◉◉◉◉◉
This stretch of beach lay close to both the main road and Petalburg City, vast and open a natural Pokémon breeding ground.
Because of that, it was also crowded with beginner Trainers. Some knelt in the sand, digging through gravel and coral, hoping to uncover hidden Pokémon.
Others battled on the shore, practicing their skills against the rhythm of the waves.
It was the perfect hunting ground for novices a place easier to find wild Pokémon than in the woods or tall grass. Families strolled nearby, and young couples wandered hand in hand along the surf.
Kai and Erika blended right in, appearing no different from any other couple. A few people glanced their way, admired how good-looking they were, then turned back to their own business.
After strolling along the waterline and enjoying the sea breeze, they both chuckled as Torchic kept darting back and forth, trying to avoid the waves. The little Fire-type was terrified of getting its feathers wet.
As they watched, Erika turned to Kai with a playful smile. "We're already here. Why don't you look around the rocks like everyone else? You might find a surprise."
Kai smirked. "Come on, what are the odds of finding a rare Pokémon here?"
Still, since they had nothing better to do, he shrugged and wandered toward the reef area.
They had chosen a quiet spot far from the crowd, and since the tide was low, much of the reef was exposed revealing what usually hid beneath the waves.
Hopping across the uneven stones, Kai peered into the shallow pools between them. In some depressions, seawater remained trapped, forming tiny tide pools where stranded Pokémon wriggled about.
Before long, he spotted a wild Horsea lurking between two rocks. As he leapt over it, the little Pokémon suddenly squirted a stream of ink at him!
Kai dodged just in time, frowned, and then in retaliation kicked the Horsea straight into the ocean.
The poor creature spun through the air before splashing safely back into the sea.
"Hey, I just saved your life," Kai muttered, dusting off his pants.
A few steps later, two tentacles whipped toward him from the side. Reflexively, Kai caught them both and found himself holding a Tentacool trying to ambush him!
With a twitch of his eyebrow, he twisted the Tentacool's tentacles together, tied them around a rock, and knotted them firmly.
"That's for the sneak attack," he said dryly. "Let's see how you manage without those."
After those two incidents, Kai lost all interest in treasure hunting. He turned to head back toward Erika only to hear a faint slap-slap sound coming from nearby.
Something was stranded in the shallows, flapping desperately!
Kai immediately changed course, circling around a massive rock toward the sound.
There, in a tiny puddle of seawater, lay a fish-like Pokémon, half its body exposed and struggling weakly to return to the sea.
"Looks like it's stranded," Kai murmured.
But between it and the open water was a wall of coral and rocks too far for it to cross. Even if it could move, it would dry out long before reaching the waves.
Examining the creature, Kai realized it was unusually ugly mud-brown, with patchy scales, dull eyes, torn fins, and thick lips.
Just then, Erika came around the rock. She'd seen Kai turn back earlier and followed, curious. But when she spotted the odd Pokémon, she blinked in surprise.
"What kind of Pokémon is that? It looks… rather unusual."
Her polite phrasing was merciful. Most people would have simply called it ugly.
Kai smiled. "Ever heard of a certain fish that looks plain and pitiful before it evolves, but transforms into one of the most beautiful Pokémon in existence?"
"There's a Pokémon like that?" Erika gasped, eyes widening. She glanced again at the poor creature. "You mean this is one of them?"
As a Grass-type specialist, Erika knew plenty about Pokémon from Kanto and Johto but this was her first encounter with a Hoenn native.
Kai nodded. "It's called Feebas. They can live even in polluted, murky waters. Most Trainers ignore them because of how they look, but what they don't realize is that when a Feebas evolves, it becomes the stunning Milotic graceful, radiant, and powerful."
He pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the creature.
> Pokédex: "Feebas, the Fish Pokémon. Water-type. Feebas inhabit rivers or seafloors thick with aquatic plants. Though weak and often ignored for their shabby appearance, Feebas have remarkable vitality and can thrive even in filthy water, making them a subject of academic study."
Then Kai switched to Milotic's entry and handed the Pokédex to Erika.
"See? This is what it evolves into."
Erika looked and gasped. The screen displayed Milotic's elegant, serpentine form, glistening with rainbow-colored scales. Then she glanced back at the pitiful Feebas before her. The difference was almost unbelievable.
"I can't believe it…" she murmured. "They don't even look like the same species!"
"Exactly," Kai said, pocketing the device. "Most people never realize Milotic is Feebas's evolution, so they assume it's a rare Pokémon found only in deep waters."
Erika nodded thoughtfully, glancing around. "The Pokédex said Feebas usually live in schools, but this one's alone. It must've gotten trapped when the tide went out."
"That's what I figured," Kai agreed. "Look around the rocks form a little wall. The water receded too slowly for it to escape, and now it's stuck here, exposed."
As he spoke, he pulled a Poké Ball from his belt.
Erika blinked. "You're going to catch it?"
Kai nodded. "I need a Water-type on my team anyway. Feebas might not look impressive now, but with the right care, it can evolve into a Milotic that's both beautiful and strong."
He tossed the Poké Ball toward the Feebas. Red light enveloped the fish only for it to shake once and burst out immediately!
Kai blinked. "Huh. Persistent little thing."
Undeterred, he picked up the Ball and tried again. Once more, the Feebas broke free after barely two seconds.
Even now, stranded and weak, it refused to give up.
Kai couldn't help but smile. "No wonder researchers study them. You're tougher than you look."
He turned to Torchic. "Your turn. Knock it out gently."
Torchic tilted its head, then spat a small Ember but the flames fizzled instantly in the shallow water.
Kai sighed. "Not fire get closer and use Scratch."
Nodding, Torchic hopped forward and swiped twice at Feebas. After the second hit, the fish finally went limp.
Kai tossed the Poké Ball once more this time, it clicked shut without resistance.
"Got it." He smiled. "That makes twenty Pokémon."
Satisfied, he and Erika left the beach together.
Kai hadn't expected to catch anything when they arrived, yet in just two days since reaching Hoenn, he'd already caught two new Pokémon.
Hoenn truly was a land of abundance its wild Pokémon far more diverse than those in Kanto or Johto. No wonder its Trainers were known to be stronger.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, they reached the entrance of Petalburg Woods.
Night was falling fast, and this far from the city, there were no inns or houses in sight. It looked like they'd be camping in the wild again.
Choosing a flat area near a stream, they set up their tent just as the forest darkened.
But before they could settle in, movement in the distance caught Kai's eye.
A Zigzagoon except this one was enormous, almost human-sized, running toward them in a strange zigzag pattern!
Kai tensed. Normal Zigzagoon were barely half a meter tall. This one had to be at least one-eighty. A Titan, perhaps? A regional variant?
He was about to command his Pokémon when the "Zigzagoon" suddenly stood upright—on two legs.
Then it reached up, grabbed its own head… and lifted it off.
Kai froze.
As it stepped closer, the truth became clear—it wasn't a Pokémon at all, but a boy in a full-body Zigzagoon costume, holding the headpiece under his arm.
"Hey, you two!" the boy shouted. "Don't camp here you're ruining my plan!"
His tone was sharp and impatient, immediately irritating Kai.
"Oh really?" Kai said coolly. "What, you own this forest now? We can camp wherever we want."
The boy stomped closer. "I've been hiding here all day to get close to the wild Zigzagoon, and you scared them off! Do you know how long I've been waiting?"
Thinking back, Kai did recall seeing a few Zigzagoon here earlier until Torchic's playful charge had sent them scattering. So that explained it.
But seeing the boy up close, Kai was startled again. The kid looked exactly like Ash same messy hair, same fiery eyes only taller and older.
If he didn't know better, Kai might've thought Delia had another son.
"So what?" Kai said bluntly. "If you can't catch a few Zigzagoon without dressing up like one and hiding in the bushes, maybe you're not ready to be a Trainer."
The boy flushed with anger, clenching his fists.
And thus, what should have been a quiet night in the woods was about to become something much more chaotic.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!