Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 94: Red Gyarados’s First-Tier Reward Unlocked

At the James family estate.

"Growlithe, you’re doing great! Only 34 more tries and you’ll master Flame Wheel!"

James personally directed his Growlithe’s move training. Under a nearby tree, Rio leaned against the trunk, lost in thought.

Elsewhere on the estate, Silph Co. President Takuma and James’s father Dairo were fishing for Magikarp by the lake.

After spacing out for quite a while, a Poké Ball on Rio’s belt suddenly flashed.

"Pu-cha~"

Primeape emerged from its Luxury Ball, looking a bit agitated as it stared at Rio.

"Hold on." Understanding it was feeling the itch to fight, Rio quickly pulled out another Luxury Ball and aimed it at an open area. With a flash of light, the Red Gyarados—eager for a beating—appeared.

"ROAR!!!" It immediately flicked its tail at Primeape.

"Go ahead," Rio said.

"Pu-cha~" Primeape charged at the Red Gyarados, and soon the estate witnessed another round of their trademark violence. But by now, the servants and everyone else were completely unfazed—they’d seen this happen multiple times whenever Rio came to guide Growlithe’s training.

Rio, however, noticed something odd—Dairo kept glancing at him today.

"What’s up with your dad? He’s been looking at me all morning," Rio asked James when he came over.

"I’m guessing Dad heard from Grandpa Takuma about how you saved Silph Co. from Team Rocket," James replied. "He’s probably impressed."

"Now he understands how worth it it is to have me here, right?" Rio smirked. "Tell your dad he shouldn’t be so stingy—maybe bump my monthly fee up by another 500,000."

James said nothing and turned back to directing Growlithe. He’d long since learned that Rio was incredibly greedy.

Seeing James ignore him, Rio shrugged and dropped the subject.

A moment later, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out the Pokémon Hunter’s phone and unlocked it, opening the "Operation Raikou Hunt" group chat. His face slowly lit up with joy.

The group admin announced that the Raikou hunt would take place in twenty days—all hunters were to bring their captured Electric-type Pokémon to Violet City. Once there, they were to message him privately for further instructions.

"Finally—I’ll get a chance to meet my first legendary Pokémon!" Rio said excitedly.

He’d been in this world for so long without even seeing a legendary Pokémon in person—Palkia and Dialga didn’t count, since they were through interdimensional rifts. Now he finally had an opportunity, and he was determined to seize it. Maybe he could even catch Raikou and make it his first legendary companion.

When luck strikes, it often comes in waves. The next moment, a system notification rang in Rio’s mind:

[Red Gyarados’s friendship increased.]

[Friendship: 40 (from -20 to 40)]

[Red Gyarados’s starting friendship was -20. Current friendship is 40. Increase of 60 points qualifies for First-Tier Reward Unlock.]

[Reward Unlocked: Red Gyarados’s talent upgraded to Champion level. All ancient genes fully activated.]

Rio’s pupils contracted, and his smile widened even further. He’d almost forgotten that the Red Gyarados was close to unlocking its first-tier reward.

[Would you like to activate all ancient genes now?]

"Hold on."

Rio turned toward the "violence zone." Primeape had already vented its anger, and the Red Gyarados lay on the ground with a satisfied expression. Rio recalled Primeape, fed the Red Gyarados a Revival Herb, and then recalled it into its Luxury Ball.

"Now activate the ancient genes."

[Red Gyarados’s ancient genes are being activated...]

"I wonder how powerful the Red Gyarados will be after all its genes are unlocked—and what changes it’ll undergo," Rio murmured.

A moment later, the activation success notification chimed. Without hesitation, Rio pressed the Luxury Ball’s release button again.

With a flash of light, the Red Gyarados reappeared.

"ROAR!!!"

Its roar was far more thunderous than before, echoing across the entire estate.

"It doesn’t look much different—except its face looks a bit more vicious," Rio observed, walking around to examine it.

But then his raised eyebrow froze. The Red Gyarados, which had been lying on the ground, began to writhe its tail—and under his gaze, slowly rose into the air.

It was flying.

Meanwhile, at the lake, the Magikarp suddenly went into a frenzy, one after another surging toward the surface.

"What’s wrong with these Magikarp? Why are they acting so strange all of a sudden?" President Takuma asked in confusion.

"No idea," Dairo said, breaking out in a cold sweat, worried that something had gone wrong with the servant underwater who was baiting the hooks for him.

But then they heard the servants gasping. They looked up—

And saw a Red Gyarados soaring through the sky.

"Oh my god!"

"Am I dreaming, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"How is there a Gyarados flying in the sky?!"