Chapter 36: Beautifly

At Slateport City, it took less than two hours to travel here from Mt. Chimney by private helicopter.

Sitting silently in his seat, Darren closed his eyes and reflected on his experiences of the past month. For Darren, this journey was a precious and irreplaceable experience, especially the process of growing together with Swablu. It was like a baptism for Darren, who had just started his journey, and he exuded a kind of indescribable temperament, which was an essential experience for any experienced trainer.

In other words, this past month gave Darren the opportunity to put many theories into practice and gain insights into observing a newly born Pokemon gradually grow.

While savoring the gains of the past month, Master Shozo was curious about Darren's experiences and asked him about them. Moreover, Shozo handed over the commemorative ball for the Beautifly. Shozo had taken care of the Beautifly for the past month, and after explaining what the Beautifly was doing the past month, Darren felt reassured.

After a moment of silence, facing Master Shozo's inquiry, Darren said, "I gained a lot. The discrepancies between the theories in the books and reality, the true ecological environment of the Pokemon, how to raise a newborn Pokemon... and witnessing the successive awakenings of genetic moves... especially Dragon Rush, which surprised me the most."

Darren spoke slowly, and only after he mentioned the move Dragon Rush did Master Shozo's eyes shine, and he laughed heartily. "So, it was successful?!"

Master Shozo was very excited about the success of his experiment. "So, you are satisfied with this month's training too?" he asked.

Darren nodded, then sighed, "I kind of hate battling."

"A trainer only needs enough knowledge. Battling is not the only way for a person or a Pokemon to grow," Master Shozo said, looking satisfied. He remembered the information he had gathered about Darren, he was a normal child for the first six years of his life, with nothing extraordinary about him. However, after Darren's parents died, he was adopted by the orphanage, and he seemed to change overnight. He devoted himself to learning and became mature and sensible, and everyone's evaluation of him was very high. This was not easy for a child.

Thinking about Darren's background, Master Shozo had a vague feeling that maybe only a child who had experienced such difficulties could shine and excel as Darren did now. Although the actual situation was very different from his speculation, as time passed, Master Shozo was more and more optimistic about Darren.

Especially now, after gaining a profound understanding of Darren's character, Master Shozo looked at him with admiration and satisfaction.

"You've worked hard this month. Let's take a break today and have a big meal tonight," Master Shozo said, stroking his beard with a smile.

...

Slateport City.

The sky was gradually darkening.

Darren returned to the city, and thanks to Master Shozo's arrangements, he no longer looked dusty and tired. After taking a shower and changing into new clothes, he finally enjoyed a normal meal after a long time, and felt very good.

In a hotel room, Darren looked at the commemorative ball in his hand and couldn't help but feel nostalgic and happy.

"Come out, Beautifly!"

With a slight flash of white light, the beautiful form of Beautifly appeared before Darren's eyes. When it saw Darren, it couldn't wait to fly over and burrowed into Darren's arms.

"Beautifly... How was this past month for you?" Darren greeted it with a smile. After a month, both sides missed each other.

"Gu..." Beautifly made a happy sound, and Darren felt its joyful mood.

Looking at Beautifly, which was sticking to him, even though it had only been a short month, Darren could see the significant changes in Beautifly. With Master Shozo, a top-level breeder, taking care of it, Beautifly's life this month was undoubtedly more comfortable and luxurious than his own, wasn't it?

Now, Beautifly seemed more spirited than before and had a new aura that it didn't have in the past.

"Indeed... the environment also determines a Pokemon's temperament." After a month, both Beautifly and Darren had undergone tremendous changes. One enjoyed the care of a top-level breeder, with the best food, nutrition, and play-resting environment, while the other lived in the wild, eating wild fruits and dried food, and traversing the forests daily. When these two environments were compared, they were like heaven and earth.

However, for Darren and Beautifly, these experiences were nutrients for their growth.

"Let me see what progress you've made this past month." Darren smiled. He could feel that Beautifly had improved in many ways compared to a month ago.

Darren also wanted to know what kind of progress Beautifly had made under Master Shozo's care, and where he and the top-level breeder differed.

"After that, I'll tell you the experiences of Swablu and I went through this past month. Tomorrow... I'll take you to meet your new partner." Darren murmured to himself while gently grooming Beautifly's wings. Obviously, Darren was still interested in Swablu's affairs, and he was even eager.

A new partner?

Feeling this unfamiliar term, Beautifly looked out at the night sky with confusion and curiosity.

...

The first ray of sunlight broke through the sky, and the courtyard Darrens put on their coats. After washing up a bit, Beautifly hovered around the courtyard Darrens, constantly flying around them.

Walking towards the restaurant, Master Shozo was already waiting for the Darren, to arrive. After breakfast, as agreed, Darren and Master, along with Beautifly, boarded Master's private helicopter and headed towards Mt. Chimney.

On the helicopter, Darren looked out the window and worried about the following evaluation.

"Don't worry, your efforts will definitely be seen by the Altaria. The bond between you and the Swablu is something that it can understand," Master said, sensing Darren's concern and turning his head to speak.

Master Shozo had full confidence in Darren, and he was also extremely interested in the awakened Swablu's "Dragon Rush" move.

This also pertained to an extremely important experiment that Master Shozo, a top breeder, was focused on.

"Believe in the Swablu, it will definitely try to convince its mother... Your future with the Swablu will not end in this small Mt. Chimney."

After hearing Master Shozo's words, Darren's mood gradually eased. Indeed, he had to believe in Swablu. Their month of hard work and effort was undeniable!