CHAPTER 374: NEW COMPAGNION

"Let her take risks with me, and you want to stay and protect Altomare?" John looked at Latios.

In truth, he would have preferred to recruit Latios. At level 75, the dragon would provide instant combat power. With a little training, Latios could become a powerhouse. In the games, Latias typically focused on defense while Latios excelled at offense.

Latios nodded thoughtfully. It had considered the matter carefully.

Only by becoming stronger could they truly protect the water capital of Altomare. At the very least, it never wanted to be beaten down by a Shadow Pokemon again. And John had used a single Pokemon to defeat the Shadow Dragonite that had overwhelmed both siblings combined.

Without question, this human’s Pokemon could easily overpower either of them.

Besides, Latios couldn’t sense any "malice" from John. He might not be a saint, but he certainly wasn’t evil either. He could be trusted, at least tentatively.

Still, Latios couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his sister alone in Altomare. If the Shadow Pokemon returned while he was away...

So ultimately, it decided to let its younger sister adventure with John. Only when Latias returned stronger and capable of protecting Altomare would Latios consider leaving to grow stronger himself.

"Latias..." Latias gazed at her brother with obvious reluctance.

Despite her playful nature, she genuinely wanted to see the outside world. In the past, she would occasionally leave Altomare to visit nearby islands. But she didn’t want to leave Altomare permanently, and she certainly didn’t want to leave her brother.

Now Latios was insisting she go.

Otherwise, the next time Shadow Pokemon attacked, the siblings might suffer another humiliating defeat. The human before them wouldn’t conveniently arrive to help every time.

"Don’t worry, we’ll visit regularly," John reassured them. "Even if Altomare is attacked by Shadow Pokemon again, your brother can contact us through Dream Sharing, and we’ll return as quickly as possible."

Dream Sharing was a special ability never officially listed among Latias’s known moves. Like the lightning aura surrounding Zeraora’s body, John believed this was a technique developed through deep mastery of certain type energies.

He’d seen Latias use Dream Sharing before. The effect allowed her to share visual experiences with other beings. Latias could share Latios’s vision, then relay that same vision to others, essentially letting them see exactly what Latios was seeing.

Through Dream Sharing, if Altomare faced another Shadow Pokemon assault, John would know immediately and could respond at maximum speed.

"Latios!" Latios fixed his sister with a stern expression. The older brother had to play the role of a strict father now.

This matter wasn’t up for negotiation.

"Latias..." Realizing her brother had made his final decision, Latias nodded reluctantly and flew toward John with obvious resignation.

"Don’t worry, think of it as an extended vacation," John said gently, producing a Premier Ball. "Whenever you want to come home, I’ll bring you back for a visit."

He planned to be gentle with her. After all, Latias possessed abilities similar to Ditto, she could assume human form. In particular, she enjoyed transforming into a young girl.

The Premier Ball tapped Latias lightly on the head, immediately drawing her inside. But the flashing red light signaled her internal struggle and reluctance.

The Premier Ball rocked three or four times before finally going still.

Latias had been captured.

"Finally," John exhaled in relief. At last, he’d successfully recruited her.

This trip to Altomare hadn’t been wasted, nor had the encounter with the Shadow Dragonite.

He released Latias so she could properly say goodbye to her brother Latios, then immediately opened his interface to check her stats.

[Latias (Dragon/Psychic)](Mythical Pokemon)]

[Level: 60]

[Ability: Levitate (Pokemon with this ability are immune to Ground-type moves and unaffected by Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Stealth Rock, and similar field hazards)]

[Individual Values: HP (31), Attack (31), Special Attack (31), Defense (31), Special Defense (31), Speed (31)]

[Moves: Stored Power, Charm, Helping Hand, Recover, Confusion, Tailwind, Dragon Breath, Wish, Mist Ball, Zen Headbutt, Dragon Pulse, Heal Pulse, Reflect Type, Psychic...]

[Held Item: None]

Nothing particularly unusual in Latias’s stat panel...

Except for her individual values.

"Perfect IVs across the board. Are all legendary Pokemon born with perfect stats? Or is this specific to mythical Pokemon?" John rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

After all, both legendary Pokemon he’d captured so far had perfect individual values.

If all legendary Pokemon truly had perfect IVs, then "farming" legendary encounters in the future wouldn’t be nearly as tedious.

As for Latias’s role on his team, John studied her moveset more carefully.

Charm, Helping Hand, Recover, Tailwind, Wish, Heal Pulse...

She’d make an excellent support Pokemon.

Clearly, Latias was more proficient with Psychic-type techniques than Dragon-type moves.

"Psychic-types can also learn Guard Split, Power Swap, Gravity, and other utility moves," John mused. "Latias’s signature move Mist Ball can also reduce the opponent’s Special Attack."

However, using a legendary Pokemon purely for support seemed wasteful. John planned to have her specialize in support moves while not neglecting offensive capabilities. Whether Dragon or Psychic-type, her attacks shouldn’t be underestimated.

Even though Latias was considered relatively weak among mythical Pokemon, she was still far stronger than ordinary Pokemon and most pseudo-legendaries.

Additionally, Latias could undergo Mega Evolution.

Among mythical Pokemon, only, Latios, Latias and Diancie had received Mega Evolutions.

If Latias could Mega Evolve, her strength would increase dramatically.

The only problem was obtaining her Mega Stone, which might prove challenging.

"By the way," John suddenly remembered something and looked up at Ben Gray.

"When does Altomare’s Grand Water Racing Tournament begin?"