They're finally about to reach their destination, so there's no longer a rush.
After a long trek, the priority for Cain and his team is now to have lunch and let Murkrow and Slowpoke rest a bit to recover their energy.
They found a large, relatively flat rock, and Cain took out all his tools.
Although this is a stone forest, not everything is just rock. In fact, there's more dry grass and withered reeds here than in a forest.
They lit a fire and, using the stones abundant in the area, built an improvised oven. Then they placed a small pot on top and carefully poured in the water they had collected earlier from the lake.
In the wild, it's best not to drink unboiled water. Even if it looks clean, no one can say how many bacteria it might contain.
Murkrow and Slowpoke, being Pokémon with bodies and resistance much stronger than humans, wouldn't have any problems, but Cain can't take the risk. Getting sick from drinking unboiled water, without the right medicines, could be very dangerous in the wilderness.
Cain doesn't want to face a situation where, after surviving all the battles, he ends up sick due to a careless everyday detail.
While the water boiled, Cain took out food for Murkrow and Slowpoke. In addition to their usual Pokéblocks, Murkrow had a rabbit they had caught earlier, while Slowpoke enjoyed his favorite fish.
Cain has spoiled their tastes. Slowpoke used to enjoy eating raw fish, but ever since he tried Cain's grilled fish and meats, he's lost interest in raw fish.
Murkrow has also developed certain preferences. Although he always has enough Pokéblocks to stay nourished, he needs a bit of meat in every meal to feel satisfied.
With Slowpoke's help, they cleaned the rabbit and five fish as thick as an arm, covering the organs and blood with dirt.
In the wild, Cain doesn't want to attract a bunch of Pokémon with the smell of blood while eating.
Once the water boiled, he poured it into a bottle to have enough drinking water for the afternoon.
Then, like an expert, Cain started grilling the food, applying oil, turning it over, and adding seasonings. The delicious aroma filled the air as he prepared the meal.
For Cain, a rabbit leg and half a fish are enough to satisfy him, leaving the rest for Murkrow and Slowpoke.
Murkrow and Slowpoke quickly devoured their lunch. After a brief rest, they continued on their way.
Traveling through the stone forest was much more comfortable than crossing a regular forest, though the terrain was uneven with raised stones everywhere.
But compared to the dense foliage of a forest, where every step can hide an obstacle, the terrain in the stone forest is visible, so there's no risk of tripping unexpectedly.
The best part is that the Pokémon inhabiting this stone forest are mostly Geodude, who, although numerous, are calm and peaceful. As long as they aren't stepped on, they won't cause trouble. Geodude prefer tranquility and can spend the whole afternoon motionless in a pile of rocks.
The Geodude in this area are relatively low-level. Cain hasn't encountered any above level 20, and he hasn't even seen a Graveler, their evolved form.
The path was easy to traverse, and without the hassle of occasional Pokémon attacks, Cain made good progress. In just half an hour, he had crossed half of the stone forest. At this rate, he would soon reach his destination.
However, as often happens, something unexpected occurred. A Pokémon blocked his path, though unintentionally; its massive size simply obstructed the way.
The Pokémon blocking the path was an imposing Onix.
Pokémon: Onix (Dark Yellow)
Gender: Male
Level: 30
Type: Rock/Ground
Ability: Sturdy
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Defense Curl, Rock Climb
Basic Moves: Mud Sport, Tackle, Harden, Bind, Curse, Rock Throw, Rock Tomb, Rage, Stealth Rock, Rock Polish, Gyro Ball, Smack Down, Dragon Breath, Slam
Learned Moves: Iron Head
TM Moves: None
This Onix rested on a huge rock, blocking the way. If they wanted to pass, they would have to climb over its body.
Although Onix isn't an aggressive Pokémon, letting Cain and his team climb over him would probably make him furious.
Taking an alternative route wasn't a viable option, as the stone walls on both sides stretched as far as the eye could see.
Cain sighed and murmured to himself, "A level 30 Onix, this is tricky."
The stone forest lacks resources, so there aren't powerful groups of Pokémon claiming this vast area. Only Geodude and Onix, who don't require large resources, thrive here, as the rocks rich in minerals are their favorite food. The stone forest abounds with rocks, their greatest treasure.
However, since the Geodude here are low-level, the stones in this place probably don't contain rich minerals. Otherwise, the Geodude would be at higher levels.
But then, how did this Onix reach level 30?
Cain observed the Onix again, resting comfortably in the sun, and suddenly an idea came to him.
"Slowpoke, use Rain Dance on Onix," Cain ordered, using one of Slowpoke's egg moves.
Slowpoke nodded, slightly opened his mouth, and began to emit a soft sound, almost like a chant with a peculiar melody.
As Slowpoke sang, small black clouds began to appear in the sky, gathering right over Onix.
"Onix?" The Onix, who was happily enjoying the sun, suddenly felt the temperature drop. Its half-closed eyes noticed the light disappear.
Bewildered, it opened its eyes and saw that the sun had vanished, and a black cloud had appeared above its head.
Seeing the cloud about to release rain, Onix looked around, searching for anything suspicious, but found nothing. However, it noticed that a few meters away, the sun was still shining brightly.
Despite its massive size, Onix had a rather naive nature. With its limited mental capacity, it didn't think much about what was happening.
Finding nothing suspicious, Onix had no choice but to give in.
When the first raindrop fell on its body, Onix, reluctantly, began to move.
Although the area where it was lying was its favorite sunbathing spot, and it had been lying there for years, for Onix, who is extremely vulnerable to water, the rain was much more annoying than losing his favorite spot.
From their hiding place behind a stone pillar, Cain and Slowpoke watched as Onix quickly moved away once the rain began to fall.
The rumble of rocks being dragged by Onix's massive body gradually faded until finally, the path was clear.
As soon as Onix was out of sight, Cain ordered Slowpoke to stop the Rain Dance. The clouds quickly dispersed, allowing the sun to shine again, with only a few puddles on the rocks as evidence of what had just happened.
After waiting a few minutes to make sure Onix wouldn't return, Cain moved forward with Murkrow and Slowpoke.
They saw that between the tall cliffs, there was a path wide enough for three people to walk side by side. The path rose toward the sky, forming a landscape known as "a line in the sky." Onix had been resting right at the entrance of this passage.
Entering this narrow passage made the temperature drop immediately, with a cold, enveloping feeling, as if they were standing in front of a refrigerator in the middle of summer.
The air inside the passage was also very dry, creating a cold and dry atmosphere.
As they moved forward, life around them dwindled until it disappeared entirely; not even a single blade of grass grew there.
It's understandable, as the sun never reaches this place, the air is cold and dry, and it rarely rains. Even moss, which is incredibly resilient, needs at least some water to survive.
Suddenly, about a third of the way through this narrow passage, they noticed a huge cave in the rock wall. The cave entrance was over two meters high and wide enough for three people to pass through at the same time. From the outside, the cave looked like an abyss of darkness.
(End of Chapter)