Chapter 77: Underground
Yuga calmed his rapidly beating heart and then began to assess his surroundings. He found himself seated in a circular space with numerous passageways.
He had expected darkness below, but the walls were illuminated by glowing stones, preventing the area from being too dim.
At this moment, Swellow, who had returned to the surface, descended along with Linoone. While Yuga wondered how Swellow managed to bring down a Pokémon almost as big as a doll, he noticed that Linoone had effortlessly leaped down unharmed.
Yuga felt a bit speechless. His concerns were clearly unnecessary; the toughness remained.
Yuga suddenly thought about his own descent and asked his three Pokémon, "Who pushed me down just now?"
Both Swellow and Linoone looked at Audino, and Yuga instantly knew the culprit.
Indignantly, Yuga said, "How could you treat your boss like this? I wasn't even mentally prepared, and you pushed me down."
Of course, Yuga would never admit he was hesitating about coming down; it wouldn't fit his boss image.
Audino cast a knowing glance at Yuga that made him uncomfortable, so he coughed and continued, "Well, as a generous boss, I'll let this go without holding a grudge."
Afterward, observing the complex passageways ahead, Yuga brushed off the dirt from his clothes and stood up, asking his Pokémon, "Which path should we take?"
Both Swellow and Audino exchanged glances, then looked at Yuga before focusing on Linoone.
Yuga had no choice but to shift his gaze to Linoone and asked, "What do you think, Linoone?"
Linoone suddenly felt his trainer and companions were a bit clueless. How would I know? Am I some kind of expert at divining? Are you treating my ability as all-knowing? My ability can't help with navigation!
Frustrated internally, but keeping his calm, Linoone randomly chose a path.
So, with conviction, Yuga and his two Pokémon entered the path chosen by Linoone, who silently followed.
Of course, Yuga knew that Linoone couldn't actually discern directions, and both Swellow and Audino knew it too. But since no one knew for sure, they all decided to follow Linoone's lead.
The walls of the passage were lined with glowing stones, but the light was somewhat cold. Combined with the eerie silence, Yuga felt a bit uneasy.
Suddenly, a group of Zubat that had been sleeping upside down in the passage were startled by Yuga and his Pokémon's footsteps, causing them to flutter around chaotically.
Yuga was startled by the commotion caused by the Zubat, but he heaved a sigh of relief when he realized it was just a group of Zubat.
Seeing the Zubat approaching, Audino used a Dazzling Gleam. The pink fairy-type energy emitted a dazzling light that immediately frightened away the Zubat.
Initially, Yuga had considered capturing a few promising Zubat, but given the situation, he abandoned the idea.
Suddenly, a dark shadow darted out from a corner towards Linoone. Without hesitation, Linoone swung a powerful blow, sending the shadow crashing into the wall.
It was then that Yuga and his team realized the attacker was a Seviper.
Seviper had initially lurked there, intending to prey on the Zubat. However, the disturbance caused by Yuga and his team awoke the Zubat, thwarting Seviper's plans, forcing it to seek revenge by attacking Yuga's group.
Linoone was the smallest among them, making it the most suitable target for Seviper's ambush. Hence, it chose to attack Linoone first.
However, it had underestimated Linoone's strength.
After being knocked back, Seviper readjusted itself, its eyes red with fury. It hissed venomously, flicking its long tongue, its thick body writhing, fixating menacingly on Yuga's group.
Among snake-like Pokémon, except for Onix and Steelix, their temperaments are typically calm and patient, especially during hunting.
Just as Seviper was preparing to strike again, Swellow's Aie Slash appeared out of thin air, knocking Seviper down once more, preventing it from executing its skill.
This time, Seviper finally realized the gap in their strengths and, unwillingly, glanced at Linoone before slithering away slowly.
Seviper was indeed quite strong, at least not weaker than Linoone. In a one-on-one battle, Linoone might even lose due to its type disadvantage.
Seeing Seviper retreat, Yuga hurriedly approached Linoone and asked, "Are you okay, Linoone? Did you get hurt?"
Linoone shook its head, indicating that it was fine. Yuga checked multiple times to confirm its safety and then said, "We're unfamiliar with this environment and don't know what's ahead, so we need to be extra cautious."
Continuing their journey, Yuga and his team made several turns and suddenly heard a faint "rustling" sound from an unknown direction. Yuga inquired, "Can you tell where that sound is coming from?"
Both Swellow and Audino shook their heads, unable to discern the direction. With so many passages, sounds echoed a lot, making it difficult to identify their source.
At this point, Linoone's upright ears twitched, signaling Yuga and his team to follow. It then dashed out.
Seeing Linoone seemed to have found the source of the sound, Yuga's group followed without hesitation.
Linoone paused periodically, assessing the direction after running a certain distance. Yuga and his team waited silently, avoiding any interference.
After a series of turns, they finally saw the creators of the sound: a group of Nincada dwelling here, building nests and burrows.
The number of these Nincada was quite substantial, forming a sizable group. As Yuga and his team arrived, the timid Nincada hurriedly retreated into the ground.
Yuga felt somewhat disappointed; he had thought it might be Gligar, but it turned out to be just a bunch of Nincada.
Yuga didn't disturb them, as he had no interest in Nincada. Moreover, he didn't spot any high-quality Pokémon among them.
As Yuga was about to leave, he suddenly felt the ground beneath him giving way.
Swellow also noticed this and tried to grab Yuga, but it was too late.
Yuga, along with Linoone and Audino, fell into the hole that appeared after the ground crumbled.
Upon seeing them all fall, Swellow immediately followed suit.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone