113. Flying across the sky
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After careful consideration, Red finally matched Usopp with Iron Defense and Tri Attack!
Harden, which increases Defense.
Tri Attack was a move that, when it hit an enemy, had a high probability of causing burns, paralysis, or freezing.
Both moves were skills with no type restrictions in the Normal system, so even Usopp with his Bug + Grass typing could learn them.
One for defense and one for offense, providing a balanced approach.
Moreover, Tri Attack was a long-range beam attack, which suited Usopp perfectly as a sniper.
It would allow him to adapt to Pokémon energy in advance and strive to develop his own fighting style with Pokémon moves, similar to how Zoro and Sanji had incorporated them into their techniques.
As for why Red chose Tri Attack instead of the higher-damage Hyper Beam...
Even Luffy and the others hadn't yet fully mastered the secrets of that powerful move. Red didn't expect Usopp, who had just reached level 21, to properly harness its power.
Besides, moves could be changed at any time, and there weren't many options available right now.
Red didn't overthink it; these would do for now.
A burst of colorful light flashed across Usopp's eyes.
When he opened them again, he had fully mastered four new Pokémon moves.
"Red, I..."
Feeling like a new man, Usopp stared at his hands in shock.
Strange energy flowed through his body, as if he could freely direct it with just a thought.
The sensation was truly novel.
"Haha, don't get too excited yet," Red grinned, then turned and walked toward the old NPC woman in the breeding house again.
After some menu selections, a sleeping figure wearing a straw hat suddenly appeared in the training room where Usopp had previously been.
Surprisingly, it was their captain – Luffy!
This opportunity to gain experience points by spending just a small amount of money couldn't be wasted.
"Luffy only needs a few hundred experience points before he can level up," Red explained.
"With today's training house experience, he can directly rise to level 50."
"When that happens, we'll feed him two Rare Candies and let him make a significant jump in level!"
"Consider it last-minute preparation before facing Crocodile!"
Because Red had been focusing on training Zoro and Sanji recently, Luffy hadn't entered the Pokémon world with him for a while.
In the future, with more nakama needing training, this situation would occur frequently.
But that didn't mean Luffy wasn't important to Red.
"Keep growing stronger, future Pirate King!"
Instead of waking the sleeping Luffy, Red glanced at Usopp, and the two of them immediately exited the breeding room.
With a wave of Red's hand, a strange bicycle-like device tied to balloons and floating in mid-air suddenly appeared before them.
"What is this?" Usopp blinked curiously.
Then, he watched as Red sat directly on the seat of the device, patted the child seat behind him, and said:
"Hop on! Time waits for no one. Let's head to Saffron City and challenge a small gym first!"
"Wait a minute..." Usopp's eyes widened in shock.
He had already learned some information about the Pokémon world from Red's casual conversations, and naturally knew what a gym was.
However...
Usopp stared blankly at the colorful balloons that usually only appeared at festivals, and his whole body went numb.
"Ride that? Are you serious, Red?!"
"Of course! Don't waste time, climb aboard quickly!"
At Red's insistence, Usopp shakily sat on this strange contraption.
The next second, the device with seemingly no scientific basis actually flew into the air and moved forward rapidly under Red's control. This device was surprisingly the special technique that replaced the traditional Fly move in "Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee" – Sky Dash!
After infiltrating Team Rocket's base, a man had appeared on the street out of nowhere and passed this move, or rather this device, to Red.
It gave them the ability to travel quickly between cities.
The device was equipped with a special navigation system, so there was no need to worry about getting lost or taking roundabout routes.
However, it was also programmed so that only towns Red and the others had already visited could be selected as destinations, making it impossible to use this device to bypass plot progression.
"How does this even work?! Isn't it too strange?"
Looking down at the shrinking town and forest below, Usopp, who had put on his goggles, suddenly exclaimed in amazement.
Unlike the instant travel effect in the game, the device used by Red and the others still took some time to reach its destination.
Although these minutes were nothing compared to traveling on foot.
Ten minutes later.
Above a city more prosperous than Celadon City, the flying device slowly descended in front of the city's Pokémon Center.
"Whew~"
Usopp landed on the ground and clutched his pounding heart. He looked as if he had ridden a roller coaster, a giant swing, and a pirate ship... all without any preparation, his face pale.
Who could have imagined that despite the power of flight coming from just a bunch of balloons, it could accelerate to a terrifying speed comparable to that of a fighter jet!
This defied all logic!
After landing, perhaps due to his initial limited gaming time that had formed a habit, even though he now played for nearly four hours daily, Red still adhered to the principle of efficiency.
Here in Saffron City, he had been shopping yesterday and received a powerful Psychic-type TM - Psychic! - from an enthusiastic Mediterranean-looking uncle.
Unfortunately, none of the Straw Hat crew could learn this move.
This time, Red brought Usopp to Saffron City specifically to challenge a small gym here.
Unlike the usual setting of one gym per city, adjacent to Saffron City's official Psychic-type Gym, there was an unofficially certified Fighting-type mini gym.
In the game, challenging this gym wouldn't earn any badges, but it would reward a signature Fighting-type Pokémon.
Because Red and the others hadn't completed the main game plot yet, all of Saffron City was still under Team Rocket's control.
Only this unofficial gym and the Pokémon Center remained operational.
Usopp, with his Bug typing, happened to have a resistance relationship with Fighting types.
Whether Bug attacks against Fighting, or Fighting attacks against Bug, only half damage would be received!
And yet...
Usopp's current fighting style had nothing to do with Bug-type attributes!
Thinking of this, a strange smile appeared at the corner of Red's mouth.
"It's time for the Pokémon world to feel the power of pirates!"
"Let's go, Usopp!"
"Yeah!!!"
Although what stood before them was far from the grand entrance of the official gym next door, as the automatic door slid open, a powerful warrior's atmosphere instantly hit their faces.
Though he was a sniper, Usopp...
Had always longed to become a brave warrior of the sea!!!