The Trio And Claydol

The cries of the Sandshrew and Sandslash were sharp and incessant, instantly filling the previously quiet space of the tower with noise and chaos. Yuga's Sawsbuck was the fastest, and any Sandshrew or Sandslash that came close was kicked away with a single blow. Charizard unleashed a Dragon Pulse, sweeping through a large number of Sandshrew and Sandslash. None of those caught in the wave survived.

Brock's Onix, with its massive size, charged through the swarm of Sandshrew, scattering those that had approached them. The Sandshrew and Sandslash were sent flying in all directions.

Ash's Pikachu darted around nimbly on Onix's body, using Iron Tail to knock down any Sandshrew that had climbed onto Onix.

Interestingly, Pikachu didn't know how to use Iron Tail the first time it met Yuga, but now it had become proficient in the move.

Luvia's Starmie handled the Sandshrew and Sandslash with ease. A single Water Gun shot out and immediately cleared a large area of them.

May and Max, holding hands, were surrounded by Yuga and the others. Not a single Sandshrew or Sandslash could get close to them, but May was still drenched in cold sweat. This was her first time experiencing such an ordeal.

Ash, on the other hand, felt a mix of excitement and thrill. The scene reminded him of when he and Pikachu were first attacked by a swarm of Spearow right after leaving Pallet Town.

During that Spearow attack, he and Pikachu, who had just become partners, acknowledged each other for the first time. It was also because of that event that Ash met his future companion, Misty. (To quickly get the injured Pikachu to a Pokémon Center, Ash had "borrowed" Misty's bike, though they hadn't known each other at the time.)

Now, Ash and Pikachu's strength was on an entirely different level than back then.

Though the number of Sandshrew and Sandslash was large, their strength wasn't particularly high. Thanks to everyone's teamwork, they quickly dealt with the swarm.

Looking at the pile of unconscious Sandshrew and Sandslash on the ground, Brock let out a long sigh and said, "Something's not right! Even if we accidentally disturbed them, they shouldn't have attacked us like this, as if they were crazed."

Yuga glanced around and nodded in agreement, "Yes, something definitely feels off." Among the many Sandshrew and Sandslash lying on the ground, not a single one was particularly strong or noteworthy, so he wasn't interested in them. However...

Just then, a noise echoed from the darkness. Moments later, Yuga's Mimikyu appeared in everyone's view, dragging an unconscious Baltoy behind it.

Luvia and the others were unfamiliar with Yuga's Mimikyu, so they were startled by its sudden appearance. Ash, in particular, exclaimed, "What kind of Pokémon is that? Why does it look so much like my Pikachu?" Even Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, was curiously staring at the Mimikyu on the ground.

It's said that Mimikyu harbors an ancient grudge against Pikachu, and whenever they meet, a fierce battle is inevitable. However, Yuga's Mimikyu was actually a disguised Granbull, so it had no particular reaction upon seeing Ash's Pikachu.

"Don't worry," Yuga said, reassuring everyone, "This is my Mimikyu. The Baltoy it's dragging must be the culprit behind the Sandshrew and Sandslash going berserk."

In fact, right at the start of the battle, Mimikyu had quietly slipped into the darkness to investigate. For Ghost-type Pokémon, dark environments weren't an obstacle; rather, they allowed them to move even more freely.

As a Ghost-type Pokémon, Mimikyu was highly sensitive to the psychic powers of Psychic-type Pokémon. It easily located the Baltoy that had been controlling the Sandshrew and Sandslash.

...

[ Baltoy ]

Type: Ground, Psychic

Ability: Levitate

Potential: Yellow

Level: 48

Moves: Harden, Confusion, Rapid Spin, Heal Block, Psybeam, Cosmic Power, Trick Room, Extrasensory, Signal Beam.

Although Mimikyu was among the weakest of Yuga's team, dealing with this Baltoy, whose strength and abilities were mediocre, was no problem. Once it realized the Baltoy was behind the chaos, Mimikyu acted swiftly and subdued it.

After hearing Yuga's words, Luvia asked, "Why was it controlling the Sandshrew and Sandslash to attack us?"

Yuga shook his head, then said, "Let's ask it." He gave Mimikyu a glance, and Mimikyu used its tail to knock on Baltoy's smooth forehead. Baltoy screamed and woke up.

"That's amazing! I've never seen a Pokémon like that before!" Ash's attention was still fixed on Mimikyu.

Hearing Ash's comment, Yuga explained, "It's called Mimikyu, a Ghost and Fairy-type Pokémon. The rag it's wearing just resembles Pikachu, but they're not related at all."

"I see," Ash said, looking like he had learned something new.

Once Baltoy regained consciousness, it panicked when it saw so many people surrounding it.

After some questioning from Yuga, the group learned that Baltoy had attacked them for no particular reason other than that it believed, ever since it became aware, that everyone who entered the Phantom Tower must be killed.

Yuga then asked it more questions about the Mirage Tower, but unfortunately, Baltoy knew nothing. It didn't even know how or when it had arrived at the tower.

As for the bones scattered around, it had no clue either; in its memory, Yuga and the others were the only ones it had ever seen.

Despite having the courage to control so many Sandshrew and Sandslash to fight against Yuga and his team, when faced with them directly, Baltoy was actually extremely timid, trembling in fear at Yuga's every word.

With Baltoy leading the way, Yuga and the others found another entrance, leading downward to a long staircase.

"This is the entrance to the second level, right?" Yuga asked Baltoy.

Baltoy, shaking, nodded.

"You better not be lying! You're coming with us," Yuga warned.

Baltoy was quite small, so Yuga grabbed one of its arms and lifted it up effortlessly.

When Baltoy heard that Yuga intended to take it along, it started struggling violently: No, no! It's terrifying down there! I don't want to go!

Yuga ignored Baltoy's protests and had Mimikyu knock it a couple of times, which instantly made it behave.

The others, watching Yuga communicate so effortlessly with Baltoy, were full of envy: "How convenient!"

And so, the group set off toward the second level of the Mirage Tower.

Meanwhile, at the entrance at the top of the tower.

"Hey, Jessie, are we really going down there?" James asked nervously, staring at the dark and eerie entrance in front of them.

Jessie kicked James in the butt. "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course we're going in! Didn't you see those kids go down there? There must be treasure inside, there definitely is!" Jessie emphasized with absolute certainty.

It turned out that Team Rocket had been following Yuga and the others since they entered the desert. It must be said that those three guys' had pretty good stealth skills, as Yuga hadn't noticed them trailing behind.

After hearing Jessie's words, James frowned. "I know, but it looks really creepy in there. Besides, the kids have Mr. Shimizu with them; they'll definitely be fine."

James knew Yuga's strength well, and since his cousin worked under Yuga, he had a favorable opinion of him, even though they were technically on opposite sides.

James had been hiding his identity within Team Rocket for a long time without achieving much, but ever since he teamed up with Jessie and Meowth, life, while not always comfortable, had been fun.

"Shimizu, Shimizu—you keep talking about him. Is he really as great as you say?" Jessie said impatiently. "If you keep wasting time like this, the kids are going to grab all the treasure!"

At this moment, Meowth chimed in, "Jessie, I think James has a point. This place does feel kinda creepy, Meow."

Jessie grabbed Meowth by the head, lifted it up, and fiercely said, "Well, do you want treasure or not?"

Meowth immediately imagined sleeping on piles of gold coins, and suddenly, eyes filled with greed, replied, "I want it! I want lots and lots of gold!"

Jessie, full of confidence, declared, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" With that, she scooped up Meowth and started descending the stairs.

James shook his head and reluctantly followed after them.

Though Jessie had been full of confidence before entering, less than three minutes inside, the pitch-black surroundings had her feeling incredibly tense.

"Hey, Meowth, can't you make that thing in your hand a little brighter?" Jessie tightened her grip on Meowth, complaining that the flashlight it held wasn't bright enough.

"What are you talking about, Meow? This is already at its brightest!" Meowth felt like Jessie was about to squeeze the life out of it.

James, feeling a bit scared himself, chimed in, "Jessie, didn't you say you weren't afraid before we came in?"

Jessie snapped, "Are you kidding? I'm a delicate and beautiful lady! Isn't it normal for a lady to be afraid?"

A "delicate lady"... James and Meowth didn't know whether to laugh or comment on that.

"I don't care anymore! Seviper, come out and protect me!" Jessie tugged at her hair in frustration and released Seviper.

The moment Seviper appeared, it was startled by the dark surroundings and immediately clung to Jessie, trembling. Jessie, frustrated, smacked it on the head. "You coward! Do I, a frail woman, have to protect you?"

Seviper saw stars after being punched by the "frail" woman.

Jessie, James, and Meowth continued bickering as they descended. In truth, they were relatively safe, as they were walking the path that Yuga and his group had already cleared of dangers.

On the other side, Yuga and his team, having reached the second floor of the Mirage Tower, were once again surrounded by a group of Pokémon. This time, it was a group of Baltoy, a few Vibrava, and two Flygon.

Yuga remarked, "I didn't expect to find so many Baltoy and even some Flygon here."

The Baltoy that Yuga was carrying, instead of being happy to see its kind, shrank in fear against him, trembling visibly.

Unlike the pitch-black first floor, the second floor was brightly lit. As soon as they entered, the walls automatically lit up with oil lamps, illuminating the area as brightly as day. Yuga could clearly see the fear on Baltoy's face.

At first, Yuga didn't understand why Baltoy was so scared. But then, all of a sudden, the previously timid Baltoy went berserk and launched an attack on him.

It's being controlled by something!

In an instant, Yuga realized that Baltoy's abnormal behavior was due to some external manipulation.

Baltoy's attack marked the start of the battle, and the other Baltoy, Vibrava, and Flygon all unleashed a barrage of attacks toward Yuga and his team.

At that moment, the Baltoy by Yuga's side had already been knocked out cold by Mimikyu's Wood Hammer.

The Baltoy on the second floor were much stronger than the Sandshrew and Sandslash on the first floor. Even with Yuga's team's strength, they found themselves in a bit of a scramble, especially since most of the enemies were Ground-type Pokémon. Ash's Pikachu struggled immensely to keep up.

Yuga then released his Chimecho. "Chimecho, find out who's behind all this, controlling these Pokémon!"

"Chimecho, Chimecho!"

Got it.

With a clear response, Chimecho's psychic power spread rapidly. The immense psychic energy of a Champion-level Pokémon scanned every inch of the second floor.

The mastermind behind controlling the Baltoy seemed to be extremely cunning. Even with Chimecho's abilities, locating it immediately was no easy task.

The attacks from the Baltoy, Vibrava, and Flygon were fierce, especially the two Flygon, whose strength was formidable. If it weren't for Charizard and Sawsbuck holding them off, even Luvia would've had a hard time dealing with them.

Fortunately, Yuga had the foresight to place Gengar and Mismagius next to May and Max in advance. Without them, the Baltoy would have injured the pair long ago.

As Chimecho scanned the floor repeatedly with its psychic powers, the mastermind finally slipped, revealing a faint psychic fluctuation, which Chimecho quickly detected.

Under Chimecho's intervention, the hidden figure finally revealed itself—a Claydol, the evolved form of Baltoy.

...

[ Claydol (Body) ]

Type: Ground, Psychic

Ability: Levitate

Gender: None

Potential: None

Level: None

Moves: None

...

Seeing this, Yuga was dumbfounded. What's going on? No potential, level, or moves?

In the end, the system helped Yuga understand the situation.

This wasn't a living Claydol but the body of a Claydol that had died who knows how many years ago. It continued to move and control the Baltoy and Vibrava because it was now occupied by a strange energy.

Moreover, this force lacked any consciousness; it was like a pre-programmed directive, passively controlling the Pokémon residing in the Mirage Tower.

Because it lacked consciousness and life, that was why Chimecho took so long to find it.

When it's still alive this Claydol must have been extremely powerful. After its death, its vast psychic energy was sealed inside its body. Using this psychic power, it manipulated the Baltoy.

In essence, the Claydol before Yuga was like a machine following a set of commands. The only way to stop this machine was to destroy it.

After understanding Claydol's situation, Yuga directly ordered Chimecho to destroy it.

Since the Claydol lacked consciousness, it didn't possess any offensive capability. However, it seemed to have a pre-set defense command, because as soon as Chimecho prepared to attack, all the Pokémon that had been surrounding Luvia and Ash suddenly began retreating to defend Claydol.

In the blink of an eye, the Claydol was surrounded and protected by layers of Baltoy.