Chapter 7
The two worked together to move their unconscious comrades one by one.
After putting a safe distance between themselves and the jade mine, Haruto finally learned from Minoru everything that had transpired in his absence.
"I see."
"Those guys got exactly what they deserved! If only they had died in there!" Minoru growled as he bandaged himself and applied medicinal powder to his wounds. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the three comrades that Cocodora had struggled to rescue.
"Forget about them for now. The important thing is that we pass the assessment. Our suffering can't be in vain."
Haruto shook his head. Revenge was necessary, but so was passing the assessment.
There had originally been eight of them participating, including himself. Now, there were five here, and three were unaccounted for. If all of them could pass, then they wouldn't have to fear Shibata or even his squad leader uncle.
After all, the Quicksand Squad didn't have many young official members to begin with.
"Guu."
Cocodora's cry sounded.
Haruto turned his head and saw it spitting out several finger-sized jade stones.
"Thank you, you've worked hard."
He crouched down and pushed an iron ingot toward it. "It might not be much, but I hope you won't mind. If I get the chance, I'll give you more."
Cocodora gave him a glance before lowering its head and crunching down on the ingot, devouring it as if it were a mere biscuit.
Minoru looked on with curiosity. "Haruto, it seems to listen to you really well."
"It's not about obedience. This is mutual aid."
Haruto waved his hand dismissively. After some thought, he pulled out a Poké Ball. "Do you have a Trainer—"
Before he could finish, Cocodora had already taken several wary steps back.
It stared at the Poké Ball as if it were some terrifying object, letting out a short, sharp cry.
"Gudo!"
Haruto felt a bit awkward.
"S-Sorry."
He quickly put the Poké Ball away, but before he could say anything else, Cocodora turned and ran off.
It quickly disappeared from sight.
"Ah, damn…"
Haruto sighed. He hadn't expected such an intense reaction. It seemed likely that Cocodora had indeed been abandoned before.
Pokémon like this often had unshakable traumas regarding trainers, and those traumas couldn't be touched lightly.
He had acted too hastily.
Rubbing his face, Haruto turned his attention back to their wounded comrades, who needed to be moved quickly. In his rush, he had forgotten to take things slowly with Cocodora.
"Looks like it doesn't like you, Haruto," Minoru chuckled with schadenfreude—only to get a smack on the head from Haruto.
"Shut up."
Picking up the jade stones from the ground, Haruto placed one in each unconscious person's hands. "Let's get them out of here."
Waiting for rescue was tantamount to giving up on the assessment. Otherwise, he would never have risked moving the injured.
"You're right," Minoru agreed, nodding. Though he was injured and bleeding, he had recovered enough after being bandaged to at least carry one person with difficulty.
Haruto took charge of two, securing one to his back with a rope and carrying the other in his arms. Given his physical strength, this combination wasn't too much of a burden.
"Let's move."
Exhaling deeply, he started towards the exit, recalling the path from memory. "If we can find the other three along the way, even better."
"…Yeah," Minoru replied weakly, struggling to keep up.
Shortly after the two left, Cocodora peeked out from the shadows and quietly followed them.
Once it had gone, a Galarian Runerigus appeared.
As an observer, it meticulously transmitted the scene elsewhere, preparing to continue its surveillance.
Suddenly—
A piercing screech echoed from the jade mine tunnel behind them, filled with unrestrained fury. The Runerigus hesitated, then turned as a violent explosion erupted from within.
BOOM!
The blast drowned out all screams, though faint traces of them could still be heard.
The mine rumbled ominously, and chunks of rock began to fall from the ceiling, as if the entire structure was on the verge of collapse.
A horde of panicked Pokémon fled from within, as though they had encountered something truly terrifying. Two of the slower ones were abruptly seized by a massive black arm and dragged back inside.
Another explosion roared!
The Runerigus shuddered slightly and quickly hid, its gaze scanning the chaotic scene.
Among the fleeing figures was a heavily injured young man, pale with terror, riding on the back of a Rhyhorn. His body was covered in blood, and one of his arms was bent at an unnatural angle.
—
Inside the dimly lit mine.
Haruto turned to look at Minoru, who was panting heavily and drenched in sweat. "Can you keep going?"
"I'm fine! Just keep moving!" Minoru yelled. It wasn't that he was angry at Haruto—he simply had no energy left. Speaking in a normal tone felt impossible.
If he hadn't been injured, carrying barely 200 pounds wouldn't have been an issue!
Haruto watched his staggering steps and quickened his own pace.
Thankfully, his memory served him well. Otherwise, they would have had to slow down to navigate traps, wasting precious time.
RUMBLE!
The mine suddenly quaked violently.
Haruto didn't stop. He figured that a fight had broken out near the jade mine.
Groups of Pokémon often behaved like their real-world animal counterparts—intimidating each other with noise and displays before actually engaging. It seemed they had finally started to fight.
"Agh! It hurts!"
Minoru cried out behind him. Haruto instinctively looked up and saw a cascade of debris and dust falling from above, the cracking sound of the collapsing mine echoing around them.
Damn it!
It was coming down!
"Run! Don't look back—just run!" Haruto roared, tightening his grip on his unconscious comrades as he sprinted forward.
Minoru's face turned pale. The roaring collapse behind him sent his heart into a frenzy. With every ounce of his strength, he ran for his life.
A dense cloud of dust swallowed them, snuffing out the faint glow of their headlamps. The mine echoed with unrelenting tremors and the endless sound of falling debris.
Yet moments later, the two burst out of the smoke, refusing to stop.
Only after the tremors faded did they slow down and turn back.
The path behind them had completely caved in. Stones and dust filled the tunnel, sealing it so tightly that not even a mosquito could squeeze through.
"I…" Minoru's legs trembled uncontrollably. Having been closer to the collapse, the specter of death had loomed over him more than once. The thought of nearly being buried alive was utterly terrifying.
For a moment, he had considered abandoning the person he was carrying, but Haruto's urgent shouts had kept him going.
After a pause, Haruto took a deep breath. "Relax. We made it out… against all odds."
He had initially thought about making multiple trips to transport the injured one at a time, but knowing the risk of a collapse, he hadn't dared.
Now, he just hoped the entrance wasn't blocked and that the Pokémon that had attacked the miners wasn't still there.
"We're almost out. Just hold on a little longer."
Haruto encouraged Minoru. "Once we get out, we're official members! Pokémon, money—it's all waiting for us! Think about your parents. They're waiting for you!"
"—Yeah!" Minoru gritted his teeth and nodded.