Pokemon: My Strange Pokemons

The Mankey felt its status as the "little tyrant of Miranda Mountain" had been greatly challenged. It was one thing for an Eevee to dare to take it on—after all, after fighting, it realized this Eevee was no pushover, and the Mankey had always respected strength.

But a Feebas? Spraying it with Water Gun?

Did this little fish really think staying in the water made it untouchable?

The Mankey screeched angrily, forming its hands into sharp blade-like edges. Silvery energy quickly gathered in its palms, and a Karate Chop slashed straight toward the Feebas in the water.

At the last moment, a flash of white light appeared. A fiery orange, heat-radiating turtle Pokémon stood in front of the Mankey.

It was none other than the Torkoal Ethan had borrowed from a young mother, Aurora.

"Torkoal, these are the Mankey that took the kid! Get them!"

Torkoal might be slow, but its reactions were anything but. It had already etched the image of the Mankey trio in its memory from the moment they abducted its trainer's son.

However, Torkoal's lack of speed meant it had been powerless against the Mankey's quick getaway at the time.

But now, revenge was within reach. Seeing its enemies again stoked Torkoal's fury.

With a thunderous roar, Torkoal unleashed a thick stream of orange-red flames, blazing directly toward the Mankey trio.

The sudden surge of heat caused the surrounding air to shimmer with waves of fire.

The sheer intensity of the move stunned Ethan, who reflexively shut his eyes against the searing brightness.

When he opened them again, he was dumbfounded by the sight before him.

Lying before Torkoal, the once-arrogant Mankey trio was now charred black, collapsed on the ground, completely unconscious.

Torkoal's Flamethrower had taken them out in a single hit?

What the—

Unbelievable!

The battle ended swiftly. After defeating the Mankey in one move, Torkoal slowly approached the kid, seemingly to reassure him.

Now free, the kid didn't cry or fuss. Instead, he bowed deeply to Ethan and Eevee, earnestly thanking them.

"Thank you for saving me! My mom will definitely reward you!"

Perhaps from crying and yelling all the way, the boy's voice was hoarse.

Ethan smiled and added, "Don't forget to thank another Pokémon as well."

The kid blinked, puzzled, as Ethan glanced toward the stream. Catching on, the boy quickly ran to the water's edge to look for the Feebas.

However, whether it had hidden or already left, the boy couldn't find any trace of the Feebas and turned back to Ethan for help.

Ethan gave him an encouraging smile. "It's okay. Just say what you want to say—it will hear you."

The boy nodded seriously, then called out to the stream, "Thank you, Feebas! You're the bravest and most beautiful Pokémon I've ever seen, even cooler than a Milotic!"

Out of the boy's and Ethan's line of sight, the Feebas trembled slightly.

The boy's exaggerated yet sincere words had struck a chord deep within its cold and numb soul.

Cooler than Milotic? Really?

Images of the one Milotic in this waterway—whose beauty bewitched countless Pokémon and humans—flashed through its mind. The Feebas quickly shook its head, dismissing the thought.

Really? Of course not. Who would ever truly think a Feebas is beautiful?

The Feebas chuckled self-deprecatingly and gazed through the clear water at the vast blue sky beyond.

Still, who wouldn't want to shine as brightly as that Milotic, breaking through the water's surface and glittering under the sunlight?

Ethan gazed at the still-unresponsive stream, feeling slightly disappointed. Had it really left already?

He sighed and shook his head. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.

But Eevee tugged at his pant leg and shook its head lightly before flicking its ears toward a specific part of the stream.

It hasn't left?

Ethan exchanged a look with Eevee, who nodded in confirmation.

Hope reignited in Ethan's heart. If it hadn't left, why was it hiding?

Shyness? Or…insecurity?

Ethan refrained from making assumptions. He walked over to the boy, who looked a little dejected from not getting a response, crouched down, and ruffled his hair.

"Don't be sad. I'm sure it heard you, but it's probably just too shy after all your compliments. And remember, inner beauty is far more important than outer beauty."

The boy's eyes lit up with renewed determination. "Yeah! You're absolutely right! I'm going to catch a Pokémon with a beautiful heart one day!"

Ethan grinned. "Great minds think alike. That's why I really want to catch that Feebas."

The boy let out a long "Ooooh," then turned back to the stream and yelled, "Feebas, did you hear that? He wants to catch you! I think you two are perfect for each other—you're both beautiful inside and out! Come on out already!"

Ethan's face darkened. Kid, you're a great wingman, but could you stop calling me 'uncle' and switch to 'brother' already?

Feebas heard everything—every single word, including Ethan's desire to catch it.

But its deeply ingrained insecurity made it hesitate.

Catch me? Is this a joke?

Even if he had a Prism Scale, he wouldn't lack for other Feebas.

In this waterway, it was the most ordinary of the ordinary, having long since given up competing for the next Prism Scale.

Surely, he could find a more talented Feebas.

But their words felt so genuine…

Could this really be its chance to change its life?

Feebas wrestled with its thoughts. Finally, it resolved to face Ethan.

But just as it was about to surface, approaching footsteps startled the skittish Pokémon. It darted back into the depths of the stream and fled downstream.

The last things it heard were a woman's sobbing and the boy's voice saying, "Mom, you scared my savior away!"

And one voice that it couldn't forget:

"Feebas, I'll come back here tomorrow at this time to find you!"

Tomorrow?

Yeah, right. Who would believe that?

Humans are liars, through and through!

Accompanied by a ranger, the group returned to the Pokémon Center near the scenic area.

Though Eevee wasn't seriously injured, it was exhausted and resting in the recovery ward.

The kid was also lying in a bed nearby. After such an intense ordeal, he quickly fell asleep.

Ethan, whose stamina was almost completely depleted, occupied the ward's last bed, hooked up to what seemed to be a nutritional IV drip akin to glucose.

This was all thanks to Aurora, who had insisted. In truth, Ethan would've preferred to head home and cook himself and Eevee a nice meal.

Aurora sat on a chair between Ethan and the kid. One moment, she was gently stroking her son's hair; the next, she'd turn to chat with Ethan.

It felt like Ethan and the kid were both her sons.

After lying in bed for an hour, Ethan felt like it was a waste of time.

"Um… Miss, I'm feeling a bit hungry. Maybe I should head home now?"

Though he'd learned her name was Aurora during their chat, it felt impolite to call her by name. Calling her "sister" or "aunt" didn't seem quite right either, so Ethan chose a safer form of address, trying to excuse himself.

"The car will be here to pick us up soon—it'll definitely be faster than walking. Please bear with it a little longer. Besides, the scenic area hasn't given us a proper explanation yet," Aurora replied with a gentle smile, casually tucking her hair behind her ear.

Ethan had no choice but to stay.

A soft knock sounded at the door. At Aurora's cool "Come in," the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with a shiny face and an ingratiating smile.

"Honored guests, hello. My name is William, and I'm the manager of Miranda Mountain Scenic Area. I've come to discuss compensation matters with you both."