Not far to the south of Twinleaf Town there is a small town, called Apricorns Town, this town because it is close to the bay, therefore the climate is relatively special, suitable for planting Apricorn trees, therefore it produces a large number of Apricorns, so it is called Apricorns Town.
Apricorns can be used to make Poké Balls, but planting is not easy, on the market it is often in short supply, therefore the price is quite good, Apricorns Town therefore can be considered one of the relatively wealthy towns in the surrounding area.
After bidding farewell to Aunt Johanna, Yuga came to Apricorns Town.
Walking on the street, Yuga noticed that almost every household's doorway had planted some Apricorn trees, as few as one or two, as many as five or six.
The residents of the town mostly are good at planting Apricorn trees, even if not planting on a large scale, the ornamental plants in front of their homes are also mostly choosing Apricorn trees instead.
The flowers of Apricorn trees are actually quite pretty, the flower shape is large and the fragrance is pleasant, different kinds of Apricorn trees bloom with different colored flowers, if planted in a mixed way the effect is multicolored, very special, so using them as ornamental plants is not wrong either.
Of course, now is not the flowering season of Apricorn trees, therefore naturally Yuga could not see that kind of unusual scenery.
Natu stood on Yuga's shoulder, looking at this familiar small town with an expression of nostalgia and pain.
The small town was quite lively, the residents of the town were also very enthusiastic, when seeing Yuga this stranger they would also take the initiative to greet, when Yuga asked for directions, they would all enthusiastically give him guidance.
"You are looking for Mr. William." A middle-aged uncle pointed at a street not far away and said, "Look, follow this street, when you reach the first intersection turn right, and then walk a bit further you will see Mr. William's house, Mr. William's house is very special, when you arrive you will recognize it."
The Mr. William spoken of by the middle-aged uncle was exactly the person Yuga had come to Guoguo Town to find, and also he was once the former owner of Natu.
"So that's it, thank you uncle." Yuga thanked the uncle.
The uncle waved his hand and said: "No need to thank, just pointing the way, are you a friend of Mr. William?"
Yuga shook his head and said: "No, I came to find him for a matter."
The middle-aged uncle revealed a look of sudden realization: "So that's it, Mr. William is indeed amazing, even outsiders want to come seek his help, then you go."
The town's residents seemed to have quite a good impression of this Mr. William, however, regarding the misunderstanding of the uncle, Yuga did not explain, instead smiled and waved goodbye to him.
According to the uncle's directions, Yuga indeed smoothly found William's house, at the same time understood why the uncle said as long as you see it you will recognize it.
William's house indeed had a very unusual design, it was actually built like a tower, and moreover in a retro style, among the surrounding ordinary houses it stood out like a crane among chickens, at the same time on the big gate of the tower William's name was written in big characters, truly impossible not to recognize.
Only what troubled Yuga was, William's gate was tightly shut, inside the house seemed to be nobody.
At this time from the house next door walked out a neighbor of Mr. William, the neighbor aunt seemed to be going out to buy vegetables, carrying a vegetable basket, seeing Yuga standing in front of William's gate in a daze, she then asked:
"This gentleman is here to look for William?"
Because Yuga's appearance was handsome, the aunt could not help but look at him a few more times.
Yuga nodded and said: "Yes, auntie, do you know where Mr. William went?"
"Hmm… not too clear." The aunt shook her head, "He seemed to have gone out yesterday evening, until now still has not come back, he is often like this, and never says where he goes."
From the tone of the aunt, it seemed she was very familiar with William.
At this time the aunt suddenly noticed Natu on Yuga's shoulder, felt it looked a little familiar, so she tried asking: "Is this… the Natu that used to belong to William's family?"
Natu cried out once, but the enthusiasm was not high.
The aunt was William's neighbor, naturally recognized this Natu that William was very "fond" of, only she did not know the truth behind William's so-called fondness of Natu.
The aunt and William had been neighbors for decades, it could be said they grew up together from childhood, when young she even secretly had a crush on William, unfortunately William did not have that kind of feeling for her, until today he was still single, while she was already the mother of several children.
The aunt's impression of William had always been that he was gentle, polite, and very knowledgeable.
"William said that the Natu was lost, and because of that he was sad for many days, during that period he would go out every day to search for Natu." the aunt explained, "Sir, did you pick up Natu, and that is why you came to find William?"
Yuga felt that the aunt's words were not wrong, so he smiled and nodded, saying: "You could say that."
The aunt did not notice the deeper meaning behind Yuga's words, her eyes were dazzled by Yuga's charming smile, and her face could not help but flush red.
"You can go to the docks by the seaside and take a look, I heard people say that William often goes there, maybe you could meet him there." after saying this the aunt carried her vegetable basket and hurried away.
Yuga finally decided to wait and see if he could wait for William to come back.
So he rented a room nearby, but for several days in a row, William's house remained tightly shut, and there was no sign of William coming back at all.
At this time Yuga remembered the information provided by the aunt.
Seaside, docks…
Yuga looked at the Natu on his shoulder and asked: "Do you know anything?"
Natu nodded: "It seems he has a secret base out at sea, but I have not been there, the ability transplanted onto me seems to have been something he brought out from the secret base."
"So that's how it is!" Yuga said, "Then let's go and try to find this secret base."
The docks mentioned by the aunt were not hard to find, because in Apricorns Town there was only one dock, so Yuga easily found it after asking around a little.
Apricorns Town was near a bay, and that dock was right at the edge of the bay, it was a place that specialized in renting boats to people to go out to sea.
"Oh, you mean William!" the dock owner, upon hearing Yuga inquiring about William, did not conceal anything, because when he looked at Yuga he felt that he was a good man, "He indeed rented boats from me to go out to sea."
"William has been my old customer, he often rents boats from me, before he usually rented only once after several days, but recently the frequency of his going to sea seems to have increased a lot, and often once he goes it is for many days.
It is said that his favorite Natu disappeared, so he wanted to go out to sea to capture a new Pokémon, but after such a long time, I have not seen him capture any Pokémon, by reason it should not be like this!"
While speaking the owner even secretly glanced at the Natu on Yuga's shoulder, and Natu, being sensitive in perception, naturally noticed it, and when it thought about the owner saying it was William's most favorite Pokémon, it could not help but shiver.
Indeed it was the most favorite, but only as an experimental subject!
Yuga then asked: "Then do you know which direction he went?"
"I know, I know!" saying this, the owner walked to the door of the shop, pointing to the southeast direction: "It is that direction, every time he went out to sea it was that way!"
Yuga followed the direction the owner pointed at and then thanked him: "Thank you, boss!" after saying this he left with Natu.
The owner looked at the departing Yuga and shouted: "Hey, aren't you going to rent a boat?"
However, Yuga had long since disappeared, and the owner did not receive any response.
"Ah~~ business is really getting harder and harder to do!"
Because it was close to winter, the weather was gradually getting colder, and the number of people coming to rent boats to go out to sea was fewer and fewer, the owner was worried!
Yuga and Natu arrived at the seaside, released Lapras, and sat upon it, at the same time he released Decidueye, Mismagius, Gengar, and Vivillon to scout the surrounding area, to see if they could find traces of William.
Yuga and Natu rode Lapras all the way southeast, along the way when they encountered islands, reefs and such, Gengar and the others would investigate each one, but none revealed any trace of William.
Looking at the vast ocean, Yuga thought: Where exactly did this William go? Could it be that he was eaten by Sharpedo?
At this time a Wingull flew past above Yuga's head, and his eyes lit up, if he could not find, then he could ask!
Yuga took out a Pokéblock and placed it on his palm, before long it attracted the attention of a Wingull in the sky, this Wingull was not afraid of strangers, it landed directly on Yuga's arm and opened its mouth to swallow the energy cube into its stomach.
Seeing this, Yuga smiled with squinted eyes and asked it: "Wingull, could you answer me a question?"
Wingull cried out twice, as if looking at Yuga like looking at an idiot, and said: "Fool, even if I answer you, can you understand?"
Yuga looked at it with a half-smile and said: "I can understand, oh."
∑(OОO) Re…really!?
Wingull was dumbfounded, "You really can understand?"
Yuga nodded: "Really."
Having eaten the food of people, one's mouth becomes short, so Wingull could only say: "Then fine, you ask, if I know I will answer."
"Have you seen a middle-aged man driving a small boat pass by here?" Yuga spoke while also describing William's appearance.
Wingull tilted its head and thought for a long time, then shook its head and said: "No impression."
Hearing this, Yuga was somewhat disappointed, afterward he again said: "Then could you help me ask from your companions? If there is news, I will give this to you. Of course, your companions also will have."
Saying this, Yuga took out a can of Pokéblocks.
As soon as Wingull saw it, its eyes lit up, throwing down a sentence "You wait" it then flew away.
But not long after it came back again, beside it following were more than a dozen Wingull.
After a round of inquiries, Yuga finally obtained the clue he wanted, so he drove Lapras to continue swimming toward the southeastern sea area.
Along the way Yuga unceasingly inquired clues from the wild Pokémon, sometimes it was Wingull, sometimes it was Corsola, sometimes it was Mantine, sometimes it was Staryu…
No matter who, as long as sailing on the sea, there is no way to avoid water-type Pokémon, so finding them to ask for clues surely has no problem.
Under the guidance of the water-type Pokémon, Yuga took Natu and all the way sailed toward the southeast direction, in the blink of an eye more than half a day had passed, Yuga already could not remember how far he had swum.
Yuga truly could not understand for what reason William came to such a distant sea area, besides he was not even a professional trainer, maybe if he encountered a ferocious Pokémon he would be finished.
But according to the clues provided by the water-type Pokémon, he indeed had come here.
Yuga gazed at the vast sea surface, suddenly discovered that the space in front twisted for a moment, the next second a white small boat just appeared in his line of sight.
"Just now that small boat did it suddenly just appear?" Yuga asked Lapras.
"Lapras~"
Yes!
Natu also expressed agreement.
"Seems like I did not have blurry eyes." Yuga muttered to himself.
At this time Natu suddenly cried out, Yuga narrowed his eyes and carefully looked toward the small boat: "You say William is on top of the small boat?"
The Natu nodded quickly.
As the small boat came closer and closer to them, Yuga saw a person on the small boat.
"It really is…" Yuga muttered in a low voice, then commanded Lapras, "Lapras, move closer."
"Lapras~"
Lapras responded with a sound, its speed suddenly increasing, and in the blink of an eye they approached the small boat.
The person on the small boat, upon seeing someone riding a Pokémon approaching, had originally intended to avoid them, but when he saw the Natu on Yuga's shoulder, he suddenly changed his mind.
When Lapras swam to the side of the small boat, Yuga finally saw William's face clearly.
This was a man with a refined appearance, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, his hair combed meticulously without a strand out of place, looking very cultured. Although his age was somewhat advanced, it was not hard to see that in his younger years he had been quite handsome.
But certainly not more handsome than me! Yuga thought in his heart.
"Natu, is it you? You finally came back?"
William stared intently at Natu, his voice trembling as he spoke, as if he were deeply in love with Natu.
In reality, he only regarded Natu as a precious experimental subject. Because he had invested so much effort into it before, he became extremely anxious after Natu escaped.
As for Yuga, who was together with Natu, William seemed as if he did not see him at all, with only Natu existing in his eyes.
Being stared at in such a perverse way by William, Natu suddenly flew up from Yuga's shoulder and let out a terrified shriek.
Seeing Natu's reaction, William became even more certain of Natu's identity, splitting his mouth open in laughter and saying:
"It really is you, you came back, this is wonderful, you have no idea how long I have searched for you! I thought about finding other Pokémon to replace you, but no, it did not work, they were all unsuitable…"
William rambled on endlessly, like a madman. At this moment Yuga asked: "You are William?"
William's rambling abruptly came to a halt, as if only just now noticing Yuga, his expression turning dark as he asked: "Who are you?"
Immediately afterward, as if he thought of something, he stared fixedly at Yuga, questioning word by word: "Could it be that you stole my Natu?"
Actually, Yuga had just casually asked, since William's identity was already obvious and did not need confirmation. Seeing how neurotic he was, Yuga waved his hand, and in that instant a green silhouette suddenly descended from the sky, pressing William down onto the ground.
The one pinning William was the Decidueye that had been scouting in the sky.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
William struggled violently, roaring furiously, rocking the small boat he sat on so much that it swayed left and right, but his body was not strong, and no matter what he did he could not break free of Decidueye's restraint.
Very soon William became exhausted from struggling too fiercely. Only then did Yuga open his mouth and ask: "May I ask how you suddenly appeared on the sea just now?"
William, who was breathing heavily, upon hearing these words, suddenly had his breathing caught. He abruptly raised his head, his expression dark as he looked at Yuga.