After a short rest, at Yong's urging, Chengjie led him back along the passage on the left that they had come through, searching in the general direction of their destination.
The winding passage led deeper into the mountain. They could only vaguely sense that they were still descending. The surrounding rock walls had gradually changed from brown to dark brown, and now small patches of black were beginning to appear.
The pressure underground and the dwindling oxygen gradually made breathing difficult for Yong and Chengjie.
"They should be just ahead. I can't remember the route, but the walls turning black means we're approaching Aggron's territory."
Chengjie explained, panting slightly.
Yong knew that the Aggron family fed on ore and steel. The darkening walls meant that the mineral content was increasing, making this their ideal habitat.
They continued onward for a while, passing a small cavern where several Nosepass actually lived! The one Roxanne had used in their Gym battle had left a deep impression on him.
Tempting as they were, Yong restrained his impulse. Catching an Aron came first.
Just then, Marshtomp and Sandslash suddenly gave warning cries. They stopped at a cave entrance and called softly to the two boys. Yong perked up, hurried to the entrance, and looked inside.
It was an enormous cavern, with several small mounds of dark gray ore in its center. Ore deposits also protruded from the surrounding rock walls. What delighted Yong most was the sight of several Pokémon sprawled on the mounds, happily munching on ore. They wore white armor and had short limbs and large, oval-shaped white heads!
They were the Aron that Yong had been searching so hard for!
Just as he was about to step out in excitement, Chengjie quickly grabbed him.
"Hold on! Look over there!"
He pointed deeper into the cavern. At its far end was an enormous platform, where a white, monster-like beast nearly 2.7 meters tall lay resting with its eyes closed. Several Lairon were resting or eating nearby, loosely encircling the Aron.
Lairon
Yong sucked in a sharp breath.
A shiver of belated fear ran through him. Aggron were fiercely territorial and highly aggressive. As they patrolled their territory, they would beat up every intruder before driving them out.
Yong had no doubt that his scrawny body wouldn't even require Aggron's attention. Any one of those Lairon could easily thrash him!
"That big one wasn't here the last time I ran into this group! It must have been out patrolling."
Chengjie spoke in a low voice.
"What do we do now?"
How had Roxanne caught her Aron?
Yong thought for a long while before speaking.
"Let's rest here for now and see whether Aggron leaves!"
"Sounds good! That big one won't be easy to handle!"
Chengjie nodded in agreement.
The two boys and their two Pokémon took out food and water in the passage and began resting, getting themselves ready for a battle that might come at any moment.
Time slowly passed as they waited expectantly, but Aggron never left to patrol its territory as they had hoped. Growing anxious, Yong gritted his teeth and said to Chengjie,
"No more waiting!"
Looking at the little Pokémon inside the cavern, Yong made up his mind.
"I'll earn Aggron's approval and catch an Aron fair and square!"
Chengjie fell silent for a moment, then held out his right fist with a smile.
"I'm behind you, Yong. Pokémon Trainers and Pokémon are equals. They should respect each other and choose each other! Go on! You'll succeed!"
Their fists bumped lightly. Without further hesitation, Yong walked straight out of the passage and appeared before the Aron.
The human's sudden appearance did not frighten the little Pokémon as they ate. They looked him over curiously, then ignored him. With Aggron protecting them, they had no worries about their safety.
"Gwooh!"
As he approached the sleeping giant, a Lairon gave a low, rumbling growl, signaling for him to stop.
Taking a deep breath, Yong shouted,
"Aggron! I've come to earn your approval and take an Aron with me!"
The giant opened its eyes, fixing its sky-blue gaze on the tiny human before it. It rose, its enormous body looming like a monster.
Hard armor covered its entire body. Silver armor encased its head, with the topmost plate extending outward from its forehead into a sharp point. There were two pairs of holes in its forehead, and two long horns protruded from the front pair.
Its eyes were sky blue, with two nostrils at the tip of its upper jaw and several sharp, tooth-like projections around its mouth. Silver armor covered the back of its neck and its spine. Raised protrusions jutted from its shoulders, and silver steel bands encircled its limbs. Its hands and feet each had three digits, and a long, thick black tail extended behind it.
"Heh-woah!!!"
It roared, but instead of attacking immediately as Yong had imagined, it simply watched him, apparently pondering something.
A very courageous human!
A cool voice sounded in Yong's mind, startling him. Then an ochre-colored Pokémon shaped like a crescent moon, with bright red eyes, floated down from the platform and came to Aggron's side.
"Why...? How is there a Lunatone here?"
Lunatone
This was astonishing. Lunatone were Pokémon that had arrived on Earth with falling meteorites and had only been discovered forty years ago. Said to come from space, they were extremely rare. They were not only Rock-type Pokémon but also Psychic-types, making them especially unusual. He had thought he would only see them when he eventually visited Meteor Falls, yet one had appeared here.
"Was that... Telepathy?"
Yes. I depend on the Aggron family and communicate with humans on its behalf.
"So that's how it is."
Yong understood this kind of symbiotic relationship. Nature offered plenty of examples, such as Shellder and Slowpoke, Oranguru and Bewear, and Flabébé and flowers. They supported each other and lived together.
Of course, this was the first time he had learned of such a relationship between Aggron and Lunatone.
"Heh-woah!"
Aggron says that a female human came here before. Her strength and courage earned its approval.
"Female..."
He didn't know how to respond to that wording.
Was it Roxanne? Yong wondered silently.
"Heh-woah!"
Lunatone continued acting as interpreter.
You are brave, human. I acknowledge your courage and will give you a chance to challenge me! That is what it says.
Exhaling, Yong looked Aggron straight in the eyes and spoke firmly.
"Thank you, Aggron! I'll challenge you and prove myself!"
Even if defeat is certain, how could I deserve to reach the top if I don't even have the courage to try?
"Heh-woah!!"
Throwing back its head with a roar, Aggron moved to an open area. It motioned for the nearby Lairon and Aron to move farther away, then spread its arms and took a battle stance.
Chengjie had come over at some point and was now standing to one side.
"Go for it, Yong! You can do this!"
Giving Chengjie a thumbs-up, Yong gradually relaxed.
"Of course! I'm going to become a Pokémon Master of Rock-types and Ground-types. Why would I be afraid of a challenge?"
Stepping onto the battlefield and standing directly opposite Aggron, Yong said to Marshtomp,
"Marshtomp, I'll leave this battle to Steelix. Watch from the sidelines and learn!"
"Marsh!"
Marshtomp nodded in understanding and went over to Chengjie, ready to watch the battle closely.
"Come out, Steelix!"
He threw a Luxury Ball, and an enormous steel serpent burst out amid a flash of white light!
"Roar!"
"Heh-woah!"
Amid their roars, the two giants faced each other.
Aggron stood 2.7 meters tall.
Steelix was eleven meters long, its raised forebody reaching three meters high.
The battle was about to erupt!