——
After lunch.
Baimu left the Dreepy siblings, their bellies as round as tennis balls, in the care of Blissey, and brought Aggron and Hydreigon up the mountain.
The latter insisted on following, and unable to refuse, Baimu agreed.
The group, along with their Pokémon, walked along the rugged stone steps.
"I haven't been here for a long time."
Leading the group, Mr. Da Wu looked nostalgic; during his time as Champion, he had responsibilities, so he rarely returned. And when he wasn't Champion, he was busy traveling the world collecting stones, so he didn't come back either.
As familiar scenes unfolded before his eyes, buried memories became clearer, and images of playful times with Aggron and Skarmory emerged.
The fatigue accumulated from months of traveling quickly dissipated.
Can you really find something by looking for it forcefully?
It's best to keep a calm mind.
Da Wu calmed himself, no longer thinking about his failure to gather the desired information from the Cosmic Center. He felt that this trip to the back mountain was not in vain at all.
In front of him, Aron hopped up the steps with ease, much like a rabbit.
Baimu thought it was more and more adorable.
"Look, you used to walk just like that when you were little." He turned to Aggron and smiled.
"Guh oh..."
Aggron didn't know how to respond to this teasing.
It couldn't remember the sound it used to make when walking, though now it's quite clear, a solid thud-thud-thud.
Luckily, it didn't need to reply, as Hydreigon, filled with eagerness, kept asking its Trainer what sound it made as a child.
"You silly thing, you haven't even grown up! Just getting taller doesn't count!" Baimu pinched Hydreigon's cheek, gently rocking its head back and forth.
"Sah sah..."
"Hahaha, you and your Hydreigon still have such a great relationship." Da Wu laughed kindly from the side, recalling his own Armaldo.
This creature was just as clingy, always getting jealous whenever he hugged Cradily, tugging at his clothes.
On further thought, it seems every Trainer's team has a coquettish Pokémon.
They reached the mountainside.
Da Wu and Aron took a turn instead of continuing upwards.
After passing through a dense thicket, a clear mountain spring emerged before them.
"Guh oh~"
The frightening features of Aggron showed delight; although it was a Weak Water Attribute Pokémon, discovering these flowing springs on a high mountain always filled its heart with joy.
Mountains! Waterfalls! Dense forests!
—The paradise of Aggron~!
Without waiting for Baimu to speak, it headed towards the spring, only to be surprised when an Aggron, nearly as large as itself, emerged from the corner of a massive rock.
"Guh oh!"
Their voice was slightly sharper than its own, and horns grew much longer, indicating that the newcomer was much older.
Of course.
In terms of thickness, Aggron certainly wouldn't lose to it.
The two metal dinosaurs stared off at each other, the instinct to fight for territory surged through their minds, each preparing to charge at the other for a collision—
"Aggron!"
"Big Monster!"
The momentum between them was interrupted by the two voices.
The other Aggron turned its head, spotting its own Trainer and the younger Aron standing not far away, alongside a dark-haired human boy and his imposing dark Pokémon.
"...Guh oh?"
It tilted its head, looking at the Big Monster in front of it.
They weren't here to steal territory?
"Guh oh."
Aggron came back to its senses from instinct, returning to its usual gentle demeanor, but its gaze drifted past its counterpart, spotting another of its kind behind the giant rock.
Slightly smaller in size, but with horns as long as the one in front of it.
It wasn't hard to figure out that these two were the true owners of the mountain, as told by its Trainer, living here together.
Good mountains, good water, good forest, plus companions...
Meh.
Not that interesting.
This place isn't even as big as its own mountains.
"Guh oh." Aggron suddenly felt like going back, wanting to see its territory, and the hard-working little Steelix underling... wait, sister.
It slowly walked back to its Trainer.
"What's wrong?"
Baimu, perceiving its downcast mood, thought Aggron was upset over losing the horn length comparison, and reassured, "It's okay, in a few years, you'll be much stronger than it is! Today, we're here to learn management techniques! Learn their strengths to gain leverage!"
Those words came with fearless confidence.
While Da Wu is indeed powerful, Aggron wasn't his ace; how was it surprising that his Big Monster could surpass Da Wu's Aggron?
If a battle happens, why not take on Metagross? If Pikachu can do it, then so can my Big Monster!
"Guh oh~"
Aggron only understood half of it and had no idea what was running through its Trainer's mind, but it did feel comforted, its spirits quickly lifted again.
On the other side.
After patting the two Aggron, Da Wu made his request clear.
Hearing this, the two nodded in agreement; as long as they weren't here to steal territory, that was fine. Sharing a mountain between two Aggron was cramped enough; adding another would mean crowding four Aggron together — what could they do then?
Play mahjong?
"Baimu, I've already arranged it with them." Da Wu turned around and said.
"Much appreciated, Mr. Da Wu!"
Baimu patted the Big Monster's arm, signaling it to go ahead, quickly expressing his thanks.
"It's no big deal, just a small favor."
Da Wu beamed, once considering Baimu as a promising junior, needing guidance and attention. But after engaging each other with various gems, meteorites, and fossils, exchanging gifts, he had already regarded Baimu as half a friend.
An ever-developing one.
Hearing this, Baimu responded without further courtesy, silently encouraging Aggron.
While managing mountain terrain might benefit more from human scientific management experience, Aggron was alas illiterate, unable to grasp even basic terms. What could it possibly learn?
Learning from Da Wu's Aggron would be better... and picking up a few moves on the side, isn't Imitation Vanilla good enough?
But that last part is certainly not the main goal.
Having settled the issues with the Aggron group.
The two resumed their ascent, engaging in casual conversation.
During this, they referred to the last Meteor Falls event and Rocket Team, with Da Wu expressing regret over failing to help capture those lurking Rocket Team members.
"However, I must thank you instead. Without you acting as a mediator, I'd likely still be hesitating in place." Da Wu suddenly switched topics.
Baimu didn't quite follow.
Da Wu elaborated, "You probably heard from Laisa, De Wen Company wants to create a form of clean energy using the Puzzle Key Stone and Super Stone. After looking through some records and inquiring with the Meteor People, I found that the Hoenn Region conceals a Legendary Giant Stone, said to be the source of Super Evolution."
Whoa?
The main storyline from XY?
He swallowed discreetly, "Legendary... Giant Stone?"
"That's right. According to ancient epics, thousands of years ago, Kyogre and Groudon wreaked havoc in the Hoenn Region. The Meteor People stood upon the Legendary Giant Stone and called upon Rayquaza to undergo Super Evolution, stopping the two rampaging Super Ancient Pokémon."
Da Wu paused, shaking his head, "Regrettably, after that event, the Legendary Giant Stone vanished without a trace. The current elder of the Meteor People says that their ancestors' records mentioned the stone's sudden disappearance, making it impossible to find."
A sudden disappearance is possible; it's happened in the animation, but impossible to find...
Baimu recalled how Da Wu and Ailan eventually discovered the Legendary Giant Stone in a ruin, thinking there's a decent chance the elder rather hid the information, or another group obtained the Legendary Giant Stone and sealed it away in a constructed ruin.
"I returned to Mossdeep City this time intending to leverage satellite power to assist in the search, but unfortunately, to no avail." Da Wu shrugged helplessly.