Chapter 7: Meeting Grandpa's Pokemon

Gladion and Gwen could hardly contain their excitement as they followed their grandfather, Maren, into the sprawling backyard of the family estate. The twins had been pestering their grandpa for weeks to show them his Pokémon, and today was finally the day.

"Now, kids," Maren said, his gruff voice tinged with amusement, "I want you to remember that these two are more than just Pokémon. They're my oldest friends and comrades."

Gladion nodded solemnly, while Gwen bounced on her toes, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Maren chuckled at their contrasting reactions. "Alright, then. Come on out, you old-timers!" he called, tossing two Pokéballs into the air.

In a flash of light, two massive Pokémon materialized before them. On one side stood a Venusaur, its flower in full bloom. On the other, a battle-scarred Rhydon towered over them, its horn gleaming in the sunlight.

Gwen gasped in awe, while Gladion's eyes widened, his mind racing with the knowledge from his past life.

"Meet Venusaur and Rhydon," Maren said proudly. "We've been through thick and thin together."

The Venusaur let out a low, rumbling growl that sounded almost like a purr, while the Rhydon stomped one foot, creating a small tremor.

"Can we pet them, Grandpa?" Gwen asked, her voice filled with wonder.

Maren nodded. "Of course, but be gentle. They may look tough, but they're big softies at heart."

As the twins approached the Pokémon, Gladion couldn't help but marvel at the Rhydon. The Rhydon looked pretty strong and big compared to other Rhydons and if he evolved again,he could not image how strong he would get.

In his past life, he knew that Rhydon could evolve further into Rhyperior, but he was pretty sure that the evolution was known in this world yet. He filed that thought away for later, focusing on the present moment.

Gwen fearlessly patted Venusaur's head, giggling as one of its vines gently wrapped around her wrist. Gladion, meanwhile, cautiously approached Rhydon, placing a hand on its rocky hide.

"You know," Maren said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "these two have been with me through some wild adventures. Want to hear about one?"

The twins nodded eagerly, settling down on the grass. Gladion's curiosity was piqued, wondering what kind of story his grandfather would share.

Maren lowered himself onto a nearby bench, groaning as his joints protested. "Well, it was about forty years ago," he began, his voice taking on a storyteller's cadence. "I was exploring a newly discovered cave system near Mt. Moon with these two."

Venusaur rumbled softly, as if remembering the event, while Rhydon stomped its foot, creating a small tremor.

"We were mapping out the caves for the Pokémon League," Maren continued. "Everything was going smoothly until we stumbled upon a hidden chamber filled with angry Zubat and Golbat."

Gwen gasped, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"They swarmed us, screeching and flapping everywhere. I couldn't see a thing!" Maren chuckled, shaking his head. "That's when Venusaur here had a brilliant idea. It used Sweet Scent to calm the Zubat down."

Gladion nodded, impressed by the quick thinking.

"But here's where it gets funny," Maren continued, barely containing his laughter. "The Sweet Scent worked a little too well. Not only did it calm the Zubat, but it also attracted every Pokémon in the cave system! Suddenly, we were surrounded by curious Geodude, Paras, and even a few Clefairy!"

The twins leaned in, completely engrossed in the story.

"Now, Rhydon here decided it was time for some crowd control," Maren went on, patting Rhydon's side affectionately. "It used Rock Throw to create a makeshift barrier between us and the Pokémon horde. Good idea in theory, but..."

He burst into laughter, taking a moment to compose himself. "One of the rocks accidentally hit a stalactite, which started a chain reaction. The whole cave began to rumble and shake!"

Gwen giggled nervously, while Gladion's eyes widened, picturing the chaotic scene.

"The best part," Maren wheezed, wiping tears from his eyes, "was that all the Pokémon panicked and started running around in circles. Venusaur had to use its vines to grab me and I had to pull it back in a pokeball, and we surfed on its back through a sea of confused Pokémon to get out of there!"

By now, all three of them were laughing heartily, even Venusaur and Rhydon seeming to join in with rumbling chuckles of their own.

"Now then," Maren said, clapping his hands together, "who wants to see some of Venusaur and Rhydon's battle moves?"

The twins cheered enthusiastically, their earlier conversation temporarily forgotten in the face of the promise of action.

As Maren began demonstrating some of his Pokémon's impressive abilities, Gladion couldn't help but marvel At the strength of two Elite level Pokemon. Their strength could not be compared to the Pokemon that his mom used in her gym battles.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with excited shouts and gasps as Venusaur and Rhydon showed off their power and skill. Gwen was particularly impressed by Venusaur's Solarbeam, while Gladion found himself analyzing Rhydon's moves, wondering how they might change if it evolved into Rhyperior.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the backyard, Maren recalled his Pokémon. "Well, kids, I hope you enjoyed meeting my old partners," he said, a fond smile on his face.

"They're amazing, Grandpa!" Gwen exclaimed, her eyes shining with admiration.

Gladion nodded in agreement. "Thank you for showing them to us," he added sincerely.

Maren's smile widened. "You're welcome. And who knows? Maybe someday, you'll have partners just as special."

As they walked back to the house, Gladion's mind was buzzing with possibilities. He had so much knowledge that could potentially change the Pokémon world, but he knew he had to be careful about how he introduced it and how he took advantage of the situation.

He could start with trying to evolve Rhydon to it's final evolution.

Glancing back at Rhydon as it returned to its Pokéball, Gladion's mind raced with plans. He knew he couldn't outright reveal his knowledge of Rhyperior—that would raise too many questions. Instead, he'd have to be subtle, patient. Perhaps he could "stumble upon" the concept of trade evolutions with items in his studies.

'I'll need to be careful,' Gladion thought to himself. 'Drop hints here and there, maybe "discover" some ancient texts or ruins that point to Rhydon's further evolution. It'll take time, but I can make it happen without anyone suspecting I knew all along.'

The prospect excited him. It wasn't just about evolving one Pokémon—it was about gradually introducing knowledge that could revolutionize their understanding of Pokémon evolution and making money from it. He could help evolve other people's Rhydon for a sum too.

And Rhydon was just the beginning. There were so many other Pokémon with unknown evolutions or forms that he could "help discover" over time.

Gladion smiled to himself, already formulating a long-term plan. He'd have to be patient, play the role of the curious, studious child. But in time, he could shape the future of Pokémon research in this world, all while keeping the true source of his knowledge a closely guarded secret.