Battle in the Deep

The air in the cave seemed to grow thicker as the Fossil Hunters' second and third Pokémon, Koffing and Ekans, appeared on the scene. The leader of the hunters grinned mischievously as his companions also prepared for battle. The poisonous Pokémon looked restless, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

-This isn't going to be easy," Rael muttered to Sandshrew, who was visibly exhausted from the previous battle.

-I'll take care of one of them," Eira said determinedly, pulling a Poké Ball from her belt. Go, Oddish!

The small plant Pokémon appeared with a green glow, ready to take on the enemy. Its leaves shook with energy, and Rael could tell that Oddish was ready for battle.

The smaller hunter who had released Ekans laughed scornfully.

-Do you really think that grass can stand up to my Ekans? Ekans, use Bite!

The Snake Pokémon quickly lunged at Oddish, its fangs glowing with dark poison. Eira reacted immediately.

-Oddish, use Drain!

Vines sprouted from Oddish's blades, wrapping around Ekans just before the bite hit Oddish. The draining vines began to slowly steal energy from Ekans, weakening him as he tried to break free.

Rael, watching the battle between Eira and the hunter, knew he had to focus on his own opponent. The Koffing hovered in the air, emitting a poisonous smoke that filled the atmosphere.

-Koffing, use poison gas! -ordered the second hunter.

A thick purple cloud of gas began to spread through the cave, coming dangerously close to Sandshrew. Rael frowned; Sandshrew was weakened and would not survive a poison attack for long.

-Sandshrew, dig again! -Rael shouted urgently.

Sandshrew, moving quickly despite his condition, dug into the ground and disappeared just in time to avoid the poisonous cloud. The Koffing hovered around, searching for its opponent.

-Come on, Koffing, crawl through the cave and look for the Sandshrew! -the hunter commanded impatiently.

Koffing began to move erratically, covering more and more of the cave with his poisonous smoke. But Rael knew he only needed one chance to strike the final blow.

Just then, Sandshrew emerged from the ground behind Koffing.

-Now, Metal Claw! -Rael shouted.

Sandshrew delivered a precise blow with his metal claws, striking Koffing in the back and sending him crashing into the cave walls. The floating Pokémon wobbled in the air before falling to the ground, out of the fight.

-Koffing is out! -Rael said, feeling a fleeting sense of relief.

But he didn't have much time to celebrate. The leader of the hunting party stepped forward, his expression even more stern.

-Not bad for a bunch of kids. But I haven't shown the best of my team yet. -He pulled another Poké Ball from his belt, one that looked slightly different from the previous ones. They won't stand a chance with this one.

Rael and Eira looked at each other with concern as the leader released his new Pokémon. In a flash, a Graveler appeared, a large Rock and Earth Pokémon that dwarfed the previous Pokémon.

-This doesn't look good," Rael muttered, looking at Sandshrew's exhausted state.

Meanwhile, Eira had used Oddish to significantly weaken Ekans thanks to the Drains, and the Snake Pokémon was now weak and sluggish.

-Oddish, finish off Somnifer," Eira ordered.

A shimmering dust flew from Oddish's leaves and enveloped Ekans, who soon staggered and fell asleep on the ground.

-Ekans is unconscious as well! -Eira announced victoriously.

But the joy was short-lived. The hunter leader's Graveler slowly approached them with a power and determination that made the ground tremble beneath their feet.

-This Graveler has been trained to withstand the worst attacks," the leader said with a smile. You won't stand a chance against it.

Rael knew that his team was at a disadvantage. Sandshrew was too exhausted to continue fighting, and Graveler had a natural resistance to physical attack.

-We can't take him on directly," Rael said quietly to Eira. We need a strategy.

Eira looked at Oddish and then at Rael.

-Oddish can handle this, but I'll need support.

Rael nodded and pulled out another Poké Ball. It was Poliwag's turn to enter the fray.

-Poliwag, I choose you!

The small Water Pokémon appeared with his characteristic enthusiasm, ready to help. Graveler looked at the new opponent with disdain, but the Hunter leader was not as confident as before.

-A water type... -he muttered, gritting his teeth. This could be a problem. Graveler, stone thrower!

Graveler raised his arms and threw a huge rock at Poliwag. Rael reacted quickly.

-Poliwag, use water cannon!

A powerful jet of water shot out of Poliwag's mouth, hitting the rock and shattering it in mid-air. The jet continued its trajectory and hit Graveler, who recoiled from the impact of the super-effective attack.

-Well done, Poliwag! -Rael exclaimed enthusiastically.

Graveler staggered, clearly affected by the water attack, but he was not yet out of action.

-Oddish, reinforce with Drainers! -Eira shouted.

Oddish's vines lunged at Graveler, wrapping around him and slowly beginning to absorb his energy. Though Graveler was resilient, the draining vines weakened his strength by the second.

The hunter leader clenched his fists.

-Graveler, crush them with Earthquake!

The ground beneath them shook violently as Graveler pounded the ground with his massive fists. Poliwag and Oddish struggled to stay on their feet, but the attack was devastating. Rael knew that if Graveler launched another attack like that, his team would not be able to withstand it.

-Poliwag, finish this! -Rael shouted, "Use Bubble!

Poliwag launched a flurry of bubbles at high speed, hitting Graveler repeatedly. The bubbles burst against his tough hide, and finally, with a low growl, Graveler fell to the ground, defeated.

The Hunter leader couldn't believe his eyes. His most powerful Pokémon had been defeated.

-That can't be! -he growled, pulling Graveler back in frustration. This isn't over. We'll be back, and they won't get away with this.

Before Rael or Eira could react, the three hunters plunged into the depths of the cave and disappeared into the shadows.

Rael dropped to the ground, exhausted but victorious.

-That... was intense," he said, panting.

Eira smiled, though she too was clearly exhausted.

-We did well. But I think we understand now that Monte Moon is not just a cave full of fossils. There's something else here... something much more dangerous.

Rael nodded. He knew this would not be the last time they would cross paths with these mysterious hunters. And though they were exhausted, their adventure on Mount Moon was not over yet.