Lucas brought Officer Jenny and the other people who had fallen into the water back to the ship. Feeling the Heat Wave created by Ninetales, Officer Jenny finally stopped shivering.
Nurse Joy covered them directly with blankets and wiped their hair.
After learning the original number of people on the sunken ship from Officer Jenny, Lucas began to count them one by one on the ship. At the same time, he asked Lapras and the others to help find the missing people and Pokémon.
Some young people from Twinleaf Town who were good at swimming also helped with the salvage. Lucas immediately spotted Genji among them, who was leading a Floatzel to search for people everywhere.
With the help of Lapras, the Breeding House's Golduck, and Azumarill, Lucas finally managed to pull everyone who had fallen into the water out.
Then, he joined the treatment team with Gengar.
As the ship sailed toward the shore, Lucas was bandaging the wounds of someone caught in the aftermath of the Gyarados' struggle when he suddenly noticed a purple light glowing in the sky near the shore.
Looking up, he saw Gothitelle running across the surface of the water toward their ship.
At the same time, several large buckets of Chinese medicine, herbal tea, and hot herbal tea, which it had brewed using herbs from the Breeding House, were floating in the sky.
The Trainer being bandaged by Lucas was so cold that his consciousness was a bit blurred. Opening his eyes, he vaguely saw a humanoid figure running toward him across the water, bringing a large amount of Chinese medicine.
"Mom——"
He called out in a daze.
The people around who heard him also started calling out "Mom."
For a moment, the entire ship was filled with the Lilli of people calling for their mothers.
Lucas: ——
Nurse Joy: ——
Gothitelle leaped onto the ship. It had brewed these medicines itself, used psychic power to keep them warm, and rushed all the way from the Breeding House to the harbor and then across the water to the ship. It placed the Chinese medicine, herbal tea, and ginger tea on the deck.
Hearing everyone on the ship calling for their mothers, it panted for a moment, then frowned at Lucas: "Goth?"
What's going on?
Lucas shook his head and quickly stood up to open the lids of all the buckets. Gothitelle had also thoughtfully prepared a large stack of bowls.
Lucas recognized these bowls. They were plastic bowls he had specifically bought for Caitlin to throw easily after she had broken many bowls while vacationing at the Breeding House.
He picked up two bowls, filled them with ginger tea, and brought them to Nurse Joy and Blissey, handing them over: "Sister Joy, you and Blissey should drink a bowl too to ward off the cold."
Nurse Joy and Blissey took them and drank them in one gulp.
Their bodies instantly felt warm, recovering a lot of heat. It warmed up Nurse Joy, who had been shivering on the ship, significantly.
Combined with Ninetales' Heat Wave, she surely wouldn't catch a cold.
After seeing Nurse Joy and Blissey finish, Lucas went back to Gothitelle, filled another bowl, and then went to Officer Jenny, pouring the ginger tea and Chinese medicine into her all at once.
Officer Jenny was forced to finish it with a gurgle. Lucas grabbed Arcanine's head and made it huddle close to Officer Jenny to keep her warm.
Then, leading the Pokémon and Nurse Joy's team, they began to administer the medicine to every passenger who had fallen into the water.
There was no gentleness to speak of. For some unconscious passengers, Lucas had Gengar pry their mouths open, poured the medicine in, and then pinched their noses to force them to swallow it. Afterward, he had Ninetales increase the intensity of the Heat Wave.
There was a faint smell of singed hair in the air, but Lucas couldn't care less about that now.
The primary goal now was to save their lives and prevent them from dying of hypothermia.
Lucas and Gengar ran back and forth on the ship, staying busy. When the ship docked, Lucas saw the medical staff who wanted to move the people off as soon as they boarded. He quickly stopped them and made them carry the patients out in the specific order he designated.
Some of the medical staff were residents of Twinleaf Town and Sandgem Town. Seeing that Lucas was in command, they pulled the medical staff who had come from other places to support them and followed Lucas's directions together.
Soon, after all the passengers on the ship had been given the medicine, they were all carried to the Pokémon Center.
Watching Officer Jenny follow Nurse Joy to the Pokémon Center for further treatment, Lucas leaned against the edge of the deck and sighed.
Exhausting.
Ninetales came to Lucas's side listlessly. Having provided Heat Wave all night, the Fire-type energy in its body had long been depleted. For the remaining time, it had been forcibly squeezing out Fire-type energy through sheer willpower.
Lucas had Gengar take out some snacks and fed them to Ninetales by hand.
After eating a few bags of snacks, Ninetales finally recovered a bit of spirit.
"Siu——"
So tired.
Hearing Ninetales' complaint, Lucas stroked its head.
"Just hold on a little longer, okay?"
Ninetales nodded and then rubbed its forehead against Lucas's face.
"Siu~"
We will all be with you.
Lucas buried his face deep into the fur of Ninetales' neck, took a deep breath, felt the warmth, and then stood up. At that moment, a pair of purple hands reached out, holding a bowl of steaming herbal tea.
"Goth."
Drink a bowl to ward off the cold.
Lucas felt a warmth in his heart, took it, and drank it in one gulp.
"Thank you, Gothitelle Mom."
Gothitelle: ?!
What was that? Is something wrong with him?
Lucas laughed loudly and then looked at Lapras, who was watching him from not far from the shore. He led Gengar and the others off the ship to the water's edge.
"Lapras, could I trouble you to call the Gyarados over?"
Lapras nodded and then let out two loud cries that carried far into the distance.
Before long, the figures of the Gyarados appeared before Lucas.
Looking at the Gyarados waiting by the shore, Lucas rubbed his forehead and said, "Wait here for now. I'll go ask about what happened, and I'll solve this problem for you."
The leading Gyarados nodded; it already knew that Lucas would not deceive them.
Before leaving, Lucas gave Lapras a look. Lapras smiled gently at Lucas, signaling him not to worry—it would lead the Lapras clan to keep an eye on these Gyarados.
Only then did Lucas feel relieved. He turned and led Gengar and the others toward the Pokémon Center.
Upon arriving at the Pokémon Center, Lucas first asked Nurse Joy about everyone's general condition. After learning from Nurse Joy that there were no major issues, though a fever and a serious illness were unavoidable, Lucas finally felt relieved enough to go find Officer Jenny.
When he found Officer Jenny, she was draped in the coat Lucas had given her. She had already changed out of her original uniform and was dressed thickly. She was shivering while directing the work.
"Sister Reese."
Lucas walked to her side and called out.
When Officer Jenny saw it was Lucas, she put down the work she was directing. "Thanks a lot, Lucas. If it weren't for you this time, I really don't know what would have happened."
Officer Jenny had returned to her usual strong and capable state.
Lucas shook his head and then told Officer Jenny about the situation between him and the Gyarados.
Officer Jenny nodded after hearing this. "Don't worry, I'll start questioning and investigating one by one—"
Achoo! ——right away."
Officer Jenny sneezed and assured Lucas that she would investigate the cause of the incident immediately.
Generally, Pokémon don't attack ships because vessels are equipped with devices to repel them. At the same time, the local Pokémon usually get used to these ships, and they have always coexisted peacefully.
However, this time, the way the Gyarados gathered for no reason and frantically attacked the ship was inherently suspicious. Furthermore, it was very strange that the Gyarados could even gather together in the first place, and even more peculiar that they started fighting among themselves after destroying the ship.
As everyone knows, Gyarados are short-tempered and ferocious Pokémon; generally, they do not gather together.
So Officer Jenny also believed there was a specific cause.
After Lucas gave a nod, he glanced at the busy Pokémon Center and returned to the harbor shore. He planned to hear what the Gyarados had to say.
Lucas couldn't win against Ninetales' insistence, so he sat on its back, went to the shore, and asked the Gyarados for the reason behind the incident.
Based on the explanations provided by the Gyarados, who were all talking at once, Lucas roughly pieced together the cause of the matter.
It turns out a very powerful Gyarados had arrived in their waters and defeated them one by one to take command, forming a group that lived a comfortable life.
Then, just yesterday, their leader—who had been missing for three days—returned to the group covered in scars.
According to the leader, it had gone to challenge an old rival and got injured.
On its way back to its territory, it encountered a ship. Initially, the leader didn't intend to pay the ship any mind, but a Trainer on board saw the injured Gyarados and sent out his Pokémon to besiege it. Eventually, the leader managed to escape and return to the group.
Originally, they planned to seek revenge, but the leader stopped them. Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, that ship appeared in the waters where they lived. The Trainer spotted the recovering Gyarados leader again and once more sent out his Pokémon to surround and attack it incessantly.
Later, seeing the other Gyarados arrive, the Trainer recalled his Pokémon and stood on the deck, mocking them continuously.
Seeing their leader on the verge of death and being subjected to the Trainer's taunts, the already ill-tempered Gyarados snapped instantly. They attacked the ship frantically until it was completely destroyed.
Lucas couldn't help but curse under his breath as he listened.
Generally speaking, Pokémon don't lie in these situations.
So there was a high probability that what they said was true.
Lucas could only curse that Trainer for having no brains at all.
You're on a ship at sea, and you provoke a group of dozens of Gyarados while torturing their leader right in front of them? If he had captured the Gyarados leader, it might have been fine, as Gyarados are Pokémon that respect the strong. The problem was that he didn't want to capture it; he just wanted to torture it.
Did he really think this was a cartoon? Trainers' remains are found in the wild almost every day. How did he have the nerve to provoke a pack of Gyarados at sea?
Lucas felt like his head was going to explode.
Lucas took a deep breath and then asked why they had started fighting each other after destroying the ship.
The leading Gyarados explained.
The reason was their disagreement over how to handle the humans who had fallen into the water. To put it simply:
The conservatives thought the radicals were too conservative, and they got so angry they started fighting among themselves.
Well, while it wasn't good news, it was thanks to their internal conflict that he was able to resolve the issue so easily.
At the same time, this Gyarados indicated that the Gyarados belonging to the conservative faction had all been taken care of by Lucas's Thunder.
Lucas looked at the leading Gyarados and said, "If you trust me, you can bring your leader here. I'll check its injuries and help treat it."
The leading Gyarados was silent for a moment, then nodded and turned to leave.
Before long, a Red Gyarados appeared before Lucas's eyes.
A Shinny Gyarados?!
Looking at the massive Gyarados in front of him, Lucas stared at it for a while.
This Red Gyarados was extremely weak right now, but it still greeted Lucas in a friendly manner.
Lucas was somewhat surprised as he felt the goodwill radiating from the Red Gyarados.
Is its temperament this gentle?
Are there actually non-violent Gyarados these days?
Nevertheless, Lucas responded politely to the Red Gyarados and reached out to examine its injuries.
After saying a few words to Gothitelle, Gothitelle nodded and left.
While Gothitelle was away, Lucas chatted with the Red Gyarados.
Lucas's prediction was correct; there really are gentle Gyarados in this world.
The Gyarados in front of him was so gentle it didn't even seem like a Gyarados. Even Gothitelle and Lilligant were more 'violent' than it was.
Of course, Lucas would never dare to say that out loud.
Saying it would be a death sentence.
Soon, Gothitelle returned with a bowl of herbal medicine, brewed using Energy Root and sweet honey, which was very effective for treating Pokémon injuries.
Lucas took the medicine and looked at the Red Gyarados. "Drink this. it's very helpful for your injuries. It's sweet, not bitter."
Gyarados nodded, lowered its body, and opened its mouth.
Lucas poured the herbal medicine into its mouth.
It felt its injuries slowly beginning to improve.
It lowered its head and gently nudged Lucas's body.
The Gyarados said thank you.
?!
A Gyarados said thank you!!
Even though Lucas knew this Gyarados was very gentle, it still felt very strange.
At that moment, Officer Jenny arrived, dragging a trembling Trainer along.
"I've cleared it up, Lucas. It's him. The specific details are—"
Lucas waved his hand. "I've already learned the details from the Gyarados."
Officer Jenny nodded and then looked at Lucas. "What should we do now?"
Lucas looked at the trembling Trainer behind her with a cold gaze.
He looked quite refined, yet he just had to go looking for trouble.
"Apologize."
The Trainer wanted to refuse, but he was immediately surrounded by Gengar and the others. Officer Jenny grabbed him by the collar and brought him before the Gyarados.
Seeing Officer Jenny lift an adult man like a little chick, Lucas couldn't help but shrink his neck slightly.
"Apologize!"
Officer Jenny said forcefully.
The Trainer reluctantly apologized to the Gyarados.
Seeing his reluctant attitude, Lucas gritted his teeth. Looking at the sky that hadn't fully brightened yet, he wondered if he should have Gengar put a sack over the guy's head and take him to an unknown corner for a Lilli beating.
The kind of beating where even his parents wouldn't recognize him.
The Gyarados leader just looked coldly at the Trainer, then turned to Lucas, indicating that it accepted the apology.
Seeing this, Lucas looked at Officer Jenny. "See, Officer Jenny, this whole thing was a misunderstanding. There's no need to drive this group of Gyarados out of that sea area, right?"
Officer Jenny looked puzzled. "Why are you looking at me? I never made such a decision."
Lucas laughed at that and looked at the Red Gyarados. "You can continue living there in the future. We won't interfere with your lives too much, but if you need help with anything, please come find us, okay? Otherwise, it will just make things awkward for both sides again."
Lucas said with a smile, looking at the Gyarados, "After all, we're friends, aren't we?"
The Red Gyarados nodded and let out a low growl.
Friends.
Then it led the other Gyarados away.
After the Gyarados left, Lucas was just thinking about finding a hidden corner with Gengar when Officer Jenny's voice came over.
"According to the League's instructions, starting today, we will forcibly deport you back to the Unova region and will no longer accept any applications for you to travel in the Sinnoh League."
Officer Jenny paused and said word for word, "In other words, you have been blacklisted by the Sinnoh League."
"And we will simultaneously issue this notice to other Leagues."
The Trainer's face turned pale instantly, and he began to plead for mercy.
Officer Jenny ignored him and had her assistant drag him away, out of sight, out of mind.
After all, for the sake of a momentary cruel hobby, he had almost made everyone on a ship pay the price with their lives.
In her opinion, someone like that didn't deserve to be a Trainer.
Lucas was very supportive of this decision.
This was the real world, after all, and the power of Pokémon was immense.
It was also very dangerous.
However, he still felt a bit of regret.
"If you had said that a little later, I was prepared to have Gengar use a sack to cover him up and pull him into a corner for a good thrashing."
Lucas shook his head regretfully.
"Oh, why didn't you say so earlier!"
Officer Jenny said in a pained tone.
Then she looked at the sky. "I know a hidden spot, how about we—"
Lucas: ?—(
"Hey, hey, hey, you're Officer Jenny, the guardian of the people!"
"He doesn't deserve it."
The corners of Lucas's mouth curled up slightly as he walked to the shore, in front of the Lapras.
Lapras smiled at Lucas.
"buuu."
We're leaving too. You can call us if anything happens. I'll stay with them in the nearby waters to live and patrol.
Lucas reached out.
Lapras leaned its head into Lucas's embrace and gently rubbed against his face.
"buuu."
Just like a child.
Lucas took a deep breath, looking at the Lapras who had been silently guarding Twinleaf Town and the Breeding House in these waters, a senior who protected this place just like Steelix.
"Thank you, Lapras."
Lapras shook its head, let out a "buuu," and left with the other Lapras.
Leaving only the Lapras Siblings behind.
Looking at the sky that had already brightened, Lucas stretched.
"Well everyone, it's time for us to head back. I'm tired and sleepy."
Gengar gargar—
Lilli~
Gothitelle.
Swoosh~
Twinleaf Town, all is well.