"Nido…!"
Although it had just been struck back heavily, the Nidoking leader did not suffer any serious injuries.
It rose up again, shaking its somewhat numb arm, and once more fixed its sharp gaze on the Rhydon standing across from it. At the same time, waves of Poison-type energy began to surge and leak from its body.
At this moment, the Nidoking leader had decided to unleash its full strength. Without a doubt, the attribute it excelled in most was Poison-type power!
"Rhydon, block it head-on!"
Aven gave the order in a low but firm voice as he saw the Nidoking leader charging straight toward them.
Hearing its trainer's command, Rhydon gave a small nod. It raised its massive fists, crossing them in front of its body in a defensive stance, lowering its body slightly as Rock-type and Ground-type energies rapidly gathered around it, forming a swirling armor of energy that coated its entire form.
Boom!
With an earth-shaking roar, Nidoking leader's Poison Jab crashed mercilessly into Rhydon's defense.
A terrifying burst of Poison-type energy erupted on impact. In the blink of an eye, the defensive energy gathered on Rhydon's body was shattered and scattered. Its fists, filled with venomous force, pounded heavily against Rhydon's frame.
A muffled grunt escaped from Rhydon. It had taken the attack head-on, enduring the blow directly. Yet, despite the corrosive poison slamming against its body, the venom failed to pierce through its rocky defenses or leave a lasting mark.
"Rhydon, Drill Run!"
Without hesitation, Aven issued another order.
Rhydon let out a low growl from its throat. Both of its hands immediately gathered dense Ground-type energy.
But unlike the usual Drill Run that condensed power into the drill horn on its head, this time the energy was concentrated entirely into its fists.
The gathered Ground energy began to twist and spin, taking the form of two massive drills, as though Rhydon were wielding a pair of roaring power tools in its hands!
With its fists transformed into spiraling drills of energy, Rhydon launched its counterattack. Its heavy punch slammed into the Nidoking leader's chest with a resounding thud. The impact made Nidoking's entire body tremble violently and forced it backward, leaving several deep footprints etched into the dirt where it struggled to keep its balance.
"RHYYYY!"
Seizing the advantage, Rhydon charged forward again, meeting Nidoking leader head-on. The two Pokémon engaged in a ferocious, close-quarters clash.
All the surrounding Pokémon widened their eyes, not daring to blink, as they watched the Nidoking leader and Rhydon's battle unfold.
But soon, a shocking realization spread among them—the Nidoking leader was being completely suppressed!
Although in terms of raw energy surges Nidoking's attacks seemed much stronger, when its blows landed on Rhydon, they simply could not cause any significant damage.
In contrast, every strike from Rhydon landed like a boulder crashing down. Each punch left the Nidoking leader wincing in pain, its body quickly covered with wounds, and it was forced to retreat step by step.
This sight puzzled all the Pokémon watching. Their eyes gradually turned toward Aven, hoping for an explanation.
"This is due to type advantage."
"Rhydon possesses both Rock and Ground attributes, which means it has a fourfold resistance to Poison-type moves."
"Meanwhile, Nidoking is a Poison and Ground dual-type. Against Ground-type attacks, the Poison typing is doubly weak."
"That means, in terms of attributes, Rhydon holds an absolute advantage. It has no fear of Poison-type attacks, and on top of that, its hard, rocky skin makes it even more resistant to poison."
Aven explained calmly. In Pokémon battles, attribute matchups were an extremely important factor—one that could greatly bridge the gap between differences in raw strength.
Against a Rhydon that resisted Poison moves four times over, the Nidoking leader could at best unleash the combat power of an advanced level Pokémon.
But thanks to its double-effective Ground-type attacks, Rhydon dragged the Nidoking leader down to its level, fighting on even ground and showing no signs of falling behind.
This was precisely why Aven had confidently sent out Rhydon against the Nidoking leader. With such an overwhelming attribute advantage, Rhydon absolutely had the power to fight and win.
Indeed, understanding type matchups was one of the essential lessons every Trainer needed to master. Once the Trainer Academy was established, this would certainly be one of the main areas of study, as it could significantly enhance a Trainer's overall combat ability.
"RHYYYYY!"
The longer the battle went on, the more excited Rhydon became.
This time, it didn't rely on its fists. Instead, it hurled itself forward with its entire body, launching a devastating Drill Run!
The drill horn atop its head spun at frightening speed, stirring up terrifying surges of Ground-type energy.
At the same time, a steady stream of purplish-red energy poured out of its Life Orb, merging into the spiraling drill and making its power all the more terrifying.
"NIDOOoo!"
From a distance, Nidoking leader exhaled heavily.
It stared at Rhydon's hardened, dark grey body, and a helpless expression crossed its face.
After all this intense fighting, it realized that its attacks simply couldn't inflict meaningful damage.
But now, with Rhydon preparing its strongest move, Nidoking had no choice but to brace itself. Deep down, it knew—this clash would likely be the final one!
Its Poison-type energy surged to its maximum, while its Poison Point ability immediately activated. Venom concentrated at the tip of its horn as it unleashed a Poison Jab with all its might!
Seeing this, Aven could only shake his head slightly. If the Nidoking leader had mastered even a single Ground-type technique, Rhydon would not have lasted nearly this long.
But unfortunately, its expertise lay in Poison-type techniques, perfectly aligned with its Poison Point ability. As for the Ground-type, it had never learned any effective moves in that category.
The type disadvantage was simply too overwhelming. Against a quadruple resistance, Nidoking's strength could never be fully displayed.
Boom!
The two forces collided fiercely.
Energy ripples exploded outward as both Pokémon's bodies shook from the impact. A violent blast followed, and in the next moment, the entire battlefield was swallowed in a thick cloud of smoke.
All the Pokémon around fell into silence. As the battle dragged on, the Nidoking tribe watching were no longer confident their leader could win.
Slowly, the dust began to clear. The figures of the two combatants emerged from within the smoke.
When the ribe saw Rhydon still standing firm while their leader had collapsed, their expressions froze. Even if they had mentally prepared themselves, seeing their leader truly defeated left them shaken and unable to accept it easily.
In contrast, Petilil, Ralts, and the others were beaming with joy, celebrating their companion's victory.
"RHHHYYYYY!"
Rhydon raised its head and let out a triumphant roar.
But moments later, with a heavy thud, it plopped down onto the ground, sitting where it stood. Even though it had the absolute attribute advantage throughout the fight, the sheer difference in raw power still made the battle exhausting.
Still, regardless of the toll, the match was over. After a fierce clash, Rhydon had defeated the Nidoking leader and earned the long-awaited victory!
"Petilil, please help heal Nidoking leader."
Aven instructed calmly. He did not immediately take out a Poké Ball to capture it.
Instead, he wished to first receive its acknowledgment, and then officially capture it with a Poké Ball.
"Nido…"
Soon, under Petilil's healing, the Nidoking leader regained consciousness.
It first turned its head to nod in gratitude at Petilil, then looked at Aven and Rhydon with a complicated expression.
Although it had long expected that Rhydon's power would one day surpass its own, it never imagined that day would arrive so suddenly.
As it recalled the battle just now, a sense of powerlessness washed over it. The solid, immovable might of Rhydon had left an impression carved deep in its heart.
"Nidoking leader, there's no need to be disheartened. Rhydon only held an advantage because of type matchups."
Seeing its disappointment, Aven smiled and patiently explained the concept of type advantage once more.
Though Nidoking leader didn't fully grasp the details, it at least understood that Rhydon could resist Poison-type moves. Its eyes widened in disbelief.
"Nidoo?"
Even Rhydon blinked in confusion, scratching its head.
So… it wasn't that its strength had already reached the quasi-king level? It had only won because of type advantage?
Upon realizing this, Rhydon lowered its head slightly. But in the very next moment, its eyes blazed once more, filled with renewed determination.
After defeating Nidoking leader, it had felt somewhat lost, unsure of what goal to pursue next. But now it had found its new resolve: to one day defeat Nidoking leader without relying on type advantage!
"Nido!"
The Nidoking leader also seemed to understand, and strangely enough, it felt a bit relieved.
But when it noticed the fiery, battle-hungry gaze Rhydon cast its way, its heart skipped a beat. A faint, ominous premonition crept in…
"This is what a Trainer's battle truly is."
"Type advantage is just one of the things a Trainer must understand. Beyond that, Trainers must learn countless other forms of knowledge."
"Most importantly, Trainers need to design proper training methods and tactics based on their Pokémon's individual traits—like Rhydon's iron-tempering training regimen."
Aven continued explaining, his words leaving the Pokémon and rangers around him deep in thought. As they exchanged glances, an air of expectation began to form among them.
Watching this harmonious scene of humans and Pokémon, Aven gave a satisfied nod. Now that he had successfully won over the Nidoking leader, the entire Nidoking tribe would naturally become a part of the Safari Zone.
In the future, he might even persuade the Nidorino or Nidorina to travel alongside Trainers into the outside world. They didn't necessarily need to be captured; they could simply accompany Trainers as partners.
In fact, in his previous life, many powerful Pokémon had chosen this very path. They would accompany Trainers they acknowledged on journeys, and when the journey ended, they would return to their own tribes.
Because of this practice, many formidable tribes had risen in strength. Some even produced leaders on the level of Champions—the most famous example being the Charicific Valley.
"Well then… I look forward to working with you from now on!"
"I believe we'll become excellent partners, growing together and pushing each other forward."
"Nidooo!"
The Nidoking leader looked deeply at Aven and nodded firmly.
It liked this word—partner. It represented equality, not the relationship of master and servant.
Aven smiled and extended his fist.
The Nidoking leader, after a brief pause, extended its massive clawed hand in return, placing it firmly against Aven's fist. This gesture symbolized its willingness to accept Aven as its Trainer.
"And next, this is what symbolizes the bond between Trainer and Pokémon—the Poké Ball."
Withdrawing his hand, Aven pulled out an empty Poké Ball from his pocket and gently tapped it against Nidoking leader's forehead.
In an instant, its body turned into a beam of red light, disappearing into the Poké Ball before the astonished eyes of the surrounding Nidoking tribe's.
The Poké Ball quickly stilled, the red light fading away. It meant the Nidoking leader had not resisted and was completely willing to be captured by Aven. At the same time, it marked that the entire Nidoking Valley had now become an official part of the Safari Zone.
(End of Chapter)