"How could it be an Aron? And how did it get stuck in an Onix's tail?"
Aron was already a very rare Pokémon. Now not only had one appeared before Leon's eyes, but it had done so in this peculiar way.
Leon had many questions in his mind, but there was no time to dwell on them. The immediate priority was figuring out how to remove the Aron from the Onix's body.
"Bounsweet, try releasing your fragrance."
Leon attempted to use Bounsweet's aroma to calm the Onix. However, the intense pain was not something that could be soothed by mere fragrance. Even though Bounsweet had released all the fragrance it could muster, the Onix remained agitated.
"Good job. You can rest now."
Seeing how wilted the Bounsweet in his arms had become, Leon knew it had truly given its all.
"Boun boun..."
Bounsweet's voice had grown weak. It was completely drained.
"Calming the Onix is impossible. Is there another way to restrain its movements? Wait... I think I actually have something for this."
Leon suddenly remembered an item he had obtained from the lottery yesterday—the Sticky Glob. Wasn't this thing meant to restrict a Pokémon's movements?
Thinking of this, Leon quickly took out a Sticky Glob. Fortunately, he hadn't claimed all his rewards at the time.
According to the system's rules, rewards from tasks and lotteries could be stored indefinitely within the system interface. They could be retrieved anytime, anywhere, and the quantity retrieved could be decided by the user.
However, once taken out, they could not be stored back in the system. Therefore, Leon only retrieved rewards when he needed them, effectively using the system as a storage space.
Holding the Sticky Glob in his hand, Leon wasn't entirely sure if it would work on the Onix, but he had no other options.
He threw the Sticky Glob at the Onix with all his strength.
The glob traced a graceful arc through the air before landing squarely on the Onix. Seeing his successful throw, Leon pumped his fist in excitement. All those hours playing dodgeball as a kid hadn't been wasted.
Upon impact, the Sticky Glob burst open, spreading a white, viscous substance all over the Onix's body. The Onix's movements visibly slowed.
Seizing the opportunity, Leon approached the tail section and located the Aron wedged in the crevice. He grabbed Aron's body with both hands and pulled with all his might, but it was no use. The Aron didn't budge.
Of course, it made sense. If the Onix's frantic thrashing hadn't dislodged it, Leon's scrawny frame certainly wouldn't be able to yank it free.
Scyther and Bounsweet wanted to help, but between the two of them, they couldn't even muster a proper pair of hands. They could only watch anxiously from the sidelines.
As the Onix began to break free from the Sticky Glob's effects, a sudden idea flashed through Leon's mind.
"Why am I so stupid? Did I catch it from that player named Wind?"
Leon pulled out a Poké Ball and lobbed it straight at Aron's rear.
A red light flashed, and the Aron was sucked into the Poké Ball. It hit the ground, wobbled a few times, then emitted a ding sound.
"Huh? It was caught just like that?"
This outcome took Leon by surprise. His original plan had been to capture the Aron in the Poké Ball, let the ball drop to the ground, and then have the Aron break free, thus freeing it without all the effort.
He had even prepared to sacrifice one Poké Ball, but unexpectedly, the capture had succeeded.
It seemed that being stuck in the crevice for so long had drained Aron's stamina, making it easy to catch.
Meanwhile, the Onix, no longer feeling pain in its tail, realized that the human before it had helped. It lowered its head and let out a soft growl, as if expressing gratitude.
"Just a verbal thanks? No actual reward?" Leon joked with a smile.
But the Onix took him seriously. It motioned for Leon to wait, then turned and left.
Before long, it returned, spitting out several rocks it had been holding in its mouth.
"Are these... gold nuggets? And a Moon Stone, a Dusk Stone... even a Grass Gem?"
Leon stared in astonishment at the assortment of stones laid out before him. He never expected the Onix to have such a collection of valuable items.
Seeing Leon hesitate, the Onix nudged the stones forward with its head.
These were all rocks it had dug up during its tunneling. It didn't know what they were for, but they looked nice, so it had kept them. Now it wanted to give them to this human as thanks, though it wasn't sure if he'd like them.
Leon certainly liked these "rocks," but his conscience wouldn't allow it. The Onix might not know their value, but he did.
"I was really just joking earlier. I didn't help you expecting a reward. You should take these back."
Leon refused with genuine sincerity.
But the Onix wouldn't listen. Instead, it blocked the path with its body, as if to say, If you don't take them, you're not leaving this mountain.
Faced with this stubbornness, Leon was at a loss. This Onix was unbelievably obstinate.
With no other choice, Leon compromised.
"Fine, let's meet halfway. I'll accept your thanks, but this is too much. I'll just take one. Nod if you agree. If not, I'll stay here with you."
The Onix looked at Leon's resolute expression and reluctantly nodded.
"That's more like it. Now, let's see what to pick..."
Before he could decide, the Bounsweet in his arms suddenly wriggled free and began rubbing its face against the Grass Gem, eyes filled with longing.
"Boun!"
"You're a clever one, picking something useful for yourself."
Seeing Bounsweet's hopeful gaze, Leon could only sigh in resignation. What could he do? It was too adorable to refuse.
"I'll take this one." Leon picked up the Grass Gem.
With Leon's selection made, the Onix understood he wouldn't take anything else. It gathered the remaining stones in its mouth, bowed once more in gratitude, then burrowed away.
"Good deeds really do get rewarded," Leon mused aloud.
"Now, it's time to deal with you, little guy."
He released the Aron, only to find it fast asleep.
"You've got nerves of steel. Then again, only someone with nerves of steel would ram headfirst into an Onix."
The Aron drowsily opened its eyes. Upon seeing Leon crouched in front of it, it panicked and tried to flee.
"Why are you running? I'm the one who saved you."
Hearing the familiar voice, the Aron stopped. Though it had been stuck headfirst in the crevice and couldn't see, it had heard everything. This human really had rescued it.
Hesitantly, the Aron crept back.
"You've been trapped for so long. You must be hungry."
The Aron wanted to shake its head, but its stomach betrayed it with a loud growl.
"Grr... grr..."
It could only nod sheepishly.
"Hey, no need to be embarrassed. But I don't have any iron ore on me. You'll have to make do with some Pokémon food for now."
The Pokémon food from his mission rewards was the basic type, suitable for all Pokémon. While it might not taste as good as their preferred meals, it was decent enough.
At least this Aron seemed to enjoy it. Once it finished eating, Leon asked how it had ended up stuck in the Onix's tail.
After some animated gesturing from the Aron, Leon pieced together the story.
(End of Chapter)