Eroking
patreon
Chapter 247: The Strange Red Fragment
🕑 Added 2025-10-08 12:35:27 +0000 UTCChapter 247: The Strange Red Fragment
"Dro-lisk~"
Closing its eyes to focus for a moment, Excadrill suddenly snapped them open. It pointed a steel claw to the west, the direction the shiny Sandslash King had fled.
"Looks like this king isn't as cunning as I thought. It doesn't even know how to use deceptive tactics to cover its tracks." Basalt's lips curled up, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Not that it would have made a difference."
Having found their direction, Basalt recalled Larvitar and Lileep, then mounted Bronzong and began to fly slowly at a low altitude. Lileep's movement speed was just too slow for a chase, and little Larvitar's combat power was only enough to bully a single Sandshrew.
They traveled across the desolate plains. The weather was hot and stuffy.
In this secret realm, the Sandshrew clan seemed to be the dominant power. Besides them, Basalt had only spotted a single Cubone and a few Geodude. He hadn't seen a shadow of any other Pokémon.
"Dro-lisk!"
After advancing seven or eight hundred meters, the Sandshrew that had vanished began to appear again. They were digging holes, playing, or chewing on grass roots. But when they spotted Basalt and his team, they all dug into the ground and fled without exception.
After another few hundred meters, a small, barren mountain appeared before them. It seemed to be made of solid rock, holding its shape even after long exposure to the elements. At the foot of the mountain, the density of Sandshrew increased again.
"Dro-lisk!"
Excadrill pointed at the small mountain, its eyes shining. Clearly, this was the Sandshrew clan's main base.
"Excadrill says that the mysterious energy is coming from inside that mountain," the levitating Bronzong translated via telepathy.
Basalt nodded silently and released Lileep. "Prepare for battle."
"Dro-lisk!"
Suddenly, a look of surprise appeared on Excadrill's face.
"Excadrill says it can sense the energy moving underground. It's heading east, fast."
Hearing Bronzong's report, Basalt's eyebrow shot up. "It spotted us!"
But for the king of a clan to abandon its people and flee so decisively... that was something Basalt had never expected.
"Excadrill, after it!" Basalt waved his hand, giving the order without hesitation.
"Dro-lisk!"
Excadrill nodded. Sand began to cling to its body, activating its ability.
Whoosh!
With a slight push off the ground, Excadrill shot out like a bolt of lightning.
"Bronzong, let's keep up!"
"Understood!"
Psychic energy surged, and Bronzong lifted Lileep into the air, carrying it as they flew close behind Excadrill.
"Sand-shrew... Sand-shrew..."
Deep underground, the shiny Sandslash King held a palm-sized, bright red object in its mouth as its claws dug furiously, propelling it through the earth.
Its army had collapsed. In a one-on-three fight, it had no confidence at all. Fleeing was its only option.
As long as it had this red fragment, it could become stronger anywhere. The clan was just a tool for its enjoyment, disposable.
Escape, bide my time for revenge, and then return once I'm stronger. The shiny Sandslash King had already planned out the whole script.
Thinking of the red fragment, its confidence returned. This was the source of its power. Without it, it would have just been a normal, muddle-headed Sandslash.
Unfortunately, its confidence didn't last long. It felt a vibration from the surface.
With its Sand Rush Ability activated, Excadrill was too fast. It had caught up in no time.
RUMBLE!
The ground began to shake violently.
Underground, the terrible vibrations from the surface felt amplified. Even with the shiny Sandslash King's iron-hard red quills and astonishing defense, it was becoming unbearable.
Burst!
Forced out, the shiny Sandslash King erupted from the ground.
"Sand-shrew..."
It looked at Excadrill, then at the rapidly approaching Basalt and Bronzong, its face filled with apprehension.
"Huh? What is that? The Flame Plate?"
As he got closer, Basalt's sharp eyes immediately spotted the red object in the shiny Sandslash King's mouth. It was about fifteen centimeters long and seven or eight centimeters wide, somewhat like a stone slate, but its edges were chipped and broken.
At first glance, Basalt thought it might be one of Arceus's Plates. But after a second thought, he immediately dismissed the idea. Why would a Ground-type Sandslash be hoarding the Flame Plate? The types didn't match at all. Besides, weren't the real Plates much larger?
"Whatever. I'll just take it first," Basalt's eyebrow shot up, and he yelled, "Bronzong, Gravity! Lileep, root domain! Excadrill, Sandstorm!"
A fair fight? Not a chance. This was a three-on-one beatdown to get revenge for the earlier swarm attack. He clearly remembered the feeling of being surrounded.
Vmmm!
A terrifying gravitational field appeared. The shiny Sandslash King was just about to flee when it felt a mountain drop on its back, its movements suddenly becoming difficult. At the same time, Lileep's roots burst from the ground, forming a huge circle that trapped the shiny Sandslash King in the center.
Sshh-ssh-ssh...
In the dry environment, Excadrill kicked up a sandstorm in the blink of an eye, enveloping the hundred-meter area.
"Sand... shrew..."
Cold sweat dripped from the shiny Sandslash King's forehead. Its mouth was dry. This was... a desperate situation.
"Dro-lisk!"
With Excadrill's roar, the group assault began.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
From beneath the ground, several thick roots shot out, wrapping around the Sandslash King's arms and legs, trying to hold it in place.
"Sand-shrew!"
But the shiny Sandslash King's strength was immense. The roots, as thick as a human arm, couldn't hold it at all. It tore them apart with ease.
"That strength... is insane!" Basalt sucked in a cold breath, his mouth twitching. Are you sure that's not a Machamp?
"Broonz!"
With Lileep's binding having failed, Bronzong immediately took action. Its body began to glow with a white light, and it slammed down like a comet hitting the earth.
Steel-type move, Heavy Slam!
Seeing this, the shiny Sandslash King quickly curled into a large ball and rolled forward to meet the attack.
DOOONG!
The deep sound was like the tolling of a great bell. The shiny Sandslash King, which had always prided itself on its strength and size, had finally met its match.
Against the one-ton Bronzong, it was finally overpowered. Its body was pushed back, and its head was left spinning.
But Bronzong didn't look too good either. The shiny Sandslash King's red quills were too hard. They were like a series of small file blades and had actually left scratches on its body.
"How is that possible?!"
This time, Basalt was truly shocked. Bronzong's body, forged from Aegis Ore, was the "ultimate shield." Until now, nothing had been able to leave a noticeable mark on it. He never thought this shiny Sandslash would succeed. Although they were just faint scratches, it was still a success.
At this thought, Basalt's interest in the red stone fragment in the shiny Sandslash King's mouth grew even stronger.
If he could get that fragment and let Excadrill absorb its energy, wouldn't his boy go straight to the moon?
Its speed was already at the limit; he had yet to encounter a Pokémon that was naturally faster than Excadrill with its Sand Rush active, not even Ninjask.
Its physical attack, while good, couldn't compare to its speed. But with this red fragment, the result might be completely different.
Super Saiyan Mouse? One-Punch Mouse? Eight-Gates Mouse? Anything was possible.
While Basalt's mind was racing, Excadrill had already rushed forward. A vivid green energy orb formed in its claws, which it then quickly compressed and gently pushed towards the still-recoiling shiny Sandslash King.
BOOM!
A mushroom cloud rose up as a violent explosion rocked the area.
"Sand-shrew..."
The shiny Sandslash King's cry was low. It was clearly heavily injured. But to take it out in one hit was impossible. Its red quills provided a defense that was just too formidable. From what he could see, it was definitely stronger than Excadrill's super-alloy and only slightly weaker than the Aegis Ore.
"Dro-lisk!"
"Broonz~"
"Nee-nee~"
Unfortunately for it, under the combined assault of the three Pokémon, even with strength comparable to a Pro-level trainer, the shiny Sandslash King was ultimately defeated. Its eyes spun as it lost consciousness.
But even as it fainted, it held onto the red fragment for dear life.
"You're really not going to let go, even in death? Then don't blame me for making it a reality."
Basalt sneered and ordered Excadrill to move in.
"Dro-lisk~"
Excadrill nodded. Its hard steel claws pried open the shiny Sandslash King's grip, and it finally got the fragment.
Feeling the surging, pure Ground-type energy from the fragment, a satisfied smile appeared on Excadrill's face.
That was it. The mysterious energy was from this red fragment. The energy the Sandslash King carried was just a small part it had absorbed. It couldn't compare to the fragment itself; it was completely outclassed.
"The fragment contains Ground-type energy?"
Basalt scratched his head, even more confused. He had no idea what this thing was.
He looked at the unconscious shiny Sandslash King and reluctantly took out a Revive, feeding it to him.
It seemed that to get to the bottom of this mystery, he would have to get the shiny Sandslash King to talk.
