POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

Rax let Beldum freely absorb the indigo tungsten ore. At this stage, Beldum had no bottleneck—what it needed most was energy replenishment.

Approaching the rock wall, Rax examined it closely. The indigo tungsten ore protruded like small clusters, standing out against the stone. The gnaw marks on the wall were unmistakably Steelix's handiwork.

Rax glanced at the subdued Steelix lying on the ground. Though clearly awake, it was pretending to sleep—a sign of cowardice.

After some deliberation, Rax tossed a Poké Ball and captured it. The ball shook fiercely before finally settling.

Steelix's strength was decent, but it overlapped too much with the future role of Metagross. Furthermore, this Steelix lacked fighting spirit and relied heavily on accelerated growth through ore consumption.

"Better to trade it for points," Rax decided. "I'll need plenty for Marowak's training."

---

Just then, a dazzling blue light erupted from Beldum.

Rax turned to see the Pokémon evolving, its form shifting into the outline of Metang.

But the evolutionary process didn't stop there.

"What's going on?" Rax muttered, his delight giving way to confusion.

A mysterious voice echoed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine:

"Evolving already? Very well. I owe you this one."

Suddenly, pink and purple mist radiated from Rax's head, enveloping the evolving Beldum.

"Who are you?!" Rax demanded, swiping at the mist to no avail.

The voice chuckled softly. "Do not fret. Your partner has received a boon from me. We shall meet again someday."

The mist receded as the evolutionary light intensified, breaking through its veil.

When the glow finally faded, a shining silver Metang floated before Rax.

---

skiploom curiously circled its newly evolved teammate. Metang's golden claws glinted as it floated forward, gently embracing Rax.

"Finally evolved, huh? There's a lot more to teach you now," Rax said, patting its metallic arm.

Metang let out an electronic hum, "Bzzt~"

Rax released Marowak as well, giving it a chance to meet Metang. Marowak tapped Metang's arm with its bone club—a gesture of recognition.

"You must've learned some new moves," Rax said. "Show me!"

---

Excited, Metang turned its attention to the nearby rock wall.

Extending its golden claws, Metang struck the wall with a glowing Metal Claw, carving deep grooves into the stone as if slicing butter.

Next, its eyes glimmered with pink and purple light as it levitated surrounding rocks with Psychic energy. Stones floated effortlessly, twisting and turning in mid-air.

The display of power impressed Rax, though he noted it seemed unusually potent.

Suddenly, Metang flashed with silver light and shot across the cavern, smashing a boulder with a swift Bullet Punch.

Not stopping there, Metang's arms turned black as it swung them in the air. Rax recognized the move.

"Pursuit?" he asked.

Metang nodded before retracting its arms into a thruster-like form. Pink and purple energy surrounded its body as it rammed into another boulder, shattering it with Zen Headbutt.

Finally, Metang activated Magnet Rise, its body sparking with electricity as it floated even more gracefully.

---

Rax assessed the evolved Pokémon:

[Shiny Metang]

Ability: Clear Body

Level: High Novice

Moves: Tackle, Iron Head, Metal Claw, Bullet Punch, Psychic, Zen Headbutt, Magnet Rise

Personality: Reckless, but loyal

With all three of his Pokémon—Metang, Marowak, and skiploom—at high novice levels, Rax felt a surge of pride. His team was growing stronger.

---

Attention turned back to the indigo tungsten ore. From the evidence, Steelix had unearthed it independently, meaning no other parties were involved.

Without the resources of an organization like the Devon Corporation, Rax relied on Metang's sensitivity to metals and its claws for mining.

"Let's get to work!"

Metang carved chunks of ore with ease, while Marowak separated the indigo tungsten from ordinary rock using its bone club. Rax collected the refined ore into his space backpack.

skiploom used Aromatherapy and Grassy Terrain to keep the team energized.

For a week, the team mined tirelessly, the sound of claws and bone on stone echoing through the cave.

---

By the end, Rax stood covered in dust, his backpack full of ore. Metang, though relentless in its efforts, was still working diligently.

"This is too much for one person," Rax muttered. "I need someone to take over."

There was only one logical candidate.

Picking up his communicator, Rax called Steven Stone.

"You're going to love this haul."

Steven's voice came through the receiver, amused. "Did you find another meteorite or something?"

"...You'll see."