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Ash had no idea how the others were faring. Perhaps it was fortunate that Pikachu wasn't with him at the moment. He could still sense Pikachu's location through their bond, and being underground shouldn't make it too difficult to find his partner.
"Let's go!" Ash said to Jigglypuff, having pinpointed Pikachu's general direction.
"Polly~~~"
Jigglypuff didn't hesitate and bounced up onto Ash's head, settling comfortably on his hat. Ash didn't mind the extra passenger.
Despite Jigglypuff's round, plump appearance, its body was mostly filled with air, making it surprisingly light. Besides, Ash's head had supported much heavier Pokémon before, like Hippopotas and Larvitar.
As they ventured deeper into the underground cave system, Ash discovered that Grampa Canyon's subterranean network stretched out in all directions like a massive maze. Even though he could sense Pikachu's location, the countless branching tunnels made finding the correct path challenging.
"Huh?" Suddenly, Ash heard voices echoing through the cavern. He paused briefly, then headed toward the source of the commotion.
"Be gentle! Be gentle, or you'll break my back!"
"Shut up! A grown man shouldn't whine like that!"
In another pile of collapsed rocks, James was trapped waist-deep in the rubble while Jessie and Meowth desperately grabbed his hands, trying to pull him free.
The pain was so intense that James shed what he called "manly tears." Listening to James's cries, Jessie snapped back irritably.
Crack!
As the rocks finally loosened, James was yanked out forcefully. However, the sudden release sent him tumbling backward into Jessie and Meowth, and all three rolled off the rock pile, landing in a heap on the ground.
Ash heard the commotion and approached cautiously. When he saw the three familiar figures, he frowned slightly, having initially thought they might be other people.
"You should be able to get out from here," Ash observed, looking up at the ceiling above them.
The sky was blocked by fallen stones, but he could see light filtering through the gaps between the rocks.
"Huh? The little twerp!"
Hearing Ash's voice, Jessie and James scrambled to their feet. When they realized Ash was alone, they became even more excited.
"This must be fate's arrangement! Hand over Pikachu right now!" Seeing that Ash appeared to be by himself, the duo's confidence swelled once again. Ash simply shrugged in response.
"Too bad Pikachu isn't here."
"What? What do you mean?"
After hearing Ash's words, they looked around him frantically but found no sign of his Electric-type partner. Having known Ash for so long, they were well aware that he rarely kept Pikachu in its Poké Ball.
"You little brat, where did you hide Pikachu?"
"I don't have time to deal with you!"
Ash didn't elaborate further. Without finding Pikachu and Misty, he needed to focus on finding a way out first. Once he located them, he could return if necessary. If they could clear the collapsed rocks above, they should be able to reach the surface.
"Stop right there! Even if Pikachu isn't here, we still need to deal with you first, little twerp, before we go searching for Pikachu!"
Jessie spoke up immediately, clearly not intending to let Ash leave without a fight.
"Where do you get this confidence from?" Ash couldn't help but roll his eyes at their persistent attitude.
"Polly~~~~"
Before Ash could reach for a Poké Ball, the Jigglypuff perched on his head jumped down and positioned itself protectively in front of him. Its cheeks puffed out indignantly, as if it was angry that they were threatening its new friend.
"Huh?" Ash was genuinely surprised. It seemed like Jigglypuff wanted to battle on his behalf.
"Hahahaha! Little twerp, do you really think you can fight us with this little puffball?" Meowth couldn't help but taunt when he saw Jigglypuff step forward.
While Jigglypuff was undeniably cute, it didn't look particularly threatening as a Pokémon.
"Polly~~~~"
Hearing Meowth call it a "little puffball," Jigglypuff's expression immediately darkened. It puffed its cheeks even further and bounded forward aggressively.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
Jigglypuff rushed directly at Meowth and unleashed a flurry of rapid slaps. Before Meowth could react, he felt his cheeks being struck from left to right in quick succession. The initial pain quickly gave way to complete numbness in his face.
"Ahhhhh!"
Meowth screamed as he received dozens of slaps in just a few seconds, sending him flying backward to crash onto the ground. Both sides of his face were now swollen larger than Jigglypuff itself.
"Oh... why did you have to provoke it?" Ash sighed when he witnessed this and kept his distance. Didn't they know? This particular Jigglypuff was notoriously petty and vindictive when offended.
"Damn it! Small size but big attitude! We'll show you what's what!"
Seeing their teammate's condition, Jessie and James pulled out their Poké Balls, preparing to retaliate. Just as Ash was about to take action himself, he suddenly felt an ominous presence and instinctively looked behind the Team Rocket duo.
In the pitch-black cave passage, a pair of glowing red eyes suddenly appeared in the darkness.
"Uh... you might want to look behind you," Ash warned them with mock concern.
"Hmph! Don't think you can escape while we're distracted, little twerp!"
Jessie assumed Ash was trying to trick them and ignored his warning. However, James was naturally more cautious, especially in a place like this. After hearing Ash's words, he instinctively glanced over his shoulder.
His face immediately turned pale when he saw what lurked behind them. With trembling hands, he patted Jessie's arm urgently.
"What are you doing at a time like this?" Jessie was annoyed, thinking James was being disruptive during their confrontation. But she heard James speak with a trembling voice.
"You... you need to look behind us!"
"Behind us? What could possibly be behind us..."
Jessie turned her head with irritation, still angry at first. But when she saw the situation behind them, her expression changed dramatically, and she began to tremble as well.
Meowth couldn't care less about the pain in his swollen face when he witnessed this scene. He grabbed onto Jessie's leg, trembling uncontrollably.
In the darkness, those glowing eyes gradually moved closer, and Jessie, James, and Meowth instinctively backed away in fear.
From the shadows, a large group of Pokémon covered in brown-yellow carapaces began to crawl forward. Their bodies were completely shrouded in darkness beneath their shells, with only pairs of scarlet eyes gleaming menacingly in the blackness.
Following behind them, several taller figures emerged simultaneously. Unlike the crawling ones in front, these stood upright on two legs, their bodies also wrapped in brown armor plating.
Their skeletal frames were clearly visible, with gray-white carapaces covering their chests. Each possessed a pair of silver-white scythe-like appendages for arms, and their heads were encased in crescent-shaped armor. Their sharp eyes glowed with an unsettling, bloodshot intensity.
The fossil Pokémon had awakened, and they did not look pleased to have been disturbed from their ancient slumber. Ash recognized them immediately - the crawling ones were Kabuto, ancient Rock and Water-type Pokémon, while the bipedal ones were their evolved forms, Kabutops. These prehistoric creatures had been sleeping in the depths of Grampa Canyon for countless years, and the recent cave-in had apparently disturbed their rest.
"Those are fossil Pokémon," Ash murmured, both fascinated and concerned. "Kabuto and Kabutops - they've been extinct for millions of years."
The ancient Pokémon continued to emerge from the darkness, their numbers growing steadily. Their glowing eyes fixed on the intruders in their domain, and they began to advance slowly but deliberately.
"What... what are those things?" James whispered, his voice barely audible.
"They look angry," Jessie observed, her earlier bravado completely gone.
"Meowth doesn't like the way they're looking at us," Meowth added, still clinging to Jessie's leg.
The fossil Pokémon showed no signs of backing down. If anything, they seemed to be gathering their strength for an attack. The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous for everyone trapped in the underground chamber.
Ash realized they needed to act quickly. These ancient Pokémon were known to be fierce and territorial, and they clearly viewed the humans as threats to their domain. The confrontation with Team Rocket would have to wait - survival had become the immediate priority.
"Jigglypuff, get ready," Ash called softly to his round companion. "We might need to fight our way out of here."
"Polly!" Jigglypuff nodded determinedly, still positioned protectively in front of Ash.
The fossil Pokémon continued their slow advance, their ancient eyes burning with primal fury. The underground chamber had become a battlefield, and there was no telling how this encounter with the prehistoric guardians would end.