"Ditto, transform into Golbat. Use your echolocation to scan the tunnels ahead."
In an underground cavern like this, Golbat was the most reliable form for Ditto to take.
Damn, so many Kabuto. If things get out of hand, I'll have to use the Thunder-Burst Grenade, Feng Che thought. Kabuto were quadruple-weak to Grass-type moves, but since he didn't have a Grass-type on his team, he felt a twinge of frustration. If I had one, this would be the perfect place to skyrocket its level.
Still, capturing a live fossil was a major win. Fossil Pokémon were ranked in the Top 50 of Team Rocket's most-wanted rare list. While Kabuto weren't the strongest, their scarcity meant they could fetch a staggering price at an auction.
Feng Che sprinted forward, using his system to scan the potential of the awakening swarm. Unfortunately, because they had been dormant for thousands of years, their potential had severely degraded. Almost every Kabuto he scanned was only Red potential.
As he ran, he could hear the rhythmic crunch-crunch-crunch of hundreds of Kabuto gnawing on the limestone walls to sate their ancient hunger.
"Ditto, use Supersonic on the swarm!"
Feng Che signaled Litten to cover its ears tightly. In a hollow cave with natural echoes, a Supersonic attack was devastatingly effective. Ditto took a deep breath and released a high-pitched wave toward the approaching tide of Kabuto.
The echoes amplified the sound, bouncing off the walls and sending the Kabuto into a state of mass confusion. They began attacking each other, firing murky Water Guns at their own kind.
"Go, Poké Ball!"
Seizing the moment, Feng Che threw a ball at a slightly larger Kabuto. The ball shook once and clicked.
"Got it. Now I just need to lose the rest."
The Kabuto were only Level 9 to 12. Feng Che could easily have Ditto wipe them out, but the noise of a full-scale battle would likely alert the League guards outside. He needed to be subtle.
He followed Ditto into a wider chamber filled with spiral-shaped fossils—Omanyte. These Pokémon resembled ancient nautiluses with blue tentacles and a large, protective shell. The vibrations of Feng Che's footsteps were already beginning to wake them.
Spotting an underground river, Feng Che recalled Litten. "Ditto, turn into Arbok. We're jumping in!"
Before leaping, Feng Che snatched an un-awakened Omanyte fossil-egg into a Poké Ball. Then, he and Ditto plunged into the churning, icy current of the subterranean river.
"So cold..." Feng Che shivered, immediately channeling his psychic power to create a thin barrier between his skin and the freezing water.
After a while, Ditto-Arbok surfaced, guiding Feng Che downstream. "Ditto, you have to be careful next time. Don't touch things just because they look interesting. We nearly alerted the entire League blockade."
[Ditto: I'm sorry... I won't play with the fossils on the walls anymore.]
Feng Che didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This pink blob is a magnet for trouble. Still, having two live fossil specimens was the ultimate proof for his mission report.
"Wait, Ditto... something is following us."
Using his psychic senses, Feng Che 'saw' the shapes pursuing them through the water. Of course. When it rains, it pours.
The pursuers were the evolved forms: Kabutops and Omastar.
Kabutops were sleek, brown predators with massive scythes for hands, capable of tucking their limbs away to swim at high speeds. Omastar were more menacing than their pre-evolved forms, possessing spiked shells and a cross-shaped beak used to crush the shells of Shellder.
These Pokémon only evolve after Level 40. Facing a pack of Level 40+ ancient predators in their natural element was suicide.
Feng Che reached into his storage ring and pulled out a specialized bait he had crafted on Death Island—a mixture of fish blood and Sweet Scent. He threw the bait onto some exposed rocks along the riverbank.
The thick, sweet scent of blood spread instantly. The Kabutops and Omastar slowed down, torn between the intruders and the irresistible smell of food. Eventually, their primitive hunger won out, and they swarmed the bait.
"That was close. I would have been shredded," Feng Che sighed as he found a shallow bank and climbed out.
He released Litten to provide warmth. The kitten spat out a small fireball, which it fueled with its own oily shed fur to create a steady, orange-red campfire.
Feng Che took a recovery potion to replenish his psychic energy and gave a stamina potion to the exhausted Ditto. As he warmed up, he began to strategize.
I have my trainer ID now. I can grow within both the League and Rocket. If I can get into the Mewtwo lab and have Ditto consume some of the clone scraps, it might even evolve into a humanoid Mythical shape.
He recalled the game lore. In the original timeline, Dr. Fuji dies of grief after Mewtwo's escape, and the project stalls. But now, with Yue and Ai alive, Fuji might stay sane—and the project might succeed.
Then there's the 'Triple Bird' project and the Elite Four rebellion. Kanto is going to be a bloodbath. I need to be under Agatha's wing by then to learn the Poison-type Secrets. If Ditto masters those, it will be unstoppable.
Suddenly, a series of earth-shaking roars echoed through the tunnels.
"The Aerodactyl are waking up," Feng Che whispered, his heart hammered against his ribs.
The roars grew closer. It sounded like more than one. They were likely fighting the Kabutops and Omastar for dominance of the cave.
Suddenly, a smaller Aerodactyl, about the size of his Corvisquire, fluttered past him. It landed nearby, chirping curiously.
This Aerodactyl was different. It had sharp, black stone protrusions along its spine—features not seen in the Aerodactyl resurrected by the League from "Old Amber."
This is a true ancient specimen, Feng Che realized. Not a reconstructed clone with missing genetic data.
[Aerodactyl: What is this strange creature? It looks... tasty.]
Feng Che checked the system scan:
Pokémon: Aerodactyl Gender: Male Potential: Outstanding (Green) / Epic (Cyan) - Degraded due to long dormancyAbility: Rock Head Level: 10 Type: Rock / Flying Skills: Roar, Howl, Ancient Power, Wing Attack, Crunch, Iron Head, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Dragon Dance, Roost, Dragon Breath, Outrage, Hurricane, Steel Wing, Iron Tail. Status: Newborn, extremely curious. Evaluation: This is a Primal Aerodactyl. Its predator instinct and pressure will grow as it matures. CATCH IT! Catch it now or you will regret it for the rest of your life.
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