Chapter 126: Bronzor's Origins
"Bronzor, did you learn Telepathy because of your extended Meditation?" Basalt asked, his curiosity piqued.
Before, it had been a "perfectly normal" Bronzor. After, it had mastered a high-level psychic technique like Telepathy. It was obvious that the Meditation method Bronzor knew was anything but ordinary.
"Of course!" Bronzor's voice filled his mind, tinged with pride. "This is a special Meditation technique unique to my kind. In human terms, you could consider it a Tutor Manual. But compared to the manuals for Focus Energy or Aqua Jet, my Meditation technique is far more profound."
Bronzor had peeked at Basalt's Pokédex data before when it was learning Bulldoze, so it was familiar with the other manuals he owned.
"However…" Bronzor seemed to sigh. "This method of meditating for days on end puts immense strain on one's psychic power. Success leads to a breakthrough, a massive increase in strength. But failure… failure could have left me in a daze for a very long time."
A hint of fear crept into its telepathic voice. "It's a good thing I still had some residual energy from that high-grade Psychic Gem you used to heal me. Otherwise, this time would have been a really close call!"
Okay, when did this turn into some kind of epic fantasy story? Basalt thought, completely baffled. The whole Meditation thing sounded a lot like a cultivator achieving enlightenment.
Seeing Basalt's strange expression, Bronzor misinterpreted it as concern for its well-being. "Don't worry," it reassured him. "I won't be so reckless next time."
In that moment, Bronzor's image of Basalt as a kind and caring trainer grew even stronger.
Once he confirmed Bronzor had no lingering side effects, Basalt remembered a question that had been buried in the back of his mind for a long time.
"By the way, Bronzor, where did you come from? I've always felt there was something special about you," he asked, his eyes sharp and focused.
Incredible psychic power, astonishing defense, the Heatproof ability, and it even came with its own built-in Tutor Manual? A Pokémon like this was a trainer's dream. Basalt suddenly felt like he could cry with joy.
"This…" Bronzor hesitated, unsure how to answer. After a moment of thought, it finally began. "My home is a vast mountain range, a place hiding rich mineral deposits. Many Pokémon who feast on ore live there."
"Besides my Bronzor clan, there are colonies of Aron, Geodude, Onix, Lunatone, Solrock, and Rhyhorn. Although we had our squabbles and battles from time to time, life was generally very peaceful."
Bronzor spoke calmly, completely oblivious to the fact that Basalt's breathing had become ragged with excitement.
Is your hometown paradise? It's filled with nothing but Sandstorm-compatible Pokémon?! Basalt thought. He wanted to go there. Badly.
"Until a few months ago…"
Bronzor was about to continue, but Basalt suddenly cut it off. He whipped out his Pokédex and pulled up an image of a large, bipedal, dinosaur-like Pokémon. It was covered in armor-like green hide, with spikes of various sizes protruding from the back of its head, neck, and shoulders, and a ring of smaller spikes at the end of its tail. It had sharp fangs on its upper and lower jaws, three claws on its hands and feet, and triangular holes on its chest, back, and knees. On its belly and lower back were diamond-shaped gaps, revealing the shell beneath.
"Have you ever seen this Pokémon in your home?" Basalt asked, pointing at the picture, his voice thick with anticipation.
"This one… I don't think so? I've never seen it, at least," Bronzor replied, not recognizing the Pokémon in the photo.
"No Tyranitar? Then what about this one? Or this one?"
Not giving up, Basalt pulled up photos of Larvitar and Pupitar. But Bronzor just shook its head, saying it had never seen those Pokémon either.
"Damn! No Larvitar? What a letdown," Basalt muttered in disappointment. He gestured for Bronzor to continue its story.
He had a deal with Agent Zhou: win the regional tournament, and he could apply for a pseudo-legendary. But Basalt knew winning the regionals was no easy feat. If Bronzor's home had Larvitar, it would have given him a second chance. After all, you should never put all your eggs in one basket.
Bronzor, not understanding his reaction, continued its tale. "Until a few months ago, Pokémon in my home started disappearing. At first, no one paid it much mind. And then… I accidentally fell into a spatial passage and was transported to the desert. That's where I met you."
"A spatial passage? You mean a Hidden Land?" Basalt's eyebrows shot up.
Hidden Lands were unique pocket dimensions, existing independently of their world. But due to gravitational forces, these realms were often pulled towards the main world until they made contact, at which point the Hidden Land would fully manifest. This was common knowledge taught in high school, so Basalt knew the basics.
As it spoke, a shadow of melancholy fell over Bronzor. It was clear that it was homesick.
Seeing this, Basalt gently patted its head. "Logically speaking, your home will probably manifest in our world at some point in the future. So, you'll have a chance to see your clan again."
"Really?" Bronzor's eyes lit up.
"Of course. Would I lie to you?" Basalt smiled, then winked. "But from what I hear, you need to be at least professional-level to even think about entering a Hidden Land. We're still just rookies. We've got the intermediate and advanced tiers to get through first. We've got a long way to go!"
"Then… we need to train harder!" Bronzor's body tensed with newfound resolve.
I can't let my home appear only for me to be too weak to see my family! How awful would that be?
Watching the fire of motivation ignite within Bronzor, the corner of Basalt's mouth curled into a smirk.
Yep, Bronzor is still pretty easy to fool.
Dangling a carrot on a stick? Basalt was a master of that game. He'd had enough bosses do it to him in his past life. Now, using it on the pure-hearted little Bronzor was just perfect.
"No rush, no rush. First, let me see what's changed about you," Basalt said with a grin, halting Bronzor's sudden training impulse.
"Changes? Oh, I almost forgot! I think I learned a new move." Bronzor wobbled back and forth, looking proud.
"What move? Show me, quick!" Basalt exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
A true prodigy! It learned a new move all on its own! What a considerate Pokémon!
"This move… I don't think I can demonstrate it by myself," Bronzor said, looking troubled. "It's a skill that uses psychic power to stop an opponent from using their own moves. But the precondition is that I have to be able to use the move they're trying to use. I have to be familiar with how it works."
"You don't mean… Imprison, do you?" Basalt asked, stunned.
Imprison. A Psychic-type move. It used psychic power to prevent an opponent from using any moves that the user also knew. This was a high-level status move. Used correctly, its strategic value was no less than a powerful setup move like Swords Dance or Dragon Dance.
After all, in the real world, Pokémon weren't limited to just four moves.
So, if I learn enough moves, he thought, I'll always have something I can use to lock down my opponent, right?
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