Chapter 383: A Noble Soul

A new day.

Meteor Village gradually grew lively.

Because news of the village's attack reached nearly every Meteor villager abroad, those worried about their loved ones hurried or slowly returned home.

Once they confirmed their relatives were unharmed, they relaxed.

But the matter didn't end so simply.

According to Miss Xijiana, the returning Dragon Tamer elders had discussed it and unanimously agreed to unite with Dragon Folk from other regions to launch a retaliatory strike against Team Rocket.

In the past, Dragon Tamers mostly lived in peace, avoiding involvement in alliances or conflicts with evil factions—only lending a hand when they happened to encounter trouble.

But today, their elders had been humiliated—this crossed the line.

Not just Dragon Tamers—even any normal adult couldn't tolerate it.

When it would end was unclear.

Probably not until everyone had calmed down.

Recalling the unmasked excitement on Miss Xijiana's face as she spoke, Baimu wondered: was she really this strong-willed about justice? She'd been targeting Team Rocket all along.

Having lost the mission to save the world, this heir seemed to be letting herself go.

In short, that afternoon, Miss Xijiana announced her departure.

She was like a blazing steed inside—she hadn't lingered a moment longer than necessary in Meteor Village, returning only to check if her grandmother was alright.

Once she saw the Dragon Elder was still eating well and sleeping soundly, she naturally had no reason to stay.

As she put it:

"If I don't travel and train while my grandmother is still alive, I might never get the chance again."

As if she'd already been named the next Elder.

Baimu saw Miss Xijiana's confident expression and wanted to declare right then and there that he'd challenge her for the position of next—or next-next—Elder of the Meteor Folk—

Just thought about it.

His base was in the Orei region; chasing the Dragon Elder's position would derail his future path.

But before leaving, Miss Xijiana told Baimu that if he collected six badges, he should contact her for the Heir's Trial—it wouldn't take long if he succeeded.

He readily agreed and quietly saw her off.

In the days that followed, besides constantly accepting thanks and being forced to accept gifts from returning Dragon Tamers, Baimu also silently mourned poor Boss Sakaki.

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This blow, even if it didn't cripple them, would surely make Team Rocket lose so much money that Sakaki couldn't sleep at night—maybe even sneak off to cry.

Poor middle-aged man had built up such a vast empire, only to face losses that might send him into a hypertensive crisis…

I really want to laugh.

Though Baimu held no deep grudge against Sakaki, seeing a villain suffer because of his own actions brought a moral satisfaction—he hoped the boss would stay strong.

Thus, the small emotional knot caused by Team Rocket was finally untied.

His gradually positive mindset passed smoothly to his Pokémon, leading to new progress in the coordination between Happiny and Gulpin.

"Excellent! Very good!"

After the performance ended, Baimu clapped happily, "Take a break! Everyone take a break!"

Happiny and Gulpin panted heavily but smiled at each other.

This was the first time they'd ever completed the entire routine smoothly—a breakthrough worth celebrating; they understood well that going from zero to one is the hardest.

They believed success would come more and more often.

"Happy~"

"Kichido!"

The two Pokémon softly chirped.

As Baimu watched Gulpin, he thought: not rushing to add Super Evolution elements was definitely the right choice.

Though he owned three Pokémon capable of Super Evolution and possessed three Super Stones, not all of them had the ability to evolve successfully.

The main reason Bonsly succeeded in Super Evolution was that he and the bulky Pokémon had already reached a stage of perfect mutual understanding.

Gulpin was slightly worse off.

The day after Baimu obtained the Key Stone, he tested it with Gulpin and found that while both the Key Stone and Super Stone glowed when held together, the mutual resonance and unlocking of the Soul Chain remained far from smooth.

Clearly, their bond wasn't strong enough yet.

Old Qingliu said that Trainers and Pokémon have compatibility, rooted in shared traits.

Personality, appearance, habits, and so on.

Perhaps he hadn't realized it, but he and Bonsly shared some trait—an unconscious one that had grown stronger over time, leading to resonance.

In other words:

To achieve resonance and Super Evolution with Gulpin, he needed to find a shared trait between himself and Gulpin—and amplify it continuously—

Whatever it was.

It was no task that could be accomplished overnight.

So when tempted to add Super Evolution elements to the performance, Baimu chose to stick with the original routine.

Finish the Autumn Leaf Town Grand Festival first, then consider Super Evolution.

But training Bonsly's Super Evolution wouldn't be neglected—once successful once, success would come more often; Bonsly's task was to master the burden of immense energy on mind and body.

When it no longer suffered pain from the overload of energy within, Super Evolution would be fully complete.

Only then would the Steel Colossus be fully formed.

Steelix…

Steelix's resonance with Baimu was even weaker than Gulpin's—far behind, still needing much effort.

Of course, obtaining the Key Stone was exciting, but Baimu did not forget the other Pokémon.

Among them, Dragonite had been driven by him to the Dragon's Nest; though the thing resented it a thousand times, under forced orders it could only comply—but before leaving, it made a demand.

—A duel of dignity, with the title of "Ace" as the stake, against Bisharp.

Unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.

Baimu was surprised that Dragonite coveted the "Ace" position; to be honest, though he called Bisharp the Ace, he had always consciously treated every Pokémon equally.

Thus, "Ace" was merely a title.

It did not signify anything special.

But everyone seemed to care deeply… He realized not only Dragonite was obsessed with the "Ace" title, but also Happiny and Jigglypuff showed similar sentiments.

Considering fair competition, Baimu agreed, and Bisharp agreed too.

A great battle began.

In the early stage, Dragonite, with its high output, relentlessly pressured Bisharp, maximizing damage and building ever greater advantages, at one point seeming capable of defeating it.

Unfortunately, its impatience caused it to forget a crucial move—【Brute Force】.

In the end, Bisharp, with greater perseverance, defeated the young Dragonite and warned the youngster not to become arrogant just because it evolved—it still had much to learn!

As referee, Baimu mourned for Dragonite.

If it couldn't defeat Bisharp at this stage, it would be even harder to win after it mastered Mega Evolution.

The defeated Dragonite obediently went to the Dragon's Nest.

Later, Zhenya said that Dragonite had gone mad, constantly provoking powerful older dragons and trying to learn their battle experience.

Had it decided to strive harder?

Baimu felt somewhat comforted.

Aside from Dragonite, the one requiring extra attention was the Shiny Feebas.

Day after day practicing Waterfall, it finally, under the witness of Baimu and Jigglypuff, successfully crossed the most difficult and most fulfilling "barrier" of its life.

A barrier named Dragon's Gate Waterfall.

The wild Magikarp watching would never understand how much effort and hardship the Shiny Feebas had poured into this waterfall—if persistence counts as talent.

The Shiny Feebas was undoubtedly among the best.

Initially lured by the condition that "crossing the waterfall would likely trigger evolution," after awakening, it never again uttered a word about not wanting to evolve—not even evolution itself mattered anymore.

It only wanted to climb Dragon's Gate Waterfall, leaving a bold, vivid mark in its insignificant life.

To ensure it would never regret in the future, to answer the trainer's and companions' expectations, to repay its own efforts, to bid farewell to its useless past.

Climb!

The moment the Shiny Feebas broke through the water's surface, it emitted light.

Baimu could not tell whether it was the glow of a move or its own radiance—he only felt it was so dazzling he could not look directly, yet dared not look away for a moment; astonishing beauty unfolded with the figure ascending against the waterfall.

Beauty comes in many forms.

What the Shiny Feebas displayed was the heart-stopping beauty of life refusing to submit to nature, charging forward bravely!

The meaning it represented, the power it contained, far surpassed the inadequacies of its appearance.

Appearance?

A trivial thing by comparison.

Perhaps people's first judgment of beauty or ugliness in something stems from appearance, but with deeper understanding, the judgment of beauty or ugliness depends on other things.

For example—

A noble soul!

A soul that never yields to fate, that cries out unyieldingly!

Dragon's Gate Waterfall.

Estimated height exceeding thirty-five meters, it was a "heavenly chasm" for most Fish Pokémon, an impossible height, a wall of the world they could only gaze upon.

This side and that side were entirely two different realms.

But it was Pokémon who turned all impossibility into possibility!

Pokémon who, when given unwavering trust, will show you miracles!

If only it could be so.

Baimu wished time could freeze for a moment the instant the Shiny Feebas crossed the final centimeter, so he could properly admire this scene that filled him with immense pride.

Countless gentle words of comfort could not match the pride of witnessing success.

What did the view from the top of Dragon's Gate Waterfall look like?

Full of pride, Baimu and deeply moved Jigglypuff climbed along the cliffside to the top of Dragon's Gate Waterfall, sharing the same view with the Shiny Feebas as it turned back.

Looking down from above, they gazed upon countless Magikarp looking up.

In this moment, the Shiny Feebas, once bullied and despised, became a thing of the past.

Its spirit had undergone a complete transformation; all it needed now was a small catalyst to welcome its new self.

The Shiny Feebas had a premonition.

It also realized the trainer had not lied—climbing Dragon's Gate Waterfall truly meant it possessed the qualification to evolve; it had already completed half of its life's leap.

The future.

Was already within reach!