Chapter 9 - Grave Digger

Pulling into town I'm surprised once more at the variation from the games in my fractured memory. Scattered farms dot the large valley with a single road that reaches a T intersection. Old businesses line the road alongside Victorian houses. The largest buildings being a Mart and Center alongside a square, three story office building.

We pull up to the small lot at the office building, its front corner is all glass but the sun reflecting off of it blocks me from seeing what's inside.

May hops out, "This is the research center for agriculture as well as a small team dedicated to the nearby ruins. Most the region's food is grown in this area, their constantly testing how different breeds of pokemon may increase productivity."

Inside the lobby is a water feature, framed against the glass windows stretching up the entire three floors. The upper floors have staggered balconies overlooking this waterfall that easily takes up a third of the building.

Patches of grass dot the ledges on the rock face while water cascades down to a small pond surrounded by a four foot grassy embankment. Several pokemon are playing in the water, on the rocks and in the grass.

May goes up and talks to a receptionist at a desk while I examine the pokemon. On the bank a bulbasaur is attempting to snap at an oddish, he really does look like a lizard with a plant growing out it's back. Goldeen swim between a pair of Lotad in the water. On one of the ledges a sleeping Caterpie is being pet by a sunbathing sunflower pokemon I don't remember.

A small yip comes from the plant evolution of eevee that hops out of the tall grass. It darts over to a man in a lab coat exiting a door near the lobby desk.

Lacy would probably love one of those.

As he bends down to pick up the pokemon, "Hey May, Birch said you'd be here to pick him up today. He's still in the ruins though, probably lot track of time down there, I didn't see him here for lunch."

I walk over, "Hey I'm Kurt, rode here with May, mind if I ask how I can get myself one of those."

He smiles as I point to the Leafeon, "There's a breeder ranch just west out of Mauville, They always have a few eevee eggs. As for raising the hatched eevee's plant affinity, there's plenty of Leafmoss stones for a yard den in the area around Verdanturf. Much faster way to get it to evolve than wandering the woods for just the right area."

May nods, "Thanks Alden, sorry can't visit, I'd like to reach Littleroot tonight."

She lead out the door giving me only enough time to wave, "Thanks for the tip!"

Back in the jeep we quickly end up on a dirt road heading towards some lightly wooded hills just outside of town.

Glancing at may, "Know anything about the breeder he mentioned?"

She grabs what looks like an apple out of a sack and munches on it while driving, "Yup, largest ranch in the region not attached to a researcher center. A big family has ran the place for generations. Has quite a few contracts with the league, they're who ya want to contact for getting any non native pokemon."

Chucking the core out the window she grumbles, "I can't believe he's still in the caves, I swear he never notices his watch. I feel bad for his wife…"

I chuckle as we come to a slow around a hill and approach a large cave entrance, "Better hope it's not hereditary then, what's in this cave anyway?"

Hopping out she waves to the boy, "If that's the professor's junk you can load whatever is going back to Littleroot into my jeep."

She heads towards the cave and waves for me to follow, "It's a short walk down to a large underground lake with a large ruined town. Most has been destroyed by what looks like a large landslide leaving just a few huts and the lake. Supposedly it once had an underground river reaching the sea but its been long cut off. You'll want to let out your Zubat to scare off any wild pokemon."

Once inside the dimly lit cave I let out Shak and the Phantump. Shak flaps around for a moment before landing on a stalactite. The little haunted stump just tilts it's head at me, small branches with blue pine needles sway with him.

Pointing them out, "I thought These little guys had leaves?"

May shakes her head, "The idea is to blend in, we've got mostly pine forests in these parts."

How in the name of darwin does this even come about. I'd ask May but she seems to be avoiding even looking at the little ghost.

I pat the stump, "Alright little guy, I'm Kurt, your trainer from now on. First let's pick ya a name," glancing at the pine needles I feel some odd notion, "Let's call you Blue, what do ya say?"

Tiny red glowing eyes seem to scrunch up in the holes of the floating stump befor it animatedly seems to nod, a creepy giggle echoes off the cave walls.

May shivers, "Alright, lovely let's move please."

I nod and look up to Shak, "Lead the way big guy."

With a "Zu!" he swoops down, circling us once before flapping down the cave, not waiting for us to keep up in the slightest.

Hmm, "Guess I should work on being a bit more clear?"

The creepy child laughter echos out once more from Blue.

Tesla seems content to hang out on my shoulder and snuggle.

Shak flits back and forth from the darkness ahead to around us in long sort of patrol. Blue seems to find fun in leaving no stone unturned as we head deep.

May staying a few steps behind me, "for a bunch of creepers your Pokémon certainly are energetic."

After only five minutes or so in a steady descent we pass a wide open stone doorway and come to a large lake. On the shore closest to us is a work bench and flood lights. Off to the left side of the lake is the very outermost shell of what looks to be stone or clay housing buried into the cave walls.

The sight brings to mind native american cliff dwellings. Various digging equipment is arranged outside the closest dwelling. I watch Blue drift over and toss a hard hat over itself before picking up a small trowel and start flipping over every rock again.

I laugh, "Don't wander too far little guy."

A deep male voice, "Who's there?"

Sticking his head above a rock on the embankment is an older man in a white lab coat.

He spots May behind me just as Shak swoops past his head and begins to follow above Blue.

Once more raising his head, "Sorry May, I seem to have missed the time. Friend of yours?"

May nods, "Yup, this is Kurt, he's lost his memory. Anyway he's riding with us to Littleroot since I was my own otherwise."

Birch nods, "Never know what can happen on the road. Well I'll only be a second, found a nice pocket of Kabuto fossils."

He tosses away a shovel and stabs a small marker flag in the ground before walking up to the workbench carrying a few smooth stones. They look like horseshoe crab shells.

Blue floats over as well and places a similar rock on the table before striking a triumphant pose, giggling, and then going back to his playful search.

I walk forward, first glancing over the table into the lake, I can spot shadows moving beneath the surface.

Pointing with my chin, "What's swimming in there?"

Birch looks up from the rock Blue set down, "Relicanths, big ones, your little ghost just brought over a nice Lileep fossil!"

I take a look at what seems to be a worm carved in a rock, "Well you're the expert."

Even as I say that there's a fresh spine chilling laugh and another rock gets tossed on the table between us. Blue then darts back towards the water line. A brown fish surfaces near him but Shak swoops near it, scaring the fish away.

They seem to work together just fine.

Birch rubs his hand across the new stone, "These claws look like an Anorith fossil, you've got quite the talented little fella!"

I call after blue, "Find me a turtle shaped one!"

May cuts in, "Hey we don't have all day you know, today is the day you're supposed to receive new rookies professor. It's already Four in the afternoon and we've got another 40 minute drive."

Birch sighs, "Right, you're still not calling me pops there missy. And here I just found a fine recruit for fossil hunting. Oh look he's coming back already."

Blue drifts up with his shovel hanging from his branch, in his ghostly limbs is a large clam shell.

The professor laughs and pats its head before turning to me, "Well it's a shellder shedding, I take it your were hoping for a Tirtouga fossil?"

He catches my nod and then packs some of the fossils on the work benth in a satchel. One of them he pauses and tosses it to me.

"Here I'll trade ya for the ones your ghost just brought over."

I glance at what looks like the tip of a beak carved in the rock, "Awesome, thanks!"

Hiding his mouth, "That's between you and me, not supposed to hand out anything I found. Now, Shall we?"

Looking back into the underground lake, "Blue, Shak, we're out of here."

Blue comes back with one more rock while Shak swoops past us and up the cave.

After handing me the rock he giggles and charges up the cave entry.

May points at the stone, "Another fossil? What kind of luck is that?"

Birch glances back before stopping and jogging back to look at it. He holds a up a flashlight and reveals it to actually be a deep blue crystal.

Laughing, "Thats a water stone, really quite the lucky pokemon you have there."

May taps her chin, "I should hope so, he almost got squashed by an angry Trevenant for catching it. That stone should sell for a fine price in Mauville though. You could also hold onto to trade for another stone if you ever need one."

Up a head comes a strange chirping sound followed by Shak screeching.

I run forward while shoving the water stone in my bag. Around the bend I find my zubat diving on a trio of worm like heads poking out off the ground.

Grinning I call out, "Shak pull that Dugtrio out!"

Finally I can see what the rest of it looks like!

May shouts from behind me, "Don't even try they'll call for help and the cave may collapse!"

Well that's no fun, "Fine, Shak just Confuse Ray it."

The large bat dives with a sharp turn banking around the three mole heads and screeches at the weird critter.

The mole heads seem dazed and burrow away while being sure to throw plenty of dirt in their wake at the mean Zubat.

Blue almost seems intent to chase them but I click his ball forcing him to return.

Shak lands on a rock near by and seems to puff out his ċhėst. Shaking like a dog causes a fair amount of deep blue fur to shed from his body as he let's out a yawning sound.

Birch walks up and scratches the bat, Shak seems to pull away at first before deciding it feels good and leaning into it.

The professor chuckles, "Looks like your Zubat is starting to evolve. In a few days I'll wager you'll have a rather massive Golbat. Be sure to brush the sheddings from his fur, ya don't want him to get mites."

Well… so I guess a flash of light and flickering screen is a load of nonsense too. Despite my inner ridicule for thinking that was going to happen, I go over and pat Shak's head.

"Nice job buddy, Another step closer to being the most badass Crobat there ever was."