Running Away From Home

Greninja, who usually worked the hardest in the Ecopark, has been acting differently lately.

It had been in an ambiguous relationship with Wartortle for a long time, and these days, they finally confirmed their relationship. The sweet scent of love filled Lake No. 1 Island, and even Gyarados and Milotic, who were usually affectionate, found themselves feels like their mouth being stuffed with dog food every day.

Greninja's personality is quite slow to grasp things. Initially, it didn't realize it had feelings for Wartortle, and it couldn't tell that Wartortle liked it either. So when they met, they blushed in secret and unintentionally flirted with each other. It became a common sight.

In short, their relationship was very ambiguous.

If it were other Pokémon, as long as they liked each other, they would be together right away. But this pair took a long time to resolve their ambiguity because Greninja was too straightforward.

In the end, it was Wartortle who took the initiative to break through this ambiguity.

Unlike Greninja, Wartortle has a very smooth personality. It's been through a lot on the island, and it admires strong Pokémon.

For Greninja, who is a very serious and upright character, Wartortle could be considered quite fond of it.

It's said that when Wartortle and Greninja finally broke through their ambiguity, Greninja was so shy that it didn't want to leave the house all day. It was quite... a contrast cute, as everyone thought Greninja had a personality like a rock that wouldn't change, but who would have thought it was... like this...

These days after Greninja has a wife it rarely goes out. It spends most of its time at home with its wife and isn't eager to engage in battles with other Pokémon, as they are in their honeymoon phase.

It's during this time that Audino approaches Greninja.

Audino had been trying to break through and had been practicing with Pokémon of similar level like Great Flygon and Vespiquen, but something was missing. So, it decided to approach the Elite level Greninja to seek some motivation.

However, Greninja refused, saying: Come on, isn't spending time with my wife is lot better?

If Audino were an Elite level Pokémon, it might have motivated Greninja to battle. But Greninja is well aware of Audino's abilities, and Audino, who doesn't usually train much, wouldn't last long against Greninja.

Instead of battling, Greninja prefers to stay home and enjoy quality time with its wife.

Audino, feeling dejected after Greninja's refusal, sits by the shores of Lake No. 1 Island, where it's joined by Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff wants to offer some comfort but isn't sure what to say.

Audino picks at the grass by the shore and grumbles about Greninja prioritizing its wife over friends. It's clear that Audino is disappointed.

Suddenly, a pair of big, round eyes emerges from the water, startling Audino and Wigglytuff. They soon realize it's Poliwrath.

"Hello there," Poliwrath greets, and its eyes dart around in all directions.

"Hello," Audino responds half-heartedly, not in the best mood.

Wigglytuff, noticing Poliwrath's wandering eyes, isn't particularly fond of it and asks, "What are you here for?"

Poliwrath has a reputation for stirring up trouble on Lake No. 1 Island, and everyone knows it, even Yuga is cautious about not letting it roam freely in the Sub-Ecopark. The only place it can go is the Shallow Seashore.

"Hehe..." Poliwrath knows that Wigglytuff doesn't like it. It laughs awkwardly. Its innocent appearance, coupled with its offbeat laugh, gives it a somewhat creepy vibe.

"Do you want to break through?" Poliwrath asks Audino with a mischievous grin, remembering what Audino had been complaining about earlier while it was still in the water.

Upon hearing that Audino might know a way to break through, Audino, who was initially disinterested, suddenly became intrigued and asked, "Do you know a way?"

Poliwrath shook its head and replied, "I don't."

Audino felt disappointed with the response and said, "Then why did you ask?"

Poliwrath continued, "Actually, I'm just like you. I also want to break through!"

It was lying, as it had become quite lazy since arriving in the Ecopark and didn't really care about breaking through.

"Really? Do you have a way to break through?" Audino asked, casting a more approving look at Poliwrath, He was indeed a pseudo-Elite level, and it immediately believed in him a little more.

"I don't have a method, but we can go out to search for one. Staying here all day won't help us find a breakthrough opportunity," Poliwrath suggested enticingly.

It really wanted to get out, and if Audino, as the assistant butler to Yuga, agreed, there wouldn't be any problems.

"Go out? Can we find a way to break through outside?" Audino murmured softly.

Poliwrath continued, "Certainly! Why do you think so many Trainers go on journeys? They find breakthroughs outside."

Poliwrath, having previously lived on a secluded island, wasn't entirely aware of human Trainers and their practices. It had picked up these ideas from other Pokémon in the Ecopark.

Audino's eyes lit up upon hearing this, finding Poliwrath's words somewhat convincing.

Wigglytuff, who had initially wanted to scold Poliwrath, refrained from doing so. Instead, it suddenly had its own thoughts.

"But Yuga probably won't allow me to go out. He's so busy these days; he won't have time to accompany me," Audino hesitated.

Seeing Audino's interest, Poliwrath continued to add fuel to the fire, saying, "Why don't we go on our own? We can handle it together, and there won't be any danger."

However, Audino kept hesitating.

Then, it was Wigglytuff who surprisingly spoke up, "Let's go together. I want to visit the Pokémon Tower. Since Yuga is so busy, we might as well go by ourselves and not trouble him."

Wigglytuff considered that Audino and Poliwrath both had strong combat power. With them by its side, it believed there wouldn't be any major risks.

Poliwrath was delighted to hear Wigglytuff's agreement, while Audino continued to weigh the options.

Audino, of course, knew about its best friend's situation, so upon hearing Wigglytuff's words, it immediately felt invigorated and said, "Alright, let's go on our own!"

And so, led by Audino, Poliwrath left the Ecopark. The three Pokémon set off on a spontaneous trip..

Before they left, Wigglytuff informed Chatot about their destination to prevent Yuga from worrying about their whereabouts. However, Chatot was quite an eccentric fellow and often forgot things when it got carried away.

When Yuga returned from the construction site, he found his home empty, with neither Audino nor Wigglytuff present. He was puzzled.

At this moment, Audino and its companions were already on a bus heading to Mauville City. In the Pokémon world, it's not necessary to buy tickets for Pokémon to ride a bus; they simply follow people and are often mistaken for someone else's Pokémon.

It's not uncommon for trainers to carry their Pokémon on public transportation instead of keeping them inside Poké Balls.

The location of Pokémon Tower is situated between Mauville City and Verdanturf Town. Therefore, they had to get off the bus halfway. Mauville City was not far from Verdanturf Town, or else Wigglytuff wouldn't have agreed to accompany Audino and Poliwrath on this trip.

Wigglytuff held a space backpack tightly in its arms, containing their food for the journey and some basic necessities.

It clung to the backpack, feeling a bit anxious, wondering if Yuga would be angry when he found out they had left without informing him.

On the other hand, Audino had a more carefree spirit. It found the excitement of secretly running away from home to be thrilling. (Audino: Maybe I've awakened some strange trait!)

As for Poliwrath, what fascinated it the most was the bus they were currently riding. It found the human world incredible. Everything they saw on this journey was entirely new to it, unlike the island where it used to live.

"I should have come out to explore earlier!" Poliwrath thought excitedly.

Apologies for the shorter response today.