POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

Rock Tomb combined with Rock Slide created an almost impenetrable barrier, effectively halting Cubone's advance.

But Cubone wasn't just a close-range fighter—it was also a sharpshooter!

Spotting a gap in the rocky blockade, Cubone locked eyes on Lairon and hurled its bone club without hesitation.

The bone club flew true, whistling through the air before striking Lairon squarely on the head.

Bang!

Once.

Bang!

Twice.

The rocks from Rock Slide cascaded down simultaneously, burying Cubone under the debris.

Smoke and dust clouded the area, obscuring everyone's view, but moments later, the sound of movement could be heard.

"Kara!"

Cubone emerged from the rubble, letting out a triumphant cry. Its hard skull had shielded it from the worst of the falling rocks, leaving it with only minor scratches.

Across the battlefield, Lairon was in bad shape. Two deep dents marred its steel-plated head, and it winced visibly. The fourfold disadvantage to ground attacks left it shaken with every strike.

Cubone picked up its bone club, now glowing faintly with energy, and launched it again without hesitation.

Bone Boomerang!

The green shimmer of Protect enveloped Lairon, the shield absorbing the attack. The bone club returned to Cubone's grasp, but it didn't stop. Charging forward, Cubone kept pressing the attack.

Lairon, visibly slowing, tried to fend off Cubone with repeated Rock Tombs, but the nimble Pokémon dodged each one.

Seeing Cubone closing in again, Lairon's frustration boiled over. Its body glowed orange as it lunged forward with Take Down.

Boom!

The collision sent Cubone flying, tumbling across the ground before coming to a stop.

Both Pokémon were visibly exhausted. Cubone shakily got back on its feet, clutching its bone club, while Lairon stood motionless for a moment before collapsing with a loud thud. Its eyes swirled in defeat.

"Hah..." Rax let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "That was way too close."

He knew that without the massive type advantage, Lairon's combination of Rock Tomb and Rock Slide could've easily ended the fight. Even with the advantage, it had taken two bone club strikes and a Bone Boomerang to bring the armored Pokémon down.

---

As Lairon's herd surrounded their fallen leader protectively, Rax quickly sprayed Cubone's wounds with a potion. "You were amazing out there, buddy!"

"Kara." Cubone picked up its bone club, nodding calmly, though the glint in its eyes betrayed its excitement. It was clear the battle had been thrilling for it.

Meanwhile, Beldum hovered around Cubone, circling it with what seemed like admiration—or perhaps just its usual mischief.

Rax approached the Lairon herd cautiously, holding out two Oran Berries. "Here, for your leader. To help him recover faster."

Placing the berries on the ground, Rax backed away with Cubone and Beldum.

The Aron were wary at first, hesitating to approach, but one brave Aron eventually stepped forward. It grabbed the berries and fed them to Lairon, bit by bit.

Lairon stirred awake, groaning softly. It glanced at Rax and his Pokémon, noting their retreating stance. A flicker of respect crossed its eyes as it stood, albeit shakily.

After calling out to one of the Aron, Lairon led its herd back into the shadows of the cave. The chosen Aron stayed behind, watching Rax warily before demonstrating the Iron Head technique.

"Go on," Rax instructed. "And no bullying it!" His words were meant more for Beldum, who he knew wasn't as innocent as it looked.

---

Training began in earnest.

The steel-type move Iron Head was a great addition to Cubone's arsenal, providing coverage against Ice and Fairy types. Despite not relying on its bone club for the move, Cubone's innate strength allowed it to perform well.

For Beldum, the move was a natural fit. Already prone to ramming into things, Iron Head felt like an upgrade that elevated its recklessness to a new level. Rax couldn't help but pity the other Pokémon in the cave.

Three days passed quickly.

Beldum mastered Iron Head with startling speed, its proficiency almost unnatural. Cubone, on the other hand, had only managed a 50% success rate with the move. As a pure ground-type, learning a steel-type skill proved challenging.

Rax adjusted Cubone's diet to include steel-type energy blocks and decided not to push it too hard. After all, even experienced trainers like Ash often relied on incremental progress through battle.

---

Saying goodbye to the Lairon herd, Rax resumed exploring the cave with Cubone and Beldum.

Despite Beldum's guidance, much of the cave remained uncharted—it had been newly born and hadn't ventured far.

Rax adopted a systematic approach, exploring each path one by one and marking them to avoid repetition. They fought Pokémon they could handle, fled from stronger ones, and captured valuable ones to trade for resources.

Still, Rax avoided the Lairon herd, as promised. Though he hadn't captured any Aron or Lairon before, he knew better than to provoke a group that could easily overwhelm them.

Most Aron were timid by nature, but Rax understood the dangers of cornering such Pokémon. Their collective fury, while rare, could be catastrophic.

For now, Rax focused on training his team and uncovering the mysteries of the cave, preparing for whatever challenges lay ahead.