Ditto's body shimmered and rippled as it transformed into a Golbat, flapping its wings to hide in the vaulted ceiling's shadows.
Moments later, Starhunt arrived, suspended in the air by his Xatu. Behind him, his Slowbro and Girafarig followed, their psychic energies slightly replenished. Xatu, the green, totem-like Pokémon, stared ahead with its uncanny, future-seeing eyes.
Starhunt's expression was grim. He sensed an overwhelming, ancient pressure radiating from the center of the marsh. When he spotted the gargantuan Scolipede slumbering amidst the toxic haze, his heart skipped a beat. Even at his peak, he was no match for a Level 57 behemoth.
Just as he prepared to signal a retreat, a white blade of air—an Air Cutter—erupted from the shadows, striking the sleeping Scolipede squarely on its armored head.
Immediately after, a red light flashed from the distance—the signature beam of a Poké Ball recalling a Pokémon. Starhunt looked over and saw Feng Che standing near the ruins' entrance, waving at him with a mischievous grin.
Feng Che then pressed his hand against the glowing gem on the stone pillar. Light flooded the area, and he vanished.
"KONGJIAN!!!" Starhunt roared, his voice cracking with rage.
The Scolipede's eyes snapped open. It let out a piercing, shrill shriek, its massive body uncoiling. It didn't see the bird that hit it; it only saw the masked human floating directly in front of its face.
"C-calm down... please, just stay calm," Starhunt stammered, his bravado replaced by sheer terror. "If I told you... that this really wasn't me... would you believe me?"
The "Overlord" Scolipede didn't answer with words. It exhaled a cloud of rainbow-colored poison.
"Run! Xatu, get me out of here! Slowbro, Girafarig—stay back and cover my escape!"
Starhunt's command was a death sentence for his other two Pokémon. They looked at their master with a flicker of sadness, but their training held. They unleashed their remaining psychic power to stall the titan. Starhunt, his eyes burning with hatred for Feng Che, fled into the distance, having lost his two main combatants for nothing.
Inside the Jirachi Ruins.
Feng Che felt a sensation of weightlessness, followed by a hard landing on a cold stone floor. He was in a side chamber of the ancient temple.
"I wonder where Tianchen and Alice were sent."
The ruins were submerged deep beneath the swamp, held back by a mysterious, ancient force field. Feng Che explored the chamber, noticing the torches on the walls burned with a steady, magical flame that had likely persisted for centuries.
On the wall, he saw a mural of a yellow, star-shaped Pokémon with three green tags on its head.
"Jirachi," Feng Che whispered. "The Wish Maker. This must be a temple dedicated to it. Being a Psychic/Steel-type, this is the perfect place to awaken psychic potential."
He heard a rustling sound outside the chamber—the slithering of hundreds of Ekans. It seemed the local wildlife had found its way into the temple over the years.
"Ditto, Arbok form! Let's clear the path!"
The Inner Sanctum.
Alice was huddled in a corner, supporting a semi-conscious Tianchen. His Drowzee was back in its ball, exhausted from overusing its powers. The chamber was surrounded by hissing Ekans, kept at bay only by a circle of white repellent powder.
"If we don't get out of here soon..." Alice muttered, checking her ammunition.
Suddenly, a massive purple serpent tore through the sea of Ekans. Feng Che arrived, his Arbok-Ditto radiating an aura of dominance. Linoone blurred through the crowd, its claws knocking out snakes left and right.
"Kongjian! Over here!" Alice shouted, relief washing over her.
"Found you at last," Feng Che said, breathing heavily. He noticed Tianchen's pale face and twitching limbs. "Psychic backlash?"
"He pushed too hard to get us through the guardian at the entrance," Alice explained.
Feng Che pulled a vial of Gracidea-based Mental Potion from his bracelet. "This cost me a fortune in rare herbs, but for a teammate, I'll give it to you at 'cost' price." He poured the green liquid into Tianchen's mouth. After three vials, the boy's breathing stabilized, and the tremors stopped.
"Thanks, Kongjian," Tianchen rasped, opening his eyes. "I knew you'd find a way."
"Don't thank me yet. We have a deadline. The Nine-Star Alignment starts at dawn tomorrow."
Tianchen sat up, his expression serious. "We need to reach the core layer. There's a ritual altar there that channels the celestial energy. If we stand on it during the alignment, we can awaken or enhance our psychic gifts."
He looked at Alice. "I've sensed your potential before, Alice. But it feels... scarred. Like your psychic origin was forcibly taken from you when you were younger."
"My power... was stolen?" Alice stared at him in shock, her hand instinctively touching her chest.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 20 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 40 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.