Join my p@treon for more chapters
p@treon.com/Tempest_29
Chris stood at the gate of the underground power plant, his expression still frozen in shock.
"Zapdos turned into Regieleki?"
The realization struck him: this dungeon's recommended entry level was marked as a question mark for a reason.
The legendary Pokémon that appeared after the charge progress reached 100% wasn't fixed. Neither was its level.
"A random legendary Pokémon at a random level?" Chris muttered, licking his dry lips.
He didn't care who the legendary Pokémon was. What mattered was the level.
Zapdos had appeared at level 89, while the Regieleki he encountered just now was level 78. Did this mean he could encounter an even lower-level legendary Pokémon? Perhaps one as low as level 50?
If a level 50 legendary Pokémon could really appear, catching it might actually be within his grasp. The possibility filled Chris with excitement.
Should he charge the batteries to 100% again to test his luck? The thought was tempting.
But after some deliberation, Chris decided against it. He couldn't afford to waste too much time here. His focus needed to remain on progressing the plot. He could always return to the power plant later, once he hit a roadblock with the story or gym challenges.
Strengthening himself was the priority. If he encountered a legendary Pokémon too powerful to defeat, the frustration would outweigh the benefits. With that resolve, Chris used Teleport to return to Mauville City.
At Mauville, Chris informed Wattson that the mission was complete. As a reward, Wattson handed him a "Thunderbolt" TM.
"Tsk, tsk," Chris mused. "My future Electric Pokémon will be unstoppable. Thunderbolt, Magnet, everything's ready. When will you finally join my team?"
Despite 40 trips to the power plant, Chris had yet to capture the Electric-type Pokémon he desired. His streak of bad luck was almost laughable. For a moment, he felt like an unlucky old man.
Shaking off the thought, he continued his journey. Heading east, Chris entered Route 118, used Surf to cross the strait, and met a fisherman on the shore. The fisherman handed him a Good Rod.
At last, Chris had upgraded from the old Fishing Rod. With the Good Rod, he could catch higher-level Pokémon and more diverse species.
Even so, Chris wasn't keen on the idea of catching a shiny Magikarp just yet. He planned to save the Good Rod for later when he ventured into the Johto Region.
A few steps further, Chris encountered Steven.
"Are you the Trainer who delivered the letter in Granite Cave before?" Steven asked, recognizing him. "I didn't expect to meet you here. I see you've captured many Pokémon since then."
Steven handed over a peculiar item. "This is a new device my company developed. It's yours."
He paused briefly before adding, "I heard you're challenging the Hoenn League. Good luck. I look forward to the day you face the Champion."
With that, Steven turned and walked away.
Watching Steven leave, Chris gave a thumbs-up. "Steven—what a generous guy!"
Every time they met, Steven gave him something useful. Chris couldn't help but admire him for it.
"Brother Steven," Chris said to himself, grinning, "I'll be waiting for that Mega Evolution stone and Beldum next time."
He examined the item Steven had given him: the Devon Scope.
The Devon Scope allowed him to observe hidden things. Chris immediately remembered its purpose—it was specifically designed to deal with Kecleon. A Kecleon blocked the path to the Fortree Gym, and only by revealing its location could he proceed.
With his new tool in hand, Chris was ready to continue his journey.
Chris continued his journey, venturing onto Route 119.
"Boom..." Thunder roared as the weather changed abruptly, and rain poured down heavily.
The tall grass—over two meters high—stretched out before him. Its density made it the perfect hiding spot for Trainers who could leap out unexpectedly to challenge him.
As usual, Chris methodically battled every Trainer along the route, collecting items and searching for rare Pokémon. Between battles, he initiated a few Horde Encounters to see what the area offered.
Deep in the grass, Chris paused, switching his lead Pokémon to Tyranitar.
Tyranitar, as Chris called it, brought its Sand Stream Ability, replacing the rain with a raging sandstorm.
With Earthquake and Rock Slide in its arsenal, Tyranitar tore through everything in its path. Trainers and wild Pokémon alike fell to the sheer power of its moves, leaving Chris to blaze a trail through the route.
Two hours later, Chris had completed a thorough exploration.
Amid the exploration, he found a Rare Candy—perhaps the most valuable item of the route. As for wild Pokémon, the only ones he hadn't seen before were Tropius and Kecleon.
During Horde Encounters, Linoone appeared frequently, reminding Chris of its pre-evolved form, Zigzagoon. He chuckled to himself as he thought of his "junk squad"—a team of Zigzagoon he had raised to level 20+ just to test their Pickup Ability.
While the higher-leveled Zigzagoon could occasionally find better items like Super Potions, the Rare Candy he so desperately needed never appeared.
"Maybe this modified Emerald version removed Rare Candy from Zigzagoon's Pickup pool," Chris muttered. "Wouldn't be surprised. If it hadn't, I'd already have a team of level 100 Pokémon by now."
Setting aside these musings, Chris pressed on, soon reaching the Weather Institute.
Chris expected the Weather Institute to function as a dungeon, given that the Aqua Team had taken over the facility.
But as he entered, there was no dungeon notification. He found himself wondering if there were special requirements for dungeons in this version, like defeating a major boss such as Archie or Maxie first.
Shrugging off the thought, Chris proceeded. He made quick work of the two Aqua Grunts guarding the entrance, climbing to the second floor.
There, he found the Institute's Professor trapped in a room, trembling in fear. A female Aqua Executive sat nearby, lounging confidently in a chair. She was interrogating the Professor like a seasoned interrogator.
Upon seeing Chris enter, the Executive rose, her lips curling into a sly smile.
"I know you," she said. "The leader told me about you. You defeated Team Magma at Mt. Chimney, didn't you?"
She folded her arms, looking him over with faint amusement.
"So, have you come to join our Team Aqua ?"
Chris shook his head firmly, his expression unyielding.
"What? You're refusing?" the woman said, her smile fading into a cold glare. "And you're demanding we release our hostage?"
Her laughter rang out, sharp and mocking. She fixed Chris with an icy stare.
"You really think taking down those Team Magma weaklings means you can compete with us? Let's see if the Trainer the boss praises is as strong as they say!"
With a flourish, she pulled out a Poké Ball, and the battle began.