"Both Feebas and Magikarp are classified as fish Pokémon, and they share several similar traits," Ren said.
"In their base forms, they're extremely weak—or rather, far more than just weak."
He glanced at the Feebas displayed on the Pokédex, its appearance undeniably unpleasant.
"But boss, didn't you say there are no truly weak Pokémon in the world, only weak Trainers?"
Jason asked, looking confused.
Ren: "..."
Is this guy deliberately trying to trip him up?
Ren shot Jason a strange look. That line had just been motivational talk—trainer chicken soup.
The point had been to stop them from choosing Pokémon purely based on raw power.
Did Jason seriously believe there were no weak Pokémon at all?
Lucas's eyelids twitched as he glanced at Jason, speechless. How did this guy suddenly lose all sense of social awareness?
"…Did I say something wrong?"
Jason finally realized it, scratched his head, and laughed awkwardly.
"No, the statement itself isn't wrong," Ren replied with a smile.
"But Magikarp and Feebas are special cases."
"Magikarp is known as the weakest and most pitiful Pokémon. No matter how hard you train it, its strength barely improves throughout its entire life—unless it evolves."
"However, Magikarp has extremely strong survivability. It can live in almost any polluted water."
"The same goes for Feebas. It prefers rivers with abundant aquatic plants, but even in filthy, contaminated waters, Feebas can still survive."
Magikarp really was absurdly weak. If it didn't evolve, it could only learn five moves in its entire life.
Yes—only five. Not even egg moves.
While training could improve Magikarp's jumping ability, the power of its moves had a hard upper limit. Its natural conditions simply didn't allow for more.
Feebas was slightly better. At the very least, it could learn more moves than Magikarp.
But in terms of actual power, the difference was minimal. Both were classic examples of Pokémon that looked hopeless at first glance.
In the Pokédex, Magikarp was rated as "the weakest and most pitiful Pokémon in the world."
Feebas, on the other hand, carried the infamous title of "the ugliest Pokémon in the world."
Both were categorized as fish Pokémon.
"So… does Feebas become very strong after it evolves?"
Emma asked curiously.
"Yes," Ren nodded.
"No matter how hard you train Feebas, it will seem powerless and unable to repay your efforts."
"But none of that effort is wasted. Once it evolves, all of that accumulated hardship is sublimated into Milotic."
"Feebas was once rated as the ugliest Pokémon in the world. But after evolution, Milotic was hailed as the most beautiful Pokémon in the world."
Ren smiled as he said it. Milotic truly had held that title.
Of course, after Diancie appeared in the Kalos region, the title of "most beautiful" had become debatable.
Hearing this, everyone froze.
"The world's ugliest Pokémon evolving into the world's most beautiful one?"
Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's… kind of amazing."
"As I said before," Ren continued calmly,
"There are no useless Pokémon in this world. As long as you're willing to put in the effort, Pokémon will one day live up to your expectations."
Still motivational talk, at its core.
Ren glanced at Emma, who was clearly moved. He knew very well that Magikarp was actually the most common Pokémon in the world—found in rivers, lakes, seas, and even drainage ditches.
Feebas wasn't as widespread, but according to the Pokédex, its population was still quite large.
Gyarados might appear frequently in the wild, but compared to the sheer number of Magikarp, they were unbelievably rare.
As for Milotic? It was considered an extremely rare Pokémon—encountering one in the wild was almost unheard of.
That said, the Feebas provided by the system had flawless potential. Whether it could evolve into Milotic depended entirely on Emma's training.
"Once rated the most beautiful Pokémon in the world…"
Emma murmured softly, clearly tempted.
If that was true, then…
"Boss, I want Feebas."
She made her decision.
"Please wait a moment."
Ren wasn't surprised. He turned and walked into the back room.
A short while later, he returned carrying a small bucket.
There was no helping it—Feebas was a fish Pokémon.
"Ugh… it really isn't very pretty."
Lily immediately leaned forward, peering into the bucket and complaining inwardly.
Its appearance matched the Pokédex perfectly. If anything, seeing it in real life made it slightly more tolerable—but only slightly.
"Beep—Feebas.
Water-type. Fish Pokémon.
Ability: Swift Swim.
Moves: Splash, Dragon Breath.
This Pokémon is famous for its shabby appearance. Although numerous, it prefers to live in groups."
The electronic voice of Lily's Pokédex calmly recited Feebas's information.
Lucas and the others also registered it into their own Pokédexes.
"It's inherited a Dragon-type move," Ren said to Emma.
"You'll need to train it carefully."
"Since I've decided to take it, I'll definitely treat it well," Emma replied firmly.
She walked over to the bucket, blinking her beautiful eyes as she looked at the Feebas swimming quietly inside.
"I'll be your Trainer from now on, Feebas. Let's work hard together."
A bubble rose from the water as Feebas slowly poked its head out, its dull eyes staring at Emma.
"I'll help you evolve as soon as possible. I promise."
After a brief hesitation, Emma gently reached out and stroked Feebas's head, her voice soft and sincere.
Feebas froze.
Then, silently, it lowered its head back into the water, trying to hide itself.
But its eyes never left Emma.
"It seems a little shy," Ren said with a smile.
"And looks like it's a rather timid Feebas."
Hearing that, Emma's lips curved upward slightly.
Awkward as it looked… it was actually kind of cute.