Cramorant: Another one trying to pass the trial?Cramorant: They actually made it to me. Should I let them through easily?Cramorant: The ruins are on the verge of collapsing. If I let them pass, they'll consume the remaining energy faster. Then, I'll finally be free from this place and can enjoy the liberty of the Island of Flight.Cramorant: But I can't just throw the fight. I can't let humans think I'm a pushover.
Thinking this, the giant Cramorant unhinged its massive beak and let out a piercing, shrill cry. Hearing the command, the surrounding Cramorant dived into the water, resurfacing with Arrokuda clamped in their mouths. They tilted their heads back, and the fish were launched like organic harpoons.
Feng Che knew this was the final gate. "Corviknight, use Hurricane at maximum power!"
Corviknight beat its wings with rhythmic violence, conjuring a massive vortex over ten meters high. The spinning gale vacuumed up the incoming Arrokuda. As the giant Cramorant turned to flee the updraft, the suction caught it, dragging the bird into the eye of the storm.
A few blue feathers drifted down. Spinning dizzyingly inside the vortex, the giant Cramorant realized it had overthought things—it never even had the chance to go easy; it was being utterly overwhelmed.
"Corviknight, Air Slash!"
Two massive spheres of compressed air formed under Corviknight's wings, resembling Greninja's Water Shuriken. They slammed into the heart of the hurricane and detonated. Water and wind exploded outward, and dozens of Cramorant and Arrokuda rained down, floating belly-up in the river.
"Go, Poké Balls!"
Feng Che used his telekinesis to flick balls at the high-potential specimens. Once captured, Corviknight landed on the far bank. The scenery blurred and shifted—they had finally reached the Trial Grounds.
The trial area was roughly the size of a basketball court. Feng Che saw Zinnia and Winona waving from the sidelines.
"You took your time," Winona complained. "We've been waiting."
"The river was thick with Sharpedo and Barraskewda. It took a moment to clear the path," Steven explained.
"Fine. Let's begin," Winona said. "The first trial is the Identification of Antiquities. Steven, this is your specialty. We have to distinguish the authentic from the fake."
A stone platform rose from the floor. Four exquisite artifacts appeared under beams of light:
A gilded totemic mask.
A star-shaped jar.
An intricately patterned shell.
A pearl the size of a fist.
A golden hourglass appeared, the sand slipping through rapidly. A voice echoed in their minds: Identify which Pokémon species these artifacts originated from.
"This is quite the challenge," Steven said, pulling out a magnifying glass. He studied the textures, looking for biological markers. Ancient people often crafted goods from Blastoise shells, Cloyster carapaces, or Clamperl pearls, but one had to account for ancient sub-species.
Steven spoke with calm confidence: "The gilded mask comes from Runerigus. The star-shaped jar is crafted from Staryu. The patterned shell belongs to a Shellder, and the pearl is from a Clamperl."
The artifacts vanished instantly, replaced by four bizarre berries.
"This one's yours, Feng Che," Steven chuckled. "I don't study botany."
Feng Che glanced at them. "Pomeg, Kebia, Kasib, and Shuca." (Note: In the context of the story, these are identified as unique ancient variants: Popo, Current, Mist, and Vortex Berries).
The berries vanished. The rounds continued until the final test: identifying Dragon Fangs. Four fossilized teeth appeared. For a Dragon Master like Zinnia, this was child's play. She identified the species effortlessly.
The scenery shifted again. They were now on a larger platform covered in rare herbs and berries.
"The second trial: Synthesize a Flying-Type Potential Advancement Potion," Winona said, her tone grave. "It must be at least 'Excellence' grade. The higher the quality, the better our final reward. We have three attempts. Feng Che, you're the supposed apothecary master—you take the lead."
Winona was skeptical. She found it hard to believe a teenager could truly be a Master-rank alchemist.
"Understood."
Feng Che swept his hand across the ingredients. Using his Power of Viridian, he sensed the medicinal potency of the thousand-year-old herbs. He selected the Mist Berries, which were notoriously difficult to process. Their skin was so thin that a single puncture would release a foul-smelling smoke, ruining the batch.
Drawing on his experience, Feng Che delicately peeled the fruit, revealing the ink-black flesh within.
He peeled a Mist Berry that easily? Winona's eyes widened. Maybe he does have some skill.
Feng Che then used his psychic power to crush and refine the essences. Without the need for complex lab equipment, his telekinesis filtered the impurities with surgical precision. The process was a blur of motion. In under three hours, four vials of shimmering cyan liquid sat on the pedestal.
"Epic-grade Flying Advancement Potion," Feng Che announced, floating three of them to his companions.
Before Winona could even voice her shock, the room dissolved. The ruins had accepted the offering.
They appeared in a massive combat arena.
"The final stage," Winona said. "Defeat the guardian summoned by the ruins to claim the treasure. Once the guardian falls, you'll be teleported out. We'll regroup outside."
Winona stepped forward first. A stone statue of a giant Sigilyph shook off its dust and took flight. She released her Altaria, and after an hour of intense aerial maneuvering, she secured a victory with a point-blank Draco Meteor.
As the Sigilyph fell, four pillars of light descended from the ceiling, carrying the ancient rewards.
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