Chapter 697: Ninjask and Shedinja
"Be prepared for any danger that might arise at any moment. They've likely uncovered quite a few secrets inside since they arrived before us," Cain said quietly.
Steven nodded in agreement.
In such a silent environment, any spoken word resonated loudly.
Cain activated his psychic power, connecting with Slowking and Metagross.
The group chat mode was activated once again!
He enveloped Steven and all the Pokémon in telepathy, which not only reduced the risk of alerting enemies but also sped up communication between Cain and Steven.
Steven, already familiar with this form of cooperation, was not surprised at all.
When they had used it before, both Slowking and Metagross were at the advanced level. But now, these two Pokémon had reached the quasi-elite level, significantly increasing their power.
Upon reaching the lowest level, they noticed that the cylindrical structure of the building had four passages at the bottom, each heading in a different direction.
Cain and Steven exchanged glances and chose the nearest passage.
Inside, there wasn't much difference from the exterior, but the walls were covered with claw marks.
Examining the marks, it was clear they weren't made by a single Pokémon or even a single species.
Some marks were identifiable using Cain's system scan, but others couldn't be identified at all.
As they progressed, both grew more cautious, sensing an eerie atmosphere around them.
The passage wasn't very long. At the end, they found an empty room with no Pokémon, only some empty cages and a thick layer of dust.
Time had deteriorated almost everything, except for some cages made of an unknown material that still appeared strong.
This confirmed Cain's suspicions: the cages had been used to contain Bug-type Pokémon. When the creators of this place wanted to breed a first-class Pokémon, they released all the Pokémon from the cages.
Without food, the Pokémon would fight each other until only the strongest remained—the chosen one.
In ancient times, those who used this method were not ordinary people, suggesting that the Pokémon they were trying to breed had to be rare or possess great potential.
Furthermore, relationships between humans and Pokémon in that era were not as peaceful as they are now, making it hard for Cain to imagine all the details.
Since many ancient Pokémon species were already extinct, it was impossible to know for sure what Pokémon had been bred here.
"Let's check the other passages. They're probably similar to this one," Cain suggested to Steven telepathically.
They explored another passage but found nothing new there either.
However, in the third passage, something caught their attention.
There were footprints on the ground, both human and Pokémon, and they appeared recent.
Careful not to make any noise, Cain and Steven, with the help of their Psychic Pokémon, levitated five centimeters off the ground and advanced stealthily.
A faint cloud of smoke emanated from the passageway, along with... the smell of food?
Both of their expressions turned serious. It seemed the traitor they were looking for was nearby.
As they moved closer, they found a well-organized room, unlike the previous ones.
There were no cages, but the walls were lined with food, and in the center, a campfire with meat roasting over it. In one corner was a pile of supplies: water, food for humans and Pokémon.
This traitor had turned the place into a refuge, preparing to hold out until the situation calmed down. Then, they could join Team Magma, Team Aqua, or escape to another region.
A well-thought-out plan.
Yet, despite all this, Cain saw no one in the room.
There was no one!
Something was off!
"Steven, watch out behind you!" Cain warned telepathically.
Rather than fleeing, Steven hid behind Aggron's sturdy body.
"Gengar!" Cain called mentally.
Gengar instantly emerged from Cain's shadow, activating a green energy shield.
Protect!
A black shadow darted behind Cain but was momentarily stopped by Gengar's Protect. However, the shadow didn't stop completely and launched another attack toward Cain.
"Floette!" Cain called out, using his psychic power to halt the attack.
Fortunately, the shadow wasn't very fast, and Floette managed to use Protect just in time. Slowking also reacted quickly, using its psychic power to restrain the enemy.
Meanwhile, Steven's Aggron had successfully blocked an attack on his side as well.
Despite the dangerous situation, Cain remained calm, and his Pokémon's swift responses allowed them to escape harm.
The fact that the attack had pierced Gengar's Protect showed that the enemy was well-prepared.
Why hadn't Slowking and Metagross detected the enemy earlier?
Before Cain could ponder further, the shadow bolted toward the passage's exit. Cain mounted Drapion and ordered him to give chase.
Steven climbed onto Metagross, which used its electromagnetic levitation to closely follow Cain.
Upon exiting the passage, they saw a figure standing in the center of the cylindrical chamber. Upon seeing Cain and Steven, the person's expression revealed surprise.
"I didn't expect to encounter the famous Cain and Steven. Now I understand why my plan failed. I've lost," the figure said.
It was a woman with short black hair, dressed in loose, casual clothes. Despite being in such an inhospitable place, her demeanor was relaxed.
Yes, it was a woman!
The footprints they had seen in the passage had been a trap to lure Cain and Steven, and the smell of food had been bait. Then, her Pokémon attempted to attack them from behind.
Floating beside the woman were two small, incredibly fast Pokémon.
A Ninjask and a Shedinja!
(End of chapter)