After the Dragonite and his trainer disappeared into the sky, leaving behind only a gust of wind and scattered leaves, the area around the lake slowly began to regain its natural calm.
The Pokémons who had fled earlier were still hiding, but it was only a matter of time before they returned.
Player 27, aware of this, quickly looked around and said, "Let's not waste any more time. We need to fill our bottles before the wild Pokémons come back." His tone was serious; this might be their only safe chance to collect water without facing danger.
Kay nodded immediately in agreement. He reached into his bag and pulled out another empty bottle.
Without wasting a second, he handed the bottle to Growlithe and pointed toward the lake. "Go ahead, and be careful," he instructed.
Both of Kay's Pokémons, though small, were quick and agile. They took the bottles and dashed toward the water with cautious speed.
Meanwhile, Player 27 gave his Cubone two bottles. Unlike Kay's Pokémons, Cubone had two free hands, which made it more efficient for this kind of task.
It grabbed the bottles and hurried after the others. The lake was just a short distance away, and within seconds, all three Pokémons were crouched near the water's edge, filling the bottles.
The lake's surface was still slightly disturbed from Dragonite's earlier presence, but the water remained clear and drinkable.
Cubone was the first to finish. With practiced movements, it sealed both bottles and looked over at Eevee and Growlithe, who were still struggling a bit with the bottle caps.
Cubone stepped forward and helped them close the lids. Once the task was complete, all three Pokémons made their way back with the filled bottles.
In a matter of minutes, Kay and Player 27 had secured enough water for the next phase of their journey.
There had been no incidents, no ambushes, no territorial Pokémons defending the lake, just quiet efficiency.
Once the bottles were safely packed into their bags, Kay sat down on a nearby tree stump and took out his map. He laid it out flat and began sketching in new details with the pencil he carried.
He added the lake's exact location and shaded in areas where they had seen different Pokémon species.
He marked the direction the Dragonite had flown off to, as well as the general path they had followed through the forest so far.
His goal was to make the map as accurate and useful as possible so they could remember every detail later.
After several quiet moments of drawing and thinking, Kay looked up and asked, "Where do you think we should head next?"
Player 27 stood nearby, leaning against a tree, and shrugged. "I don't really know," he admitted. "You seem to have a better sense of direction than I do. What's your plan?"
Kay didn't hesitate. "Before the Dragonite arrived, I saw several Pokémons that didn't look familiar to me. I think they might be new species, undiscovered ones. They were heading toward the far side of the lake, deeper into the forest. I think we should follow that path and see if we can find them."
Player 27 raised an eyebrow. "So, you believe those Pokémons escaped in that direction?"
Kay nodded. "Yes. It might be risky, but I think it's worth it. We won't go looking for a fight. If we see any signs of danger, we back off immediately. But if those Pokémons are really new types, following them could uncover some worthy secrets."
Player 27 crossed his arms and considered the idea. "Alright, I'm with you. And on the way, maybe we'll find a wild Pokémon we can safely take down and cook. We'll need food sooner or later."
With their next goal decided, the two players packed their things and headed back into the forest.
This time, they decided to take a longer route around the lake by traveling through the forest instead of sticking to the water's edge.
Wild Pokémons were starting to return to the lake area, and they didn't want to take unnecessary risks by walking too close to them.
Even though the forest route would take more time, staying alive was more important than saving time. The objective of the game was survival, not speed.
As they walked, they stayed close enough to see the lake through gaps in the trees. This way, they could keep an eye on anything unusual happening near the water while remaining hidden.
Kay kept his eyes sharp, watching every movement near the lake and listening to the sounds around them.
Slowly, the calm sounds of nature returned: bird-like cries, rustling leaves, and the soft sound of water.
Kay noticed that the group of Slowpokes, Slowbros, and the Slowking had returned to the lake.
They moved slowly and peacefully, suggesting that this was their natural home. In contrast, the group of Eevees and Espeons was nowhere to be seen.
Kay watched carefully but didn't spot any sign of them returning. From this, he assumed that the Eevee group didn't live at the lake but had only come to drink water and then left.
After walking through the forest for nearly two hours, Kay and Player 27 finally arrived at the opposite side of the lake, which showed how big the lake was.
The journey had been long and exhausting, and the thick trees had forced them to take detours more than once.
From their current position, the view was wide and clear, allowing them to take in the beauty of the shimmering water and the Pokémons that had returned to it.
Before they left the lake behind, Kay paused and took one last glance at the calm water. A Slowking near the edge of the lake caught his eye, and he decided to show it to Player 27.
Kay narrowed his eyes and pointed toward it. "Look at that Pokémon; it's the first time I've seen anything like that."
Player 27 followed the direction of Kay's finger and turned to look. His eyes scanned the lake until they landed on the Pokémon Kay was referring to.
It was a Slowking, standing upright and wearing what looked like a crown-like shell on its head.
"Wow," Player 27 said, clearly impressed. "What a royal-looking Pokémon. I've never seen anything like it before."
"Yeah," Kay agreed, still staring at the Slowking. "Me neither. But unfortunately, we can't get any closer. It seems like it lives here in this lake with the Slowpokes and Slowbros. Approaching it would probably be dangerous."
Player 27 nodded. "You're right. But based on its looks, I think it might be related to Slowbro and Slowpoke. The color and shape are really similar, and it's living with them too."
Kay, who already knew what Slowking was, acted like it was his first time seeing it. He didn't want to raise any suspicions about his knowledge. "Now that you say it, you might be right. It really does look like an evolution of Slowbro."
"Yeah, maybe," Player 27 replied, then quickly pulled out his Pokédex. "Let me check if there's any information about it."
Kay was about to say that the Pokédex wouldn't be able to detect from such a distance, but before he could speak, Player 27 pointed the Pokédex toward the Slowking.
To Kay's surprise, the Pokédex activated and scanned the distant Pokémon. A voice came from the device, saying, "No available data about this Pokémon."
Player 27 turned toward Kay casually, like it was nothing unusual. "It seems you were right. It's probably an undiscovered species."
Kay kept his expression calm and neutral, hiding his shock. "Yeah," he said slowly, "that was pretty clear."
But deep inside, Kay's mind was racing. 'How did a beginner like him have a Pokédex that could detect a Pokémon from such a distance?'
Even Kay's system, which was very developed compared to Pokédexs at this level, wasn't able to read the data of Slowking from this distance.
Normally, a Pokédex needed to be upgraded to a high level to detect Pokémons so far away, and those kinds of upgrades were only possible after the trainer was strong enough.
'Is Player 27 really just a beginner? Or is he hiding something too?' Kay didn't say anything out loud, but these thoughts wouldn't leave his mind.
No matter how much he tried to think of a logical explanation, he couldn't find one that made sense.
See you in the next chapter...
Drop some Power Stones...
Sorry for not sharing lately