Machoke stepped toward Arjun—not aggressively, but with measured, heavy steps that made the ground tremble softly.
Arjun instantly tensed, expecting another punch.
Instead…Machoke placed a massive hand on his shoulder.
A gentle pat.
A warrior's acknowledgment.
"Machoke…"(Good match.)
Arjun blinked, stunned. Then—smiled. A shaky, defeated little smile, but a genuine one.
Machoke turned and barked something sharply.
Three Machop and a younger-looking Machoke jogged forward from the training group, forming a neat line behind the older Machoke.
Then the big one spoke again:
"Machoke."(Rest. Then try defeating one of them.)
Arjun nodded quickly. "Th-thank you!"
I stepped beside him, patting his back.
"You did well. Learn from this. And don't rush commands again."
"Right, sir…"
I placed a hand on Rhyhorn's cracked plates.
Evergreen power pulsed out—green, warm, soothing. The cracks sealed, bruises vanished, and Rhyhorn snorted softly in relief.
"Alright," I said. "You two stay here. Try again once you're ready."
Arjun nodded.
"Ritu stays with you," I added. "Continue the stream from here. Show chat the fights and training."
Ritu saluted dramatically. "On it, boss."
The drone hovered above her as she shifted into commentary mode again:
"Chat!! We're staying with Arjun while he tries Round 2! Place your bets—Machop or Rhyhorn!"
Chat immediately exploded:
[MY MONEY ON MACHOP][RHYHORN JUST NEEDS ONE GOOD HIT][MACHOKE'S STUDENTS LOOK SCARY HELP]
I turned to Mama and Captain Sethi.
"Let's move."
We continued up the path—deeper into the mountains.
Soon the plateau narrowed into a massive arched opening—a tunnel.
Not carved by humans.Not carved by machines.Carved by Pokémon.
"Stay close," I warned.
We stepped inside.
The air cooled instantly, echoing with distant clinks and heavy breathing.
The walls glimmered faintly—not with moss, but with streaks of iron ore embedded deep in the stone.
"Good mining ground," Mama whispered.
"And good Pokémon habitat," I said.
Just then—
Two Geodude floated past us, staring blankly… then drifting away without interest.
A Graveler rolled down a slope like a boulder with arms, barely missing Mama's leg.
He jumped. "HEY—!"
"Relax," I said. "They don't care unless we disturb the tunnel."
We walked further.
Metallic clink clink clink sounds echoed ahead.
We rounded a bend—
And there they were.
A cluster of Aron.
Small metal dinosaurs, blue eyes glowing faintly in the darkness, chewing happily on iron ore chunks embedded in the cave walls.
Captain Sethi frowned. "You want me… to take this as my partner?"
He looked at the tiny steel Pokémon—the smallest creature we had seen today.
Aron looked up, chewing loudly.
"Aron."
Captain Sethi sighed. "…Sir, this looks like a toy."
I raised an eyebrow. "Pick it up and see what happens."
He bent down.
Aron growled.
He snatched his hand back.
I smirked. "That 'toy' is pure steel. Strongest defense of any early-stage Pokémon. Loyal, stubborn, and once evolved…"I pointed at the iron-eaten wall."…you'll have a walking tank."
Captain Sethi exhaled, nodding slowly.
Without repeating Arjun's mistake, he approached calmly and crouched near an Aron that was a little larger, with brighter eyes—clearly stronger.
Instead of speaking first, he opened his bag.
Took out a handful of berries.
Placed them on the ground.
Aron froze… sniffed… then started nibbling curiously.
Only when it relaxed did Sethi speak.
"If you like these berries," he said softly, "you can eat them every day if you become my partner. And I'll get you metal too. Good metal. As much as you want."
Aron stared at him.
Then stared at the berries.
Then stared at him again.
Aron finally made a sound.
"Aron…"
Then turned around—
Walked ten steps away—
And stomped the ground.
Challenge.
I crossed my arms.
"Good. It accepted."
Captain Sethi nodded, nervous but determined."Kadam—help me spot commands."
"No," I interrupted. "This is your trial."
He gulped.
We stepped back as Sethi released his Rhyhorn.
Opponent: Aron (Lv. 26)Sethi's Rhyhorn: Lv. 28
A close matchup.
Aron charged first—tiny legs pounding like metal hammers.
"RHYHORN—STOMP!"
Rhyhorn slammed a foot down—Aron bounced off the shockwave but landed with surprising grace.
Then its body glowed-'Tackle'
Aron rammed Rhyhorn with surprising force.
Rhyhorn skidded back.
Captain Sethi panicked. "Uh—uh—Rock Blast!"
Wrong call.
Rhyhorn couldn't aim properly at such close range.
Aron dodged under the first shot and rammed again.
Sethi clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm.
He read Aron's stance.
"Mud-Slap!"
Rhyhorn kicked up dirt, blinding Aron slightly—finally turning the tide.
Aron staggered, blinking rapidly.
Now was the moment.
Sethi breathed in slowly.
Then shouted:
"CHARGE—THEN HORN ATTACK!"
Rhyhorn obeyed perfectly, horn glowing as it slammed into Aron—
BOOOOM—
Dust burst.
When it cleared—
Aron lay on its back, dazed.
Not badly hurt.
Just exhausted.
A narrow victory.
Rhyhorn snorted proudly.
Captain Sethi exhaled hard, wiping sweat from his forehead.
But the relief lasted three seconds.
RUMBLE.
The ground trembled—low, heavy, rhythmic.
THUD.THUD.THUD.
A shadow moved at the far end of the cavern—tall, broad, metallic.
I froze.
Mama froze.
Sethi's smile vanished instantly.
From deep inside the tunnel, a steel behemoth stepped into the pale light.
Massive horns. Silver armor. Footsteps that cracked the floor beneath it.
Its presence alone made the entire cave feel smaller.
My breath escaped in a whisper:
"…Shit. Aggron."
Aggron's burning red eyes locked onto one thing:
The unconscious Aron that Sethi had just battled.
And that was enough.
It didn't ask questions.
It didn't roar.
It charged.
"MOVE!" I shouted.
But Sethi barely had time to react—his Rhyhorn was exhausted, barely standing after its fight with Aron.
Aggron's footsteps grew louder—like a train rushing straight toward us.
I instantly snapped a command:
"Mama! Earthquake!""My Rhyhorn—Bulldoze, NOW!"
Both Rhyhorn leapt forward without hesitation.
The ground split under Mama's Rhyhorn—deep cracks spreading outward.
BOOOOM.
The Earthquake hit Aggron hard—its footing faltered, its charge slowed—
—but not stopped.
The behemoth snarled, lowering its head again.
"Second phase—GO!" I shouted.
Both Rhyhorn pushed off the ground with all their power, ramming forward into Bulldoze.
The collision shook the entire cavern.
A shockwave pulsed outward.
Dust and gravel rained from the ceiling.
Two rhyhorn were launched into he mine wall.
Aggron skidded back—one single step—but that one step was enough.
Its red, rage-filled eyes flickered.
Fury lowering…Confusion rising…
But it wasn't over.
Aggron pawed the ground, preparing for another devastating charge, its armor scraping sparks against stone.
Then—
A chorus of tiny footsteps.
All the baby Aron hurried forward, spreading out to form a wall between Aggron and us.
Their metallic cries echoed through the cavern.
"Aron! Aron Aron!"(Wait! Stop! They didn't harm him!)
Aggron leaned down, confused, its hot breath washing over its children.
The Aron we battled finally stirred—lifting its head groggily.
It blinked at Aggron.
Then waddled forward.
Looked right at its guardian.
And shook its head.
"Arrron…"(It's okay.)
Slowly—very slowly—the red in Aggron's eyes faded completely.
Aron explained the situation slowly.
Its steel-plated body relaxed.
Its horns lowered.
No longer a raging beast.
Now a worried elder.
The tension broke like a snapped string.
Everyone breathed again.
Captain Sethi slid down to sit on a rock, hand over his chest.
Even the cave felt calmer—its vibrations fading.
Aggron stepped past its children—massive, intimidating—but no longer hostile.
It stopped in front of Sethi.
Lowered its head.
Not threatening.
Acknowledging.
A silent apology.
Sethi swallowed and nodded respectfully.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "Your child is safe… and strong."
The baby Aron trotted back to Sethi's side, standing proudly—even if it wobbled a little.
Aggron grunted approvingly.
Then returned to the darkness deeper in the cave, its massive form slowly fading into shadow.
Only when we could no longer hear its footsteps did Mama whisper:
"…Brat, we almost died."
I blew out a long breath. "Yeah. I noticed."
I turned to Sethi and the newly recovered Aron.
"Well," I said, smiling tiredly, "congratulations. Looks like you've been accepted."
Aron nudged his hand gently.
Captain Sethi let out a relieved laugh."I… think I just gained a partner."