"Phew!"
Watching Luo Yuan successfully capture Gyarados, Misty finally let out a sigh of relief. The tension that had been mounting since Gyarados appeared gradually faded.
"Looks like I still haven't gotten over my fear..." Misty admitted quietly. She'd tried to conquer her fear of Gyarados before, hoping to break free from the shadows of her childhood trauma.
But today, just like every other ti, her attempts had fallen short.
She clenched her fists with renewed determination. If she kept traveling with Luo Yuan now that he had his own Gyarados, maybe she'd finally overco her fears.
The thought made her smile.
"By the way, Luo Yuan, about that rock that smacked Gyarados..."
Misty's curiosity flared as she rembered the massive boulder that had suddenly diverted Gyarados's attack mid-air. From what she knew, Charleon shouldn't have that kind of move.
And then there was that strange way Luo Yuan had made the Ultra Ball float back to him...
"That was my psychic ability—just a basic form of telekinesis," he explained with a shrug. To demonstrate, he raised his hand, and a nearby stone floated upward, suspended in a blue glow before gently landing in his palm. With a small flex of his fingers, the rock split cleanly in two.
"Whoa, that's amazing..." Misty gaped, awestruck. She was no stranger to psychic abilities; Saffron City Gym was well known across Kanto for its psychic Pokémon and its gym leader's rumored talents. But for Luo Yuan to possess such power... it was impressive.
The strength of his telekinesis was a rare gift, one she'd only heard was rivaled by Saffron's powerful Gym Leader, Sabrina.
"Honestly, it's nothing," Luo Yuan replied modestly. "My psychic skills are still pretty rudintary."
He wasn't just being humble. The truth was, he'd only had his psychic ability for a short ti, and he could only manage basic object control. He was still leagues away from achieving high-level feats like teleportation, mind control, or, as so had claid, transforming others into toys.
"...Nothing, huh?" Misty glanced back at the heavy boulder he'd just cracked in half, speechless.
Luo Yuan chuckled, steering the conversation away from the topic. After all, the psychic ability he'd received as a prize was better left unexplained.
With Gyarados's injuries tended to and Charleon rewarded with a pat on the back, he and Misty set out once more.
---
Pewter City was built on the rocky terrain bordering Mt. Moon, a city of miners and talsmiths. The dark gray architecture and rugged atmosphere gave Pewter a sturdy, rough-hewn feel. People on the streets were mostly climbers or miners accompanied by Rock-type Pokémon, adding to the city's solid, stony impression.
But as they walked, Luo Yuan noticed signs of a city in decline: lines of closed shops, and a heaviness on people's faces.
The reason was clear. Recently, the Kanto League had increased restrictions on mining and refining industries, trying to address the growing impact of pollution and environntal destruction on wild Pokémon.
Pewter City, being the heart of Kanto's mining economy, was hit especially hard. Reports of once-thriving mining companies going under had beco all too common.
"Still... it's none of our business," Luo Yuan said, stepping inside Pewter's Pokémon Center with Misty.
While Nurse Joy tended to Gyarados's wounds, Luo Yuan took the opportunity to gather intel on any recent developnts in Pewter City.
"Anything big happening around here lately?" he asked casually.
Joy thought for a mont, tapping her chin. "Well... there has been one major issue recently..."
"Oh?"
Luo Yuan's interest was piqued—he hadn't expected anything noteworthy to co up from a casual inquiry.
Nurse Joy leaned forward, lowering her voice. "It started three days ago. The Zubat in Mt. Moon have gone wild, attacking both passing trainers and other Pokémon. So environntal groups think it's because of years of over-mining, and they've set up blockades to stop any miners from entering Mt. Moon. There's been a lot of tension, and there were even reports of scuffles breaking out."
"Really? And the League isn't stepping in?" Misty looked genuinely surprised.
Usually, in cases like this, the League would have sent an Officer Jenny or a gym leader to diate between the miners and the environntalists.
"The city's officers are already stretched thin investigating the Zubat outbreak," Nurse Joy replied, her face creased with worry. "Gym Leader Brock has tried to diate a few tis, but he hasn't had much success."
The conflict had already led to several confrontations, Joy explained, and the number of injured Pokémon brought to her center was rising. It was only a matter of ti before tensions escalated.
Luo Yuan took in her words with a slight nod. He wasn't exactly surprised; on one side, you had environntalists trying to protect the mountain ecosystem, and on the other, miners defending their livelihoods. With both sides deadlocked, finding a middle ground seed almost impossible.
Just then, the machine emitted a soft chi, signaling Gyarados's treatnt was complete.
After Nurse Joy handed him Gyarados's Poké Ball, she looked back up at him, concerned. "If possible, I'd recomnd avoiding Mt. Moon until things settle down."
"Thanks for the warning. I appreciate it." Luo Yuan took the Poké Ball with a warm smile.
He genuinely appreciated Nurse Joy's advice, but whether he would actually follow it was another matter. There was still a lot more information to uncover before he could decide on his next steps.
And, of course, all of this would have to wait until they addressed a more pressing issue...
"So, Misty," Luo Yuan asked, grinning, "any ideas for lunch?"
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