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"So many trucks!" Misty exclaimed, surprised by the number of trucks on such a winding mountain road.
"It looks like he's in a hurry!" Brock noted, observing the lead truck.
Rumble!! Bang!!!
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted ahead. The truck that had been leading the convoy lost control, and several trucks in front toppled into a ditch. The ones following closely behind couldn't stop in time and collided. Some managed to swerve and hit nearby rocks, while others crashed into trees.
Chaos unfolded in an instant. The three companions, startled by the commotion, quickly dodged the scene, narrowly avoiding involvement.
"Ah!! What... what's going on?" Misty gasped, her eyes wide as she took in the devastation ahead. It looked like a major accident, but it seemed impossible for such an experienced driver to crash for no reason.
"Ground!" Ash said sharply, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.
"Ground??" Misty repeated, confused. She looked where Ash was pointing and noticed that the lead truck's wheels were stuck in sunken ground. It was clear this was the cause of the accident.
"Did someone dig a trap there?" she wondered aloud, struggling to make sense of the situation. "How could the ground suddenly collapse like that?"
"Damn it! It's those Digletts again!" a middle-aged man in work clothes yelled as he jumped out of one of the trucks. He fell to his knees and pounded the dirt in frustration. "Diglett disaster! Always Diglett disasters!"
"Excuse me, what is the 'Diglett disaster' you're talking about?" Ash asked, stepping forward alongside Brock and Misty.
"The Digletts keep destroying the ground! They've wrecked everything, and now this!" the man raged, gesturing at the ruined trucks.
"But why would Diglett want to cause damage?" Brock frowned. "They're usually docile Pokémon. This doesn't seem like them."
"They're trying to stop our reservoir project!" the man spat, pointing toward a half-built construction site in the distance.
"How can you be sure it's Diglett?" Misty asked.
"It always happens when they're nearby! Look over there!" the man said, clenching his fists. Following his gaze, the trio saw small mounds of earth shifting just behind the crash site. Diglett popped up occasionally, seemingly unbothered, and disappeared back underground.
The Pokémon appeared cheerful, but their actions clearly spelled trouble.
"That's Diglett! She looks so cute!" Misty exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
Diglett had a brown, cylindrical body, a round red nose, and two small black eyes. This was all of Diglett that was visible above ground, and her simple appearance gave her an undeniably cute charm. Misty couldn't help but smile, finding the little Pokémon adorable. However, even Pokémon experts like Professor Oak had yet to uncover what Diglett's body looked like beneath the surface. It remained one of the mysteries of the Pokémon world.
Ash, however, couldn't help but chuckle. Memories of seeing joke images online about Diglett's underground form popped into his head, making him laugh and wipe sweat from his forehead. "Those images were ridiculous," he thought, suppressing a grin.
"How cute?! These guys are a disaster! Hurry up, hurry up!" the man bellowed angrily upon hearing Misty's remark. Fueled by frustration, he grabbed a hammer and dashed toward the Diglett, trying to whack them like in a carnival game. But Diglett were far too quick, disappearing into their burrows with ease. The man, panting and red-faced, gave up after missing every single one.
"Hoo ho ho!!!!"
"It's no use," Brock commented, observing the scene. "Diglett are incredibly agile underground." He scanned the nearby caves, noticing that the Diglett had already vanished.
"I know that!" the man snapped, turning away from the group with an irritated grunt. Then, straightening his posture, he said with a sly smile, "That's why we've formed a special operations team!"
"Special operations team?" Ash asked, intrigued.
"Exactly!" the man declared proudly. "We've already started recruiting top Trainers from the area. If they can help me solve this Diglett disaster, I'll reward them handsomely!"
The man's determination was clear. He was fed up with the damage caused by the Diglett and was fully committed to getting rid of them.
"Reward? What kind of reward?" Misty asked curiously.
The man grinned and pulled out a colorful coupon, holding it up dramatically. "A Mega luxurious four-day, three-night hot spring vacation package!"
"Wow! I really want to go!" Misty exclaimed, clasping her hands together in excitement.
Ash and Brock exchanged knowing looks and sighed, thinking, "Typical Misty."
"Wait a second!" The man's eyes suddenly widened as realization struck. "Aren't you the Trainers my team found earlier?" He frowned, confused by his own forgetfulness, as he pieced together the situation. It seemed he had unintentionally spilled the plan to the group without even recognizing who they were.
"Uh... we are..." Misty began, but Ash quickly interrupted her.
"We're just passing by. Let's go!" Ash said firmly, signaling for Brock and Misty to move along. He wasn't interested in the reward, and his tone made it clear.
Brock shrugged. A hot spring trip sounded appealing, but it wasn't something he'd lose sleep over. Misty, on the other hand, hesitated, feeling disappointed. She glanced longingly at the coupon but eventually followed Ash's lead.
"Please wait a moment!" the man called out desperately. "Whether you're passing Trainers or the ones we invited, as long as you can help solve this Diglett disaster, I'll still reward you!"
His determination was palpable. Clearly, the situation had pushed him to the brink. He didn't care who helped or how; he just wanted the problem resolved, even if it meant rewarding random passersby.
"We..." Misty began again, unsure of how to respond.
Buzz!!!
Suddenly, the loud roar of an engine echoed behind them. A sleek red sports car zoomed up the mountain road, coming to an abrupt stop near the group. Astonishingly, the tiny two-seater car was crammed with seven people.
"Ah? Isn't that...?" Misty exclaimed, recognizing the new arrivals.
!!!
Before anyone could react, Brock sprang into action. He bolted toward the car and knelt on one knee beside it, starry-eyed.
"Beautiful big sisters, my name is Brock! Could I please have your phone numbers?" he gushed, pulling a pen and paper seemingly out of nowhere, his romantic enthusiasm in full swing.
Ash and Misty groaned in unison, their exasperation obvious as they watched their friend's over-the-top display.