Jax and Kruger were busy as they had pried open the maintenance hatch of the wrecked Rocket drill and were currently chest-deep in the hopper, shouting echoes at each other as they shoveled raw ore into their bags.
"Gold! It's gold!" Jax yelled, holding up a pyrite nugget.
"It's fool's gold, you idiot," Kruger argued. "Look for the glowy pink stuff!"
Alex stood twenty meters away, near the perimeter where the Lairon lay unconscious. He was looking at the shadows where the smaller Arons had scattered.
[ Target: Aron (Male) ]
[ Aptitude: Black (Deep) ]
[ Target: Aron (Female) ]
[ Aptitude: Green (Light) ]
[ Target: Aron (Male) ]
[ Aptitude: Blue (Light) ]
Alex paused..... Blue aptitude.
Hidden behind a shard of broken rocks, shaking with fear, was a small, steel-plated Aron. Its eyes were a brighter, more intense blue than the others and it's armor plating looked slightly thicker, more lustrous.
"Rare genetics indeed," Alex whispered.
"Guess a new partner has been found."
He glanced at the drill where Jax and Kruger were arguing over a rock completely distracted.
"Perfect."
Alex moved silently as he approached the fainted Lairon first. It was a massive rare hoenn species even though it only had a Green aptitude. Not for his team, but on the black market? A Steel-type evolved form could fetch millions of Pokédollars from a collector or a heavy industry corp or maybe he could keep it as a backup.
He tapped a Pokéball against its head.
Click...
The Lairon vanished in a red beam as the ball shook once and locked. Alex swept it into his Inventory before it even hit the ground.
Then he moved to the Arons.
He didn't battle them simply because they were terrified infants so he just tossed balls.
Snatch.... Snatch....Snatch....
He caught the four common ones, sell them or keep them, that's a question he needed answer for, money was necessary but he was a sure he could make money easily and he was always a dog lover 🐕 and he missed his own pet. He always wanted to have his own place filled with Pokemon..... Lets just focus on the present.
He reached the Blue-tier Aron, the little steel dog hissed, trying to use a Metal Claw.
"Shhhhh," Alex whispered, kneeling.
"I'm not going to hurt you instead I am going to make you strong."
He tapped the ball against its forehead.
Click....
[ Pokémon Captured: Aron (Blue Aptitude) ]
He pocketed the ball immediately.
"Ares!" Jax shouted from the drill. "We found 'em! Two Moon Stones! Big ones!"
Alex stood up, dusting off his knees as he observed it to find it of B grades.
"Good," Alex called back, his voice calm. "Bag them, we're leaving."
"What about those metal dogs?" Kruger asked, climbing out of the machine as he looked around. "Where'd the big one go?"
"It woke up and crawled into a lava tube," Alex lied smoothly. "And the small ones ran off, useless vermin, just Steel rats."
"Steel rats," Jax snorted. "Ugly things, probably not worth the ball."
Alex smiled slightly. "Exactly, waste of balls."
(Scene change)
They climbed out of the heat zone going back to the cool, damp tunnels of the upper mountain.
When they reached a secluded alcove near the underground lake, the spot where Alex had fallen earlier he signaled for a halt.
"Rest," Alex ordered. "Five minutes."
Jax and Kruger collapsed against the wall, drinking water greedily as they were exhausted, carrying heavy packs of ore.
Alex walked over to his dear Nidorino who's armor was stained with soot as he looked battered and tired but his eyes were burning.
He had fought many pokemon some levels above him, many even during their walk back through the cave and had absorbed the experience of a dozen battles in the last 24 hours.
[ Nidorino: Level 22 ]
"It's time buddy," Alex whispered.
He reached into his deep pocket and muttered inventory as he wrapped his fingers around the Grade A Moon Stone he had taken from the Clefairy ritual.
It was warm and pulsed with a heartbeat that matched Nidorino's.
"Jax.... Kruger," Alex said.
The two of them looked up.
"You might want to step back," Alex warned.
"Why?"
"Because," Alex pulled the stone out, the blue radiation illuminated the dark cave, casting long, monstrous shadows, he didn't need to hide, as only demonstration of Power makes men loyal.
"The King is waking up."
Nidorino saw the stone and this time didn't hesitate a bit as he stepped forward and touched his horn to the glowing crystal.
FLASH...
The light was blinding, it wasn't the soft white light of a normal evolution but was a violent bombastic explosion.
Nidorino roared but the roar changed pitch as it deepened, turning from a snarl into a guttural, earth-shaking bellow.
His body began to spasm and the silhouette grew.
The quadrupedal stance broke, the spine elongated, forcing him upright, the small legs thickened into tree trunks, crushing the rock beneath them and the front paws morphed into massive, clawed hands capable of crushing boulders.
The armor plates on his back fused and hardened, becoming a solid tank armor. The horn on his forehead grew, serrated and wicked like a lance designed to pierce steel.
The light faded...
Standing in the center of the cave was a monster. He stood nearly 1.6 meters tall, huge for a freshly evolved specimen. His hide was a deep, vibrant purple and his tail was thick and spiked, thrashing the air with the sound of a whip.
[ Pokémon: Nidoking ]
[ Level: 22 ]
[ Aptitude: Blood Red (Mutant) ]
[ Type: Poison / Ground ]
Nidoking flexed his new hands as he looked at them, then he looked at Alex and let out a snort.
"Holy fuc...." Jax scrambled backward, pressing himself against the rock wall. "That's... that's a humongous."
"Nidoking," Alex corrected.
"The Drill Pokémon."
He walked up to his starter as Nidoking towered over him now as Alex reached up and patted the massive, armored chest.
"How does it feel buddy?" Alex asked.
Nidoking grinned, a terrifying expression filled with razor-sharp teeth as he punched the air, the sheer force creating a small vacuum pop.
Powerful....
"Wait," Kruger stammered. "You used a Moon Stone? Those things are worth a fortune! You just fed it to him?"
Alex turned, his eyes cold.
"I used a shard," Alex lied, holding up a tiny, useless fragment he had palmed earlier. "A chipped piece I found on the floor, low grade barely enough to trigger the change."
"That..... that was a low grade?" Jax stared at the Nidoking. "If that's low grade, I don't want to see high grade."
"Let's move," Alex said his face turning cold. "And kruger never question me ever again."
Central Command: Viper's Office
The debriefing was short and Alex placed the heavy canvas bag on Viper's mahogany desk.
Thud.....
Viper opened it and inside were two Moon Stones, the large ones Jax and Kruger had dug out of the drill, they were of decent quality as it can be seen from its shine, Grade B.
"Two stones," Viper said, inspecting them. "And the mining crew?"
"Dead," Alex reported. "Eaten by local wildlife, we cleared the nest so it's safe for a new team."
"And the wildlife?"
"Exterminated," Alex said flatly. " Collapsed the tunnel on them."
Viper nodded and pushed a button on his intercom. "Log two Moon Stones into the vault and credit Squad Leader Ares with the extraction bonus."
Viper leaned back as his eyes drifted to the massive shape standing behind Alex.
The Nidoking was taking up half the office. His horn scraped the ceiling tiles and he was staring at Viper with a look that said, 'Give me a reason.'
"He evolved it's seems," Viper noted.
"Yes, sir," Alex said. "Found a dust fragment in the cave so used it."
Viper raised an eyebrow.
"A dust fragment produced that?"
He looked at Nidoking's muscle density, the sheen of the armor and it's unusual height. This wasn't a dust fragment evolution, he knew that much but Viper didn't call him out.
"Smart," Viper murmured. "Keep your assets strong."
He opened a drawer and pulled out a keycard.
"You're officially a Squad Leader now, Ares. You get access to the Tier 2 barracks, private room and most importantly a shower that actually works."
He tossed the card and Alex caught it.
"And Ares?"
"Sir?"
"Never sell that Nidoking," Viper warned, his eyes narrowing. "I know traders who would pay tens of millions for a specimen that size. If I find out you sold a heavy asset to the black market, I'll have you liquidated."
Alex didn't blink.
"He's not for sale, Captain because he is my retirement plan."
Viper chuckled. "Good answer...Dismissed."
Tier 2 Barracks
The room was small, but it was luxury compared to the communal bunks and even better than the last room he had when he was provisional.
Alex locked the door and released his team.
Nidoking materialized, filling the room, he had to crouch to fit.
Skorupi skittered under the bed and Duskull floated into the corner shadow.
He placed Feebas went into the bathtub.
Alex sat on the bed and opened his Inventory.
He looked at the row of stasis balls.
* Lairon (Green)
* Aron x4 (Common)
* Clefairy (Green/Magic Guard)
He looked at the Blue Aron ball.
"Aggron line," Alex mused. "Requires huge investment, massive food cost and a iron core diet."
He couldn't afford to raise it yet, not properly.
"Stasis," Alex decided. "I'll keep you frozen until I have the funds to feed you or until I need a wall that even a nuke can't scratch."
He looked at Nidoking, the giant pokemon was currently trying to pick up a tiny berry with his massive claws, looking surprisingly gentle.
"Every One, you know this is not my world, it was suprise for me as well when I came, I was scared, excited and most importantly looked forward to my Future, truthfully looking at all of you now, I know for a fact that this is the future I want, the future I will take if I have to, Thank you guys, I promise I will make you stronger and feared all over the world." Alex said, leaning back against the pillow.
He pulled out his music player and put the earbuds in.
"I see fire...." Ed Sheeran sang. "...inside the mountain."
"Fitting," Alex smiled, closing his eyes.
Authors Note:-
Got a new phone thanks to the patreon money, not big ass phone but a 90$ one which suprisingly has 5g.
So I would take this moment to thank all my patrons.🙏.....
So Nidoking.....🫰🔥💪.
Share your comments on what to do with the Lairon and arons.... Actually I don't really wanna sell em ... Should I just keep it in stasis till we know what to do.....
Support with power stones..... For your dear author.
Also a review would be appreciated.
Love you all ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️.
You guys can have early access of chapters through patreon,:-
P a t r e o n . c o m / Aegis007
(Remove the spaces!)🔥🫰.