"Lord Kaiser, our monitoring equipment has detected a massive localized battle occurring underground."
Ryuhime ran toward Kaiser, her voice urgent. By now, Kaiser had already breached the halfway point of the mountain's exterior, locked in a fierce struggle with the Gigalith and Boldore guardians. Braviary and Mandibuzz were circling above, whipping up violent Hurricanes to halt their progress.
"Ryuhime, we are currently in a head-on confrontation with the main sentinel force. If we retreat now, the mercenaries will take heavy casualties," Kaiser replied, looking grim. "Take a small elite squad and head underground. If you find definitive traces of the Hydreigon, signal me immediately, and I'll bring the main force down to support you."
Elsewhere in the Tunnels
"It seems this is the true path to her nest," Zinzolin remarked to his Kommo-o. "Daughter, let's finish this quickly. Use Aura Sphere!"
The Kommo-o clenched its claws, manifesting spheres of pure fighting energy that swept the encroaching Gigalith aside like dust.
"Haha! Good girl! We can't let anyone else reach the Deino first." Zinzolin brandished his machete and strode forward, capturing the fallen Pokémon as he went.
In the Main Passage
"Corvisquire, use Peck!"
Corvisquire blurred with ghostly speed, weaving through a Mienshao's elbow strike. The Mienshao realized too late that it had struck only an afterimage. Before it could recover its stance, Corvisquire's beak struck it cleanly between the eyes. The Mienshao slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"There are too many of them coming. We need to perform a strategic bypass," Feng Che noted. "Caitlin, use Teleport. We'll jump past these skirmishers and head straight for the core nest."
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Caitlin was enveloped in a pale blue aura. Despite the strain, she channeled a massive amount of psychic energy, and the two vanished just as the wild Pokémon closed in. The feral guardians looked around in confusion, but finding no trace of the humans, they turned toward the sounds of Zinzolin's approach further down the tunnel.
"Good, they've been diverted," Feng Che said as they materialized. He immediately signaled his Swoobat to expand their barrier to mask their presence.
"It's strange," Caitlin whispered. "Why haven't we encountered any Quasi-Elite level guardians in the tunnels yet?"
"If I had to guess, she's placed most of her Quasi-Elites at the summit," Feng Che replied. "This Hydreigon understands human psychology perfectly. If she put her strongest guards in the cave, an experienced fox like Kaiser would immediately grow suspicious and pivot his entire force downward. By keeping the main army at the peak, she's making a desperate gamble."
"Even if Kaiser hears about the underground fighting, he'll only send a small scout team. Most people assume a Dragon won't give up the geographic advantage of a high mountain. But Zinzolin is following his 'dragon sense' and is catching up. We need to move."
[Hydreigon: Finally... a little mouse has slipped past the net.][Hydreigon: No matter. I have one more layer of defense. Humans will not enter my nursery so easily.]
The Hydreigon sensed the distortion of the Swoobat's psychic barrier. She took a deep breath and let out a low, vibrating growl.
"Feng Che, how do you even know which tunnel to take?" Caitlin asked. "This place is a labyrinth. Even with my powers, it feels like I'm walking through a fog."
The tunnels were indeed a maze, further complicated by the presence of large black crystals—Dark Gem deposits and Dusk Stone ore. The malevolent Dark energy they radiated was wreaking havoc on Caitlin's sensory abilities.
"This cave is rich in Dusk Stone minerals," Feng Che explained. "The Dark energy interferes with a psychic's Future Sight and spatial awareness. As for how I find the way... call it intuition."
He couldn't exactly tell her he was following the mother's mental screams.
"Careful!" Feng Che suddenly grabbed her.
A metallic whistle cut the air as a green steel claw lunged from the ceiling. Caitlin blinked away with a short-range Teleport. When she reappeared, her Gothitelle was out and ready.
Gothitelle stood elegantly, her blue eyes glowing with intense light. She used her mental grip to rip the ambusher from the ceiling. A Ferrothorn slammed into the ground.
Ferrothorn resembles a flattened durian made of steel. Its body is covered in spikes with three black stripes and green vine-like appendages tipped with spiked metal discs. It can hang from the ceiling, dropping onto prey and launching needles with deadly precision.
Ferrothorn: Green Potential, Level 70
Suddenly, a series of thuds echoed. More Ferrothorn dropped from the darkness, surrounding them.
"Wait, Caitlin, don't move just yet. Look at the ground."
Feng Che pointed to the floor. The Ferrothorn had subtly scattered Toxic Spikes. One wrong step would mean instant, severe poisoning.
Then, the ceiling above them cracked open. A swarm of Klinklang whirled out of the fissure. They spun with rhythmic clack-clack sounds, their red cores glowing as they generated massive amounts of electricity between their interlocked gears.
"She's hidden two armies down here," Feng Che muttered, looking at the Quasi-Elite level steel-types.
Klinklang: Green Potential, Level 73 (Quasi-Elite)
"Three Quasi-Elites at once... Go, Zeraora and Torracat!"
"Zeraora, this is a perfect 'buffet' for you. Absorb the electricity these Klinklang are leaking to recharge your core."
Zeraora nodded. To avoid unwanted attention from those familiar with the Shiny specimen, Feng Che had used berry juices to temporarily dye her silver fur into a standard golden yellow.