I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the 40 latest and advanced chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Link: Patreon.com/Pokeficlord
—------------------—
The poke ball fell on the grass and bounced twice.
Then it began to shake.
Once.
Misty held her breath.
Twice.
Delia clenched her fingers.
Three times.
"Click."
The poke ball went quiet.
Misty felt her heart drop heavily back into her stomach.
"Caught... caught it?"
Her voice was still trembling slightly.
Delia let out a long breath, a thin layer of sweat appearing on her forehead.
Roy walked over, bent down to pick up the poke ball, tapped his fingertip on it, and checked the panel.
[Pokémon: Tauros]
[Type: Normal-type]
[Level: lv40 (quasi-Gym-level)]
[Potential: Quasi-Elite]
[Ability: The additional effects of moves disappear, and moves are used with higher power.]
[Skills: Horn Attack, Assurance, Zen Headbutt, Raging Bull, etc.]
[Held Item: None]
[Special Enhancement: None]
Quasi-Elite.
Compared to the Gym-level ones he had just caught, this was indeed a major step up.
Moreover, its capture level was level forty, which was quite considerable, making it a ready-made combatant.
After cultivating friendship a bit and getting used to each other, it could be immediately put into actual combat.
The ability is "Sheer Force."
This ability is a perfect match for a violent type of Pokemon like Tauros.
No need for additional effects of moves.
Just pure power.
Instantaneous burst.
The strongest impact.
One hit to decide the outcome.
Roy weighed the poke ball in his hand, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Good.
This one will do.
A very good mid-term transitional combat power.
Misty ran over with a "thump-thump-thump," leaned in close to Roy, and looked up at him, her eyes shining like stars.
"How did you know there would be such a powerful Tauros here? You weren't in a hurry when those others ran past just now; you were just waiting for this one."
"Just a hunch."
Roy said it nonchalantly.
"Your hunch is way too accurate..."
"Alright." Roy patted his pocket, then took out his fishing rod, preparing to deal with the Dratini: "Let's go, next area!"
When Misty saw Roy take out the fishing rod, her eyes immediately lit up.
She leaned in all at once, her head almost touching Roy's arm.
"Hey, hey, hey, Roy, are you going to fish?"
Roy spun the fishing rod in his hand and nodded.
"Yeah, going to the next area."
"Great!"
Misty was so excited she almost jumped on the spot, her hands clenched into small fists and shaking in front of her chest.
"Finally, we're in my area of expertise!"
"Let me tell you, Roy, there's a lot to fishing. What thickness of line to choose, what size of hook to use, different baits for different Water-type Pokemon—it's a deep field."
Misty counted on her fingers as she walked, getting more and more excited as she spoke.
"Back when I was in Cerulean City, I could sit by the water for a whole day by myself, and the fish I caught could be lined up in rows. Although their potential wasn't that great... but that's because there weren't many good fish in Cerulean City to begin with!"
Delia walked beside them, tilting her head slightly to look at Misty with a faint smile on her lips.
"Misty really has a great interest in fishing."
"Of course!"
Misty turned around and walked backward, facing Delia and Roy, gesturing with her hands.
"Think about it, you're sitting there, the water surface is quiet, then suddenly the rod sinks, you pull hard, and a Water-type Pokémon bursts out of the water—that feeling is just too wonderful, okay!"
As she spoke, her gaze became dreamy.
"And, good Water-type Pokémon are very strong in battle; our Cerulean Gym..."
Misty paused suddenly, an unnatural expression flashing across her face; the current Cerulean Gym was hard to talk about.
"Cough, cough, anyway, I'm a professional!"
Delia smiled gently, not pressing further to avoid embarrassing Misty.
Roy walked in front, listening to Misty's non-stop chatter behind him, the corners of his mouth slightly curled, not interrupting.
The three of them walked for a while.
They passed the first body of water.
This was a medium-sized pond in the Wild Area, with a few lotus leaves floating on the surface and several Goldeen swimming slowly in the water, occasionally blowing a string of bubbles.
Misty stopped and bent down to look into the water.
"Hey, Roy, this place is pretty good! Look, there are Goldeen over there; maybe there are other good things hidden under the water."
Roy didn't stop.
"Let's go."
"Huh?"
Misty was stunned for a moment and quickly jogged to catch up.
"Aren't we fishing here? This pond looks quite good."
"Not here."
Roy didn't even look back.
Misty looked back at the pond, pouted a bit in regret, but still followed obediently.
They walked for another stretch.
This time they passed a larger lake.
The lake surface was wide, and when the wind blew, fine ripples formed on the water. A few Psyduck were squatting by the lake in a daze, staring blankly into the distance, who knows what they were thinking.
In the center of the lake, several Poliwag could be seen swimming rapidly, leaving a few white water trails.
Misty's eyes lit up again.
"Here! Roy, look here! How big this lake is! There must be many Water-type Pokemon inside! Maybe there's even a Seaking!"
She tugged on Roy's sleeve.
"Why not fish here? This place looks suitable for fishing no matter how you look at it."
Roy glanced at the lake.
"No."
"No again?"
Misty pouted, her face full of incomprehension.
"This lake clearly looks so good, the water is clear, and there are many Pokemon; what on earth are you picking for?"
"Still not good enough."
As Roy spoke, he continued walking forward.
Misty stood on the spot, looking at Roy's back, then at Delia.
"Sister Delia, what do you think he actually wants to catch?"
Delia thought for a moment and shook her head gently.
"I'm not too sure either, but Roy must have his own ideas."
Misty sighed and jogged to catch up.
The third body of water.
The fourth body of water.
The fifth.
Along the way, Misty went from initial excitement to later confusion, and now to being completely baffled.
Because every body of water Roy passed looked quite good to her.
Some had clear water, some had lush aquatic plants, and some clearly showed Pokemon activity inside.
But Roy didn't stop at any of them.
And even more critically.
They were now walking up the mountain.
Misty looked up at the mountain road ahead, then down at the fishing rod in Roy's hand, a huge question mark popping up in her mind.
She quickened her pace to Roy's side, tilted her head, and furrowed her brow.
"Hey, Roy."
"Hmm?"
Misty pointed at the fishing rod in his hand, then at the mountain road beneath their feet.
"Why are you carrying a fishing rod and walking up the mountain?"
Her tone was full of confusion.
"Aren't we going fishing?"
Roy looked at her, a bit of a smile in his eyes.
"We are going fishing."
"Then shouldn't fishing be toward the water?"
Misty pointed toward the bottom of the mountain.
"Look at those lakes we passed just now; which one isn't better than going up the mountain? How can there be fish on the mountain!"
Roy chuckled.
"You'll know if you follow along."
"Keeping secrets again!"
Misty pouted, her cheeks puffing out.
She turned to look at Delia and began to mutter in a low voice.
"Sister Delia, do you think Roy has used his Psychic powers too much and something's gone wrong here?"
As Misty spoke, she tapped her own head with her finger: "Running up a mountain to fish?"
Delia blinked.
"Ah, his brain?"
Hearing this, Delia's expression became serious, her brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of worry flashed in her eyes.
She began to calculate silently in her heart.
Last time when they were shopping in Celadon City, she had seen a shop that specialized in medicinal materials.
There were ginkgo, walnuts, and several other medicinal materials she didn't recognize; the lady in the shop said they could all nourish the brain.
Maybe she should go buy more later?
Make them into small snacks to carry along and have Roy eat a few pieces every day?
Or make soup?
Yes, soup is the best for nourishment.
Her mother had said before that soup is the most nourishing.
Delia had already listed a detailed menu in her mind, ready to start implementing it as soon as she returned.
Roy, walking in front, heard the whispers behind him clearly.
He shook his head somewhat helplessly, but the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
Whatever.
Let them talk.
The mountain road gradually narrowed, and the trees on both sides became more numerous. The branches and leaves interlaced, blocking most of the sunlight, only letting a few fragmented spots of light spill onto the ground.
The air became cool and fresh, carrying a scent of mixed plants and earth.
Misty had climbed until a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead; she fanned herself with her hand, her collar slightly open, revealing a small patch of fair skin below her collarbone.
Sweat trickled down her neck and slid into her collar, leaving a glistening trail.
"How much further..." Misty said, panting.
"Almost there."
Roy pushed aside a branch in front of him and stopped.
The scene before them suddenly opened up.
The trees were like a natural barrier, closing behind them, and ahead...
Was a lake.
A lake hidden inside the mountain.
The lake was surrounded by mountains on all sides, forming a natural valley, as if it were being carefully held in someone's palm.
Quiet.
So beautiful it didn't seem real.
Misty stood behind Roy, her mouth slowly opening.
Delia was also stunned, the golden light of the lake surface reflected in her eyes.
"This... there's actually such a large lake in the mountains?"
Misty's voice was full of obvious disbelief.
"I'm convinced."
Misty turned to look at Roy, the expression on her face very complex.
"How did you know there was a lake here?"
Roy didn't answer the question, just walked to the lakeside and took the fishing rod off his shoulder.
Misty looked at the lake again, a new question popping up in her heart.
"But, Roy."
"Hmm?"
"Even though this lake is beautiful, it is a lake in the mountains after all."
Misty pointed to the lake surface.
"A large lake in the mountains, will there really be fish?"
She tilted her head, her face practically shouting "I'm very skeptical."
"Think about it, this is on a mountain. Water-type Pokemon can't climb mountains. Even if there are any, they're probably just some very ordinary small fish and shrimp."
Delia also nodded slightly beside her; although she didn't speak, her eyes carried the same doubt.
Roy stood still by the lake and cast the fishing line, his movements slow and steady.
Hearing Misty's words, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"A pool need not be deep."
He looked up, his gaze falling on the golden halo on the lake surface.
"It is the dragon that gives it spirit."
Misty blinked.
Delia blinked.
The two of them looked at each other.
Misty's mouth opened and closed, then closed and opened.
Then she turned around, her back to Roy, and leaned close to Delia's ear, her voice extremely low.
"Sister Delia, it's over; he's really starting to talk nonsense."
This time Delia really believed Misty's words, and a nervous expression appeared on her face.
"Then... then I'll go look for brain-nourishing things first thing tomorrow morning; I remember there's a kind of snakehead fish in the Kanto region, stewing it is especially good for the brain."
"Right, right, right, and walnuts, just let him eat them as snacks."
Misty nodded vigorously.
"I heard there's a kind of herb that can be soaked in water to drink; it's just a bit bitter. But he has to drink it even if it's bitter; it's better than his brain going bad."
The two of them huddled together, whispering and discussing treatment plans, getting more and more serious as they spoke, as if Roy were already terminally ill.
Roy heard them clearly from over there; he really couldn't hold it in anymore, chuckled, and shook his head.
Whatever.
Just let them be.
He took a small cloth bag out of his travel bag and opened it; inside was the mixed feed Delia had specially prepared in Celadon City.
This was a recipe learned from the feed street in Celadon City; Delia had spent a whole day visiting all the old shops on that street, learning a bit here and a bit there, and finally tried to mix it herself.
The Pokemon in the team gave it unanimous praise.
Roy grabbed a handful of feed, rubbed it with his fingers, and smelled it.
It was indeed fragrant.
He opened his palm and scattered a handful of feed evenly over the water surface in front of him.
The feed hit the water, creating ripples, and a faint fragrance spread in the air.
After scattering the second handful of feed, Roy sat down by the lake.
He set up the fishing rod and let the line hang into the water.
Then, deep in his consciousness, his Aura was like a switch being flipped and began to spread outward.
He adjusted the frequency band.
Different Pokemon have different Aura frequency bands.
Fighting-types are the hardest, Ghost-types are the floatiest, and Water-types have a flowing texture.
And Dragon-type Aura carries a special "weight."
That feeling is hard to describe, like suddenly hearing a syllable so low it makes the air vibrate amidst a pile of sounds.
Roy adjusted the frequency band to the Dragon-type one.
Then he waited patiently.
His Aura slowly swept through the lake water.
The aquatic plants at the bottom of the lake swayed gently.
A few Goldeen swam past slowly.
A Magikarp darted back and forth in the crevices of the rocks.
They were all ordinary Auras.
Weak, scattered, nothing special.
Then.
Roy's brow twitched slightly.
It's here.
Two Auras.
About forty meters to his left, at a depth of about ten meters.
One large, one small.
The large Aura was steady and powerful, carrying a sense of mature strength.
The small one was more agile, like a flickering flame, very lively.
The curve of Roy's mouth deepened slightly.
Here they come!
...
Underwater.
A Dragonair was lazily coiled in a thicket of aquatic plants, its long body swaying gently with the water ripples.
It was in a good mood today; the angle of the morning sunlight hitting the water was especially good, making the bottom of the lake feel warm and cozy, so it had comfortably taken a second nap.
But just now.
A fragrance drifted over.
That scent.
In all its long life, the Dragonair had never, ever smelled such a scent.
It wasn't the smell of aquatic plants, not the smell of small fish, not the smell of any food it had ever eaten.
That fragrance was too exquisite; the Dragonair didn't know how to describe it.
It only knew that its body reacted faster than its brain.
It had already swam out.
Beside it, a small Dratini was looking at its mother nervously.
This Dratini was several sizes smaller than the Dragonair, with a slender body and a white belly that shimmered with a slight pearly luster in the water. Its eyes were large and round, filled with alertness.
"Mama!"
The Dratini's voice was thin, carrying far in the water.
"Don't go~"
It swam in front of the Dragonair, blocking its mother's path.
"This is a human temptation!"