The ocean was a world full of colors. In the height of July, the sea water was warm from the sun, wrapping Ethan's body in a pleasant, comforting sensation as he dove in.
All around him, Magikarp and Goldeen swam among multicolored corals, while shell Pokémon like Shellder and Clamperl drifted gracefully to the rhythm of the waves.
"What a beautiful sight," Ethan murmured, awestruck. It was his first time diving, and the scene before him was truly breathtaking.
"Wait... that's a Gyarados!"
Suddenly, a massive figure appeared before him, making Ethan flinch in surprise. Luckily, they were within the boundaries of the breeding grounds, and although Gyarados was naturally a ferocious Pokémon, it showed no hostility here.
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Derek Ashford's voice sounded through the dive suit communicator. "The ocean floor's beautiful, right?"
"Yeah, it's really beautiful," Ethan nodded, his eyes scanning the surroundings, searching for any sign of a Seadra.
Before coming, Derek had given him a list of the Pokémon available at the breeding grounds, and Seadra was among them. However, according to the price chart, it was one of the rarest and most valuable species there.
"What kind of Pokémon are you looking for?" asked Derek, noticing Ethan looking all around.
"I'm interested in a Seadra, a Lapras, or a Starmie," Ethan replied after a moment's thought.
Derek's face darkened. This guy only picked rare Pokémon! Was he trying to make a fool out of him?
"You said I could pick any one I wanted," Ethan replied with a mischievous grin.
"Fine, fine, I know," Derek sighed, rolling his eyes. After thinking for a moment, he added, "I know where a few Seadra usually hang around. If you're interested, I'll take you there."
"I knew you'd pick Seadra," he said with a forced smile, while Ethan secretly rejoiced. Just what he wanted!
A little later, under Derek's guidance, they arrived at a coral reef area. In the distance, several Horsea were hanging from the corals by their tails, lazily swaying back and forth as if playing on swings.
"There it is... Seadra!" Ethan exclaimed, spotting one among the group of Horsea.
He activated his suit's amplifier and shouted, "Who's your leader? Come out and face me!"
According to the Pokédex, Seadra had a volatile temperament, and sure enough, one emerged from the group with a fierce look, locking eyes with Ethan.
"Hey, Ethan," Derek warned. "That Seadra's one of the strongest in the breeding grounds, and we're underwater... be careful."
It was unclear whether he said that out of genuine concern or out of fear that Ethan might actually capture that exceptional specimen.
"Relax, it's just a Seadra. My Slowking isn't afraid," Ethan said confidently, giving a thumbs-up.
Derek returned a stiff smile.
Worried?
Ha!
What he was worried about was that this monster might actually catch it!
"All right, let's begin. Slowking, use Psychic!" Ethan commanded seriously.
"Yadon..." Slowking murmured, raising his hand. A wave of psychic energy burst from his body, parting the water as it shot forcefully toward Seadra.
The aquatic Pokémon was startled by the attack, but its figure blurred into a flash, deftly dodging the strike.
"What speed! Did it use Agility?" Ethan thought, astonished.
Though the water affected the trajectory of the attack, there was no doubt Seadra was incredibly fast.
"A Seadra that's mastered Agility... its talent is outstanding," Ethan noted with satisfaction. If he couldn't find a stronger one, this would be his pick.
"Agility?" Derek thought with frustration. "If it can move like that, just run away already!"
But instead of fleeing, Seadra began circling around Slowking at high speed.
"Finish it!" Ethan ordered.
Immediately, Slowking's body shone with a blue glow. A powerful wave of mental energy rippled through the water.
In an instant, the rapidly moving Seadra froze in place, surrounded by the same blue glow—it had been caught by Slowking's telekinesis.
Boom!
Then, a second psychic blast—an even stronger one—struck the immobilized Seadra head-on, sending it flying violently.
"That was... Telekinesis and Psychic at the same time!" Derek exclaimed in shock.
It was well known that Psychic-type moves required immense mental focus. Using two Psychic-type moves simultaneously was nearly impossible, even for the strongest Psychic Pokémon.
When Ethan's Sandslash had shown the "dual concentration" technique, everyone had been amazed—but this was something entirely different. Slowking wasn't using a mere technique; it was perfect cooperation between two minds!
In reality, Slowking didn't literally have "two minds"—it was the fusion of two Pokémon, Slowpoke and Shellder, working together within a single body.
During the battle, both had simultaneously channeled their psychic power. First, Shellder immobilized the swift Seadra, and then Slowking unleashed the main attack, striking with devastating precision.
Boom!
Seadra tried to resist, but under the combined control of Shellder's telekinesis and Slowking's Psychic power, it was hurled back again, finally collapsing in defeat.
Ethan successfully captured it.
(End of Chapter)