"Ugh~"
Terrance initially thought it was some kind of treasure, but when he picked it up, it turned out to be a weathered piece of... some Pokémon's droppings.
"... " The experience was extremely unpleasant.
Skirting around it, Terrance continued walking, trying to find something new and interesting, but didn't come across anything of significance.
Especially when he remembered hearing from the two people that the ruins were supposed to be home to many Trapinch, but up until now, let alone a Trapinch, he hadn't even seen a single moving creature.
The silence was eerie!
As he walked, Terrance noticed something that looked like a staircase leading upwards, but a heavy feeling inexplicably washed over him.
"What's going on…"
Sensing the surrounding changes, Beautifly let out a startled cry. Following Beautifly's gaze, Terrance saw that all the sand grains on the ground had begun to tremble slightly, and suddenly his mind went blank.
"What now?!"
Terrance blurted out, quickly summoning Arcanine and leaping onto its back to make a hasty retreat.
...
...
As Terrance was making his escape, there was a loud explosion, and countless flashes of light appeared in front of them, briefly illuminating the scene.
"Boom~~"
A thick pillar of flame, glowing red, shot forth. Arcanine abruptly "braked," and their eyes widened as they watched what was happening in front of them.
"It's those two…"
The "Trapinch duo" was being chased by a Pokémon, attacking it as they ran. But their attacks were nothing more than a light tickle to the Pokémon, not doing any real damage.
The Pokémon's body was made entirely of gray and orange rocks, with seven orange dots forming an "H" shaped pattern on its head. Its two massive rocky arms were swinging wildly, causing huge tremors.
Seeing the Pokémon before him, Terrance's heart trembled. Why the fu*k did it look so familiar?
"Regirock?!"
It's hiding in the Mirage Tower?!
"Run! Don't just stand there—"
Shinji and Shugo spotted Terrance ahead of them and shouted, "Oh my god, what a disaster!"
Terrance has first-hand experience of Regirock's strength. In such a confined space, and with none of them properly prepared, there was only one possible outcome: getting beaten up one-sidedly.
Terrance glanced over and saw a Blaziken cautiously trying to block Regirock. But along with the "Trapinch duo," there was also a Pokémon that looked like a large, yellow, chubby creature, running along while clutching three fossils.
Without hesitation, Terrance quickly commanded Arcanine to carry him away at full speed.
Boom!!
Just as Shinji and Shugo arrived, Regirock launched a full-force attack at the entrance of the ruins. Stone debris flew everywhere, blocking the way out. However, with an explosion of flames, sharp claws wrapped in bandages broke through the obstacle before swiftly returning to the duo's side.
"Blaziken, thank goodness you're okay."
The Trapinch duo looked pale and shaken, the shock from their near-death experience still lingering. It had been too dangerous.
"Let's get out of here…" Shugo exclaimed: "This shit*y ruin isn't worth it. I don't even want to capture Trapinch anymore."
"Yeah, but it's not like we're leaving empty-handed…" Shinji's eyes glinted.
The duo, who were just about to climb the ruins, heard a noise and went to investigate. Unexpectedly, they suddenly fell underground. The sudden change caught them off guard, but fortunately, their Pokémon caught them, preventing any injury.
The underground level...
Mirage Ruins had an underground level! They were the first to discover it by accident!
This left the two ecstatic, and as they continued forward, they suddenly stumbled upon three Pokémon fossils!
Nowadays, Pokémon fossils have become luxury items and are incredibly valuable. Ever since the Devon Corporation made initial breakthroughs in fossil revival technology, they had been buying up all kinds of Pokémon fossils, regardless of species or condition, and the prices have remained high, driving many people crazy.
Just pick up a couple of rocks and sell them to Devon, and you could make a fortune!
"Good stuff..."
The moment they picked up the fossils, Shinji and Shugo immediately began to make plans to sell them. It was a much more "legit" business than selling Pokémon, at least they wouldn't have to worry about not having the right channels.
However, shortly after, they were suddenly attacked by Regirock and had to run for their lives. With the help of their Pokémon, they easily managed to make it back to a path that led outside, but Regirock wouldn't give up the chase.
Additionally, it's worth mentioning that the fossils are extremely heavy. Two of them weren't too bad, but one of them was ridiculously heavy, and they couldn't carry it while running. So, they had no choice but to call out a Fighting-type Pokémon to help.
This led to the scene Terrance witnessed, where the "Trapinch duo" was fleeing the ruins together.
The duo was terrified, but finally being able to escape the ruins gave them some relief. Just as they prepared to run away, a series of loud booms echoed, and even Terrance's expression changed. Massive tremors sent countless rocks flying, creating an overwhelming and awe-inspiring sight that made them all swallow nervously.
"Arcanine, return!"
Terrance quickly tapped Altaria's Poké Ball. In a flash of red light, Altaria appeared and immediately unleashed a Dragon Breath, while its front claws gathered bluish-purple energy to block the incoming attacks that could harm Terrance.
As for Arcanine, the desert terrain wasn't suitable for it, so he had to recall it.
While Terrance was scrambling to defend himself, the "Trapinch duo" was also desperately fending off attacks. Compared to Terrance, the area they were in was hit much harder, especially Hariyama, who was carrying the fossils and was sent flying by an attack.
The duo's Pokémon focused mainly on protecting the two Trainers, but Hariyama, who was carrying the fossils, unfortunately came under attack. Not only did it lose the fossils, but it also sustained some injuries.
With a loud crash, Regirock emerged from Mirage Ruins. Even though it had no facial features, Terrance and the others could sense its menacing aura.
"Come out, Pidgeot!"
Sensing the situation was dire, Shinji took a deep breath—only to almost choke on the sand—then quickly grabbed Shugo as they both mounted Pidgeot.
"Sorry, I didn't bring a Flying-type Pokémon…" Shugo said.
"This isn't the time to talk about that! Hurry and tell Hariyama to pick up the fossils; even if it's just one piece" Shinji said seriously.
Hariyama hadn't completely lost consciousness. Thanks to Poké Balls, Trainers could easily recall their Pokémon, but fossils were a different story.
As Hariyama picked up the fossils, it glanced toward its Trainer. By the time it had all three fossils in its arms again, Pidgeot had already landed beside it.
"Toss away the heaviest one. Pidgeot won't be able to carry it," Shinji immediately decided, not letting greed cloud his judgment.
Chapter 296 Reappearance of Regirock
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