When Onix twisted its body and shook out all the treasures it had collected since becoming the island's leader, the sheer variety of items shocked Sato and the others.
"ONIIIII!"
Onix let out a skyward roar, then used its tail to sweep all the items together and push them toward Sato and his group.
Among the pile, energy crystals for Rock-, Ground-, and Steel-types were the most abundant and also the most common. But even these seemingly ordinary rare items were highly sought after by most Trainers.
To his shame, Sato glanced around and realized he didn't recognize a good portion of the items. However, he quickly noticed the thoughtful look in Joseph's eyes.
"Joseph, do you recognize all these things?"
"More or less. That's Forest Heart, Mossy Stone¹, Fighting Spirit², Ghost Nectar..."
Joseph listed the items one by one with familiarity, leaving Sato and Mark a bit lost.
These were things they had neither heard of nor seen before, so naturally they had no idea what they were used for.
But given that the enormous shiny Onix was the leader of the island, there was no way it would collect junk. Just the names alone sounded powerful.
Soon, seeing the two still looking confused, Joseph chuckled and began explaining each item's function in detail.
Sato had long suspected Joseph was someone with a mysterious past. Now, seeing how proficiently he named and explained these rare treasures, it only reinforced that belief.
So why were these items called "treasures"?
Because they were used by Pokémon at the Pseudo-Elite Four or even Elite Four level.
Forest Heart: Greatly boosts a Grass-type Pokémon's core energy and guarantees learning a powerful Grass-type move.
Mossy Stone: Accelerates the growth of Grass-type Pokémon without side effects, and replenishes internal stamina.
Fighting Spirit: Helps Fighting-type Pokémon learn ultimate moves and has a chance to unlock support moves like Mind's Eye and Detect.
Ghost Nectar: Enhances the mental strength of Ghost-type Pokémon, greatly increases growth rate, calms the mind, and soothes their naturally erratic temperament.
---
"Too bad, nothing for Dark-types," Joseph said after introducing all the items, shaking his head with slight disappointment; clearly speaking for Sato's "sake".
Sato selectively ignored Joseph's teasing. Though he did wish there were treasures for Dark-types, that didn't mean there was nothing here his partners could benefit from.
"On Onix~"
At that moment, Onix gave two low roars. Joseph nodded slightly after listening and turned to the others. "Onix says we can each pick two items to take with us."
"Really? That's awesome!" Mark waved his hand excitedly and immediately crouched down to start rummaging through the pile.
It was hard to blame Mark for being so thrilled. Anyone would find it difficult to contain their excitement when faced with such a treasure trove.
Back when Joseph was explaining things, there was already one item Mark had been coveting.
Toxic Sac: A concentrated toxin extracted from a Poison-type Pokémon of at least Pseudo-Elite Four level after its death.
This was perfect for Arbok, enhancing its toxic potency. Mark and Arbok had long envied the Poison-type Energy Crystal used by Ariados.
Soon, Mark also picked out a Ice-type Origin Ore, clearly intending it for Lapras.
After selecting his two items, Mark reluctantly stepped away from the pile, clearly aware that he shouldn't make a scene in front of the enormous shiny Onix.
Joseph and Sato exchanged glances and stepped forward together.
In the end, Sato chose the Mossy Stone and Ghost Nectar, both considered relatively rare and valuable among the pile.
Joseph chose the Fighting Spirit and Forest Heart. The Forest Heart could be used for Gogoat, and as for the Fighting Spirit… Sato quickly understood what Joseph was planning.
Joseph's Kirlia had been stuck at its current stage for a long time now, and it was ready to evolve with a Dawn Stone becoming Gallade with the Fighting type.
The Fighting Spirit would help Gallade adapt quickly to its new battle style and approach.
Seeing that the three had all made their selections, Onix once again extended its thick tail and swept the remaining rare items off the ground making them vanish completely.
"ONIII!"
Another skyward roar.
…Sato and the others realized this Onix really liked to yell for no reason.
With things now concluded, Onix gave Joseph a nod, then turned and climbed back to the top of its small rocky mound.
Soon after, the Volbeat that had guided them before flew over again; t was obvious Onix had issued an indirect request for them to leave.
The three didn't hesitate. Carrying their newly acquired items with delight, they left Granite Cave.
Upon returning to the Pokémon Center, the trio found Officer Jenny standing next to Nurse Joy.
Maybe it was just personal bias, but even after nearly two years of rebirth, Sato still didn't have much fondness for Officer Jenny, even though they usually represented justice… and weren't lacking in looks either.
"Hey, you're finally back. I've been waiting for you for a while."
Surprisingly, Officer Jenny greeted them and quickly stepped forward to stop the three of them.
None of them spoke. They simply stared quietly at her.
"Hello, Leader Sato. I'm Officer Jenny, head of public security on Dewford Island. There are a few matters I'd like to confirm with you."
"Go ahead." Sato nodded, though he already had a bad feeling about what was coming and instinctively didn't want to agree.
"Here's the thing, we forgot to mention it earlier. For Trainers who help maintain public order, our police department always provides a reward and support. These are the items Hard Stone and Soft Sand, please accept them as your reward for this time."
Sato looked at the two items Officer Jenny handed him and was momentarily speechless.
They had captured an entire team of Pokémon Hunters, including some with Pseudo-Elite Four level Pokémon… and now they were being brushed off with two measly items?
Worse yet, Hard Stone and Soft Sand were among the most common elemental enhancement items, barely worth anything at all.
Sato couldn't help but feel like Officer Jenny wasn't so much giving them a reward as she was just going through the motions to tick off a box.
No wonder a hunter group had managed to infiltrate Dewford Island and successfully capture so many Aron without being detected.
Still, for some reason, Sato had a feeling it wasn't going to be that simple.
.
.
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¹.Don't confuse it with Moss Rock (Eevee → Leafeon).
².Don't confuse it with Fighting Gem.