A flash of white light appeared.
Without question, the Pokémon she summoned was a Milotic.
Its elegant body resembled a giant sea serpent. Two delicate fins hung beside its head like flowing crimson hair.
Its cream-colored body curved gracefully through the air, while its blue tail, patterned with black markings, spread open like an ornate red-and-blue fan.
Under the sunlight, Milotic's scales reflected layers of shimmering color from every angle.
There was an old legend that Milotic's radiance possessed the power to calm hatred, anger, and conflict. Whether that legend was true or not, Austin did genuinely feel calmer the moment he saw it.
The entire atmosphere around the pond seemed to soften.
"Eevee!"
Eevee hurried over to Milotic's side, staring up at it with sparkling eyes full of admiration.
Cynthia bent down and gently picked Eevee up.
Normally, Eevee disliked being held by strangers.
But in Cynthia's embrace, it became unusually obedient, lying there stiffly like a plush doll that had lost the ability to resist.
"Vee~"
Eevee had completely shut down.
Austin almost laughed out loud at the sight.
"Milotic, I'll leave this to you."
"Tic~"
Milotic nodded softly before gliding into the fish pond.
The pond itself was not particularly large.
It measured roughly eight meters across and was less than a meter deep.
Originally, the pond had been prepared for Goldeen displays after the opening of the breeding house.
Just like Furfrou and Glameow, Goldeen were popular Pokémon used for aesthetic showcases and customer attraction.
However, because Feebas had arrived on the very first day the breeding house opened, the pond had remained reserved ever since.
Ripples spread gently across the water's surface.
Hidden beneath the rockery, Feebas had secretly watched Cynthia and Milotic from the very beginning.
The instant Milotic entered the water, Feebas shot backward at astonishing speed and squeezed itself into a narrow crevice beneath the rocks.
Milotic could only see part of its body.
Especially the trembling tail that refused to stop shaking. Feebas clearly lacked even the slightest sense of security.
The moment it realized part of its tail was exposed outside the crevice, it desperately tried to reposition itself.
Unfortunately, after barely moving for more than a month, Feebas had visibly put on weight.
The final result was tragic.
No matter how hard it tried, it simply could not hide both ends at once.
"Bas... Feebas..."
(Don't touch me... leave me alone...)
Milotic did not find the sight amusing at all.
There was nothing cute about it.
Only sadness.
While inside her Poké Ball, Milotic had already heard Cynthia describe Feebas's situation.
But hearing about it and witnessing it personally were entirely different things.
She had never expected Feebas's fear to run this deep.
"Lucario!"
Ryu suddenly called out excitedly from the shore, communicating in Aura.
(Feebas spoke!)
Austin's eyes widened slightly.
This was the first time Feebas had willingly responded to someone.
Cynthia's delicate brows immediately knitted together.
"Feebas never spoke before?"
Austin shook his head.
"It refused all communication. I even asked Ryu to try talking through Aura, but Feebas completely ignored him."
Cynthia's expression became even more serious.
"It's already this severe... what exactly happened to it?"
Below the rockery, Milotic carefully lowered her head closer to the crevice, making her voice as soft and gentle as possible.
"Don't be afraid. I won't touch you, and I absolutely won't hurt you. I promise."
To show sincerity, Milotic slowly retreated several meters away.
From Austin's angle, he could clearly see Milotic maintaining an awkward coiled posture within the pond.
The average Milotic already exceeded six meters in length.
Cynthia's Milotic was clearly even larger than normal.
Honestly speaking, forcing such a massive Pokémon into a pond only eight meters wide, especially with a rockery occupying the center, was unfair to begin with.
Yet Milotic never complained once.
Even while maintaining such an uncomfortable posture, she patiently waited.
Gradually, Feebas relaxed a little.
At the very least, it was no longer completely hidden beneath the rocks.
Milotic spoke gently again.
"Can we talk a little?"
"Where did you originally live?"
"Bas"
(I don't know.)
"Then how did you end up here?"
Milotic did not push the question further after asking it. She waited in silence, letting Feebas take its time.
The response did not come immediately.
Feebas's tail shifted slightly in the crevice. A brief flicker of pain crossed its face, subtle but noticeable.
Milotic's voice softened.
"Forget it. If it hurts to remember, don't force yourself."
As she spoke, Milotic's tail moved gently through the water. A soft Aqua Ring formed around her body, spreading calm, steady energy through the pond.
It was not being used as a healing technique, but more as a stabilizing presence, meant to ease emotional pressure.
Feebas's trembling gradually slowed.
Milotic tried again, more gently this time.
" You've been alone for a long time. If you want to leave, I can take you somewhere else."
"Bas Bas..."
(I don't want to leave.)
That answer only deepened Milotic's confusion.
It did not want to leave, yet it refused to come out of the rockery.
"Milo... Tic..."
(But staying somewhere without sunlight and proper care is not good for you.)
Feebas's scales were already losing their natural shine. They lacked proper exposure and care.
Even so, its physical condition was not as poor as expected, which made Milotic even more uncertain about its behavior.
By the edge of the pond, Austin glanced toward a second water area in the distance.
"Tell it this," he said. "I can move it to that pond if it prefers."
That pond already had a few Water-type Pokémon. It had not been used for Feebas because of compatibility issues.
But another pond could be dug if necessary. Water flow from the nearby river made expansion easy.
Milotic nodded and lowered her head again.
"Did you hear that?"
Feebas paused for a long time.
"I heard... but I will still stay here."
Another refusal.
Milotic did not respond immediately. She stayed still in the water, watching the small movement inside the rock.
Nearly an hour passed like that.
Only then did Milotic slowly rise from the pond.
As she surfaced, she immediately saw a large face leaning in too close.
She instinctively almost released a Water Gun.
Austin stepped back half a step.
"How did it go?"
Dai Yui, standing nearby, looked even more anxious than Austin.
He had already recognized Cynthia. That alone was enough to keep him unusually tense, even if he tried to act normal.
Fortunately, having dealt with Blue before, he had improved his shock tolerance considerably.
Most of the staff were still off duty, so few people knew a Champion was currently inside the facility.
Milotic shook her head slightly.
"Milotic."
(It will take time.)
Both Ryu and Cynthia's Lucario relayed the meaning for each side without delay.
Cynthia glanced toward the pond, then spoke calmly.
"If it needs time, I will stay here."
Austin blinked.
"You are staying?"
"Yes. There should be rooms here, right?"
There was no hesitation in her tone.
The two families were already familiar with each other. Austin's grandfather and Cynthia's grandmother, Professor Carolina, had maintained a long-standing friendship.
They had simply not met for several years due to travel and Champion duties.
Even without distance, there was no awkwardness in their interaction.
Cynthia stepped slightly to the side, looking over the grounds again.
"If I leave now, it would be irresponsible. I want to see it through properly."
Her schedule allowed it. The next obligations were still some time away, including the Champion Challenge and a research summit involving multiple regions.
Only truly large-scale disasters would interrupt that period of rest, as required of a Champion.
Austin nodded once.
"Yes. There are rooms available."
. . .
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