Steelix

There was once an old woman who was known as a mean-spirited person. She seemed to live on to spite those near here. "You're only nice because you want my inheritance," she would say bitterly to people. "Well forget about it. I've endured all these years and I know how people really are. So scram!"

Because of this, most people steered clear of her. But then she disliked them for that. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, ignoring an old woman like me! Clearly you have no respect for your elders."

But since she had no respect for her juniors, no one wanted to have respect for her. She often had to resort to jabbing people with her cane in revenge. Or standing stubbornly in the way, pretending to be deaf when others asked her to get out of the way. A terrible old woman.

One day as she walked in the park, she encountered a Steelix. This was a grand Pokemon, a ten foot long serpent made of gray steel with a shine like diamonds. He slithered along the ground, moving with surprising quiet and grace. While he moved, he sniffed and licked the ground, testing it for something.

When the old woman's path crossed with the Steelix's, she poked it with her oak cane. It made a dull clank. "Out of the way, creature."

It stopped in its tracks and raised its head to her eye level. "I will move on soon. You can wait."

No one had been so blunt and calm to her in many years. "You are in my way. Move now."

"I am here and you are there. Why must I move before I am ready?"

She rapped the end of her cane on the sidewalk. "I am important, better than you, and an old woman. I deserve respect and obedience."

The steel snake considered her. "You are old... how old are you?"

"I am ninety-eight years old. Still walking every day, living on my own, not dependant on anyone."

"Hmm." It lowered its head. "I am one hundred and thirty-eight years old. I can travel hundreds of miles in one day. I take care of myself and assist my Onix offspring when necessary. If it is merely age and independence, I deserve your respect."

She frowned. "You're just a Pokemon. You just do as your instincts instruct."

"You're just a human. You follow your instincts as much as I do."

"That doesn't change things. I am still better and more important than you."

"How is that so?"

"I've lived a full life. I started my own florist business when I was young. I made my shop thrive; it still thrives and I still own it. And while I did that, I raised five children to be good citizens of the world. All that and I've been healthy all my days. My husband was in the military, and in two wars, but I supported him and loved him. But I've lost many that I love, including him, so I have survived alone. That's why I am better and more important than you."

The Steelix was quiet for a minute, then asked, "That is why?"

"Yes. That is exactly what I said."

"I've lived a full life too. I was captured young by a boy and for his entire career, I was there. I was loyal to him, no matter what happened. And no matter what other Pokemon he had, I was always there. He became Regional Champion and would not have done so without me. I was recognized as one of the most powerful Pokemon of the area.

"But then he died in a tragic accident and I was released back into the wild. In my grief, I tunneled deep into the ground. I tunneled so deep that your body of flesh and bone would have turned into coal from the immense heat and pressure. I tunneled so deep that I was nearly melted down into the lava that pours from the wounds of the earth.

"However, the legendary spirits must have plans for me, for I not only survived that depth, I was blessed with a body of metal instead of rock. Thus I came back to the surface, found a mate, and started my own family. But the presence of a human city near our cavern home leads to a danger of your poisons seeping into the soil we eat. It would make us extremely sick if we ate the tainted soil. So for the sake of my mate and children, I have been inspecting the surrounding grounds for such poisons before approving them for tunneling.

"So, old woman," he twitched the end of his tail, "what makes you more important than me?"

She frowned, but knew she couldn't match that story. "Fine, your stubborn old snake. Go on with your inspection. I'll wait."

The Steelix nodded. "Good." He sniffed at the ground for a moment, then lifted his head again. "You know, if you had merely waited in the first place, I would have been gone in a third of the time."

…

Steelix Fire Red entry: It is said that if an Onix lives for over 100 years, its composition changes to become diamond-like.

This kind of follows a traditional folk tale formula. Except it's usually with an older spirit/god character and the mean person ends up with a curse or punishment.