"That Dragon Scale was dyed with special herbs; it's natural you felt something was off. It's not a Dragonite's Reverse Scale—it belongs to a Kingdra."
Feng Che's telepathic explanation echoed in Lance's mind.
"Dyed?" Lance replied mentally, his brow furrowing. "No wonder my Dragon Power couldn't pick up the scent of a Dragonite. I thought the salty sea air was interfering with my senses. How did you spot the fake?"
"Look closely at the scale in the auctioneer's hand. It's damp, almost covered in tiny water droplets," Feng Che noted. "That's a unique trait of Kingdra's Reverse Scale. Their scales are structurally designed to absorb moisture and secrete fresh water. It's how Kingdra survives for long periods out of the ocean. Since we're at sea and the air is humid, it's secreting water like a sponge. Most people just assume it's wet from the environment."
Feng Che smiled. "A Kingdra scale goes for maybe a million. A Dragonite's? Over five million. It's a classic bait-and-switch for the uninitiated."
Lance looked at the boy with renewed intrigue. How many hidden talents does this kid have? As the bidding war escalated to four million—driven largely by "shill" bidders planted in the crowd—Feng Che nudged Lance. "Let's go. This whole auction is a cesspool of fakes. I'll show you something actually worth your time."
He led Lance to a dingy corner where a vendor was selling Magikarp.
"Do you have a Gyarados on your team?" Feng Che asked.
"No," Lance shook his head.
"Then buy a Magikarp. Who knows? It might just evolve," Feng Che teased.
Lance sighed, looking at the flopping fish. "Magikarp evolution is incredibly rare and depends on extreme luck and will. If I wanted a Gyarados, I'd just catch one of the wild ones currently surrounding the ship."
"Ah, but we aren't just buying a Magikarp," Feng Che winked. "We're buying what's inside it."
The vendor was a familiar face to anyone who had seen the "Salesman" of legend—the same man who had tricked Team Rocket's James four times.
"Step right up! 1,000 Dollars for a prime specimen! Carefully raised!" the salesman shouted.
Lance looked at the tank. "These are all low-potential, common fish. Why are you so excited?"
"Magikarp potential is almost always 'Common' until they evolve. It's the nature of the species," Feng Che explained. He pointed to a massive, ancient-looking Magikarp lying at the bottom of the tank, looking like a literal piece of salted fish. "I'll take that one."
"Feng Che, that fish is ancient," Lance whispered. "Its potential is spent. Its scales are dull, and it looks like it's on its last breath."
"The bigger the Magikarp, the bigger the Gyarados," Feng Che joked. "Last chance, Lance. Do you want it?"
Lance shook his head. "I'll pass. You enjoy your 'salted fish'."
Feng Che bought the fish. Because it was a black market deal, it came in a "Black Ball"—a banned, untraceable Poké Ball. "Swap this for a legal one as soon as we hit Cinnabar," the salesman warned.
Feng Che then bought a bundle of Fish-Scale Grass, an herb that accelerates scale shedding in Water-types.
Back in their cabin, Lance finally broke his silence. "Alright, Alchemist. What's the secret? You wouldn't waste money on a dying fish."
Feng Che released the Magikarp. It flopped onto the deck with a heavy THUD, nearly cracking the floorboards. It reeked of brine, and its scales were falling off in clumps.
"Look at those falling scales," Feng Che pointed. "This fish has lived for nearly a hundred years. A normal Magikarp only lives fifty. How did it survive this long?"
"I have no idea," Lance admitted.
"Look at the new scales growing underneath."
Lance leaned in. His eyes suddenly bulged. "Those patterns... they look like a Dragonite's belly scales. Why does a Magikarp have Draconic scale patterns?"
"Because," Feng Che said softly, "this Magikarp accidentally swallowed a Dragonite's Dragon Pearl."
"A Dragon Pearl?!" Lance nearly tripped over his own feet. "Those only form in the most powerful Dragonites! They're rarer than legendary items!"
Normally, when a Dragonite dies, its pearl returns to the Dragon's Den to nourish the clan. Finding one in the wild was unheard of.
"The Pearl is boosting its Draconic bloodline. Once it sheds these old scales, it won't jump through a Dragon Gate—it'll become the Dragon Gate."
Lance looked like he wanted to slap himself. His Dragon Power should have sensed it, but the Magikarp's own fishy aura had acted as a perfect insulator. "I missed a Dragon Pearl... because I thought the fish was too ugly."
"Destiny is a fickle thing," Feng Che laughed.
For the next two days, the ship entered the Gyarados territory. Feng Che and Lance took turns on the deck as Escort Specialists. Whenever a Gyarados surfaced, Feng Che's Ivysaur would snag it with vines, hoist it out of the water, and blast it with a Solar Beam.
Nakata watched them from a distance, his expression unreadable, but his Golduck looked increasingly terrified.
On the third day, everything changed.
A series of earth-shaking roars erupted from the sea. Panic gripped the passengers on the upper deck.
"We've reached the heart of the breeding grounds," Lance said, jumping up as the ship tilted sharply. "But those roars... they sound wrong. They sound like mindless rage."
Feng Che and Lance ran to the deck. Captain Kasha and his crew were already there, staring in horror at the sea. Hundreds of Gyarados had surrounded the ship. Their eyes weren't just angry—they were glowing a manic, berserk crimson.
"What's happening?" Lance shouted. "I can't sense their hearts. It's like their minds have been wiped!"
Captain Kasha's face was grim. "They've been drugged or manipulated. Someone wants this ship to sink."
Nakata stood by the railing, staring at the chaos with a twisted, greedy smile.
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