I stared at the system notification hovering at the edge of my vision.
[Current GP: 510]
[Genetic Optimization Available]
Five hundred and ten GP. Enough to maximize one of Gible's IV stats from zero to thirty-one. The question was: which one?
My mind immediately went into optimization mode, running through the calculations I'd done thousands of times in Nuzlocke runs and competitive team building. Each stat had merit, each had strategic value, but only one could be chosen right now.
Attack was tempting. Pure damage output, the ability to overwhelm opponents before they could respond. A glass cannon approach that had won me plenty of game runs.
Speed was equally valid. Outspeeding opponents meant striking first, controlling the tempo of battle, and never giving the enemy a chance to act. Speed was king in competitive play.
HP would make Gible a tank, able to absorb punishment and outlast opponents through sheer survivability.
But Defense... Defense was different.
I looked at Gible's current stats in my mind's eye. Dragon/Steel typing gave it ten resistances. Against most attacks, Gible already took reduced damage.
But with zero IV Defense, that advantage was wasted on a foundation of wet paper.
If I maximized Defense first, Gible wouldn't just resist attacks; it would also take less damage. He would shrug them off entirely.
At Level 1, against Level 3 opponents in the terrarium, maxed Defense would make Gible nearly untouchable. It could train safely, gain experience faster, and level up without risk.
Tank first. Damage later.
"Grandfather," I called out, standing up from the rock. Oak and Elara both looked over, still keeping their distance as I'd requested. "I need about thirty minutes alone with Gible. You can observe after that, but right now, I need privacy."
Oak studied my expression for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Of course. We'll wait by the terrarium entrance. Take your time."
Elara looked like she wanted to protest—her scientific curiosity practically radiating off her—but a sharp look from Oak silenced her.
They turned and headed back toward the main terrarium area, their voices fading as they discussed something I couldn't quite hear.
When they were gone, I crouched down beside Gible, meeting those amber eyes directly.
"I need you to trust me," I said quietly. "Something's about to happen that might feel strange. But it's going to make you stronger. Do you trust me?"
Gible didn't hesitate. 'You saved me. You saw me when no one else did. Of course I trust you.'
"Then here we go."
I pulled up the Genetic Optimization interface and selected Defense as the target stat.
[GENETIC OPTIMIZATION: DEFENSE]
Cost: 500 GP
Current IV: 0 → Target IV: 31
Warning: Process may cause temporary discomfort
Proceed?
I selected [YES].
Silver light erupted from Gible's body—not as bright as the Prism Transformation, but intense enough that I had to squint.
Gible's entire form tensed, muscles going rigid as the system rewrote its genetic code at the cellular level.
"Gib... Gible..."
'feels strange. Like... my bones are getting heavier. Scales getting thicker. My whole body is becoming... denser.'
The light pulsed once, twice, three times.
Each pulse seemed to strengthen Gible's physical structure, reinforcing it from the inside out. I could see the changes unfold in real time. Scales that had been merely hard before now looked almost crystalline in their density, each one interlocking with its neighbors in a pattern like armor plating.
The crimson coloring deepened slightly, taking on an even more metallic quality. Where before the scales had been red, now they gleamed like polished rubies fused with steel.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only ten seconds, the light faded completely.
Gible stood there, breathing heavily but otherwise unharmed. It looked down at itself, flexing its claws experimentally. The movements were cautious at first, testing, as if the little dragon was discovering its own body for the first time.
'Gible feels... okay.' He said with wonder. 'Like nothing could hurt Gible. Like Gible could take a hit from a big Pokémon and barely feel it.'
I pulled up Gible's updated stats:
POKÉMON: Gible
Level: 1
Type: Dragon/Steel
IVs:
HP: 0
ATK: 0
DEF: 31
SP. ATK: 0
SP. DEF: 0
SPEED: 0
Stats:
HP: 12
ATK: 6
DEF: 5 → 6
SP. ATK: 5
SP. DEF: 5
SPEED: 5
[GP Remaining: 10]
The Defense stat had jumped from five to six. It wasn't much, but IVs really shone once they started leveling.
"How do you feel?" I asked aloud.
'I feel good.' The little dragon's mental voice carried determination I hadn't heard before. 'When do we start training?'
I grinned. "Right now."
We moved deeper into the terrarium's eastern section, away from the main congregation of Pokémon. I wanted Gible's first real battle to be controlled, against something manageable.
A Level 3 opponent at most, something that would test Gible's new durability without overwhelming it.
The terrain here was rougher, more wild. Patches of tough grass grew between rocky outcroppings, and I could hear the sounds of various Pokémon moving through the underbrush.
Most were smart enough to avoid us—Gible's presence, even at Level 1, apparently carried enough predatory weight to make smaller Pokémon nervous.
Then I saw it.
A Budew, barely two feet tall, was sunbathing on a flat rock about twenty meters ahead. The Grass/Poison-type looked peaceful, its bud closed as it absorbed the artificial sunlight through photosynthesis.
I pulled up my mental type chart and ran through the matchup. Budew was Grass/Poison. Gible was Dragon/Steel. Grass-type moves would be half effective against Steel.
Poison-type moves would not even hurt Gible now that he was a steel type, with the exception of Corrosion, Acid, and Twinneedle.
This was as safe a first battle as I could ask for.
"See that Budew?" I whispered to Gible, pointing toward the sunbathing Pokémon. "That's your first opponent. Grass and Poison-type, which means most of its attacks won't do much damage to you. But it's still a real fight. Are you ready?"
'I'm so ready!' my partner confirmed, dropping into a combat stance that looked far more natural than it should for a Level 1 Pokémon.
"Alright. When we get close enough, I want you to use Tackle. Hit it hard and fast. Let's see what you can do."
We approached carefully, keeping low. Budew didn't notice us until we were about ten meters away—close enough that Gible could charge before it could react.
"Now! Tackle!"
Gible exploded forward with surprising speed for its bulk, claws digging into the rocky ground for traction. The Budew's eyes snapped open just in time to see eighty pounds of crimson-scaled dragon barreling toward it.
Thud.