"Try it out," I told Gible, gesturing to a piece of driftwood about as thick as my arm.
The dragon approached the wood, claws glowing with silver-white energy. He slashed once, and the driftwood split cleanly in half, the cut surface smooth as if made by a blade.
'Strong,' Gible observed with satisfaction. 'Much stronger than Tackle.'
"And it's Steel-type, so you get STAB. Same Type Attack Bonus. That fifty base power becomes seventy-five when you use it."
The next Pokémon I hooked was something I hadn't expected to see on a beach.
A Staryu.
The starfish Pokémon floated above the sand using some form of psychic levitation, its red core gem pulsing with light.
It was perfectly symmetrical, five points radiating from its central body, and though it lacked a visible face, I got the distinct impression it was assessing us carefully.
"Hyah!" It spun rapidly, its points blurring into a disk.
"Gible, Metal Claw!"
The little dragon lunged forward, claws glowing silver-white.
He struck the Staryu mid-spin, and the sound was like metal hitting crystal.
The starfish Pokémon tumbled backward but recovered quickly, its core pulsing faster.
"Hyah hyah!" It launched itself forward, spinning like a shuriken, edges sharp enough to cut.
"Dragon Rage!"
Crimson flames intercepted the attack, engulfing Staryu. When the fire cleared, the starfish was on the ground, its core dim and flickering weakly.
[VICTORY!]
[STARYU DEFEATED - Level 10]
[EXP GAINED: +118]
[Current EXP: 186/260]
[+1 FREE EV]
[Free EVs: 5]
I checked the time again: 8:47 PM.
Just over an hour until low tide. The cave entrance was still submerged, but I could see the water level dropping gradually as the tide shifted.
More Pokémon were starting to appear now, drawn by the smell of cooking fish and the light from my fire.
I saw shadows moving in the darkness beyond the firelight's reach.
Land Pokémon were venturing down to the beach, curious, hungry, or maybe both.
A Pidgeotto swooped down suddenly, talons extended toward the fish cooking on my makeshift spit. It was larger than a standard Pidgey, its brown-and-cream plumage ruffled and hostile.
"Pidgeotto!" It screeched a challenge.
'An evolved form,' I thought. 'In the games, Pidgey doesn't evolve until Level 18. But this is Extreme Mode. Evolution can happen from stress, anger, survival pressure. This one probably evolved defending territory or escaping a predator.'
"Gible, intercept!"
The dragon launched himself between the Pidgeotto and our food, claws glowing with Metal Claw's silvery energy.
He swiped at the bird, forcing it to veer away mid-dive.
The Pidgeotto recovered quickly, circling overhead and building speed. It dove again, and this time I recognized the attack pattern.
"Quick Attack! Dodge and use Dragon Rage!"
Gible rolled to the side as the bird shot past, then twisted and unleashed crimson flames into the air. The Pidgeotto took the attack directly, screeching as draconic energy seared its feathers. It hit the ground hard, struggled to rise, then collapsed.
[VICTORY!]
[PIDGEOTTO DEFEATED - Level 10]
[EXP GAINED: +113]
[Current EXP: 299/260]
[LEVEL UP!]
[GIBLE: Level 10 → Level 11]
[Current EXP: 39/290]
[+1 FREE EV]
[Free EVs: 6]
Level 11. We were getting stronger rapidly now, each battle bringing us closer to the power we'd need to face the mystery Pokémon.
The Pidgeotto recovered and flew off into the darkness, and I turned my attention back to the ocean.
But something had changed. The beach was no longer empty.
More Pokémon were emerging from the darkness, drawn by the commotion and the promise of food.
I saw a Raticate—an evolved Rattata, larger and more aggressive than its pre-evolution—sniffing at the edges of our camp.
A second Krabby scuttled out of the surf, pincers raised defensively.
Another Tentacool floated in the shallow water, watching us with alien interest.
"This is going to be a long night," I muttered, checking my supplies.
I still had plenty of Potions if Gible took damage.
The fire was well-established and would burn for hours. And we had at least another hour before Totodile would emerge.
Time to put that hour to good use.
"Gible," I called, and the dragon turned to face me with gleaming eyes. "We've got company. Ready for more training?"
His answering grin showed far too many teeth.
'Always ready.'
The Raticate approached first, drawn by the smell of cooked fish.
It was massive compared to the wild Rattata I'd seen in Pallet Town.
Easily three feet long from nose to tail-tip, with yellowed fangs and a matted purple coat.
"Raticate!" It snarled, clearly considering us competition for food.
"Metal Claw," I ordered.
Gible charged, claws glowing silver-white. The Raticate tried to dodge, but Gible was faster now, his increased Speed stat allowing him to close the distance before the Normal-type could react.
Steel claws raked across the Raticate's side, and the oversized rat squealed in pain.
It retaliated with Hyper Fang, lunging forward with its massive incisors aimed at Gible's neck. But the dragon's Rough Skin ability activated on contact, the Raticate taking damage from the sharp scales even as it bit down.
"Dragon Rage!"
Point-blank range. The flames engulfed both Pokémon, but Gible's Steel-typing provided resistance. The Raticate took the full forty damage and collapsed, fur singed and smoking.
[VICTORY!]
[RATICATE DEFEATED - Level 10]
[EXP GAINED: +116]
[Current EXP: 155/290]
[+1 FREE EV]
[Free EVs: 7]
The Raticate limped away into the darkness, and I turned to face the second Krabby that had emerged from the ocean.
This one was larger than the first, its oversized claw nearly as big as Gible's entire body. It scuttled forward aggressively, foam bubbling from its mouth.
"Krabby krabby!" Challenge and territorial aggression in equal measure.
"Gible, Metal Claw again!"