The mine tunnel wasn't nearly as dark as Peter had imagined.
Bright industrial lamps were mounted along the walls, and with so many contestants inside, the clang-clang of pickaxes echoed endlessly through the caverns, creating an oddly lively atmosphere.
Peter didn't linger near the outer area.
Without hesitation, he kept pushing deeper inside.
Even with no mining experience, he understood one simple truth—
Where there were people, there was no profit.
As he descended further, the lights grew sparser, the ground sloped steadily downward, and the air became noticeably cooler. Along the way, he passed several professional miners actively carving into the rock walls, a clear sign that he was approaching an unmined zone.
Turning a corner, he suddenly heard the roar of water crashing against stone from above—like waves pounding a cliff face.
Peter clicked his tongue in amazement.
"First time here?" a miner nearby asked kindly. "This area's already close to the seabed. Above us is shallow sea—hearing waves down here is perfectly normal."
"I see," Peter replied, nodding politely, his appreciation for the sheer scale of the project deepening.
He didn't overthink it. Choosing a half-open tunnel that was relatively well-lit, he set down his pack and began digging.
To be honest, this so-called contest was basically a clever way to recruit free labor and speed up excavation at the Oreburgh Coal Mine.
Peter had no illusions about striking it rich with fossils. His real goals were simple:
Train Buneary's Fighting-type techniquesDig up minerals to fund future travel
He drew a line on the ground about five meters from the rock wall, then pointed at a large stone in the center.
"Buneary—use Bounce to jump over, then follow up with Power-Up Punch or Double Kick. Hit only the target rock."
"Mi-kyu~!"
Years of teamwork paid off instantly.
Buneary leapt, punched, kicked, and landed with flawless precision—never touching anything within the five-meter boundary. Each strike was deliberate, controlled, and powerful, all while improving her jumping ability and strength.
Cracks soon spiderwebbed across the rock wall.
Peter immediately started working the base with his pickaxe.
Rumble—crash!
Chunks of stone fell away, revealing deep black coal ore beneath.
Coal was the mine's most common resource, but this vein was enormous—nearly the size of three watermelons, with more extending behind it.
"Heh… a good start," Peter muttered, casually tossing the coal into his system inventory.
With limited basket space, most contestants had to transport their finds back outside constantly. That was why many stayed near the entrance.
Peter didn't have that problem.
With Buneary's Power-Up Punch steadily stacking strength, her strikes grew heavier, accelerating the excavation. The rock wall retreated meter by meter, eventually sitting more than ten meters beyond Peter's original line.
At some point, Buneary even began chaining Quick Attack into her jumps, extending her leap distance—yet still landing perfectly back at the starting point.
Peter nodded in quiet approval.
"Mi-kyu!"
A powerful aura suddenly surged around Buneary. With a sharp gust of wind, she launched into the air and drove her knee forward—
BOOM!
The rock exploded on impact.
[Ding! Buneary has learned the move High Jump Kick!]
High Jump Kick: Fighting-type physical move.
Power: 130.
The user leaps high and strikes with its knee. If the move misses, the user takes severe damage.
"…Huh?"
Peter froze mid-motion, coal chunk still in hand.
Turning around, he saw Buneary sitting on the ground, clutching her foot, eyes watery—clearly hurt by her own unrefined technique.
"Mi…kyu…"
(It hurts, Trainer…)
Peter laughed helplessly. From her hopeful gaze, he already knew what she wanted.
He pulled out a beautifully wrapped Pokéblock and tossed it to her.
"Mi-kyu!"
In an instant, the pitiful expression vanished. Buneary flipped midair, caught the treat perfectly with her teeth, and happily munched away with squinted eyes.
Peter twitched. "I knew it…"
After all, this was the same Buneary who had grown up helping care for her grandmother—tough as nails.
That little act was clearly just fishing for comfort.
Two bites later, she was back to work like nothing happened.
With High Jump Kick now in her arsenal, excavation speed increased dramatically.
Unfortunately, Peter's luck seemed to run out.
By afternoon, no more massive coal veins appeared—just scattered, low-value ore. As for fossils?
Not even a fragment.
Sitting on a rock, Peter chewed on a piece of bread and handed Buneary another Pokéblock.
High-intensity move usage required constant stamina recovery—otherwise, long-term strain could set in.
"Sigh… wonder how much this'll sell for," he muttered, rubbing his sore thighs.
Dozens of ore chunks sat in his inventory, but winning first place still felt like a stretch.
"If I could dig up even one fossil… the championship would be guaranteed."
Just as he finished speaking—
Wrrrm…
A strange psychic ripple pulsed from the Pokémon Egg in his pack. Soft purple light flooded the small cavern he'd excavated.
"Yi~"
A gentle, melodic cry echoed directly in Peter's mind.
Suddenly, he felt it—something different hidden behind the rock wall down and to the right.
"…Telepathy?" he murmured uncertainly.
His curiosity about the egg deepened instantly.
"A Normal-type Pokémon… with Psychic abilities?"
Peter gently rubbed the eggshell, then lifted his pickaxe and walked toward the indicated spot.
"Buneary—use High Jump Kick on that rock!"
"Mi-kyu!"
She leapt and struck.
BOOM—!
The stone shattered, revealing a corner of gray-brown material.
In the Oreburgh Coal Mine, most rock skewed dark due to coal deposits.
Gray-brown meant only one thing—
Not coal.
Not stone.
"…Could it be?"
Heart pounding, Peter switched to a smaller pickaxe, carefully chipping away the surrounding rock.
With every strike, his pulse accelerated.
There was no doubt now.
This was a fossil—and an exceptionally well-preserved one.
Clatter…
The final fragment fell away.
Before him lay a fossil nearly half a meter in diameter, its surface forming a spiral shape, unmistakably reminiscent of a snail shell.
Peter stared at it, breath caught in his throat.
"…Jackpot."
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