Chapter 12 Evolution!
An hour later, the Magikarp defeated over twenty more Magikarp, successfully leveling up from 16 to 17.
Another hour later, the Magikarp defeated over thirty more, leveling up from 17 to 18.
...
Using the Magikarp school in Crescent Lake for leveling up was indeed highly effective, but there was a problem.
The wild Magikarp had sensed the danger and were swimming towards the center of the lake, leaving no Magikarp near the shore.
Deeper into the center, Xia Mu could no longer assist in commanding the Magikarp in battle.
If the Magikarp were allowed to run rampant, they might attract some powerful Water-type Pokémon.
At least, before evolving into Gyarados, it was best not to act recklessly.
Ultimately, Xia Mu didn't believe that there weren't powerful and ferocious Pokémon like Gyarados surviving in Crescent Lake.
It was a pity that defeating ordinary fish didn't yield experience points, otherwise, he could have harvested some.
The Pokémon world isn't just about Pokémon; this was something he only learned after transmigrating. At first, he was quite skeptical, but later he understood.
If there were no ordinary species, where would the food come from?
Do they really eat the flesh of certain Pokémon?
Not entirely, but they are a very small minority.
In the rivers and seas, there are some fish species from Xia Mu's previous life, but because they are unintelligent and lack special powers, they are not considered Pokémon.
On land, there are also ordinary chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and sheep, but nowadays, most are domesticated by the League and farmers/ranchers, which is the primary food source for humans and some Pokémon.
Ultimately, Xia Mu was too naive before. In his previous life, he saw people online debating: what do they eat in the Pokémon world if not Pokémon? Is it all high-tech stuff?
There were some impressive technological advancements, but not as outrageous as he'd imagined in his previous life.
"It's already past 3 PM, and I'm still two levels short," Xia Mu said, a slight headache creeping in.
He'd initially thought defeating Magikarp would suffice, but now it seemed he'd need Riolu's assistance.
If this were a game world, he could just carry it around to gain experience. Even if he couldn't carry it around to share experience, at least there would be an Exp. Share device, allowing for unique experience sharing… but the system shop didn't have one…
With no other option, Xia Mu and Riolu reached a new agreement: their target would be other Pokémon.
Thankfully, the Magikarp group was gone, but there were still many wild Pokémon by the lake.
Not just those on land, but quite a few in the water, such as Poliwag, Psyduck, Goldeen, and Shellder.
There were even Water-type Pokémon from other regions, completely different from what Xia Mu had imagined in his previous life.
The Kanto region didn't only have Kanto Pokémon; it also had Pokémon common to other regions, such as the Marill family, the dragon slayers, and Wooper, and even Pokémon from remote areas.
It's just that the real world isn't as strictly divided into regions as in the games.
Besides, that's entirely because early games didn't have the later game mechanics, so naturally, there wouldn't be Pokémon from other regions.
...
Time flew by, and it was already 5 PM.
With Riolu's help, Magikarp grew stronger and stronger with each battle.
It managed to get over a hundred Pokémon of levels 10-20 to finish off the opponent, helping Riolu defeat its opponent. Even with limited experience sharing, it added up.
Riolu even leveled up by one.
Finally, after defeating the last Goldeen, Magikarp reached level 20.
Then, after a violent struggle and leap, its body emitted a dazzling red light.
While Xia Mu hadn't witnessed a typical Pokémon evolution firsthand, he'd seen plenty of videos.
The white light turned red—perhaps that's what makes a Shiny Pokémon different.
Under the red light, Magikarp's body underwent a dramatic transformation.
Magikarp was already considered large; the standard size was only 0.9 meters, but Xia Mu's was 1.5 meters, not the largest, but still considerable.
Under Xia Mu and Riolu's watchful eyes, Magikarp's form completely changed, transforming into a giant Gyarados.
When the red light completely dissipated, Gyarados appeared before them like a skyscraper.
'Roar!!' A roar like a dragon's cry erupted from the red Gyarados's mouth.
Many wild Pokémon nearby scattered in fright.
Its blood-red body was dazzling.
Compared to this size, a normal Gyarados was a mere child.
Although its appearance was somewhat terrifying, this was his red Gyarados.
Xia Mu wasn't afraid of his own Pokémon; he only thought it was cool!
Besides cool, it was also majestic.
He checked the red Gyarados's information panel.
[(Shiny) Gyarados]
[LV: 20]
[Gender: Male]
[Type: Water/Flying]
[Nature: Quiet]
[Ability: Intimidate (Intimidates the opponent upon entry, causing them to back down and lowering their Attack)]
[Moves: Splash, Tackle, Leer, Twister, Whirlpool, Ice Fang, Brine, Scary Face.]
[Friendship: 101 (Very good relationship, mutually encouraging)]
[Emotion: Very happy (From now on, I am the strongest Magikarp, no! The strongest Gyarados.)]
…
Although it's not quite the red Gyarados of his dreams, a Quiet red Gyarados seems pretty good.
Anyway, he had already planned to go for a dual-attacking strategy, and with proper training, it would still be an ace.
In fact, the Intimidate ability perfectly compensates for the low Speed of the Quiet nature.
In a sense, this is complementary.
Xia Mu plans to try to change it in his future life, perhaps its nature will change with his lifestyle.
After all, people's personalities change, and Pokémon are living beings too.
If it really doesn't work, he can't force it.
If the red Gyarados wants to advance further in the future, then he'll consider a Mint nature.
A dual attacker isn't bad; at least once it reaches a certain level, Gyarados won't be lacking in either physical or special attacks.
.. end of this chapter...