We spent the rest of the day on intensive movement training. While playing tag, Houndoom was straight-up bullying Wartortle in particular. He found it incredibly hilarious to chase the desperate turtle, to the point where I eventually had to introduce a strict rule—he could only catch Wartortle every other turn. Still, everyone worked hard, and overall, we enjoyed this unconventional training.
Later on, Bran joined us with his Poliwhirl and Geodude. He decided to keep his Zubat locked in its Poké Ball until Cerulean City, where he wanted to train it in a controlled environment.
After tag, we smoothly transitioned to shuttle runs—fifteen-meter stretches, back and forth, over and over. Sharp acceleration, hard braking while touching the ground, an instant turn, and another explosive sprint forward. Houndoom, Machoke, and Wartortle were highly competitive with each other, trying to squeeze the absolute maximum out of themselves. I won't lie, I couldn't help but smile. It seemed to me that even Wartortle was genuinely having fun, even though his body build put him at a massive disadvantage from the very start. But I was one hundred percent sure that once he evolved into Blastoise, his agility would make him absolutely terrifying.
We had short breaks between sets. Every time, I tried to use them to meditate, attempting to master that spiritual auric energy, but unfortunately, it was a failure yet again. During these breaks, everyone did whatever they wanted. Most just chilled in the grass, while Houndoom kept running off into the forest, jumping on massive tree branches, and enjoying his new size and strength to the fullest.
Just like right now. I opened my eyes from another failed meditation, and Houndoom was nowhere to be seen. The others were sitting around me, while Bran lay half-dead on the ground next to his Geodude. Both of them had terrible cardio, so the nearly all-day agility drill had really taken a toll on them. However, since they were just as competitive as we were, they didn't quit early.
Suddenly, a triumphant howl echoed from the deep forest. I just waited in amusement, wondering how big of a branch Houndoom would bring me this time. It didn't take long for the dog to burst out of the undergrowth like black lightning. But instead of wood, he had some strange, cream-colored eggs clamped in his jaws. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing right, but seriously—it was six eggs, somehow mysteriously joined together. The closer he got, the more certain I was that I could see angry and frightened faces with mouths on them.
When he ran all the way up to me, he dropped his find right in front of me, excitedly wagging his tail from side to side.
"Houndoom!" he announced happily, puffing up his chest proudly. "Hound, Houndoom!"
"Thank you, Houndoom. It's sweet of you to bring me a gift like this," I smiled, though my eyes were fixed on the Psychic-type Pokémon, Exeggcute. I wasn't the only one. My entire team stared at the eggs as if hypnotized. While Machoke looked completely indifferent, Wartortle was already starting to lick his lips greedily.
"Exeg, Exeggcute, Exe!" the Pokémon cried out in fear, unable to withstand the pressure of Wartortle's hungry gaze.
Zero compatibility. I didn't understand a single word, so with a sigh, I had to turn to my dog. "What did he actually say?"
"Hound, Houndoom, Hound!" he replied with amusement, his eyes glowing red. Then, as if it were nothing, he coldly whipped his tail right into the eggs on the ground.
"Exe, Exe!" the cluster of eggs pleaded painfully. In response, dark energy immediately began to pool in Houndoom's jaws. It was significantly denser, blacker, and more visible than ever before.
"War, Wartortle!" the turtle chimed in, loudly voicing his clear culinary opinion on the situation.
"Exeeeeg, Exe, Exe!" Exeggcute squealed in a panic right after. Not that I understood a single word, but it was obvious he was reacting directly to Wartortle's hungry growling.
"We have plenty of food, Wartortle, and this guy will definitely be more valuable to us in a Poké Ball than in a frying pan," I smirked at the visibly disappointed turtle. "Don't worry, you'll get a proper meal like always. And if you have such an insane craving for eggs, I'll buy you some in Cerulean City and load you up with as many as you want," I promised him with a smile.
I unclipped an empty Poké Ball from my belt—one I kept for exactly these kinds of unexpected situations—and said in a cold voice to the trembling eggs, "If you don't submit right now, my team is going to eat you alive. The choice is yours."
It would be a goddamn shame to waste a hundred-dollar Poké Ball for nothing, I thought pragmatically, and without any further delay, I threw the Poké Ball directly at him.
Once it hit the ground, the Poké Ball didn't shake even once. The Psychic-type Pokémon understood exactly what I had just told him. After all, that nearly two-meter-tall dark dog with bared fangs must have scared him out of his wits. Honestly, even I would be genuinely worried about that dense amount of dark energy still dangerously crackling around Houndoom's jaw.
The red light went out, and a click signaled a successful capture.
"Are you going to keep him?" Bran asked curiously, having struggled to sit up in the meantime.
"No, I barely understood a thing he said, and honestly, this Pokémon doesn't interest me in the slightest," I shook my head in disagreement and picked up the Poké Ball. "Plus, my whole team would probably drool over him before he even got a chance to evolve. I'd rather sell him to P.E.X. in the city. Money always comes in handy on the road."
"Hmm, that's true," Bran nodded in agreement. "I'll probably have to start catching Pokémon for P.E.X. with Poliwhirl too, but so far we haven't met anything rarer than a Rattata or a Sentret on the road. Damn, maybe I should get myself a Houndour so he can bring me luxury gifts like this from the forest," he added with a smirk.
"Highly recommended," I nodded instantly, beginning to scratch my massive dog behind his ears appreciatively. "Houndoom is a truly great Pokémon. And if you ever trained one yourself, we wouldn't have to go anywhere on foot anymore," I smirked at him.
"You know, I'm actually thinking about getting a bike," Bran smiled slightly. "I'll look around for one as soon as we're in Cerulean City. If you're going to ride Houndoom later on, I'll have to keep up with you somehow."
"Good idea. But aren't bikes really expensive?" I remarked doubtfully.
"New models definitely are, but if I budget a bit, or maybe buy a secondhand older one..." Bran shrugged indifferently. "We'll see what they have once we're in the city."
"Hmm, true," I agreed with a nod. "So, do we keep training?"
"Patrik, it's already getting dark," he replied tiredly, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I am absolutely done for today. I want to rest so I can actually breathe tomorrow on the road to Cerulean."
I turned to his Pokémon. "Poliwhirl, Geodude? Want to join us for a bit longer?"
Poliwhirl tensed up combatively right away, striking a sharp pose, ready for any challenge. Geodude, on the other hand, instantly moved right behind Bran and pressed his stone hands close to his body, making sure not even a sliver of him peeked out from behind his back.
It genuinely made me laugh. That Geodude really suited Bran perfectly.
"Alright then, to wrap things up, we're doing one more round of tag!" I announced to the remaining competitors, wild, determined sparks instantly igniting in their eyes. "Ready?"
Right after those words, they all experiencedly scattered in every direction of the clearing.
"I'm it!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, dashing away from where Bran was sitting.
To make it a real challenge, I went straight for the agile Machoke. For a while, he slipped away from me with a smirk, right along the edge of the play area, but I quickly put my tactical thinking to use. I strategically cornered him into the very edge of the clearing. When he had absolutely no space left to dodge, I slapped his muscular shoulder and smirked triumphantly, "Tag, you're it!"
"Machoke!" he cried out in surprise, but instantly reversed his direction and dashed with wild determination toward the pack of others running away.
And so, our game continued in the dimming light of the forest.
After the training, completely physically wrecked, we all finally settled down around the crackling fire. I had to admit to myself that this peaceful evening, surrounded by my team, was probably the only real family I had ever truly known. It made me cherish those moments all the more.
My team waited patiently for me to prepare dinner. I scooped a little more than usual into their bowls. Intense cardio consumed far more energy than static auric training, after all, and besides, every single one of them had earned it today. Houndoom especially.
Little Aron woke up exactly as I was handing out the bowls full of food to the others.
"Aro, Aro, Aron!" he blurted out at me, his eyes still half-shut, his tiny body pressed tightly against Machoke's massive leg.
"Of course you're hungry," I smiled slightly, and with a feigned heavy sigh, I handed him the rest of the steel sword.
Once again, the loud cracking and grinding of metal echoed through the forest. Fortunately, this time it didn't make that awful, screeching sound like fingernails scratching a blackboard, so it was relatively easy to tolerate.
"How long has Aron been with you, Machoke?" I asked after a moment, watching the odd duo curiously.
"Mach, Machoke," the fighting-type Pokémon replied as soon as he swallowed a large chunk of meat.
"Hmm," I hummed thoughtfully.
Aron had been with him ever since his birth. I didn't want to dig into details and open up old wounds during such a relaxed evening, especially when we were all content, full, and pleasantly exhausted after a long day. I just nodded understandingly, though I was incredibly curious about how such an unconventional duo—or trio, including Geodude—had ever come together in Mt. Moon in the first place.
Once we finished eating, I quickly washed the bowls and pans with the help of Wartortle and his controlled stream of water. Then, I pulled the Pokédex out of my pocket. I was incredibly curious about Aron. While he wasn't a pseudo-legendary Pokémon like Larvitar, he was definitely one of the rarer species and couldn't be compared to a common Geodude in the slightest.
Without any further hesitation, I aimed the device at the little steel monster, pressed scan, and listened to the robotic, mechanical voice of the device.
ARON – The Iron Armor Pokémon
Type: Steel / Rock
Average Height: 0.4 m
Average Weight: 60 kg
Aron is a small, quadrupedal Pokémon with a massive, round head. Its body is covered in a hard armor of steel plates protecting its head, back, and legs. There are several openings in the armor, including those through which its light-blue eyes shine. A single blunt spike grows on its back.
Aron feeds on iron ore, which it digs up in mountainous regions. It uses minerals from the consumed ore to strengthen and repair its steel armor. When hungry, it sometimes descends from the mountains to eat iron structures, train tracks, or bridges, making it an unwelcome visitor near human settlements.
After evolving, it sheds its old armor to grow a new, stronger one. Its old armor is of such high quality that humans have collected it since ancient times to manufacture iron objects. With a full head of steam, Aron can generate immense power, capable of destroying even a large cargo vehicle with a single impact.
It mostly lives in mountainous regions, where it spends the majority of its time searching for iron ore. Under certain circumstances, it has also been observed consuming rare iron delicacies.
Scanned Subject Stats:
Height: 0.45 m
Estimated Weight: 67 kg
Auric Energy Level: 14/100
At that moment, a cold sweat broke out over me. Until the very last second, I had secretly hoped that Aron could also feed on ordinary stone or dirt. But the Pokédex spoke clearly—pure iron and iron ore. And since he had just devoured my sword without batting an eye, he obviously wouldn't turn up his nose at processed steel, which was probably even better for the density of his armor.
Fuck, I need to start making serious money, flashed through my worried mind. The sword was from Argus and had cost me relatively little, so... feeding him might not end up being completely ruinous. But if I let him out of my sight in the city and he eats something fucking expensive, I'll fucking lose it on the spot.
I turned to my three oldest Pokémon. "Houndoom, Wartortle, Machoke..." I addressed them in a serious voice. "From this moment on, all of you keep a permanent eye on Aron. For God's sake, make sure he doesn't eat something he shouldn't. Especially when we're in the city."
"Haunter!" a cry suddenly rang out right behind my back.
My heart hammered wildly for a split second, but in reality, Haunter didn't scare me all that much. Probably because my mind was far too occupied with the catastrophic image of Aron happily munching on some telecommunications pole in the middle of a town square that I'd be paying off for the rest of my life.
"That goes for you too, Haunter. Keep your eyes peeled and make sure Aron stays in your sights," I commanded him.
The Ghost-type nodded combatively, but immediately after, he stuck out his long purple tongue at me with amusement.
"Poliwhirl and I will help watch him too, Patrik, don't worry," Bran promised with an amused smile.
"Thank you," I nodded gratefully and fixed my eyes on my team once more. "Seriously, guys. If he eats an iron pole or a street light, we'll go bankrupt and won't even have money for basic grub."
"Hound!" "Machoke!" "Wartortle!"
All three of them instantly, almost in unison and with massive dedication, promised that they wouldn't take their eyes off the little steel beast. All it took was mentioning we wouldn't have anything to eat, and suddenly they're an elite security squad, I thought with an amused smirk.
"Are we leaving in the morning then?" Bran asked, and upon seeing my firm nod, he continued curiously, "How long do you think it'll take us to reach the gates?"
"If we set a fast pace, I think we'll be in the city by evening," I replied after a moment of consideration, glancing up at the night sky. "We can throw in a light jog here and there along the way to get there as soon as possible."
"Alright then," Bran agreed, letting out a massive, infectious yawn right after. "I'm going to sleep. Good night."
"Night," I replied, suppressing a yawn of my own.
"I'm heading to sleep too," I announced to the team as I began to push myself up from the dying fire with a loud sigh. "Good night."
"Wartortle!" "Macho!"
They wished me a good night in unison. Machoke slumped onto his blanket with a heavy thud, little Aron immediately curling up by his leg, while Wartortle walked over to Poliwhirl for some nighttime chilling.
As usual, Haunter followed me into the tent, along with Houndoom, who wagged his tail enthusiastically behind me.
My little puppy is suddenly a nearly two-meter-tall horse, I thought with amusement as I collapsed tiredly onto my sleeping bag. Fortunately, I had been forward-thinking enough back then to buy a tent and sleeping bag sized for two people. Instead of any sexy company, however, I currently had a loyal, giant dog glued right next to me, radiating pleasant warmth.
Haunter hovered amusedly above us near the top of the tent, watching us with a smirk for a while. After a brief silence, he asked curiously, "Haunt, Haunt, Haunter?"
I wanted to answer him right away, but at that exact moment, another wave of exhaustion washed over me, and I just let out an infectious yawn. But my ghost waited patiently for me to get a coherent word out.
"I didn't manage to connect with that auric energy at all today," I admitted to him honestly. "I guess it won't be as simple as I thought, so I'm giving up on it for tonight. What about you? What were you actually training in the forest all day?"
"Haunter, Haunt, Haunter, Haunt," he gestured in front of my nose with his long claws.
"Hypnosis and Hex? Did you make any significant progress?" I asked with interest.
"Haunter!" he answered rather vaguely, shrugging his imaginary shoulders in a secretive manner.
"Obviously, we just need to give it all some time," I nodded understandingly. "Good night for now. Keep watch over us tonight, please, just in case."
"Haunter," he nodded in agreement, adding with a cheeky smirk, "Haunter, Haunt!"
"Thank you, but I'd rather those forest bugs bit you tonight, not me," I replied with a grin, rolling onto my side and finally closing my heavy eyes.
***
Author's note:
Houndoom is such a big sweetheart, but also a massive bully—poor Wartortle... who, of course, would have loved nothing more than to eat Houndoom's gift. I'm just the author, but they're really starting to grow on me. That cozy evening vibe with the team by the campfire after a brutal workout must feel amazing.
Anyway, our MC would absolutely lose his shit if Aron ended up eating something expensive in the city...
What do you guys think? Will the team manage to keep an eye on him, or is our MC going to be paying off some expensive damage for the rest of his life? :D
***
Step into the Restricted Section
The shadows are shifting, and the story goes much deeper... If you can't wait for the next update, Advanced Chapters are already waiting for you.
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Upcoming Chapters – Already Written(15):
35. The Road to Cerulean
36. Boiled Lobsters and Double Beds
37. Cerulean After Hours
38. Shadows, Sparks, and the Bro Code – 18+
39. The Cost of Power
40. Of Iron and Fists
41. No Mercy
42. The Girl in the Pink Cap
43. The Price of Arrogance
44. Of Bro Codes and Psychic Radars
45. Where the Forest Meets the Sea
46. Sun, Sand, and Cerulean Waves
47. Not on the Menu
48. Blood in the Water
49. Beneath the Surface
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