"There are Magikarp and Feebas available here, Han! Are you interested in buying one? Who knows, they might evolve into Gyarados and Milotic—just might be able to catch up with Julian!"
As they strolled through the Shopping District, a few people chatted and laughed, not having purchased much.
They soon arrived at the area selling various Pokémon and items.
The first shop they encountered was dedicated to water Pokémon, notable for its large displays of Magikarp and Feebas.
Two massive fish tanks housed hundreds of each, attracting the attention of passersby.
In the Pokémon world, Magikarp and Feebas are often considered weak creatures.
Yet, with the right conditions, Magikarp can evolve into the fearsome Gyarados, while Feebas can transform into the stunning Milotic.
Both are highly coveted and powerful Pokémon sought after by every water trainer.
However, to this day, scholars are still puzzled over the precise methods needed for a Magikarp to evolve into Gyarados, or a Feebas into Milotic.
Although there are rare instances where trainers have succeeded in evolving these Pokémon, such cases are almost entirely accidental and lack reliable methodologies.
Most trainers who capture Magikarp and Feebas do so hoping for evolution, but the odds of achieving that are as slim as winning the lottery.
Additionally, once captured, these Pokémon would consume a slot from their limited roster.
According to the Drakorian Trainer Association, trainers below the pseudo-Elite level are only allowed to have six Pokémon.
While there are no restrictions for Elite trainers and above, that means capturing a Magikarp or Feebas limits one's active combat team to just five Pokémon.
If trainers feel compelled to release a Pokémon to make room for another, they face severe consequences if discovered by the Trainer Association.
Even if a Pokémon is abandoned, the trainer remains capped at five active Pokémon unless a significant event, like illness or injury, occurs to the pokemon.
Originally, this regulation aimed to help trainers renew their teams efficiently.
Unfortunately, it has led to some trainers resorting to extreme measures to eliminate Pokémon deemed unfit, resulting in conditions that could lead to their demise.
In these situations, the Trainer Association conducts thorough investigations to unveil any deceit.
If fraud is detected, that trainer's career is effectively over.
Captured Pokémon are either released or sent to special facilities waiting for qualified trainers to adopt them.
Thus, any trainer below the pseudo-Elite rank who chooses to capture Magikarp or Feebas is essentially taking a gamble.
"Maybe if you just kick it, Magikarp could evolve," Julian suggested out of the blue.
His remark caused an abrupt silence; not just Will and the rest, but even Chase and the other candidates looked at Julian as if he had lost his mind.
"You have quite the cold sense of humor," Zosh remarked.
Julian didn't bother explaining the concept of "evolution foot" to them.
In his world, fans knew that Magikarp evolves into Gyarados through this method.
As for Feebas, it evolves based on beauty value, which is even more mysterious.
Who knows how to improve its beauty—does it need makeup?
"You want to make Magikarp mad, then rely on Rage to evolve it into Gyarados?" Shen suggested.
Smart girl, Julian thought.
She seemed to have more than just muscle.
"Are you thinking something weird?" Shen asked, raising an eyebrow.
Julian felt uncomfortable under her gaze.
"Want to experience what these muscles can do?" she shot back.
Julian quickly looked away.
Never anger a Fighting Trainer without a Pokémon shield; you might end up with a broken bone.
"Shen, look over there! They have Machop eggs!" Chase exclaimed.
Saying this, Chase pulled Shen towards the Fighting Pokémon store, and Shen eagerly followed, diverting their attention away from Julian and the others.
"This girl isn't bad. She's not worse than Shen Yu, and her personality is better too. You're not as handsome as me, so how could she like you? It must be for your family's money," Will lamented, watching them go.
In his eyes, any woman interested in Julian was more fascinated by his lifestyle than by him personally.
Noticing Will's jealousy, which was almost unbearable, Julian commented casually,
"I helped her."
"Oh," Will said, dragging out the word before leaning in to whisper,
"Look at these Pokémon; are there any qualified cyan ones?"
Julian rolled his eyes, thinking that Will had really misjudged himself.
The last time he came across Numel and the sturdy Charcoal was merely coincidence.
There can't be that many hidden gems out there just waiting to be discovered.
"Get some sleep and you are dreaming big," he told Will.
The breeding shops that sell Pokémon thoroughly test each one for quality, so the chances of errors are minimal.
However, there are some Pokémon that slip through the cracks, like the countless Magikarp and Feebas in front of them.
Magikarp are the most abundant water Pokémon, found in every body of water, while Feebas are less common but still far more plentiful than other water types.
Both species boast remarkable survival skills, able to live even in polluted waters.
Nonetheless, Julian still scanned the surrounding Pokémon, hoping to find any overlooked treasures.
In the end, he found nothing.
Even after examining the hundreds of Magikarp and Feebas, he saw that their qualifications ranged only from orange to yellow—no greens in sight.
"You're not trying buy a good Pokémon behind my back, are you?" Will asked, catching Julian's dismissive tone and responding with a serious look.
"That Magikarp has a cyan qualification—go buy it," Julian instructed.
"Han that Magikarp has cyan qualification, Go buy it!" Will said, pointing at the tank filled with so many Magikarp that he struggled to identify which one.
"Believe me, if you face me in the individual competition, I will take you down," Han remarked coldly, irritated that Will seemed to treat him as a fool.
Cyan Magikarp? You must be joking.
Even if it actually is cyan, it would just be a Magikarp that can only flop around if it hasn't evolved.
"Just hold on until you face me; don't get knocked out by the Electric Trainer in your first match."
*****
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