The mountain loomed in front of us like a jagged stone wall, its cliffs cutting sharply into the sky. A narrow path spiraled upward—steep, rocky, and exactly the kind of terrain where a single mistake could cost a life.
But before we even set foot on it…
I saw them.
A herd of Rhyhorn grazing at the base.
Thick gray plates.
Short legs.
Heads like battering rams.
They were massive wall-moving engines disguised as animals.
I raised a hand toward the drone.
"Everyone watching—these are Rhyhorn. Rock/Ground types. They're… well, not the smartest."
Chat immediately lit up:
[THESE ARE THE HIMBO POKEMON RIGHT]
[ROCK BUFFALO]
[THEY LOOK LIKE LIVING TRACTORS]
"But," I continued, "they are extremely powerful. A single Rhyhorn charge can topple a car. A herd charge can take down buildings."
That made the officers stiffen.
"But if trained and bonded properly, Rhyhorn become excellent mounts for dangerous terrain. Strong, reliable, fearless."
I turned to the team climbing behind me.
"So… what do you think? Want one?"
They didn't even let me finish.
Mama: "Yes."
Captain Sethi: "Absolutely."
Arjun: "When do we begin?"
Ritu: "Can mine come with a seatbelt?"
Even the Growlithe barked as if volunteering.
I sighed, smiling. "Okay then. Let's try negotiating."
The moment I stepped forward, the Rhyhorn line stiffened.
Heads lifted.
Feet scraped the ground.
Twenty pairs of stone-sharp eyes locked onto me.
And the tension snapped—
THUD—THUD—THUD!
They lowered their horns.
Ready to charge.
I quickly raised both hands.
"No aggression! No hostility!"
Slowly—very slowly—I reached into my backpack and took out the last of my Pokémon food reserves.
These were high-nutrient pellets I'd saved for special encounters.
Well… this qualified.
I sprinkled them gently on the ground and stepped back.
"We come in peace," I said loudly. "We ask you to listen."
The herd paused. Sniffed.
Then the leader stepped forward—bigger, bulkier, horn sharper, aura heavier.
It snorted once and took a bite.
Chewed.
Chewed.
Chewed…
Then gave a grunt to its herd.
Within seconds, twenty Rhyhorn stampeded gently to eat like enthusiastic bulldozers.
Mama whispered from behind, "Brat, I think you bribed them."
"I call it negotiation via cuisine."
I turned back to the leader.
"You like it? You can have this food every day if you follow us."
The leader paused its chewing and stared straight at me.
Then said something deep, gravelly:
"Rhyhh… Rhyhorn."(We only follow strength.)
The words hit me harder than expected.
Of course. Species instinct.
Rhyhorn didn't respond to kindness.
They respected power.
I swallowed.
'I can defeat one of them' I muttered. 'But all twenty? No chance.'
My mind raced.
I needed a loophole.
Then it clicked.
Hierarchy.
I looked the leader in the eye.
"You're their chief, right?"
It nodded once.
"Then if I defeat you, the herd will follow us. Correct?"
The leader turned to its herd. They grunted in response. It looked back at me.
Another nod.
Agreement.
It began walking toward an open clearing—broad, flat, perfect for battle.
The herd followed, forming a giant ring around us like a stone coliseum.
The ground vibrated beneath their steps.
I exhaled slowly.
"So this is happening…"
Behind me, Mama muttered, "Brat, are you sure about this?"
Ritu whispered, "We're live. Chat is panicking."
Captain Sethi "No backing out now."
I stepped forward, steadying my heartbeat.
Rhyhorn stomped once, ready.
I called pidgeotto down.
"Alright," I whispered.
"Let's show them strength."
The Rhyhorn leader stomped into the clearing, lowering its head, horn gleaming like a spear. Dust shook off its armored plates with every breath.
Pidgeotto hovered beside me, wings spread, eyes sharp.
I nodded.
"Battle stance."
She shot upward immediately.
The Rhyhorn herd formed a circle, watching quietly.
The leader snorted—a challenge.
And then—
It charged.
The ground cracked under each thunderous stomp.
"Pidgeotto—Sand Attack!"
She swooped low, scraping her talons across the loose dirt, then whipped a burst of dust straight into Rhyhorn's eyes.
A direct hit.
The massive beast staggered, shaking its head, vision blurred.
Chat exploded:
[SMART PLAY]
[SAND IN THE EYES LETS GOO]
[BIRD USING POCKET-SAND HAHAHA]
But Rhyhorn wasn't stupid.
Blind? Yes.
But stupid? Not entirely.
It dug all four legs into the ground.
"Back up!" I shouted.
But I already knew what was coming.
Rhyhorn roared—
Its plates vibrated—
And the air shifted.
"Sandstorm!" I snapped.
The moment the word left my mouth, the entire clearing erupted into a violent spiral of wind and sand.
GRAAAAAAAAAH—!
A cyclone of razor-sharp dust whipped outward, stinging skin, shaking trees.
Visibility dropped to almost nothing.
Rhyhorn was using the battlefield itself as a weapon.
"Pidgeotto, up! Higher!"
She climbed above the swirling sand, but the debris scraped her wings, making flight harder.
Ritu shielded her face.
Mama covered Tanisha.
Chat went wild:
[THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD]
[RHORN SUMMONED A WHOLE DESERT]
[AAKASH GET OUT OF THERE]
[RHYHORN USING REAL-LIFE WEATHER MOVES WTF]
Inside the sandstorm, Rhyhorn stomped blindly, searching for Pidgeotto by sound.
"Stay silent! Don't flap too loudly!" I whispered.
Pidgeotto hovered, gliding instead of beating her wings, keeping noise minimal.
Rhyhorn roared again, furious and disoriented.
"Now—Wing Attack!"
Pidgeotto dove into the storm, wings glowing white, striking Rhyhorn across the face.
But the sandstorm messed with her momentum—she didn't hit at full power.
Rhyhorn, enraged, fired blindly with another Sand Attack, dirt exploding everywhere.
"Gain altitude!" I ordered.
Pidgeotto climbed again, gasping for clear air.
But the sandstorm was expanding—Rhyhorn was powering it with anger.
It was getting harder to breathe.
Harder to see.
Harder to fly.
"Use Gust!"
Pidgeotto flapped her wings with all her strength—sending a shockwave downward.
The Sandstorm weakened—for a moment.
Then Rhyhorn roared and surged it again, countering her Gust with pure brute force.
"That's… insane," Arjun muttered."It's controlling the entire field," Captain Sethi said.
The battle was turning dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Rhyhorn scraped its feet, preparing another blind charge.
Pidgeotto's breathing was unsteady—sand sticking to her feathers.
One more mistake, and she'd fall.
I clenched my fist.
"Pidgeotto—get ready for close combat!"
She steadied herself midair.
Wings trembling but resolute.
"Dive! Aerial Ace!"
She vanished into a streak of white light—
—but the sandstorm blunted the speed.
She hit Rhyhorn's flank.
Good impact.
Not enough.
Rhyhorn roared in her face, inches away, its horn glowing—
Oh no.
It was about to use Horn Attack point-blank.
"DODGE—!"
Too late.
THUD!
The horn clipped her wing, sending her crashing to the ground.
She skid across the dirt, coughing, feathers coated in sand.
"Pidgeotto!!"
The team gasped.
Chat exploded again:
[SHE'S HURT WTF]
[NOW WHAT NOW WHAT]
[PIGEOTTO GET UP PLEASE]
Rhyhorn snorted, pawing the ground, ready to finish the battle.
The sandstorm raged around it like an aura.
I knelt beside Pidgeotto but didn't touch her.
"Listen to me," I whispered.
"You're stronger than this storm."
Her eyes flickered.
Determination ignited.
She pushed herself up—even though her wings shook—sand falling off in clumps.
She looked at the raging Rhyhorn.
Then at me.
I nodded once.
"Fly."
She spread her wings—slowly—
—then launched upward again, cutting through the storm with sheer will.
Rhyhorn roared, turning blindly in circles, unable to see anything.
Pidgeotto's wings glowed.
But not with white.
Not with flying energy.
Silver energy. Hard. Metallic. Sharp.
My breath caught.
"No way… "
Her entire wingspan gleamed like forged steel.
"is that—?"
I whispered:
"Steel Wing."
Pidgeotto folded her wings back.
Spun once midair.
Then dove.
SHE SPLIT THE SANDSTORM IN HALF.
Her steel wings cut through the swirling dust like a blade through water.
Rhyhorn turned—
too slow—
too blind—
too late.
"Pidgeotto—FINISH IT!"
She slammed into Rhyhorn with all her weight, both wings coated in metal energy.
BOOOOM!!
Dust exploded outward.
When the air settled—
Rhyhorn was on its back.
Completely unconscious.
Sandstorm gone.
Silence.
Total silence.
Then—
The herd stomped their feet once.
Twice.
Three times.
A salute.
Their leader—defeated—slowly opened its eyes, looked at Aakash…
…and bowed its head.
Surrender.
Respect.
Submission.
Pidgeotto landed beside me, trembling but triumphant. She fell unconcious in my hands.
I stroked her head softly. I used evergreen power to heal her.
"You did it… You actually learned Steel Wing mid-battle."
She chirped weakly but proudly. I took out her pokeball, recalling her.
"Rest well."
Behind us, the team stared in disbelief.
Chat:
[PIGEOTTO IS A MONSTER]
[BIRD GO BRRRRRR]
[RHYHORN DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE]
[SHE CUT A SANDSTORM IN HALF WTF]
[INDIA HAS THE STRONGEST PIDGEOTTO ON EARTH]
The Rhyhorn leader stood up unsteadily, stepped forward and spoke:
"Rhy… Rhyhorn."(We follow the strong.)
And with that…
The herd pledged themselves to Aakash's team