The stone covered in tooth marks left Xin Mu and the other Pokémon exchanging bewildered looks. Squirtle even showed off a whole new facial expression.
"Squirtle! Squirtle, Squirtle! (What's this stone supposed to mean?!)"
"Luca."
Squirtle's reaction made Lucario even more certain of her conclusion, and she began explaining how she had discovered the stone.
For the Pokémon at Xin Mu's home, whether he had caught them or they were temporarily staying in the Backyard, soaking in the hot spring was quite common.
The only difference was the effect it had on them.
Normally, the pebbles there were polished perfectly smooth, but this time she had felt an unusual roughness. A closer look revealed a clear row of tooth marks on the surface.
The tooth marks formed a semicircle with uneven edges, as though some creature had gnawed on it repeatedly.
Lucario was curious about which Pokémon had left those marks on the stone. If it was an unfamiliar Pokémon, that meant a new Pokémon had come to their home.
Ordinary Pokémon would not bite stones, but Pokémon of certain types were special, such as Rock-types.
The moment she saw the bite marks, Lucario thought of Regirock. After all, Regirock was the only Rock-type Pokémon here, and could actually incorporate stones into its body. At that moment, Regirock's rocky body slowly turned with a low rumble, and its facial runes flashed briefly, as though it had sensed Lucario's gaze.
Lucario sighed. Obviously, it could not have been Regirock. How could a Pokémon without a mouth bite anything?
The Backyard at Xin Mu's home was a place for the Pokémon to relax, and the different kinds of Pokémon had all left traces of their daily lives there.
Both Meownei and Lucario had a habit of sharpening their claws, though they went