Out in the wild, Leo had no time to overthink things. As they ventured deeper into Rocky Mountain, Cubone's real challenges had only just begun.
Their next opponent was Graveler, the evolved form of Geodude.
Its original pair of arms hadn't disappeared. Instead, it now had four powerful arms, along with thick legs supporting a much larger, rounder body.
Its standard weight had skyrocketed from about 20 kilograms to over 100 kilograms.
Graveler wore a smug expression as it stared at them. Leo and Cubone exchanged a glance.
Battle.
Seeing that Cubone showed no fear, actually daring to challenge it, Graveler flew into a rage.
"Graaa!"
Graveler stomped furiously, wrapped its arms around its body, and curled into a massive stone sphere.
A flash of red light erupted,
The Graveler rolled straight down the slope toward them!
Defense Curl + Rollout!
A classic combination move. The initial power of Rollout was instantly doubled, making it no weaker than Cubone's Bone Club.
How could they block this?!
"Cubone!"
Leo shouted sharply. Trainer and Pokémon locked eyes in perfect understanding.
That move!
"Cu!"
Cubone suddenly lowered its stance. White energy surged around its body as it stared unblinking at the charging Graveler.
Focus.
A state Cubone had naturally entered ever since mastering Bone Boomerang.
With its concentration pushed to the limit, everything else seemed to vanish. The world narrowed until only Graveler remained, its rolling form now appearing strangely slow and unstable.
Now!
Cubone hurled the bone club without hesitation.
The spinning bone smashed into a standing boulder to the side.
Rocks exploded outward, and the largest chunk dropped squarely onto Graveler's rolling path.
Graveler sensed the obstacle and forcibly twisted its body mid-roll to avoid it.
But before it could react,
The returning Bone Boomerang had already looped back, its trajectory perfectly intersecting Graveler's altered path!
CRACK!
A deep, dull impact rang out.
Graveler staggered violently, launched off the ground, completely unable to maintain its rolling posture.
At the same time, Cubone jogged two steps left and caught the returning bone club.
"Again, Bone Boomerang!"
Leo's command came instantly.
Cubone didn't hesitate. It adjusted its aim and threw again!
Thud! Thud!
Two consecutive hits, both direct.
Graveler's rocky head caved inward, forming a massive crater. It collapsed to the ground, completely motionless.
Cubone wins!
A red-and-white Poké Ball flew in a clean arc, striking Graveler and pulling it inside.
Cubone stood beside Leo, staring seriously at the shaking ball.
But Graveler, already unconscious, couldn't resist.
Click.
The Poké Ball went still.
Leo picked it up and locked it, then turned to Cubone, who was breathing a little heavily.
"That was incredible."
Cubone crossed its arms and nodded calmly, standard performance.
But a moment later, Cubone's gaze drifted to the Poké Ball.
Leo understood immediately.
"I found you a teacher," he explained. "It knows two moves that are perfect for you."
Cubone didn't speak, but a hint of doubt flickered in its eyes.
You want me to learn Rollout?
I'm not round… I can't roll…
Perhaps this area was Graveler's territory. After the battle, no other Pokémon came to disturb them.
Leo decided to rest for a while and then released Graveler.
By now, Graveler had woken up, though the massive crater in its head was still painfully obvious.
It shot Cubone a dissatisfied look, then winced from the pain and fell silent.
A fair, head-on defeat left it with nothing to complain about.
At that moment, a hand extended toward Graveler, holding several Ground-type energy cubes.
A rich aroma drifted out, instantly capturing Graveler's attention.
"Try it," Leo said gently. "See if you like the taste."
Graveler, who normally loved to shout, felt strangely uncomfortable with that calm voice.
So my voice can be used like this…
It carefully picked up an energy cube and placed it in its mouth.
The rich flavor and dense energy instantly conquered it.
The crater in its head began recovering at a visible pace.
"Gra…"
Graveler's mood improved immediately, and its gaze toward Leo softened.
Seizing the opportunity, Leo asked, "Graveler, can you use Smack Down and Stomp?"
As he spoke, Leo handed over two more energy cubes.
Graveler accepted them on instinct, then realized Leo was asking something.
Despite its thick rocky skin, it couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
We're definitely not doing this just for the energy cubes.
We're showing our strength!
After finishing the cubes, Graveler turned around.
It spread its hands, sharp stones formed out of thin air.
Graveler grabbed one in its right hand, aimed at a protruding rock on the mountainside, and swung hard.
BANG!
Stone collided with stone. Both shattered and fell apart.
Smack Down.
That wasn't all.
Graveler charged forward, then slammed its massive foot into the ground.
Visible shockwaves rippled outward. Wherever they passed, fine cracks spread through the solid rock.
Leo's eyes lit up.
This was solid bedrock, and Graveler had cracked it with a single stomp.
That move was no joke.
Stomp and Smack Down were both perfect for Cubone.
Especially Smack Down ,it posed a serious threat to Flying-type Pokémon.
Cubone watched Graveler's demonstration closely, the desire in its eyes completely undisguised.
"Impressive, Graveler," Leo praised sincerely.
Then he continued, "I'd like you to teach Cubone these two moves. During this time, you'll have a steady supply of energy cubes. Once Cubone masters them, I'll release you."
Graveler was delighted.
The energy cubes were delicious, but what it truly loved was basking in the sun on Rocky Mountain, bullying Geodude when bored, and living freely.
"Gra!"
Without hesitation, Graveler nodded in agreement.
Leo grinned.
Once Cubone learned Stomp and Smack Down, their future wouldn't be limited to Rocky Mountain, or to fighting Geodude alone.
With Graveler temporarily captured and Cubone's confidence firmly established, today's training goal was successfully completed.
As for why it was only a temporary capture—
Leo simply didn't have enough money to support training multiple Pokémon at once.
Deep in his heart, his expectations were still reserved for one Pokémon alone.
A shiny Metagross.
Seeing that it was still early, Leo decided the terrain of Rocky Mountain was perfect for Cubone's continued training.
He let Graveler begin teaching immediately, while he finally took time to eat lunch.
No ramen today.
Instead,
Squid ink seafood noodles.