Chapter 162
A small, unremarkable fish tank sat tucked away in a corner of the exhibition room. The placard beside it simply read "Feebas," with absolutely nothing else recorded.
Unlike the other showcased Pokémon, there was no detailed description or safety guidelines for interacting with it. It was clear that even the organizers assumed no one would ever want to interact with a Feebas, treating the creature with total apathy.
Just look at the Luvdisc display nearby; because its description noted that it felt an affinity for couples who were genuinely in love, a massive crowd of lovers had gathered there to test their relationships. Those who won the Luvdisc's approval showered the creature with endless praise.
The harmony between humans and Pokémon was perfectly manifested in Luvdisc. However, that didn't mean there were no barriers left between the species. Humans were both selfish and double-standard creatures; when their gaze drifted over to Feebas, an unspoken look of mockery usually surfaced in their eyes, followed inevitably by remarks like these:
"Wow, a Feebas? Why would an aquarium even exhibit a Pokémon like this?"
"By the way, has this Feebas been abused? Why are its fins so tattered, and what's with all those hideous lumpy spots on its body?"
"Maybe it hasn't been abused; it just looks like that naturally. Why else do you think it's called Feebas?"
"True. How can a Pokémon look this ugly? Look at those thick lips; doesn't it kind of look like a Jynx?"
"Haha! Now that you mention it, it really does!"
As the saying goes, the speaker intends nothing, but the listener takes it to heart. Perhaps the tourists were merely making casual observations about Feebas's appearance without any deliberate malicious intent.
But for the listening Feebas, she was being tangibly called ugly by a crowd of people.
A Pokémon's emotions were identical to a human's. Who wouldn't feel miserable inside if a crowd gathered around day after day to call them hideous?
Not to mention having to endure this cycle multiple times a day; it was enough to drive anyone into a state of total depression.
Consequently, over time, Feebas locked her heart away, radiating waves of deep chill toward the outside world. A white frost-mist filled her water tank, not only blocking people's vision but also freezing her own body solid.
Accompanied by a sharp crack, the rapidly dropping temperature completely fractured the glass tank.
This led to the scene where the staff member helplessly grumbled about Feebas breaking the exhibition hardware again, which had already happened countless times.
This exact scene unfolded right before Lorze's eyes. Looking at the ice-locked Feebas, a flash of surprise crossed his face, startled that a Feebas capable of utilizing Ice-type energy actually existed.
You see, wild Feebas were usually just like Magikarp—wearing a vacant, brain-dead expression, sitting at the absolute bottom of the food chain. If they could use Splash or Tackle, it was already an achievement. A few agile ones might learn Water Gun, but none of that had a damn thing to do with Ice-type energy.
Could it be Hidden Power Ice?
If that was the case, then this Feebas possessed an exceptionally high level of latent talent.
But turning it over in his mind... was this Feebas's Hidden Power Ice really born from pure talent?
It looks like it was entirely driven by the cold words of the people around her, doesn't it?
Lorze's brow furrowed slightly, unable to fully comprehend the casual cruelty of the tourists.
In this era, everyone knows that Pokémon possess high intelligence and can understand human speech, right?
How is your behavior any different from pointing at a human child and relentlessly calling them ugly to their face?
You're grown adults, yet your manners are this pathetic—do you absolutely have to build your own entertainment upon another creature's suffering?
At the end of the day, the world's attitude toward Pokémon was far too reckless. Some people treated their own partners like unusual house pets; how could you expect them to show any decency to someone else's Pokémon?
Sigh. It looks like we still have a very long road ahead before the world realizes that Pokémon and humans aren't all that different.
Lorze immediately activated his Intimidate Ability, letting the psychic wave of his mental fusion ripple outward. An invisible pressure radiated from his frame, forcing the surrounding crowd's breathing to hitch instantly as their mocking commentary cut off.
His gaze swept over the group of girls who had been giggling the loudest, triggering a sudden, deep surge of panic in their hearts as they hurriedly fled the room in a sweat.
Only then did Lorze retract his mental pressure, stepping forward toward the staff member.
"Excuse me, can we purchase the Pokémon here?" Lorze inquired.
"Some showcased Pokémon are available for purchase. Which one are you interested in, sir?" The staff member's attitude was actually decent as he quickly moved to attend him.
"This Feebas right here. Is she within the sale pool?"
"The Feebas?"
The employee gave him a slightly bizarre look, completely unable to fathom why anyone would look at this creature and want to buy it. But as a service worker, he couldn't say much, simply explaining the protocol: "If it's the Feebas, we can actually let you take her for free."
"In that case, let me adopt her."
Lorze perfectly understood Feebas's low status in the aquarium. The facility was likely desperate to get rid of a creature that failed to attract a single tourist while constantly destroying the display hardware day in and day out.
Lorze didn't bother arguing. Without knowing that Feebas actually possessed an evolution, any rational human would treat it like garbage.
Since you don't appreciate her, I'll gladly take her off your hands.
"So, Feebas, are you willing to come with me?"
Right under the completely uncomprehending stares of the onlookers, Lorze issued his invitation to Feebas.
Did this boy actually believe that ancient rumor was real? Did he still want to gamble on a Feebas evolving into a Milotic?
No way, does anyone still buy into that ridiculous myth?
Back then, dozens of research institutes had poured resources into studying Feebas, grinding their gears trying to uncover the secrets to the creature billed as the world's most beautiful Pokémon: Milotic. But the final results were a total disappointment; no matter how they cultivated Feebas, the creature showed zero signs of crossing the evolution threshold.
It makes sense. How could a Milotic ever evolve from a fish that looks this hideous? The biological templates don't even align, okay?
Ultimately, the theory of Feebas evolving into Milotic collapsed under its own weight, leaving Feebas with the mocking nickname of a "gambling fish."
Gambling on fish will bankrupt three generations of your family, little boy!
Setting aside the bystanders, even Feebas never imagined a human would come to claim her. She didn't understand how a creature as ugly and weak as herself could ever catch anyone's eye.
Feebas simply stared into Lorze's eyes, offering no response.
Lorze activated his Telepathic Resonance mode to soothe her mind: "Come with me. Your Hidden Power Ice talent definitely has a high research value. Besides, you don't want to remain trapped here as a circus freak for people to point at, right?"
Feebas fell silent this time; she had long since grown sick of the cruel mockery from the tourists.
Originally, she was just a brain-dead Feebas, completely oblivious and innocent, struggling just to survive out in the wild. Why would she care whether she was hideous or beautiful?
But after entering the human world, everywhere she went, people would tell her that she was ugly—easily the single most hideous creature among all Pokémon species.
I already know... I'm ugly, alright?
Is it really necessary for a fresh crowd to come tell me every single day?
Feebas couldn't comprehend why so many Pokémon adored humans; she had felt nothing but their bone-chilling, biting malice.
Even toward the boy standing before her who was displaying genuine kindness, she harbored zero affection.
The only reason she was in the human world was because she had been swept up in that initial research craze, captured from the wild by scientists.
To force her into evolving into that mythical Milotic, those researchers had dumped an endless stream of resources into her body, pushing her raw stats to the absolute biological ceiling a Feebas could reach.
According to human parameters, she was pinned at a solid C Rank (Intermediate)?
Yet even after all that, she failed to evolve into a Milotic. Her growth curve ground to a halt, causing the scientists to lose their patience and dump her into a standard holding tank.
After being abandoned for who knows how long, a Trainer took an interest in her and bought out her ownership from the lab.
She originally thought she had finally found her true partner, but she quickly learned the man only cared about her C-Rank baseline stats, exploiting her to farm a few tournament rewards before callously transferring her straight to the aquarium.
At this point, she thoroughly understood: humans were completely untrustworthy creatures. No one had ever genuinely loved her for who she was.
They either lusted after her theoretical evolved form...
...or exploited her baseline combat rank.
Not a single one of them had ever truly seen Feebas herself.
Now another Trainer wanted to carry her off, and her immediate biological reaction was pure exhaustion.
But the second she realized that staying meant continuing to act as a target for public ridicule, she decided she would rather let this boy carry her away instead.