Chapter 2: Drifting on the Sea
On the day of departure, all the Pokémon on the Island who knew Bai Feng came to see him off, and they all gave him parting Gifts, most of which were Food, various kinds of Berries.
There were also some things that might be useful for sailing on the Sea, such as Spider Silk, Vine Whip, and the like.
After Bai Feng and Gardevoir boarded the Raft, he waved goodbye to the Pokémon on the Coast: "Goodbye!" It's hard to say if we'll ever meet again!
In fact, Bai Feng knew it was very risky to go out to Sea just on a Raft, but he had no choice. He had no idea where this Island was located or how far it was from the continent where humans lived. He couldn't just hope someone would pass by on a ship, could he? Then he might end up like Robinson Crusoe, having to wait on the Island for over twenty years.
Who could stand that!
The Raft slowly drifted towards the Sea under Gardevoir's control using Psychic. The figures of the Pokémon on the Coast gradually disappeared from Bai Feng's sight.
To avoid getting lost at Sea, Bai Feng specifically made a simple Compass. The material was a Magnet given to him by a Magnemite on the Island.
Drifting on the Sea was very boring and lonely. After sailing for most of the day, Bai Feng, bored, said to Gardevoir:
"Mom, how about I give you a name? Humans all have names, like I'm called Bai Feng. Although you're not human, as my mother, you must have a name."
When they reached the Human World, calling a Gardevoir "Mom" would inevitably seem strange to people. Although he didn't mind telling others that Gardevoir was his adoptive mother, some overly curious people would inevitably ask questions.
Instead of repeatedly explaining the truth to people, it was better not to arouse their curiosity in the first place.
As long as Gardevoir had a name, and he directly called Gardevoir by that name, it wouldn't be so weird.
Gardevoir found it novel upon hearing this, so it nodded in agreement: "Gardevoir~" Okay!
"What name should I give you then?" Bai Feng furrowed his brow in thought. "I'm called Bai Feng. Since you're my mother, how about Bai Ye? Maple Leaf... I feel like our names match quite well." Is it a bit strange for a mother and son to have the same surname?
Gardevoir was a simple and sweet Pokémon, always agreeing with whatever her son said. Besides, it didn't understand what names sounded good or bad, so it happily agreed.
"Gardevoir~" Okay!
The mother and son chatted idly, using it to pass the time. After who knows how long, Bai Ye looked at Bai Feng with a troubled face and asked: "Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~" Can I rest for a while? I'm so tired!
Bai Feng sternly disagreed: "Didn't you just rest? Why do you need to rest again? This is training your Psychic, don't you know? Why are you always thinking of being lazy? Have you forgotten that you are a great mother?" The words to trick his mother came out of the good son's mouth instantly.
(ó﹏ò) Gardevoir had no choice but to grit its teeth and persevere.
Just then, Bai Feng suddenly felt the Raft begin to shake slightly. He poked his head out and saw six or seven Magikarp violently slapping their tails around the Raft.
Splash~ Splash~ Splash~
The Magikarp frantically used their Moves, but other than making the Raft shake harmlessly, nothing happened...
"Well, well, looking for trouble, are we! You're the one! Bai Ye, give them a taste of their own medicine. Use Confusion!" Bai Feng was being dramatic, anyone who didn't know might think they had encountered a Gyarados!
"Gardevoir~"
Bai Ye was also very interested in bullying the little ones. Blue light flickered in its eyes, and in an instant, eight Magikarp landed on the Raft one after another.
Plop~ Plop~ Plop~
They were still trying hard to use Splash, but their movements were so clumsy they couldn't even flip over.
"Hehehe~"
Looking at these eight lively Magikarp, an "evil" idea rose in Bai Feng's heart.
*Slap slap slap*~ "Swim faster, no slacking!"
About ten minutes later, Bai Feng was waving the small whip (vine) in his hand, driving the Magikarp tied to the front of the Raft with Spider Silk. The Magikarp, afraid of being hit, quickly wiggled their tails, pulling the Raft along at a great speed.
"Woohoo~ Awesome!"
Feeling the Sea Wind rushing past his ears, Bai Feng cheered. This speed was much faster. When it came to things in the water, it was indeed best to leave it to the professionals in the water.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The vast Sea was still boundless. Bai Feng didn't see a single hint of the Coast, and he couldn't help but feel a little irritable.
A few Magikarp were still being exploited for their labor.
However, Bai Feng didn't let them work for free. When they rested, he would use his Golden Finger to help the Magikarp sort out the Origin Energy within their bodies.
Although the Magikarp were silly, they instinctively knew that Bai Feng had given them great benefits, so later they hardly needed Bai Feng to crack the whip; they worked extremely hard.
Because the Magikarp were working so hard, Bai Feng had already lost track of how far they had drifted on the Sea in the past few days.
As the sun reached its zenith, Bai Ye and the others stopped to eat Lunch.
Biting into the Berry in his mouth, Bai Feng felt like he had almost forgotten what human Food tasted like. Bai Ye had raised him on Berries.
Bai Ye had also been very irritable these past few days. While eating, it boredly broke the Berry in its hand into pieces and fed them to the Magikarp one by one.
After being nourished by Bai Feng's Golden Finger these past few days, the Magikarp looked more and more spirited. Their red Scales were as bright as fire, and even their originally dull eyes had a hint of radiance.
"Milo~"
Just then, they suddenly heard a long, distant cry, and then a rainbow appeared in the sky. At the end of the rainbow, a slender figure was vaguely hidden within it.
"Milo~"
The cry came again, the rainbow disappeared, replaced by a serpentine Pokémon of extreme beauty.
"Holy crap, Milotic!" Bai Feng couldn't help but exclaim.
This was the first time he had seen such a beautiful creature in reality. Its body of brilliant Scales shimmered under the refraction of the sunlight, so beautiful it didn't seem like a creature of the mortal world. At this moment, Bai Feng truly understood why Milotic was called the most beautiful Pokémon in the Pokémon world.
Pictures, game models, and the real thing have an insurmountable gap. Only by seeing it in person can one understand what it means to be beautiful to the extreme.
That Milotic seemed to have noticed Bai Feng and the others. It turned its head and looked over from a distance, its eyes calm and unruffled.
"Milo~"
Milotic's voice carried an ethereal quality. Soothed by this sound, all the irritation that Bai Feng and Bai Ye had accumulated over the past few days was swept away.
As Bai Feng and the others watched, mesmerized, Milotic disappeared into the Sea.
After a long while, Bai Feng and the few Pokémon gradually came back to their senses.
"You guys need to step up too and try to evolve into Gyarados as soon as possible." After Milotic disappeared, Bai Feng felt a sense of loss. He couldn't help but pat the heads of the few Magikarp.
Seeing Milotic, he couldn't help but think of Gyarados.
"Alright, let's continue after eating."
Two more days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, the previously calm Sea suddenly became windy. As time passed, the waves grew higher and higher, tossing the small Raft back and forth. If Bai Ye hadn't stabilized it with Psychic in time, the Raft would have probably capsized long ago.
*Boom!*
A golden light flashed across the sky, followed by a roaring thunder. Bai Feng looked up at the sky and saw dark, oppressive clouds rolling back and forth, like giant dragons intertwined and full of anger, glaring menacingly as if they wanted to tear a hole in the sky.
*Splash!*
Then torrential rain poured down. The small Raft finally broke into pieces under the relentless pounding of the waves. Although Bai Ye tried its best to defend with Psychic, it was still useless.
Sometimes human strength is truly insignificant in the face of nature's power.
Bai Feng and Bai Ye both fell into the water.
Bai Feng was too young and couldn't even struggle in such huge waves, being directly swept into the water by a giant wave.
Bai Ye wanted to save Bai Feng, but a giant wave came head-on, and it was also swept into the water. If its Strength were stronger, it could have used Psychic to fly out of the water with Bai Feng.
But with its current Strength, it clearly couldn't!
The situation for the few Magikarp was better; they were Water-type Pokémon after all. After Bai Feng was submerged, they swam to his side against the huge waves, trying to push him out of the water.
However, their bodies were too small, and the waves were rolling too violently. Soon they were scattered by the impact of the seawater.
Am I going to die?
Having swallowed a bellyful of water, Bai Feng's consciousness began to blur.
Suddenly, a white light shone on the Sea. This light was so conspicuous under the dark and oppressive sky. In the light, a Magikarp's body stretched longer and longer under the pounding of the waves, finally transforming into a fierce Pokémon that was entirely deep blue.
Gyarados!
A Magikarp had actually evolved into a Gyarados at a critical moment.
"Roar~"
The newly born Gyarados roared at the sky, as if venting the dissatisfaction in its heart, and then plunged into the water. When it surfaced again, Bai Feng and Bai Ye were already lying on its Back.
After who knows how long, the unconscious Bai Feng slowly opened his eyes: I... didn't die?
He then found himself lying on the Back of a giant blue beast.
"Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~" Baby, you're awake!
Seeing Bai Feng wake up, Bai Ye excitedly pounced and hugged him.
"What happened? Were we saved by a passing Gyarados?" Bai Feng, whose mind hadn't fully caught up, asked Bai Ye.
"Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~" Bai Ye told Bai Feng about the Magikarp's evolution, making Bai Feng sigh about his good luck.
At this time, the Wind and waves had passed, and the Sea had returned to calm. The scene of surging waves from before seemed like a dream. Dazzling sunlight shone directly down through the clouds, dyeing the seawater golden.
The Gyarados carried Bai Feng and Bai Ye, drifting aimlessly on the Sea. Having lost the Compass, they were now lost.
*Grumble*~
Just then, Bai Ye's stomach rumbled. Bai Feng helplessly comforted it: "Just bear with it." Not only was the Compass lost, but their Food and Fresh Water had also been swept away by the waves to who knows where.
"Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~"
Suddenly, Bai Ye let out a cry of surprise. It abruptly stood up on the Gyarados's Back and pointed excitedly into the distance.
Bai Feng looked in the direction Bai Ye was pointing and saw a ship slowly approaching, accompanied by the afterglow of the setting sun.
It's a ship! There are people! We're saved!
"Gyarados, chase that ship!" Bai Feng excitedly said to the Gyarados. As for whether the people on the ship were good guys or Villains, now was not the time to consider that.
"Roar~"
The Gyarados nodded, scooped up the slower-swimming Magikarp into its mouth, and then suddenly accelerated, quickly chasing after the ship.
About half an hour later, the Gyarados finally caught up to the ship, panting. Gyarados are not known for their stamina, so swimming non-stop for this long was very difficult.
"Hey!!!"
Bai Feng desperately shouted and waved at the people on the ship. A sailor standing on the deck quickly spotted him.
Hmm? A child, a Gyarados, and a Gardevoir? How could there be such a young child on the vast Sea? Could they have been shipwrecked?
The sailor quickly pulled out a Poké Ball from his person. With a flash of white light, a Pelipper appeared beside him.
"Pelipper, bring that child up."
Bai Feng looked at the Gyarados beneath him and asked: "Gyarados, do you want to come with me?" After spending a few days together and being saved by them, Bai Feng had developed feelings for the Gyarados and the few Magikarp.
The Gyarados hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook its head.
"Is that so... Then we have to part ways here. You and the Magikarp must take care of yourselves."
At this moment, Bai Feng felt a little disappointed, but also a little relieved.
The disappointment was because he had to separate from the Gyarados and the others, and he didn't know if they would ever meet again in the future. The relief was because his future was uncertain, and even if the Gyarados followed him, they might not have a good life. Perhaps being out here was more carefree.
Climbing onto Pelipper's Back with Bai Ye, Bai Feng waved goodbye to the Gyarados below again: "Goodbye, and thank you for your help these past few days!"
The Gyarados and the seven Magikarp looked up at Bai Feng, who was getting further and further away. After a while, they dove into the water and disappeared.
After boarding the ship, Bai Feng found that several more people had appeared on the deck. They all gathered around Bai Feng, talking over each other.
Then Bai Feng felt numb because he couldn't understand a single word these people were saying.
Seeing Bai Feng staring blankly at them, one of the sailors frowned and said: "Could this child have been in the Sea for too long and gone silly?"
Captain Sanders squatted down and looked at Bai Feng gently, asking: "Child, what's your name?"
However, the child just stared at him blankly without saying a word.
Just then, he saw the little boy seem to think of something. He saw him babble a string of strange sounds to the Gardevoir beside him, and then a smile appeared on his face.
Could this child really be silly? Sanders couldn't help but think.
Bai Feng was certainly not silly. He was smiling because he had discovered something interesting.
Although he couldn't understand the language of this world, Pokémon could. So, as long as Bai Ye translated, he could know what the other side was saying.
As for why Pokémon could understand both Bai Feng's original world's language and this world's language, Bai Feng didn't know. Perhaps it was a special talent.
However, even so, the two sides still couldn't communicate directly because the other side couldn't understand Pokémon language.
(End of Chapter)