An Onix measuring a staggering forty meters in length erupted from the earth, its roar shaking the very foundations of the mountain.
"This thing is massive... its height alone rivals a Wailord," Feng Che muttered, watching the rocky titan loom over him. He wasted no time and released his Sirfetch'd.
"Go, Sirfetch'd! Use Leaf Blade!"
Seeing the knightly bird darting toward it, the Onix let out a deafening bellow and unleashed Rock Tomb. Boulders the size of small hills rained down from the cavern ceiling. Sirfetch'd maneuvered through the falling debris with blurring speed, its leek growing to three meters in length as it channeled energy.
A vibrant Leaf Blade struck the Onix's flank with a heavy crack, but the energy blade actually shattered into two pieces upon impact.
"The minerals produced here in Mt. Chamia are exceptionally dense and resilient," the foreman, Uekawajima, called out from a safe distance. "Onix that feed on these ores develop a physical defense that is near-impenetrable."
"This Onix already possesses the strength of a Heavenly King," Feng Che noted, his eyes narrowing. "It must be a high-ranking member of the local swarm. Capturing it is the key to finding the super-giant."
"Sirfetch'd, use Solar Blade!"
The Onix raised its massive, irregular tail, which took on a shimmering silver-grey hue—Iron Tail. It slammed the heavy appendage down toward Sirfetch'd.
BOOM!
The ground erupted in a cloud of dust and debris. The Onix let out a low rumble, a smug, reptilian grin crossing its face as it felt it had crushed the bird into a pulp. Suddenly, two beams of brilliant light tore through the smoke, slamming into its stony hide.
The Onix shrieked in pain, feeling as if a thousand needles were burrowing into its core. With a final, earth-shaking groan, the titan collapsed.
"It has the raw power of a Heavenly King, but without a trainer, its reaction times and tactical instincts are unrefined," Feng Che critiqued.
"Go, Heavy Ball!"
Feng Che hurled the solid black ball. For Rock-types or anything weighing over two hundred kilograms, the Heavy Ball was the only reliable choice—standard balls often suffered structural failure under such immense mass. The Onix vanished in a beam of red light. The ball shook violently for several long seconds before the click of a successful capture echoed in the silence.
"Mr. Uekawajima, I'll find a way to subdue the super-giant. Just wait for the good news," Feng Che said, picking up the ball and heading deeper into the mine.
Once Feng Che was out of sight, the "worried" foreman's face shifted into a cold, satisfied smile. He peeled away a lifelike mask, revealing himself as Black, one of Damalanchi's top specialists.
"My Power of Darkness never fails to deceive," Black chuckled. "There is indeed a super-giant Onix here—the Peerless King of Mt. Chamia. Its strength is beyond anything he imagines."
At that moment, White emerged from the massive hole left by the Onix. She brushed the dust from her uniform, looking slightly annoyed.
"I spent all that effort driving that high-level Onix to him, and he just catches it?" she complained.
"I watched him do it," Black replied. "I'm now certain he's the one from Red Rock Island. He caught a Heavenly King-rank Onix with almost no effort. Neither of us would be a match for him in a fair fight."
"But," Black's eyes gleamed with malice, "that brat just sealed his own fate. He shouldn't have caught that specific Onix—it's the King's most prized offspring. By taking it, he's ensured that every Onix in this range will hunt him with a vengeful fury. We just need to follow and wait for the King to tear him apart."
The King's Court
Deep in the tunnels, Feng Che stood amongst rows of neatly arranged mining equipment. He gripped the Heavy Ball, a sense of unease gnawing at him.
"What is it, Feng Che?" Mewtwo asked.
"This is a setup," Feng Che stated flatly. "The equipment here is covered in a thick layer of dust; it hasn't been touched in weeks. Yet, it's all perfectly organized. If workers were fleeing a mountain-shaking monster, they wouldn't stop to tidy up their tools before running for their lives."
"And the timing of that Onix was too convenient. I arrive, and a high-level specimen just happens to burst out of the ground in front of me? They calculated that I'd capture it. I suspect this Onix is a vital member of the swarm. By taking it, I've painted a target on my back for every Onix in Mt. Chamia."
Feng Che sighed. "The Kanto League is the weakest for a reason—they spend all their energy on internal sabotage rather than growth. Well, I'll play their game for now."
Feng Che masked his aura and used Teleport, vanishing from the shaft.
"He's noticed us," White hissed from the shadows. "He's suppressed his aura, and the psychic marker I left on that Onix has gone cold."
"It doesn't matter," Black sneered. "The Super-Giant King has a primal, biological connection to its kin. It doesn't need markers. It will hunt him to the ends of the earth, even if he leaves the mountain."
Feng Che reappeared in a colossal cavern. It was filled with hundreds of Onix, all resting or interacting. When he appeared, the chamber fell silent. Every stony head turned toward him.
Then, the screaming started—a collective, deafening roar from the swarm. The mountain began to buckle. From an abyss at the far end of the cave, two pinpricks of red light flared.
A truly colossal Onix slithered out of the darkness. As it emerged, every other Onix lowered its head in a display of absolute reverence for their King.
King Onix: Is this the human who stole my heir?
King Onix: Cunning thief... you may hide your scent, but our clan feels the pulse of our own. The magnets in our brains are more precise than any human tool.
The King opened its gargantuan maw, letting out a roar that sent shockwaves through the air. On its command, the entire swarm surged forward to bury Feng Che.
Should Feng Che use his new "Death Tank" Genesect to hold back the swarm, or unleash his Dragon Force to assert dominance over the King Onix?