The beach was now just a faint memory as Ariel trudged through the sand, carefully guiding the injured Feebas toward shore. She kept her eyes on the Pokémon, trying to reassure it with soft whispers while making sure Sharpedo, or "Grouchy," stayed back to avoid frightening it further.

Feebas hesitated as they neared land, its scarred body shivering in the water as if it was debating whether to follow this strange "two-legged creature." Ariel smiled at it, though the Feebas didn’t seem convinced. But the moment its eyes flicked toward Grouchy, who was still prowling just beneath the surface, it made a sudden dash toward Ariel, clearly preferring her over the intimidating Sharpedo.

Once they reached the shallows, Ariel stepped out of the water, her feet sinking into the warm, wet sand as she turned back to the Feebas. "It’s okay," she cooed softly. The Feebas remained hesitant, though, still swimming close to the shore but not following her onto the beach. Ariel knew it was scared, and she couldn’t blame it.

She sighed, her gaze shifting to the bucket she had left on the beach earlier, filled with beautiful shellfish she had collected throughout the day. With a sigh of regret, she quickly dumped the contents onto the sand, watching as the shellfish tumbled out. There goes my collection… She had spent hours gathering those, but Feebas was more important now.

With the bucket emptied, she hurried back to the water and scooped up a generous amount, carefully guiding the unwilling Feebas into it. It flailed at first, not too thrilled about the sudden change in environment, but a quick glance at Grouchy kept it from resisting too much. Once the Pokémon was secured in the bucket, Ariel turned to Sharpedo.

"Thank you, Grouchy," she said softly, smiling at the Sharpedo that had protected her so fiercely. It gave her a curt nod before swimming off, disappearing into the deeper waters.

Ariel took a deep breath and glanced down at the bucket, now quite heavy with both water and Feebas inside. She grabbed the handle with both hands, grunting slightly as she tried to lift it. It was much heavier than she had anticipated. Still, she had to get Feebas home, where her father would know what to do.

With determination set in her eyes, she began to drag the bucket across the beach, her small frame struggling with the weight. The village wasn’t far, but the bucket felt like it weighed a ton. Each step seemed to take more effort than the last, and it didn’t help that quite a few villagers had noticed her.

“Ariel, dear, what are you up to?” called one of the older women, waving at her with a smile.

Ariel gave a polite nod but kept moving, her hands full and her mind focused on getting Feebas home. More people waved or tried to make small talk, but Ariel just mumbled quick greetings, too tired to stop and chat. The bucket was a lot to handle for someone her size.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of dragging the heavy bucket across the village paths, Ariel reached her house. Her muscles ached, and she was covered in sweat, but she was nearly there. Her father would know how to help Feebas.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Without wasting a moment, Ariel pushed open the door and hurried inside, heading straight for her father’s "lab." It wasn’t really a lab, more like a cluttered workspace filled with marine equipment, books, and Pokéballs. Normally, she would knock, but this was an emergency.

She barged in, out of breath, only to freeze when she realized her father wasn’t alone.

Her father, Aron Rivers, was standing in deep conversation with someone else. Someone Ariel recognized immediately—Noah, or “Old Man Tide,” as everyone called him. Ariel’s heart sank. She didn’t like him. He was the same man who had rejected her brother Kai’s request for sponsorship without giving a reason. The "meanie," as she had dubbed him, made her skin crawl.

Aron blinked in surprise as Ariel stormed into the room, her face flushed and her breathing heavy. He was rarely startled, but seeing his usually well-mannered daughter barge into his lab without so much as a knock was enough to raise his eyebrows.

“Ariel? Are you okay?” he asked, concern lacing his voice. “What happened?”

Ariel quickly explained the situation—how she had found the injured Feebas, how Grouchy had saved her from the Tentacruel. Conveniently, she left out the part where she had swum much further than she was allowed and didn’t even know that Grouchy was nearby. She wasn’t exactly a good liar, though, and both Aron and Noah seemed to see through her story immediately.

Aron glanced at her with a knowing look, but instead of pressing her, he simply sighed and nodded. “Let me take a look.”

Relieved, Ariel stepped aside as her father approached the bucket, carefully inspecting the trapped Feebas inside. Meanwhile, Noah remained where he was, arms crossed and an amused smirk on his face. Ariel glanced at him from the corner of her eye, already feeling her irritation rise.

Her father gently lifted the Feebas out of the bucket and began his work, skillfully treating its injuries while Ariel stood awkwardly to the side. As soon as he was done, Aron turned back to Ariel, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “The Feebas will be fine now,” he said with a smile. “You did well bringing it here.”

Ariel beamed at her father, her heart swelling with pride. But her moment of victory was short-lived.

Noah, who had remained silent up until now, suddenly spoke. “Why bother saving that ugly Pokémon?” he asked, his tone casual but condescending.

Ariel’s jaw clenched. She was already upset with him for rejecting her brother’s sponsorship, and now this? She spun around, her face scrunching up in anger. Without thinking, she blurted out, “You’re the ugly one!”

Noah blinked in surprise before bursting into laughter, his booming voice filling the room. Ariel’s face turned red with embarrassment, but she stood her ground, crossing her arms and scowling at him.

Her father, who had been busy cleaning up his workspace, turned back just in time to see Noah still laughing. “We’ll talk later, Noah,” Aron said, not entirely amused by the scene.

Noah smirked and gave Ariel one last amused glance before heading toward the door. “All right, all right. See you later, Aron.” He winked at Ariel as he left.

Ariel’s glare could have melted steel, but she kept silent, watching as the man who had caused her so much frustration finally left.

As the door closed behind him, her father let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. “You know, you shouldn’t let Noah get to you like that,” he said, turning to face her. “He can be difficult, but he’s not all bad.”

Ariel just crossed her arms tighter, still fuming. “He’s mean.”

Aron ruffled her hair with a soft smile. “Well, he’s not wrong about one thing. That Feebas is certainly... unique.” He chuckled, glancing at the Pokémon that was now resting in a small tank.

Ariel smiled at her father’s words, feeling the last bits of anger leave her. She glanced at Feebas, who was now resting peacefully. Dad’s right, she thought. Feebas was special, no matter what anyone said.

She didn’t need anyone else to see it. She could see it perfectly.