Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 25: Hidden Stairs

Morning in Eterna City began with Dawn staring at her Explorer Kit like it might start sparkling if she glared hard enough.

After Emily's Tranquil Badge trial in Still-Water Cavern, she had promised there would be time for mining later. Dawn had taken that promise seriously. The moment breakfast ended, she was already asking whether later had become now.

Piplup stood beside her with both flippers on his hips, looking like he had personally invested in the entire underground economy.

Piplup's meaning came like a royal demand. "Treasures should not be kept waiting."

I laughed and checked my own kit. "I guess we are going underground before Team Galactic."

Lillie looked toward the strange building hidden behind Eterna's trees. "We still need to deal with them today."

"We will," Gladion said. "But rushing into a base without checking the area around it is not much better than running into a trap."

That was enough for Dawn. She marched us back to the Underground Man's house as if Gladion had personally approved treasure hunting.

The Underground Man greeted us with more excitement than most people used for battles. He pushed a folded note into my hands and tapped the Explorer Kit hanging from my shoulder.

"Digging for Fossils!" I read aloud. "I have put a sledgehammer and pickax in your Explorer Kit. Use them, and you will be able to dig out all sorts of things from the walls before the wall comes tumbling down."

Daniel looked at his pickax again. "That last part sounds important."

Tox adjusted his glasses. "It sounds like a warning disguised as encouragement."

The Underground Man beamed. "Exactly! Excellent spelunker instincts!"

A flash from the Explorer Kit carried us down into the Grand Underground. The tunnels welcomed us with cool air, glittering stone, and the faint sound of distant Pokémon moving through caverns beyond the main path.

Emily was not with us this time, but her lesson stayed behind. None of us forgot how quickly the still water had turned dangerous when we rushed. The Underground felt like another living place under Sinnoh.

We found a wall marked with tiny glittering points, and the Explorer Kit showed where treasure might be hidden. Dawn reached for the sledgehammer first, but Lillie gently stopped her.

"Maybe start smaller," Lillie said.

Dawn lowered the hammer. "Right. Controlled treasure hunting."

She used the pickax, and a crack spread across the wall. Piplup leaned forward too eagerly, and another piece of stone broke loose near his feet.

Piplup jumped back with a squawk, almost falling into Daniel.

Pikachu's meaning came with amused warmth. "Treasure also fights back."

We took turns carefully. The work was slower than battling, but it had its own rhythm. Tap too softly and nothing happened. Hit too hard and the wall groaned like it wanted to collapse.

Lillie was the most patient with it. She tapped around the shining spots, listening to the way the wall answered. Gladion worked quietly beside her, measuring each strike before making it. Dawn had to remind herself not to cheer every time something glittered.

The first treasure we freed was a blue shard. Then came a rare bone, several colored shards, and a smooth evolution stone that made Dawn gasp like she had discovered buried starlight.

It felt strange using a pickax while Pokémon watched us like we were the ones performing an appeal. Dawn took every tiny fossil mark seriously, while Lillie kept a list of what we found so nothing would be dropped in the tunnel.