Gladion followed two wary Golem up the rocky slopes of Mt.Moon with his Blastoise.
His psychic aura hummed, senses sharp, as he processed the task ahead: confronting the Steelix that had driven the Golem and their kin from their caves. Gladion wanted the metal that the Onix has used to evolve into a steelix for himself. But first, the Steelix had to go.
Gladion knew Steelix were a far cry from their Onix kin. While Onix were calm, even docile in the wild, Steelix were aggressive, territorial beasts, their steel-clad bodies honed by evolution into living fortresses which gave them immense strength against other Pokemon. This sometimes goes to their head and makes them think they are superior and unbeatable. Certainly, they would not just leave even if Gladion asked politely.
'This one's got a prime habitat—a metal caves, rich with minerals, perfect for growing stronger for a steelix.' His psychic mind churned, calculating. 'It won't leave willingly—not when it's claimed the best spot. If I want that mine, the Steelix has to be gone… permanently.'
Killing a wild Pokémon wasn't his first choice, but the stakes were clear: a territorial Steelix would disrupt his mining plans and if left alone the steelix might just help his fellow Onixes to evolve. This would endanger rangers, and destabilize the region.
'No mercy for a threat like that. The mine's mine, and I'm not sharing. Besides, this is not the first time that I have killed Pokemon in the past few years.' Gladion thought
The Golem halted at the cave's entrance, a yawning maw of jagged stone, their rocky forms trembling as they gestured inside.
"Stay here," Gladion told them, his voice firm, psychic senses brushing their fear. The Golem nodded, rolling back to safer ground, clearly relieved to avoid the Steelix's wrath.
Gladion closed his eyes, his psychic powers expanding, scanning the cave network. What he sensed made his smirk widen into a full-blown grin.
'Jackpot.' The caves were laced with massive metal deposits—veins of rare alloys glinting in his mind's eye, stretching deep into the mountain and beneath the cave floor.
'This isn't just a deposit—it's a motherlode, bigger than I hoped.' His thoughts danced with glee.
'First patrol, and I stumble into a fortune? I should cruise around on Eldergreen more often—maybe next time I'll trip over Team Rocket's secret warehouse, stuffed with rare Pokemon and TMs, just begging to be plundered by me!' He chuckled, picturing himself waltzing into a Rocket hideout, Zeus zapping grunts while he swiped their loot.
But the cave's instability tempered his excitement. 'A full-on brawl with a Steelix could collapse this place, burying my future profits.'
Teleporting out with Hydros and his team was easy for him but a cave-in would lock the metal away for years.
'Not happening.' He needed precision, control. "Time for backup," he muttered, tossing another Poké Ball.
A flash revealed Ultron, his Metagross, a gleaming steel-psychic titan. Gladion smiled as he looked at his Metagross whom he got as a Beldum after winning the junior league. His first psychic Pokemon and Gladion was quite happy that he was now had Pokemon of the same type as his aura.
Its red eyes glowed, its psychic voice crisp and subservient.
[Ultron reporting, Master Gladion. How may I serve?] Gladion grinned, patting its metallic hide.
'I should have never told him about AIs from Marvel. But it kinda feels nice.' Gladion thought before responding
"Need your brainpower, buddy—restraining a Steelix, keep this cave intact." Ultron's eyes pulsed, [Affirmative. Target will be neutralized.]
Gladion scanned the cave again, his psychic senses pinpointing the Steelix—a massive, coiling presence deep within. He focused, his aura flaring, and teleported with Hydros in a blink, reappearing in a vast chamber lit by faint mineral glows. Ultron followed, its own psychic teleport seamless.
The Steelix, sensing intruders, unleashed a bone-rattling roar, its serpentine body—longer than three Gyarados end-to-end—rearing up, steel segments glinting. Its eyes burned with territorial fury, but Gladion was unfazed, his psychic calm absolute. "No need for a welcome, big guy," he said, raising a hand. "Ultron, Psychic—lock it down."
Ultron's eyes blazed, and a psychic field enveloped the Steelix, freezing it mid-coil. The beast thrashed, tail lashing, but Ultron's power was ironclad, holding it like a vice. [Target immobilized,] Ultron reported, its voice eerily calm.
Gladion nodded, turning to Hydros. "Your turn, buddy—Hydro Cannon, full power, but aim tight on the Steelix not on the roof. We're not collapsing my future bank account."
Hydros snorted, [Got it, boss—no cave-wrecking, just Steelix-smashing.] His cannons whirred, water surging within, and he unleashed a Hydro Cannon—a high-pressure torrent that slammed into the Steelix's steel-clad hide.
The impact echoed, cracking the beast's armor, water exploiting gaps where the wild evolution had left uneven plating. The Steelix roared in agony, its steel skin splintering under the relentless assault.
Gladion watched, his psychic senses tracking the Steelix's fading strength. Hydros paused as he noticed the already fainted steelix and looked at Galdion to ask if he was to continue.
Gladion's expression hardened, his voice cold. "End it." Hydros didn't hesitate, redirecting his cannons to the Steelix's exposed rocky underbelly—less armored, vulnerable to water.
Hydros growled, firing a final Hydro Cannon. The blast pierced the softer stone where the iron was not covering it. Since the steelix got his metal coan on it's own, it couldn't cover itself properly with it and this led to some gaps in it's steel defense which were still rock.
The water flooded critical weak points at a high pressure and the Steelix collapsed, lifeless, its massive body thudding against the cave floor.
Gladion exhaled, his psychic aura steady. No room for sentimentality—threat's gone, mine's secure for now.'
Water pooled around the Steelix's body, threatening to flood the chamber. Gladion snapped his fingers. "Ultron, clean-up duty. Teleport the body out—dump it somewhere far. Then siphon the water, keep this place dry."
Ultron's eyes glowed, [Processing… Body disposal and water removal initiated.] With a psychic pulse, the Steelix's corpse vanished, teleported to Arceus-knows-where. Ultron returned with another teleport
He used psychic to lift the water funneling it out through the cave's entrance, leaving the chamber pristine.
Gladion surveyed the glittering metal veins, his grin returning.
'Mine's all mine now. Time for the next step. Dealing with the league and the greedy bastards.'
---Author Notes------
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