Pokemon: Skybound

----

Following the river, Kai and his group trekked up the mountain, pressing forward until they finally reached the summit of Rind Island after several more minutes of hiking.

At the top, the terrain levelled out, becoming smooth and flat. A vast, crystal-clear lake sat in the centre, surrounded by dense forest, with water continuously flowing down toward the lower streams.

"Alright, this is it the Lake of Birth and Evolution!"

Quackenpoker set his backpack down and let out a relieved sigh. Seeing that they hadn't missed the mass evolution event, he relaxed. Only a few scattered Magikarp were swimming in the lake things were just getting started.

Misty plopped down onto a boulder, panting heavily. "Finally! I thought we'd never get here!"

Climbing all the way up while carrying heavy boxes had exhausted her. Now that they were at the top, she could finally rest.

Everyone turned their attention toward the lake, taking in the sight before them.

Just as Quackenpoker had mentioned earlier, there was nothing particularly special about the lake at first glance. It looked like any ordinary body of water.

If they had come here alone, they never would have guessed its significance.

Sabrina glanced around, then whispered to Kai, "Strange… I don't see any other Pokémon besides the Magikarp."

Kai's eyes narrowed. Now that she mentioned it, the area was unnaturally silent.

Normally, a forest this large should be teeming with wild Pokémon. Even the lake itself, as a major water source, should have been home to various aquatic species.

Yet, nothing.

Not even a single splash aside from the Magikarp.

The unsettling silence made the mountaintop feel eerie.

Kai thought for a moment before responding, "Maybe the scale of this migration scared off the other Pokémon. They probably left to avoid getting caught up in it."

Sabrina nodded slightly but remained unconvinced. With so little information, that was the only plausible explanation for now.

Meanwhile, Quackenpoker was already at work, unpacking the scientific instruments from his crates and setting them up along the lake's edge.

Some looked like cameras, others resembled laptops, and a few resembled satellite receivers.

Kai and the others gathered around, curious about the purpose of these strange devices.

"Mr Quackenpoker," Tracey asked, eager to learn, "what do all these machines do?"

Quackenpoker, pleased by the genuine interest, chuckled and explained, "These devices automatically analyze various data about Magikarp weight, growth trends, bone density, muscle fatigue you name it. This setup allows me to study them in ways the naked eye never could."

Ash, who understood none of that, scratched his head. "Uh… sounds impressive! I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds really cool!"

Quackenpoker let out a booming laugh. He enjoyed the unfiltered honesty of kids like Ash.

Splash!

Several more Magikarp jumped from the river, making their way into the lake.

For a brief moment, everyone watched as the surface rippled, but the lake soon returned to stillness.

Kai turned back to Quackenpoker, watching the effortless way he handled the machines.

"Mr Quackenpoker, just how long have you been a Pokémon Watcher?"

The old man paused to think, then shrugged. "Can't say for sure. But at least fifty years, I'd guess."

"Fifty years?!"

Misty's jaw dropped.

That was an insane amount of time!

Even if Quackenpoker had started as a teenager, that would mean he was well into his seventies by now.

But rather than retiring and enjoying a peaceful life, he was still out here in the wild, studying Pokémon in the middle of nowhere.

'How is this old guy still alive doing this stuff?' Misty quickly shook off the thought, scolding herself for even considering it.

Quackenpoker, unaware of Misty's internal monologue, continued working.

Tracey, still impressed, asked, "And how long have you been studying Magikarp?"

"Ah, that?" Quackenpoker chuckled. "Only about three years."

"Three years?"

Compared to fifty years as a Pokémon Watcher, three years didn't sound like much.

But Kai found Quackenpoker's attitude admirable.

Most people, especially at his age, would prefer a quiet retirement. Spending three whole years just watching Magikarp was something few would bother with.

To Quackenpoker, however, time didn't seem to matter he was fully dedicated to his research.

Misty, as a Water-type specialist, respected that kind of passion… but she still couldn't understand why someone would spend so much time on Magikarp.

That reminded Tracey of something, "Oh! Mr Quackenpoker, about those rings we saw on the Magikarp's tails earlier what are they for?"

Quackenpoker nodded. "Ah, those? I put them there myself."

He explained that the rings were used to track the Magikarp over time:

Red meant they had left Rind Island one year ago.

Blue meant they had left two years ago.

Yellow meant they had left three years ago.

"Wait," Ash said, tilting his head. "You're saying all these Magikarp were born here?!"

"Exactly," Quackenpoker confirmed. "Rind Island is their birthplace. They hatch here, then head out into the ocean to grow. But no matter how far they travel, they always return here once a year."

Kai took a mental note of this.

While Magikarp were found all over the world, the ones on Rind Island had a unique migratory pattern.

Perhaps this trait was only present in Magikarp from the Orange Archipelago.

As the sun dipped lower, its golden light cast long shadows over the lake.

More Magikarp arrived, but none had evolved yet.

Quackenpoker glanced at his watch and let out a deep sigh.

"Not good. Their numbers are lower than expected… looks like we're camping here overnight."

----

Don't forget to drop some Power Stones!

For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon.

P@treon/iamxeno

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!