Always on alert in case Sharpedo suddenly revived, Mantine flew over the unconscious Pokémon. Jumpluff quickly scattered some 'Hypnosis Powder'. When Sharpedo, with a furrowed brow and a pained expression, let out a loud snore, all the Pokémon finally let out a sigh of relief.
After sniffing the aroma of a Lum Berry elixir, Marill drowsily came to. Upon spotting Sharpedo lying beside her, she was still frustrated and swam over to give it a kick.
She was about to go for a second kick despite the pain, but Kirlia called out to stop her, reminding her that now was the perfect chance to search the lakebed freely without interference.
Guided by other Water-type Pokémon, Marill and Corsola swam into the area Sharpedo had previously dominated and began a careful search of the lake bottom.
Whether it was the aftermath of the earlier battle or Sharpedo's previous activity, the spot where Poliwhirl and Goldeen had once seen the jewelry no longer held any sign of it.
Thanks to a large rock on the lakebed used as a landmark, Poliwhirl was confident they had the right location. Upon hearing that someone had helped defeat Sharpedo, many nearby Water-type Pokémon enthusiastically volunteered to help Marill with the search.
One by one, Pokémon who believed they'd found something surfaced, allowing Kirlia and Jumpluff to examine the items, but after quite some time, although they saw a lot of junk, there was still no sign of the jewelry.
Underwater, Marill and Corsola had nearly reached a branching stream when Poliwhirl suddenly swam over and pointed at a spot on the lakebed, signaling Marill to check it out.
A Pokémon at the scene quickly surfaced to inform Kirlia as well.
The lakebed here was covered in scattered rocks of various shapes and sizes. Some of them were four or five times bigger than Marill. Among these strange stones, Marill saw something shocking.
Buried in the mud were five oval Pokémon eggs, each about the size of Marill herself.
Corsola moved in for a closer look, then fell silent and backed away without saying a word. Curious, Marill moved forward to check as well, and felt just as conflicted.
From Corsola's description, Kirlia let out a sigh.
She finally understood the reason for Sharpedo's madness. During the earlier battle, no one had noticed, but this Sharpedo was female.
And those five eggs on the lakebed were dead eggs.
All of Sharpedo's children had perished at the bottom of the lake, where only faint light could reach. They never even got the chance to hatch.
From the accounts of the other Water-type Pokémon, Sharpedo had swum upstream into the lake about half a month ago, and ever since, she had been driving out the local Pokémon.
No one knew why a marine Pokémon like Sharpedo had shown up in freshwater.
Near one of the dead eggs, Marill found a small necklace about the size of a palm. She could tell it was strung with pearls, but one of the beads in the center was a strange marble.
Inside the clear bead was a swirl of deep blue, but it was hard to make out any more details underwater.
Holding up the necklace and surfacing, Marill expected excitement, but no one paid her any attention. All the Pokémon had gathered around Sharpedo, who had just revived, only to be immobilized again by Jumpluff's 'Stun Spore'.
The madness had faded from Sharpedo's eyes, replaced by blank confusion. No matter how Kirlia tried to communicate, she remained silent.
When someone finally asked her why she had come to this place, Sharpedo remained quiet for a long time. Then she said she would leave after resting a bit.
While the nearby Water-type Pokémon sighed in relief, Kirlia wanted to ask more. But before she could, Sharpedo broke free of the 'Stun Spore's' hold. As all the Pokémon tensed up, ready to attack again, she finally spoke.
"Give me a Lum Berry. Just one. I don't have the strength to swim back to the ocean."
"We just fought you," Kingler replied. "I see no reason to give a Lum Berry to someone who was just our enemy." He protectively guarded the Lum Berry stored in his claw.
Sharpedo turned away with a sense of sorrow and silently sank beneath the water.
"If you're willing to tell us why you're here," Kirlia called after her, "I'll give you the Lum Berry."
"You're all Pokémon raised by humans, aren't you?" Sharpedo turned back. "How lucky. Maybe you've never had to worry about hatching eggs."
"I just wanted to find a place far away from my enemies, where I could hatch my children in peace. In our clan, it's been passed down through generations that freshwater can still support our survival, it's just a bit harder to adapt. Eventually, I found this place."
"But clearly... my children didn't inherit the strength of my body."
Sharpedo fell silent after speaking. Seeing that neither Kirlia nor Kingler made any move to offer the Lum Berry, she turned around to leave.
A Lum Berry suddenly smacked her on the head. Sharpedo turned to see Kirlia still in the pose of having just thrown it, while Kingler was flicking his claw nonchalantly.
Gulping it down with a splash of lake water, Sharpedo bared her teeth. "Little ones raised by humans, let me give you some advice. Humans are fickle. Right now they may treat you like treasures, but I've seen plenty of fools abandoned by their Trainers out at sea."
"My Trainer is a great person!" Marill chimed in proudly. "Aside from only occasionally letting me eat my fill, there's nothing to complain about."
Kirlia glanced at Marill, who was waving the necklace in her hand, feeling both amused and exhausted.
She wasn't sure whether Marill was complimenting Luther or subtly roasting him.
"Don't you want to hatch your next brood properly?" Corsola argued. "Our Trainer isn't the kind of person who would abandon a Pokémon."
"Even if what you say is true," Sharpedo replied, "I won't be caught by a human. You can't understand what it feels like to swim freely under the open sea and blue sky. The survival and combat instincts honed in the ocean are not something you could ever comprehend. We're two different kinds of Pokémon; neither of us can truly understand the other's happiness."
After swimming a good distance, Sharpedo looked back once more.
"Little ones, let me give you one last warning: what you're holding is valuable to humans. Don't show it off too much, or you might bring trouble down on your Pokémon Trainer. Goodbye, and good luck, little ones."
Not long after Sharpedo departed, the Pokémon released by the Trainers onshore arrived nearby. Having sensed the sounds of battle, the human Trainers were now curiously gathered along the lakeside.
Kirlia quickly took the necklace from Marill and placed it around Espurr's neck. She then commanded Mantine to fly back to where they had set off.
Upon reaching shore, Kirlia handed out Lum Berries to all the Pokémon who had helped defeat Sharpedo and told them to return quickly to the lake bottom.
Because Sharpedo had been right, trouble had indeed arrived.
Though the Trainers by the lake didn't know exactly what had happened out on the water, thanks to their Pokémon's gestures and expressions, they pieced together the gist of it.
Some, seeing the action was over, left immediately.
Others, intrigued, sent their own Pokémon into the lake to try their luck.
And still others, deciding that diving underwater was too much of a hassle... came directly to ask Kirlia for treasure instead.
(End of Chapter)
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