Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Stone Cavern

The Cave of Stones. When Zhao Fang arrived at the entrance, he immediately regretted his decision, for the cavern before him was far larger than he had anticipated. The entry was not a small, shadowy hole, but a grand opening reminiscent of a limestone cave, spacious enough that he could see several trainers and ordinary people inside, each armed with a small iron spade, wandering about.

Zhao Fang was tempted to enter directly, but entry to the Cave of Stones required payment. As he approached, he noticed a woman in work attire standing at the fee counter within the cave, smiling at him. Resigned, Zhao Fang walked over.

On arrival, he saw the detailed fee schedule. Admission for sightseeing alone cost merely ten League Coins, but those wishing to mine stones had to pay a hefty sum of one thousand League Coins, with the added privilege of keeping whatever they excavated. Zhao Fang promptly paid the thousand coins and purchased an iron shovel and a rough map.

The map indicated that the front section of the cave was open for visitors, but venturing deeper required strength. Non-trainers, those without Pokémon, could not proceed further. Of course, one could hire a trainer from the cave’s administration as an escort, the prices varied, and Zhao Fang saw that the most expensive trainer charged twenty thousand League Coins per day—no small amount.

Fortunately, Zhao Fang had no such concerns. With his purchases in hand, he made straight for the depths. The precious stones were not found in the front of the cave, and the terrain differed greatly from that depicted in the games, foiling his plan to follow the map’s clues. It seemed that the spots where Steven mined stones in the game were nearly impossible to locate in reality.

After walking for a while, Zhao Fang encountered a sign marked “Danger,” beside which stood a League staff member. After checking Zhao Fang’s credentials, the staff allowed him passage. As Zhao Fang ventured into this scarcely explored area, the ambient light gradually waned. He released Dragomessia, letting it coil around his neck, then lit his lantern, which illuminated his path and made the journey much easier.

“I remember there was something like a mural in the Cave of Stones,” Zhao Fang mused, studying the rocky walls as he walked. The stone surfaces bore pitted marks, likely from prior excavators, though what stones they sought was unclear.

He paid little mind, as this area was not particularly deep. The Cave of Stones was famous among stone enthusiasts; to expect to find rare stones after barely venturing in was arrogant. Even Steven only found his desired stones in the deepest recesses.

The cave was lively. As Zhao Fang progressed, he often saw people mining or trainers battling wild Pokémon. If one were to ask which Pokémon was most abundant in the cave, surely Zubat would top the list, with Geodude not far behind. The presence of other trainers made things easier for Zhao Fang, as they occupied many Pokémon, sparing him trouble.

Further along, Zhao Fang spotted a moderately sized fissure. His curiosity piqued—what might lie within such a crevice?

He cautiously peered inside. It was pitch-black, but wide enough for him to squeeze through. After some thought, Zhao Fang bent down and entered, eager to discover if rare stones might be hidden within.

The space allowed him passage, and as he delved deeper, the fissure gradually widened until he could stand upright. Still, no valuable stones appeared.

“This fissure is deeper than I thought,” Zhao Fang muttered, frowning. He had been walking for some time, yet there was no end in sight. He began to suspect the fissure might lead outside, perhaps dug by someone avoiding the entry fee.

“Kala... Kala...” As Zhao Fang walked, a strange sound echoed ahead. He paused, then instinctively reached for a Poké Ball. If his guess was correct...

Indeed, after a short distance, he saw a brown Pokémon wearing a skull atop its head, standing before him and sobbing. The source of the “Kala Kala” cry was clear.

Zhao Fang quietly took out his Pokédex and recorded the information of the Cubone.

He recalled that the Pokédex mentioned Cubone’s skull was its mother’s, and it cried loudly from longing for her. It was a Ground-type Pokémon, with no other attributes. Zhao Fang had no intention of capturing it. Upon hearing the Pokédex’s voice, Cubone quickly turned to look at Zhao Fang, then fled.

Zhao Fang was unconcerned—a single Cubone held little interest for him. For such a Pokémon, a single Hydro Wave from Gyarados would suffice to render it unable to battle.

He pressed onward, soon arriving at the end of the fissure—a solid rock merged with the cave. The rock wall bore marks from spades; Zhao Fang was disappointed. Clearly, others had explored this crevice before him, and he had wasted his time.

Just as Zhao Fang was about to turn back, a question struck him—where had Cubone gone?

He had observed carefully; this path had no branches, nor had he noticed any signs of Dig being used. Yet Cubone had vanished.

“This place feels off.” Zhao Fang frowned, touching the stone wall before him. It was extremely solid, and knocking on it revealed no hollows.

But Cubone’s disappearance was undeniable—Zhao Fang had seen it with his own eyes. There was no way it could have slipped past him; he had been vigilant. If Cubone had fled behind him, he surely would have seen it.

“Dragomessia, see if there are any hidden passageways nearby.” This seemed the only possibility—that some secret route was concealed within the fissure.

Dragomessia let out a cry and burrowed into the nearby stone. Zhao Fang busied himself as well, probing along the walls to see if any illusion concealed a hidden passage.

During his search, he suddenly touched something soft. Looking closely, he saw his hand had sunk into the stone wall.

A surge of joy—there was indeed a hidden path.