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Takeshi quickly caught up to Liam's team. The two of them walked at the very front, heading deeper into the cave together.
"The terrain inside Silver Cave is a bit complicated. Without a map, I bet we'd get lost pretty quickly. These symbols on the walls must have been left by those hunters as markers... though I'm not sure what they actually mean," Liam said as they paused at the first fork in the cave. He glanced at the two different symbols carved on either side of the walls.
Takeshi carefully examined the two markings on the wall, then crouched down to feel around on the ground. After a thorough check, he stood up and said, "I don't know what these symbols mean either. But both passages have traces of people walking through them. The left side has more footprints, while the right side has fewer but much clearer ones — they look recent."
Liam nodded slightly at Takeshi's words, then smiled and said, "Didn't know you had that kind of skill. You really hid it well... Anyway, these fresh footprints should belong to the person I've been tracking. Here's the plan: I'll head down the right path alone and go after him. He calls himself Black Ape, and apparently, he's got quite a high status in the hunting group. I'll catch him. You guys take the left path. If anything happens, contact me, and I'll rush over."
As soon as Liam finished, he immediately turned toward the right passage. Takeshi instinctively reached out to stop him, but Liam brushed him aside.
"That guy used despicable methods to hurt my Onix. I have to get justice for him. Don't anyone try to stop me — this isn't the time to waste words. Get moving," Liam said firmly before disappearing down the right passage.
Takeshi clenched his fists helplessly, then his eyes turned cold. He led the others quickly into the left passage.
....
Liam advanced cautiously through the tunnel. A three-dimensional map was projected before him, clearly showing the branching paths around him. Thanks to the glowing moss on the walls, visibility wasn't an issue.
"Come out, Arcanine," Liam said.
After walking for a bit without spotting Black Ape, Liam frowned and released Arcanine once more.
"Arrrooo!"
"Arcanine, sniff around carefully. See if you can catch that guy's scent," Liam said, gently stroking Arcanine's soft fur.
"Arrroo!"
Arcanine sniffed the air, his nose twitching rapidly. His expression hardened slightly as he seemed to pick up something. Lifting his head, Arcanine barked and darted off in a certain direction.
Seeing Arcanine react, Liam hurried after him.
Arcanine's speed far surpassed Liam's. Within seconds, Arcanine left Liam behind. Liam gritted his teeth and pushed himself to keep up. From up ahead, Arcanine's sharp bark rang out — he had clearly found something.
"You found it!?" Liam's steps quickened even more, racing toward Arcanine's voice. As he moved closer, the passage grew wider and wider until it eventually disappeared altogether.
Breaking free from the tunnel, Liam froze in shock.
What appeared before him was a massive underground cavern — no, it wasn't just a cavern. Liam estimated that half of Silver Mountain had been hollowed out to create this space.
The cavern stretched endlessly into the distance. Enormous black stone pillars, naturally formed without any hint of artificiality, supported the ceiling. Twisting, jagged rocks covered the ground. Above, massive cracks let thick beams of sunlight pour in, illuminating patches of the cavern below.
In the center of the cavern, bathed in sunlight, was a massive, vibrant flower field. Countless colorful flowers bloomed among the strange rocks, bringing a stunning vitality to what should have been a barren place.
"This... This is unbelievable..." Liam stood in awe. He had never imagined such a paradise hidden inside Silver Mountain.
"Woof!!"
Arcanine's bark snapped Liam back to his senses. He turned quickly and saw Arcanine standing at the cavern's edge, beside another unknown tunnel. After barking several times toward Liam, Arcanine charged into the tunnel.
Snapping out of his daze, Liam hurriedly slid down the steep rocky slope at the cavern's edge and chased after Arcanine.
This time, the chase wasn't long. Liam soon caught up to Arcanine.
Standing beside Arcanine, Liam looked ahead — their path was blocked by a pile of massive stones.
"Huh? These rocks look freshly fallen, probably the result of a recent attack. Looks like we're on the right track — Black Ape should be just ahead. But these rocks... They're going to slow us down. Arcanine, step back. It's time for you to shine! Come out, Onix!"
Liam called back Arcanine and quickly tossed out another PokeBall. With a flash of white light, Onix's enormous body appeared in the tunnel.
"Roar!!"
Luckily, the tunnel was wide enough to fit Onix's massive frame. Onix seemed to love the environment — he let out a joyful roar.
"Onix, clear these rocks blocking the way!" Liam commanded, pointing at the rubble.
"Roar!"
Onix nodded and slithered over to the rocks. Opening his huge mouth, he began crunching the stones down one by one.
"Uh... I knew Onix liked eating rocks and dirt, but this is the first time I'm seeing it firsthand..." Liam said, slightly speechless as he watched Onix munch happily.
"Roar?!"
Onix cleared the rocks swiftly, but after a short while, he suddenly stopped. His eyes filled with confusion, and he stared blankly at the pile in front of him.
"Huh? What's wrong, Onix? Did you find something strange?" Liam asked, approaching cautiously.
"Roar??"
Onix shook his head — he wasn't sure either. Just as he turned to continue eating, it happened!
A blinding white light suddenly erupted from Onix's body!
Onix squeezed his eyes shut and let out a roar of pain!
"ROAR!!"
Liam jumped in shock. He looked up to see Onix's face twisted in agony, his massive head slamming repeatedly into the cavern walls, shaking the entire tunnel. Cracks spread rapidly, and stones began to fall from above.
"Onix! What's happening to you!?" Liam shouted, dodging falling rocks.
"ROOAARRR!!"
Onix's only response was another agonized roar.
"No! This can't be right! That light — that's the same light Pokémon give off when they evolve! But why does it look so painful?! Is Onix evolving into Steelix?! But why would it hurt so much?!"
Liam's mind raced, desperately trying to figure out what was happening.
"Wait — could it be because of that!? Yes! I've got it! Onix! Hold on! Please trust me! Just hold on for a bit longer! I think I can help you!"
Suddenly struck by an idea, Liam rushed forward, dodging the crumbling stones, and shouted loudly at Onix.
"Roar!!"
Hearing Liam's voice, Onix roared and forced himself to control his spasming body. Bit by bit, he moved his massive head toward Liam. His eyes, despite the pain, shone with unwavering trust.
Seeing the determination in Onix's gaze, Liam smiled warmly. He quickly pulled out a metallic, cylinder-shaped object from his portable space and gently placed it on top of Onix's head.
The moment the metallic cylinder touched Onix's rocky hide, it instantly liquefied and spread across his entire body, coating him in a thin layer of shining metal.
As soon as the metal covered him, the pain in Onix's eyes disappeared. His trembling body gradually stilled.
Then — an even brighter burst of white light engulfed the entire tunnel, illuminating it like daytime.