Chapter Sixty-Two: The Unknown Totem

Onix, a Pokémon with both Rock and Ground types, is extremely vulnerable to Water-type moves. Its evolved form, Steelix, replaces the Rock type with Steel, but retains the Ground type, so it's still weak against Water. However, the crystalline Onix before Zhao Fang seemed to lack any Ground-type traits at all, which made things tricky for him. He detested running into Pokémon whose types were a mystery.

“Gyarados! Use Splash to move quickly, then hit your enemy with a Twister!” Zhao Fang ordered, glancing from the crystalline Onix to the Pokédex in his hand that still hadn't finished identifying it. With no clear answers, he could only press on with commands.

Gyarados darted across the field with Splash, its roar echoing as a tornado swept toward the crystalline Onix. But the Onix showed no fear of the Twister, barreling straight through it with a Body Slam. Gyarados managed to dodge, and the Onix crashed into a stone pillar, shattering it to pieces.

Watching the column collapse with a thunderous crash, Zhao Fang swallowed hard. The strength of this crystalline Onix was staggering—if he could just catch it, wouldn't that be incredible?

But first, he had to defeat this troublesome opponent.

“Gyarados, use Splash to close in, then Iron Head!” Clenching his fist, Zhao Fang wanted to see if a Steel-type move would have any effect.

Gyarados perked up at the command, slapping the ground rapidly as its head gleamed with a metallic sheen. It lunged at the crystalline Onix, which countered with another Body Slam. The two massive Pokémon collided head-to-head, and Zhao Fang distinctly heard the clang of metal upon metal.

“Steel type?” Zhao Fang felt a headache coming on. He had no good way to handle Steel-types at the moment. They were weak to Fire, Ground, and Fighting moves, but none of his Pokémon currently knew those techniques.

As Zhao Fang racked his brain for a way to overcome the crystalline Onix, he saw its jaws part, a blue-white orb of energy gathering within. Startled, he shouted out.

“Dodge, now!” At his urgent cry, Gyarados whipped its tail and narrowly slid aside, just avoiding the beam of freezing energy. The pillar beside it was instantly sheathed in frost. A strange suspicion flickered through Zhao Fang’s mind.

Could this crystalline Onix be an Ice and Steel type?

He had never heard of such a type combination, and the unresponsive Pokédex offered him no confirmation.

“Gyarados, keep moving... then use Crunch!” It was the only option left. Dark-type moves wouldn’t be super effective, but at least they wouldn’t be totally resisted.

Gyarados let out a bellow and lunged, black energy swirling in its jaws as it bit down on the crystalline Onix’s head. Zhao Fang noticed, with keen eyes, that tiny cracks began to spiderweb across the Onix’s head—so the attack worked.

But the crystalline Onix wasn’t going down easily. It retaliated with Rock Slide, making Gyarados roar in pain.

“Gyarados! Keep moving, then strike with Crunch and retreat immediately after!” Zhao Fang commanded again. He had tried just now to release Dragapult to help, but some strange force in the space sealed his Pokéballs, leaving him with only Gyarados to battle.

He gave up on the idea of a team assault. All he could do was hope Gyarados would prevail.

Obeying his orders, Gyarados darted about, dodging the Onix’s attacks and seizing every opening to bite and then slip away.

The results were clear. The cracks on the crystalline Onix’s body deepened and widened, now plainly visible.

But Zhao Fang’s brow furrowed as he saw Gyarados panting heavily after a short while. As effective as the hit-and-run tactic was, it drained Gyarados’s stamina at an alarming rate. Sooner or later, it would be unable to dodge.

A sudden “ding” caught Zhao Fang off guard. Did he get a system, too?

But then he realized—it was the Pokédex finishing its analysis. Frantically, he checked the screen.

“Unown Totem, the Symbol Pokémon. Its body resembles ancient script...” Zhao Fang was stunned. He had just scanned the crystalline Onix, so why did the Pokédex display Unown Totem instead?

He looked around the field. Gyarados was still lunging and striking at the crystalline Onix, dazzling crystals and pillars all around, not a trace of Unown in sight. He bent down, feeling the ground—just earth and stone.

Staring at the Pokédex, three possibilities ran through his mind: first, the Pokédex was malfunctioning; second, it had somehow scanned an Unown by accident; third, perhaps...

“Gyarados! Fly to the edge of the field and use Water Pulse on the wall!” Zhao Fang ordered.

Without hesitation, Gyarados slipped between the pillars and fired a Water Pulse at the ancient wall.

Zhao Fang watched intently. Sure enough, ripples spread across the wall as if a stone had been tossed into a tranquil pond.

He smiled—his guess was correct.

“Gyarados, Crunch that wall!” At his command, Gyarados lunged, biting the wall. Ripples shimmered across it, and Gyarados’s jaws seemed to clamp down on something as elastic as invisible rubber, Dark-type energy swirling but unable to pierce through.

“Roar!” As Zhao Fang anxiously watched, the crystalline Onix let out a furious bellow—and Zhao Fang’s eyes widened in shock.

“You’ve got to be kidding me—are you serious?!” he cried, as the crystalline Onix underwent evolution right before him, transforming into a Steelix.

But it wasn’t over. Just as Zhao Fang was about to order Gyarados to go all out, the crystalline Steelix evolved yet again. But Steelix was already the final form of Onix, so this dazzling evolution light could only mean...

“Are you kidding me?! MEGA Evolution?!”