The Team Rocket member narrowed his eyes. "Houndoom, use Crunch! Victreebel, use Razor Leaf!"
Both Pokémon sprang into action. Houndoom's fangs glowed menacingly as it lunged toward Rex and Daisy, while Victreebel's leaves sharpened into dangerous blades that shot toward them with deadly precision.
"Damn it!" Daisy's eyes widened. "Golem, use Rock Throw!"
Golem roared, raising its massive arms before hurling chunks of rock toward the oncoming attacks. A boulder struck Houndoom square in the side, sending it skidding across the dirt and crashing into the flurry of Razor Leaf Victreebel had just released. Houndoom yelped in pain as the leaves cut into its dark fur.
"Rex, contact Grandpa—now!" Daisy shouted.
Rex nodded, quickly pulling out his Pokégear. His hands shook as he punched in the number. The screen lit up, and the call was just about to connect when—
"Not so fast."
A cold voice echoed through the trees. Rex's Pokégear screen flickered before going dark.
"What the—" Rex muttered, but his words were cut off as several figures emerged from the shadows. More Rocket grunts stepped forward, each holding a Poké Ball. One of them, wearing a twisted smirk, had a Magnemite floating at his side.
"Magnemite, Thunder Wave," the grunt ordered.
Blue sparks crackled around Magnemite's metal body before it sent out waves of electricity. The air buzzed with static as the signal-jamming energy spread outwards.
"My Pokégear… it's dead!" Rex exclaimed, clenching the device.
"Of course it is." The same cold voice replied as the Rocket leader stepped forward, a dark gleam in his eye. "We can't have you calling for backup, now can we?"
Daisy gritted her teeth. "Golem, stay on guard!"
Suddenly, a barrage of attacks rained down on them. Flames, leaves, and shockwaves filled the air as the Rocket grunts commanded their Pokémon to attack. Golem grunted, raising its arms as it absorbed the hits, but the constant assault was wearing it down.
"Hang on, Golem!" Daisy shouted. "Use Earthquake!"
Golem slammed its fists into the ground with a thunderous roar. The ground beneath them trembled violently, splitting open with jagged cracks. The Rocket grunts and their Pokémon stumbled and fell as the earth heaved beneath them.
Rex lost his balance, falling toward one of the cracks. He hit the ground hard and winced. As he pushed himself up, his hand brushed against something buried beneath the soil.
"What the…?" Rex's eyes narrowed as he uncovered a strange metallic capsule half-buried in the dirt. It was silver and smooth, with a red Poké Ball symbol etched into the side.
Suddenly, a piece of rock dislodged from the trembling ground, slamming into one of the buttons on the capsule. With a mechanical hiss, the capsule opened, revealing a red wired watch nestled inside.
(Image here)
"A watch?" Rex muttered, reaching for it.
A desperate shout from Daisy made him look up. "Golem!" Daisy screamed.
Golem was on its knees, panting heavily as the Rocket Pokémon surrounded it.
'Later!' Rex thought. He snatched up the watch and stood, ready to help Daisy—but then the watch pulsed with red light and leapt onto his wrist as if it were alive.
"What the hell?!" Rex shouted, trying to pull it off.
"Stop!" one of the Rocket grunts yelled, pointing at Rex with wide eyes. "He's got the Poketrix!"
Rex froze. "The what?"
"The Poketrix!" the Rocket leader barked. "Give it back!"
Rex struggled to pry the watch from his wrist, but it wouldn't budge. He accidentally pressed one of the buttons, causing the dial to pop up and display a glowing silhouette of a monkey with flames on its head.
"What's happening?!" Rex yelled, frantically pressing the dial shut.
A red light exploded from the watch, consuming Rex's body in a blinding flash.
Rex screamed as his body twisted and reshaped itself. His bones burned as they stretched and shifted. Orange and white fur sprouted from his skin, and his hair ignited into a crown of fire. His face elongated, his muscles tightened, and his clothes melted away—replaced by a black skin-tight bodysuit with a red and white Poké Ball emblem on his chest.
Daisy shielded her eyes from the blinding light. When it faded, she looked up—and gasped.
Instead of Rex, a tall Infernape stood before her. But this Infernape was different. The flames on its head burned brighter, and the suit it wore made it look more… human.
"Rex?" Daisy whispered.
Rex opened his eyes and heard her voice. "I'm right here." His eyes widened. "Wait… why does my voice sound so deep?"
Daisy's eyes bugged out. "Rex… did you just become an Infernape?!"
Rex's gaze dropped to his hands, now covered in orange fur with flaming cuffs. "What the hell—" He touched his flaming hair. "MY HAIR'S ON FIRE!"
Daisy's eye twitched. "That's what's bothering you right now?! Not the fact that you're a freaking Pokémon?!"
The Rocket grunts stared at Rex in shock.
"What… what is that thing?" one of them stammered.
"He's a monster!" another one shouted.
The Rocket leader's eyes gleamed. "So this is the power of the Poketrix…"
Rex narrowed his eyes at the leader. "Poketrix…" He glanced at the emblem on his chest.
Suddenly, images flashed in his mind—movements, techniques, memories that weren't his. His body tensed as instincts surged through him.
Rex opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and roared—
"FLAMETHROWER!"
A stream of fire erupted from his mouth, scorching the ground and hitting the Rocket Pokémon. Victreebel shrieked as it collapsed under the heat.
"Cool!!!" Rex's eyes lit up. He dashed toward the nearest Rocket Pokémon, his fist glowing with heat.
"Fire Punch!"
He slammed his fist into a Rocket grunt's Arbok, sending it flying into its trainer and knocking both of them out.
"This is insane!" Rex grinned, clenching his burning fists. "Look, Daisy—I can use Pokémon moves!"
His body ignited with flames as he spun like a wheel, fire trailing behind him. He bowled through the Rocket Pokémon like a living blaze.
"This is awesome!" Rex shouted.
The grunts panicked, recalling their Pokémon and dragging their unconscious teammates away as they fled into the forest.
Rex stopped attacking the Rocket grunts after they fled, jumping in place like a monkey with excitement still buzzing through his body. Daisy had already returned her Golem to its Poké Ball and now walked towards Rex with a mixture of awe and worry in her eyes.
"Rex?" Daisy called out tentatively. "Is that… really you?"
Rex turned toward her, the flames on his head flickering slightly. "Yeah, it's me!" he said with a grin. "I… I don't know how I turned into an Infernape, but it must've been because of that weird watch—what did those grunts call it? The Poketrix?"
Daisy frowned, concern deepening on her face. "Does that mean… you're stuck like this forever?"
Rex suddenly froze mid-jump, his grin disappearing as his hands shot to his head. "Wha—FOREVER?!" he shouted, eyes wide with panic. "No way! I don't wanna stay like this!" He clutched his face in despair. "I still have to lose my virginity, get married, and have kids!"
Daisy's face instantly turned bright red as a vein popped on her forehead. "D-Don't say such embarrassing things so loudly, you idiot!"
"But how am I supposed to calm down?!" Rex wailed comically, his flaming hair flaring as he rolled on the ground. "I can't be a Pokémon for the rest of my life!"
Suddenly, the Poké Ball symbol on his chest began to blink, and a beeping sound filled the air. Daisy's eyes widened. "Rex, what's happening?!"
"I-I don't know!" Rex shouted, looking down at the blinking symbol in alarm. "Is this thing gonna explode?!"
Before either of them could react further, Rex's body was suddenly enveloped in a red light. His shape began to shift and morph until the glow faded, revealing Rex back in his human form. He stumbled slightly as the Poké Ball symbol on the watch dimmed and turned gray.
"I… I'm back!" Rex gasped, patting his arms and chest to make sure everything was normal. He grabbed his hair and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank Arceus—I'm normal again!"
Daisy's shoulders relaxed, but her eyes remained sharp as she stepped closer to Rex. "How… did you even become a Pokémon?"
Rex held up his wrist, displaying the strange device now securely latched around it. "It has to be because of this thing," he said. "The Poketrix… or whatever those grunts called it. Though it looks like it has some kind of timer since it turned gray."
Daisy narrowed her eyes, leaning in to inspect the watch. "A watch that lets you transform into a Pokémon…" she murmured. "How did a normal field research trip turn into something this crazy?"
Rex grinned. "Hey, in my defense, this thing was a lifesaver."
Daisy sighed, her expression softening. "Yeah… I'll give you that." She took a deep breath before adding, "Let's find Grampa first. Maybe he knows something about this Poketrix."
The scene shifted to Professor Oak's lab, where Rex and Daisy sat at the study table, feeling more than a little nervous. They had just finished recounting the entire story—how the Rocket grunts had attacked, how Rex had transformed into an Infernape, and how the strange device, the Poketrix, had become stuck to his wrist.
Professor Oak had been silent for a while now, his expression clouded with a complex mix of nostalgia, worry, and anger. His hands were clasped together tightly, his gaze fixed on the Poketrix latched onto Rex's wrist. The tension in the room was palpable.
Finally, Daisy spoke up, her voice hesitant. "Grampa… do you know something about it?"
Oak remained silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Then he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before looking back at the Poketrix. "I… didn't expect to see this thing again."
"Again?!" Rex and Daisy exclaimed at the same time, eyes widening.
Oak nodded solemnly. "Yes… This was a long time ago… back when I was about your age."
As Oak said that, the scene shifted. The words 'IN THE PAST' flashed across the readers screen before the image faded into a younger version of Professor Oak, around Rex's age. He wore a neatly buttoned lab coat, his brown hair slightly messy but his eyes sharp and full of curiosity.
Oak's voice continued as a narrator. "Back then, my friends and I were young researchers, eager to unlock the mysteries of Pokémon."
The scene showed a lively laboratory filled with activity. Ten young researchers in white lab coats were laughing and working together, surrounded by Pokémon and stacks of notes. There was an air of excitement and discovery as they conducted research.
"One of our friends was particularly interested in Ditto," Oak's voice said. "He had the idea that if we could recreate Ditto's transformation ability in a device, a human could experience what it felt like to be a Pokémon."
The scene shifted to a short-haired young man standing in front of a large chart displaying an image of a Ditto. Around him were complex diagrams of machinery—blueprints of two large tubes attached to a machine, a tower-like device, and various internal components.
"When he first shared the idea, we were thrilled," Oak said. "It sounded impossible… but the potential was incredible. Even Silph Co., Devon Corp., and other major companies agreed to fund the research."
The scene showed the researchers working tirelessly—some designing the machine, others testing prototypes. Charts were crumpled and thrown away when ideas failed, while others were pinned up with cautious optimism. The researchers smiled and encouraged each other through the process.
"After five years of work… we finally succeeded."
The scene showed the Poketrix sitting on a table. It wasn't colored red yet—just a smooth metallic device with a polished sheen. The ten researchers gathered around it, their faces glowing with pride and excitement.
"But…" Oak's tone darkened. "The friend who suggested the idea… had darker intentions than any of us could have imagined."
The scene shifted to the short-haired young man sneaking through the lab at night. He reached toward the Poketrix, only to be confronted by Oak and another friend standing in the doorway, catching him red-handed. His expression twisted into one of frustration and malice.
Oak sighed heavily as the scene returned to the present. Rex and Daisy stared at him in shock, struggling to process the revelation.
"After that incident, he disappeared," Oak said grimly. "We never saw him again. My friends and I decided it was too dangerous to let the Poketrix fall into the wrong hands. We sealed it away and destroyed all the research notes connected to it. The companies were told the project was a failure."
Oak's gaze sharpened as it fell on Rex and the Poketrix. "The Poketrix has a DNA lock function. Now that it's bonded with your DNA, Rex… it's not coming off."
Rex's breath hitched as he looked down at the Poketrix on his wrist.
Oak leaned forward, his expression severe. "Use it wisely, Rex. The Poketrix can be the greatest tool to protect others… or the deadliest weapon for destruction."
Rex and Daisy gulped nervously, the weight of Oak's words sinking in as the crimson light of the Poketrix reflected in Rex's widened eyes.