953 Unexpected

During Yuga's stay in Cerulean City, the Pokémon he had transported back also settled into various Sub-Ecopark under Audino's arrangements.

Beedrill, Scyther, and Pinsir naturally went to the Insect Paradise Sub-Ecopark, where the insect nests were large enough to accommodate more than a dozen Pokémon comfortably.

Because Kairos and Scyther didn't get along well, Audino had arranged their lodgings far apart. One was in the easternmost part of the insect nest, while the other was in the westernmost part. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't encounter each other unless they deliberately approached.

The actual ruler of the insect nest was the Vespiquen No. 1, a pseudo-Elite Pokémon. It had many subordinates, and no Pokémon in the nest dared to cause trouble under its watchful eye. Whether it was Beedrill, Scyther, or Pinsir, they all obeyed the Vespiquen No. 1 without question.

The Vespiquen No. 1 was a natural leader of the colony-type Pokémon and had a knack for managing its subordinates. Under its guidance, the entire insect nest ran smoothly.

The Pikachu, on the other hand, went to the Oasis No. 1 in the Desert Sub-Ecopark.

There were very few Pokémon living in Oasis No. 1. Since Ariados and Galvantula had moved to the Insect Paradise, the only residents left were Snorlax, Ursaring and Pangoro couple (along with the two young Pancham), as well ths Kecleon family.

Normally, the residents of Oasis No. 1 live on their own live, not bothering each other. Even Ursaring, who had always had a grudge against Snorlax, rarely caused trouble for it after married Pangoro.

However, as soon as the Pikachu arrived, Oasis No. 1 became lively.

This group of Pikachu didn't have personalities as cute as their appearance. Having spent a long time in the wild, they had become quite wild themselves, unlike the timid and shy Pikachu that lived near human towns.

On the first day in Oasis No. 1, the Pikachu angered the Ursaring couple and Snorlax. After finishing the large cans of Pokeblock sent to them, they secretly stole the portion meant for the Panchams.

The two Panchams were not very talented, and their strength had not improved much over the years. They certainly couldn't compete with the Pikachu, who had been living freely in the wild. Moreover, their movements were not as agile as the Pikachu's, so they could only watch as their food was taken away.

Pokeblock were high-energy food. Just one or two cubes could fill up a Pikachu, so they didn't eat what they had stolen from the pandas but hoarded it secretly.

Since the Panchams couldn't handle the Pikachu, they had to seek help from their boss. When the Pangoro learned that its little brother food had been stolen, it became very angry and set off to catch the Pikachu with Ursaring leading the charge.

The Pikachu were small and agile, darting around in the forest. Pangoro and his wife Ursaring couldn't catch them no matter how hard they tried. For a while, Oasis No. 1 was in chaos, with only Snorlax continuing to sleep soundly.

Due to their introverted personalities and their ability to turn invisible, the Kecleon family didn't interact much with other Pokémon, even though they had been living in Oasis No. 1 for a long time.

This was related to the psychological trauma they had suffered when Yuga rescued them from a Motohara. While they had recovered and were leading normal lives, they still preferred to keep to themselves.

The only ones they interacted with were the Miltank, the Chansey, and Audino.

However, despite their low profile, the Kecleon family were high-level Pokémon. They had not neglected their training during their time in the Ecopark, and their levels were quite high.

The peaceful life was disrupted by a group of rowdy Pikachu, which irritated the couple. So, they took matters into their own hands and dealt with the mischievous Pikachu.

The Kecleon family's invisibility ability was elusive, especially in the densely vegetated forest. They could easily catch Pikachu when invisible, making it almost impossible for the small creatures to escape.

The little Kecleon, who hadn't inherited their parents' high talent and had low levels, didn't join the fray. Instead, they remained hidden in the forest, reporting any sightings of Pikachu to their parents.

After that incident, the Pikachu became well-behaved. They understood that there was an invisible expert in the forest, and if they misbehaved, they would face the expert's punishment.

The expert, the Kecleon couple, wondered in confusion: An expert? Us?

Not just the Pikachu, but the Poliwrath sent to the Shallow Seashore also encountered similar problems.

Also, accompanying the Poliwrath to the Shallow Seashore were Squirtle. They were placed in the heart of the No. 1 Island's lake, where the living space of Milotic and Gyarados.

The Greninja in the No. 1 Island's Lake was not around today; it should be had gone somewhere to spar with other Pokémon.

So when Squirtle were placed in the lake, the water was calm, and only Slowking and Slowbro were seen lounging on the lush water hyacinth leaves.

The water hyacinth in the No. 1 Island's lake grew abundantly. Its emerald green leaves covered the water's surface, resembling a big bed. Slowking and Slowbro loved to nap on it.

Although the water hyacinth leaves were nutritious for Water-type Pokémon, they were cultivated in specific water areas and prevented from growing excessively. Any excess growth would be consumed by the Water-type Pokémon living there.

The water hyacinth leaves were highly nutritious for Water-type Pokémon.

After delivering Squirtle to the lake, Audino reminded them not to cause trouble and then left.

Squirtle had been one of the troublemakers warned about by Yuga. But Audino thought that, in the heart of No. 1 Island's lake, Squirtle would have to behave.

The arrival of Poliwrath and Squirtle didn't elicit much of a reaction from Slowking and Slowbro. Slowbro just gave them a dull glance, while the ever-dazed Slowking simply stood with its hands behind its back, looking up at the sky, not sparing a glance for them.

Poliwrath felt insulted!

Squirtle had a gentle personality and didn't have much of a connection with Poliwrath. After a brief glance, it jumped into the lake, then wagged its tail and swam to the water hyacinth leaves on the opposite side of the lake.

The water hyacinth leaves could gather Water-type energy, making areas with abundant water hyacinth growth perfect for Water-type Pokémon. Once Squirtle climbed onto the water hyacinth leaves, it immediately fell in love with the place.

Squirtle poked Slowbro with its hand and greeted it. "Squirtle!"

Slowbro turned its head to glance at Squirtle, then nodded slowly after a while, acknowledging Squirtle's greeting.

Squirtle also tried to greet Slowking but was met with Slowking's ever-dazed expression. Squirtle didn't bother further and followed Slowbro's example, lying down comfortably on the water hyacinth leaves to sleep.

(*≧▽≦) It's so comfortable! It's like hitting the jackpot! With this large bed of water hyacinth, Squirtle felt like it had made the right choice to follow Yuga, and the good days were yet to come!

On the shore, Poliwrath saw that no one paid attention to it, so it took a flying leap into the water, creating a big splash, and swiftly swam towards Squirtle.

Unbeknownst to Poliwrath, its sudden splash into the water had startled the Gyarados sleeping at the lake's bottom along with Milotic. Once Gyarados woke up, Milotic naturally woke up as well, followed by the other Milotic and Feebas lying on the lake bottom.

After so much time had passed, the number of Feebas and Milotic at the bottom of No. 1 Island's lake had multiplied significantly.

Having climbed onto the water hyacinth bed, Poliwrath glanced at Slowking and Slowbro. Seeing that its strength exceeded theirs, it started to feel quite proud and believed that it should take charge of this lake in the future.

Immediately, Poliwrath began bossing Slowking and Slowbro around. However, Slowking and Slowbro completely ignored it, which made Poliwrath furious. It even raised its fist, intending to attack these two.

Swish!

However, before it could swing its fist, a fierce head emerged from the water's surface, glaring menacingly at Poliwrath, which scared it immensely.

Shivering!

This... this guy seems stronger than me!

Poliwrath was scared, but it didn't back down. It could sense that the Gyarados' level wasn't much higher than its own, so it stood its ground.

Indeed, both Gyarados and Poliwrath were pseudo-Elite level Pokemon, but Poliwrath was in the the Intermediate pseudo-Elite level, whereas Gyarados was on the verge of breaking through to an Elite level, with a significant gap in their combat power.

Seeing that Poliwrath was still not convinced, Gyarados swung its tail, and Poliwrath instinctively raised its fist to defend itself, but only to be sent flying.

In a parabolic arc, Poliwrath was caught by the leader of the Milotic that had just emerged from the water.

The moment Poliwrath saw the leader of the Milotic, its eyes widened: Oh my gosh! I've never seen such a beautiful Pokémon!

Poliwrath felt like it was in love, and forgetting about everything else.

Seeing Poliwrath staring at its husband lustfully, Gyarados became very angry.

While Gyarados could tell that Poliwrath was male, it still considered Poliwrath a potential threat, based on the Chatot experience, who had a history of promiscuity. Gyarados thought Poliwrath was dangerous!

But before it could take action, the leader of the Milotic flicked Poliwrath aside with its tail and swam over, rubbing its neck affectionately against Gyarados.

Gyarados was instantly satisfied: My husband is the best!

Milotic was usually very cold, so displaying such affection was a rare sight.

Meanwhile, Poliwrath, who witnessed this scene, felt like its heart had shattered into eight pieces: How... how could this happen?

Poliwrath, feeling lost and despondent, had no intention of trying to dominate the lake anymore. It swam to the shore and sat by the lake, sighing heavily, looking utterly disheartened.

As it gazed at its reflection in the water, if Poliwrath were to compose poetry, the next line it might utter would probably be: Since ancient times, unrequited love lingers, and this lingering resentment has no end...

Just as Poliwrath sat by the lake, sighing at its reflection, a kind-hearted Feebas felt sorry for it and tried to comfort Poliwrath by blowing bubbles.

However, when Poliwrath saw the Feebas approaching, it immediately raised its fist and shooed it away, saying: Where did this ugly thing come from? Get lost and don't bother me!

Hurt by the words "ugly thing," the Feebas swam away, tears in its eyes.

At that moment, Poliwrath had no idea that its momentary satisfaction would soon lead to a chase to win back its wife's affections.

That's right, not long after, Poliwrath became infatuated with this Feebas, which would evolve into Milotic. However, the Feebas that evolved into Milotic had been insulted by Poliwrath before, and it had a cold attitude towards Poliwrath. So, Poliwrath embarked on a long journey to win back its affection.

Of course, that's a story for later. After its heartbreak, Poliwrath finally settled down, and the tranquility of the island's central lake was restored. Poliwrath didn't realize that the leader of the Milotic was male at the time, which further disappointed it.

Now, onto the Tangela that was sent to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark.

The Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark was a gathering place for Grass-type Pokémon, and Tangela didn't have any trouble fitting in. It got along well with other Grass-type Pokémon and was one of the most easygoing among the batch of Pokémon sent by Yuga.

Tangela's gentle nature was evident, and despite growing up in an environment filled with danger on the islands, it hadn't developed an aggressive personality.

Of course, the main reason was that Tangela had no natural enemies. Very few Pokémon would hunt them, and even if a herbivorous Pokémon targeted it, its vines, which could grow almost indefinitely, were enough to feed its attacker without putting itself in danger.

Lastly, we have the Arcanine and Growlithe father-and-son duo sent to the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.

In Yuga's impression, Arcanine was loyal and dependable, and it shouldn't have caused any trouble when entering the Ecopark. However, as soon as Arcanine entered the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, it clashed with the Volcarona.

Although Volcarona was also a Bug-type Pokémon, it had never been to the Insect Paradise because its favorite place was bathing in flames at the volcano's crater.

As the only Elite level Pokémon in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark, Volcarona always occupied the central position on the volcano, which had a circular platform. It would bask in the flames there every time.

These days, its wife, Vivillon, followed Yuga out, so Volcarona's mood had been consistently bad. When it returned from a stroll down the mountain, it found a Arcanine lying on its circular platform. This made Volcarona extremely angry.

It was also the first time for Arcanine to come into contact with a volcano. All the cells in his body were buzzing with excitement. Being in an environment full of fire energy made him fascinated.

At that moment, there was only one word to describe Arcanine's feelings: "awesome!" While Arcanine was immersed in the volcano's atmosphere, a pillar of fire shot towards it. If not for Arcanine's honed sense of alertness from years of training, it would have been hit by the fire.

Fire-type Pokémon tend to have fiery tempers, so the two of them immediately engaged in battle.

When two Elite level Pokémon fought, it was bound to cause a significant commotion. The volcano's magma overflowed, and flames danced in the air, alarming the other Pokémon.

A good environment was crucial for a Pokémon's growth. Volcarona had been training in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark for a long time, so its level had undoubtedly increased significantly, and its control over energy was excellent. Arcanine, on the other hand, had honed its skills through life-and-death battles, making it a formidable combatant.

For a while, it was difficult to determine who had the upper hand in their battle.

In recent years, the Ninetales and Houndoom clans had given birth to many new members. Growlithe was pure-hearted and quickly made friends with these newborns upon arriving in the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.

In the past, Growlithe had never had any playmates, so it was delighted to have so many peers now. However, while it was happily playing with its newfound friends, it heard that its dad was fighting with someone else, causing it great concern.

When Growlithe and its friends arrived at the volcano's crater, they found Arcanine and Volcarona in the midst of an intense battle. Other Pokémon could only watch helplessly, with no opportunity to intervene.

Not only was Gtowlithe worried about its dad, but the Ninetales and Houndoom leader were also anxious. If the battle continued, other Pokémon would undoubtedly be affected.

In desperation, the Ninetales leader personally went to the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark and brought back Dragonite's mother. With Dragonite's mother's intervention, the battle was quickly subsided.

However, even though the initial cause of the fight was trivial, Arcanine and Volcarona were both proud Pokémon who refused to back down or apologize to each other.

Dragonite's mother saw that she couldn't mediate their relationship and didn't want to bother further. She ordered both of them not to fight again and left the Volcano Sub-Ecopark.

From then on, Volcarona and Arcanine held onto their grudge, and it was never resolved.

Later, Yuga also learned about this incident, but he didn't intervene too much. Although the two Pokémon had a feud, it didn't lead to any trouble. Instead, it formed a competitive relationship between them, which Yuga was pleased to see.

While Yuga was rushing to Jade Town, on the other side, Absol and Dragonite, who had been training in the Distortion World, returned. As usual, they returned with substantial gains.

The Reverse Mirror, which connected to the Distortion World, had been placed in the Haunted Mansion Sub-Ecopark. The tall mirror was standing on the ground, and a pitch-black vortex appeared on top. One by one, Dragonite, Absol, Gengar, Mismagius, and Roserade emerged from the vortex.

The room where the Distortion Mirror was placed was an inconspicuous room in the stone castle. Ghost-type Pokémon had been warned not to approach this area, and they were obedient, never venturing near this room.

After Absol and the others emerged and left the room, a round, blue head peeked into the room through a stone window. Seeing that Absol and the others had left, the owner of the head came up to the Reverse Mirror, curious, and examined it.

At this moment, the black vortex above the Reverse Mirror hadn't disappeared yet. The owner of the head extended a tentacle and gently touched the vortex out of curiosity.

Suddenly, a strong suction force came from the black vortex, pulling the owner of the head into it. Then, the vortex closed and disappeared, returning the Reverse Mirror to its normal appearance as an ordinary black stone slab. If one wanted to use it again, it would require three months of recharging.