As a stone collector, Steven had an exceptionally sharp intuition for mineral veins, but it occasionally led him into life-threatening danger.
Eight hours ago, while scouting an abandoned mine for rare stones, he suffered a cave-in that dropped him into a narrow crevice between rock layers. Fortunately, his Pokémon were with him. After painstakingly carving out a path downward, he discovered a massive underground cavern connected to a subterranean river. It took a significant effort to find a tunnel leading back to the surface.
"Though it was arduous, the journey was well worth it."
Steven pulled a translucent yellow gemstone from his pocket. The center of the stone held a deep, concentrated hue, and a brilliant radiance filled the interior of the truck.
It glows!?
Kashiwagi started instinctively. In his previous life's mindset, glowing rocks usually meant radiation and cancer. But he quickly realized what it was: a Shiny Stone, a high-grade evolution item.
"High-quality Shiny Stones like this are hard to come by," Steven remarked, looking at the gem with an expression of pure rapture.
"Uh, quality? Is there a difference in quality for evolution stones?" Kashiwagi asked curiously. "Does it affect the evolution? Like, if a Pokémon touches a better stone, do they become stronger?"
Steven chuckled. "Stones naturally have quality—from diamonds and emeralds to these evolution stones—based on purity, luster, and so on. As for whether it affects the evolution's outcome... that's outside my area of expertise. The factors that make a Pokémon stronger or weaker are diverse and profound; it's a massive field of study."
"I see." Kashiwagi nodded.
Steven continued, "Back to the point—see that mountain range? Based on my experience, the underground caverns I traversed are right beneath it. There are several rich metallic veins down there. They'll be difficult to mine, but that's not your objective, is it?"
The Champion pointed toward a towering range that stretched for several kilometers. Under the harsh sun, the jagged peaks looked both desolate and magnificent.
"True, but we weren't looking for a whole mountain range..." Kashiwagi hesitated. A mountain was manageable, but a range was a bit much.
Aggron, however, seemed to understand Steven perfectly. It began to roar from the flatbed. "ROAR! AGGRONN-ROAR! ROAR!"
"Alright, alright! We'll go check it out, okay!?" Kashiwagi yelled back, terrified the beast would start rocking the truck again. It had nearly flipped them earlier in its excitement.
Steven burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Your partner is certainly spirited. That's good—vitality represents youth and infinite possibilities."
"It's definitely 'youthful'... Steven-san, is your Aggron like this too? Extremely obsessed with territory?" Kashiwagi asked as he drove. Deino remained stubbornly attached to his head, even with a Champion sitting in the passenger seat.
"One of them used to be. But my situation is a bit complex—I have two Aggron and one Aron." Steven reached for his belt and released one of his Poké Balls.
Flash!
An Aron materialized and landed comfortably in Steven's lap.
"Repeat training, huh..." Kashiwagi glanced over. It wasn't uncommon; many high-level Trainers kept Pokémon at different evolutionary stages because each stage possessed unique traits.
"This was one of the first Aron I ever raised. He's always been my best helper for finding stones." Steven stroked the Aron's head.
"Aron!" The Aron smiled, then turned to wave at Kashiwagi's Aggron and Mawile. The two responded with their own cries.
"When I was ten, his older brother evolved into Aggron and immediately claimed the mountain behind my house as his territory, driving out almost every other Pokémon," Steven shared a nostalgic anecdote. "Of course, my father scolded him, and he had to endure complaints from me and this Aron. Eventually, he settled down."
"And the other one?"
"The other one was already an Aggron when I caught her. Perhaps because she's female, or perhaps because she's older, her territorial drive isn't nearly as intense. Pokémon are like people; they have different perspectives at different stages of life."
Kashiwagi nodded in agreement. Soon, they arrived at the foot of the sprawling range. Steven scanned the landscape and pointed toward a specific mountain hollow. "This should be the spot. You can have your Aggron dig down here. It should be about three or four hundred meters deep."
Three or four hundred meters... Kashiwagi looked back at Aggron. "What do you think?"
"AGGRON!"
Aggron had zero objections. It might have found a small hill too short or a lone peak too steep, but a whole mountain range? That was perfect.
"Do you want Steelix to help?" Kashiwagi asked. For vertical digging, Steelix was faster and more professional.
"AGGRON!" Aggron waved an arm dismissively. It didn't mind sharing territory with its teammates, but it wanted to be the one to discover this new world personally.
The great beast looked around, its tail swishing with delight. With a low growl, it swung its massive claws and began to tear into the earth. Dirt and sand flew everywhere.
"Make the tunnel wide!" Kashiwagi shouted.
Within moments, a dark, sloping tunnel appeared. Aggron widened the passage enough for two humans to walk comfortably. Unlike machine-drilled tunnels that require debris removal, Pokémon use elemental energy to pack the earth into the side walls, creating immediate space.
"Tunnels carved by Pokémon are often loose and dangerous; cave-ins are a constant risk," Steven said softly. "Normally, I'd never suggest you follow a Pokémon down, but this is a special occasion." He released another Poké Ball.
Flash.
A dark Claydol appeared in the air, its body rotating slowly as its six eyes blinked in sequence. "Just this once," Steven said, gesturing toward the tunnel. "I trust you've seen enough of the underground to know not to try this without proper support."
A blue psychic glow filled the tunnel. The loose soil at the entrance, which had been threatening to collapse, suddenly became packed and reinforced by a mysterious force.
Kashiwagi donned his mining gear, switched on his headlamp, and followed Aggron's trail. Mawile followed close behind, while Deino was returned to its ball for safety. Because they were digging downward, the slope was steep. Kashiwagi eventually had to pick up Mawile and use her Magnet Rise to drift safely down the incline.
Suddenly, a massive THOOM echoed from the depths. The walls vibrated, and loose pebbles cascaded down the slope.
"Sounds like it hit a large shelf of bedrock," Steven noted. He was about to say more when a wet pop sounded from below.
A rhythmic rumbling followed, sounding like a sudden rush of liquid. Steven's brow furrowed. "It looks like he didn't hit a cavern, but a pressurized underground river. Give me your Poké Ball; I'll go get Aggron before he drowns."
Just as the words left his mouth—
"AGGRON!!"
A thunderous cry erupted. Kashiwagi was about to tell Steven that his Aggron knew Surf and had practiced breath-holding, but Aggron was already charging up the tunnel.
Beneath its feet was a surging torrent of muddy water. Seeing his Trainer and his Trainer's friend, Aggron sped up.
"ROAR!" (What are you standing there for? Run!)
"It's... Surf?"
Steven stared in utter shock at the Aggron literally riding the wave up the incline. He turned to Kashiwagi, his face full of questions.
How on earth did you teach an Aggron to Surf in a water-starved desert region!? Can you teach me?