It shouldn't happen… right?
Leon thought to himself.
There were many stories about Magikarp evolving into Gyarados—how the restructuring of its brain cells during evolution caused its personality to become violent, sometimes even attacking its own Trainer.
"Hahaha! I evolved! ROOOAR—!"
Gyarados felt the overwhelming power surging through its body—power far beyond anything it had ever known. It let out a thunderous roar, venting its excitement.
"Tch… Boss, why do you look so small now?"
Looking around, Gyarados finally noticed its Trainer. Its fierce face was filled with confusion.
Its Trainer had become… tiny.
Before evolving, it had always had to look up at him. In its eyes, Leon had been tall and imposing.
"Good. Looks like it didn't happen," Leon said with relief, seeing the intelligence still present in Gyarados' eyes.
"First of all, congratulations on evolving. I guess I should call you Gyarados now."
"And it's not that I got smaller—you got bigger. How does it feel? Seeing the world after evolution feels different, doesn't it?"
"Tch. Yeah. It really does."
For the newly evolved Gyarados, this perspective was completely new. It felt as though the sky was vast enough for birds to soar freely, and the sea was wide enough for fish to leap without restraint.
It was no longer a weak Magikarp.
It was Gyarados.
A powerful one.
"Boss, I'm strong now. Very strong. From now on, leave the battles to me."
"Alright," Leon laughed. "Then I'll be counting on you."
Through their telepathic link, Leon smiled and nodded, indulging its confidence.
After all the effort, Gyarados had finally evolved. And more importantly, it hadn't changed. It was still his partner, just as close as before.
That alone made everything worth it.
Magikarp had been the first Pokémon he obtained after transmigrating. Leon had invested enormous resources—and genuine emotion—into it.
Leon immediately opened the system to check Gyarados' data.
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Pokémon: Gyarados (Male)Type: Water / FlyingAbility: MoxiePotential: Elite FourLevel: 21 (Intermediate)
Moves:
Bite
Tackle
Leer
Twister
Thrash
Whirlpool
Ice Fang
Brine
Dragon Dance
Scary Face
Waterfall
Hyper Beam
Outrage
Water Pulse
Dragon Tail
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"Excellent."
Leon nodded in satisfaction.
The evolution had pushed Gyarados straight to Level 21—and even upgraded its potential to Elite Four level. Its future path was now vastly broader.
The sheer number of moves it possessed was another pleasant surprise—likely a benefit of its high potential.
"Hm?"
Leon turned toward the river.
A Pokémon was approaching. Its emotions were exposed—hostile intent. At the same time, Gyarados' voice echoed in his mind.
"Ohhh… so this is power? I can feel it surging. Makes me want to fight something."
"Tch," Leon clicked his tongue at Gyarados' confident attitude.
"You want a fight?"
"Of course."
"There," Leon said, pointing toward the river."A Pokémon's coming. Want it?"
"What?"
"ROOOAR—!"
Gyarados followed Leon's direction and let out a roar toward the river. Something there had already caught its attention.
A jellyfish-like Pokémon rose from the water, staring at them with malice. Energy churned around it, restrained but dangerous.
It was Tentacruel—a Water / Poison-type Pokémon.
"Tentacruel. Looks like we disturbed its territory," Leon said calmly."And judging by its posture, it didn't come peacefully."
"Didn't come peacefully?" Gyarados sneered."Then I'll show it what not peaceful really means!"
Freshly evolved and brimming with confidence, Gyarados didn't take Tentacruel seriously at all. Judging by its aura, it felt completely in control.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Tentacruel struck first. Poison-tipped needles, glowing with dark purple light, rained down like a storm.
"ROAR—!"
A violent gust erupted around Gyarados, scattering the incoming needles.
"Trash. Die!"
Enraged, Gyarados gathered starlight before its mouth—
—and unleashed a beam of terrifying power straight at Tentacruel.
BOOOOM—!
A massive explosion tore through the river. Water sprayed skyward as mud and aquatic plants were blasted from the riverbed.
"ROAR—!"
Seizing the opening, Gyarados dove into the water, surging forward at incredible speed.
Through their mental link, Leon confirmed the result—Tentacruel was injured, but not yet defeated.
As Gyarados closed in, Dragon-type energy wrapped around its tail.
WHAM—!
A powerful Dragon Tail smashed through multiple tentacles, snapping them aside and sending Tentacruel flying, water exploding outward on impact.
Before Tentacruel could recover, the river itself began to spin.
A vortex formed.
Whirlpool.
"ROOOAR—!"
Like a dragon bursting from the abyss, Gyarados charged again.
The battle tilted heavily in Gyarados's favor.
Leon wasn't surprised in the slightest. The system panel was already displaying Tentacruel's data.
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Pokémon: TentacruelType: Water / PoisonAbility: Clear BodyPotential: HighLevel: 26
Moves:
Poison Sting
Water Gun
Acid
Supersonic
Water Pulse
Screech
Bubble Beam
Endure
Haze
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Its potential was inferior even to the earlier Golbat. Its body also showed signs of poor nourishment.
Despite the level difference, Leon had no doubt—Gyarados could win.
And the battle unfolded exactly as expected.
BANG—!
After several exchanges, Tentacruel was slammed away once more.
This time, it understood.
Whether in moves, physical power, or presence, it was completely outmatched.
Tentacruel released a thick cloud of Black Fog, dove underwater, and fled.
"ROOOAR—!"
Seeing its prey attempt to escape, Gyarados refused to let it go.
Starlight gathered again.
Hyper Beam.
"Five o'clock direction," Leon said calmly.
Gyarados adjusted instantly.
A devastating beam erupted from its mouth, striking Tentacruel mid-escape.
BOOOOOOM—!
The river exploded in chaos. Waves surged violently as the area was left in ruin.
Tentacruel floated to the surface, eyes spinning.
It had lost the ability to battle.
"Ding. Tentacruel defeated. 15 Battle Points obtained.""Ding. Intermediate Trainer achievement completed.""Ding. Defeat 100 Pokémon task completed."
"ROOOAR—! Trash like you dared challenge me?"
Gyarados roared triumphantly, exhilarated beyond measure.
It finally possessed this power.
For it, this strength had been waiting for far too long.
Countless beatings. Countless defeats. Endless scorn.
But now—
—It had risen.
"ROOOAR—!"
Gyarados thrashed through the river, venting its exhilaration.
"…Is this Gyarados a bit too confident?" Leon muttered with a smile."Did I feed it too much motivational talk before evolution?"
Leon didn't stop it. He stood on the riverbank, smiling, while extending his psychic senses to monitor the surroundings.
After a while, Gyarados calmed down and looked back at him, awaiting orders.
"Of course we're capturing it," Leon said."Once the assessment ends, it can be exchanged for rewards."
Leon tossed a Poké Ball, capturing Tentacruel.
"ROAR."
Gyarados gently carried the Poké Ball to shore and placed it before Leon. Its earlier ferocity had completely vanished.
Deep down, Gyarados felt immense gratitude.
If it hadn't met this Trainer, it might still be struggling in some filthy ditch, enduring endless humiliation.
"Hahaha," Leon laughed."This is great. No more fighting with a metal rod. From now on, you're the main force."
"ROAR!"
Gyarados straightened proudly.
It was no longer Magikarp.
It was Gyarados.
A dragon, not a fish.
"Boss," Gyarados asked eagerly,"do you sense any hostile Pokémon nearby? I'm not done yet!"
"Nearby?" Leon looked into the distance.
He sensed three powerful auras approaching.
Each of them was at least Level 30.
He had felt similar pressure before—on the Pokémon of Team Rocket executives.
"I have good news and bad news," Leon said calmly."Which do you want first?"
"Good."
"I sense three Pokémon coming this way."
"Heh. Excellent," Gyarados grinned."Three? So what?"
"Boss, watch carefully how I defeat them—three is perfect. I can finally go all out."
"Oh?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
"You told me to be confident," Gyarados replied smugly."And you talked a lot about confidence before I evolved. So what's the bad news?"
"The three of them are probably much stronger than you," Leon said."Likely advanced-level Pokémon. One-on-one, you might manage—"
"Say no more, boss. Let's retreat."
"…Huh?"
"Confidence isn't arrogance," Gyarados said seriously."I'm confident, not stupid. Let's go. NOW."
Leon burst into laughter.
"Alright, let's move."
In the next instant, Leon and Gyarados vanished via Teleport.
Splash—!
Two massive red, lobster-like Pokémon leapt out of the water onto the shore, scanning the area.
Crawdaunt—Water / Dark-type Pokémon.
Alongside them, a Poliwrath floated on the water's surface, also searching.
"They look troublesome," Leon muttered from afar, lowering his binoculars."But they're not my problem."
With that, he disappeared into the depths of the jungle.