Chapter 57: A Dragon-Type Gyarados?
"Mega Gyarados, use Hydro Pump!"
Misty once again made the first move.
Mega Gyarados opened its enormous jaws and fired a massive column of water directly at Mega Golden Gyarados’s face.
"We’ll use Hydro Pump too!"
The two columns of water collided at the center of the battlefield, exploding into a curtain of spray that once again obscured both sides’ vision.
By the time the water cleared, Misty’s Mega Gyarados had vanished from its original position.
"It dove underwater!"
Raina immediately became alert.
"Gyarados, watch—"
Before she could finish, Mega Gyarados burst from the water directly beneath Mega Golden Gyarados. Its tail, wrapped in a spiraling current, slammed violently into Mega Golden Gyarados’s chin.
The Aqua Tail knocked Mega Golden Gyarados’s head upward, forcing its massive body half a meter backward.
"It’s so fast!"
Raina gritted her teeth.
"Use Crunch!"
Mega Golden Gyarados whipped its head around and tried to bite Mega Gyarados’s tail. However, Mega Gyarados followed the momentum of its turn and struck Mega Golden Gyarados across the side of its face with another Aqua Tail.
The blow snapped Mega Golden Gyarados’s head to one side.
Misty folded her arms.
"You can’t keep up with its speed, can you? Raina, you’re still far too inexperienced to surpass me."
Raina clenched her fist.
"Gyarados, use Rain Dance!"
Mega Golden Gyarados raised its head and released a deep rumble. Thick storm clouds gathered beneath the Gym’s ceiling from seemingly nowhere, and raindrops the size of beans began pouring down.
Misty looked up at the curtain of rain and wiped the water from her face.
"Raina, don’t forget—I have the advantage in the rain too!"
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"Misty’s Gyarados is so fast! Both Aqua Tails landed perfectly!"
"Raina’s Gyarados is larger, but that actually makes it less agile than its opponent!"
"That line about Raina being too inexperienced to surpass her was a direct critical hit from her own mother."
"Raina: Mom, could you stop saying such hurtful things?
Misty: Hurting you is the point."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: Raina’s Gyarados is being completely suppressed! It can’t keep up with the speed at all!
[Gary]: How many years has Misty’s Gyarados trained in this pool compared with Raina’s? The difference in battlefield familiarity and combat experience isn’t something that can be overcome so easily.
[Leon]: It’s also clear that Misty prepared from the beginning to counter Raina’s Gyarados. She precisely targeted its weakness.
[Raihan]: Isn’t that obvious? She’s Raina’s mother. How could she not know what cards Raina is holding?
The video continued playing.
Within the curtain of rain, Mega Gyarados once again dove beneath the water.
Countless heavy raindrops struck the pool’s surface, making it impossible to determine Mega Gyarados’s position with the naked eye.
Raina tightened her fist.
"Gyarados, Dragon Dance!"
Mega Golden Gyarados suddenly twisted its body, moving in a strange and rhythmic dance.
"You still want to strengthen yourself at a time like this?"
Misty shook her head.
"Gyarados, Thunderbolt!"
Mega Gyarados burst out of the water as blinding golden electricity exploded around its body.
The lightning tore through the curtain of rain and struck Mega Golden Gyarados directly.
Electricity spread across its golden scales, illuminating the entire pool as brightly as daylight.
Misty lowered her arm.
At that distance, and given what she knew about Gyarados, Thunderbolt should have ended the battle.
Daisy also raised her arm, but stopped just as she opened her mouth.
When the smoke dispersed, Mega Golden Gyarados was still standing exactly where it had been.
"What?!"
Misty’s eyes widened.
"Hehe."
Raina placed both hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly. A sly smile identical to Asher’s appeared on her face.
"Mom, you miscalculated."
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"Wait, wait, wait! That didn’t knock it out?! Isn’t it doubly weak to Electric-type moves?"
"I’m bad at math, so don’t lie to me! Water and Dark is definitely doubly weak to Electric!"
"I remember Raichu’s Electric-type attacks barely affecting this Gyarados during the Vermilion Gym battle too."
Within the video, Misty frowned and stared at Raina.
"What exactly is going on?"
"It’s actually pretty simple."
Raina scratched her head.
"My Mega Gyarados isn’t a Water- and Dark-type."
"It isn’t Water and Dark?"
"Right. The potion Dad fed Magikarp contained the blood of a Dragon-type Legendary Pokémon. After it evolved, the Dragon-type bloodline inside Gyarados was awakened, so my Gyarados is a Water- and Dragon-type."
Raina continued:
"After Mega Evolution, it becomes a pure Dragon type, so it isn’t weak to Electric-type attacks."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: Gyarados can be a Dragon type?! Professor Oak, you never taught me that!
[Professor Oak]: Well... an ordinary Gyarados is indeed a Water- and Flying-type, but if what Raina said is true and its hidden bloodline was awakened...
[Gary]: It’s that potion of Asher’s again!
[Bill]: !!! Mr. Asher, could you possibly share the formula for that potion—
[Asher]: Hey, hey, everyone, calm down. I understand how you feel, but that was the me from a parallel world, not the present me.
[Misty]: Mm-hmm. The differences between parallel worlds really are substantial. Honestly, the version of me in that world is also quite different from the real me.
[Bill]: I see...
In reality, on the private island in Alola...
When the people in the livestream changed the subject, Asher secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. I managed to fool them again.
"Brother Asher."
"Hmm?"
"What you said in the chat just now wasn’t entirely true, was it?"
Asher saw the calculating look in Steven’s eyes. Although he remained perfectly composed on the surface, he was already cursing inwardly.
Having too many intelligent people around makes everything so troublesome!
"What do you mean?"
"Hehe. Brother Asher, I won’t ask anything else. Just tell me one thing—do you still have any of that potion?"
That potion had been created using Palkia’s blood.
Unfortunately, Asher hadn’t accumulated enough wealth during that particular reincarnation. Otherwise, he would have added Arceus’s blood directly.
As for whether he had any now...
Hehe. Even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to you!
"Steven, do you believe what I said was true?"
"...Half true and half false, perhaps."
"Then why are you still asking?"
Asher lay back down.
So what if you’re suspicious? I’m simply not going to tell you anything. Die of frustration, Steven!
"..."
Steven was burning with curiosity, but there was nothing he could do against Asher’s attitude. For the moment, he could only abandon his plan to coax information out of him.
The video continued playing.
Misty, who had already been preparing to comfort Raina, was now speechless.
Something this important had happened, yet even she—Raina’s biological mother—hadn’t known about it!
Misty could only glare at Asher in the audience before turning her attention back to Raina.
"Fine. Even so, I still have the advantage in speed and experience."
Raina smiled.
"That might not be true, Mom. While you were celebrating your victory too early, Gyarados completed another Dragon Dance~"
Misty helplessly pressed one hand against her forehead.
Am I really going to lose this time?
Even if she was destined to lose, however, she would fight until the very end!
"Dragon Tail!"
Misty’s Mega Gyarados attacked first, swinging its tail toward its opponent as green energy surrounded it.
"We’ll use Dragon Tail too!"
The two Mega Gyarados slammed their Dragon Tails against each other. However, Mega Golden Gyarados was clearly stronger, and Misty’s Mega Gyarados was gradually forced backward.
Misty shook her head helplessly.
There was nothing she could do. After using Dragon Dance twice, Mega Golden Gyarados’s offensive power had increased tremendously.
"Now, use Crunch!"
Raina swept her hand forward.
Mega Golden Gyarados clamped its jaws around Mega Gyarados’s tail.
Mega Gyarados roared in pain but couldn’t break free.
"Throw it!"
Mega Golden Gyarados violently swung its head and hurled Mega Gyarados through the air.
"Hyper Beam!"
A beam filled with destructive energy erupted from Mega Golden Gyarados’s mouth and struck Mega Gyarados just as it tried to rise.
Mega Gyarados finally collapsed, and the light of Mega Evolution faded from its body.
Daisy raised her arm.
"Misty’s Gyarados is unable to battle! Raina’s Gyarados wins! The winner is Raina!"
"I won."
Raina stood frozen and quietly repeated the words.
"I won..."
She looked down at her hands before suddenly leaping into the air.
"I won! I defeated Mom!"
Misty and the others, including Asher in the audience, walked over.
"You won."
Misty placed her hands on her hips.
"But you’re not allowed to become arrogant. Do you hear me?"
"Mom, is now really the time to say that?"
"It’s always the right time to say it."
Misty reached out and ruffled Raina’s hair.
"Congratulations, Raina."
Misty then took a Badge from her pocket.
It was shaped like a drop of water and resembled a blue gemstone, refracting a soft glow beneath the Gym’s lights.
"This is the Waterdrop Badge."
Misty placed the Badge in Raina’s palm.
Raina added the Waterdrop Badge to her Badge case and held it up for Asher to see.
"Dad, I collected all eight!"
Asher smiled and ruffled Raina’s hair as well.
"Mm. Congratulations, Raina."
Misty placed her hands on her hips.
"Hmph. Aren’t you going to explain yourself? You actually concealed something this important from me!"
Asher helplessly shrugged.
"I wanted Raina to have a hidden trump card. Besides, there was only one dose of that potion. It was better for no one to know about it, or it could have brought trouble down on us."
Misty glared at Asher but didn’t continue questioning him.
"I’ll let it go this time. You’re not allowed to hide something like this from me again. Do you hear me?!"
"Don’t worry, honey. I absolutely won’t~"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: Eight Badges! Raina obtained all eight Badges!
[Leon]: Mm. After watching her entire journey, Raina’s path of growth now feels complete.
[Misty]: Hmph! Those two are both unbelievable! A father and daughter actually conspired to hide something from me!
[Daisy]: Misty, are you merely empathizing with your parallel-world counterpart, or have you genuinely started treating her as yourself?
[Wallace]: Honestly, I can understand why Asher concealed it from Misty. If something involved that much danger, I wouldn’t let someone important to me know about it either.
[Lance]: Agreed.