"Roooaaar!"
Struck by Mawile's Power-Up Punch, Onix let out a pained roar, its mind filled with confusion. How could such a small opponent possess such immense strength?
However, Mawile, having successfully landed a solid hit, wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. Without hesitation, it charged forward again, this time opting not for another Power-Up Punch but for the most effective move against Onix—Iron Head.
Having already boosted its attack with Power-Up Punch, there was no need to waste energy on further strengthening. The priority now was to end the battle as quickly as possible.
Yet, Onix wasn't about to sit there and take another hit without a fight. Though momentarily stunned by Mawile's unexpected strength, its battle-hardened experience kicked in just in time.
A flash of white light shimmered across its already rock-solid body—Onix had used Harden. Too bad Cloyster wasn't around.
Harden increased its defense, but the problem was that it was merely a lesser version of Iron Defense. Both moves boosted defense, but Iron Defense was significantly more effective.
It seemed that Onix was trying to use Harden to withstand Mawile's assault, but the moment Iron Head made contact, another agonized cry erupted from Onix.
"Roooaar!"
Although its Sturdy ability prevented it from flinching, the sheer force of the attack left Onix furious. In its rage, it thought of only one thing—counterattack.
Its massive body coiled tightly, and a metallic sheen spread across its rocky surface. It was preparing to retaliate with Gyro Ball, aiming for a decisive clash.
But Maki remained composed as ever, issuing a calm command to Mawile.
"Iron Head. Finish it."
Without hesitation, Mawile's Iron Head collided head-on with Onix's Gyro Ball. The outcome was predictable—Onix spun through the air like an actual spinning top before crashing into the ground.
For Mawile, tactics were unnecessary. All that mattered was reaching peak strength as fast as possible and delivering the most powerful attack to take down opponents.
Unlike Cottonee's more deceptive battling style, Mawile embodied the philosophy of brute force triumphing over finesse.
And in the future, if anyone thought they could strategize against a Mega Mawile, they'd first have to survive a single attack from its Huge Power-boosted moves. If they couldn't even endure that, then strategy was meaningless.
Seeing that Onix had lost its ability to battle, Maki casually tossed a special Poké Ball toward it. Even if the capture failed, the ball was durable enough to remain intact. With only one left, Maki wouldn't have wasted it otherwise.
As expected, the Poké Ball barely shook twice before clicking shut.
After a brief rest, Maki released the newly caught Onix.
"Ask it—can it farm?"
Mawile nodded before stepping up and chattering away in Pokémon language.
Onix's eyes shifted from fear to sheer bewilderment.
What was this nonsense? These guys went through all the trouble of beating it up… just to make it work on a farm?
"Roooaaar!"
No way! Never! It was the boss of this small territory! How could it lower itself to farming? If its old underlings saw this, where would its dignity go?
"Not willing to farm, huh?"
Maki frowned, rubbing his chin in thought. If Onix refused to help with farming, that was problematic. But since it had already been caught, it had to serve some purpose, right?
"Mawile, wouldn't a training dummy be useful for your practice?"
Mawile blinked in surprise, then nodded eagerly. Most of its moves required physical impact—having a sparring partner would be ideal.
"This guy looks pretty tough. Should work."
Maki grinned as he glanced at Onix. Given how durable Onix was, repeated use of Harden should let it endure Mawile's attacks well. It would make the perfect training dummy.
"Mawile!" I agree!
"Roooaaar!" Wait! I can farm!!
After many similar experiences, Maki had learned that Pokémon like Onix usually wouldn't comply unless given the right… motivation.
The only downside was that, while Onix had now agreed to help with farming, it didn't actually know how to use Rototiller. That would make things less efficient.
Still, finding another Pokémon both willing and able to farm was unlikely. This would have to do for now.
Maki continued exploring the area, but the Pokémon around here were all rather weak. Otherwise, that Onix wouldn't have been the dominant force here.
That also meant the local wildlife was more abundant.
Sure enough, despite not actively searching, Maki came across several wild rabbits and similar creatures in the forest. He casually had Mawile knock out two of them to take back, making sure to grab an extra one for Uncle Mohn.
The only question was whether Mohn could actually cook. Maki certainly couldn't, but since Mohn had been living alone on this island for so long, he must've learned a thing or two, right?
With everything prepared, Maki decided not to return just yet. This place was an excellent training ground—spacious, populated with weak Pokémon, and undisturbed by people.
"The weather looks nice today. A perfect time for you to practice."
"Cotton?"
Cottonee tilted its head, not quite understanding Maki's meaning.
"Sunny Day."
Originally, Maki had planned to have Cottonee practice this move after leaving Mt. Moon. But things had taken a bit of a detour—he had ended up in Alola.
Even so, his plan remained unchanged. Cottonee needed to train both Sunny Day and Tailwind.
The reason for prioritizing Sunny Day over the arguably more practical Tailwind was simple—Cottonee could naturally learn Sunny Day by leveling up.
Tailwind, on the other hand, was trickier. Without proper guidance, it would have to wait until evolving into Whimsicott to pick it up.
While Tailwind provided a broader team advantage, learning Sunny Day would give Charmeleon a massive power boost, making it potentially more valuable in the current situation.
"Cotton!"
Cottonee nodded enthusiastically, eager to give its all.
Then…
It turned to Maki with a puzzled look.
How do I do that?
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