No!
Its color is wrong!
A normal Ralts has green hair covering its head, but the one in front of him was a clear blue, like the sky!
And the red horns on its head had turned into a bright orange-yellow.
A Shinny Pokémon!
The rumors he heard at the hot springs were actually true!
Ariel's heart skipped a beat.
That Shinny Ralts was clearly terrified; it let out weak whimpers while desperately trying to flee on its short legs.
But its speed was pitifully slow in front of the enraged Nidoking.
Seeing Nidoking's cold, gleaming horn about to gore its back, the Ralts turned its head in panic and happened to see Ariel standing not far away.
In that instant, it was as if it had caught onto its last lifeline.
Almost purely by instinct, it used Teleport and appeared right at Ariel's feet, then clung tightly to his calf, its entire body trembling violently.
The little fellow looked up, its eyes soaked with tears gazing piteously at Ariel, its gaze filled with fear and pleading.
Ariel looked down at the little thing clinging to his leg, then looked up at the Nidoking that had skidded to a halt because its prey had vanished, now using Lock-On with its tyrannical gaze on him.
He suddenly found the scene a bit amusing.
Was he being used as a shield?
However, he was more than willing to be this shield!
It truly was a case of finding by chance what one could not find by searching!
He had originally just heard a rumor and didn't take it seriously, but he never expected such a massive windfall to fall right into his lap!
A Shinny Ralts! Whether it eventually evolved into Gallade or Gardevoir, its Shinny form would be incredibly cool, and its strength would be top-tier!
Not to mention its extreme rarity!
If he didn't capture it, it would be a sin against nature!
The excitement in Ariel's heart was almost overflowing, but his face remained calm.
"Weavile."
He spoke again, his voice showing no trace of emotion. "Ice Punch."
Although Nidoking was powerful, being Poison and Ground type, it happened to be double-weak to Ice-types.
And Weavile was a master of ice!
Swish!
Weavile's figure vanished from its spot again.
Nidoking only felt a blur before its eyes as a bone-chilling cold came from its abdomen.
Bang!
The ice-covered fist slammed solidly into its stomach. The intense pain made Nidoking scream, its massive body staggering back two steps.
Before it could stabilize itself, a second attack followed immediately.
Weavile's figure appeared behind its side like a ghost, landing another Ice Punch precisely on its hind leg joint!
Crack!
The ice spread rapidly, and one of Nidoking's legs instantly lost sensation. Its huge body could no longer maintain balance and crashed to the Ground.
It struggled to get up, but Weavile was already standing before it, cold claws pressed against its throat, its crimson eyes full of killing intent.
Nidoking read the threat of death in those eyes.
Its struggling stopped, and an unwilling low growl escaped its throat. Finally, it glanced at the Ralts hiding behind Ariel with a complex gaze before choosing to yield, limping away into the depths of the dense forest with its injured body.
The forest returned to silence once more.
Ariel waved his hand. Weavile understood, its figure flickering as it merged back into his shadow.
Done.
Only then did Ariel look down at his feet.
The Shinny Ralts was still clinging to his leg. Its little head peeked out, and seeing that Nidoking was gone, it clearly breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Ariel with those large watery eyes, filled with gratitude.
The corners of Ariel's mouth couldn't help but curl upward.
He slowly crouched down and reached out, forcing what he thought was his most amiable smile.
"Little fellow, don't be afraid. It's okay now."
His gaze, however, carried a hint of undisguised greed, as if he were admiring a rare treasure.
Shinny, dual Psychic and Fairy types... He hit the jackpot! This time he really hit the jackpot!
He couldn't wait to take out a Poké Ball and claim this little fellow as his own.
However, just as his fingers were about to touch the Poké Ball at his waist, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
Wait.
Ariel's movements suddenly froze.
The smile on his face also gradually solidified.
All of this... wasn't it too coincidental?
A bit too coincidental.
His brow furrowed tightly without him realizing it.
His thoughts began to race backward.
First, Old Man Moore, an elder he had only met by chance, suddenly asked him, an outsider, to deliver a package to an old friend in the deep mountains after resolving a minor conflict at his own Gym.
Why him?
With so many people in Lavaridge Town, couldn't a highly respected senior like him find a trustworthy local to help?
Why did he have to find a passing Trainer who had just arrived in town a day ago?
He even specifically emphasized delivering it at night.
Second, Flannery.
She enthusiastically recommended he go to the town's largest hot spring.
Then, at the hot spring, he just happened to hear rumors about a "Shinny Ralts" in this forest from the casual chatter of a few nearby Trainers.
Not earlier, not later, but he heard this news right before he was about to go into the forest to deliver something.
Finally, and most importantly.
Not long after entering the forest, he precisely encountered the Shinny Ralts being hunted by Nidoking.
And at the most critical moment, this Ralts didn't run anywhere else but Teleported right to his feet to seek protection.
One thing is a coincidence.
Two things are good luck.
But when three or four things are all perfectly linked together... can it still be called a coincidence?
This was clearly a meticulously designed script!
Old Man Moore's request, Flannery's recommendation, the rumors at the hot spring, and the current hero-saving-the-damsel scenario... link by link, the ultimate goal was to make it natural for him to obtain this Shinny Ralts!
Ariel's heart sank instantly.
The ecstasy of capturing a rare Pokémon just now vanished completely, replaced by a chill from being played like a puppet.
He slowly stood up, his expression returning to its usual calm, but his gaze became incredibly deep.
He looked once more at the ignorant Ralts at his feet, which was still rubbing its head against his pant leg to show affection.
This was no longer just a simple windfall.
This was a bait.
A test? Or a... trap?
Ariel looked up, his gaze piercing through the layers of tree shadows toward the direction where that so-called old friend lived deeper in the forest.
The ordinary brown paper package in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds at this moment.