Leaving Pallet Town

Yuga's arrival immediately caught the attention of the Rhydon. In the middle of its workout, it was so startled that it shuddered, instantly losing all interest in its activity.

When it saw that it was the Shiny Onix approaching, anger flared up in the Rhydon's eyes: Why on earth did you have to come now of all times? Couldn't you see I was busy?

Then, Yuga watched as the Rhydon stomped heavily, thumping across the ground as it charged over.

The Shiny Onix wasn't in a good mood either. After being beaten and forced to hide away to lick its wounds, it had to see that mangy beast openly courting in its own territory.

Unforgivable! It wanted to experience a sweet romance too. But as a Shiny Pokémon with a gleaming green hue, it was viewed as an ugly duckling by its own kind. Otherwise, given its strength, how could it not find a partner in these parts?

Thinking this, Onix felt a surge of frustration. It accelerated, using Double-Edge, and collided with the Rhydon.

Boom~

A loud crash echoed as the two big beasts collided head-on.

Taking advantage of this moment, Yuga activated his Insight skill to check out the Rhydon.

..

[ Rhydon ]

Type: Ground, Rock

Ability: Rock Head

Gender: Male

Potential: Green

Level: 59

Moves: Horn Attack, Fury Attack, Stomp, Heavy Slam, Breakthrough, Drill Run, Take Down, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Megahorn, Hammer Arm, Horn Drill, Dragon Rush, Stealth Rock, Earth Power.

...

As Yuga had guessed, this Rhydon that defeated the Shiny Onix was indeed a high-potential Pokémon, and its level was nearly at the Pseudo-Elite level. This was quite rare so close to human towns. It was still a mystery where it had come from.

With such strength, it wasn't surprising that it could defeat the Shiny Onix.

Even in this rematch, the Shiny Onix was no match for the Rhydon, especially since it still hadn't fully recovered from its injuries. It quickly fell in defeat once again.

Seeing this, Spoink looked eager to jump in, but Ninetales held it back with her tail: "Little one, you're not ready for this!"

With Ninetales' sharp eyes, it could easily tell that Spoink's strength was far from enough to handle the Rhydon.

Yuga gave Spoink a few comforting words, then called out Mimikyu to let it try its hand.

Seeing Yuga step in, the Shiny Onix, unable to hold its own against the Rhydon, reluctantly retreated, letting Mimikyu take its place.

Rhydon looked down at the tiny creature barely reaching its thigh with disdain: "What could this little thing possibly do?"

But in the next instant, Mimikyu suddenly vanished from its sight. When it reappeared, it was already right up in Rhydon's face.

Rhydon's eyes widened in disbelief, but before it could react, a massive green hammer appeared above its head.

Thud!

The hammer landed on Rhydon's forehead, and it fell to the ground, screaming in pain, much to the satisfaction of the nearby Onix.

As a Ground/Rock type, Rhydon was four times weak to Grass-type moves, and getting hit squarely on the forehead made it easy to imagine just how much it hurt.

Since Yuga had promised the Shiny Onix he would give Rhydon a proper lesson, there was no way Rhydon was getting off with just one hit from the hammer.

So Yuga mentally offered a moment of silence for Rhydon: To help me win over the Shiny Onix, please bear with this a little longer.

Soon, Rhydon was left lying miserably on the ground after being thoroughly beaten by Mimikyu.

To prevent Rhydon from passing out too soon, Yuga specifically instructed Mimikyu to hold back slightly, ensuring that the Shiny Onix could fully enjoy the sight.

Once Rhydon finally fainted, Yuga threw a Poké Ball and captured it.

Witnessing this, the Shiny Onix widened its eyes in disbelief: "Don't you already have me? Why would you need to capture it too?"

Yuga looked at it, puzzled. "Having you and capturing it—why would those conflict?"

Shiny Onix: ...

There was no real conflict, but something still felt off.

Yuga smiled at the Onix and said, "Now that I've caught Rhydon, you can go after it for revenge whenever you want. I'm on your side!"

After thinking it over, Shiny Onix realized, Hey, that does make sense.

"Then you have to stay on my side in the future and not help it, okay?" Shiny Onix said, naïvely.

Ninetales, watching the whole exchange, almost covered its eyes with its tails—too pure! Could this big guy really believe that kid? Ninetales had just learned a new term from humans: "heartbreaker." Apparently, this was exactly how a heartbreaker talks when they want to keep multiple lovers.

After calming the Shiny Onix, Yuga noticed Ninetales giving him a strange look and asked, "What's with you? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ninetales shook its head, feigning innocence. "Nothing, just... looking around."

Yuga: Weird.

Then Yuga turned his attention to Rhydon's partner, Nidoqueen.

...

[ Nidoqueen ]

Type: Poison, Ground

Ability: Poison Point

Gender: Female

Potential: Yellow

Level: 35

Moves:* Double Kick, Poison Sting, Fury Swipes, Superpower, Poison Tail.

...

It was just an ordinary Nidoqueen.

With its limited strength, it couldn't resist Yuga. When Yuga asked it questions, it answered honestly: it was Rhydon's mate through normal courtship and not, as Yuga had guessed, some unfaithful affair with a Nidoking.

Since it was Rhydon's mate, Yuga figured he might as well capture Nidoqueen, too. Otherwise, leaving Rhydon all alone would be rather cruel.

Seeing Yuga capture Rhydon's partner, the Shiny Onix voiced its discontent again: "I don't even have a partner—why should it have one?"

Yuga: … We're comparing that too?

"Oh, come on! You're so good-looking. One day, you'll surely find a mate—no need to envy anyone else!"

Yuga had a knack for dishing out compliments. In truth, with its green skin, Onix didn't exactly align with human aesthetics. Still, it didn't quite reach the level of being painfully unattractive, either.

"Really? Am I really good-looking?" Onix asked. This was the first time anyone had complimented its looks, and it felt overjoyed. Suddenly, Rhydon's mate didn't seem so bothersome anymore.

"Really, really! I wouldn't lie to you," Yuga said, nodding like a bobblehead.

"Well then, I won't hold a grudge," Shiny Onix said, satisfied.

From Ninetales' perspective, Yuga's smooth-talking skills were downright frightening! To Ninetales, the Shiny Onix was an eyesore, yet Yuga actually had the gall to shower it with praise. Terrifying!

Forrest, of course, didn't think too much of it. Hearing Yuga compliment Onix, he simply figured Yuga's taste in aesthetics was a bit unique. Afterward, Yuga and Forrest roamed around Mt. Hideaway, guided by Shiny Onix. Along the way, Yuga captured a few more Onix—all with yellow potential—but no more green potential ones.

It made sense; with so many Trainers passing through, even without a "lucky find" boost, the best Pokémon would still get snatched up eventually. It was already fortunate Yuga could find so many yellow-potential Onix here.

As they traveled, Yuga noticed Brock's Onix constantly munching on the soil. Curiously, he asked Forrest, "Is Mt. Hideaway's soil really that tasty?"

Forrest replied, "Of course! I often bring my brother's Onix here. Just look at how strong it's grown!"

"Yes, it does seem very strong," Yuga nodded.

After observing the Onix for so long, Yuga noticed the Onix in Mt. Hideaway had a far denser body structure than average, which not only gave them higher defense but also boosted their offensive power.

Yuga picked up a stone and inspected it closely, noticing that in the sunlight, it could reflect tiny sparkles of light—a beautiful sight.

Could this be the secret to Mt. Hideaway's unique geology?

However, he wasn't a geologist. Other than finding it aesthetically pleasing, he couldn't make much more of it.

"If the soil here is so good, doesn't anyone ever try to take it?" Yuga asked Forrest again.

If someone took Mt. Hideaway's soil, processed it a little, and sold it, it probably wouldn't be difficult to find buyers. Many Trainers with Pokémon like Onix, Golem, and Tyranitar would go out of their way to buy soil and rocks rich in special minerals for their Pokémon, and these kinds of minerals weren't cheap.

Forrest replied, "Of course people have tried, but Mt. Hideaway is under Pallet Town's jurisdiction. Even if anyone wanted to take it, they wouldn't dare; the people of Pallet Town forbid development here. And there are rangers stationed in all the nearby mountains!"

"Oh, I see!" Yuga said, understanding.

Yuga had initially considered bringing some stones back with him, but seeing this, he decided against it. With his own Mine Sub-Ecopark, he didn't need to bother with a few stones.

By late afternoon, Yuga noticed it was about time and said goodbye to Forrest before heading back to Professor Oak's lab.

When Yuga returned, Gary asked, "So, how'd it go? Any good catches?"

Yuga replied happily, "Not bad! I caught a few Onix, planning to take them back for breeding."

Their conversation eventually led to Mt. Hideaway's unique geology.

According to Gary, Professor Oak's lab had studied Mt. Hideaway a long time ago. The area's unusual geology likely resulted from a former hard rock vein.

The hard stone vein somehow shattered, scattering the minerals throughout Hideaway Mountain and causing a transformation in the soil, which created the mountain's unique environment today.

Hard stone is a rare mineral used to craft Rock-type items and is an invaluable resource for raising Rock-type Pokémon. However, since the vein was completely pulverized, extracting it again would be very costly, so the League has never pursued it.

Moreover, the preservation of the natural environment in Pallet Town is a high priority for the residents, who strongly oppose the development of Mr. Hideaway.

After chatting with Gary for a while, Yuga made a call home and transferred the newly captured Onix, Shuckle, Rhydon, and Nidoqueen, entrusting Audino with their care and housing arrangements.

The next day, Professor Oak informed Yuga that the batch of treasures he and Gary had collected had been processed, and the professor transferred Yuga's share of the funds.

The amount was substantial—over 50 million—granting Yuga an incredible windfall. Without Professor Oak's assistance, it would have been nearly impossible to handle such a large sum in such a short time.

Not only did Yuga prosper, but Gary also found himself newly wealthy. This was the first time Gary had earned such a sum himself, a distinct experience from the family wealth he had access to before.

Though, admittedly, this fortune was more or less a windfall.

Professor Oak allowed Gary to manage the money on his own. Now that he had matured a lot, he seemed well-equipped to handle his own matters.

A day later, Yuga and Windy bid farewell to Professor Oak and Gary, embarking on their journey back to Hoenn.

Gary, who had developed a close bond with Yuga over these days, felt reluctant to see him go. He urged Yuga to visit Pallet Town whenever he had the chance, and promised he would visit Hoenn sometime too.

Meanwhile, at the YoYo Day Care in Verdanturf Town, in the Mine Sub-Ecopark…

The slumbering Steelix was awakened from its nap in the field by Audino. As it emerged from the ground, it noticed Audino, who carefully explained the situation regarding the new arrivals of Pokémon before trotting off. After arranging the Onix herd, it still needed to find a place for Rhydon and Nidoqueen.

Steelix stared blankly at the dozen or so Onix before it, baffled by the situation. Wait, all of them were now its responsibility?

Its attention was immediately drawn to the shiny Onix among them. Oh my goodness, could there really be an Onix this unattractive?

However, the other Onix, including the shiny one, looked at Steelix with awe and admiration.

The largest Pokémon they had seen was the giant Onix from Mt. Hideaway, but compared to this Steelix, it paled in comparison.

The shiny Onix, thrilled, wanted to shout, "Master, please teach me!" If it could learn even a fragment of Steelix's skills, it would make Rhydon look irrelevant.

Meanwhile, Audino located a residence for Rhydon and Nidoqueen far from Tyranitar, Aggron, and Steelix—mostly to avoid any trouble for them.

When Rhydon emerged, it looked at Audino with some trepidation; not long ago, it had been scolded by Audino.

Upon receiving Rhydon and Nidoqueen, Audino had followed Yuga's instructions and administered an innovation potion to Nidoqueen.

Seeing this mysterious liquid given to his mate, Rhydon had almost tried to intervene, but Audino quickly subdued him. While Audino might not be a skilled fighter, it was still a Pokémon of Elite-level strength, making it easy to handle a pseudo Elite-level Rhydon.

Unfortunately, though the potetion improved Nidoqueen's potential, it failed to do the same for Shuckle, which left Audino disappointed. Yuga had mentioned Shuckle could make delicious berry juice.

Because of this, Audino decided not to send Shuckle to the new Ecopark like the other unsuccessful Onix but kept it close by instead.

After cautioning Rhydon to stay out of trouble, Audino left to discuss berry juice production with Shuckle.

Next to Rhydon and Nidoqueen's new home lived a group of Drilbur. The Drilbur were playfully burrowing all around, which brought out Nidoqueen's motherly instincts, as she found them absolutely adorable.

Once Nidoran evolves into Nidorina or Nidoqueen, they lose the ability to reproduce, so Rhyhorn and Nidoqueen would never be able to have biological offspring of their own.