Chapter 5
How many Pokémon did the Quicksand Squad manage to sneak in?
Haruto Minoru was speechless. It had been less than thirty minutes since he descended, and he had already encountered three waves of Pokémon. This last one had even been caught in the act.
What now?
Should he use his contingency plan?
He reached into his pocket, nervously watching the Aron before him.
However, for some reason, the creature didn't attack. Instead, it simply observed him, its deep blue eyes holding a vague sense of curiosity.
After a tense standoff of over ten seconds, Haruto Minoru, still waiting for an attack that never came, suddenly seemed to realize something. Slowly, he reached for his collar.
At the same time—
A faint buzzing of wings sounded from behind him.
Not good!
The two Soundwave Larvae had returned!
Talk about bad luck—as if dealing with an Aron wasn't tricky enough, now there were two more opponents to worry about.
Was fate pushing him into a dead end?
Looking at the still-passive Aron, Haruto Minoru had a sudden, almost reckless idea: he could scoop it up and hide together.
If he didn't, even if he managed to evade detection, the Aron would still be exposed.
Yet, before he could act, the Aron stepped back a few paces, gave him a scrutinizing look, then turned its gaze toward the direction of the buzzing noise. Without hesitation, it scurried over to the rock wall, rapidly digging out a small hole and slipping inside.
Its movements were swift and precise—truly impressive.
This little guy...
Hiding in place, Haruto Minoru unconsciously touched the iron ingot in his chest pocket. Could this Aron be the clue he was supposed to follow?
But wasn't the objective to "obtain" a Pokémon? How could he obtain one that was smuggled in by the Quicksand Squad?
Unless...
It was abandoned?
There was a chance, though that would mean the examination site hadn't properly vetted the creatures inside. Then again, the clue might not be pointing to Aron specifically—many Pokémon were drawn to metal.
For now, anything was possible.
Holding his breath, Haruto Minoru minimized his movements, ensuring the Soundwave Larvae wouldn't detect him.
These desert-dwelling Pokémon were highly aggressive and wouldn't hesitate to attack anything within their line of sight.
"Bzzzz—"
The incessant buzzing was grating, like an alarm piercing through his nerves. If not for his decent endurance, he might have lost his composure by now.
Silently, he counted down in his head, keeping his breath still.
A moment later, the Soundwave Larvae passed by once more, barely missing him.
Only when the buzzing completely faded did he dare to move slightly, glancing at the hole the Aron had dug.
He expected it to peek out any second.
Yet, after waiting over a minute, there was still no sign of it.
"It's gone... Was it really abandoned?" Haruto Minoru muttered, touching the minimized Poké Ball in his pocket.
The Larvae had returned too quickly, leaving him no chance to test his theory.
Had he missed his opportunity?
Sighing, he rubbed his forehead to clear his thoughts. Right now, his priority was passing the exam. Even if he had lost this chance, becoming a full-fledged member would surely grant him another.
Time to move forward.
Adjusting the brightness of his miner's lamp, he made sure the path ahead was visible without attracting light-sensitive Pokémon.
Not long after he left, the Aron peeked out of its hole. Watching him disappear into the darkness, it blew out a small puff of dust from its four tiny nostrils before trailing after him at a leisurely pace.
—
Huff, huff, huff...
Seiji Kazuhiro ran frantically, chased by an enraged Rhyhorn that felt like a harbinger of death.
His panic led to careless missteps.
Inevitably, he misjudged his footing, his foot slipping into a deep pit deliberately placed as a trap. Sharp stones at the bottom tore into his skin, soaking his clothes with blood almost instantly.
"Hahaha! A bunch of worthless trash thinking they could pass the exam!"
From above the pit, Rhyhorn's head loomed over the edge, accompanied by the sneering faces of several figures.
One of them scoffed, "Tell me where Haruto Minoru is, and if I'm in a good mood, I might let you go."
"Dream on! Just wait! When Haruto finds out, he won't let you get away with this!"
Seiji Kazuhiro glared furiously at Shibata.
After getting separated from Haruto Minoru, their group had been unusually lucky, avoiding most traps and only encountering a few trial Pokémon.
Then they had stumbled upon a small deposit of jade ore, thinking they had secured victory.
Unfortunately, Shibata and his gang had been lying in wait, using illicit Pokémon to ambush them. Caught off guard, one by one, Seiji's companions had fallen.
Now, the only one left, he had walked right into a trap.
"Let you go? Hahaha! I'd like to see how Haruto plans to stop me! You're all just pathetic nobodies! Rhyhorn! Finish him!"
Shibata's face twisted into a cruel grin as he gave the order.
Seiji Kazuhiro crossed his arms over his face, squeezing his eyes shut, preparing for the worst. Though terrified, he clenched his teeth, determined not to die with a look of fear. In his heart, he screamed Haruto's name, praying for revenge.
But the expected impact never came.
Curious, he cracked his eyes open.
"Huh? Where'd they go?"
The Rhyhorn—and Shibata's gang—had vanished.
They let him go? Impossible!
Overwhelmed with confusion, Seiji looked around in disbelief.
Above him, Shibata stood frozen, staring at the retreating Rhyhorn, his expression dark with disbelief. That Pokémon had been assigned to him by his uncle, yet he had lost control over it!
Before leaving, the Rhyhorn had even shot him a look of disdain, an act that burned into his pride.
Damn it!
Even a Pokémon dared to disrespect him!
Recalling Rhyhorn's blatant disregard, Shibata's expression twisted in rage. His fists clenched, and his entire body trembled. The men around him dared not make a sound, afraid of becoming collateral damage.
"It's all Haruto Minoru's fault! I'll kill him!"
In his mind, Haruto Minoru was to blame for everything. If not for him, these "nobodies" wouldn't have dared resist. If not for him, his family wouldn't constantly berate him for failing such a simple task.
Yes.
It was all his fault!
Back at the jade mine, Shibata eyed the defeated, groaning figures on the ground and sneered. "Beat them! Make them scream! The louder, the better! Let that little rat Haruto Minoru know exactly where we are!"
"But, Shibata—"
"What!?"
The protester averted his gaze, and the others, exchanging glances, swallowed their concerns. Drawing attention like this might lure in wild Pokémon, but none of them dared defy Shibata's orders.
Soon, agonized cries echoed through the underground cavern, sending shivers down the spines of other Quicksand Squad grunts.
Even Haruto Minoru heard them.
He recognized the voices.
Frowning, he quickened his pace.
Passing or failing the exam didn't matter.
But he refused to stand by while people he knew were in mortal danger.
Unseen by all, a gray, humanoid figure with eerie markings blended into the rocky walls, holding a tiny camera as it observed the unfolding events.
In Ironstone Town, a refined-looking man swirled a glass of red wine, watching the screens before him.
"The Quicksand Squad is getting worse with each generation."
Once an esteemed security company safeguarding the mines, they had long since fallen into disgrace.
"Spiritomb, tell the Yamask to keep watch. No need for too many deaths."
"Grrrsshhh!"
A massive, rune-covered rock creature with eerie purple eyes flickered and vanished into the shadows.