After hearing the news, Yong thanked Takeda and said goodbye, then crossed the camp toward Rusturf Tunnel, brimming with excitement. He could hardly wait to find the Aggron family and catch his third partner!
As he entered the tunnel, a blast of chilly cave air sent a shiver through him. After taking a moment to adjust and get his bearings, Yong headed deeper into the tunnel.
Combining Takeda's account with the location where Miss Roxanne had caught her Aron, he could roughly work out where the Aggron colony lived. After all, they were Pokémon that lived in groups and placed great importance on family and territory.
An Aggron would claim an entire mountain as its territory and constantly patrol it. It would never let intruders off, knocking them down on sight. Anyone who dared cause trouble would receive a merciless beating. If a landslide or wildfire left the mountain barren, it would tirelessly haul in soil and plant saplings, restoring its territory to pristine condition.
As a result, their movements stayed within a general area, without straying too far. After all, this enormous mountain range stretched for dozens of miles, cutting Rustboro City off from Verdanturf Town, Zijin City, and Slateport City. That alone showed its sheer scale.
Aggron generally lived deep within the mountains, so as long as he kept following the passages downward and farther inside without veering off course, he would encounter them eventually.
Trainers were everywhere in the tunnel, battling, traveling, and catching Pokémon. Yong even spotted a Hiker Boy lucky enough to encounter a Hitmonchan, eagerly battling it.
He had to marvel at how a journey offered surprises everywhere, with something unexpected around every corner!
Continuing deeper, Yong politely declined the occasional challenge from other trainers. His mind was filled with the burning desire to catch an Aron; he had no interest in battling now.
He arrived at a junction, with a broad tunnel in the middle and a passage on either side leading into the mountain. One went left, while the other sloped downward. As a trainer who used Rock-type Pokémon, Yong recognized at once that these passages had been carved out using Dig. He took out a Poké Ball and released Marshtomp.
The fin-like horn on Marshtomp's head could act as radar, making it extremely useful for exploring and searching.
"I'm counting on you, Marshtomp. Sorry for the trouble, but I'll need you to scout the way through the mountain!"
"Marsh~"
Nodding, Marshtomp entered the passage on the right first. Yong quickly ducked in after it.
The narrow passage only allowed them to move single file, with Marshtomp in front and Yong behind. Its uneven surface made walking difficult, and irregular rock outcrops battered his head and body. But for an Aron, it was all worth it!
As they wound their way through the enclosed mountain, time lost all meaning. It felt as though ages had passed, yet perhaps hardly any time at all. He had no idea how many turns they had taken. Diglett occasionally appeared to watch them curiously, letting out unfamiliar cries before burrowing back underground and disappearing.
After a long, exhausting walk, with fewer and fewer trainers around them, a relatively spacious cavern finally appeared ahead. Yong and Marshtomp could take a brief rest. He brought out some food, and the two sat on a rock to eat, replenishing their strength and easing their fatigue.
Passages dug by Pokémon surrounded the cavern, branching off in every direction. As Yong considered which way to go next, a sudden noise came from a passage on the left. He stood and looked toward it, while Marshtomp took an alert stance.
Loose stones tumbled out, followed by a blue-haired boy in a black short-sleeved shirt who leaped into the cavern. Behind him came a yellow, pangolin-like Pokémon with backward-pointing spikes covering its back.
It was a Sandslash!
Sandslash
"Finally, somewhere open where we can rest, Sandslash!"
"Slash!"
The boy flopped unceremoniously onto the ground and spoke to his partner between gasps.
"I hate this place. I want to get out so badly~!"
"Slash~!"
Yong stared at the newcomer, utterly speechless. How oblivious could he be? Had he really not noticed me and Marshtomp?
"Ahem!"
He had no choice but to make a sound to announce his presence. Watching the boy and his Pokémon spring up in fright and cling to each other left Yong even more speechless.
"Hello there! I'm Yong, from Dewford Town, and this is my partner, Marshtomp!"
"Marsh!"
Realizing that the person before him was a handsome, friendly young trainer, the newcomer let go of Sandslash in embarrassment and scratched his head sheepishly.
"Ahem! Ahaha, hello! I'm Xiangyuan Chengjie, from Saffron City in Kanto. Just call me Chengjie. This is Sandslash, my partner!"
"Nice to meet you!"
Paying no mind to his embarrassment, Yong invited Chengjie and Sandslash to join them for a meal. Chengjie readily accepted and happily sat beside Yong to enjoy the food.
"This is wonderful! Finally, something other than dry rations! Sob, I'm so touched!"
"Slash~"
Watching them with amusement, Yong asked curiously,
"Have you been in here long?"
Rapidly stuffing food into his mouth, Chengjie answered indistinctly,
"We've... been in here... for days..."
He managed to swallow his food, patted his stomach, and explained sheepishly,
"My sense of direction isn't very good. I keep remembering the wrong way, and we haven't run into anyone for ages, so now..."
That explained it: he was lost. Yong nodded in understanding.
"I see. Then let's travel together from here. With Marshtomp around, we won't have to worry about getting lost!"
"Really?"
Chengjie looked at Yong with delighted surprise and clasped his hand as though he had found a long-lost relative.
"You're such a good person! I'd gladly follow you!"
"Slash~"
"Marsh!"
Shaking its head helplessly, Sandslash covered its face, finding its trainer rather embarrassing. Marshtomp patted it reassuringly, as if to say there was nothing to worry about with it around!
Yong discreetly pulled his hand free and laughed.
"By the way, did you come here to catch a particular Pokémon too? What brought you from the Kanto Region to the Hoenn Region?"
"Oh, I'm a rookie who only started traveling this year. Since my mom is from Zijin City, I decided to start right here in the Hoenn Region. I heard Beldum had been spotted here, so I came to try my luck."
Chengjie shook his head with a rueful smile.
"I ended up finding a really good Hitmonlee instead, so I gave up on that. But then I got lost, and I've been wandering around ever since. I still haven't found my way out..."
Hitmonlee, the "kicking fiend"? That's a great Pokémon!
Yong nodded in agreement. Catching Pokémon came down to chance, after all. He himself had searched for so long without finding any sign of the Aggron colony.
"Hitmonlee is definitely worth training!"
"Right? Hehe!"
Chengjie grinned happily, then asked in return,
"What about you, Yong? Are you looking for Beldum too?"
Yong shook his head. Watching Marshtomp and Sandslash playing nearby, he explained with longing in his eyes,
"My goal is to become a Pokémon Master specializing in Rock-types and Ground-types. I came here because I heard someone had spotted signs of Aggron."
He looked at the surrounding passages, a little crestfallen.
"But I haven't found any trace of them yet..."
Chengjie's expression turned rather strange at that. Yong looked at him in confusion and asked,
"What is it?"
"I haven't seen any Aggron, but if you're looking to catch an Aron, I did come across a small colony..."
The surprise came so suddenly, like the first light piercing the darkness. Yong sprang to his feet in delight.
"Really? You really saw them? Where are they?"
"Uh, I do remember the general direction. I'll take you there!"
"That's fantastic! Thank you, Chengjie!"
Unable to contain his joy any longer, Yong clenched his fists.
"I've found you, Aron!"
Aron