Feng Che noticed the Lampent's body trembling violently. Just as he was about to order Frogadier to finish it off, the ghost Pokémon vanished. It seemed to have used its invisibility to hide.
What Feng Che didn't realize was that within his own shadow, a cluster of Ghost-type Pokémon—including the missing Lampent—were huddled together, shivering in fear of the dark presence lurking there.
Deep Within the Cavern
The Hydreigon suddenly felt the connection with its subordinates severed.
Hydreigon resembles a three-headed theropod dinosaur. Its body is primarily blue, partially covered in black fur, with three pairs of wings on its back and two rows of purple patterns on its abdomen. Of its three heads, only the central one contains a brain; the other two are mindless extensions. It lacks feet, hovering perpetually. Known for its extreme brutality, it attacks anything that moves.
Beside this Hydreigon, a newly hatched Deino was fast asleep. The nest was piled high with top-tier Dragon-type resources: Dragon Blood Fruits and Dragon Gems. However, behind the Hydreigon lay another, unhatched Pokémon egg.
The mother lay low on the ground, using her body heat to incubate the remaining shell.
[Hydreigon: Just a little more... just a little more, and this Deino will hatch.][Hydreigon: Once it's out, I can leave this place.][Hydreigon: I've recovered my strength, but I can't protect both these little ones at once if I have to fight.]
We must be close. That Hydreigon is at full strength—a true Elite Four level threat, Feng Che thought warily. Only Kaiser, Zinzolin, or Caitlin can stand against it. But its Dark typing is a nightmare for Caitlin's Psychics.
At that moment, Zinzolin entered the same cavern network. "Hiding so deep... if it weren't for my Dragon Resonance, I never would have found this place," he shouted boastfully.
His booming voice awakened the Gigalith colony. The massive rock Pokémon rose from their slumber, glaring at the intruder.
"Sorry to wake you. but my 'daughter' seems very interested in you. Why don't you let her show you what she's learned?" Zinzolin said dismissively.
Gigalith is composed of deep blue rock with orange crystalline outgrowths. It can absorb sunlight through these crystals, reacting with its internal core to fire powerful energy beams from its mouth. Alternatively, it can compress energy within its core to unleash shockwaves capable of moving mountains.
Zinzolin watched as the orange crystals began to glow. He didn't wait; he slammed his massive machete into a Gigalith's hide while his Kommo-o picked up another and hurled it at the encroaching swarm.
In the Main Tunnel
"Feng Che, why would a Hydreigon leave the safety of the Village of Dragons to hatch its eggs in such a remote place?" Caitlin asked.
"I think there's only one explanation: she had twins," Feng Che replied firmly. "Dragon-types have notoriously low fertility. For a Hydreigon to have two eggs is almost unheard of."
"But isn't that a good thing? Why hide?"
"For a normal Dragon, yes. But she is the leader of her pack. High-potential Hydreigon produce high-potential offspring. If two high-potential Deinos both reach their final form, it inevitably leads to a split in the pack's hierarchy. The leader cannot accept that. Furthermore, there's the issue of resources. It takes a century for a Dragon to reach maturity; a single pack simply cannot afford to provide the necessary materials for two elite heirs. In the wild, a leader who has twins must often choose one and cull the other. They only keep the strongest."
"That's horrible! Why not just leave it for a human to find?" Caitlin asked, horrified.
"Fear of revenge. If that abandoned dragon grows up, it might return to destroy the pack that cast it out. Entrusting it to a human is an option, but Dragons are extremely wary of us. Unless they have a deep bond with a specific trainer, they won't risk their child's future like that."
Caitlin looked at Feng Che with wide-eyed shock. To her, he was like a living encyclopedia of Pokémon lore.
"Watch out!"
A sharp whistle of air cut through the silence. A Mienshao lunged from the shadows, its long fur extended for a Pound attack aimed at Caitlin. Feng Che tackled her out of the way just in time.
Mienshao is a slender, whip-like Pokémon. It uses the long fur on its arms like flexible lashes, attacking with speeds that rival lightning. It typically strikes after a period of slow, rhythmic concentration.
"How did it get so close without my psychic warning?" Caitlin gasped.
"Mienshao can mask their presence entirely. Be careful; its power is in those fur 'sleeves'."
Pokémon: Mienshao Level: 42 Ability: Reckless Status: Ambushing Evaluation: A master of hidden aura. Its lethality lies in the high-speed whip-strikes of its long fur.
"Go, Corvisquire!" Feng Che called out. The bird landed on his shoulder. "Sorry, partner, the cave is tight, but I need you to handle this Mienshao."
"I can help!" Caitlin offered.
"No, save your energy. Once we have the Deino, we'll need you to Teleport us out of here immediately."
Suddenly, dozens of red glows appeared deeper in the tunnel. Liepard, Mienshao, and Boldore began to swarm them.
The Nest
[Hydreigon: Humans... they found me so quickly.][Hydreigon: Just a little more time. The egg is shaking.]
The mother nudged the egg. It pulsed with white light, and a clear tap-tap-tap echoed from within the shell.
[Hydreigon: Mom hasn't abandoned you. I have so many regrets, so many burdens... please, just hatch safely so I can see you once.]
Feng Che could hear the mother's desperate thoughts clearly now. The closer we get, the more anxious she becomes. A wave of defenders is coming—we can't just brute force our way through. We need to be smart.