But Yong, who had transmigrated here, knew the answer! With a Prism Scale and a Beauty rating raised above 170, Feebas could evolve.
The problem was that Prism Scales weren't actually hard to find, and Beauty could be cultivated too. The truly difficult part was making a Feebas with a severe inferiority complex believe it was beautiful! That was the biggest headache for trainers who raised Feebas because they loved Milotic!
"No matter how many times I see one, Milotic is always so beautiful!"
"Young Master Kuan's Milotic is gorgeous!"
Ignoring the swooning around him, Yong watched Milotic in the lake, her body shimmering with vivid colors in the sunlight. He knew she was a formidable opponent. He couldn't let her beautiful appearance fool him. Just thinking of Wallace's ace Milotic in the original story made that clear-that was a champion's Pokémon!
"System!"
Pokémon: Milotic, Lv18. Said to be the most beautiful Pokémon. She possesses the power to soothe anger and hatred and bring conflicts to an end. Gender: Female Type: Water Nature: Lonely Ability: Marvel Scale. Defense increases to 1.5 times its original value when afflicted with a status condition. Friendship: 0 Moves: Water Pulse (proficient), Water Gun (mastered), Tackle (proficient), Wrap (proficient), Splash (20, beginner), Twister (proficient), Disarming Voice (proficient), Aqua Ring (proficient), Attract (proficient) Egg moves: Confuse Ray (proficient), Mist (proficient) TMs: Protect (proficient), Rain Dance (proficient)
Yong sucked in a breath...
Aside from Splash being at beginner level, every move was proficient, and Water Gun had even reached mastery! As expected, Kuan wasn't just some spoiled rich kid!
"Well? Has my Milotic left you awestruck?"
Seeing Yong staring at Milotic, Kuan assumed he had been intimidated and spoke again with haughty pride.
"Come on, let me see your Pokémon!"
A challenge was just what he wanted! Yong threw out a Poké Ball.
"Go! Mudkip!"
"Kalo!"
With a flash of white light, Mudkip appeared on the riverbank, brimming with energy. He looked at Milotic in the water, full of fighting spirit!
"Hah! A Mudkip?"
Kuan gave a haughty snort.
"Let's begin! Milotic, Disarming Voice!"
"Mudkip, Supersonic!"
Milotic twisted her body, and a beautiful, enchanting song drifted from her mouth, colliding with an invisible wave.
"Mina~!"
But Disarming Voice was a move that never missed. Although Supersonic offered some resistance and weakened it considerably, it still hit Mudkip, inflicting mental damage.
Mudkip grimaced in pain.
"Now! Attract!"
Kuan wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip away.
"Get a taste of my control-based battle strategy!"
"Mina~~!"
Milotic displayed her figure in full, her beautiful scales shimmering with rainbow colors in the sunlight as she gazed at Mudkip with dewy eyes.
Oh no, Mudkip is male!
"Mudkip, close your eyes! Supersonic!"
"Kalo!"
Thanks to his proficiency, Mudkip acted quickly, emitting invisible sound waves from the fin-like crest on his head.
"It's useless! Disarming Voice!"
The song was everywhere. Disarming Voice hit Mudkip again, and the mental damage forced him to stop his move. He clutched his head and groaned in pain!
Those control moves had completely disrupted Yong's rhythm!
"Mudkip, pull yourself together! Rock Slide!"
"Kalo!"
With a slam of his arms, Mudkip's tremendous strength sent rocks flying from the ground toward Milotic!
But Milotic was agile, diving underwater to avoid the attack.
"It's useless! Attract and Confuse Ray!"
An invisible aura enveloped the area as a purple beam shot from Milotic's eyes toward Mudkip.
"Now! Protect!"
"Kalo!"
A white barrier enveloped Mudkip's body, blocking Milotic's assault. But Protect's success rate had also dropped.
"Let's see how many times you can block! Milotic, Twister!"
"Mudkip! Boost it with Rock Smash! Use Rock Slide at maximum power!"
An immense amount of Dragon-type energy gathered between heaven and earth. Fierce winds swept up the river water, and a massive tornado surged toward the bank. On land, Mudkip gathered energy in both arms and plunged them into the earth.
Boom!
With a tremendous crash, Mudkip's immense strength lifted a huge rock from the riverbank. Rock-type energy surged through it, enveloping it in brown energy! The instant the waterspout drew near, Mudkip exerted his strength and swung his arms forward, hurling the rock!
Boom!
Crack!
The two forces collided as the massive rock struck the tornado, each resisting the other. Before long, the boulder began to crack, and the fragments were swept into the wind, making it even more destructive!
The tornado swept toward Mudkip, wreaking immense destruction on the riverbank amid a continuous roar!
Dragon-type moves really were powerful! Watching the battlefield with a frown, Yong silently repeated to himself,
Soon. Any moment now!
After a long while, the energy finally dissipated, revealing the devastated riverbank. Kuan looked at the destruction his move had caused, thoroughly satisfied.
"Hmph! How could Mudkip possibly stand up to my Milotic?"
"What power! Milotic won, just as expected!"
"Exactly! What could Mudkip possibly do against that?"
"That's right!"
Listening to everyone's praise, Kuan grew even more arrogant.
"You lost, Yong!"
"Hmph! You're bragging too soon! Take a good look!"
Yong shook his head. Kuan frowned and looked toward where Mudkip had been.
"He vanished?"
There was no sign of Mudkip where the tornado had raged.
"Could he have... Oh no! Milotic, Disarming Voice!"
"Too late! Mudkip, Rock Smash at full power!"
"Kalo!"
Amid the rippling waves, the water beside Milotic exploded. A blue figure leaped out, both arms shrouded in Fighting-type energy, and slammed into Milotic before she could even open her mouth!
A mastered Rock Smash!
"Mi!"
With a cry of agony, Milotic was sent flying, taking the full brunt of the attack!
"Damn it, that's too sneaky! That was Dig, wasn't it? He actually knows Dig?!"
Kuan stared bitterly at a hole in the ground.
"I didn't even notice!"
"That wasn't Dig. Mudkip can't learn the move Dig. I simply took advantage of his natural habits! Don't forget, Mudkip is amphibious and lives in mud burrows. Digging through the mud on the riverbank to reach the water couldn't be easier! He didn't need a move at all, and he didn't have to dig very deep."
Yong shook his head.
"I simply took advantage of the terrain changes caused by the water Twister swept up. Your arrogance made you overlook that. From now on, you won't get another chance!"
"Mudkip, let it all out! This is the moment! Release your energy!"
"Kalo!"
At Yong's words, Mudkip floated on the surface of the water, and the energy he had accumulated for so long erupted!
Dazzling white light completely enveloped his body. Within that light, Mudkip gradually grew taller, his crouched body rising upright.
"Is he evolving?"
Kuan stared at the white light in surprise, while the surrounding crowd watched in amazement.
In the world of Pokémon, if there was one thing absolutely forbidden, it was interfering with a Pokémon's evolution! No matter who you were, you couldn't do it! It was sacred and inviolable-the first rule!
Yong calmly watched Mudkip evolve, remembering how he had used a little trick to catch the little fellow back then.
He had extraordinary talent, but he was cautious and kept his abilities hidden! Little by little, through battle and training, he had grown stronger, step by step. And now, at last, he was about to evolve for the first time!
The boy clenched his fists, his gaze resolute!
One day, we'll reach the summit!
As Yong silently made that wish, Mudkip's evolution finally ended. The white light faded, revealing a Pokémon that looked about eighty percent like Mudkip!
Marshtomp!
"Malo!"
He had orange gills, and his eyes and belly were orange as well.
His entire body and head were sky blue, while his fins were black.
Spending so much time with his body buried in mud had given him a strong, sturdy lower body and legs. He could stand on two feet and move steadily even across muddy ground.
Ding! Mudkip has evolved into Marshtomp. Level increased to Lv18! Ding! Marshtomp has learned Earthquake (beginner), Mud Shot (beginner), and Surf (beginner)!
Fantastic! His level had risen to 18, he had gained the Ground type, and he had learned three moves-especially Earthquake, a powerful Ground-type finishing move!
Pokémon: Marshtomp, Lv18. He moves through mud faster than he swims through water. Type: Water + Ground Gender: Male Nature: Jolly Ability: Torrent. When his stamina drops, the power of Water-type moves increases! Moves: Growl (proficient), Tackle (proficient), Water Gun (proficient), Rock Smash (mastered), Water Pulse (proficient), Earthquake (beginner), Surf (beginner), Mud Shot (beginner), Supersonic (proficient), Rock Throw (proficient), Rock Slide (proficient), Protect (proficient) Egg moves: Double-Edge (beginner), Counter (beginner) TMs: None
Marshtomp.
So powerful! It was time to show their true strength!