The PokeNav buzzed. Daichi swiped it open on it and Steven appeared on the screen. He looked rather stressed.
"Daichi," Steven said. "I am sorry to ruin your break. This is urgent. A League field trip went dark in the desert. Thirty new trainers. They are just thirteen years old and they just got their starters. They were with a Pro Trainer but a blast sealed them deep inside the cave. Every path to the surface is buried."
Daichi's brows furrowed. "A blast? Not a cave-in?"
"I suspect foul play," Steven grimly said. "Someone wants to cripple the next generation of our fighting force before they even start. I have no one else. Sidney and Glacia are surveying Magma and Aqua movements. And Drake is at the border for peace talks with the hunters guild. You are the only one who can pull those kids out of the dark."
Daichi looked at Tyranitar. The big Pokémon was already preparing for the mission.
"I'm on it," Daichi said.
"Be careful," Steven said. " And please, bring them home safe ."
Daichi cut the feed. He strapped on his tactical belt and took eighteen pokeballs. As he stepped into the yard. Staraptor landed and let out a sharp cry. Daichi climbed onto the bird's back.
"Full speed," Daichi ordered.
Staraptor snapped its wings and launched. They cut through the air like a rocket, heading straight for the desert.
Nearly an hour later as he approached the desert a sandstorm began to form , Staraptor banked hard as the sand began to sting and Daichi swapped him for Flygon. The dragon was faster in the heat and much better suited for the desert winds. They flew low over the dunes for half an hour until the cave entrance appeared.
Daichi saw the school bus parked near the rocks. He landed and recalled Flygon to his ball before he walked toward the vehicle. The doors were open but the interior was empty. He checked the driver's seat and the aisles but found no clues and no signs of a struggle.
He stepped back into the sand and looked for tracks. There were no trails leading away from the cave and no footprints in the dust. This meant the blast was either triggered from a distance or the culprit was still inside with the students.
Daichi pulled a heavy flashlight from his belt and looked at the wall of fallen stone.
Daichi called out Excadrill and Rhyperior to begin the work. Excadrill spun into the rock while Rhyperior hauled the heavy stones away and cleared the path. They worked for ten minutes until the entrance was finally open.
Daichi stepped into the darkness and walked for about two minutes. He stopped when he reached a junction and turned his flashlight on the walls. Every single pathway leading back to the surface was caved in and buried. This was not a random collapse, the ceiling was sheared clean by explosives.
Daichi called out Hippowdon and ordered him to feel for any vibrations that felt human. The massive Pokémon pressed his chin to the stone floor and waited. They stood in silence for nearly five minutes until Hippowdon finally showed a reaction.
The Pokémon gestured toward the southeast and pointed deeper into the earth. Daichi called out Excadrill and ordered him to begin drilling towards that direction immediately. The steel claws hit the rock and the sound echoed through the hollow tunnels.
Daichi watched the dust rise and he prayed inside that the students were still alive. He followed the drill into the new shaft and kept his hand on a Pokéball.
Daichi followed the drill hole for fifteen minutes until the bit hit empty air and Excadrill dropped into a lower chamber. He heard the sounds of battle and rushed forward through the dust. Two minutes later he saw the thirty students huddled with their starters while they nursed minor scratches and looked on in terror.
The pro trainer was in a bad state with a deep gash running down his side and all his Pokémon were fainted except for a struggling Typhlosion. A pack of Aron and Lairon stood across from them with thirteen Aggron in the lead. A massive three meter tall alpha Aggron watched the scene with cold eyes and emitted a pressure that marked it as an elite level threat. It had no scratches because it had yet to move.
Daichi did not hesitate and began calling out his team because there was no time for words. Rhyperior and Ursaluna took the front line while Hippowdon and Drapion joined Nidoking to form a wall of heavy muscle. Excadrill and Gengar moved into the shadows with Salazzle to provide support from the rear. Audino and Blissey immediately rushed to the fallen trainer to stabilize his wounds while Gastrodon and Snorlax stood as a shield around the children.
Dragalge took a high position for long range fire and Indeedee began setting up psychic support for the battlefield. Finally Daichi looked at Tyranitar and pointed at the alpha.
"Take him away from the kids , make sure you take him as far as possible" Daichi ordered and his Tyranitar let out a roar that shook the cavern floor.
Tyranitar then charged at the giant Aggron and slammed into its chest to drive it deep into a side tunnel so their battle would not bring the ceiling down on the survivors.
The students turned their heads to the person who came to rescue them. Some of the students gasped as they recognized the Elite Four member and others tried to stand up to help. Daichi did not look back but raised a hand to stop them.
"Stay put," Daichi said. "This is not in your league , just stay safe."
The students nodded and huddled together as they watched the rescue. Audino and Blissey knelt by the pro trainer to stop the bleeding while his fainted Pokémon were pulled into the healing circle. Indeedee moved fast to set up Light Screen and Reflect around the group and then took her position in the center to catch any falling debris.
Nidoking and Snorlax on the other hand stood like walls in front of the children to block the view of the violence. Daichi ignored the dust and focused on the enemies in front of him. Without the alpha to lead them the pack of Aron and Lairon went wild with rage and the remaining Aggrons began to scrape their claws against the stone. He would rather not fight wild pokemons. Most likely, the group has wandered into the Agrron's territory. He decided to make the first move.