[Defeated Arcanine LV42, gained 4235 experience points.]
[Defeated Lavaridge Gym Leader Flannery and received a bonus of 10,300 Pokédollars.]
[Flannery: How could this happen?!]
[Flannery: I have no choice but to give this to you. You've earned the "Heat Badge," proof of victory at the Lavaridge Gym. Now that you have it, your Strength will evolve into an "Secret Strength."]
[Flannery: Hmph, even though I really don't want to hand it over, as a Gym Leader, I have to stick to my duty! Along with the badge, I'm also reluctantly giving you the "Overheat" TM and some Fire-type Pokémon Breeder experience. You'd better treasure it—this was a gift from my grandfather.]
[Flannery: Don't think it's over between us! I look forward to a real battle with you at the Pokémon Championship, where I'll give it my all!]
Chris watched Flannery, unbothered by her challenging tone.
But there was something interesting.
Chris noticed that the four Gym trainers he defeated all mentioned the Pokémon Championship at the end.
Does that mean I'll need to join the Pokémon Tournament to battle them again someday?
There could be many possibilities, but it wasn't something he needed to think about just yet.
Instead, he turned his attention to his current rewards.
[Heat Badge: Boosts the power of all Fire-type moves of Pokémon in the team by 10%. Strength has been upgraded to "Secret Strength."]
The badge itself is a symbol of recognition.
And the "Overheat" TM…
With a power of 130, the move comes with the drawback of lowering the user's Special Attack by two stages after each use. (In the Arceus version, it's rated at 100, which feels like an extreme adjustment.)
With its severe after effects, "Overheat" was clearly meant as a finishing move.
Then there was Strength's transformation into an Secret Strength.
Secret Strength: Base power 110; when its strength exceeds that of its opponent, it gains an additional 20% physical damage boost.
With Secret Strength, the power is increased by 30 points from its base of 80, along with the extra effect that increases its damage.
Chris thought this skill would suit Steelix perfectly. Its Sturdy ability would negate the additional effect, boosting the move's power by 30%.
A 110-power move on Strength becomes a 143-power strike.
In contrast, the Overheat TM would still lower Special Attack by two stages after use, despite its 130 power.
So, what could Secret Strength bring to Steelix?
Chris smirked—his powerful move compared to Flannery's!
A true knockout move!
As for Flannery's Breeder plan...
Chris reviewed it. Blaziken didn't perform as well as expected in Flannery's battle, so he wondered what insights this Breeder plan might offer.
Opening the document, Chris noticed that it wasn't signed by Flannery, but by someone named Moore.
He recalled that Flannery had mentioned this was a Breeder plan from her grandfather.
Chris still remembered the Lavaridge Gym episode from the anime. Moore was Flannery's grandfather and a former Elite Four member in the Hoenn region!
"So, this is an Elite-level Pokémon Breeder guide?!" Chris felt a thrill of excitement.
He quickly opened it and began reading.
Torkoal Section: This part covered training strategies for weather setters. For other types of weather setters, simply substitute the relevant elemental materials as needed. Skills include Sunny Day and Lava Plume, with comprehensive learning methods for both.
*Arcanine Chapter*: Focuses on refining Arcanine's speed, and includes a detailed progression from "Flame Charge" to "Flare Blitz."
*Blaziken Chapter*: Contains a leg strength training plan, instructions on controlling Fire- and Flying-type energy, and advanced Fighting-type move training. Based on Double Kick and Blaze Kick, Moore developed an exclusive move, "Flame Double Kick," and theorized an additional technique called the Flame Chain Kick.
"Wow… I've really hit the jackpot!" Chris's eyes lit up.
While Torkoal and Arcanine were intriguing, it was the Blaziken Breeder plan that captured his attention most. This document recorded Moore's elite-level training methods for Blaziken and even included his unique move, "Flame Double Kick!"
With this Breeder plan, Chris was confident his Blaziken could reach a whole new level.
Coincidentally, his next Gym challenge would be against a Normal-type Leader, and Blaziken would be the perfect choice for the battle!
After placing the Breeder plan beside his bed for a thorough review later, Chris turned his focus to an important task.
Following his earlier plan, Chris went to a secluded area outside Dragon University's walls and called out his Pokémon team.
He applied the flame-patterned Metal Coat onto Onix's body.
Immediately, Onix began to evolve.
Its body expanded dramatically—from over 30 meters to more than 50 meters. The rocks forming its body increased from around two meters to three meters wide. As for the head… Chris estimated it now measured five meters across.
However, its color was unique. Though the Metal Coat had been silver, Steelix's body retained its diamond-like structure but with a shift from translucent to an intense black, lined faintly with red streaks.
The red lines reminded Chris of the "flame-pattern" prefix on his rare Metal Coat.
From a distance, Steelix now looked like a menacing creature forged for destruction!
Chris was pleased with its appearance, but he wondered how its new abilities measured up.
He opened Steelix's stats panel.
*Steelix (Steel, Ground)* (Shiny)
- *Level*: 41
- *Abilities*: Sheer Force (increases the power of moves with additional effects by 30%, but removes the effects), Waterproof (grants immunity to water-type moves)
- *Individual Values*: HP (31), Attack (31), Special Attack (25), Defense (31), Special Defense (31), Speed (27)
- *Moves*: Rock Throw, Tackle, Harden, Bind, Smack Down, Rock Polish, Dragon Breath, Curse, Rock Slide, Screech, Sand Tomb, Dig, Stealth Rock, Slam, Iron Defense, Sandstorm, Autotomize, Earthquake, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Crunch
- *Held Item*: Smooth Rock
Chris exhaled with relief upon seeing its Ability.
Sheer Force—perfect!
Without the Weak Armor Ability, Steelix's durability was preserved.
Yes, it would be slower, but that was a fair trade-off.
Would it be possible to make this massive Steelix faster than its rivals?
Maybe even a Groudon?
It was worth attempting to teach Steelix "Magnet Rise."
Steelix and Onix both use magnetism for orientation. They might not have Nosepass's strength in magnetism, but theoretically, Steelix could still learn electromagnetic levitation.
If it mastered Magnet Rise, Steelix would be able to soar into the sky!
Wouldn't that put it a step ahead of Groudon?
*Groudon*: How about you come flying in front of me and see what happens?
Back home, Chris settled into his own comfortable routine.
Coke, movies, games, and a soft bean bag chair.
"Mom, I don't want to go out!"
Chris resolved to stay in as much as possible from now on.
After picking a movie, adding ice to his Coke, and ordering takeout, Chris leaned back on the cozy sofa. He pulled out his handheld console, ready to level up his Pokémon.
This time, he had learned from his past experiences at the four gyms. From those battles, Chris knew that the gyms would become stronger if he failed a challenge, so he wasn't going to rush into anything he couldn't handle.
"When my Pokémon are strong enough, I'll take on the next gym," he thought.
His next challenge would be the fifth gym in Petalburg City—the Normal-type gym. The Gym Leader was none other than Norman, the protagonist's father, known for his incredible strength in the comics, where he once stood atop Rayquaza to stop Kyogre and Groudon from clashing!
Of course, he wasn't quite as strong in the game.
Since this gym specialized in Normal-type Pokémon, a Fighting-type powerhouse was just what Chris needed.
Chris opened his Pokémon roster, spotting his two Fighting-type allies: Hariyama at level 32 and Blaziken at level 36.
During his previous training, he had leveled up his Combusken until it evolved.
[Blaziken (Fire/Fighting)]
[Level: 36]
[Ability: Speed Boost (Blaziken's speed increases by one stage at the end of each turn)]
[Individual Values: HP (28), Attack (31), Special Attack (31), Defense (31), Special Defense (31), Speed (31)]
[Moves: Ember, Growl, Tackle, Double Kick, Flame Charge, Detect, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, Slash, Cut, Rock Smash, Bounce, Focus Energy, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, High Jump Kick]
[Held Item: Black Belt]
Seeing this, Chris called Blaziken over.
Following the training plan suggested by his friend Asha's grandfather, Moore, Chris set up the next stage in Blaziken's training.
He was especially intrigued by a combination move Moore suggested, called "Flame Strike," which combined Double Kick and Blaze Kick.
Mastering move integration wasn't easy. Chris knew this from the difficulty Combusken had faced when combining Double Kick with Force Palm.
Blending Fighting-type moves was hard enough, but adding a Fire-type move raised the challenge even more. Blaze Kick's complexity far exceeded Force Palm's.
Double Kick, a Fighting-type move, paired with Blaze Kick, a Fire-type move, required not only precise control over power but also the mastery of both Fighting and Fire-type energies. Blaziken needed a high level of energy control to make it work.
Thankfully, Blaziken's strong, powerful legs were perfect for the task.
Confident in his Blaziken's potential, Chris assigned the training tasks.
To boost its power, Blaziken would practice Quick Attack for explosive speed; it would build endurance with repeated Double Kicks; and it would refine control over its Fire-type energy by using Blaze Kick.
Chris even ordered a specialized fire-resistant target online to allow Blaziken to train safely at home.
With that settled, Chris turned his attention back to the game, guiding his character out of the Lavaridge Gym. He made a quick stop at the Pokémon Center to heal Steelix, then headed to Meteor Falls to train.
He was eager to see if Steelix could learn to use Rock Slide in battle.
But just as he stepped out of the gate, Chris ran into his rival, May.
[May: Did you already clear the Gym challenge? I guess for a Rival like you, that's nothing!]
[May: Well, I won't be left behind. I'll show that young Gym Leader what I can do!]
[May: Oh, by the way, I've got an extra pair of Go-Goggles here. Consider it a little gift to celebrate your victory over the Lavaridge Gym!]
*Item obtained: Go-Goggles*
Go-Goggles: Protect your eyes from sandstorms. You can now enter the sandstorm area on Route 111.
After saying that, May hurried into the Lavaridge Gym, determined to either teach Flannery a lesson or maybe get taught one herself.
"It's time to head to the desert region," Chris thought, considering what treasures he might find there.
He remembered that Route 111's desert had rare items called "fossils."
Fossils could be processed to extract DNA and bring ancient Pokémon back to life. This kind of technology existed in real life, too—and in the game, he could head to Devon Corporation to revive them.
"Let's check it out!" Chris controlled his character to walk toward the desert on Route 111.
Pokémon resurrected from fossils had always fascinated him.
Two of the most interesting were:
First, Tyrantrum. With impressive base stats, a fierce offensive presence, and the "Strong Jaw" ability, it was like a mighty tyrant that could crush anything!
Modeled after a T-Rex, Tyrantrum would make an awesome land mount. Just imagine riding a T-Rex down the street—how cool would that be?
Then there was Aerodactyl, capable of MEGA Evolution, and its power was no joke.
Both fossil Pokémon naturally had the Rock type, so they could benefit from the boosts provided by Sandstorm. While neither Tyrantrum nor Aerodactyl had Sandstorm abilities, they were still powerful enough to work well in a Sandstorm team.
If he found a suitable fossil and didn't mind investing the time, Chris could put together a full Sandstorm team.
However, he remembered that the fossils found in the Hoenn region typically revived Lileep or Anorith, which evolved into Cradily and Armaldo.
Unfortunately, their appearances and strengths didn't quite appeal to Chris, so he wasn't particularly interested in them.
Arriving at Route 111, Chris put on the Go-Goggles, allowing him to navigate the desert freely.
Within the sandy area, he noticed several other trainers, each equipped with goggles like his. Any battles here would automatically have Sandstorm weather conditions in the background.
Chris switched Gabite to the lead position in his lineup and equipped Blaziken with the Exp. Share.
Following his usual routine, Chris planned to explore the new area, identify the types of Pokémon available, pick up any items he could find, and challenge every Trainer in his path.
It had been five hours since Chris began exploring the desert terrain of Route 111.
Midway through, he had eaten a packed meal, prepared an exquisite dinner for his Pokémon, and watched three movies, nearly reaching the time for a break.
The desert map wasn't extensive, yet Chris had still spent a considerable amount of time exploring it.
Now, two new items had appeared on his search map. One was the Dowsing Machine for treasure hunting, and the other was using Smeargle's Sweet Scent to see if it could attract rare Pokémon.
Using the Dowsing Machine, he discovered two Rare Candies scattered across the vast desert.
In total, Chris had collected four Rare Candies.
However, Sweet Scent hadn't attracted any rare Pokémon, only common ones.
Only a few Pokémon inhabit the Route 111 Desert Region, including Sandshrew, Trapinch, Baltoy, and Cacnea.
Of these, Trapinch shows more potential. Its final evolution is Flygon, a Ground/Dragon-type with the Levitate ability.
A Ground-type that can fly… definitely an intriguing contradiction.
But Chris wasn't very interested in Flygon. He already had Gabite, another dragon, and Flygon wasn't the best fit for a Sandstorm team.
After covering the entire desert region, Chris locked onto the spot where he could retrieve the fossils.
In the middle of the desert, there was a towering stone tower that stood two stories high.
Glancing at his watch, he noted it was 11 p.m.
"Once I grab the fossil, it's time to rest!"
Chris guided his character toward the stone tower, and as he reached the entrance, a prompt appeared on his handheld.
[Enter the dungeon "Mirage Tower"? Yes/No]
[Recommended entry level: 35]
"Another dungeon?!" Chris raised his eyebrows.
He hadn't encountered dungeons before and assumed they only appeared in specific storylines.
But with the recommended level being fairly low, there was no reason not to explore.
Without hesitation, Chris clicked "Yes."
The scene around him shifted, and Chris found himself inside the stone tower.
Behind him, the faint rustling of sand from the desert could be heard. It was nighttime, and the cold wind outside hinted at the chilly desert air. If he wanted to leave, a prompt would appear, asking if he wanted to exit the dungeon.
Ahead of him was a hall about the size of a basketball court, with torches burning brightly along the walls. A winding stone staircase led upwards, directly in front of Chris.
Standing at the center of the hall was a Rhydon, its eyes locked onto Chris, brimming with vigilance.
"A level 37 Rhydon?" Chris murmured, slightly surprised.
Since this was a dungeon, encountering a Pokémon guarding the path wasn't unexpected. Still, seeing a Pokémon that didn't typically appear in this region caught him off guard.
His first thought wasn't how to defeat it but rather if he could capture it.
"Roar!!" Rhydon, noticing Chris hadn't moved, decided to strike first, lowering its head. Its sharp horn pointed toward him as it began its charge.
The massive creature moved like a tank, each step sending tremors through the ground as it barreled forward.
"Water Shuriken!" Chris said casually, tossing a Poké Ball.
Greninja leapt out of the open Poké Ball, forming several shuriken made of water as it landed.
Rhydon ignored Greninja's appearance, focusing solely on its charge toward Chris, intent on ramming him with its horn, but… it never got that far.
As a Rock/Ground-type, Rhydon was four times weak to Water-type moves, and its level was lower than Greninja's. Against Water Shuriken, it stood no chance.
One of the shuriken struck Rhydon's rocky hide, detonating on impact.
Rhydon fell to the ground, defeated and unable to fight.
Chris threw a Poké Ball, capturing Rhydon in a flash of red light. The ball shook slightly, but soon fell still.
Rhydon was captured.
"Can it really be caught?" Chris picked up the Poké Ball to inspect it.
This Rhydon was fairly average, with only a single IV in Special Defense—not worth training.
He decided it would be best to let Professor Birch handle it.
Chris moved through the hall, climbed the staircase, and arrived on the second floor.
The layout was similar to the first—a hall about the size of a basketball court. This time, there was no staircase leading up, only a stone platform in the center.
Two fossils lay on the stone platform.
"Is this the end?" Chris thought. From the outside, Mirage Tower had appeared to have four floors, yet inside, it seemed shorter than expected.
He stepped closer to examine the fossils.
One had a faint carapace pattern, while the other resembled a root.
Carapace? Root?
"Anorith and Lileep?" he mused, though he remembered Anorith's fossil looking like a claw.
Chris chose the first fossil without hesitation—Dome Fossil. Lileep and its evolution, Cradily, always looked a bit odd to him. Even though he didn't plan to raise Anorith, it might still be of interest to Professor Birch for research.
The moment Chris picked up the Dome Fossil, he was immediately teleported back to his viewing room.
"That was fast," Chris muttered, a little taken aback.
On his screen, his character stood in a sandy field, surrounded by Sandstorm. The Mirage Tower had vanished.
A prompt appeared:
[The moment you picked up the Dome Fossil, Mirage Tower collapsed, and the remaining fossil was forever buried in the desert.]
Just as expected.
The Emerald game always forced players to choose one fossil, leaving the other lost forever.
"Alright, time to get this revived!" Chris recalled that the fossil revival lab was in Devon, Rustboro City. Without Fly on hand, the quickest route was to head west from Mauville City, pass through the Verdanturf Town Gym, and enter Rusturf Tunnel.
His thoughts abruptly halted.
In front of him, he saw a familiar sight.
Right outside the desert region's entrance, the Mirage Tower stood tall once more, this time with three floors.
As he approached, a prompt appeared:
[Yes/No to enter the dungeon "The Mirage Tower"]
[Recommended entry level: 40].
Another Mirage Tower?
Chris noticed that the name and suggested entry level for this Mirage Tower were different from the previous one.
The previous Mirage Tower was in ruins, but this one looked more dilapidated.
The last Mirage Tower had a required level of 35; this one was set at level 40.
The previous tower had two floors, and this one had three!
"Let's go in and take a look!" Chris decided to enter again.
With a flash of light, Chris transitioned from reality into the game.
The environment was almost identical to the previous tower, with wind and sand whistling through the desert night. In front of him was a hall bathed in a warm glow, with a staircase leading to the second floor.
The only real difference was the Pokémon waiting on the first floor.
This time, a Nidoking stood guard on the ground floor of Mirage Tower!
Nidoking LV43.
"Nido!" Nidoking roared, warning Chris to stay back.
"I thought Nidoking wasn't in the Emerald version..." Chris murmured thoughtfully, tossing a Poké Ball. "Water Shuriken!"
Greninja sprang from the Poké Ball, launching a series of Water Shuriken mid-air toward Nidoking.
Nidoking raised his arms, using "Protect" to create an invisible barrier. However, the barrier only held up against three Water Shuriken before collapsing, and two more struck Nidoking directly.
In the next instant, Greninja appeared before Nidoking, Light shining in each hand, their edges gleaming coldly.
Before Nidoking could counter, Greninja vanished, leaving a deep slash from Nidoking's left shoulder to his right hip.
"Boom!" Nidoking collapsed, completely out of energy.
"You're getting better and better at battling wild Pokémon without Trainer guidance," Chris praised, tossing a Pecha Berry to Greninja, who had been poisoned by Nidoking's likely Poison Point Ability.
"Kalu!" Greninja, holding a kunai in his mouth, crossed his arms, lowered his head, and furrowed his brow, his expression stoic. Since evolving, Greninja's behavior had become increasingly like that of a true ninja.
Chris threw a Poké Ball, successfully capturing Nidoking. In the Emerald version, encountering a Nidoking is practically impossible, so this was a rare catch. Let's see what we've got here.
Checking the Poké Ball, Chris examined Nidoking's attributes.
Attack and Special Attack are double V, and the Ability is Poison Point. Hmm… Not bad. Maybe Professor Birch can keep him as a personal bodyguard.
He moved up to the second floor.
There were no fossils here—just the same setup as the first floor, with stairs leading up and another Pokémon stationed nearby.
The opponent on this floor was a Krookodile LV45.
"Krookodile?" Chris stared at the small, red-eyed crocodile in front of him, taken aback.
It had already been surprising to encounter Rhydon and Nidoking, but Krookodile?
Rhydon and Nidoking, both first- and second-generation Pokémon, were feasible in the third-generation Emerald version, but Krookodile, a fifth-generation Pokémon?
"Is it possible that Pokémon outside the Emerald roster can appear in Mirage Tower?" Chris raised an eyebrow. That would be great news.
Who knows—maybe there's a third or even a fourth Mirage Tower waiting.
With more Mirage Towers, he could finally catch some Pokémon normally unavailable in the Emerald version.
So far, all the Pokémon I've encountered here seem to be Ground-types. Does that mean every Pokémon in Mirage Tower will be Ground-type?
"Water Shuriken!" Chris commanded.
If every opponent here is a Ground type, that's not bad—Greninja can handle them all easily!
Greninja moved with speed and precision, throwing several Water Shuriken as he charged forward.
Krookodile, however, was fiercer than Nidoking. With a quick twist, it deflected the Water Shuriken using Dragon Tail, then countered Greninja's advance with a powerful Dragon Claw.
This one certainly seemed talented with dragon-like moves. Chris wondered about its stats; with its strong base stats and either Intimidate or Moxie as an Ability, Krookodile would make a perfect addition to a Sandstorm team.
Just as Krookodile's Dragon Claw was about to land, Greninja vanished in a blur.
A sharp Cut sliced across Krookodile's chest in the next instant.
Surprisingly, Krookodile managed to track Greninja's movement and tried to strike back, proving a single Cut wasn't enough to take it down.
But just as it turned, an azure Water Pulse struck it squarely in the face.
"Boom!" Krookodile took the Water Pulse head-on, and Chris winced at the impact.
That had to hurt.
Krookodile collapsed, unable to continue fighting.
Chris threw a Poké Ball, capturing the defeated Krookodile.
In this setting, battles felt a little slower, but it was satisfying all the same.
To capture Pokémon here, Chris had to be mindful of their HP to avoid knocking them out completely.
Back in his previous gaming days, he would train a Pokémon with "False Swipe" and pair it with moves like Spore or Hypnosis to make catching easier.
Still, even then, there were plenty of mishaps—opponents sometimes fainted by accident, or they'd knock themselves out using recoil moves like Take Down.
Chris picked up the Poké Ball holding Krookodile and checked its stats.
Not bad—Attack, Defense, and Speed were all 3V, with Moxie as its Ability. In a standard game, a Moxie-powered Krookodile was invaluable. In Black and White, he used one to sweep entire teams.
With Earthquake in its arsenal, Krookodile could take down the first two opponents and keep the momentum going.
But now, 3V wasn't quite enough for Chris's standards.
"I'm sorry, Krookodile—it's not that you're not strong enough; it's just that my requirements are higher now."
Chris decided to send Krookodile to Professor Birch. The Professor would surely be thrilled to have Pokémon from other regions to study.
Professor Birch: I'm thrilled… darn it, though! Where's my coffee?
Thank AddictiveSage For this Chapter
On the third floor, two fossils still lay in front of Chris.
But this time, there was a slight difference.
The two fossils, one with a feathered texture on the surface, were broken similarly to the previous pair, making it seem like they might crumble if picked up.
The other fossil retained its carapace texture but was slightly larger, with a clearer, more complete, and sturdier surface.
"Fossils from other regions can appear, and... there are good and bad fossils of the same species," Chris mused.
Finding fossils from different regions was promising for Chris.
At the very least, it meant the Aerodactyl and Tyrantrum he had hoped for could appear.
As for fossils of the same species, they could differ in quality.
Chris once again chose the fossil with the carapace pattern.
The moment he picked it up, Chris found himself back in his room.
The Mirage Tower had collapsed.
Chris opened his backpack, and two fossils with different names appeared in the valuable items column.
Decayed Dome Fossil: Fossil of an ancient Pokémon that once lived in the sea, resembling a carapace.
Dome Fossil: Fossil of an ancient Pokémon that once lived in the sea, resembling a carapace.
The description was the same, but the names suggested a difference in quality.
Without further hesitation, Chris headed to the resurrection lab and decided to explore the desert region afterward.
He soon found a third Mirage Tower, this time a decaying, two-story structure with an entry recommendation of level 35…
But Chris decided not to enter this time.
It was already midnight, so he decided to rest until morning.
The night passed quietly, and at 7:00 a.m., Chris woke up, stretched, and handled breakfast for himself and his Pokémon before turning his handheld back on.
He reappeared in the desert region, but the Mirage Tower from last night was gone. Chris moved the protagonist through the desert again and soon found it.
Once again, it was a decaying, two-story Mirage Tower with a recommended entry level of 35…
First, Chris went to Devon Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Rustboro City, where he could resurrect the fossils.
In reality, resurrecting a fossil might take a long time, but in-game, it was just a quick conversation.
He started with the Decayed Dome Fossil.
A new Pokémon immediately appeared in Chris's Pokémon column.
It was a Kabuto—meaning Chris's guess had been wrong, and the Dome Fossil wasn't for Anorith.
He opened the attribute screen for Kabuto.
[Kabuto (Rock, Water)]
[Level: 5]
[Ability: Battle Armor (blocks critical hits)]
[Individual Values: HP (12), Attack (1), Special Attack (12), Defense (23), Special Defense (14), Speed (7)]
[Moves: Harden, Scratch]
[Held Item: none]
Well, how to rate it?
In four words: Not much to say.
Chris then resurrected the regular Dome Fossil.
The result was another Kabuto, but its stats far outclassed those of the Kabuto from the decayed fossil.
[Kabuto (Rock, Water)]
[Level: 5]
[Ability: Battle Armor (blocks critical hits)]
[Individual Values: HP (23), Attack (31), Special Attack (22), Defense (13), Special Defense (7), Speed (31)]
[Moves: Absorb, Harden, Sand Attack, Scratch]
[Held Item: None]
Attack and Speed with two maxed values, plus four moves—this Kabuto is clearly a powerhouse.
Comparing the two Kabutos, the results were clear: Pokémon resurrected from normal fossils are stronger than those from decayed fossils.
At first glance, this doesn't look promising.
After all, each fossil obtained is the same, and reviving fossils feels like gambling with stones or lottery tickets.
And with decayed fossils, it's even riskier—like a lottery where many tickets have already been discarded.
But Chris has a new theory.
If decayed fossils exist, could there also be enhanced ones?
And since there are two-story and three-story Mirage Towers, could there be a four-story one?
Chris moved his character back to the desert region, aiming to find an even rarer Mirage Tower.
However, this was clearly not an easy task.
Each Mirage Tower requires individual entry and will disappear after taking the fossil, or after three hours, a new one will appear.
Chris patiently entered each one, tower after tower.
By nightfall, he hadn't yet encountered a four-story Mirage Tower, but he had some good news.
The Pokémon appearing in the Mirage Tower were random and not limited to Ground types. Rock-type and even Steel-type Pokémon could appear as well.
This meant that Chris could potentially encounter Pokémon like Tyranitar or Metagross!
Of course, he hadn't seen any all day.
"Three more Mirage Towers, then I'll call it a night." Chris yawned and glanced at the time—it was around midnight. Today was tiring since he'd been playing and climbing floors all day.
With hundreds of steps climbed, if he kept grinding Mirage Towers tomorrow, he wouldn't need his usual morning workout.
Just then, the door to the movie room creaked open a little.
A familiar head peeked in—adorably curious.
It was his Togepi. "Toge-pi pi o(^▽^)o!"
"Are you looking for little Wynaut? It's already asleep," Chris chuckled. Togepi often came to play with Wynaut.
"Toge-pi~~" Togepi shook its head, then hopped off the ground, fluttering over to land on the pillow beside Chris, snuggling close.
"Are you planning to rest with me tonight?" Chris smiled, poking Togepi's cheek.
Sometimes, if Delibird's late-night deliveries left Togepi feeling a little lonely, it would fly in to rest in his room.
Tonight seemed to be one of those times.
"Alright, sleep well," Chris whispered, turning off the sound on his handheld.
After brushing through three more Mirage Towers, he'd call it a night.
He looked down and saw the next Mirage Tower.
"One, two, three, four… four floors!" Chris's eyes brightened—luck was on his side!
But something felt oddly coincidental, and he had a sense of déjà vu.
Chris glanced at Togepi, then back at the four-story Mirage Tower on the screen.
Images of a Shiny Ralts and Shiny Aron flashed through his mind…
An eerie realization gave him goosebumps.