Chapter Seventy: Healing the Little Sea Lion

“There isn’t a single root left in its mouth—this isn’t an accidental break, someone pulled the teeth out,” Zhuyue Han said, turning over the little Seel’s lips for a look. “Ruthless, but at least there aren’t any worse injuries.”

“Lapras, use Ice Beam to make a pool of ice.”

A blue radiance shimmered. Under Lapras’s steady output, a neat square pool of ice took shape—though, judging by size, it looked more like a bathtub.

“This is already great,” Zhuyue Han said from atop the ice platform, gently placing the little Seel into the tub.

“Lapras, keep infusing Life Dew. Dairy Fairy, Sweet Scent, Aromatic Mist.”

In battle, Sweet Scent could make the opponent careless and lower their evasiveness; here, it could further ease the little Seel’s wariness, helping him relax. Aromatic Mist was even simpler—Zhuyue Han just wanted to boost the little Seel’s condition so he’d benefit from the treatment. If only Dairy Fairy had learned Aromatherapy by now; then this full suite of healing moves could be called “the Domain of Life.” If, in the future, they could recruit a Pokémon who could use Heal Pulse and Grassy Terrain, this combo would be even more effective.

With the icy bath lowering the temperature, the water cooled as needed—a crucial factor for Seel, especially one so badly injured.

Lapras and Dairy Fairy each performed their specialties, while Zhuyue Han emptied the remaining Life Dew from the medical kit into the bath, along with two Vitality Pills and one Antidote. The little one’s injuries were complex; he could only stabilize him before sending up a flare.

Zhuyue Han glanced at the tub, then shook his head unconsciously. The air was thick with sweetness—the blend of Life Dew and the berry-based “pills,” the Seel floating inside, the powdered Ice Stone sprinkled in to keep the temperature down, and the Oran and Sitrus Berries placed in front of the Seel...

It gave Zhuyue Han the illusion that, if he lit a fire under the pot, he’d have a dish ready to serve—a scene straight out of “Tom Cooks Goldfish.”

“No, what am I thinking?” he muttered, carefully adjusting the Seel’s body to ensure none of his limbs were pinned underneath. The Life Dew infusion was working wonders; little Seel, looking healthier by the minute, was able to float on the surface and nibble at the berries, the juices leaking out and dyeing the bath with new hues.

If he could eat, that was good. Though he didn’t look too adept at it, his condition seemed stable. As expected, the Life Dew Lapras had practiced with had plenty of potency.

“Not bad, though it sure burns through resources.”

Zhuyue Han wiped the water from his forehead—though he’d been gentle, the Seel had still spasmed a few times, splashing him thoroughly.

Whoosh—

Another flare shot into the sky. This one was serious; he couldn’t wait to accumulate a few more before calling for help.

“Wuu?”

“A good question—I don’t know how he got hurt, either.”

Zhuyue Han motioned for Lapras to lull the little Seel to sleep with Sing, and only after the Seel dozed off did he explain.

“Some of the external wounds likely came from crashing into branches; the poisoning probably happened before that. As for the teeth, I’m guessing it was the work of members of Team Dark.”

He handed Lapras and Dairy Fairy some energy cubes, popping two himself.

“This little Seel was probably kept at a base, a reserve for Dark Balls. Life couldn’t have been easy—bullying and forced battles were likely commonplace.”

The classic “raise the strongest through infighting” method favored by villainous groups, selecting only the mightiest Pokémon as their minions.

“Never enough food, poor sleep, and on top of that, beatings. And those are just the old wounds—we’ve only treated the newest injuries tonight.”

Zhuyue Han sat on the icy platform. “All those old injuries left him frail. Most Pokémon could be returned to Lake of Rage after treatment, but this little one might not be so lucky.”

Even with his ailments healed, he’d need good care and nourishment for a while. Afterward, he’d probably have to work to pay off his debt; whether he stayed with the League or returned to Lake of Rage would be up to him.

If they just released him into the wild, it’d be as good as booking him a spot in Lavender Town ahead of time.

The Pokémon world was rich in resources, and wild Pokémon with healing skills—dubbed “wild clerics”—were common. Normally, Pokémon wouldn’t face major disasters, but there were always strange villains stirring up trouble.

“These guys can’t all be inheritors from the Dark Era, right?” Zhuyue Han pondered. Old loyalists and the like existed, but not all of them. The power of legendary Pokémon, if you thought about it, was much like the pursuit of immortality or ultimate weapons—every age had those who sought them. There was no stopping it.

So far, among those with notable lineages, aside from the Meteor and Sootopolis clans, Zhuyue Han could only recall Lysandre. The Red Lion was supposedly of royal blood and had once acted with a saint’s nobility—until human greed proved too much. He’d been shaped, or perhaps twisted, by the so-called “original sin of greed.”

League staff descended on a Pidgeot; Zhuyue Han sent Dairy Fairy to toss a Poké Ball while he handed over the compiled medical report.

“This Seel’s case is pretty severe. Please keep an eye on him.”

The staff member nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ve had a few critical cases like this before—you’ve already done a great job.”

Pidgeot spread its wings and flew off. Zhuyue Han mounted Lapras again. With a Water Gun, Lapras shattered the platform and tub, and they pressed on toward the deeper parts of the forest maze.

“Strange, it’s getting colder,” Zhuyue Han muttered, scratching his head. Dairy Fairy had already abandoned Lapras’s head in favor of his arms. Lapras, ice-and-water-typed, was unfazed; the white-furred monkey felt nothing either. Still, such an odd drop in temperature was unusual.

“I haven’t heard any commotion—can’t be Elder Yan battling anyone.”

“Lapras, are you sure there isn’t an underground stream here?”

“Wuu.” Lapras shook her head. She’d started sensing for water veins the moment she saw Seel, guessing he might have been swept up by an underground current and battered along the way.

The temperature kept dropping, and Zhuyue Han even saw chunks of floating ice drifting downstream.

“Team Dark, chasing legends—what’s at the heart of Lake of Rage? The Red Gyarados arc shouldn’t be happening, right?”

“Wuu! Wuu!” Lapras suddenly became excited, calling out to two figures ahead and speeding up.

“Lapras?” Were these Elder Yan’s Laprases?

The two Laprases before them smiled kindly. Long time no see—how has our child grown so... tall?!

Their child now stood as tall as they did. Shock—or perhaps horror—was writ plain on their faces.

How tall was she before she left home?

“Well, it’s been a while,” Zhuyue Han greeted them. “What brings you here? Looking for stragglers?”

“Laas...” Uncertain, let’s take a look.

The Lapras couple circled their child, sensing that she looked healthier than she had at the Kaji Gym, her skin glowing with vibrant energy—a sign of good health.

Fine, the only explanation must be this human by her side.

“Laas.” We sensed our good child was close, so we came to see.

“I see.” Zhuyue Han nodded. “So these ice floes—were they your doing?”

The Lapras couple shook their heads, motioning for them to follow.

And so, Zhuyue Han saw a massive iceberg, within which stood a modern, high-tech base.

“Huh?”

“Delibird.”

A Delibird flapped down, pausing in surprise at the sight of Zhuyue Han.

Well now, it’s you again—this human Togepi.

Zhuyue Han’s mouth twitched. “Did you make this iceberg?”

“Delibird.” Me and Swinub.

Oh.

Zhuyue Han nodded silently. With two powerhouses like these, the forest maze hadn’t been completely frozen—clearly, they’d exercised restraint.

“Delibird.” Come along, I’ll take you to my trainer.

At the shore, the crowd had grown; men and women in white lab coats bustled to and fro.

“What’s going on? Why did Elder Yan freeze the entire base?”

“Because of the production line.”

Elder Yan appeared, leaning on his cane, Swinub at his side.

“There was a Dark Ball production line hidden in the forest maze. The base leader destroyed it ahead of us; the power of the Dark Balls leaked out, sending many wild Pokémon into a rampage.”

He patted Lapras on the head. “Looks like you’re doing well.”

“Wuu!” Of course!

Zhuyue Han felt he understood. “So you froze all the rampaging Pokémon, then called for League backup?”

“Half right. The other half was Koga’s Pokémon using toxins to force an abnormal state, but some still escaped our net. That’s why the League sent you students to sweep the perimeter.”

So, they were the cleanup crew, assigned to the outskirts.

Zhuyue Han considered this. “You destroyed the production line as soon as you saw Koga and the others?”

“Yes. Once they realized they were exposed, they destroyed everything. No time to preserve any data; otherwise, we might have solved the Dark Ball problem for good.”

He sighed. “Time was tight. Freezing the base lets the League defrost it bit by bit, minimizing risk.”

Pokémon and people were frozen—no need to worry about resistance during treatment or clean-up.

“There’s one more thing,” Elder Yan added, glancing at the Lapras family. “How did you manage to raise her so much in such a short time?”

If he didn’t know Zhuyue Han’s attitude toward Pokémon, he’d suspect Lapras had undergone some strange experiments.

“Good food, good sleep, and proper training. Is this growth rate really so shocking?”

“It is. You should have gone straight to Breeder Academy.”

“Honestly, I’d rather spend my time with Pokémon than fiddling with resources and cube formulas.”

Had he not joined Joy Academy, Zhuyue Han might never have met a Scyther with a built-in stealth passive or a Gloom with the “Oblivious” trait.

The bond between trainers and their partners was what the Pokémon world called “kizuna”—and it applied even to wild Pokémon.

Meeting every Pokémon wasn’t about seeking the divine Arceus; building a living Pokédex through everyday life was a joy in itself.