The sunlight poured generously onto the coastline of Maiden Gorge, quietly brushing away the mystery and clamor of the previous night, leaving behind only a lazy and leisurely tranquility.
The temple festival during the day was indeed not as brightly lit or bustling with noise as it was at night, and the number of stalls was much fewer, but this spaciousness added a touch of leisurely charm.
In any case, the "S.S. Anne" had already departed.
After discussing it, Ash and his two companions decided to take this opportunity to fully experience the atmosphere of this port town at a different time of day. The next destination could be reached on foot anyway. And who knows? Maybe they could even obtain a Ghost-type Pokémon here, right?
Although Brock and Misty didn't have much interest, Ash certainly did.
Participating in the Indigo League required a minimum of six Pokémon. Moreover, these six Pokémon all needed to have a sufficient level of training. To ensure the Pokémon had enough training time, one certainly couldn't wait until the final Gym to capture them.
Theoretically speaking, one needed to have six Pokémon ready before the fourth Gym. Otherwise, by the time one participated in the Indigo League, the gap in strength between the Pokémon carried would be too great. After all, in the early stages when no one has hit a bottleneck, it's impossible for the first Pokémon caught to be as strong as the last one caught, right? It is actually during the bottleneck period that latecomers can easily catch up.
Ash found an open shallow beach and threw his Poké Balls with force.
"Come out, everyone!"
With a flash of gold light, the massive Golden Gyarados fell into the sea with a low roar, kicking up a spray of joyful waves. Although it could barely fly now, it still preferred swimming in the water.
Pidgeotto gave a clear cry, spreading its wings and flying toward the azure clear sky, circling freely.
"Come out, you guys too!" Misty also smiled and released her partners. Staryu leaped nimbly into the water, spinning its body. The rescued Horsea rubbed affectionately against her finger before happily swimming toward its new friend.
Although the Gyarados's size made the Horsea look exceptionally tiny, the atmosphere was unusually harmonious. Pikachu ran happily back and forth on the beach, occasionally kicking up water sprays with its small paws or chasing the foam pushed up by the waves.
Amidst this scene of play and frolic, Ash's perception, which far exceeded that of ordinary people, and Pikachu's occasionally twitching ears, both faintly captured a gaze—seemingly there yet not there—cast from the edge of the distant forest.
That gaze did not carry malice; it was more like pure curiosity. Mixed with a bit of scrutiny, it was like a child hiding behind a curtain secretly sizing up a guest.
Misty seemed to sense it too, glancing somewhat uneasily at the woods that still appeared a bit deep and serene under the sunlight.
Brock, who was skillfully setting up a simple stove and preparing for their picnic lunch nearby, didn't even lift his head. While washing the Berries, he spoke calmly, breaking that trace of subtle tension.
"Don't mind it too much."
"This forest counts as their 'home' during the day."
Brock picked up a Sitrus Berry and sliced it into small pieces with nimble hands.
"Us playing here is like interesting guests arriving at their doorstep; it's normal for them to watch the excitement. As long as we don't actively show hostility or try to intrude deep into their territory, they usually just watch."
Brock placed the cut Berries into a salad bowl, his tone reassuring as always. "After all, that 'Old Man' has tacitly allowed us to be active on its turf."
This was the Thousand-Year Gastly's territory; what it said went. Although it seemed very unreliable, if anyone dared to not take it seriously... Hehehe... you'd better have the strength to defeat it. Otherwise, the outcome would be quite miserable.
Hearing Brock's explanation, both Ash and Misty relaxed. Ash even deliberately waved his hand in the direction of the forest, revealing a friendly smile, though he wasn't sure if the other party could see it.
Pikachu followed suit, calling out "Pika-pi" twice.
The distant forest remained silent, but those curious gazes seemed to become a bit softer. The sea breeze blew gently, carrying the warmth of the sun and the saltiness of the ocean, mixed with the aroma of food gradually drifting from Brock's side.
Gyarados rolled over comfortably in the shallow sea, and Pidgeotto's shadow occasionally swept across the beach. Everything appeared calm and beautiful.
This is life. Why do people live? People live to be happy! Humans don't live to be bitter and resentful.
After enjoying the lunch meticulously prepared by Brock, the leisurely time by the seaside did not end; instead, it entered a more energetic phase.
"Alright, time for post-meal digestion!" Ash clapped his hands and stood up, his gaze sweeping over his partners. "Pidgeotto, Gyarados, prepare for training!"
Or rather, if one wants to have something to unleash when they want to erupt with power, they need to accumulate more foundation during daily training. The very name of the 'Trainer' profession illustrates this point.
"Pidge——!" Pidgeotto in the sky let out a clear cry, rapidly lowering its altitude. The Golden Gyarados in the sea also raised its head, emitting a low roar in response, its massive body adjusting slightly, ready for action.
"Pidgeotto, use low-power Swift!" Ash commanded.
In an instant, a series of brilliant star-shaped light projectiles, with their power clearly restrained, flew out from under Pidgeotto's wings. Like a gentle meteor shower, they traced beautiful arcs and shot toward Gyarados.
This aspect was completely different from the game. Pokémon can autonomously control the power of their moves within a certain range. The damage is not fixed. Previously, Pikachu had performed a single-shot Swift.
Gyarados's huge golden body now displayed agility inconsistent with its size. It did not choose to tank the hits, but instead used its recently mastered flight ability to hover at low altitude and twist, attempting to avoid these light projectiles that were not fast but extremely nimble.
Some light projectiles flew past, grazing its scales. Others gently impacted its thick back, turning into fine specks of light and dissipating. The training constituted almost no substantial damage; it was more like a reminder and encouragement.
Of course, it was still getting hit. It would still hurt if hit. However, as a ferocious and berserk Pokémon, Gyarados's interest in daily training was actually quite high. A little pain was actually enjoyment for it.
Battle! So satisfying!
For a Trainer, a Pokémon being smart and belligerent is more important than the Pokémon's innate physical quality itself. Innate weakness can be made up for through acquired training. But if there is no heart that can endure the hardships of training... even if the talent is good, it is difficult to truly become strong.
For a Trainer, the compatibility with the Pokémon is what's most important. This is the biggest key to whether one can reach the summit.
The reason many Trainers like Gyarados lies right here—it loves to battle! Ash now had three Pokémon, so he wasn't lacking in combat power that much. Regarding the choice of Pokémon, he would lean more towards type and personality.
If the innate Individual Values are good, that is indeed better. If the innate Individual Values are poor, it's not impossible either. Going forward, intelligence, personality, species, and Ability would be more important standards.
_____
New Story: Bleach: Dominating Soul Society in One Sting
🔥We're handing out that '30% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Gain early access to 40 chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive content and special announcements.
We have set new community milestones:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for all readers
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 additional chapters for all series!
👻 P - Walnutchan