Chapter 11: Brock's Gift

Onix's massive rocky body emitted a coarse groan of pain. The Steel-type move, double-enchanted by Newton's laws, had struck its head directly. It felt as if its entire stone head was about to shatter.

A wave of dizziness followed, momentarily alleviating the throbbing pain. Its long body swayed, and finally, it collapsed to the ground with a resounding crash.

"Return, Onix!"

Brock shot a red beam from the Poké Ball in his hand, recalling the fainted Onix, which was now curled up on the ground with swirling eyes. He looked at Aron, who appeared almost unscathed, and after a moment of hesitation, asked:

"That rock... what was it...?"

"Aron bit it off from that smashed-up rock formation when it first used Iron Head. I told it to choose a spot behind Onix, so you wouldn't notice our little trick," Kazuki replied, scratching his head. He had instructed Aron to use the falling debris to mislead Onix about its opponent's location, a tactic devised before the battle. The entire battle, and the enemy's reactions, had unfolded exactly as he'd predicted.

Kazuki was once again surprised by Aron's offensive talent. He had originally thought that, given Onix's impressive defense, Aron would need another move to finish it off. But Aron had truly achieved a one-hit KO at the crucial moment.

"Not only did you exploit Onix's habits, but you also took the entire environment of the battlefield into account..."

Hearing Kazuki's explanation, Brock couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. 

He walked down from the Gym Leader's platform, crossed the rocky field, and stood before the young man. With a tone of congratulations, he said:

"I concede. This Pewter Badge is yours."

"Eh..." Kazuki reflexively took the badge, which was engraved with a dark gray rock pattern. He hadn't quite processed it yet. "Didn't you say you'd use two Pokémon?"

Brock shook his head. "There's no need. A Gym Leader's duty is to test a trainer's ability. You were able to turn the tables on my home turf, using the environment to your advantage and achieving a beautiful victory. You've more than proven yourself as a trainer... In fact, I've learned a lot from this battle."

There was no sense of forced flattery. Brock's heartfelt praise made Kazuki feel a little overwhelmed. After all, even now, he had never considered himself worthy of the title "excellent trainer."

"From your commands earlier, I can tell you have a deep understanding of Onix, and even all Rock-type Pokémon... I'd really like to discuss this with you, but I have to take Onix to the Pokémon Center now."

A hint of regret appeared on Brock's dark-skinned face. Although he had become a Gym Leader at a young age, he didn't let it go to his head. He seemed more like a humble student.

Rock... a calm mind and unwavering will, huh?

After a moment of hesitation, Kazuki spoke up. "The Pokémon Center is quite a distance from here. I have some experience caring for Pokémon. I could give Onix some basic treatment here first."

"Really? That would be incredibly helpful!"

Oh boy! Heaven knows how those tightly shut eyes could suddenly shine so brightly. Although being stared at like that by a man made him a little uncomfortable, Kazuki couldn't back out now that he'd offered. He turned his back and brought his backpack to the front...

...

"Aron~"

The biggest contributor to Kazuki's first Gym battle let out a long yawn and nestled on Kazuki's shoulder. 

She had no interest in the discussion between her chosen man and his defeated opponent about the habits, diets, and care of Rock-type Pokémon. If it had been about learning some powerful new moves, maybe she would have been patient enough to listen.

However, just because she wasn't interested didn't mean others weren't interested in her. 

Brock looked at the small, silver-white creature on Kazuki's shoulder, once again recalling its comet-like descent from the sky.

"This Pokémon... it's called Aron, right?"

Hearing this, Kazuki, who had just finished applying ointment to Onix's massive head, turned around and replied, "Yes, it's a Pokémon from the Hoenn region. It's Rock and Steel type."

The Hoenn region? It's not a local Pokémon, no wonder I've never seen it before. But it has the Rock type in addition to Steel? Maybe I should visit the Hoenn region sometime.

Besides Rock, Brock's favorite types were Steel and Ground. With this added fondness, the more he looked at Aron, the more he thought it was a truly beautiful Pokémon. He couldn't help but reach out to stroke its smooth, hard shell.

However, Aron, who had been seemingly dozing with its eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Its threatening gaze made Brock's hand stop in mid-air. From the look in its eyes, he had no doubt that if he continued, it would bite him without hesitation.

He retracted his hand, coughed awkwardly, and cleared his throat. This was the first time Brock's affinity for Rock-type Pokémon had failed him. He couldn't help but admire Kazuki even more for being able to tame such a spirited Pokémon.

"?"

Kazuki's questioning gaze turned towards him. He strangely felt that the Rock-type Gym Leader's admiration had intensified. He hadn't said anything particularly impressive, had he?

"Ah... right! Please wait here for a moment."

Suddenly realizing that he had received so much from the other party without offering anything in return, Brock immediately got up and headed towards a room inside the Gym.

A short while later, he returned, carrying a uniquely shaped stone. It was a spherical stone with a smooth, gleaming white surface. At first glance, it looked more like a hard egg.

From the moment Kazuki saw the stone, he felt as if he were held captive by some kind of gravitational pull. His eyes couldn't leave it.

"It seems you like it, that's a relief. This is one of our family's treasures. It's said to have originally been a meteorite, although I don't know how a meteorite could look like this... But it's truly an exquisite collectible. As a token of my appreciation, please accept it."

Feeling the subtle connection between himself and the stone, Kazuki finally didn't refuse. He took the white stone into his arms.

The moment it touched his chest, a sudden palpitation arose from his heart, followed by a burning sensation from the stone. The pain almost made Kazuki instinctively throw the stone away.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing the sudden surprise on the young man's face after receiving the stone, Brock quickly asked.

"N-nothing."

Kazuki shook his head. The strange sensation had only lasted for a fleeting moment. Could it... have just been my imagination?

...

That night, after bidding farewell to Brock, Kazuki didn't immediately continue his journey. Instead, he found a suitable hotel in Pewter City to stay for the night.

On the clean, single bed, Kazuki placed the newly acquired white stone on his abdomen, his hands constantly exploring its surface. But he couldn't trigger that strange sensation again.

"After all that... it really was just a hallucination."

Laughing at himself, Kazuki looked at the two figures, one black and one white, curled up asleep together on the bed. He felt a sense of relief, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

He had rushed to Pewter City overnight, and as soon as he arrived at the Pokémon Center, Ash had dragged him straight to challenge the Gym. He hadn't rested for a single moment.

His eyelids felt heavy as lead and slowly closed. Soon, the only sound in the room was the even rhythm of his breathing.

In the darkness, the stone on Kazuki's chest emitted a faint white glow. Tiny particles of light floated upwards, coalescing into the ethereal figure of a girl in a white dress. She smiled down at Kazuki, humming an ancient and elegant melody.

The next day.

Kazuki opened his eyes and stretched comfortably. 

Last night's sleep was the most restful he'd had in years. 

It felt like lying in his mother's warm embrace, with a soothing lullaby playing in his ears.

But as his consciousness returned, he realized how strange his thoughts were. His own mother had never mastered lullabies, a standard skill for a good wife and mother. 

What was he imagining, something he'd never experienced?

Shaking his head, he habitually looked to his side. Suddenly, his body froze. He didn't see the two familiar figures.

He leaped out of bed, not bothering to change his clothes. He rushed out of the room and, after stopping several hotel staff members to ask, he arrived at an open area behind the hotel.

There, he finally saw Hei struggling with a piece of rotten wood, and Aron, who was tapping the ground with its iron feet, a look of impatience in its eyes.

"Are you... training?"

Hearing Kazuki's voice, Hei immediately spat out the wood and happily leaped into the young man's arms.

"Woof~ Big Sis is teaching me Crunch~"

Teaching you Crunch? That's definitely a move Poochyena can learn... Wait, why are you calling Aron "Big Sis"? Is she really older than you?

His gaze shifted to Aron's position. 

The silver-white head rolled its eyes in a very human-like manner. "This stupid dog has been learning all morning and hasn't made any progress. It's completely hopeless!"

Seeing that the two little ones were fine, Kazuki relaxed and said cheerfully, "It's okay~ Learning new moves takes time. Be patient, Aron."

"Um, excuse me... Are you talking to your Pokémon?" A surprised girl's voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

What's so strange about that? After spending a long time with Pokémon, you can understand their intentions through body language. That should be basic for both trainers and breeders.

He was about to reply like that, but when Kazuki stood up, he froze—

Oh, right! Was I... just able to understand what Hei and them were saying?