"I need to see what's going on with this Starmie first."
Feng Che activated his system, scanning the Starmie's current condition.
Pokémon: Starmie Gender: Male Potential: Outstanding (Yellow) Ability: Analytic Level: 26 Type: Water + Psychic Moves: Water Gun, Water Pulse, Rapid Spin, Recover, Double Team, Rain Dance, Confusion, Psybeam, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact Status: Augmented by massive psychic power.
So the scrawny guy really is being possessed by Starhunt. Can psychics actually project their consciousness over such long distances? Feng Che now understood that this was a specialized application of mental energy. This Starmie is already a Psychic-type; with an actual Psychic's direct control, it's going to be terrifying.
Starmie, like its pre-evolution Staryu, looks like a violet sea star with a golden geometric structure on its front and a vibrant, multi-faceted red core in the center. The one before him radiated a suffocating pressure.
"Starmie, say hello to Kongjian with a Psybeam," the "Scrawny Guy" said, his voice cold and hollow.
The red gem core erupted with a multi-colored, kaleidoscopic light that tore toward Feng Che. He performed a desperate roll, narrowly avoiding the blast. The Psybeam struck the ancient tree behind him with a thunderous BOOM, snapping the trunk in half. Leaves rained down as wild Pidgey and Butterfree fled in terror.
Feng Che looked up. The possessed lackey's face was a mess of bulging veins, his eyes slitted like a serpent's. He looked at Feng Che the way an Arbok looks at a Rattata.
He's a puppet. The real Psychic is miles away, Feng Che analyzed. That means there's a slight delay between the order and the action. I have to exploit that latency to win.
Ditto was Level 16, but its Arbok form far exceeded its level in raw stats. Linoone was Level 28—higher than the Starmie. He had a chance.
"Linoone, use Covet!" "Arbok, Thunder Fang!"
Linoone blurred into a white flash using Quick Attack, its paws glowing with dark energy. If it hit, the Dark-type energy would suppress Starmie's psychic core. Simultaneously, Arbok lunged with its jaws crackling with golden lightning.
"Starmie, Rapid Spin into Water Gun," the puppet commanded.
Starmie spun like a buzzsaw, deflecting the initial lunges and counter-attacking with high-pressure water. The impact sent both Arbok and Linoone flying back into tree trunks. Arbok's scales absorbed the brunt of the force, and Linoone's thick fur cushioned the blow, but both were bleeding from the mouth as they struggled back to their feet.
"Do you see the gap between us, Kongjian?" the puppet hissed, licking dry lips with a red tongue. "When you became the top recruit, I felt a threat. I won't let anyone take the No. 1 spot from me. You die here."
Feng Che wiped the blood from his cheek and smiled coldly. "Check your Starmie again."
"You think that's enough to—" The puppet stopped.
Golden electric arcs were dancing across Starmie's violet body. Every movement seemed to cause the Pokémon agonizing pain. It was paralyzed.
"Mr. Starhunt, didn't you know? Water conducts electricity," Feng Che teased. "While your Starmie used Water Gun, my Arbok used Thunder Fang on the stream itself. And you didn't notice the paralysis because... well, your puppet is so short that looking up is a chore, isn't it?"
The possessed boy looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel.
"Rookidee, maximum power Peck on the core! Arbok, Iron Tail! Linoone, Headbutt with Quick Attack! All at the red gem!"
The coordinated strike was brutal. Arbok's silver tail slammed Starmie into the ground. Linoone's silver-white head smashed into the gem, causing it to crack. Finally, Rookidee dove from the heavens, her beak driving deep into the faceted core.
CRACK.
The red gem shattered. Starmie went limp, its power source extinguished.
"No... NO!" the scrawny guy screamed, clutching his head. His hair turned white instantly, his body shriveling into a mummified husk before Feng Che's eyes.
Death Island: Second Zone.
In a hidden camp, the masked Starhunt roared in fury. His eyes glowed red—inhuman and predatory. "Dammit! Starmie was defeated... my psychic backlash killed the host body."
He panted, the electronic filter on his voice crackling. "I underestimated him. My main team couldn't be smuggled in due to the restrictions, and a temporary Starmie wasn't enough. Kongjian... next time, you won't be so lucky."
Feng Che exhaled, the adrenaline leaving him. He treated Linoone's bruised waist and checked on Ditto.
He looked at the shattered Starmie. A cracked core doesn't mean death for a Starmie, but it's close. He applied a thick layer of regenerative paste to the gem. He didn't want to turn in a "broken" Pokémon to the instructors; it would hurt his perfect record.
He picked up the Poké Balls the Zigzagoon had brought. They were decoys—empty balls meant to lure him into the ambush. Starhunt had used Seita's grudge to bait him out.
"But thanks for the gift, Starhunt. I'll take these extra Rocket Balls." He released the broken Starmie from its original ball and recaptured it in one of the Rocket-branded Black Balls. I'm not catching this for my team—it's a walking time bomb. It's strictly for the points.
He turned to the woods. The Zigzagoon brothers returned, their muzzles stained with blood. Seita and his cronies wouldn't be bothering anyone again; wild Linoone and Zigzagoon are still carnivores, and they protect their friends.
Feng Che quickly looted the bodies, finding four standard Pokémon: a Zubat, Bellsprout, Geodude, and Spearow. "Common trash, but they'll sell on the black market later."
"Everyone, move!" Feng Che shouted, his ears picking up a heavy, rhythmic sliding sound in the distance. "Something big is coming, and it's attracted by the blood."
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