"Alright! I'll trust you this once—but don't you dare die."
Hearing Red's words, Xiaowen's lips twitched slightly.
"Gym Leader Red… your mouth really is coated in honey, huh?"
After saying that, Xiaowen ran toward the gigantic psychic spoon.
Blue Aura Power instantly wrapped around the enormous spoon.
And astonishingly—
After being enveloped by Aura Power, the gigantic psychic spoon began shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just a few minutes, it returned to its original size.
"So it actually works?!"
Seeing this scene, Red clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Looks like the differences between special abilities really are huge."
Hearing that, Xiaowen wiped the sweat from her forehead and said,
"It should be stable for now."
Seeing the thin layer of sweat on Xiaowen's forehead, Red quickly walked over and started fanning her gently.
"You worked hard. This time it's all thanks to you."
"Otherwise, who knows what would've happened to Songzao Gym."
"Come, come, Princess. Sit down and rest for a while."
Seeing Red acting like this, Xiaowen shook her head helplessly.
But when she heard the word Princess, her eyes dimmed slightly. She waved her hand and said,
"Leader, hearing you call me 'Princess' is giving me goosebumps. Just keep calling me Xiaowen."
Watching Red and Xiaowen chatting casually, Clair and the nearby Ninetales couldn't help saying:
"Gym Leader Red and Xiaowen really do seem close."
"Pretty much. After all, they've known each other for quite a long time."
Ninetales sighed helplessly.
After the psychic spoon's Dynamax transformation was interrupted, Red stepped forward and picked it up from the ground.
"Where exactly did you get this thing?"
Hearing Red's question, Reiji hurried over with the pale-faced Shinji.
"Gym Leader Red, we're truly sorry!"
"We absolutely didn't mean for this to happen. My brother had no idea this thing would mutate like this!"
"Shinji really did just buy it casually from a street vendor in Songzao City!"
Looking at the anxious Reiji, Red casually played with the now-normal-sized psychic spoon in his hand and replied calmly,
"If this thing had remained hidden somewhere in Songzao City, it would've been nothing less than a ticking time bomb."
"You brought it right to me so I could dismantle it in advance—I actually think that's a good thing."
"Otherwise, if the monster inside suddenly appeared in Songzao City one day, that would've been the real disaster."
Hearing Red speak so reasonably, Reiji finally relaxed a little.
The reason Red wasn't angry was actually very simple—
After the spoon shrank back down, the System's evaluation of it had changed.
[Psychic Spoon (Purple)]
A special item containing Eternatus's Dynamax energy. If this energy can be extracted and guided properly, it can allow Gym Pokémon to Dynamax.
The moment Red saw the spoon's effect—
He instantly stopped being upset. His back no longer hurt, his legs no longer ached.
After all—
This was Dynamax.
Even in Galar, the birthplace of Dynamaxing—
Research into Dynamax had only just begun.
If he could make Songzao Gym the only Gym capable of using Dynamax—
Would there even still be any need to compete for one of the Eight Official Gyms?
At that point, it wouldn't be Red needing the Eight Gyms to raise his status anymore—
The League itself would have to elevate Songzao Gym into the Eight Gyms in order to increase the prestige of the Eight Gym system.
So facing Reiji and Shinji's apology—
Red accepted it very cheerfully.
Because what they had brought him wasn't a bomb.
It was a surprise.
An enormous surprise.
Every new generation of Pokémon introduced a brand-new battle system.
The first five generations mainly expanded the fundamental mechanics of Pokémon battles—
Hidden Abilities, breeding systems, shiny Pokémon, natures, new typings like Steel and Dark, and so on.
Then came Generation Six—the XY era.
Besides introducing the Fairy type, it also brought the coolest battle mechanic of all:
Mega Evolution.
Also known as Mega Evolution, Super Evolution, or "Mega."
Generation Seven—Sun and Moon—introduced Z-Crystals, granting all Pokémon access to legendary Z-Moves.
Generations Eight and Nine then introduced Dynamax and Terastallization.
Dynamax, as the name implied—
Allowed Pokémon to become gigantic.
In this state, a Pokémon's body could enlarge dozens or even hundreds of times.
Its HP would also double directly.
And all moves of the same type would transform into corresponding Max Moves.
Whether it was Outrage or Dragon Breath—
Under Dynamax, both would become Max Wyrmwind, with massively increased power.
And Max Wyrmwind could even lower the opponent's Attack stat.
Every Max Move type also had its own special effects.
For example—
Max Rockfall summoned a sandstorm.
Max Hailstorm created hail.
And even Protect would be partially broken through by Max Moves, still taking damage.
The mechanic's power level was absurdly high.
The only downside was that Dynamax lasted only a short time—
After using three Max Moves, the Pokémon would revert to normal.
And Dynamax couldn't be used in the wild either.
It required battlefields infused with Dynamax energy.
Although Dynamax was ridiculously powerful—
Red's favorite battle mechanic was still Mega Evolution.
Because power was temporary—
But coolness lasted forever.
Of course—
That didn't stop Red from wanting to turn Songzao Gym into the first Gym in all of Kanto capable of using Dynamax.
"Ah… what a shame. The problem is I still don't know what kind of device can extract this Dynamax energy."
Just as Red was thinking—
Reiji, standing nearby, still looked somewhat uneasy.
Although Red had acted very generously—
Reiji still felt they should offer some form of compensation.
And he also thought—
That letting Shinji stay under Red's guidance might actually be a very good choice.
After hesitating briefly, Reiji said:
"Gym Leader Red… we truly are sorry about today."
"How about this? Let Shinji stay here and work at the Gym for free."
"Treat it as a small apology from him."
Shinji stared at Reiji in complete disbelief.
His expression practically screamed:
Bro… you're seriously selling me off just like that?!
Hearing Reiji's suggestion—
Red was instantly tempted.
After all, Shinji was one of Ash's greatest rivals.
If he could take him in as a disciple, the System would probably grant rewards and exclusive missions.
Just as Red was thinking about how to agree naturally—
Reiji, seeing Red hesitate, clearly misunderstood his expression.
"Gym Leader Red!"
"I admit I have selfish motives!"
"But Shinji's talent is even greater than mine!"
"If he can have a good teacher, forget Elite Four or Champion—even becoming a Gym-level trainer is guaranteed!"
"He'll definitely be able to help you in the future!"
At that moment, the System notification suddenly sounded.
[Ding! Mission Triggered: Accept Shinji as a Disciple]
[Reward: Dynamax Energy Collection Device]
◇ You can read 60+ chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested:
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