“These four people are still… oh, I’m sorry, now it’s five people. They are still traveling and have arrived in a sparsely populated forest. Where exactly is this place?”
Yu Feng continued his baffling narration, while the others didn't quite understand why he was doing it or what its meaning was.
“Speaking of which, he was like this last time too. Does Xiao Xia often talk like this?”
Yu Teng Sheng Dai, walking beside Xiao Xia, was curious about what strange things Yu Feng was doing. After all, this didn't look like normal behavior.
“Don’t mind him, we’re used to it. He’s always muttering strange things.”
Xiao Xia patted Yu Teng Sheng Dai’s shoulder, signaling her not to worry. They didn’t know what Yu Feng was doing, but at this point, all they needed to do was smile, right?
Even though the grass here was almost waist-high, pricking their thighs painfully.
“Eh, I don’t really care what he says… it’s just that this isn’t a path for people anymore.”
Ash looked back at the others, as the height of this grass clearly indicated it wasn't a path people could walk on.
“You don’t need a brain to know we’re already lost.”
Xiao Xia pointed to her now invisible knees. It was clear no one had walked this way in a long time, with the grass on both sides reaching Ash’s waist.
If it were a frequently used path, grass wouldn’t grow there.
“I knew it! We should have gone right at that last fork!”
Xiao Xia now began to complain about Ash, who had led them to such a desolate place.
“What do you mean? At first, you also said to go left, Xiao Xia!”
Ash was very displeased with Xiao Xia’s hindsight. She had agreed to go left at first, and now that they were lost, she was blaming him. Was that fair?
“That’s because you kept saying ‘choose left, choose left’!”
Xiao Xia wasn't having it either. Who was it that kept nagging her to choose left? If she didn’t listen to him, she felt like her ears would fall off.
“Do you want to fight?!”
Ash also got angry. Even if he said that, didn't Xiao Xia, who didn't stop him from going left, bear some responsibility?
“Choosing the direction a stick falls in—that’s the kind of idea only someone without a brain would come up with!”
Xiao Xia became even angrier when she heard that, making it sound like she was the one who chose the path. Why didn't he throw his shoe to see which way it pointed and go that way?
Watching Ash and Xiao Xia argue in front, Yu Teng Sheng Dai found it difficult to maintain her expression. She hadn’t seen this group act normally all day: Ash and Xiao Xia constantly bickering, and Yu Feng talking to himself.
Oh, and there was Brock, a normal person. He was the only one in this group who seemed normal.
Alas, what Yu Teng Sheng Dai didn’t know was that the most normal person in this group might actually be Xiao Xia.
Why not Yu Feng? Is he even human?
“Do those two often argue like this?”
Yu Teng Sheng Dai pondered for a moment and decided to use this as a reason to get a little closer to Yu Feng. After all, a delicate girl would gain a man’s sympathy.
Yu Feng glanced at Yu Teng Sheng Dai, whose heartbeat was clearly irregular, and said calmly, “This happens often. You’ll have to get used to them arguing almost every day.”
Although Yu Feng wasn't entirely sure what Yu Teng Sheng Dai wanted, he knew it definitely wasn't anything good. In the original story, he hadn't seen her run off with Ash, so her target was undoubtedly himself.
Could it be that he had exposed his Pokémon identity? It shouldn't be. There are many Psychic users; it's just a special ability. Could that expose his identity?
Or was it because he could fight Pokémon in close combat that he was discovered? But that shouldn't be either. There are many fierce people like Bruno and Bea who fight Machamp in close combat.
However, this didn't stop Yu Feng from not wanting to get close to Yu Teng Sheng Dai right now. After explaining the reason for Ash and Xiao Xia's argument, Yu Feng stood next to Brock, making it clear that Yu Teng Sheng Dai should leave him alone for now.
Seeing Yu Feng’s actions, Yu Teng Sheng Dai stomped her foot angrily, then began to wonder if she had become ugly.
Had her charm disappeared? But yesterday, Brock and Ash’s expressions indicated that her charm hadn’t weakened. Could Yu Feng be gay?
Yu Teng Sheng Dai was filled with self-doubt watching Yu Feng’s actions. Unfortunately, she would never know that she didn't hold a place in his preferences. The few human Pokémon he liked did not include her.
Alright, let's put Yu Teng Sheng Dai, who was having an existential crisis, aside for a moment. Let's return to Ash and Xiao Xia.
“Seriously, if you keep going this way, you’ll never reach Vermilion City! Before choosing a path, couldn’t you have sent Butterfree, Pidgeotto, and Beedrill to scout ahead?”
Xiao Xia crossed her arms, looking at Ash. He had flying Pokémon, yet he insisted on using a ridiculous method like watching a stick fall.
Sometimes, she really didn't know what went on in Ash’s head.
Upon hearing Xiao Xia’s words, Ash’s eyes instantly turned into dots, and with an expression that seemed to say, “It can be done like that?”, he said somewhat awkwardly to Xiao Xia, “It… it can be done like that?”
After hearing Xiao Xia’s words, Ash realized that he had indeed been foolish. He had three flying Pokémon, yet he insisted on scouting the path himself.
“You’re just realizing that now?”
Seeing Ash like this, she knew he must have forgotten about it. She really didn’t know how he dared to come out by himself. Was it just relying on courage?
“Alright, alright, everyone, stop arguing.”
“Alright, it’s too late to argue whose fault it is now. We’ve already come this far, we can’t just go back, can we?”
Brock and Yu Feng also separated the arguing duo. What was the point of arguing at a time like this? Since they had come this far, it was better to just keep going.
Hearing Brock and Yu Feng’s words, Ash and Xiao Xia exchanged a look of understanding, then quickly averted their gazes.
Putting on an attitude of ‘I’m not talking to you,’ the two of them walked awkwardly forward.
Yu Feng couldn't help but want to complain when he saw this scene. Even before he transmigrated, he found their way of interacting very strange, and now watching them argue every day was incredibly annoying.
Who argues every day?! If Ash and the others weren't annoyed, he was almost driven mad.
Then, their group seemed to be split into three sections: at the very front were the two with the strange atmosphere, Xiao Xia and Ash; in the middle were the helpless Brock and Yu Feng; and at the very end was Yu Teng Sheng Dai, still questioning her life.
Time quietly passed in this strange atmosphere until they saw a very suitable place to rest.
“Rest, rest!”
Ash, a step ahead, picked a good spot and sat down first. Seeing Ash snatch a good spot first, Xiao Xia was not to be outdone and also found a good spot to sit down.