"Quick, to the next side chamber! I can't hold on much longer!" Tianchen's head felt like it was being split open—a clear sign of psychic overexertion. Alice grabbed his arm, supporting him before he could collapse.
In the Poison Marsh.
Following Alice's markers, Feng Che neared the heart of the swamp. Ditto glided effortlessly, bypassing the territories of several powerful Poison-type Pokémon. Any close calls were neutralized by Feng Che's deep knowledge of their behavioral traits.
Suddenly, a figure blocked his path. A masked man stood atop a mound of dry earth.
"Long time no see, Kongjian," the man's voice rasped, filtered through an electronic synthesizer.
Who is this? How does he know me? Feng Che wondered, though the murderous intent radiating from the stranger was unmistakable. Then, a name clicked.
"You're Starhunt!" Feng Che stated firmly.
"Haha, I thought you'd take longer to figure it out. As a subordinate of Lady Sabrina, you are my natural enemy. Delivering news of your death to Lady Athena will surely grant me higher clearance. Don't blame me, Kongjian—Boss Giovanni has taken an interest in you. This desolate swamp will be your grave."
Starhunt's eyes gleamed with malice under the mask. "Come out, Girafarig! Slowbro! Eliminate him!"
Slowbro: Level 36 Girafarig: Level 35
Both are nearly double Ditto's level, and both possess Psychic typing, which counters Arbok perfectly, Feng Che calculated. This guy is at least a Rocket Captain. How did he bypass Instructor Viper's screening to infiltrate the trial?
"I love dragging 'prodigies' like you into the abyss," Starhunt sneered. He gestured, and a massive hammer made of pure psychic energy materialized in the air—Zen Headbutt.
The hammer slammed down, sending black mud flying. Slowbro and Girafarig hissed as the sludge splattered their hides.
Amidst the chaos, a sweet fragrance erupted. Feng Che had used the distraction to throw a vial of Sweet Scent, coating both of Starhunt's Pokémon in the irresistible lure.
"What?! How did you dodge that?" Starhunt gasped.
In the split second before impact, Ditto had reverted to its base form, wrapped around Feng Che and Linoone, and boosted them out of the blast zone with a sudden stretch before shifting back into Arbok. It was a move of pure desperation.
"I won't miss twice!" Starhunt raised his hand to charge another attack, but the ground suddenly began to vibrate. The rhythmic thumping of hundreds of approaching Pokémon echoed through the marsh.
The Sweet Scent had done its job. Every Poison-type in the vicinity was charging toward Starhunt's location.
"A distraction? Clever," Starhunt snarled, his eyes turning a hellish crimson. He began funneling his own psychic energy directly into his Pokémon, artificially boosting their levels. "Fine! I'll slaughter these ants, then I'll come for you. I've already placed a Psychic Mark on you, Kongjian. You can't run."
The Marsh Center.
Using the chaos to slip away, Feng Che reached the geographical center of the marsh. He signaled Ditto to stop. The markers Alice left ended here, pointing toward a massive silhouette resting in the fog.
It was a Scolipede, but its size was horrifying—easily double the size of the one he saw at the Pidgeot tree. As it breathed, it inhaled the toxic miasma and exhaled a rainbow-colored fog of even more concentrated poison.
Pokémon: Scolipede Level: 57 (Gym Leader Rank) Status: Wounded, Resting. Askew horn, scarred carapace. Evaluation: Rest of data: [???]
A Level 57 Scolipede... Feng Che swallowed hard. He was no longer the champion with six legendaries; he was a rookie with a blob and a ferret.
Behind the sleeping titan stood an ancient stone tower. The walls were carved with the letter "A"—Alice's sign. This was the entrance to the ruins.
If I don't deal with Starhunt now, he'll track me into the ruins while I'm vulnerable, Feng Che reasoned. The Scolipede is a Gym Leader-tier monster. Even if Starhunt is a high-level psychic, he can't ignore a 20-level gap.
"Let's play a high-stakes game," Feng Che whispered, a cold smile touching his lips.
He observed the ruins' entrance. There were three gems set into the stone; two were dim, indicating Alice and Tianchen had already entered. To enter, one simply had to touch the remaining glowing gem.
"Ditto, transform into Golbat. Hide in the shadows above the entrance. When Starhunt arrives, give him a 'gift' he'll never forget."
Middle Marsh.
Starhunt stood atop a mountain of fainted Pokémon, his Girafarig and Slowbro panting from exhaustion.
"You're good, Kongjian. Really good," he hissed. "Naturalu, take me to the mark!"
He released a Xatu, which used its psychic power to lift him into the air, flying toward the center of the marsh to conserve his remaining energy.
The Ruins Entrance.
Feng Che pressed his back against the cold stone of the tower, Linoone tensed beside him. The silence was broken by the sound of wings.
He's here.
Feng Che signaled Ditto to move. As Starhunt's Xatu descended toward the stone tower, unaware of the sleeping Level 57 Scolipede just yards away, Feng Che prepared to spring the trap.
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