Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 326: Deoxys (Two-in-One)

At Indigo Plateau, the Deoxys Meteorite Research Institute.

A white-haired researcher in a lab coat shouted to the other researchers. They frantically typed at their keyboards. Rio noticed a screen in front of the elderly researcher displaying a percentage progress bar — it was at 90%. After the old man’s command, the laser intensity on the glowing meteorite inside the glass chamber increased, and the progress jumped from 90% to 92%. Then it rapidly ticked upward — 93, 94, 95, 96.

When it hit 99%, it seemed to hit a bottleneck. It stopped moving again. But from inside the glass chamber came cracking sounds — like glass splintering. When the entire meteorite was covered in cracks, the progress bar jumped from 99% to 100%.

A blinding white light burst from the meteorite — so bright that everyone in the room instinctively closed their eyes. Rio was no exception.

When the light faded, a two-legged Pokémon that looked like an alien, with a crystal on its chest, appeared before everyone in the lab. It floated inside the glass chamber.

"There’s actually a Pokémon inside!"

"What kind of Pokémon is this? I’ve never seen anything like it!"

"For a Pokémon like this that’s never been seen before, do we have naming rights?"

"Professor, what should we name it?"

The lab erupted in excitement as the researchers chattered. The elderly lead researcher was equally stunned, staring wide-eyed at the unknown Pokémon. But he was quick to react — he remembered that the Kanto region’s leader was standing right next to him. Naming rights should go to him.

"Quiet!" The old man silenced them. The lab fell quiet. He turned to Rio.

"Mr. Rio." He addressed Rio respectfully.

Rio immediately spoke five words: "Deoxys."

"Deoxys?" The old man was puzzled. "You’re saying this Pokémon is called Deoxys?"

"Yes, Deoxys." Rio nodded, his gaze fixed on Deoxys inside the glass chamber. Deoxys was looking back at him. They stared at each other through the glass.

[Pokémon: Deoxys]

[Level: 88 (14333 days until next level)

[Talent: Legendary]

[Friendship: 0]

[Ability 1: Pressure]

[Gender: —]

[Moves: Bind (135%), Leer (135%), Night Shade (135%), Teleport (135%), Knock Off (135%), Psyshock (135%), Psychic (135%), Gravity (135%), Skill Swap (135%), Zen Headbutt (135%), Cosmic Power (135%), Recover (135%), Psycho Boost (135%), Hyper Beam (140%)...]

[Description: A Pokémon born from a mutation when the DNA of a space virus was exposed to laser light. It possesses high intelligence, psychic power stronger than many legendary Pokémon, and can transform between four forms. ]

As expected of Deoxys — its level is the same as Mewtwo’s back then... Rio smiled as he read the information.

At that moment, the crystal on Deoxys’s chest flickered. Then its eyes and the edges of its body began to glow faintly.

CRASH!

The glass chamber shattered — suddenly, without warning. Glass fragments scattered like blossoming petals. Many researchers shielded their faces and backed away. Rio, who was closest, was protected by Charizard’s wings, which blocked the shards.

"Oh no! It’s escaping! Activate the emergency protocols!" The lead researcher, also shielded by Charizard, shouted urgently.

The researchers rushed to type commands into the lab’s control panel. But just as they were about to hit the keys, Deoxys’s gaze fell on one of them. The next second, that researcher was lifted into the air — thrown from the keyboard by a single psychic glance.

The elderly researcher could only turn to Rio with a desperate look — after all, this was their Kanto League Champion. When it came to Pokémon battles, no one dared claim first place above him.

Rio understood the old man’s look. He was about to throw a Poké Ball when Deoxys moved — it shot toward the exit. The iron door was twisted into a crumpled ball under its psychic power like paper.

"It’s escaping!" a researcher cried out.

"Don’t worry. Leave it to me." Rio calmed them down, jumped onto Charizard’s back, patted its shoulder, and Charizard took off in pursuit.

When they burst outside, Deoxys was floating high in the sky, rotating 360 degrees. The crystal on its chest flickered. Finally, it stopped, facing southwest.

Charizard began gathering Sacred Fire, ready to attack — but Rio patted its neck and stopped it. "Don’t attack."

"If I’m not mistaken, Deoxys is searching for its partner." Rio smiled, a plan forming in his mind — one that probably wouldn’t be good for Team Rocket.

As he thought this, Deoxys flew southwest. And if his memory served him correctly, League reports had shown Team Rocket activity in the Sevii Islands — which lay southwest of Indigo Plateau. Deoxys was heading straight for Team Rocket.

"Follow it. Don’t attack or disturb it." Rio patted Charizard’s back. Charizard roared and followed.

Rio pulled out his phone and called Serīna, telling her he was leaving Indigo Plateau for a while. Serīna was furious at first, thinking he was slacking off again — until Rio explained that the Pokémon from the meteorite had escaped. She calmed down a little. As long as he wasn’t deliberately shirking work, she could accept it. Otherwise, she’d be livid.

An hour later, Rio and Charizard arrived at Birth Island in the Sevii Islands.

Through his binoculars, Rio watched Deoxys hover above the island, scanning with its chest crystal. Then he saw the crystal align with a specific direction on the island. Its four tentacles gathered a pitch-black energy ball at its chest — similar to Mewtwo’s Psystrike, but it wasn’t Psystrike. It was Deoxys’s exclusive divine move: Psycho Boost.

The attack struck a large mountain on Birth Island, blasting a massive hole through it. Moments later, a swarm of Flying-type Pokémon emerged from the mountain, carrying Team Rocket members. They launched attacks at Deoxys.

But they were facing Deoxys. When the many Flying-type Pokémon attacked under Team Rocket’s orders, Deoxys simply switched forms — from its Normal Form to a noticeably bulkier Defense Form.

In Defense Form, Deoxys crossed its arms over its chest, and a white barrier enveloped it. All attacks were blocked.

After blocking the assault, Deoxys shifted again — from Defense Form to a slender, aggressive-looking Attack Form. It unleashed a wide-scale Psyshock. In that single attack, two-thirds of the Flying-type Pokémon surrounding it fell from the sky. Only the stronger ones barely held on.

Team Rocket was terrified. They frantically called for reinforcements from inside the mountain — but as soon as they sent the distress signal, they fell too. Deoxys’s second wave of Psyshock hit, and their Pokémon couldn’t hold on any longer.

"Just what kind of Pokémon is this?! Why is it attacking us?!" In the Team Rocket base beneath Birth Island, Apollo, one of the Four Generals, stared at Deoxys on the monitor in horror. "Find out if this is a rare Pokémon from another region!"

His subordinates frantically typed at their keyboards. Moments later, they had an answer: "General Apollo, the data shows it’s unknown. This is a Pokémon never registered in any region — likely a newly discovered rare species!"

"Newly discovered?" Apollo frowned. It was hard to understand why a Pokémon that had never appeared before would debut by attacking Team Rocket. It was unthinkable.

Then a leading scientist in the base spoke up: "No, something’s off. The readings show that this Pokémon’s electromagnetic wave signature is identical to the meteorite lifeform’s."

Apollo’s eyes widened. He understood immediately. "This is the Pokémon that hatched from the meteorite Boss Giovanni gave to that bastard Rio!"

"Exactly. That’s the only explanation for the matching signatures."

"But why would that Pokémon be here? Could Rio be nearby too?"

Apollo’s scalp tingled at the thought. "Damn it! Retreat! Move the meteorite out of here now!" He shouted in panic. He did not want to be taken to League prison for a third time — becoming the Team Rocket executive with the most captures by Rio, especially at the highest rank.

Just as he shouted, on the base’s monitors, Deoxys seemed to sense the hidden cameras. It locked onto them, and its chest crystal flickered. A second later, all screens went black.

A sense of dread descended on Apollo. "Close the main gate!" he yelled.

High above Birth Island, Charizard watched Deoxys enter the mountain and looked back at Rio. With years of tacit understanding, Rio understood the question: Should we follow?

"No need. We’ll wait here. It’ll come back out. I’ll send Gengar to scout." Rio threw the Luxury Ball containing Gengar.

"You sure know how to use Old Ghost. Whenever there’s sneaky work, it’s always Old Ghost you think of first." Gengar grumbled as it emerged.

"Because no one else can do it — you’re irreplaceable." Rio fired off a quick compliment. Gengar, who had been annoyed, brightened at being called irreplaceable.

"At least you can say something sensible. Old Ghost’s abilities are indeed irreplaceable." Gengar cackled as it flew toward Birth Island.

"Wait, take this." Rio tossed out a livestream camera — he now carried one in his bag at all times. Gengar caught it with psychic power and immediately understood. It turned the camera on and, carrying it like a cameraperson, followed Deoxys into Birth Island.

Through the livestream, Rio watched as one iron door after another was twisted into scrap by Deoxys’s powerful psychic force. Finally, Deoxys reached the heart of the Rocket base — the last door. This one seemed thicker and heavier than the others. Deoxys’s telekinesis alone couldn’t twist it, forcing it to use Psycho Boost, blasting a hole through it.

Inside, Team Rocket executives were preparing to escape through a side exit. Deoxys’s speed caught them off guard. Apollo, as one of the Four Generals and the base’s highest-ranking officer, was forced to stand his ground. He sent out his ace Pokémon — Houndoom and Magmar.

But they were nothing against Deoxys. Its tentacles struck with Knock Off at lightning speed, slamming Houndoom and Magmar into the wall before they could even attack.

"Houndoom! Magmar!" Apollo was horrified. He hadn’t expected a single move to take down both of his aces.

Deoxys, after knocking them away, locked onto the meteorite being transported by Rocket grunts. Its eyes flashed. The grunts were thrown aside, and Deoxys rushed to the meteorite.