Chapter 175: Journey Underground
Three figures zipped across the barren wasteland, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake: Excadrill, Bronzor, and Basalt.
Bronzor's natural levitation made flying easy. Basalt was being carried by its psychic power, his arms held out in front of him like Superman. As for Excadrill, it was just running, but it was by far the fastest of the three. Even if Bronzor wasn't carrying a passenger, it wouldn't have been able to keep up.
They made good time, covering about three kilometers in just three minutes.
"Cawww!"
Just then, the familiar, piercing cry of a Skarmory echoed in the distance.
"Excadrill, Dig!" Basalt commanded without a moment's hesitation. The sound was still far off, but Skarmory had the Keen Eye ability. He couldn't take any chances. This was their territory, after all.
"Excaaa!"
Excadrill leaped into the air, transformed into its drill form, and slammed into the ground. In an instant, it had carved out a sloping tunnel over a meter in diameter and ten meters deep.
Basalt was gently lowered into the tunnel by Bronzor's psychic power, followed by Bronzor itself. It then used its power to move a large boulder to cover the entrance, leaving only a small crack to peer through.
"Good work, you two," Basalt said, then peeked through the crack.
A few moments later, a flock of about fifteen Skarmory flew overhead.
"Good thing we reacted quickly," Basalt breathed, his heart still pounding.
"It's just a routine patrol," Bronzor communicated telepathically. "They weren't drawn by our earlier battle."
"Probably," Basalt agreed. Their earlier fight had been a complete rout. And Bronzor had used its psychic power to cover their tracks before they left.
They watched as the Skarmory flock circled for a bit, then flew off. Basalt let out a sigh of relief.
"Exca?" Just then, Excadrill frowned, as if it had noticed something.
"What is it?" Basalt asked. But Excadrill didn't answer. It just spun around, transformed into its drill form again, and slammed into the side of the tunnel.
BOOM!
The tunnel shook, and dirt rained down from the ceiling. A psychic shield from Bronzor protected them from the falling debris.
"Sandshrew~ Sandshrew~" A weak, helpless cry came from the new hole Excadrill had made.
It was a small, bipedal, mouse-like Pokémon with tough, dry, yellow skin that resembled a brick wall.
"A Sandshrew," Basalt said, raising an eyebrow.
Two of the three Sandshrew in the small burrow had already been knocked out. The third was pinned under Excadrill's foot, its steel claws at its throat, squeaking in terror.
"Wild Sandshrew? They don't look very strong. Let them go, Excadrill," Basalt said. They had clearly stumbled into their home, and the Sandshrew had been coming to investigate the intrusion. This was the law of the wild. Weakness was the original sin.
"Excaaa~" Suddenly, Excadrill held up a claw, silencing him. It closed its eyes, sensing the vibrations in the ground, then snapped them open and stared into the darkness of the Sandshrew's tunnel.
"More Pokémon are coming," Bronzor warned him.
"This place is full of dangers," Basalt sighed, his senses on high alert.
Soon, the sound of something sharp cutting through the air came from the darkness.
"Excadrill, Drill Run! Bronzor, Flash!" Basalt commanded. Defense was not his style, nor was it Excadrill's.
WHIRRR!
Excadrill shot into the darkness. At the same time, Bronzor flew behind Basalt and unleashed a brilliant flash of light, illuminating the tunnel.
Two Pokémon that looked like larger versions of Sandshrew stood before them. They were covered in tough, brown quills. They were Sandslash.
The two Sandslash were in the middle of launching a volley of black and purple needles from their backs. Poison Sting. But against a Steel-type like Excadrill, the attack was useless.
The two Sandslash were quickly overwhelmed. A Drill Run sent them flying back against the tunnel wall, and a flurry of Metal Claws left them bruised and battered.
"Excadrill, that's enough!" Basalt called out.
"Exca?"
Basalt stepped forward and addressed the two Sandslash. "We mean you no harm. This was all a misunderstanding." Bronzor translated his words.
"Sand... slash..." The two Pokémon exchanged a look. They were in no position to argue.
"Since we've reached an understanding," Basalt said with a smile, "we'll just be using your tunnel to pass through. We'll be gone soon." He waved goodbye and led his Pokémon deeper into the tunnel, leaving the battered Sandshrew and Sandslash behind.
The main tunnel was wide enough for Basalt to walk through if he stooped a little. Excadrill led the way, with Bronzor bringing up the rear. After about half an hour of walking, they reached a dead end.
"Excadrill, dig upwards. Let's see what's on the surface," Basalt said.
This time, Excadrill didn't use its drill. It used its Ground-type energy to soften the earth, minimizing the noise.
"Careful, careful," Basalt whispered to himself.
Soon, Excadrill had broken through to the surface.
"Excaaa!" A happy cry came from above.
"No danger up here," Bronzor translated, a note of relief in its voice. "And... we've reached a forest."
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