"Protect!" Liu Qing shouted immediately.
Boom! Although Protect blocked Iron Tail, the tremendous force still knocked Togetic straight to the ground. Togetic had successfully withstood the attack, however, and as Steelix drew back its tail, another Aura Sphere struck its forehead and exploded. This time, the blast bent Steelix's entire body backward. It was clearly working. Delighted, Liu Qing seized the opportunity and ordered Togetic to fire another Aura Sphere. When it struck Steelix, a loud boom rang out, and its enormous body crashed to the ground, unconscious.
"Well done, Togetic!" Liu Qing caught Togetic as it flew down and cradled it in his arms, praising it. Togetic responded with several happy cries.
"Big brother, hurry and catch Steelix while it's knocked out," Liu Yuan urged.
"No. Let's go!" Liu Qing shook his head, recalled Togetic and Volcarona, and headed toward the exit of the valley.
"Aw, big brother, that Steelix is really strong. Don't you want it?" Liu Yuan caught up and asked in confusion.
"I already have six Pokémon. Even if I caught another, it would be sent back home, so I always think carefully before catching a Pokémon. If I won't have a chance to keep it with me, I generally won't catch it." Liu Qing looked at Liu Yuan. "You only have five right now, though. If you like it, you can go catch it."
"No." Liu Yuan shook his head. "You're the one who defeated Steelix. Even if I caught it, it probably wouldn't accept me, so I'm not going to make trouble for myself! If I want to catch a Pokémon, I'll defeat it myself."
"Hehe, in that case, let's go." Liu Qing smiled and continued walking.
Just as the Navigator had indicated, the route from Steel Valley to Mauville City was the shortest.