Chapter Sixty-One: The Fifth Floor of the Tower and a Formidable Foe

Most of the Pokémon in the Phantom Tower are usually ground-type creatures like Sandslash and Trapinch, but when Zhao Fang arrived at this volcanic ash-filled Phantom Tower, he discovered that the Pokémon here were mainly fire and ground types. As soon as Zhao Fang entered, he spotted two Slugma nestled together.

He watched them, thinking this must be how wild Pokémon lay eggs. Zhao Fang had never really understood why Pokémon of different species could hatch eggs, nor the exact process—these mysteries always puzzled him. After watching some Pokémon breeding shows, he realized that when two Pokémon were in love, an expert would appear to explain the process in great detail, and then suddenly an egg would emerge, with everything in between conveniently skipped.

Zhao Fang could only classify Pokémon egg-laying as one of nature's miracles.

Seeing that the Slugma paid him no attention, Zhao Fang decisively skirted around them. He pulled out the insect repellent spray he’d bought, applying it to himself. The spray lasted for a while, though it couldn’t guarantee avoidance of every Pokémon. Even so, it saved Zhao Fang a lot of trouble.

He then headed for the tower’s staircase. From the outside, the number of floors was indiscernible. Dujuan had once said the tower had six levels. Zhao Fang encountered no difficulty on the first floor, climbing it with ease; the second and third floors were much the same. Not until the fourth floor did Zhao Fang face a real challenge.

"Onix..." Zhao Fang muttered as he gazed at the enormous creature coiled in the center of the tower, swallowing nervously.

Dujuan’s father owned an Onix, but this one seemed even larger. Most crucially, Zhao Fang noticed its eyes were fixed intently on him, prompting him to hold a Poké Ball in his hand. If this Onix attacked, he would have to retaliate.

Zhao Fang watched the Onix warily, moving slowly along the corridor. No matter where he went, its gaze followed him, making Zhao Fang feel immense pressure. What struck him as odd was that, aside from this Onix, there were no other Pokémon on the fourth floor.

Just as Zhao Fang wondered about this, three more rocky heads suddenly appeared beside Onix—four Onix altogether, all staring at him.

"Is this an Onix party?" Zhao Fang thought, conflicted. If it was just one Onix, he might stand a chance in a fight, but four? Unless they fought him one at a time, passing through them would be no easy task.

Zhao Fang resolved that once he left the tower, he would quickly capture a third Pokémon. Facing so many opponents was simply too troublesome.

With anxious determination, Zhao Fang edged toward the staircase to the fifth floor. The Onix kept watching him but, surprisingly, showed no aggression. Zhao Fang found this confusing but was relieved to avoid battle, so he hurried up the stairs.

At the top, he saw a wooden door at the end of the stairwell, carved with a strange inscription in unfamiliar script. Zhao Fang, unable to read it, felt illiterate. He photographed the inscription and, just to be safe, copied it down on paper. However, since entering the tower, his Pokédex had lost contact with the outside world, so he couldn’t send it to Professor Otamaki.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Fang slowly pushed open the wooden door. It creaked loudly, sounding out of place in the silent tower, but Zhao Fang pressed on and entered.

He found himself in a peculiar chamber, surrounded by dazzling crystals. Directly opposite him stood another wooden door—the staircase to the sixth floor must be in that direction.

"So quiet..." Zhao Fang muttered, walking cautiously, scanning his surroundings for any sign of Pokémon.

He relaxed a little as he reached the center without incident.

A sudden, thunderous roar echoed through the floor. Zhao Fang spun around, and from a crack in the stone emerged a massive head—an Onix with a body like a block of ice. A sharp, glowing spike rose from its head, shimmering with an unusual brilliance.

"Crystal Onix?" Zhao Fang was stunned. He’d wondered what kind of Pokémon would inhabit this place, but never imagined a Crystal Onix would reside in the fifth floor of the tower.

Crystal Onix was once believed to be a shiny variant of Onix, but later it became clear that it was a unique, special entity. So far, its only appearance had been in the anime, and in the anime…

Zhao Fang rubbed his brow in frustration—he couldn’t recall the exact plot, only that the Crystal Onix in the show didn’t seem to be a ground-type.

Despite racking his brain for the anime storyline, Zhao Fang instinctively threw his Poké Ball, releasing Gyarados.

Gyarados bellowed, glaring furiously at the Crystal Onix. The two massive creatures blocked the way forward, facing each other.

Zhao Fang clenched his fist. He had hoped to avoid battle, but instead stumbled right into a formidable opponent. As he pulled out his Pokédex to scan the Onix, he gave orders to his Pokémon.

"Gyarados! Use Dragon Rage!"

Following his command, Gyarados unleashed a ball of draconic energy, striking the Crystal Onix, but its body showed no sign of damage.

Crystal Onix roared, and rocks rained down from above. Zhao Fang quickly ordered Gyarados to dodge with Water Splash.

"Use Water Pulse!" Zhao Fang commanded, and the move struck Crystal Onix squarely.

"Did it work?" Zhao Fang watched the situation closely, but the Crystal Onix seemed entirely unaffected and even charged at Gyarados, launching a Tackle.

Crystal Onix wasn’t weak to water? The thought flashed through Zhao Fang’s mind.