Transform

Three months later, in the forest of an unknown island.

A green bug lay quietly among the trees. A closer look would reveal that it was none other than Caterpie, a Pokémon.

This was the first Pokémon Luo Sa had transformed into, after finally gathering enough Transformation Energy a month ago.

But after completing the transformation, Luo Sa discovered that Ditto's ability didn't let him transform whenever he wanted!

To transform, he first had to gather enough Transformation Energy, then picture the Pokémon he wanted to become in his mind.

After transforming into Caterpie, the Transformation Energy in his body had disappeared for good.

And some of Caterpie's genes had permanently merged with his body, allowing him to transform into Caterpie whenever he wanted!

"Ugh, if I'd known this would happen, I would've saved up more Transformation Energy so I could transform into a much stronger Pokémon. Now look at me. Apart from String Shot and a decent ability to hide, I'm useless!"

Thinking about how all the Transformation Energy he'd stored up over two months had vanished, Luo Sa felt a lump of frustration in his chest that he couldn't shake.

Just then, a rhinoceros ambled over. As it passed by Luo Sa, it didn't seem to notice him at all and walked straight on.

No, perhaps it had noticed him but simply felt that a tiny bug posed no threat!

As the rhinoceros passed by, a glint suddenly flashed in Luo Sa's eyes. A burst of white light enveloped him, and a pink, humanoid figure appeared on the branch.

"Ditto Half-Beast Form!"

"Gomu Gomu Pistol!"

"Gomu Gomu Bullet!"

"Gomu Gomu Gatling!"

A series of crashes erupted through the forest. Countless trees began to topple, sending birds and beasts fleeing in every direction.

At the very center of the commotion, a clearing had been carved out. The enormous rhinoceros had been caught off guard and killed by Luo Sa. Its body lay sprawled on the ground, and Luo Sa sat casually on top of it, panting.

"Whew, Ditto's body really can imitate the abilities of the Rubber Man."

"Although I can't use those cheat-like skills of Luffy's, like Gear Second, Gear Third, and Gear Fourth, this is more than enough!"

Luo Sa let out a breath and felt quite satisfied. After all, transformation was his main ability.

Once he'd caught his breath, Luo Sa began reviewing what he'd gained from the fight.

He focused inward and immediately saw a mass of intangible energy: Transformation Energy.

His Transformation Energy was far greater now than it had been at the beginning.

"Sure enough, Devil Fruits are strongly dependent on the body. As long as I get stronger, the Devil Fruit's abilities will grow stronger too."

Luo Sa nodded in satisfaction. During this time, he hadn't just been developing Ditto's rubber abilities; he'd also kept up his physical training without a single break.

"I wonder if eating this rhinoceros will give me enough Transformation Energy for a second transformation!"

Luo Sa looked at the rhinoceros beneath him, his eyes burning with excitement.

Besides training, he'd also discovered that eating foods rich in energy could increase his Transformation Energy!

This rhinoceros was enormous, more than three times the size of an ordinary rhino on Earth.

Even so, given Luo Sa's monstrous appetite, it would probably amount to no more than a fairly satisfying meal!

He dragged the rhinoceros to the beach, set up his grill with practiced ease, and started a fire by rubbing sticks together.

Thin smoke curled into the sky. Luo Sa watched the sea meet the horizon as he waited for his food to cook.

For three months, he'd done the same thing every day. Apart from hunting, he hadn't left the beach once, afraid he might miss a ship passing by.

"Looks like this really is an uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere. Even the merchant ships never pass by."

Luo Sa shook his head helplessly, picked up the roasted rhinoceros meat, and devoured it.

There were no seasonings, and the meat wasn't very good. It was a barely passable meal.

Of course, the food itself wasn't what Luo Sa cared about. He only wanted to know how much his Transformation Energy had increased.

"With this much, it should be enough for a Pokémon like Caterpie!"

Luo Sa thought for a moment, then tested a few other Pokémon transformations.

He'd been mulling over a theory for a while, and now was the perfect time to see if he was right.

"First... Bellsprout."

Luo Sa pondered briefly, then stirred his Transformation Energy and pictured Bellsprout in his mind.

At once, the Transformation Energy in his body began to surge, alerting him that he now had enough energy to transform.

Luo Sa quickly stopped what he was doing and let the Transformation Energy settle.

"Just as I thought... Now, Kakuna!"

Luo Sa stirred his Transformation Energy again, and this time it reacted as well.

"Let's try Butterfree!"

Luo Sa tested it once more, but this time the Transformation Energy didn't respond.

"Then... Jigglypuff?"

Luo Sa tried again, and this time the Transformation Energy reacted.

Luo Sa's eyes lit up. He tested one more Pokémon: Winged Gull, a dual Flying- and Water-type Pokémon.

But this time, the Transformation Energy didn't react, which meant he still hadn't met the requirement.

"Sure enough, the transformation requirement is entirely based on a Pokémon's base stats!"

"Bellsprout has the lowest base stats, at 180."

"Caterpie's base stats are 195."

"Kakuna's base stats are 205."

"Butterfree's base stats are 395."

"Jigglypuff's base stats are 210."

"Winged Gull's base stats are 270."

Luo Sa silently ran through the base stats of all the Pokémon in his mind, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Still, he wasn't entirely convinced. He tested all the Pokémon with base stats between 180 and 270 one by one, and the results were exactly as he'd expected. His transformation limit was determined by base stats!

After confirming this, Luo Sa immediately compared the amount of his Transformation Energy with the relationship between it and base stats. He calculated that his current Transformation Energy value was 210 points, which meant he could only transform into Pokémon whose base stats were 210 or lower.

From now on, he'd be able to choose which Pokémon to transform into much more freely by checking his energy level!

Taking advantage of the rare chance to rest after his meal, Luo Sa began imagining the Pokémon he might transform into in the future.

Anyone who'd watched the Pokémon anime or played the Pokémon games had probably imagined their ideal team at some point!

Thinking about it, Luo Sa felt a surge of excitement, as if he'd been transported back to his childhood.

Back then, he'd had no money. He'd secretly watched Pokémon DVDs at the anime shop, and now that he thought about it, he felt a little nostalgic. It had been one of the few pleasures in his hard life.

That was why he'd revisited it again and again as he grew up, until he could recite the details by heart!