Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Ironclad Rhino Ranch

Year 200 of the League, April 26.

Am and Misty had already left Recommendation City two days ago and finally arrived at the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros Ranch to the north. Here, not only were there many Iron-Armored Rhinoceros available for selection, but one could also obtain a riding permit for them.

The ranch itself was nestled within a valley, with entrance and inspection points at both ends. As Am and Misty stepped in, staff members quickly approached. “Is this your first time at the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros Ranch? Do you need guidance?”

“Yes, it’s our first visit. We’re hoping to find a suitable Iron-Armored Rhinoceros,” Am replied.

“Do you already have a riding permit for any other Pokémon?” the staff member asked further.

“No,” Am said, glancing at Misty. Misty added, “I have a surfing permit…”

“Uh… that’s unrelated,” the staff member replied with an embarrassed smile.

In theory, different riding Pokémon required different permits—over forty types in total. Other Pokémon weren’t allowed on city roads. However, once you passed the riding permit, you only needed to take specific tests for each Pokémon species thereafter. Of course, this applied only to city roads; out in the wild or on footpaths, no permit was required.

Seeing Am and Misty pay the entrance fee and the deposit for purchasing an Iron-Armored Rhinoceros without hesitation, the staff enthusiastically began guiding them. Crossing from the entrance hall into the valley, they saw a narrow stretch of grassland...

It was called a “ranch,” but it resembled more a protected area for Iron-Armored Rhinoceros. Unlike pure wilderness, a high density of Iron-Armored Rhinoceros was kept here, with feed and seeds supplied daily. Grass-type Pokémon were regularly brought in to spur the growth of pasture. Daily patrols ensured that no harmful or competing Pokémon entered, and Iron-Armored Rhinoceros eggs were carefully incubated.

Apart from that, interference was minimal. The Iron-Armored Rhinoceros bred here were not only gentler but also didn’t stampede at the slightest provocation. In the true wild, encountering a herd meant a warning to rookie trainers: Don’t approach!

A lone rhinoceros wasn’t dangerous, so long as you avoided its charging path.

But if a stampede began, even humans in the Pokémon world could easily find themselves caught in disaster. Here, however, the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros were used to people coming to ride and tame them, and wouldn’t stampede easily. Still, capturing one here required a bit of “fate”—there was always a chance to leave empty-handed.

Iron-Armored Rhinoceros were easier to tame here, but battle capture was prohibited; only communication or riding could be used to tame them. This was why the fee was only a deposit—if you returned empty-handed, the deposit would be refunded.

After the staff led Am and Misty to put on protective gear, they handed them a map and explained the layout of the valley. Then, they asked, “Would you like more guidance? Just thirty thousand for the day…”

“No need. We’d like to see how our luck is,” Am declined further paid services.

“Alright. But remember, unless it’s an emergency, you may not release your own Pokémon to attack the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros. Also… remember, those wearing red ribbons already have riders—no need to try with them,” the staff member reminded them again.

By now, Am and Misty had donned their protective gear—helmets and joint guards to prevent falls and bumps. Though people in this world were quite resilient, proper protection was still necessary.

“Let’s split up and act separately. Meet at the exit tonight,” Misty said directly.

Earlier, they’d discussed their choices. Misty just wanted a “normal” riding Iron-Armored Rhinoceros—one known for endurance and speed, with a gentle temperament. Am hoped to find one with high individual stats, especially physical attack.

Misty simply wanted a mount and wouldn’t train it much, while Am was prepared to add a suitable Iron-Armored Rhinoceros to his main team.

After all, both Iron-Armored Rhinoceros and their evolved form shared “Ground + Rock” attributes, which complemented Am’s team. Their stats were suitable for battle—their “speed” was low, but that fit well with Exeggutor or a Ditto transformed into Cofagrigus, enabling Trick Room tactics.

Though the evolved “Iron-Armored Tyrannosaurus” would become a bipedal dinosaur and no longer suitable for riding, Iron-Armored Rhinoceros would need to reach level forty-two to evolve into “Drill Rhinobeast,” meaning it could serve as Am’s mount for a long time without conflict.

On one hand, if both tried to tame Iron-Armored Rhinoceros together, they’d affect each other; on the other, the ranch was quite large and divided into regions, and one could roughly judge the wild Pokémon’s specialties from their habits.

Am sought physically strong Iron-Armored Rhinoceros, so he headed toward the Horn-Grinding Boulder area. Misty, wanting endurance and gentleness, went straight to the popular central lake.

When Misty arrived at the lake, she saw several people selecting or attempting to ride and tame Iron-Armored Rhinoceros. She felt a surge of nerves, thinking, “So many people,” and gave herself a mental boost.

Meanwhile, arriving at Horn-Grinding Boulder, Am found no one else. The two were still video chatting—the valley had signal, as the main concern was raising Iron-Armored Rhinoceros, so the frequency was adjusted so as not to affect them. After all, riding and taming could be dangerous, and rescue calls might be needed.

On Misty’s side, the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros were drinking water, sunbathing, looking harmonious. Only when trainers tried to mount them from behind did they start shaking and bouncing violently. And at first glance, a third of them wore ribbons.

On Am’s side… the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros looked much more aggressive, scattered among the rocks, grinding their horns, some so full of fighting spirit that they were locking horns in battle! Looking around, none seemed to be wearing ribbons.

“Feels like our scenes are completely different… Make sure to carry your Pokédex and keep communication open. If anything happens, I can help you call for help,” Misty said, grimacing at Am’s situation.

Duang—dong—clang—

As they spoke, another round of horn-wrestling ended, the loser forced back, stumbling until it collapsed, panting heavily.

“Horn!” The victorious Iron-Armored Rhinoceros raised its forehoof and stamped.

The winner’s horn was scarred, with a mark over its left eye—clearly a fierce battler.

“Horn, horn horn!” The victorious Iron-Armored Rhinoceros, still full of fighting spirit, continued provoking the others.

Seeing their challenge mode, Am grew more interested, deciding not to select right away but to observe their behavior.

He didn’t remain idle, though, and stepped forward to spray medicine on the injured Iron-Armored Rhinoceros—a minor injury, nothing serious.

At first, the Pokémon was wary as Am approached, but Am raised his hand, moved slowly, and gently sprayed the medicine. The Iron-Armored Rhinoceros lying on the ground relaxed.

In this short time, another round of horn-wrestling had already concluded in the clearing.