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The next morning, Roy was awakened by the sound of the doorbell ringing insistently.
When he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of a penguin-like Pokémon with a distinctive red body, white belly, and fluffy white hair. The creature held a large delivery bag in its stubby wings.
It was a Delibird, one of the most reliable courier Pokémon in the business.
"Deli-Deli!" the Delibird called out cheerfully, waving enthusiastically at Roy with one wing.
The delivery Pokémon then reached into its bag and carefully extracted a Poké Ball along with an official receipt, presenting both items to Roy with professional efficiency.
"That was incredibly fast. The delivery system really is impressive these days," Roy commented as he signed his name on the receipt, genuinely amazed by the speed of service.
Delibird had become the backbone of major courier companies across the region. Their gentle temperament, helpful nature, and unwavering commitment to fulfilling contracts made them extremely popular in the business world. Unfortunately, their lack of combat prowess meant they were completely overlooked in the competitive Pokémon battling scene.
The only significant limitation of Delibird as couriers was their inability to carry heavy items. Their small stature and limited physical strength restricted them to transporting only lightweight packages and small deliveries.
For larger, bulkier items, companies typically relied on the incredible strength of Machamp instead.
"Hoot-hoot!" the Delibird chirped proudly, placing its wings on its hips in a satisfied pose.
Having heard Roy's complimentary words about the delivery service, the Pokémon beamed with obvious pride in its work. It carefully collected the signed receipt, gave Roy a friendly farewell wave, and took flight, disappearing into the morning sky.
"Metang!" came a metallic cry from inside the house.
Metang floated over to Roy, its four red eyes fixed intently on the Poké Ball in his hands. There was a mixture of intense curiosity and barely contained anxiety in its gaze.
The previous evening, Roy had explained his ambitious training plan to Metang in great detail. The prospect that Roy had outlined filled Metang with conflicting emotions that had kept it awake throughout the entire night.
On one hand, Metang felt an overwhelming sense of anticipation. It could clearly envision the incredible power that would result from mastering Roy's proposed techniques. The fact that Roy had mentioned these abilities would make it comparable to legendary Pokémon like Deoxys only intensified this excitement. For a Pokémon that harbored dreams of one day facing the legendary Ho-Oh and possessed such a strong independent spirit, this training method held an almost irresistible appeal.
On the other hand, Metang was genuinely terrified by one particular aspect of the plan. The idea of essentially developing a form of controlled split consciousness filled it with dread. Its naturally cautious personality had spent the entire night analyzing every possible way this training could go wrong, imagining scenarios where it might lose control or damage its mental faculties permanently.
Despite these fears, Metang had reached a crucial decision during its sleepless night of contemplation.
Those who refuse to sacrifice anything will never be able to change anything or achieve greatness.
Metang was determined to give everything it had to this training, regardless of the risks involved.
Roy noticed the complex mix of emotions playing across Metang's metallic features and couldn't help but think that his Pokémon had quite a flair for the dramatic.
Leading Metang to their private training room, Roy tossed the rental Poké Ball into the air and called out its occupant.
"Come on out, Lairon!"
The Pokémon that emerged was relatively small in stature, reaching only to Roy's waist level. Lairon resembled a quadrupedal armored dinosaur, with a distinctive steel-gray coloration and what appeared to be an open metallic shell covering its back.
"Lairon!" the Steel and Rock-type Pokémon greeted Roy with a gentle, friendly tone.
Roy knelt down to Lairon's eye level and gently patted its armored head, offering a warm smile.
"You'll be staying with us for a while, so I hope we can all get along well together," he said kindly.
Metang possessed a naturally protective personality, and upon hearing Roy's words, it immediately felt a sense of responsibility toward their temporary guest. Metang interpreted Lairon's presence as being directly related to its own training, which made it feel obligated to ensure the visiting Pokémon was comfortable and well-cared for.
It gently tapped Lairon's shoulder with one of its metallic arms, communicating in the universal Pokémon language: "Metang, meta! (Come on, let me introduce you to everyone on the team!)"
As Metang led Lairon away to meet the other team members, Roy suddenly called out into the seemingly empty training room.
"Mimikyu."
The moment Roy spoke the name, his shadow began to ripple and surge unnaturally. From within the darkness emerged the distinctive form of Mimikyu, floating upward until it settled comfortably on Roy's shoulder.
As soon as the small Ghost and Fairy-type Pokémon materialized, it immediately made itself at home on its preferred perch.
"You've all been spoiled by Little Nebula's behavior. Everyone seems to think my shoulder is the best seat in the house," Roy said with obvious amusement.
"Kyu!" Mimikyu protested indignantly from beneath its Pikachu disguise.
The hidden Pokémon was essentially declaring that it simply found this position comfortable and convenient, not that it had any particular affection for Roy himself.
Roy chuckled at the predictable response. "I don't recall saying that you liked me specifically. However, I will admit that I really enjoy having you sit here with me."
Mimikyu fell completely silent, though its body language suggested it was struggling with some internal conflict. The painted expression on its disguise remained unchanged, making it impossible to read its true emotions.
However, Roy could sense through their bond that feelings of embarrassment and frustration were building up inside the small Pokémon, threatening to overflow.
Just one well-placed comment was enough to fluster the Pokémon completely. Roy found this personality trait endlessly entertaining.
After finishing his daily routine of playfully teasing Mimikyu, Roy shifted his attention to more serious matters.
"Alright, it's time for you to experience your first Z-Move," he announced.
Upon hearing this, Mimikyu's attention immediately focused on the purple crystal Roy held in his hand.
The item was a Ghostium Z, a pure crystal with a deep purple coloration and intricate ghost-type patterns carved into its surface. Since this would be Roy's first time attempting to channel and direct the mysterious 'vigor' required for Z-Moves, he would need to perform the complete sequence of poses that accompanied the technique.
This meant he would have to execute the full Z-Move dance routine.
Fortunately, Roy had learned from his previous embarrassing experience with the Psychium Z. This time, he had made sure to find a private moment alone with Mimikyu, ensuring that neither Electabuzz nor Wartortle would be present to witness and potentially mock his performance.
Roy began the intricate dance sequence, moving through each pose with careful precision.
The moment he completed the final gesture, his Z-Ring activated with brilliant intensity. An enormous surge of natural energy was drawn in from the surrounding environment, creating a sensation that Roy had experienced before but never with this particular type energy.
The key difference this time was that the natural energy wasn't being transformed into the familiar purple psychic energy he had used previously. Instead, it was being converted into something much darker and more ominous - a deep, shadowy Ghost-type energy that seemed to absorb light rather than emit it.
Black torrents of supernatural energy rose up from Roy's body, creating an effect that was both mesmerizing and terrifying to behold.
The visual spectacle was reminiscent of demonic energy erupting in fantasy films and television shows. If any bystanders had witnessed this scene, Roy's unofficial nickname of "Demon King" would have gained significantly more credibility and authority.
After successfully channeling this dark power and transferring it to Mimikyu, Roy spoke the name of the Ghost-type Z-Move with quiet intensity.
"Never-Ending Nightmare."
Mimikyu's mastery of Shadow Claw was suddenly elevated to an entirely new level.
A mass of black flames materialized from nothingness, hovering in mid-air since there was no specific target designated for attack. The dark fire emanated an aura of creeping horror and malevolent grudge that seemed to chill the very air around it.
"This power..." Roy whispered, extending his aura abilities to analyze the energy signature.
His excitement was evident as he continued, "It's at least thirty percent stronger than the Shattered Psyche that Ninetales performed, and the execution time was only three seconds. You really are incredible, Mimikyu."
"Kyu!" Mimikyu responded with obvious pride, though it tried to maintain its characteristic aloofness.
The fundamental principle behind Z-Moves was the enhancement and sublimation of existing techniques through the incorporation of natural energy. In simpler terms, the stronger the base move, the more powerful the resulting Z-Move would be.
While Ninetales possessed the strongest psychic abilities on Roy's team, it wasn't actually a Psychic-type Pokémon. Its proficiency with the Psychic move that served as the foundation for Shattered Psyche was limited, creating an imperfect compatibility with the Psychium Z crystal.
Mimikyu, by contrast, was perfectly suited for Ghostium Z. Not only did it possess the appropriate typing, but its Shadow Claw had reached master-level proficiency, creating ideal synergy with the Ghost-type Z-crystal.
Furthermore, the fact that Mimikyu had successfully executed its first Z-Move in just three seconds was remarkable. With adequate practice, Roy was confident that Mimikyu could eventually achieve near-instantaneous Z-Move execution.
After the manifestation of Never-Ending Nightmare gradually dissipated on its own, Roy asked with genuine curiosity, "How do you feel, Mimikyu? Have you gained any new insights into natural energy manipulation?"
Mimikyu remained silent for several moments, its disguised form motionless.
Just when Roy began to worry that he might have pushed his Pokémon too hard or too fast, something extraordinary happened. A massive Shadow Claw suddenly emerged from beneath Mimikyu's painted disguise.
Almost immediately, the ghostly appendage began to undergo a dramatic transformation.
The Shadow Claw started to boil and writhe, its form becoming unstable and constantly shifting. After approximately ten seconds of this metamorphosis, it settled into a completely new configuration.
The result was a shadow claw that appeared to be wreathed in flickering black flames - the same type of dark fire that had been summoned during the Never-Ending Nightmare.
"This is..." Roy stared in amazement at the transformed attack.
The dark flames coating the ghost claw bore a striking resemblance to those created by the Z-Move, though their power level was noticeably reduced. The energy intensity was considerably weaker than other high-level techniques, but the implications were staggering.
What Roy was witnessing was clearly the evolution of Shadow Claw after incorporating a small amount of natural energy into its structure.
While the effect resembled dark flames, there was actually no Fire-type energy present whatsoever. The flames were simply a visual manifestation of what was essentially a miniaturized Ghost-type Z-Move.
Roy realized that a more accurate name for this technique might be something like "Sage Art: Ghost Style - Shadow Claw."
Roy's initial surprise quickly gave way to a sense of logical understanding. The development actually made perfect sense when he considered Mimikyu's unique abilities.
Mimikyu already possessed the natural capacity to convert environmental energy into Totem aura through its disguise ability. After experiencing the full power of a Ghost-type Z-Move, it had learned to transform natural energy into what could only be described as "sage mode" Ghost-type energy. This progression was entirely logical given its existing capabilities.
"Come on, Mimikyu. Let's test the actual power of your transformed Shadow Claw," Roy instructed, gesturing toward their expensive move power scanner.
Following Roy's directions, Mimikyu launched its flame-wreathed ghost claw at the testing device.
The results exceeded even Roy's optimistic expectations.
The sage mode Shadow Claw demonstrated exactly double the power output of the original technique.
While this enhancement couldn't compare to the devastating ten-fold power increase provided by Z-Moves, Roy understood that this "sage mode" technique had several crucial advantages. The energy consumption was dramatically lower than Z-Moves, allowing for multiple uses within a single battle. Most importantly, it didn't require any assistance or energy channeling from the trainer.
The potential applications of this sage mode concept were truly remarkable.
If Roy could teach all of his Pokémon to manipulate natural energy and integrate it into their existing movesets to create "sage techniques," it would effectively double the offensive power of his entire team.
The mental image of his complete team wielding such enhanced abilities was so exciting that Roy could barely contain his enthusiasm.
"Try applying this to your other Ghost-type moves," Roy suggested eagerly.
Mimikyu complained that Roy was being demanding and troublesome, but its actions contradicted its words entirely. It obediently demonstrated each of its techniques in turn.
Sage Art Shadow Ball created spheres of ghostly energy wreathed in dark flames.
Sage Art Phantom Force allowed for enhanced dimensional attacks with increased destructive potential.
Every single damage-dealing technique showed at least a two-fold increase in power without exception.
However, when Mimikyu applied the sage mode enhancement to status-affecting moves like Curse, something unexpected occurred. Instead of inflicting a debuff on an opponent, the technique transformed into a method of restoring Mimikyu's own vital energy.
The natural energy was being converted directly into life force and healing power.
Roy realized with growing excitement that the "Moonlight Perpetual Motion Machine" concept he had theorized about long ago had just been accidentally perfected.
"I remember now," Roy said, his voice filled with wonder. "In the games, the Z-Move enhancement of the Curse technique restores one hundred percent of the user's HP. The fundamental principle is identical to moves like Moonlight - converting natural energy into vital force."
Everything was falling into place with perfect consistency.
"Maintain this enhanced state and try your infinite duplication technique," Roy requested.
"Kyu!" Mimikyu corrected him with obvious irritation.
It was called "infinite cloning," not duplication, and Roy was an idiot for getting the terminology wrong.
Despite its verbal protests, Mimikyu remained as cooperative as ever, immediately attempting to use the Substitute technique while maintaining its sage mode state.
The continuous intake of natural energy and the constant generation of vital force created an unprecedented sensation of fullness and power that Mimikyu found deeply satisfying. Feeling more energetic than ever before, it allocated a full ninety percent of its life force to create a Substitute.
Another complete 'Mimikyu' materialized beside the original.
The clone immediately jumped onto Roy's left shoulder, positioning itself to face the original body that remained perched on his right shoulder.
Looking at his newly acquired left and right shoulder guardians, Roy asked with genuine curiosity, "How strong is this clone compared to your real body?"
Rather than answering with words, Mimikyu demonstrated through action. It directed the clone to use the sage mode Shadow Claw technique, and the attack carried exactly the same power and intensity as when performed by the original body.
"A one hundred percent strength Substitute," Roy breathed in amazement. "What's the maximum number you can control simultaneously?"
Mimikyu nodded toward Roy's question and held up four claws.
Manipulating multiple clones required not only exceptional multitasking abilities but also tremendous mental energy and concentration.
Therefore, quantity wasn't necessarily better when it came to clone techniques.
Through extensive experimentation and practice, Mimikyu had determined that four clones represented the optimal number for maintaining perfect control and maximum effectiveness.
Four identical clones, each possessing the full strength and abilities of the original body.
All enhanced through the application of sage mode techniques.
Roy had a clear understanding of each of his Pokémon's capabilities, which meant he fully comprehended the significance of what Mimikyu had just achieved.
"I have to admit," Roy said with genuine respect and admiration, "you've become incredibly powerful."
"Kyu kyu kyu!" Mimikyu laughed happily, making no attempt to hide its emotions or maintain its usual aloof facade.
A single experience with Ghost-type Z-Move had fundamentally transformed Mimikyu's combat capabilities. In the span of one training session, it had surpassed Electabuzz and claimed the position of strongest Pokémon on Roy's team.
The implications for their future battles and Roy's overall strategy were enormous, and he could hardly wait to see how this breakthrough would influence the development of his other team members.