Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

Chapter 100 In the end, I am still the strongest, the most powerful one.

The underground world was not silent even in the dead of night.

The glowing crystals on the rock walls emitted a cold, eerie light, casting shadows over the cave.

In the distance, sporadic knocking sounds and low growls from Pokémon could still be heard, clearly indicating that Zhang Jianying was not the only one embarking on his "grinding" journey.

Guided by the precise "scavenging" ability of a pair of rats, Zhang Jianying led his team to discover several more mineral deposits.

One Thunder Stone and two Fire Stones, both of medium to high quality.

There is also a fossil that looks like a plant root, which is displayed as a "root-like fossil" in the data view. It can be resurrected as a Cradle Lily.

Just as he was counting his spoils, the little mouse on his shoulder suddenly started squeaking excitedly.

The larger mouse also jumped off the turtle's back, and the two mice pointed to a fork in the road deeper in the northwest, a direction marked as "unexplored area" on the map.

"Squeak! Squeak squeak squeak!"

This time, their reaction was even stronger than when the fossils were discovered!

Her little paws waved rapidly, her beady eyes almost gleaming, and before Zhang Jianying could even respond, she took off running in that direction with her short legs!

"etc!"

Zhang Jianying was taken aback, but then realized that something must be really good to make a pair of rats so excited that they would go ahead without waiting for instructions!

"Earth-platform tortoise, treacherous monster, let's go!"

One person with two Pokémon, followed closely by a pair of rats.

The fork in the path narrowed further, and the number of glowing crystals on the rock walls decreased significantly, making the light dimmer. The beams of headlamps carved out a limited space in the darkness; on the map, this area was completely blank.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the pair of mice finally stopped in front of what looked like an ordinary rock wall.

Instead of waiting for the Earth-type Tortoise to use its Earth Power to clear a path as usual, they pounced directly onto the ground, bared their large front teeth, and began to gnaw at the ground with a "crunch, crunch" sound!

The hard soil is easily gnawed away like biscuits by their incisors.

"So urgent?"

Zhang Jianying's eyes narrowed, and he immediately joined the excavation.

"Earth Platform Turtle, go straight down from here, the maximum range of [Earth Power]!"

"Tutai!"

The earth-platform tortoise let out a low growl and stomped its four legs heavily.

Centered on the location where the rats had gnawed, the soil within a five-meter diameter radius surged and subsided violently, as if it had experienced a small earthquake!

A huge crater quickly formed and continued to deepen!

Three meters, five meters, eight meters, ten meters—

They sank to a depth of about twelve meters, where the soil layer disappeared.

What is exposed below is not the usual rock strata.

Instead, it is a strange rock formation with a cold, metallic sheen and a smooth, mirror-like surface.

Zhang Jianying slid down the vines hanging from the earthen platform turtle to the bottom of the pit and reached out to touch the metallic rock surface.

It was cold and hard, and when tapped with fingertips it produced a crisp "ding-ding" sound, unlike any ordinary rock.

"This material—"

He tried swinging the pickaxe and chiseling down with all his might!

"Clang!"

A piercing clang of metal rang out, sparks flying everywhere!

The sharp tip of the pickaxe collided with the metallic rock layer and snapped off with a crack!

Zhang Jianying's hands went numb. Looking at the half-broken pickaxe in his hand, surprise flashed in his eyes.

"So hard?"

"Hey, try it, but be careful to control your strength."

"Bonnie!"

Egui had been eager to try, and upon hearing this, he raised his thorny vine club, which was filled with grass-type energy, and struck down at the metal rock layer.

boom!

With a muffled thud, two tiny cracks appeared on the surface of the rock strata.

Erguilan blinked its starry eyes twice, thought for a moment, put away the green grass mask, and put on the stove mask. A scorching aura immediately rose around the little guy!

At the same time, the body spins rapidly, creating a gust of wind! [Sword Dance] attack power is greatly increased.

After completing the enhancement, Eguilan once again raised the thorny vine club wrapped in flames.

"Bonnie!"

The little guy used all his strength to smash down the stick!

boom-!

Flames exploded, and heat waves swept across the bottom of the pit, finally causing the hard metallic rock layer to crack.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread, the central part collapsed, revealing a silvery-white light that seemed to flow like liquid.

"We found it!"

Zhang Jianying and Erguilan worked together, using half a pickaxe and a thorny vine as levers, to pry out the silver plate-like object embedded in the rock.

When it was fully illuminated by the headlamp, Zhang Jianying held his breath.

Damn—it looks like we've dug up something incredible!

It was a silver plate about two centimeters thick.

Its surface is as smooth as a mirror, as if liquid silver light flows slowly beneath it. The board is engraved with intricate patterns, seemingly formed naturally, containing some kind of law.

An indescribable aura emanated from the board.

A data-driven perspective is quietly unfolding.

[Steel Slab]

[A Steel-type stone from Arceus. When a Pokémon holds this stone, the power of Steel-type moves is increased. When Arceus holds this stone, it becomes a Steel-type Pokémon.]

[Note: Based on the energy contained within, it is speculated that certain Pokémon have a chance to learn moves of the same type as the Slate through prolonged contact.]

"???"

Zhang Jianying stared blankly at the silver tablet in his hand. The alpaca tablet? One of the eighteen tablets said to have been used by the creator god to maintain the balance of the world and to bear the essence of attributes?

Something that only exists in mythological records—was just unearthed like this?

"What's so special about this? A top-tier celebrity personally gave it a shout-out?"

Zhang Jianying muttered to himself, his feelings complicated.

Surprised? Of course you are! This is a mythical item!

But here's the problem—

"But I don't have any Steel-type Pokémon! Waaah!"

In his current team, the only ones that can barely be associated with "steel" are Salamence's [Iron Head] and Greatsword's [Long Horn].

Zhang Jianying was on the verge of tears, feeling helpless despite having such a valuable asset before him. However, he quickly adjusted his mindset.

Even if you don't need it now, you should still collect items of this caliber. What if you catch a Steel-type Pokémon someday?

"Earth Turtle, pull me up."

Back on the ground, Zhang Jianying placed the steel plate on a flat rock, letting all the Pokémon gather around to watch.

"Everyone, remember this feeling and sensation."

He instructed a pair of mice, "For the next few days, our primary objective will temporarily change; prioritize finding this type of stone slab, and put the others aside for now."

"Squeak!" 2

A pair of mice brought their small noses close to the stone slab, activating their special ability to memorize the unique energy fluctuations of the stone slab.

Next, Zhang Jianying took Gengar's Poké Ball from his waist.

A red light flashed.

"Genga—"

The Gengar, whose snacks had been stolen, reluctantly floated out, rummaged around in its belly with its two short arms, pulled out an empty bag, and drooped its scarlet eyes, looking resentful.

"Alright, alright."

Zhang Jianying sighed, "Help me keep something very important safe. After it's done, I'll compensate you with several boxes of Ghost-type Pokémon snack gift packs, all flavors to choose from."

Gengar's eyes lit up instantly: "Gengar?!"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Zhang Jianying handed it the steel slab, saying, "Keep it safe, don't lose it."

Although Guigui is a bit greedy now, it never lets you down when it matters. It patted its round belly and tossed the stone slab into the shadow that stretched out beneath its feet.

Having done all this, Gengar let out a satisfied burp and burped back into its shadow. It sat comfortably in the shadow, munching on its last treasured bag of snacks, thinking smugly, "I'll finish this stash first, then make room for five boxes of gift packs, hehe."

Zhang Jianying shook his head and refocused his attention on mining.

"A pair of rats. Try looking for any other rats with a similar scent."

"Squeak squeak".

The pair of mice closed their eyes and activated their [Pick Up] ability with all their might.

A few minutes later, the large mouse pointed somewhat uncertainly in one direction: "Squeak—"

The smaller mouse nodded in agreement, indicating that it did sense something, but couldn't pinpoint the exact location.

"A little clue is better than digging blindly."

Zhang Jianying rallied his forces and shouted, "Let's go!"

Meanwhile, in another area of ​​the underground world.

A young man with short, silver-blue hair and an elegant demeanor was squatting in front of the rock wall, gently tapping a piece of ore with a professional geological hammer.

Beside him, the steel behemoth Bossadora was carefully digging through the soil with its claws, its movements meticulous and completely out of character for its imposing appearance.

"Hmm, the purity of this diabase tuff is even higher than the one from Tianguan Mountain; it can replace the one at home."

-

Youth——Zifuqi Dawu.

The former champion of the Hoenn region, now the son of Devon Corporation, a top mineral collector, happily stores his minerals in a specially made storage box.

He glanced at the miner's watch on his wrist.

Points: 182350

It remains firmly in first place, but the gap between it and the second place has narrowed from the initial 140,000 to about 50,000.

"This second-place player is closing in very close."

Daigo's lips curled into an interested smile. "Looks like this won't be too boring."

Just then, the Bosscodora beside him suddenly stopped moving.

It raised its steel head and looked in a certain direction, letting out a low, questioning growl from its throat.

"What's wrong, Bosscodora?"

Daigo notices something is wrong with his partner.

"roar--"

Boscodor pointed southeast with its paw, where a fork in the road was marked on the map as "Thick rock, not recommended for digging".

With perfect understanding with his partner, Steven immediately grasped Aggron's meaning: something over there was attracting it, and it didn't seem to be ordinary ore.

Daigo's eyes narrowed.

What could make Aggron, this steel behemoth that had followed him around the world since childhood and seen countless rare minerals, react so strongly—

"Let's go take a look."

Without hesitation, he packed up his tools, put on his headlamp, and walked with Boscodora toward the fork in the road.

Zhang Jianying's side.

Guided by a pair of rats, who seemed uncertain, they arrived at a rock wall.

The terrain here is quite unique, with towering rock walls on both sides, forming a narrow passage in the middle that only allows two people to pass side by side.

Cracks. The rock face is covered with traces of erosion, clearly indicating its great age.

Is this the place?

Zhang Jianying looked at the mouse on her shoulder.

"squeak!"

The two mice nodded vigorously.

Zhang Jianying surveyed the terrain.

The rock strata are exposed and the soil layer is very thin, so there is no need for a large-scale earthen platform to separate the ground.

"Tortoise, go back to your sphere and rest for a bit. You've worked hard."

He retrieved the earthen tortoise, then exchanged a glance with the Eguilan.

"Come on, the old way, you go left, I'll go right."

"Bonnie!"

Egui raised the thorny vine club with great enthusiasm.

Ding! Ding! Bang! Crack!

Pickaxes and thorny vines fell alternately, scattering rock fragments.

Just as they were focused on digging, a dull thud came from the other side of the rock wall, as if something heavy was repeatedly striking the rock strata, interspersed with the cracking sound of rocks breaking.

Zhang Jianying paused in his pickaxe, then listened intently.

That sound—

It didn't sound like the crisp knocking of a pickaxe or tool; rather, it sounded more like a large Pokémon using its body or a move to ram and dig through the rock.

"It might be a wild Onix or some other Pokémon digging a hole—"

He guessed and concluded that it was not unusual to encounter wild Rock-type or Ground-type Pokémon in underground caves.

"Damn it, be careful, there might be a big one next door, but it should be fine, let's keep digging."

"Bonnie!"

Ergui nodded, his attention quickly drawn to the increasingly bright dark gray light before him.

As the excavation went deeper, the deep gray light shining through the rock strata became increasingly intense!

Click!

A rock wall was pried open, revealing a dark gray stone slab inside, engraved with ancient patterns.

[Rock Slab]

[A Rock-type stone from Arceus. When a Pokémon holds this stone, the power of Rock-type moves is increased. When Arceus holds this stone, it becomes a Rock-type Pokémon.]

[Note: Based on the energy contained within, it is speculated that suitable Pokémon have a chance to learn moves of the same type as the plate through prolonged contact.]

"Found it!" Zhang Jianying exclaimed softly.

With an excited "pop," Ergui immediately rushed to the crack, braced his feet against the rock wall, stretched out his small hands covered by the cloak, tightly gripped a corner of the stone slab, and began to pull it out with all his might.

Bang! Bang! Boom—

The sound of the impact from the other side grew closer and louder.

The rock face trembled violently, and rubble rained down!

Zhang Jianying frowned slightly, but seeing that the stone slab was about to be pulled out, he stepped forward, wedged the pickaxe behind the slab, and pried it out.

"Almost there, Ooze! Let's press on with this!"

Before the words had even finished,

Snap! Boom!

A point on the opposite side of the rock face suddenly bulged out and cracked.

A ferocious giant claw covered in steel armor, carrying a silvery-white energy light, fiercely pierced through the rock layer and burst out of the wall!

As luck would have it, Ergui was bracing his feet against the rock wall, gripping a corner of a stone slab with both hands, his little head peering into the crack, pulling himself out with all his might with Zhang Jianying's help!

The giant steel claw that burst through the wall landed squarely on its little head that was sticking out!

"Bonnie—!!"

The blow sent Ergui Peng sprawling backward, landing hard on his backside, and the stone slab fell to the ground.

It shook its head groggily, its little hands covering its head, its starry eyes filled with grievance, but the next second, anger surged up!

"Bonnie!!"

Without a second thought, Ergui grabbed the thorny vine club beside him and slammed it down on the steel claw that had just reached into the cave entrance, radiating silvery-white energy, and the hideous metal head that was faintly visible behind the claw!

clang-

The deafening clang of metal clashing was deafening! Fire energy erupted from the thorny vine staff!

Aggron, who had just smashed through the rock wall with its Metal Claw and hadn't even had time to see what was going on, suddenly felt a jolt to its head. Its metal head buzzed and it was knocked back slightly!

"roar-!!"

Aggron, who was also inexplicably hit on the head, instantly became furious.

It didn't even see what was on the other side; it just felt attacked and instinctively retaliated!

It retracted its claws, and the rock energy around it rapidly gathered, countless sharp stone blades appeared, and the [Sharp Stone Attack] was about to be unleashed!

"Damn it!"

Zhang Jianying was furious when she saw the little guy being attacked.

Without the slightest hesitation, a red light flashed!

"Greatsword Demon, [Water Wave Blade]!"

The Greatsword Demon moved like lightning, drawing his blade. The surging blue water energy transformed into a massive, incomparably sharp water blade, slashing fiercely down towards the breach in the rock wall!

The water blade and the shot-out stone blade collided violently at the breach, unleashing a burst of energy. The rock wall could no longer withstand the impact and collapsed and shattered completely amidst a deafening roar.

Smoke and dust filled the air, and pebbles flew everywhere.

The figures of both sides finally became clearly visible behind the collapsed rock wall.

"etc!"

"Bosscodora, stop!"

Zhang Jianying and Daiwu shouted almost simultaneously.

The evil spirit ran to Zhang Jianying's side, rubbing its head in grievance. The Great Sword Demon stopped its attack and stood in front of Zhang Jianying and its companions.

Aggron also stopped its [Stone Attack]. It touched the shallow slash mark on its breastplate made by the [Water Wave Blade] and the dent on its forehead made by the Evil Phantom, and was very unhappy. It exhaled two puffs of white breath from its nostrils.

The smoke and dust gradually dissipated.

Zhang Jianying first squatted down and carefully examined the situation of the evil spirit.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Bonito—"

Ergui shook its head, pointed to its own head, and then to the Bosscodora opposite it. It was just focused on pulling out the stone slab, so how did it get a claw attack?

Zhang Jianying tenderly rubbed the little guy's head before looking up at the other side.

The headlamp's light illuminated the figure on the other side of the rock face.

The first thing that catches the eye is that nearly three-meter-tall steel behemoth, which appears extremely oppressive in the dim underground.

Then, there was the young man standing next to Bosscodora.

His short, silver-blue hair shimmered under the headlamp; his features were handsome, and his demeanor was elegant and composed.

Even in such a chaotic situation, he still wore a gentle and slightly apologetic smile.

Zhang Jianying's first reaction was: "Wow, he's so handsome! He's almost as good-looking as me."

Immediately, a thought flashed through his mind.

This hair color gives off a Bosco Dora vibe, a mine-like feel, and an outstanding aura—

"You're the champion of the Hoenn region?"

Meanwhile, Daigo was also observing Zhang Jianying.

A young trainer, accompanied by a Pokémon he'd never seen before—

Although the other party's response was protective of their own, it was for a reason, and their immediate concern for their Pokémon rather than questioning or stealing items showed good manners.

"To be precise, it was the former champion. Sorry, that was a misunderstanding."

Steven spoke first, his voice gentle and magnetic, "My Aggron sensed some unusual mineral activity here, but I didn't expect there to be someone on the other side of the rock wall when I was digging. Is your Pokémon alright? Should we take it to the Pokémon Center for a checkup?"

As he spoke, he deliberately withdrew the Bosscodora to show his sincerity.

Zhang Jianying patted the Great Sword Demon on the back, signaling it to relax.

"We're fine, just a bit startled."

He stood up and responded politely, "We were digging just now when we heard a dull thud from the other side. We thought it was a wild Pokémon digging, so we reacted in a moment of panic. Sorry."

Both sides were reasonable people, and the conflict was resolved in just a few words.

Daigo took a few steps closer, and in the halo of his headlamp, he saw the stone slab on the ground emitting a dark gray light.

His eyes lit up slightly.

As a top mineral collector, he has seen countless rare minerals, but he couldn't recognize the material of this "slab" at all!

Neither gold nor jade, the radiance flowing across its surface seemed to possess a life of its own, and the patterns contained a rhythm he could not comprehend.

"This is?"

Daigo looked at Zhang Jianying with a look of inquiry in his eyes.

Zhang Jianying hesitated for a moment.

Even though the opponent is the champion and is extremely upright, it would be too shocking to simply say "this is the Slate of Arceus," and it would be difficult to explain how one knew this.

"I'm not entirely sure about its specific materials and function."

Zhang Jianying opted for a compromise, bending down to pick up the rock slab.

"But my pair of mice have a special sensitivity to it, and it took them a lot of effort to dig it up. Your Bossdog reacted so strongly just now, it must have sensed it too, right?"

Daigo nodded and said frankly, "To be honest, my Aggron has never shown such a strong desire for a certain mineral before. It even ignored my commands and started digging on its own, which is very rare."

The voice just fell.

"Swish"

A red light flashed!

Aggron emerged from its Poké Ball, its eyes fixed on the rock slab in Zhang Jianying's hand, and it let out a low growl.

Daigo: "————"

Zhang Jianying:

"————"

The two looked at each other, both feeling a bit amused and exasperated.

Daigo rubbed his temples helplessly: "This is the first time I've ever seen it like this."

He hesitated for a moment, then looked at Zhang Jianying and said sincerely, "Trainer, although it may be presumptuous, would you be willing to part with this stone slab?"

"Of course, I won't take it for free."

Daigo smiled slightly, a smile that carried the confidence of a champion and the heir to a top company.

"I will give you sufficient compensation. Such as evolution stones, rare minerals, customized items, and even some special training resources, as long as I can do it, I will try my best to satisfy you."

He paused, then added, "Trust me, I'll offer you a deal you can't refuse."

"???"

Looking at the radiantly handsome, confident, and composed former champion before him, Zhang Jianying was speechless for a moment. Was this the huge miscalculation that led to his first-place finish and his supposed strength and prowess?

He pondered for a moment.

Rock Slate isn't really that useful to me. I don't have any Rock-type Pokémon in my team, so it's just as useless as Steel Slate—tasteless to use, but a pity to throw away.

As for Daigo's conditions—to be frank, he was very tempted.

"I can give it to you."

Zhang Jianying made a decision, carefully considered his wording, and added.

"As I just said, I'm not entirely sure about its specific function, but given its strong appeal to Aggron, combined with its dark gray appearance, I suspect it might have a special benefit for Rock-type Pokémon."

He subtly hinted, "Perhaps long-term contact could help Rock-type Pokémon grasp a deeper level of rock energy utilization."

Daigo took the stone slab and gave Zhang Jianying a deep look. As perceptive as he was, he naturally understood the implication in the other party's words.

This young trainer likely knows some of the true purpose of this stone slab, but simply chooses not to reveal it.

Daigo smiled gently; everyone has their secrets, and he had no intention of prying into them. The fact that the other party neither took the opportunity to raise the price nor offered a friendly reminder greatly increased Daigo's positive impression of him.

"Thank you for your willingness to part with it and for reminding me."

Daigo looked at Zhang Jianying: "In exchange, you can state your needs. Which type of Pokémon do you need training resources for? Or are there any items you particularly want?"

Zhang Jianying thought for a moment and then released the Salamence.

"Roar?"

As soon as Salamence appeared, it sensed the powerful aura emanating from the Aggron opposite it. Its eyes narrowed, its blood wings spread, and it assumed a defensive posture.

"Relax, they're not the enemy."

Zhang Jianying patted Salamence's neck reassuringly, then said to Daigo, "I'm looking for a Salamence Mega Stone. If possible, I'd like to exchange it for one."

"Salamander's Mega Stone".

Steven stroked his chin and thought for a moment, "No problem, I do have some related items at home. After the competition, I'll have someone deliver them to the Pokémon Center in Eden City."

He paused, then added, "Besides that, you can also choose some other resources. Consider it my personal thank you for this misunderstanding and your generous deal."

Zhang Jianying clicked his tongue in surprise, suddenly realizing the difference between ordinary players and seasoned whales, but he still shook his head, indicating that he didn't have any other needs.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Daigo's eyes as he hinted, "Also, if you find a similar stone tablet in this competition, and it has attributes you don't need, you can contact me as well."

Daigo smiled slightly and said something that made Zhang Jianying's heart race: "I'm very interested in collecting this unknown mineral. If it's suitable, I can exchange it for other resources. I will never let you suffer a loss."

Zhang Jianying nodded, barely suppressing the urge to pull the Steel Plate out of Gengar's belly on the spot.

He pulled out his Pokédex: "Let's exchange contact information, and talk more after the match."

"certainly."

Daigo also took out his own Pokédex, and the two Pokédexs touched lightly to complete the information exchange.

"Well then, see you at the Pokémon Center in Eternia City after the match."

Daigo put away his Pokédex and patted the Aggron beside him, which was staring longingly at the stone tablet in Zhang Jianying's hand. "This guy can't wait to study this stone tablet."

Zhang Jianying smiled and said, "I wish you good luck in the competition."

"The same to you."

Daigo nodded, then seemed to remember something, his tone relaxed and confident, "However, I still want to win first place in this competition. After all—either I don't participate, or I do my best."

"I won't go easy on you just because you're the big sponsor. There are still six days left in the competition."

The two exchanged a smile, a sense of mutual appreciation between them.

Steven used a Poké Ball to recall Aggron. Before being recalled, the giant steel beast kept looking back at the stone slab, its eyes filled with longing and resentment.

The Bosscodora's incongruous appearance, "wailing at the crossroads, looking back with every step," made Zhang Jianying shake his head and laugh.

[”

Daigo looked at the Poké Ball in his hand, took a deep breath, and said to Zhang Jianying, "Please excuse my poor performance."

He then turned around, waved casually, and disappeared into the depths of the side road.

Zhang Jianying stood there, looking at the newly added contact information for "Zufuge Daigo" in the Pokédex, his heart filled with emotion.

"This was a good deal—although I also have hamster syndrome and want to collect everything, unfortunately, the big miscalculation gave away way too much."

"Bonito?"

Ergui tugged at his sleeve, her starry eyes full of curiosity.

"We don't need that piece, so we might as well exchange it for some usable props."

Zhang Jianying patted the little guy's head. "Let's go, little guys, keep grinding! Try to dig up the right stone slab for you."

"Squeak!" 2

"Bonnie!"

The Greatsword returned to its sheath, showing little interest in the stone. It went back to its Poké Ball to continue studying its swordsmanship. The beam of light from its headlamp pierced the darkness, and Zhang Jianying, with the three little ones, embarked on another excavation journey.