The reason is simple.
Thin-skinned.
Watching those Pokémon act coquettish with Baimu was amusing, but doing it itself… It was unbearable.
So even though Dragapult had a good impression of Baimu and even wanted to make the first move, when it came time to act, it could only linger nearby.
On the surface, silent; inside, twisted like a pretzel with conflicting feelings.
What to do next?
Isn't there anyone who can teach me?
Dragapult subconsciously glanced to the side, coincidentally meeting Baimu's gaze as he turned.
It froze, then disappeared into invisibility.
"Hey! Don't!"
Baimu regretfully raised his hand, thinking about the irony that what you fear comes true. But in a blink, Dragapult reappeared, though its eyes were evasive, still unwilling to meet his gaze.
Hmm?
Seeing Dragapult's avoidant gaze made him feel somewhat perplexed.
Originally he thought this guy's character was too wild and solitary, making it hard to communicate or get close, but looking closely now, he felt the illusion of a bashful little boy.
Speaking of which, it's only been four or five days since Dragapult was captured; his understanding of it only comes from the Illustrated Guide and its Pokémon Center health report, along with those first exchanges.
He didn't even know what kind of food Dragapult liked; it ate whatever was given without any preference.
Baimu fell silent for a moment.
Soon after.
He smiled, "What would you like for dinner?"
He wanted to talk about Dragapult's past, ask how Dragapult viewed him, and pet Dragapult's head; all kinds of thoughts and plans emerged.
But in the end, he realized they weren't necessary.
This creature clearly isn't adept at communication. Whether wild or timid, its inability to speak for a long time must be part of its nature.
Why force it?
Strong emotions and bonds take time and experience to develop; a few probing questions don't mean much. Dragapult fought so many Pokémon today and chased two Pokémon Hunters; rest is more important.
As for the rest.
Let nature take its course.
Listening to those calm yet reassuring words, Dragapult reflected on what it had seen and heard these days, and its restless heart suddenly calmed down. Its eyelids twitched slightly, and its large triangular head turned to look afar.
Just when Baimu thought he wouldn't get a response, it let out a soft call.
"... Waddles."
"... Yesterday's meal... was quite tasty."
Even without Porygon II's translation, he inexplicably understood Dragapult's meaning, as he did before with Dreepy's gaze.
He smiled happily, "Alright, let's stick with yesterday's menu."
"Waddles~"
Dragapult responded once more, this time its call smoother, not as stiff as before.
The relationship between the two quietly improved by a fraction.
No more exchanges followed.
They just silently watched the bustling street ahead, where children and Pokémon played, like two silent observers.
Dragapult relished this feeling, finding comfort in not having to break its head over how or what to say to those around it.
Even though it wasn't explicitly said, it understood the meaning conveyed by the person beside it—
No need to force oneself.
This was the first time it felt that being by Baimu's side might be a joyful thing.
Not long after.
Blissey emerged from the Pokémon Center pushing a cart, wearing the nurse's hat Baimu had knitted for it back in Verdanturf Town, "happy~"
On the cart, aside from the Pokeballs containing Aggron, there was a large cat with a black face and white hair lying down with its curved horn.
"Roar!"
Having received further proper treatment, Absol tried to jump off the bed but was firmly blocked by Blissey.
The two Pokémon locked eyes, and surprisingly, Absol was the first to relent.
Unbelievable.
"Happy!" Blissey conveyed to the trainer that Absol's hind leg injury, though not serious, would benefit from another day of rest after treatment at the Pokémon Center.
"That's pretty quick."
Baimu approached, surprised at seeing Absol's better bandaged hind leg.
Blissey's skills were decent, but treating wounds under rain was difficult; the bandages quickly got soaked and turned dark.
"Roar..."
Absol responded to his voice, glancing fearfully at Blissey and the Pokémon Center behind it, as the short hours felt like a nightmare.
It just wanted to return to the woods...
"You can return tomorrow, don't rush, I'll personally take you back." Baimu extended his hand, fulfilling his wish as he gently petted the big cat's white fur.
"Roar."
Feeling the kindness, Absol nodded, its human-like gestures and smooth response symbolizing intelligence comparable to a human teenager.
Understanding human language and grasping a trainer's intent are two different things.
Bam.
The vibrating sound made Baimu lower his head.
Under the curious gaze of nearby Pokémon, he opened his phone.
His first glance was at Laisa's response to the photos of ancient Braille on the door of the Ancient Tomb.
Laisa: "I've consulted with people who understand these. They say ancient Braille differs from modern simplified Braille; it can only be felt and cannot be visually interpreted."
Baimu: "Only by touch? Why would ancient people create such an odd script..."
Laisa: "Human history is complex. The origin of this ancient Braille is thought to have been created by a group living deep in caves, using senses other than vision for recognition due to no sunlight."
Neanderthals?
Baimu suddenly recalled texts about the Regi Trio, mentioning the ancient settlers in the Hoenn Region who multiplied in caves with help from the Divine Pillars.
Though the ancient settlers thanked the Divine Pillars, they sealed the Regi Trio, finding their powers terrifying.
It almost seemed like repaying good with betrayal.
Poor Divine Pillars.
At this thought, he asked Laisa where he could learn ancient Braille.
Laisa: "That's a tough question for me. The people I consulted only have a superficial understanding of ancient Braille. Truly understanding ancient Braille seems impossible, Da Wu doesn't know either... I'll look into it and let you know if there's progress."
Baimu: "Sounds great."
In the Pokémon World, he only remembered one distinguished archaeologist—Zhulan.
However, she specializes in Sinnoh history, and an archaeologist isn't the same as a linguist, so deciphering the door's content might be difficult.
Night falls.
Porygon II brought him good news.
"It's solved! Now you can browse invisibly!"
"Fantastic!"
Baimu whispered praise, quickly opened the site and scanned the content, finding it far more serious than expected.
Most of the site's content was about various Legendary Pokémon—information ranging from folklore, legends, to sightings.
Amazingly detailed.
"Seems like an international police database..." Baimu muttered, though he hadn't seen the international police's database, he just imagined it this way.
An international police database wouldn't include a discussion forum.
He entered the forum, immediately seeing the title "The Legendary Giant, Sleeps in the [Ancient Tomb]" and upon clicking, discovered numerous ancient Braille texts.
The poster expressed that after reviewing various documents and self-learning ancient Braille, they barely deciphered some content.
As Baimu previously thought, it contained records of Hoenn's ancient settlers taking refuge in caves under the protection of the Divine Pillars.
It wrote.
"We hereby seal the eternal Pokémon, hoping our future descendants never uncover the seal."
He couldn't understand the mind of Hoenn's ancient settlers.
Despite being protected by Pokémon, they feared them while wielding the power to seal them?
It's like being terrified while swinging an iron palm to knock someone's head off.