Chapter 193: He Who Wields the Golden Pickaxe is the King of Hikers!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Damn it, Pokédex, tell me where I can catch a wild Dragonite! I'm going straight for a Dragonite!"
Defeated in the argument, Ash immediately pulled out his Pokédex, planning to get things done in one step.
"Beep. Dragonite. Extremely rare, habitat unknown. However, there have been confirmed sightings of Dragonite in a certain sea area in the southern Kanto Region. More than one was spotted, suggesting a possible Dragonite habitat."
After a search, the Pokédex provided an answer.
Dragonite are kind-hearted Pokémon that enjoy rescuing people who fall into the water.
But the Kanto sea is vast, and Dragonite rescues of travelers overboard have only been recorded in one specific area. Some enthusiasts have even fabricated the existence of an island inhabited only by Dragonite, naming it Dragonite Island.
"Perfect! Once this Kanto journey is over, we'll go to that Dragonite Island and catch a fully-evolved Dragonite!"
Ash's eyes lit up, his previous unhappiness vanishing like smoke.
He hadn't been particularly attached to getting a Dratini anyway; he just wanted a top-tier Technician. It was perfect to let Brother Red train it for an early evolution, and then he could enjoy the free massages and bone-setting later.
Red, who was rocking in his grand chair, stiffened. He felt that ever since they encountered that Team Rocket's Technician Dragonite, Ash's character had gone completely off the rails.
For a Dragonite, being powerful is what's most important!
It was worth mentioning that without the Dratini, Dragonair could now be with Kaiser openly, which counted as a small, happy ending for their late-life romance.
"By the way, who's the father?"
Before leaving, Ash helped Red ask one last question.
This Dratini couldn't have come from asexual reproduction, right? It was important to ask which Pokémon the father was.
As the offspring, the Dratini might inherit its father's moves, ability, habits, and talents. Knowing the father's species would be helpful for planning its future training.
"Liiiing~" Dragonair's gaze sharpened as it answered.
Kaiser, who shared a partial bond with it, was able to roughly understand Dragonair's meaning. After some communication, he explained to Ash:
"It was also a male Dragonair."
Decades ago, when Dragonair was still a cute young maiden, she one day met another male Pokémon. It also had a long, slender body, blue and white skin, and a noble dragon's aura.
It was just that its appearance was a bit strange.
According to that male Dragonair, the Dragonair species was rare and had significant gender differences. The females looked like her, but the males were different, with vastly different appearances to attract females.
The horn and pearl on their heads would disappear, and their long, blue bodies would grow white, cotton-candy-like, flashy feathers.
Dragonair didn't doubt him. After all, he carried a dragon's aura and looked somewhat similar to her. So, right then and there, he rocked her world.
The two Pokémon didn't even have reproductive isolation and could legally lay an egg.
Although the next day, that male Dragonair flapped its wings and left, telling her to stay put while he went to pick some oranges for her. He never came back.
Ash and the others: "…"
Dragonair have gender differences now?
Why does this story sound like this Dragonair got scammed into a one-night stand...?
Having visited both the Fuchsia Gym and the Safari Zone, there was nothing else in the city worth staying for. Ash's group regrouped and headed south from Fuchsia City, intending to travel to the location of the seventh Gym.
Cinnabar Town.
It was said to be a volcanic town surrounded by the ocean, a description that alone filled the group with anticipation.
One day later.
The three arrived at a small, canyon-like mountain, surrounded by reddish-brown rock formations and pitted, rocky ground.
Once they crossed this peak, they would be able to see the ocean.
"Let's go, let's go, don't fall behind."
"I sold everything I own! I'm counting on these next few days to get rich!"
"I hear there's real treasure this time."
At a fork in the road, bustling noises attracted the attention of Ash and his group. They saw a large crowd gathering and heading down the left path.
They formed a long line, with one person entering every three seconds.
These people all had the same look: carrying a backpack, wearing a brown vest, hiking pants, and hiking boots, with an iron pickaxe slung over their shoulder.
"So many Hikers…"
Ash was taken aback. Their destination was to the right of the fork, but the noisy chatter from the left, along with the mention of "treasure," made the three of them exchange a glance and decisively head left.
Brock went ahead first, stopping a friendly-looking Hiker. He then pulled out his Hiker qualification certificate from his pocket, a surefire way to break the ice.
"Yo, a Three-Star Hiker. Pretty impressive for a young guy like you."
The Hiker looked Brock up and down with considerable admiration.
The Hiker qualification certificate was issued by the World Hiker's Care and Protection Association. Three stars represented an elite-level Hiker, while four stars denoted a powerful Hiker at the Elite Four level.
All Hikers are one family and should help each other out.
This was the motto of the World Hiker's Care and Protection Association, and the two quickly became friendly.
It's worth noting that the World Hiker's Care and Protection Association also includes female Trainers, though they are all referred to as Hikers.
Brock nodded and got to the point:
"Bro, is there money to be made up ahead?"
"Oh, recently there have been rumors of precious prehistoric Pokémon fossils in the Grand Canyon up ahead. We're planning to go dig for them."
The Hiker's face was flush with excitement. A Pokémon fossil was worth much more than a gold mine.
You have to understand that the few fossil excavation sites in the Kanto Region were all tightly controlled by the Pokémon League, and outsiders couldn't get in at all. But this Grand Canyon was different; it had just been discovered, and the Pokémon League hadn't had time to come and seal off the site yet.
The road might be blocked in three days. Taking this opportunity, a message was quietly spread within the World Hiker's Care and Protection Association, and a large group of Hikers rushed over to try and get a piece of the action.
Brock nodded. He had forgotten to check the Hiker's group chat these past few days.
He used to have the Hiker group chat pinned, but he kept seeing members posting lewd content every time he logged on.
But now, with a heart as calm as still water, he had moved the group to his "infrequent chats" folder and paid it no mind. He never expected he'd almost miss something this big.
"..."
Brock looked at the iron pickaxes slung over the shoulders of the surrounding Hikers, muttering to himself. Surely they weren't planning to dig for fossils with iron pickaxes.
"Can't talk anymore, bro. I'm going in to find a good spot to start digging."
With that, the Hiker shouldered his iron pickaxe and hurriedly entered the left fork.
The three exchanged a look and wordlessly got in line at the back. Digging up precious fossils? How could they possibly miss out?
It was just that the line was moving a bit slowly. After waiting for ten minutes, the three of them had only just reached the middle of the queue.
And new Hikers were constantly joining the end of the line...
"Hey, why are you cutting in line?"
"Cutters should die!"
"But that pickaxe is something else…"
Ash suddenly heard a commotion from the back of the line and subconsciously turned to look.
Unexpectedly, as he turned, a brilliant golden light blinded him.
When he focused his eyes again, he saw a Spiky-Haired Youth standing at the very end of the line. He was dressed from head to toe in Hiker attire, but the fabric looked extremely high-end, glittering under the sunlight.
The most eye-catching thing, however, was the pickaxe he carried on his shoulder.
Other Hikers had iron or copper pickaxes, but his was on another level.
Gold!
A brilliant and domineering golden pickaxe!
"Are you kidding me? Is there no one here who gets it? Wielding a gaudy gold pickaxe means I am the King of Hikers! Why the hell would I need to queue? All of you, get out of my way! Ahahaha!!"
The Spiky-Haired Youth's tone, and his pose with hands on his hips while laughing maniacally, were three times more arrogant than the golden pickaxe on his shoulder!
(end of chapter)