Chapter 57: Picking up bargains and uninvited guests

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The battle between the two powerful Water-type Pokémon was both fierce and spectacular. The only regret Sato had was that he couldn't witness the entire battle, as the Poliwrath was fighting while retreating, seemingly intentionally leading the enraged Gyarados downstream.

As a result, the two powerful Water-type Pokémon didn't stay in the section of the river Sato could observe with his laptop for long and soon disappeared from the screen.

However, Sato had recorded everything he could see of the battle without missing a detail. He believed that by analyzing and understanding this battle footage, he would learn a great deal.

As the two powerful Water-type Pokémon gradually moved away, the dark clouds overhead also began to dissipate. About twenty minutes later, the torrential downpour eased, and the swollen river began to return to its normal state as the rainwater ceased to flow.

Once the rain stopped, Sato put away his laptop into his Rocket Team watch and opened the treehouse door. With Zubat's assistance, he carefully climbed down the now somewhat slippery tree trunk to the ground.

The rain had only just stopped, so the forest floor was still soaked. Whether it was the grass, wildflowers, or trees, everything was covered in countless droplets of water. With the sun now breaking through the clouds, the entire forest shimmered like a jeweled landscape.

Sato walked quickly through the forest, his rapid footsteps creating a splashing "da-da-da" sound as he hurried toward the riverbank. At this moment, the many pebbles on the riverbank were still partially submerged under a thin layer of water.

There was a reason Sato rushed to the riverbank right after the rain stopped. He wanted to try his luck and see if he could find a decent Water-type Pokémon washed ashore in the aftermath.

From the video displayed on his laptop screen, Sato had clearly seen many Water-type Pokémon that were caught off guard and injured, getting thrown onto the riverbank.

Of course, most of these unfortunate Water-type Pokémon were victims of the enraged Gyarados, who had taken out its anger on them. These injured Pokémon were now easy pickings for Sato.

Sure enough, as soon as Sato reached the riverbank, he saw a number of Water-type Pokémon lying wounded on the pebbled shore. Too injured to return to the river, they were stranded.

However, Sato was somewhat disappointed to find that these unfortunate Water-type Pokémon were all common species from Kanto. Magikarp were by far the most numerous, making up half of them. Then there were Goldeen, Poliwag, and Kingler. As for the Squirtle and Mudkip Sato had hoped to find, there wasn't even a trace of them.

"Come out, Gloom. You and Zubat stay by my side," Sato said, immediately releasing Gloom. With Gloom and Zubat by his side, he strode toward the riverbank.

Seeing the "injured" situation along the riverbank, Sato was secretly thrilled. However, to be cautious, he released Gloom to stand guard, given her grass-type advantage.

Using the system's detection function, Sato carefully scanned the Water-type Pokémon on the riverbank. Unfortunately, none of them had impressive strength or potential. The best among them was a Goldeen with a rare egg move, but it was far too small. Sato needed a Water-type Pokémon that could help him cross the river, and a Pokémon that small simply wouldn't cut it.

However, Sato's disappointment didn't last long. He quickly let it go. After all, it was rare to find a Pokémon with excellent potential. He had already been lucky enough to obtain two Pokémon with hidden abilities.

"It seems that after finding Gloom as a pleasant surprise, my luck has run out for today," Sato joked to himself. Nonetheless, he carefully returned the injured Water-type Pokémon that couldn't make it back to the river on their own.

Even though he didn't find any valuable Water-type Pokémon, Sato couldn't just leave them stranded. If he didn't return them to the river soon, once the thin layer of water on the riverbank receded and the scorching midday sun took over, they would die from dehydration.

At first, the wild Water-type Pokémon looked at Sato, the stranger, with wariness. However, after seeing him return a small Magikarp to the river, they realized Sato wasn't a threat. They patiently waited for him to help them back into the river without struggling.

Many of the Water-type Pokémon, once returned to the river, surfaced to show their gratitude to Sato before sinking back into the water.

"I've unexpectedly played the role of a good guy for once. Well, I guess I'll just consider it as earning some good karma," Sato thought to himself, feeling quite pleased as some of the Pokémon expressed their thanks.

However, Sato's "good guy" journey didn't last long, as he was quickly scared away by several incredibly strong "muscle men."

Just as Sato was about to release the remaining dozen or so Water-type Pokémon back into the river, Zubat, who had been perched on his shoulder as a lookout, suddenly shrieked, giving him a warning.

Moments after Zubat's alert, a normal-sized Ursaring swiftly emerged from the nearby forest, grabbing a Magikarp that Sato hadn't yet returned to the water. In just a few bites, the Ursaring devoured all the flesh, leaving behind only the bare fish bones.

Next, to Sato's growing apprehension, three more Ursaring emerged from the woods. Two of them were clearly mothers, each with an adorable bear cub.

But it was the final Ursaring that truly turned Sato pale with fear. This one was enormous, towering over the others by at least twice their size. When standing on its hind legs, it was almost five meters tall, making Sato look like a dwarf in comparison.

The terrifying aura of a top predator radiated from the giant Ursaring. Even a casual glance from it made Sato, Zubat, and Gloom feel a sudden chill. Their bodies instinctively trembled, and Sato's heart rate skyrocketed.

The moment this massive bear appeared before him, Sato wasted no time using his system's detection function to gather information on it. What he saw confirmed his fears.

The data on the Ursaring was as follows:

Pokémon: Ursaring

Level: 43

Type: Normal

Ability: Guts

Gender: Male

Known Moves: Arm Thrust, Covet, Scratch, Leer, Lick, Fake Tears, Fury Swipes, Sucker Punch, Sweet Scent, Play Nice, Slash, Scary Face, Roar (Tutor), Hyper Beam (Tutor), Protect (Tutor), Brick Break (Tutor), Stomp (Tutor), Fire Punch (Tutor), Ice Punch (Tutor)