If Aggron finally mastering Dragon-type energy after so much struggle was a cause for celebration,
then Deino's performance was nothing short of a shock.
"Don't take it too hard. Comparison is the thief of joy," Kashiwagi consoled Aggron. "
"At the end of the day, he's a native Dragon-type.
"It's in his blood."
Before them, Deino was sprinting back and forth across the field like a hyperactive puppy.
Indigo Dragon-type energy surged across its body, coalescing into the shape of a ferocious, ethereal dragon head.
"Deino—!"
"Deino, Dei! Deino—!"
The little guy was like a primary schooler who had just learned to ride a bike, constantly shouting to get his "Mom" Kashiwagi's attention to show off his new skill.
"Great job! Amazing! Deino, you're so strong!"
Kashiwagi kept up a steady stream of verbal praise.
Since the little blind dragon couldn't see clearly, he had to keep talking so it knew its Trainer was actually watching.
"Deiino!" Hearing the encouragement, Deino became even more ecstatic.
Aggron, however, was felling a bit bitter.
Why didn't you learn Dragon Pulse that fast?
Huh?
You wait until it's Dragon Rush to start outshining me?
No, stay calm.
I am the ace.
I must have the dignity of an ace.
Aggron suppressed his internal grumbling, maintaining a stoic and calm exterior—completely defying the "ferocious" reputation his species usually held.
The wild Aggron stood by, completely bewildered.
It looked at the Husky-like Deino, then at the beaming Kashiwagi, and then—
It quickly looked away.
It felt like if it stared too long, the "ace" Aggron might pick a fight just to vent.
Even without much formal education, the wild Pokémon knew better than to provoke someone who was clearly seething, especially when that someone was much stronger.
"Alright, alright, that's enough for today",
Kashiwagi called out to the frenzied Deino.
About half an hour had passed since Aggron first grasped the Dragon energy.
During that time, the wild Aggron had been diligently demonstrating the release process for Dragon Rush, and both the "Big Monster" and the "Little Blind Dragon" had been studying it intently.
The result was what they saw now. By the second practice session, Deino had already mastered the move.
How many days did it take Pikachu to learn Iron Tail?
Kashiwagi wasn't sure of the exact timeline, but in the anime, it took about four episodes.
"It's not easy having a hard-working genius on the team," Kashiwagi sighed.
He recalled the three Pokémon and dropped them off with Nurse Joy in the lobby for a quick recovery check.
Afterward, he returned to the field and released Chansey.
"Lucky~"
"A new partner is coming out in a moment. Keep a close eye on it", he whispered a warning.
"In case it tries to bolt, don't let it get far enough to bother anyone else."
Chansey nodded, understanding her role as the "safety net."
Only then did Kashiwagi release Porygon.
Pop!
A flash of white light faded to reveal a Pokémon that looked like a digital origami crane scaled up several times.
Porygon was all sharp edges and corners; there wasn't a single curve on its body.
Even its eyes were hexagonal, with tiny black dots for pupils.
"Pah-ree?"
Porygon looked around with its somewhat vacant gaze, seemingly surprised to find itself in this new environment.
"Hello." Kashiwagi crouched down and extended a hand in friendship.
"Dr. Akihabara entrusted me with your care. We're partners from now on. My name is Kashiwagi, and this is Chansey."
"Lucky~"
Chansey waved a small hand in greeting.
Porygon stared at them, appearing to log their data into its memory banks.
After a second's pause, its beady pupils curved into happy crescents.
"Pah-ree~"
It floated off the ground, cheerfully wiggling the blue polygonal blocks that served as its legs.
Wait... it can fly?
Kashiwagi was both surprised by Porygon's ability to defy gravity and delighted by how friendly it seemed.
It was clear Dr. Akihabara had put immense effort into making Porygon "marketable."
As for Porygon2... the Doctor likely found its unpredictable "Learning AI" too awkward to promote.
No one wants a Pokémon that spends all day judging its owner's intelligence.
In that regard, Rotom was a much safer bet; Ash's Rotom Dex, for instance, was usually just hilariously shocked by Ash's antics rather than condescending.
Kashiwagi opened his Pokédex to check the stats one more time.
...
Pokémon: Porygon
Type: Normal
Gender: Genderless
Height: 80cm / Weight: 36.5kg
Ability: Download
Level: 35
Moves: Tackle, Conversion, Conversion 2, Sharpen, Psybeam, Agility, Recover, Magnet Rise, Signal Beam, Recycle.
...
"I guess that's the perk of a 'designed' Pokémon—everything is perfectly balanced."
He compared the Pokédex info with the document Dr. Akihabara had sent him last night.
The document listed every move Porygon could learn, even specifying the levels at which it would learn them automatically.
Unlike organic Pokémon—where one Pikachu might learn Thunder at level 44 while another never learns it without a TM—Porygon was as predictable as software.
Of course, there were still TMs to consider, which the Doctor had also helpfully listed.
Notably, Porygon had no Egg Moves.
Regarding Abilities, Porygon was originally designed with two: Trace and Download. However, by sheer coincidence, a Hidden Ability—Analytic—had eventually emerged.
The one Kashiwagi held had the second ability, Download.
Its effect: If the opponent's Defense is lower than their Special Defense, Porygon's Attack is raised. If Defense is higher then its Special Attack is raised.
In short, it automatically targets the enemy's weakest link.
It was a fantastic offensive tool.
It was a bit of a shame that only Porygons with Trace would gain Adaptability upon evolving into Porygon-Z (which doubles the power of same-type moves).
While Download could technically yield higher numbers, Adaptability offered much more reliable, raw output.
But Kashiwagi wasn't in a hurry to reach the final stage.
Besides, Dr. Akihabara hadn't even mentioned Porygon-Z in his online literature.
That form likely required the Dubious Disc, which—as its name suggested—was very dubious and often resulted in "erratic behavior."
Given how much the anime writers loved "creepy-pesta" elements—like the terrifyingly intelligent Malamar—
Kashiwagi wasn't eager to mess with a potentially corrupted AI just yet.
"Anyway, you've got some growing to do, partner."
Kashiwagi tentatively placed a hand on Porygon's head.
When it didn't pull away—and instead wiggled its leg-blocks in delight—he finally let out a sigh of relief.