By the bank of the underground river, beside a relatively dry stretch of pebble shore.
Clear, icy underground water murmured along, glimmering with a ghostly sheen beneath the sparse luminous minerals embedded in the cavern ceiling.
At the edge of the riverbank, behind a moss-covered boulder half a person's height, a tiny figure was curled up.
It was a Pokémon resembling a small dinosaur. Most of its body was tan, while the area from its horn to between its eyes and beside them was brownish green. Its neck and chest were wine-red.
It had a fairly long pale-yellow tusk, and its eyes were reddish purple.
A very tall horn rose from its head. The color between its neck and body made it look as though it were wrapped in a scarf. Its tail was short, and it had few fingers and toes.
Though its colors were different, it was unmistakably a Dragon type Pokémon—an Axew.
Its round, intelligent eyes were now brimming with unease and tension. Its tiny foreclaws clutched a smooth pebble, as though it could find a sliver of safety in doing so.
Not long ago, the furious roars and booming battle noises from the powerful but bad-tempered Rhydon in the neighboring passage had startled Axew awake from its nap in the makeshift nest it had found.
It had never been particularly brave. Abandoned by its herd and left to wander this complicated cave system alone, even the slightest disturbance made it tremble with fear.
The sounds of battle continued for a while before abruptly stopping.
Axew's heart pounded wildly. It cautiously poked out its little head and looked toward the passage where the sounds had come from, listening for the faintest movement.
Rhydon... was defeated? Hearing Rhydon's final scream, Axew had that thought, and became even more