A Ditto's transformation is conditional; it must consume the remains of a Pokémon to copy it perfectly. Furthermore, devouring those remains takes time—the stronger the Pokémon, the longer the process.
No wonder this Ditto is only Level 10 but displays power far beyond that, Feng Che mused. The Arbok it consumed must have been a formidable beast in its prime. Because of the level gap, Ditto just can't bring out the original's full strength yet.
"Alolan Rattata, catch this Aspear Berry and use Dig to get out of there!" Hongsheng shouted, hurling a small fruit onto the stage.
Using items during a match was perfectly legal in Team Rocket. As long as you weren't physically attacking the opposing Trainer, the referee wouldn't intervene. Team Rocket's core philosophy was "victory by any means necessary."
The Aspear Berry landed accurately in the Alolan Rattata's mouth. It began chewing vigorously, its cheeks bulging like a squirrel's. As the fruit took effect, the golden electric arcs paralyzing its body flickered and vanished into its fur. Freed from the status condition, the rat used its sharp claws to tear into the arena floor, vanishing underground.
Hongsheng watched the rising mound of dirt where his Pokémon had disappeared, a smug, cold sneer crossing his lips.
"It's useless. My Arbok knows Dig too," Feng Che said calmly. "But I hate the thought of my Pokémon getting covered in filth; it's a pain to clean. So, I'll just wait right here for your rat to strike."
Feng Che turned toward the referee. "Sir, if the Alolan Rattata stays underground indefinitely, is that considered a forfeit?"
Augustus opened his eyes, scanning Feng Che with a piercing gaze for a long moment before answering. "Correct. A Pokémon cannot remain submerged for more than five minutes. Exceed that limit, and the match is awarded to the opponent."
Having spoken, Augustus closed his eyes again.
"Hear that? Your rat can't hide forever," Feng Che taunted Hongsheng.
"Alolan Rattata, use Bite!" Hongsheng bellowed.
A small mound of earth erupted near the snake's rear. The Alolan Rattata lunged out of the dirt, its fangs bared, aiming for Arbok's tail.
"Iron Tail."
The words had barely left Feng Che's mouth when Arbok's purple tail transitioned into a gleaming metallic silver. There was a sharp crack. The Rattata's teeth shattered on impact. Arbok followed through with a ruthless horizontal sweep, slamming the heavy Iron Tail into the rat's flank.
The Alolan Rattata was sent flying, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. It lay there twitching, its life clearly fading.
[Ditto: What a waste. That black rat looked nice and plump.][Ditto: Once a Rattata dies, the blood stops pumping and the flavor loses its richness. Sigh.]
Feng Che face-palmed internally. Even in a life-or-death struggle, this Ditto was preoccupied with its dinner. It was truly a one-of-a-kind glutton.
"Return, Alolan Rattata!" Hongsheng scrambled to recall his broken Pokémon. Then, he hurled another Poké Ball, releasing a massive yellow rodent.
It was a Raticate.
Much larger than its pre-evolution, the Raticate was primarily tawny-brown with a cream-colored underbelly. Like Rattata, its most prominent feature was its rapidly growing incisors. Three rows of cream whiskers protruded from its snout, used for balance, and its webbed toes made it a capable swimmer.
However, Feng Che noticed the Raticate's fur was dull and patches were falling out. It looked lethargic, its eyelids drooping heavily. Its massive incisors were rough and appeared loose in their sockets.
This Raticate is at the end of its natural lifespan, Feng Che realized. Pokémon are meticulously clean about their teeth; if one stops grooming them, it's a sign that death is imminent.
Pokémon: Raticate Gender: Male Potential: Elite (Orange) Ability: Guts Level: 20 Type: Normal Moves: Swords Dance, Counter, Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Bite, Hyper Fang, Dig, Super Fang Status: Near Death
Confirmed. It's dying, Feng Che thought, the System validating his observation.
But even a dying Raticate held a massive level advantage. Level 20 vs. Level 10—this was a dangerous gap.
[Ditto: Ugh, another one of these old geezers. The meat's going to be tough, stringy, and sour. I wouldn't eat this even if it were a gift.]
Feng Che: "..."
Eat, eat, eat. That's all you think about. We are in a life-or-death crisis and you're critiquing the menu!
But wait... this Raticate knows 'Swords Dance'.
A thought struck him. If Ditto could devour remains to break down cells and copy forms, could it also devour this Raticate to acquire Swords Dance? And if it used Swords Dance in Raticate form, would the buff persist if it shifted into another form?
This was uncharted territory. Most researchers ignored Ditto, but Feng Che realized he might be the first to discover the "Devour-Inheritance" theory. If he could find the remains of legendary or powerful Pokémon, could Ditto become a true god?
However, there had to be a catch. Otherwise, wild Ditto would already be ruling the world instead of hiding in ranches for free meals.
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