After clearing his name, Aiden Flint left Rustboro City and continued his journey toward Dewford Town.
To reach Dewford, one had to pass through Route 109 and board the old sailor's ship, crossing shark-infested waters before arriving at the island town. Only after that could a Trainer challenge the Fighting-type Dewford Gym.
By the time Aiden reached the pier and met the elderly sailor, several days had already passed. Fortunately, the old man was warm and enthusiastic, quickly agreeing to ferry him across the sea.
If it weren't for the waters being packed with Carvanha and Sharpedo, Aiden would have preferred riding Milotic all the way there himself.
Upon arriving in Dewford Town, Aiden didn't rush to challenge the Gym. Instead, he decided to head into the nearby mountains to train.
If luck was on his side, he might even encounter a promising new Pokémon.
At this point, all three of his partners had surpassed level thirty, firmly entering mid-Elite tier. With a little more training, Grovyle and Pidgeotto would be close to their final evolutions.
After restoring his Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, Aiden set off toward the mountain mine.
Rumor had it that Hoenn's former Champion, Steven Stone, often visited these mines personally—surveying minerals and even digging by hand.
Aiden honestly couldn't understand that hobby.
If he were the heir to Devon Corporation, he'd probably be traveling the world and enjoying life instead.
The deeper Aiden ventured into the mountains, the more Rock-, Ground-, Steel-, and Fighting-type Pokémon he encountered.
Most of them lived in groups, had fierce temperaments, and attacked humans and Pokémon on sight.
Before even reaching the foothills, Aiden had already been ambushed several times—by Geodude packs, Phanpy herds, and even multiple Onix.
After defeating a Donphan, he finally broke through and continued climbing.
As he ascended, Pokémon became noticeably rarer.
Then, after dealing with a surprise Onix ambush, Aiden discovered a concealed tunnel hidden behind a collapsed rock wall.
At first, he thought it was just a cave, but after peering inside and seeing no end in sight, he realized it was an abandoned man-made tunnel.
Driven by curiosity, Aiden switched on a high-powered flashlight and signaled Grovyle to follow him inside.
The moment they entered, the noise startled a massive swarm of Zubat, which burst out of the tunnel in a shrieking cloud.
That alone told Aiden this place was rarely visited.
Everyone knew—
the more untouched a place was, the higher the chance of rare Pokémon.
With Grovyle using Flash to light the way, they pressed deeper inside.
Not long after, several Diglett and Dugtrio popped their heads out of the ground, squealed in discomfort at the light, and vanished underground again.
"This tunnel's packed with Pokémon," Aiden muttered.
"Stay sharp, Grovyle. Something powerful might be living deeper inside."
Grovyle nodded, his posture tightening.
After nearly two hundred meters, the tunnel suddenly opened up.
Light flooded in.
Aiden stepped through—and froze.
Before him lay a vast hidden quarry.
And standing within it was an entire Aron clan.
At the center stood their leader—an imposing Lairon.
Thankfully, there was no Aggron present. Otherwise, Aiden would've had no choice but to bring out Rayquaza.
The moment Aiden and Grovyle appeared, the playful Aron stopped what they were doing, their eyes locking onto the intruders with clear hostility.
The Lairon stepped forward, issuing a warning growl—leave, or face the clan's wrath.
"Ding! Target data acquired."
Pokémon: Lairon
Level: 38
Ability: Sturdy
Type: Steel / Rock
Potential: Purple
Moves: Iron Head, Rock Slide, Metal Claw, Take Down, Rock Tomb
A level 38 Lairon was no weak opponent, but Aiden had already gone head-to-head with a level 40 Walrein before.
The real problem wasn't strength—it was numbers.
There were over three hundred Aron, with only three Lairon among them.
Then Aiden's gaze shifted—
and his breath caught.
Among the gray-blue Aron stood one gleaming gold.
A shiny Aron.
Aiden immediately scanned the entire group.
And the results were shocking.
One shiny Aron — gold potential.
More than ten Aron with purple potential.
The rest—blue potential, without exception.
No green. No trash-tier.
That was impossible under normal circumstances.
For a gold-potential Pokémon to appear, a species usually needed tens of thousands in population. Purple potential alone required thousands.
Yet this entire clan barely numbered three hundred.
Which meant only one thing—
something here was altering their potential.
This place wasn't just a quarry.
It was a treasure ground.
Whether to uncover the secret behind it—or to claim that gold-potential shiny Aron—Aiden had no intention of leaving.
Especially when Aron's final evolution was Aggron, a Pokémon he'd always admired.
If he'd already found this clan, why wouldn't he take it all?
Aiden raised a Poké Ball.
A flash of light—
Milotic emerged gracefully before the Lairon.
After days of combat and growth, Milotic had already reached level 33, close enough to fight evenly.
"One-on-one," Aiden said calmly.
"Lairon, if I defeat you, you and your clan come with me."
For a leader who ruled by strength, this was an acceptable challenge.
The Lairon roared and signaled its clan to stand down.
The duel began instantly.
Lairon charged with Take Down, its steel body shaking the ground.
"Milotic—full-power Hydro Pump!"
A massive torrent erupted.
The water slowed Lairon's charge but didn't stop it completely.
Then—
"Now! Aqua Tail!"
Milotic's tail surged with violent water energy.
The strike landed squarely.
Lairon was blasted backward more than ten meters, crashing hard into the rock wall.
Water streamed across its armor, damage stacking rapidly.
After all—
type advantage could not be denied.
And this battle had only just begun.
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