"So this is the summit of Mount Veridian," the young man with the almond-shaped eyes, Zane, said with a smile, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over the Bronzor and Bronzong.
"That's right. This is our ho," the Bronzong who had escorted him said, its tone warm. "If you can gain the recognition of any mber of our clan, you may participate in our Evolution Festival."
Zane's strength was undeniable. Though only eighteen, his ace Pokémon, a Gallade, was already at the advanced tier. His willpower was also exceptional; he had broken through the dream-state trial with ease. The Bronzong was certain that the Great Elder would be very pleased to have him as a potential partner for one of their young.
"Gain the recognition of a Bronzor, hmm?" Zane said, a playful smile on his face. He scanned the Bronzor gathered at the summit, then let out a nearly imperceptible sigh.
"Bronzong, may I see your Great Elder first?" he asked.
"You wish to see the Great Elder?" the Bronzong said, surprised. After a mont of thought, it nodded. "With your talent, I'm sure the Great Elder would be happy to et you. I will ask."
It closed its eyes and communicated telepathically with the Great Elder's consciousness, which enveloped the entire mountain. A few monts later, it opened them again. "Co. The Great Elder has agreed to see you."
Deep inside the main cave, Zane ca face-to-face with the Great Elder and bowed respectfully.
"Young man, why have you sought out?" the elder's voice echoed in his mind.
"Great Elder, my na is Zane. I have co to you with an unreasonable request," he said, his tone polite but not subservient.
"And what is that?"
"First, I must apologize," Zane said, taking a deep breath. "Although I have participated in your clan's trials, I have no intention of catching one of your Bronzor." He took a Poké Ball from his belt and opened it. "Because... I already have this."
A machine-like, blue-green creature with two powerful, clawed arms appeared. It was a tang, a dual Steel/Psychic-type.
"However," Zane continued, bowing deeply, "I still hope that you will grant a piece of your clan's sacred ore, to help my tang grow stronger. For this, I will forever be in the debt of the Bronzong clan."
The Great Elder's expression soured. The Bronzong beside it was furious. "You insolent brat! Are you saying that the Bronzor of our clan are not worthy of being compared to your Pokémon?" its angry voice bood in Zane's mind.
Zane remained calm. He knew that with a League-appointed Master watching over this Hidden Land, the Bronzong wouldn't dare to harm him. "That is not my intention," he said, shaking his head.
"Yes, it is!"
Zane sighed and turned his attention back to the Great Elder. "Great Elder, my tang is an important partner to . As they are both Steel/Psychic-types, I simply do not have room for a Bronzor on my team. Please, understand."
The Great Elder was old and wise, and it saw through Zane's polite words to the arrogance that lay beneath. It was about to refuse, but then it thought of Basalt and his Bronzor, and it hesitated.
"I can give you a piece of the sacred ore," it said, "but only if you can defeat the most outstanding mber of our clan."
Zane's face lit up.
"Tomorrow, at high noon, you will return to this summit for the battle," the Great Elder's voice instructed.
"It's a deal," Zane said, bowing once more before leaving.
"Great Elder, why did you agree to his request?" the other Bronzong asked after he was gone. "He was insulting our entire clan."
The Great Elder just smiled. If Basalt's Bronzor had not returned, it would have sent Zane packing. But now... it saw an opportunity. The Evolution Festival was approaching. A powerful opponent would be the perfect whetstone to sharpen their young prodigy's skills, to push it to unlock its full potential.
"This boy will be Basalt and Bronzor's whetstone?"
"That's right," the Great Elder said. "Pressure creates diamonds. Go and tell our young one the news. Tell him to prepare. And tell him not to bring sha to our clan."
The Bronzong flew out of the cave and found Basalt's Bronzor. It relayed the news, with a few embellishnts. "What? Soone insulted our entire clan, and said that none of our Bronzor are a match for his Pokémon?" Bronzor, who had been ditating, was instantly enraged.
"Yes," the other Bronzong said gravely. "The Great Elder has arranged a battle for you tomorrow. You must not lose."
"Wait a second," Basalt said, a bad feeling creeping into his gut. "The boy you're talking about... he doesn't happen to have almond-shaped eyes, does he? Tall and skinny?"
"Yes! How did you know?"
Basalt's eye twitched. "It's the kid from the Psi-Ops Bureau." An advanced-tier Gallade and an interdiate-tier pseudo-legendary tang? That wasn't a combination just anyone could have. And they were both Psychic-types. It all added up.
Zane was clearly stronger than him. But fortunately, the battle tomorrow would be between their interdiate-tier Pokémon.
"But a tang is no pushover," Basalt said, scratching his head. "It's a pseudo-legendary, with a base stat total of 420." As they were both Steel/Psychic-types, Bronzor would be at a disadvantage.
"Damn, this is a lot of pressure," Basalt sighed, looking up at the cave ceiling. This was going to be a tough fight.
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