The air grew progressively colder, heavier, and thick with the distinct scent of damp minerals and wild moss as Odin and Lucy pushed deeper into the subterranean vertical layers of Mt. Moon. The sloping tunnels twisted downward at sharp angles, and with the depth, the local ecosystem shifted visibly. They had officially left the shallow nests of weak, easily frightened pests behind. Out here, the wild Pokémon prowling the rocky crags were entirely different beasts—ranging anywhere from Level 25 to Level 30. It was a threshold where a casual trek could instantly turn into a lethal hazard for an unprepared trainer.
But luckily for them, their self-appointed vanguard was more than eager to put on a show.
Ever since swearing eternal loyalty to his Big Boss, the newly minted Gold-Potential Geodude had taken it upon himself to act as a living shield. Whenever a fierce, territorial Graveler or an aggressive wild Golbat lunged from the shadows to ambush them, Geodude didn't wait for a command. He would thrust his dense, newly reconfigured rocky body forward with a booming roar, executing devastating Rock Throws and heavy Tackles that effortlessly shattered the hostile wild packs.
"Wow! Look at him go!" Lucy shouted, her eyes widening in genuine admiration as Geodude aggressively deflected a high-level wild Machop. She gave a sharp nod of approval, tossing out a rare, genuine praise. "He's an absolute tank, Odin! His defense is unreal for a Geodude his size. He's handling Level 26s like they're nothing!"
"Of course he is! He's a direct subordinate of mine!" Odin cheered back obnoxiously, waving his high-tech flashlight to illuminate the victory. He looked down at the floating rock with a proud, cocky grin. "Go get 'em, bro! Crush those losers into gravel! Show them who the real boss around here is!"
Odin had to admit, this Geodude was a real one. A total bro. Even without standard battle instructions, the creature's raw combat instincts were exceptionally sharp, earning it a permanent spot in Odin's good graces.
Whenever the opposition grew too dense or a wild pack threatened to overwhelm them, Lucy's massive Arbok would slide forward, its powerful coils striking with lethal, dominant efficiency to clean up the rest. Odin, keeping his System interface minimized to the edge of his vision, casually tracked the background info's and update as they fought. After a particularly brutal skirmish against a rogue pack of Raticate, a digital ping flashed in his peripheral sight.
[System Notification: Partner Pokémon 'Arbok' has accumulated sufficient combat exp. Level up achieved: Level 30 → Level 31.]
Lucy, completely unaware of the precise stat tracking happening inside Odin's brain, simply patted her snake's scales, noticing it looked a bit sharper. But it was Geodude who was truly putting in the absolute overtime. Driven by a fanatical desire to prove his worth to the Big Boss, the rock Pokémon pushed himself to the absolute limit, fighting tooth and nail even when his opponents outleveled him by nearly a full tier. By the time the dust settled from their latest encounter, Geodude had comically leveled up a staggering three times in a single continuous trek.
Odin analyzed the phenomenon through his internal menu. The rapid growth rate was a result of two highly unfair factors. First, Geodude was now a Gold-Potential variant; his evolutionary boundaries had been shattered, meaning his baseline experience absorption rate naturally eclipsed standard bronze and silver peers. Second, Geodude was a Ground-type. Following yesterday's monumental event where Odin's Dugtrio broke through to Platinum-Potential under the literal light of Arceus, Odin had unlocked a permanent Bronze-rank Ground Affinity for his profile. One of the hidden, passive benefits of that specific environmental affinity was a significant multiplier to all Ground-type experience gain. Combined with his Gold-Potential and the fact that he was still under the Level 30 marker, Geodude was bound to grow at a terrifyingly rapid pace.
Eventually, the group arrived at a relatively wide, stable cavern pocket, and Odin raised a hand. "Alright, timeout. My feet are officially on strike. We're taking a break right here."
Without a second invitation, Odin turned around and casually plopped his weight right back down onto Geodude's smooth, rounded head, using it as a highly convenient, personal seat once again. Geodude didn't mind one bit. In fact, it let out a deeply pleased, gravelly chuckle—utterly thrilled to serve as the Big Boss's throne.
Odin unzipped his luxury bag and pulled out a couple of premium Potion sprays, thoroughly misting Geodude's scratched-up stone exterior until his rocky hide gleamed. Then, he opened the main food container, retrieving a handful of those heavenly, gourmet frosted biscuits Angel had baked. Odin couldn't help but smile faintly to himself; even when he was deep inside a dark mountain miles away from her, Angel's careful preparation was still keeping him entirely fed and taken care of. He was seriously dependent on that beautiful ghost girl.
The moment Geodude crunched down on the biscuits, the creature practically went rigid. Its eyes rolled back, and its rocky arms trembled as it experienced a literal, profound foodgasm, completely overwhelmed by the rich flavor profile.
Odin and Lucy both burst into a loud, simultaneous laugh at the comically dramatic reaction. Lucy found a clean, flat rock close to him, letting out a relaxed sigh as she unzipped her own travel pack. She retrieved a modest container of dried snacks and a bottle of mineral water, while Odin uncapped his own fresh bottle. After taking a deep swig, Odin leaning forward and tilted the bottle, generously pouring a steady stream of crisp, clean water straight into Geodude's mouth to help him wash down the rich treats.
Across from them, Lucy watched the display with a soft expression before turning her attention to her own partner. She began hand-feeding her massive Arbok a few specialized, high-grade Poison-type Pokéblocks, pairing it with a small bowl of fresh Oran berry juice. The atmosphere in the dim cave pocket became incredibly warm and comfortable. The group happily chatted, shared old underworld stories, and traded playful banters to pass the time.
Through it all, Geodude did his absolute best to comically copy and mimic his Big Boss. Whenever Odin raised his arms to stretch his broad shoulders, Geodude would instantly raise his heavy rock arms in a perfectly mirrored stretch. Whenever Odin let out a loud, mocking chuckle at one of Lucy's remarks, Geodude would let out an identical, gravelly rumble of laughter. Whenever Odin began recounting a story with dramatic hand gestures, Geodude would wildly wave his rocky fists around, attempting to deliver what it clearly thought was an incredibly witty, hilarious story in Pokémon language.
Of course, neither Odin nor Lucy could understand a single syllable of the language Geodude was speaking. So while Geodude thought he was delivering the absolute peak of stand-up comedy, the reality was that Odin and Lucy weren't laughing at his jokes at all—they were laughing entirely at his ridiculous, adorable mimicry.
Eventually, the laughter subsided, and a comfortable, quiet lull settled over the resting spot. Everyone focused on finishing their food. Bored, Odin took another slow sip of water, his gaze dropping down to the fanatical rock Pokémon sitting right beneath him. The playful, arrogant facade momentarily softened, replaced by a rare flash of blunt honesty as he spoke directly to the creature.
"Yo, bro. Listen up for a second," Odin said, his voice dropping into a low, serious tone. "To be completely honest with you... look. I fancy myself a strict Poison-type specialist. That's my blueprint. Because of that, I don't train, carry, or officially own Rock or Ground types on my main operational roster. It goes against my theme."
Geodude's rocky face fell slightly, its stone eyes dimming with a sudden, anxious dread that it was about to be abandoned.
"But," Odin immediately cut in, a lazy, dominant smirk returning to his face as he tapped the creature's head. "You're a total badass, and you're a real bro. So, maybe we can negotiate a deal. I won't take you in as part of my main competitive battle team. Instead, consider yourself officially hired for specific, elite household luxury jobs. In other words... you're going to be my family's personal servant, our prime estate bodyguard, a butler, and my hired heavy muscle back at the new house. You'll watch over Angel, protect the property, and make sure the slums stay far away from us. If you're cool with that kind of setup, I'll happily bring you out of this cave with me. So, what do you say?"
Geodude didn't even hesitate for a single microsecond. The concept of being a luxury house butler or a family servant meant absolutely nothing to its simple brain—the only thing that mattered was that he got to stay with his Big Boss. It violently nodded its head, letting out a series of ecstatic, thunderous rumbles, its loyalty completely sealed.
Sitting just a few feet away, Lucy watched the entire interaction while gently caressing her Arbok's scales. A warm, genuinely tender smile spread across her face as she looked at Odin's profile. She saw right through him. She knew exactly what lay behind his absurd, degrading demand for Geodude to be a 'servant.'
This big, ridiculous tsundere baby, Lucy thought to herself, her heart melting slightly at the contrast. He literally grew so attached to this goofy rock over the last hour, and he can't bear the thought of leaving him behind. But because he's so obsessed with his 'Poison Master' pride, he had to invent a completely convoluted excuse about house servants just so he wouldn't have to admit he cares. He's unbelievable.
Yet, she understood him completely. This Geodude, despite being just as loud and annoying as Odin himself, was an absolute joy to be around. It was never boring with the two of them in sync, and watching the little rock try so desperately to imitate Odin's every move was undeniably cute.
As the resting period drew to a close, the group felt thoroughly refreshed, their energy levels completely restored. Odin stood up, stretching his long legs, while Lucy began packing away her empty water bottles, preparing to resume the hunt for her Kanto royalty.
But right as Odin reached for his bag, a massive, flashing crimson warning box violently slammed into his subconscious vision, completely overriding his minimized interface.
[DING! HIGH-PRIORITY TARGET DETECTED WITHIN MAXIMUM RADAR BOUNDARY.][Target 1: Nidoking — Level 52. Potential: GOLD-POTENTIAL. Distance: 997.4 Meters.][Target 2: Nidoqueen — Level 51. Potential: GOLD-POTENTIAL. Distance: 999.1 Meters.]
Odin's pupils instantly dilated. Level 52 and 51? Gold-Potential fully evolved Nido monarchs? That was a tier of power that shouldn't even be roaming the wild zones of Mt. Moon!
But before Odin even had a fraction of a second to open his mouth and notify Lucy of the staggering reading—
BOOM!!!
A violent, catastrophic tremor ripped through the subterranean foundations of the mountain. The entire cavern section they were standing in violently violently shook, sending a shower of loose pebbles and dust raining down from the ceiling. It felt as if a massive, high-magnitude earthquake had just centered directly beneath their boots. Farther down the deeper shafts, the terrifying screeching and panicked roars of hundreds of wild Zubat, Paras, and Geodude echoed through the dark as the local wildlife fled in a blind, frantic panic.
The heavy, structural shaking didn't stop. Every couple of seconds, another massive, rhythmic THUD rattled the stone floor, followed by the distant, muffled sound of explosive impacts and shattering rock—indicating a high-tier, apocalyptic battle was actively raging deeper in the core.
Odin and Lucy whipped their heads around, locking eyes at the exact same instant.
"Trouble!" they both barked out in perfect, synchronized unison, their voices echoing off the vibrating walls.
Odin didn't waste a heartbeat. He gripped his high-tech flashlight tighter, his face hardening into a serious, sharp expression. "Listen to me carefully. There is a Nidoking and a Nidoqueen locked in a massive brawl exactly one kilometer down this main shaft. Their levels are sitting at 51 and 52, and both of them are flashing true Gold-Potential. They are tearing the lower floor apart."
Lucy froze, her jaw dropping as she stared at him in utter, absolute astonishment. Her mind scrambled to process the sheer specificity of his statement. "What?! A Nidoking and Nidoqueen?! Odin, how the hell do you know their exact levels, their potentials, and their precise distance through solid rock?! Are you insane?!"
She stared at him with an intensely suspicious, highly analytical gaze, trying to figure out what kind of terrifying sensory ability or classified tech this 18-year-old upstart was hiding under his uniform. "Are you even sure you're right?! If those levels are real, that's a literal death zone for us!"
Odin completely ignored her frantic questions, shrugging off her suspicious gaze with a casual, arrogant toss of his long black hair. He didn't have time to explain his System to a receptionist. He slapped his Pokégear shut and adjusted his utility belt, a dominant, thrilling grin spreading across his lips.
"Get your boots moving and get Arbok ready, Lucy!" Odin commanded, his voice dropping into a sharp, non-negotiable tone as he sprinted toward the downward tunnel. "We are heading exactly toward that epicenter! Right now!"
"We are going WHERE?!" Lucy shrieked at the top of her lungs, her fiery aura exploding into pure panic as her wobbly legs forced her to sprint just to keep up with his sudden dash. "Ex-fucking-cuse me?! Hello?! Did your brain get fucking scrambled by a rock?! Those are Level 52 fully evolved monarchs! We are going to get slaughtered!.. like fucking tepigs!"
Behind them, Geodude let out a fierce, loyal battle cry, his rocky fists pumping in the air as he rolled at high speeds right behind his Big Boss, ready to charge straight into hell itself.