CHAPTER 18: RECIPE FOR DISASTER (2)

Professor Furtido's Monologue

Interesting...

His way of research is very methodical and organized.

Even though his Pokemon choice are not the best, yet his explanations were on-point...

Hmm...he is choosing Lunala?! Now, that's...unexpected.

Just like Albert...

He reminds me of someone...someone who have that weird Pokemon...Zapido, that Thunder-bird...

Yeah, David's the name. The one who had that controversial result.

Yeah...that's it...something that reminds me of the Plankas...

Where did he register again?

Kanto? At the Pallet Town?

Better ask Mr. Ketchum about this.

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Archer was dumbfounded as he saw the Legendaries moving around, their eyes gazing at him as they emitted an aura that made him nervous and stiff. He never imagined that even in these type of simulations he could still feel some threat from them, as if they were ready to tear him from limb to limb. He kept on reminding himself that it was all just fake, but his body would not listen.

So what should I do? Fighting against one of these three Legendaries would leave me no chance to retaliate. What are the rules in this test? Should I just attack them altogether with the best skill I can make? Wait, what is this blinking mail icon on my notepad?

Archer resolved himself to find out everything he could so as to produce something that was worthy of his intelligence. Pressing the 'Mail' icon, he found out that it was an email prompt from the Simulation System, which stated the rules of the last part of the random exam, entitled 'The Two Recipes for Disaster'.

SYSTEM PROMPT: The Two Recipes for Disaster

You have two attempts in hurting any of these Pokemon. Attack them using your strongest combination skills you created within the span of an hour. The simulated Pokemon you own do the Combining Skill Process as you instruct them to effectively launch the move, either attack or support. Remember, you can only use the Combination Skill once. And, the Pokessence of your Pokemon is limited, so choose wisely and utilize the Pokessences effectively.

After using a skill on your first target, you may execute another one on the same Pokemon, or you may proceed to the next. The damage score will then be calculated by the total HP you have chunked off it.

Try defeating them in one shot, if you can, LOL. Good luck.

Only two attempts? And wait, did the System just made fun of me?

Hmm...I've been suspecting that Combination skills do hurt Pokemon and cost Pokessences to activate, so I am only limited to do several skills before their Pokessences will be used up.

Let's recall everything that I've learned, and know about the weaknesses of these powerful Pokemon. And try looking at the dumb list so I can just think of the different possibilities of hurting them using Combination Skills, and possibly have some Pokessences left to do a bang at the end.

Pokemon First Type (Att) Second type First (Supp) Second (Supp) Deino (Dark, Dragon) Crunch Dragon Breath Rowlet (Grass, Flying) Razor Leaf Peck Synthesis Beldum (Steel, Psychic) Iron Head Zen Headbutt Iron Defense Helioptile (Electric, Normal) Thundershock Pound Charge Dwebble (Bug, Rock) Fury Cutter Rock Blast Rock Polish Gastly (Ghost, Poison) Shadow Ball Confuse Ray Croagunk (Poison, Fighting) Venoshock Revenge RAYQUAZA - LEGENDARY POKEMON Pokemon Typing: DRAGON/FLYING Would you accept?

This serpent-like Pokemon has a Dragon/Flying Typing. If we consider only the skills that are available on the list, then the weaknesses it have are Dragon (Deino), Electric (Helioptile), and Rock (Dwebble).

LUNALA - LEGENDARY POKEMON Pokemon Typing: PSYCHIC/GHOST Would you accept?

How about this bat-like creature? What's interesting is that its Typing has Double Weakness to Ghost (Gastly) and Dark (Deino).

XERNEAS - LEGENDARY POKEMON Pokemon Typing: FAIRY Would you accept?

Fairy?! This is one of those typings that are not included as one of the Pokemon choices. As I remember, it is very fragile when receiving Poison (Croagunk) and Steel (Beldum) Attacks.

So which should I select?

Archer ruminated on these things while calculating several Pokemon combinations to employ when his notepad flickered intermittently. Curious, he pressed the icon and the second notice appeared.

SYSTEM PROMPT An ETHER to replenish Pokessence. Can be life-saving. Use wisely.

Can the system read my mind? Well, whatever it is, this solves one of these limiting minor problem. Now, I can use the containing Pokemon twice. I need all the help that I can receive.

Archer shifted his gaze to the hovering bat-like Pokemon.

Lunala's a given. So, I'll make sure that my first skill would be a Ghost/Dark or Dark/Ghost. One of them should be my Initiating Pokemon, and the other the Containing Pokemon. Whichever the Containing Pokemon is, it could not be chosen again as it might be out of Pokessence. I don't want to have a failed skill. Must have a Rank B or A...yeah, that would be awesome. Should I use a 6-Pokemon set? Ha ha, hell yeah. Too bad, Lunala might just treat it like a mosquito bite.

I wish there's some details regarding the skills of pokemon so I could know its effect. Maybe there's a skill that can double my damage, who knows. Let's not think about the things I am not sure of and focus on what is damaging since I've less time.

I think I have to calculate my first skill against Lunala and see where it goes before deciding things.

I'd pick Ghastly as my Initiating Pokemon and Deino as my Containing Pokemon. Hmm, now to the Linking Pokemon. Helioptile (Electric/Normal) should be next after Gastly (Ghost/Poison), then use Dwebble (Bug/Rock). Groagunk (Poison/Fighting), Beldum (Steel/Psychic), and it with Deino (Dark/Dragon) to complete my 6-Pokemon set.

So, Shadowball (Ghost) to use against Helioptile (Normal): Rank from F to E since it is null. Next, Pound (Normal) to Dwebble (Rock), adds one rank (E to D). Then, Rock Blast (Rock) toward Groagunk (Fighting), increases another level (D to C). After that, Revenge (Fighting) against Beldum (Psychic), from rank C to B. Finally, a Zen Headbutt (Psychic) to a Deino (Dark), creating a staggering skill ranked higher than A. Hell, yeah! Let's try this.

Gastly, Helioptile, Dwebble, Croagunk, Beldum, Deino Shadow Ball (Ghost-Attack), Pound (Normal-Attack), Rock Blast (Rock-Attack), Revenge (Fighting-Attack), Zen Headbutt (Psychic-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack)

Result: Success - Great Shadow Crunch (Rank A) - Dark/Ghost (Attack)

Wait, why is this still Rank A? What the heck?! What went wrong? This should have been a Rank S or A plus or something.

Aaaargh. I don't have time to do some tests right now. Fuck it, this will do.

LUNALA - LEGENDARY POKEMON Pokemon Typing: PSYCHIC/GHOST Would you accept?

Archer accepted the prompt and inputted his choice of Pokemon on the slots.

Gastly, Helioptile, Dwebble, Croagunk, Beldum, Deino Command these Pokemon to attack the Legend. Would you accept?

Archer sighed deeply as he confirmed. Six swirling white lights appeared right in front of him, leaving him expectant and excited. As the light faded, six Pokemon emerged.

The first one was a black, spherical Pokémon surrounded by a purple haze. It had a wide, pink mouth with two visible fangs. Though its eyes seem to extend past its round body, visible eyelids surrounded them. "Gastly!"

The second was a small, lizard-like Pokémon. It had a tapering tail, short legs, and small feet with three pointed toes on each foot. Its body was pale yellow, while its feet and the tip of its tail were black. The top of its head was black as well with a small triangular yellow patch between the eyes. It had two long, black pointed frills with yellow tips hanging from the sides of its head, which stiffened and unfolded from time to time. "Helioptile!"

The third one was a small, orange hermit crab-like Pokémon with large pincers. It had dark, oval-shaped eyes supported by eye stalks. It had a hook-like tail that is concealed underneath the sectioned chunk of gray rock it used as a shell. "Dwebble!"

A dark blue, bipedal Pokémon that resembled a poison dart frog was just standing behind Dwebble. It had yellow eyes, which were surrounded by black markings. There were orange, expandable pouches on its cheeks, and its teeth were wide and flat. A black marking encircled its upper arms and chest, and there were white bands around its chest. It had three fingers and toes, most of which were black. The only digits that were not black were its center fingers, which were orange instead. "Croagunk!"

The next one was kind of peculiar. It was a robotic Pokémon that had a long body with a set of claws sticking out of its rear end. It had one large, red eye in the center of its nearly spherical head, which was set into a ball-and-socket joint at its front end. A short crest projected from its body and extended over its head. "Beldum!"

The last Pokemon was a small blue quadrupedal Pokémon with black fur covering its head and neck, which concealed everything but its mouth from view. The fur around its neck had six purple spots encircling it, which resembled bruises. The hair on the top of its head took the shape of a single small horn. It also had a short tail that appears to be bitten off. "Deino!"

Delighted, Archer moved forward and commanded. "Hey, my Pokemon Team. Let's fuck a big, fat bat pretending to be a moon. You need to do everything I say religiously, okay? Gastly, use Shadowball on Helioptile as you hear me saying 'Go'. Helioptile, after Gastly attacks you, immediately use Pound on Dwebble.

Dwebble, execute Rock Blast on Croagunk instantly after being hit by Helioptile.

Croagunk, use Revenge at Beldum straightaway after Dwebble strikes.

Beldum, utilize Zen Butthead against Deino promptly as you receive the attack.

Lastly, Deino. Wait for five seconds before you assault Lunala with your Crunch. Understood?"

Everyone replied in unison. Archer crunched his fingers and said, "GO!"

Gastly emitted a spherical black ball from its mouth, striking the Helioptile who was now standing next to Dwebble. With its hands shining with White Pokessence, Helioptile struck the hermit crab with its clenched fists. Dwebble, upon receiving the attack, blasted rocks of different sizes toward the waiting Croagunk just behind the floating Beldum. Croagunk was in a fighting stance as he was surrounded by Maroon light, and suddenly rammed against Beldum. Surprisingly, Beldum did not flinched despite its small stature, and zoomed towards Deino with its head shining with a pink haze. Deino, upon being bashed by Beldum with its head, smiled and ran towards Lunala's direction. When it was near the winged pokemon, Deino leaped as high as it could and bared its fangs, its mouth was gleaming like an onyx, biting Lunala's body. Immediately, Deino fell down and sprawled on the ground. Archer noticed that Deino was still alive, but its breathing now ragged.

Just as I suspected. It really does put a heavy pressure on the last Pokemon. Well, I've gotta take the risk to find out what will exactly happen if I do it. It's better now than try it using an actual battle in reality. At least the Lunala does not move or react at all while everything else is doing what I've told them to do. In real life, I would have been thoroughly crushed before I could do any of these skills.

Another prompt appeared as he pressed the blinking icon.

SYSTEM PROMPT Lunala (HP): 99,762.5/100,000

Great Shadow Crunch

Base Damage: 50 Dark/Ghost

Damage Against Lunala: 50 x 4 (Dark VS Ghost/Psychic) + 50 x 4 (Ghost VS Ghost/Psychic) = 400

Additional Damage (from Transferred pokessences) = 75 Ess (30+5+10+15+15)

Actual Damage: 400 + 75 = 475/ 2 (from Shadow Shield) = 237.5

Gastly uses Shadow Ball (30 Ghost Ess)/ Ghost Pokessence remaining = 70/100 Helioptile uses Pound (10 Normal Ess)/ Normal Pokessence remaining = 90/100 Dwebble uses Rock Blast (20 Rock Ess)/ Rock Essence remaining = 80/100 Croagunk uses Revenge (30 Fighting Ess)/ Fighting Ess remaining = 70/100 Beldum uses Zen Headbutt (30 Psychic Ess)/ Psychic Ess remaining = 70/100

Warning: Total Foreign Ess Received is more than the tolerable range when compared to Pokessence Limit.

If a combination skill is attempted, it might be knocked out after it executes the attack.

Deino uses Crunch (25 Dark Ess)/ Dark Ess remaining = 75/100

Great Shadow Crunch Activated.

Deino fainted.

I see. So that's the reason Deino fainted. It's out of the picture and I'm one less Pokemon.

And what's with Lunala's Shadow Shield? Well, a Legend is expected to have some sort of OP ability. There goes my first attempt in hurting Lunala goes down the drain. Should I proceed to the next Pokemon? Perhaps I should still play with Lunala using Gastly as my Containing Pokemon to unleash another heavy hit, since I suspect that all these legends have very unique resistances.

He then took a glimpse at the raging dragon then focused his attention to the stomping deer.

If I fight Xerneas, then my skill should be either Poison/Steel or Steel/Poison to have double strength. But it is impossible to create one from this limited choice of skills.

As for Rayquaza...hmmm...Dragon/Flying, huh. If only there's an Ice move, then it could have been my second choice, maybe an ice/rock or rock/ice. There would be no additional damage if Electric is added, since Dragon resists Electric.

It's decided. Lunala. I better make sure to create a staggering Ghost attack, even if Gastly faints. Sorry Gastly.

Beldum, Helioptile, Rowlet, Dwebble, Croagunk, Gastly Iron Head(Steel-Attack), Thundershock (Electric-Attack), Razor Leaf (Grass-Attack), Fury Cutter (Bug-Attack), Revenge (Fighting-Attack), Shadow Ball (Ghost-Attack)

Result: Success - Great Shadow Ball (Rank A) - Ghost (Attack)

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CHAPTER 19: THE SECOND POKEMON