Chapter 1011: Water Lord? Fishing Net!

The sky was clear and bright, the sun shining high.

Another spring arrived, the beginning wind blowing across the earth.

New trainers welcomed their first Pokémon with joy, setting out on their journey with their partners.

The sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy story thus unfolded its curtain.

Not long ago.

Huang Tie Town in southern Ourei.

The new town head, Fuorubo, personally witnessed the birth of a batch of new trainers.

Although the League had many matters pending, with the Elite Four and Gym Leaders not yet established, it was necessary to ensure the reserve of excellent talent.

No one dared say that Huang Tie Town would not give birth to the next champion, Baimu.

Likewise, in Zhubei City, Jin Qinggang, Battle Town, and Xiong Huang City, a group of youths aspiring to become champions and vowing to reach the peak had also increased.

The decrease in foreign tourists did not affect Ourei's progress onto the right track.

League President Shoren overlooked the oasis city of Zhubei, his heart filled with heroic ambition.

The only thing that made him somewhat displeased was……

The champion had run away.

Even knowing Baimu would surely not stay idle, that he would eventually go out and cause trouble, just like that noble boy from Hoenn who dug stones.

Yet he was still unhappy.

Who has a champion who stays home for only a month after winning!

But his reason was particularly sufficient.

"I'm going to learn how to open a trainer school, then come back and open one for us too!"

The Citrus Academy in the Paldea region has a long history; studying it is indeed not harmful.

But you are the champion!

Do you not understand what it means to be a champion!

Shoren only realized why this guy had previously asked when the Elite Four matches would start after Baimu told him he had slipped away.

After all, once the Elite Four are selected, the Champion League must also open.

"……Sigh."

Shoren suddenly touched his hair with a worried look; recent affairs were too many, and he also had to manage Pokémon training, feeling his hairline receding.

Let's delay a bit longer.

He wanted to wait until his strength improved slightly, then also compete for a position among the Elite Four.

The four positions should rightfully include him.

"You say that's right?"

"Huh?"

Hudi shifted his gaze from the ninth-order magic cube, his fingers still turning it flexibly.

Shoren: "……Forget it."

The magic cube was a gift from Baimu, said to be an educational toy suitable for young and old.

Hudi was very fascinated by it.

From the most basic third-order magic cube, he played all the way to the ninth-order, even racing against his household Pokémon.

—

The sea.

Boundless, shimmering waves.

Baimu opened his arms, embracing the sea breeze blowing toward him, feeling refreshed and delighted.

"Happy!"

Out again!

For a traditional trainer, traveling is as essential as eating and drinking.

Like Ash's father.

This man who exists only in the story's background panel.

It's a pity that in recent years, fewer new trainers go out to travel; various places are opening trainer schools, and it's said that overseas in Unova, someone has also opened one.

Baimu noticed it, mainly because he found the name strange——

Blueberry Academy.

Is it the overseas branch of that Citrus Academy in the Paldea region? Otherwise, there's no reason they'd all take fruit names.

Perhaps later I can visit there.

What I want to learn is how to open a school; compared to the Citrus Academy established eight hundred years ago, Blueberry Academy should be more suitable for him.

But eight hundred years of history……

Long before the Paldea League, back when the Xicui people still regarded Pokémon as flood monsters, the Citrus Academy had already begun researching Pokémon.

This inevitably made Baimu think of Hogwarts.

There must be many secrets in the Citrus Academy!

I believe that once there, the Zhu Zi seal deity and those two strangely shaped Dun Dun Jia will have explanations.

In the simulation, only one of them appeared; the other, sci-fi styled one, he hasn't forgotten.

Baimu narrowed his eyes, gazing at the white clouds, seagulls flying high and low.

At this moment.

He was located in the top cabin of a luxury ferry, destination being Guangguang City in the Paldea region.

The plan was to go quietly, to do the work secretly.

But after mentioning it to Shanren, he was forcibly assigned a trainee status.

Baimu was baffled after hearing this.

Him? A student? He should be a teacher no matter how you look at it!

Yet Shanren told him Orange Academy's teacher position wasn't that easy to hold, while being a trainee was much easier; Orange Academy had no age limit for enrollment.

He could only accept it.

Just treat it as the Dragon King's return!

Of course.

Baimu strongly suspected this was Shanren's retaliation for his leaving without saying goodbye.

*Slurp~*

A listless voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.

The Hydreigon pressed its three large heads against his head and shoulders, its blood-red eyes filled with grievance.

The world says endure for a moment and the wind calms, the waves still.

But it endured for so long, and the Trainer still refused to infuse power into it.

How could it come to this, how could it come to this!

Bro!

Are you not raising this dragon anymore?

The Hydreigon vibrated its trachea with a low growl, attempting to transmit the sound to the Trainer's crown, to make him "wake up."

Baimu shoved it away with his back, scolding: "Quiet! What you're owed will definitely be given to you; rush it and I'll give it to Gengar!"

The Shiny Gengar flew over at the sound, its chubby claws by its mouth, blinking its eyes cutely.

*Giggle? *

Really give it to me, bro?

Hearing this, the Hydreigon instantly turned like a vicious dog whose bone was snatched, its three snouts pressing tight against Gengar's big face, forcing it with terrifying eyes at point-blank range.

Feeling the gaze less than a centimeter away.

Cold sweat gradually seeped over Gengar's face, and it withdrew dejectedly.

Too tyrannical!

It resentfully sought out Porygon2, wanting to complain to this ally about the team's bad habit of "seniority-based ranking."

Why decide by level? Clearly it should be based on who can Mega Evolve!

Too bad Porygon2 had no time to humor it; these past two days writing code had nearly driven it mad, even actively asking Unit Zero for advice.

Leading Unit Zero to think Porygon2 also wanted to go to outer space with it, feeling moved to tears that a Porygon finally understood its philosophy.

Only later did it discover it was just here to mooch.

Gengar's complaints bore no fruit, so it could only silently swallow this grievance, plotting to get it back someday.

And the reason Baimu delayed upgrading Hydreigon was due to Mawile's influence.

He hadn't expected Mawile to also covet Aggron's ace position.

Ever since reaching Level 90, it practically had to fight the Kaiju every day, even more frequently than beating Hydreigon.

A few days ago, Baimu took the two to Silph Co.'s Mega Evolution Wave test field in Silicon City for a battle, nearly dismantling the venue said to be unshatterable even by Groudon.

Even Baimu, this Trainer, couldn't stop them.

Just because the struggle for the ace position has always been this way.

In this situation, what kind of change would occur if Hydreigon also reached Level 90?

A stable triangle?

No no no.

Aggron would be ganged up on by two Pokémon in a wheel battle!

Even if Baimu warned Hydreigon not to move, it and the Kaiju would definitely fight, even if scolded afterward.

On one hand Haxorus can't hold back, on the other the Kaiju's pride is at work.

It won't allow any Pokémon to question the ace position.

For the sake of team harmony.

Baimu decided to wait until Mawile fully mastered Level 90 power and submitted to Aggron like in the past, before raising Hydreigon.

Anyway it's just a week's matter.

Almost time to disembark.

"On land, a spit is a nail." He pinched Hydreigon's cheek flesh, kneading it a bit as he gave the promise.

Only then did Hydreigon cheer up, returning to the room to frolic.

Baimu watched the blue sky for a while, and a dull walking sound reached his ears again.

*Awoo~*

It was Suicune.

However not just it; Entei and Lei Gong were also in the room.

Fortunately the top-floor cabin was spacious enough, otherwise it couldn't contain the Phoenix King's Guard's massive frames.

And before this Baimu had always been curious how the three of them moved between regions.

The first four regions are close so that's explainable.

Orre is so far, how did they get here?

The answer is——

They came by ship.

All three Pokémon have the ability for short-distance flight.

Moreover, Suicune can walk on water, Lei Gong can ride thunderclouds, and Entei shuttles through underground magma.

But crossing continents is such a distant matter.

They usually choose to sneak aboard human transport, like steamships or freighters.

The Ho-Oh Guard would call Wailord at the coast, ride them under cover of night to approach freighters and board silently, then disembark near their destination.

Since they didn't know the ships' exact routes, they often had to repeat this process several times or more.

Baimu felt deeply how arduous it was.

So he proactively gave them a ride for one leg.

This luxury liner would head to the Sinnoh region after leaving Nailight City, and Sinnoh connects to Kanto and Johto.

"Have you finished scouting?"

He proactively struck up a conversation with Suicune.

Suicune nodded; learning the human's background, it was no longer cold and aloof as usual — the north wind turned into a warm wind.

Baimu stroked its soft fur.

If the timeline is correct, Suicune's glorious reputation will collapse this year.

But how to save it?

The anime's plot doesn't have specific time annotations...

"Have you ever played with a fishing net?"

His sudden words made Suicune freeze slightly.

Fishing net?

Why would he say that?

Baimu chuckled: "I heard recent Pokémon hunters are very skilled with fishing nets; I think you need to try figuring out how to break free from one."

Suicune: "..."

It turned its head to look at Lei Gong in the room, really wanting to tell its colleague your little brother has gone crazy.

Fishing net?

Heh! What can a mere fishing net do to it!

Half an hour later.

In the large living room with furniture moved aside.

Suicune lay in the fishing net like a dead fish, eyes lifeless, face dark.

Entei and Lei Gong silently watched their colleague.

The three uttered not a word.

'Are you joking with us?'

'Really can't, I can't get out...'

Suicune was utterly despairing; it never imagined that besides Electric and Grass, it had a fishing net weakness.

Bastiodon and other Pokémon watched powerfully from the sidelines; Suicune wished it could jump off the cruise ship right then.

Its lifetime of glory!

Baimu said: "See what I said, the fishing net packs a punch, right!"

He turned away wiping cold sweat; Suicune actually had no way against a fishing net — even if it's made of reinforced materials, touted as able to haul up a Wailord, it shouldn't be this exaggerated, right?

Human black tech is terrifying!

Suicune struggled a couple more times, but the net only tangled tighter.

It was like a cat with its head stuck in a plastic bottle, on the edge of panic.

"Try using the horn on your head?"

Baimu asked tentatively: "Or use a move!"

Suicune looked at him helplessly, exhaled a cold breath that froze and shattered the net before its mouth, and began struggling.

Helpless, still couldn't break free.

The fishing net's design accounted for Pokémon using moves from the start; it only tangles tighter when they struggle.

After struggling for a good long while, Suicune barely managed to free its head.

"Awoo..."

It didn't want to play anymore.

Entei and Lei Gong both turned away, stifling laughter.

Baimu said solemnly: "You two don't get cocky; if you're so capable, come try it too?"

"Roar~"

"Awoo~"

Entei and Lei Gong stood confidently; they were confident they could break free without using moves.

Another half hour passed.

The Ho-Oh Guard in the fishing nets lay neatly arranged, all on their sides on the ground.

Expressions of utter despair differed little.

Wait.

Suicune's complexion had improved a lot.

So-called 'fear scarcity and fear inequality' — everyone being about the same put it at ease.

The other two snapped out of their brief daze and found that, without using certain specific moves, this thing truly had no way to break free.

The Flame Emperor struggled to his feet and looked around.

"Roar!!"

Flames spilled from its body surface, but to avoid burning things, it showed extreme restraint.

The silk threads persisted under high temperature for a long time, only snapping when they were about to turn red.

"Hmm... in the end, it's a tool for dealing with Water-type Pokémon." Baimu nodded slightly.

This fishing net is actually quite heat-resistant.

"Awoo!"

Suicune was indignant; what do you mean by this?

Raikou also wanted to follow suit and try, but Baimu hurriedly stopped it. "Big bro, spare yourself. Lightning isn't that easy to micro-manage; don't blow up the room."

He slowly pulled open Raikou's fishing net, or cut it open with hydraulic pliers.

Suicune's he didn't touch.

"Awoo?"

"You have to break free with your own power; this is a weakness of yours!"

Baimu said sternly.

Suicune was resentful, Suicune was despairing.

It began to display facial expressions on the level of a visual collapse from a journey.

Baimu was hard-hearted; the Flame Emperor and Raikou also wore deadpan faces.

The ones who had been hoodwinked felt these words made a lot of sense.

Aggron and other Pokémon whispered among themselves, completely disillusioned with the Ho-Oh Guard.

Trainers truly are invincible under heaven.

Whoever comes gets hoodwinked.

Suicune's wretched state also reminded them of the former Queen Leiguanwang, bullied to her face yet not daring to resist.

Truly a terrifying man!

Outside the cabin.

The cleaner looked around blankly; whose Camerupt is crying so miserably?

——

A week on the ship.

Suicune was tormented by the fishing net every day, nearly developing a psychological shadow.

Until, under Baimu's guidance, it was taught a move—

By freezing the silk ribbon on its body to form sharp ice blades that shredded the fishing net, it finally broke free completely.

"Awoo..."

Suicune's eyes brimmed with hot tears.

Baimu marveled; no wonder they say desperate straits can spark talent — a thing he said offhandedly was actually pulled off.

By rights, this ribbon can only serve a binding function.

Now it can even turn into a blade!

The Flame Emperor and Raikou also found it very novel, congratulating Suicune one after another; the Ho-Oh Guard's little group atmosphere was cheerful.

Gengar and Aggron muttered quietly; it remembered that these three weren't like this at the start.

They were the aloof, high-and-mighty type.

Aggron told it not to obsess so much, or it's easy to get beaten by the Trainer.

One can only say.

The Ho-Oh Guard gradually unleashed their true nature through interaction with Baimu.

They had extremely little contact with humans in the past; perhaps they were worried about developing some kind of inertia.

Who would have thought they'd run into such a special guy as Baimu.

Woo——!!

A ship's whistle came from outside.

"Time to disembark!"

Baimu turned his head toward the floor-to-ceiling window; his gaze passed through the dazzling lights and neon-flashing skyscrapers, and a towering mountain body soaring into the clouds came into view.

Paldea has arrived.