"As for nutrition, that's nothing to worry about,"
Yozora patted Mei on the head, then waved toward Dragonair. "With Miltank here, your son will definitely grow up strong and chubby…"
Dragonair gave a long cry before diving into the depths of the lake, its slender figure slowly disappearing.
Right after, Yozora pulled out a Research Ball and turned to Kaiser. "Uncle, for personal reasons, I'd like to capture Dratini with a Research Ball. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Kaiser's eyes widened. Kid, do you even know how to respect your elders? Daring to challenge my authority in public?
Still, Kaiser ultimately turned his head aside, pretending not to see.
Rules were rigid, but people were flexible.
Since Yozora had already gained Dragonair's approval, it was inevitable that he would take Dratini away. Whether it was with a regular Poké Ball or a Research Ball no longer mattered.
Yozora grinned, tapping the Research Ball against Dratini's forehead. After about three seconds, the ball clicked shut—the capture was successful.
The group retraced their path.
By the time they returned to the Safari Zone's entrance, the sun was already setting.
Ash had reaped a huge harvest—capturing thirty Tauros in one go. Brock and Misty, however, had come up empty-handed.
As for Yozora, he had only captured a single Dratini.
Since night was falling and travel was inconvenient, Yozora decided to camp nearby with Ash's group and prepare dinner together.
"Come on out, everyone!" As usual when camping, Ash released all of his Pokémon to spend time with them and strengthen their bonds.
Brock and Misty did the same. Naturally, Yozora wasn't an exception—he released all eight of the Pokémon he carried.
Yes, eight in total.
Aside from his six main partners—Beedrill, Golduck, Aegislash, Pidgeot, Machop, and Graveler—there were also Mei and the newly caught Dratini.
Mei was considered support. Dratini, on the other hand, wasn't even that—it was still a tiny baby, basically just along for the ride.
Pseudo-legendary Pokémon were officially defined as "Late-Blooming Pokémon." That wasn't an exaggeration. Their growth was notoriously slow.
Just getting past infancy alone required years.
[Pokémon]: Dratini
[Type]: Dragon
[Ability 1]: Marvel Scale
[Ability 2]: None
[Ability 3]: None
[Stage]: Infant
[Potential]: Champion
[Moves]: Water Gun, Water Pulse
[Notes]: A Dratini of its kind with excellent potential.
This Dratini was indeed still in its infant stage.
Yozora couldn't tell exactly how old it was. All he could sense was its faint aura and fragile life force. Forget battling—even the most basic training was beyond its ability to endure.
There was no helping it. At this stage, Dratini was the equivalent of a human infant. And really, how strong could a baby be expected to be?
Yozora wasn't worried. That was simply how pseudo-legendaries were—late bloomers. Just look at Gary, who had raised a Dratini since the age of seven. It wasn't until this year, at fifteen, that it finally evolved…
With Miltank at his side, Yozora could guarantee proper nutrition, which would certainly speed things up. But even then, it wasn't something that could be rushed.
Waiting one or two years was acceptable. Once the little one evolved into Dragonite, that would be the true takeoff.
"Wait—Yozora, you're carrying eight Pokémon at once? How's that possible?" Ash had just released Charmeleon, only to get blasted in the face for it and reluctantly return it to its ball. Turning around and seeing Yozora with eight Pokémon out, he was utterly shocked.
Brock and Misty were just as astonished.
Yozora didn't hide anything. Smiling, he explained: "Besides being a trainer, I'm also a Junior Researcher. On my journey, I need to not only maintain six main battle partners but also capture various other Pokémon for study. Thanks to my researcher status, I'm allowed to carry two extra Research Balls."
"Wow, that's amazing!" Ash was instantly envious, almost tempted to try becoming a researcher himself.
If he succeeded, he too could carry two more Pokémon. Then he wouldn't have to choose between Kingler and Muk—or the Tauros he just caught.
But then he imagined all the complicated research work. His head hurt just thinking about it. Deep down, he knew he wasn't cut out for that path.
Yozora went on: "There's another way too. If you join the police force, you can carry extra Pokémon using Justice Balls."
He continued, "But from what I know, joining the police isn't easy. Their rules are much stricter than the researcher system. For instance, Pokémon captured in Justice Balls must pass evaluations before being used. There are two requirements. First, the Pokémon must possess a strong sense of justice—that can be trained, at least. Second, it must have the ability to track criminals, such as Odor Sleuth."
Both requirements, in truth, were modeled after Growlithe.
To the police, Growlithe truly was the partner of justice. What they wanted were Pokémon that could serve the same role.
It was said that upon passing the police trials and officially joining their ranks, a trainer would be gifted a Growlithe bred with special police-dog genes.
Even so, Yozora had zero interest. Compared to the freedom of a researcher, the police force came with far too many restrictions.
And what, give up his freedom just for a Growlithe? Impossible.
One didn't need to join the police to uphold justice.
If Yozora wanted to carry more Pokémon, he would rather upgrade his researcher rank.
As an Intermediate Researcher, he could carry four extra Research Balls.
But promotion wasn't easy. At the very least, he would need to publish a research paper with genuine societal value.
Yozora's food supplies were far more luxurious than Ash's, so that night, he generously offered to provide ingredients.
Everyone feasted on broth made from elite-grade milk simmered with premium ingredients.
Dratini, however, was left in Mei's care.
At the moment, Mei's milk wasn't of the highest quality, but it was wonderfully fresh—far better than anything stored in refrigeration.
It was also convenient and readily available—perfect for a little one like Dratini who wasn't growing much yet.
For Dratini, digestibility mattered more than sheer nutrition.
If the food was too rich, it wouldn't absorb properly. At best, it would cause diarrhea; at worst, it could lead to loss of appetite—something that would be disastrous.
"Ahh, that's so nice. If only I had a Miltank too…" Ash sighed wistfully, watching Mei carefully nurse Dratini.
(End of Chapter)