Lizabeth had healthy wheat-colored skin, clear and bright blue eyes, and a head of glossy black hair. The moment one saw her, there was an overwhelming sense of vitality and liveliness.
"Hello, Lizabeth." Theo extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Me too, I'm really happy to meet you!"
Lizabeth grasped his hand and said, "Sorry for suddenly sending you a private message yesterday. We've been busy preparing for the performance, and after hearing about the huge buzz surrounding Mega Evolution, we found out you were also in Mossdeep City, so I especially wanted to ask you for some help.
The thing is, I also adopted a Feebas. I really love Milotic, so being able to get your experience in raising Feebas makes me incredibly happy. I'm sorry for taking up your time."
"It's no problem. I was already planning to watch your performance anyway, so this works out perfectly. No need to be so polite," Theo said with a smile.
"Um… could I see your Milotic now?"
Lizabeth fiddled with her hands a little shyly as she made her request.
"Of course."
"Come out, Milotic."
Theo took out Milotic's Dive Ball from his waist. With a press of the button, a flash of red light appeared, and Milotic gracefully emerged, stretching its body.
Its tail fin swayed lightly, and the moisture in the surrounding air was drawn together by an invisible force, turning into a fine mist that supported its body in midair.
"Wow~~!"
Lizabeth's eyes widened instantly. She subconsciously covered her mouth with both hands, her gaze filled with amazement.
This was her first time seeing a Milotic up close in real life, and she was so excited she could barely contain herself.
Originally, after obtaining the qualification to adopt a Feebas in Sootopolis City, she had wanted to seek guidance from Gym Leader Juan. Unfortunately, Juan had been summoned by the League headquarters to deal with matters related to Mega Evolution and was not stationed at the Sootopolis Gym.
As for Robert, another trainer in the gym who owned a Milotic, he had already gone to another region to participate in Pokémon Contests. Because of this, Lizabeth had no chance to see a Milotic at all.
She never expected that she would encounter Theo in Mossdeep City instead, which was why she had sent him that private message.
At that moment, Lizabeth's parents also walked out from the cabin.
The instant they appeared, their eyes were completely drawn to Milotic. They stopped in their tracks, their expressions filled with awe and admiration.
They gazed at Milotic's creamy white skin, its silky smooth blue fins, and the golden tail fin shimmering behind it. For a moment, they were utterly speechless.
"So this is… Milotic?" Lizabeth's mother murmured softly, her gaze lingering on its body.
"It's truly beautiful…"
She hesitated for a moment, then carefully looked at Milotic and asked, "Milotic, I… can I touch you?"
Milotic blinked, then gently lowered its head toward her.
It could sense a very special aura coming from this family, something as gentle and pure as the ocean itself. It felt completely different from other humans.
Lizabeth and her parents exchanged delighted glances and stepped forward together, gently reaching out to stroke Milotic's body, their voices filled with satisfied admiration.
The surrounding troupe members, who had been busy working, were also drawn over. They took out their phones to snap photos, whispering among themselves about the beauty of this differently colored Milotic.
After petting Milotic, Lizabeth looked satisfied as she turned to Theo.
"Let's go to the breeding area at the back of the ship. My Feebas is there."
Under Lizabeth's guidance, Theo followed her into the cabin and arrived at the rear section of the ship. It was surprisingly spacious inside. One side was a stage for rehearsals, while the other side was a Pokémon breeding area.
Several large pools were connected together, housing many Water-type Pokémon. There were lively Goldeen, leisurely Tentacool, and a few round, playful Seel splashing around.
When they arrived at a slightly smaller pool, a yellowish-brown fish slowly swam over. Its body was covered with black spots. It was a Feebas.
"That's it," Lizabeth pointed at the Feebas, looking a bit embarrassed.
"I adopted it from the Sootopolis Gym, but I've only just started raising it, so it can't perform with me yet."
Theo looked at the Feebas in the pool, then took out a high-quality pokéblock from his bag. Squatting by the pool, he gently waved it.
The Feebas seemed to catch the scent. It awkwardly swayed its body and slowly swam over. Theo reached out, lifted it up, and gently stroked it while bringing the pokéblock to its mouth.
With food in front of it, the Feebas immediately stopped struggling. It lay obediently in Theo's arms, nibbling at the pokéblock in small bites, its dull little eyes filled with contentment.
Watching it eat, Theo could not help but recall the days when he first met his own differently colored Feebas.
Time had passed in the blink of an eye. That Feebas had already evolved into Milotic. It was truly nostalgic.
After finishing the pokéblock, the Feebas shook its head. At that moment, it suddenly noticed Milotic floating gracefully beside Lizabeth, surrounded by controlled water vapor.
Instantly, the Feebas froze.
Its round eyes widened completely, its tiny mouth slightly open, and even its tail forgot to move.
It had never seen such a beautiful Pokémon before. The smooth and elegant body, the dazzling scales, the glowing tail fin, and the mist swirling around it made it seem like a fairy.
A feeling of envy overflowed from its small body. Its big eyes were filled with longing and desire.
At the same time, Milotic's eyes also froze for a moment. It looked at Theo gently, a faint smile appearing as if recalling the moments they had shared together.
"Beautiful, right?" Theo said to the Feebas with a smile. "This is what you'll look like after you evolve. As long as you work hard, you can become like this too."
The Feebas suddenly lifted its head, staring blankly at Theo, its eyes filled with disbelief.
Seeing this, Theo freed one hand and took out his phone, opening the gallery.
There were photos and videos of Milotic when it was still a Feebas, the moment it first learned Water Pulse, and the first time it successfully used a water and ice combination move to create a stunning water-ice tornado.
Finally, there was the dazzling moment of evolution, when it transformed from Feebas into Milotic.
Theo held the screen in front of the Feebas and slowly played through the images.
The Feebas stared at the screen without blinking, completely transfixed.
It watched as the Pokémon that looked exactly like itself, except for its color, gradually transformed into the beautiful creature before it.
Within its small heart, something seemed to quietly take root.
Nearby, Lizabeth and her parents silently watched the interaction between Theo and the Feebas, smiles unconsciously forming on their faces, their expressions filled with warmth and happiness.
…
(End of Chapter)