Chapter 7:Yanmega!

Rex stood frozen, sweat dripping down his face as he stared at the massive crowd that had gathered around him. Hundreds of people from Pewter City were trying to push closer, eager to see the young hero who had just saved their city. Their eyes shone with admiration and curiosity, and the sheer volume of chatter made his head spin.

"Look, it's the hero!" someone shouted.

"Did you see how he transformed into that Greninja?" another person said excitedly.

"He's incredible!"

Rex scratched the back of his head nervously. 'This… is a lot of attention…'

Officer Jenny had to form a circle of police officers around Rex to prevent the crowd from overwhelming him. The officers stood with their arms out, doing their best to keep the eager townsfolk at bay. Despite their efforts, a determined female reporter managed to squeeze her way through the barrier, her cameraman following closely behind.

The reporter shoved her microphone dangerously close to Rex's face. "Who are you?! How do you have the ability to transform into Pokémon?! Are you working for a secret organization?! Is it genetic?! Are you part Pokémon?!"

Rex's eyes widened as the barrage of questions hit him like a Hydro Pump. He raised his hands defensively. "Uh—uh—hold on a second!"

He glanced toward Daisy, who was standing at the edge of the crowd, holding Zorua in her arms. Ash and Misty were beside her, both of them wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Ash's Pikachu sat on his shoulder, also looking surprised.

'Yeah… I guess it's not every day you see someone transform into a Pokémon,' Rex thought with a wry smile. He straightened up and looked directly into the camera.

"I'm… a person who fights for justice," Rex said, doing his best to sound confident and mysterious. "My goal is to stop evil wherever it appears. So… I guess you could say I'm a superhero."

He folded his arms across his chest, feeling like he had just nailed the perfect heroic statement. 'Yeah… that sounded cool, right?'

From the edge of the crowd, Daisy's brow twitched. 'Corny… way too corny,' she thought, resisting the urge to bury her face in her hands.

Rex suddenly heard a low beeping sound from the Poketrix. He glanced down and saw the dial glowing red. The time limit was up.

"Well, that's all I'm gonna say for now," Rex said coolly. "I've got other places to be. Trouble could appear anywhere." He smirked and raised his hand over the Poketrix dial. "See you around!"

Before the reporter could ask another question, Rex slammed the dial. A bright red light bathed his body, blinding the crowd for a moment. Rex felt his body shifting—his limbs shortening and twisting, his back expanding as wings sprouted, and his vision sharpening into an insect-like clarity. His mouth morphed into something resembling an insect's mandibles, and tough scales covered his body.

The light faded, and gasps echoed through the crowd. Standing in Rex's place was a massive, sleek figure with red, goggle-like eyes, long wings, and an insectile frame. A black body suit with the Poketrix badge on his forehead shimmered under the sunlight.

"Yanmega!" Rex shouted as he flexed his new form's wings. His body was significantly larger than a normal Yanmega, and the sheer speed and strength he felt were incredible.

He shot into the air with a loud buzz, the force of his takeoff kicking up dust and debris. The crowd watched in awe as Rex zoomed above them, weaving through the air with the agility and precision of a true Dragonfly Pokémon.

He zipped toward Daisy, hovering in front of her as Zorua stared up at him curiously.

"Hold tight," Rex said.

"Huh?" Daisy blinked. "Hold—AHHH!"

Rex grabbed Daisy by the waist with his tail and flung her into the air. Daisy screamed as she sailed upward, but before she could plummet, Rex swooped down and caught her on his back.

"Rex! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Daisy shouted, clutching his neck tightly.

"Relax! I've got this!" Rex shouted as he zoomed toward the parking lot.

"Relax?! You threw me into the air like a Pokéball!" Daisy screamed.

Rex ignored her complaints as he gracefully landed near Professor Oak's Jeep, and set her down. Daisy's legs wobbled as she steadied herself, her face bright red with a mix of fury and embarrassment.

Rex chuckled. "See? I told you I had it under control."

Daisy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Under control, huh?" She crossed her arms and leaned toward him. "Do you have any idea how scared I was?"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Rex said. "I didn't think—"

SMACK!

Daisy's hand slapped the Poketrix badge on his forehead. Suddenly, a bright red light engulfed Rex's body, and before he could react, he was back in human form, standing there with a dazed expression.

"Wait… I—" Rex's eyes widened as realization hit him. "I… can de-transform by slapping the badge?!" He looked down at the Poketrix, which was still glowing red. "That… that's awesome!"

Daisy's hand shot out and grabbed his ear, twisting it painfully. "Owowowow! Okay! Sorry! I said I'm sorry!" Rex cried.

"You'd better be!" Daisy snapped.

Meanwhile, Zorua sat nearby, munching on a Pokéblock with a bored expression. Its eyes glinted with mild amusement. 'This trainer… is kind of an idiot. But at least life's never boring.'

As Daisy twisted Rex's ear and lectured him about responsibility, the distant cheers from the town could still be heard. The hero of Pokemon World had arrived—and the whole world had taken notice.

Daisy's hands tightened on the steering wheel as she drove the jeep down the dirt road toward Diglett Cave. The sun was starting to dip behind the horizon, casting an orange glow over the landscape. The jeep's engine hummed steadily, and the occasional bump in the road made Zorua's ears twitch as it lay curled up on Rex's lap.

A phone stand was mounted on the dashboard, holding Daisy's phone. On the screen was Professor Oak, his face lined with exhaustion as he rubbed his temple.

"You have no idea how much of a headache this has caused me, Rex," Oak sighed. "Once word got out that you were working under me as an assistant, reporters swarmed the lab. They only left after I told them you weren't there."

Rex winced, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Ah… sorry about that, Professor. I didn't really mean to cause trouble."

Oak sighed again. "I know you didn't. But…" He adjusted his glasses. "You've caught the attention of a lot of people now. It's not going to be easy staying under the radar after this."

Rex leaned back in his seat, letting his head rest against the headrest. "I couldn't help it. When I see someone doing bad or evil things… it's like a switch flips inside me. I have to stop it. I can't just stand by and let it happen."

Oak's expression softened. "That's not a bad thing, Rex. But you'll have to be careful. This kind of attention could attract the wrong kind of people."

Daisy, keeping one hand on the wheel, glanced at Rex. "Oh, by the way, Gramps—" she said. "We also figured out that Rex can change back to normal by hitting the badge while he's transformed."

Oak's eyes sharpened with interest. "Ah… so he finally figured it out."

Rex sat up straighter. "Wait—you knew the Poketrix could do that?!"

Oak chuckled, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Of course. My friends and I built the Poketrix, remember? I know what it's capable of."

Rex's mouth fell open. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

Oak smiled knowingly. "Because it's better if you figure these things out on your own. Think of it as a test."

Rex groaned and slumped forward. "Aw, come on, Professor… that's so unfair!"

Oak's laughter was light but firm. "You've only scratched the surface of what the Poketrix can do, Rex. If you really want to master it, you'll have to work hard and discover the rest for yourself."

Daisy smirked. "Guess you've got some training to do."

Rex sighed but gave a small smile. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

"We're nearing Diglett Cave now," Daisy said as the road began to curve toward a rocky outcrop in the distance.

Oak nodded. "Good. Be careful in there, both of you."

"Will do, Professor," Rex said.

The video call ended, and the screen went dark. Rex leaned back in his seat, running his hand over Zorua's head. The little fox let out a contented sound, curling deeper into Rex's lap.

Rex stared down at the Poketrix on his wrist. 'What other functions does this thing have?'

Daisy glanced at him from the driver's seat. "If Gramps said you'll have to figure it out on your own… maybe that's the point. If you keep training and using it, you'll eventually master it."

Rex's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Yeah… I guess I'll just have to work hard."

The jeep rolled steadily toward Diglett Cave as the setting sun painted the sky in shades of red and gold.