#tbh the tropes are truly a Pokemon/Mermaid AU hybrid

[incognito-lionbeast]

Anyway, while I'm sure there are probably more fitting Pokemon, in this AU Luo Binghe is a Magikarp that Shen Yuan met whilst visiting a lake at the bottom of a nearby waterfall-- doing his Disney Princess shtick with the local poke-fauna. He offered the sad, bullied little fish some food, because all Pokemon are good Pokemon. SY figured that the poor thing had been carelessly dumped into the lake, since Magikarp are one of few weak Pokemon humans will touch/keep as pets.... for a little while, anyway.

From that point, he visits regularly, because the lake is a prime spot for all sorts of research & Bingkarp grows very, very attached. Yet, Shen Yuan never invited Binghe to join his team. After all, SY already has a few decent Pokemon companions & he'd grown so accustomed to seeing Binghe at the lake... it really just hadn't occurred to him as an option.

So, Bingkarp grows determined to improve his cultivation & achieve human form so that he could one day be useful to Shen Yuan/properly thank him for his kindness. With words. That SY can understand.

TLDR some time later, Shen Yuan finds a freshly evolved Gyarados in human form, nearly unconscious, who... being so new can only mutter his own name. Gyarados. Assuming, as one might, that his Magikarp friend had evolved & attacked this stranger for being in the wrong place at the wrong time (given Gyarados' general temperament), Shen Yuan feels responsible. So, he takes Binghe back to Cang Qiong for treatment--

And everyone on Cang Qiong assumes that the very obvious Pokemon is one of Shen Yuan's new companions (which happens on occasion; he is a trainer, after all). Therefore, Shen Yuan is shocked that the "human" Binghe is just. Allowed to stay. With little to no effort to convince Yue Qingyuan. Satisfied, he's delighted to have a incredibly handsome new human disciple to help him & they start to bond. Again.

(Binghe is nervous/isn't sure how to correct him... so he's put in a similar position as everyone else. Unsure how to tell Shen Yuan the truth, but at least he seems happy..?)

After trying & failing for weeks to locate his potentially rampaging Magik--Gyarados friend, there is an actual rampaging Gyarados that the sect is forced to deal with (and SY fears the worst). Yet, seeing his chance to make Shizun happy, Binghe covertly assumes his Pokemon form & neutralizes/chases off the other Gyarados. At this point, Shen Yuan recognises THIS Gyarados as his Gyarados [due to a unique mark on his forehead/crest], and finally realizes.... he should have asked this a long time ago... he asks if Binghe wants to join him.

Bingyarados slams his face into the pokeball so eagerly that he nearly knocks Shen Yuan over-- a Shen Yuan who was expecting to at least battle Gyarados first. Y'know, as is proper & respectful. Binghe's pokeball doesn't even wiggle once before it clicks closed, a successful capture.

...now Binghe has to juggle both identities. It's very comical. They'll figure it out eventually.