Lance departed, taking his now fully recovered Dragonair and Gyarados with him.
Before leaving, he made sure to get August's phone number, mentioning that Steven would contact him when the time came.
"One future Kanto Champion, one current Hoenn Champion… I've been rubbing shoulders with big names left and right. At this rate, I might as well consider myself a big deal too," August mused, whistling as he carried both Dratini and Bagon—whose combined weight exceeded a hundred pounds—back to the training grounds.
Once there, he released Gardevoir.
"Gardevoir, keep watch. I'm about to take something out," August instructed.
Gardevoir's eyes flickered with curiosity, but she didn't ask any questions. She simply used her psychic power to form a barrier, isoting the area from the outside world.
Seeing this, August didn't hesitate any longer. He retrieved the [Dragon Crystal] he had just obtained from the system.
The crystal was about the size of a rge basin, its surface an irregur mass of deep purple-red hues.
The moment it was exposed to the air, a wave of pure Dragon-type energy surged outward, so dense that even the surrounding air took on a faint purple glow.
And this was just the residual energy leaking from the crystal itself.
"Damn… No wonder this thing is used to create the Regidrago."
Had he not preemptively asked Gardevoir to seal the area with Psychic energy, August had no doubt the entire training ground would have been transformed into a [Dragon Terrain].
The power of this thing is insane.
If even a fragment of the crystal could alter the environment so drastically, then the Regidrago—shaped entirely from [Dragon Crystal] and imbued with life—must be on an entirely different level.
As for the creator of Regidrago…
Any being capable of forging Legendary Pokémon is beyond comprehension. Let's not go there.
"This world's Legendary Pokémon might be even stronger than I originally thought," August muttered to himself.
At the very least, they wouldn't be getting caught in basic net balls anytime soon.
...
That was a problem for another day.
Right now, he needed to figure out what exactly this [Dragon Crystal] could do.
"Alright, come here and touch it," August beckoned to Dratini and Bagon.
Based on his previous experience feeding Dratini ground-up [Dragon Fang] powder, he suspected the [Dragon Crystal]—rich in Dragon-type energy—would have a significant impact on their growth.
But just to be safe, he wasn't about to grind it up and feed it to them directly. He'd start with simple physical contact.
The two Pokémon cautiously approached, hesitantly reaching out to touch the crystal.
The moment they made contact, something incredible happened—
The energy within the [Dragon Crystal] reacted instantly, surging into both Pokémon through their points of contact.
August was momentarily stunned, but he quickly snapped out of it and pulled up their status screens.
[Dratini: LV13 → LV16][Bagon: LV5 → LV10]
Dratini had leveled up three times, while Bagon—being at a lower level—jumped five levels in an instant.
Way more effective than [Dragon Fang] powder.
The only downside?
The sudden influx of Dragon-type energy had left both Pokémon feeling a little woozy—almost as if they were drunk.
At the same time, August noticed a new [Overcharged (Dragon)] debuff on their status screens.
"Hmm… They must've absorbed too much Dragon energy in a short time and can't process it all."
Concerned that prolonged exposure might have negative effects, August quickly pulled them away from the [Dragon Crystal].
He let out a sigh of relief. Good thing he had been cautious and didn't feed it to them.
With the energy flow cut off, Dratini and Bagon gradually recovered.
However, the [Overcharged (Dragon)] debuff remained—now dispying a countdown of 23:59:59.
"A one-day cooldown, huh?"
August quickly deduced the crystal's basic function:
A giant XP battery for Dragon-types.
Once a day, three levels per use.
Way more efficient than grinding [Dragon Fang]s into powder.
This would massively reduce the time needed to raise Dratini and Bagon.
As for other potential uses…
Given his current resources, he'd have to experiment ter.
"Looks like choosing researcher as my cover was the right move. If I fully study the [Dragon Crystal], I might even earn a PhD out of it someday."
After fantasizing about his bright academic future for a moment, August turned his attention back to his Pokémon.
The system interface provided useful data, but he needed to hear their experiences firsthand.
Dratini was easy—its body felt slightly swollen, as if it was about to shed its skin.
August handed Gardevoir a spray bottle. "Help keep Dratini hydrated while it molts."
Then he focused on Bagon.
"Are you sure you're not hungry?"
"Bagon!"
Bagon nodded enthusiastically.
Before, it had always felt like no matter how much it ate, it was never full.
But after absorbing the [Dragon Crystal]'s energy, that constant hunger had completely disappeared.
"Just as I thought."
August had long suspected that Bagon's massive appetite was due to its energy demands.
Now that it had a more efficient way to absorb energy, the need for constant eating had diminished.
That was the real reason he had been confident about raising Bagon.
"Anything else feel different?"
"Bagon!"
"Stronger? Harder skull? Sharper teeth?"
"Bagon!" Bagon nodded excitedly.
It suddenly sprinted toward a reinforced steel target, one specifically designed to measure move impact.
Eyes locked onto the target, Bagon charged forward without hesitation—
BAM!
A deafening cng echoed through the air.
August stared at the aftermath in shock.
The two-centimeter-thick steel pte had been caved in—a deep indentation, perfectly shaped like Bagon's head, was now visible.
That's way stronger than a normal Bagon…
At the same time, Dratini finished shedding.
"Mi-chu~!"
Dratini leapt into August's arms, its now rger, glistening blue body feeling smoother than before.
Clearly, this was another benefit of the [Dragon Crystal].
...
"Excellent!"
Looking at his rapidly growing Pokémon, August couldn't help but feel thrilled.
Once Dratini and Bagon fully matured—along with Gardevoir on his team—
Lt. Surge? The Three Admins?
They'd all be dead meat.
And with the [Dragon Crystal], that day was coming soon.
---
T/N: hes much more emotive than Luo Yuan :o
