"Well done, Farfetch'd. You've earned your reprieve from the roasting spit—for now."
"But don't get lazy. I've noticed you're putting on a bit of weight again. We'll need to double your training regimen," Feng Che said with a beaming, predatory smile.
The Farfetch'd felt a genuine chill run down its spine.
[Farfetch'd: Help! The trainer definitely still wants to eat me!] The bird hugged its leek, trembling like a leaf in a gale. [Farfetch'd: Training! Yes, more training! If I train, I won't get fat. If I'm not fat, I won't end up on a platter!] It immediately began swinging its leek with a frantic, desperate energy.
Feng Che gave a satisfied nod, seeing how motivated the bird had become. "Go, Poké Ball!" He tossed a capture device at the fallen Liepard. The ball clicked shut after a single wobble.
Perfect. This cunning cat will make an excellent guard for my daycare center.
Unbeknownst to them, the entire battle had been observed by Zinzolin, the Sage of Dragons, from his nearby hiding spot.
"The girl from House Caitlin and a trainer with a sharp edge," Zinzolin muttered, pulling a silver flask from his robes and taking a long swig of alcohol. "Ghetsis wanted to know who rescued Caitlin... it's clearly this kid. But why should I tell that stingy old man? He doesn't even pay me a salary. A 'Sage' whose pockets are cleaner than his conscience. Pah."
He looked down at his Kommo-o. "Daughter, your old man is nearly broke. How about I drop you off at a nice daycare for a while until I can afford to feed you properly again?"
The Kommo-o rolled its eyes. [Kommo-o: Is he complaining about my appetite? I'm already eating a fifth of what I used to! It used to be five Dragon Blood fruits in one sitting—now I have to eat five times a day just to get one fruit per meal!]
...Did this Kommo-o learn math from a Magikarp? Feng Che thought, fighting the urge to facepalm. He had overheard the dragon's thoughts, which was how he realized Zinzolin was nearby.
"Zinzolin has spotted us," Feng Che whispered to Caitlin. "But he's pretending he hasn't. He likely doesn't want the paperwork or the trouble."
"Will he realize you're the one who raided the ship?" Caitlin asked, worried.
"It doesn't matter. Your strength has recovered, and between the two of us, we have more than enough power to escape if he tries anything. Our focus remains the Hydreigon," Feng Che said calmly. "Swoobat, lead the way."
The captive Swoobat expanded their psychic barrier, lifting Feng Che and Caitlin off the ground and gliding silently toward the base of the mountain.
Nearby
Zinzolin stretched his muscular limbs. "My dragon sense tells me the Hydreigon isn't at the peak—she's underground. I bet that kid figured it out too. If I get that Deino, I'm selling it to the highest bidder. My own son has been missing for thirty years... I need the funds to keep searching."
His expression softened into a deep, ancient grief. "I told that boy—we are Dragon Tamers! Why study chemistry and pharmacy? But he wouldn't listen. I joined Plasma just to use their network to find a trace of him... thirty years, and not a single letter."
He shook off the sadness and looked at his dragon. "Let's go, daughter. Time to make some money for your 'snacks'."
The Foot of the Mountain
"Lord Kaiser, the three major mercenary groups are storming the summit. The wild Pokémon are putting up a fierce resistance. When do we move?" Ryuhime asked urgently.
Kaiser hesitated. "I have a bad feeling about this. A Hydreigon that has lived this long is wise. This summit nest feels like a decoy. But... Xatu insisted she would appear here."
He watched the other mercenaries break through the first line of defense. "Tch. Fine. Move out! If she is at the top, I won't let those scavengers take the prize!"
The Hidden Cavern
Feng Che and Caitlin had successfully slipped into a damp, dark cave at the base of the peak. The air was heavy with the sound of dripping water.
"Feng Che... are you sure she's here?" Caitlin whispered, clutching his sleeve. As a "princess" who had spent her life in luxury, this claustrophobic, eerie environment was unnerving.
"Use your psychic senses, Caitlin. The darkness shouldn't bother you," Feng Che encouraged.
She realized she was gripping his arm and quickly let go, her face heating up. "Sorry. I forgot I can see in the dark with my mind."
"Watch your step. There are several Gigalith camouflaged as mossy boulders ahead. They're sleeping, but they'll strike if they hear us."
Feng Che noted a strange silence in his Heart Sight—he couldn't hear the Gigalith. Perhaps because they are inorganic life forms?
Suddenly, a chilling laugh echoed through the cave. A small, pale hand reached through the Swoobat's psychic barrier. A swarm of Litwick, led by a Lampent, materialized from the shadows.
The Litwick were cute but ghastly, with purple flames atop their heads and melting wax covering one eye. They were known to pretend to guide people through the dark, only to drain their life energy and lead them to the spirit world.
[Lampent: Lord Hydreigon ordered us to expel all intruders. She is recovering in the deep Dragon's Den below. No human shall pass.]
The Lampent swung its black, shroud-like arms, unleashing a Flamethrower.
"Swoobat, Supersonic! Confuse them! Frogadier, Water Gun!"
Frogadier unleashed a high-pressure stream that branched out like a web, drenching the Litwick. The water snuffed out the flames on their heads—their literal life force. The ghosts collapsed into the darkness.
"The flame is their weak point," Feng Che transmitted.
But as they moved forward, a massive, pitch-black shadow stretched across the ground beneath them. Wherever the shadow passed, the fallen Litwick vanished, swallowed whole by the darkness.