Yong crouched before the Aron that had inherited its father's talent and gently stroked its cool head. The little Pokémon really was adorable!
He smiled at it and asked,
"Would you like to be my partner, Aron? Someday, you'll surpass your father, and we'll reach the top together!"
"Ar-ar~?"
Aron looked curiously at the human before it, a little flustered, then hurriedly turned toward the platform.
Aggron watched it quietly, then nodded.
"Ar~!"
It lowered its head and nervously scraped at the gravel with its stubby legs.
Yong, Chengjie, Steelix, Marshtomp, Aggron, and Lunatone all waited quietly. No one would interfere with its choice. As Steven and Drake had said, Pokémon were also an important part of this world. They shared it with humans and had equal rights.
Catching a Pokémon was not simply a matter of capturing it. It meant two unfamiliar hearts forming a bond, choosing each other, growing together, and living together.
If Aron refused, no one would force it, least of all Yong. He would only regret that the time wasn't right for them and their bond wasn't strong enough.
A long time passed. Only after Aron had scraped a small pit in the ground did it finally raise its head and look at Yong.
"Ar-ar!"
"It says, 'I want to be your partner. I want to become stronger so I can protect everyone someday!'"
Lunatone's voice rang out in the two humans' minds.
Yong broke into a delighted smile and held out his right hand to Aron.
"Then here's to our future together, little one!"
"Ar-ar!"
This time, without the slightest hesitation, Aron lifted its little claw and placed it in the boy's hand. An inexplicable feeling linked the hearts of the human and Pokémon.
"That's great! You did it, Yong!"
Chengjie watched, deeply moved. This was what it meant for a Pokémon and its Trainer to connect heart to heart!
The surrounding Pokémon smiled too, letting out happy roars. Aggron lay on the platform with its eyes slightly narrowed, gazing tenderly at Aron without a sound.
Perhaps a father's love carried the same weight, whether he was human or Pokémon!
Yong took out a new Luxury Ball and set it on the ground. Aron glanced at everyone around it once more, then gently tapped the Poké Ball with its head and vanished in a flash of white light.
The ball wobbled slightly, followed by a crisp sound.
"Click!"
Aron had been caught!
White light flared again as the Poké Ball opened on its own, and the little Pokémon appeared before everyone.
"Ar-ar~!"
It walked up to Aggron, gently nuzzled its father's body, and let out a low cry.
"It's saying goodbye to Aggron, promising to become really strong and come back to visit everyone!"
Watching the scene, Lunatone acted as interpreter once again.
Aggron met the little one's gaze, then closed its eyes and turned its head away, refusing to respond.
Yong understood. Aggron had to harden its heart to make leaving easier for Aron.
"All right! Let's go, Aron! Once you've grown up and become stronger, we'll come back to visit everyone, okay?"
He approached the little Pokémon and gently comforted it.
"Ar~!"
Aron looked at Yong, a little dejected, before being recalled to its Poké Ball.
Calling to Chengjie, Yong recalled Steelix and Marshtomp and prepared to say goodbye to everyone.
"Let me send you out!"
Lunatone's voice sounded again.
Huh? How?
Before either of them could ask, a blue energy barrier appeared around them. Then, accompanied by an intense sensation of weightlessness and dizziness, they vanished from the cavern.
When his feet touched solid ground again, Yong found that the two of them were on a mountain path beside a slope.
"That was... Teleport, right?"
Chengjie struggled to ask, fighting back nausea.
"No warning at all. That was way too sudden... I never want to experience that again... Urgh~!"
"Ah! Lunatone's psychic powers are pretty strong too!"
Yong shrugged, indicating that he could just about handle it. With Chengjie still complaining, the two followed the mountain path out.
Meanwhile, in the cavern deep underground,
Lunatone was speaking with Aggron.
"It's time to leave this place and move deeper in. Otherwise, more and more humans will come."
"Graah!"
Aggron nodded and called all its kin to its side, then led the way into a cave off to one side. They were preparing to leave for another secluded habitat in the mountains.
Not long after they left, several Trainers wearing the Rustboro Gym emblem finally arrived through one of the cavern's passages.
"This is the place! Look, the rock walls have turned black, just like Boss Roxanne said!"
"Ah~! Getting here was such a pain. I can't believe we ran into a whole group of Diglett!"
"Yeah! Good thing Takeda got there in time!"
Takeda shook his head and led the way into the cavern.
"Uh..."
"What's wrong, Takeda? Are there lots of Aron?"
The boy, Wufu, hurried inside, and then-
"Ahhhh!!! Where are the Aron? Where did my Aron go!??"
"I can't walk anymore. I want to go home..."
Amid the Gym Trainers' sighs, Takeda could only smile bitterly. It seemed he simply wasn't destined to meet the Aggron family!
The weather was slightly damp, and a distinctive floral fragrance seemed to drift through the air.
After descending the mountain, Yong discovered that they weren't heading toward Rustboro City. Only after checking his Pokédex did he realize that Lunatone had teleported them to the eastern side of the mountain range, south of Mt. Chimney. They had bypassed Rusturf Tunnel entirely and arrived near Verdanturf Town.
That's fine. Saves us taking such a long detour.
In an excellent mood after catching Aron, Yong didn't mind. Anywhere was fine. It was a journey, after all. Going with the flow wasn't a bad idea!
"We're almost at Verdanturf Town! I've heard it's really beautiful!"
Chengjie was excited too. After all, he was a novice who had only just begun his journey, so curiosity about new things was perfectly natural. Yong, on the other hand, had watched the anime and played the games in his previous life. He knew what to expect and didn't look particularly surprised.
"Yeah. I've heard it's really close to nature, with excellent air quality. It's a great place to live or recuperate!"
"Really? I wonder which is prettier, this place or Viridian City back in Kanto. I can't wait!"
Chengjie grew even more excited.
Looking at him, Yong quipped inwardly,
I can't say whether Viridian City or Verdanturf Town is prettier, but I could certainly tell you how strong that man is!
When they reached the end of the mountain path, they spotted a tunnel being excavated a short distance to their left. That was the Verdanturf Town entrance to Rusturf Tunnel. They continued onward, and the lush flowers and grass lining the road refreshed the two boys after their long trek beneath the mountains.
Especially Chengjie, who had been lost for ages.
Breathing in the air scented with flowers and grass, they finally reached the entrance to a small town.
"It's really beautiful!"
"Ah, we're here at last. Verdanturf Town!"
Standing shoulder to shoulder, the two boys gazed at the town before them and sighed in admiration.