While wearing a Hawaiian shirt and swimming trunks which wasn’t his preferred style, he began the call. When the other party picked up, they immediately raised their eyebrow but didn’t comment.

  “Even I can only endure for so long when a place has the heat of Moltres’ wings”, he stated with a tinge of annoyance.

  “Sounds like hell. Never understood why tropical places like Alola are considered paradise when everybody would be drenched in sweat most of the time”

  “Perhaps, that is part of the appeal”, he stated as he glanced to the side. It was the beach and there were plenty of people out and about in revealing swimwear and covered in moisture whether from the sea or the heat. There was even a buff man with a green tank top that was actively courting a tanned woman with a blue Alolan Exeggutor dress.

  “People enjoy the sun because it brings them into nature and facilitates connection. And when it starts feeling like a Drought, they can retreat back with technology or to the sea. Both you could say lead to comfort with different senses”, he stated.

  “Is this a part of the script?”, Harrison then interrupted.

  “No but it might help establish a concept. Anyways, I’ve sent a few recordings of some Z-Moves as you requested”, Akalio stated as he began transferring files.

  “Thanks. Any thoughts on how they are when experienced in-person?”, Harrison then asked as he accepted the files.

  “There is certainly a great intensity to the display but it really gets undercut by the juvenile posing and dance they do beforehand. And despite how ridiculous it seems, the Pokemon follows along as if entranced and two conjoin temporarily… The convergence of two distinct but compatible energies … or perhaps, three with the third being the Trainer’s ambition”, Akalio stated before ruminating on the matter.

  “I’ll keep that in mind”, Harrison stated.

  “Director!”, a voice then shouted from Akalio’s side.

  “Seems my reprieve is over. Next time then”, Akalio stated before ending the call.

  Two or three energies… A Trainer’s ambition…, Harrison briefly mused before heading out with a miner’s helmet already on his head and disposable clothes that he didn’t mind getting dusty.

  On his way over, he could hear as the sounds of heavy machinery became louder along with the rumble as each sizable ore deposit hit the ground. The faint scent of coal then became overbearing as it mixed deeply with the stench of metal and earth being disturbed.

  He then looked up right at the edge of the Mine and saw the tall red metal scaffolding which held up the numerous conveyor belt lines that transported coal and other valuable minerals directly out of the mine and into on-site refineries. A heavy chemical smell wafted from those facilities likely as a byproduct of ore being treated.

  Two mine workers then walked by with clipboards alongside a Machoke and a Machop. They then pointed at a large pile of spoil and signaled towards an excavator nearby to begin redistributing the waste material. Harrison then stepped aside as they started their work and he looked around for a bit before his name was called.

  It was a bit difficult to hear through all the noise but he took notice of Christine and Gavin as they approached alongside a mine worker.

  The mine worker then stopped to say, “So you three got old Grant’s recommendation? You’re free to roam as long as you keep to the upper levels but if you want to go deeper, you’ll need a guide”

  “I’m assuming you’re the guide then”, Harrison stated as otherwise, the other two would’ve already been in the process of getting one.

  “Yup. The name’s Colin”, the mine worker stated and gestured for them to follow along.

  The group then headed into the main entrance of Oreburgh Mine which was a huge hole that could’ve been made by an adult Orthworm and had two huge supply lines of coal being hauled out at all times. The light then dimmed considerably as they entered and the scent of earth intensified.

  Several large shipping crates alongside dozens of barrels lined the walls of the entrance and were being actively surveyed by a Mine Worker in preparation for transport. They then descended into the mine and along the way, Harrison noticed a little girl prancing around two Geodudes. She was not dressed for the occasion and did not seem to care that she was covered in dirt but at the very least, a Mine worker was nearby to supervise.

  “I’m surprised you let young children in here”, Harrison remarked.

  Christine and Gavin then stared at him oddly.

  “We’re also children in case you forgot”, Christine deadpanned.

  Colin then laughed as they continued down.

  “He has a point. But it’s fine because it’s right next to the entrance where there won’t be any real trouble. Any deeper and you’ll have to be a Trainer”

  They then left the entrance and went into the mine proper where endless tunnels were carved out of the earth with steel arches on the side as structural support to stabilize the tunnels. On the path, he noticed how they left certain boulders embedded in the floor as they were more of a hassle to remove than they were worth.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  In a nearby tunnel, a bunch of Machoke were working together to crumble a huge layer of coal that jutted out of the wall. Even though a good amount of the ore was transported in and out through a fully automated system, some of the heavier stuff required a bit of elbow grease which was where the Pokemon came in. Mostly the Machamp line but also plenty of Rock types.

  Colin then led them down a different tunnel and eventually, they left the main area filled with primarily workers.

  As they went deeper and deeper in, he noticed a gradual descent with the floor beginning to slope downwards as if they were going down a hill. More and more wild Pokemon then began to show up.

  Unsurprisingly, there were loads of Geodude pretending to be rocks with a few Graveler around. He then observed a Rhyhorn walk in from a smaller tunnel and a curled up ball which seemed to have the pattern of a Sandshrew. The Sandshrew then uncurled itself when the group got far enough and walked away.

  Gavin then spied a Diglett further ahead and said, “You ever wonder what’s down there?”

  Harrison shrugged and said, “You’ll have to catch it to find out”

  The mole seemed to have heard them as it turned around with an intense glare of disgust before swiftly burrowing out of sight.

  Christine burst into laughter and wheezed out, “It .. looked at … you two like you were perverts”

  Is that why the bottom is never shown? Harrison started to consider the implications but then dismissed them.

  Up ahead, something metallic then came into view.

  Harrison squinted as he thought it moved while Gavin jumped back when the metallic entity came out of the wall, leaving a gaping hole in the wall.

  “An Aron? That’s peculiar”, Colin remarked as he checked the hole from a safe distance. Fragments of crude iron ore were scattered all around the gaping hole which indicated that the Aron had just finished feasting.

  “Are they rare?”, Gavin then asked as he watched the Aron slowly walk away.

  “Yeah, very rare in these tunnels. Must’ve come from somewhere else”, Colin stated.

  He then looked around the tunnel for a bit before stating, “Alright, this is already a bit farther than most Trainers go to train for the Gym. Or would you rather go even deeper as Grant permitted?”

  Gavin and Christine then looked at Harrison as he was the stronger Trainer and would probably be handling things if any issues arose.

  Harrison considered it for a bit before deciding. All the Pokemon he had seen were expected of a cave environment but they didn’t seem too eager to battle. He wasn’t familiar with Rock types but he could at least tell when a Pokemon had the capacity for a proper battle.

  “If it isn’t too much trouble then I’d like to head further in. Oh and please let me know what to expect or to be cautious of”, Harrison stated.

  Colin nodded and went down an even deeper path. There were plenty of cracks and crevices which could’ve led to new locations but there was no need to go spelunking as this was a properly excavated mine with plenty of paths that didn’t require fitting into tight spaces that only an Octillery could go through.

  “Well, there’s the obvious advice like being careful of wild Pokemon in groups but you should always mind the floor in case you disturb a Geodude or the floor seems a bit off. Use Fire Pokemon sparingly as their fire moves might cause reactions with gas in the tunnels….”, Colin advised as they continued down the path.

  Harrison then paused as he felt faint psychic waves.

  “Who’s there?”, he spoke in his mind, staring towards the wall.

  The presence then vanished swiftly as if in a hurry.

  “What’s up?”, Gavin asked as he noticed Harrison’s focused gaze.

  Harrison just shook his head and gestured for Gavin to continue along.

  Colin then began to noticeably frown as the air seemed to change. Not because of weird gases but a purple color began to permeate the surroundings which was unusual in the mines. Midway into the intended path, they found a large opening that gave way to a huge chamber.

  “This is concerning. I don’t remember there being a huge chamber connected to this tunnel”, Colin remarked as they peered into the huge chamber.

  “Woaaaah”, Christine said, awed by the sight.

  All throughout the chamber, there were numerous light sources of many different colors, mainly blue and purple, that spanned across not only the floor and walls but even the roof of the cave. They weren’t intense and were actually dimly lit but still provided enough illumination to keep most of the shadows at bay.

  “They’re crystals and there’s tons of them”, Gavin stated as he looked from one side of the chamber to another.

  The lighting originated from the hundreds of crystals which filled the chamber. Not enough to challenge the dominance of rock in the chamber but enough to make it seem like a garden of crystals. They ranged in sizes with the smallest being a fist and with the largest crystal towering over even Colin, the only adult in their group and all of them dazzled with light.

  “I’d be happier about finding this place if I mined it but it was an unaccounted opening”, Colin grumbled a bit.

  He then turned towards the group and said, “This is the beauty of Mother Earth and what the underground has to offer”

  “Yeah. I didn’t expect this view going down here and certainly not in the Oreburgh Mine”, Harrison stated, surprised.

  “Is this why people go spelunking?”, Gavin then asked.

  The question stumped Colin for a second. He then mulled it over briefly before answering, “Maybeee. I think their main reason is they enjoy extremely tight, narrow spaces more than anything else. There are far better ways to do things then crawl through random dangerous places”

  It made sense as Colin was a worker in Oreburgh Mine which emphasized safety. After all, the boss and main head was Roark, the Gym Leader and the Mine’s safety supervisor for a reason.

  He then brushed a bit of the dirt on his glove and raised his Poketch.

  “Hey uh, Roark. We found a whole new crystal cave chamber in the mines… I’m not sure what opened the path so I’m being cautious. Get here quick”, Colin spoke into his Poketch.

  He then addressed the group, “I was actually going to show you guys a different place underground. It isn’t as special as this but it’s also interesting as it’s full of sand but since we’re here, let’s look around a little. I will emphasize safety though since I don’t know what caused the opening so stay behind me at all times”

  A slight rumbling could be felt from far deeper in the mines as the group continued onward.