Drakloak

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Drakloak hatched as a Shiny Dreepy from the Pokémon Egg given to Chen Shi by his system when he turned fifteen. The egg hatched seven days later, making Dreepy Chen Shi’s first Pokémon. Chen Shi raised him with premium nutritional supplements and initially set out with him alone, but a defeat against Caterpie forced them home to collect the Mudkip prepared by Grandpa Chen 1.

During their year of travel, Dreepy depended on the eventual Swampert for protection and most battles. He also discovered the starving Leafeon and Togepi in an underground cavern, enabling Chen Shi to rescue them 4 5.

After returning to the farm, Dreepy chose to evolve despite Chen Shi’s warning that strength would bring painful training and difficult battles. His motivation was to protect his Trainer and companions rather than remain dependent on Swampert. Following his evolution, Chen Shi arranged training with Garchomp and Salamence; Gengar also volunteered to teach him later 5 6.

Chen Shi’s grandparents originally saved a Dragon Blood Crystal for Drakloak’s future growth. Chen Shi persuaded them to use it for Salamence and Garchomp instead, revealing that he had Giratina’s naturally shed reverse scale reserved for Drakloak’s evolution. Drakloak emerged from his Poké Ball on his own when the scale was revealed, but calmed down after Chen Shi promised to give it to him at the proper time 55.

After reaching level 59, Drakloak returned to his mentors for special training in preparation for the upcoming tournament. On Chen Shi’s third day back at the farm, his teammates and mentors gathered at Salamence’s nest to witness his final evolution. He drank a Recovery Potion, absorbed top-grade Dragon and Ghost Gems, and caught Giratina’s reverse scale in his mouth as the evolution light intensified. He became a Shiny Dragapult with Second-Class Deity potential and Shadow Force 57 60.

Much later, Chen Shi brought him to Dragon Island in Galar after hearing that its Dragon-type Pokémon had been searching for something for years. There, they found his mother, the island’s peak Legendary Dragapult leader. Mother and son recognized one another through their bloodline aura and an instinctive sense of kinship. She had lost her child over two years earlier and understood that Chen Shi, having brought him back, was not the one who had stolen him 536 537 538.

Until this reunion, Dreepy had believed Chen Shi’s childhood claim that he had emerged from a crack in a rock. Meeting his mother exposed the story as a fabrication. Although he recognized her immediately, he initially lacked a strong emotional bond with her because Chen Shi had raised him 537 539.

Appearance

• Size: Approximately two meters long immediately after evolving into Drakloak 5.
• Head: Broad, flat, and airplane-shaped 5 18.
• Eyes: Narrow and yellow 17 41.
• Shiny markings: At the Drakloak stage, only the markings on his head and belly differ slightly from an ordinary Drakloak 15.
• Head companion: As Drakloak, carries a small Dreepy resembling his own newly hatched form 6.
• Voice: His youthful roar still sounds somewhat cute before his final evolution 17.

Dragapult Appearance

• Size: Nearly five meters long following his final evolution 61.
• Head: Lengthens and enlarges during evolution, developing four launch openings, two large and two small 60.
• Limbs and markings: His bent forelimbs become claws, hind claws appear, and the single belly marking becomes three 60.
• Shiny coloration: The markings on his head and belly, together with his foreclaws, are yellow rather than the ordinary Dragapult’s dark red 60.
• Dreepy companions: Carries two Dreepy after splitting off another during evolution 60.

Flash Bond Form Appearance

• His flattened head structure becomes shorter, and the four launch ports are reduced to two 142.
• His foreclaws become the same size as his hind claws 142.
• The abdominal markings disappear and are replaced by cyan scales 142.
• His eyes become somewhat rounder and more intimidating 142.
• His formerly translucent tail becomes solid, with a cyan flame burning on it 142.

Personality

Drakloak is affectionate, proud, and eager for Chen Shi’s approval. He celebrates his evolution by embracing his Trainer, shows off his training results, and rushes back for praise after winning against Dusknoir. He also insists on joining Chen Shi’s trip to Mt. Pyre rather than being left behind 5 18 27 32.

His confidence is sensitive to failure. The childhood loss to Caterpie remains a source of embarrassment, and being caught mishandling Draco Meteor leaves him visibly ashamed. After losing to Steven’s Metagross, he feels guilty and avoids Chen Shi’s eyes, but reassurance renews his determination to win their eventual rematch 2 10 17.

He is deeply protective of his own kind. Finding a Dreepy fossil makes him mourn the dead Pokémon and place its remains on his head, allowing it to rest where a living Dreepy would. He accepts Chen Shi’s promise of revival with complete trust 39.

His affection persists after evolving into Dragapult. He gently nuzzles Chen Shi and carefully returns his embrace with his foreclaws. During the evolution preparations, he recalls their early adventures with tenderness and waits patiently for Chen Shi to provide Giratina’s scale rather than rushing to seize it 60.

He respects determined opponents. When Yuko’s injured Blaziken struggles to stand, he shows admiration but continues attacking, treating a fair defeat as the greatest respect he can offer her 97.

Even after attaining great strength, he remains frustrated by jokes about his childhood. His teammates tease him about Caterpie, and he later objects to Chen Shi recounting the incident to the Pokémon of Dragon Island. He regards himself as grown up and is reluctant to admit that his mother’s wish for him to stay, and the local Dreepy’s disdain for his coloration, have upset him 72 538 539.

He becomes wary of Chen Shi’s elaborate attempts to talk him around. When Chen Shi proposes making him a “Netherworld Lord” and turning his embarrassing origins into a legend, Dragapult asks to abandon the idea and tries to end the conversation 539.

Abilities & Skills

Phantom Force

Drakloak enters subspace to evade attacks, reposition, and strike from unexpected directions 17 32.

• Avoids Metagross’s Psychic and Flash Cannon by disappearing into subspace 17.
• Can use the move purely to retreat or create distance rather than immediately attack 32.
• Uses it to approach Firetree from behind and knock him unconscious 43.
• Remains vulnerable upon emerging: Metagross catches him with battlefield-wide Confusion and follows with Ice Punch 17.
• The move becomes Shadow Force during his evolution into Dragapult after receiving Giratina’s reverse scale 60.

Shadow Force

Dragapult acquires Giratina’s signature move through his final evolution. Compared with Phantom Force, it is more powerful, activates faster, and requires less charging time. It also bypasses defensive moves and is useful for escaping as well as attacking 60 61.

• Direct subspace entry: Unlike Phantom Force, which requires time to tear open a passage, Shadow Force allows him to enter subspace directly 106.
• Immediate evasion: Vanishes just before Swalot’s Ice Punch connects, then returns to interrupt its Stockpile with a Ghost-type strike 106.
• Ambush attacks: Appears behind Yuko’s Blaziken before she can complete Bulk Up and sends her flying 96 97.
• Flexible sequencing: Evades Delphox’s Psychic, reappears to destroy Double Team copies with Dragon Pulse, then vanishes again before striking from behind 97.
• Tactical limits: Stronger opponents can pressure him to emerge by using setup moves. Lance’s Dragonite forces such a dilemma by beginning Dragon Dance while Dragapult is hidden 140.
• Temporal restriction: During their stay a thousand years in the past, Chen Shi forbids its use because Giratina does not yet know him and the move might attract its attention 325.

Dragon-Type Techniques

Salamence teaches Drakloak Dragon-type moves, recognizing his unusually fast learning 10.

• Draco Meteor: Initially launches a meteor that falls straight down without scattering. By Chapter 27, he can make meteors burst overhead and rain down, though further proficiency is still needed 10 27.
• Dragon Dance: Can perform the move in just over three seconds by Chapter 32; Salamence takes more than two seconds 32.
• Dragon Pulse: Demonstrates fine energy control by repeatedly using the weakest possible pulses to remove rock surrounding the Dreepy fossil. As Dragapult, sweeps away Delphox’s Double Team copies with a powerful blast 39 97.
• Dragon Rush: Listed among his moves upon evolution into Drakloak. Later envelops himself in a phantom dragon of concentrated Dragon-type energy to finish Swalot 5 106.
• Dragon Darts: Acquired upon evolution into Dragapult. Envelops his two Dreepy in Dragon-type energy and fires them at opponents. By Elite Four Level, he can launch them instantly at greatly increased speed 60 97 325.
• Outrage: Listed in his Bond Form panel and used for a final, all-out collision with Lance’s Dragonite. His eyes turn crimson and his scales shine cyan as he charges 142.

Defensive and Tactical Combat

Drakloak combines speed, evasive movement, and defensive timing rather than relying on endurance 17 32.

• Protect: Blocks Ice Punch from both Metagross and Dusknoir. The barrier can still be broken by attacks exceeding its limits 17 32.
• U-turn: Escapes Metagross’s grip by returning to his Poké Ball, then reenters the same one-on-one battle. Chen Shi later recalls this tactic and orders it when Lance’s Dragonite grabs Dragapult before an Ice Punch 17 140.
• Astonish: Uses three strange balls of light to leave Dusknoir confused at close range 32.
• Sucker Punch: Interrupts Camerupt’s attempted Earthquake with assistance from Metagross’s Confusion. Later combines the move with Shadow Force for hit-and-run attacks 43 106 140.
• Early limitations: As Drakloak, has poor stamina and relatively little battle experience. A single Ice Punch from Steven’s Metagross knocks him out 17 32 36.
• Improved endurance: After his final evolution and advancement to Senior Elite King level, Chen Shi estimates that a same-level Metagross would need approximately three Ice Punches to defeat him 189.
• Ranged combat: At later stages, is exceptionally fast and agile with powerful ranged attacks, using repeated Shadow Balls to bring down large numbers of Shadow Pokémon 500.

Infiltrator

His status panels consistently record Infiltrator. The story describes the Ability as allowing him to ignore defensive moves such as Protect and Light Screen 5 60 61 97.

• Dragon Darts pass directly through Yuko’s Blaziken’s Protect barrier and strike her 97.
• The tournament announcer explains the Ability after the attack, identifying Yuko’s defensive command as a mistake caused by unfamiliarity with Dragapult 97.
• Chen Shi considers Shadow Force’s defense-bypassing property redundant for Dragapult because Infiltrator already provides that advantage 61.

Stealth and Perception

Drakloak can turn invisible and scout without being noticed 41.

• Infiltrates Team Magma’s base and removes a pile of stones without alerting Firetree 41.
• Judges the strength of Pokémon inside Firetree’s Poké Balls, recognizing opponents he is unlikely to defeat 41.
• Detects Ada hiding behind a boulder 42.
• Senses the buried Dreepy fossil through an unexplained feeling of attraction, sadness, and restlessness 39.
• Chen Shi considers Ghost- or Psychic-type Pokémon the main risk to his concealment 42.
• As Dragapult, can remain in Chen Shi’s shadow and emerge when called into battle 325.
• Recognizes his mother through a strong instinctive sense of kinship upon meeting her 537.

Dreepy Splitting

Drakloak produces the Dreepy he carries by splitting it off from himself; Chen Shi notices the small Pokémon shortly after his evolution 3 6.

• The split-off Dreepy cannot evolve and depends on the larger Pokémon to survive 3.
• Grandpa Chen explains that another Dreepy will be split off upon evolution into Dragapult 3.
• A Drakloak without a Dreepy on its head becomes increasingly agitated and may eventually lose control 39.
• His final evolution fulfills Grandpa Chen’s explanation: a second Dreepy appears on his head 60.
• The two Dreepy serve as the projectiles for Dragon Darts. Opponents can evade individual darts, as Swalot dodges one while being struck by the other 97 106.
• Dragapult shares his Pokéblocks with his dependent companions 66.

Bond Phenomenon

During the World Championships battle against Lance, Chen Shi releases a tremendous surge of Psychic power and urges the fallen Dragapult to rise. Dragapult manifests Flash Bond Form, which Chen Shi compares to Ash’s Bond Greninja 142.

• His panel changes from level 64 to level 64+5, placing the transformed form at Peak Senior Elite King 142.
• His Ability is displayed as Infiltrator (Bond Phenomenon), while his potential remains Second-Class Deity 142.
• The transformation significantly changes his head, limbs, scales, eyes, and tail 142.
• Chen Shi is left deathly pale and nearly exhausted when the form appears 142.
• Spectators mistake the transformation for Mega Evolution because they are unfamiliar with the Bond Phenomenon 142.

Z-Move

• Devastating Drake: Unleashes the Dragon-type Z-Move after Chen Shi gives him Dragonium Z and uses Psychic power through a Powerful Z-Ring. Chen Shi grasps and tugs a visible red thread connected to Dragapult, causing his fighting spirit to surge before he releases an enormous dragon-shaped wave of energy 494.
• The activation occurs without the usual preparatory process Chen Shi had been considering, demonstrating an alternative method involving his Psychic power and the ring 494.

Other Documented Moves

• Additional moves listed at evolution into Drakloak: Bite, Quick Attack, Infestation, Assurance, Hex, Agility, and Shadow Ball 5.
• Additional moves listed after evolution into Dragapult: Confuse Ray and Double-Edge 60.
• Further moves recorded in his Bond Form panel: Acrobatics, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Fire Blast 142.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Top-grade Recovery Potion: Consumed before evolution to protect his body from the influx of energy 5.
• Dragon Gems and Ghost Gems: Absorbed to trigger evolution 5.
• Food backpack: Supplied by Chen Shi during his training with Salamence and Garchomp 10.
• Space Backpack: Used to transport healing supplies and later to collect stones from Team Magma’s base 16 41.
• Florges’s Luxury Ball: Temporarily entrusted to him when Chen Shi sends him to fetch Florges 15 16.
• Giratina’s naturally shed reverse scale: Reserved by Chen Shi for his final evolution. Strongly attracts him and is incorporated into his evolution into Dragapult, after which his potential becomes Second-Class Deity and he gains Shadow Force 20 55 60.
• Final-evolution supplies: Top-grade Dragon and Ghost Gems and an energy Recovery Potion prepared by Grandpa Chen 60.
• Dragon Blood Crystal: Originally saved by Chen Shi’s grandparents for him, but redirected to help Salamence and Garchomp because Chen Shi had Giratina’s scale for Drakloak 55 57.
• Mystery Realm Core Shard / Core: Supports his later growth and breakthrough to Elite Four Level 301 311.
• Dragonium Z: Given to him for the successful Devastating Drake experiment involving Chen Shi’s Powerful Z-Ring 494.

Relationships

• Chen Shi — Trainer and closest companion. Drakloak’s desire to protect him drives his evolution; Chen Shi encourages him through embarrassment and defeat. Their connection later manifests in Bond Dragapult. He remains devoted to Chen Shi even while protesting his fabricated origin story and repeated retellings of the Caterpie incident 5 10 17 142 537 538 539.
• Swampert — Teammate and former protector. Dreepy envies his strength and ability to bring Chen Shi victories. Swampert later attends his final evolution with the rest of the team 5 60.
• Salamence — Dragon-type mentor who supervises his training and praises his exceptional learning speed. She witnesses his final evolution with pride 6 10 60.
• Garchomp — Appointed training partner. Drakloak privately judges him for forgetting Metagross’s resistance to Dragon-type attacks. After Garchomp’s own advancement, Drakloak eagerly returns to his mentors in hopes of learning something new 6 17 57.
• Gengar — Volunteers to teach him later and guides him and Chen Shi through Mt. Pyre 6 18.
• Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen — Familiar caretakers who tease him about his early weakness and provide the resources for his evolution. They originally reserve the Dragon Blood Crystal for his future growth 2 3 5 55.
• Split-off Dreepy — Dependent head companion that shares his enjoyment of high-speed flight and sorrow over the fossil. A second companion appears when he evolves into Dragapult, and he feeds and launches both as Dragon Darts 6 18 39 60 66 97.
• Steven and Metagross — His first opponents after evolution. Their victory establishes a promised rematch once he evolves again. The U-turn tactic from that battle later informs Chen Shi’s response to Lance’s Dragonite 17 140.
• Pheobe and Dusknoir — Pheobe admires his Dragon/Ghost typing; he later defeats her newly Gym-level Dusknoir 21 32.
• Professor Oak and Dragonite — Oak recognizes his Senior Elite King strength when Chen Shi visits the laboratory. Dragonite later takes Chen Shi’s Pokémon to challenge opponents in the backyard, helping develop their battle experience 63 66.
• Lance and Dragonite — Major tournament opponents. Dragonite’s superior level and reflexes pressure Dragapult’s evasive tactics, and their battle culminates in his Bond transformation and an Outrage clash 140 142.
• Yuko, Blaziken, and Delphox — Tournament opponents against whom he demonstrates Shadow Force, Dragon Darts, and Infiltrator. He respects Blaziken’s refusal to give up 96 97.
• Victini — Teammate whom Chen Shi calls upon to rescue Dragapult after Kleavor ambushes him amid an attacking Pokémon army 414.
• Dragon Mom — Biological mother and Dragon Island’s peak Legendary leader. She recognizes him through their shared bloodline and embraces him tearfully. Astonished by his growth in just over two years, she considers retiring and having him succeed her, although his Shiny coloration complicates acceptance by the group 537 538.
• Dragon Island’s Pokémon — Initially surround Chen Shi before Dragon Mom restrains them. The local Dreepy look down on Dragapult’s unusual coloration, leaving him upset despite his reluctance to tell Chen Shi 537 538.

Story Role / Major Arcs

First Post-Evolution Battle

• Faces Steven’s Shiny Metagross on the farm, using Ghost-type attacks to exploit its weakness rather than resisted Dragon-type moves 17.
• Loses after Metagross catches him emerging from Phantom Force. Gardevoir restores him with Life Dew, and the Trainers agree to a future rematch 17.

Mt. Pyre and Pheobe

• Accompanies Chen Shi into Mt. Pyre’s Ghost Mystery Realm and displays his aura to intimidate Pheobe’s Elite Peak Dusknoir 18 19.
• Reacts intensely to Giratina’s naturally shed reverse scale, nearly bursting from his Poké Ball when Chen Shi opens its box 20.
• Later defeats Dusknoir by countering Gravity and Ice Punch with Phantom Force, Protect, and Astonish. Pheobe surrenders before further attacks are necessary 32.

Meteor Falls Expedition

• Discovers the Dreepy fossil that Chen Shi promises to revive. Chen Shi subsequently gives it to Pheobe, though the Revival Machine still requires repairs 39 47.
• Retrieves Team Magma’s discarded stones, among which Chen Shi identifies Mega Stones for Garchomp, Venusaur, and Glalie 41 42.
• Reports the five captured Bagon at Firetree’s base. During the rescue, he helps stop a cave-threatening Earthquake and incapacitates Firetree 42 43.

Final Evolution and Tournament Preparation

• Chen Shi reveals Giratina’s scale to his grandparents as the opportunity reserved for Drakloak, allowing the family’s Dragon Blood Crystal to be used for his mentors instead 55.
• Returns to the farm at level 59 and undertakes further mentor-led training before the approaching tournament 57.
• Evolves at Salamence’s nest in front of his teammates, Salamence, and Garchomp. His new panel reveals Second-Class Deity potential and Shadow Force 60.
• During the celebration, a pair of terrifying crimson eyes briefly appears in a distant puddle, watches him, and disappears unnoticed 60.

Pokémon World Championships

• Uses Draco Meteor and Shadow Force against Yuko’s Blaziken, then fires Dragon Darts through Protect with Infiltrator and finishes her with Shadow Ball 96 97.
• Against Delphox, combines subspace evasion, Dragon Pulse, and rear attacks to counter Psychic and Double Team 97.
• Defeats Reggie’s Swalot by chaining Sucker Punch, Shadow Force, Dragon Darts, and Dragon Rush 106.
• Struggles against Lance’s higher-level Dragonite, which catches him during an attempted hit-and-run attack. Chen Shi calls for U-turn after remembering their first battle with Steven 140.
• Awakens Flash Bond Form after falling during the battle. He and Dragonite then commit their remaining strength to a head-on Outrage collision 142.

Elite Four Breakthrough and Hisui

• Approaches Elite Four Level through the Mystery Realm Core Shard, then achieves the breakthrough while staying at Professor Oak’s Laboratory 301 311.
• In the past, switches from Shadow Force to Dragon Darts after Chen Shi warns that using Giratina’s move could attract the deity’s attention 325.
• Chen Shi cites his strength at only two years old as evidence to the Goodra clan that resources, disciplined training, and a Trainer’s guidance can produce rapid growth 385.
• Reaches level 94 after a year of training with Plate Projections in the special environment associated with Arceus 406.
• Carries Chen Shi atop an enormous wave during a confrontation with an Arcanine group, then receives the command to use Dragon Darts against the largest survivor 407.
• Is ambushed by Kleavor while attacking a Pokémon army. After X-Scissor strikes his head and surrounding opponents prepare further attacks, Chen Shi calls on Victini to save him 414.

Z-Move Experiment and Shadow Pokémon Offensive

• Successfully unleashes Devastating Drake through Chen Shi’s Psychic-assisted activation of a Powerful Z-Ring and Dragonium Z 494.
• During the offensive against Shadow Pokémon, his speed, agility, and powerful Shadow Ball barrage allow him to defeat large numbers at range 500.

Reunion on Dragon Island

• Accompanies Chen Shi to Dragon Island in Galar to investigate the connection between the island’s searching dragons and his missing mother 536 537.
• Recognizes Dragon Mom immediately, disproving Chen Shi’s claim that he had originated from a rock. She embraces him and prevents the island’s dragons from attacking his Trainer 537.
• His mother is shocked that he has reached strength only slightly below her own in just over two years and begins considering him as a successor 538.
• Becomes upset by the local Dreepy’s disdain for his Shiny coloration but does not openly explain the problem to Chen Shi 538.
• Later confronts Chen Shi over his invented origins and public retelling of the Caterpie defeat. Chen Shi’s attempted explanation escalates into a proposed “Netherworld Lord” legend, which Dragapult anxiously asks him to abandon 539.

Notable Quotes

“I want to protect my companions, too. I want to protect my Trainer myself. I want to stand before the crowd and win for you, too.”
— Drakloak’s thoughts during evolution 5.

“Next time. Next time, I’ll definitely win.”
— His resolve after losing to Steven’s Metagross 17.

“It’s been so long, and I’ve already evolved into this. Why are you still hung up on that Caterpie?”
— Dragapult’s thoughts when his teammates tease him 72.

“I don’t think this Netherworld Lord thing suits me. How about we just forget it?”
— Dragapult protesting Chen Shi’s proposed legend for him 539.

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