A heavy stillness hung over the morning, the kind that made birds hesitate to sing. The mist had rolled in thick from the edges of the forest, draping the surrounding land in a veil of quiet foreboding. Ashwin stood at the edge of the southern field, the soft dew clinging to his boots as he stared at the barely visible tree line. The spore corruption was spreading faster than any natural growth pattern should allow.
The readings taken by Elgyem and Delphox the previous night had confirmed his worst suspicion—beneath the glade where the spores were most concentrated, something was lurking. Something manmade.
Ashwin returned to the Grotto's war table, where a layout of the nearby land and subterranean pathways was spread wide across a weathered sheet of parchment. Vespiquen hovered beside him, her royal aura dimmed but focused. Her Combee scouts had reported odd vibrations beneath the roots of the large ironwood trees that marked the center of the infected zone.
"They're cultivating something," Ashwin muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Deliberately. Maybe not the smugglers… but someone."
[Quest Alert: "Echoes Beneath the Soil"]
— Objective: Investigate the subterranean spore zone.
— Secondary Objective: Capture live samples of the spore hosts for research.
— Reward: High-tier Breeding Enhancement Tool + Data Fragment (???) + New Research Lab Module Unlocked
[Warning: Exposure to high spore concentration may affect Pokémon vitality. Prepare adequately.]
He nodded grimly and moved to prepare.
The Grotto buzzed with energy as he issued training orders to his team.
Charcadet, Growlithe, Litleo, and Torchic—his fire types—gathered near the heating basin designed for flame-type conditioning. The air shimmered with heat as the small Pokémon fired controlled bursts at floating spores collected and stored in containment tubes.
"Keep your fire steady," Ashwin instructed. "Too much, and we destroy the spores. Too little, and it doesn't purify them."
Torchic chirped in effort as it pecked a glowing purple spore mid-air, while Growlithe let out a determined bark before dousing a cluster with controlled Ember. The infected fragments sizzled and turned to ash.
Delphox stood behind them, monitoring the energy signatures with a flick of her wand. "These spores… they respond to psychic and fire-type auras, but evolve quickly. This isn't natural."
Ashwin's mind reeled. If the infection could adapt, then purifying it wouldn't be enough—they needed to stop it at the source.
Later that afternoon, while reviewing soil and spore samples inside the Grotto's sealed lab chamber, Elgyem blinked its luminous eyes and tapped Ashwin's shoulder.
A low chirp echoed in the lab's corridor.
Ashwin turned, brow furrowed. A shape crept toward the doorway—half-buried in mud, eyes dull, but still shimmering with hope.
A wild Pokémon.
It was a weary and half-starved Helioptile. Its skin was mottled with fungal residue, and it winced as it stepped into the light. But it wasn't attacking. It had followed the fire Pokémon back during their earlier training—drawn by the warmth, the light, and maybe... salvation.
Ashwin knelt, his voice gentle. "You made it here alone?"
Helioptile chirped weakly and fell into his arms.
[New Pokémon Detected: Helioptile (♀) – Status: Contaminated]
[System Suggestion: Integrate into Cleanse Protocol Beta as Subject #1]
[Optional Quest Added: "Spark of Recovery" – Objective: Heal Helioptile and uncover link to deeper spore mutation strain]
Ashwin carried her inside with care. He knew now: the underground cultivation site wasn't just a source of infection.
It was a trap. And it had already started to bait in Pokémon from miles around.
And he was walking straight into it.
The evening was eerily quiet.
Ashwin stood beneath the crystal dome of the Grotto's upper chamber, the natural light filters dimmed to a soft glow. Around him, several Pokémon—some rescued, some part of his original team—rested after a long day of training, their forms illuminated by the bioluminescent plants that lined the Grotto walls.
But peace was an illusion. Deep underground, beneath layers of contaminated roots and disturbed earth, something unnatural continued to fester.
Ashwin moved through the Grotto's new Research Wing, recently unlocked after the last major quest. The system had expanded the subterranean complex, opening up pristine white lab chambers reinforced with anti-spore shielding.
[System Update: Grotto Expansion Complete]
New Module Unlocked: Spore Containment Lab
Passive Bonus: Reduced infection spread within the Grotto
Functional Bonus: Safe spore sample processing, health diagnostics, and Pokémon rehabilitation pods
Delphox stood in one of the sterilized rooms, scanning Helioptile with focused psychic energy. Beside her, Elgyem directed several psychic tendrils at a microscope interface, processing data with calm efficiency.
Ashwin examined the central display as the system began cross-referencing readings from infected Pokémon tissues. What he saw made his chest tighten.
Spore Genome Analysis:
Class: Parasitic Fungal Mutagen
Adaptation Rate: High
Affinity: Psychic Disruption, Neural Overload
Vulnerabilities: Controlled Flame, Light-based Energy Bursts
Mutation Origin: Artificial Engineering Detected
"This wasn't nature," Ashwin muttered. "It was designed."
A sharp ping from the console triggered a projection of the surrounding area. Overlaid across the landscape were growing zones of low-grade contamination—some clustered near hidden burrows, others by large trees and abandoned tunnels.
[Environmental Alert: Wild Pokémon Infected Zone Expansion - 4.2% since last scan][Prediction: Unchecked spread may double within 6 days][Recommendation: Initiate Area Purification & Monitoring Systems Immediately]
He turned toward the recovery chambers, where several wild Pokémon were still under observation. A feverish Sentret coughed softly in its sleep, a thin glow of purple around its paws. A Lotad twitched as its leaf vibrated with a low hum.
Outside the Grotto, things were far worse.
That night, Vespiquen returned from the northern woods with grim news.
"The Combee detected five infected Pokémon attempting to migrate into the lower grazing zones near the farm," she buzzed. "They were escorted away, but some showed aggression."
"That's new," Ashwin said. "They weren't hostile before."
[New Sub-Event Triggered: "The Sickness Spreads"]— Main Objective: Identify secondary contamination sources— Secondary Objective: Protect surrounding wild populations— Reward Tier I: Pokémon Vitality Serum (Batch Alpha), Grotto Defense Protocol Upgrade— Reward Tier II (Optional): System Reputation with ??? increases
Ashwin's mind raced. He needed more data—but he also needed containment. Fast.
By morning, the system's expansion protocols had added a new Spore Screening Gate to the Grotto's main entrance. Any Pokémon—friend or visitor—would pass through for scan and cleanse. Several newly tamed Fire-types, including a quiet Cyndaquil and a bold Fennekin, had started patrol rotations around the spore borders. They'd been trained in short, pulse-based flame bursts, enough to purge surface-level growths without risking damage to the environment.
Even the Shinx twins had been outfitted with modified collars that emitted low-voltage static fields, disrupting the spores' neural clustering effect. Their teamwork in early scouting had been exceptional.
Ashwin stood at the edge of the medical ward where Helioptile now rested in a protective stasis pod. Her body still trembled, but her pulse had stabilized.
"You're strong," he whispered, placing a hand gently over the pod. "You survived the infection… now I'll find out who made this and stop them."
He turned to the system console one last time that night, fingers hovering over the touch panel.
"Run deep analysis on the artificial markers in the spore genome."
[Command Confirmed][Estimated Time: 18 Hours][Auto-link Established with Grotto Archive Node – Hidden Fragment Detected]
Ashwin's eyes narrowed.
This wasn't just about a mutated fungus.
It was a weapon. And someone had already begun using it.