After leaving the grand canyon where the Xatu divinations took place, Silas and Brock finally officially entered Mt. Mortar.
Looking at the sprawling mountain range ahead, Brock raised a critical question:
"So which way are we going?"
At first glance, there were only three cave entrances before them, but the tunnels inside stretched endlessly in every direction.
To describe it properly, the Mt. Mortar cave system resembled a gigantic ancient tree, while the three initial entrances were its trunks.
Beyond the main paths, countless branching tunnels spread outward like limbs from a tree trunk.
Not only that, but those branches could split into even smaller branches, creating a vast and incredibly complex underground labyrinth.
As one of the world's few supermassive underground cave systems, even thoroughly exploring only the currently known areas would take several months.
And ordinary Trainers generally didn't bother exploring known territory anyway, they focused on expanding into unexplored regions.
Combined with the constant tunneling of underground wild Pokémon using moves like Dig, Mt. Mortar's underground cave system continued expanding without end.
According to League information, the shallowest layer alone already covered nearly one-fifth of the Johto mainland, with portions even extending eastward into Kanto.
If not for the constant migrations of Pokémon causing known routes to shift periodically, exploration progress would likely have advanced much faster.
"The middle layer," Silas said, pointing toward the center entrance. "The shallow layer is too easy, but the deepest layer wastes too much time. We might miss the event in Blackthorn City otherwise."
That's right, the three entrances actually corresponded to different depths of the underground caverns.
The Pokémon species, strength levels, and item availability all varied greatly depending on the depth, while humanity's exploration progress decreased the deeper one went.
As everyone knew, powerful underground Pokémon generally disliked coming to the surface.
Part of that was discomfort with the drastically different environment.
The other part was that they were essentially avoiding humans.
As a result, the deeper Trainers ventured underground, the more difficult exploration became.
Of course, the rewards also increased proportionally.
Additionally, choosing the shallow entrance didn't mean deeper areas were inaccessible. The simplest method was simply having a Pokémon that knew Dig tunnel downward until it eventually reached the lower levels.
That was also one of the reasons Mt. Mortar's underground network was so absurdly complicated.
One Trainer dug a little here, another dug a little there, magnify a termite nest thousands or tens of thousands of times and it still wouldn't compare.
Fortunately, the Pokémon League regularly sent personnel to mark several fixed routes throughout the cave system, allowing Trainers to find their way back out.
Otherwise, countless Trainers would have become permanently lost within the underground maze.
Even so, Mt. Mortar still possessed one of the highest disappearance rates among all wilderness environments.
And in a place like this, "missing" was almost synonymous with "dead."
Compared to the man-made Dark Cave near Violet City, Mt. Mortar was practically hell-difficulty mode.
Brock had no objections.
The middle layer really did suit the two of them well.
Although this trip was meant to properly experience life in the wilderness, he had no intention of spending two or three months underground.
If he actually did that, his irresponsible father would probably beat him to death afterward.
As for the dangers of the deepest layer, Brock largely ignored them.
After all, he still carried two Pokémon belonging to his grandfather.
Wild Elite-level Pokémon weren't common enough to appear everywhere.
The two quickly disappeared into the tunnels.
Nearby Trainers had long since become accustomed to sights like this. At most, they were merely surprised that such young-looking Trainers dared enter the middle layer.
Most people still chose the safer route, entering through the shallow-layer entrance.
Only a small number and an even smaller number of reckless fools who either believed confidence itself made them invincible or valued money over their lives, chose the deeper entrances despite clearly lacking the strength for them.
After all, very few people in this world truly understood their own limits, especially where profit was involved.
In many people's eyes, Brock and Silas probably looked exactly like that sort of fool.
They simply looked too young.
Meanwhile, Trainers without any interest in cave exploration simply continued traveling aboveground toward Mahogany Town along the mountain foothills.
If underground routes were dangerous, then staying aboveground was perfectly fine. Humans weren't cave-dwelling creatures to begin with.
Surely nobody actually believed there was only one road forward.
"Ampharos, I'm counting on you."
After entering the cave zone, Silas habitually released Ampharos to provide illumination.
Rather than following the main path, he and Brock immediately took seven or eight turns upon entering, disappearing into some unknown side tunnel.
Brock looked speechless.
"Aren't you worried people will get greedy?"
Though lacking practical experience, his theoretical knowledge was excellent.
In the wilderness, a shiny Ampharos wasn't exactly the kind of Pokémon that went unnoticed.
He certainly wasn't naïve enough to believe Pokémon Hunters didn't exist.
"Oh, that?" Silas scratched his head. "I use it as bait."
He looked perfectly calm about it.
Pokémon Hunters were low-level criminals anyway. Silas preferred hunting the hunters directly, it earned money quickly and carried very little risk.
He seriously doubted any underground Pokémon Hunter operating in this area possessed the strength necessary to defeat a Elite-level Blaziken alongside several Advance and pseudo-Elite Pokémon.
And even if things somehow went badly, Brock still had Solrock.
Surely Brock wouldn't just stand by and watch him die.
Under normal circumstances, considering the average strength of wild Pokémon in the middle layer, most Trainers active here generally possessed around two or three pseudo-Elite-level Pokémon.
The shallow and deep layers respectively catered more toward ordinary Advance Trainers and true pseudo-Elite Trainers.
This didn't mean the cave Pokémon themselves were overwhelmingly strong, but rather.
Silas's ears twitched.
"Get ready for battle. Go, Gallade! Escavalier!"
"Go, Golem!"
Brock reacted immediately as well, throwing out a Poké Ball.
A brown Pokémon resembling a turtle appeared beside him, except its shell was actually a gigantic rocky sphere.
"Nice one," Silas complimented casually during the brief lull.
As the original planner behind Golem's early training regimen, he could immediately tell that this Golem was exceptionally strong among Advance-level Pokémon.
It would probably break through to pseudo-Elite level very soon.
Brock's face darkened slightly.
"I can't even tell whether you're complimenting me or mocking me."
He had trained Golem for almost the same amount of time Silas had trained Blaziken, yet the latter had already reached Elite level.
The gap between them was honestly enormous.
It wasn't that Golem had grown slowly, nor that Brock had raised it poorly.
The problem was that he insisted on comparing himself to Silas.
Silas shrugged. He genuinely meant the compliment sincerely.
After all, compared to his talent as a Trainer, Brock was actually even better suited to becoming a Breeder or a similar profession.
Even so, raising a Pokémon from an Egg to the brink of pseudo-Elite level in just over a year aside from the Pokémon's own talent and effort, still proved Brock's abilities as a Trainer surpassed at least 99% of people in the world.
The Brock of Pewter City definitely had real skill.
"Graveler!"
At that moment, the enemies finally appeared before them.
It was a Graveler colony, led by a Golem.
Mixed among them were numerous Geodude and Machop of ordinary strength.
The entire group rolled toward the two like giant boulders.
"Looks like negotiations are impossible," Silas remarked calmly.
"Well obviously. Ampharos's light is ridiculously bright, there's no way they wouldn't attack us proactively."
Brock immediately complained.
Silas grinned.
"Then I'll leave that Golem leader to you. Don't lose the mirror match. The others are perfect practice for Gallade and Escavalier."
Brock nodded, though he still looked somewhat worried.
"There are a lot of them. Can you really handle this?"
Ignoring the leader, there were more than twenty Geodude and Machop alongside over ten Graveler.
That wasn't a weak force at all.
Even if Silas's Pokémon were stronger individually, such a numerical difference was difficult to overcome.
More importantly, the Pokémon he had standing by in reserve was Ampharos.
If it had been Serperior or Blaziken instead, Brock guaranteed he wouldn't have said a word.
"Relax." Silas rubbed his nose. "These two little guys are ridiculously strong. Completely overpowered."
Gallade and Escavalier both raised their weapon-like arms in agreement.
This dark-skinned stranger actually dared underestimate them. Completely unacceptable.
Brock said nothing more.
At this distance, any Pokémon inside their Poké Balls would have enough time to jump out and protect their Trainers anyway. He had only asked because of his naturally cautious personality.
Now, however, he was genuinely curious about the strength of Silas's two newly captured Pokémon.
Brock knew that while Silas could be unreliable at times, he rarely exaggerated.
Which meant these two Pokémon truly possessed the power to fight several opponents of the same level at once.
"Gallade isn't surprising," Brock muttered thoughtfully. "But what about that Escavalier?"
"Gallade, prepare Brick Break!
Escavalier, use Iron Defense first, then charge in with Razor Shell!"
Watching the incoming wild Pokémon, Silas grinned and launched the counterattack immediately.
"Golem, lure their Golem leader over here!"
Brock quickly issued his own commands as well.
BANG!
A boulder the size of a human head smashed into the opposing Golem leader.
The damage wasn't particularly high, but it was enough to infuriate it.
"GOLEM!"
Roaring angrily, the wild Golem retracted its limbs into its body before rolling straight toward Brock.
"We'll counter with Harden and Rollout!"
Brock immediately gave the order.
Wild Pokémon generally didn't combine Harden with Rollout.
That single difference alone was enough to create a qualitative gap.
The two gigantic stone spheres collided violently within the tunnel, producing a deafening crash.
But regardless of strength, physical ability, or move power, the wild Golem leader was completely outmatched.
It was quickly forced back against the cave wall.
Brock wasn't surprised in the slightest.
If wild Pokémon could consistently defeat trained Pokémon, that would've been the strange thing.
A Trainer's role drastically raised a Pokémon's minimum combat potential.
Not just physically or in raw power, but in battle techniques and move usage as well.
His attention soon shifted toward the two Pokémon absolutely dominating the battlefield nearby.
"Tch where did this guy even catch these two monsters?"
He was genuinely astonished.
"Gallade!"
Gallade's cry echoed throughout the cave.
Its figure flickered unpredictably—appearing on the left one moment, the right the next, then descending suddenly from above.
Every slash of its glowing white blades caused either a Geodude or Machop to collapse instantly.
Even Advance-level Graveler could barely survive a single strike. A second attack guaranteed unconsciousness.
Gallade perfectly demonstrated the terrifying traits of a Psychic/Fighting-type Pokémon.
Unlike Blaziken's aggressive, blazing martial style, Gallade's attacks were utterly impossible to predict.
Combined with Teleport, the swordsmanship wielded through its arm blades resembled antelope horns hanging without a trace, elegant and impossible to anticipate.
On the other side, Escavalier's combat style delivered even greater visual impact.
CLANG—! CLANG—!
Various attacks from Geodude, Machop, and Graveler continuously struck Escavalier's body, yet they barely seemed to hurt it at all.
Meanwhile, Escavalier's twin lances, wrapped in swirling water currents, repeatedly pierced through nearby enemies.
Although it lacked Gallade's instant finishing power, its clearing speed remained incredibly fast.
After all, being four-times weak to Water-type attacks was eternal suffering for Rock/Ground-type Graveler, while Machop far from defensive specialists, couldn't withstand the relentless barrage of thrusts either.
Escavalier stood unmoving among its enemies like an iron fortress.
Thrust. Withdraw. Thrust again.
The gaze hidden beneath its armored shell remained utterly calm.
Thanks to its naturally incredible defenses combined with Iron Defense's enhancement, these Pokémon could inflict almost no damage upon it.
After all, even the pseudo-Elite Gigalith from before hadn't managed to seriously injure Escavalier.
Compared to that, these weakened versions of weakened versions were hardly worth mentioning.
The one-sided battle quickly neared its conclusion.
"There really are tons of Pokémon here," Brock commented while inspecting the fallen Pokémon. "The moment something appears, it shows up in huge groups."
This was exactly why the three cave depths had such different requirements for Trainers.
In the middle layer, colonies consisting of thirty or forty Pokémon were extremely common, with nearly half of them being Advance-level.
Without at least two or three pseudo-Elite Pokémon, surviving assaults like this would be impossible, unless all of one's Pokémon were absurdly strong like Silas's.
Of course, ordinary Trainers wouldn't swagger around as boldly as Silas did either.
As for the shallow and deep layers, the former simply had fewer Advance-level Pokémon per colony, while the latter had far more, sometimes even featuring pseudo-Elite leaders.
Elite-level Pokémon, however, definitely weren't common enough to be everywhere.
"Found it. Looks like we got lucky."
Brock soon raised several stones in his hand, unable to hide his delight.
...
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