Chapter 98: Riding the Waves with Rhyperior
Chapter 98: Riding the Waves with Rhyperior
"Zeraora, Overcharged State," Ron said. "Thunderbolt!"
Zeraora let out a loud cry, its fur standing on end as countless currents of electricity surrounded it. Then it released a thick bolt of lightning that directly hit the struggling Marowak in midair.
The Marowak fell to the ground, charred black and unable to continue the battle.
Ron captured the mid-grade Marowak with a Poké Ball and said, "Experiment complete. It's not immunity; it's just very strong resistance."
Ruby nodded and jotted it down in his notebook. Rosa puffed out her chest and said, "See? I told you so."
Earlier, Ron and Ruby had been discussing the unique trait of Shedinja's Wonder Guard. They believed there were indeed type immunities—like Fairy-types being immune to Dragon-type moves, Normal and Ghost-types being immune to each other, and Ground-types being immune to Electric-type moves.
But Rosa had a different perspective. She believed nothing was completely immune to attacks; it was just a matter of attack intensity. So, Ron found a Ground-type Pokémon and had Zeraora test it out.
At first, using Thunderbolt on Marowak did no damage at all. The HP bar didn't even move. Rosa suggested it might be similar to the Lightning Rod ability, where Ground-types channel electricity into the ground.
So Ron had Zeraora knock Marowak into the air and use Thunderbolt again. This time, it had a slight effect, but barely measurable. You'd probably have to split the sliver of lost HP into dozens of parts to see it.
Afterward, Ron used a technique he and Zeraora had developed—charging up to enter the Overcharged State—to boost electric power instantly. While it did defeat Marowak, it was hardly worth the effort; the damage was still minimal.
"You were right, but was it worth it?" Ron recalled Zeraora and asked.
"What do you mean?" Rosa asked.
"I mean, why waste so much electricity to defeat a Ground-type when a single Water Gun could do the job? The effort isn't proportional to the reward. Your theory is correct, but it's not practical," Ruby said, closing his notebook.
Ron nodded. He figured that was why so many professors never bothered to mention this detail. When the damage is infinitesimally close to zero, why fuss over the exact amount? It's simpler and clearer to categorize it as immunity, saving trainers from overthinking.
Rosa looked embarrassed and said, "Alright, I was wrong."
The three continued on their journey. Ahead was a small town where they could stock up on supplies. After all, Ron had 13 Pokémon, and the food expenses were significant.
"Looks like the road ahead is blocked by a mountain," Ron said after checking the map. "According to this, we'll have to take a detour. It might delay us by two or three hours."
"A detour?" Rosa groaned. "Why don't we just dig through it? That way, future travelers will save time too. Ron, your Tyranitar can totally handle it."
Ron thought about it and realized she had a point. The blockage wasn't extensive—just about ten meters. If left to others, it might take a while to clear, but Tyranitar could chew through dirt and rocks from a young age. It shouldn't be a problem.
When they arrived at the blocked path, they saw a young girl commanding a few Pokémon to dig a tunnel. Rosa smiled and said, "Didn't expect to find a good Samaritan here."
Ron nodded. "Hello, are you also digging this tunnel to get to the next town?"
"Oh? Hi there," the girl said, turning to see the trio. "I live in a nearby village. My name is Eri. My grandma twisted her ankle, and it's hard for her to climb the mountain to get to the city for treatment. I'm digging this tunnel to make it easier for her."
"Hello, Eri. We can help!" Rosa warmly grabbed Eri's hand.
"Really? Thank you so much!" Eri said excitedly.
Ron sighed. "In the end, it's still on me."
He released Tyranitar, and they entered the tunnel Eri was digging. Noticing the Sandslash and Graveler working, Ron frowned. "This is odd. Sandslash and Graveler are supposed to be great at digging. Why is this going so slow?"
Just then, water started dripping from the ceiling, landing on the two Pokémon. The moment the drops hit them, Sandslash and Graveler bolted in fear.
The trio stood in awkward silence. Ruby coughed. "These Pokémon… you just caught them, right?"
"Yeah, I caught them specifically for digging," Eri admitted.
No wonder. Trained Pokémon wouldn't fear water so much despite type disadvantages. Only wild Pokémon unfamiliar with battles would be this scared.
"Actually, there's a Rhyperior that can dive underwater. I wanted to catch it to dig the tunnel faster, but it's too clever and keeps running away," Eri said.
"A diving Rhyperior?!" Rosa's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Seeing Rosa's expression, Ron and Ruby sighed. They knew they weren't leaving anytime soon. Last time, it was a Teddiursa in Ursaring Forest that caught her attention.
"Tyranitar, Dig. Smash the rocks you encounter," Ron ordered.
Tyranitar nodded. With powerful swings, it dug through dirt and shattered large rocks with Brick Break. Eri's Dugtrio quickly carried away the debris. Working together, they finished the tunnel in just twenty minutes.
"Thank you so much! Now my grandma can easily get to the city for treatment," Eri said gratefully.
"No problem. By the way, can you show us where the diving Rhyperior usually goes?" Ron asked, glancing at Rosa, who was clearly eager.
"Sure! I'll take you there," Eri said. "Marill, listen for Rhyperior's footsteps."
Eri released her Marill. It perked its large ears and carefully listened to the surrounding sounds.
After a moment, Marill led them to a lakeside area. Soon, they saw a single horn protrude from the water. Slowly, a Rhyperior emerged, walking toward a fruit tree to snack on some berries.
"Serperior, Mean Look. Then use Leaf Storm!" Rosa sent out her Serperior.
Mean Look prevented Rhyperior from escaping, and Leaf Storm sent it flying. With its Contrary ability, Serperior's Special Attack rose.
"Hehe, let's battle, Rhyperior! I'm going to catch you!" Rosa declared, throwing her Poké Ball.