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There weren't many Steel-type Pokémon to begin with, and Li Xiang was only interested in a select few, so his options were limited.
This time, he was dead set on a Steel-type—other types were out of the question.
He'd promised himself long ago that he'd focus on Steel-types, but a whole year had passed, and he still didn't have a single one. The closest he had was Riolu, which would gain the Steel typing upon evolution. Because of this, Song Jie never missed a chance to tease him.
Ideally, he wanted a Pokémon that could carry him while flying.
Back when he'd gone out to play earlier in the year, he'd been insanely jealous of the trainers soaring around on their Pidgeot.
His top pick?
A pseudo-legendary, of course.
In terms of flight experience, the Metagross line was the best choice—basically a flying platform.
More importantly, it looked cool.
"Huh? You don't have Beldum or Metang?"
He stared blankly at Su Yiliu.
Su Yiliu chuckled. "What, did you think this was some elite collector's private garden? We can't possibly have every Pokémon species here."
At this conservation base, there was a Metagross, but Beldum and Metang? Nope.
What a shame.
But as a dreamer, Li Xiang believed that even if it was just the fully evolved Metagross, as long as the rules allowed it, he had every intention of trying to recruit it.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
"Are you sure? That thing is fierce. It arrived last year, got into fights with a bunch of other Pokémon, and only got put in its place after going too far and getting smacked down by Arcanine."
Su Yiliu gave him a fair warning—daydreaming was pointless.
But Li Xiang, emboldened by her presence, boldly declared: Looking won't cost me anything.
And so, the two of them headed to where the Metagross was kept.
However, they were stopped by a man and a woman before they could get close.
"Director, you came just in time. Metagross #4013 has gone berserk again—it's clashing with Roggenrola #3076. The team is already trying to restrain and calm it down."
The female staff member spoke in a low voice. The numbers were the Pokémon's identification codes in the conservation base, used to distinguish one from another.
The moment she finished speaking, a deafening explosion erupted in the distance, followed by a blinding white light and a mushroom cloud of smoke.
"Holy—! Did those guys forget to bring a Damp Pokémon? It actually got the chance to Explode?!"
The male staff member cursed, gaping at the rising smoke.
"What are you standing around for?! Go help!"
Su Yiliu shoved the two forward, and only then did they snap out of it and rush toward the chaos.
Li Xiang stayed where he was, staring at the towering smoke in the distance, deep in thought.
Should I prioritize my life… or the Metagross?
Clearly, this Metagross was the type to throw out an Explosion at the drop of a hat—prone to violent outbursts and picking fights. That fit its species' temperament perfectly.
From what he remembered online, people often described this Pokémon as a hot-headed berserker.
Some even called it ruthless, claiming it wouldn't hesitate to attack any intruders in its territory. Extremely dangerous—if you encounter one in the wild, run and don't look back.
How was Li Xiang supposed to handle that?
He couldn't.
There was a high chance that on the very first day he brought it home, this rage machine would blow his house to smithereens.
It'd rip the roof right off! And scatter your ashes for good measure!
The worst part? Li Xiang wouldn't even be able to stop it. Torracat and the others clearly weren't strong enough.
A high-IQ metal monster over Level 50 wasn't going to listen to the commands of a twelve-year-old kid.
Personally, Li Xiang figured that recruiting a Pokémon around Level 30 was probably his limit.
Not to mention, he had to consider Torracat and the others' feelings. If they clashed with the new recruit and got beaten, ending up as its underlings, that'd be a joke.
So, ideally, he needed a Pokémon at a comparable level.
Besides, at this stage, he didn't need to raise a new Pokémon from Level 10.
Many trainers, once they officially started their journey, preferred to raise Pokémon that were at least Level 25. They'd only choose lower-level ones if they found something particularly suitable.
After all, leveling up took time, and for a trainer, time was always in short supply.
"Ugh… It's a Psychic/Steel type. I'm no match for it. Let's bail." Li Xiang shrank back. A real man knows when to fold 'em. No shame in retreating.
It wasn't like this Metagross was going anywhere. Once Torracat and the others grew stronger, coming back for it was always an option.
"Wise choice."
Su Yiliu grinned and pinched his cheek.
Since Metagross was off the table, he had to look at other Steel-types.
But among Steel-type Pokémon, there weren't many that could carry a person while flying.
For example…
Honedge and its evolutions.
"Nope."
Su Yiliu shook her head. "Those things are dangerous. They like using their special abilities to control people's minds. Whenever we get one, we transfer it to a Ranger outpost."
"Plus, they usually only show up in weird, out-of-the-way places. They're pretty rare."
Honedge is rare?
That was unexpected. But considering this world wasn't the same as the games, and Ghost-types tended to be elusive, appearing in strange locations…
It made sense.
"If you really want one, try checking wealthy collectors' treasure rooms, ancient battlefields, ruins in Zhu Xia, or even blacksmiths' workshops. Supposedly, they choose their trainers—only those with the potential to be kings earn their recognition."
Sword in the stone?
King Arthur?
Li Xiang's mind filled with question marks. He hadn't realized Honedge was that prestigious.
Did that mean Shouta had the makings of a king?
Then again, Leon had one too… Well, he was Galar's unbeatable champion.
Fair enough.
No Honedge, then.
"What about Magne—huh?"
Just as Li Xiang was about to ask further, a flock of birds in the distance caught his attention.
Normally, they'd just be ordinary bird Pokémon—nothing special.
But…
These guys seemed way bigger than usual.
Actually, scratch that—they were massive, and their appearance was downright regal. Their entire bodies were pitch-black, with metallic armor-like sheen, and their crimson eyes scanned the ground imperiously.
Majestic.
"Ah, those are Corviknight. Really intelligent Pokémon—super popular in Western Europe. They even have Corviknight taxi services there, unlike here where airspace is tightly controlled."
Su Yiliu followed his gaze and smiled, waving at the Corviknight. "Hey! Come down and play!"
"Caw—!!"
The Corviknight in the sky let out a series of noisy cries, as if discussing among themselves.
Then, under Li Xiang's eager gaze, they slowly descended.
He did know about Corviknight—he'd even used one in Sword and Shield. But he hadn't expected them to be this big!
Holy smokes, these things could easily carry two people on their backs!
They were practically the kings of regional bird Pokémon in terms of size!
As dust kicked up from their landing, Li Xiang squinted at the Corviknight squadron touching down before him. Unlike their slender, sharp-faced game counterparts, these Corviknight had broad, rounded faces—like a regal crown fused with a steel bucket.
Confirmed!
These were ultra-sized black chickens! At least 2.2 meters tall!
Li Xiang's eyes sparkled. The Corviknight before him were big, black, and tough—cool from afar, and even cooler up close!
"#555! Leading the flock again, huh? Hehe, look at you—the little fledgling from back then is now the leader!"
Su Yiliu seemed familiar with these Corviknight. As they landed, she walked up and scratched the leading Corviknight's neck feathers—the only soft spot on its body aside from the tuft on its head. The feathers there almost looked like a dwarf's beard, blending into its chest.
"Caw-ha—!!"
The Corviknight's eyes narrowed into content slits, letting out a raspy cry as it clearly enjoyed the attention.
And when it moved, the metallic clinking of its feathers confirmed that its body was genuine steel.
So—so cool!
Li Xiang felt like his heart had been shot through.
A string in his brain—the one labeled rational thought—suddenly snapped.
"Me! Me! Aunt Su—no, Sister Yiliu! Sis! Can I pet it too? Please?"
Li Xiang darted to Su Yiliu's side, tugging at her sleeve, his face flushed with excitement.
Su Yiliu blinked in surprise, then laughed. "Of course! Don't let their fierce looks fool you—they're actually very gentle and understanding Pokémon."
She took Li Xiang's hand and placed it on Corviknight #555's chest.
The Corviknight tilted its head curiously, its crimson eyes wide as it studied Li Xiang.
Contrary to expectations, its feathers weren't cold—instead, they were warm and downy, almost like plush velvet.
"So this is…"
Li Xiang felt the same flutter in his chest as when he'd first met Torracat. A surge of emotion overwhelmed him, and despite all the literature he'd studied, he couldn't find the right words.
In the end, his face reddened, and so did his eyes— From sheer excitement.
The other Corviknight quietly gathered around, encircling the two, and began nudging Su Yiliu and Li Xiang with their beaks.
Su Yiliu laughed and gently pushed them away. Noticing Li Xiang's expression, she patted his head. "Don't get too worked up. How about we go take a look at their nest?"
Li Xiang nodded vigorously. He felt like he'd already found the Pokémon he wanted.
Sure, they were huge, but so what? He could just keep one in the backyard and move a few of Florge's "wives" out.
Or maybe build an extra floor on the roof for it.
Whatever it took, Li Xiang was dead set on this Pokémon. No matter what, he had to take one home.
Giant black chicken! Big, black, and tough! A man's dream!
Absolutely recruiting one!
No retreat, no surrender!
Unconsciously gripping Su Yiliu's sleeve tighter, Li Xiang watched as the Corviknight spread their wings and flew toward a distant forest.
"That's their nesting grounds. Corvisquire and Rookidee live there too… Actually, you've been there before when you were little."
Su Yiliu's expression turned slightly odd, as if recalling something.
Li Xiang froze. "I've been there? I don't remember that."
"You were around five. You wandered in riding a Herdier and got stuck there. By the time I found you, you were curled up in their nest, scared out of your wits—and you'd wet yourself."
Su Yiliu's smirk was downright evil.
Damn it! Another black mark on my record!
Li Xiang's face darkened, and he silently let go of Su Yiliu's sleeve.
"But," Su Yiliu grabbed his hand before he could pull away, grinning, "you were holding one of their eggs at the time! And it hatched into a Rookidee!"
Unlike breeding farms, which collected eggs for artificial incubation, conservation bases left eggs with their parents, only occasionally checking on their health.
"I hatched a Rookidee?"
Li Xiang's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it—if he'd been so scared he wet himself, why would he have been holding an egg? Was he that reckless?
"Yep. I was the one who registered it." Su Yiliu's memory sharpened. "Its number was… #4396?"
…Coincidence!
It had to be!
That meme was ancient by now!
Li Xiang turned away, forcing himself not to dwell on it.