Sixth Day.
Neverland.
Sandstone Terrain
With Drapion and Larvitar, Aoki embarked on another treasure-hunting journey.
Larvitar was thrilled—not because it enjoyed the search itself, but because of the feast that followed each discovery.
Last night, after Larvitar secretly told Aron about the delicious rewards, Aron was green with envy. If only it had Larvitar's ability, it would've volunteered to help dig for ore immediately.
The treasure hunt started smoothly, but as they reached the edge of the sandstone terrain, something unusual caught their attention.
According to Neverland's layout, the Ancient Tree of Life stood at its center. The Altaria's grassland lay in the southern outskirts, beyond which lay the Scolipede Forest. Past that was the vast sandstone zone, home to many Rock and Ground-type Pokémon.
Further north, a modest mountain range cut across the sandstone terrain, marking its boundary.
While surveying the area, Aoki noticed deep pits with clear signs of excavation—ores that should have been there were missing.
The first name that came to mind was Shuichi.
This had to be where Shuichi had been teleported. The ores in his storage must have been mined here. The telltale signs of Excadrill's work were evident in the disturbed earth.
Another clue confirmed Aoki's suspicion—in one of the deposits Larvitar had pointed out, Drapion unearthed diamonds matching the ones Larvitar had eaten earlier.
However, one thing became clear: there was no diamond mine in the sandstone zone.
Disappointing, but the sheer volume of other ores was still valuable.
Strangely, the closer they got to the mountains, the more diamonds appeared in the deposits.
If diamonds were abundant in the heart of the sandstone zone, it would make sense—but this was the edge.
After another exhausting dig, Aoki had Florette use Grassy Terrain to restore the team's stamina. Following a quick lunch, they resumed their search.
Before long, Larvitar, perched on Drapion's back, suddenly leaped up in excitement.
THUD!
Drapion staggered under the unexpected weight. Larvitar's bulk wasn't an issue, but the sudden jump nearly knocked it off balance.
Realizing its mistake, Larvitar patted Drapion's back apologetically.
Drapion sighed—it couldn't stay mad at the little guy.
"What is it, Larvitar? Did you find something?" Aoki asked.
Larvitar nodded eagerly, pointing toward the base of the mountain while chirping excitedly.
There! There's something REALLY tasty there!
Following Larvitar's direction, Aoki saw it led straight to the foot of the cliffs.
Could there really be a diamond mine?
Urging Drapion forward, they reached the spot—a sheer cliff face, steep and littered with loose rocks.
Fortunately, Larvitar's target was at the base.
Digging here required caution—loose stones could collapse at any moment.
But if anyone was an expert at this, it was Drapion!
Mining wasn't just profitable—it was excellent training. It honed Drapion's coordination, joint control, and familiarity with its evolved body. Compared to its early days, Drapion had vastly improved.
Breaking rocks and hauling them out, Larvitar circled eagerly, practically drooling over the unseen prize.
With practiced teamwork, they carved out a three-meter-high tunnel.
According to Larvitar, the deposit wasn't underground—it was inside the mountain. When describing its size, Larvitar spread its arms as wide as possible, nearly jumping to emphasize just how huge it was.
Whenever they hit a tough spot, Drapion used Toxic to weaken the rock before smashing through. Slowking and the others hauled debris out, while Gengar and Weavile stabilized the tunnel—Gengar with Shadow Ball to smooth jagged edges, Weavile with Ice Beam to reinforce weak spots.
After forty minutes of digging, just as Aoki began doubting Larvitar's senses—
CLINK!
Drapion's claws struck something hard.
The sound sent Larvitar into a frenzy, scrambling forward and pointing urgently.
Here! Right here! The good stuff! HURRY!
Ignoring Larvitar's impatience, Aoki inspected the spot—tiny, glittering diamonds embedded in the stone.
"A diamond mine…? Seriously?"
Luck this good had to come with a cost.
As Drapion dug deeper, Larvitar "helped" by sneaking fallen fragments into its mouth, crunching loudly.
Subtle.
But as they progressed, Aoki's excitement turned to realization.
The diamonds were identical in quality and color.
These weren't natural formations.
If that was the case…
This was bigger money than he thought.