[Drapion ♂]
Level: 28
Moves: Poison Red, Crunch, Fire Red, Tackle, Poison Jab, Hone Claws, Toxic Spikes…
Ability: Battle Armor (prevents critical hits)
Description: A veteran-level Drapion that skillfully uses its pincers in combat.
Shinji sent out his Drapion.
"Oh? That's the evolved form of your Skorupi from before, right?"
"But evolving at this level… that's a bit early, isn't it?"
Red commented as he observed.
Normally, Drapion evolves around level 40. Even with excellent training, it rarely evolves before level 35.
But Shinji's Drapion evolved at level 28—
clearly an early evolution.
Hearing this, Reiji coughed lightly.
"Ahem… I once helped an old man in a village drive away berry poachers."
"He taught me a method that allows Bug-type Pokémon to shed their shells early and evolve faster—"
"without losing potential."
"So Shinji's Drapion is not the same as those prematurely evolved Pokémon!"
Red raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I see… truly, heroes are everywhere."
But inwardly—
he was already calculating how to obtain that method.
If this technique could be adapted for Larvitar or slow-growing Dragon-types…
its value would be immeasurable.
As a Gym Leader—
he instantly recognized its significance.
"Go! Dragonair!"
Clair chose her starter Pokémon.
Although it was her first partner—
its level was only 29.
Meanwhile, her Kingdra had already reached level 34 after evolving—
a significant gap.
"Dragon Pulse!"
Clair attacked first.
Faced with the assault—
Shinji calmly set up Toxic Spikes.
Dragon Pulse struck Drapion—
kicking up smoke.
But when the dust cleared—
Drapion had crossed its arms,
using its armored body to block most of the damage.
Meanwhile—
Toxic Spikes spread across the battlefield.
One step—
and any opponent would be poisoned.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Cross Poison Red!"
After a fierce exchange—
both Dragonair and Drapion collapsed simultaneously.
Next—
both sides sent out their second Pokémon.
Clair: Kingdra
Shinji: Torterra
"Torterra! Use Rock Climb!"
Seeing this—
Red widened his eyes in disbelief.
Then covered his face.
So you already took the wrong path…
No wonder your future Torterra had to correct Ash's.
Torterra stomped the ground—
raising a massive rock formation—
launching Kingdra into the air.
Then charged upward—
attempting to follow up.
But due to its massive size and the steep terrain—
the attack was slow and weak.
Red shook his head.
Meanwhile—
Kingdra recovered midair.
Under Clair's command—
its eyes turned red—
its aura surged.
"Outrage!"
Kingdra became a dragon-type missile—
launching downward.
Its hardened horn and head—
slammed directly into Torterra.
The impact was devastating.
Clair's Kingdra specialized in physical power—
and evolution had fixed its earlier weakness.
Torterra's vision went white—
then black.
It collapsed instantly.
But—
it was still mid-climb.
Its massive body fell from the rock formation—
crashing into the ground—
leaving a crater.
Battle over.
Red sighed inwardly.
Good thing Pokémon bodies are absurdly durable…
Otherwise that fall alone would've turned it into paste.
Shinji stared at his fallen Torterra—
his face pale.
He couldn't understand—
how his ace had lost so completely.
For a brief moment—
a dangerous thought appeared in his mind:
Should I abandon it?
After all—
Shinji's mindset leaned closer to a game player:
IVs, nature, combat efficiency—
if a Pokémon didn't meet expectations—
it could be replaced.
"…I…"
Seeing his hesitation—
Red stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That's enough. This Gym challenge ends here."
He sighed.
"Torterra is your starter."
"Don't lose faith in your Pokémon over a single battle."
Shinji nodded silently—
his emotions conflicted.
Red continued:
"And after evolution—"
"Pokémon need new battle styles."
"For example—after Drapion sets Toxic Spikes—"
"you can switch to Torterra."
"Use Leech Seed, Protect, Ingrain—drag the battle out."
"Drapion's strength lies in its extendable tail and pincers."
"It has a huge attack range."
"Every Pokémon has its own style."
"A good trainer amplifies strengths—"
"bringing out 200% of their potential."
At that moment—
Shinji's backpack suddenly began shaking violently.
The movement was so obvious—
even Shinji noticed.
"Shinji… what do you have in your bag?"
Red frowned.
"…Nothing?"
Shinji looked confused.
Then—
a strange purple glow seeped out.
The dirty psychic spoon—
began to tremble—
violently.
In front of both of them—
it burst out of the backpack—
fell to the ground—
and began to grow larger and larger.
The spoon emitted a deep, eerie psychic light—
pulsing with power.
Red stared at it—
completely baffled.
"…What the hell is that?"
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