Route 50, northeast of Quembar Town
A small Pokémon, nose twitching inquisitively, pops up out of its burrow and blinks in the sunlight. A small plume of dust in the distance catches its attention, and it gazes somberly in that direction for several moments before diving out of sight once again.
Across the open, sun-washed stretch of grassland, Opal's feet pound the dusty earth in a regular rhythm. She cuts back and forth, sticking to almost imperceptible and yet well-worn paths that wind over the rolling terrain. Signs of life are all around her; she can see many different Pokémon winging through the skies or traversing the land just like she is. In between admiring them and keeping an eye on her footing, Opal keeps stealing glances at the Ultra Ball clutched firmly in her hand. "Gah, I'm so excited I can hardly focus!" she pants. "But sort of Pokémon should I use you to catch? There are so many choices! What do you think, Wyrmer?"
From within its Poké Ball, the little Ground-type blinks up at its Trainer silently before curling back down into a circle. Opal huffs at it good-naturedly. "Yeah, I guess we'll just know when the time comes!"
Opal continues her run, eventually picking up the track beside a smooth, clear brook. Some time later she flops down in the scant shade offered by a washed-out hillside. "Phew, that was a good few miles!" Opal grunts with a mighty stretch. She meanders over to the side of the brook and stoops for a drink and to splash her face, but is distracted by a rattling on her belt. "Huh? What is it, Wyrmer?"
Wyrmer shakes in its Poké Ball again, and Opal taps the release button. The Pokémon inside pops out energetically and begins squirming toward the crumbly rise, and Opal feigns annoyance. "Oh, yes, I suppose that would be a marvelous spot for you to play in the mud... actually, you might be on to something after all." The earth seems rich, streaked with different bands all exposed together. "This'd be as good a spot as any to rustle up some... treasure!"
Wyrmer needs no further encouragement; it launches itself into the wall of soil and commences tunneling away.
Clods of soil fly out of the hole. Opal turns with a grimace and shields her face, but her practiced eyes take notice when one particularly large chunk lands at her feet. "Oh? What have we here?" she muses. Opal snatches up the chunk and returns to the stream to wash it.
After a bit of vigorous scrubbing, the nature of the object becomes clear. Opal's face lights up. "Hey! It's a Fairy Gem! These are pretty rare; I've only ever seen them in pictures before!" Thoughts run through her head. In addition to their value as jewels, which is considerable itself, she knows the items called Gems are prized by some Pokémon Trainers as well. "This ought to fetch a decent price," she grins. Opal trots back over to the earthen bank and cups her hands around the hole left by her Pokémon. "Keep it up, Wyrmer!"
The echoes of her call reverberate through the earth. Opal blinks in surprise as the tremors don't die away, but are sustained. In fact, the shaking only grows more intense and pronounced. She backs away in alarm, staring up at the rumbling hill. "Wyrmer? What's going on?!"
The shaking comes to a crescendo. Opal screams and flings herself back against the wall of dirt when a sudden shadow swoops over her. It's followed by many more, all of them accompanied by wild braying cries. Opal looks up to see the bellies of a herd of Zebrun flying over the edge of the bluff. They land in front of her at the water's edge before leaping over the brook to continue their headlong dash. Understanding lights in her eyes. The quaking of the ground was caused by the myriad charging hooves of the stampede. Confident that the Pokémon mean her no harm, if indeed they've noticed her at all, Opal relaxes, delighted by her unique viewpoint.
After a number of minutes the number of Zebrun slows to a trickle. "I hope Wyrmer wasn't too frightened by all that shaking," Opal thinks to herself. Turning back to the hole it dug she peers inside. "Are you okay? You can come out now!"
A muffled squeaking comes back, from not far away. Opal smiles. "I'm glad you're okay! But you missed quite a sight--oh!" Opal is rocked on her feet by a shift in the land. A small puff of dust settles over her, and from above she hears a lone, panicked bleat. Opal's thoughts race. There's still one Zebrun up there! It doesn't want to jump, but all those other Zebrun must have weakened the hillside! It might collapse! "Hurry, Wyrmer! Get out of there!"
The little Pokémon doesn't emerge before a wave of pebbles and earth knocks Opal aside.
Twisting and spitting, the young girl struggles to free herself. From over her shoulder comes a splashing noise. Craning her neck, Opal is confronted with the sight of the Zebrun floundering in the brook. She gasps. "It's holding on to dry land for now, but the side of the bank is too steep for it to climb out on its own!" She redoubles her efforts, digging furiously. "Hang on, Zebrun, I'm coming to help you!"
Finally Opal is able to drag herself out of the mess. She scrambles over to the desperate Pokémon in the brook, who is clearly growing tired. "Let's do this together, Zebrun!" She grits her teeth, reaches as far around its middle as she's able, and begins heaving on it. Zebrun, sensing the opportunity, surges up the bank with a last burst of energy. Just like that, it's out of the water and sinks down on the bank. Opal crashes down beside it.
"That was hard work...but I'm glad you're okay!" she smiles cheerfully. Zebrun looks up at her with dull eyes. "I'm called Opal! Nice to meet you, Zebrun!" The rescued Pokémon turns away and begins to lick at one of its legs.
Not one to give up, Opal carries on the one-sided conversation. "Hey, what are you doing over there? I'd like to see!" She scoots around to Zebrun's other side for a better look, and her eyes widen in horror. Zebrun's leg is held out at an awkward angle. It's streaked with some sort of stiff, heavy substance like rapidly drying clay, and a few scratches are evident as well. "That's awful," Opal breathes. "This must be why you were at the back of your herd, and you didn't want to jump! You can't move too well at all with your leg like this, can you?" The girl straightens up. "I should have something in my bag that can help you..." she surveys the area; her bag is nowhere to be seen under what used to be the hillside. "My bag...and...Wyrmer! Where did he go? I have to find him!"
A large pile of earth off to the side shifts with a rattling sound. Seemingly right on cue, Wyrmer pops up from underneath. "There you are!" his Trainer gasps, squeezing her Pokémon in a hug. "I'm so happy you're alright!" Wyrmer crossly wriggles free, and Opal realizes that its little jaws are spread wide, clamped around an unfamiliar object. "Hey, you must have found that while you were still digging in the hill! Mind if I take a look?" Wyrmer spits the object into Opal's outstretched hand.
Opal stares at it in confusion; she's never seen anything like it before. It looks like the hilt of a broken sword, with only a tiny bit of jagged blade remaining. The hilt is black, though the grip is patterned with a dark purple design as well. "What could this be?" she wonders. Opal holds it up toward the sun for another look.
As she lowers the object again, Opal stiffens. "Wyrmer, Zebrun?" she whispers. "We might be in trouble." A horde of small, angry-looking Pokémon has appeared; it seems as though they're pouring right out of the ground. Perched on the bank, on mounds of soil, and even on top of what remains of the hill, they chatter and leer at the Trainer and the two Pokémon, who find themselves surrounded on three sides with their backs to the water.
