"Fang... Fang Yuan?"
The girl cautiously approached Fang Yuan and asked tentatively.
She couldn't have recognized the wrong person, could she?
"Uh... who are you?" Fang Yuan turned his head to look at her.
At the same time, he also saw the Beautifly by her side that had been scared off by the Self-detonating Magnetic Monster earlier.
"I'm a graduate from Pingcheng No.1 Middle School, Zhou Rui, in the same year as you, from Class 9. That person from the school team, he's from our class."
"Oh, oh..." Fang Yuan nodded, so who's that person again?
You've forgotten the name of your classmate, haven't you!
"Sorry, I've also been looking for this Ugly Fish." Immediately, Fang Yuan showed an apologetic smile.
Since she's a schoolmate... might as well be polite. After all, she seems to remember my name, which deserves praise.
...
Meanwhile, two other male Trainers, after seeing Fang Yuan successfully capture the Ugly Fish, lost all interest in staying.
They were just ordinary people, and they couldn't just go over to Fang Yuan and snatch away the Pokemon.
Besides... they wouldn't be able to snatch it away anyway.
So instead of getting upset here, it was better to leave quickly. As they left, they also encountered several Trainers rushing over to this place.
Because the Special Ugly Fish was listed as a wanted Pokemon at the Spirit Center, it had attracted a lot of attention.
The news of Fang Yuan capturing the Special Ugly Fish spread rapidly through the descriptions provided by these two Trainers.
...
Fang Yuan didn't linger at that place for long. After assigning a friend spot to the schoolmate, he immediately returned home.
There was no rush to register the Ugly Fish's information at the Spirit Center; as long as it was done within a week, it would be fine.
More important than that was to gain the Ugly Fish's acceptance first; only then would it truly be considered captured.
Securing a Pokemon that wouldn't obey wasn't the outcome Fang Yuan wanted.
Fang Yuan's family home was a standard rural residence. Outside a few rooms, he released the Ugly Fish from its Poké Ball into the large water tank in the yard.
With a flash of light, the silhouette of the Ugly Fish gradually took shape in the water tank, followed by a visibly dazed Ugly Fish floating on the surface.
The Self-detonating Magnetic Monster had delivered an electric shock that was perfectly graded. It had knocked the Ugly Fish out on the spot without causing any significant injury. Now the Ugly Fish was somewhat sober.
Following a few presses of Numbness Spray into the water tank by Fang Yuan, the dazed look in the Ugly Fish's eyes gradually returned to a vacant stare.
After the vacant stare, its eyes became bewildered.
The Ugly Fish looked at Fang Yuan, recalling its experience of being captured, and its heart erupted with intense emotions.
Its prideful heart started to feel extreme humiliation, especially the thought of being captured by Fang Yuan's Poké Ball, which added a misty layer to the Ugly Fish's eyes.
Through the mist, this time, Fang Yuan finally felt the Ugly Fish's angry emotions. More than anger... Fang Yuan oddly felt it was more like shame.
"Hey... you're not serious..."
Feeling the changes in the Ugly Fish's emotions, Fang Yuan was completely speechless. Did it have to be this severe, as if he were some unforgivable villain?
All he did was capture a Pokemon like any other Trainer... This Ugly Fish... why act like its virtue was tarnished by him.
That was a blame... that Fang Yuan... really didn't want to shoulder.
Huff!!
As he watched, the Ugly Fish suddenly spat out an Icy Wind. Fortunately, Fang Yuan was prepared, and the Glutton was always by his side.
When the Glutton took action, the Icy Wind was immediately enveloped by Ghost Fire. This Ugly Fish, although it had mastered Ice-based Moves, wasn't very powerful yet.
Fang Yuan looked at the Ugly Fish, somewhat with a headache, just like Grandpa Zhi's Elder Spray, attacking the Trainer at the slightest disagreement. This was going to be difficult to handle...
"Speaking of which, do you really not want me to be your Trainer?" Fang Yuan took out a Blue Energy Block and threw it into the water tank, saying, "It must be you, right? The Ugly Fish that ate a piece of my food and ran away a year ago."
This Ugly Fish had too many features similar to the first Ugly Fish Fang Yuan encountered, no wonder he harbored such doubts.
However, since all Pokemon look more or less the same to Fang Yuan, he wasn't completely sure.
Whoosh~
When Fang Yuan tossed the blue Energy Block into the water, even the proud Ugly Fish was drawn in by the tempting energy fluctuations it emitted.
Moreover, this familiar energy fluctuation did indeed remind the Ugly Fish of something, making it look towards Fang Yuan.
Just as Fang Yuan couldn't distinguish one Ugly Fish from another, the Ugly Fish also had difficulty recognizing human faces. However, in its memory, it had indeed stolen such an Energy Block from a human Trainer to eat.
Initially, the Ugly Fish knew only Water Gradient Jump and Tackle, but it was after eating that Energy Block that it gradually mastered moves like Muddy Water and Whirlpool.
It could be said that although this Ugly Fish had great potential, without sufficient resources, it would have been hard to realize it. The Energy Block that Fang Yuan once discarded was an important step in changing its life.
"Is it really you?" Fang Yuan laughed, realizing that there truly was a destiny between them.
However...
Even though it recognized Fang Yuan, the Ugly Fish still showed no willingness to become Fang Yuan's Pokemon.
This time, it didn't even spare another glance for the higher-grade Blue Energy Block, showing remarkable stubbornness.
Compared to the easily deceived Eevee and the gluttonous type, Fang Yuan actually admired the Ugly Fish's character... unless it was directed towards him.
Bang!
The Ugly Fish struck the fish tank forcefully, showing its determination to never yield, even in the face of death.
Fang Yuan: "..."
"Ugly Fish... stop hitting it."
"This fish tank has been with my grandparents for many years; they'd be heartbroken if it broke."
Ugly Fish: ???
Bang!!
The Ugly Fish hit even harder, attempting suicide without using energy, and indeed made itself dizzy from the collisions.
If it couldn't defeat Fang Yuan, then it would seek death, as being a slave was out of the question.
"..." Fang Yuan was at a loss, for he had never encountered a Pokemon that wasn't swayed by Energy Blocks before.
Even knowing the Ugly Fish's emotions, it was difficult for him to provide a solution. Was he really about to let it go free?
Don't panic!
Fang Yuan searched out a picture of Milotic, attempting to show it to the Ugly Fish.
"This is your evolved form. I have a way to make you evolve."
Bang!!
The Ugly Fish started hitting again, still unmoved.
That didn't work either?
Fang Yuan was instantly annoyed...
But just then, Fang Yuan noticed a subtle change in the Ugly Fish's emotions.
"..." Having sensed the change, Fang Yuan paused, decided to say nothing, do nothing, and simply stared at it earnestly.
He planned to see how long the Ugly Fish could hold out.
Ten minutes later.
Apparently tired from hitting itself and hungry, the Ugly Fish casually ate the Blue Energy Block and looked towards Fang Yuan.
"Gurgle~" It blew bubbles.
Since you're so persistent, I'll allow you to become my follower then.
"?"
Fang Yuan was speechless; him, a follower?
It seemed he had tamed another Pokemon with no self-awareness, acting as if it were Her Majesty. You haven't even evolved yet.
"Fine, fine, a follower it is then, as long as you're happy."
After all, the team was already filled with enough eccentrics, one more Ugly Fish wouldn't make a difference.
Eventually, this Ugly Fish would understand who the boss of this home was.