Professor Furtido's Monologue

I need to find that skill that could defeat...those abomination.

It's still a failure. But I can still manage.

It has been five years.

Slow and steady.

Today's the day, huh?

Will anyone be creative enough to pass my expectation?

Hmmm, promising batch.

Let's hope that they exceed what they have just written in their form.

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Archer was excited. He reminded him of his laboratory experiments in his basement: lots of mixing stuffs. Something inside him was triggered, which he thought was buried due to his predicament. He grinned as he rubbed his hands together. My first step in the name of science, let's do this. He examined the data table.

Pokemon First Type (Att) Second type First (Supp) Second (Supp) Deino (Dark, Dragon) Crunch Dragon Breath Rowlet (Grass, Flying) Razor Leaf Peck Synthesis Beldum (Steel, Psychic) Iron Head Zen Headbutt Iron Defense Helioptile (Electric, Normal) Thundershock Pound Charge Dwebble (Bug, Rock) Fury Cutter Rock Blast Rock Polish Ghastly (Ghost, Poison) Shadow Ball Confuse Ray Croagunk (Poison, Fighting) Venoshock Revenge

Archer had a once-over the sample he saw earlier and typed the first things he found puzzling:

Problem 1: Does the Pokessence Typing affects the process of creating Combination Skill?

Hypothesis 1: Yes, the Pokessence typings do affect the process of Creating combination Skills.

Problem 2: If yes, how does the Pokessence Typing affects the process?

Hypothesis 2: By their strengths and weaknesses.

Problem 3: In case of Dual typing, does the pairing matters (First type (1st) to Second Type (2nd), Second Type (1st) to First type (2nd), First Type (1st) to First Type (2nd), Second Type (1st) to Second Type (2nd)

Hypothesis 3: Yes, it does.

He reviewed his notes and grinned in selfsatisfaction. But he wondered if using the combination skill would hurt his Pokemon in the process.

First things first, break the complex into simpler things. Let's make a pairing test. First, on Pokemon that deals normal damage to each other. A Dark Skill against a Grass-Flying Pokemon.

Deino, Rowlet Crunch (Dark), Razor Leaf (Grass) Result: Failure

Let's try using the same Pokemon, but this time the Grass skill targeting a Dark-Dragon Pokemon.

Rowlet, Deino Razor Leaf (Grass-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack) Result: Failure

I need to try one more runs before I can say that my assumption is correct. This time I'll use Deino's Dragon-Type skill against Rowlet. And Rowlet's Flying Skill against Deino.

Deino, Rowlet Dragon Breath (Dragon-Attack). Peck (Flying-Attack) Result: Failure Rowlet, Deino Peck (Flying-Attack), Dragon Breath (Dragon-Attack) Result: Failure

Now, I get it. In connection with the things I've read about Pokessence Typing and Combination Skills, then I can safely say that normal damages breaks the link, in short, a failure.

Let's try another pairing, this time a Pokemon that has weaknesses or strengths over a certain Pokemon.

Beldum, Helioptile Iron Head (Steel-Attack), Thundershock (Electric-Attack) Result: Success - Minor Tesla (Rank F) - Electric (Attack) Helioptile, Beldum Thundershock (Electric-Attack), Iron Head (Steel-Attack) Result: Failure

There must be something in this that made the first one a success and the second one a failure. Aha! Their difference lies in its effectiveness: Electric-type skill does double damage against Steel Pokemon, while Steel-type moves are weak against an Electric Pokemon. I can assume that only Skills weak to a Pokemon could be used, and not the other way around.

Hmm, seems like an Attack-Attack pairing works fine. How about Support-Attack and Attack-Support?

Helioptile, Rowlet Thundershock (Electric), Synthesis (Grass-Support) Result: Success - Minor Synthetic Shock (Rank F) - Grass (Support) Helioptile, Rowlet Charge (Electric), Razor Leaf (Grass-Attack) Result: Failure

So, I guess it is true that the starting skill should be attack-type and not support-type. But the skill the last Pokemon used can either be Attack or Support.

What about null damages?

Helioptile, Ghastly Pound (Normal-Attack), Shadow Ball (Ghost-Attack) Result: Success - Minor Shadow Pounce (Rank E) - Ghost/Normal (Attack)

What?! The rank increase by 2 levels? And the attack became dual in nature? I'll have to take note of this. This seemed like a clue in increasing the ranks of Combination Skills.

Too bad there's no Support Skill to pair with. Hmm, same with my first successful attempt, the only difference is it increased i rank when a skill that does no damage to a Pokemon is activated.

Okay, we're done with the basic pairing. I'd just call it 2-Pokemon set for my future reference.

Back to the hypotheses, I think I now have a rough idea of how Combination Skills works theoretically.

Problem 1: Does the Pokessence Typing affects the process of creating Combination Skill?

Hypothesis 1: The Pokessence typings do affect the process of Creating combination Skills.

Conclusion 1: Yes, the Pokessence affects the whole process. Those that do normal damages to each other leads to a failure.

Problem 2: If yes, how does the Pokessence Typing affects the process?

Hypothesis 2: By their strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusion 2: Strengths and weaknesses affects the process.

The first Pokemon must use an attack-type skill (Support Skill leads to a failure) to the 2nd Pokemon that has resistance against the skill (e.g. Beldum, Helioptile: Iron Head (Steel) to Helioptile (Electric resists Steel) or does no damages (e.g. Helioptile, Ghastly: Pound (Normal) to Ghastly (Ghost is not affected by Normal Attacks) to initiate the process. The 2nd Pokemon absorbs the Pokessence from the skill of the 1st Pokemon, and must activate a skill immediately to finish, either an attack-type (e.g. Beldum, Helioptile - Minor Tesla) or support-type (e.g. Helioptile, Rowlet - Minor Synthetic Shock).

Problem 3: In case of Dual typing, does the pairing matters (First type (1st) to Second Type (2nd), Second Type (1st) to First type (2nd), First Type (1st) to First Type (2nd), Second Type (1st) to Second Type (2nd)

Hypothesis 3: The pairing matters.

Conclusion 3: In case of dual-typing, the dominating Pokessence does affect the process, Needs further investigation to solidify this claim.

Now a new problem has arised, the thing about skill Ranks and Typing result, and how the null damage increased its rank by 2 levels.

Problem 4: How does Pokessence affects the resulting skill's Rank and Type?

Hypothesis 4: By basing it on their resistances.

Okay, let's proceed to 3-Pokemon Set using these conclusions I've formulated.

Beldum, Helioptile, Deino Iron Head (Steel-Attack), Thundershock (Electric-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack) Result: Failure Beldum, Helioptile, Rowlet Iron Head (Steel-Attack), Thundershock (Electric-Attack), Razor Leaf (Grass-Attack) Result: Success - Great Minor Blade Leaf (Rank E) - Grass (Attack) Beldum, Helioptile, Rowlet Iron Head (Steel-Attack), Thundershock (Electric-Attack), Synthesis (Grass-Support) Result: Success - Great Minor Iron Synthesis (Rank E) - Grass (Support)

In case of a 3-Pokemon set, it follows the same rule with the 2-Pokemon set.

In case of a Beldum-Helioptile-Rowlet combination, Iron Head is weak to Electric Pokemon, then Thundershock is poor against Grass Pokemon, thereby successfully making a Support using Synthesis or an Attack-type using Razorleaf. I can't say if this is a thing. I should do a four-pairing before I can assume that.

Let's try another 3-Pokemon set.

Beldum, Helioptile, Rowlet Iron Head (Steel-Attack), Charge (Electric-Support) , Razor Leaf (Grass-Attack) Result: Failure Beldum, Helioptile, Rowlet Iron Head (Steel-Support), Charge (Electric-Support), Synthesis (Grass-Support) Result: Failure

This further verifies my claim. It really follows the 2-Pokemon Set rule. What about the Null Types?

Helioptile, Ghastly, Deino Pound (Normal-Attack), Shadow Ball (Ghost-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack) Result: Success - Shadow Crunch (Rank D) - Dark/Normal (Attack)

Now the nature becomes a dual typing if it involves a null type? I think only the Containing Pokemon determines the nature of the Skill, while the Linking Pokemon does not. An Initiating Pokemon does as long as it makes a move that does no damage to its target Pokemon. Let's do some more runs.

Ghastly, Deino Shadowball (Ghost-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack) Result: Success - Minor Shadow Crunch (Rank F) - Dark (Attack) Beldum, Deino Zen Headbutt (Psychic-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack) Result: Success - Minor Zen Crunch (Rank E) - Dark/Psychic (Attack) Croagunk, Ghastly, Deino Revenge (Fighting-Attack), Shadowball (Ghost-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack) Result: Success - Vengeful Crunch (Rank D) - Dark/Fighting (Attack) Croagunk, Ghastly, Helioptile Revenge (Fighting-Attack), Shadowball (Ghost-Attack), Pound (Normal-Attack) Result: Success - Vengeful Shadow Pounce (Rank C) - Normal/Fighting (Attack) Ghastly, Helioptile, Dwebble Shadowball (Ghost-Attack), Pound (Normal-Attack), Rock Blast (Rock-Attack) Result: Success - Shadow Rock Blast (Rank D) - Rock/Ghost (Attack)

BINGO!

Archer did several trials involving 4-Pokemon and 5-Pokemon Set and arrived to the same conclusion. After reviewing the data, he summarized his findings into this:

A Combination Skill is a skill that is formed from a series of chained skill activations. Combination Skill Process is the transferring of Pokessences from a Pokemon to the other Pokemon, thereby creating new skills. It comprises of an Initiating Pokemon, one or more Linking Pokemon and a Containing Pokemon.

By definition, Initiating Pokemon is the first Pokemon to use a skill to start the creation of skill. At all time should the skill type be Attack and NOT Support type, or else it would not initiate the Combination Skill Process. Remember that the skill the Initiating Pokemon uses should be weak or does no damage to the first Linking Pokemon (3-Pokemon Set or higher) or the Containing Pokemon (2-Pokemon Set). It only affects the nature of the new skill if the attack it uses DOES NO DAMAGE (null) to the target Pokemon.

The Containing Pokemon is the last Pokemon of the Combination Skill Process. It is the one to actually cast the new skill by waiting for a minute (tentative time/not sure in reality) after receiving the attack from the Initiating Pokemon (2-Pair) or the last Linking Pokemon (3-Pairs or More). Again, it must be noted that the Containing Pokemon must be resistant to or is not affected (null) by the skill the Initiating Pokemon or the last Linking Pokemon attacks it with. The skill the Containing Pokemon executes CAN EITHER be Attack or Support, and whatever the nature of the skill it executes is the Nature of the Combination Skill.

Linking Pokemon are Pokemon that stabilize the transferred Pokessence from either the Initiating Pokemon or the preceding Linking Pokemon. Just like the Containing Pokemon, it must be resistant to or is not affected by the attack of the Initiating Pokemon or preceding Linking Pokemon. Linking Pokemon always IMMEDIATELY use a Skill (must be attack-type, not support) upon receiving the skill either from the Initiating Pokemon or the preceding Linking Pokemon. It does not affect the nature of the newly created skill, unless it is a 2-Pokemen Set wherein the Linking Pokemon is also the Containing Pokemon.

In order for the Combination Skill Process to be successful, this formula must be taken into consideration regardless of the number of chains:

IP (Attack) ---> LPn (Attack) ---> ---> CP (Attack/Support) = New Skill

wherein:

IP = Initiating Pokemon

LPn = number of Linking Pokemon

CP = Containing Pokemon

Helioptile, Ghastly, Deino Pound (Normal-Attack), Shadow Ball (Ghost-Attack), Crunch (Dark-Attack) Result: Success - Shadow Crunch (Rank D) - Dark/Normal (Attack)

Helioptile is the Initiating Pokemon, Ghastly is the Linking Pokemon and Deino is the Containing Pokemon.

Helioptile has three attacks listed: Thundershock (Electric-Attack), Pound (Normal-Attack) and Charge (Electric - Support). By definition, Charge is out because Support can only be used by a Containing Pokemon involved in a Combination Skill Process, while Thundershock leads to a failure as well because Electric does normal damage to Ghost and Normal Pokemon. This only leaves for Pound to properly start the link with a Ghastly because Normal does no damage against Ghost Pokemon. Since it is a null damage, it gives an additional boost to its total skill rank if the Combination Skill Process is successful (Rank F to E). Ghastly, being the Linking Pokemon, absorbs the Normal Pokessence from the Pound Skill of Helioptile, then immediately transfer it by attacking Deino with a skill that is weak against a Dragon or Dark typing. It could only use the Shadowball (Ghost-Attack) since the Confuse Ray, being a support-type, leads to a failure, and Dark Pokemon are resistant against Ghost-typing, hence making the transfer successful. Deino, being the Containing Pokemon, waits for half a minute (theoretically), then executes Crunch (Dark-Type) to create Shadow Crunch, a Dark/Normal Rank D Attack.

Note: Must verify it in the next test, the Battle Royale, which will be taken in the real world, not in virtual reality. Hope that other examinees cooperate.

He was about to continue his experiments when the alarm went off, indicating that he had to face the Pokemon the Simulation System assigned to face him. Earnest in expectation, he saw three very large Pokemon that could potentially obliterate him with just a single whip of their tails.

The first Pokemon was a large, green, serpentine creature. It had red-tipped, rudder-like wings on its shoulders and down its body, and similarly patterned fins on the tip of its tail. Yellow ring-like symbols run across the length of its body and it had an additional yellow ring on top of its head. It had two limbs with three-clawed hands, and two long, flat, horn-like structures on its head, with two shorter horns along its jawline. Its small, yellow eyes with black pupils, prominent pink gums, and two discernible fangs in its upper jaw made it more threatening.

The second one was a huge Pokémon as well, resembling a skeletal, legless bat. It had a short snout, dark pink eyes with white centres, and a deep blue area on its upper head that showed a constantly changing starscape. A rigid, raised hood wraps around its head in a crescent shape and draped around its neck as well. The outside of the hood was yellow, while the inner part that curved around its head was a pattern of deep blue and white streaks. Its torso resembles a ribcage with a slightly curved spike on each shoulder and three spikes extending from the bottom toward its tail. Its massive wings resembled a bat's wings with the skeleton exposed. The skin of its wings was an iridescent deep blue, and a light-blue light source appears to glow from behind its ribcage. A large, pale yellow crescent connected the outermost tip of each wing to the next two inner tips, and the remaining two innermost tips are adorned by yellow, four-pointed stars. The bottom of its tail was also lined by a yellow crescent, with a ridge running up the middle of the tail towards the ribcage.

The last one wass a blue and black, quadrupedal, stag-like cervine Pokémon with an eight-horned set of antlers extending out from its head, four on each side. Its head wass blue with two horns on either side of its head, and the root of its horns mark its face, just below the eye and over the nose. Its eyes are the same color as its fur, and its pupils are X-shaped. The blue portion of its body ends at the chest area where the "fur" juts outward to the side, similar to the blue horns on its face. On its breast was an inverted V-shape that was also pale gold in Active Mode and pale blue in Neutral Mode. The inside of the V-shape is black and extends into its lower body.

The rest of its body was black with a blue stripe running along its spine. It had a slim, fluffy black tail where the blue stripe ends. Its legs were fashioned like blades with forward-pointing "hooks" at the tips, creating a cross shape, with the main "edges" trimmed with the same color as the horns

What kind of Pokemon are these? Could I still find something that could eventually hurt these Pokemon? That's why Professor Furtido found it funny after I asked him about the possibility of one-hitting the target.

Archer was grumbling in despair after seeng the behemoths, and did not know how to proceed until it notice the only detail about the Pokemon, as revealed by the Simulation System.

RAYQUAZA - LEGENDARY POKEMON Pokemon Typing: DRAGON/FLYING LUNALA - LEGENDARY POKEMON Pokemon Typing: PSYCHIC/GHOST XERNEAS - LEGENDARY POKEMON Pokemon Typing: FAIRY

Shit! This looks...bonkers!

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CHAPTER 18: RECIPE FOR DISASTER (2)