CHAPTER 99

After capturing the Iron Dumbbell, Aoki suddenly recalled the Shiny Capsule he had received earlier. He strongly suspected that Fan Tong had anticipated that he would obtain this Iron Dumbbell and had specifically given him the Shiny Capsule for it.

Since the capsule was an exclusive item, Aoki decided to use it on Iron Dumbbell immediately. As soon as the capsule activated, the Steel/Psychic-type Pokémon emitted a faint glow.

When Aoki released it again, Kamizrei was stunned.

"Aoki… why did its color change?" Kamizrei asked in surprise, staring at the transformed Pokémon.

The Iron Dumbbell, which was previously its usual silvery-blue color, had now turned platinum—a Shiny Metang's unique hue.

Aoki's gaze sharpened as he quickly used his system to check its details.

Name: Iron Dumbbell (Shiny)

Type: Steel/Psychic

Abilities: Clear Body, Light Metal

Strength: Advanced

Potential: Champion

Moves: Confusion, Zen Headbutt, Iron Head, Iron Defense

Egg Move: Teleport

Aoki's eyes widened in excitement. Not only had the Iron Dumbbell become Shiny, but it had also gained dual abilities and increased in potential. This Pokémon was now on par with his Crustle, another powerful Pokémon in his team.

He immediately decided—this Pokémon needed to be trained seriously. His goal was to raise it to the level of Steven Stone's Metagross, which was a Champion-level powerhouse.

With a slight smirk, Aoki turned to Kamizrei. "Oh, this? This is actually the Iron Dumbbell's real form. It seems like its appearance was concealed before."

Kamizrei was puzzled but didn't dwell on it too much.

Encounter with Tetsuya

Not long after Aoki left the cave, he encountered Tetsuya once again.

Tetsuya had heard the explosive sound of Solar Beam earlier and had rushed over, eager to see what had caused such a powerful attack.

"Aoki… Did you capture a Pokémon just now?" Tetsuya asked hesitantly.

He was nervous—he had been searching for that Iron Dumbbell for three days, and the thought of someone else capturing it made his heart sink.

"Oh, I was planning to go after a Steelix, but I ended up running into an Iron Dumbbell and decided to catch it," Aoki said casually.

Tetsuya's face stiffened. He had worked so hard to locate the Pokémon, only for Aoki to swoop in and take it.

"…Iron Dumbbell?" He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Three days of effort—gone.

But after glancing at Aoki's calm expression, he knew that challenging him would be pointless. Aoki was simply too strong, and he wasn't confident he could win against him in a battle.

At the very least, he wanted one last look at the Pokémon he had been chasing for so long.

"Can I at least see it?" Tetsuya asked, trying to suppress his frustration.

"Sure," Aoki replied without hesitation.

He pulled out the Poké Ball and lightly tossed it. The platinum-colored Iron Dumbbell appeared, its metallic body shimmering brilliantly under the light.

"…It's Shiny?"

Tetsuya's eyes widened in shock. Then, unexpectedly, his expression changed from frustration to excitement.

"This… This isn't the Iron Dumbbell I was looking for!" He suddenly laughed.

Aoki narrowed his eyes slightly.

"There's only one reason why I'm so happy," Tetsuya continued. "Because if this isn't my Iron Dumbbell, then mine is still out there waiting for me to find it!"

Without wasting another second, Tetsuya turned and ran off, determined to continue his search.

Aoki watched him go, the corners of his lips curling into a slight smirk.

That's your Iron Dumbbell… You just don't know it.

Kamizrei, who had been quietly observing, sighed. "Tetsuya sure is… optimistic."

Aoki shrugged. "Let's not remind him. If he wants to believe his Iron Dumbbell is still out there, let him be happy."

Kamizrei couldn't help but feel sorry for Tetsuya.

That was your Iron Dumbbell, but too bad—you'll never realize it.

Deeper into Steel Valley

With the Iron Dumbbell captured, Aoki no longer had a reason to stay. He turned and continued deeper into Steel Valley, with Kamizrei following closely behind.

Along the way, they encountered various Steel-type Pokémon, but none of them had sufficient potential to warrant catching.

Now that Aoki had a future Metagross, ordinary Steel-types no longer interested him.

Finally, after a long trek, Aoki arrived at the deepest part of Steel Valley.

And there, he saw a massive Pokémon that instantly caught his attention.

"I finally found you." Aoki smirked. "But you're… not as strong as I expected."

Before him stood the Overlord of Steel Valley—a Steelix.

Name: Steelix

Type: Steel/Ground

Ability: Rock Head

Strength: Quasi-Elite

Potential: Quasi-Elite

Aoki's expression remained calm.

This Pokémon was indeed powerful, but its potential wasn't high enough. It had yet to reach Elite-level, which meant its growth limit was questionable.

Still, Aoki wasn't about to waste an opportunity.

A golden treasure chest was near the Steelix, and Aoki wasn't leaving without it.

"Well then… It's been a while since we battled, Greninja."

Aoki threw a Poké Ball, and Greninja emerged in a flash of blue energy.

The Water/Dark-type Pokémon landed gracefully, its sharp eyes locked onto Steelix. The size difference was enormous, but Greninja remained completely unfazed.

Being big doesn't mean you can win.

"Greninja—Hydro Pump!"

Greninja leaped into the air, gathering water energy before launching a powerful jet at Steelix.

Steelix knew its weakness and attempted to block rather than dodge. Its tail glowed white, using Iron Tail to counter the attack.

The collision caused an explosion, but Steelix remained standing.

"Not bad…" Aoki muttered. "But, Greninja—use Agility, then Water Shuriken!"

Greninja's speed drastically increased, dashing around Steelix in a blur of motion before unleashing several spinning water blades.

Steelix couldn't react in time.

The Water Shuriken struck directly, causing Steelix to roar in pain.

With anger burning in its eyes, the massive serpent opened its mouth and unleashed a purple beam—

"Dragon Breath?" Aoki's eyes gleamed.

This Steelix has potential after all…

But he wasn't about to lose.

"Greninja, Double Team—then Hydro Pump, once more!"

As multiple Greninja illusions surrounded Steelix, the battle was about to reach its climax.

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