It was already late at night. After leaving the Pokémon Center and arriving at the edge of Lake Lucid, Tetsuya saw that Joy was still busy doing health examinations on the Muk.
Such dedication was truly worthy of respect. However, his goal was to find a Muk with extraordinary potential. Of course, he was only trying his luck here, because Pokémon with high potential were something that could only be encountered by chance.
Now, Tetsuya's standards for choosing Pokémon had become higher and higher. There was simply no need to catch ordinary Pokémon. Every Pokémon on his team was an elite, with considerable power. There was really no reason to spend manpower and resources raising a Pokémon with mediocre potential.
Now he already had the best method for evaluating Poison-type Pokémon, and that was Koffing.
Such a legendary-level toxic tumor… only a Pokémon capable of withstanding its poison could be considered a qualified Poison-type Pokémon!
He wondered whether any of these Muk would be able to pass the test.
Joy carefully performed health examinations on the Muk. A young and beautiful married woman standing among a pile of sludge Pokémon was an incredibly incongruous sight.
Tetsuya stood beside Joy and carefully observed the Muk. Of course, this was only a simple evaluation based on skin color, body shape, proportions, and similar factors. Many Pokémon could not even pass this first stage.
However, every Muk under Joy's care had been looked after exceptionally well, with almost no flaws whatsoever. As a result, it was impossible to tell which had high potential and which had low.
In fact, judging by appearances alone, every one of them seemed to have excellent potential. Of course, this was simply a reflection of Joy's outstanding care.
After completing the examinations for all the Muk, Joy stretched lazily in relief. Then she suddenly noticed Tetsuya standing behind her and looked somewhat surprised.
"Huh... you're still awake?" Joy asked.
"Aren't you still awake too?"
"Haha~ I'm used to it." Joy shrugged and smiled faintly.
"May I ask where all these Muk came from? Are they all your Pokémon?" Tetsuya's interest remained focused on the Muk.
Joy shook her head and let out a sigh. Her tone became somewhat heavy. "Very few people raise Muk… and they generally don't appear in normal environments. The environment here used to be even worse. For the sake of economic development, humans destroyed the habitats that Pokémon depended on for survival, forcing many Pokémon to leave.
I inherited my mother's wish to give Pokémon a home, so I applied to the League and came here. Back then, there wasn't a single Pokémon in Lake Lucid, and the surrounding area was completely barren. At the time, I felt utterly hopeless…"
Joy could not help looking up at the sky. After all, this was the place where she had devoted her youth.
Tetsuya could not help being moved as well. After all, he knew he could never accomplish something so great. People like her were truly a kind of faith.
"So what happened after that?" Tetsuya asked.
"Mm. Back then, I was truly desperate. It was impossible to apply for a Pokémon Center in a place like this, so all I could do was study hard and improve my professional knowledge. I became a Pokémon Researcher and earned a master's degree in Pokémon studies.
With the help of my family, I applied to build this Pokémon Center under the theme of researching Pokémon ecology. When I returned here again, I encountered the first Muk in this sludge pool. I was genuinely excited. At last, I could finally see a living creature here!
I began my research with that Muk and discovered that Muk could improve water quality. That Muk and I became the best of friends, and it brought me even more friends… hahaha. They were able to live here happily, and that made me very happy."
Joy looked very content. Even though her husband had left her, she still had so much work to do every day and had to raise her daughter. Deep down, she had often wished she could simply be a fragile woman.
"Then Miss Joy, you should get some rest early."
After saying that, Tetsuya returned to his room. Some people were willing to give up everything for a single belief, their family, their friends, and endure the cold looks of others.
Joy's belief was a noble one: to give Pokémon a home!
As for Tetsuya, it was purely for himself. He wanted to become stronger, stand at the pinnacle of this world, and enjoy that glory. No one would be able to defeat him, because he, Tetsuya-kun, was the strongest.
'Tehaha!'
---◓---
They stayed at the Pokémon Center of Lake Lucid for another two days. Under Joy's care, all of the Pokémon became radiant and full of energy. Even the efficiency of their training improved. As expected of a Joy~!
The water quality of Lake Lucid also continued to improve. All of the poisonous gas released by the Muk was absorbed by Koffing, and the air became fresh as well.
Joy's mood became brighter too. On this day, she prepared a large feast to entertain Tetsuya and Catherine, thanking them for their contribution to the development of Lake Lucid.
"Miss Joy, there's something I have to say," Tetsuya said.
Seeing Tetsuya's serious expression, Miss Joy was somewhat bewildered and asked, "Huh, Tetsuya-kun? What is it?"
"The water quality of Lake Lucid is getting better and better now, but these Muk will probably have to leave," Tetsuya said.
"Eh? Why!?" Joy-chan hurriedly asked.
Joy sighed. It was obvious that she understood the situation very well. Muk were simply not suited to living in such clean water. As the water quality of Lake Lucid improved, these Muk would have to leave. They needed to find a new habitat.
"…Let's eat first."
Joy said this, but it was obvious that only Tetsuya and Catherine were truly enjoying the delicious food spread across the table.
---◓---
That night, Joy was once again doing health examinations on the Muk by the shore of Lake Lucid.
"You've given more Pokémon a home, yet you've caused the Muk to lose theirs."
At that moment, Tetsuya once again appeared behind Joy and spoke calmly.
In this world, gain and loss always went hand in hand. Even if what you did was a wonderful thing that benefited countless people, someone would still suffer because of it. Just like the Muk now.
"Suddenly, everything feels unclear to me. I don't know whether what I've done is right or wrong. I… I really have hurt my friends, the Muk… They're about to become homeless and pitiful Pokémon."
As she looked at the Muk, Joy's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Were they destined to part ways in the end?
"…Perhaps you should find them another home," Tetsuya said.
Joy shook her head and said, "The places suitable for them are basically places people can't go. Toxic swamps and sludge pools. People can't go to any of those places."
"Then the only option is to settle them in the wastewater ponds of factories first. Since the pollution originally affected Lake Lucid, those places shouldn't be far from here, right?" Tetsuya said.
"Eh? That's… right! It completely slipped my mind! Then I'll be able to make time every week to visit them! That's really a way to kill two Pidgey with one Rock Throw, hmhmhm. We'll do it that way. I'll go prepare some food for the Muk!"
Joy felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and Tetsuya's objective had also been achieved.