A Pokémon emerged from behind the crate. It had a round body, four short, sturdy legs, and a large, round head. Its body was dark gray, and its eyes were pale blue. Parts of its head, legs, and back were covered in steel armor, with a horn on its back as well. Holes dotted its armor, including six on its head, three on either side. The two largest were its eyes.
"Is... is that an Aron?!" Cheng Tian exclaimed in surprise.
Aron usually lived deep in the mountains. To build a body of steel that protected them, they dug up iron ore from the mountains and ate it. Occasionally, however, they appeared at the foot of a mountain to eat bridges, railway tracks, or vehicles, making them quite a headache.
Although this was a mine, it hardly counted as being deep in the mountains. By all rights, this Pokémon should not have been here.
"Move over this way. You're blocking his path." Uncle Ma tugged Cheng Tian by the arm, clearing the way for Aron.
"Aron!" Aron cried gratefully, then continued pushing the crate of water forward.
"Machamp!" Seeing Aron approach, Machamp hurriedly stood up and picked up the crate. He headed toward the other Machamp with Aron in tow.
Once the crate was set down, all the Machamp reached inside for water and began drinking, thanking Aron as they did.
"This little one brings them water to quench their thirst every time the Machamp come up," Uncle Ma explained. Meanwhile, Aron's stats automatically appeared in Cheng Tian's mind:
Pokémon: Aron Gender: Male Nature: Adamant Ability: Heavy Metal Level: 11 Egg Moves: Endeavor (lv2), Dragon Rush (lv1), Head Smash (lv3), Body Slam (lv3), Stealth Rock (lv1) Known moves: Tackle (lv2), Harden (lv4), Metal Claw (lv3), Rock Tomb (lv2), Roar (lv1) Tutored moves: None
Holy crap, an Aron with his Hidden Ability!? Cheng Tian's eyes went wide. This Aron's Ability was his Hidden Ability, Heavy Metal. Pokémon with this Ability weighed twice as much as normal!
Looking at Aron's Egg Moves, Cheng Tian was certain he had some Dragon-type ancestry. Otherwise, he could not have inherited Dragon Rush. Why was an Aron with such exceptional potential here?
"Aron." Aron pushed two bottles of water over to Uncle Ma and Cheng Tian. Uncle Ma picked them up and handed one to Cheng Tian with a smile. "This little one brought this for you."
Coming back to his senses, Cheng Tian accepted the bottled water, crouched down, and stroked Aron's metal head. "Thank you, Aron."
He unscrewed the cap and took a sip. Curious, Cheng Tian asked, "Uncle Ma, why is there an Aron here?"
At his question, Uncle Ma paused, then sank into his memories. "I remember it was early one morning. This little one suddenly appeared in the mine, badly injured."
That morning, Uncle Ma had arrived at the mine early as usual to inspect the facilities and check for safety hazards. That was his job. Heavy rain had fallen the previous night, potentially creating plenty of hazards around the mine, so he was especially thorough with his inspection.
But when he reached the Machamp's resting area, he found that they were all awake. They had formed a circle, packed three rows deep, as though they were looking at something.
"What's wrong?" Uncle Ma approached in puzzlement, only to find an Aron lying on the ground in the middle of the Machamp. Their leader tried to approach, but Aron let out a threatening cry.
"Why is there an Aron here?" Machamp shook his head, indicating that he did not know. It had rained the night before, and the Machamp had found somewhere to shelter and fallen asleep. When they woke the next day after the rain stopped, they found this little creature lying on the ground.
Aron lay there, severely injured. Even the armor on his face was damaged, and his sturdy limbs were covered in bloody wounds. Despite that, he kept roaring angrily, refusing to let anyone approach.
Uncle Ma acted decisively. He walked over and crouched down, ignoring Aron's roars as he took out a bottle of emergency Potion. "Hold still. I'll treat your injuries."
Aron continued struggling at first. Left with no choice, Uncle Ma had to restrain him with Machamp's help before he could apply the medicine.
Once Aron realized that they were helping treat him, his roars gradually subsided, and he calmed down.
After giving his wounds some temporary treatment, Uncle Ma was still worried and wanted to take him to a Pokémon Center. But he had no Poké Ball on him, so he could only carry Aron himself.
Uncle Ma reached out to pick Aron up, but even straining with all his strength, he found that he could not lift him at all. "Damn, this little guy's pretty heavy."
There was nothing else for it. "Machamp, sorry for the trouble, but could you carry this little guy? Come with me to the Pokémon Center so we can get him treated. The rest of you stay here and follow your instructions."
Machamp nodded and reached out to pick Aron up. After trying, however, he discovered that lifting him effortlessly was no easy task. Only after exerting some strength did he manage to lift Aron.
He could lift a boulder the size of a small mountain with one hand, yet without putting some strength into it, he could not even pick up this little fellow.
Just how heavy was he?
Straining all four arms, Machamp finally managed to hold Aron. He got into the vehicle with Uncle Ma, and they headed for the Pokémon Center.
On the way, Uncle Ma explained the situation to his shift and asked for leave. "Aron..." Lying in Machamp's arms, Aron looked at him and Uncle Ma, the wariness in his eyes gradually fading.
Only after Aron had been taken in for treatment at the Pokémon Center did Uncle Ma breathe a sigh of relief. He patted Machamp's shoulder gratefully. "Thanks for your hard work." "Machamp." Machamp shook his head to say it was nothing.
After about an hour, Aron was brought back out. "Doctor, is he all better?" Uncle Ma asked.
The doctor nodded. "I've repaired the broken sections of Aron's steel armor with a Metal Coat, and his external injuries have been treated as well. However..." The doctor's tone shifted.
"This isn't your Pokémon, is he?"
Uncle Ma looked at the doctor in surprise. "How did you know he isn't my Pokémon?" The doctor smiled faintly. "Aron are quite rare in cities. These Pokémon generally live deep in the mountains with their parents, under their protection and care."
"Sir, you don't look like a Trainer. Could you tell me how you encountered this little fellow?" the doctor asked in return.
"I'm not a Trainer. I work at the mine. There was a torrential downpour all last night, and this little guy suddenly appeared at the mine with these serious injuries, so I brought him here for treatment," Uncle Ma answered honestly.
"Hmm... based on my observations, this little fellow's parents were most likely killed," the doctor said. "Aron have their own territories in the wild. When two pair up and have a child, their territories merge. Since this little fellow fled to the mine overnight with such serious injuries, it's very possible that his parents were killed by Pokémon trying to seize their territory. He was probably pursued as well, which is why he fled here."
"Aron..." Hearing this, Aron lowered his head dejectedly. This person was right. He and his parents had originally lived in the wild. His father had been incredibly powerful, sheltering him and his mother. But yesterday, his father had suddenly been surrounded by enemies and met his end. To buy time, his mother had gone to face them alone. He had fled through the night before finally reaching this place...
At the thought, large tears welled in his eyes. Seeing his reaction, the doctor sighed helplessly. It seemed the guess had been close to the truth.
"Aron's physical injuries have been healed. As for the wounds in his heart... he'll have to heal those himself."
Uncle Ma nodded silently. "I understand. Doctor, sorry for the trouble." He then had Machamp carry Aron, and they set off back.
After hearing the story, Cheng Tian's heart grew heavy as well. He did not know what to say.
"Fortunately, with the Machamp's help, Aron eventually managed to come to terms with it a little," Uncle Ma said. "This little fellow really likes these Machamp now. Whenever they finish work, he brings them water. It's like he's the darling of the whole bunch."
"So that's how it is..." Cheng Tian looked at Aron, who was chatting happily with Machamp.
He's another little one with a bitter lot in life...
Today's third update is ready! Please bookmark and comment!
This book has a reader chat group. Everyone is welcome to come chat!
Before you continue