Chapter 71: Arriving at Azalea Town, Master Kurt
"It's so hot! It's only spring! Why does it feel like summer already?" Ryan reached Azalea Town. The intense heat made him feel like it was midsummer, and even Celebi slumped listlessly on his shoulder.
It had been several days since they left Muramasa's dojo. On the way, they passed a place where Ryan spotted a Cyndaquil. He remembered Blaine's advice about Fire-types and decided to try capturing it. As expected, just as he was about to throw his Poké Ball, someone stopped him—apparently a League official monitoring rare Pokémon populations. Then Ryan received another call from the League headquarters.
Ryan was speechless. The bureaucracy was overwhelming!
After a quick journey, they finally arrived near Azalea Town, only to be met with this oppressive weather. Ryan felt exhausted.
He asked Celebi to use Rain Dance, and it rained for a while, which refreshed Ryan and his team. But within two minutes, the rain stopped, and the scorching sun returned.
After walking for a while, Ryan followed his PokéNav to the Slowpoke Well. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to go inside the cave to cool off and get some water.
Entering the cave, he soon discovered a vast underground lake, surrounded by dozens of Slowpoke. Suddenly remembering the local legends, Ryan went to the lake to refill his water bottles. Then he approached a Slowpoke and said, "Can you understand me? If you do, please respond."
The Slowpoke stared blankly at him for several seconds before slowly blinking.
Ryan was at a loss. Communication seemed impossible with their delayed reactions. Turning away, he said, "It's scorching hot outside. If any of you can use Rain Dance, please make it rain."
He then left the Slowpoke Well and headed for Azalea Town.
Three hours later, one Slowpoke twitched its ears and let out a slow "Slow..." Another hour passed before the group of Slowpoke began to move. They walked outside one by one, reaching a high point and yawning collectively. The numerous Slowpoke using Rain Dance together created a massive weather change—suddenly, heavy rain began to pour.
Meanwhile, Ryan had already arrived in Azalea Town, where Slowpoke were everywhere. Here, they were revered as local protectors, so Ryan didn't disturb them. He asked the townspeople for directions and found Master Kurt's residence.
After knocking on the door, a young girl opened it, glanced at Ryan, and said, "Who are you? What brings you here?"
"Hello, I'm Ryan from Pallet Town. Professor Oak told me that if I ever came here, I should visit Master Kurt," Ryan explained.
"Oh, wait a moment. I'll go ask Grandpa." She closed the door and ran to find Kurt.
A moment later, Kurt and his granddaughter came to greet Ryan. The three entered the living room, and Kurt said, "So Professor Oak sent you here. How is the old fellow doing?"
"Grandpa, who is Professor Oak?" Kurt's granddaughter, Maizie, asked.
"Maizie, Professor Oak is the foremost authority in Pokémon research," Kurt explained.
"Oh, I see," Maizie nodded.
"I'm happy to report that Professor Oak is in excellent health," Ryan said. "I'm here to commission a batch of Poké Balls from you, Master Kurt. I operate a breeding facility, and my consumption of Poké Balls is quite high. Your craftsmanship with apricorn balls is legendary throughout the regions."
"Well, it's not that I won't help you. It's just..." Kurt said helplessly.
"Money isn't an issue," Ryan assured him.
"No, it's water. The special Poké Balls made from apricorns require pure water from the Slowpoke Well. It hasn't rained lately, and the well is nearly dry. There's really no alternative," Kurt explained.
"I think I can help with that," Ryan said thoughtfully.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Once the water problem is solved, fulfilling your order will be straightforward," Kurt said. "Professor Oak mentioned your breeding operation. I'd like you to help my granddaughter choose a Pokémon as her starter."
"That's no problem at all. Master Kurt, just bring Maizie to my ranch in Pallet Town. Everything will follow proper procedure, and I won't charge for any Pokémon she wants to catch," Ryan said generously.
After all, maintaining good relationships with master craftsmen was invaluable. The breeding facility brought him substantial income, and Kurt's custom Poké Balls were worth any investment.
After discussing the arrangements, Ryan prepared to head back to the Slowpoke Well to check on the situation. Halfway there, thunder rumbled and heavy rain began pouring down.
Checking his watch, Ryan stood bewildered in the rain: Those Slowpoke have such delayed reactions! It took them four hours to process my request!
Returning to Kurt's house through the rain, Ryan was warmly welcomed. Kurt assured him that the requested Poké Balls would be ready soon, though Ryan would still need to gather the apricorns himself, as Kurt's supply was running low.
Ryan agreed, and Kurt asked Maizie to teach him how to properly select apricorns.
However, the rain continued for a full day. The next morning, the weather cleared, and Ryan and Maizie set out to collect apricorns in the nearby forest.
"Apricorns come in seven varieties: White, Red, Blue, Black, Pink, Green, and Yellow," Maizie explained as they walked. "Poké Balls crafted from different colored apricorns each have unique properties. They can be made into Level Balls, Fast Balls, Lure Balls, Moon Balls, Friend Balls, Love Balls, and Heavy Balls."
As she detailed each ball's special characteristics, Ryan and Maizie arrived at the forest grove and began collecting various apricorns.
"Don't go over there! There are Pineco!" Maizie warned.
"Don't worry. Trainers have their methods. Gengar, use Hypnosis. Chansey, sing a Lullaby," Ryan said, sending out his Pokémon. "Be gentle with the Pineco."
Both Pokémon nodded. Chansey's melodious singing combined with Gengar's hypnotic powers put all the Pineco in the trees to sleep. Ryan carefully collected the yellow apricorns. After gathering five or six, Maizie stopped him.
Ryan nodded, understanding her conservation approach. They couldn't harvest everything—sustainable collection was important for future growth.
Later, they encountered a swarm of Beedrill. When Gyarados appeared to handle the situation, Maizie got a glimpse of Ryan's true strength as a trainer, and her eyes filled with admiration.
After collecting the apricorns, Maizie tugged on Ryan's sleeve and asked, "Big brother Ryan, will I become as strong as you someday?"
"Absolutely. As long as you have dreams and work hard toward them, you'll succeed. Even if you face setbacks, turn them into learning experiences and keep growing stronger," Ryan said, gently patting her head.
Maizie nodded earnestly, a seed of determination planted in her heart.
Returning to Kurt's workshop, Ryan handed over the apricorns. A day later, he received a complete set of seven different specialty Poké Balls. The remaining balls from his large order would be packaged and shipped to Pallet Town.
Ryan nodded with satisfaction and prepared to head to the Azalea Gym to earn his second Johto badge.
(End of Chapter)
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