"Alright, Ditto, time to start training."
Feng Che still had half an hour left on his training room rental. To avoid wasting it, he addressed the newly recovered Ditto.
"This room might not have much, but it still has a target for testing attack power."
Feng Che pressed a switch on the wall. A section of the floor opened up, and a human-shaped target slowly rose from beneath the training room floor.
"Ditto, transform into Ekans."
The Pokémon Feng Che had officially "chosen" was an Ekans. Therefore, whenever it was out in the open, it had to be an Ekans. If a rare Pokémon like Ditto were discovered, someone would surely try to snatch it.
On Team Rocket's rarity list, Ditto ranked in the top hundred. Out of over eight hundred species in the Pokémon world, being in the top hundred was quite prestigious. Until Feng Che left the Rocket base, he wouldn't dare let Ditto transform into anything else.
Ekans seemed to be Ditto's most practiced transformation. It mimicked the serpent's mannerisms perfectly.
Ditto immediately lunged at the target using Wrap. It slithered in a zig-zag pattern before coiling tightly around the dummy. A value of 100 appeared on the target's display.
"That's the Wrap skill. Earlier, Ditto wanted to use that to squeeze the life out of me, but luckily it failed."
Ditto then fixed the target with a fierce, piercing gaze.
"Is that Leer?"
Feng Che observed the move. Ekans actually has two similar ocular moves. One is Leer, which uses a menacing glare to lower the opponent's Defense. The other is Glare, which uses the patterns on its belly to paralyze the foe. Feng Che saw that Ditto knew both; he just wasn't sure which one it had just used.
Next, Ditto unleashed a flurry of Poison Stings, peppering the target until it was riddled with needles. The display lit up with a value of 150.
"Ekans, use Iron Tail!"
Feng Che knew that an Ekans was capable of learning this move. The rattle-like tip of the snake's tail turned a metallic silver. It slammed the tail down onto the target with a heavy thud, registering a value of 250.
"Basic attacks shouldn't be a problem."
Watching the "Ekans" demonstrate its skills, Feng Che began brainstorming what other moves he could teach it. Arbok, the evolved form, was a massive cobra-like poison snake. It could learn the "Elemental Fangs"—Fire Fang, Ice Fang, and Thunder Fang—as well as moves like Dig, Dark Pulse, and Sludge Bomb. Its coverage was incredibly comprehensive.
If Ditto could learn 'Death Makeup,' it would truly reach god-tier status, he thought.
"Death Makeup" was the signature technique of Agatha, the current Ghost-type Elite Four member. In the game, a player could learn it from her by earning enough League Merit. In this realistic world, however, even with sufficient merit, it was unlikely Agatha would pass it on to a Rocket.
In the game, Feng Che had always played on the League side; he had never navigated the villainous factions before.
"Return, Ekans."
Feng Che caught himself. To avoid any accidental slips of the tongue, he made sure to address the Ditto as "Ekans" even when they were alone.
About two hours later, Feng Che returned to the main training field. Instructor Viper was there, lost in thought.
"What is it, kid? Something on your mind?" Viper asked as Feng Che approached.
"Instructor Viper, I have successfully tamed my Ekans. I'm here to report in." Feng Che looked up, his clear, bright eyes meeting Viper's gaze.
"Interesting... very interesting."
"Your speed isn't the fastest in the history of the training camps," Viper said, his tone suddenly shifting, "but you are the fastest in this batch."
Feng Che had worried that the reward for being the first to tame a Pokémon had already been claimed. Hearing Viper's words, the weight on his chest finally lifted.
"The top three in the training camp to tame their Pokémon receive a credit bonus. Let's see how far your taming has progressed."
"I recall you chose an Ekans. You'd better be careful—an Ekans can turn on its own Trainer if it gets worked up," Viper warned helpfully.
"I'm ready, Instructor. Please proceed."
"Very well. Release your Pokémon, recruit!"
At Viper's command, Feng Che released the "Ekans." The Ditto-in-disguise immediately hissed and bared its fangs toward the instructor.
"This is a good specimen you picked. It's actually not afraid of me."
"Most common Pokémon turn into cowards when they see me, but your Ekans is standing its ground." Viper exuded a thick, murderous aura; ordinary Pokémon usually felt instinctive fear in his presence.
"Here, Ekans." Feng Che reached out and scratched the snake under its chin.
To Viper's astonishment, the Ekans collapsed onto the ground in a state of bliss, exposing its yellow underbelly.
"Incredible. It actually lowered its guard completely for you."
"For a serpentine Pokémon, the most vulnerable spots are the 'seven-inch' mark and the belly. Exposing the belly is an act of total submission—it's showing its weakness to its Trainer," Viper analyzed, his booming voice echoing across the field.
The look in Viper's eyes turned to one of pure satisfaction. If Feng Che were still in the game, he would have seen a notification floating over Viper's head: [Favorability +1].
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