Combusken, unafraid of fire, led the charge at the front. Right behind him followed Aron, assisted by Larvitar and the effects of the move Magnet Rise.
It was as if he were a silver projectile.
Magmortar, upon seeing Combusken charging toward him, intensified the heat from the Heat Wave move emanating from his two arms. But Combusken's speed, which had reached its limit, showed no signs of slowing down.
Bang!
With a powerful impact, Combusken collided with Magmortar. The move Flame Charge struck directly against Magmortar's fists. While it didn't deal much damage, it managed to interrupt the Heat Wave attack and force Magmortar's arms open.
Now, Magmortar was completely exposed.
Combusken used the opponent's resistance to propel himself backward, leaving a clear path for Aron, who was charging at full speed.
With his body cloaked in dragon-type energy, Aron tensed like a spring and rammed straight into Magmortar's face.
Bang!
Magmortar, with no time to defend himself, took the full force of the Dragon Rush move and staggered backward, nearly falling. At the same time, Aron was also knocked back by the force of the hit.
The dragon-type energy disappeared from his body, leaving a faint red mark caused by Magmortar's Flame Body ability, which had burned him.
But Aron wasn't done yet.
While floating backward thanks to Magnet Rise, he returned to Combusken's position. Without hesitation, Combusken grabbed him by the hind legs. The muscles in Combusken's arms visibly tensed, even through his feathers, and with a powerful motion, he hurled Aron back toward Magmortar.
Boosted by Combusken's strength, Aron flew like a missile. This time, his speed was even greater than when Larvitar had propelled him.
On Aron's head, two rocky horns began to glow brightly as they gathered rock-type energy. He was using the move Head Smash, an inherited move that he had never used in battle before.
With a base power of 150, this rock-type move was extremely powerful. If it hit, it would deal significant damage to Magmortar, who was doubly weak to this type of attack.
At that moment, the staggering Magmortar had no way to defend himself effectively.
Boom!
The impact sent Magmortar flying backward, crashing into the cave's rocky wall. The blow was so powerful that he became embedded in the rock.
Though Head Smash normally causes recoil damage, Aron's ability, Rock Head, prevented him from suffering additional harm. It was a clean, uncompromising hit.
Magmortar, tongue out and eyes rolled back, slid down the wall and collapsed to the ground, unable to continue fighting.
Cain, seizing the opportunity, threw a Poké Ball and captured Magmortar, whose Flame Body ability could perfectly complement the team, especially when paired with Miltank for support synergy.
Meanwhile, Aron showed signs of burns due to Magmortar's ability. Cain acted quickly, pulling out a spray from storage to treat Aron's injuries.
However, just as he finished applying the spray and the red marks disappeared, Aron was suddenly enveloped in a brilliant white light.
Cain's expression showed surprise.
Aron had reached level 31 before the battle, so his evolution was not unexpected. What surprised Cain was that Aron began evolving immediately after defeating Magmortar.
Before the battle, Cain had considered using Politoed to make things easier. But Aron had objected, insisting he could handle it alongside Combusken and Larvitar. Now, it was clear that Aron had sensed this fight would be crucial for him.
During the battle, Aron showed unwavering determination. He had used moves like Dragon Rush and Head Smash effectively, facing Magmortar's heat and flames without retreating.
By overcoming his innate fear of fire, Aron proved his worth, likely one of the main reasons for his evolution.
Larvitar and Combusken approached, watching Aron's evolution. Larvitar, eyes filled with envy, let out a deep sigh. Although all the other second-string members of Cain's team had evolved, he still hadn't.
Fortunately, his friendship with Bagon and Horsea helped him stay motivated, and he quickly turned his envy into congratulations for Aron.
On the other hand, Ralts, the youngest of the team, had just finished her initial growth stage. Her development was much slower than the rest.
Cain didn't pay much attention to Larvitar's feelings. He took a special potion from his storage and administered it to Aron, ensuring he was in top condition for his evolution.
Politoed also approached. Stretching out his hands, he released water-type energy that began to surround Aron. While he couldn't completely alter the environment, he could balance the thermal energy and help Aron evolve in a fire-dominated atmosphere.
"Thank you!" Aron growled softly before closing his eyes and fully focusing on his evolution.
For Aron, this was an emotional moment. He had waited a long time to evolve, watching other team members do so before him. Now, it was finally his turn.
The white light around him grew more intense, completely hiding his form.
Through the radiance, one could see his body growing significantly. His size doubled and several horns began sprouting from his back, forming a robust armor. His limbs became more muscular, and sharp metallic claws emerged from his feet. His once round and adorable eyes took on a fierce look.
When the light faded, Aron had evolved into Lairon.
"Graaah!" Lairon roared, unleashing all his energy and displaying an impressive aura of power. His body was now fully covered by a mix of shining and dark metals, and even his teeth were steel-hard, ready to crush the toughest minerals.
Lairon's time to shine had arrived.
(End of chapter)