Professor Turo turned to Angie and said, "If we use this method, Angie, you'll need to capture a Pokémon to help us upgrade your Robert No. 1."
Angie asked curiously, "What kind of Pokémon should I capture?"
Professor Sada pondered for a moment before replying, "A Metagross! Metagross would be the best choice."
Metagross has four brains connected in a complex neural network, making it even smarter than a supercomputer. When all four brains operate simultaneously, it can perform even the most complex calculations instantaneously. It would be the perfect candidate to serve as the artificial intelligence for the robot.
"Metagross? But isn't Metagross a very rare Pokémon? Does Area Zero have any?" Angie asked, recalling that he hadn't seen any trace of Metagross in Area Zero.
"There are!" Professor Sada confirmed confidently. "Although they're rare, Metagross can indeed be found in Area Zero."
Professor Turo nodded. "When Sada and I conducted a survey, we came across one. But whether it's still there is another matter."
Angie's eyes lit up. "Please, Professors, tell me where it was. I'll go and capture it!"
Professor Sada said, "That Metagross was extremely powerful. When we encountered it, we avoided it from a distance. We didn't even dare approach it!"
Angie thought for a moment and finally decided to give it a try. "Please tell me the location. I'll go check it out. If I can't handle it, I'll retreat immediately."
"Fine," Professor Sada said reluctantly. "Take out the Pokémon distribution map I gave you earlier."
"Here you go." Angie nodded and handed over the map.
Professor Sada took the map and pulled a pen from the pocket of her lab coat. She circled a spot on the map. "We encountered the Metagross here, but that was over a year ago. Who knows if it's still there."
Angie took the map and saw that the marked location was in the lower cave areas.
Professor Turo added, "After lunch, give us your robot. We'll start some preliminary upgrades, so once you capture the Metagross, we can complete the final enhancements right away."
Angie agreed readily. "Alright, I'll leave it to you then."
Professor Sada waved her hand dismissively. "It's no trouble; we can spare the time for this."
...
After lunch, Angie had Diancie bring over Robert No. 1 and handed it to the two professors.
After escorting Diancie back home, Angie turned to Arven and said, "Arven, this afternoon, I'm going to capture the Metagross. According to your parents, it's very strong, so it might be dangerous for you to come along. Can you stay at the research station this afternoon?"
Arven understood the situation. Although a bit disappointed, he nodded obediently. "Okay, I'll stay here and wait for you to come back."
Sensing Arven's sadness, Mabosstiff gently licked his palm.
Angie ruffled Arven's hair to comfort him. "When I get back, I'll make you something delicious—something you've never had before."
Arven immediately perked up at the promise. "You better keep your word!"
Hearing the word delicious, Pawmi suddenly got excited. It scampered over to Angie, hugging his right leg with its two small hands and looking up at him expectantly.
After bidding farewell to Arven, Angie picked up Pawmi and Komala and prepared to ride on the back of his Espathra. At that moment, the two Oinkologne quickly followed. Angie thought for a moment before saying to them, "Oinkologne, could I ask you to stay here and keep Arven company?"
The two Oinkologne drooped their ears in disappointment.
Seeing this, Angie pulled out a bag of jerky and handed it to them. "Please help me out. You can use this jerky to pass the time."
"Oinkologne~ Oinkologne~"
"Oinkologne~ Oinkologne~"
The two Oinkologne, seeing the treats, immediately agreed without hesitation.
The male Oinkologne grabbed the bag from Angie's hand and trotted off happily with his mate toward Arven.
Seeing the two Oinkologne already playing with Arven, Angie finally climbed onto the back of Espathra, holding Komala and Pawmi.
"Espathra~~"
Espathra let out a cry, stretched its long legs, and started sprinting rapidly. Its speed was astonishing, and before long, Angie and his companions had reached the lower level, arriving at the entrance of a cave.
According to the professors' notes, the Metagross's habitat was deep within this cave.
Angie stared at the cave entrance for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Let's go in."
Hopefully, everything would go smoothly.
"Espathra~"
"Pawmi~"
Espathra and Pawmi responded in unison.
Komala was nestled in Angie's arms, while Pawmi sat snugly in the hood of Angie's jacket, a small bundle with only its head peeking out.
As soon as they entered the cave, they encountered a Midnight Form Lycanroc around a corner. Its glowing red eyes and menacing demeanor made it clear that it was not to be trifled with.
Angie whispered to Espathra, "Avoid it. Don't let it see us."
Espathra nodded and leapt gracefully over a stone wall, slipping out of the Lycanroc's sight in an instant.
However, shortly after moving away from the Lycanroc, they stumbled upon a group of Sneasel in another corner. The Sneasel were huddled together, chattering, as if plotting something.
Angie intended to avoid them as well, but before he could instruct Espathra, the Sneasel noticed them.
The Sneasel flashed their sharp claws and began approaching Angie's group with mischievous, menacing smiles.
Hearing the commotion, Pawmi climbed out of Angie's hood and onto his shoulder to take a look. When it locked eyes with the Sneasel's intimidating gazes, it shivered involuntarily.
"Run!"
Angie whispered urgently into Espathra's ear.
Espathra, not keen on confronting a pack of Sneasel, immediately turned and bolted down another passage.
The Sneasel, seeing their "prey" escape, charged after them en masse. Agile and cooperative, the Sneasel ran along walls and attempted to flank their target, their teamwork making them formidable hunters.
But their speed couldn't match Espathra's. Eventually, the Sneasel were left far behind.
...
Unknowingly, Angie and his companions found themselves in a dimly lit cavern. Just as Angie was about to pull out his phone for light, a golden ring of light appeared in the darkness ahead.
As the ring illuminated the cavern, a fox-like Pokémon stepped out gracefully, its movements elegant. Its eyes exuded an air of dominance, and it carried itself with an aura of pride and charm.
"Umbreon~"
It was an Umbreon!
Unlike the Sneasel, the Umbreon didn't charge at Angie and his companions. Instead, it scrutinized them cautiously, its crimson eyes filled with a sense of wariness.
Angie quickly explained, "We mean no harm. We're just passing through."
The Umbreon remained still, its piercing red eyes locked onto Angie, emanating a sense of pressure.
Angie pulled out a platter of jerky and signaled to Espathra with his eyes. Espathra understood and used its psychic powers to float the jerky over to the Umbreon.
"This is for you. It's delicious; you should try it," Angie said.
The Umbreon glanced briefly at the platter, its nose twitching slightly as the rich, overpowering aroma wafted toward it. However, it didn't hastily eat the food Angie offered. Instead, it continued to stare at him unblinkingly.
Angie attempted to use his Eye of Observation to check the Umbreon's stats, but it didn't respond. This could only mean that the Umbreon's level was higher than Diancie's.
Angie's Diancie was already at a high level due to the Exp. Charm he wore.
...
[ Diancie ]
Type: Rock, Fairy
Ability: Clear Body
Gender: None
Level: 63
Moves: Tackle, Harden, Diamond Storm, Guard Split, Knock Off, Flail, Ancient Power, Rock Polish, Light Screen, Rock Slide, Reflect, Dazzling Gleam, Power Gem, Play Rough, Amnesia, Psych Up.
...
[ Individual Value (IVs) ]
HP: 31
Attack: 31
Defense: 31
Special Attack: 31
Special Defense: 31
Speed: 31
...
And so, Angie stared at the Umbreon, and the Umbreon stared back. The standoff lasted nearly ten minutes.
Eventually, the irresistible aroma of the jerky overwhelmed the Umbreon. It lowered its head to sniff the platter, then tentatively licked it.
The moment the Umbreon tasted the jerky, it felt as if all the food it had eaten before was garbage. It devoured the jerky in no time, leaving the platter spotless.
This is incredible! What is this?
"Umbreon~"
After finishing, the Umbreon called out to Angie.
Angie understood its meaning immediately—it wasn't satisfied yet! He took out another platter, which Espathra delivered to the Umbreon.
After consuming three platters of jerky in total, the Umbreon finally licked its lips in satisfaction.
"Umbreon~"
It sat elegantly on the ground, lifting its head in a proud manner. Its gaze toward Angie seemed to say: I am very pleased. What do you seek as a reward? Speak.
Angie thought for a moment before asking, "Umbreon, we're here to find a Metagross. Do you know where it is?"
"Umbreon~"
You've asked the right Pokémon!
The Umbreon stood up gracefully, walked past Angie and his companions, and headed outside. Angie quickly signaled Espathra to follow.
However, as they turned a corner, the group of Sneasel surrounded them once again.
Seeing this, the Umbreon's eyes narrowed sharply, and it let out a commanding roar, "Umbreon~!"
The Sneasel scattered instantly, fleeing in all directions as if they'd grow extra legs if they could.
"Umbreon, you're amazing!" Angie exclaimed in awe.
Of course!
The Umbreon raised its head even higher and continued walking with graceful, light steps.
Following the Umbreon through the cave, Angie and his companions passed through corridor after corridor, eventually leaving the area marked by the professors.
Along the way, they encountered other Pokémon, including Lycanroc, Weavile, Gabite, Dugtrio, and Zweilous. But the moment these Pokémon saw the Umbreon, they vanished without a trace.
Clearly, the Umbreon was a dominant presence in this cave, akin to a boss.
After an unknown amount of time walking, the Umbreon suddenly stopped in front of a cave entrance.
"Umbreon~"
It turned around and called out to Angie.
Angie asked, "Umbreon, are you saying the Metagross is inside here?"
"Umbreon~"
The Umbreon nodded.
Seeing this, Angie thanked the Umbreon. "Thank you for guiding me." He took out a bag of jerky, intending to give it to the Umbreon as a token of gratitude.
However, just then, the Umbreon suddenly crouched low, growling in a menacing tone.
"Rrrr... Rrrr..."
"What's wrong, Umbreon?" Angie asked.
Before he could finish his sentence, a Pokémon with four steel claws and a body entirely made of metal slowly floated out of the cave. Shadows from the cave cast over its body, adding to its intimidating presence.
It was the very Metagross Angie was looking for.
Upon seeing the Umbreon, the Metagross stopped in its tracks and growled threateningly.
"Metagross~"
Angie activated his Eye of Observation, but as expected, it couldn't display any data for a Pokémon that even Umbreon found threatening.
In a low voice, Angie asked the Komala in his arms, "Komala, can you handle this? If not, we should retreat now."
Komala answered by wriggling free from Angie's arms, jumping steadily onto the ground, and rolling directly to face the Metagross.
It seemed confident!
Seeing this, Angie asked the Umbreon, "Umbreon, can we leave this battle to Komala?"
The Umbreon glanced at Komala before silently stepping back.
Angie then turned to the Metagross and said, "Metagross, I wish to capture you. I hope you'll accept my challenge!"
"Metagross~"
The moment it heard this, flames ignited in Metagross's eyes. Angie knew it had accepted the challenge.
"In that case, let the battle begin!"
"Metagross~"
As soon as Angie finished speaking, the Metagross roared and launched the first attack. It used Agility, closing the distance to Komala in an instant and raising its fist to strike.
It was using the Fighting-type move Brick Break, which was super effective against the Normal-type Komala.
Komala, however, remained unfazed. It clutched its log and rolled slightly, narrowly avoiding Metagross's punch. Then, it raised its paw, which was now enveloped in dark, ghostly energy, and jabbed straight at Metagross.
Komala was using Shadow Claw, a Ghost-type move that was super effective against Metagross.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed as Metagross blocked Komala's attack with Meteor Mash.
What surprised Angie, though, was that in this direct clash, Metagross, a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, was at a disadvantage, being knocked back a considerable distance.
It seemed Komala was far more powerful than Angie had imagined!
Angie couldn't believe that the Pokémon he had picked up by chance was this strong. It was pure luck!
The air soon filled with the sound of rapid collisions, as Komala's Shadow Claw and Metagross's Meteor Mash clashed repeatedly, creating afterimages. Angie could almost see sparks flying in midair.
Boom!
After a loud explosion, both Pokémon were forced backward. Komala only retreated slightly, but Metagross crashed into the wall behind it, causing cracks to spread across the surface.
Seizing the moment, Komala yawned widely.
Metagross got back up, glowing with purple energy as it charged forward using Zen Headbutt.
Komala wasn't about to just stand there. It raised its log and slammed it into the ground. The earth trembled as a devastating shockwave erupted, striking Metagross. The steel Pokémon cried out as it was sent flying.
Komala had used Earthquake, a Ground-type move that was super effective against Metagross. Severely injured, Metagross wobbled as it tried to float back up, determined to continue the battle. However, the effect of Komala's earlier Yawn kicked in, and Metagross's eyes drooped shut as it fell into a deep sleep.
Komala rolled over to the sleeping Metagross, raised its log, and delivered a heavy Stomp directly to its forehead. The impact knocked Metagross out completely, leaving it unable to fight any longer.