Cascarrafa

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Poliwhirl's friendly gesture left Ceruledge a little puzzled. It remembered that, in the past, these Poliwhirl had always avoided coming near it, likely because of its appearance.

Why was Poliwhirl approaching it now?

Had it encountered some difficulty that it needed help with?

With a puzzled expression, Ceruledge glanced down at Poliwhirl and, uncertainly, asked, "Slash..?"

Poliwhirl leapt over to Ceruledge's side, exuding an aura of friendliness.

It glanced at the apron in Ceruledge's arms, then tilted its head slightly and murmured, "Poli!"

Ceruledge froze 'Was Poliwhirl asking it to spread out the apron?'

It hesitated for a moment, not wanting to unfold such an important item in front of a Pokémon it wasn't very familiar with.

However, remembering that Poliwhirl was one of Kai's Pokemon, Ceruledge reluctantly suppressed its fiery blades, making sure not to accidentally tear the apron, and carefully unfolded it.

Poliwhirl eyed Ceruledge, noting its cautious movements, and immediately understood.

Just as it had been suspected earlier during the barbecue, the apron was incredibly important to Ceruledge.

With this realization, Poliwhirl prepared to act. Taking a deep breath, it aimed carefully and released a Foam attack.

The sea of bubbles completely enveloped Ceruledge and the apron, and Ceruledge's expression shifted from confusion to frustration.

It hadn't expected Poliwhirl to cause mischief like this.

Though Ceruledge could easily destroy the foam with a swing of its blade or evaporate it with flames, it didn't want to damage the apron.

Ceruledge stood still, waiting for the foam to dissipate.

After a few moments, the foam cleared.

Since its evolution, Ceruledge had become much more composed, and it typically kept its anger in check.

But now, with this apron, Poliwhirl had clearly crossed a line.

The purple eyes of Ceruledge narrowed, and it prepared to give Poliwhirl a lesson on why its behaviour wasn't acceptable.

However, to Ceruledge's surprise, Poliwhirl seemed utterly unbothered by the anger it had stirred up. Instead, it gestured toward the apron, signalling for Ceruledge to look.

Confused, Ceruledge turned its gaze to the apron on its sword, and its eyes widened in shock.

Where before the apron had been stained with difficult-to-remove oil stains, now, despite the numerous battle marks, the stains were completely gone.

"Poli!"

Poliwhirl jumped with excitement, its eyes sparkling.

Ceruledge stared at it in the realization that Poliwhirl had used Foam to clean the apron!

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The Next Morning

Kai woke up to the sight of Growlithe, Serperior, and Mimikyu all gathered around him in his bed.

He was used to waking up with his Pokémon around him, so he didn't pay much attention to the scattered arrangement.

Letting out a small yawn, he quickly got dressed and washed up.

There was no rush today for planting trees or new crops. Kai had received a call from a friend in another city, and it seemed like they needed his help urgently.

Since Cascarrafa was quite a distance away from Los Platos, Kai decided to bring along one of his Pokémon that didn't have any pressing tasks.

After all, when travelling far, it was important to ensure he had adequate combat strength in case of emergencies.

Aside from Dragonite, who was the only one capable of making quick trips between cities, Ceruledge was the perfect companion for the journey.

Cascarrafa had a few clothing stores, so Kai planned to buy Ceruledge a new apron there.

Kai soon found Dragonite either at the house or floating nearby in the sky, but this time, Dragonite wasn't in sight.

Kai eventually headed towards the back of the house and found Moltres napping under the small shelter it liked.

After a quick chat, Kai learned that Dragonite was playing in Thunderclap Lake.

So, he quickly set off to the lake.

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At Thunderclap Lake

Kai arrived at Thunderclap Lake and soon found Dragonite playing in the water.

It was no surprise Dragonite had a natural affinity for water, especially since its pre-evolution, Dratini and Dragonair, were often found in lakes.

What surprised Kai, however, was the sight of Ceruledge and Poliwhirl training nearby, while the younger Poliwhirl siblings were resting lazily on the surface of the water.

It appeared that Ceruledge was actively training Poliwhirl.

Kai watched in confusion.

"Strange… I didn't know they were this close before."

He gathered Dragonite, Ceruledge, and Poliwhirl all of whom eagerly expressed their willingness to follow and gave final instructions to Luxray and the rest of the Pokémon at the farm.

After getting confirmation from Luxray, Kai hopped on Dragonite and set off towards Cascarrafa.

With Dragonite's speed, they arrived in less than half a day, and Kai could see the unique beauty of Cascarrafa right away.

The city was built in a distinctive style, with sleek modern buildings, LED billboards, and colourful, futuristic aesthetics. The streets were bustling with energy, filled with people and Pokémon alike.

Kai returned Dragonite to its Pokéball, leaving Poliwhirl by his side.

In most cities across Paldea, Pokémon were allowed to walk on the roads, but Dragonite was special. Dragonite's size meant it would be difficult for it to navigate through crowded streets without causing a ruckus.

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