'I can't even say no as I really need that plate, how annoying.' I complained mentally before sharing the news with my team once I got far enough way from the city. Rune, Gaia and Vulcan all complained as they were the one's who would need to be in their balls in the cave due to their size or in Vulcans case because caves weren't exactly good places for fast movement or fire type moves. Still despite their complaints they all understood that there was no avoiding it. It also helped that the Earth plate was for Gaia's type.-

We had to pass through a small forested area before we reached the cave though so they all got to stretch their legs for about a day before we made camp outside the cave. I cooked us a good meal of Tauros chili while Tank had a bowl of berries and honey. In the morning I did my warm up routine with some exercise and a light breakfast of an oran berry. The ground was still covered in a thin layer of dew while the world itself seemed to still be waking up when I and my pokemon ventured into the mouth of the cave.-

The cave itself was a plain brown and gray colored tunnel structure no doubt carved out by the movement of people, pokemon and the planets tectonic plates. There was no muggy air or sharp rock formations that were the tell tale signs of water being the cause of the caves formation so that narrowed that option down immediately. Using my x-ray vision from the start I was left speechless at the sheer amount of manmade objects I found near the entrance to the cave. Potions, bottles, clothes and the packages that had been shredded by wild pokemon for the food within to name a few.-

With a sigh I directed Yani, Hades, Cratos and Tank to collect these things and bring them back to me as I called out the locations that had them. I doubted most of this litter was intentional but it still bothered me a bit as I was rather big on not leaving trash behind as I traveled if I could help it. Ironically the system seemed to classify some of the stuff collected during this clean up mission as treasures but it was very few. There was maybe three full good to go potions and even a whole case of bottled water that qualified as such.-

Thankfully my x-ray vision told me that the further into the cave we went the less litter there was which made sense as caves made most people jumpy and thus unlikely to miss something falling out of their stuff. I didn't find my first real treasure until I branched out of the main path in the cave. Surprisingly though I hadn't yet came across any pokemon which while nice was a bit abnormal. I had expected to find Geodude line pokemon, Zubat line pokemon and maybe even a few other species lines that inhabited caves but nothing showed up yet even with my x-ray vision.-

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I noted this mentally but since I saw no signs of anything hinting at them being violently relocated chose to ignore it for now. Anyway the first treasure i came across with my x-ray vision was a gold nugget about and inch behind the surface of the wall of this caves path. Cratos easily excavated it and I put the cherry sized chunk of gold into my bag before moving on.-

I came across a grade three Hardstone and grade two Softsand at the end of this branch of the caves. Turning around and going back to main path again only took us about fifteen minutes and we then headed into yet another branch. This one however was an occupant already sitting on a grade five Hardstone in fact. It was a geodude that without my aura and x-ray vision likely would have passed as a rock since it was sleeping. I thought about taking the Hardstone but since it clearly belonged to this Geodude decided to leave it be.-

Still just finding the Geodude calmed my paranoia about the lack of pokemon I had seen so far as it looked like the population just lived much further in was all. That branch of the cave was a bust other than that and I ended up checking another three side paths before finding one that went deeper underground. In those four branch paths I found two grade three Hardstones, a grade four Softsand, a grade six Softsand that I was VERY happy to find and a small vein of titanium that I immediately cleared out for Gaia to eat later.-

The way further underground had a dusty wooden ladder going down at it that told me that it was explored before but hadn't been again for quite a while. It wasn't a very deep hole to the next floor so I just skipped the ladder and jumped down the hole with my legs reinforced with aura to withstand the landing. Immediately I noticed that this floor was VERY different from the previous one as for as far as I could see the walls were covered in crystals of various sizes and colors. That wasn't the only thing I noticed however as there was also a strong presence of ground type energy here along with a single large Garchomp that was NOT happy to see us.-

Behind this pokemon embedded in the crystalline wall was a dull brown rectangular plate that I recognized as my target for coming to this place. "I don't suppose you'd let me take that plate and leave without a fight would you?" I asked and the gaze of the Garchomp went from wary to immediately hostile after I spoke. I sighed "Didn't think so." I mutter before all hell breaks loose. The Garchomp immediately charges us with a glowing white energy over it's bladed arm.-

"Yani, leaf blade! Tank, powder bomb!" I called and Yani and Tank went to work. A green blade of energy grew from Yani's leaves on her wrists as she dashed to meet the Garchomp in direct conflict while Tank prepared his toxic payload. The Garchomp that was only level eighty six came out of that clash with Yani with a serious wound as not only had her move stopped it's own but even continued to do super effective damage to it when it landed.