Red sat by the water's edge, leisurely munching on a sandwich while his high-quality fishing rod did the work. He'd had plenty of bites, but the results were underwhelming. One after another, he pulled up listless Magikarp, none of which possessed the spark of potential he was looking for.
Just as he was about to pack it in, a jolt went through him. His Aura flared with a sudden, urgent warning. A powerful presence was approaching from the depths, one suffused with a malevolent energy—a raw, burning desire for revenge.
The Magikarp vanished in a panic. The surface of the lake, once placid, began to darken as a colossal shadow rose from below. Before Red could even reel in his line, the water exploded.
A blood-red behemoth burst from the lake, sending a shower of water into the air that fell like a fine mist. Red was already on his feet, having teleported a few paces back to a safe distance. He had no time to appreciate the beautiful, violent spectacle. His full attention was on the creature that now dominated the entire lake.
It was a Gyarados, but one twisted into a nightmarish form. It towered over nine meters tall, its scales not the vibrant crimson of a typical shiny, but a sinister, deep blood-red. The pale yellow of its underbelly and flanks had been corrupted into a matte, pitch-black. This was no simple color variation; this was an omen.
"This is no ordinary Shiny Gyarados," Red murmured, his eyes narrowed.
The creature's blood-red eyes locked onto him, burning with an intelligence that wanted nothing less than to tear him to pieces. A ferocious roar echoed across the clearing, sending a wave of terror through the surrounding forest. His own Pokémon flinched, instinctively reacting to the crushing pressure of the Gyarados's Intimidate ability.
"It seems we've found our next teammate," Red said, a thrill of excitement cutting through the tension. He was not afraid. He was intrigued.
Hearing his trainer's words, Beedrill moved to his side, its sharp stingers ready. It recognized a worthy opponent. Charmander and Onix wisely backed away, positioning themselves to watch the coming battle unfold. Only the golden Pidgey seemed confused. It chirped, looking at its trainer as if to ask why he was relying on such a seemingly frail Bug-type. It had never witnessed Beedrill's true power and still saw it as little more than prey.
The Blood-Red Gyarados was done waiting. It opened its massive jaws and unleashed a torrent of water so thick and powerful it resembled a Hydro Pump.
"Dodge," Red commanded.
Beedrill became a blur, evading the blast that shattered the rock behind it. The sheer destructive force put it on high alert.
"Pin Missile."
Red wanted to test its defenses. A storm of needles shot from Beedrill's stingers, peppering the Gyarados's massive hide. The attack did little damage, but the indignity of it enraged the beast. It twisted its colossal body, whipping the lake into a vicious whirlpool that swallowed the Pin Missiles whole. Immediately after, it launched a pulse of raw, draconic energy from its mouth.
(It's overly defensive against a not-very-effective move,) Red thought, his mind racing. (Why waste so much energy countering a simple Pin Missile? Unless... its typing isn't what it should be.)
He focused his senses, trying to probe the creature's mind with his psychic power. He was met with a wall of pure, chaotic malice that repelled his attempt with a silent, mental roar.
"It's a Dark-type," Red said aloud, stunned. Only a Dark-typing could grant complete immunity to psychic influence. "This isn't a natural Pokémon. It's been illegally modified by some organization." His eyes softened with a flicker of sympathy.
(That look!) The Gyarados sensed his pity, and it sent it into a blind rage. (That hypocritical human look!)
It thrashed its tail, sending a massive wave crashing toward Red's position. Red easily teleported out of the way.
"Is that so?" he said, his expression changing. The sympathy was gone, replaced by respect. "It seems you have the heart of a warrior. I apologize for my assumption."
The Gyarados froze. It was the first time a human had ever apologized to it. The words momentarily pierced its rage, but it was not enough. To earn its submission, he would have to defeat it utterly.
"Beedrill, Swords Dance, then Brick Break," Red commanded. He had already scanned it with his Pokédex. The data confirmed his theory: its typing was Water/Dark, making Fighting-type moves its critical weakness.
The Gyarados countered with a beam of pure cold, trying to freeze Beedrill with Ice Beam. But the agile insect was too fast. After sharpening its power with Swords Dance, Beedrill's stingers glowed with white-hot energy. It shot forward, delivering a relentless series of Brick Breaks that made the colossal Pokémon roar in pain.
"I don't know what happened to you, and I won't pity you," Red called out, his voice clear and strong over the sounds of battle. "Because I can see you possess the heart of a champion. The strong don't need pity. They use their own power to shatter the nightmares of the past!"
He slowly extended his right hand. "Come with me, Gyarados! Join me on the journey to become the strongest in the world!"
The Gyarados's body trembled. Those were the words it had been waiting to hear its entire life. It never wanted pity. It only wanted a path to greater strength—a path to its revenge.
Its rampaging emotions began to subside, replaced by a cold, resolute focus. It met Red's gaze, but its pride was not yet broken. It would not be captured. It had to be defeated, proven unworthy by an opponent it could respect.
"I like that fire in your eyes," Red said with a grin. "Beedrill, X-Scissor!"
Beedrill seemed to understand. Moved by its trainer's words, it crossed its gleaming stingers, ready to give this battle its all.
The Gyarados slammed its tail into the lake, raising a massive wall of water to block Beedrill's path. Then it opened its mouth, gathering energy for a final, overwhelming Hydro Pump.
This time, Red gave no command. He trusted his partner.
Beedrill used Agility, weaving through the gaps in the water wall. It met the Hydro Pump head-on, not dodging but breaking through the torrent with sheer force and speed. It appeared before the stunned Gyarados and brought its glowing stingers down in a final, decisive X-Scissor.
The blow landed squarely on the Gyarados's head. The massive creature swayed, its immense body starting to list. It locked eyes with Red one last time, saw the nod of approval, and then, a faint, weary smile touched its lips as it collapsed into the water, defeated.
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