Chapter 180: Congratulations — You've Caught a Lugia

Evergreen City, Giovanni was in a great mood today.

Because yesterday evening, his youngest son Silver had finally returned to Evergreen City, and the father and son, separated for ten years, were reunited at last.

Although, because it was a reunion after such a long parting, an unavoidable trace of unfamiliarity lingered at first, but that was no real problem.

So long as the child truly was his son, Giovanni believed they would grow close.

And indeed that was the case — Silver did not resist him; in fact, the rather aloof Silver was actively accepting him as his father.

"Father, may I contact my friend and invite her here?"

At the dinner table, Silver suddenly asked Giovanni.

"Of course you may, this is your home, Silver. You are welcome to bring friends over to visit and stay. But would Father dare ask — what kind of friend?" Giovanni replied with a smile.

"Mm, an older sister of mine. All these years, it was Big Sister Blue who took care of me. If it weren't for her, I don't know what I would have become." Silver said softly.

"I'm sorry… Silver, it's all my fault." Giovanni's smile slowly faded as he sighed to Silver.

"It's not your fault, Father. That person…" Silver's expression darkened slightly; he knew his father was supposed to be very strong.

After all, Giovanni was hailed as the "Strongest Gym Leader in Kanto," but compared to that masked man…

"Let's not dwell on sad things. Silver, since she's your sister, then go ahead and invite her over. Let her treat this place as her second home."

Giovanni noticed Silver's mood was off and quickly changed the subject, speaking gently with a smile.

"Okay!"

A smile broke across Silver's face. He immediately picked up his phone and called Blue.

"Hello hello~ Silver, what's up?" Blue's cheerful voice came through at once.

"Big Sister Blue, I found my family!" Silver's voice was inevitably tinged with joy.

"Eh? Really? Congratulations, Silver!" Blue was equally delighted.

"Mm, I told my father, and I want to invite you to my home. It's right here in Evergreen City, the Evergreen Gym. I…"

"Wait, Silver, you said your home is where?" Blue's voice carried a note of shock.

"The Evergreen Gym." Silver was a little puzzled — was there a problem?

"The Evergreen Gym… then what relation is Mamon to you?"

Blue couldn't help but recall the black-haired youth she had seen in Ecruteak City, that oppressive, overwhelming power.

It was still vivid in Blue's memory; it was the first time she had ever met a peer so overwhelmingly strong.

"Mamon is my brother. What's wrong, Big Sister Blue?"

Silver, sensitive by nature, had already sensed something was off.

"Um, did Gym Leader Giovanni not tell you? About Mamon…"

Blue was a little at a loss; she had probably guessed that Giovanni likely hadn't told Silver about Mamon.

Blue could understand — after all, Silver had only just found his family.

Silver's brows knit tightly. He hung up on Blue and walked back to the dining table.

"Father."

"What is it, Silver?" Giovanni keenly noticed that something was off about Silver's expression.

"About Brother… is there something you're hiding from me?" Silver asked quietly.

"…" Giovanni's brow furrowed slightly.

He truly had not told Silver directly. After all, even Giovanni did not know how to begin telling Silver about such a thing.

"It's Father's fault." Giovanni let out a low sigh.

"I neglected to care enough for Mamon, and that is what led him to join Team Rocket."

Boom!!

As if a bolt from a clear sky, Silver's pupils dilated as he stared at Giovanni in utter shock.

What had he just heard?

"Brother… joined Team Rocket?"

His gentle, kind-natured brother was actually a member of the evil organization Team Rocket?

"That… can't be right."

Silver couldn't believe it. Even now he could clearly recall Mamon's gentle smile and voice from two days ago, and that incomparably warm embrace.

Yet now he was being told that such a gentle brother was actually a villain.

Silver's face was terribly pale — how could he believe it?

……

Okido Island.

"The sunshine is really nice. Too bad the scenery here still isn't a patch on Alola."

Mamon lay on a reef, hands clasped behind his head, gazing out at the boundless azure sea and sighing with feeling.

The sea here in Kanto was likewise clear and azure; sunlight poured down, and the shimmering surface was beautiful.

But unfortunately, there were no pretty golden beaches here, no rows of coconut trees — it still fell a little short.

"The seas of Alola? I hear they're beautiful."

May tucked back her hair, tousled by the sea breeze, her beautiful eyes slightly hazy.

Without her kimono costume and black wig, she had a head of deep blue wavy long hair — mature and enchanting.

And beside May, Tamao hugged her knees, gazing out at the sea in a trance, lost in thought.

Because of the "duty" passed down from their ancestors, they had never left the Johto region. Alola's beaches and seas were world-famous.

Sadly, they had never been.

"Honestly, the sea is more or less the same, but the beaches and tropical atmosphere there really are worth a visit. If there's a chance, I'll take you all to go have some fun."

Mamon said with a smile to May.

Hearing this, May was stunned, gazing at Mamon's face in a daze.

"I don't know when that little one will take the bait. Never mind, let's fish for a while."

Mamon glanced at the sea, where a mechanical giant duck was currently swimming back and forth on the surface.

Hmm, this was something Mamon came up with, used to lure little Lugia.

Unfortunately, more than twenty minutes had passed, and there was still no sign of little Lugia.

Mamon felt quite helpless, but it didn't matter; by the seaside, there were countless ways to pass the time.

Mamon had a Team Rocket subordinate bring over two fishing rods, and he began fishing with Caitlin.

The waters of the Whirl Islands were extremely rich in resources, and the fish here grew quite well.

Hmm, it would be even better if they didn't all look exactly the same.

The first one: a red Magikarp.

The second one: a red Magikarp.

The third one: a red Magikarp.

By the tenth one, it was still only a red Magikarp that could only use Splash.

Mamon was completely numb; were there only Magikarp in this sea? Even a Golduck would have been welcome.

May and Tamaki couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle lightly; Caitlin also had a slight smile at the corner of her mouth, although her catch was even worse than Mamon's.

But at least she caught a Shellder, not a Magikarp, right?

"It's biting again."

Feeling the force transmitted through the fishing rod, Mamon immediately stood up.

"This strength is great; this time it definitely isn't a Magikarp."

Mamon was very confident because he could feel that this time the one biting was a big fellow.

"Mm-hmm! Go, my lord Mamon!" May cooperated fully, cheering him on.

Seizing the right moment, Mamon pulled the fishing rod hard, and a golden figure was dragged out of the sea, crashing heavily onto the shore.

"Emm..."

Mamon put down the fishing rod, looking at the golden Pokémon jumping on the ground with a very hard-to-evaluate expression.

How should he put it?

"It's a Magikarp again." Mamon wordlessly took out a Poké Ball, preparing to capture this Pokémon.

That's right, this was another Magikarp, but the difference was that this Magikarp was entirely golden.

This was a shiny Magikarp!

"A shiny Magikarp! My lord Mamon, you are truly amazing!"

May covered her mouth in great surprise; although it was true that Magikarp were common Pokémon found everywhere, in rivers and lakes one could see huge groups of them.

But a shiny Magikarp was extremely rare!

"The luck is not bad, I suppose." Mamon threw a Great Ball and directly captured this shiny Magikarp.

But looking at the Great Ball in his hand, he couldn't help but feel hesitant; he didn't know whether he should train it.

After all, it was a "Golden Legend" he had spent quite a bit of time catching, and Gyarados's strength was quite decent.

However, his active team was already overflowing, and it seemed he already had a bit too many Water-type mainstays.

Tapu Fini, Suicune, and Groudon were already three; if he trained this shiny Magikarp, that would make four Water-type mainstays.

He was still not quite accustomed to the title of Water-type Champion.

"Never mind, I'll keep it for now."

After thinking it over, Mamon put the shiny Magikarp's Poké Ball away in his pocket; Mega Gyarados's strength was passable, and it could be used occasionally.

"Mamon! Look at what I caught!"

Suddenly, Caitlin's surprised voice came over.

"What Pokémon is this?"

Hearing the voice, Mamon looked over, but the moment he saw the little white thing on the ground, Mamon froze.

Its overall shape resembled both a bird and a dragon; its entire body was white, with a structure on its face like a mask, and its belly was light blue.

Its size was not large, about 0.6 meters; at this moment, it sat heavily on the ground with its two small wings drooping, its watery big eyes staring at Caitlin.

"Wuu~"

The little one emitted a tender, cute coo at Caitlin.

"..."

Mamon was quite speechless; he took out the shiny Magikarp's Poké Ball, looked at it twice, then glanced again at the adorable little one Caitlin had caught.

May and Tamaki, the two women, furrowed their dark eyebrows; looking at this little one, they seemed very puzzled, or perhaps unwilling to believe it.

Especially May, who took out an ancient book from her bag; this was something left by her ancestors.

"Mamon, do you recognize this Pokémon? I can feel that it seems to have psychic power within it."

Caitlin asked Mamon softly; she quite liked this adorable little one.

Moreover, as a psychic user, she could also sense that this little one had psychic power within it; it should be a Psychic-type Pokémon.

In that case, she could train it herself.

"How should I put it?"

Mamon rested his chin on his hand, slowly walked over to where the duck-like little one was sitting on the ground, and squatted down.

"Wu?" The little one tilted its head, curiously staring at Mamon.

"I know! This is..."

May finally found the page with the picture, and after a strict comparison, she finally confirmed it; May couldn't help but cry out in excitement.

She had been a little suspicious when she first saw it, but the gap between reality and imagination was just too great.

But now that it was confirmed, she still couldn't help getting excited.

"This is Lugia!!"

"???"

Hearing May's words, a rare expression of astonishment appeared on Cordelia's face as she looked toward May.

Not sisters? For real? I've never seen Lugia, don't lie to me.

"May is right, Cordelia — you've caught a Lugia."

Mammon tossed a small bread to the cute little Lugia, and said with a smile to Cordelia.

Cordelia watched the little fellow squinting its eyes and nibbling happily on the bread, her gaze exceedingly strange.

This is... the legendary Sea God Lugia?

(End of this chapter)