Sable, Lyra, Mika, and Alex made their way out of the city and onto a common pathway leading into the Grand Underground. Once outside and away from the main road, Sable released her Pokémon, who immediately began digging straight down.
Excadrill tunneled ahead, creating space, while the rest of them hollowed out the interior. As Sable and the others followed, Flygon sealed their path behind them with the dug-up dirt, reinforcing it to prevent collapse.
Soon, they found themselves in an unlit tunnel with reinforced walls. The cave opened into a large chamber, roughly five meters wide with high ceilings, big enough to comfortably fit them and larger Pokémon over three meters tall. It was dark, damp, and cool, with clear signs of Pokémon activity.
"I can't see in the dark, even with the infrared on this helmet," Mika complained.
"Switch to heat sensors," Lyra advised, pressing a button on the side of her helmet.
"It's a bit better, but I can hardly make out what I'm looking at."
"Just get used to it."
"Switch back to infrared," Alex instructed, releasing both Chandelure, whose eerie blue glow lit the surroundings. "They'll light the way and deter any Ghost types."
Pokémon ran rampant in the Grand Underground, particularly those that could use Dig or simply phase through solid walls. Ghost types were especially common, along with a variety of other species that included most Field, Ground, Rock, and Steel types.
"So, what now?" Lyra asked.
"From here, we need to make our way through the tunnels to the unclaimed digging spots further down before we can actually start digging," Sable explained.
"Why not just continue digging straight down?" Mika asked.
"Because apart from this tunnel, the rest of the area is soft, which could cause a cave-in if we're not careful. Besides, some of the surrounding territory is claimed, so it's best we follow the map for now before venturing off on our own."
Just because they could dig through any soil didn't mean they could do so recklessly. Certain load-bearing formations supported everything above, and disturbing them without proper reinforcement could lead to catastrophic cave-ins. Access to much of the Grand Underground was therefore restricted based on a Pokémon's ability to stabilize their surroundings.
For the less criminal inhabitants, there were declared pockets of land that others were expected to avoid. These areas, often dug in softer soil, were marked to prevent accidental trespassing, and their owners would notify nearby groups of their locations.
This system was a double-edged sword, as it could attract the wrong kind of attention. Typically, though, the owners were prepared to defend themselves, not just with their own strength, but also with traps designed to deal with any intruders.
Lyra released her pair of Mightyena, letting her and Mika ride them as they led the way. Sable followed between them, mounted on Flygon. Alex sent out both Rhyperiors to guard the rear and had Ditto Transform into a Mightyena so he could ride as well. With the Chandelure lighting their path, they carefully followed Sable's instructions through the maze of tunnels.
As they traveled, Alex took note of the signs posted on the walls indicating ownership. Each one listed various information about the owner, with the intent of deterring intruders. These included the organization, group, or even Team they were associated with, as well as warnings of suicidal traps. This meant that any intruders who dared to trespass risked being buried alive along with the owners and their property if it came to it.
It was a stupid sign, in Alex's opinion, since it meant the owner had nothing to lose. It had worked, of course, the sign was still there, meaning the owner was alive and well, and no one had dared to invade yet.
They made their way through the tunnels, occasionally running into stray Pokémon. They would knock them out and leave them on the side of the tunnels if they were Expert rank or below, while the Elites were captured.
"This isn't such a bad way to hunt for Elite ranked Pokémon," Lyra commented.
"Yeah, they're everywhere, and they're alone for some reason," Mika added.
"It's probably because they were kicked out of their nest for one reason or another," Alex said. "The hideaways are relatively small, so they don't have any places to go that aren't already owned by nests. They likely wander around these tunnels until they find a weaker area to declare as their own."
"Isn't the Grand Underground too dangerous then? What if an Elite or Champion stumbles into your base?" Sable asked.
"I'm guessing they have something to ward them off, but I'm not sure. I think we'll figure it out once we get to a market," Alex answered.
Eventually, the group reached a cavern so tall and wide they doubted whether they were actually outside. Broad stretches of pale sand were broken up by clusters of low green shrubs and scattered boulders. Flat, layered rock ledges rose at different heights, forming natural resting spots that Pokémon used. Warm, dry air drifted through the chamber, carrying a faint earthy smell that didn't belong this deep underground. The mix of desert-like ground and rugged stone formations made the whole cavern feel strangely open, almost like a hidden oasis carved beneath the earth.
Alex looked up and noticed the ceiling was brightly lit by glowing stones that mimicked the heat of a midday sun. It seemed it might be around noon outside. He glanced around, taking note of the variety of Pokémon present.
A few Sandshrew darted between the shrubs, disappearing beneath the sand with soft rustles, while a pair of Rhyhorn trudged near the far wall, scraping their horns against the stone outcroppings. Several Hippopotas waded through the sand, leaving shallow trails behind them, and a trio of Skorupi perched atop the rocks, their tails twitching cautiously.
"Alex!" Lyra called out before asking, "Do you think a Bronzong would make a good commander type Pokémon like your Metagross or Gardevoir? Having 20 Pokémon to command is starting to take its toll on me. I need a commander like you have to take charge."
Alex turned to follow Lyra's gaze and saw a bronze-colored Bronzor floating silently near the walls, reflecting faint glimmers of light as it drifted in place.
"It depends. Just because they're Psychic types doesn't mean they're fit to command. My Espeon, for example, tries her best, but she just can't compare to Gardevoir or Metagross. It's worth finding out, though. At the very least, you could command through a Bronzong using its telepathy."
Lyra took a moment to consider it before ultimately giving up on the Bronzor.
"I think I'll just look for a lazy Metagross like you did."
They followed the map through the hideaway, which was surprisingly spacious, about the size of a typical route and easily able to hold hundreds of nests if properly spaced out.
They reached a tunnel that seemed to head downward. Once they arrived at the end of that tunnel, they found themselves in the center of another rocky hideaway. The environment was similar to the previous one, but the nests were significantly more powerful and densely populated. Alex could tell immediately that this area was home to stronger Pokémon and that caution would be required.
"How many levels are there to these biomes?" Mika asked.
"The expedition conducted last year reported that there were ten, but the Master ranked nests at the bottom have been digging a new level, so they aren't sure until another expedition is conducted."
"That's insane!" Mika exclaimed. "There's enough Pokémon here to fill a quarter of a region, and there are supposed to be over twenty of these all over the place."
"That's twenty that are currently known," Sable added. "It's a good thing they want to continue digging deeper rather than go to the surface. I don't think there are enough trainers in all of Sinnoh to defend against this many Pokémon."
They pressed on through several more levels, fending off the occasional lone Pokémon, small group, or entire nest along the way. Most were either scared off or taken down, while the Elites were captured. They would certainly not be in short supply of meat while staying in the Grand Underground.
Finally, they headed out of the hideaway and returned to the same dark, reinforced tunnels as before. They continued until they reached a dead end along their path.
"I think this is it," Sable said, observing the holographic map of the publicly known tunnels. "This area has some Champion ranked presence, which scared away those who were digging here."
"Do we need to declare ourselves as the owners or something?" Lyra asked.
"It's pointless," Sable replied. "Anyone with the strength to dig here can dig. Anyone who has a problem with that just needs to muscle their way through. This is technically under the jurisdiction of the Underworld rather than the League, so you won't find any justice here."
That suited Alex just fine. He was here to stir things up and get the flies buzzing. The more turbulent their journey, the better.
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