To be honest, back when Kael was making a living in Viridian Forest, he'd raided his fair share of Pokémon nests.
Pokémon possessed intelligence and emotional awareness far beyond ordinary animals. When nature gave birth to rare treasures, it wasn't only humans who coveted them—Pokémon would also claim the natural wonders within their territories as their own.
That instinct was universal among intelligent beings: possessiveness. As the saying goes, where there is precious land, there is a fierce beast guarding it.
Switching on his flashlight, Kael carefully climbed down into the pit. He couldn't be sure there was only one giant Rhydon on this island. For all he knew, there might be more of its kind in this vast underground lair.
Theoretically, though, that seemed unlikely. Even the possibility of a male and female pair was slim. When Rhydon were still in their Rhyhorn stage, their individual strength was limited, so they tended to live in herds. But once they evolved into Rhydon, their personal power increased dramatically, and they preferred solitary lives.
Besides, for a deserted island of this size to sustain even one giant Rhydon was already a stretch. Otherwise, why would that massive creature risk venturing into the sea to hunt for food?
The underground tunnel was deep and dark, though fortunately dry, with no standing water.
After descending the forty-five-degree slope, Kael found himself facing yet another cavern. The entrance was nearly five meters high, and the passage was remarkably smooth—clearly worn down over time by the repeated passage of something immensely heavy.
What kind of treasure could a lair belonging to such a gigantic Rhydon possibly hold?
Standing at the entrance, Kael felt a surge of anticipation.
He was flat broke right now. The sinking of the S.S. Anne had cost him every last coin of his escort fee. As for the three conditions promised by Investigator Cole, those were still uncertain at best.
All he had to his name was the 20,000 Pokédollar stipend the League had granted him after he passed the Elite Trainer qualification exam.
Though Elite Trainers received 20,000 a month from the League, that sum was laughable to Kael. It barely covered a week of living expenses for him and Lulu.
Just basic monthly expenses alone ran him close to 100,000. And that didn't even include additional investments.
If you wanted your Pokémon to grow strong and train properly, talent alone meant nothing. Without money, it was all an illusion. Of course, if you were content to keep a Pokémon as a casual pet, that was another matter entirely.
This was precisely why, in the nearly century-long history of the League, not a single Regional Champion or member of the Elite Four had come from a truly ordinary civilian background.
Some people would object to that statement.
"What about the Fighting-type Elite Four member Bruno of Kanto? Wasn't he a commoner?"
True—Bruno had indeed been born into a modest background, even an orphan. Becoming one of the Elite Four was undeniable proof of his talent and potential as a Trainer.
But what many didn't mention was that the oldest and still-active Ghost-type Elite Four member, Agatha, had sponsored Bruno since childhood. For a period of time, she had even personally trained him.
This wasn't a secret within the League. Shortly after becoming a Fighting-type Elite Four member, Bruno had spoken about Agatha's support in a televised interview. He'd even said that she was the person he respected most in his life.
Bruno was straightforward, generous, and kind to ordinary people. Combined with his humble origins, he was deeply respected and loved by the common citizens of Kanto.
Lance, the Dragon-type Elite Four member, was hailed as the strongest. But coming from an elite and powerful family, he naturally stood apart from the common people. They admired him—but they also feared him.
...
No cavern lasted forever.
Kael estimated he had traveled about a hundred meters deep when he noticed a faint glow ahead.
He didn't rush toward it. Instead, he pulled out his laptop and checked the signal from the tracking chip. Nearly an hour had passed since he left the beach. Thankfully, the giant Rhydon's location hadn't shifted noticeably.
Reassured, Kael made his way toward the source of the light.
He was certain it wasn't sunlight. It looked more like the glow from some mineral—more precisely, perhaps a gemstone.
For a moment, visions of cat's eye, emerald, corundum, and other precious stones made his heart soar.
He had once discovered an unexpected windfall in a Pokémon nest before—a raw blue corundum crystal. Though corundum was the technical term, most people preferred to call it sapphire.
The sapphire he'd found had been flawless and of excellent quality. At an underground auction in Viridian City, it had fetched a staggering 1.68 million. For an uncut, unprocessed sapphire, that was already a remarkable price. Had it been a ruby of equal quality, it might have sold for even more.
Filled with expectation, Kael jogged toward the glowing source.
When he turned the corner and looked—
"…Damn."
He couldn't help swearing.
There were no precious gemstones. The glowing object was indeed a mineral—but the cheapest kind imaginable: fluorescent stone.
Picking up a piece that emitted a faint white glow, Kael forced a bitter smile.
Many Pokémon liked shiny things. Apparently, Rhydon was no exception.
He'd been thinking too optimistically.
Fluorescent stone was a companion mineral. You could dig into almost any mountain and find plenty of it. It was worth about as much as roadside gravel—practically nothing. Aside from giving off a soft white light in darkness, it had no use whatsoever.
Still, Kael didn't let himself get discouraged.
Steadying his mindset, he climbed into the pile of glowing stones and began searching carefully.
Even if the cave was filled with worthless fluorescent rock, perhaps—just perhaps—there might be something valuable hidden in some forgotten corner.
Rhydon didn't know quality. It simply liked things that sparkled.
But Kael did.
If he left a cavern this large without digging up at least something worth money, he'd be disgracing the profession of bounty hunter.
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