บท 1272: Stepping on a Little Crocodile
Days passed by, but the slumbering Cosmoem showed no signs of waking. If not for the fact that its health consistently checked out as excellent, Yuga would have been too worried to sleep.
Recently, the central lake on Island No. 1 in the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark had become quite lively. The second child of the Milotic and Gyarados leaders had hatched, a lively little Feebas joining the lake community.
Although this Feebas wasn't particularly attractive, it was energetic and playful, often entertaining everyone with its antics. Unlike the other Feebas, it was a unique character, loved by all in the lake.
Today, Froakie and Squirtle decided to stay home instead of venturing out to play. They joined the Feebas in a swimming race.
Their little friend Mienfoo, not seeing them come to play as usual, decided to head over to the Shallow Sea Beach Sub-Ecopark. Without knowing how, it ended up as the referee for the trio.
Standing on the shore, Mienfoo held a fresh, delicious Pecha Berry high above its head and announced, "Ready… go!" before throwing the Pecha Berry towards the center of the lake.
At the signal, Froakie, Squirtle, and Feebas, lined up by the shore, swam towards the berry with all their might.
Froakie rapidly paddled with its front limbs and kicked powerfully with its back legs, propelling itself to the front. Behind it was Squirtle, swimming hard to catch up.
Feebas trailed at the back. Puckering its pink little lips, it flapped its tail and fins as hard as it could, but it just couldn't catch up to Squirtle and Froakie ahead.
Squirtle turned to glance at Feebas, then looked at Froakie speeding ahead. After a moment's thought, its tail started spinning like a propeller, immediately boosting its speed. It quickly began closing the gap with Froakie.
Onshore, Mienfoo was so engrossed in the close chase between Froakie and Squirtle that it didn't know who to cheer for. It just waved its fists, shouting, "Go, go!" oblivious to which competitor it was rooting for.
The Milotic and Gyarados leaders surfaced in the distance, proudly watching their little Feebas swim with all its might. They cheered for their child with looks of pride.
Feebas's older brother, a Gyarados, wasn't to be outdone. It roared loudly, cheering for its younger sister with more intensity than it ever showed in battle. The other Feebas and Magikarp nearby were so startled they scattered.
Encouraged by its parents and older brother, Feebas seemed to come alive with determination. With a sharp turn of its little head, it used the Leap move, launching itself powerfully out of the water. Soaring through the air, it landed ahead of Froakie in the blink of an eye, claiming the lead.
Froakie and Squirtle both glared angrily at Feebas: That's cheating!
Meanwhile, Feebas's parents and brother looked incredibly smug: Our child is just smart!
Elsewhere, a group of Totodile enthusiastically surfaced, splashing the water excitedly as they cheered for their favorite competitors.
The Slowpoke lounging on water hyacinth leaves added their unique, slow-paced chants. One called out, then another, each in their distinct, lazy rhythm, cheering for their chosen contestants.
The recently arrived Wooper extended their necks, watching the race with keen interest. Some even looked like they were itching to join in.
Attracted by the shouts and cheers, Poliwag emerged one by one from beneath the dense water hyacinths. Curious, they poked their heads out to observe the race. Soon, they were drawn to the excitement, hopping onto the leaves, forming a line, and swaying as they joined the crowd in cheering.
The three competitors neared the Pecha Berry. Feebas, closest to the berry, opened its mouth to bite it. But just as it was about to succeed, the berry suddenly floated away.
It turned out to be the work of Slowking, standing on a nearby water hyacinth leaf.
Slowking stood with its hands behind its back, its eyes faintly glowing as it maintained a serious expression, showing no hint of guilt for teasing the youngsters.
Known for its thick-skinned demeanor and perpetually smiling face, Slowking was unfazed by the outcry from the crowd accusing it of mischief.
Calmly, it used its psychic powers to toss the berry into the air, completely ignoring the complaints.
Froakie and Squirtle, now swimming beside Feebas, leapt out of the water simultaneously, reaching out to grab the descending berry. But they collided mid-air and missed.
The berry was about to fall into the water when, at the last second, it stopped just above the surface. This time, it was Slowbro who intervened, using its psychic powers to freeze the berry in place.
The Feebas, realizing the opportunity, opened its mouth to bite the Pecha Berry floating nearby. However, with a sudden plop, the berry sank to the bottom of the water.
Given that the Pecha Berry was too light to sink naturally, it was obvious that Slowbro was behind this trick.
Froakie, Squirtle, and Feebas exchanged glances, then simultaneously dove into the water, determined to retrieve it. But despite searching high and low, they couldn't find any trace of the berry.
When the trio emerged from the water, they saw Azumarill standing nearby, smugly holding the Pecha Berry. With a satisfied grin, Azumarill promptly swallowed the berry in one gulp.
The three little Pokémon stared in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. How could anyone—or any Pokémon—be this shameless?
Azumarill's brazen act immediately sparked outrage among the other Water Pokémon. Led by Milotic and Gyarados, the group united to teach this overconfident troublemaker a lesson it wouldn't forget.
As everyone vented their frustrations on behalf of the three little ones, a sudden shout rang out. All eyes turned to see Froakie and Squirtle glowing with a milky-white light.
Were they evolving?
In an instant, the attention of every Pokémon present was focused on Froakie and Squirtle.
When the light subsided, what stood before everyone were no longer Froakie and Squirtle, but newly evolved Frogadier and Wartortle.
Froakie and Squirtle were known to be rare Pokémon with exceptional potential, and their simultaneous evolution as "twins" wasn't too surprising.
Once the transformation was complete, Frogadier and Wartortle turned to face each other. Seeing how much they had changed, they curiously circled around one another, inspecting their new forms. Then, they burst into laughter together.
Evolution was always a cause for celebration. One day, they too would grow to be as powerful as their parents!
With the race now over, Frogadier and Wartortle climbed ashore. Mienfoo happily congratulated its friends on their evolution, though it couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy—it wished it could evolve too.
The three Pokémon huddled together, discussing where to go next. But as they planned, they noticed Feebas staring at them with big, imploring eyes.
"What… why are you looking at us like that?" Frogadier asked, feeling awkward under Feebas's gaze.
Feebas, looking pitiful, replied, "I want to go play with you too."
Frogadier glanced at Wartortle, then at Mienfoo, and hesitated before saying, "It's… not convenient for you to come with us like this." After all, Feebas had no arms or legs and couldn't leave the water. How could it join them?
"You could carry me with you!" Feebas suggested enthusiastically.
Uh… Frogadier turned to Wartortle, unsure how to respond.
Wartortle asked, "Are you sure you can leave the water?"
"No problem at all!" Feebas answered eagerly.
"Well… alright, then. We'll bring you along," Wartortle agreed.
"Yay!" Feebas cheered, leaping out of the water and landing right in Wartortle's arms. It had long envied Frogadier and Wartortle for being able to explore outside the water and was thrilled to finally join them.
Holding the excited Feebas, who wagged its tail vigorously, Wartortle didn't know what to say. Oh well, it thought, whoever agreed to this will just have to carry it.
And so, with Wartortle carrying Feebas, the group of four set off from the shallow tidal flats.
Initially, Frogadier, Wartortle, and Mienfoo had planned to visit the Dragon Den Sub-Ecopark. They'd heard about a Dragon Lake there and were eager to take a dip—even if it didn't have much benefit for them.
But Feebas expressed a desire to visit the Desert Sub-Ecopark instead. It had never seen a desert before.
A Water-type Pokémon wanting to visit a desert? That was peculiar, even to Frogadier and Wartortle. But since Feebas wanted to go, they decided to change their plans. After all, they hadn't been to the Desert Sub-Ecopark much either.
As for Mienfoo, it didn't mind. Whether it was the Dragon Den or the Desert Sub-Ecopark, it was up for the adventure.
As they exited the light portal, Mienfoo and the others found themselves in Oasis No. 1, home to the Ursaring, Pangoro and Pancham family, Kecleon family, Snorlax, and Sandile clan.
At the moment, Oasis No. 1 was eerily quiet. Snorlax was sprawled out in the woods, snoring loudly. The Ursaring and Pangoro families were nowhere to be seen, and there wasn't a single Sandile in sight.
As for the Kecleon family, their elusive nature made their absence less surprising.
"Snorlax~ Snorlax~"
The sound of Snorlax's snores echoed through the forest. With the stillness of the oasis, the snoring stood out starkly.
Mienfoo and the others decided not to linger in Oasis No. 1 and prepared to leave. But just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes, startling Wartortle, who was holding Feebas.
Mienfoo immediately leaped forward, fists at the ready, positioning itself in front of Wartortle. Seeing Mienfoo's defensive stance, Wartortle felt a bit less frightened.
At that moment, something zipped overhead with a sudden whoosh sound, sending Wartortle fleeing in panic. Mienfoo and Frogadier had no choice but to follow quickly.
After they left, a Kecleon poked its head out of the bushes, looking puzzled as it watched the screaming Wartortle run away. It couldn't understand what had caused such a commotion.
Due to Yuga's rule that Pokémon in the Ecopark should spar in the Desert Sub-Ecopark to avoid disturbing others, Oasis No. 1 often saw Pokémon coming and going. The Kecleon family had grown accustomed to seeing unfamiliar Pokémon by now.
Once outside Oasis No. 1, Wartortle and the others bent over, panting heavily. A gust of wind kicked up yellow sand, some of which got into their throats, triggering bouts of coughing.
When they finally caught their breath, the four Pokémon took a moment to survey their surroundings. All they could see was an endless expanse of golden sand stretching to the horizon.
The desert air was exceptionally dry, making the Water-types—Frogadier, Wartortle, and Feebas—highly uncomfortable. They could barely sense any Water-type energy in the air.
Mienfoo was also struggling with the environment. The persistent sand scattered everywhere, some of it working its way into its fur, turning its usually smooth coat rough and brittle.
Finally, Feebas couldn't hold on any longer. It thrashed its tail desperately, its skin becoming so dry that it felt as though it might crack open.
Noticing Feebas's distress, Wartortle shot a jet of water from its mouth, drenching Feebas and providing much-needed relief.
Even Wartortle found it harder to use Water-type moves in the desert. After refreshing Feebas, Wartortle sprayed Frogadier as well, and Frogadier returned the favor by spraying Wartortle.
Once they had adjusted to the harsh environment, the four Pokémon decided to explore. However, they hadn't gone far when Mienfoo suddenly felt like it had stepped on something.
Before it could react, it was flung into the air in the next instant.
"Krokorok~ Krokorok~ Krokorok~!"
A Krokorok angrily emerged from the sand. It had been sleeping soundly beneath the surface but was rudely awakened when someone stepped on it, shattering its pleasant dream.
Although the Sandile clan's main habitat was in Oasis No. 1, they spent most of their time in the desert, including sleeping there at night. They only returned to the oasis to eat and drink, which was why no Sandile or Krokorok were seen in Oasis No. 1 earlier.
Seeing its companion being attacked, Frogadier immediately used Water Pulse, hurling a water ball straight at the Krokorok's face. The Krokorok was instantly drenched.
"Krokorok~ Krokorok~"
As a Ground-type Pokémon, Krokorok loathed water. Furious from the soaking, it let out an angry wail. The surrounding sand began to churn, and soon two more Krokorok and two Sandile emerged from the ground.
To Frogadier and Wartortle's astonishment, they were surrounded.
"Krokorok!"
The Krokorok that had been hit by Water Pulse opened its mouth and used Bite, lunging at Frogadier. The other Krokorok and Sandile remained still, however. As Pokémon raised in the Ecopark, even when angry, they wouldn't gang up unfairly on an opponent.
Frogadier reacted quickly, pushing off with its powerful hind legs to leap backward. In mid-air, it launched another Water Pulse, but this time, the water ball was shattered mid-flight by Krokorok's Iron Tail.
As soon as Frogadier landed, Krokorok closed the distance, swiping at it with Shadow Claw. The attack sent Frogadier flying through the air.
Although Frogadier's potential was greater than Krokorok's, the latter was at a much higher level and had far more battle experience. As a freshly evolved Frogadier, it was no match for Krokorok.
Wartortle, still holding Feebas, wanted to help Frogadier, but as soon as it moved, the other two Krokorok and two Sandile surrounding it also sprang into action. Wartortle knew it had no chance against all four Pokémon.
Krokorok pushed off with its legs again, aiming to strike Frogadier with Iron Tail before it could even hit the ground.
However, before Krokorok could land its attack, Mienfoo had already appeared behind it. Grabbing Krokorok's tail, Mienfoo swung it into the air. Before Krokorok could hit the ground, Mienfoo followed up with Drain Punch, slamming Krokorok to the ground and leaving it defeated.
Frogadier wanted to step in and assist, but Mienfoo extended a hand to stop it. Mienfoo had already realized that as long as the battles remained one-on-one, the other Krokorok and Sandile wouldn't interfere. If they tried to gang up, it would only harm their own dignity.
Like Frogadier and Wartortle's father, Greninja, Mienfoo was a Pokémon that enjoyed challenges. Confronted with a strong opponent like Krokorok, its fighting spirit was ignited, and it was eager to test its skills.
Frogadier and Wartortle were still at relatively low levels, making it impossible for them to defeat Krokorok who already evolved long ago. However, Mienfoo and Krokorok were evenly matched.
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