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This sudden attack clearly caught everyone off guard. In the brief moment that Aerodactyl was stunned, it was struck by the Water Gun.
With a muffled grunt, its massive body was nearly knocked into the lake—its hind claws were already submerged. But at the last moment, Aerodactyl flapped its wings with all its strength, slapping the water and sending up a spray of mist.
Using the recoil, it finally regained control and lifted off again from the lake's surface.
"Wuu!"
"Rooaaar!!"
Just as it managed to take flight again, another Water Gun accompanied by a sharp cry came shooting in from nearby, giving Aerodactyl no time to catch its breath.
This time, having already suffered once, Aerodactyl let out a furious roar and twisted its wings to nimbly dodge the attack. Then it accelerated, flying quickly toward the direction from which the Water Gun came.
"What's going on?! Why are we being attacked?"
After spending some time traveling with Liam, Delia had clearly matured. During that sudden crisis just moments ago, she calmly reached out and wrapped her arms around Liam's waist, securing both herself and the Pokémon egg she held.
Now that the immediate danger had passed, she finally let go and asked Liam with a puzzled tone.
Liam, gripping one of the bony ridges on Aerodactyl's back with a steady hand, looked up toward the front of the lake after hearing Delia's question. His brow furrowed slightly—he also had no idea what kind of Pokémon had just attacked them.
"Wuu~~"
The direction Aerodactyl was flying toward revealed a forest of stone pillars protruding from the lake—smooth stalagmites rising tall above the water's surface.
But just as they neared this rocky area, that same cry rang out again. Immediately after, a thick white mist began to spread rapidly from within the stone forest, blanketing half the lake in the blink of an eye.
"Hm? White mist? Heh, I think I know what Pokémon just attacked us... Aerodactyl! Use Twister to blow away the mist!"
Seeing the fog, and recalling the previous cry, Liam smiled faintly. He already had a good idea of what they were dealing with.
"Roaaar!"
Aerodactyl had already slowed its flight upon spotting the mist. Upon hearing Liam's command, it roared and came to a midair stop. Its wings flapped with immense power, generating a violent windstorm that tore across the lake's surface.
Within just a few breaths, the wild gusts dispersed the thick fog completely. And once the mist vanished, the one responsible for the earlier sneak attack was revealed clearly before Liam and Delia.
"Wuu~"
"Huh? Isn't that a Lapras? What's it doing here? I remember Lorelei saying Lapras are Pokémon of the open sea—and they usually travel in pods. Why would one be alone like this?"
Delia looked baffled as she recognized the blue Pokémon floating on the lake. A swirl of question marks seemed to appear above her head.
"Yeah, it's definitely a Lapras. And it looks really young too… Based on its size, it's probably just a child…"
Liam frowned slightly as he observed the Lapras among the stone pillars. It was small, its colors pale and soft—clearly a juvenile. Normally, a young Lapras like this would be under the protection of its pod. So why was this one here all alone?
"Roaaaar!!"
"Wuu~! Wuu~!"
Before Liam could think further, Aerodactyl, having now seen the attacker's true identity, bared its teeth. Its eyes turned fierce, and it let out a deep, threatening roar toward the small Lapras. Its entire demeanor radiated hostility—it had no intention of going easy just because the opponent looked young.
The little Lapras, however, wasn't scared at all. Like a fearless cub, it raised its head and roared back, showing no intention of backing down.
"Wait a second, Aerodactyl! Look at it—it's just a kid! How can you bully something that cute? That settles it! I'm going to catch this little Lapras! None of you are allowed to interfere!"
Just as Aerodactyl prepared to attack, Delia, riding on its back, started smacking its back and shouted at it.
"Rooar?"
Hearing Delia's voice, the furious look on Aerodactyl's face immediately changed to one of blank confusion. It turned its head slowly and stared at Delia, then glanced at Liam as if to say: Seriously, bro?
"Ahem, Aerodactyl, land on that rock platform ahead. Let Delia handle this little one."
Caught off guard by Aerodactyl's skeptical stare, Liam cleared his throat awkwardly and pointed toward a wider rock pillar rising above the lake. He motioned for Aerodactyl to land there.
"Rrr…"
Aerodactyl let out a low growl, turned around, and flew toward the stone platform. But as it turned, Liam had a weird feeling—as if the Pokémon had just silently judged him…
"Yay! This spot is perfect for standing! Hey there, little one! My name's Delia! You must be so lonely out here all by yourself, huh? Let me catch you and show you a bigger, more beautiful world! Come out, Wartortle! I choose you!"
As soon as Aerodactyl landed on the platform, Delia tossed the Pokémon egg in her arms to Liam. Then, sliding down along Aerodactyl's wing, she dashed to the edge of the platform—just under a meter above the water—shouting loudly at the small Lapras floating below. She pulled out a PokeBall and threw it.
"Wartortle!"
A flash of white light burst forth midair, forming Wartortle, who dropped straight into the water with a splash.
"Wartortle~ Wartortle~!"
Suddenly submerged, Wartortle didn't panic at all. On the contrary, he looked utterly relaxed, happily paddling and floating in the clear water.
"Wuu~"
The little Lapras nearby watched Delia curiously, then turned its gaze to Wartortle. Seeing Wartortle floating on his back, the Lapras seemed to smile a little, then let out a cheerful cry. A clear Water Gun shot out from its mouth, splashing directly onto Wartortle's face.
"Wartortle!!"
Taken by surprise, Wartortle flailed and dove underwater in a panic. He only peeked out once the lake quieted again, cautiously scanning his surroundings.
When he spotted the smug little Lapras still smiling at him, he immediately realized who was responsible. Rage boiled inside him, and he glared furiously at the playful sea Pokémon.
"Stop fooling around, Wartortle! Time to battle! Charge in and use Tackle!"
"Wartortle!"
Seeing Wartortle rise to the surface again, Delia—clearly impatient—gave her command without hesitation.
Fueled by righteous fury, Wartortle churned his limbs across the water, kicking up a spray as he rushed full speed toward the mischievous Lapras.
"Wuu~!"
But the small Lapras wasn't worried. It raised its head, and a deep blue orb of water rapidly formed in its mouth. In the next instant, it lowered its head and spat the orb downward with force. The Water Pulse exploded upon hitting the lake, sending a massive wave surging forward.
The torrent swallowed Wartortle mid-charge, then kept rolling—heading straight toward the platform where Liam and Delia stood.
Seeing the wave coming, Liam didn't hesitate. He quickly moved to shield Delia with his body, bracing himself to take the brunt of the impact.
But just before the wave crashed over the platform, Aerodactyl extended one massive wing, covering both Liam and Delia entirely. The water slammed against the wing, but Aerodactyl stood its ground without flinching.
After the wave receded, Aerodactyl stood drenched, water dripping from its jaws. It spat out a mouthful of lake water, stared at the little Lapras expressionlessly, then let out a low, disgruntled growl:
"Roooar…" (…seriously, wtf...)