Chapter 138: We'll Meet Again Someday
Elm Southwind stared blankly at the distant figure. He reached out a hand, grasping at the empty air, his eyes full of excitement. The beautiful woman and the fragrant flowers around him could not shake his steadfast heart; his eyes saw nothing but that Sceptile.
"Stop, Arcanine," Officer Jenny said. Seeing that the chase was hopeless, she had her partner stop.
"Woof..." The Arcanine stopped, looking baffled. Ever since it had evolved, it had always been the one leaving other Pokémon in its dust. This was the first time it had been on the receiving end. Its confidence had taken a huge blow. It wasn't just him; his Trainer, Jenny, felt the same way. Her prized Arcanine had actually been beaten in a race.
"You don't have to be so dejected," Elm said, seeing their disappointment. He comforted them, "At similar levels and without using any moves, there are very few Pokémon in the world that can outrun a Sceptile in a forest."
"Not even a Dragonite from the Dragonite Clan?" Jenny asked, surprised.
"The reason a Dragonite feels so fast is because of a move called Extreme Speed. It's an extremely rare move that very few Pokémon can master. Without it, a Dragonite's speed isn't that great," Elm shook his head and sighed as he looked in the direction Will had disappeared. "This is the first time I've seen such a perfect Sceptile. It was truly beautiful."
"I remember the League's data records seem to show an even larger one, don't they?" Jenny asked, tilting her head. Logically, the Jenny family wouldn't lack this kind of knowledge, but that was the future Jenny family. In this era, neither the Jenny nor the Joy families had much experience or technique in the field of "breeding" to pass down to the younger generation. Humans were still in the early stages of that path.
"You don't understand. The one in the League's data is an Alpha Sceptile. It reaching that size is within the normal range for its status," Elm explained. "And you can't judge how well a Pokémon has developed just by its size; you have to consider their age. And sometimes, a large physique isn't necessarily a good thing."
"That Sceptile's colors were so vibrant. I've never seen one like it in my life. And from its physical characteristics, it's clearly still very young. To have grown to such a degree at such a young age... can you imagine how tall it will be in a hundred years?"
As a pioneer and leader on the path of breeding, Elm Southwind, of course, understood just how extraordinary that Sceptile was.
"Alright," Jenny sighed. She really didn't understand much about this field. If Nurse Joy had been here, maybe she would have understood what he was talking about. But her Jenny family was more inclined to study the fields of battle and criminal investigation.
"I've decided," Elm said.
"What?"
"My research topic. From now on, my topic will be 'Pokémon Breeding and Pokémon Eggs'!" Elm clenched his fists, his eyes shining.
"Pokémon eggs? What does this have to do with eggs?"
"The reason that Sceptile could grow so well is absolutely related to its superior genes. To raise an outstanding Pokémon, you have to start from the genetic level! That means, you have to start working even before the egg is laid!"
Elm felt his brain had been ignited. All he wanted to do now was to return to the university, apply for graduation, and begin his research as soon as possible.
...
However, whatever Elm's thoughts were, and however much they might affect the future, they had no effect on Will at this moment.
On the outer shore of the Gligar island.
The little Lapras had been reunited with her clan. Will, Floragato, and a few of the Gligar who had gotten along well with Lapras had all gathered there.
Including her, there were nine Lapras in total. The other eight were all quite large; the lowest-level one was at least Lv. 30. This didn't surprise Will. To migrate all the way from the tropical Alola sea to the frigid Sinnoh sea, you'd have to have some strength.
"La-praas~" The little Lapras was wailing in her mother's embrace, telling her all about the hardships she had endured. But she also didn't forget to tell her mother about the friends she had made and the help she had received from them.
"La-praas," Lapras's mother said, quickly thanking Will and Floragato after hearing her daughter's story. She was over three meters tall, and her voice was as gentle as a loving wife's.
"It seems she's the spoiled baby of the family," Will thought, seeing the other Lapras uncles and aunts also coming over to thank them. No wonder her ability to handle stress was so low. She had probably never been wronged at home before. My parenting is much better, he thought, looking at the Floragato beside him. Since evolving, she hadn't cried once.
"?" Floragato felt his gaze and a question mark appeared over her head. She looked at her best friend's treatment, her heart filled with envy. Then she thought about Will and couldn't help but sigh. Sometimes, she was impressed by her own resilience for having survived and grown up healthy under his care.
"La-praas?" Lapras's mother came over and asked if there was anywhere he wanted to go. They were always at sea and didn't really carry any treasures. The only way they could repay him was to take him where he wanted to go.
"Hmm... in that case, could you please take me to that city across the way?" Will said after a moment, pointing to Cherrygrove City. His current body was too big and heavy. The little Lapras was not strong enough to carry him there. The mother Lapras, though large, was not as tall as he was now. But fortunately, there was an even larger Lapras in the herd.
It was the clan's patriarch, the little Lapras's grandfather. He was a massive four-and-a-half meters tall, on par with a Lapras from the Era of Primal Beasts.
"La-praas!" The patriarch nodded without hesitation, signaling for Will to get on his back.
"Meow," This time, Floragato didn't stick to Will. She jumped onto the little Lapras's back. The two best friends wanted to have a few last words before they separated.
"Let's go."
"La-praas."
The patriarch nodded, and they set off towards the coast of Cherrygrove City.
"Gli~"
"Gligar!"
The Gligar on the shore waved goodbye to them. A few of the more sentimental little ones had their tongues hanging out, their eyes misty.
"Bye-bye~"
"Meow~"
"La-praas~"
Will and the others responded in kind. For the past month, they had received a lot of help from the Gligar. Will himself had been able to get so much stronger thanks to them.
The sea journey from the island to Cherrygrove City was not long. With the Lapras carrying them, they arrived at a beach in just five minutes. The people on the beach were stunned to see a herd of Lapras arriving with Will and Floragato on their backs. Some of the quicker ones had already taken out their cameras to record the rare sight.
"Floragato, let's get down."
"Meow," she nodded and jumped off the little Lapras's back.
"La-praas..." The little Lapras looked at them, unwilling to part. After more than a month together, she had spent more time with them than with her own family. In her heart, Will and Floragato were already like family.
"Go on back. This world is only so big. As long as we're all still alive, we'll see each other again someday," Will said, stroking the little Lapras's head.
The people on the beach were getting closer, and more were gathering from the distance. The Lapras species was only just beginning to recover in this era; it wasn't a good thing for them to be seen by so many people.
"Meow," Floragato said, turning her back to the little Lapras and giving a cool wave. But her little tail drooped, and her mood was clearly not as carefree as she was pretending. Since evolving, her intelligence had increased, but her personality had also become more complicated. She had learned to hide her emotions.
"La-praas," the little Lapras nodded. Led by her family, she began to leave. She kept looking back, seeing that Floragato still had her back to her. She thought for a moment and decided to say goodbye with what she did best: singing.
"Praas~ ooh~"
It was a cheerful tune, one that Floragato, as a Sprigatito, had learned from Tom and Corphish. But unfortunately, the Lapras species has a unique voice. No matter how cheerful the song, it would always sound a little sad.
Floragato quietly turned her head, watching the little Lapras slowly swim away. Her eyes turned red, and she pursed her lips. But with so many humans and Pokémon around, she held back her tears.
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