Misty's Shock

Faced with Mingyou's question, Sinistcha fell silent again. It seemed unwilling to answer.

But its reaction all but gave him the answer: Sinistcha had found the letter and kept it close.

There was one thing Mingyou had gotten wrong, though. Sinistcha wasn't waiting to guide someone who came to the Manor. It was waiting for someone to return for the letter they had left behind.

Clearly... that person would never come back. That was why Sinistcha hated a certain someone, even if that someone was family to the person it was waiting for...

Sinistcha suddenly looked angry, but Mingyou sensed a trace of sorrow beneath it. His own expression gradually settled.

"Were you... waiting for Grandpa?"

"..."

When Sinistcha fell silent again, Mingyou knew the truth. Instead of the person it longed for, a stranger had arrived to take over the Manor. It was a wonder Sinistcha hadn't attacked him. Of course it instinctively disliked him.

He had expected as much. The Pokémon here had all been cared for by his grandfather. Now he had suddenly taken over, and none of them knew him. Letting him walk safely into the Villa was already more courtesy than he could ask for.

After a moment of silence, he sighed softly and smiled. "I'm not Grandpa, and I may never become a Ranger like him. But I have a duty to care for everything here, and I'm determined to do it!"

"If you don't believe me, I'll prove it through my actions. I'll make the Manor Grandpa left behind thrive!"

At his words, the nearby Weepinbell voiced their approval. They believed he could do it.

"..."

Sinistcha remained quiet, but its expression shifted slightly. With some effort, it drew its hands and Tea Scoop back into its tea caddy. It no longer intended to fight.

Mingyou relaxed a little. Looking at Sinistcha and Munchlax, both still in Paralysis, he said, "I don't have any Cheri Berries or Paralyze Heals. We'll have to wait for it to wear off..."

He set Sinistcha down. Munchlax had finished its Tangerine and wore a look of utter bliss. Mingyou went over and reminded it that it couldn't have any more until the next batch grew.

"Munch..."

Munchlax was crushed...

With the matter settled, the Weepinbell dispersed and returned to guarding the Ogerpon Tangerine Trees.

Somehow, all that had eaten up a good deal of time. Mingyou went back inside for bags and a box, then picked the three blue Tangerines and carefully packed them, ready for the courier to collect...

Before long, several Pelipper descended with a young courier. It was the same one as last time. He happened to have a delivery bound for Verdant Town, so the pickup had been assigned to him.

"It really is you..."

The courier was surprised to see Mingyou. Mingyou had asked him about home pickups a few days ago, so he remembered him.

"Haha."

Mingyou chuckled. What a coincidence. He handed over the packed box and said, "Sorry for the trouble. It's going to Cerulean City."

"Leave it to us. Pelipper Tailwind Logistics always delivers! We'll get the package to your customer in perfect condition. I'll be off, then. See you later, bird~"

"Bye~"

Mingyou watched them leave and let out a long breath. Now all he could do was wait for Misty's review.

Still, triple shipping fees were brutal. They cost as much as selling three Tangerines, and after service and promotion fees, he would keep less than a third of the sale price.

Then there was the cost of the Tangerine trees and fertilizer, not to mention the time spent growing them... He could earn more by setting up a stall to sell fried noodles.

Once he had a steadier customer base, he planned to join Pelipper Tailwind Logistics and establish a pickup station in Kitakami, or open his own delivery route. That would make things much easier.

He turned back to Sinistcha and Munchlax. Their Paralysis had nearly worn off. Munchlax stared at the Ogerpon Tangerine Trees, drooling nonstop, but managed to hold back.

Sinistcha slowly rose into the air and flew toward the Orchard. It seemed it had no intention of living in the Villa anymore.

Seeing Sinistcha about to leave, Mingyou waved with a determined look and shouted, "I don't know what you think of me, and you have no reason to trust someone so easily. But I'll earn your approval through my actions!"

"..."

Sinistcha glanced back at him without replying. Then it looked away, swept its gaze over the Ogerpon Tangerine Trees, lingered for a moment, and left.

As Sinistcha drifted toward the Orchard, countless blue motes of light rose from its body. They formed a card that flew toward Mingyou, and he caught it...

[Sinistcha (Lv. 1): Use on a Green Tea Seed to change it into a Demonic Green Tea Seed, with a chance to add a learnable move (Stun Spore, Rage Powder, Scald, Poltergeist)]

"Green tea... Is it for making matcha powder?"

Mingyou looked at the card, then up at Sinistcha, already far away. A smile crept across his face. At least he had taken that crucial first step.

"I'll be waiting for you to come back!"

Time flew. Soon it was that afternoon.

At Cerulean Gym, Misty received a call, went to the entrance, and signed for the package.

She was in a foul mood. She had asked Nessa for advice, but still couldn't get Magikarp to evolve. She had no idea what else to do, and the frustration was eating at her.

She took the box to the edge of the pool and opened it with scissors. She didn't have much hope, but she wasn't about to let herself get fleeced, either!

Seeing the three Tangerines wrapped in bags inside the box only made her more irritated. She felt more certain than ever that the seller had swindled her.

"They really are blue Tangerines... Why don't I believe it? It's not dye, is it?"

She dampened a towel and rubbed one. It wasn't dyed. And as an expert on Water-type Pokémon, she could sense abundant Water Energy within the Tangerines. How was that possible?

Surprise flashed across Misty's face. She looked at Magikarp in the pool, trying hard to hide its dejection. Deciding to give it a try, she took a Tangerine over and crouched beside the water.

"Try eating this Tangerine."

"Glu?"

Puzzled, Magikarp swished its tail and swam over. As it drew near and stared at the Tangerine, it froze for a moment. Something about it felt... strange, in a way it couldn't put into words.

"What's wrong?"

Misty was puzzled by its expression.

"Glu..."

Magikarp shook its head, then opened its mouth to take the Tangerine Misty offered and bit down...

Suddenly!

Magikarp's eyes widened. Something delicious burst into liquid in its mouth, then spread through its body as a surge of power. It felt wonderful.

Amid that warmth, it finally remembered what that strange feeling was!

Yes. When it had come to Xiaoxin's home, her family hadn't looked down on it for being just another common Magikarp. They had treated it as one of their own and cared for it in every way!

It remembered Xiaoxin putting it in her schoolbag and taking it to school. When they were found out, they had to stand together as punishment while other students mocked her for having a Magikarp...

Then Xiaoxin had stood up for it. She said it would become a strong, magnificent Gyarados and protect their family. Girl or not, she had charged off to fight the other students.

The school had called their parents, and they had been taken home to reflect on what they'd done. But Xiaoxin's father hadn't scolded them. He had even taken them out for something tasty. There was nothing wrong with standing up for family!

Now those memories, all the warmth of that home, finally came back to Magikarp. It realized how desperately it had wanted to evolve. That desire had put it under so much pressure that it couldn't calm down.

And those memories became strength...

"What's wrong?"

Magikarp seemed off, and Misty's first thought was that something was wrong with the Tangerine.

But in the next instant, Magikarp blazed with dazzling light. Its body swelled enormously in the pool, sending towering waves across the water. Every Pokémon turned to look in shock.

Before Misty's eyes, Magikarp's cells restructured within the light. It evolved into an enormous Gyarados, radiating overwhelming power. Misty stumbled back several steps and dropped to the ground, staring in disbelief.

"This... it actually worked?!"