Even though the system showed that Nidorino had only lost 500 HP, he was still concerned.
"Can I meet Nidorino right now?"
"Yes, you can. It is out of danger. Come inside," said the nurse, leading them to the room.
"NIDO… NIDOOOO," it shouted in happiness. While freaking out, Axel had totally forgotten that it had mastered its hidden ability.
"Yes, I know that you have mastered your hidden ability. Congratulations! But how did you get injured?" asked Axel.
Nidorino, Shedinja, and Pidgeot started to explain what happened last night. Alakazam was out, so it translated to Axel.
'Hustle' would increase the ability-bearer's Attack by 50%, but it also reduces the Accuracy of all Physical moves by 20%. However, outside of battle, if a Pokemon with 'Hustle' was leading the party, wild Pokemon were 50% more likely to be of a higher level. Nidorino wanted to focus on the 'outside of battle'.
###
Last night,
Pokemon POV starts:
"Bro, do you really want to do this? I mean, is it risky?" asked Charizard.
Charizard had achieved a lot and was now a pseudo-king rank Pokemon. But after seeing Nidorino train so hard, it wanted to support it. So, it always stayed at night to support Nidorino. Charizard and Nidorino were best friends.
"Yes, man, I think I can do it. You just need to trust me," said Nidorino.
"So, let me get this straight. You want to go to the forest at night, use your ability 'Hustle,' and see if you can attract less powerful or more powerful Pokemon towards you. And you want us to come with you.
NO! That is not going to happen. I don't want to dirty my feathers, and I need my beauty sleep. So, I will not go." Pidgeot made a strong stance that it didn't want to join them.
Nidorino's ability only worked if it was leading a party, so it wouldn't work if it was alone.
"Don't worry, dude, I've got your back," said Charizard, patting its back.
They might be best friends, but they looked worlds apart. Charizard was much taller than Nidorino. It was still not Nidoking, so its height was relatively small.
"I will also accompany you. I don't want you kids to get hurt," said Shedinja. These were the only Pokemon that were active at night. Gogoat and Alakazam also joined them sometimes, but they didn't do so that night.
###
After 1 hour,
"I think we have gone far enough," said Charizard.
They had been running inside the forest for 1 hour and had reached quite a distance. Nidorino nodded its head. It closed its eyes and let out an unusual roar. Within a few seconds, they all heard rustling and grass moving, but no wild Pokemon came out.
"I can feel elemental and rare rank Pokemon around me, but they have started to run away," said Charizard. Its senses were very sharp, and it could feel it. Everyone could feel it.
"That means I have failed," said Nidorino with a sigh.
"How did you fail? You wanted to attract lower-level Pokemon, and you did. You did a good job. You should give yourself some credit," said Charizard.
"I did attract them, but they were very cautious and had already left. I wanted them to come closer to me," said Nidorino.
"Charizard is right. You did show improvement, which is totally different from before. Previously, you could only attract higher-level Pokemon with 50% accuracy, but now you can attract lower-level Pokemon too. That is progress. You should be proud," said Shedinja.
"Thanks, boss," said Nidorino.
"Now, let's try and see if I can attract higher-level Pokemon."
Pokemon POV ends.
###
'That was when all hell broke loose. Somehow, powerful pseudo-king rank Pokemon surrounded them, and there was even a king rank Pokemon. Nidorino had the best defense, so it tanked the hits while all of them ran,' translated Alakazam.
Axel wanted to berate all of them, but Nidorino had just mastered its hidden ability, and he didn't want to do that right now.
Tring.. Tring..
"Axel, where are you? I am already near the plane."
"Ahh.. Angela, we have a situation here..." Axel told Angela everything and asked her to wait for a few hours. She was okay with it and told him to take care of his Pokemon.
Axel thought about the application of 'Hustle' after mastering it. It could attract both lower-level and higher-level Pokemon with 100% certainty. That was a powerful ability if used well. Nidorino could use this during a tide and disrupt the flow.
If Axel were to delve deeper, Nidorino was able to manipulate infinite energy in such a way that it could attract whatever it wanted. This could make it powerful in many other scenarios, as attracting such a large group was a type of controlling power, and controlling power could be very deadly.
###
It took 2 hours for Nidorino to be fully okay. Axel recalled them into their balls and went to meet Angela. They greeted each other and sat on the plane. The destination was far away, with no Pokemon Center or city nearby, unlike in the games.
Mt. Moon was one of the biggest and most complex caves in the Kanto region. It was not fully explored, so there was no light throughout. People living near the cave had put some lights at the entrance, but not further in.
"I did some research on the new place we're going. It looks dangerous. The place hasn't been fully explored. It is said that Clefairy and Clefable rule that place. Getting through with them would be very hard."
Clefairy and Clefable were hospitable Pokemon, but they were serious about guarding their territory. A powerful Clefable could be a challenge. They were not weak Pokemon.
"Yes, it would be. That's why I asked for your help."
"What exactly are we going there for?" asked Angela.
Axel had done a lot for the family, and Angela wanted to show her support and gratitude. So, she agreed without asking questions.
"We are looking for a particular stone there. I believe it could be very valuable. There's also a legend that a meteorite fell on the place, turning it into a cave. I want to investigate. I believe it could make my Pokemon stronger."
Angela could tell Axel wasn't lying but wasn't telling the whole truth either. She was the family leader and experienced enough to recognize such things. However, she knew when not to ask questions, and this was one of those times.
###
The plane ride was very long, taking 50 hours to reach the remote location. The place was in the middle of nowhere, covered in forests. Unlike in the games, the cave wasn't connected to cities, with only one entrance.
The cave appeared both sturdy and unstable simultaneously, giving an eerie vibe.
"Axel, are you sure about that stone?" asked Angela questioning her life decisions.
"Angela, you've seen the power of my instincts, and they're never wrong. So, yes, I'm sure about that stone. I believe it's guarded by Clefable, and if we're cooperative, they might help us."
They started walking into the cave. The first few meters were easy, well-lit by numerous lights. But beyond that, it was pitch dark. Axel and Angela were prepared, using a light device Mark had created to illuminate the surroundings.
Crii..
Cri...
Crii...
A group of Golbats scattered as they turned on the light. These Pokemon knew not here to mess with them. Pokemons have very good instincts and they knew that both of these humans were very strong.
Axel and Angela continued smoothly, but there was only one path. Some rocks blocked their way, so they had to clear them. The cave was massive, and Axel expected the expedition to take several days.
After walking for an hour, they encountered their first challenge: a pseudo-king rank Golbat.