There were nine Gyarados in total. Despite it not being a huge number, before trainers became more prevalent it would take only one or two average Gyarados to completely decimate a coastal city. They had been revered as minor deities by many for a long time and for good reason.
Stlix was not worried but he could not leave either, if he left it was more than likely the raging Gyarados would attack Vermillion and despite the cities ability to defend itself from aquatic Pokémon there was too high of a chance of death. And thus, Stlix stayed to stop them, he was confident in Buddy's own strength.
Seeing his evolved forms may assist Magikarp as well, it was well documented that Pokémon got stronger far faster when they saw their stronger forms so it may help him evolve faster.
As the Gyarados school grew closer and closer Stlix could see when Hyper beams started powering up to fire upon them. Magikarp watched transfixed as the sea serpents started attacked and Buddy curling up in front of them defensively.
The Hyper beams wouldn't be able to harm Buddy at all but the steel serpent had to be careful in case the shockwaves from the hit landing harmed his teammates and Stlix. That was where Floaty shined, the metagross having honed his abilities over the various defensive moves to a degree unmatched by most.
Stlix could see them clearly now and now Stlix could see an excellent gift for Steven, at that the back was a RED Gyarados. A shiny Pokémon was a supremely rare phenomenon and nearly unheard of in any species but the most common like pidgey and magikarp. However, as they could not blend in with their species as well.
As the most common were of prey species the shiny Pokémon were swiftly eaten, only the luckiest or most intelligent were not eaten. As they were so uncommon, they were not a subject with a lot of research devoted to their differences either, so Joseph would probably wan the Gyarados examined.
One of the Hyper beams fired and fizzled out against Buddy's steel hide, a second following the first. In response Buddy set up a barrier of Stealth rocks and launched a Stone edge at the lead Gyarados, who hadn't yet fired their Hyper beam.
The massive sea serpent was knocked comatose with the single effective attack, the blade of stone cutting deep into the scaly stomach. Blood poured out of the Gyarados even as one of its school ignored the steelix and fired the Hyper beam directly at Stlix.
The powerful Normal type move was completely blocked by a green screen, Floaty blocking the attack with a Protect. Two other attacks, a Hydro pump and a Ice beam, was blocked by the wall of Stealth rocks, prompting the rocks to launch themselves at the school in return.
A large Flash cannon interrupted two Fire blasts and carried on going to knock out another two of the Gyarados, the Stealth rocks reached the school and knocked out the targets they had homed in on.
That made it five of the Gyarados school comatose and only four left, including the shiny who seemed to turn tail noting the danger it was in. Stlix saw it sinking beneath the waves and shouted at Floaty to catch it with Psychic.
The metagross grasped the sea serpent in a powerful psychic hold and lifted it out of the water. Buddy systematically took out the other Gyarados with Gyro balls whilst Floaty hauled the struggling Gyarados to shore. As it reached them and lashed out with Outrage that broke it out of the psychic hold. Buddy went to intercept the falling serpent but was too slow as it fired an Ice beam at Stlix. Stlix flinched away from the attack but before it could land a red scaled fish jumped in between. The shiny Gyarados was beaten unconscious with a brutal Iron tail but Stlix couldn't care as Magikarp gave a pained squeal and glowed white.
Frost overtook the small body of the Fish Pokémon, a icy blue overtaking the warm orange scales as it fell to ground, still and silent. Stlix fell to his knee and grasped the small cold body to his chest, Dragon types were extremely weak to Ice types, their blood running far hotter than anything else and a powerful Pokémon like the Gyarados would have no trouble accidently killing a small Pokémon like Magikarp.
Stlix stared at the floor, the rest of his team silent too. He knelt for two minutes until a psychic grip wrenched the Pokémon away from him. About to yell at Floaty for taking Magikarp away he noticed the Pokémon now glowing bright white.
Magikarp's small form slowly shifted to a large serpent under the glowing aura of white light, a large, pained roar screaming out of the halo. The light faded to reveal a Gyarados but a Gyarados unlike any seen before.
The Gyarados was not blue nor red, it was like slowly cooling lava with orange veins cracking through a brownish black hide. Gyarados's form was not a smooth streamlined form designed for swimming but rather segmented like a carapace. Two spiralling horns curled up from the back of his head, pulling back regally.
Gyarados seemed like royalty compared to the unconscious shiny Gyarados. His head swaying from side to side slightly as he focused back on Stlix. Gyarados bent down to Stlix level and contrary to his appearance nuzzled into Stlix's torso, crooning with a gentle rumble.
"Thank you." Stlix murmured as he brushed his hand across Gyarados's great head. "You nearly died to save my life and I thank you. But look at you now." He grinned at the serpent. "You are like royalty compared to that Gyarados, completely unique and a wonder."
Gyarados lifted his head to sky and let out a joyful roar, prompting many of the nearby Pokémon to scurry and fly for safety. Away from the massively dangerous Pokémon proclaiming his own dominance.
Stlix let out a smile as he looked at his family, happiness filling him as he looked at his teammates growing power. He stood there and basked in it before he went back to Vermillion.
The next day Stlix was back in Devon Corporation building, he had called Doctor Rasen ahead of time to let him know that Magikarp had evolved to become Gyarados and his form was different.
In the same room as last time Doctor Rasen practically salivated looking at Gyarados, his form filling the room they were in. Strangely Gyarados really didn't like water too much and had demonstrated a grasp of flying type energy similar to a Dragonite to assist them in flying.
Whilst no master yet Gyarados had been able to swim through the air like a normal Gyarados in water. Rasen and his team had ran through the tests faster than an Accelgor in their excitement. Soon enough Rasen was informing Stlix of the results, Gyarados retained his Dragon typing from his previous evolutionary form but had strangely gained another type completely at odds to a normal Gyarados. Fire type.
