"Steel!!!"
Steelix gave them no chance to catch their breath and attacked again, silver light flashing in his mouth as he fired another Flash Cannon.
This time, his target was Yushu himself!
"Rock Tomb!"
"Aura Sphere!"
Boom, boom!!!
Miltank and Lucario struck in succession, their attacks colliding with Steelix's in midair.
Rock fragments flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air!!
Two figures appeared in the smoke at the same time.
Yushu took the opportunity to call out Torterra, while Riley also sent out another Pokémon.
It was a pale grayish-blue Pokémon with four arms and bulging, well-defined muscles all over its body, resembling a burly human man.
Machamp!
Both had tacitly called in reinforcements.
"Torterra!!"
As soon as Torterra landed, he used Ingrain.
His roots reached deep underground, drawing nutrients and energy from beneath the earth, and a layer of green light rose over his shell.
"Machamp!"
Machamp struck a bodybuilding pose, his muscles bulging as he radiated a powerful aura.
Bulk Up!
Seeing two more opponents, Steelix's gaze grew fiercer, and he swung his tail in a sweeping strike toward Miltank and Machamp!!
"Miltank! Focus Punch!"
"Machamp! Dynamic Punch!"
The two Pokémon met him head-on.
Miltank's right fist shone with golden light.
Focus Punch concentrated all her strength into a single explosive point.
All four of Machamp's arms lit up with white light.
Dynamic Punch!
Boom, boom!!!
With their type advantage, the force of the blows exploded against Steelix, knocking his Iron Tail off course.
"Steel!!" Steelix changed tactics at the sight, silver light flashing in his mouth.
Flash Cannon fired!
"Lucario! Aura Sphere!"
"Torterra! Energy Ball!"
Two spheres of energy, one blue and one green, shot through the air and collided with Flash Cannon.
Boom!!
The three streams of energy exploded in midair, forming a massive ball of light as shock waves spread in all directions.
Yushu and Riley seized the opportunity to attack.
"Machamp! Cross Chop!"
"Miltank! High Horsepower!"
Machamp crossed his four arms and chopped down at Steelix with tremendous force.
Wrapped in brown light, Miltank charged at Steelix like a raging bull.
Boom, boom!!!
Steelix was knocked back several steps, his body swaying a few times as several wounds appeared on him.
The battle that followed became a war of attrition.
Torterra and Lucario provided ranged support, constantly harassing Steelix with Energy Ball and Aura Sphere. Machamp and Miltank kept him occupied head-on, grappling with him.
The four Pokémon worked seamlessly together, covering both offense and defense and keeping Steelix firmly suppressed.
The battle lasted nearly twenty minutes.
Steelix grew increasingly agitated as he fought.
He could not break through head-on or disrupt them from the side, and something was always pestering him from a distance. Whenever he tried to chase one, another blocked him. After fighting for so long, he had gained nothing and instead suffered over a dozen more wounds.
Finally, after an Iron Tail missed, Yushu seized his chance.
Now!
"Torterra! Frenzy Plant!"
"Torterra!!!"
Torterra raised his front feet and slammed them into the ground.
The ground shook violently before splitting with cracks, and countless thick, thorny vines burst out of the earth, surging toward Steelix from every direction like giant green pythons.
Steelix tried to struggle, but his body was too massive, and fatigue had slowed his movements.
The thorny vines wrapped around his limbs, body, and tail, trapping him firmly.
"Miltank, now! Use Rollout, then Body Slam!"
"Mooo!"
Miltank curled into a ball and rolled toward Steelix. Just before hitting him, she suddenly bounced up, flipped once in midair, and then smashed down onto Steelix's head with tremendous force.
Meatball tank!!!
Boom!!!
With a tremendous crash, Steelix's head was smashed into the ground.
Riley followed up the instant the engagement began. "Lucario! The final blow! Aura Sphere at maximum power!"
"Luca!!!"
Lucario brought his hands together, forming an Aura Sphere larger than any before between his palms, then thrust it forward!!
Rumble!!!!
The Aura Sphere exploded, blue energy scattering in all directions and forming a small mushroom cloud.
After a long while, the smoke cleared...
Steelix had completely lost the ability to battle and lay motionless on the ground.
He was still alive, just knocked unconscious...
Yushu breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally got him."
Even with all four Pokémon attacking together, it had taken a rotating battle of attrition to beat this Steelix. It really had not been easy.
"Yeah."
Riley recalled Machamp as well. Fortunately, he had called Yushu over. Had he been alone, he probably would have had no choice but to flee.
Looking at Steelix lying on the ground, Yushu suddenly had an idea.
He could catch this late Gym Stage Steelix. With a little more training at this level and some good resources to raise him, he would reach Quasi-Elite Four Level.
If he could catch him, his team's strength would make a qualitative leap.
Guessing what Yushu was thinking, Riley said, "You'd better not catch a Pokémon like this. Unless you beat him head-on, he won't listen to you."
Yushu understood what Riley meant.
They had fought four against one, bullying him with numbers.
Although Steelix had lost, he was surely unconvinced. Leaders of wild Pokémon like him all had strong pride. Unless you could defeat him head-on in a one-on-one battle, he would never acknowledge you.
"All right."
Yushu gave up on catching him for the time being.
Maybe another time, if I get the chance.
The two walked around the fallen Steelix and continued deeper inside.
At the end of the passage was an enormous mining cavern.
The cavern was piled with large quantities of ore and rock steel, along with some abandoned mine tracks.
"Looks like this is Steelix's den."
Riley made a circuit of the cavern and soon found what he wanted in a corner.
A Metal Coat.
Yushu also came over for a look.
Unlike the ones sold in stores, a natural Metal Coat was a mineral formed naturally from crystallized iron ore. It came in thin sheets, resembling layers of ultrathin metal foil stacked together.
This Metal Coat was also large enough for several Pokémon to evolve.
If sold on the market, it would fetch at least a hundred thousand in Alliance Currency.
Riley had Lucario split the Metal Coat in two with Metal Claw, giving each of them half.
"This piece is yours."
"Thanks." Yushu did not stand on ceremony and put it straight into his backpack.
Spatial backpacks really were the Pokémon world's greatest invention.
The two continued searching the cavern.
Of course, they would not take everything,
but since they were already here, leaving without taking something would hardly do.
Steelix: You're so great! You're so noble!
Soon, Yushu spotted something among a pile of discarded ore that made his heart skip a beat.
Two stones giving off multicolored light.
The glow was very faint, like the fluorescence from a firefly's tail.
Yet in the dim cavern, it stood out sharply.
Yushu walked over and dug the two stones out of the pile.
Riley came over for a look as well, then left when he found he did not recognize them.
He had no interest in these colorful stones. They were probably some kind of ore, so he turned away and continued looking for other things.
But Yushu knew what they were.
Mega Stones!
He had seen them countless times in the anime in his previous life. Although they looked somewhat different in reality, there was no mistaking the familiar multicolored leaves inside those stones.