Chapter 161:

In truth, there were two ways to travel from Saffron City to Vermilion City. The first was the well-known Route 6, where wild Pokémon roamed through forests, but an official road maintained by the Pokémon Association ensured daily security.

Buses traveling between the two cities took this faster and safer route.

The second option was a more natural path through a series of caves and tunnels.

Between Vermilion and Saffron, there were large populations of Diglett and Dugtrio. These gentle Pokémon loved being around humans and often burrowed through the earth, turning over the soil and exposing essential nutrients for plants and animals to grow.

Trainers affectionately referred to Diglett and Dugtrio as the "spirits of the mountain," and they were widely loved. Even Pokémon hunters and those from the shadowy world of trainers refrained from harming these creatures.

Angering a colony of Diglett and Dugtrio could result in landslides or even alter the landscape.

These adorable Pokémon, with their seemingly weak offensive instincts, had excavated a connecting tunnel between Vermilion City and Saffron City.

At first, not many people dared to traverse the tunnel.

But eventually, someone took the risk. As the first person successfully crossed from Saffron to Vermilion, others began to follow suit.

Over time, the tunnel became known as the Diglett's Cave, a tribute to the helpful Pokémon that made travel between the cities more convenient.

The Diglett's Cave had a main tunnel and several branching paths, all dug by the Pokémon themselves. No one knew just how vast this underground network was.

As the cave gained acceptance, the Pokémon Association took measures to ensure its stability, installing support beams throughout the tunnel. At each entrance, a small house was built, and the name "Diglett's Cave" was officially added to the map.

Yet human curiosity knew no bounds. Some began venturing into the branching paths, no longer content with merely traveling the main tunnel.

Thus, various diggers appeared, some could safely return in just a day after entering a tunnel branch, without encountering any danger.

However, others became trapped in a maze of intricate tunnels, gradually losing their way and encountering numerous wild Pokémon, some of which were aggressive.

The most unfortunate case involved a man lost in a Diglett's Cave branch for two whole months. His food supply ran out, and he faced aggressive Pokémon, surviving only by eating soft soil.

He truly experienced a period of eating dirt.

When he finally emerged, he was nothing but skin and bones, and his Pokémon were malnourished.

After this incident, the Pokémon Association urged trainers not to recklessly venture into unknown tunnels, and the steady stream of explorers gradually stopped.

Of course, there were still some who defied warnings and continued their risky behavior. The Association could only try to control them, but ultimately, they couldn't restrict one's personal freedom, could they?

Cain planned to explore the Diglett's Cave and, if the opportunity arose, venture into unexplored branches. After all, he was different from others, as he had a Slowpoke with Teleport, which could safely bring him back.

After having Slowpoke set a Psychic coordinate at the entrance of the Diglett's Cave, Cain and Slowpoke ventured into the underground cavern.

Above, a row of old lightbulbs emitting yellow light hung, and stepping on the slightly soft soil was even more comfortable than walking on a paved road.

In Diglett's Cave, there was a common phenomenon: trainers didn't need to worry about losing their belongings, as any dropped items would be picked up by Dugtrio or Diglett and returned to their owners.

Naturally, this applied not only to lost items but also to litter carelessly thrown on the ground. The Diglett would pester the litterer until they picked it up, maintaining the cave's pristine natural state.

After several attempts, trainers stopped littering in the cave, thanks to the Diglett's persistence.

Occasionally, Cain would come across other trainers in the cave, some carrying large backpacks filled with tools like pickaxes and shovels. These were the adventurers, eager to explore unknown tunnels. They wore berets with attached lamps, lighting up their surroundings in the dark, unlit tunnels.

Although Dugtrio and Diglett made up most of the Pokémon population in the cave, there were others. Cain occasionally spotted a few Zubat and Rattata, but these Pokémon did not initiate any attacks, quickly disappearing as they darted by.

Cain and Slowpoke followed the main tunnel of Diglett's Cave, venturing deeper into its depths.

At first, there were few branching paths along the tunnel, but as they ventured deeper, the number of branching tunnels increased. Some even had streetlights installed and signboards at the entrance, detailing the specific purpose and use of each branch.

For instance, some of the branches served as small trading markets where trainers had gathered and formed the community themselves. Although not as comprehensive as the black market, where all kinds of materials and items were sold, most of the traders were independent trainers selling precious materials or used items they had come across during their travels. The underground marketplace resembled a bustling bazaar, where one could occasionally find some hidden gems.

The underground market in the Diglett's Cave had a reputation among trainers traveling between Saffron City and Vermilion City. Many sellers, wary of the black market's environment, preferred to walk the extra distance to sell their wares here. Of course, unlike the black market, all items sold here were legal and above board—there were no vendors selling captured Pokémon.

It was, in essence, a flea market in plain sight.

Some smaller branching tunnels had been claimed as underground homes by their occupants. While it wasn't popular for people to take over a public space for private use, there wasn't much backlash. After all, those who couldn't even find a place to live above ground must not have been in great situations themselves. People generally turned a blind eye to their presence.