Qinghe Town.
This is a small town surrounded by mountains in a basin.
It only got roads in recent years; to put it nicely, it's suitable for reclusion, to put it harshly...
As soon as Mu Zong got off the car, he saw the Mayor of Qinghe Town waiting for him outside the station.
He looked a few years older than Mu Zong remembered.
"Little Mu, I'm very sorry about your grandfather's matter." He said with a face full of apology, guiding Mu Zong towards the village.
Mu Zong took a deep breath and shook his head, "It's not your fault."
"This is the savings your grandfather left for you. He didn't expect you to return so soon, so he sold everything he could from the farm." The Mayor of Qinghe Town handed Mu Zong a bank card that had been wiped clean repeatedly.
"The savings are three thousand three hundred and twenty..."
Mu Zong was stunned when he heard this number.
"You're an honest child, the Mayor believes you won't do those things. Your grandfather was also a very honest farmer, and he wouldn't want you to be a criminal."
The Mayor of Qinghe Town sighed deeply; Jenny had already informed him.
"I didn't do anything." Mu Zong shook his head.
All the way, the Mayor of Qinghe Town was comforting the young man.
Mu Zong nodded while looking at the farms beside the path, where Pokémon came and went, and several Miltank sat comfortably on the lawn.
"Our small town makes a living by cultivating special starf berries and Pokémon by-products. Miltank's milk is a best-seller." The Mayor of Qinghe Town said, "My daughter is also a student in the city; she doesn't understand these things either, so I'll say a few more words, don't mind me being long-winded."
Mu Zong nodded quickly, listening intently.
The specialty of Qinghe Town was something Mu Zong had never heard of in his previous life.
A starf berry called "starf berry."
Just as he was about to ask, he had already arrived at his grandfather's farm.
The wooden gate was somewhat dilapidated, and there were four characters on the plaque hanging by the gate.
But only the character "wind" remained clear.
"Your grandfather told me before he left that he didn't have much ability, don't blame him." The Mayor of Qinghe Town sighed, taking out a Pokémon egg from his satchel.
"This is the last inheritance he left you. His body is buried in the mountain over there, but recently there have been Mankey groups appearing, so don't go there."
The Mayor of Qinghe Town handed him the egg and then left.
Mu Zong held the egg, letting out a deep sigh.
But as he stroked the Pokémon egg with both hands, he also looked forward to the birth of this little guy.
This would be his lifelong partner.
The farm inside was dilapidated, completely different from the scenery along the way.
Wasteland, weeds, no sign of any Pokémon.
Fortunately, there was still a waterwheel for irrigation, but upon closer inspection, he found that a lever and gear were unusable.
Besides that, only the small wooden house in the corner of the farm remained.
"In this kind of environment, did Grandpa really only pass away a few days ago?" Mu Zong walked towards the small wooden house. The dilapidated house felt like it was leaking wind in several places.
With a farm like this, no matter what, he wouldn't live like this.
Then there was only one reason.
To save money for Mu Zong's education.
"That damn noble academy, after studying there for so long, I ended up being chosen as the scapegoat."
He reached out and pushed the door open.
His "main quest" now was to develop the farm and survive.
Inside the door, there was an old man's scent. He pushed open the bedroom door, but froze on the spot.
"Zarude..."
Zarude turned its head at the sound, and its terrifying aura instantly blanked Mu Zong's mind.
The egg in his arms instantly fell, but before it hit the ground, Zarude caught it with its claws.
Even the Salazzle from the Ultra Ball before hadn't made Mu Zong like this.
Very strong, incredibly strong.
But before Mu Zong could react, this Zarude plopped down onto the ground. The Pokémon egg in its hand rolled to the ground, and its other hand was still clutching a photo frame.
Mu Zong sat on the ground, panting heavily, and quickly hugged the Pokémon egg back into his arms.
He then looked at the photo frame; the photo inside had faded.
It was his grandfather when he was young, bearing some resemblance to himself.
"What does this mean? My grandfather's Pokémon? With such a powerful Pokémon, the farm is in such a state?"
Mu Zong stood up and first placed the Pokémon egg in his hand on the living room sofa.
He thought it over and over again, then ran back to the bedroom.
He felt that even if the entire town teamed up, they wouldn't be able to defeat this Zarude.
He couldn't escape either.
And Pokémon are simple creatures; as long as he saved it, it wouldn't attack him, right?
"And, are you really not my grandfather's Pokémon?"
He placed Zarude on the bed, but the photo frame in its hand couldn't be pulled away no matter what.
Besides that, this Zarude was also wearing a pinkish-purple cloak with a Celebi pattern on it.
It was exactly like Daddy Zarude.
"Is it truly the ugliest Mythical Pokémon?" Mu Zong said unconsciously.
Zarude is different from other Mythical Pokémon; it's the type that grows on you, not instantly stunning.
At the same time, Daddy Coco is also a very charming Zarude.
"It's not going to die, is it?"
Zarude's breathing was very erratic, as if it had suffered a serious injury.
Mu Zong had no choice but to go find the Mayor.
"Mu Zong?"
At the Mayor's doorstep, the Mayor, covered in dust, had just returned home, and the two happened to bump into each other.
"Mayor, does my grandfather have any Pokémon?" Mu Zong asked breathlessly.
"Pokémon? Your grandfather isn't a Trainer... Miltank and the like were sold long ago." The Mayor of Qinghe Town shook his head.
"But there's an injured Pokémon in Grandpa's bedroom, and it's holding Grandpa's photo frame." Mu Zong said quickly.
"That might be a stray Pokémon. Besides Mankey, other Pokémon are very friendly."
The Mayor of Qinghe Town said this while pulling out a Potion and handing it to him.
"This is a Potion. Oh, right, here's also a packet of starf berry seeds. I can help you find a buyer when they mature in a few months."
The Mayor of Qinghe Town gave him the second item as well.
After speaking, he patted Mu Zong's shoulder.
Mu Zong opened his mouth, but the Mayor had already entered his home.
Mu Zong returned to the farm with two items.
He cautiously went back to the bedroom again. Zarude was still lying on the bed, its breathing still erratic.
He picked up the Potion bottle and sprayed it on its body surface.
It must be said that some things in the Pokémon world are indeed magical. With just a few sprays, Zarude's breathing had already stabilized.
"You're probably someone else's Pokémon too. When your injuries heal, you can leave. It would be even better if you could give me some kind of reward."
What made Mu Zong decide to save it was the cloak on its back.
Even if it wasn't someone else's Pokémon, it had at least been in contact with humans.
A bottle of Potion was empty, and Zarude's breathing had already stabilized.
He put down the empty bottle and took the seeds to the waterwheel at the farm.
Several wooden parts of the waterwheel were broken, and it could no longer turn.
He took out the starf berry seeds; these seeds were also glowing.
According to his memory, this was a type of starf berry similar to blueberries, one of Qinghe Town's specialties, and did not exist in the original Pokémon world view.