Lars exclaimed in surprise. The path to Terra Mountain wasn't nearly as bad as compared to the Wetlands path.
After all, the Wetlands didn't have a clear path, especially when under these rainy conditions.
"A lot of people love the mountains compared to swamp-like places, so they put some effort into it." Leona surmised that this was likely the case.
Leon and Lars agreed as this made the most sense. The siblings kept moving on the road under the downpour. Eventually, they came across the forest that surrounded Terra Mountain.
"We're here, let's go!" Leon smiled before the group walked into the forest.
This time, he was ready to do some mining with two pickaxes, a chisel, a brush, and a hammer in hand. In the past, Leon had to resort to nearly smashing a few items to acquire them, which posed a risk of causing damage.
Just to be cautious, Leon called upon his Beldum, which could detect nearby living beings, except for Dark-type Pokémon.
'The location I need to go to is where I can find the Elemental Chest I'm looking for.' Leon smiled when he noticed this, it was a win-win situation.
Leon and company arrived on a familiar pathway, this was the location he had seen the Psyduck back then.
"Hehe, this way, guys, let's go." Leon cut off into the forest toward the cave from before.
"Oh, we're going through the forest?" Leon was stunned.
"That's right, this is where a cave is located. I suggest you guys call forth your Pokémon for this occasion."
Leon said with a warning tone; this would be the best option for this cave system. After all, it was filled with Zubat that would constantly attack.
"Alright." Both Lars and Leona said in unison.
'This time, I'm going to catch a Zubat.' Leon thought to himself. He had plenty of Pokéballs, so he wasn't against catching foreign Pokémon.
Leon quickly guided his siblings around the mountain before entering the hidden cave. He was rushing because he heard youngsters in the area, so he didn't want to be spotted.
Before entering the cave, both of them summoned their Pokémon. Almost immediately, the group was attacked.
"My gosh, this fast! It's much faster than the last time!" Leon was stunned and quickly ordered his Aron and Beldmum to attack.
"Eeek!"
"Go! Use Ice Fang, Electrike!"
"You too, Swable, use Disarming Voice!" Leona realized that while this move wasn't very effective, it was currently her strongest option.
The group of Zubat screeched and attacked without fear, but were met with harsh punishment.
Groups of Zubat were blown out of the sky with one attack from Aron, Beldum, and Electrike! Five Zubat had attacked them at once and was defeated as sudden as the attack.
Unfortunately, they had the lowest aptitude possible. Leon knew how good Crobat was but his focus was only on using regional Pokémon.
This was different in certain cases, such as, if he was in the Kanto region. For example, if he caught an Electibuzz, it would be fine to use it and evolve it into an Electivire. This was because its original form, Electibuzz, originated with Kanto.
"Make sure to have the flashlights on and let's sneak for a bit." Leon wanted to advance the same way as he did the last time.
"Alright!" Both nodded and they continued.
As they went on, they were attacked by more Zubat. Leon and company caught a few more because they could still be sold.
Eventually, they came to the same cave area where Leon initially found Nosepass. Indeed, groups of Geodude were hovering around as usual.
"Oh, there's something new." Leon's eyes landed on a new encounter from the previous Pokémon he had seen.
The Pokémon's size was a bit larger than that of Geodude, with yellow plate-like scales that covered its entire body except for its cream-colored underbelly and muzzle. It also had small, sharp claws on the digits of its paws and feet.
Indeed, this Pokémon was Sandshrew.
Leon analyzed its status and found that it had an F+ aptitude. It wasn't worth mentioning, but it was something that could be sold for a decent price.
"It won't be easy catching Sandshrew, If given enough time; they could dig away." If they had the move dig, they could dig instantly and escape. However, if they didn't it would take time to dig a proper hole to escape.
'How can I ensnare this thing?' Leon knew Sandshrew would run the minute he appeared.
'I can only sneak attack it before it can escape, it shouldn't be a problem.' Leon turned to his siblings and told them about his plan.
Leona and Lars looked at the Pokémon, it was a Pokémon they had never seen before. At least, this Pokémon wasn't something that appeared in the manual.
"Beldum, attack it. Iron Head." Leon said in a low voice. Lars and Leona naturally followed up and attacked as well.
Ice Fang was super effective, but Sandshrew had a natural defensive bulk. However, none of this mattered; it was easily defeated before realizing what was going on. This was mainly due to its low level in comparison to theirs.
The group of Geodude turned to Leon and company, showing annoyance. Beldum saw these Geodude and wanted to attack and eat a few, but Leon didn't allow it.
Of course, Leon planned to capture a few Geodude, but not right now. He was in a hurry to confront the Carvanha and retrieve the Elemental Chest from deep within the cave.
The cave was once again darkened, so they used their flashlights. They were specifically shining their lights at the cave ceiling because of Zubat.
Surprisingly, they didn't encounter any Zubat and eventually arrived at the location. Yes, this was where he encountered the Carvanha and Aron.
"Wow, there's water coming from the cave ceiling and going into this pond." Lars could see that there was a bit of light coming from the pond as well.
"I'll place some lanterns around the cave to give this place a bit more light," Leona didn't like that her senses were being hampered in these dangerous conditions.
"Stay away from the pool, this is the pool with the Carvanha in it," Leon warned. He had already told them about his encounter with this Pokémon.
Both were alarmed and paid close attention to the pond.
"Hmm, judging from the map; the Elemental chest is located deeper in the cave. This is the place that I refused to go to alone last time." Leon turned to Beldum and asked it if it sensed anything.
Leon hurled rocks into the water repeatedly, but Carvanha didn't appear. Leona and Lars sat down before getting comfortable. She began to prepare some food for everyone, and the smell carried.
By this point, Leon had stopped trying to lure out Carvanha since he wanted to dine.
"This is amazing!"Leon and Lars enjoyed the food prepared by Leona, whose cooking skills had improved after she bought a new cookbook.
Unknowingly, they were being watched by certain Pokémon within the pond. This was no doubt the Carvanha from back then. It was attracted to the rocks Leon had been throwing into the pond prior.
Electrike's keen senses had not failed to notice its stealthy emergence to the surface. It warned Lars about the emergence of Carvanha.
"Oh, so you finally appeared. I was beginning to think you had run away or something." Leon turned and said a grin.
Carvanha didn't try to hide and glared at Leon. It was also stunned because of the aromatic scent permeating the cave.
"I trained up for this day, so let's fight right now." Leon had trained Shroomish for this confrontation, but he still had to watch out for Poison Fang.
"Let's go, Shroomish!"
"Shroo~"
Shroomish appeared with a flash; Leon had leveled this guy up to 12 which was not easy. At level twelve, Shroomish learned Mega Drain.
"Attack, Mega Drain!" Leon commanded immediately, he was confident this time around.
Green tendril-like vines, emanating bright energy from Shroomish, rushed toward Carvanha at high speed, making it difficult to dodge.
Carvanha had been a bit distracted by the aromatic scent going through the cave. However, it still reacted as fast as it could to dodge.
"Car!"
Unfortunately, its ability hadn't been activated so it wasn't fast enough. Shroomish entangled Carvanha and began to drain it of its health. Carvanha cried out in pain during this process when suddenly, a bright red x appeared.
'What was that?' As soon as that strange x appeared, Carvanha stopped moving. Leon ordered Shroomish to pull it out of the water.
Shroomish quickly pulled it on land before releasing it.
Mega Drain can only be used for a period of time before the move would have to stop. Leon hadn't trained Shroomish much on how to use it.
He was still quite confused as to what that sudden red x was. As soon as it appeared, Carvanha had fainted from Mega Drain.
'Could it have been a critical hit?' This was Leon's first assumption. He would have to check later and see what that strange occurrence was.
The battle was so anti-climatic, but the easier the better. Leon decided to use a Duskball to guarantee the catch since it worked better in caves. And sure enough, Carvanha was caught by the Duskball.
"Wow, you caught it! What type of Pokéball is that?" Leona was stunned, but she also noticed the strange red x.
"It's called a Duskball. It's at its strongest when you use it in caves." Leon said before picking up the ball, shrinking it, and attaching it to his waist.
Leon sat down and continued to eat, but he also planned to check this pond out.
"Those are some very convenient balls, I'll have to buy some in the future." Lars wondered how Leon acquired such balls, but he didn't bother to ask.
Leon acquired some berries from his inventory before summoning the fainted Carvanha. He gave it a great portion of this liquid before recalling it. If it had been a revive, it would have instantaneously awakened and healed to half.
The trio continued to eat the nice hot food for a time. They talked about the future and their dreams after leaving the island.
In a flash, an hour had passed and they began to pack everything up.
"Leave the lantern here, I have more we can take later. We'll explore this path, so take out your flashlights. I'll also have Beldum guide us through this dark cave system since he can sense most things."
'A Pokémon is coming from the dark cave entrance!' At that moment, Beldum alerted Leon about an approaching Pokémon.
"Careful everyone, there's a Pokémon close by." Leon was instantly alarmed before warning his siblings.
'Wait, there are multiple of them! At least...there are seven of them!' Beldum said with surprise.
Leon didn't hesitate and summoned all of his available Pokémon. Leona and Lars did the same, but Electrike was already out of its Pokéball.
Leon saw a little head peek out from the darkness. It was a yellow humanoid, with a massive pair of black, jaw-like horns hanging off the back of its head.
Leon recognized this Pokémon as Mawile!
Mawile could often be encountered in caves containing substantial mineral reserves, posing a persistent challenge to miners in their vicinity. This is due to their frequent raids on mining operations to acquire tools and extract ores.
"What...is that?" Lars asked.
"It's a Mawile..." Leona said, surprising Leon. It would seem that this was a Pokémon Leona was interested in.
Leon knew that Mawile were pack hunters, they never hunted alone and could be really cunning. However, what made Leon worry wasn't the Mawile, but the Pokémon that came with Mawile.
"Where there are Mawile, there's Sableye." Leon's expression darkened. Sableye had caused the death of so many miners due to their tricks.
Now, Leon was questioning if he should enter this cave but he really wanted that chest. Elemental chest wouldn't be easy to find with the small range of his search mechanism.
"What do we do about this Mawile?" Leona found this Pokémon quite appealing to the eyes, it was indeed really cute. It wasn't a Pokémon she could forget due to its cute appearance.
Leon quickly analyzed the little guy.
______
<Name: Mawile♂
<Type: Steel + Fairy
<Level: 11
<Nature: Brave
<Aptitude: F+
<Ability: Hyper Cutter
<Moves: Astonish, Growl, Fairy Wind, Bite,
_____
He knew that this guy was up to no good, as Mawile also liked to play tricks. These tricks weren't harmful, but they were enough to anger miners to the extreme.
They would usually use their cuteness to curry favor with miners and distract them. While one of them is distracting the humans; their group members would rob whatever materials the miners had mined.
Leon was silent for a while as he thought about this mischievous Pokémon. Not just that, its buddies were hiding in the dark and were plotting something. He already knew that they were attracted by the scent of food Leona had cooked.
"Little guy, what are you up to? Don't try anything funny, now." Leon really wished he had a fire Pokemon, but they were a rare sight in Hoenn. He also wanted to capture this Mawile, but it wasn't the time for that.
"Mawile..." Mawile tilted its head before gazing at Beldum.
"My Beldum isn't something you can covet and eat. Leona, toss this guy a few berries so he can leave."
Leon couldn't attack this guy because he had reinforcements hiding in the shadows. It was a good thing Mawile wasn't a hostile Pokémon, lest there would be trouble.
Leona and Lars were confused. Usually, Leon would rush up to capture such a Pokémon. However, he was trying to send it away, how could they not be confused and stunned?
Leon looked at Leona and nodded.
Reaching into her bag, she tossed seven berries to the Mawile. Once it received these berries, it jumped with joy before carrying them away clumsily.
Leon relayed some messages to Beldum to confirm their situation. Beldum told Leon that the group was getting further away.
"What happened?" Leona finally broke the silence.
"Remember how I told you how useful Psychic Pokémon are? This was one of those situations; this Mawile wasn't alone, and Beldum alerted me of their presence."
Leon was one thousand percent sure that they weren't going to cause trouble. They were simply attracted to the smell of food and were probably just going to beg for some food.
"What?! There was more hiding in the dark? That Pokémon looked like it could tear a human to pieces!" Lars saw that Pokémon and was shocked. This Pokémon looked torn between being cute and monstrous!
"It could very easily tear a Pokémon and a human apart, but they eat metal and other minerals."
Leon explained that Mawile was an opportunistic predator. Mawile, if they could, would hang around Tyranitar because it had certain enemies. These enemies were Duraludon and Aggron but in this case—Aggron.
Aggron would usually end up getting mortally wounded by Tyranitar. Mawile took this opportunity to feast on the half-death Aggron. It could usually strip Aggron down to its skeleton within an hour!
Leon sighed, there may be trouble if he went down here.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone