Feng Che stood before the rack housing the Ekans. Most of them had already been snatched up, leaving only a few Poké Balls scattered sparsely across the shelves.
He examined them one by one and quickly realized why they had been passed over. They were either exceptionally ugly or looked far too aggressive; they were the dregs of the selection.
These starter Pokémon are just for the transition period anyway, Feng Che mused. The leftovers probably have terrible potential.
He wasn't even planning to waste the System's energy on scanning them. He decided he would just pick the meanest-looking one, confident he could break its spirit and train it.
But just as his hand reached out, he froze. A lazy, smug voice drifted into his mind.
[Ekans: Hehe, I'm so sharp. Good thing I camouflaged myself as a scrawny, half-dead reject.]
[Ekans: I'm certainly not telling anyone I can also transform into Golbat, Fearow, Weezing, or Machoke.]
[Ekans: I'm a genius. Ever since I started faking this sickly look, no Rocket member wants to touch me.]
[Ekans: I truly am the world's smartest Ditto!]
Feng Che scanned the area and realized the voice was coming from a Poké Ball tucked away in a shadowed corner he had initially missed.
[Ekans: Once I'm back at the ranch, I can go back to eating and drinking my fill. Why am I so clever?]
[Ekans: Just gotta blend into the Ekans pit. As long as I don't act too exceptional, I'm safe.]
[Ekans: Wait... someone's coming. Play dead, play dead!]
Feng Che picked up the ball and peered through the semi-transparent shell.
It was a masterpiece of deception. The creature inside looked like a gnarled, sickly mess. It was even flipped onto its back with its belly exposed, looking like it was seconds away from death.
If there were an Oscar for Pokémon, you'd win it hands down, Feng Che thought.
[Ekans: Stop looking at me! Just move on! Don't ruin my ride back to the ranch.]
[Ekans: I'm hungry. Don't stand between me and my dinner!]
Through the shell, Feng Che saw the "Ekans" crack an eyelid to peek at him. The moment it realized he was still staring, it immediately started foaming at the mouth and went limp.
Pokémon: Ditto (Ekans Disguise) Gender: Male Potential: Elite (Orange) / Excellence (Green) Ability: Intimidate Level: 10 Type: Poison Moves: Wrap, Poison Sting, Acid, Leer, Glare, Haze, Iron Tail Status: Playing dead (ing)
What's going on with the potential readout? Two different colors?Does that mean the Ekans form it's mimicking has Elite potential, while the Ditto itself is at the Excellence level?
Forget it, he decided. I'll figure it out once it drops the transformation. This is the one.
Feng Che gripped the ball tightly. A Ditto was essentially a pink, gelatinous blob with tiny dot-like eyes, capable of restructuring its cellular makeup to mimic any Pokémon. Some high-level specimens could even impersonate humans.
Dittos are rare, and wild ones even more so. This one probably escaped from one of Giovanni's labs and hid among the Ekans to survive. The fact that it can remember and shift into so many forms suggests incredible natural talent.
Usually, a Ditto needs to see its target to transform. Superior ones can shift based on memory, but even they usually have a "memory slot" limit of two or three forms before they start forgetting. This one seemed to be on another level.
"Alright, everyone has their Pokémon!"
A loud voice boomed through the megaphone. A man in his forties with a "thug-style" mohawk—shaved on the sides with a strip of hair down the middle—stood before them.
"For those of you just meeting me, I am Instructor Viper. I am in charge of training and evaluating Team Rocket's reserves. Whether you pass or fail is entirely up to me."
"Now, split into groups. If you chose an evolved Pokémon, move to my right. If you chose an unevolved Pokémon, move to my left. Form ranks quickly; our officers will be verifying your choices."
Feng Che moved to the left. As soon as he was in line, a grim-looking Rocket member approached to inspect his Poké Ball and record the data.
"What did that boy pick?" Viper called out, stopping one of the registrars.
"Reporting to Instructor Viper, he picked an Ekans. However..." The officer hesitated.
"Speak up. I won't bite." Viper was a terror during training, but surprisingly easy-going in person.
"I recognize that Ekans. It's the ugliest one in the batch. Every time we have a selection, it acts like it's dying. But the moment it gets back to the ranch, it's full of life and eats more than three other snakes combined."
"We've appraised it before; it actually has Elite potential, so it's a good specimen. But because it loves to play dead, it's been passed over for years. No one wants a partner that looks like it's about to croak."
The officer had worked at the ranch and knew the snake well. It was a legendary slacker—ecstatic when it was time to eat, but "fainting" the moment training began. It was a true eccentric among its kind.
"Every Pokémon has its own way of surviving," Viper chuckled. "Perhaps the others just didn't have the eye for it."
His voice dropped to a cold whisper. "As for the candidates who chose the evolved forms... Boss Giovanni said we have no use for them. Have the Psychics wipe their memories and demote them to menial labor. We actually need more hands at the ranch right now."
"Understood, Instructor Viper." The officer gave a sharp salute.
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