The next morning, Lionel bid farewell to the Norman family.
"Are you really leaving?"
Max tugged at Lionel's sleeve, his eyes filled with reluctance.
"Can't you stay one more day?"
"No, we always have to part eventually. Staying one more day won't make a difference,"
Lionel bumped Max's head and said,
"Once you get your Pokémon, you can come find me anytime. I'll treat you to something delicious then."
"Okay, Brother Lionel, once I get Treecko, I'll definitely come find you and battle you, showing you the power of my Treecko!"
"Sure, I'll be waiting for that day." "
Lionel smiled and waved, then turned and led the Pokémon on their journey.
On the way to the sea, Vulpix and Ice Vulpix looked around curiously, the bells around their necks jingling.
Larvesta kept turning its head left and right, its eyes fixed on the two little foxes.
Like a protective mother, it was afraid the two of them might get lost.
Lionel looked at Larvesta's cautious behavior and couldn't help but laugh.
Upon reaching the sea, Lionel first released Milotic.
As soon as Milotic left its Poké Ball, it gracefully swam into the sea, its tail gently slapping the surface, creating a string of sparkling splashes.
Lionel flipped over and sat on Milotic's broad back, steadily supporting its back: "Thank you for your hard work, Milotic." Milotic turned its head, blinked, and let out a cheerful "Milo~".
Next, Lionel released Metagross.
The metallic behemoth landed steadily on the beach, raising its four all-black arms, changing form, activating its flight control, and using its telekinesis to support its body, resembling a small "battle platform."
Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix stared wide-eyed at the transformed Metagross, looking left and right with curiosity, wondering how Metagross could transform like this.
Larvesta immediately climbed onto Metagross's body, simultaneously spitting out threads to pull Fire Vulpix and Ice Vulpix to its side, so they could ride together on Metagross's back.
This was because it was afraid the two little ones would play and fall into sea.
"Let's go! You need to keep an eye on those two little guys, Larvesta."
Lionel instructed Larvesta, then gently patted Milotic's back, indicating we could set off.
In the azure sea, Lionel lay on Milotic's back. Milotic manipulated water vapor, forming a faint protective film around Lionel's back.
The seawater was cut open by Milotic's massive tail, leaving a white trail of water.
Metagross followed closely behind, its psychic field stabilizing the seawater, keeping the three creatures on the back quite safe.
At first, Vulpix was a bit afraid of the water, clinging tightly to Larvesta's body, but after sensing no danger, it gradually became bolder.
It occasionally howled "woo-woo-woo" at the sea Pokemons flying overhead.
Ice Vulpix had a much heavier burden, constantly wading into the seawater, poking at the water droplets on the surface with its claws, watching them condense into tiny ice crystals in its palm, thoroughly enjoying itself.
Larvesta watched the threads wrapped around Ice Vulpix nervously, afraid the little creature would jump into the sea.
It kept chirping, reminding Ice Vulpix not to go any further.
Dewford Town wasn't far from the coast, and with Milotic swimming at full speed, in just over an hour, the familiar outline of the reefs on the shore gradually became clear.
Lionel lay on Milotic's back, gazing at the town that was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar:
White-walled, red-tiled houses were scattered along the coastline, and the shadow of Stone Cave in the distance was faintly visible in the wispy air.
It was almost exactly the same as when he left more than seven months ago.
But when Lionel looked down at his companions again a wave of surreal emotion washed over him.
He thought back to when he only had Feebas, streaming his daily training sessions, watching Feebas practice its skills.
He worked hard to gain popularity and win the lottery; Now he had Milotic, Metagross, Larvesta , and Tyrantrum, plus two newly joined friends, and Deino far away in Unova.
This dramatic change, traced back to the moment he encountered Steven in the Stone Cave, the gears of fate truly began to turn faster.
"Milotic~"
Milotic seemed to sense Lionel's thoughts, gently nudging his arm, its tail swaying slowly, and slowly turning towards the beach.
Metagross landed on the sand first, its psychic field dissipating, creating a gentle breeze that ruffled the fluffy fur of the Vulpix.
Larvesta immediately licked its fur with its antennae, squeaking around as if scolding the disobedient Fox.
The Vulpix, however, climbed off Metagross's back, curiously scratching at the sand with its claws, watching the fine sand slip through its fingers, its eyes wide with wonder.
Lionel walked onto the beach through the cool seawater, first going to look at the seaside cottage where he had once lived.
The cottage stood alone at the edge of the beach, a thin layer of dust covering the wooden door, and a few tenacious weeds even growing on the windowsill, making a "biting" sound when the door was opened.
The cottage was empty, except for a few spiders in the corner. Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
Lionel looked at his little house, and memories of his and Feebas's mutual support flooded back.
A gentle glow shone in Milotic's eyes as the sunlight fell directly on the long-dried-up little water tank in the corner: that was where it had lived for so long when it was Feebas.
It gently swayed its tail fin, nuzzled against Lionel's cheek, and uttered a low "Naroo~Naroo~" sound, as if recounting the past.
The Vulpix beside it didn't understand why its little master was suddenly so sad; it tilted its head and thought for a moment, then imitate how Milotic had comforted it before, running to Milotic's side and opening its mouth to spit out a small amount of...
The Vulpix wanted to conjure a Milotic ice sculpture to cheer it up.
But its control wasn't quite there yet; after the frost condensed, only a crooked, snake-shaped Milotic ice sculpture remained on the ground.
It looked more like a fat version of Arbok than a Milotic ice sculpture.
The Vulpix looked at its "work," then at Milotic, clearly realizing it had sculpted its little master too ugly.
Its tail drooped down, its ears drooped to the ground, and it seemed a little emo, letting out a soft "sigh."
You're blaming yourself.
Milotic, seeing its expression, gradually felt the sadness in its eyes fade. It gently curled its tail around the Vulpix, placed it on its back, and then gently blew on the "Arbok" ice sculpture.
A pale blue chill enveloped the Arbok ice sculpture.
The originally rough ice sculpture transformed at a visible speed: its round body lengthened, its tail broadened, and delicate bat wings condensed on its head.
In the blink of an eye, the plump Arbok ice sculpture had transformed into a miniature Milotic ice sculpture, the patterns on its chain links clearly visible.
The Vulpix looked at the ice sculpture, its eyes sparkling. It immediately went over and gently touched it with its paw, then patted its head, looking at Milotic with a happy smile.
Milotic gently lifted it high, nudging its little head with its cheek, as if praising it.
Meanwhile, Larvesta had already taken the Fire Vulpix on an "exploration" inside the hut.
The two little creatures were busy, turning an old box in the corner upside down, finally finding only a rusty fishing rod.
Larvesta held its fishing rod, turned it around twice, and finding it useless, disappointedly tossed it back into the corner. It then turned to Lionel and squeaked, but was essentially reporting "no major discoveries."
"Alright, stop making things up."
Lionel smiled and called them over:
"We'll be staying here for a while. The four of you will divide the work and clean up the plastic, okay?"
Larvesta immediately picked up the meat pouch, nudged Fire Vulpix's head, as if assigning a task;
Milotic, with Ice Vulpix, taught it different applications of Ice-type moves, turning cold air into water to clean the ground.
Lionel then led Metagross out of the hut, intending to go to town to buy some daily necessities.
The streets of Dewford Town were still the same as before, the cobblestones gleaming from the sea breeze and rain, and seashell wind chimes hanging outside the shops, making a crisp sound when the wind blew. As Lionel passed the Gym, he took a second look.
The martial arts Gym had a unique architectural style; half of it was built on land, and the other half extended into the sea. A sign hung at the entrance, bearing the large characters "Dewford Town Gym– Brawly".
A poster was pasted at the entrance of the gym, depicting a man in a surfing suit riding a surfboard, with the words "*Surfing Intensive Training Class Enrollment Open" next to it.
Lionel looked at the Fighting Gym before him, not in a hurry to challenge it.
This Fighting Gym was an extremely difficult challenge for him when he only had a single Pokémon;
But looking back now, with the strength of his Pokémon, defeating it was a piece of cake.
In fact, in terms of the strength level of the gym leaders, the Fighting Gym was more like the first stop prepared by the League for novice trainers.
Gym Leader Brawly was able to govern this gym, unlike other gym leaders...
In this way, one can obtain a gym license by passing the League's rigorous examination based on genuine strength.
Instead, he inherited the gym leader position from his father.
Just like the Flannery in Lavaridge, Elite Four member Mooreappointed Flannery as the gym leader.
The League's requirements for inheriting gym leaders are relatively lenient; as long as one's strength reaches a certain threshold, one can legally take over.
Although Brawly's strength is relatively weak among the gym leaders, he is not an unambitious "second-generation gym leader."
To improve his strength and not to tarnish the reputation inherited from his father, he made a special trip to Cianwood City in the Johto region to study under a master named Chuck. He studied under Chuck, known as the "Fighting King."
Chuck's Cainwood Gym is renowned for its fierce and aggressive fighting style, possessing profound insights into the integration of "mind, technique, and body."
Based on what he learned at the Cianwood Gym and combined with his lifelong love of surfing, Brawly created his own unique "Surfing Training Method!"
This method not only enhances the reaction speed and explosive power of Pokémon but also makes surfing much easier for humans.
Therefore, the Fighting Gym is also known as the "Surfing Gym," attracting many surfing enthusiasts every year. This has become a major source of income for the gym.
While Brawly was already considered a top-tier Pokémon Trainer, he posed no real threat to Lionel.
Lionel's Pokémon, aided by the accelerated growth of the Advanced Pokémon Energy Puff and TM from the system rewards, and further nurtured with stat boosters, had long since deviated from the growth trajectory of an "ordinary Pokémon," its strength far exceeding that of a typical Pokémon.
Brawly's current strength was at most slightly stronger than Flannery from Lavaridge Town; if Lionel were to challenge him to a Gym battle and obtain the Fighting Badge, there wouldn't be much suspense. Therefore, Lionel wasn't in a hurry to fight at the Gym, intending to...
Before heading to Pacifidog City, he'd conveniently acquire it.
Lionel's most important task was to help Metagross hone its combination moves for the Pacifidlog Town Contest.
Initially, Lionel planned for Milotic and Metagross to team up, like Tyrantrum and Larvesta had done, showcasing the two Pokémon's multi-move combination.
However, it just so happened that Elite Four member Drake had sent these twin Vulpix sisters.
Lionel reconsidered, thinking it better to let these two little guys experience the atmosphere of a Contest beforehand.
He had checked the Pacifidlog Town entry list; there weren't any top-tier players among the participants, making it perfect for the two Vulpixes's debut.
As for the match arrangements, Lionel has already planned them out:
For the first round of assessment, let Vulpix and Ice Vulpix appear together.
With their adorable appearances and hidden abilities, plus intensive training, they should be able to handle the first assessment.
In the second round, Vulpix will be taken off the field, replaced by Metagross paired with Ice Vulpix, showcasing another dazzling combination move from Metagross.
Lionel already has plans for the future of these sisters, Ice Vulpix and Vulpix.
He hopes they can focus on developing their unique abilities and mastering their skills, so that they can compete in Pokemon Contest. They shone brightly on the stage of the Pokemon Contest.
As for combat ability, it wasn't the primary goal for the two Vulpixes at this stage.
Once Milotic and Metagross, these core combatants, reached their growth bottlenecks, then they could channel high-level energy orbs into them, and then hone their combat abilities, making them capable of standing alone.
Lionel, while mentally outlining the team's development plan, walked back from the beach.
The moment he opened the door, he saw that the room had been cleaned spotless. Completely refreshed.
Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, casting dappled patterns on the floor.
"Squeak, squeak," Larvesta, seeing this, immediately... Larvesta ran over from the side,
Larvesta reached Lionel's side, head held high, the antennas proudly soaring into the air, making rapid calls.
The posture was exactly like someone seeking credit and reward.
Metagross silently "translated" from the side:
Larvesta said that the house was so clean, all thanks to its excellent command. Fire Vulpix wiped the windows, Ice Vulpix cleaned the floor, etc...it was all its coordination.
As a reward, could you give it a little more high-level spirit energy?
Larvesta wanted to evolve quickly.
After the Tyrantrum returned, it wanted to have a good fight with it, making it willingly call it Big Brother!