"Ding~"
"Congratulations on completing the mission: Capture Gyarados and assist in its transformation into a dragon…"
"Congratulations on receiving rewards: Pokémon Potential Capsule ×1, Ice Punch Skill Card ×1…"
…
Aaron stood there, still staring in shock at the completely transformed Gyarados before him.
The system's excited notification finally pulled him back to his senses, though the astonishment in his eyes was impossible to hide.
At this moment, Gyarados looked like a Gyarados-version of Kaidou's Azure Dragon form—only smaller in scale.
An ordinary Gyarados was about six meters long, but the one before Aaron was at least eight meters in length.
Four dragon claws extended beneath its body, wreathed in swirling Flame Clouds that allowed it to float freely in the air.
Its entire body was covered in azure scales that reflected a cold, icy sheen under the sunlight, making their hardness immediately apparent.
Aaron quickly scanned Gyarados's attribute panel.
[Name: Gyarados]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Lonely]
[Type: Water, Flying, Dragon]
[Ability: Moxie]
[Base Stats Total: 540]
[Level: Advanced (Early Stage)]
[Pokémon Potential: Champion level]
[Known Moves: Tackle (Mastery), Leer (Proficiency), Bite (Proficiency), Ice Fang (Proficiency), Crunch (Basic), Waterfall (Basic), Brine (Basic), Dragon Dance (Basic), Aqua Tail (Basic)…]
[Special Abilities:
Flame Clouds: (Transformation) By gripping the Flame Clouds it creates in the air, it can float and move through the sky. The Flame Clouds can also cause surrounding objects to levitate.
Heat Breath: (Flame) (Special) (Power 150) Exhales an overwhelming torrent of heat, incinerating everything in its path.
Demolition Wind: (Flying) (Physical) (Power 140) Releases razor-sharp wind blades that can slice enemies into pieces.
Thunder Destruction: (Electric) (Special) (Power 150) Summons thunderclouds to call down terrifying lightning, dealing devastating damage.
Dragon Scales: (Dragon) (Transformation) The entire body is protected by hardened scales, permanently increasing Gyarados's Defense and Special Defense by two stages.
Thunder Dragon Claw: (Dragon) (Physical) (Power 150) Imbues its sharp claws with lightning to inflict catastrophic damage.
Blazing Dragon Rush: (Dragon) (Physical) (Power 150) Envelops its body in flames and charges at the enemy at extreme speed, dealing devastating damage.
[Description: A special Gyarados transformed by the Azure Dragon Fruit, becoming a true member of the dragon race and wielding unimaginable power…]
"…!"
Aaron's pupils shrank as he stared at the stats, sucking in a sharp breath.
This… this was completely absurd.
It possessed Water-, Flying-, and Dragon-type attributes simultaneously.
Its strength had surged straight into the early stage of Advanced.
On top of that, it had seven incredibly powerful special abilities.
Aaron's heart pounded wildly. This was overwhelming.
Gyarados had practically debuted at its peak. As expected of Kaidou-sensei's Azure Dragon Fruit—its dominance was unquestionable.
What surprised him even more was that his Gyarados actually possessed three attributes at the same time.
It was shocking—but when he thought about Silvally and Alpacas theoretically having eighteen attributes, three suddenly didn't seem that outrageous.
Even so, Gyarados was still doubly weak to Dragon, Ice, Rock, and Fairy.
Against other types, its damage output would be somewhat limited.
But Aaron wasn't worried.
Gyarados had the Dragon Scales ability, which permanently boosted both defenses by two stages. That alone was more than enough to compensate for its weaknesses.
Overall, Aaron was extremely satisfied.
That said, he knew very well that if Gyarados were to fight Snorlax or Frogadier right now, it wouldn't necessarily win.
The reason was simple—it still lacked something crucial from Kaidou-sensei.
Haki.
Frogadier had access to the absurdly overpowered Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, along with the boost from its Tailed Beast Cloak.
Snorlax's combination of Armament Haki and rubber-based abilities resulted in raw power that completely overshadowed Gyarados's current moves.
Only once Gyarados mastered Armament Haki would it truly be able to stand on equal footing.
Of course, by that time, Frogadier might already have learned Sage Mode and Flying Thunder God Technique.
…On second thought, never mind.
Frogadier will always be Frogadier.
"Roar…"
Gyarados's massive head leaned down and gently rubbed against Aaron's cheek, clearly expressing its gratitude.
"Hahaha…"
Tickled, Aaron burst out laughing. He reached up with both hands to stroke Gyarados's head.
"Congratulations, Gyarados!"
"You've finally become a true dragon!"
"I'll be relying on you from now on, Gyarados…"
Looking at Gyarados before him, Aaron felt genuinely happy for it.
"Roar…"
Gyarados nodded enthusiastically and let out a deep roar, as if saying:
"Don't worry… from now on, I've got your back!"
Aaron smiled faintly.
He then returned Gyarados to its Poké Ball, a hint of concern surfacing in his mind.
With such a drastic transformation, would Gyarados become a target for capture and dissection?
He could attribute it to his superpower—claiming that his ability had awakened Gyarados's ancient dragon bloodline—and with the Pokémon League's protection, anyone with ill intentions wouldn't dare act openly.
Still…
"It looks like I need to increase my influence," Aaron thought to himself. "Only then will the Pokémon League take me seriously, and those with bad intentions won't dare make a move."
"Only then can I protect my Pokémon—and myself."
"And this exam…"
"The top spot is mine, no matter what."
Aaron made his decision silently.
After all, he knew that there were also secret evil organizations lurking in this world.
For example, the infamous Pokémon Hunter Organizations, the Pokémon Mystery Organizations, and others.
…