Gulzar came back to the campsite without any medicine to treat Gyarados, so he could only go to Reiji.
Reiji handed him a few things: some stamina-restoring supplements, and even a handful of Water-type Pokéblocks.
He still had plenty of Pokéblocks left from the Trovitopolis black market, along with a stash of decent healing sprays. He hadn't sold off everything—especially not the good stuff from Riku—so giving Gulzar a bit didn't hurt.
Once he had the supplies, Gulzar released Gyarados at once and started treatment. He first fed it the supplements and Pokéblocks to help it recover its stamina and ease the ice damage, then followed up with healing spray and bandaging.
Gyarados was built like armour—thick hide, scales everywhere. Aside from the frostbite around its head, the rest were superficial wounds, so the cleanup didn't take long.
While Gulzar worked, Reiji brought over a tape measure and started checking Gyarados' height.
After seeing Reiji, the huge Pokémon didn't dare roar and thrash around anymore. Instead, it lay flat on the grass, rigid and obedient, not moving an inch.
Reiji pulled the tape out and got a clean number. This Gyarados was about 7.7 metres tall. The official average height was 6.5 metres.
More than a metre taller—no question, it was a true monster. Even before evolving, that Magikarp had been unusually sturdy, with 58 potential.
Add a Water Gem and a Dragon Scale on top of that, and this kind of size after evolution didn't surprise him at all.
He could check the detailed panel later. Once he had the height recorded, Reiji headed back to the river to keep catching Magikarp. Letting Gulzar handle the treatment would build their bond faster, and with Reiji hovering nearby, Gyarados would only tense up.
Still… watching a monster like that lying there, he'd be lying if he said his heart didn't itch.
He wanted a Gyarados too—one even broader, even taller, even more ridiculous than this one.
Another morning slipped by, and he still hadn't found a single Magikarp with 59 potential. In the end, he had to pause and go back to help Farfetch'd prepare lunch.
During lunch, Quincy kept stealing glances toward the riverbank, clicking his tongue in amazement. He couldn't figure out what Reiji and Gulzar had done—how they'd made a Magikarp evolve into a Gyarados without using the waterfall.
What shocked him even more was how close the Gyarados seemed to Gulzar. Gulzar had clearly earned its approval and become its Trainer.
That was a Gyarados—the kind of Pokémon people called the most vicious of them all. Yet in a single morning, Gulzar had somehow brought it under control. It didn't sound real.
If Quincy knew Gulzar had taken a beating to get there, he wouldn't be thinking that way.
To speed up the bond between Gulzar and Gyarados, they'd basically staged the whole thing: first a "shared hardship" act, then a shoulder-to-shoulder fight, and finally Gulzar personally nursing the injured Gyarados. After that, resisting capture would've been harder than agreeing.
A straightforward Pokémon didn't have a human's layers. Against a chain of setups like that, it didn't stand a chance.
Forget magikarp—even people would fall for a plan that locked together that cleanly.
He'd played Gulzar, then used Gulzar to play "that idiot," and then looped back to play Gulzar and the Magikarp again.
And the boy on the poachers' ship? Once they rescued him, that would be another round.
A Gym Leader's son, delivered right to their doorstep—if he didn't squeeze value out of that, he'd be letting the audience down.
…
Over lunch, Quincy's curiosity about the roaring from the forest only grew, so he asked Gulzar how they'd managed to capture the Gyarados.
Gulzar didn't say a word. Without Reiji's permission, there was no chance he'd reveal what had happened—especially when it involved a Dragon Scale.
After lunch, the three of them rested under the shade. Reiji had Gulzar return Gyarados to its Poké Ball so he could check the panel.
He also handed Gulzar Riku's breeding notes—specifically the section on Gyarados—and told him to study it himself. How to raise Gyarados, how to train it, what to focus on—it was all in there, and Gulzar could read it whenever he wanted.
"Rai-nii, what's this?" Gulzar asked, flipping through the notes with open curiosity.
"A quasi–Elite Four tier Trainer's breeding notes on Gyarados," Reiji said. "Don't lose it."
He didn't mention they were Riku's. Gulzar didn't need to know that.
"Quasi–Elite Four tier… Gyarados notes?" Gulzar sucked in a breath. It wasn't his first shock today, and it wouldn't be his last.
Compared to an Elite Four–talent Magikarp, an Elite Four tier Dragon Scale, and even a Water Gem, the notes didn't look as outrageous.
But to him, they were still priceless—knowledge that could take him straight toward quasi–Elite Four tier. That was the whole reason he'd joined the Gym in the first place.
If he tried to figure it all out alone, who knew how many years it would take to raise a Pokémon to that level. It was like Naoki back then—thinking feeding Pokémon rocks was some brilliant shortcut. Sure, it was simple. It was also painfully crude.
While Gulzar buried himself in the notes, Reiji took Gulzar's Poké Ball, opened the panel, and looked over the Gyarados' data.
[Gyarados]
[Type: Water + Flying]
[Gender: Male]
[Potential: 74%]
[Level: 23.45%]
[Ability: Intimidate / 6.33%] [Hidden Ability: Moxie / 4.23%]
[Moves: (Bite / 3.21%) (Tackle / 1.31%) (Leer / 3.11%) (Twister / 4.14%) (Splash / 13.21%) (Flail / 3.22%) (Ice Fang / 3.15%) (Scary Face / 1.31%) (Waterfall / 1.62%) (Rain Dance / 1.45%) (Aqua Tail / 1.36%) (Take Down / 3.52%) (Body Slam / 2.44%) (Surf / 4.21%) (Roar / 6.31%) (Double-Edge / 3.43%) (Hyper Beam / 6.14%) (Dragon Pulse / 5.51%) (Outrage / 3.72%) (Hurricane / 3.46%) (Hydro Pump / 4.32%) (Crunch / 2.64%) (Flamethrower / 3.45%) (Ice Beam / 3.31%) (Earthquake / 3.82%)]
Reiji almost whistled.
Seventy-four potential meant one thing: making Elite Four tier later was basically guaranteed. If it was raised properly, it might even push toward quasi-Champion tier—or higher.
And it started with three Dragon-type moves right out of the gate: Twister, Dragon Pulse, Outrage.
With that foundation, learning other Dragon-type moves would just be a matter of time.
Without any Dragon-type moves at all, it usually meant there wasn't much Dragon blood to work with, and forcing Dragon techniques onto it would be a nightmare.
On top of that, this Gyarados already had Fire- and Ice-type moves too, which meant it could branch into more of both types later.
As for Water-type moves, that barely needed saying. Water was its type, and its talent there was obvious.
A 58-potential Magikarp plus an Elite Four tier Dragon Scale from a pseudo-dragon could already produce a Gyarados like this.
So what about a 59-potential Magikarp, paired with a real dragon's Dragon Scale—and maybe even an inherited move or two?
He didn't even want to guess how absurd that would get.
The moment he finished scanning the proficiency panel, Reiji returned the Poké Ball to Gulzar and got back to the river.
He had to catch a top-tier Magikarp before the migration window ended.
Looks like he'd be working overtime.
Seeing Reiji still at it, Quincy didn't slack off either. The two of them went straight into another busy afternoon.
The Pokémon trained.
Gulzar sat in the shade with Gyarados' notes.
Reiji and Quincy stayed at the river, catching Magikarp one after another.
By the time the afternoon was gone, Reiji still hadn't found what he wanted. Not a single Magikarp with 59 potential.
He refused to believe it didn't exist in this river. With hundreds of thousands of Magikarp here, there was no way he couldn't pull one out—unless he stopped being lazy and started grinding properly.
Even at night, he kept going.
After dinner, all the Pokémon that weren't training came down to the river to help catch Magikarp, speeding up how fast he could check their panels.
Gulzar saw Reiji still working and came over too. He watched for a while, and something clicked.
This was probably how his own Magikarp had been chosen in the first place.
If Reiji could casually give away an Elite Four–talent Magikarp, then what kind of Magikarp was Reiji trying to catch for himself?
Gulzar couldn't even picture it.
Gyarados' strength was right there in front of him. If Reiji's Magikarp evolved into Gyarados, it would only be stronger than Gulzar's.
And that Elite Four tier Dragon Scale… Reiji had handed it over without hesitation, to a stranger he'd only known for a few days.
That meant Reiji didn't just have one Dragon Scale. He had at least two—maybe more.
And if he'd prepared that many, it was obvious what they were for.
Half the night went by. Reiji's mood still didn't lift, which meant he still hadn't found a Magikarp he liked.
Gulzar didn't know what to say. In the end, he simply followed Reiji's call and wrapped up for the night.
Quincy had tried to keep up with the two younger men for a while, but his body couldn't take it. He went back to the campsite first and turned in.
When Reiji and Gulzar finally returned, it was already midnight. Quincy had set out late-night food for them, and there was extra for the Pokémon that had stayed up training.
The late-night training was all voluntary. Reiji didn't want them pushing themselves at night, but he couldn't stop them from chasing strength.
After everyone ate, they headed back to their tents.
For now, Gulzar shared a tent with Quincy. Until the poachers were dealt with, Quincy didn't want to return to the cabin.
Inside the pitch-dark tent, they lay down and turned off the torch.
Even then, with everything that had happened today, Gulzar couldn't fall asleep.
"Grandpa Quincy… do you know how valuable an Elite Four tier item really is?"
The question had been stuck in his throat all day.
Being saved.
An Elite Four–talent Magikarp.
An Elite Four tier Dragon Scale.
Quasi–Elite Four tier breeding notes.
A Water Gem.
Pokéblocks.
Healing sprays.
Every single one of those was something he couldn't afford. Even buying Pokéblocks, he had to agonise over it, then maybe pick up a few boxes of decent-quality ones as a treat.
Yet Reiji had tossed them to him without blinking, like it was nothing. Even if it became a debt to repay later, the way he'd done it still left Gulzar stunned.
He had to admit it—today, Reiji's decisiveness had shaken him. Gulzar had never seen someone act that cleanly and that fast.
He'd tried to explain it away as his own lack of experience. Maybe it was just "a different level," and strong Trainers all behaved like this.
Quincy's answer wiped that idea out.
"Elite Four tier?" Quincy said quietly. "Those things come from the League. They're rewards the League gives to Elite Four tier Trainers."
"Rewards?" Gulzar froze. "So… you can't just buy them?"
"Who would sell something like that?" Quincy chuckled under his breath. "Most trades are item-for-item. And even if someone did sell one, only an Elite Four tier Trainer could afford it."
Anything tied to Elite Four tier was expensive beyond reason. Tens of millions wouldn't even be a stretch—just look at how a single starter Pokémon could cost that much.
"Get some sleep," Quincy said. "Those notes are the real deal. While you've got time, read more."
"If Rai catches a Magikarp he's satisfied with, he'll leave Rind Island."
"That young man… he's the kind who's going to do something big," Quincy added. "Sticking with him has a future, but keeping pace won't be easy."
"I know," Gulzar said.
He understood it too well.
Reiji could see a Pokémon's talent. Someone like that was never going to end up ordinary. This was his chance, and he wasn't letting it slip.
He answered softly, and the tent went quiet again—only the rise and fall of breathing in the dark.
Reiji didn't have room for any of that.
Right now, he had one obsession: a 59-potential Magikarp. He'd even cut down the time he spent playing with Mudkip.
Mudkip couldn't be exposed in front of Gulzar and Quincy, and it absolutely couldn't be exposed in front of the Gym Leader's son they were about to rescue.
At the moment, he could still bluff Gulzar.
He couldn't bluff Quincy.
And the Gym Leader's son… that was still an unknown.
For now, he would keep Mudkip hidden, at least until they left Rind Island—or until he had absolute certainty Gulzar and Quincy wouldn't sell him out.
Beyond that, his nights had stayed calm. No nightmares.
That was because Darkrai went out at night—either messing with sleeping Pokémon in the forest or keeping watch on the poachers aboard the ship.
During the day, Darkrai stayed on the ship too, listening in on the boss' conversations. It rarely showed up at the campsite.
The only one grinding hard on training was Gengar.
It stayed in the forest, drilling accuracy with Kingler. No messing around, no excuses—Reiji was strict with it.
Train seriously when it's training time.
Play however you want when it's play time.
But if everyone's training, nobody gets to fool around.
That balance—tight and loose—was the rule he set for them.
Right now, Gengar was still a rookie. If it could get used to this life, that counted as truly being caught. Its worst problems were a greedy streak and a bit of gluttony—hardly a fatal flaw.
Croagunk, Shelmet, Gengar, and Zubat were all working on moving-target drills.
The fastest progress so far came from Shelmet and Gengar.
Croagunk still had to build its body up. The toxins in its system dragged its pace down, and sensory training was still waiting for it later.
Zubat wasn't any easier. Flight training, hitting moving targets while in motion, ultrasonic positioning—none of that could be skipped.
Even so, those four were gifted enough that even when they trained slowly, they still improved faster than Poliwhirl.
Poliwhirl was Reiji's weakest in raw talent.
It was also his hardest worker, and his strongest partner.
No matter how many high-talent Pokémon he caught later, the little one he treasured most was still Poliwhirl.
He would never forget the days on that deserted island—just the two of them, relying on each other, wandering around carefree and scavenging whatever they could find.
"Right, Poliwhirl?"
"Yobo?" Poliwhirl lay beside him, then pushed itself up, scratched its head, and stared at him with wide eyes, not understanding why Reiji wasn't sleeping and suddenly called its name.
Reiji chuckled and tapped its round belly lightly.
"Alright, I'm done teasing you. Sleep."
He lowered his voice.
"Poliwhirl… it's good having you."
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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