Chapter 99: Supercomputer

Professor Turo looked at Andrew and said, "If we go with this plan, Andrew, you'll need to capture a Pokémon to help us upgrade your Robert No. 1."

Andrew, puzzled, asked, "What kind of Pokémon do I need to capture?"

Professor Sada thought for a moment and replied, "A Metagross! Metagross would be ideal."

Metagross possesses four interconnected brains, forming a complex neural network. It's even more intelligent than a supercomputer. When all four brains operate simultaneously, it can perform any complex calculation in an instant.

It would be perfect for handling the artificial intelligence system of the robot.

"Metagross? But Metagross is a very rare Pokémon, isn't it? Does one exist in Area Zero?" Andrew asked, as he hadn't seen any sign of Metagross while in Area Zero.

"Yes!" Professor Sada affirmed. "Although they're rare, there are indeed Metagross in Area Zero."

Professor Turo nodded. "Sada and I encountered one during our exploration, though we're not sure if it's still there now."

Andrew's eyes lit up, "Please tell me where it is, and I'll go try to capture it!"

Professor Sada cautioned, "That Metagross is quite powerful. When we encountered it, we avoided it from a distance. We didn't dare face it directly!"

Andrew thought for a moment before making up his mind, "Please tell me where it was. I'll check it out, and if it's too much to handle, I'll retreat immediately."

"Alright." Professor Sada sighed. "Take out the Pokémon distribution map I gave you earlier."

"Here it is." Andrew nodded, pulling out the map and handing it over.

Professor Sada took the map, drew a circle on it with a pen from her lab coat, and said, "We found the Metagross here, but it was over a year ago. I'm not sure if it's still there."

Andrew looked at the map and saw the location was marked deep within a lower level's cave system.

Professor Turo added, "After lunch, hand over your robot to us. We'll start the modifications so that when you return with the Metagross, we can finish everything."

Andrew agreed, "Alright. Thank you, Professor."

Professor Sada waved it off, "It's no trouble; we've got the time."

After lunch, Andrew had Diancie bring over Robert No. 1, which he then handed to the two professors.

After sending Diancie home, Andrew turned to Arven. "Arven, I'm going to capture Metagross this afternoon. Your parents say it's very strong, and it could be dangerous, so I think you should stay here at the Research Station."

Arven understood the situation. Although a little disappointed, he nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."

Sensing Arven's disappointment, Maschiff gently licked his palm to comfort him.

Andrew patted Arven's head and reassured him, "I'll make something delicious for dinner tonight—something you've never had before."

Arven perked up immediately. "Deal!"

Upon hearing the word "delicious," Pawmi got excited and ran over to Andrew, wrapping his arms around Andrew's right leg and looking up expectantly.

After bidding Arven farewell, Andrew, holding Pawmi and Komala, prepared to mount Espathra's back. Just then, the two Oinkologne hurried over. Andrew thought for a moment and then said to them:

"Oinkologne, could you stay and keep Arven company?"

The two Oinkologne drooped their ears, disappointed.

Seeing this, Andrew took out a bag of jerky and offered it to them. "Here, take these to pass the time."

"Oink~"

"Oink~"

The two Oinkologne, cheered by the sight of the treats, immediately agreed.

The male Oinkologne took the bag from Andrew and, with his partner, trotted off to join Arven.

Once Andrew saw that the Oinkologne were keeping Arven company, he climbed onto Espathra's back with Pawmi and Komala.

"Espath~~"

With a cry, Espathra sprinted forward on its long legs. It was fast, and before long, they reached the lower levels, arriving at the entrance to a cave.

According to the map, Metagross was said to reside deep within this cave.

Andrew stared at the cave entrance for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's head in."

I hope everything goes smoothly.

"Espath~~"

"Paw~"

Both Espathra and Pawmi responded simultaneously.

At this moment, Komala was being held in Andrew's arms, while Pawmi was nestled in the hood on Andrew's back. It was curled up into a small ball, with only its head peeking out.

As soon as Andrew and his group entered the cave, they encountered a Midnight Form Lycanroc at a corner. Its eyes were glowing red, and it looked extremely hostile.

Andrew whispered to Espathra, "Avoid it, don't let it see us."

Espathra nodded and, with a quick step, crossed a stone wall, moving out of the Lycanroc's sight.

However, not long after they distanced themselves from the Lycanroc, they came across a group of Sneasels gathered in another corner, chattering away, seemingly plotting something.

Andrew wanted to avoid the Sneasels just as they had avoided the Lycanroc, but before he could instruct Espathra, a Sneasel had already noticed them.

The Sneasels bared their sharp claws and began approaching Andrew and his group, sinister smiles spreading across their faces.

Hearing the commotion, Pawmi, who was nestled in Andrew's hood, climbed onto his shoulder to investigate. When it locked eyes with the Sneasel's menacing gazes, it shuddered involuntarily.

"Run!" Andrew whispered urgently into Espathra's ear.

Espathra, not eager to face off against a group of Sneasel, quickly turned and darted down another passageway.

The Sneasels, seeing their "prey" flee, immediately charged after them. Sneasels were quick and agile, able to run along the walls, and they worked well together, adept at cornering their targets. Most prey would have a hard time escaping their coordinated attacks.

However, the Sneasels were no match for Espathra's speed and were quickly left far behind.

Before long, Andrew and his team found themselves in a dimly lit section of the cave. As Andrew reached for his phone to illuminate the area, a golden-yellow ring of light appeared in the darkness ahead.

As the light brightened the cave, a fox-like Pokémon stepped out with graceful strides. Its eyes were sharp, its demeanor regal, and it exuded an aura of charm.

"Umbreon~"

It was an Umbreon!

Unlike the Sneasels, the Umbreon didn't rush to attack Andrew and his group. Instead, it watched them cautiously, its gaze filled with suspicion.

Andrew quickly explained, "We mean no harm, we're just passing through."

The Umbreon didn't move, its crimson eyes staring unblinkingly at Andrew, creating a tense atmosphere.

Andrew pulled out a plate of jerky, signaling to Espathra with a glance. Espathra understood immediately and used its psychic abilities to place the jerky in front of the Umbreon.

"This is for you, it's really good. You can try it," Andrew said.

The Umbreon glanced at the plate, its nose twitching slightly as the strong, savory aroma wafted toward it. But it didn't immediately eat the food, continuing to fix its unblinking gaze on Andrew.

Andrew tried to use his "Observation Eye" to check the Umbreon's stats, but the ability didn't respond. This meant that the Umbreon's level exceeded that of Diancie.

Since Andrew got it to wear an Experience Amulet, Diancie's level wasn't low at this point.

Diancie:

[Type]Rock, Fairy

[Ability]Clear Body

[Gender]None

[Level]63

[Moves]Tackle, Harden, Diamond Storm, Guard Split, Knock Off, Outrage, Ancient Power, Rock Polish, Light Screen, Rock Slide, Reflect, Dazzling Gleam, Power Gem, Play Rough, Amnesia, Psych Up.

[Individual Values]

HP: 31

Attack: 31

Defense: 31

Special Attack: 31

Special Defense: 31

Speed: 31

Andrew and the Umbreon stared at each other for nearly ten minutes.

Eventually, the tantalizing scent of the jerky proved too tempting for the Umbreon. It lowered its head to sniff the plate and then tentatively licked the jerky.

The moment it tasted the jerky, the Umbreon immediately realized that everything it had eaten before was garbage. In a few quick bites, it devoured the jerky completely.

So delicious! What is this?

"Umbreon~"

After finishing, it called out to Andrew again.

Andrew understood—it hadn't had enough! So, he pulled out another plate and had Espathra float it over to the Umbreon.

After eating three plates of jerky, the Umbreon finally looked satisfied, licking its lips contentedly.

"Umbreon~"

It sat proudly, raising its head and casting a sidelong glance at Andrew, as if saying, "I'm pleased with this offering. What do you want as a reward?"

Andrew thought for a moment and asked, "Umbreon, we're looking for a Metagross. Do you know where we can find one?"

"Umbreon~"

You've come to the right Pokémon! The Umbreon slowly got up and walked past Andrew and his group, heading towards the cave's exit. Andrew quickly signaled Espathra to follow.

But just as they reached the corner, the group of Sneasel surrounded them again.

Seeing this, the Umbreon's eyes narrowed, and it let out a loud roar: "Umbreon~"

The Sneasels scattered the moment they saw Umbreon, fleeing in all directions as if they wished they had grown extra legs to run faster.

"Umbreon, you're amazing!" Andrew marveled in awe.

Naturally!

Umbreon lifted its head higher, gracefully striding forward with elegant, light steps.

Trailing behind Umbreon, Andrew and the group moved through tunnel after tunnel, long having left the area marked out by the professor.

Along the way, they encountered Pokémon like Midnight Form Lycanroc, Weavile, Gabite, Dugtrio, and Zweilous, but each one bolted as soon as they caught sight of Umbreon, disappearing without a trace.

It was clear that Umbreon held a powerful presence in this cave.

After a while, Umbreon suddenly stopped at the entrance of a cave.

"Umbreon~"

It turned and called out to Andrew.

Andrew asked, "Umbreon, are you saying Metagross is inside?"

"Umbreon~"

Umbreon nodded in confirmation.

Seeing this, Andrew thanked Umbreon, "Thank you for leading the way." He pulled out a bag of dried meat, planning to offer it to Umbreon as a reward.

But before he could give it, Umbreon suddenly crouched down, growling with a warning in its voice.

"Rrrrr~~"

"What's wrong, Umbreon?"

No sooner had Andrew spoken than a Pokémon with four steel claws, its entire body forged from steel, slowly floated out of the cave. The shadows cast across it gave it an even more oppressive air.

It was the very Metagross Andrew had been searching for.

When Metagross saw Umbreon, it came to an immediate halt, growling in a threatening tone.

"Metā~"

Andrew activated his Observation Eye, but just as he expected, a Pokémon that could make Umbreon feel threatened was beyond his ability to analyze.

Softly, Andrew whispered to the Komala in his arms, "Komala, do you think you can handle it? If not, we can make a run for it."

Komala responded by wriggling out of his hold and landing steadily on the ground, then rolling over to face Metagross head-on.

It seemed confident!

Seeing this, Andrew turned to Umbreon. "Umbreon, would you mind letting Komala handle this battle?"

Umbreon glanced at Komala, then quietly stepped back, yielding the stage.

Andrew then addressed Metagross, "Metagross, I want to capture you. I hope you'll accept my challenge!"

"Metā~"

At those words, Metagross's eyes flashed, and flames seemed to burn in its gaze. Andrew knew that meant it accepted the challenge.

"In that case, let the battle begin!"

"Metā~~"

At Andrew's command, Metagross let out a furious roar and charged in for the first strike, using Agility to zip next to Komala in an instant, swinging a powerful fist down toward it.

It was using the Fighting-type move Brick Break, which was strong against Komala's Normal type.

Komala, however, remained composed under pressure. It hugged its tree log, rolling just enough to dodge the punch. Then, without missing a beat, it raised its paw, dark claws extending as it slashed straight toward Metagross.

Komala was using Shadow Claw, a Ghost-type move that was super effective against Metagross.

Clang! The sound of metal striking echoed as Metagross blocked the attack with Meteor Mash.

What surprised Andrew was that despite the clash, the pseudo-legendary Metagross was actually driven back, retreating a considerable distance.

It seemed Komala was far stronger than he had initially imagined!

Andrew hadn't expected that the Pokémon he had stumbled upon would turn out to be this powerful—it felt like he had hit the jackpot.

The sound of metal clashing continued as Komala's Shadow Claw and Metagross's Meteor Mash blurred into afterimages. Sparks flew, as if lightning crackled in the air between them.

Boom!

A loud explosion followed, sending both Pokémon reeling back. Komala only took a few steps back, but Metagross slammed into the wall behind it, cracks spreading across the surface.

Seizing the opportunity, Komala let out a yawn.

Metagross regained its composure and used Zen Headbutt, glowing with a powerful purple light as it charged toward Komala.

But Komala wasn't about to just take the hit. It slammed its tree log into the ground, causing the earth to ripple with a violent shockwave. The force of the Earthquake smashed into Metagross, sending it flying with a cry of pain.

Earthquake, a Ground-type move, was super effective against Metagross, leaving it severely wounded. Even as it wobbled back into the air, clearly still determined to fight, Komala's earlier Yawn took effect, and Metagross's eyes closed as it drifted into sleep.

Komala rolled right up to Metagross, lifted its tree log, and with a heavy thud, slammed it down on Metagross's forehead. The Metagross was knocked out cold, completely unable to continue the battle.

(End of Chapter)