Chapter 51

The friendly overtures of the Waterwurm left Blaziken puzzled—it remembered how, before, these Waterwurms had always avoided lingering near it due to its appearance.

Why today had the Waterwurm come to it voluntarily?

Or had it encountered some trouble and needed its help?

Blaziken regarded the Waterwurm with an uncertain gaze and asked, “Siro?”

The Waterwurm bounced over to Blaziken’s side, radiating friendliness; it glanced at the apron cradled in Blaziken’s arms and pouted, “Wulu!”

Blaziken froze—what did the Waterwurm want it to do with the apron?

After a moment’s hesitation, though Blaziken did not wish to unfold its precious apron before a Pokémon it barely knew,

considering the Waterwurm was one Luo Mu had brought back, Blaziken reined in its flames and blade, fearful its sharp sword might accidentally pierce or tear the apron, and carefully spread it open.

The Waterwurm glanced at Blaziken’s fixed gaze on the apron and instantly understood.

Indeed, its observation during the barbecue party had been correct—this apron held profound meaning for Blaziken.

A plan formed in its mind; after gathering its strength, the Waterwurm released a heap of foam rays with the gentlest force possible.

In an instant, an ocean of foam submerged Blaziken and the apron entirely; when Blaziken realized what had happened, its expression shifted from confusion to fury—it never expected the Waterwurm had come merely to play a prank!

Though a mere flick of Blaziken’s blade would dispel these fragile bubbles, or a burst of flame could instantly vaporize the water-laden foam,

because of the apron, Blaziken dared not make sudden movements or unleash flames recklessly, and could only stand still, waiting for the foam to dissipate.

Moments later, the foam vanished.

Since its evolution, Blaziken’s temperament had grown calmer and more composed; only the apron was its Achilles’ heel. Normally, even if the Waterwurm played pranks, it was tolerable—but now, clearly, it had stirred Blaziken’s anger.

Blaziken’s purple eyes darkened with seriousness, preparing to properly discipline the Waterwurm and teach it such behavior was wrong—when the “troublemaker” Waterwurm, far from feeling guilty, gestured with its eyes for Blaziken to look at the apron.

Blaziken blinked, turning its gaze to the apron hanging from its great blade, astonishment flooding its expression.

The once-stained yellow duck apron, covered in stubborn grease that had resisted all cleaning, now bore only creases from use—the grease had vanished entirely!

“Wulu!”

Seeing its plan succeed, the Waterwurm leaped excitedly.

Only then did Blaziken understand the purpose behind the Waterwurm’s foam rays.

So—it had wanted to clean the apron for it?

The next morning, Luo Mu awoke surrounded by Cottonee, Kingdra, and Mimikyu, still in his pajamas.

Luo Mu did not linger his gaze on the three Pokémon snoring like dead pigs—he had long grown accustomed to waking up each day to find random Pokémon under his covers—and yawned lightly before swiftly washing up and dressing.

Today, there was no rush to plant trees or begin the new sowing cycle; Luo Mu planned to visit a friend in another city, who had urgently contacted him by phone.

Considering the distance between Pingdi Town and Bonidao was considerable, Luo Mu decided to recruit another Pokémon with no pressing duties to accompany him.

Traveling away from home required sufficient combat power at hand; otherwise, one risked being caught off-guard in emergencies.

Aside from Dragonite, whose flight speed alone enabled swift travel between cities in Paldea, Luo Mu also intended to bring Blaziken along.

Bonidao had several well-reviewed clothing shops; he could select a new apron for Blaziken there.

Dragonite was easy to find—it was either at home or hovering in the sky, occasionally landing near the house to ponder the meaning of life.

Neither home nor the vicinity of the house showed any trace of it; Luo Mu then went to the back of the house, to where Flareon slept beneath his shed.

Though they had fought before, aside from Cottonee, Flareon got along best with Dragonite on the farm—perhaps because Dragonite had defeated it head-on in fair combat.

After questioning Flareon, Luo Mu learned Dragonite had gone to Lei Ming Lake to play in the water, and immediately set off for Lei Ming Lake.

At Lei Ming Lake, Luo Mu quickly spotted Dragonite splashing in the water.

Dragonite’s affinity for water was natural—Minidragon and Haxorus mostly lived in lakes, and even in Daguo Lake, a few Minidragons, Haxoruses, and Dragonites coexisted.

Yet the two other figures beside the lake surprised Luo Mu.

The eldest of the four Waterwurms—and Blaziken.

The three younger Waterwurms floated lazily on the water’s surface, napping.

The Waterwurm leapt up and fired a Water Gun at Blaziken; Blaziken spun its great blade, effortlessly deflecting the attack with a horizontal slash.

The Waterwurm did not grow discouraged, instead finding a new angle to attack again.

It seemed Blaziken was willingly acting as a training partner for the Waterwurm...?

Luo Mu frowned in confusion: “Strange—were they this close before?”

After gathering Dragonite, Blaziken, and the Waterwurm, who strongly expressed its desire to come along, Luo Mu instructed his farm’s overseer, Luxio, to watch over the farm while he was away, promising to return that night.

Upon receiving Luxio’s steady reply, Luo Mu immediately mounted Dragonite, heading toward Bonidao—the “City of Waterways.”

With Dragonite’s flight speed, they landed outside Bonidao before noon.

Bonidao’s architectural style was peculiar: its ground and walls were covered in intricate, beautiful patterns resembling Aztec murals, and its roads resembled Portuguese cobblestone paths.

The city’s waterways crisscrossed everywhere, and many residents and tourists chose to travel by boat—reminding Luo Mu of another water city, Oddmar, and its legendary inhabitants, Latias and Latios.

Luo Mu recalled Dragonite into its Poké Ball, keeping only the small Waterwurm beside him.

In most Paldea cities, Pokémon could walk freely on roads—but Dragonite’s case was unusual.