Just as the helicopter descended, Feng Che's nose twitched. A sharp, pungent odor cut through the metallic scent of the cabin.
"Hormones," he muttered, his eyes sharpening behind his mask. "This scent is nearly identical to the pheromones emitted by a Salazzle. No wonder the Mothim population exploded. These hormones act as a powerful attractant for male Burmy and trigger a forced, rapid evolution into Mothim."
He looked down at the swarming insects. "They feed on the berries and trees coated in this chemical. The sheer volume they consume destroys their higher brain functions. They aren't Pokémon anymore; they are mindless, emotionless puppets. I wonder which faction has the resources to pull off an ecological attack of this scale?"
"Go! Corviknight, Incineroar, Greninja, Togetic, Flygon, Ninetales, and Alolan Ninetales!"
Feng Che released seven of his core team members simultaneously.
"Eradicate them," Feng Che commanded, his voice cold and devoid of pity. "They are twisted products of a lab now. Death is the only mercy left for them."
It was the first time Feng Che had ever issued a direct "kill" order to his Pokémon.
"Lord Patriarch!" Seventh Elder Qi cried out, clutching the seat. "Your Pokémon are attacking so aggressively—won't they destroy the orchard itself?"
"Don't worry," Feng Che replied with absolute confidence. "You forget that Shaymin has awakened. Even if the trees are leveled, she can restore the soil. Focus on the mission."
The Harvest of Fire and Ice
Corviknight led the charge. Its steel wings became razor-sharp blades, cleaving through the Mothim swarm like a hot knife through butter. With a powerful beat of its wings, it generated two massive Hurricanes, sucking thousands of the insects into a crushing vortex. The sky filled with a shimmering, deadly dust of torn wings and scales.
Incineroar didn't miss the beat. It opened its maw and fired a white-hot Fire Blast directly into the center of Corviknight's cyclones. The vortexes transformed into pillars of fire, incinerating the trapped Mothim instantly. The stench of burnt protein filled the air.
Ninetales leaped into the firestorms, using the heat as a living shield while weaving through the fray, launching rapid-fire Flamethrowers. Below her, Alolan Ninetales drifted down like a winter goddess. Everywhere she trod, frost bloomed. Thousands of Mothim were flash-frozen mid-air, falling to the ground and shattering like glass ornaments.
Greninja moved like a shadow, its Water Shuriken slicing through dozens of targets with every throw. Above, Flygon unleashed a storm of high-velocity sand. Each grain acted like a bullet, precisely piercing the brains of the Mothim. Within minutes, the "rain" of falling insects turned into a deluge.
I was worried about how to level up my team quickly, Feng Che thought, a small smile forming under his mask. This isn't a calamity; it's a delivery of experience points. A swarm this size will push them all up by a level or two.
The Mastermind in the Shadows
"Lower the helicopter," Feng Che ordered. "We need to get the Second Elder to safety."
Far off in a dense thicket, a gaunt, sinister-looking old man watched the slaughter with a pained expression. These Mothim were his life's work.
"Curse them... where did the Gardenias find such a monster?" he hissed. "Go, Beedrill. Use your Poison Stinger to take down their reinforcements silently."
He released a small, oddly colored Beedrill that seemed to shimmer and vanish into the foliage.
Feng Che, to your front right, Mewtwo's voice echoed. A Beedrill is approaching. It's using Camouflage, a move it shouldn't naturally know. It seems they've spliced Kecleon genes into its DNA.
Beedrill? With Camouflage? Feng Che's mind raced. Then this must be the work of the Sting-Bee Organization. And the man behind it must be Old Man Insect, the mad genius of bug-type genetics.
"Mewtwo, pin that Beedrill with Confusion. And find the old rat hiding in the bushes."
A Green Discovery
Seconds later, Mewtwo transmitted the image of the old man directly into Feng Che's mind.
It really is him, Feng Che thought. He uses cloning machines to churn out Burmy, then evolves them en masse with hormones. But why is he here instead of his lab?
Feng Che, look at this, Mewtwo said, teleporting a small, irregular green crystal into Feng Che's hand. I found this inside the thorax of one of the fallen Mothim.
"A Grass Crystal?" Feng Che gasped. "Incredible. He isn't just attacking the orchard; he's using the Mothim as living filters. They eat the hormone-laced berries, and their bodies synthesize these crystals as a byproduct. Even if they're low-quality, the sheer volume makes this a goldmine."
Grass Crystals were essential for high-end berry cultivation and healing salves. They were perpetually in high demand.
"This is exactly what the Gardenia family needs," Feng Che smiled. "And a mind like Old Man Insect's... it would be a waste to kill him. I think I'll make him work for me instead."
Suddenly, the "invisible" Beedrill shrieked as Mewtwo's psychic grip tightened, forcing it to reveal itself. It desperately fired a barrage of purple Poison Barbs, but the needles froze in mid-air, held back by a shimmering wall of violet energy radiating from Feng Che himself.
"So, you found me," the old man hissed from the bushes, his eyes wide with shock. He turned to run, only to find his feet lifted off the ground by an invisible force.
"Going somewhere, Professor?" Feng Che asked, his voice echoing with psychic resonance.