Chapter 410. Bug Infestation 2

Alex had a few methods to work with now that they had pinpointed the base of their quarry. He could flood the cave system with Hydro Pumps to flush them out without killing the kidnapped Pokémon. He could move inside and trace the tunnels by following the chittering of Bug type Pokémon. He could even cause a landslide to block the entrance and wait for them to dig themselves out.

Fortunately, his decision was made easier as a nearly imperceptible psychic energy began radiating from the mountain. It was subtle enough that Alex had to lower his mind’s defenses just to detect its presence.

Immediately, he released Gardevoir to determine the specifics of the phenomenon.

“Gardevoir,” she said, indicating that it was a call to arms directed specifically at Bug type Pokémon.

It seemed they were dealing with an Orbeetle that was recruiting for its nest. It was a form of mind control that attracted Bug types based on the species that Orbeetle desired. This was typical behavior for Elite or Champion ranked Orbeetle once they grew strong enough to establish a nest.

What was strange, however, was the range of the psychic call. There was no reason for it to reach all the way to the Pokémon Nursery and attract Bug type Pokémon from that distance. It was simply too far. That anomaly suggested a mystery that could very well lead to a treasure or a new mineral.

“What do you think, Gardevoir?” Alex asked.

“Gar~ Gardevoir,” she replied, agreeing with his assessment and immediately thinking of heirloom items like Alakazam’s Bent Spoon, Slowking’s Crown, or Hypno’s Pendulum, items of power left behind by strong Pokémon for their offspring.

Not long after the psychic energy was broadcast, Bug type Pokémon of all kinds came rushing in from the surrounding area. There were Blipbug, Sizzlipede, Charjabug, Araquanid, Galvantula, Butterfree, and Vivillon, all moving cautiously as they avoided the heart of the surrounding nests’ territories.

As if in a trance, they avoided Alex and Gardevoir, choosing to go around them as they made their way into the cave system where the signal originated.

“Do you think you can trace the energy to its source and teleport there?” Alex asked.

Gardevoir accepted the challenge and closed her eyes in concentration. A ripple of psychic energy burst outward before snapping back. The psychic signal from the mountain cut off, releasing its hold on the nearby Pokémon as they scattered back into the wilderness.

“Gardevoir,” she said, having located the source of the psychic call, but added that whoever had sent it knew they were coming.

“That’s fine,” Alex said as he prepared himself. “They shouldn’t be able to escape fast enough. Teleport us over and prepare for battle.”

Psychic energy enveloped all three of them, including Arcanine, before they found themselves in complete darkness deep underground. The air was humid, the walls were covered in moss, and the sound of chittering was deafening. It seemed they had found themselves right in the middle of a scrambling nest of Bug type Pokémon.

As the light of teleportation faded, Alex released all his Champions. There wasn’t enough space for all of them to materialize in the cavern, but there was more than enough room for his strongest combatants.

Fifteen Champion ranked Pokémon immediately surrounded Alex in a defensive formation, their auras radiating dangerously and instantly calming the surrounding nest. Even with their leader giving out orders, their instincts flared, choosing submission. There was absolutely no way they were willing to fight such powerful opponents, which spoke greatly of their leader’s lack of strength and control over them.

Alex, meanwhile, zeroed in on the strongest aura in the area. It was a single Elite ranked Orbeetle standing on a crystal boulder, quivering under their might. It seemed he had found the cause of the disturbance as well as the object that had enhanced its psychic reach.

As he was about to order a massacre, Gardevoir relayed a psychic message. Alex had his mind covered in Dark type energy, so Orbeetle’s message couldn’t reach him, but Gardevoir, more than capable of distinguishing between communication and attacks, was able to discern Orbeetle’s intent. It wanted to talk the conflict out.

“Peace, human. I submit to your will,” he said in a deep male inner voice.

The Orbeetle flew down from the crystal and, kneeling, bowed, placing his head on the ground. He took a completely submissive posture with his wings tucked, his hands placed on the ground near his head, and his claws spread out to show he was defenseless.

Normally, Alex would have just gone ahead and done away with the rabble, but he saw no need for violence when there was no direct benefit and his opponent had already submitted. In this case, a single Elite ranked Pokémon wasn’t even worth killing for meat, so he chose mercy with some caveats.

“What is it that you desire from this nest you’re forming?” Alex asked.

‘Strength in numbers and peace,’ Orbeetle replied through Gardevoir’s telepathy.

Alex turned to Gardevoir, asking if Orbeetle was being honest, and received an affirmative nod. It seemed this Pokémon was intelligent enough to recognize that ambition was a dangerous endeavor for a wild Pokémon.

“I don’t mind if you continue as you are, but I will have to take this amplifier.”

‘Amplifier?’ Orbeetle asked.

“The crystal you were standing on. It enhanced the range of your psychic call and managed to cause a disturbance with the humans south of the forest, so they sent me to handle the problem.”

‘I promise not to disturb human settlements any longer, and you are free to take anything you desire from me.’

“That’s good. Keep that up and you might reach Champion rank eventually,” Alex said before getting down to business. “Now, I want you to call out all the Pokémon in your nest that belonged to trainers. They’re the reason there was a disturbance, and as long as you return them and surrender your amplifier, you should be able to continue building your nest in peace.”

A psychic wave expanded from Orbeetle, affecting the frozen nest as nearly two dozen Pokémon stepped forward, their gazes frantic after having suddenly been called out. Included among them was a Centiskorch that likely belonged to the man who had confronted Alex.

Alex couldn’t tell if he had the right Pokémon or if they were all here, but it would have to do on his end of the deal, considering he had already solved the problem with the kidnappings. He wasn’t about to run around trying to find where those who were missing had died.

As for the crystal, Gardevoir quickly stored it in Alex’s backpack, intrigued when she felt her power amplify as they passed through it. It was just unfortunate that it was far too large to carry around in the middle of a battle.

Once Alex had everything he needed, he recalled his Pokémon, leaving only Gardevoir and the nearly two dozen kidnapped victims.

“You’re free to defend yourself, but never seek to attack humans of your own accord. Otherwise, people like me will be sent to hunt you down,” Alex said as a warning, just as the light of teleportation enveloped them and they vanished from the cavern.

“Humans,” Orbeetle spat once Alex was gone. “They are indeed a significant threat. It’s unfortunate my greed has led to the loss of the artifact, but I suppose I am thankful to have preserved my life. Still, the human speaks the truth. I should consider lowering my influence on the surroundings to avoid similar problems, lest I meet a human who is less forgiving.”

Meanwhile, Alex teleported back to the Pokémon Nursery and surrendered the Pokémon, along with the responsibility of returning them to their trainers, to Sophie. He had done his due diligence and solved the mystery, so leaving the cleanup to them was fair enough.

“Where to next?” Alex said as he read over Mustard’s list of requests. “Turrfield doesn’t have any problems to solve, and Wedgehurst is a bit too far. I guess I can only continue north from here. Heading for the Nursery in Ballonlea shouldn’t be a problem, and I can pass by Stow-on-Side along the way. The mountain was quite close to Route 6 anyway.”

Having settled on their heading, Alex rode on Arcanine and teleported back to the mountain just outside Orbeetle’s cave. With a massive leap, Arcanine bolted upward, climbing toward the peak. The mountain wasn’t particularly tall, especially since it didn’t even have a name, so with a few more leaps they managed to reach the summit, overlooking Route 6.

The route stretched out as a rugged, mountainous path clinging to the side of the cliffs, winding its way between Hammerlocke and Stow-on-Side. The terrain was uneven and multi-leveled, ladders and narrow ledges forcing travelers to navigate with care. A constant, blazing sunlight poured over the rocks, giving the entire route an oppressive heat. Near the far end, massive sculptures shaped like Diglett loomed over the path, a strange marker signaling that the journey was nearing its conclusion.

Rather than leaping down only to climb back up, Arcanine assessed the distance from their altitude and simply teleported closer to Stow-on-Side, needing only a few more leaps to finally reach the city. There, Alex retrieved Arcanine, checked into the most luxurious hotel he could find, and slept for the night, deciding he would set out again the following morning.

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