"This one doesn't even need a desperate last stand anymore."
After the battle ended, Lucas muttered under his breath.
The move "Coaching" is a Fighting-type status move that raises the Attack and Defense of the user's entire team by one stage. If one were to talk about what this move is most famous for, it would probably be when paired with a Riolu that has the Prankster ability—commonly called "Riolu Coaching"—for fun-oriented double battles.
Unfortunately, after Riolu evolves, its Prankster ability changes into Justified. On top of that, even when holding an Eviolite, Riolu's small frame doesn't amount to much. So this setup can only really be considered an entertaining gimmick.
Lucas had previously wondered whether, for a Pokémon like Falinks that is treated as a single entity but consists of multiple individuals, using this move would apply the effect once or stack it six times.
Now the answer was clear: it really could stack. Just look at how Rockruff had desperately bitten down earlier but couldn't even dent Falinks' small round shields—the Defense boost was very real.
The same went for their coordinated formation and the six consecutive Rock Smash hits.
Things from the games had undergone such massive changes after entering the real ecosystem. Fortunately, there were still restrictions; otherwise, Falinks would have long become the undisputed top choice that surpassed most Pokémon.
Because they were a group entity, their base stats manifested as if they had been weakened by being divided into six parts. Even with Coaching stacked, the improvements to both offense and defense remained limited.
Overall, there were gains and losses. The repeated triggering of Defense drops from Rock Smash was also quite fascinating.
However, on the farm, Falinks mainly served as logistical cooks and rarely had the chance to fight.
After Rockruff's defeat, it was as if Nemona had flipped her battle maniac switch again. After a series of challenges, Lucas felt utterly exhausted.
When Lucas sat at the dining table with Nemona, tasting the fresh-baked cookies and biscuits that Alcremie had just taken out of the oven, he still couldn't resist probing indirectly:
"How long do you guys plan to set off? Your trip through the Hoenn region shouldn't be over yet, right? The Grand Festival in the Hoenn region is starting in about a month. Paul and Shizuka haven't collected all their badges yet, have they?"
That's right—Lucas hoped Nemona would return to the Hoenn region as soon as possible so he wouldn't have to be dragged into battles every single day.
Nemona, completely unaware of his true thoughts, munched on a cookie while seriously pondering the question.
"Yeah, you're right. The Champion Assessment ended a few days ago, and Paul and Shizuka have been asking when we're leaving too."
"Probably within this week?"
Nemona answered uncertainly.
Although once they reached Hoenn she wouldn't be able to challenge Teacher Lucas anymore—every battle with him brought her substantial gains—on the other hand, she would get to encounter many more Pokémon and trainers.
Besides, Teacher Lucas's home was right here and wasn't going anywhere. It really was fine to finish the unfinished part of their Hoenn journey first.
Seeing Nemona starting to waver, Lucas's eyes lit up. He grabbed his phone and began tapping away.
"Why not set off tomorrow? There happens to be a suitable flight. I'll book tickets for all three of you right now!"
"Leave earlier and you can experience scenery different from Paldea sooner!"
With the mindset of wanting to pack Nemona off as quickly as possible, Lucas's efficiency reached its Maximum at that moment.
When Nemona left, she was still holding three one-way tickets—specially fetched from the airport by Dragonite—with a completely bewildered expression on her face.
Anyone who didn't know better would think Lucas wanted them to stay in Hoenn and never come back.
…
January 18th, 13:45 — Flight from Levincia Airport in the Paldea region to Sootopolis Airport in the Hoenn region
After seeing Nemona off, Lucas blinked at the reminder on his memo app.
Why had he been able to buy three tickets so quickly and so skillfully?
The reason was simple: he had already done it beforehand.
Calculating the timing, he really did need to take advantage of the academy's break to make a trip to the Hoenn region himself.
First, there was Wallace's invitation; second, the invitation from LaRousse City; and third, matters concerning the giant Dragonite and Lugia.
However, Lucas wasn't worried about running into Nemona and the other two in Hoenn.
Not to mention how vast Hoenn was and how low the probability of encountering specific people would be—their routes weren't even remotely the same.
Nemona, Paul, and Shizuka were flying to a city near Lavaridge Town, from where they would continue challenging Gyms upward.
Lucas, on the other hand, was heading first to their final Gym challenge location—Sootopolis City—then traveling in the opposite direction toward LaRousse City, and only afterward going near Lavaridge Town to enjoy the natural hot springs.
No matter how you looked at it, the chance of running into them was extremely low.
There were still two days until departure. The trip would last anywhere from one week to nearly half a month at most.
Lucas had already made his arrangements.
As for which Pokémon to bring, he hadn't decided yet.
Considering that Hoenn's ocean area was almost equal to its landmass, Water-type Pokémon would definitely be essential.
For the others, since he was going to LaRousse City, Lucas was considering whether to bring more combat power.
If only that guy Ash didn't usually refuse to carry any mobile communication device while traveling, and if he actually knew Ash's companions Max and May, he could have confirmed where they were currently traveling.
There wasn't much important news online related to LaRousse City either. It seemed the movie plot hadn't happened yet.
Lucas personally had no desire to get involved in the plot. Even if the Rayquaza invading LaRousse City was weaker than the black Rayquaza, it was still a serious threat.
But events were connected after all. If he really encountered it, he didn't want to end up as helpless as the trainers in the movie.
The only comfort was that Hoenn's airspace and ozone layer territory probably didn't belong to that shiny Rayquaza. Even if the movie event occurred, he likely wouldn't run into it.
Moreover, the main reason for this trip to Hoenn was Wallace's invitation. Lucas sincerely hoped it would be a pleasant vacation without any surprises.
…
January 17th.
There was almost no snow left on the farm.
As the snow melted, the earth that had been covered was revealed once more. Tender green sprouts had already grown in many places along the roadside.
This also meant that spring was coming.
Spring was the most important sowing season for the farm. Lucas planned to start preparations after returning from Hoenn, once the temperature warmed up a bit more.
He walked past the Tauros pasture, where the energetic Tauros were still running around, causing slight tremors.
With fishing gear on his shoulder, Lucas didn't stop. He headed straight toward the farm's expanded area and only halted near the small stream beside the new orchard.
At this moment, two more figures had appeared beside him—one red and one blue.
The shiny Shuckle sister and the normal-colored Shuckle brother.
The two of them had recently finished their winter hibernation inside rocks and were now following Lucas to stretch their bodies while also serving as bait for the upcoming fishing.
Don't misunderstand—the "bait" referred to the fermented substance inside the Shuckles.
This was something Lucas had learned from an old man: whether you kneaded it into bait or used it for chumming, it had miraculous effects.
As the temperature gradually rose, the frozen stream had thawed into flowing water again. From time to time, small fish or aquatic Pokémon would flash by.
Walking a short distance upstream along the stream, Lucas soon spotted the big guy that made all the small ones avoid him like the plague.
—Gyarados.
He had to admit, this guy really had extraordinary persistence.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have completed its transformation in the harsh environment of the Crystal Pool and evolved from Magikarp into Gyarados.
The care from Feebas was only one of the influencing factors. The world was full of Magikarp that trainers fed well but showed no sign of evolving.
Gyarados really had come to the frozen stream every day to stand guard. After squatting for several months, it had stubbornly thawed the entire stream!
In the end, the "golden, mysterious object" it wanted to guard had never appeared again even once.
Lucas felt that if it had used all this persistence to court Milotic instead, it might have already succeeded.
At this moment, the stubborn and silly big guy was still squatting in the stream, completely unaware that because of its size and presence, many fish and aquatic Pokémon would rather swim upstream against the current than come face-to-face with it.
The stream was only just above Lucas's knees in depth. There was no way Gyarados could submerge itself. At this rate, it probably wouldn't succeed in a lifetime.
It would be more realistic to wait until Gimmighoul evolved into Gholdengo, melt a few coins, have a Duraludon or something forge a pure gold statue, and then let Gyarados present it to Milotic.
Lucas put down his bucket and fishing rod, rubbed his temples, and walked over to pat Gyarados.
"If you stay here, you'll be blocking me from fishing."
As he spoke, Lucas glanced at his own palm.
There wasn't a single drop of water on it—it was still completely dry.
This meant Gyarados had been holding this posture for a very long time.
"Roar?"
Gyarados had been wondering which little brat dared disturb Lord Gyarados's pursuit of love and turned around with a fierce expression.
But the moment it saw Lucas's half-smiling, half-not expression, it instantly deflated.
Its fierce gaze seamlessly switched to a pitiful one. It squeezed its voice and let out a soft, delicate and coy cry.
Honestly, from Lucas's indescribable expression, one could tell it didn't sound very pleasant.
The Shuckle siblings quietly took a step back.
They had never realized before that Gyarados was such an effeminate type.
Gyarados had basically gone all out at this point. Even with its patience and persistence, several months with no results had pushed it to the brink of giving up.
But during mealtimes on the farm, with Milotic present, it felt too embarrassed to bring it up and could only keep it bottled inside.
Lucas's arrival was almost like grabbing the last life-saving straw for Gyarados. It hoped to get useful advice from this trainer who seemed almost omnipotent when it came to it and Milotic.
Seeing Gyarados's huge mouth—which could swallow him whole—getting closer and closer, Lucas stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking:
"First, come out. Also, move a bit farther from the stream. Don't interfere with my fishing."
"Roar~"
Gyarados blinked, looking like a tiger that had completely shed its fangs and claws. It obediently followed Lucas's request, left the stream, came ashore, and silently moved a little farther away.
Once it left, the aquatic Pokémon and fish that had been desperately "swimming upstream" finally confirmed that the ferocious great demon king that had occupied the stream for so long was gone.
Gradually, they began swimming through the area where Gyarados had been.
"Now this is how you fish properly."
Lucas revealed a smile and skillfully began his preparations.
Gyarados knew it couldn't be impatient. It could only suppress its emotions and wait on the side, occasionally casting pitiful glances at Lucas.
Even now, Lucas still wasn't sure what exactly this silly guy wanted to give Milotic as a gift.
The golden object in the stream—was it lost golden jewelry, or some kind of Pokémon?
There weren't many yellow or golden Water-type Pokémon, but they did exist.
But Lucas wasn't sure what Gyarados had actually seen.
All he could do was let Gyarados wait patiently. After he finished fishing, he would consider getting some information from the hint system.
If it was a Pokémon…
Would it be Psyduck?
Or a flat-posed Milotic?
Or a shiny Magikarp?
A shiny Gyarados was unlikely—its size was too big.
Or perhaps a shiny Luvdisc, Buizel, or Azumarill?
Lucas personally leaned toward it being a shiny Magikarp. After all, he and Serperior had genuinely encountered one in this very stream before.
But a whole year had passed since then. Who knew if that golden Magikarp had swum elsewhere or already evolved.
Thinking about all sorts of possibilities, Lucas greatly enjoyed the process of seeking the "answer."
However, since it concerned Gyarados, he still couldn't help asking.
The answer he got from the hint system was—
"Just fish your fish!"
Lucas: "…"
While feeling speechless, his hands didn't stop moving as he skillfully continued his preparations.
Before long, the bait he had mixed with the Shuckles' secret fermented fruit juice was thrown into the stream in clumps.
It instantly attracted many swimming fish and even a few wild aquatic Pokémon.
Seeing the fish gathering, the corner of Lucas's mouth twitched. As he cast his line, he threw out a bold statement:
"Today, I'm going to catch enough grilled fish for the entire farm!"
…
Three hours later.
Most of the fish gathered near the fishing spot had visibly fattened up. Their bellies were round and full, loudly declaring they couldn't eat anymore.
The news that the Bait Immortal had come to bestow alms spread through the entire stream at an extremely fast speed.
Many wild fish and aquatic Pokémon that had gone hungry for a long time due to the frozen stream rushed over upon hearing the news and feasted to their hearts' content.
Great! We're finally full!
Ignoring the fact that a dense school of fish was right in front of him yet he still couldn't catch any, Lucas's face grew increasingly red.
The fish school happily started their own celebration.
No matter what, Lucas was a fisherman with principles. Even though he knew he could just scoop with a net and get a huge harvest, he refused to do it that way.
He could only stare fixedly at the float, muttering fiercely in his heart.
Dead fish, bite already!
At that moment, a flash of golden light suddenly appeared in the gaps between the fish.
…