The cave air was cool and heavy, every sound swallowed by the dark.
Silas moved carefully, the beam of his headlamp sweeping across damp rock. His boots scraped softly as he reached a familiar reef formation,marked by a square scratch he'd carved earlier.
"Yeah," he murmured, touching the mark. "Back where I stopped last time."
He'd been walking for nearly half an hour when he heard it again,that sound.
Faint, steady, rhythmic.
"…Running water?" His eyes sharpened. "An underground river, maybe."
Years at sea had trained his ear to recognize even the faintest splash. Once a pirate, always a man of tides; water had its own language, and he'd learned to listen.
He motioned forward. "Stay sharp."
Murkrow flitted ahead into the gloom, a perfect scout in this dark environment. Behind Silas, Crawdaunt and Eevee watched the rear, while Castform floated nervously,still under Eevee's intense, untrusting stare.
The cave echoed only their footsteps and the faint flutter of wings.
Then-a rustle.
A shadow darted out of the darkness.
A green Pokémon with a broad lotus leaf hat and wide, goofy grin tumbled forward, waddling like it was dancing.
"Ludicolo?" Silas blinked. "Huh. Didn't expect that down here."
Its size was smaller than average-meaning it must've evolved early, before fully developing its strength. Not ideal. Still, his eyes gleamed as a thought clicked.
"Lotad evolves with a Water Stone," he muttered. "So if there's a wild Ludicolo here…"
He smirked. "There's probably a Water Stone source nearby."
That alone made the encounter worth it.
Ludicolo spotted him and froze-then, without warning, fired a jet of water straight at his face.
Silas sidestepped easily as Crawdaunt's claw rose, deflecting the spray with a casual snap.
Silas's voice dropped, calm but sharp. "Bad move."
"Murkrow-Tailwind, and then Drill Peck!"
"Kraaaw!"
The black bird shot forward like a shadow given form. The gust picked up instantly, swirling through the tunnel as Murkrow became a streak of feathers and fury.
Its speed multiplied under Tailwind, and in the blink of an eye, the beak struck true -slamming Ludicolo into a jagged reef.
Crash!
The echo rang out. Water splashed down the walls as Ludicolo let out a pained "Ludi~!"
A crack split the lotus leaf atop its head, a trickle of water dripping from the wound.
"Keep up the pressure!" Silas commanded. "Use Astonish!"
"Eevee, Shadow Ball-let's end this!"
"Vee~!"
The small brown Pokémon dashed forward, forming a pulsing sphere of shadowy light between her paws before hurling it with a sharp cry.
Ludicolo flailed, panicking, trying to counter with Mega Drain but its aim was wild.
The green energy whips missed entirely, slicing through empty air.
Silas crossed his arms, watching as Eevee and Murkrow combined their assault.
Within seconds, the wild Pokémon fell still, collapsing with a soft thud.
"Good work," he said softly.
He pulled a Great Ball from his belt, enlarged it, and tossed.
The orb struck the fallen Pokémon, sucked it in with a flash–click.
The capture was clean.
....
Pokédex Entry
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Ludicolo–The Carefree Pokémon.
The evolved form of Lombre.
When it hears cheerful music, it begins dancing joyfully. It's said to appear to children singing on picnics.
Level: 19
Type: Water / Grass
Gender: Male
Height: 1.3 m
Weight: 50 kg
Condition: Undernourished, premature evolution
Ability: Own Tempo (Hidden Ability)
Moves: Bubble Beam, Water Gun, Growl, Nature Power, Astonish, Absorb, Mega Drain, Teeter Dance, Fake Out
Egg Move: Sweet Scent
_________________________________________
Silas arched a brow, amused.
"Own Tempo, huh? Not bad for an early evolution."
He scrolled the data further, lips quirking. "And Sweet Scent too. That's pretty rare."
Sweet Scent-a move that emitted a faint, irresistible fragrance, luring wild Pokémon closer.
Handy for training sessions or, if he wanted to sell, a nice profit magnet.
"For a half-trained Ludicolo, you might fetch… what, twenty-thousand Pokédollars?" he mused aloud.
"Maybe more if some collector wants a walking perfume machine."
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"Too bad the Hunter groups aren't active in Hoenn anymore-Sinnoh's their main playground now."
Silas knelt beside the unconscious Ludicolo, sprayed a light healing mist over its body, and returned it to the Poké Ball.
"Rest easy, dancer."
Crawdaunt stood nearby like a crimson sentinel, claws poised in silent vigilance.
Even here, in the dripping dark, his team's loyalty was unshakable.
Silas glanced at them all-Murkrow preening his feathers, Eevee perched by his boot, Castform peeking nervously from behind Crawdaunt and smiled faintly.
"Alright," he murmured. "Let's keep moving. If there's a Water Stone down here, I'm not leaving without it."
The cave stretched ahead-black, deep, and humming softly with the rhythm of unseen water.
And Silas walked on, the echo of his footsteps swallowed by the song of the underground river.
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(End of chapter)