Chapter 6: This Aron Even Legal?

"Alright, I'm fine now, aren't I?" Kazuki stroked the fur around Hei's neck, the soft, warm texture making it hard to stop. By now, his mind had cleared up a bit, and the memories from before he lost consciousness came flooding back.

I really didn't expect to survive that…

Just thinking about what had happened sent a chill down Kazuki's spine. Brushing shoulders with death wasn't a pleasant experience. If it hadn't been for the poacher absorbing most of the impact, he probably wouldn't have made it until the police arrived.

Speaking of the poacher… Kazuki wasn't worried about his well-being, but rather whether he was truly dead. In his ten years of life, that scumbag was the first person who made Kazuki feel such intense anger and hatred just by remembering his face.

But given his own condition… Although his limbs were now free to move, his back still burned with pain. He wasn't sure if the rock fragments had been fully removed. As for that bastard, even if he survived, he probably wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Awoo?" Seeing his young master suddenly frown, Hei nuzzled him curiously.

"...Why am I even thinking about that guy?" Kazuki lifted Hei's front paws and rubbed the soft pads, immediately pushing all thoughts of the poacher out of his mind. His mood lifted instantly.

Suddenly, Kazuki felt something hard gently bump against his waist. Looking down, he saw that the Aron had somehow climbed onto his hospital bed.

"Huh? You're still here?" Kazuki blurted out.

Whether it was his imagination or not, Kazuki could've sworn he saw a vein pop on the Aron's silver-white head. The next moment, the Aron charged full force into his side.

"Wait… Ouch! That hurts!"

Damn it, that almost took out my kidney! Kazuki clutched his side, wincing in pain, and shot a resentful look at the Aron.

"Is this how you treat your savior? I'm seriously injured here!"

The Aron responded with a cold, unimpressed glare.

"So, what do you want now? The guy who was hunting you is either dead or captured. You're free to go wherever you want."

A metallic clinking sound rang out as the Aron raised its head, locking eyes with Kazuki. Staring into those deep blue eyes, Kazuki seemed to understand something.

"Are you… saying you want to stay with me?"

The Aron nodded slightly.

"Should I shout something like, 'I caught an Aron!' or something? Nah, that's way too embarrassing…" Kazuki muttered, scratching his chin. He didn't seem to notice the indescribable joy and excitement bubbling up inside him.

"Anyway, let's get along from now on, Aron." Kazuki smiled and extended his hand toward the silver-white creature. For some reason, seeing that sunny smile made the Aron feel a little dazed. Before it knew it, one of its feet was resting on Kazuki's palm.

The Aron quickly retracted its foot, returning to its usual indifferent expression.

"Hmm… Since we're partners now, it's not great to keep calling you Aron. You're all silver-white, which pairs nicely with Hei…"

Hearing Kazuki's words, the Aron felt a sense of foreboding. Seeing the boy's smug expression, it silently turned its head toward Kazuki's waist.

"I've got it! I'll call you Shiro… Hey, hey, don't charge at me again! I told you it hurts!"

---

"You must never try to handle such dangerous situations on your own again. You're just a child, and this kind of thing is far too dangerous for you, understand?"

Officer Jenny, her green hair tied back, lectured Kazuki sternly. The boy in front of her could only nod repeatedly. Kazuki's recovery speed had surprised everyone. In just two days, all his bandages had been removed, and he was ready to set off on his journey again.

As for the two little ones, they sat on either side of him—one black, one white. The Aron had ultimately rejected the name "Shiro." Although it had decided to stay with Kazuki, it wasn't exactly obedient.

Another unexpected development was that the Aron was also a staunch "anti-Poké Ball" advocate. This was a bit of a problem… While the little guy wasn't very big, it was surprisingly heavy. If it evolved into an Aggron, it would be far too bulky to walk around in public.

But that wasn't something Kazuki needed to worry about right now. Given the resources needed for Aron to evolve, it would be a long time before that happened…

"By the way, Officer Jenny, did you manage to catch that poacher?"

"Well, 'catch' isn't exactly the right word…" Officer Jenny's expression turned strange. "By the time we arrived, the guy was already… let's just say, not in one piece. At first, we couldn't even identify him."

"But after sending you to the hospital, we searched the area and found a truck loaded with illegally captured Pokémon from other regions. After matching the keys we found on him, we confirmed his identity… As for those poor Pokémon, the League will coordinate with other regions to return them."

"That's good to hear." Kazuki finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"However, there's one more thing you need to be careful about," Officer Jenny said, her expression turning serious again. "That poacher was likely planning to make a deal in Viridian City. Since that deal fell through, the buyer in Viridian City might try to find out who ruined their business."

"If you're not planning to stay in Viridian City for long, it's best to leave as soon as possible…"

---

At the Pokémon Center, Kazuki looked at the workers busily moving things around and muttered suspiciously, "I didn't come to the wrong place, did I?"

It was no wonder he felt this way. Compared to the Pokémon Centers he was familiar with, this one looked far too简陋, almost like a temporary setup.

"Ahem, there was a bit of an accident recently, so the Pokémon Center is being rebuilt. Please don't mind the mess…" Nurse Joy, her pink hair tied in twin tails, explained awkwardly as she led Kazuki to the communication device.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Kazuki nodded and stepped forward, dialing a number on the phone. Soon, the screen lit up.

"Long time no see, Professor Oak," Kazuki greeted the energetic old man on the screen.

"Oh, Kazuki! You've made it to Viridian City too?"

"Too?"

"Yes, among the kids from Pallet Town, you're probably the last to reach Viridian City. Even Ash called me the day before yesterday. He should be in Viridian Forest by now."

Ash made it here already? That's a bit surprising. I remember his sense of direction isn't great… Oh well, that's not important right now.

"Professor, could you help me get in touch with my parents? I promised I'd call them once I reached Viridian City."

"Of course. Genta's been asking about you several times." With that, Professor Oak left the screen. After about ten minutes, a familiar stubbled face appeared.

"You brat, what took you so long? Did you get into trouble?"

"Relax, Dad. I just made some new friends, so it took a bit longer." Kazuki had no intention of telling them about the poacher. To quickly change the subject, he picked up Hei from his side. As for the Aron… before Kazuki could say anything, it had already climbed onto his shoulder.

"Oh, Hei looks lively too. And your new partner… so it's this Aron, huh?"

Genta's eyes scanned the Aron's silver body, then he nodded in approval. "Not bad. By the way, I think there's a Gym in Viridian City…"

"Stop right there!" Knowing his dad was about to try pushing him back onto the dark path of being a trainer, Kazuki quickly interrupted. "I already checked out the Viridian City Gym. It's closed."

"Closed?" Genta looked surprised.

"Yeah, the Gym Leader must be away or something. So you can give up on that idea."

Surprisingly, Genta accepted the explanation without further questions and instead urged Kazuki to head to the next city as soon as possible.

"...I'll set off soon. By the way, Dad, where's Mom?"

"Oh, her? She's been experimenting with new recipes lately. Ever since you left, she's been dragging the townsfolk into being her taste testers." At the mention of Shiya, Genta's eyebrow twitched. He didn't dare go home before sunset these days, afraid of being ambushed for a taste test.

"That sounds terrifying…" Kazuki shuddered slightly, the trauma from being a past victim still fresh in his mind.

"Alright, let's talk again when you reach Pewter City. Good luck on the rest of your journey." Before Kazuki could respond, the screen went dark.

With that, the last thing on his to-do list was done. Now it was time to head to Pewter City, right? Kazuki turned his head, and the Aron on his shoulder looked at him at the same time.

Wait, there was one more thing—he hadn't asked the Aron what moves it knew. Even if he didn't plan to become a trainer, the recent events had proven that battles were unavoidable. Knowing his new partner's moves was essential.

"Can you show me all the moves you know, Aron?"

The Aron nodded its hard head and jumped down from Kazuki's shoulder, landing on the floor with a heavy thud.

"Hei knows Tackle, Sand Attack, Bite, and Thief. Aside from Thief, they're all pretty basic moves… As for Aron, I'm guessing it's all offensive moves, right?"

Based on his impression of the Aron's personality, Kazuki made an educated guess. And sure enough, the moves the Aron demonstrated were all about pure, unrelenting force.

"Tackle, Iron Head, and Crunch… huh?" Kazuki recognized each move based on what he'd learned from Professor Oak, but something felt off.

Reciting the move names in his head again, Kazuki's eyes widened in shock as he turned to his Aron.

"Wait, how the hell do you know Crunch?!"