Outside the cave on the back mountain, Tyrantrum paced back and forth anxiously, her gaze constantly sweeping the surroundings as she searched for her child.
At that moment—
A terrifying pressure descended from above.
High in the air, a massive silver-white steel behemoth was approaching her position.
As the undisputed ruler of the back mountain, Tyrantrum instantly sensed it.
The strength of the one approaching… far surpassed her own.
Yet Tyrantrum did not retreat.
Instead, she locked her eyes tightly onto the descending figure.
Because within that overwhelming presence, she could clearly feel her child's aura.
On Metagross's broad platform, Ethan also noticed Tyrantrum the moment they came into view.
So did Tyrunt.
But compared to Ethan's calm expression, the little troublemaker immediately shrank his head back, hiding behind Ethan's leg—
Looking exactly like a kid who didn't want to face an angry parent after getting caught.
Ethan chuckled softly and patted Tyrunt's head.
"Alright, it's okay. From here on out, leave it to me."
After calming Tyrunt, Ethan raised his head.
"Metagross, let's land."
"Meta—gross!"
Metagross responded obediently, slowly descending from the sky and settling onto the ground of the back mountain.
Ethan stepped forward and greeted her calmly.
"Hello, Tyrantrum. We meet again."
"ROAAARR!"
Tyrantrum let out a furious roar in response.
The meaning was obvious—
Return my child. Now.
"No need to rush," Ethan said evenly.
"That's exactly why I came back."
He glanced at Tyrunt beside him and spoke gently.
"Tyrunt, go on. Come out and see your mom."
But Tyrunt didn't move.
Instead, he clutched onto Ethan's leg even tighter, stubbornly refusing to step forward.
Before Ethan could say anything else, Tyrantrum grew visibly agitated.
"ROAR!"
The louder her voice became, the more Tyrunt shrank back.
Seeing this, Ethan sighed helplessly.
Looks like this little guy had already made up his mind.
Ethan spread his hands toward Tyrantrum.
"You see, Tyrantrum—this isn't me forcing your child to leave."
"He chose me. He wants to follow me on his own."
At those words, Tyrantrum fell silent.
The agitation in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by calm restraint.
She looked at Ethan.
Then at Metagross beneath him.
After taking a deep breath, Tyrantrum lowered her voice for the first time and released a soft call.
"Rrrr…?"
Hearing his mother's tone soften, Tyrunt froze.
After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously peeked his head out.
"Ty… runt…"
Tyrantrum responded again, her voice no longer fierce.
"Rrr… runt?"
Tyrunt's gaze hardened with determination.
He leaned against Ethan and answered firmly—
"TYRUNT!"
Silence fell.
After a long moment, Tyrantrum finally understood.
Her child had grown.
There would come a day when she could no longer keep him by her side.
Slowly, she lifted her head and looked directly at Ethan.
"Roooar…"
That single roar carried acceptance.
From this moment on, she was entrusting Tyrunt to Ethan.
To Tyrantrum, children were never meant to stay forever.
Her only hesitation before had been simple:
First—she hadn't trusted Ethan's intentions.
Second—she hadn't trusted his strength.
But now, both doubts had vanished.
If Ethan had ill intent, he would never have brought Tyrunt back.
And as for strength—
The presence of Metagross alone was more than enough proof.
With that, Tyrantrum turned away.
Before leaving, she gave Tyrunt one last, gentle look—
Then disappeared into the depths of the back mountain.
As Tyrantrum's figure vanished, a translucent panel appeared before Ethan's eyes.
[Pokémon: Tyrunt]
[Level: 16 (Mid–Normal)]
[Type: Rock / Dragon]
[Ability: Strong Jaw]
[Moves: Ancient Power, Rock Polish, Poison Fang, Rock Throw, Dragon Claw, Dragon Dance]
[Aptitude: Elite Four]
Immediately after—
A familiar system notification rang out.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Purple-tier Opportunity]
[Opportunity Crit in progress…]
[Ding! Congratulations—Hundredfold Crit triggered!]
[Ding! Golden-tier Opportunity acquired!]
Golden light burst forth from Tyrunt's body.
In the next instant, his information updated.
[Pokémon: Tyrunt]
[Level: 16 (Mid–Normal)]
[Type: Rock / Dragon]
[Ability: Strong Jaw]
[Moves: Ancient Power, Rock Polish, Poison Fang, Rock Throw, Dragon Claw, Dragon Dance, Scale Shot]
[Aptitude: Totem]
Ethan sucked in a sharp breath.
"Totem-level aptitude…?"
"And it even learned Scale Shot?"
He hadn't expected it.
A hundredfold crit—straight to a Golden Opportunity.
Totem-level potential.
Across the entire world, Pokémon of this tier were rare beyond belief—
Each one a guardian-like existence within its League.
And now—
Tyrunt could reach that level purely through growth.
As for Scale Shot, it was an extremely rare Dragon-type move.
Shedding scales to attack the opponent, trading defense for a massive speed boost—
Paired with Dragon Dance, the potential was terrifying.
Even Ethan didn't dare imagine how strong Tyrunt would become in battle.
Watching Tyrantrum's departure, Tyrunt felt both joy and sadness.
Ethan knelt down and placed a hand on his head.
"Alright, Tyrunt."
"From today on, we're partners."
"Your mom entrusted you to me."
"I'll make sure you grow strong."
"And next time you meet her—"
"We'll make her proud."
Tyrunt lifted his head, eyes filled with resolve.
"TYRUNT!"
With that—
Tyrunt officially joined the team.
Once Tyrantrum's presence fully vanished, Metagross activated its psychic power once more.
Carrying Ethan and Tyrunt, it rose into the sky.
A new journey had truly begun.
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