I knew well enough that a standard Pokémart kept some basic Steel-type food in stock, but thanks to old Argus from Pallet Town, I had a much better handle on things. During the long hours spent cleaning his forge and listening closely to his conversations, I discovered that the highest possible quality—and, naturally, the corresponding price—could only be found in specialized shops called Stone & Steel. These shops were located in every major city in the Kanto region. Argus himself regularly paid a hefty premium to have private shipments of materials delivered from there straight to Pallet.
Owned directly by the family of the Hoenn region Champion, this retail chain specialized in selling all kinds of rare minerals, gems, and industrial materials to both individuals and large construction corporations. Of course, you could also find standard evolution stones here, just like in Pokémarts, but their main draw was specially enriched soil, raw iron, processed steel, and Pokémon food. They also sold various technological gadgets and training aids that were originally developed for the Champion's elite team, then patented and distributed worldwide. What exactly they were, I didn't quite know, as I had never personally set foot in this store. This time, however, I had no choice, so with a satisfyingly full stomach, I let the navigation on my Pokédex guide me.
The store itself was honestly huge. It looked as if someone had merged several classic Pokémarts together to create a massive complex. Instead of ordinary glass doors, a gigantic open gate dominated the entrance, drawing customers inside. Even from a distance, I could see several workers in dusty overalls, average citizens, and rougher-looking trainers with Poké Balls tightly clipped to their belts standing around the spacious courtyard.
Right next to some stacked pallets at the edge of the yard stood an older guy wearing a bright, reflective safety helmet. He was accompanied by two bulky Machokes, who wore the exact same helmets on their muscular heads. From a closer distance, I noticed the old man was inspecting some huge, polished stone blocks with professional interest—their texture reminded me of expensive marble more than anything else.
It was none of my business, and honestly, I didn't care much, so I just walked past them quickly. Still, I couldn't help myself—I eyed both Machokes thoroughly and, deep down, noted with unconcealed pride that mine was visibly larger and bulkier at a glance.
With that proud feeling, I crossed the store's threshold.
It didn't look like a normal store inside. The entire space resembled a huge industrial hall, with heavy goods neatly stacked on massive wooden pallets. Finding exactly what I was looking for in this labyrinth of shelves would take me an eternity. So, instead of wandering aimlessly, I decided to look for an employee right away.
It didn't take long before I came across a clerk in overalls near a tall pallet of short steel rebars at the very bottom of one of the shelves. He was bent over, examining something in detail, tucked deep under the shelf without even noticing my presence. I decided to interrupt him without hesitation.
"Hello, could you help me, please?"
The guy literally flinched. Startled, he tried to scramble out from under the shelf, but a dull, hollow thud instantly echoed through the space as he banged his head full-force against the massive iron structure in his rush.
"Fuck!" slipped out of him uncontrollably. He immediately pressed his right palm to the crown of his head, massaging the sore spot, and then turned to me with a highly nervous smile. "Sorry... excuse me, that just slipped out."
"It happens," I remarked with an understanding smirk. "I need to buy some high-quality food and some technical gadgets for my Aron. If possible, of course."
"Technical gadgets..." he muttered, finally taking his hand off his head. "Ah, you mean special trainer gadgets. Follow me."
I nodded and followed him deeper into the trainer section of the store.
"The absolute baseline for any Steel-type owner is the Iron Absorb Sphere, or IAS for short," he began explaining as we stopped in front of a lit display case. "It's a specially modified sphere that can safely carry up to five hundred kilos of pure iron inside its sub-space. Thanks to that, you have your Pokémon's food with you anytime, anywhere, without ruining your back. Then we have special weights for hardcore physical training, heavy-duty work gloves for handling them, a complete armor cleaning and maintenance kit, and a bunch of other accessories. But like I said, you won't get far in the field without an IAS."
"And how much does this IAS actually cost?" I asked with slight apprehension. From the description, it sounded like a seriously expensive toy.
"Twelve thousand Pokédollars, young man," he announced with a professional smile.
I swallowed hard. "You wouldn't happen to have any used, second-hand units, would you?" I asked, trying to save some money.
"No, unfortunately, we don't carry those," the salesman gave me a conspiratorial wink and smiled widely. "We do buy back used IAS units from trainers at great prices, but we don't put them back into circulation in their original state."
From a business perspective, of course, it made perfect sense. Buy back an old gadget cheap, completely refurbish it in the workshop, clean it up, rework the components, and then put it on the shelf as a brand-new item for full price... Corporate bastards.
"Alright, I'll take the IAS," I sighed, nodding reluctantly. "Is there anything else on this list that I actually and urgently need right now?" I asked with a frown. It was a massive chunk of money, after all. Even though I currently had a decent amount in my account, the old, deep-seated orphanage block instantly flared up in my mind—that unpleasant feeling of simply not having enough and needing to save every single penny.
The guy looked me up and down with a long, searching gaze. Finally, he shook his head with an appreciative sigh: "Not really, no. Don't worry about the gloves and the maintenance kit until he's fully evolved. Until then, he can naturally polish his armor against rocks, and he'll shed it as needed as he grows anyway. As for the training weights, Aron doesn't need those yet either. There's plenty of time for that once he evolves into Lairon..."
"Thanks for being honest," I gave him a slightly more relaxed smile. I immediately felt the unnecessary tension leave my shoulders—the fear that he just wanted to rip me off. "And what about the food? Should I get raw iron, or is processed steel better?"
"Absolutely not steel! Steel is a terrible choice for their digestion," the salesman dismissed resolutely and seriously. "The carbon content in steel is much harder for their system to absorb. If an Aron ate a large amount of steel, he'd definitely end up with stomach issues down the line. Even if they like the taste because of its hardness, structurally speaking, avoid steel at all costs."
Instead of the training gear aisles, he led me straight to a large, open service counter in the center of the hall. Several individual stations were set up there, with employees sitting behind computers helping customers.
My salesman sat down comfortably behind an empty monitor, and I stood right next to him. He promptly opened a neat inventory spreadsheet on the screen and turned it partially toward me.
"As you can see, here we have the exact name, the description of the iron mixtures, their purity, and, of course, the price per kilogram," he glanced at me to see if I was keeping up, then immediately continued: "I don't know exactly how you're doing financially, young man, but the rule is simple—the higher the percentage of pure iron in the ore, the better it is for your Steel-type Pokémon. The nutrients are absorbed much more efficiently, his own armor will be significantly harder, more durable, and shinier after regeneration... and ultimately, the Pokémon will just be stronger."
He paused for a brief moment, letting my eyes skim the price list, and added: "We have everything here. From ordinary ninety percent iron scrap for fifty cents a kilo to top-tier, lab-pure iron at 99.99% purity for two hundred dollars a kilogram. Whichever you choose, we can process, portion, and load it into your new IAS right here on the spot within three minutes. So take your time and figure out what makes the most sense for you right now, young man."
I stared at the blinking monitor, deep in thought. I absolutely refused to skimp on food and my team's development... but on the other hand, if something went unexpectedly sideways, I didn't want to end up completely broke in case I urgently needed cash.
"You wouldn't happen to know exactly how much an Aron eats a day, would you?" I thought to ask the salesman while doing the math in my head.
"At this stage, roughly half a kilo to two kilograms of pure iron a day," he answered instantly and without hesitation, making me raise an eyebrow in surprise at his speed.
"I'm a big fan of Steel-types," the guy shrugged with a smile by way of explanation.
"Hmm, in that case, I'll take five hundred kilos of pure iron with 99.9% purity loaded straight into the IAS," I placed my order calmly.
This time he raised his eyebrows—both at once, in fact. Clearly, looking at my appearance, he hadn't expected a kid like me, who had been asking about second-hand units just a moment ago, to casually shell out cash for the full capacity of premium ore. Still, he nodded and quickly tapped the order into the internal system.
"It'll be ready and filled in three minutes, young man," he announced professionally, but immediately followed up with unconcealed curiosity: "If I may ask, how many League badges do you have on your belt already?"
"Just one for now... but I'm getting my second in a week," I replied matter-of-factly.
"Confident," he smiled, amused.
I just shrugged quietly and waited calmly for the order to be completed. Since he still hadn't actively asked for payment and I hated unnecessary delays, I pulled out my Pokédex on my own.
"I'd rather pay for it now while they process it in the back," I suggested. I didn't have a minute to lose. I planned to spend the rest of the day battling other trainers. I needed to toughen up my team and, ideally, make some money—with one badge and my brutally overpowered Haunter, it could be a pretty easy business.
The salesman turned around without a word and slid the payment terminal toward me. With my eyes practically closed, I tapped my Pokédex against the reader. After the quiet but merciless beep of a successful transaction, I immediately swiped away the bank notification on the screen without even looking at the remaining balance. A total of 22,000 Pokédollars for the gadget and half a ton of iron was by far my largest single purchase ever.
It was honestly an ugly, anxious feeling, but deep down I knew the IAS would make logistics incredibly easy, and Aron simply needed proper, clean food to grow. Fortunately, with his consumption rate, this problem was sorted out for the next few months.
With a satisfied smile, the clerk handed me the receipt showing 20 Pokédollars per kilo of iron, plus 12,000 for the IAS... When I saw that final total of 22,000, I preferred to shove the slip straight into my pocket.
I didn't have to wait another minute before a young woman, maybe twenty years old, came out from the back. She had wild red hair braided into two tight pigtails. Her appearance reminded me 100% of Pippi Longstocking. With a wide, energetic smile, she placed a small black sphere on the metal counter in front of us.
"Here you go, Josh. The IAS is ready, filled exactly to order," she announced to the clerk, then gave me a friendly wink and immediately turned to head back to the employee stockroom.
"Thanks," Josh replied, then turned back to me with professional enthusiasm, pointing to the metal device. "As you can see, there's a massive white button recessed right on top of the sphere. It's intentionally a bit tough to press and requires firm pressure—that's a safety measure so the sphere doesn't accidentally spit out iron inside your backpack. On the side, you have a small digital display and two arrow buttons. You use those to simply select the exact weight you want to release for feeding. The minimum is one kilogram, and the maximum per release is fifty kilos. The whole thing is dead simple," he nodded confidently, handing the matte black gadget to me.
I took the sphere carefully, feeling its weight. "And how do I check how much iron is actually left inside?"
"Easy. You hold both arrows down at the same time for about ten seconds, and the display will instantly show you the exact remaining weight in kilos," Josh replied with a smile.
"Thanks for the tip. Have a good day," I said, turning on my heel immediately.
With the black IAS in hand—which, thanks to special tech, weighed barely as much as a single Poké Ball—I left the Stone & Steel shop with quick, long strides. I headed straight north toward the Poké Center with the battlefields. I had no time to waste.
Almost jogged to the Poké Center—the exact place where I had walked Sofia last night. As the guys in the dining hall had mentioned, the battlefields stretched out right behind the building. They were simple rectangular stone fields running the entire width of the grounds, separated only by low stone walls.
On the upper side ran a small stand for curious spectators, while on the opposite side, trainers stood with their Pokémon. I also noticed the local ranger—a guy with a Growlithe sitting loyally at his heel. He was keeping a close eye on the situation, supervising two amateur matches that were currently underway. Two of the battlefields were currently free, but it was clear at first glance that they were strictly for beginners. They were relatively small, bare, and lacked any psychic or electric protective barriers. I was sure that the gigantic Charizard from the dining hall would easily engulf all four fields at once with its fire.
A little further away stood a girl in a cap with her Bulbasaur, but her back was turned to me, so I didn't look at her in detail, though her backside was quite familiar. My attention, however, was caught mainly by a guy in a colorful floral tank top. Next to him, a Hitmonchan was bouncing, throwing one punch combination after another into the air with professional precision. He was light on his toes, and with every single punch, you could clearly hear the sharp swoosh of air accompanied by his rhythmic breathing. I have to admit, I was a bit mesmerized. Especially when, in a split second, he switched stances from orthodox to southpaw and immediately launched another series of punches.
Without waiting around, I immediately called Machoke over, and together we headed closer to them. My partner watched the Fighting-type shadowboxing with unconcealed interest until his trainer noticed us. While Hitmonchan continued his training undisturbed, the guy headed straight for us.
"Hey there! I see your Machoke is pretty interested," he started in a relaxed, friendly tone. "How about a quick battle? How many badges do you have?" he suggested right away with a smile.
I sized him up quickly. He didn't look like a complete pro, though his Pokémon was in good shape. The guy was heavily tanned, a bit shorter than me, and while he clearly had a lower body fat percentage, he didn't have much muscle mass. He just looked athletic—like a surfer who works out a lot but forgets to eat properly, chasing waves all day instead. Still, his easygoing attitude was likeable.
"Sure, why not... But I only have one badge so far," I nodded with a smile.
"Awesome!" he burst out enthusiastically. "Hitmonchan, we've got a match with a Fighting-type!" he yelled toward his Pokémon, then quickly turned back to me with an apologetic grin: "Sorry, it's been a really long time since we faced another Fighting-type, so I got a bit carried away. We don't have to bet anything, since I already have three badges."
"What are you even doing here in Cerulean if you already beat Surge in Vermilion?" I asked curiously as his Pokémon slowly walked over.
"I bought a teleport," he shrugged, as if it were a total trifle. "Cerulean is the perfect vacation spot. There are tons of trainers here, since most people teleport past the first two gyms anyway. The ocean is literally around the corner, the waves are amazing... and the nightlife? Oh man, it's just great."
Meanwhile, Hitmonchan stopped and began exchanging sharp, competitive glares with my Machoke. His trainer and I just shared a conspiratorial smile.
"Since I challenged you, I'll head to the opposite side of the field, cool?" At my nod, he immediately headed to his designated spot with his Pokémon. I turned to mine right away. I didn't plan on losing, and I firmly believed we had a real shot. Although Machoke was a fairly fresh addition to my team, his battle IQ was massive—at least compared to mine. I didn't know if all Fighting-types shared this genetically, but I believed that just like among humans, some Pokémon simply had more talent than others. And this one of mine was in a league of his own.
"Machoke, listen to me," I began, quietly explaining the strategy. "As you saw yourself, in those few seconds, all of his combinations were pure punches. He's extremely fast and agile on his feet, so you have to be incredibly careful. You won't beat him in a boxing match. But look—his legs are quite thin. We're going after them. I want hard low kicks from you. Once you chop his legs down, his mobility will plummet and he'll slow way down."
Machoke listened intently, so I continued: "In case you really can't keep up with him on his feet, we need to immediately switch to the same tactic you used against me in the woods. Do you remember how you caught my kick?" My partner nodded diligently. "Good. You have brutal raw strength, and that's your biggest advantage today. If you can't match his speed, just absorb or block his combination, press into him, and grab him. And as soon as you get a hold of him, slam him into the ground without mercy. Do you understand?"
"Macho!" he bellowed, pumped up, slamming his fist against his chest so hard it sent a dull thud echoing through the area.
Hitmonchan was already standing on the other side of the field, waiting in a textbook boxing stance. His trainer smiled, waiting for my Machoke to step onto the battlefield opposite him.
"Machoke, no mercy. If you catch him... break him," I ordered in a cold, steady voice. "Keep your hands up by your chin, and if he hits you in the stomach, remember to brace your core."
I gave him the final command and sent him forward with a sharp nod. With his chin tucked, shoulders squared, and fists tightly clenched, he marched straight toward his opponent.
Author's note:
Oof, that 22,000 Pokédollar bill... I think my wallet felt that transaction just as much as our protagonist did! Coming from his background, parting with that much cash is a massive hurdle, but hey—nothing is too expensive for Aron's growth, right? He's going to be eating like royalty for the next few months! (By the way, that 99.9% pure iron was only the third most expensive option on the list :) I actually googled it! :D)
But more importantly, we are set up for a classic Fighting-type showdown! Hitmonchan's speed and orthodox-to-southpaw transitions are no joke, but our Machoke has that brutal raw strength and a pretty ruthless game plan.
What do you guys think of the "chop down his legs" strategy? Will it be enough to slow Hitmonchan down, or does the boxer have some tricks up his sleeve?
Who do you think is going to win this match? And more importantly... why does the backside of that one-armed girl in the cap look so familiar? Let me know your predictions in the comments!
Want to read ahead? The next chapter is already out for free on my official website! Grab the direct link on our Discord community: tgdTNZYVKt
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.
Enter the Restricted Section here: you-know-what/PatrikWriter
Upcoming Chapters – Already Written(15):
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
...plus 10 more chapters to binge.
Join the Inner Circle - tgdTNZYVKt (Discord)
(Vote on plot | Dark FF recs | Chat with the Author)
Support the craft and keep the darkness spreading. Your support directly allows me to dedicate more time to crafting this world.