Chapter 152: Excadrill Arrives!
With its eyes closed and the Feathersteel Alloy Sphere in its mouth, Drilbur quickly entered a state of deep meditation. Immersed in the rich Steel-type energy, it was like a fish returned to the sea. Every pore on its body opened, frantically absorbing the power, preparing for the imminent evolution. At the same time, with its feet planted firmly on the ground, the flow of Ground-type energy continued unabated.
The two streams of energy, Ground and Steel, surged into its body like untamed wild horses, stimulating its cells, awakening its potential, and activating its Life Energy. This was the charging phase; the critical moment had not yet arrived.
Basalt stood guard in the cave, holding the light source in complete silence, terrified of disturbing Drilbur. As time ticked by, the aura around Drilbur grew stronger and stronger. Occasionally, excess energy would leak out, stirring the still air in the cave.
Five hours later, its aura reached its peak. As if on cue, a brilliant white light of evolution descended upon Drilbur.
"It's finally happening!"
The light of evolution was far brighter than the lamp he was holding. Basalt, who had been on the verge of dozing off, was instantly wide awake, his face beaming with joy.
At the same time, the Steel-type energy seeping from the cave walls and the Ground-type energy rising from the earth began to pour into Drilbur's body at an even more ferocious rate, fueling its transformation. The Feathersteel Alloy Sphere in its mouth slowly dissolved in the brilliant light, turning into a liquid metal that flowed through its system.
"Chaaarli!" Drilbur let out an excited cry as its form began to change within the light.
First, it grew rapidly in size, shooting from less than half a meter to over a meter tall in the blink of an eye. Its body became much more robust and powerful, radiating a sense of explosive strength.
Next, sharp protrusions grew from its claws, their color changing from bone-white to the gleaming, hard-steel gray of metal.
Finally, a horn resembling a third claw sprouted from its forehead, like a metal crown.
"Excaaaadrill!"
With a deep, powerful cry, the light of evolution faded, revealing Drilbur's new form: Excadrill.
Compared to Drilbur, Excadrill had a much more formidable physique. Its body was a dark brown, with a white face and two red stripes on its cheeks. Its nose remained a light pink. Its forehead and claws were now adorned with razor-sharp, steel-hard blades. Red, shuttle-shaped markings decorated its belly, cheeks, arms, and knees.
"Excadrill!" Basalt stared, his eyes wide with excitement as he took in his completely transformed partner.
"Excaaa!"
Excadrill—it was no longer Drilbur—was just as surprised, curiously examining its own body, especially its new claws and head-blade.
Clang! Clang!
It flexed its new metal claws, then tapped them against the horn on its head, producing a crisp, metallic sound.
"Excadrill, how do you feel?" Basalt asked with a smile, completely understanding its excitement. He remembered the same mix of exhilaration and disbelief he'd felt when he first woke up in this world.
"Excaaa!" Excadrill raised its claws and walked over to Basalt. Then, without using a move, it swiped at the cave wall.
CRACK!
The hard, metal-like rock of the cave wall was gouged with a deep scratch, as if it were made of paper.
"That attack power is insane!" Basalt gasped. But then he remembered the Pokédex entry for Excadrill and calmed down. Excadrill could combine the blades on its claws and head to form a massive drill, allowing it to tunnel with incredible skill. It was also capable of focusing all its power into that drill-like form to unleash attacks powerful enough to pierce through thick steel plates.
And that was just an ordinary Excadrill. His was a super-elite, raised with the combined resources of himself and the Weather Bureau. Tearing through a steel-hard wall with a casual swipe was, in retrospect, perfectly reasonable.
And thanks to the Feathersteel, the metal on its claws and head was incredibly light. Excadrill felt unusually agile and comfortable, as if it could run a marathon right then and there.
"Easy, easy. We'll go find Mason for a practice match later. But for now, let's see what new moves you've learned," Basalt said, patting Excadrill's head to calm it down before scanning it with his Pokédex.
Excadrill
Type: Steel / Ground
Ability: Sand Rush
Moves: Rapid Spin, Mud-Slap, Sand Tomb, Rock Tomb, Dig, Screech, Drill Run, Bulldoze, Smack Down, Crush Claw, Sandstorm, Metal Claw, Rock Slide, Double Team, Iron Defense, Hone Claws, Iron Head, Earthquake, Stomping Tantrum, Wide Guard, Brick Break.
Twenty moves were neatly listed, a testament to Excadrill's newfound power.
"Five new moves?" Basalt's eyebrows shot up in delight.
Iron Head: A Steel-type move. The user slams the target with its steel-hard head. May cause flinching.
Earthquake: A Ground-type move. The user sets off a tremor that strikes every Pokémon around it.
Stomping Tantrum: A Ground-type move. The user unleashes its rage by stomping the ground. If the user's last move failed, the power of this move is doubled.
Wide Guard: A Rock-type move. The user protects itself and its allies from wide-ranging attacks for one turn.
Brick Break: A Fighting-type move. The user attacks with a swift chop. It can also break barriers such as Light Screen and Reflect.
The first three were expected. They were all native-type moves for Excadrill, and not particularly difficult to learn. Earthquake and Stomping Tantrum were essentially advanced versions of Bulldoze. Iron Head was a natural fit for the blade on its head.
But the last two were a complete surprise. Brick Break was a Fighting-type move, and a powerful one at that. The coverage that Fighting-type moves provided was legendary. And combined with Excadrill's terrifying attack power, it would be devastating.
Wide Guard was a defensive masterpiece, a god-tier move. While Protect and Detect only defended the user, Wide Guard protected the entire team. It was insanely good. But then Basalt remembered that Excadrill had once consumed a Smooth Rock Crystal. Learning a Rock-type move made sense.
What Basalt really wanted to know now was how powerful Excadrill's Sandstorm was. With its physical stats multiplied several times over, its capacity for energy had also expanded, meaning all of its moves would be stronger. He couldn't wait to see it in action.
RUMBLE!
Just as Basalt was celebrating, the cave suddenly shook violently. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling. Excadrill quickly shielded Basalt, protecting him from the falling debris.
"What's going on?" Basalt stared, confused. Was that an earthquake?
"You in the cave! Get out here now!" a voice with a thick, foreign accent echoed into the cave. It sounded familiar.
"It's that kid from the Jinsei Corporation!" Basalt realized. He didn't know why the kid was suddenly acting so tough, but for his own safety, he and Excadrill rushed out of the cave.
Outside, Jin-woo Cho stood with an arrogant look on his face, about to order a massive steel serpent to attack the cave again. But when he saw Basalt and Excadrill emerge, he hesitated. He could sense a dangerous aura coming from the newly evolved Pokémon.
"A Steelix," Basalt recognized the Pokémon, the evolved form of Onix. But he had no time to deal with Jin-woo Cho. He looked around and saw Agent Zhou, Colonel Tiger, and Master Martel. Seeing the Master, he felt a wave of relief. With a powerhouse like him here, everything will be fine.
But he quickly realized something was wrong. The group of people confronting Master Martel and the others seemed just as powerful, if not more so. Both sides had their Pokémon out, dozens of them in a tense standoff.
But the most eye-catching Pokémon wasn't Master Martel's Bisharp. It was a giant, mechanical lifeform. Its body was a blue-green, saucer-like disk, with four thick legs extending from its sides. It had two red eyes set below a silver, X-shaped cross on its face, and a large mouth filled with teeth on its underside.
"A Metagross," Basalt gasped. It was the first time he had ever seen a fully evolved pseudo-legendary up close. Even from a distance, he could feel an overwhelming, mountain-like pressure emanating from it, making it hard to breathe. The power of a pseudo-legendary was truly terrifying.
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