The spider scurried across the floor of the cavern.
"What is it now, Kro?" the researcher asked as her black Persain darted after it.
The Persain, Kro, pawed at a little crack in the wall where the spider had escaped.
"Meow."
The researcher laughed. "It's just a spider, Kro," she said. Her blue eyes gleamed with humor. "Quit playing around, either keep watch for me or return to your pokeball." she turned back to the faded text engraved in the cave wall.
The researcher, Myra, and her pokemon were in the Whirl Islands, looking for clues as to Lugia's wherabouts. She was getting close, and she didn't want to be distracted.
"Meow!"
"What is it?" asked Myra, turning around again.
"Mrrroooow!" Kro cried more urgently, pawing at the crack in the wall. It would take more than a spider to make him this excited.
"Do you smell something, boy?"
Kro pawed at the wall again.
An excited look came into the young researcher's eyes. "Gocha! Go, Kage!"
In a blaze of red light, the Houndoom materialized.
"Kage, see that crack that Kro's looking at?"
"Hound." Kage confirmed.
"Good. Can you try to dig into it?"
"Houndoom!"
Kro jumped out of the way as Kage lunged at the wall and began to dig.
After about a minute, Kage was entirely in the hole.
"You all right, Kage?" Myra called.
Two sharp barks was a positive sign.
A few more minutes passed. Kro and Myra waited in silence, only hearing the scraping sounds of Kage's digging.
Then, suddenly, a muffled howl rang from the hole. Kage had found something.
"Yes! Can you get it and bring it out here?"
Two more sharp barks.
"Be careful with it!"
Soon, Kage emerged. He trotted proudly over to Myra, and deposited a small relic into her hand.
"Good job, Kage," she said, giving him a treat and reterning him to his pokeball.
"Meow." mewed Kro.
"Oh, and I can't forget you, Kro." said Myra. She stroked his fur and scratched behind his ears, and gave him a treat also. "Man, I'm spoiling you guys."
Kro purred happily.
Myra looked down at the relic. "Curious," she said. "This isn't anything like I've seen before..." she wrapped it in bubble wrap for protection and put it in her bag.
"Come on, let's get back to Headquarters."
"Mrow." Kro mewed in agreement.
"Sorry, Kro, but for the journey back, you'll have to get back in your pokeball..."
Kro obediently let himself be recaptured.
Myra turned and walked toward the exit.
If she had turned around, she would have noticed the small Pokemon peering out at her from the hole...
