A cold wind blew from an unknown source, kicking up dust from the ground and swirling it within the beam of the flashlight.
Deep within the mountain wall, that eerie laughter rang out once more. This time, it was no longer a fleeting probe but carried a tangible coldness, like countless invisible Ice Shards piercing everyone's eardrums.
"It's... it's a Ghost-type Pokémon..."
Tome's voice trembled as she instinctively grabbed Masaki's arm, her fingertips icy cold.
"Many Ghost-type Pokémon like to scare people this way, we..."
She didn't finish her sentence because the laughter suddenly lowered.
It didn't disappear but receded like the tide, its echoes reverberating in the corners of the cave, gradually becoming faint.
The cause was Larvitar stopping its eating.
The little fellow seemed to sense the wrong atmosphere as well, lifting its head covered in stone fragments and looking around blankly.
"Phew..."
Masaki let out a long breath, his tense shoulders relaxing.
"Maybe it was just passing by and we disturbed it; it should be gone now."
Tome nodded as well, patting her chest with lingering fear.
Gone?
Ariel's brow furrowed, and the slight interest he had just gained instantly vanished.
After all that effort to finally lure you out, you're just leaving?
Then didn't I come here for nothing? Where am I supposed to catch Pokémon?
His gaze fell on Larvitar, then swept over the large hole it had gnawed out, an idea forming in his mind.
Was it the act of gnawing on Mt. Pyre that angered these "residents"?
Interesting.
"Keep eating."
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the silent cave.
"Don't stop. Treat this wall as your dinner."
The command was simple and direct.
Larvitar paused for a moment, then let out a cheerful cry, turned its head, and opened its large mouth toward the hard stone wall again.
"Crunch— Crack—"
The harsh chewing sound rang out again, even more vigorous than before.
As expected.
The eerie laughter that had just receded suddenly flared up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on!
This time, the sound didn't come from all directions but precisely from the darkness deeper in the cave; the anger mixed within it was almost tangible, making the air feel thick.
It worked.
A slight curve appeared at the corner of Ariel's mouth, and the last trace of doubt in his heart vanished.
"Faster."
He added.
Larvitar seemed to have received a supreme directive; its eating movements became increasingly wild, and large chunks of rock were easily Crunched by it, with stone fragments splashing everywhere.
Now, not only Masaki and Tome, but even Steven, who was focused on treasure hunting nearby, stopped his actions and looked at Ariel in shock.
This move... wasn't it a bit too arrogant?
"Mr. Ariel!"
Tome finally couldn't take it anymore, her voice carrying a sob.
"Let's keep a lower profile! This is Mt. Pyre; if we really provoke those powerful Ghost Pokémon, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
The color drained from her face; she was truly terrified.
In her understanding, one should be respectful and cautious when entering such a place. Who would be like Ariel, fearing things weren't chaotic enough and proactively offering a Taunt?
Ariel just looked at her calmly, his eyes showing no ripple of emotion.
He turned his head and looked at Masaki, who hadn't spoken but was frowning deeply.
"Masaki, Tome, do you remember our purpose for coming to Mt. Pyre this time?"
His voice was very flat, as if asking about an insignificant trifle.
"Purpose?"
The two were startled.
Yes, what was the purpose?
They had been overwhelmed by the gloomy environment, the eerie laughter, and the fear of the unknown, almost forgetting their original intention for this trip.
Training!
Masaki's eyes instantly regained their light; he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, making him completely clear-headed.
He looked at Ariel's calm face, then at the increasingly thick darkness around them, and a surge of hot blood rose from his heart.
"That's right, it's for training!"
Masaki's voice was forceful as he released Tome's hand and took a step forward.
"It's our fault for being completely affected by the atmosphere here! We're here to challenge ourselves and seek breakthroughs, not for sightseeing!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became; his previous fear was swept away, replaced by a high fighting spirit.
"If we hide from everything and scare ourselves at every little rustle, then what's the point of training! Mr. Ariel, I understand!"
Steven: "???"
He blinked blankly, holding up the Star-shaped stone he had just found, then looked at the high-spirited Masaki and the "teachable student" look on Ariel's face, his head full of question marks.
Wait... am I the only one here to dig for stones?
Ariel nodded with satisfaction; Masaki's realization was faster than he had imagined.
Good, it saved him a lot of breath.
Since the atmosphere had already been built up to this point, he might as well add more fuel to the fire.
With a flick of his wrist, another Poké Ball appeared in his palm.
A red light flashed, and a large, fierce-looking Krookodile appeared before everyone, its dark red skin gleaming intimidatingly under the flashlight's beam.
"Krookodile,"
Ariel pointed at another stone wall next to Larvitar and gave a new command.
"It eats, you dig."
"Make as much noise as possible for me!"
Krookodile grinned wide, its sharp claws carving several deep gouges into the ground. Without a word, it turned and charged toward the stone wall!
"Boom—!"
Compared to Larvitar's gnawing, Krookodile's digging method was much more violent; its massive claws were like a bulldozer, bringing down large sheets of debris and dust with every swing.
For a moment, inside the mountain, the sounds of gnawing and digging intertwined.
The darkness deep within the cave fell into a momentary dead silence.
Immediately after, the sharp laughter vanished completely, replaced by bursts of extremely suppressed low growls, as if some sleeping behemoth was being awakened from its long slumber by this incessant noise.
Ariel stood in the middle of the mess, feeling the anger spreading from the darkness, almost solidifying.
Instead of being afraid, a spark of excitement ignited deep in his eyes.
Ghost Pokémon?
I was afraid you wouldn't come out!
***************************
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to drop a review, leave a comment, and smash that like button! Every Power Stone helps push the story further—thanks for reading and supporting! 🚀