Pokémon travel photography: Starting with riding the wave of popularity.

Upon hearing Natsuki's whisper, Haruka rolled her eyes adorably.

"You're still joking at a time like this..."

but.

After learning that the iron ants were not seriously damaged, Xiaoyao felt relieved.

"Shall we go and take a look around the area near the nest?"

"Ok!"

Xia Mu nodded.

It's unclear what Pokémon is attacking.

but.

Both of them can confirm it.

These iron ants were forced to abandon their previous nest after a fierce battle.

Xia Mu and Xiao Yao did not disturb the iron ants, who were as frightened as startled birds.

Following the map given to them by Miss Joey, the two bypassed the iron ants digging on the main road and entered the forest.

A short while later.

The two saw footprints all over the ground, and compared them with the iron ants they had seen before.

Xia Mu immediately confirmed it.

These footprints all came from the iron ants that were attacked.

"Okay, I feel like maps are almost unnecessary..."

Following the direction the footprints came from, Xia Mu and Xiao Yao passed through patches of bushes.

Finally, we saw a tunnel that was about the height of a person.

"This is it!"

After comparing the map with the one Joey had given him, Xia Mu nodded.

This tunnel is one of the entrances to the iron ants' labyrinthine nest.

but.

Looking at the numerous footprints of iron ants fleeing from the entrance of the nest, Xia Mu was somewhat puzzled.

"Why can't we see any trace of the attacker...?"

Judging from the panic the iron ants were in, the attacker must have chased them for quite a distance.

But now.

Xia Mu looked at the footprints all over the ground, but only found traces left by the iron ants.

Logically speaking...

If there were a significant number of attackers, there should have been many other different tracks besides the iron ant footprints.

and.

"Do we really have to go through this dark, maze-like tunnel?"

Xia Mu was ready to hand over his work and leave.

But she was also worried that if Nurse Joy asked, she wouldn't be able to tell him the identity of the attacker's Pokémon.

Just then.

clang!

clang!

clang!

A rhythmic clanging sound of metal came from inside the tunnel.

The sound echoing in the tunnel was quite jarring, causing Natsuki and Haruka to frown involuntarily.

The creator of the sound seems to have realized this as well.

then.

The knocking stopped abruptly after a moment.

wow~

As the sound of dragging an object drew closer, Xia Mu and Xiao Yao exchanged a glance.

They immediately hid behind a dense thicket of bushes nearby.

Under their curious gazes, the first thing that caught their eye was a pile of objects that gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Xia Mu realized it immediately.

Those things were the remains that had fallen from the iron ants and the metal ores they had collected.

Then.

A pink carrot cube appeared in Natsuki and Haruka's sight.

"A young blacksmith!?"

Looking at the Pokémon holding a hammer, Xia Mu could hardly believe it.

It wasn't that Natsuki didn't recognize the Pokémon.

It was the enormous hammer that made Xia Mu wonder whether the Pokémon was a junior blacksmith or a great blacksmith.

He looks just like the little crybaby from Padia, but the hammer he wields is as huge as the Padia bully's.

and.

Compared to the timid expression of a typical young blacksmith, this young blacksmith in front of me seemed quite aggressive.

Duang!

A loud bang.

Upon reaching the cave entrance, the young blacksmith picked up the enormous hammer and began striking the metal before him.

Seeing this scene.

Haruka quietly took out her encyclopedia.

"Little blacksmith, forge Pokémon of Fairy and Steel types."

"I make my hammer by hammering iron filings, and I keep redoing it until I'm satisfied with the result. I use my handmade hammer to protect myself, but it's often stolen by Pokémon that eat metal."

???

I looked at the little radish in the picture book, and then at the little blacksmith holding a big hammer in front of me.

"Striking at iron filings?!"

Mountains of metal are disappearing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"His hammer was stolen by a metal-eating Pokémon?"

Xiaoyao thought of those iron ants whose hardest parts had been knocked off.

emmm...

Haruka suspects there might be something wrong with her Pokédex.

Unlike Xiaoyao, Xia Mu's eyes lit up when he looked at the young blacksmith in front of him.

She has a cute appearance.

Despite being just a humble blacksmith, he possessed immense strength.

The courage of one person venturing into the nest of iron ants.

It's unclear why the blacksmith who lives in the Padia region would appear in the Unova region.

but.

"want to!"

Xia Mu immediately decided to subdue the little blacksmith in front of him.

She reminded Xia Mu of Xiao Gang's squinty-eyed Lucky Egg.

They are all pink and possess immense, monstrous strength.

and.

The Fairy type will also have an advantage when challenging the Dragon Gym in the future.

A contrasting appearance can also add color to your videos.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: I Am a Responsible Man

Xia Mu habitually turned his back.

I'm still using the same early-game ball I bought when I left Fanba City not long ago.

With both of them working together, Xia Mu felt that he could be called Gou Mu from now on.

pity.

Xia Mu's vision became a pipe dream in the next moment.

Before the ball could even touch the little blacksmith, the hammer came flying straight at him.

Splat!

The poor first-chance ball didn't even get to work before turning into a pile of shattered junk.

In this situation, Xia Mu had no choice but to jump out of the bushes.

"New Leaf Cat, Green Vine Serpent, Clay Doll Giant, attack together!"

Xia Mu prepared to launch a righteous gang-up.

But the young blacksmith showed no fear in the face of the sudden appearance of evil forces.