Natsuhiko returned to the previously selected dwelling cave with Salazzle and several Elite Level Salandit.
The remaining Salandit were left to rest and recover on their own.
Such a large group, if he had to bear the cost of recovery, it would be beyond his means.
At most, Cherrim left a few patches of Grass Arena to accelerate their recovery speed.
Moreover, Salandit have been entrenched in this tunnel for so long, they should have their own ways of coping.
Sitting by the newly lit campfire.
The Pokémon were eating to recover strength, with Salazzle and Salandit obediently crouched nearby, while Natsuhiko watched the sparks jumping in the fire, lost in thought.
There was timber here—not whole pieces of wood, but some dried and shriveled roots of some unknown plants.
This indicated that they were likely in a deep underground location, not within the mountain itself.
However, it couldn't be fully determined.
Salandit lacked the ability to dig, so they were unaware of places beyond the tunnel, but Excadrill, being adept at digging holes, might know something about outside the tunnel, perhaps even how to navigate through.
Considering this, the Excadrill group needed to be approached.
He looked up at Salazzle.
"Tomorrow, have your people spread out and map all the tunnels large and small around here. I want to know the distribution of all Pokémon groups and tunnel branches."
Not knowing the exact location is akin to being a headless fly.
There are so many Salandit with reasonable intelligence, so mapping the tunnels shouldn't be too difficult.
"Sss—"
Salazzle nodded repeatedly, glancing at Togetic and the others happily eating Energy Blocks, gulping slightly.
Natsuhiko wasn't stingy; he tossed a box of Intermediate Energy Blocks to it.
Recovering well ensures better performance.
Salazzle quickly caught it, eyes showing delight.
"Also, mark out any rare and precious items, regardless if they are guarded by Pokémon or not," Natsuhiko added.
Since they've come, any valuable items in these underground tunnels should be collected where possible.
Salazzle promptly responded.
After eating a few Energy Blocks, its deep-rooted resistance diminished.
...
...
Being underground, there's no visible change in day and night, and time can only be gauged by a phone.
Luckily, Natsuhiko's biological clock was consistent most of the time.
He woke up early the next day, after an uneventful night.
Upon waking, he wasn't hurried to explore and understand this tunnel, leaving it to Salazzle and Salandit; he only needed to wait for the detailed map they would provide.
He planned to train with the Pokémon first.
Even if participating in this trial, the original accumulation and cultivation couldn't be neglected, at most adjusting between battles.
Striving for maximum efficiency.
The four little ones were ready too.
The Beedrill, having undergone a long period of sharpening, has now managed to use the Sword Dance Technique almost on par with Doublade, and Natsuhiko was quite satisfied with this result.
Proficient use of Sword Dance Technique, even in a race-against-time battle, could become Beedrill's winning strategy.
Next, its training focus will shift to High-speed Movement.
Natsuhiko values High-speed Movement no less than Sword Dance; using it well can produce miraculous effects.
The main direction for Yujira moving forward will be Future Sight.
This is a technique acquired from Jirachi, possessing a danger premonition ability somewhat similar to Absol, with more complex skills compared to regular Future Sight.
Yujira's occasional foresight had helped Natsuhiko resolve many crises and troubles, but its proficiency wasn't high.
If further explored and applied in battles, combined with the flexibility offered by Instant Movement, Yujira could easily play its opponents.
Togetic's Fairy Type has awakened.
However, its use of Fairy Energy is still very raw, largely due to not having much prior use of Fairy-type Techniques.
Therefore, the coming period will be spent training its control over Fairy Energy and the application of Fairy-type Techniques.
Though Natsuhiko doesn't plan to showcase its Fairy-type abilities in the upcoming "Lily Youth Competition," considering the long term, this remains an unavoidable training direction.
Once Fairy Type is officially announced, Togetic, already familiar with Fairy Energy and Techniques, will surely shine brightly, and certainly make some Dragon-type Pokémon understand the meaning of despair.
Doublade's goals had been set earlier, as it is highly skilled in its technique mastery, arguably the most proficient among Natsuhiko's Pokémon.
Though Holy Sword Techniques were learned later, its proficiency with Continuous Slash Technique is beyond question.
If it can perfectly combine Continuous Slash and Holy Sword Techniques before the "Lily Youth Competition," then it will be the greatest asset for Natsuhiko in the competition.
Indeed.
The greatest asset, even surpassing Beedrill, in ranking behind Doublade.