Pokémon dungeon

Kay hesitated, looking back at the glowing gate that had appeared after Arcanine died. It was his way out. His way back to safety. 

But then Kay remembered something that helped him make his decision; the way Arcanine had looked in the same direction before it took its final breath. That glance wasn't random; it was intentional. 

Kay clenched his fists. "There's something here… something important." 

With that thought, he turned away from the gate and followed the glowing thread. 

The path was rocky and uneven, and the heat from the volcano made every step for Kay feel heavy despite his strength as a trainer. 

Kay would be dead by this level if he was a normal human. 

Molten lava bubbled in small crevices on the ground, and the air was thick with smoke and ash. Eevee walked closely by his side, its ears perked up and alert. 

They climbed higher and higher toward the peak of the volcano. Kay's breath grew heavy, and sweat dripped from his forehead. But the thread kept leading him forward. 

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the thread suddenly shifted directing to the right. 

Kay stopped and followed the direction with his gaze. At first, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just more volcanic rocks and steam rising from cracks in the ground. 

But then, he noticed a small cave entrance, partially hidden by jagged rocks and rising steam. 

It was so well-hidden that anyone not paying close attention would have missed it entirely. 

Kay's eyes narrowed as he stared at the cave. "Is this… what Arcanine was protecting?" 

He took a deep breath, clutching his bag tightly. The thread disappeared as if its job was done. Now, it was up to him to take the next step. 

Kay looked down at Eevee, who gave a small nod of encouragement. 

"Alright, partner, let's see what's inside." 

Kay cautiously stepped into the cave, the faint glow of the molten lava outside casting shadows on the rocky walls. 

As Kay moved deeper into the cave, his eyes locked onto a nest resting gently in the center. 

The nest was made of black volcanic rocks, with glowing embers scattered between them.

But what caught Kay's attention most was what sat in the middle of the nest. (an egg) 

As Kay saw the egg and how the thread led to this nest, realization struck him like lightning. 

'Maybe this is my ability Egg Collector, From the name it seemed possible. I should check the Pokedex to confirm that'. 

Without wasting time, Kay reached into his bag and pulled out his Pokedex. The screen flickered to life, and he noticed something different. The section for his abilities had changed slightly. 

Egg Collector: If the trainer defeats a Pokemon from the final evolution stage, a thread will appear and guide him to the egg of the defeated Pokemon, if it has one. 

Kay looked at Eevee and said, "So… that's what it does,". 

This ability had incredible value. Eggs from rare or powerful Pokemon could be sold for fortunes. 

But then the hard truth hit him.

'How could I ever kill a final-evolution Pokemon again? This time was pure luck.' 

His hands clenched around the Pokedex. The ability was valuable but wouldn't make him stronger in battle. And without strength, he would never have another chance like this again. 

Forcing those thoughts aside, Kay carefully picked up the egg from the nest. It was warm to the touch. He gently wrapped it in a piece of cloth and placed it securely in his bag. 

"Let's go, Eevee," he said softly. 

Kay retraced his steps and exited the cave, blinking against the harsh sunlight as he stepped back onto the volcanic peak. 

The battlefield where the battle against Arcanine had taken place lay before him. The ground was scorched, and broken volcanic rocks were scattered everywhere. 

Kay walked over to where his fallen teammates lay. Their Pokemon were gone, and Power Stones were in their place, their corpses cold and lifeless. 

He searched their belongings carefully, gathering any personal items to return to their families.

Then Kay buried his teammates to honor them. He also collected any remaining Power Stones and crystals left behind from the battle. 

When everything was packed securely in his bag, Kay went to the glowing gate that shimmered a short distance away. 

After stepping out of the glowing gate, Kay took a deep breath of fresh air. The sun was setting on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. 

He sat down on a nearby bench, placed his bag beside him, and began to count his spoils from the dungeon. 

First, he carefully laid everything out: 

8 Power Stones, 1 Large Power Stone from the Arcanine, a collection of shimmering crystals, and one egg. 

This was by far the most valuable loot he had ever collected from a dungeon. 

Without wasting time, Kay made his way to the League Facility to report the accident. 

He walked through the tall glass doors and was guided to an officer responsible for dungeon accident reports. 

Kay sat down in front of the officer and began explaining everything that happened: the strange dungeon behavior, the repeated herds of Ponyta and Rapidash, the powerful leader Arcanine, and how his entire team had died one by one. 

The officer listened carefully, nodding occasionally, and took detailed notes. When Kay finished, he was dismissed and told that the League would investigate the dungeon further. 

With his duty complete, Kay headed to the Trade Market to sell his spoils. The market was bustling with trainers, merchants, and collectors, all buying and selling valuable dungeon loots. 

Kay showed his spoils to a vendor specializing in Power Stones and crystals. The vendor carefully examined each stone and crystal, and as Kay brought up the large Arcanine Power Stone, the vendor's eyes lightened up.

After some calculations, the vendor said, "I'll give you 33,000 Pokédollars for the Power Stones and crystals." 

As it was the first time Kay had seen such a huge sum of money, he agreed immediately and walked away with the heavy pouch of money. 

Next, Kay visited an Egg Collector's Shop. These shops specialized in buying and selling Pokemon eggs, often for enormous sums of money. 

As Kay placed the egg gently on the counter, the shopkeeper leaned closer, inspecting it carefully. 

"Where did you find it?" asked the shopkeeper. 

"I found it in a cave on a volcano in a D-rank dungeon; it is the egg of a purple and yellow potential Arcanine," said Kay even though he wasn't sure about the rank of the parents. 

"Are you sure about that? You know that lying about such information could result in harsh punishments from the league," said the shopkeeper, looking at Kay suspiciously. 

"Based on your information, I can offer you a good price for this." The shopkeeper added. 

But as Kay was about to begin the negotiations, he felt a strange sensation. It was like something was pulling him toward the egg, an invisible string tying him to it. 

Kay froze for a moment, his hand hovering over the egg. 

'What is this feeling? 'he wondered. 

After a long pause, Kay shook his head. "No… I think I'll keep it for now." 

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow but didn't argue, he thought that Kay was just lying, and after he reminded him of the punishments, he changed his mind. 

Kay left the shop with the egg still in his bag and returned home. 

When he got home, Kay sat at his small desk and opened the pouch of money. He carefully divided the 33,000 Pokedollars into six equal parts: 

5,500 Pokedollars for himself, and 5,500 Pokedollars for the families of his fallen teammates 

It wasn't much, but it was the least he could do to honor their sacrifice. 

To be continued...

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