POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

Man-made mines are completely different from natural rock caves.

Not only are the pathways much smoother, but signs of human activity are everywhere.

However, the transportation rails and the power lights along the walls had all been smashed to pieces by the Nosepass group.

Rax released Lady Roselia and instructed her to be on guard, ready to use Protect at any moment.

With her guarding skills, their safety was significantly improved, allowing Marowak to move more freely.

Cubone began by using Curse twice, preparing itself for the battle ahead. Raising its bone club, it was ready for action.

The mine was dark and quiet, every footstep echoing clearly.

Rax held up a flashlight and soon spotted a lone Nosepass.

The Nosepass was standing silently, only reacting when the beam of light fell upon it.

Just as it was about to cry out, Marowak sprang into action!

Bone Club!

In the stillness of the cave, the sound of the bone club striking was especially abrupt.

With a loud crash, dust and debris filled the air as the Nosepass was struck to the ground.

Cubone didn't relent, hurling a Bone Boomerang into the cloud of smoke.

Hearing two sharp impacts, Rax didn't wait for the dust to settle before throwing an empty Poké Ball.

With a click, the Poké Ball stopped moving. Lady Roselia used her Psychic abilities to pick it up and hand it to Rax.

"Thank you, Lady Roselia."

Roselia shook herself happily, glad to have been helpful.

"Kara!"

At that moment, Marowak issued a warning, gripping its bone club tightly.

A restless sound came from deeper within the mine.

"Fall back to the entrance!" Rax ordered immediately.

The trio quickly retreated. Just as they reached the mine entrance, the Nosepass group arrived in pursuit.

Rax sighed in relief. Thankfully, the Nosepass weren't particularly fast.

However, his scalp prickled when he saw the sheer number of them.

It was said there were at least 50 Nosepass in the mine. Now, all of them were gathered at the entrance, their eyes fierce and flashing sparks. Even an experienced trainer would hesitate to take them on.

Fortunately, Marowak had a trump card.

"Use Stomping Tantrum continuously! Lady Roselia, prepare Protect!"

Without hesitation, Marowak began stomping furiously, creating waves of seismic ripples that spread toward the Nosepass group.

At the same time, the Nosepass launched their counterattack.

Rock Throw, Thunder Wave, and Spark came hurtling toward them, indiscriminately targeting both Rax and Marowak.

At the critical moment, Lady Roselia raised a green barrier, reliably blocking all the attacks.

The electric attacks had no effect on Marowak, so Thunder Wave and Spark were ignored entirely. Only Rock Throw caused minor damage.

Finally, the Stomping Tantrum took effect!

The leading Nosepass toppled over, tripping up the others behind it. The scene descended into chaos.

"Retreat!"

Hearing Rax's command, cubone reluctantly turned back.

There were simply too many enemies.

Even though the Nosepass group was in disarray, they would recover quickly. If the same move couldn't be used again, staying would be too dangerous.

Cubone had already taken significant damage from the hail of rocks. Neither of them could endure a second wave of attacks.

The retreat was the only option.

Fortunately, the Nosepass group seemed to have no intention of leaving the mine, likely due to their mission of guarding their leader as it prepared to evolve.

---

A few minutes later, Rax and cubone returned to the mining team's temporary base. Harumi and the others immediately surrounded them.

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters! Let's wait for the police to handle it," Aze said, clearly more concerned about Rax's safety than the situation's outcome.

Rax took a moment to check on cubone. Once he confirmed there were no serious injuries, he turned to the group.

"We may not be able to deal with the Nosepass leader, but I think we have a way to handle the rest of the group!"

"What?!"

---

An hour later, Rax led the team back to the mine entrance.

The area was littered with debris, but the Nosepass had retreated deeper inside.

"We'll follow the plan. If anything goes wrong, evacuate immediately!"

"Don't worry, Rax! We can't fight, but we're experts at digging!"

Aze clapped Rax on the shoulder and led his team to the mine entrance.

What followed was a masterclass in excavation.

First, six Geodude appeared. Under Aze's command, they used Mud Sport in unison, softening the ground at the entrance.

Next, three Shellos used Muddy Water to wash away the loosened soil.

In minutes, they had created a shallow pit 30 centimeters deep. However, large rocks remained in the way.

That's when the third group stepped in—four Carnivine used Vine Whip to clear the rubble skillfully.

The cycle repeated: Geodude with Mud Sport, Shellos with Muddy Water, Carnivine with Vine Whip.

An hour and a half later, without the Nosepass group noticing, they had dug a pit three meters deep at the mine entrance.

Rax was amazed. "If Team Rocket saw this, they'd have to admit defeat!"

"It's nothing fancy," Aze said modestly. "We just changed the direction of the digging."

They laid bamboo nets over the pit and covered it with soil, making it indistinguishable from the rest of the ground.

Now came the test.

Standing at a distance, Marowak hurled its bone club into the mine, creating a loud clatter.

The excavation team joined in, shouting and hurling stones into the cave to draw the Nosepass out. Even Lady Roselia joined in, cheering gleefully.

Soon, the roars of the Nosepass echoed from within the mine. One roar, louder than the rest, stood out—the Nosepass leader!

Everyone froze, their confident expressions faltering.

"Let's not overdo it," Rax said hurriedly. "If we provoke them too much, we'll be in trouble!"