Catching Aron

"Son!" Seeing Cheng Tian safe and sound, his father ran over in delighted surprise. Uncle Ma followed behind him.

Everyone applauded and cheered when they saw that Cheng Tian had successfully rescued the Machamp.

"Son, are you all right? How did you get hurt so badly?" Cheng Tian's father ran over, frowning at the wound on his right shoulder.

"I'm fine, Dad. These are just minor injuries," Cheng Tian reassured him. At the critical instant of the collapse, the Machamp had all used Protect to shield them from the falling debris.

The workers who had arrived had already taken the Machamp away for treatment. A medic came over to examine Cheng Tian's injuries and shook his head. "Your injury is under control for now, but you'd better go to a Pokémon Center for treatment. Otherwise, the wound could get infected."

"All right, understood." Cheng Tian's father nodded.

"Dad, I'm thirsty. Do you have any water?" Cheng Tian asked. He really was thirsty now. After walking through the mine for more than three hours and sweating so much, he felt as though his lips were about to crack.

Uncle Ma handed him a bottle of water. Cheng Tian immediately took it and gulped it down, glug after glug. Only after several generous mouthfuls did he feel alive again.

"With something this serious happening, I need to file a report and deal with the aftermath. I'll be going, then." Uncle Ma was the mine's safety supervisor, so naturally, he bore some responsibility for the accident.

"Ah, Xiao Tian, you worried your dad half to death. Don't do anything this dangerous again, understand?" Cheng Tian hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"Old Cheng, come here a moment. I need you for something!" Uncle Ma, who had already left, suddenly came back and called out.

"Just a moment!" Cheng Tian's father looked at him. "Do you need me to take you back to the car?"

Cheng Tian shook his head. "No, Dad. Since there's something to deal with at the mine, go take care of it. I'll sit here for a while."

"All right. Remember to call me if anything happens." After hearing his answer and reminding him, Cheng Tian's father hurried away.

"Aron..." Aron was naturally delighted to see the Machamp successfully rescued, but when it saw the ghastly wound on Cheng Tian's back, it still felt terribly guilty.

"Froak." Froakie reached out and patted its metal head to comfort it. "Aron, thank you for coming with me," Cheng Tian said with a gentle smile.

Seeing how unhappy Aron looked, Cheng Tian pondered for a long while before slowly speaking.

"Actually, Uncle Ma told me about you." Cheng Tian looked at Aron. "I'm sorry about what happened to you."

"Aron..." Those words immediately brought Aron's parents to mind.

"So, what do you want to do next?" Cheng Tian asked. His question left Aron frozen in place.

What would I do from now on?

I really hadn't thought about that...

Life at the mine was easy, with more ore than it could ever eat. The Pokémon treated it as family, filling it with warmth.

But it couldn't forget its hatred.

"So, you want revenge, don't you?" Cheng Tian said slowly. "Aron." Aron abruptly snapped out of its daze. It couldn't forget its hatred. It had to take revenge!

"But you can't grow strong enough to get revenge here," Cheng Tian continued. "I can tell you're incredibly talented, but if all you do is eat ore here, you'll only waste that talent and remain stuck where you are."

Cheng Tian looked at Aron and said earnestly, "I can help you get stronger. So, would you like to come with me?"

A gleam of longing flashed in Aron's eyes.

Get stronger? Could I really get stronger by following him?

Cheng Tian stroked its head. "Only by getting stronger will you have what it takes to seek revenge. I swear, if you're willing to come with me, I'll do everything I can to make you stronger."

Aron wavered. Cheng Tian treated it well, and when it was in danger, he had risked his own life to save it. Aron didn't believe he would lie to it.

"Xiao Tian, I'm finished here. Let's get going. We'll stop by a Pokémon Center first to treat your injuries!" After finishing his work, Cheng Tian's father walked over and called to him.

Cheng Tian looked at Aron, produced a Poké Ball, and placed it on the ground. "I'm leaving, Aron. Whatever you choose, follow your heart." With that, Cheng Tian walked toward his father without looking back.

"Aron..." Aron looked at the Poké Ball before it. A faint red gleam flashed across the ball's red lid.

Outside the mine, Cheng Tian's father looked at the sinking sun and couldn't help asking, "Xiao Tian, it's almost dark. Aren't we leaving yet?"

With a complicated expression, Cheng Tian drew his gaze away from the mine, unable to keep disappointment from rising in his heart.

Had I still failed to move Aron?

Cheng Tian sighed helplessly. "It's getting late. Let's go." He got into the car and shut the door.

The car slowly turned around. Just as they were about to leave, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Aron!"

"Wait!" Cheng Tian immediately shouted. His father stopped the car, and Cheng Tian opened the door and climbed out at once.

Aron stood twenty meters in front of Cheng Tian, with a red Poké Ball lying before it.

Cheng Tian walked over, crouched down, and picked up the red Poké Ball, holding it toward Aron. "Aron, are you willing to come with me?"

"Aron!" With determination in its eyes, Aron nodded, then moved closer and touched the Poké Ball's button. In an instant, it turned into a beam of red light and was drawn inside.

The Poké Ball rocked twice, then gave a crisp ding! The capture was successful!

Ding-Congratulations to the host for completing the mission Second Bloom: Catch your second Pokémon. Reward: Sea Incense ×1 (Completed)

The system notification sounded in his mind, and Cheng Tian couldn't help breaking into a delighted smile.

I did it! I caught Aron!

"Xiao Tian, what are you..." Cheng Tian's father asked in confusion from the driver's seat. Cheng Tian waved the Poké Ball in his hand. "Dad, I caught my second Pokémon."

As he spoke, Cheng Tian let Aron out again. "Aron!" Cheng Tian said happily to it, "Aron, I'm looking forward to working with you from now on."

Though surprised, Cheng Tian's father was still happy that his son had caught his second Pokémon. "Well, in that case, let's get in the car. We'll buy something good on the way home to treat ourselves!"

"Machamp!" Just as Cheng Tian and his father were getting into the car with Aron to leave, a Machamp's cry suddenly rang out from the mine entrance.

Hearing that voice, Aron poked its head out of the car window. "Aron!"

The Machamp Leader waved, leading a group of Machamp in seeing Aron off. Aron's eyes grew moist.

Everyone... I'll definitely get stronger!

Wait for me.

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