With a swift leap, Lucario emerged from the bamboo grove, landing gracefully before Carl and locking eyes with the formidable Garchomp, showing not a hint of fear.
"This Lucario is quite something," Cynthia mused in surprise. Typically, even champion-level Pokémon would instinctively avoid her Garchomp, yet here was a Lucario of only elite rank standing its ground.
"Don't worry," Carl reassured Lucario with a pat, stepping forward with a smile. "Hello there, Garchomp."
In an instant, Garchomp seemed to feel the overwhelming presence of Zygarde. As a ground and dragon-type pseudo-legendary, it held deep respect for such legendary beings.
"You'll behave, won't you?" Carl beamed.
Garchomp's internal struggle was palpable: Is this even fair? Do I dare to say no?
Watching her proud Garchomp lower its head so tamely under Carl's touch, Cynthia could hardly believe her eyes. This usually aloof Pokémon seemed transformed.
"Could it be..." Cynthia's expression turned odd as a thought struck her. She recalled that her Garchomp was female. Could this be... a true case of puppy love?
"Go activate the altar," Carl directed with a nod towards the pond's center.
Without hesitation, Garchomp plunged into the water, moving so smoothly that Cynthia almost believed she had given the command herself.
"Now you all see what's going on, right?" Carl addressed Sabrina and the others.
The girls exchanged bewildered glances.
"So... you were actually discussing Garchomp?" Lillie ventured, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Cynthia placed her hands on her hips. "What else? I don't even want to hear nonsense about love at first sight. What do you take me for? Sneaking off with a man I've just met?"
Her temper flaring, Cynthia reflected on her years of fieldwork. Despite her travels, she wasn't that impulsive.
The four girls felt a wave of awkwardness. On second thought, it did seem implausible. If it were in a room, perhaps there was a minuscule chance, but out here...
"Sis, I was just worried," Caitlin whined, clinging to Cynthia in a rare display of affection, a sign she truly felt remorse.
Cynthia sighed. Her younger sister—what could she do? But as she considered Caitlin's anxious rush to arrive, it reassured her of Caitlin's friendship with Sabrina. If there had been any romantic inclination, Cynthia wouldn't know how to explain it to Caitlin's family.
Sabrina's gaze lingered on Carl, her eyes expressing concern.
"Were you worried too?" Carl turned to the flustered Serena.
"Yes, yes!" Serena nodded fervently. She genuinely cared, no doubt about that.
"Just this once," Carl laughed, waving it off. He found the situation amusing enough not to dwell on it.
Carl's thoughts were consumed with the Dragon's Pond. As Garchomp entered the water, it moved with an ease that seemed innate, quickly reaching the altar at the center.
"Channel all your power into it," Carl's voice echoed in its mind. Without hesitation, Garchomp placed its claws on the altar, releasing its energy. The altar glowed brightly, a purple light spreading across the pond's surface.
Breathing heavily, Garchomp knelt at the altar. The energy drain had nearly overwhelmed it. Yet, strangely, the water now felt soothing, lacking the usual bothersome water-type energy, instead helping it to recover.
"Garchomp!" Cynthia's concern flared at her beloved Pokémon's fatigue. It had been ages since she'd seen it so worn out.
Carl, however, remained unperturbed. "Try a new move."
"A new move?" Cynthia's eyes sparkled. Was this the benefit Carl mentioned? But her Garchomp already knew so many moves... Wait!
"This can't be happening!" She watched in astonishment as Garchomp, moments ago exhausted, regained its vigor. Its eyes flashed red as it performed a sequence underwater. While the water remained undisturbed, sonic booms filled the air above, with purple energy shooting skyward like fireworks.
"Is that... Outrage?"
Cynthia's eyes widened in disbelief. As an experienced trainer, she immediately recognized the powerful dragon-type move. Such a potent physical attack typically left the user in confusion, yet her Garchomp remained clear-headed. More astonishing was seeing a Pokémon that shouldn't know the move performing it so adeptly.
Garchomp learning Outrage should have required special inheritance. Originally, it had inherited Twister, yet now it suddenly mastered Outrage. It was miraculous.
"This is incredible..." Cynthia murmured, realizing her Garchomp might be the first to learn Outrage post-birth. Recalling Carl's mention of benefits, she chuckled. "Why didn't you mention this sooner?"
With a new move under its belt, Garchomp's battle prowess would soar, offering a broader tactical range—an advancement far more precious than a regular level-up.
But the surprises kept coming. With a low growl, Garchomp, aided by the pond's energy, avoided the usual post-move confusion. Instead, new move memories flooded its mind.
Spinning suddenly, Garchomp unleashed five purple-glowing energy scales from its tail. The motion was flawless, indicating mastery of the new attack form.
The scales shot upwards, bursting like fireworks at a hundred feet.
"You learned Scale Shot?"
Scale Shot, a dragon-type move, required training to master, as Garchomp couldn't learn it naturally. It fired two to five scales, providing a physical yet long-range attack.
Cynthia had been training Garchomp in this move, expecting it to take another month or two, never imagining it would master it so swiftly.
"What secret does this pond hold?" Cynthia couldn't help but ask.
Carl shrugged nonchalantly. "It allows Pokémon to randomly learn dragon-type moves their parents knew, and speeds up the learning process."
Carl preferred to keep some secrets, but seeing as this could no longer be hidden, he let Garchomp demonstrate. As for boosting potential and egg production, those secrets he'd keep to himself. Cynthia understood that now wasn't the time for full disclosure.
Yet, even these revelations were enough to astonish.
"So, that's it."
Cynthia nodded gently.
She had suspected, yet it was hard to believe.
Could such magical water really exist?
No, it's not just this pond.
There's Mystic Springs, the Cosmog, Kubfu, the unique psychic field sensed by Sabrina and Caitlin—each filled with mystery.
And Carl, possessing all these wonders, appeared to Cynthia as a treasure trove, an ancient relic waiting to be explored.
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