Their feet finally touched the solid ground of an uninhabited island, a welcome relief after their ordeal at sea.
"You worked hard, Gyarados." Red took out a Poké Ball and recalled it. Luckily, he found an island to stop at in time; otherwise, the two of them would have drifted at sea for a while.
"Um... Red, I'll go change my clothes first..." Leaf said, blushing, wanting to change her clothes that were soaked by the seawater.
"No need," Red said leisurely, not noticing Leaf's gradually reddening face.
"Red! We're too young to do something like that!" Leaf said shyly, shaking her head in struggle, which made Red feel inexplicable.
Ignoring the misunderstanding, Red's eyes glowed blue as he used Psychic to separate the seawater from his and Leaf's clothes, forming two water balls that fell to the ground. This scene surprised Leaf, who was about to find a corner to take off... no, change her clothes.
"...!...?" Leaf's expression went from initial shyness to excitement and then to disappointment.
"I didn't expect Psychic to have such a use!" she exclaimed, touching her clothes and finding that there was no water left, as if they had been dried.
"Everyone, come out!"
After a simple tidying up, Red let his Pokémon rest for a moment. Charizard, Onix, Pidgeotto, the Blood-Red Gyarados, Scyther, and the newly joined Feebas appeared before the two. Aside from Red and Leaf, the five Pokémon all looked curiously at the new addition to the team, Feebas.
"What kind of Pokémon is this?" Leaf asked, puzzled, taking out her Pokédex to scan Feebas. A mechanical voice then sounded, "No data! In this world, many Pokémon have yet to be discovered!"
"Huh! How could this be? Could it be that this little one isn't a Kanto Region Pokémon?" Leaf said, confused, looking helplessly at Red, wanting him to answer her doubts.
"Feebas, a Pokémon unique to the Hoenn Region. Like the Magikarp of the Kanto Region, it is known as a weak fish Pokémon, but its potential is also like Magikarp's. Once it successfully evolves, it will transform into a powerful Pokémon!" Red explained, not forgetting to pull out his Pokédex to show Leaf the data for Milotic after evolution.
"Milotic, the Tender Pokémon, Feebas's evolved form. It is said to be the most beautiful Pokémon, with the power to soothe anger and hatred and to calm disputes."
"Wow! This Pokémon will evolve into such a beautiful creature?! Pokémon really are amazing creatures!" If it weren't for the data displayed by the Pokédex, Leaf would never have believed that Feebas would evolve into a beautiful Pokémon like Milotic.
(A vase? No! With Master's eye, this guy definitely has some talent I haven't discovered!) the Blood-Red Gyarados secretly pondered. Although it knew Red's eye for Pokémon, Feebas's initial performance truly left it speechless. How could there be such a timid and introverted Pokémon? How could they easily consider such a weak fellow as a companion?
The other four Pokémon shared the same thought as the Blood-Red Gyarados. They belonged to Red's initial team of six Pokémon, forming a collective. With Beedrill temporarily at the lab, the introduction of Feebas sparked a hint of hostility in the five Pokémon's hearts.
"Little one, don't be afraid! We won't hurt you!" Sensing the fear in Feebas's heart, Red released his Viridian Power to soothe its mind. Under the calming effect of the energy, Feebas gradually stabilized its emotions but still timidly kept its heart closed.
Red focused on his new partner, its full profile displaying in his mind.
Pokémon: Feebas
Type: Water
Ability: Adaptability
Moves: Splash, Tackle, Hypnosis.
Personality: Introverted, persistent in finding a way to evolve.
Experience: Born in the sea between the Kanto Region and the Hoenn Region. After witnessing its kind evolve into Milotic by touching a Prism Scale, it developed a desire to evolve and has been working hard, drifting across the sea until now, just to find a Prism Scale that allows it to evolve. By chance, it found a Prism Scale in a coral area, but was unexpectedly caught by the Magikarp salesman, who until now, still considers it a variant of Magikarp.
"Welcome to the team, Feebas! From now on, we are companions and family!"
To the surprise of several Pokémon, it was the arrogant Scyther who was the first to welcome Feebas to the team.
With Scyther's opening, the other four Pokémon all smiled, welcoming Feebas's addition, which made the little fish so excited it was incoherent. How long had it been since a Pokémon had welcomed it so warmly? But Feebas knew one thing clearly: its current situation was all thanks to Red.
"I will train you to be an excellent Milotic, and you will be the most beautiful Milotic!" Red promised, but a mere verbal promise would not make Feebas completely open up to him.
"Leaf, you and Charizard can settle the accommodation first. I'll take Feebas to wash off the dirt. If possible, please help me collect some sour berries. This can effectively increase Feebas's beauty."
With that, Red left, holding the half-reluctant, feigning-struggle Feebas, leaving only Leaf and the five Pokémon looking at each other.
"Everyone is different from ordinary Pokémon!" Leaf praised, especially Charizard's current appearance, which completely broke her previous stereotypes. How could there be such a handsome and powerful Pokémon? In terms of looks alone, this Dragon Scale Charizard already surpassed a host of Dragon-type Pokémon.
Although Leaf was praising them, the five Pokémon didn't give her any face at all. After a few glances at Leaf, they left on their own. Only Red could command them to do things; as for anyone else… no chance.
"How can this be~" Leaf said dejectedly. "Since that's the case, everyone, come out!" Six white lights dispersed, and Ivysaur, Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Ditto, Eevee, and Nidorina appeared before her. Seeing Leaf's dejected expression, they also came closer to comfort her.
"My Pokémon are still the best, unlike Red's Pokémon, who are just like him, cold and aloof!" Leaf complained, her expression extremely helpless.
Meanwhile, Red continuously wiped Feebas's body with a soft towel soaked in seawater, fearing that too much force would hurt it. He also didn't forget to tell Feebas the childhood stories Delia used to tell the two brothers when they were young, with the protagonist of the story being a Feebas that turned into Milotic—the Pokémon world's version of the Ugly Duckling story.
Feebas looked at Red with longing. It didn't yet know that the Prism Scale was in Red's backpack, but at this moment, Red's care had already made it let go of its reservations. Creatures that have been bullied often initially respond to everything in the world with indifference, but upon feeling warmth, they also easily open their hearts to others.
"Feebas, you must believe that every creature in this world has its own meaning of existence. Don't give up on yourself either," Red caressed Feebas's face. "Not just me, Charizard and the others are also your companions and family. Even that kid, Scyther, proactively welcomed your arrival." At this point, Red's mouth curved slightly upward. He hadn't expected that it would be Scyther who first welcomed Feebas to the team.
Approaching dusk, the sea was indeed a beautiful sight. Even Leaf, who had been complaining earlier, was now enjoying the scenery. The uninhabited island had many types of berries, and they easily found edible ones, as well as the sour berries Feebas needed.
Of course, this wasn't solely Leaf's credit. Although they didn't pay attention to her, Charizard and Pidgeotto wisely found a cave suitable for living. Onix and Gyarados were responsible for transporting materials and settling in, and Scyther went alone into the forest to find edible berries. The division of labor was very clear.
It was just tough for Leaf and her Ivysaur, who wanted to help, as they were inexplicably demoted to assistants.
***
(End of Chapter)
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