"I can take you with me to see the world outside."
Hisoka patted Rhydon's thigh. Standing at 1.75 meters, he was considered tall for his age, but even with Rhydon sitting down, he could only reach its thigh.
"Don't worry about your treasure. Lulu and I will definitely help you find it, and then we'll leave together." Seeing Rhydon looking hesitant, Hisoka immediately added that last sentence.
"Woowoo!"
Rhydon shook its massive head and waved its arms excitedly.
"The Big Guy says it doesn't want the treasure anymore. it wants to leave here with you and doesn't want to be separated from us," Lulu translated.
Hearing this, the corners of Hisoka's mouth curled up slightly. He said loudly, "We are friends, and friends don't let friends be sad. I will definitely help you find the treasure you lost."
In that moment, Hisoka's expression was incredibly firm; his acting was worthy of an Oscar.
While deceiving Rhydon was a bit shameless, Hisoka had truly come to see the big guy as a friend and family member over the past few days. He always poured a hundred percent of his energy into his Pokémon.
Perhaps he had a slight bias toward Lulu as his starter, but he had put just as much heart into raising Weavile and Feebas afterward.
"Roar!"
Hisoka's firm and optimistic mood infected Rhydon. The big guy nodded its massive head vigorously, showing its absolute trust. Its previous cheerful mood returned instantly.
...
Early the next morning, Hisoka was fully geared up, wearing the conical hat he used for wilderness exploration. He stood on Rhydon's thick shoulder, one hand resting on its black horn.
Lulu's petite body sat on Rhydon's right shoulder. With the giant Rhydon acting as a heavy tank, Hisoka felt a surge of high spirits. He felt like a tank commander; with this beast leading the way, they could charge through any treacherous path with unstoppable momentum.
Rhydon began a light jog. It weighed a staggering amount, and its actual running speed wasn't that fast, but its sheer size meant that one of its steps was equal to five of a normal person's. By that metric, its travel speed was far beyond anything a human could match.
A dead, withered tree lay across their path. Without a word, Rhydon stepped forward and crushed the tree into splinters with a heavy stomp. When a tangled web of vines appeared ahead, it launched a rock the size of a washbasin, shattering the intertwining vines into pieces.
This was Rhydon's Rock Blast, a move that allowed it to hurl a series of boulders at an opponent. When used in quick succession, its power was formidable.
What if a sheer cliff blocked the way?
There was no need to worry. Rhydon simply used the fifty-centimeter conical horn on its snout to start digging, traveling right through the earth...
In that moment, Hisoka truly witnessed what a "super drill" looked like. Whirr... The conical horn above Rhydon's nostrils began to spin at high speed like a power drill. Seemingly hard rock and soil were as fragile as tofu before that high-speed rotation. As a specialty of Ground-type Pokémon, Dig was something the big guy was naturally expert at.
With a bang, dust filled the air as a massive hole appeared at the base of the cliff. Rhydon had used its Dig skill to forcibly drill a tunnel over three meters in diameter through the mountain from east to west.
Looking back at the pitch-black, bottomless hole and remembering the experience inside the mountainthe ear-piercing screech of the horn drilling through rockHisoka couldn't help but shudder. However, the grin on his face only grew wider. This was far too thrilling.
"Rhydon, you're amazing!" Hisoka praised sincerely.
Lulu, standing nearby, nodded in agreement.
"Roar~"
The big guy narrowed its eyes happily, looking like a child receiving praise from family. Its tail immediately curled up, and it patted its chest with a loud thump-thump, signaling that it really was just that powerful.
...
Under Hisoka's deliberate detours, the group wandered the island for nearly two hours. They finally arrived at the pre-planned location around noon.
"Look, the Big Guy's treasure is there!" Lulu, being sharp-eyed, was the first to spot the Rainbow Orb. It was perched on a large tree not far to their southeast.
The Rainbow Orb, still attached to its piece of rock, lay quietly inside a large bird's nest. A Pidgeotto was huddled around it, its face full of bliss as it basked in the energy radiation emitted by the orb.
This kind of energy radiation provided immense benefits to biological organisms. Since discovering this wonderful item in its nest yesterday, the Pidgeotto hadn't left for a single moment.
"Roar!"
Following Lulu's guidance, Rhydon saw its treasure in the nest. When it saw that its treasure was being sat upon by a "thieving bird," its short temper flared up instantly.
Without a second word, it moved to attack. Rhydon found a handy stone on the groundone that wasn't too large, as it feared accidentally hitting its own treasure.
It raised its arm and threw. With a whoosh, the fist-sized stone shot past the Pidgeotto's head. Although it didn't score a direct hit, the intense friction from the stone's passing actually caused the feathers on the bird's head to catch fire.
The Pidgeotto was stunned by the sudden commotion. It wasn't until it realized its head was on fire that it hurriedly flew up from the nest, using its wings to beat out the flames.
When it looked down and saw the furious Rhydon and the stone being tossed up and down in the beast's hand, the Pidgeotto knew exactly who the culprit was.
The invincible overlord of the island!
This Pidgeotto had seen the destructive power of this giant Rhydon before. Now, seeing the beast glaring at it as if it were a mortal enemy, the bird was struck with terror.
Though it had no idea what was happening, the bird knew that retreat was the best option. It didn't dare seek revenge; it could only swallow its resentment. Before a second stone could be thrown, it flapped its wings and fled into the distance.
Watching the Pidgeotto disappear, Hisoka could only mutter inwardly, Sorry, brother Pidgeotto, you'll have to take the fall for this one. But you were bathed in that orb's radiation for a whole day, so you've gained a lot too. It's not a bad trade...
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/kleinmoretti to access 100+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).