Aaron looked down at Gyarados's powerful new form, a faint smile appearing on his face.
He still remembered the wilderness survival training back at camp. Back then, Gyarados had been lured in by the smell of his grilled fish and had practically handed itself over to be captured, acting like a complete goofball.
And now?
Now it looked like a true dragon, massive and imposing as it coiled through the storm clouds. Not a trace of that old goofy side could be seen.
...
Aaron pushed down the emotion rising in his chest, but he could not help feeling curious.
What did Gyarados's stats look like now?
A sharp light flashed in Aaron's eyes as he opened Gyarados's status panel for the first time in a long while.
[Name: Mega Gyarados]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Lonely]
[Type: Flying / Dark / Dragon]
[Ability: Draconic Sovereignty:
Mega Gyarados carries the awakened bloodline of an Azure Dragon. Damage from types that are super effective against Dragon is reduced by half. The power of all moves increases by 50%, and its stats cannot be lowered by enemy effects.]
[Base Stats Total: 640]
[Level: Gym (Stage Early)]
[Potential: Champion]
[Known Moves:
Ultimate: Dragon Dance
Perfect: Crunch, Aqua Tail, Ice Fang, Waterfall
Expert: Tackle, Leer, Bite, Hydro Pump
Proficient: Brine, Twister, Dragon Rage, Hurricane, Rain Dance]
[Special Abilities:
Mega Flame Clouds: Transformation. By grabbing the Flame Clouds it creates in the air, Mega Gyarados can float and move through the sky. The Flame Clouds can also lift nearby objects, and enemies that touch them will take damage.
Mega Heat Breath: Fire, Special, Power 160. Releases a massively powerful stream of scorching breath that burns everything in its path to ash.
Destructive Wind: Flying, Physical, Power 160. Releases razor-sharp wind blades that slice enemies apart.
Thunder Destruction: Electric, Special, Power 180. Summons thunderclouds and calls down terrifying lightning, dealing devastating damage to enemies.
Mega Dragon Scales: Dragon, Transformation. Its entire body is protected by extremely hard scales. Mega Gyarados's Defense and Special Defense permanently increase by 3 stages.
Mega Thunder Dragon Claw: Dragon, Physical, Power 160. Infuses its sharp claws with powerful lightning, dealing devastating damage to enemies.
Blazing Dragon Rush: Dragon, Physical, Power 180. Wraps its entire body in blazing flame energy and charges at enemies at extreme speed, dealing devastating damage.]
[Description: A special Gyarados transformed by the Azure Dragon Fruit. It has become a true dragon and possesses incredible power. After Mega Evolution, the bloodline power of the Azure Dragon Fruit has fully awakened.]
...
Aaron stared at Gyarados's status panel in shock.
He had expected Mega Evolution to change Gyarados, but not to this extent.
First, its original Water, Flying, and Dragon typing had changed to Flying, Dark, and Dragon.
That alone would have been a problem. Being four times weak to Ice and Fairy would be rough.
But the moment Aaron saw Mega Gyarados's new Ability, his face immediately brightened.
Damage from types that were super effective against Dragon was halved.
In other words, the Dragon weakness had basically been corrected, leaving Mega Gyarados only twice weak to Ice and Fairy.
On top of that, Heat Breath, Destructive Wind, Thunder Destruction, Thunder Dragon Claw, and Blazing Dragon Rush had all been strengthened by Mega Evolution.
This was not just an upgrade.
This was a complete transformation.
...
Standing atop Mega Gyarados's head, Aaron felt pride rise in his chest.
This was the Pokémon he had raised with his own hands.
Rayquaza, enjoy the top spot while you can.
Sooner or later, Gyarados is coming for you.
Aaron thought boldly to himself.
By now, the rain Mega Gyarados had summoned was already choking out the fire below. The Corestone facility still smoked heavily, but the flames were beginning to die.
Dark clouds covered the sky above Tidefall, and heavy rain poured over the entire town.
Below, the Pokémon army had already rushed out of the ruined facility and was preparing to head toward the town.
"ROOOAR!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As the army moved forward, the berserk Pokémon unleashed powerful moves, destroying everything around them. Shattered rocks and broken trees flew through the air as explosion after explosion tore across the mountainside.
...
In town, people in raincoats climbed onto rooftops and balconies, trying to see what was happening near Corestone.
The facility had been badly burned and looked close to collapse.
Above it, a huge dragon-shaped Pokémon circled through the storm, radiating terrifying pressure.
Below, an equally terrifying army of Pokémon advanced like mindless monsters, firing off devastating attacks and tearing through everything in their path.
And they were moving toward Tidefall.
At that moment, no one cared what kind of Pokémon the dragon in the sky was anymore.
Everyone's attention was fixed on the rampaging army below.
"What... what are those Pokémon?"
"Why do they look so wrong? Is this some kind of movie?"
"No. Those Pokémon have completely lost it. They're just destroying everything."
"Th-then what do we do?"
"Call the police! Those attacks are way too strong. They have to be at least Gym-level."
"Are you kidding me?"
"For an ordinary family, having a Gym-level Pokémon already puts you near the top of the city. There are that many over there?"
"Not just Gym-level..." a seasoned Trainer said, his expression heavy. "Some of them have reached Champion-class."
The crowd fell silent.
Hundreds of Pokémon.
All at least Gym-level.
Some even Champion-class.
If no Champion came to stop them, Tidefall had no chance against a force like this.
And the worst part was that this was not an ordinary Pokémon horde.
These things could not be reasoned with.
They had no sense left.
"Run!"
"What are we standing here for!?"
"Go home, grab what you can, and get out!"
"If that army reaches town, nobody's leaving!"
"Move! Everyone move!"
"A Pokémon army is coming! Run!"
"Mom! Mom, where are you!?"
"Stop pushing! My daughter's missing! Someone help me find my daughter!"
Panic ripped through Tidefall in an instant.
People rushed back into their homes, grabbing money, documents, Poké Balls, and whatever valuables they could carry.
The streets quickly filled with bodies pressing in every direction. Under the dark clouds and pouring rain, people shoved and stumbled, some falling beneath the crowd as the town descended into chaos.
...