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Although Sato didn't think he was particularly handsome, he was confident he was far from being called an ugly freak. So when an obviously 'wild' girl called him exactly that, a nameless fury instantly surged up within him.
"Heh… you're really something… How much is this Reverse Dragon Scale on your stall?"
But in the end, Sato wasn't an ordinary person. As furious as he was inside, he still kept a calm appearance. He smiled at Vanna and asked about the price of the Reverse Dragon Scale on her stall.
Vanna had grown up in the vast tropical jungles, which had blessed her with an animal-like instinct. This ability allowed her to easily perceive another being's intentions—whether they were good or bad, hostile or dangerous.
Because of this unique instinct, her way of seeing people was unlike anyone else's. All she needed was a few glances and a sniff, and she could roughly discern what kind of person she was dealing with.
In Vanna's perception, Sato was just like that man who had approached her earlier—Tomoki. He gave off the aura of a creature that was a mix between a cunning fox and a ferocious tiger—extremely sly and highly dangerous.
The dragon elders had taught her: if such a creature came to strike up a conversation, the best solution was to drive them off.
So, once Vanna judged what kind of person Sato was, she immediately chose her most reliable tactic for chasing people away.
However, Sato's shameless persistence came as a surprise—and an irritation—to her. She hated people like him the most: the type who stuck around even when unwanted.
Seeing that he wasn't giving up and still wanted to buy something from her stall, Vanna bared her teeth at him and released her Kommo-o to help drive him off.
The dragon elders had also taught her: if a peaceful method doesn't work, then use intimidation.
As her elder brother and personal bodyguard, the Kommo-o was naturally completely on her side. The moment he appeared and heard Vanna speak in Dragon Tongue, his expression turned fierce as he glared straight at Sato.
Being stared down by a terrifying Dragon-type pseudo-legendary Pokémon was an incredibly unnerving experience. Sato instantly felt a chill spread all over his body, and his scalp tingled. Without thinking, he immediately stepped a respectable distance away.
A few nearby pedestrians were also startled by the sudden appearance of the Kommo-o and quickly moved away.
In an instant, the area around Vanna's stall became a deserted zone. As for those who had previously been eyeing her goods with interest, they all disappeared without a trace.
"..."
Sato was speechless. Vanna was being completely unreasonable. She had actually released a Level 52 Kommo-o—with an individual value of 179—to deal with him. His heart was practically screaming with vile curses.
'This is a complete waste of kindness. Is this girl mentally off? I didn't even do anything to her…'
With no other option, Sato decided to temporarily walk away.
Vanna's Kommo-o was simply too powerful. It had clearly entered the high-speed growth stage of maturity. Sato wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight over something so trivial.
Besides, judging from the current situation, he likely wouldn't even be able to beat her.
...…
Pokemon Information:
Pokemon: Kommo-o
Level: 52
Type: Dragon / Fighting
Ability: Bulletproof
Gender: Male
Known Moves: Clanging Scales, Sky Uppercut, Belly Drum, Autotomize, Tackle, Leer, Endure, Protect, Dragon Tail, Scary Face, Headbutt, Focus Energy, Screech, Iron Defense, Dragon Claw, Roar
Egg Move:Dragon Breath
Tutor Moves: Draco Meteor, Dragon Pulse, Drain Punch, Double Chop, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Focus Punch, Iron Head, Iron Tail, Low Sweep, Outrage, Bulk Up, Hyper Beam, Brick Break, Earthquake, Flamethrower, Swords Dance, Giga Impact
TMs:Safeguard, Hidden Power (Bug)
Held Item: Dragon Fang
IVs:
HP: 30/31
Attack: 31/31
Defense: 30/31
Sp. Atk: 29/31
Sp. Def: 28/31
Speed: 31/31
Overall IV Rating: Gold (Total: 179)
...…
Looking at the Kommo-o Vanna had released—and especially at the long list of powerful moves in its taught skills section—Sato could only describe it with one word: monstrous.
If he wasn't wrong, this Kommo-o must have received rigorous training from powerful members of its species since it was young. Otherwise, there's no way it could've learned so many strong techniques.
Sato finally believed the description he had seen of Vanna in the League registry: she really was a Dragon Tribe 'Princess'. This Kommo-o was probably the older brother who had grown up playing with her since childhood.
Now, Sato officially ranked Vanna as the most troublesome opponent in this tournament.
Tomoki's Garchomp might be strong, but it had a glaring quadruple weakness to Ice. Against a Swampert that excelled in Ice Punch and knew the devastating Earth Ice Hammer combo, the outcome of that battle was still uncertain.
But against Vanna's Kommo-o, Swampert would be at a serious disadvantage due to the level gap, with a high chance of being defeated.
Kommo-o was a dual Dragon/Fighting type—among all Dragon-types, they were known as some of the fiercest and most battle-hardened, especially in close combat.
To put it bluntly, aside from Legendary Dragons, nearly any Dragon-type Pokémon of the same level would get completely outmatched by them in melee.
Sato's ace Pokémon, Swampert, was also a close-range powerhouse. But even at the same level, it wouldn't have any clear advantage against Vanna's Kommo-o. In fact, due to the level gap, it might even get thrashed.
Swampert's close combat prowess came from its monstrous strength. While Kommo-o might not match that brute power, Sato believed it wouldn't fall far behind either.
With its combination of Dragon and Fighting traits, Kommo-o possessed one of the highest physical thresholds among all Dragon-types. It wouldn't be surprising if its strength rivaled Swampert's.
Unless Swampert completed its Mega Evolution and fought under rainy weather conditions, it would be difficult to suppress this powerful pseudo-legendary dragon in melee.
'What should I do? That piece of the Reverse Dragon Scale is just too tempting. If I let this opportunity slip away, I might never see one again. But this damn girl is completely unreasonable. How am I even supposed to trade for it...?'
Even though Vanna had driven him off, Sato still couldn't stop thinking about that piece of the Reverse Dragon Scale at her stall. Its effects were incredible—having it would significantly reduce the time needed to raise his Dragon-types.
For Sato, time was the biggest obstacle to his growth.
The system was somewhat of a double-edged sword. While it gave him great benefits, it also saddled him with a nearly impossible task. If he couldn't complete it, he would die. As it stood, he had less than ten years left to grow strong enough.
Dragon-type pseudo-legendary Pokémon were considered the strongest under legendaries. There was no doubt they would be crucial allies in Sato's future, so he had to raise at least one of them.
But their biggest weakness was how slow they grew. Even with the trainer's full support, they still required an incredibly long development phase. Otherwise, they'd just become inferior, underdeveloped versions of what they could be.
In the future, Sato would need at least one Dragon-type pseudo-legendary as his trump card. Without it, defeating Champions and Elite Four members—who also had such Pokémon—would be nearly impossible.
Especially against Cynthia and Lance—they were like mountains, pressing down on Sato's chest. If he wanted to surpass them, he needed extraordinary fortune.
And that Reverse Dragon Scale was exactly that kind of fortune. Whether or not he could get it, however, would depend on his own ability.
"Wait… if she was raised by Dragon Pokémon and is known as the Dragon Tribe Princess, then she should also like certain things, right? Right, this just might work…"
Just as Sato was racking his brain trying to think of a way to trade with Vanna, he casually glanced at a nearby stall—and suddenly, inspiration struck. His eyes lit up with a gleam of cunning.