Chapter 3: Secrets of the Moonlit Lake
The afternoon sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across Pallet Town's quiet streets. Classes had ended for the day, and Jayde and his three friends—Ethan, Lily, and Marcus—gathered beneath the old oak tree in the schoolyard. The gentle hum of cicadas filled the air, and a cool breeze carried the scent of wildflowers from the nearby fields.
"Let's head down to the lake today," Lily suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Professor Rowan mentioned it in class—said it's home to an unusual variety of Water-type Pokémon. We could see something new!"
Marcus grinned. "I'm in. I want to try catching one of those Poliwag I saw last week." He pulled a pokéball from his pocket and twirled it between his fingers.
Ethan adjusted his glasses. "I want to study their habitat. We could map out the vegetation and water temperature—form a proper hypothesis about which species prefer which spots."
Jayde nodded, though his heart thumped with a different anticipation. He had been curious about the lake ever since he first arrived at Pokémon School, and now he had a chance to explore it with his friends. He tucked a strand of dark hair behind his ear. "Sure," he said, trying to sound casual. "Let's go."
They set off down the narrow dirt path that wound past the school's back fence, chatting and laughing. The path led through a copse of birch trees, their white trunks gleaming in the fading light, and soon the children emerged into a small clearing where the lake lay like a silver mirror. Tall reeds whispered along its margins, and in the center, lily pads floated serenely on the surface.
Jayde drew in a breath of cool, misty air. The lake felt different from any place he had known—a hush had fallen over the world, broken only by the soft croak of Poliwag and the distant call of a Goldeen. He took a step forward, heart pounding with both wonder and something he couldn't yet name.
"Look," Lily said, pointing to the water's edge. A small group of Poliwag circled in shallow water, their bulbous bodies bobbing. Marcus tossed out a practice ball and watched, disappointed, as it skipped harmlessly across the surface.
Ethan, meanwhile, had unfurled a notebook. "Water temperature's about 18 degrees Celsius," he murmured, dipping a thermometer into the water. "It's a little warmer than the river back home."
As they worked, Jayde's gaze drifted along the shoreline, toward a cluster of willow trees whose drooping branches nearly touched the water. There, just beyond the reeds, he thought he saw a flicker of movement—a dark shape, barely distinguishable in the gathering dusk.
"Did you guys see that?" Jayde asked, stepping closer to the water.
Marcus shrugged. "Must be more Poliwag."
But Jayde's gut told him otherwise. The shape beneath the ripples was too sleek, too deliberate. He moved nearer, careful not to startle whatever might be hiding there.
Lily and Ethan followed, curiosity shining in their eyes. "What is it?" Lily whispered.
Jayde knelt at the water's edge, staring. "I'm not sure… but it's not Poliwag."
A soft splash and a ripple sent reeds swaying. A pale, spotted head emerged for a moment, its large, liquid eyes blinking up at Jayde. He froze, heart racing. The creature was slender, its skin rough with barnacle-like bumps. It regarded him with an expression that seemed almost afraid.
"Easy," Jayde said, and slowly reached out a hand. His friends watched in stunned silence. The creature dipped its head, then slipped back beneath the surface before they could gasp.
"That… was something else," Marcus breathed.
"It looked injured," Jayde said. "We need to help it."
Lily frowned. "Help it? How? We can't just drag it out of the lake."
Jayde's mind spun. He remembered watching his mother tend to hurt Pokémon—how she calmed them, cleaned their wounds, and gave them space to rest. "I'll be careful," he said softly. "But I have to try."
That evening, after dinner at home, Jayde slipped quietly from the ranch. He carried a small satchel filled with a clean cloth, a flask of water, and some herbal salve his mother used for minor scrapes on Herdier and Tauros. He moved under the cover of darkness, guided by moonlight and the faint glow of Pallet Town's lanterns.
When he reached the lake, it lay even more tranquil at night. Mist curled over the water, and the willows whispered their lullabies. Jayde took a deep breath and waded in up to his knees, careful not to scare the hidden Pokémon. He knelt on a rock just beneath the surface and waited.
Moments later, the spotted head reappeared, this time with cautious curiosity. Jayde spoke in hushed tones: "I won't hurt you. I just want to help."
The creature gazed at him for a long moment, then—tentatively—swam closer. Jayde dipped his cloth into the water, wrung it out gently, and pressed it against a patch of red on the Pokémon's side. The creature winced but did not pull away.
"It's okay," Jayde murmured. He dabbed on a little salve and watched as the Pokémon closed its eyes, seeming to relax in his presence.
Jayde sat like that for what felt like hours, humming a soft tune while the lake's surface reflected the moon and stars. After a while, the creature floated beside him, resting its head on his thigh.
When at last Jayde stood, the Pokémon slipped back into the water without a sound, leaving him alone beneath the willows. He watched until it disappeared, then whispered, "I'll come back tomorrow."
As he made his way home beneath the starlit sky, Jayde realized that he had found much more than a rare Pokémon—he had discovered a secret, a bond that whispered promises of adventures yet to come. He knew he would need to keep this creature hidden from the world until the time was right, but in his heart, he vowed to protect it, to learn its name, and to cultivate the trust that had begun to grow between them.
That night, as he lay in bed, Jayde stared at the dark canopy overhead, imagining the moonlit lake and the quiet eyes of the Pokémon he had saved. He thought of his friends at school, of his family on the ranch, and of the promise of a journey that had only just begun. And with that thought, he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the mysteries hidden beneath the surface of the moonlit lake—and of the bond that would shape his destiny.