Faced with the young boy's face full of admiration, the impulse in Ariel's heart to throw him into the sea instantly vanished when the name "Marius" appeared.
The big boss of Slateport City, Curator Stern's son.
The information he had investigated last night flashed through his mind, and the "keep away" coldness on Ariel's face softened slightly.
"Teach you to battle?" Ariel's tone was emotionless, "Fine."
He squatted down to eye level with Marius, a sudden move that left the boy somewhat flattered.
"Bring out your pokémon."
Marius hurriedly pulled out a Poké Ball from his pocket, and with a flash of light, a small Ralts appeared on the beach.
It hid timidly behind Marius, its white body and short green hair looking exceptionally fragile under the sunlight.
Ariel's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ralts, a rare Psychic-type pokémon, known for its powerful mental strength and ability to sense emotions.
Since the Fairy type had not yet awakened, Ralts was still just a pure Psychic-type.
"Good potential." Ariel's evaluation was concise.
Without any redundant words, he pointed directly at a Trainer nearby who was also looking for an opponent, "Go, challenge him."
Marius hesitated, "But... my Ralts was just caught, it only knows Confusion..."
"If I tell you to go, go."
Ariel's voice carried no warmth, yet it possessed an unquestionable authority.
Marius gritted his teeth and walked over holding Ralts. The opponent was a boy who looked a few years older than Marius, and his pokémon was an energetic Phanpy.
"Phanpy, use Defense Curl, then Rollout!" The boy had a lot of battle experience and chose a classic tactic right from the start.
Phanpy curled its body into a hard ball and immediately spun at high speed, crashing toward Ralts.
"Quick, dodge it!" Marius shouted nervously.
"Don't move," Ariel's voice came from behind him, clear and calm, "Have it use Confusion on that raised patch of sand right in front of Phanpy's path."
Although Marius was puzzled, he immediately gave the command out of trust in Ariel.
Blue light flared in Ralts's eyes as an invisible mental force acted upon the sand in front of Phanpy, causing that patch of sand to sink by half an inch instantly.
The high-speed Rollout of the Phanpy crashed into this soft sand pit; its momentum stalled, its rotation speed slowed abruptly, and it even began to wobble unsteadily.
"Now," Ariel's voice rang out again, "Confusion, lift it up."
The blue light in Ralts's eyes intensified as its powerful Confusion seized the wobbling Phanpy, hoisting it forcefully from the ground into mid-air.
Losing the ground as support, the Rollout failed completely, leaving Phanpy kicking its legs helplessly in the air.
"It's over."
Ariel said flatly.
The boy opposite was dumbfounded; he had never imagined his invincible Rollout tactic would be broken in such a way.
The first victory gave Marius a massive boost in confidence, and the admiration in his eyes as he looked at Ariel was almost overflowing.
"Big brother, you're amazing! How did you know that would work?"
"The battlefield isn't just for decoration," Ariel said concisely, "Utilizing every factor available is what battling is about."
Next, under Ariel's guidance, Marius's Ralts defeated another Trainer using a Skitty.
Ariel simply used basic commands to have Ralts use Confusion to kick up sand, blinding Skitty's eyes and securing an easy victory.
Looking at that Ralts, Ariel couldn't help but sigh inwardly; although its level wasn't high, its mental strength and control precision far exceeded those of the same level.
The potential of this Ralts could be called superb.
Giving it to a child who knew nothing as a starter pokémon was truly a waste.
Curator Stern's wealth certainly lived up to its reputation.
"Big brother Ariel! You're so strong! Come play at my house! My family's Ocean Museum is really fun; there are so many powerful pokémon fossils inside!" Marius excitedly pulled at Ariel's sleeve, refusing to let go.
"Lead the way."
Ariel's objective had been achieved, so naturally, he wouldn't refuse.
The Stern Ocean Science Museum was situated on the coastline of Slateport City, a magnificent ship-shaped building with massive glass curtain walls reflecting the shimmering waves under the sun, blending with the azure sea.
As soon as they entered, a wave of cool air greeted them.
The museum's interior was extremely spacious with a soaring dome; light filtered through massive aquariums, casting swaying spots of light onto the polished floor.
A Middle-aged Man in a suit walked over quickly.
When he saw Marius pulling Ariel along, his brow furrowed slightly before smoothing out.
"Marius, don't cause trouble for the guest."
The man's voice was gentle, yet it carried an unquestionable authority; he was precisely the curator of this museum, Stern.
"Dad! This is big brother Ariel! He taught me how to win two battles!" Marius said as if showing off a treasure.
Stern's gaze fell upon Ariel, sizing him up.
This young man had a cool temperament and sharp eyes; he didn't look like the ordinary traveling Trainer his son described.
"Thank you for playing with my son, I am Stern."
Stern extended his hand and gave Ariel a polite handshake.
His palm was warm and dry, but Ariel could sense the scrutiny and vigilance hidden beneath that politeness.
"Ariel." Ariel's reply was as brief as always.
"I still have some matters to handle, so I'll have my assistant show you around."
After Stern finished speaking, he nodded to a woman in a work uniform nearby.
"Show Mr. Ariel around properly."
This was a polite distancing; Ariel was well aware that the other party hadn't truly considered him an honored guest just because he'd given his son a few pointers.
The assistant led Ariel and began the tour of the museum.
This place truly lived up to its reputation as the largest Ocean Museum in the Hoenn region; from ancient undersea fossils to massive ecological tanks simulating deep-sea environments housing Chinchou and Lanturn, everything showcased its immense resources.
As they rounded a corner, a busy sound came from ahead.
A group of staff members wearing gloves were using precision levitation equipment to carefully transport various rocks.
The area was cordoned off, and two security guards were patrolling nearby with their Growlithe.
"What are these?" Ariel asked casually.
"Ah, these are precious exhibits our museum just acquired through special channels," the assistant said with a hint of pride, "They are item rocks capable of enhancing the power of specific weather moves, and they are worth a fortune."
She pointed to one blue rock that was completely moist, as if it were eternally dripping water, "For example, this one is a Damp Rock; it can extend the duration of the Rain Dance move."
She then pointed to a dark red rock nearby that emitted a faint heat, "That is a Heat Rock, which corresponds to the Sunny Day move."
The assistant's introduction continued, but Ariel's attention was no longer on it.
Weather moves.
These two words were like a bolt of lightning, splitting open Ariel's thoughts.
He knew that theoretically, many pokémon had the potential to learn weather moves, but in reality, those who could comprehend them on their own were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
The vast majority required extremely expensive Technical Machines that were often unavailable even if one had the money.
And a pokémon that could learn weather skills would have its value multiplied many times over.
The prices of these rocks that could enhance weather moves were even more ridiculous, far beyond what ordinary Trainers could even dream of.
"Our curator spent a great deal of money to obtain them," the assistant sighed, "Especially that one; it's the most precious of all the rocks this time."
She pointed to the largest Damp Rock; its volume was several times that of the others, and its surface flowed with a visible moist luster, looking like a giant blue heart.
"It has its own name, called the heart of the tides."
Ariel's gaze only lingered on the "heart of the tides" for a brief moment before being drawn to an unremarkable stone in the display case next to it.
That stone was earthy yellow, its surface dry and rough, covered in sand-like patterns; among the many dazzling rocks, it appeared so simple and unadorned.
A Smooth rock.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat.
In the future, his Sandile would have the chance to comprehend the weather move Sandstorm.
However, the possibility of this was not high, because pokémon that could learn weather moves on their own had potential that was at least at the Quasi-Elite Four Level.
An extremely dangerous thought emerged from his heart without warning, growing wildly like vines.
If... if he could get a Smooth rock and let Sandile come into contact with it early to sense the power of sand contained within, would it be possible to help it comprehend the move Sandstorm?
This was not baseless fantasy.
These kinds of strange stones containing weather power were inextricably linked to their corresponding skills.
For pokémon, they were the best guiding stones.
Ariel's breathing slowed involuntarily as his eyes stared fixedly at that Smooth rock, his brain beginning to whir frantically.
The surrounding security measures were extremely tight: infrared scans, pressure-sensitive floors, and those two Growlithe with their keen sense of smell. Taking it by force was no different from seeking death.
Forget about getting it; he would likely be subdued before even touching the display case.
Even Team Rockets couldn't control every corner of the world, but the League's power could.
In a city where Jenny and Joy were everywhere, challenging the authority of a famous regional figure would definitely not end well.
He knew very well that if he made a move in such a place, he wouldn't even know how he died.
But once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.
That wasn't just a simple stone; it was a shortcut that could cause a qualitative change in Sandile's strength!
But for now, it was certainly unobtainable.
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