Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

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"Weak?" Enel pursed his lips and smiled.

Indeed, judging solely by appearance, these two Pokémon might not seem powerful. However, Enel wouldn't offer anything without good reason. These Pokémon certainly had their strengths.

In response to Inosuke's doubts, he chuckled and said, "No need to rush to judgment."

"They say not to judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for Pokémon."

With a gesture, Enel summoned the Tablet Rotom to his side. A snap of his fingers changed the display on the screen.

The once simple-looking Pokémon transformed. The previously unimposing Karrablast became an armored knight with two lances, and Shelmet turned into a swift ninja wrapped in bandages with sharp, focused eyes.

"This is..." 

Inosuke and Zenitsu, now fully captivated, fixed their eyes on the screen.

"Escavalier and Accelgor," Enel introduced them with a smile.

"These are the evolved forms of the Karrablast and Shelmet you just saw."

He continued, "Unlike typical Pokémon evolution, these two have a unique evolutionary process. In the right electrical environment, Shelmet produces a special substance, allowing it to shed its shell and evolve into Accelgor, a Pokémon with extraordinary speed."

"The discarded shell, now worn by Karrablast, transforms it into Escavalier, an armored knight with immense strength."

"This kind of evolution, where two Pokémon evolve in tandem, is extremely rare."

Enel snapped his fingers again, and the screen reverted to the original images of Karrablast and Shelmet. Electricity pulsed at his fingertips as he smiled.

"Lucky for you, my ability allows me to create the precise electrical conditions needed for these evolutions."

"So, if you choose these Pokémon, I can evolve them for you right now into Escavalier and Accelgor—making them stronger and saving you both time and effort."

"In essence, you'd be spending the same amount of points, but receiving more powerful Pokémon in return. So, what do you think? Will you choose these two, or would you prefer I recommend something else?"

Before Enel had even finished speaking, Inosuke raised his boar mask and, without hesitation, pointed at the screen. 

"I've decided! This Pokémon is mine!"

The fierce look of Escavalier immediately resonated with him, as if it had been made specifically for him.

Zenitsu, after a moment of hesitation, muttered quietly, "Well... then I guess I'll take Shelmet."

While he wasn't thrilled with the appearance of either Shelmet or Accelgor, the word "agility" piqued his interest.

What does agility represent if not speed? And speed, in Zenitsu's eyes, meant a way to escape danger.

For someone like Zenitsu, who had no desire to fight, a fast Pokémon could serve as a perfect bodyguard, ensuring his safety. If that bodyguard could also help him avoid danger quickly, it was all the better.

Reluctantly, he let go of his preference for appearance.

With a flash of light, two identical Poké Balls materialized in front of Inosuke and Zenitsu. The two reached out, took the Poké Balls, and eagerly released their new Pokémon.

"Kraa~!!!"

"Sheel~..."

The two Pokémon emerged, brimming with energy. Karrablast, full of vitality, flexed its tiny arms as if trying to show off its strength to Inosuke.

In contrast, Shelmet, much like its trainer Zenitsu, recoiled in fear, closing its helmet-like shell and trembling behind Zenitsu.

"So... this is a Pokémon?" Inosuke, in his usual rough manner, picked up Karrablast and sniffed it, as if he were meeting some strange animal from the forest.

Zenitsu also picked up Shelmet, observing its cute, trembling form. A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

"If I take this cute little guy with me on a date, there's no way I'll get rejected like before!" He grinned to himself. "I could hold her hand, walk with Shelmet under the sunset... we'd talk about our future together..."

Before Zenitsu could finish indulging in his daydream, Enel's voice snapped him back to reality.

Seeing that the two had already bonded with their new Pokémon, Enel asked, "So, Mr. Inosuke, Mr. Zenitsu, would you like me to evolve your Pokémon now?"

"Of course!" Inosuke answered immediately, placing Karrablast back on the ground without hesitation.

He had a fanatical drive for power, but the cute appearance of the Karrablast didn't suit his tastes. The bold and determined expression of Escavalier was much more aligned with his aesthetics.

On the other hand, Zenitsu hesitated. The appearance of Accelgor wouldn't do much to help his attempts to charm girls. But there was no choice...

After all, the world is filled with danger, and Zenitsu valued staying alive more than holding a girl's hand.

"Kraa!"

"Shell!"

The two Pokémon were placed on the ground by their respective trainers, both looking confused. However, after Enel's brief explanation, their expressions changed to ones of anticipation, with their wide eyes gleaming with excitement.

Being newly born, the Pokémon were full of curiosity about the world and had yet to develop any complex thoughts. Upon hearing they could evolve, both creatures straightened up like soldiers awaiting inspection.

Enel placed his hands on their heads, and in an instant, a large surge of electricity enveloped them. For Enel, whose strength had been somewhat restored, this amount of power was trivial.

To create the perfect electrical environment for the evolution of Karrablast and Shelmet, Enel even used his points to fine-tune the current. Since the cost was minimal, he waived the evolution fee altogether—considering it as an investment to help Inosuke and Zenitsu grow faster.

Soon, a radiant glow surrounded both the Bug and the Snail. Unlike the typical light of evolution, these two energies began to merge with one another. After a few seconds, the light faded, revealing two Pokémon that had doubled in size.

"Success!!!"

Tanjiro, witnessing a Pokémon evolve for the first time, looked astonished. He quickly pulled out his Rotom Phone and scanned the two evolved creatures. Their information instantly appeared on the screen.

[Pokémon: Escavalier] 

[Type: Bug, Steel] 

[Ability: Overcoat] 

[Level: 22]

[Pokémon: Accelgor] 

[Type: Bug] 

[Ability: Hydration (In a moist environment, its recovery rate increases)] 

[Level: 22]

"Their level reached 22!?"

Tanjiro's eyes widened as he saw how much stronger the two Pokémon had become after evolving. He couldn't help but murmur to himself, "Is the power of evolution really this strong?"

Subconsciously, his gaze shifted to his own Larvesta. After all, his Larvesta was only at level 20.

Although its bond evolution could push it to level 30, Tanjiro couldn't help but imagine how much stronger it would be if it evolved naturally. If his Larvesta could evolve like Escavalier, its strength wouldn't just surpass level 30—it could potentially reach level 40 or higher!

With that in mind, Tanjiro's heart began to race at the thought of his Pokémon's potential. However, his excitement quickly subsided, and his expression wavered.

According to his Rotom Phone, for the Larvesta to evolve, it would need to refine and absorb large amounts of fire energy while also building immense physical strength. This would be no easy feat.

In fact, the rotom phone indicated that the Larvesta would need to reach an astonishing level of 60 to evolve.

Level 60?

Though Tanjiro's current bond evolution gave him combat strength equivalent to level 30, he knew all too well that the gap between levels 30 and 60 wasn't just a matter of numbers—it was like an insurmountable chasm.

If his Larvesta could already fight at level 60, there'd be no need to pursue evolution at all.

"Sigh..." Tanjiro sighed inwardly.

"Ahem..."

At that moment, Enel cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.

He handed the two newly evolved Pokémon back to their trainers and offered some advice to Zenitsu and Inosuke on how to nurture their Pokémon.

Finally, with a smile, Enel asked, "So, are you two satisfied with your new Pokémon?"

"Absolutely! So satisfied!!!" Inosuke and Zenitsu both nodded enthusiastically.

No matter how strong these two were, their abilities were undeniably impressive. But for anyone, it would be a delightful surprise to suddenly have a companion with comparable fighting power. And the fact that this power could be further strengthened by capturing Demons...

For people whose profession is hunting these demons, wasn't this practically free gain? Is there anything in the world more thrilling than free gain?

"As long as you're satisfied," Enel said, showing a rare smile, clearly pleased with another successful transaction.

Then, he turned to Tanjiro, as if sensing his thoughts, and asked, 

"What's the matter, Tanjiro? Why do you look so down? Do you regret spending your points to help Zenitsu and Inosuke buy their Pokémon?"

"Ah... no, it's not that at all!" Tanjiro quickly waved his hands, a sheepish smile appearing on his face. He then selectively shared his concerns with Enel.

After listening to Tanjiro's worries, Enel smiled quietly.

"I see," he said, gently patting Tanjiro on the head. "You don't need to worry about that at all."

"Huh?" Tanjiro looked up at Enel in confusion.

Enel continued, "In the Pokémon world, whether to evolve a Pokémon early or delay its evolution has always been a debated topic."

"First of all, you have to understand..." 

"Like most living beings, every Pokémon has a limit to its potential," Enel explained. 

"For example, with the Pokémon you three own... without the blessing of extra life energy, your Larvesta's natural limit would only reach around level 80, and it might never even reach that in its lifetime."

"As for what life energy is, I can explain that later." 

"But right now, I want to talk about the role of natural evolution in a Pokémon's life."

"Natural evolution isn't like Mega Evolution, Bond Evolution, or Dynamax. It's an irreversible process. Once a Pokémon reaches its final evolutionary stage, that's where it stays unless it's a mythical beast with some extraordinary ability."

"Evolution is simply a way for Pokémon to fully realize their innate potential." 

"When Karrablast evolved into a Escavalier, its strength instantly jumped over 20 levels—that's the power of evolution."

"But you need to understand, as a Pokémon continues to unlock more of its potential and become stronger, it requires more and more energy to progress." 

"Even though the gap between level 69 and level 70 is just one level, the amount of energy required to cross that threshold is hundreds, even thousands of times greater than what it took to go from level 1 to level 20!"

"So, if a level 69 Pokémon hasn't yet reached its final evolutionary form, natural evolution can help it break through this bottleneck and realize more of its potential." 

"On the other hand, Pokémon that evolve early have already reached their final form, so they won't have that convenient method to break through their limits anymore—they can only rely on time and experience."

"However, evolving early also has its benefits." 

"By evolving early, the Pokémon can get through its vulnerable stages faster, gain more strength, undergo tougher training, and increase its growth rate. This means it'll reach its bottleneck much sooner."

"In short, both early and delayed evolution have their pros and cons. The specific outcome really depends on the trainer's approach."

"In Pokémon training, the trainer is the most important factor." 

"Great trainers can raise powerful Pokémon, regardless of the evolutionary path they choose."

"So, if you're worried about this," Enel added with confidence, "you can rest assured... Instead of fretting over unnecessary details, focus on training and leveling up."

"Don't let trivial things take up space in your mind—that's the key to success!"