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Chapter 102 Speeding Across the Sea

When the light suddenly receded and dissipated, what appeared before the brothers was no longer the golden carp king in the water.

Instead, it was a colossal creature over eight meters long, covered in a ferocious red shell, with menacing cream-colored patterns on its belly and sharp dorsal fins on its back—Gyarados!

Its iconic huge mouth is slightly open, revealing sharp teeth, and the three deep red horns on its head make it look very domineering.

But unlike the ferocious and irritable temperament of ordinary Gyarados, the red Gyarados's eyes, after the initial confusion after evolution quickly faded, revealed a familiar gentleness and closeness when it looked at Hong Xiu and Hong You.

It floated on the water, its stillness alone radiating a suffocating sense of oppression. Those menacing eyes slowly moved, finally settling on Hong Xiu on the shore.

Hong You gasped, instinctively taking a half-step back, and instinctively tried to pull her younger brother behind her.

This was no longer the somewhat pained but docile little goldfish they knew, but a ferocious behemoth that looked capable of easily destroying fishing boats and overturning reefs!

However, Hong Xiu broke free from her brother's grasp.

The boy's face initially showed shock and a hint of fear, but his eyes were quickly filled with stronger emotions: the joy of recognition, the excitement of witnessing growth, and unreserved trust.

"Xiao Jin?" he asked tentatively, taking a small step forward. His voice was soft but unusually clear.

The red Gyarados slowly lowered its terrifying head, moving closer to the shore.

Its breath carried the salty smell of the sea, ruffling Hong Xiu's hair and the hem of her clothes.

Hong You's heart leaped into her throat, and her body trembled involuntarily.

The Gyarados's massive head stopped in front of Hong Xiu, less than half a meter away.

Its menacing eyes stared straight at Hong Xiu, and then, very slowly, it blinked.

Then, with its cold, hard muzzle, it touched Hong Xiu's outstretched, slightly trembling hand with utmost gentleness.

It was this familiar gesture, a sign of intimacy, that completely dispelled the last trace of unease in Hong Xiu's heart.

A huge smile spread across his face, and he lunged forward without a care, hugging the rough, cold side of Gyarados's (nowadays perhaps it should be called "Red") head.

"That's wonderful! Little Jin, you've evolved! You're so big now! So handsome!" Hong Xiu's voice trembled with tears, but it was filled with joy. "Are you still in pain? Are you feeling better?"

Gyarados let out a low roar, its voice still deep and intimidating, but upon closer listening, one could discern a hint of gentleness and responsiveness.

It gently shook its head and nuzzled Hong Xiu to indicate that it was fine.

As Hong You watched this scene, her tense nerves finally relaxed, and her legs felt a little weak.

He stepped forward and watched his younger brother interact intimately with the intimidating behemoth, a feeling of absurdity and emotion filling his chest.

Is this Pokémon? Is this... bonds?

Gyarados noticed Hong You approaching, turned its head, and looked at him with its huge eyes.

Hong You tried to suppress her heart palpitations and reached out, imitating her younger brother, to gently touch the hard scales on its neck.

Gyarados did not resist; instead, it slightly adjusted its position to make it easier for him to touch it.

"Brother, look! Little Kim still remembers us!" Hong Xiu shouted excitedly.

"Can it still be called Little Gold now?" Hong You looked at the huge red body and felt that "Little Gold" was not quite appropriate.

Upon hearing this, Gyarados made a series of gurgling sounds in its throat, then gently nudged Hong Xiu with its head, seemingly handing over the power of naming to him.

Hong Xiu thought about it carefully: "Let's still call you Xiao Jin! You can't just change your name like that, or it won't be you anymore!"

Gyarados, little gold, nodded, indicating its satisfaction with the decision.

Then, its massive body nimbly turned in the water, revealing its broad, platform-like back above the surface. It lowered its head, brought it close to the shore, and let out an inviting growl.

The two brothers paused for a few seconds, then understood what it meant.

"It—it's going to take us?" Hong You's voice was a little hoarse.

Riding a Gyarados across the sea? He had only heard of this scene in the old news about the Pokémon world that Lin Dao occasionally mentioned.

Hong Xiu's eyes lit up, and with a cheer, she climbed onto the Gyarados's crouching head without hesitation, found a relatively flat spot to sit down, and tightly gripped one of its protruding horns.

"Brother! Come on up! Little Jin is taking us to play on the sea!"

Seeing his younger brother's excited, flushed face and the Gyarados's expectant posture, Hong You gritted his teeth and climbed up as well, sitting behind his brother and grabbing onto one of its horns. "Hold on tight!"

Gyarados let out a long, exhilarating roar, and with a flick of its body, it shot off like an arrow!

"Whoa—!" The brothers' exclamations were instantly shattered by the sea breeze.

That's not "swimming", it's practically "flying"!

The Gyarados's long body cleaved through the sea, its speed far exceeding that of any motorboat.

A strong sea breeze swept over us, carrying salty, damp air that made it almost impossible to open our eyes.

Beneath you lies the surging power of a behemoth, each swing bringing a powerful push-back sensation.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sea surface into burning amber, and they rode on the red behemoth, leaving a white trail of waves on this burning sea.

Fear was quickly replaced by an unprecedented sense of excitement and freedom.

Hong Xiu burst into laughter, and Hong You couldn't help but yell back.

Gyarados seemed to sense their joy, and its speed increased, sometimes diving into the water for short bursts, sometimes leaping high into the air, splashing water everywhere, drawing amazing arcs in the setting sun.

At this moment, all the burdens of life, the pressures of the economy, and the uncertainty about the future are temporarily washed away by the rushing wind and waves.

They were just two teenagers, and their companions, roaming freely in the vast world.

After an unknown amount of time, Gyarados slowed down and carried the two brothers, panting but excited, back to the rocky beach.

The sky had darkened, and the stars began to peek out from the heavens.

Hong Xiu reluctantly slid off the Gyarados's head, stood in knee-deep water, and hugged its massive snout.

Hong You also came down, feeling her legs were still a little weak, but her heart was surging with excitement.

Gyarados lowered its head, looked at Hong Xiu, and let out a series of deep, continuous roars.

Hong Xiu listened carefully, her face first showing surprise, then great joy, but quickly turning into embarrassment.

"What's wrong?" Hong You asked.

"Little Gold said—it wants to follow me and become my Pokémon."

Hong Xiu's voice trembled slightly, a sound of excitement at the realization that her dream was within reach.

"But—I'm not old enough, and I don't have a Poké Ball—"

As Hong Xiu spoke, her gaze turned to Hong You, her beautiful eyes filled with obvious expectation and—a little calculation.

Hong You felt uneasy under his gaze: "What?"