Survival

After observing the territorial dispute, Yuga quietly followed behind the remaining Kabuto and Kabutops.

Since Omanyte and Omastar had settled in the lake, Yuga needed to figure out where the displaced Kabuto and Kabutops were headed.

As he followed the group of Kabuto and Kabutops, Yuga noticed that some of them, severely wounded, were gradually falling behind because they couldn't receive any treatment, and their injuries were worsening.

Finally, one Kabuto couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed.

However, the group of Kabuto and Kabutops didn't pay any attention to the fallen Kabuto. Instead, they chose to keep moving forward. In such circumstances, attempting to aid those unable to move would only burden the rest and worsen their situation.

After the large group passed by, Yuga hurried to check on the fallen Kabuto, but it had already succumbed.

Originally, the population of Kabuto and Kabutops in this area was a dominant force, and few Pokémon dared to provoke them. However, their strength had diminished significantly, and many hunters had set their sights on them, resulting in numerous battles along the way.

But in the cruel underground world, where the law of survival of the fittest reigns. Yuga had no right to interfere.

Soon, Yuga encountered several severely injured Kabuto and Kabutops who couldn't be saved. Along the way, despite their pitiful appearance, Yuga had no intention of intervening.

Nature was a realm of survival, and he had no right to interfere.

A while later, Yuga saw another Kabutops lying on the ground. After the main group of Kabuto and Kabutops had passed, he went over to inspect as usual.

This Kabutops had a long crack on its back, nearly splitting it in two, and it was bleeding profusely. Moreover, its two legs and both of its blades were filled with cracks, with its flesh and blood clearly visible. Its ability to endure until now was already a remarkable feat.

As Yuga turned to continue tracking the main group, he suddenly heard a cry from behind. When he turned around, he saw the injured Kabutops staring at him with resolute survival in its eyes, even though it could hardly move its eyelids.

Yuga didn't expect this Kabutops to still be alive at this point and was momentarily moved.

"Do you want me to save you?" Yuga asked the Kabutops.

Although the Kabutops wanted to respond with a yes, it couldn't even move its eyelids, let alone make a sound.

While its own kind had abandoned it, it still wanted to live.

Though it had never encountered a strange two-legged creature like Yuga before, it used every last ounce of its strength to seek help.

It didn't know what the outcome would be, but it was certain that it couldn't be worse than its current situation. If it missed this opportunity, it would face being torn apart by other predators.

Watching the Kabutops in this state, Yuga was filled with emotion. This was the tenacity of life.

However, Yuga wasn't one to do futile things. So, he told the Kabutops, "I can save you, but you must pledge your loyalty to me."

Yuga naturally wouldn't say anything like making friends and getting along well with Kabutops in such a naive manner.

Born and raised in a place like the underground world, the concept of submission was what Kabuto and Kabutops could comprehend. Concepts like friends and companions did not exist in their consciousness; otherwise, they wouldn't have been left behind by their own kind without any help.

Clearly, concepts like friendship and companionship were absent in the minds of these predators; they only recognized their own kind and the strong.

Upon hearing Yuga's words, the Kabutops agreed without hesitation, but it couldn't respond.

Yuga understood that it currently had no capacity to answer him, so he continued, "Since you have no response, I'll take it as your acceptance."

Yuga said this because he wasn't afraid of the Kabutops turning against him once it recovered. This particular Kabutops had a green potential, and while it had good strength, there was still a gap between it and Yuga's main Pokémon.

Having reached an agreement with the Kabutops, Yuga released Florges and Chimecho to jointly treat the Kabutops, while he applied healing medicine to its wounds.

After receiving treatment from Florges and Chimecho, the Kabutops finally escaped from the brink of death. However, with such severe injuries, it needed proper care to be able to move freely again.

Yuga recalled the Kabutops into a Poké Ball and continued to follow the large group of Kabuto and Kabutops.

After walking for an unknown duration, the group finally stopped. They had chosen a new habitat, a vast shallow-water swamp. Although the water area was quite extensive, most of it was shallow, covered in various sturdy water plants, unlike their previous home.

This place used to be inhabited by a small group of Ducklett and Swanna, but they were driven away by this domineering group of Kabuto and Kabutops.

As expected, just like what Tokiwa had mentioned, no matter how pitiful they appeared, in this underground world, they were all predators and plunderers. They couldn't be shown sympathy.

This expansive shallow-water swamp, although not the best environment, had more than enough space for Kabuto and Kabutops.

The Ducklett and Swanna that used to live here didn't fly too far away but settled nearby with the Kabuto and Kabutops. It remained to be seen whether these two groups would peacefully coexist.

After noting the locations and situations of both the Kabuto and Ducklett groups, Yuga quietly turned and left the area with Bellossom and Chatot, continuing deeper into the underground world.

As Yuga ventured deeper into the underground world, in a cave high up on the cliffs at its deepest point, a Green Pokémon woke up, perplexed, and opened its eyes.

It got up and gracefully walked to the cave entrance, gazing into the distant forest, wondering what it was thinking for a while.

Meanwhile, not long after Yuga left the area, the sky suddenly started drizzling, and with time, the rain intensified. This puzzled Yuga since the weather had been fine just moments ago.

The weather was obviously very nice just now, but why did it suddenly start raining?