After successfully obtaining Gible Redux as his starter Pokémon, Zayn now tried to get closer to the little shark.
"In the games, if the situation is like this, I just need to give it a gift or pet it to build friendship," he thought to himself, smiling at Gible. "Alright, I'll try that."
He carefully observed Gible's body, trying to figure out which part the Pokémon was most protective of. Then he pulled out his Pokédex to look for information. But as he suspected, there was nothing useful there.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "Just as I thought. This analysis model doesn't have a dataset like the Rotomdex."
He slipped the Pokédex back into his pocket. "That was a bad first step," he admitted internally.
---
While Zayn was staring at his Pokédex, Gible wandered over to the river railing. He peeked over the edge, and below, a school of Magikarp was swimming lazily through the current. Their orange scales glinted in the morning sunlight.
"Gible!" Gible called out, waving a tiny claw in greeting.
"Karp... Karp... Karp..." the Magikarp replied in unison, their dopey smiles stretching wide as they returned the greeting.
"Gible ble?" Gible asked, tilting its head. It seemed to be asking where they were going.
One of the Magikarp pointed its fin toward the south. "Karp, karp, karp, Karp!" it said enthusiastically, explaining their route.
"Gible," Gible said in a questioning tone, asking if it could join them.
The lead Magikarp glanced toward Zayn, then back at Gible. "Karp, karp," it said— "Don't you already have a trainer?"
Gible turned its head to look at Zayn, who was still absorbed in his Pokédex. Then it looked back at the Magikarp and replied with a flat, indifferent tone:
"Gible." — *"I don't care."*
The lead Magikarp shrugged its fins. "Karp, karp," it said—"Fine. You can come."
Without a second thought, Gible leaped over the railing and splashed into the river. It began swimming alongside the Magikarp, its small body cutting through the water with surprising ease.
---
Meanwhile, Zayn was still analyzing his Pokédex.
"At least this model still has basic functions," he muttered. "Maybe it just doesn't have direct Pokémon data like the Rotomdex."
He looked up from the screen, turning toward where Gible had been standing.
"Alright! Let's start our adventure!"
He blinked.
Gible was gone.
"Eh?" Zayn spun around, scanning left and right. "Where did he go?!"
Then he heard a faint splashing sound. He walked to the river railing in front of the laboratory and looked down.
There, swimming casually alongside a school of Magikarp, was Gible. The little dragon looked perfectly content, basking in the cool water as the current carried it further and further away.
Zayn's eye twitched.
"GIBLE! COME BACK!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the river. "THAT'S YOUR TRAINER'S ORDER!"
Gible glanced back for just a split second. Then it turned away and kept swimming, picking up speed.
Zayn stood frozen for a moment. Then his body began to tremble.
*"If I lose my starter Pokémon,"* he thought, his mind racing, *"I won't be able to catch any other Pokémon. I'll have to wait again. Or worst-case scenario... I'll have to wait until next year."*
His face went pale.
Then he started running.
---
Zayn chased Gible along the riverbank, following the current as fast as his legs could carry him. He checked the city map on his Pokédex, and his heart nearly stopped.
*"Fifty kilometers?!"* he screamed internally. *"Damn it! How did it get that far already?!"*
Eventually, Gible turned into a different river branch, following the Magikarp's lead. Zayn had to stop—the little dragon was too far away now. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the grass, gasping for breath.
"This doesn't happen in the games!" he shouted at the sky in frustration.
He forced himself back to his feet and checked his Pokédex again, searching for a route. His eyes landed on a marker: a fishing supply store not far from his current location.
After memorizing the route, Zayn sprinted toward the store. He decided to take a shortcut.
But as he followed the suggested path on his Pokédex, he noticed something strange.
"Is this really the right way?" he muttered, staring at the map. It looked completely different from the city layout he remembered.
*"Wait a minute, seriously? I can't guarantee this route is correct. Maybe I should just take the normal way..."*
But then he checked Gible's location again. He was getting farther by the second.
*"Alright. If this is right, it's right. If it's wrong... I'll have to wait until next year."*
He took a deep breath.
"Left at alley block twelve," he recited. "Right at alley block fifteen. Then straight until the store. Please let this be correct."
He clenched his fists and grinned.
"The game begins now."
---
Inside his mind, the map of Quartz City transformed. Streets became corridors. Buildings became walls. The route became a 2D labyrinth, like something straight out of an old-school RPG.
"Okay," Zayn said, cracking his neck. "This should be easier."
He started running.
***SMACK!** *
He ran face-first into a wall.
"I forgot my speed isn't constant," he groaned, rubbing his nose. "This area is really narrow and has a lot of turns. I need to be more careful."
He continued running, slower this time, more cautiously. But when he reached the end of the alley...
It was a dead end.
Zayn let out a long, frustrated sigh. Then he screamed:
"STUPID POKÉDEX! Now how am I supposed to get there?! If I'd known this would happen, I would've taken the main road!"
He grabbed his cap, twisted it backward, and narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like it's time for Plan B."
---
In his mind, the map transformed again. This time, it became a 3D platformer—walls to climb, rooftops to traverse, gaps to leap across.
"Okay," he said, scanning the environment. "How do I get up that wall?"
He looked around the alley and spotted a few cardboard boxes and trash bins. He started opening the bins one by one, rummaging through them.
In the third bin, buried under some old newspapers, he found a coil of worn rope.
"Okay. This should work."
His Pokédex pinged with a new notification. Zayn opened it.
**[Old Rope]**
*This item will only last 1 minute if you use it.*
Zayn smirked. "That sounds exactly like a game description. A little short for an item description, but at least you're still useful."
He climbed onto the trash bin closest to the wall and looked up. The wall was taller than he'd expected. Much taller.
"I can't jump that high," he admitted.
Then he spotted something—an old TV antenna on the roof of one of the nearby buildings.
"Bingo."
Zayn quickly tied the rope into a lasso. He swung it once, twice, and threw it. The loop caught the antenna perfectly.
"One minute. That's my limit."
He grabbed the rope and started climbing, running vertically up the wall. But the rope, rubbing against the sharp edge of the roof, began to fray faster than he'd anticipated.
The rope snapped.
Zayn's eyes went wide. He pushed off the wall with all his strength, lunging toward the opposite wall. His fingers barely caught the edge of the roof—not the one he was aiming for, but a ledge to his right.
He clung there, dangling above the ground, his heart pounding.
"Lucky," he whispered, breathing heavily.
He glanced down.
His entire body broke out in goosebumps.
*"Don't look down Don't look down Don't look down—"*
With a desperate grunt, he pulled himself up onto the roof and collapsed on the tiles, gasping for air.
He checked his Pokédex.
Gible's location marker was even farther now.
"I have to hurry."
He stood up and walked to the edge of the roof, ready to jump down to the street below. Then he froze.
*Wait a minute.*
"I just remembered something," he whispered, staring at the busy road beneath him. Cars zoomed past. People walked their Pokémon on the sidewalks.
"I'm afraid of heights."
He grabbed his hair in frustration, tugging at the strands.
"How am I supposed to get down there?!"
He clenched his right fist.
"This is all your fault, you stupid professor."
Then he spotted it—a rainwater pipe running down the side of the building.
Zayn took a deep breath.
"I'm going to catch you, Gible."
---
He climbed down the pipe, gripping it tightly with both hands. His palms scraped against the metal, heating up with friction. By the time he reached the bottom, his hands were red and raw.
"At least the pipe wasn't rusty," he muttered, shaking out his stinging palms.
Then he ran.
He followed the route on his Pokédex, weaving through alleys, jumping over obstacles, pushing his body to its limit. After what felt like forever, he heard a familiar sound.
*Cars.*
"I'm close," he thought, his heart racing.
He burst out of an alley and onto a main road. Cars and motorcycles rushed past in both directions. The sidewalks were packed with people—office workers, students, and trainers walking alongside their Pokémon.
"Tch. Just as I thought. Crowded."
Zayn pushed his way through the crowd, weaving between bodies and Pokémon alike. And then, finally, he saw it.
The store.
It was hard to miss.
The exterior walls were painted pure white, and the building itself was massive—shaped like a luxury cruise ship. It looked more like a theme park attraction than a simple fishing supply shop.
"This... is not just a fishing supply store," Zayn mumbled, staring up at the building.
His Pokédex pinged.
**[You have arrived at your destination.]**
He looked at the name on the screen.
**Shiphouse Shop**
*A popular supply store for Trainers, especially those specializing in Water-type Pokémon. Offers a wide variety of equipment and even sea exploration services.*
Zayn's face scrunched up.
"Who in their right mind builds something this big just for fishing rods and accessories?!"
He watched as several people entered and exited through the automatic doors. Some were carrying fishing rods. Others were accompanied by Water-type Pokémon—a Squirtle here, a Horsea there.
He sighed.
"It looks like I don't have a choice."
He walked through the automatic doors.
---
Inside, the store was even larger than he'd expected. It was bustling with customers—trainers chatting with each other, Pokémon playfully splashing in small indoor pools, and employees demonstrating fishing techniques.
The walls were lined with display cases filled with fishing rods, reels, lines, lures, and accessories Zayn didn't even have names for. There were also framed photographs—trophies of massive Pokémon caught by the store's owner.
Zayn made his way to the cashier counter.
"Excuse me," he said. "Could I ask something?"
One of the clerks looked up. He was a man with medium-length brown hair, a thick beard, dark sunglasses, and a casual t-shirt. He looked experienced. Seasoned. Like someone who had seen a lot of crazy requests in his time.
"What do you need?" the man asked.
Zayn glanced around at the accessories before answering. "I need a strong fishing rod. And very long fishing line."
The man studied Zayn for a moment, then chuckled.
"I can tell you're a new Trainer," he said, pulling out a catalog. "And I can also tell you've never fished before."
Zayn didn't deny it. "That's not wrong. I just started my journey earlier today, but—" He clenched his fist. "—my Pokémon ran away."
The man raised an eyebrow. "What Pokémon? What species? And why did it run away?"
"The professor told me it's a Redux-type Gible," Zayn said. "It ran away while I was checking my Pokédex."
The man's expression shifted. He leaned back slightly.
"This is going to be difficult."
Zayn blinked. "Why?"
"Redux-type Gible are deep-sea Pokémon," the man explained. "And honestly? They're aggressive. Their bites are incredibly strong. I'd recommend finding a line that won't snap easily."
"Do you have any recommendations?" Zayn asked.
The man placed several fishing line samples on the counter. Zayn pointed his Pokédex at each one, and data began to appear.
He muttered quietly to himself as he read the stats:
*"This line has durability 500 and flexibility 900. This one: durability 700, flexibility 700. And this one: durability 900, flexibility 500."*
The man smirked. "You're a game logic user, aren't you? Or stats logic?"
Zayn didn't look up from the samples. "You could say that. It seems that way."
"I'm sure you've played a lot of video games," the man continued. "This'll be easier if you've played a fishing game before. Ever played one?"
"Of course," Zayn said without hesitation.
The man nodded approvingly. "Then this probably won't be too much of a problem for you."
He reached under the counter and pulled out a premium bag. From it, he withdrew a beautiful fishing rod—sleek, well-maintained, and clearly high-quality. He placed it on the counter.
"Here's the deal," the man said. "I'm sure your Pokémon is far away by now, and you don't have time to shop around for the perfect rod and line. So I'll lend you this."
Zayn's eyes sparkled. "Are you serious? I can borrow it?"
"On one condition," the man said, holding up a finger. "Let's make a bet. If you manage to catch your Pokémon again, I'll give you a free rod set."
"And if I lose?" Zayn asked.
"You pay the rental fee."
Zayn grinned. "Deal."
He grabbed the rod from the counter and turned toward the exit. But before he left, he looked back over his shoulder.
"Thank you. And I won't fail."
Then he walked out the door.
---
The man watched him go, shaking his head with a small smile.
"Kids these days," he muttered. "First day as a Trainer, and already like this."
A young man who had been observing the entire exchange stepped forward. He had short, dark blue hair and charcoal-gray eyes. On top of his head, a small Pokémon lay sprawled on its back, fast asleep. It looked like a bear—or maybe a mouse? It had claws, so perhaps a bear was closer. Its fur was light blue, and a small bubble rose from its nose with every peaceful breath.
"He's a handful," the young man said. "Are you really okay with lending your fishing rod that easily? For free?"
The older man shrugged. "If I hadn't lent him my gear, he might have lost his first Pokémon."
The young man glanced toward the door. "Do you really trust him to succeed? I'm not so sure."
The older man leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "I don't care. At least if he fails, he tried. And I won't lose anything except maybe the rod."
The young man looked toward the door one more time, his expression thoughtful.
"In that case," he said quietly, "I hope he succeeds."
---
Meanwhile, Zayn—who had just obtained the premium fishing rod—was now running as fast as he could, following the route on his Pokédex.
*"I should be able to meet him if the timing is right,"* he thought.
He glanced at the clock on his Pokédex.
*"My limit is five minutes to reach Route 15. That's the closest route. If that doesn't work, I'll be forced to go to Route 18."*
Then, everything transformed again.
The entire city became a 2D plane. Zayn shifted to a third-person perspective in his mind, and he could see Gible's location marker—currently on Route 14. He immediately started cutting diagonally across the map to save time.
It wasn't exactly smooth sailing.
***CRASH!** *
Zayn ran straight into the wall of a building—again. He had also bumped into several pedestrians along the way.
"Seriously, this city is like a labyrinth," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I was born here, and I still don't know which alleys are dead ends. And why is it so hard not to bump into people in 2D mode?"
He checked his Pokédex again.
*"Two minutes left. He'll be there soon."*
He started running again. Fortunately, this path was a straight line. He sprinted with everything he had and finally reached one of the river forks. He could see a few other fishermen already casting their lines there.
Then he looked to the right.
Gible was already far downstream.
*"It's time,"* Zayn said, pulling out the fishing rod from his bag.
In front of him, a visual overlay appeared—a black line with a small hook icon. Gible was now marked with a red target cursor.
"One hundred meters," Zayn muttered. "Not too far."
He took his position, pulled the rod back, and cast the line toward Gible Redux, who was still swimming leisurely with the school of Magikarp.
---
Meanwhile, Gible was chatting casually with the Magikarp, enjoying the morning swim.
"Gible ble ble?" it asked, gesturing with its tiny claws.
"Karp karp karp!" one of the Magikarp replied cheerfully, splashing its fins.
Then Gible felt something.
Something was pulling it backward.
"Giible?!" it squeaked in confusion. It tried to swim forward, but instead of moving ahead, it was being dragged in the opposite direction.
The Magikarp turned to look at Gible.
"Karp!" one of them shouted, pointing its fin at the hook now lodged in Gible's upper dorsal fin.
Gible glanced at the hook, then back at its friends. It puffed out its chest slightly, trying to look unbothered.
"Giible," it said, striking a confident pose. *"No big deal."*
Then it added, "Gible, Gible." *"Relax. I can use Shadow Sneak."*
Gible focused, attempting to slip into the shadows of the surrounding Magikarp to escape the hook's pull. But when it tried to phase into the darkness, nothing happened.
Its ability wasn't working.
"Gible?" it whimpered, confused. And the pull was getting stronger.
Gible's eyes narrowed. It knew exactly who was responsible for this.
It turned its head and saw Zayn standing on the riverbank, reeling in the fishing line. His arm was spinning the reel so fast it was almost a blur.
Gible realized there was only one logical option left.
*Fight back.*
A vortex of water began swirling around Gible's body. Then, with explosive speed, it shot forward like a torpedo, dragging the fishing line with it.
---
On the riverbank, Zayn felt the sudden jerk.
He was pulled forward, stumbling toward the edge of the fast-flowing river. His shoes scraped against the dirt as he dug his heels in.
He planted his feet, leaned back, and continued reeling with calm determination.
"Your efforts are useless, Gible," Zayn said quietly, his eyes locked forward.
In his vision, he could see the spectrum of the line. A tiny green spectrum moved erratically. Around it, the red spectrum—the danger zone—was expanding.
*"As long as I stay in the green spectrum,"* he thought, *"you won't have a chance to escape."*
---
Nearby, several fishermen had stopped what they were doing. A small crowd of passersby had also gathered, watching the scene unfold with intense curiosity.
"That kid's definitely hooked something good," one fisherman said, stroking his beard. "No ordinary Pokémon would put up a fight like that."
Another fisherman nodded, eyes fixed on Zayn's rod. "Look at that rod. That's a premium model. If he's still struggling, that Pokémon must be incredibly heavy. Or incredibly fast."
On the sidewalk above, a young woman nudged her friend and pointed at Zayn.
"Look at that kid," she said. Her friend followed her gaze.
Zayn was pulling the rod with incredible speed, but he kept getting dragged toward the water's edge.
"He must have chosen a Water-type starter," the woman continued. "And now it's trying to escape."
Her friend tilted her head, confused. "Wait a minute. The Water-type starter in this city is Cubble, right? Isn't that supposed to be a lazy Pokémon? There's no way it would fight like that."
The woman shrugged. "Then I have no idea."
---
Zayn continued reeling, but something was wrong.
The green spectrum was moving randomly. Erratically. Way too fast.
Then he remembered.
*"Wait a minute. How could I forget? This is a premium fishing rod. It should have an automatic feature, right?"*
He fumbled along the rod's handle, searching for a button. Finally, near the base, he found a small blue button.
"Finally," he muttered, and pressed it.
Instantly, the reel began spinning on its own. The line tightened, and Gible's struggles slowed. The green spectrum began to stabilize.
*Perfect,* Zayn thought.
---
But Gible wasn't done yet.
The little dragon felt the hook's pull becoming overwhelming. It was getting harder to move. It was being dragged backward again.
But the Magikarp weren't idle.
"Karp! Karp! Karp!" they chanted, swimming in front of Gible and using their bodies to block the pull. Several of them pushed against Gible, trying to keep it from being dragged away.
Zayn's rod stopped reeling.
"Why isn't it pulling anymore?" he muttered. He looked ahead and saw the situation.
The Magikarp were physically holding Gible in place.
Zayn's eye twitched.
"How is that even allowed?" he said through gritted teeth. "That's not fair!"
He turned to the fisherman nearest to him—a grizzled older man with a weathered cap and kind eyes.
"Excuse me, sir," Zayn said, struggling to hold the now severely bent rod. "I'm sorry to bother you, but can you help me pull this in?"
The old fisherman smiled and adjusted his cap.
"No problem, kid. Let me show you the right way."
Zayn handed him the rod. The old man took it, braced himself, and pulled.
His eyes went wide.
He was being dragged toward the water too.
"Whoa!" he shouted, digging his heels in. "This thing is heavy!"
Zayn grabbed the back of the old man's shirt and pulled. A few other nearby fishermen rushed over to help. Soon, several people were pulling on the rod together.
---
Back on the sidewalk, the young woman who had been watching turned to her friend.
"See?" she said. "Now do you believe me? Whatever Pokémon that is, it's definitely not a Cubble."
Her friend frowned. "If it's not Cubble, then what is it?"
The woman shrugged. "We won't know unless they catch it."
"So what do we do?" her friend asked.
The woman was already walking toward the stairs leading down to the riverbank.
"We help them, of course. What else?"
Her friend sighed and followed.
---
The two women joined the growing group of people pulling on the fishing line. The old fisherman was still holding the rod, sweat dripping down his face.
Gible, meanwhile, was barely holding on. The pull was too strong. It couldn't swim erratically anymore. All it could do was resist. And the Magikarp were still pushing against it, trying to help.
But it wasn't enough.
The old fisherman finally had enough.
"Ah, forget this," he grunted. "At this rate, we'll never catch it."
He shoved the rod back into Zayn's hands. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a Poké Ball, and threw it.
***Click!** *
The ball opened, and a massive Gyarados materialized in the river, its serpentine body coiling through the water.
"Gyarados!" the old man commanded. "Follow the river current and catch the Pokémon hooked on that line!"
"Gyra!" the Gyarados roared, then dove beneath the surface. It swam quickly downstream, following the direction of the fishing line.
---
The Magikarp were the first to notice the approaching shadow.
A massive shape was rising from the depths.
"Karp?!" one of them squeaked, trembling.
The Gyarados emerged beneath them, its jaws opening wide. Water energy began to gather in front of its mouth, forming a glowing blue sphere.
"GYRA!" it roared, and fired the energy blast directly at Gible.
The explosion sent Gible and the surrounding Magikarp flying into the air. The hook held firm, and Gible's body was yanked violently back toward Zayn's position on the riverbank.
The Gyarados turned its attention to the Magikarp, readying another blast. But the Magikarp had already scattered in terror, swimming in every direction.
Satisfied, the Gyarados turned and swam back.
---
Gible was flying through the air at high speed, directly toward Zayn.
Zayn saw the little dragon approaching and braced himself. He dropped the rod—the old fisherman caught it—and held out both arms.
Gible slammed into his chest. Zayn was pushed back several feet, his shoes skidding across the dirt. He lost his balance and fell backward, landing hard on the ground.
But he held on.
He had caught his starter Pokémon.
---
The crowd erupted in murmurs.
"No wonder it was so difficult," one of the fishermen said, scratching his head. "That's a Redux Gible."
The young woman who had come to help crossed her arms. "A Redux Gible as a starter Pokémon? Isn't that a terrible idea? And where did he even get it? Aren't those supposed to be deep-sea Pokémon?"
The old fisherman recalled his Gyarados back into its Poké Ball.
"Thanks, Gyarados," he said. "Return."
***Click.** *
---
Zayn, still catching his breath, carefully removed the hook from Gible's fin. Then he pulled out an empty Poké Ball from his pocket.
***Click.** *
The ball didn't shake. Gible went in without a fight this time.
Zayn let out a long sigh of relief and stood up.
The old fisherman handed the fishing rod back to him. Zayn accepted it with both hands, then bowed deeply.
"Thank you so much, everyone," he said. "If you hadn't been here, I'm sure this Pokémon would have escaped."
One of the bystanders stepped forward. "How did you even get a Redux Gible? That's not a standard starter Pokémon."
Zayn's expression soured slightly.
"It's all because Professor Diego ran out of starter Pokémon," he said, his voice tinged with frustration.
The bystander winced. "Honestly? It sounds like you got unlucky."
Zayn nodded. "It seems that way."
He glanced at the fishing rod, then back at the crowd.
"Thank you again, everyone!" he called out, and then he started running back toward the store.
---
Several minutes later, Zayn burst through the doors of the Shiphouse Shop. He walked up to the counter and placed the premium fishing rod on the surface.
"Thank you so much for lending me this," he said, bowing his head.
The bearded man behind the counter smiled. "No problem. The important thing is that you succeeded, right?"
Zayn straightened up and gave him a confident thumbs-up. "Of course I did."
He turned to leave. Just as he reached the automatic doors, the man called out:
"Where are you headed after this?"
Zayn glanced back over his shoulder.
"Ariestal City."
Then he stepped through the doors and walked out into the morning sunlight.
---
Outside, Zayn released Gible from its Poké Ball.
The little dragon materialized on the ground, crossed its arms, and turned its head away with a huff. It was clearly still upset about what had happened.
Zayn crouched down to its level.
"I told you," he said. "Your efforts were useless."
Without warning, Gible lunged forward and sank its teeth into Zayn's right hand.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Zayn screamed, flailing his arm in the air. Gible held on, its jaws clamped tight. Zayn shook his hand wildly, but that only made the bite worse.
"Seriously?!" Zayn groaned, covering his face with his left hand.
He checked the time on his Pokédex.
10:00 AM.
"It's already ten in the morning," he muttered, "and I haven't accomplished anything except catching my own starter after it ran away."
He pulled up the map on his Pokédex and scanned for the nearest wild area.
Route 6.
He looked down at Gible, who was still attached to his hand.
"Hey, Gible. How about we go to Route 6?"
Gible's bite loosened slightly. It looked up at Zayn with one eye.
"Gible?" it grunted. *"What's in it for me?"*
"There are lots of berries in the wild area," Zayn said. "And other Pokémon. Who knows? Maybe we'll make some new friends."
"Giiible," Gible scoffed. *"I don't care."*
Zayn fell silent.
*This is going to be hard,* he thought.
"You just have to come along," he said finally.
Gible shook its head stubbornly.
Out of options, Zayn tried a more direct approach.
"Fine, then. Back into your Poké Ball," he said, holding up the ball.
Nothing happened.
The recall signal had been rejected.
"You're rejecting it again," Zayn said flatly.
At this point, he was almost out of ideas. Then he remembered something.
"Gible," he said. "Let go of my hand, and I'll give you a berry."
Gible's eyes narrowed suspiciously. But after a moment's hesitation, it unclamped its jaws.
Zayn dropped his bag and rummaged through it. He pulled out several berries—a Pecha Berry, a Lum Berry, and a few Figy Berries.
"Which one do you like most?" he asked.
Gible's eyes locked onto the Figy Berries. It snatched one from Zayn's hand and devoured it in two bites.
Zayn's Pokédex pinged with new data.
**[Gible Redux]**
*Preferred flavor: Spicy.*
Zayn's eyes widened. *So that's how it works. The Pokédex only records data when it's experienced firsthand.*
He looked at Gible, who was now much calmer, happily munching on a second Figy Berry.
"You know," Zayn said casually, "on Route 6, there are lots of wild Figy Berries. You could eat as many as you want."
Gible's eyes sparkled.
"GIBLE!"
The little dragon scrambled up Zayn's arm and perched on his shoulder, staring eagerly at the map on his Pokédex.
Zayn smiled. *He's definitely not running away now.*
"How about we race there?" Zayn suggested. "Don't worry—I'll give you a prize if you win."
Gible nodded vigorously, its earlier anger completely forgotten.