Pokémon Mining Association
This was an organization Nozomi had never seen in any of the anime he had watched in his previous life.
But this world was real. It was perfectly natural that some elements, absent in the anime, existed here.
"Lots of people."
The moment Nozomi stepped into the building of the Mining Association, he saw a spacious lobby filled with people.
Some were dressed like miners, while others, like Nozomi, wore the attire of a Pokémon Trainer.
The crowd made the hall inevitably noisy.
Nozomi disliked such loud environments. He quickened his pace and approached the receptionist at the front desk.
"Sir, how can I help you today?"
Nozomi rested his hand on the counter, lightly tapping the surface with his fingers. "Where can I check the bounty information?"
"You can check right here."
The receptionist was not surprised to see a Trainer. Every day, many Trainers came to check the Mining Association's bounty tasks. She efficiently handed him a dossier.
"These contain all current bounty tasks."
Nozomi took the materials and flipped through them.
The entries were varied: protection assignments, recruiting Trainers to safeguard miners and equipment; exploration missions, sending Trainers to investigate places that ordinary miners couldn't reach, to see if rare minerals were present.
But most tasks were "clearing" missions—eliminating threats. While mining, workers inevitably encountered wild Pokémon living in the area.
Weaker Pokémon were manageable, but when aggressive, temperamental Pokémon appeared, it was time for a Pokémon Trainer to step in.
The task Nozomi intended to take—capturing an Onix nesting in a mine—was exactly such a mission.
Soon, he found the page about the Onix.
The data was rough but telling: this Onix was roughly twice the size of a typical Onix.
In the Pokémon world, bigger didn't always mean stronger, but for Onix, a larger size practically guaranteed greater power.
Nozomi pointed at the image labeled Extremely Dangerous in red letters. "I'll take this job."
"Excuse me!" The receptionist had initially remained calm, but seeing him point at that image, she gasped.
"Sir… are you sure you want to accept this bounty?"
It was no wonder she reacted this way. This task had been posted for nearly half a year. No one had completed it—and not without reason.
First, the Onix in the mine was extremely powerful. Trainers who attempted the bounty before had failed, often sustaining serious injuries from the Onix.
Second, the mine itself was not highly valuable. The Association was divided on whether handling the Onix was worth it.
The Onix only occupied a mine of modest value and generally didn't attack humans proactively, so the bounty offered was small.
Consequently, strong Trainers were unwilling to take the task, and weaker Trainers couldn't complete it. That was why the bounty had remained posted for six months.
Nozomi had no mind-reading abilities, so he didn't know all this.
He looked at the receptionist. "Is there a problem?"
"This Onix is very strong!" The receptionist emphasized the words very strong.
From her perspective, a young Trainer like Nozomi could hardly be a match. Even Brock, a Pewter City Gym Trainer whom she had specifically invited before, failed to handle the Onix.
"I know. I'm strong too," Nozomi replied with a smile. "Can you register me for the task?"
The receptionist was surprised by his confidence. Still, since he insisted, she didn't object further.
"Could it be… this handsome guy really has the skill to take down that Onix?" she wondered, watching Nozomi's retreating figure.
Mt. Moon Mine
Though it was noon, the mine was cool and shadowed.
Following the map he had gotten from the Mining Association, Nozomi navigated the complex tunnels, grateful he had obtained it beforehand. Without it, he might never have found the Onix's location.
"This should be it!"
Turning a corner, he saw the entrance to a chamber. He grasped the Poké Ball containing Metagross and stepped inside.
Beyond the entrance, the space suddenly opened up.
The narrow tunnels gave way to a massive open cavern, the size of two or three basketball courts.
The surrounding rock walls bore clear marks of excavation.
At the center of the cavern lay a giant Onix, occupying most of the space. It was coiled up, sleeping soundly.
"This Onix is much larger than I imagined," Nozomi murmured, staring at a creature whose individual body segments were taller than he was.
But that was a good thing. The larger the Onix, the stronger it would be.
"Go, Metagross! Say hello to the Onix!"
Nozomi threw the Poké Ball.
Metagross appeared instantly in the cavern. The sleeping Onix abruptly opened its eyes.
The ground trembled beneath its massive head, which, despite its size, moved with remarkable agility. Its eyes locked onto Nozomi and Metagross, brimming with vigilance and anger. Someone dared enter its territory!
The Onix roared, a warning to Metagross and Nozomi to leave.
"Onix, I'm here to capture you. Let's battle."
No fear touched Nozomi's face. He looked directly at the Onix.
He was not one for idle talk.
In Nozomi's view, capturing a Pokémon began with defeating it. Only then could you build a bond.
He didn't have Ash's protagonist luck—making friends first, then immediately capturing Pokémon.
He preferred reasoning with strength. Physical reasoning.