Rhydon, Drilbur, Archeops

Since the arrival of the shiny Onix and about a dozen Onix in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Steelix had taken on a "nanny" role, with all the responsibility for managing these Onix falling on its shoulders. As a result, Steelix had much less time to sleep.

Initially, Steelix thought the shiny Onix was truly ugly. With that appearance, it figured the little guy would have a hard time finding a partner in the future. But as time went on, Steelix got used to its look and eventually found it kind of cute in an odd way; its bright green hue wasn't all that bad.

The shiny Onix admired Steelix immensely, coming by almost daily to ask for training advice, whether it was about workout routines, skill learning, or combat techniques. At first, Steelix was quite impatient, trying to brush it off whenever possible. But over time, as the shiny Onix kept coming back with that bright, eager look in its eyes, Steelix started to feel guilty about being dismissive.

Bit by bit, Steelix's teaching became more earnest, and the shiny Onix's learning became increasingly diligent.

Although the shiny Onix and Rhydon had been at roughly the same level before, with Steelix's guidance and frequent sparring matches with its kin, the shiny Onix's strength began to surpass that of Rhydon.

One day, unable to contain itself, the shiny Onix sought out Rhydon for a battle and ended up winning. Though it wasn't an easy win, a victory was still a victory.

With a jubilant sway of its "graceful" figure, the shiny Onix walked away in high spirits, leaving Rhydon behind, questioning its life choices.

"We came here together, so how come you've progressed so fast in such a short time?"

It didn't take long for Rhydon to realize the key: it was the kinship!

The shiny Onix's rapid improvement came from having Steelix as a mentor and fellow Onix to train with frequently.

But Rhydon and its mate, Nidoqueen, didn't have such advantages.

Returning home, Rhydon saw Nidoqueen playing with the Drilbur. Over the past few days, Nidoqueen had grown close to the five Drilbur and now played with them as if they were family.

Although most members of the Nido family were known to be competitive and fierce, Rhydon's mate was gentle and very well-liked by the Drilbur.

Standing at a distance, listening to the sounds of Nidoqueen and the Drilbur happily playing, Rhydon suddenly made a decision. Since it and Nidoqueen would likely never have children, why not adopt the Drilbur as their own? Then they, too, would have a kinship circle.

The more Rhydon thought about this, the more feasible it seemed. He planned to discuss it with Nidoqueen once she returned.

But that still wasn't enough. The shiny Onix had Steelix as a powerful mentor, the strongest in the Mine Sub-Ecopark. Rhydon and Nidoqueen didn't have that luxury.

Thinking further, Rhydon came up with an idea: if there was no mentor available in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, why not go outside to find one?

It was determined to find a mentor even stronger than Steelix. After all, it had heard that the other Sub-Ecopark housed plenty of powerful Pokémon, some even stronger than Steelix.

After being in the Mine Sub-Ecopark for several days without stepping outside, Rhydon was starting to feel a bit hesitant.

Before venturing out, Rhydon decided to ask around for some information about what lay beyond.

While his mate, Nidoqueen, was happily playing with the Drilbur nearby, she noticed Rhydon standing around, seeming thoughtful before wandering off. Curious but not too concerned, she didn't press him, as she usually didn't interfere with her partner's affairs.

The first creature Rhydon encountered was a Tyranitar. He considered approaching, but after one sharp look from Tyranitar, he quickly backed off.

Next, he ran into two Aggron sparring, though they weren't fighting seriously—they were simply polishing each other's armor as a couple's training. Rhydon watched them for a bit, but felt it might be too awkward to interrupt. Besides, Aggron didn't seem like the easiest Pokémon to engage.

Before entering the Mine Sub-Ecopark, Audino had already warned Rhydon that the Aggron and Tyranitar clans were some of the fiercest groups around. With just him and Nidoqueen, it would be wise to avoid provoking anyone.

Moving on, he spotted a Magnezone and decided to try speaking to it. Unfortunately, Magnezone only responded with a string of sounds Rhydon couldn't understand. Perhaps Magnezone was studying an alien language lately.

Then, Rhydon thought of the Lunatone and Solrock—another major group in the Mine Sub-Ecopark, with even larger numbers than Aggron and Tyranitar. Better still, he'd heard that Lunatone were known for being gentle.

Fortunately, before he reached their habitat, he encountered a Lunatone who kindly provided all the information he needed.

The Lunatone explained that the Dragonite in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark and the Dusknoir in the Haunted House Sub-Ecopark were among the most powerful Pokémon in the entire Ecopark. Although Dusknoir was currently away on a mission with Yuga, Dragonite was still home.

As Lunatone described Dragonite's abilities, Rhydon realized this was exactly the kind of powerful mentor he was looking for.

Eagerly, Rhydon left the Mine Sub-Ecopark and, after consulting a Hoothoot in the Main Ecopark, found his way to the light portal leading into the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.

The Dragon Den felt worlds apart from the Mine. The variety of Pokémon was astounding: Swablu and Altaria glided gracefully in the sky, Flygon zipped past like a jet, Horsea, Seadra, and Kingdra drifted leisurely through the water, while a Jang-mo-o made a rhythmic sound as it shook its scales. Arboks and Sevipers intertwined, giving the place a bustling, lively energy.

A Dratini, on its way to meet friends, spotted the unfamiliar Rhydon and curiously asked, "Who are you, and do you need something?"

Rhydon softened his voice, seeing the adorable Dratini, and replied, "I just moved in recently. I'm here looking for Dragonite."

"Dragonite? Do you mean Dragonite Mama?" Dratini blinked its large, dark eyes.

Dragonite Mama? That must be her.

"Yes, do you know where I can find her?"

"I know! I'll take you there!" Dratini happily wagged its tail, thrilled to be of help.

What a sweet kid! thought Rhydon.

Led by Dratini, Rhydon arrived at the cliffside residence of the Dragon Pokémon.

Dratini looked up toward a high cave and said, "Dragonite Mama lives up there. But I can't fly, so I can't go up."

Rhydon realized they were at an impasse—getting up to such a high place was no easy task for him, either.

At that moment, Salamence and Hydreigon came flying over and noticed Dratini down below. They asked, "Dratini, what are you doing here? Weren't you going to find Diggersby and Weavile? Why are you still here?"

Dratini replied, "Sister Salamence, Brother Hydreigon, we wanted to go up and find Dragonite Mama. Can you take us up there?"

Upon hearing this, Hydreigon immediately snorted, turned his head away, and made it clear he wasn't interested in helping. Salamence gave him a nudge and explained to Dratini, "Dragonite Mama isn't home; she left with Shelgon early this morning."

Yuga had left Shelgon in Dragonite Mama's care this time around, so she could teach it some valuable lessons. "Oh, I see," Dratini said, a little disappointed. He turned to Rhydon and said, "Dragonite Mama's not here, so I can't help you."

Seeing Dratini's crestfallen expression softened Rhydon's heart even more. "That's okay," he said, "I can wait for her to return." How could anyone not adore such a sweet Dratini?

"What are you all talking about?"

Just then, Weavile arrived with Diggersby. They had been waiting in the Grassland Sub-Ecopark for Dratini, but after a long wait, they decided to come looking for him.

Since Diggersby's evolution, he had grown even bulkier, and Weavile now liked to sit proudly on his head, asserting her authority.

"Weavile, Diggersby, you're here!" Dratini was thrilled to see his friends and quickly told Weavile about Rhydon's wish to find Dragonite Mama.

After hearing the story, Weavile looked at Rhydon with an incredulous expression and asked, "Why are you looking for Dragonite Mama?"

Rhydon didn't hide anything and straightforwardly said he wanted to become her apprentice.

Weavile, however, looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. Becoming Dragonite Mama's apprentice? What a joke! Dragonite Mama's status was no small matter. If she accepted every Pokémon who came to her wanting to be an apprentice, she'd be swamped by the sheer number of Pokémon in the Ecopark.

If anyone in the Ecopark had the most experience with seeking teachers, it had to be Weavile. To quickly enhance her and Diggersby's strength, Weavile had traveled to countless sub-Ecopark, visiting numerous experts. Even if she couldn't formally become their disciple, she would still learn something from each of them.

Weavile's efforts had been crucial to Diggersby's current growth. Although she worked hard, her natural talents didn't quite match Diggersby's, who had already left her far behind in strength.

But Weavile didn't feel any jealousy; rather, she felt happy. Diggersby had always obeyed her, and that was the reason she had put so much effort into planning for his growth.

Now her goal was achieved!

In a good mood, Weavile decided to give Rhydon some advice. "Let me share a bit of experience with you: if you're looking for a mentor, you can forget about top-tier masters like Dragonite Mama and Dusknoir. You won't succeed."

Unless Yuga personally requested it or Dragonite Mama found a student who genuinely impressed her, there was no chance. Rhydon didn't stand out much, so winning Dragonite Mama's favor was a fool's dream. If she truly wanted a disciple, there were plenty of talented Pokémon in the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark who were far better candidates than Rhydon.

After hearing Weavile's words, Rhydon fell silent and pondered deeply. He knew that as a newcomer, his understanding of the situation here couldn't compare to Weavile's, and Weavile had no reason to mislead him.

"So, what should I do?" Rhydon asked, looking at Weavile.

Weavile, finding Rhydon somewhat likable, thought for a moment and began offering suggestions.

More than ten minutes later, Rhydon left the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark.

According to Weavile, the most suitable teacher for him at the moment was Archeops in the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark. They were both Rock-type Pokémon, so there was a lot he could learn from Archeops.

The strength of Archeops may not be on par with Dragonite Mama or Dusknoir, but it's certainly among the top-ranked Pokémon in the Ecopark. More importantly, it's highly experienced in battle and definitely stronger than Steelix.

Another key point is that Archeops, being older, has become more tolerant of younger Pokémon. Even if Rhydon fails to become its apprentice, it's bound to learn a thing or two from it.

Learning is what truly matters; whether or not an official mentorship happens isn't as important.

Weavile, who's well-versed in the Ecopark, gave Rhydon solid advice and even promised that if he didn't gain anything from Ecopark, he could come back, and Weavile would recommend other mentors.

After leaving the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark, Rhydon returned briefly to the Mine Sub-Ecopark to bring his wife, Nidoqueen, along to meet Archeops.

Without much explanation, he dragged the somewhat confused Nidoqueen out of the Mine Sub-Ecopark.

On the way to the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark, Rhydon explained his plan to become Archeops's apprentice and even mentioned the Drilbur as his adopted children.

Upon hearing this, Nidoqueen was naturally supportive, even pleased. But when she learned she'd also be expected to train with Archeops, she couldn't help feeling nervous.

Nidoqueen was laid-back by nature and wasn't particularly ambitious about increasing her strength. However, she was used to going along with Rhydon, and so, half-willingly, she let herself be led to Archeops.

Weavile didn't just tell Rhydon where Archeops resided in the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark; he kindly provided directions to Lake Island No. 3 as well.

Just as Weavile had described, Archeops's attitude toward Rhydon and Nidoqueen was surprisingly kind. Seeing the couple's eagerness to improve, it was more than happy to guide them.

Thus, from that day forward, the couple committed to visiting the Shallow Sea Beach daily. Initially, Nidoqueen merely accompanied her husband, but upon seeing his dedication, she began to adopt a serious attitude toward training as well.

Archeops also had a Luxray undergoing behavioral adjustment training. After spending some time under its mentorship, Luxray had become much calmer and occasionally offered advice to Rhydon and Nidoqueen.

Luxray was a powerful Elite-level Pokémon. Although its type didn't exactly match the couple's, the battle experience it shared was valuable, helping them significantly.

Furthermore, ever since adopting the Drillbur as his own, Rhydon had become a stricter trainer. He no longer allowed them to spend their days goofing around.

While they had trained before, it was more generalized group training. Now, under Rhydon's guidance and with the knowledge he acquired from Archeops, he set up a customized training regimen for them.

After hearing about this, Audio had no objections. Instead, it encouraged the Drillbur to listen to Rhydon's instructions. The Drillbur, already fond of Nidoqueen, now felt even more inclined to obey.

If more incidents like this happened, managing the Ecopark would become much easier.

With Rhydon supervising them and a more systematic training plan, the Drillbur began to make rapid progress.

Rhydon soon noticed that one of the five Drillbur was improving much faster than the others. This one's abilities were noticeably superior, and Rhydon couldn't help but pay extra attention to it.

This particular Drillbur was the only one among them with an indigo potential.

As the Indigo potential Drillbur advanced, Rhydon became even more dedicated to training it. He thought, even if he failed to amount to much himself, raising Drillbur to its full potential would earn him the respect he desired.

In this sense, Rhydon's thinking aligned with Weavile's past mindset. After all, hadn't Weavile thrived thanks to Diggersby's prowess? Although they weren't yet able to challenge the top-tier Pokémon, they were certainly a force no minor player dared to provoke.

As Rhydon was busy arranging his mentorship, Yuga, after several days of flying, finally landed at the Verdanturf Town Airport.