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Mt. Mistveil, the mysterious small building on the mountaintop.
After Arcanine boldly took the lead and entered first, Wayne, Lucario, and Metagross followed closely behind into this somewhat dilapidated and aged small building.
"Lucario?" Lucario called out with confusion.
Lucario's expression showed visible bewilderment and surprise.
This small building wasn't particularly large. With Lucario's powerful Aura abilities, his sensory range could easily cover the entire structure.
"What's wrong? Did you sense something?" Wayne asked with concern.
Lucario responded with surprise in his telepathic voice. "Lucario! Lucario!"
(I can't find them! My Aura cannot detect them anywhere!)
Wayne felt confused by this development. "Are they not actually here after all?"
Wayne quickly glanced at his system's radar scan display. The green light indicator representing the rare Pokémon had not disappeared from the screen.
The red dot representing Wayne's current position almost completely overlapped with the green light spot, clearly indicating that they had not come to the wrong location.
Wayne speculated thoughtfully, "There's one distinct possibility: you only saw them that time because they just happened to be here temporarily, right?"
If the Pokémon didn't actually live here permanently, then Wayne would have to take Lucario back outside to search the mountain more thoroughly.
"Meta!" Metagross suddenly chimed in, pointing toward Arcanine, who was sniffing around the floorboards intensely, and then pointing specifically at the stair railings on both sides.
The Steel-type's meaning was abundantly clear: thoroughly search around the building.
"Woof!!!" Arcanine barked with certainty.
(My nose says there's still a fresh scent here!)
"You're absolutely right. Let's search systematically!" Wayne agreed.
After entering this two-story building more carefully, Wayne could confirm with certainty that no human had been here for an extremely long time.
All the furniture and decorative items were covered with dusty white sheets. The stairs and corners were absolutely filled with thick cobwebs, and the handrails had accumulated a substantial layer of undisturbed dust.
"Everyone spread out and search!" Wayne commanded.
Wayne and Lucario formed one search team, while Arcanine and Metagross each conducted independent searches, systematically investigating every room in this two-story building.
They checked the kitchen, multiple bedrooms, a walk-in closet, bathrooms...
Wayne even opened the refrigerator, which had clearly been without electrical power for many years. It was completely empty inside—no food, and thankfully no gruesome dismembered bodies either.
This anticlimactic discovery brought Detective Wayne's dramatic investigation to an abrupt end.
Based on the refrigerator's outdated style and advanced degree of aging, Wayne estimated that this appliance was definitely older than he was.
"Meta!" Metagross called out urgently.
Standing in the corridor on the second floor, Wayne and Lucario both looked in Metagross's direction below.
(It says something feels very strange down there!) Lucario translated.
In the living room on the first floor, Metagross seemed to have discovered something unusual.
Wayne and Lucario exchanged meaningful glances.
"Let's go check it out!" Wayne said.
However, strangely enough, Lucario still couldn't sense any other Aura fluctuations or life signs within the house besides their own group's presence.
Wayne, Lucario, and Arcanine all arrived in the living room one after another, looking curiously at an old television set from which Metagross had pulled off the protective white sheet.
It was an extremely outdated model—a black-and-white television with a small screen no larger than fourteen inches. At first glance, it seemed to have nothing particularly unusual about it whatsoever.
Wayne tried pressing the power button experimentally, but naturally it didn't turn on.
This was completely normal and expected. There was absolutely no electricity connected to this abandoned building.
"So where exactly is the strange part you mentioned?" Wayne asked Metagross.
"Meta! Meta!" Metagross responded with what sounded like complete seriousness.
Hearing Metagross's explanation, Lucario's expression became incredibly rich and complex for a moment—completely indescribable.
Arcanine also tilted its head in confusion, stunned and frozen in place.
Wayne felt equally bewildered. "What does that even mean?"
(Metagross says this is a television set that doesn't have much longer to live,) Lucario translated Metagross's bizarre words for Wayne.
???
Excuse me, what?
Wayne very reasonably suspected that Metagross was deliberately teasing him with an elaborate joke.
However, Metagross immediately used its actions to demonstrate its point. A glowing energy appeared around its powerful metal arm—Hammer Arm!
Wayne suddenly recognized the technique being employed—the universal method for "fixing" old televisions:
Position yourself at a forty-five-degree angle, then hit it hard.
When a human hit an old TV that way, it was generally fine and sometimes even worked.
But when a super-powerful Steel-type Pokémon like Metagross did it? That was another story entirely.
Wayne no longer had any time to physically stop the attack.
With sparks and crackling electricity flying everywhere—
BANG—
The ancient television set was completely and utterly obliterated into pieces.
Metagross had indeed been absolutely correct in its assessment.
This television set truly didn't have much longer to live at all.
The explosive destruction raised a massive cloud of dust, stirring up thick smoke throughout the living room.
Lucario immediately used Protect, generating a protective barrier that shielded Wayne from the debris.
At precisely the same moment, Lucario's telepathy conveyed an excited message: (They appeared! The Pokémon just revealed themselves!)
"..."
Holy cow, that technique actually worked?!
How were they possibly hiding inside an old television set?!
There were so many things Wayne wanted to complain about. He genuinely didn't know where to even start for a moment.
As the dust cloud and smoke gradually dissipated, two mysterious figures floating in the air slowly emerged and became visible: Dragapult and Drakloak!
Positioned in front was Dragapult, measuring over three meters in total length. It had a sleek, slender body colored in beautiful shades of purple and blue, with a translucent white tail tip, and distinctive yellow chest and abdomen areas.
Its most recognizable features were its uniquely triangular-shaped head—resembling a B-2 stealth bomber aircraft—and a pair of mischievously squinting eyes.
As was well known throughout the Pokémon world, those with perpetually squinting eyes were often incredibly powerful creatures.
Two adorable Dreepy currently resided in the natural launchers positioned on Dragapult's head, which could be fired at supersonic speed as the signature Dragon Darts attack.
Behind Dragapult, partially revealed and protected to its side, was a Drakloak measuring approximately 1.8 meters long including its tail.
Drakloak's overall coloration was remarkably similar to Dragapult's elegant palette, and its head distinctively resembled a supersonic fighter jet, with a single Dreepy perched comfortably on top of its head.
Wayne's Appraisal Eye ability automatically provided detailed information about them.
This was indeed a Pseudo-Legendary mother and child pair. Dragapult vigilantly kept Drakloak half-hidden protectively behind its larger body.
According to the appraisal data, Dragapult's strength rating was Gym Leader level—exactly on par with Lucario's current power.
"Gurgle..." Dragapult made a low, rumbling sound.
Dragapult appeared to be quite elderly and advanced in years. Its physique remained reasonably good overall, but Wayne could distinctly sense an aura of age and weariness emanating from its experienced eyes.
Drakloak's eyes, on the other hand, were remarkably clear and almost comically foolish—like an innocent university student's gaze—looking at the group with pure curiosity rather than suspicion.
"Duru?" Drakloak vocalized with interest.
The tiny Dreepy perched on Drakloak's head also blinked its large eyes adorably, excitedly raising one small paw. "Dreepy!"
Unlike the vigilant and protective Dragapult, Drakloak seemed genuinely quite happy that the old television had been destroyed.
"Dragapult, I sincerely apologize for destroying your television. I can absolutely compensate you for it," Wayne offered respectfully.
"Gurgle, gurgle," Dragapult responded with what sounded like tired resignation.
As Dragapult spoke, Wayne could sense its advanced age even more profoundly through its weary tone.
(It says compensation isn't necessary. You can just leave now,) Lucario translated the Dragon-type's words.
Although Dragapult had politely asked them to leave, Wayne possessed thick skin and did not immediately leave the premises.
Wayne pondered the situation carefully. Being able to appear on his system's radar meant that Dragapult definitively did not have a registered Trainer.
Wayne had just thoroughly examined this entire abandoned house. There was no food storage, no electrical power, no valuable items remaining whatsoever...
So why exactly was Dragapult choosing to stay here in this desolate place?
While Wayne was deep in thought, the extremely curious Drakloak floated directly in front of Wayne, looking up at him with innocent interest.
Drakloak's total body length exceeded 1.8 meters, but nearly half of that measurement consisted of its long, elegant tail.
The Dreepy perched on Drakloak's head was even more curious than its parent. It suddenly flew directly onto Wayne's shoulder and draped itself there comfortably like a living scarf.
Wayne carefully raised his hand and gently touched the small Dragon-type. "Hello there, little one."
Dreepy's body temperature wasn't particularly high—it felt pleasantly cool to the touch, and the texture of its smooth scales was very clear and distinct.
After the Dreepy left its customary position on Drakloak's head, the larger Dragon-type's curiosity immediately vanished, replaced by visible signs of distress and panic.
Wayne knew the Dragapult evolutionary line's behavioral patterns extremely well. After all, he had just completed Blue's comprehensive breeding course on various species.
Compared to Dragapult—the notoriously doting mother Pokémon who would launch its two Dreepy children like missiles at opponents at the slightest provocation—
Drakloak absolutely could not function properly without a Dreepy on its head. If it didn't have one present, it would quickly become agitated and flustered.
"You can borrow this temporarily as a substitute," Wayne offered kindly.
Wayne gently and carefully placed the jet-black Shiny Rayquaza's Dragon Scale from his backpack onto Drakloak's head where the Dreepy normally sat.
"Duru~~" Drakloak vocalized with obvious relief.
Drakloak visibly relaxed, letting out an audible sigh of relief at having something on its head again.
"Gurgle!" Dragapult's tone suddenly became noticeably more urgent and alarmed.
However, Dragapult's concern immediately transformed when it actually saw the distinctive black Dragon Scale now resting on Drakloak's head...