After receiving treatment, both Kaka and Dratini had fully recovered from their injuries. But the toll of the battle left them utterly exhausted, forcing them to rest at home.
In the dorm, Dratini sprawled comfortably on a soft cushion on the floor. Beside him was the latest mango-flavored drink, and with a casual wave of his paw, Meyu fluttered over and gently placed the straw at his mouth.
Slurp—ahh!
Honestly, this kind of rest wasn't bad at all. If every battle ended like this, then getting knocked around now and then didn't seem so terrible.
Gabriel, frustrated at Dratini's carefree attitude, gave his forehead a light flick.
"Don't just lounge around—watch the match footage I recorded for you both."
Dratini pouted. Gabriel always loved making things difficult. What was the point of watching those matches? They were both one-sided demolitions. he didn't see what could be learned from them.
Nearby, Kaka looked equally discouraged. she genuinely hadn't expected some Pokémon to be that strong. She knew she wasn't weak, but against that Vespiquen, she couldn't even put up a fight.
Gabriel glanced at the two with a mix of exasperation and concern. He understood exactly what was going through their minds. After all, these two were his main partners—raised by him from the very beginning.
Don't be fooled by their usual goofiness—Dratini and Kaka were both fiercely proud. Dratini had once been humbled hard by a fierce Growlithe in his youth, which shattered his overconfidence. But Kaka was a different story.
Ever since Gabriel began training him, Kaka had rarely seen a Pokémon he considered worthy—besides Dratini. Always burying himself in fantasy novels, Kaka had convinced herself that she was a natural genius, destined to climb to the top undefeated.
But reality had just punched him in the beak.
That Vespiquen's overwhelming strength shattered her illusion. For the first time, she had to face the possibility: Maybe I'm just an ordinary Farfetch'd after all...
"Don't beat yourselves up. That Vespiquen is strong because she's grown and trained for a long time. If you were the same age, it's hard to say who would win."
Gabriel's words offered some comfort. At least Kaka no longer sat slumped in complete despair.
Seeing the shift in his partner's mood, Gabriel quietly let out a sigh of relief. He'd been seriously worried that one loss might throw Kaka into a downward spiral. Dratini was already teetering on the edge of lazy burnout—if Kaka started slacking too, his whole team would fall apart.
He couldn't let them stew in defeat.
"Meyu, figure out a training plan. What kind of regimen would help Dratini and Kaka power up quickly enough to pose a real threat to that Vespiquen?"
Gabriel turned to Meyu with hope in his eyes. As a support-focused Pokémon, Meyu was someone whose judgment Gabriel trusted deeply.
"Hmm... if we're talking short-term? Then honestly, Dratini 's got no chance. But Kaka might."
(Why not me?!)
Dratini glared at Meyu, eyes demanding an explanation. Kaka, too, looked surprised.
Meyu sighed, resigned to having to explain himself.
"Dratini can't beat that Vespiquen anytime soon—and that's not just my opinion, it's based on my analysis. The truth is, that Vespiquen knows Dratini far too well."
"She also has Gigantamax energy in her body—the same kind as Dratini's. And not a small amount either. From what I've seen, her control over Gigantamax is far superior. She's far more experienced at using it."
As he spoke, Meyu projected the battle footage between Dratini and the Vespiquen for everyone to watch.
"Look here—even though it was their first fight, Vespiquen adapted to every move Dratini used. Her battle instincts are razor-sharp. And her familiarity with Gigantamax transformations clearly outclasses Dratini's."
"No matter what move Dratini used, Vespiquen always reacted instantly—either countering it or striking at Dratini's weak points. That's why Dratini lost. If he ever wants to beat that Vespiquen, he'll need to win without relying on Gigantamax energy. And... that's just too hard right now."
Dratini huffed in protest but Meyu didn't back down. His analysis stood firm.
Gabriel nodded in agreement. It made sense—Gigantamax research had always been Everette's specialty. His Pokémon would naturally be more in tune with Gigantamax energy. And Vespiquen was a Gym Leader's partner. Even if she wasn't the most traditional Gym Leader, she'd definitely been through countless battles. Her experience far surpassed both Dratini and Kaka.
That meant Dratini, at least in the short term, had little hope of beating her.
"Then why Kaka?"
Gabriel looked at Meyu, puzzled. If Dratini, who was clearly the stronger one, didn't stand a chance, why would Kaka?
Meyu had his answer ready. He brought up footage of Kaka's battle with Vespiquen.
At first glance, it looked even more one-sided than Dratini's. Kaka had been overwhelmed. But at the very end—just before losing consciousness—he managed to injure Vespiquen.
Gabriel squinted at the screen. Was that just Vespiquen being careless?
"This was all Kaka," Meyu explained.
He zoomed in on a close-up of Kaka during the final moments of the battle. The footage showed his pupils glowing a faint red.
Gabriel's eyes widened. He knew what that meant.
"You mean Kaka used his innate ability...?"
It was hard to believe—but no other explanation made sense.
Meyu nodded.
"During that final exchange, all of Kaka's vitals spiked dramatically—heart rate, reflexes, muscle tension. And there were traces of psychic-type energy flowing through his body. That tells us Kaka unconsciously activated his latent power in that moment of extreme focus."
Gabriel stared at the footage in awe.
"Is that even possible...?"
"I don't know," Meyu admitted. "But the data doesn't lie. At that moment, Kaka definitely tapped into psychic energy."
But Meyu quickly added a warning.
"This power is incredibly risky. It forcibly draws out all of Kaka's strength—pushing his body to the limit. It's extremely dangerous. He could easily injure himself."
"And more importantly—Kaka has no control over it. Once it's triggered, it won't stop until he collapses from exhaustion and his body's emergency shutdown kicks in. That's the only way it ends."
"In other words," Meyu said grimly, "this power's more like a berserker mode than a skill. It's not something he should rely on."
Gabriel finally understood—and gave a wry laugh.
"So… it's basically a rage burst."
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