Lucas walked deep into the cave, and a large number of crimson eyes suddenly lit up above his head.
Before Lucas could speak, Gothitelle's eyes began to glow with a purple light.
Subsequently, a large number of Crobat and Golbat fell in front of Lucas.
Lucas glanced at Gothitelle; she had a cold and indifferent expression.
Lucas was about to speak, but he swallowed his words.
He changed them to something else.
"Thank you, Gothitelle."
Gothitelle raised her head proudly.
However, Gothitelle hadn't actually harmed them; she had merely used Gravity on them.
Therefore, they only fell to the ground and were not injured.
Once Gothitelle canceled the Gravity, they hurriedly flapped their wings and left.
Lucas glanced at Gengar, who nodded, and then his crimson eyes flashed.
A powerful aura was projected outward.
Soon, there was movement from within the cave.
A Steelix over ten meters long drilled out of the ground, looking at Lucas and his Pokémon.
Seeing Steelix appear, Lucas smiled and said, "I've come to visit you, Steelix."
Steelix looked at the Pokémon behind Lucas and the food he had brought.
It nodded.
After Lucas, Gengar, and Gothitelle finished distributing the food, Gengar pulled out a blanket, and Gothitelle cleared away all the surrounding stones before spreading the blanket out.
Lucas sat on the blanket holding Mime Jr., and Gengar and the others sat down with him. Seeing this, Steelix also crawled over and lowered its body; feeling that it was still unnatural, it finally just lay flat on the ground.
"Steelix, you were also a Pokémon of the Breeding House, weren't you?"
Lucas asked, "I'm talking about the Breeding House back in my Great-Grandmother's time."
Steelix nodded.
It recalled the time it first met that girl.
An Onix, because it loved to battle, searched everywhere for powerful opponents to challenge. It had traveled across the entire Sinnoh region, winning and losing its challenges.
Later, when it came to Twinleaf Town, it encountered a little girl teaching a group of Zangoose and Seviper a lesson. A powerful Swampert was suppressing the leaders of the Seviper and Zangoose in battle, and a Ninetales sat beside the girl.
Onix hid in the distance and watched the entire battle. When the girl left with Ninetales and Swampert, Onix followed them.
And while the girl wasn't paying attention, it used Dig to launch a sneak attack on them.
The Ninetales beside the girl reacted quickly, immediately picking the girl up in its mouth and dodging.
Onix and the Swampert beside her engaged in a fierce fight.
The Onix, which had challenged its way there and won more than it lost, was severely beaten by Swampert.
Just as Swampert was preparing to deliver the final blow and Onix closed its eyes, the girl's voice rang out.
She had Swampert stop its attack, and then, accompanied by Ninetales, she approached Onix.
She said one sentence back then, and Onix willingly followed her.
What did she say? Steelix narrowed its eyes, thinking for a moment.
Right, what she said at the time was: "Onix, you must really enjoy battling, right? Why not follow me to the Breeding House to help me work? There are many powerful Pokémon there that you can challenge whenever you want."
After hearing that, Onix followed the girl to the Breeding House, its body covered in scars.
The girl specially cleared out a rocky area for it.
Because Onix was already quite a bit larger than others, after it settled in the Breeding House, it challenged the Breeding House's Pokémon everywhere. As a result, it wrecked the Breeding House's grounds, but the girl said nothing, only smiling as she had people come to repair them.
Eventually, Onix would choose the open space outside the Breeding House for every challenge.
Onix, which considered itself quite strong, was often suppressed and beaten in its challenges at the Breeding House.
Lapras, Kangaskhan, Gallade, Swampert—
Onix was defeated by them one by one.
Finally, Onix challenged that Ninetales which always sat quietly by the girl's side. Originally thinking it had the Type advantage, Onix was defeated in just two moves.
Steelix remembered the flames that could melt its body back then and suddenly felt a faint ache.
Later, Onix evolved into Steelix, and its body became even more massive.
The girl had also gotten married.
The husband of the girl after she married often said that Steelix's body was too large and feared an accident might occur. Although the girl argued strongly on its behalf,
Steelix still chose to leave that Breeding House.
It was unwilling for them to argue because of it.
After leaving the girl's new home, Steelix didn't know where to go. It walked and walked, and by the time it realized where it was, it found it had returned to the Breeding House.
At this time, the Breeding House had fallen into ruin, and the once lively scenery had disappeared.
Struck by the scene, it walked into the forest behind the Breeding House, found a cave, and moved in to live there.
Much later, Ninetales appeared before Steelix and told it that the girl had left her husband and returned here.
She had reopened the Breeding House.
Steelix followed Ninetales back to the Breeding House and accompanied the girl through the time that followed.
Only later did Steelix learn that the girl had used her entire fortune to obtain a divorce.
Leaving her with only this Breeding House.
Until that one night, Ninetales came out of the room.
It told the Pokémon in the Breeding House that they could leave on their own.
Steelix finally realized that its girl—the little girl who had smiled at it the moment they met, the girl who could argue with her own husband for its sake—had left.
After Steelix accompanied Ninetales and the others to settle the remaining matters, that night, those few Pokémon sat in the incredibly desolate backyard, looking at the bright moon above and talking.
Lapras said it would return to the ocean to help those in need, Gallade said it would carry the girl's wish and travel across the world, Kangaskhan said it would go to the places the girl once wanted to visit, Swampert—
Many Pokémon spoke of the places they would go, and Steelix was very angry. Why did no Pokémon want to stay?
It threw a massive tantrum at the time.
After Lapras and the others left, Ninetales found Steelix.
What did it say back then?
It said that once the person was gone, the Breeding House was also gone.
So it was Ninetales' choice to let them leave.
Steelix actually understood that every Pokémon's mood was bad.
But that was just its temperament.
To vent its feelings, Steelix once again challenged Ninetales.
This time, Steelix was knocked down in a single blow.
Once Steelix regained consciousness, it saw Ninetales' back, looking very lonely.
And also very sad.
Steelix was very surprised.
Did a Ninetales that had lived for a thousand years still not completely get used to parting?
Steelix spoke up and asked then.
It asked why they should create bonds with humans when their lives were so small and short.
Ninetales said at the time, "Because they are worth it."
After that, Ninetales walked toward the depths of the forest.
Steelix had been guarding this Breeding House ever since.
One month, two months, half a year, one year, two years—
Steelix also returned to that cave.
Quietly living out the rest of its life, the Steelix of this time was no longer as bellicose as it had been back then.
Until not long ago, Ninetales came in and told it that it was leaving.
Because the Breeding House had a new owner, and that new owner was taking very good care of the Breeding House.
More importantly, the new owner was her descendant.
Steelix didn't say much.
It was sincerely happy for Ninetales.
It could finally let go of the past.
As for the Breeding House from now on, Steelix would be the one to guard it.
Lucas held Mime Jr., quietly listening to Steelix's memories.
So Great-Grandmother went bankrupt back then just to get a divorce...
To be precise, she used her entire fortune to exchange for a divorce.
Once Steelix finished its story, Lucas squeezed Mime Jr.'s nose.
"Thank you, Steelix."
Steelix slapped its tail dismissively.
"Thank you all for being able to watch over Great-Grandmother until the very end."
Steelix's movements paused for a moment.
Lucas stood up; though his heart was heavy, he wasn't sad.
He was even a little happy.
"So, Steelix, for the time being, can I trouble you to help me look after the Pokémon in the Breeding House?"
Lucas said with a smile, "Just think of it as looking after your own juniors?"
Steelix slapped its tail and didn't respond.
Lucas, however, was satisfied.
The Breeding House has an elder now.