"The double rent and the Sharpedo's Poké Ball penalty fee for breach of contract will be handed over to the shop owner by our police station," the officer explained.
Victor had done his best to persuade the officers, but the police station eventually contacted his guardian, Mr. JHON. Unable to resolve it directly, Victor's father had to reach out to JASMINE to act as a guarantor, finally securing Victor's release.
Far away in Zephyros Province, the local police had no idea who his father was, so in the end, they had to rely on local connections to settle things.
Victor emerged from the police station, looking thoroughly dejected. Beside him, Jasmine couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, the look on your face when your dad called was priceless!"
"Didn't you say you were going to catch your third Pokémon? How did that turn into you ending up at the police station instead?"
Jasmine covered her mouth, laughing heartily. She hadn't expected Victor to land himself in trouble over a misunderstanding.
"Aunt Jasmine, can you stop teasing me already..." Victor muttered, scratching his head, clearly embarrassed.
It had barely been a month since he started his journey, and already, his father had to intervene to get him out of trouble.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But seriously, you said you caught your third Pokémon?" Jasmine's tone shifted to one of curiosity as her eyes widened slightly.
She was eager to learn about Victor's new addition. After all, she'd heard that he'd specifically rented a Sharpedo to venture out to sea, so the Pokémon he caught was likely water-type.
Victor's other Pokémon, the dazzling Carbink and the fierce Incineroar, had already left a strong impression on Jasmine. She couldn't wait to see what he'd added to his team.
==========
TORRACAT, having just reached the elite level, managed to unleash its potential after defeating a formidable Azumarill. Upon evolving into Incineroar, it achieved an incredible victory by defeating a late-elite-level Samurott in one strike.
Carbink was equally extraordinary. Despite being only at the early elite level, it managed to overwhelm a professional-level Empoleon that Jasmine had painstakingly trained, leaving it completely overpowered.
Jasmine was certain that even those high school students who had undergone a year of specialized training and completed the college entrance examination wouldn't be able to match Victor's accomplishments if they attempted to challenge a junior gym.
With Carbink and Incineroar already demonstrating such remarkable prowess, she was naturally curious about the third Pokémon Victor had caught.
"Yes, my third Pokémon is Milotic!" Victor replied, his face lighting up with joy.
Milotic was a rare Pokémon within the United Alliance, with most of them and their pre-evolution, Feebas, residing in the western regions.
"Oh? Milotic!" Jasmine's eyes sparkled with excitement.
With its pure water typing and noble, elegant appearance, Milotic was especially beloved among female trainers specializing in water-types. Jasmine herself didn't even own one!
"If you don't mind, could I have a look at your Milotic?" she asked eagerly.
"Of course, as long as Milotic doesn't mind, I'm fine with it," Victor replied.
---
In a canal in SeawindCove City, a few small boats drifted leisurely along the water. Tourists aboard the boats gazed at the Milotic floating gracefully in the lake, their eyes filled with admiration.
"She's so beautiful..."
"Absolutely stunning..."
Even the water-type Pokémon belonging to nearby residents, regardless of gender, looked on with adoration, surrounding Milotic with awe-filled eyes. Yet, none dared to approach too closely, feeling unworthy of being near such a divine being.
Milotic floated proudly on the water, occasionally enhancing her presence by using water energy to create a misty, radiant effect.
Holding her head high, she struck elegant poses, basking in the admiration of the onlookers, including photographers who eagerly captured her beauty with their cameras.
As expected of me, both beautiful and powerful! The future queen of water Pokémon—Milotic!
"This gloss, this scale texture, this regal demeanor!"
"Even as an elite-level Milotic, it's more stunning and captivating than any king-level Milotic I've ever seen!"
Jasmine stood on the shore, visibly excited. Out of nowhere, she pulled out a magnifying glass and lay flat on the ground to observe Milotic closely, completely disregarding her own appearance.
"Um... Aunt Jasmine, it's been half an hour. Are you done observing yet?"
Victor felt uneasy as the crowd of spectators and Pokémon grew larger by the minute.
From time to time, Milotic's telepathic voice rang in his mind: "Victor! Look at my posture. Isn't it just perfect?" Coupled with the adoration of the gathering crowd, Victor found himself completely overwhelmed.
"Alright, alright, I'm done. Oh my, your Milotic is truly incredible!"
"I've decided—I must find a way to catch a Milotic for myself someday!"
Jasmine's face was flushed with excitement as she put away the magnifying glass, looking deeply satisfied.
Hearing this, Victor quickly recalled Milotic into her luxury ball, apologized to the onlookers who had come to see her, and hurriedly led Jasmine away from the crowd.
While walking along the road, Jasmine invited Victor to her house for dinner, but her phone suddenly rang.
After taking the call, she apologized, explaining that she couldn't host him because she needed to assist forest rangers that evening in apprehending poachers.
Victor smiled and shook his head, assuring her it was fine.
Not long after parting ways with Jasmine, Victor found a quiet spot to recharge his phone. As the screen lit up, a flood of notifications appeared.
Most were calls and messages from the seaweed City Police Department, flagged by the system. Other messages came from acquaintances like Roman and Tessa, who sent congratulations after watching his battle video.
Victor opened the chat with his father first, noticing several unread messages.
A week ago:
Dad: Congratulations on earning your first badge. You truly make me proud, son.
Dad: You, Carbink, TORRACAT, and Incineroar are all amazing!
Dad: Master Jasmine is an old schoolmate of mine, and we share a good relationship. If you run into trouble in SeawindCove City, seek her out.
Today at 15:00:
Dad: The police station called me. There must be some misunderstanding.
Dad: I've already contacted Jasmine. Let me know once you're out.
After reading through the messages, Victor didn't reply. Instead, he dialed his father's number directly.
When the call connected, Victor explained the entire situation to his father in detail, including how the misunderstanding had arisen and proudly shared that he had captured his third Pokémon—Milotic.
=======
Jhon scolded him half-jokingly, saying, "You really don't seem to have any intention of specializing in specific attributes, do you?"
The father and son chatted for a while about family matters and Victor's travel experiences. Before hanging up, his father reminded him, "Next time, consider renting Pokémon for a longer period. You never know what might happen in the wild, and it's always better to play it safe. Plus, you can always return them early for a refund."
Before leaving SeawindCove City, Victor decided to visit the SeawindCove Arena one more time. Having just added the powerful Milotic to his team, he figured it was the perfect opportunity to test her in a qualifying match.
"If I'm quick, I might even reach the super rank before heading to the next city!" he thought, brimming with confidence.