Chapter 182: Diglett Cave

In reality, there are two paths from Saffron City to Vermilion City.

One is Route 6, the option most people are familiar with. Though it passes through a forest with many wild Pokémon, it also has a road specifically built by the Pokémon League, and its safety is routinely maintained.

Buses traveling from Vermilion City to Saffron City usually take this path, as it's quick and safe.

The other option is a more natural path, or rather, a tunnel.

Between Vermilion City and Saffron City, there is a large number of Diglett and Dugtrio. These Pokémon are peaceful by nature and love to be near humans.

They often dig in the ground, bringing various mineral elements to the surface that benefit plant and animal growth.

For this reason, both trainers and the community highly appreciate Diglett and Dugtrio, to the point that even Pokémon hunters and trainers from the dark world avoid harming them.

Disturbing a group of Diglett or Dugtrio could cause landslides or, in the worst case, alter the area's topography.

Thanks to these adorable, mostly non-aggressive Pokémon, a tunnel has been dug between Vermilion City and Saffron City.

At first, few people dared to use this tunnel.

But, as always, someone ventured in first, and after the first person successfully crossed from Saffron City to Vermilion City, more and more people began taking this route.

Over time, people started calling it Diglett Cave as a way of thanking the Diglett for their help in making the journey between the two cities easier.

Inside Diglett Cave, there is a main tunnel and many branches, all dug by Diglett. Except for them, no one really knows how many caves are underground.

As Diglett Cave became more accepted, the Pokémon League stepped in to ensure the tunnel's stability.

They built numerous support pillars inside and set up a hut at the cave's entrance, officially establishing the entrance to the tunnel and placing "Diglett Cave" on the maps.

However, human curiosity is limitless, and soon people began exploring beyond the main tunnel, venturing into the branches.

This led to the emergence of explorers known as "diggers." Some returned within a day without encountering any danger, but others got lost in the complex network of tunnels and encountered wild Pokémon, some of which could be aggressive.

The worst case was a person who got lost in the branches of Diglett Cave for two months. They exhausted all their supplies and had to face hostile Pokémon, surviving only by eating soft dirt.

Literally, they survived by eating dirt.

It's said that when they finally made it out, they were so thin they were practically skin and bones, and their Pokémon were suffering from malnutrition.

After this incident, the Pokémon League began warning trainers not to venture recklessly into unknown tunnels, and gradually, the number of explorers decreased.

Of course, there are still those who ignore these warnings and continue to take risks. In these cases, the League takes a "do what we can" approach. After all, they can't restrict personal freedom.

Cain intended to travel through Diglett Cave and, if the opportunity arose, explore some of the uncharted branches. Unlike others, he had the ability to use Slowpoke's Teleport, which would allow him to return safely.

After Slowpoke established a psychic reference point at the Diglett Cave entrance, Cain and Slowpoke entered the underground tunnel.

The tunnel was lit by a row of old yellow bulbs hanging overhead, and the ground, somewhat soft, was a bit more comfortable to walk on than a paved road.

In Diglett Cave, there's a common phenomenon: no trainer has to worry about losing their belongings, because if something falls to the ground, a Diglett or Dugtrio will pick it up and return it to the owner.

Of course, they don't just return lost items. If someone litters, the Diglett will pester them until they pick up their trash. After several unsuccessful attempts, trainers stopped littering in the cave, helping to keep it very clean and natural.

In Diglett Cave, it's common to encounter other trainers, as well as some explorers equipped with large backpacks and tools like shovels and pickaxes, ready to enter unexplored branches. These explorers wear helmets with flashlights to light the dark tunnels.

Although the cave is mainly inhabited by Diglett and Dugtrio, that doesn't mean there aren't other Pokémon. Cain saw some Zubat and Rattata scurrying around, but these Pokémon showed no aggression and quickly disappeared.

Cain, along with Slowpoke, continued further into the main tunnel of Diglett Cave.

At first, there were few branches along the sides of the main tunnel, but as they went deeper, the number of branches increased. Some of these branches were also lit, and at the entrance of some, there were signs indicating their function or purpose.

For example, some branches led to small markets where trainers gathered to trade, which eventually led to the formation of an underground market.

Although not as diverse as a black market, these markets offer valuable materials or tools trainers use on their journeys, similar to a large bazaar. Sometimes, you can find good products.

The underground market in Diglett Cave is well-known among trainers traveling between Saffron City and Vermilion City. Many vendors, concerned about the black market atmosphere, prefer to walk a little farther to sell their goods here.

Unlike the black market, the items sold in these markets are legal and legitimate; you won't find anyone selling Pokémon illegally.

It's, so to speak, a flea market in broad daylight.

Some smaller branches have been occupied by people who have turned them into their underground homes.

Although occupying public space in this way isn't something people appreciate, they haven't faced much rejection either. After all, if someone has no choice but to live underground, they're likely not in a good situation. Most people prefer to look the other way in these cases.

(End of chapter)