Pokemon: I'm a Farmer

"Rex, are you okay?"

Nearby, Mai noticed Rex had been silent for a long time and thought something had gone wrong. She hurriedly asked with concern.

"Haha, something's happened—something huge!"

An ecstatic voice came from the pit where Rex was. Moments later, he climbed out of the more than 3-meter-deep hole, clutching something tightly in his right hand.

"What is it?"

Mai, startled by Rex's unusual behavior, got up from the chair she had been sitting on and ran over to him, curiosity written all over her face.

"Take a look at this!"

Rex extended his right hand toward Mai and slowly opened his clenched fist. In his palm lay a bead-like object that resembled glass.

"You… you really unearthed a Mega Stone! That's incredible!"

After carefully examining the bead in Rex's hand, Mai finally spoke, her voice filled with disbelief.

Like Rex, Mai had assumed that a place full of water pits like this couldn't possibly yield anything worthwhile.

She hadn't expected Rex to bring such a surprising find. While she envied his good fortune, Mai also dismissed the idea of changing the excavation site. After all, other locations might not even have Mega Stones, while this place had proven to yield one.

"I was planning to dig out the water from this hole and call it a day. Never expected it to bring such a big surprise."

Fiddling with the Mega Stone in his hand, Rex spoke with mixed emotions.

"Then let's not change locations. We'll keep digging here. If there's one Mega Stone, maybe there are more nearby!"

Mai, energized and brimming with determination, shifted from her earlier laid-back attitude.

Motivated by the Mega Stone, Mai was now ready to grab a shovel and start digging alongside their Pokémon. Sitting in her chair was no longer an option.

"Alright, let's keep digging here for a while and see if luck strikes again."

Rex understood Mai's excitement, though having secured one Mega Stone, his own urgency had diminished. In the following days, their roles reversed—Rex often sat in the chair watching Sandslash and Machoke work, while Mai threw herself into the effort, taking only a few breaks throughout the day.

This dynamic persisted for the next two weeks as the duo explored Meteor Falls. However, Rex and Mai eventually lost hope in this site.

It wasn't that they had no gains during this period, but their findings didn't justify the time and effort they'd invested. Day by day, Mai's patience wore thin, and she returned to her earlier, more relaxed state.

Finally, after some discussion, they decided to head to the next marked location, aiming to explore all four sites within the month.

The last two markers weren't on their current level. To reach them, they'd need to pass through a downward passage into the deeper interior of Meteor Falls.

After half a day of travel, Rex and Mai finally arrived at the entrance to the lower level. The journey had been anything but smooth—both Combusken and Machoke bore several scratches. Though not severe, the trek had certainly taken a toll on their stamina.

The narrow, pitch-black entrance looked like the gaping maw of a beast ready to swallow everything, even light.

"Let's head down."

With those words to Mai, Rex followed Carbink into the passage.

Mai didn't hesitate and followed suit, guarded by Gallade, who remained vigilant for any threats.

Before long, they reached the next level. Rex immediately noticed the temperature drop by several degrees. While he wasn't bothered, Mai shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

Unlike the upper level, which had some light, this area was completely engulfed in darkness. Beyond the glow of Carbink's Flash, visibility was nonexistent, and the surrounding blackness felt as though it could swallow them whole.

After consulting the map, they started toward the nearest marker. However, they hadn't gone far before a group of small, metallic creatures blocked their path.

These creatures had steel-armored bodies and a rocky secondary type. They were Aron, about a dozen of them, resembling chunks of iron.

Aron had a round body, short sturdy legs, and a big, round head. Their bodies were a dark gray, with pale blue eyes.

Their heads, legs, and backs were covered with steel helmets, including a horn on their backs. Holes dotted the armor—three on each side of the head and two near the horn on their backs.

Aron typically lived in the mountains, consuming iron ore to build their steel armor. Occasionally, they ventured to lower areas, gnawing on bridges, rails, or vehicles, which often caused headaches for locals.

Despite their small stature, Aron weighed an average of 60 kilograms. Their steel bodies were so sturdy that a full-force tackle could shatter a dump truck, which they would then proceed to eat.

When evolving, Aron shed their armor completely before growing a new layer, leaving behind discarded steel that people sometimes collected for crafting.

Despite their formidable abilities, these Arons seemed more curious than hostile upon spotting Rex and Mai, gathering around them instead of fleeing.

Machoke initially prepared to drive them off, but Rex stopped him. He sensed no malice from the Arons, only curiosity.

Still, being surrounded wasn't ideal. After some thought, Rex retrieved a few rare minerals from his bag and placed them cautiously in front of the Aron.

While regular iron ore allowed them to grow, rare minerals strengthened their armor, akin to upgrading from basic steel to alloy plating.

The Arons quickly swarmed the minerals, abandoning their curiosity. This created an opening in the blocked passage, and Rex and Mai took the chance to slip through.

However, they hadn't gone far when a rustling sound came from behind. Turning around, Rex saw the Arons following them again.

Fortunately, the Arons maintained a safe distance, observing curiously from a few meters away. Since they didn't seem to pose any threat, Rex and Mai decided to let them be and continued on their way. (End of chapter)