Hearing Axel's words, the group of Garchomps, Brown, and Professor Oak, who was still on the call, fell into collective silence.
Only Cynthia couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Not long ago, there had been a funny incident involving a breeder who often did livestreams.
A Nidoran had been extremely possessive of its food, to the point it poisoned its own trainer just to protect it.
The poor trainer, having no other choice, sent Nidoran to the breeder's place.
In the end, the breeder discovered… that Nidoran was simply starving out of its mind.
That poor Nidoran, who should've been eating 2 kilograms of food a day, had only been getting 0.3 kilograms from its trainer.
Who wouldn't go crazy from hunger?
Originally, Cynthia had thought that story was just a joke, maybe a marketing stunt that breeder made up to go viral.
But now, she actually believed it.
On the phone, Professor Oak's voice came through, filled with confusion and disbelief.
["Wait, did I just hear someone say that the Gible was just hungry?"]
["But I feed it by the standard amount every single day!"]
["If my feeding standards are wrong, then what have I even been researching all my life?"]
Across several regions, the Pokémon world's best expert on caring for young Pokémon stood dumbfounded, questioning the meaning of his own existence.
["Mr. Brown, don't just stand there! Answer me!"]
Brown was completely confused, "I don't know!"
He had clearly seen that Axel hadn't given the Gible much food, actually less than what they usually gave before.
So how come what Axel gave made Gible suddenly so lively and energetic?
"It's the energy density," Axel explained casually after noticing the confused looks from the Garchomps and Brown.
"This Gible has incredibly high aptitude. It even seems to have inherited some Tyranitar traits, its digestion rate and capacity have increased dramatically."
"In other words, you should've been feeding it according to the standards for a young Larvitar."
"What I gave it just now wasn't much, but it was food meant for a Champion-level Archaludon. The energy density is way higher than what you guys use."
"Phew~", The Garchomp tribe leader hissed between his teeth, feeling an ache in his chest.
So many years without a son, and when he finally, by pure chance, got one, he almost starved the poor kid to death?
To be fair, he'd never raised a Garchomp born from a Tyranitar before.
If he'd kept feeding like that, this son of his would've been done for.
The Garchomp chief let out a helpless roar, and Gardevoir translated for him.
["Master, he's asking if you're willing to take the little Gible with you."]
Axel grinned. This Gible's stats were ridiculously good, top-tier aptitude. How could he not take it?
"Deal!"
Upon hearing that it was going with Axel, the little Gible, who was splashing in the water, jumped up excitedly and waved goodbye to its tribe without hesitation.
'Goodbye, real dad! From now on, I'm sticking with my godfather!'
'I'll tell mom later, don't wait for me for dinner this year!'
The Garchomp tribe leader: "..."
'Fine, fine, just go and grow strong. In the future, beat Leon's Charizard and become the world's number one Garchomp!'
To him as tribe leader, that was what mattered most.
The chief gestured for Axel to wait a moment, then went back into the cave and came out holding a few scales. He handed them carefully to the little Gible.
When Axel saw the scales, he couldn't help being surprised.
This old chief really had something, those were dragon scales shed by Dialga and Palkia.
Such precious items, and he was actually giving them away. Truly, all parents share the same selfless love.
However…
"Chief, you should take these back. I've got plenty of them at home."
The Garchomp chief: "???"
'Bro, sure, you're stronger than me and better at raising Pokémon, even beat the two time-space dragons, but your house is full of these?'
Axel didn't say anything. He simply dialed Mewtwo's number.
On the screen appeared Dialga and Palkia sitting side by side obediently, watching Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.
The entire group of Garchomps fell silent.
'Wait a second, you actually keep the time-space dragons at home?'
Putting away the Rotom device, Axel smiled at the old chief.
"Chief, anything else you'd like to tell me?"
The Garchomp chief took a deep breath, ["Train this child well. Hit him if you need to, scold him if you must!"]
They lingered in the Great Wetlands for another half a day, giving Cynthia and her Garchomp time to visit family, and letting little Gible feel some real fatherly love.
When Axel and the others finally boarded Gyarados to leave, the usually carefree Gible actually felt a twinge of sadness.
During that half-day, the normally stern Garchomp chief, ignoring the surprised stares of his kin, had personally gone into the water to catch fish for his son.
"Alright, don't see us off anymore."
Axel waved to Brown and the Garchomps as Gyarados roared and soared into the sky.
Once they'd flown far enough, the previously teary Gible immediately bounced back to his cheerful self.
"Gyaaah!"
'Master, I'm hungry again! Can we grill something on Gyarados's back?'
Gyarados: "???"
'Hey, I may be a Water-type, but that doesn't mean you can start a fire on my back!'
Axel laughed and handed over a small box of cookies, "Here, eat these first. When we get home, I'll give you something better."
"Gyaaah!"
The little Gible shouted with excitement.
This time… he'd really found the right master.
'If you don't abandon me, I'll call you father.'
Before long, Gyarados returned to the Sinnoh League.
Axel first went to the Poké Mart to buy a large stockpile of food for Gible.
The little guy's body was severely depleted, he'd be eating a lot for quite some time.
After leaving the Poké Mart, Cynthia noticed the direction Gyarados was flying and blinked in surprise.
"Gyarados must've taken a wrong turn, that way's toward the Elite Four's residence. Aren't we going home?"
Axel chuckled, "The little one's never been in human society before, and he's still starving. I'm afraid he'll demolish the house."
He didn't mention the real reason, he was worried Dialga and Palkia might surrender.
If those two gave in, where was he going to get new power tags from?
When Cynthia heard him say "our home," her pretty face flushed red, and her voice softened even more.
"But… if we go to the Elite Four's place, doesn't that mean we'll have to work again? We finally got a vacation."
"Then just make them leave."
"Huh?", Cynthia froze, 'Wait, that's even an option?'
'Wouldn't that make them feel offended though?'
"Don't worry. The moment I move in, Flint will be dying to leave."
Cynthia blinked, not quite believing him.
Flint was indeed friendly, but with his fiery, battle-hungry personality, if the two of them moved in, wouldn't he just challenge Axel every single day?
But soon, Cynthia understood why Axel had spoken with such confidence.
Just as they arrived at Flint's door, his weary voice echoed from the courtyard.
"Infernape, I'm begging you, please stop using your thing to breathe fire, okay?"
"We're supposed to be Elites! Have you no shame?"
"INFERNAAAPE!"
Even though no one understood what Infernape said, both Axel and Cynthia could clearly hear the unshakable conviction in its tone.
Flint sighed toward the heavens, "If I'd known this would happen, I'd never have gone to find Axel back then…"
"Listen up, everyone! If you see Axel in the future, RUN!"
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