"Togetic, where to next?" Feng Che asked. He had already used his psychic energy to strip the moisture from Steven's clothes, leaving the silver-haired heir much more comfortable.
"We must navigate a long river canyon to reach the Trial Grounds," Togetic chirped. "But Mew set a restriction there: only Flying-types are permitted to pass. The waters are infested with Sharpedo and Carvanha. If you fall in, it's over. Along the way, flocks of Cramorant will launch relentless attacks. You must prove your partner can overcome these obstacles."
Feng Che and Steven arrived at the edge of a massive, roiling subterranean river.
"Steven, be on your guard. The Trial Grounds lie at the end of this waterway," Feng Che warned.
The river was a chaotic ecosystem. Sharpedo and Carvanha broke the surface in predatory arcs, their serrated teeth gleaming. On the rocky banks and crags, hundreds of Cramorant sat waiting. Occasionally, one would dive with surprising speed, emerging with a struggling silver fish in its gullet.
Cramorant, though appearing droll and dim-witted with their wide, vacuous green eyes, were fierce competitors. Their wings were short, but their gullets were remarkably flexible. Feng Che watched as one surfaced with a Arrokuda thrashing in its beak. The Cramorant spat the fish out with the force of a cannonball, slamming it into a tree trunk.
The Arrokuda, a torpedo-shaped predator with a propeller-like tail and a protruding jaw full of canine teeth, shook its head, pried itself out of the wood, and flopped back into the rapids.
Feng Che mounted his Corviknight and soared over the water. The river "exploded" instantly. A massive Sharpedo lunged from the depths, its jaws unhinged to snap at Corviknight's talons. With a powerful beat of its wings, Corviknight summoned a Hurricane, swatting the shark aside like a bothersome insect.
Suddenly, a group of Barraskewda (the evolved form of Arrokuda) used Aqua Jet, streaking through the air like yellow-and-brown missiles.
Barraskewda were terrifyingly fast, their spear-like jaws possessing the hardness of tempered steel. Legend said they could pierce prey at supersonic speeds. One slammed directly into Corviknight's flank, but instead of a sickening crunch of bone, there was a metallic ping.
The Barraskewda was repelled by the shimmering Delta Stream surrounding Corviknight. It spun out of control, landing awkwardly on the bank only to be swallowed whole by a waiting, oversized Cramorant.
"That Corviknight is incredible," Steven muttered to himself. His Skarmory lacked that passive aura and had to take the hits directly. Already, small scratches were appearing on Skarmory's steel hide.
The Cramorant colony began a coordinated assault, firing hundreds of Water Guns simultaneously. Sharpedo and Barraskewda continued to leap like jagged rain.
"Corviknight, Hurricane! Sweep the path!"
Corviknight beat its wings with rhythmic intensity, creating a massive water spout that sucked the leaping predators into a swirling vortex. The gale acted as a liquid shield, absorbing the incoming Water Guns. Even several Cramorant were caught in the updraft, their squawks silenced as they were tossed against the cavern walls.
"Steven, move now!" Feng Che shouted.
Corviknight streaked forward, skimming the surface and leaving a dual wake in the water. Any Sharpedo bold enough to lunge was met with a brutal strike from Corviknight's steel wings, leaving the river behind them littered with unconscious, belly-up predators.
"How is it so strong?" Steven wondered, his eyes narrowing. He had seen a Sharpedo bite Corviknight's tail feathers, only for the shark's teeth to shatter against the plumage. That green aura... it looks exactly like Rayquaza's Delta Stream.
As a Hoenn native and heir to Devon Corp, Steven knew Rayquaza's signature ability better than almost anyone. Devon had even researched "Infinite Energy" specifically to counter it.
As they neared the end of the canyon, the difficulty spiked. The Arrokuda and Cramorant grew larger and more aggressive. A massive Cramorant surfaced, expertly launched a thrashing Barraskewda from its mouth directly at Corviknight's head.
"Corviknight, Air Slash!"
Corviknight launched crescent-shaped blades of vacuum that tore through the air, colliding with the projectile-fish in a massive spray of water.
Feng Che finally saw the exit—a massive stone archway. But blocking the path was a colossal Cramorant, its eyes glowing with a wisdom and cunning far beyond its peers. It didn't look hungry; it looked like a gatekeeper.