I caught a Pokémon

Xia You smiled but did not answer.

Once Makomo rejoined the group, they continued deeper into the territory.

I don't know when it started, but the cave passages began to become complicated.

A fork in the road appeared before them. Some paths were narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, while others were relatively open. The fluorescent dots on the rock walls guided their way, but also added to the confusion.

Even the air, though constantly circulating, carried a hint of coolness and the distinctive scent of minerals.

"This road...didn't we just walk this way?"

As Xiaoguang passed a bend that looked familiar, covered with a patch of heart-shaped fluorescent moss, he couldn't help but ask a question.

She looked back; the path she had come from was now hidden in darkness and a maze of forks, indistinguishable in distance or direction.

Ya Mi also looked at Xia You with some uncertainty.

Xia You touched her chin and shook her head: "I didn't specifically memorize the route, so I don't know if we've taken it or not, but it doesn't matter. No matter where we end up, Mewtwo can take us to the ground."

Upon hearing this, Mewtwo merely glanced at Xia You indifferently, offering no rebuttal.

It probably knows that even if it refutes, it will be of no use.

Just as they were discussing the route, a strange tremor suddenly came from ahead.

The tremors grew stronger and closer, and in a short while, the group could clearly feel that something huge, or rather, extremely large, was rapidly approaching them!

Makomo hesitated for a moment: "What's that noise? It sounds... somewhat like something alive..."

Perhaps it was the word "living thing" that was so suggestive that Yami subconsciously hid behind Xia You.

Xia You also shone the flashlight forward.

In a relatively open cave ahead, the glowing moss and crystals on the rock walls and ground suddenly began to flicker irregularly, as if disturbed by something.

Immediately afterwards, a series of dense rustling sounds came from all directions, growing louder and closer!

Even the most oblivious person would know what was about to happen at this moment.

Sure enough, in the next second, countless small, bluish-gray figures surged out like a tide from various side paths, rock crevices, and even the holes overhead!

They were not large, probably only about a meter long, with rock-like bodies, three legs like scorpions, and pairs of yellow eyes that were now filled with anger!

It's mantle rock!

Moreover, there are a great many of them, estimated to be at least several thousand, or even more!

Xiao Guang and Ya Mi didn't recognize what it was at first, but after Xiao Guang took out the Pokédex and scanned it, they immediately knew.

"Why are there so many mantle rocks here?!"

Xiao Guang exclaimed in surprise and instinctively took a step back.

The sheer number of mantle rocks surging in from all directions was astonishing. As they moved, their bodies rubbed against the rocks, making a "crackling" sound. When they gathered together, it sounded like muffled rolling thunder, and the entire cave trembled slightly!

More importantly, the eyes of these mantle rocks all gleam with an abnormal, aggressive yellow light!

As soon as they appeared, without any hesitation, the mantle rocks in the front row glowed slightly, and countless sharp stones shot towards Xia You and his group like a rainstorm!

It's a rock blast!

Although the group was puzzled as to why the mantle rocks were suddenly attacking them, it did not stop them from taking action.

Using their trainer-like physical abilities, Xia You, Xiao Guang, and Ya Mi quickly dodged to the side. Seeing that Makomo was a little slow to react, Xia You reached out and pulled Makomo into her arms.

The rocks nearby blocked the first wave of attacks for them.

However, due to the sheer number of them, the huge, seemingly indestructible rock where they were hiding was shattered under such an attack.

Xia You was never one to sit idly by and wait for death.

Although he didn't understand why these mantle rocks were 'taking action,' he wasn't about to let them continue attacking him!

He released his grip on Makomo's hand, reached into his waist pouch, and when he pulled it out again, he was holding six Poké Balls.

As he tossed it forward, amidst a flash of blue light, his Zoroark, Greninja, Infernape, Metagross, Milotic, and Blaziken appeared in the light.

Once they appeared, without Xia You's explanation, they understood the reason and what they needed to do simply from the overwhelming surge of mantle rocks.

Without Xia You's command, they each displayed their abilities, either attacking proactively or defending passively, their moves flying out in unison and bombarding these mantle rocks.

Not only them, but even Dawn and Yami released their Pokémon to help.

In an instant, energies of various colors crashed into the mantle rock formations, unleashing shockwaves that knocked down a group of mantle rocks.

But there are just too many of these mantle rocks.

Their attacks were like a drop in the ocean; they had only managed to take down a few dozen mantle rocks, but more mantle rocks immediately filled the gaps!

Chapter 1343 Steelix's Mega Stone

No one expected that after entering the depths of the cave, they would encounter such a Pokémon 'current' and have a violent collision.

Fortunately, these mantle rocks are not very strong; they only have an absolute advantage in numbers.

Of course, there are also some of their evolved forms that are stronger and have indeed caused them some trouble, but since they are much rarer, the trouble they cause is still very limited.

Despite this, Xiaoguang and Yami still found it a little difficult to cope.

Their Pokémon are relatively weak and not many in number.

Fortunately, they only played a supporting role. The ones who truly stood in the very center of the battlefield, facing the mantle rock waves head-on, were Xia You's Pokémon.

His Pokémon are like a solid embankment, standing firm no matter how turbulent the mantle rock waves are, preventing them from advancing an inch from the front!

Unable to break through from the front, these mantle rocks bypassed the gaps on both sides and surged behind Xia You and the others. In an instant, they turned them into a lone boat in this 'river,' constantly resisting the erosion.

Looking up at the still endless mantle rock, Xiao Guang broke out in a cold sweat.

"Brother Xia You, how long are we supposed to hold them off here?"

She could also see that such resistance was ultimately futile.

But if they don't stop them, they will soon be engulfed by the mantle rocks, and if that happens, they will be crushed into meat patties.

If we keep blocking them, when will it ever end?

Although more than a dozen mantle rocks were defeated, it was only a drop in the ocean compared to the sheer number of them.

Furthermore, under such a scouring, the Pokémon's stamina will be quickly depleted, and trying to hold on is not a viable solution.

Xia You didn't answer Xiao Guang. He simply swept the beam of his flashlight back and forth, calmly observing everything around him.

Even under such circumstances, it was impossible for his emotions to fluctuate much.

I was just a little surprised.

Although these mantle rocks attacked in a dense manner, most of them consisted of long-range rock strikes and close-range impacts.

Although they appear fierce, only a portion of the frontal attacks can actually launch them; they don't bear the full pressure.

Moreover, he keenly noticed that these mantle rocks did not seem to be targeting them.

It's more like... they just happened to be blocking the path of the mantle rock!

And it wasn't just Xia You; although Makomo wasn't good at combat, as a scientist, she also had extremely keen observation skills.

“Mr. Xia You, although they seem crazy and have a strong intention to attack, their target doesn't seem to be us! It's more like... they're being driven or frightened by something, and they're moving in a group!”

Makomo's words undoubtedly confirmed Xia You's guess.

The fact that the two people share the same viewpoint is already quite telling.

"Mewtwo, take us away from this area, over there!"

Xia You pointed to a relatively high natural platform on one side of the cave, formed by several huge stalactites and stalagmites. It was some distance from the 'main channel' of the mantle rock torrent and was at a higher position with a better view.

Upon hearing this, Mewtwo's purple eyes flickered slightly, and it did not hesitate at all.

It raised its hands, and a powerful yet gentle blue psychic light instantly enveloped Xia You, Xiao Guang, Ya Mi, Makomo, and all their Pokémon.

The next moment, a flash of light.

Everyone felt the scenery blur before their eyes and change, followed by a feeling of weightlessness. Before they could understand what was happening, their feet landed steadily on the natural platform.

The platform is indeed quite large, enough for them and the Pokémon to stand on, and it is about seven or eight meters away from the mantle rock surge below. It is not only very high, but also separated by several thick stalagmites.

Almost at the same moment they completed their teleportation, the gray, tidal wave of mantle rocks below roared past the spot where they had been standing.

Just as Xia You had predicted.

The vast majority of mantle rocks paid no attention to their sudden disappearance.

They were completely unaffected and continued to flow in their original direction, heading deeper into the cave.

Only a few dozen mantle rocks that were already near the platform, upon noticing the sudden appearance of several figures nearby, were startled and turned their attacks on them.

However, these few dozen mantle rocks are no longer a significant threat compared to the hundreds or thousands that followed, which were like a tsunami.

Without Xia You's command, the Pokémon once again put up an attack.

Sure enough, after dealing with the surrounding mantle rocks, no one paid any attention to them anymore.

Hikaru, Yami, and Makomo breathed a long sigh of relief as they looked down at the mantle rock torrent that was still flowing continuously but no longer deliberately attacking them.

"Phew...that scared me to death! I thought we were going to be washed away." Xiao Guang patted his chest, still shaken. "Xia You-ge, Zhen Gu-jie, how did you find out?"

“Observe,” Makomo explained briefly, her gaze following the direction the mantle rock formations were moving. “Their focus of attack is not on us.”

Xiao Guang pressed on, "What exactly happened?"

“I don’t know.” Makomo shook her head. “But I guess it’s related to the landslide just now. Maybe the strong tremors startled them, which is why they migrated to other places so recklessly.”

Before a proper investigation is conducted, this seems to be the only possible reason.

But in any case, the crisis has been temporarily averted.

"Then what do we do now?"

Looking around, Xia You said, "This is not a place to stay for long. We don't know what might attack us later. Let's get out of here first."

Makomo pointed to a relatively gentle natural stone path behind the platform, leading into the darkness to the side: "There's a path here, let's go this way!"

The group nodded in agreement, quickly tidied up, and after confirming that nothing had been lost in the chaos, they recalled most of their Pokémon, leaving only a few small ones to guard the outside. Then they strode towards the natural stone path.

Their steps were quick but not chaotic.

After walking along the stone path for a while, they gradually moved away from the roaring sound of the surging mantle rocks, and the surroundings were once again enveloped in an echoing silence, with only their messy footsteps echoing around them.

The beams of flashlights flickered on the strangely shaped stalactites and stalagmites, and whether it was their imagination or not, the shadows seemed to appear quite odd.

Just then, Makomo suddenly chuckled softly.

Hearing her laughter, everyone looked at her, with Xiaoguang looking particularly surprised: "What's wrong, Makomo-nee?"

Makomo pushed up her glasses, a lingering blush of excitement on her face, and said somewhat shyly, "Although it was really thrilling just now, and I still feel a little scared thinking about it, but..."

She paused, her eyes sparkling behind her glasses: "This feeling is so fascinating! Facing unknown dangers, solving problems with wisdom and observation, and this... the thrill of exploring the secrets of the world! It's completely different from being in a lab analyzing data and writing reports!"

Upon hearing this, Xia You raised her eyebrows and a smile appeared on her lips.

It seems that this seemingly quiet PhD student, who always stays in the research lab, also harbors a gene for adventure and exploration deep down.

This unexpected cave trip revealed a different side of her.

"If Makomo-neechan likes adventure, she can travel with us more often!" Hikaru enthusiastically invited. "Although Natsume-nii always encounters all sorts of big things, it's really exciting to follow him, and you can learn a lot from him!"

Yami smiled gently and nodded: "Yes, although it can be dangerous sometimes, every time we get through these dangers, I feel... well, our feelings have deepened and the memories are more precious."

Makomo nodded thoughtfully, not answering immediately, but the longing in her eyes was unmistakable.

After traveling a while longer, the cave passage began to level out, and the surrounding scenery gradually returned to normal.

Fluorescent moss, crystal clusters, and monotonous rock walls.

After the initial surprise, Makomo's sense of novelty about the exploration began to fade, and coupled with the tense situation she had just dealt with, fatigue crept in.

"Should we... continue going in?" Yami asked softly, looking at the seemingly endless dark passage ahead. She recalled the terrifying array of mantle rocks from earlier and felt a little uneasy. "The rain shouldn't have stopped yet, right? But this place doesn't feel... anything special anymore."

Xiao Guang yawned slightly: "Yeah, Brother Xia You, shouldn't we consider leaving? This cave is full of rocks, and it's all just rocks. It was novel at first, but it gets boring after a while."

Xia You nodded in agreement.

“Alright.” He looked at Mewtwo, who was floating beside him, and said, “Mewtwo, I’d like to ask you to go outside and check if the rain has stopped. If it has, then take us outside.”

Mewtwo nodded slightly, and the next second, its body disappeared before their eyes.