NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27: Chapter 27: "Got It? Got It!"
After Charmander finished attempting the move, Dragonite waved dismissively, unimpressed.
"Boooo~"
[This is terrible.]
Charmander lowered its head, clearly embarrassed. Maki stepped forward, worried that Dragonite's words might crush its confidence, and reassured it:
"Don't worry. With more practice, you'll definitely master it—just like you did with Fire Fang before."
Even though Maki knew perfectly well that the difficulty of learning these two moves was worlds apart, they still tried to comfort the little Pokémon.
"Chaaar~"
Charmander nodded firmly, as if to say, "I can't let Maki down!"
Dragonite, however, remained indifferent to this seemingly inspiring moment. Having followed Giovanni for twenty years, it had seen far more intense scenarios than this.
"Boooo!"
Dragonite called out, recapturing Maki and Charmander's attention.
"Booo-booo!"
[Watch closely, kid! I won't demonstrate this too many times.]
Spreading its wings, Dragonite flew back a short distance and began a performance. It danced with movements similar to but far more refined than Charmander's earlier attempt.
Among all the "dance" moves, Quiver Dance is arguably the most elegant and powerful.
Yet, there exists another specialized dance move—Clangorous Soul, exclusive to Kommo-o. This move raises all stats but comes at the cost of a significant amount of HP.
Kommo-o, a Dragon and Fighting-type Pokémon native to Alola, uses this ability by creating resonating sounds with its scales while moving in specific patterns. Although Maki had never seen Clangorous Soul in person, they had read about its mechanics.
Quiver Dance embodies grace and fluidity, while Dragon Dance—the move Dragonite was now demonstrating—radiates raw power. It's a ritualistic display of unrestrained strength.
As Dragonite performed, its already muscular body seemed to pulse with an even greater intensity, each movement exuding explosive energy.
"Boooo!"
With a thunderous roar, Dragonite unleashed its presence, a commanding pressure that filled the air. This was a champion-level Dragonite—now enhanced by Dragon Dance—its aura truly overwhelming.
Maki couldn't help but worry. Would Dragonite's display attract too much attention?
But a voice in their head quickly put them at ease:
[My psychic abilities are shielding the entire gym. Unless Dragonite plans to tear the place down, no one outside will notice.]
Almost instantly, Sabrina appeared behind Maki using Teleport. Though she tried to maintain composure, a flicker of fear danced in her eyes as she observed Dragonite. Even someone as powerful as Sabrina had to admit that her psychic powers would have no effect on such a formidable Dragonite.
The disparity in strength was simply too vast.
Dragonite glanced at Sabrina, recognizing her immediately. She used to visit the Team Rocket base frequently a few years ago to play with Maki and Silver.
Admittedly, Silver was less of a playmate and more of a recluse—always needing Maki to drag him out of hiding.
Even as a child, Sabrina's psychic talents were so extraordinary that Dragonite often thought of her as a Psychic-type Pokémon disguised as a human.
Now, sensing her protective psychic aura surrounding the gym, Dragonite felt free to fully display its strength.
As Dragonite demonstrated Dragon Dance for Charmander, Maki remained silent, allowing the little Pokémon to focus entirely on the performance. Witnessing a champion-level Pokémon use Dragon Dance was an invaluable opportunity, sure to inspire Charmander.
"Boooo?"
[Did you get it?]
"Chaa!"
[Got it!]
"Boo… cha?"
[You… got it?]
Dragonite was about to explain further but was dumbfounded by Charmander's confident reply.
Even Sabrina blinked in surprise. Understanding the Pokémon's conversation through her psychic abilities, she turned to Maki and translated:
"He said, 'Got it!'"
Dragonite, now gesticulating wildly in frustration, retorted:
[Got it? Got what? That was terrible!]
Maki quickly stepped between the two dragons to defuse the tension. After all, they still needed Dragonite's help for the training.
"Charmander, are you sure you understand?"
Maki didn't think Charmander was the type to lie, but mastering Dragon Dance after just one observation seemed nearly impossible.
Over the past few days, Maki hadn't given Charmander any direct guidance on Dragon Dance. They had focused on basic physical training and used Pokéblocks to support its growth. It was only after seeing Dragonite nearby that Maki decided to attempt teaching the move.
Faced with skepticism from both Maki and Dragonite, Charmander hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
"Don't get upset, okay? Let Charmander try the move again. Who knows—maybe my Charmander really is a genius!"
Dragonite folded its arms, snorted dismissively, and exhaled through its nostrils. As far as it was concerned, Charmander's lineage—an ordinary starter Pokémon given to rookie trainers—hardly set it apart.
In Dragonite's view, Charmander was lucky to have inherited Dragon Dance at all. If Maki really wanted a strong dragon, they could have just taken an egg from Dragonite's nest. With its superior bloodline, any offspring would be vastly more powerful than a Gyarados or similar Pokémon.
Still, out of respect for Maki, Dragonite decided to give Charmander another chance. If it didn't show significant progress, even Maki's pleas wouldn't convince Dragonite to continue teaching it.
To Dragonite, any Pokémon capable of performing Dragon Dance deserved to be called a dragon. However, pretending to understand it when you clearly didn't? That was unforgivable.
Dragonite sat down, propping its head on one paw, looking bored as it watched Charmander attempt the move again. It didn't believe the little Pokémon could improve just by watching once.
[Hurry up. I've got a nap to get back to.]
Under Maki's expectant gaze, Charmander began to perform Dragon Dance again. This time, however, something seemed different.
Dragonite lowered its paw, its expression shifting from boredom to confusion.
Its eyes widened in astonishment as it continued to watch.
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