"Roar!"
Seeing the Tigrex charge, the Mizutsune showed no fear. It opened its mouth and fired a thin jet of water. The stream didn't look thick—only about thirty meters wide and seemed weak, but in reality, its power was terrifying. It was a high-pressure water cutter, sharp as any blade.
"Roar!" The Tigrex did not underestimate the attack. It had fought Mizutsune before and been seriously injured by that very move. It unleashed its own roar, and a visible wave of sound erupted from its mouth.
BANG!
The terrifying sonic wave intercepted the water jet, neutralizing it. After its Pokémonization, the Tigrex was far stronger than before. Its new ability not only boosted its speed but also its attack power, and it doubled the power of its sound-based moves. An attack that once required its full effort to block was now easily deflected.
The recoil from the water jet was immense, pushing even the massive Mizutsune back hundreds of meters. As soon as the attack ended, the Tigrex stopped roaring and used Rock Throw. With a shove of its claw, a massive boulder flew through the air towards the Mizutsune.
The Mizutsune slid gracefully out of the way, its movements generating a trail of huge, shimmering bubbles.
RUMBLE!
The moment the boulder hit the ground, the Tigrex was already upon the Mizutsune, its huge tail lashing out. The Mizutsune met the attack with its own tail.
BANG!
The two tails collided, and the Mizutsune was instantly knocked to the ground by the Tigrex's overwhelming strength. Without Pokémonization, the two would have been evenly matched. But with its ability doubling its attack power, the Tigrex's strength was now on another level.
"ROAR!" The Tigrex roared again, and a terrifying sound wave washed over the fallen Mizutsune.
RUMBLE!
The Mizutsune was blasted into the air by the force of the roar before crashing violently back to the ground. The sonic attack was devastating. While there was little visible damage to its skin and scales, its internal organs were severely injured. That was the insidious nature of sound-based attacks; they were impossible to block and targeted the most fragile parts of the body.
"ROAR!" The Tigrex charged, using Dragon Rush on the heavily injured Mizutsune.
BANG!
It was like watching an animal get hit by a truck. The Mizutsune was sent flying and landed in a heap on the ground, unconscious.
A new system prompt appeared in Zhang's vision.
Your Tigrex has fairly defeated the Mizutsune. You have gained 1 Glory Point.
That was so one-sided, Zhang sighed. This Tigrex is so strong now. I think it might be the strongest Pokémon I have.
He considered its new ability: +200% speed, +100% attack, and +100% sound-based move power. It was a perverse combination. Its only real drawbacks are its inability to fly and lack of ranged attacks, which makes it vulnerable to aerial opponents. But it's not alone. It has me, and its partners.
Zhang jumped from Barioth's back and threw a Poké Ball at the fallen Mizutsune. It shook twice and then settled. The Mizutsune had been too injured to resist.
Successfully subdued the Mizutsune!
Mizutsune beginning Pokémonization...
Pokémonization successful!
Mizutsune's information is as follows:
Mizutsune
Level: 69 (Elite Four)Attribute: Dragon / WaterAbility: Bubble State (When 10 or more bubbles are on the field, enters Bubble State: +200% Speed, +100% Water-type move power, and all special attacks become physical attacks.)Base Stats: HP 80, Atk 160, Def 90, SpA 30, SpD 90, Spe 170. Total: 620.
The first thing Zhang noticed was the sheer number of exclusive moves it had, nearly twenty in total.
170 base speed, even faster than Nargacuga. A true drifter on the water, he mused, recalling how frustrating it was to fight Mizutsune as a Long Sword user in the games. It was just too slippery. This ability is incredible, too. Just as good as Tigrex's.
Both monsters, from the same ecological tier, had received ridiculously powerful abilities and stats. It makes me wonder... how strong will the Elder Dragons be when I Pokémonize them?
After having his Escuregot heal the Mizutsune, Zhang returned to Kamura. This time, he rode the Tigrex. During the day, the Tigrex's straight-line speed was much faster than Nargacuga's, making it the superior "tool for rushing."
The villagers and hunters stared in fear at the colossal wyvern. At 29 meters long and 7 meters tall, it was the size of a two-story building. Its reputation for ferocity was infamous; an encounter in the wild was a death sentence. If not for the familiar sight of Zhang on its back, they would have scattered. Over time, they had come to know him as the legendary Rider who dated Hinoa and Minoto.
"A Tigrex!" a hunter swallowed hard, staring at Zhang in shock. This was the "Absolute Strong," a monster most hunters would never dare to face, and Zhang had tamed it.
"What a terrifying young man," a villager sighed. "No wonder Lady Minoto and Lady Hinoa favor him."
"Brother Zhang, you're so amazing! I want to be just like you when I grow up!" a chubby little girl said, looking up at him with adoration.
"Then you have to work hard, little one!" Zhang said, hopping off the Tigrex and ruffling her hair.
"I will! I'll become a strong hunter!" she said with a serious face.
Zhang recalled the Tigrex and headed for the guild office.
"Hinoa, Minoto, you're both here," he said with a smile.
"Zhang! You're back!" they said in unison, their eyes lighting up.
"How was the mission?" Minoto asked.
"Done. I captured both the Tigrex and the Mizutsune," he said with a hint of pride.
"Amazing!" they both beamed.
"It will only be a few more months before your strength surpasses ours," Minoto said seriously.
"Praise from the people you care about always feels the best," Zhang laughed.
"Of course," Hinoa said with a smile. "If it was a stranger, it wouldn't be the same."
"I think so too," Minoto added, ever the echo to her sister's words. The scene reminded Zhang of a famous story, and he couldn't help but smile.
"You're really cute, Minoto," he said, impulsively stroking her wyverian ears.
"If you like it..." she blushed.
"Am I not cute?" Hinoa pouted, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"You're both cute," Zhang laughed, stroking her ears as well.
"Alright, time for business," he said. "Minoto, I'll take the quests for the Zinogre and the Astalos. I remember they're both in the Shrine Ruins."
Zinogre and Astalos were on the same tier as Tigrex and Mizutsune. They were also incredibly cool, especially Zinogre, a fan-favorite monster so popular many players affectionately called it the "Thunder Wolf Mom."
"Okay," Minoto nodded, handing him the quests.
Mission: Hunt the Zinogre
Reward: 51,000z
Mission: Hunt the AstalosReward: 42,000z
"Here's your pay for the last two hunts," she added, handing him two large bags of gold coins.
It's good to have connections, Zhang thought with a grin. "Thanks, Minoto. Hinoa, I'm leaving now, but I'll be back before evening. I'll meet you both at the usual place."
"Okay, see you then," Hinoa nodded.
"Be careful," Minoto added. "The Shrine Ruins have Magnamalo and Rakna-Kadaki. Watch out for them."
As Zhang left, a newly arrived hunter with silver hair turned to an old-timer. "Who was that young man? Daring to hunt Zinogre and Astalos?"
"That's Zhang Tian," the old hunter replied. "A legendary Rider. And very powerful."
Arriving at the Shrine Ruins on the Tigrex, Zhang once again triggered the Fair Duel mission prompts for Zinogre and Astalos. He pulled out his map. "Zinogre is closer. I'll go for it first." He recalled the Tigrex and summoned Rathalos to scout from the air.
Half an hour later, he spotted it: a resting monster, 18 meters long, with a wolf-like body, golden claws, and a blue carapace. Small, crackling insects buzzed around it. It was the Zinogre.
"Zinogre is weak to Ice, and then Water," Zhang mused. "So, Goss Harag or Barioth?"
He considered his options. "In a team battle, Barioth's ability is better, slowing all enemies and boosting my team's ice attacks. But Goss Harag's ability lets it get stronger every 10 seconds. As long as it isn't knocked out immediately, its victory is almost guaranteed the longer the fight drags on. For a one-on-one duel, Goss Harag is more suitable."
"Go, Goss Harag!" he said, throwing the Poké Ball. "Bring me the win!"
The hulking Goss Harag appeared in the forest. It looked small compared to the Zinogre. Standing upright, Goss Harag was 6 meters tall; Zinogre was 6 meters tall on all fours. It was like a 1.7-meter person challenging a 1.7-meter-tall wolf. But size wasn't everything. Strength was what mattered.
"Roar!" Goss Harag roared, issuing a challenge.
The Zinogre's eyes snapped open. It had been aware of Goss Harag's presence the whole time. A sneak attack would have been impossible. It stood up slowly and let out a roar of its own as the Thunderbugs around it swarmed into its fur, charging its body with electricity.
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