It resembled a dinosaur in appearance, its whole body was gray with a sharp drill tip on its head, spikes on its back, and enormous feet that left deep imprints on the ground. Its limbs were thick and strong, and its chest had a broad armor. It swung its powerful tail, emanating a tremendous force.
Rhydon!
This must be the leader of the Rhyhorn herd.
After evolving into Rhydon, they not only walk on two feet but also shed the headstrong charge characteristic of their Rhyhorn phase.
"Hoo-ha!!"
Looking at several Rhyhorns lying in the corridor, the red glow in Rhydon's eyes radiated ferocity.
Glancing at it and two Rhyhorns not far ahead with their backs towards him, Natsuhiko remained calm.
It was an expected existence.
The reason for urgently having Beedrill deal with these Rhyhorns and stacking up Deadly Needle Stab was to prepare for this Rhydon.
Rhydon's straight-line speed wasn't as fast as Rhyhorn's, so it arrived a bit late, and Natsuhiko seized this time gap.
"No rush, let's deal with the ones in front first, Togepi."
"Togepi!"
Togepi responded, the victory over a Rhyhorn filled it with immense confidence and self-assurance, a confident expression shining on its small face.
It realized it wasn't as weak as it imagined.
Although it had defeated two opponents in the earlier exhibition match, the feeling now was entirely different.
Poliwhirl was tricked with a gift, and Vulpix purely died from the Waving Finger move.
Moreover, during the earlier encounters in underground tunnels, it had come across quite a few Rhyhorns, yet whenever it saw them, Togepi would keep its distance from these apparently goofy but essentially fierce big guys.
But now, it can defeat a drill-tipped Rhyhorn.
"Togepi..."
I've actually gotten strong...
With this thought, Togepi confidently cast Water Fluctuation again.
Bam!
The exploding water current hit a Rhyhorn, eliciting a painful low moan.
Meanwhile, Beedrill also swiftly dealt with another Rhyhorn. Cross Cut's damage was not something this Excellence Level Rhyhorn could withstand.
After one attack and another spin, Long Needle finished off the Rhyhorn hit by Togepi's Water Fluctuation but not completely defeated.
Thus.
A total of six Rhyhorns were all defeated.
"Togepi!"
Togepi excitedly shouted toward Beedrill.
Beedrill smiled as well.
This scene was observed by Abra.
A hint of desolation flashed through its eyes.
It didn't envy or resent; it just felt like it hadn't played much of a role in this encounter.
Togepi, who joined later than it did, could already defeat a Rhyhorn on its own now.
Feeling a bit useless.
Natsuhiko clearly sensed Abra's emotional fluctuation beside it.
As a Pokémon that had been with him since birth, Natsuhiko was too familiar with this little one's state.
"Abra." He gently patted its back.
"Abra?" Abra softly called out.
"You've done well."
Saying this, he grinned widely, baring a smile.
Abra was initially stunned, then immediately understood what Natsuhiko meant.
Although Natsuhiko only said that one sentence, many things are often conveyed with just a glance and an expression.
It slowly came to realize.
Yes, it was still young. Togepi was older, possibly even older than Beedrill, and it had only been born not long ago.
It was just a preconceived notion that the Pokémon that joined the team first should hold the senior position and be stronger.
With this thought process clarified, it felt relieved.
There was no reason to dwell on it. Since its strength wasn't enough now, it should work hard to improve. Eventually, it would battle alongside Beedrill and Togepi.
Aware of Abra's stabilized emotions, Natsuhiko's smile widened.
Pokémon aren't tools; they have their own personalities and thoughts.
Just like Beedrill's persistence, Togepi's mischief, Abra's strong will, all are parts of a Pokémon.
A trainer can't solely focus on enhancing a Pokémon's strength.
They also need to address their emotions and thoughts, provide the right guidance and counseling. This is a crucial part of a trainer's growth.
Especially for young Pokémon like Abra, their personality, thoughts, worldview, and value system particularly need a trainer's correct guidance.
This largely influences Abra's future development path and potential ceiling.
After all, Pokémon are companions, not cold tools.
And just as Natsuhiko was advising Abra, Rhydon had already come before them.
"Beedrill."
"Zzz-bee!"
Beedrill nodded.
Having warmed up, leave it to me now!
At this moment, Beedrill was at its peak in both state and spirit.
Vroom—
Its wings trembled softly, the golden pattern flickered, swiftly zooming over a considerable distance to appear in front of Rhydon.
Rhydon's gaze had long been drawn to Beedrill.
Raising its foot, it stomped heavily on the ground.
Boom!!
With Rhydon's foot as the center, the ground cracked layer by layer, forming dense spiderweb-like patterns.
Simultaneously, numerous spikes burst through the surface, Sharp Stone Attack locking onto the approaching Beedrill.
Beedrill's scarlet compound eyes flickered, and its silhouette blurred. Shadow Clone Technique manifested, real body intertwined amongst multiple shadows.
Bam!
The spikes from Sharp Stone Attack hit, only to shatter instantly like an illusion.
The real Beedrill's wings pulsed, speed soaring, double needle poised, appearing in front of Rhydon.
Rhydon squinted, lowering its head to meet Beedrill's long needle charging like an arrow with its threaded horn drill.
Rattle!!
The horn drill rotated, accompanied by the heavy ground type energy.
Direct Charge Drill!
Beedrill also opted not to retreat, Deadly Needle Stab swung out fiercely.
Bam!!
This was the clash of horn and needle, the honing of sharp versus sharp.
Rhydon's immense power forced Beedrill's rapid advancing form to a sudden halt, but accordingly, Rhydon, with an incredulous expression, retreated step by step until its tail braced against the ground to avoid falling.
The power and technique it prided itself on couldn't gain any advantage in front of Beedrill, even falling into a disadvantage.
Obviously, it didn't know how terrifying Beedrill was after stacking Deadly Needle Stabs.
Vroom—
Its wings emitted a deep hum, Beedrill swiftly gained control of its form, charging forward again, straight into Rhydon's embrace.
Cross-shaped blades swept across.
Bam!
Just managing to stabilize itself, Rhydon was struck by Beedrill's Cross Cut, losing control of its form and tilting backward.
However, Beedrill naturally wouldn't waste such a vulnerable posture.
Long Needle thrust out.
This time, a yellowish earth-toned glow appeared on the sharp Long Needle, adding a bit of weight to it.
It was also a Direct Charge Drill!
Having witnessed the Direct Charge Drill unleashed by Rhydon, Beedrill had learned quite a few key insights about the move from it.
Thus, for the first time in actual combat, it successfully executed the Direct Charge Drill technique.
Fight fire with fire.
Bam!!