Sootopolis City is a relatively remote town in the Hoenn region, but that doesn't an it isn't well-known. In fact, Sootopolis City is quite famous.
It is said that the legendary Sky Dragon, Rayquaza, has appeared more than once in the clouds above Sootopolis City.
Because of this, many people visit Sootopolis City every year, hoping to catch a glimpse of the majestic Sky High Pokemon soaring through the heavens.
Even if they don't see Rayquaza, Sootopolis City is built on an island, and offers plenty of recreational activities and attractions by the sea, drawing in countless tourists.
This makes Sootopolis City a thriving tourist destination.
When Aoki arrived in Sootopolis City, there were only thirteen days left until the Sinnoh Competition.
He spent an entire day searching for the material known as the "Soul of the Ocean" in Sootopolis City but found nothing.
Neither the black market nor the official League shops had ever heard of such an item.
It wasn't until he t an old man in a small house at the northernmost part of Sootopolis City and listened to his slow explanation that Aoki finally understood what the "Soul of the Ocean" truly was.
To put it simply, it had another na—rmaid's Tears.
But there were no rmaids in the Pokémon world. Aoki raised this doubt.
After the old man explained further, Aoki realized that the "rmaid" referred to Milotic, known as the most beautiful Pokémon in the world.
And the so-called "rmaid's Tears"—the "Soul of the Ocean"—were the tears of a Milotic.
Hearing this, Aoki suddenly understood why it was so difficult to find. With so many layers of mystery surrounding it, no wonder no one could provide a clear answer no matter how much he asked.
Pokémon like Milotic were extrely rare, and their evolution thod remained largely unknown to most people.
While many knew that Feebas could evolve into Milotic—such as Wallace, the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, and his apprentice Juan—the exact conditions were still a well-guarded secret.
Every apprentice of the Sootopolis Gym who earned the Gym Leader's recognition was given the task of raising a Feebas. Only after evolving it into a Milotic would they truly be acknowledged as the next Gym Leader.
Juan was the first in his generation to successfully evolve a Feebas into a Milotic.
Yet even after achieving this, neither Juan nor Wallace fully understood the exact conditions required for Feebas to evolve.
There were two known ways for Feebas to evolve into Milotic: one was by holding a Prism Scale (trading was not necessary in this context), and the other was by raising its Beauty stat to over 170 points.
But what exactly was this "Beauty" stat? It referred to the aesthetic condition of the Pokémon.
Feebas were called "ugly fish" for a reason—their appearance made it nearly impossible to naturally raise their Beauty to 170 points.
The tradition of the Sootopolis Gym was to evolve Feebas through sheer effort, allowing the next Gym Leader to inherit the position.
Obtaining Milotic's tears was no easy task, as these Pokémon rarely cried.
"I wonder if Juan has any," Aoki thought to himself.
He found it a little absurd that such a rare material was required for the qualification dicine.
At this point, the only option was to et Juan during the Sinnoh Competition and see if he had any Milotic tears to spare.
However, this ant Aoki wouldn't have enough ti to properly train his Marshtomp and Poliwhirl, which might prevent them from participating in the Sinnoh Competition.
After bidding farewell to the old man, Aoki hesitated before calling Juan directly.
The two had t a few tis and kept in touch, but they weren't particularly close.
Soon, the call connected.
"Hello, Aoki?" Juan's smooth, charismatic voice ca through.
Since they weren't very familiar, Aoki felt it would be awkward to beat around the bush. Better to just state his request directly.
"It's . Juan, I need a material called the 'Soul of the Ocean.' I know the Sootopolis Gym has a tradition involving—"
Before Aoki could finish, Juan interrupted.
"'Soul of the Ocean'—Milotic's tears? I see. You're asking if I have any, correct?" Juan imdiately understood upon hearing the na.
As for how Aoki knew he had a Milotic—nearly everyone in Hoenn who knew of him was aware. He had participated in nurous Contests across the region, and the Sootopolis Gym's tradition was fairly well-known.
"Yes, exactly," Aoki replied, relieved that Juan was so straightforward.
"I do have so, but I have one condition," Juan said, agreeing easily. While Milotic's tears were rare for most Trainers, for him, it was no issue—his Milotic, trained for performances, could shed tears on command.
"Na it," Aoki said.
"Actually… I've been aning to ask you for a favor, but since we haven't interacted much, I never found the right opportunity."
"I've heard you've been creating customized training plans and exclusive Pokéblocks for Steven and Cynthia. I'd like you to do the sa for ."
"I understand this takes ti, so we can wait until after the Sinnoh Competition. As for materials and paynt, I'll match whatever Steven and Cynthia offered."
Juan's words were polite, but the underlying aning was clear—since they weren't close, he had hesitated to ask before. Now that Aoki needed sothing from him, he took the chance to make his request.
Aoki was montarily stunned.
That's all?
Another person wanting to expand his research database?
Aoki was more than happy to oblige.
"Of course, no problem. You don't have to wait until after the Sinnoh Competition—I can start drafting a training plan during the event itself. Just let know your specific needs."
"Wonderful! Thank you very much. As for the Milotic tears, how would you like to receive them? Do you need them imdiately, or should I send them before the Sinnoh Competition?" Juan, eager to secure Aoki's agreent, was ready to hand them over right away.
"I'm in a hurry. How about this—I'll head to the Pokémon Center now, and we can do a video call later. You can send the item through the transfer system."
Since Milotic's tears weren't a restricted item, they could be safely transported via the Pokémon Center's free teleportation service.
"Perfect!"
Half an hour later, Aoki finally obtained the long-awaited Milotic's tears.
For both of them, this was a simple exchange—mutually beneficial.
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