For a period of time after that, Chen Kai lived a simple yet somewhat monotonous life.
Bai Lijuan bought a house with a yard in the Capital.
Chen Dafu had already bought a car long ago, and also acquired items like brand-name watches.
The two of them also conveniently found Chen Kai a Dragon Scale containing a large amount of Dragon-type energy, as well as a Leaf Stone of excellent quality.
Good news came from his uncle: he had been promoted again, becoming a deputy director.
Chen Kai heard from his grandfather that the credit for finding so many mega evolution stones was given to his uncle by the higher-ups.
Considering Chen Kai was still a student, to avoid causing him trouble, his relevant information was omitted when the news was publicly announced.
With his uncle's promotion and the global first successful revival of Dracovish, becoming a director would be no problem at all.
However, his uncle's promotion speed had been too fast recently, so the organization decided to let him settle into the deputy director position for a while.
His uncle was quite satisfied with this decision, as his deputy director position was relatively relaxed, allowing him more time to study fossils.
The only thing that gave his uncle a headache was that the number of dinner engagements had been increasing recently.
Chen Ba and Chen Ma's dinner engagements also increased.
The house was bustling with relatives and friends, high-ranking guests filling every seat, making it extraordinarily lively.
His grandparents also participated in various dinner engagements, and the elderly couple became busy.
Chen Kai went a few times but found it uninteresting, so he stopped participating.
He met with Old Liu; the heavy curriculum of high school in the big city, along with many tutoring classes, meant Old Liu could only squeeze in a late-night snack with Chen Kai.
Old Liu said his Scorbunny was about to evolve and that he needed to work hard with it recently.
As for Old Zhang, he couldn't even be seen; Old Liu mentioned that Old Zhang even took his Smeargle abroad to sketch.
Bai Yuchun and Sun Qian also met with Chen Kai a few times.
When Chun Jie learned that Chen Kai had given Lu Yang a mega evolution stone, she shamelessly asked Chen Kai if he had any more.
Chen Kai thought that no matter in which world, Chun Jie had always taken good care of him since childhood, so Chen Kai had no reason to refuse.
However, Chen Kai looked at Chun Jie's already evolved Serperior and her new partner Leafeon, and for a moment couldn't find a suitable mega evolution stone for her, so he could only say that if Chun Jie caught a suitable Pokemon later, he would prepare one for her.
For the rest of the time, Chen Kai mostly stayed alone in his newly moved-in home.
Inside the house, blue bricks paved the ground, creating a spacious area.
The old jujube tree in the corner of the courtyard, with its strong and twisted branches, looked a bit lonely as its leaves had fallen in winter.
Xiao Mei let out a muffled grunt, steadily supporting its strong arms, and two shallow rows of sweat-stained claw marks were left on the blue brick ground—it couldn't stay still and was trying to exercise at home.
Chen Kai knew it also often practiced Thunder Punch and thought it was good, just considering it a hobby.
However, as Xiao Mei's level continuously increased, its special attack talent became more prominent, and the damage from Thunder Punch seemed somewhat insufficient.
Hydrapple carefully examined the cracked bark of the old jujube tree, as if appreciating a rare ancient document.
The Exeggcute were the most lively, chattering and hopping, bouncing back and forth between the bluestone steps of the corridor and the courtyard, leaving a series of cheerful round imprints.
A small pond was specially dug at the east end of the courtyard, reflecting the clear autumn sky.
Seadra was half-submerged in it, only revealing the row of sharp blue spikes on its back and its comfortable head, letting the warm sun gently fall on its face.
The most comfortable one here was Dracovish; its massive body, measuring two point three meters, stretched out freely, its thick neck almost touching the eaves of the wing room, then slowly lowered forward, its wide lower jaw almost touching the ground.
It made a long, satisfied purring sound in its throat, finally able to fully stretch its limbs and digest the food in its stomach in this spacious area.
However, despite Dracovish's astonishing appetite, compared to the one next to it, it was still a small fry.
Miraidon was currently lazily lying on the bluestone slab at Chen Kai's feet, its body radiating a purple glow that shimmered in the sunlight.
One of its front paws carelessly swiped a stylus across the screen of the latest tri-fold phone, scrolling rapidly, while muttering that it was afraid of getting fat and now only dared to eat until it was eighty percent full.
Chen Kai smiled helplessly; just now, Dracovish had a eating competition with it and was stuffed, yet it still couldn't compare to what this guy called "eighty percent full."
Grovyle, like a calm practitioner, sat cross-legged behind Chen Kai with its eyes closed, the leaf tip on its head occasionally trembling slightly with the movements in the courtyard.
The three Paradox Pokemon, taking advantage of no one being home, routinely absorbed electricity in the room.
Chen Kai's gaze slowly swept across the yard, across his companions: Xiao Mei's strenuous exercise, Hydrapple's focused gaze at the ancient tree, the carefree bouncing of the Exeggcute, the leisurely bubbles exhaled by Seadra in the pond, the comfortable soft sounds of Dracovish's bones as it stretched, the faint purple light from Miraidon's screen at his feet, and the steady and reliable Grovyle.
...
A warm and fulfilling sense of satisfaction, like the warm afternoon sun, filled his chest.
The wandering anchor seemed to have finally found a safe harbor.
"Such ease..." he sighed contentedly, his voice gently echoing in the quiet courtyard.
However, just as the echo of that sigh had not yet dissipated, an invisible something quietly clutched at his heart. This did not come from his senses, but from a deep-seated imprint within his soul.
The "ease" that had just enveloped his entire body like honey instantly developed a crack.
Pouring out of the crack was the clear, grassy wind of Zining Mountain, the burning rush of blood during the fierce confrontation in Area Zero, and the thrilling pain and ecstasy as power struggled to break through its limits.
The blue bricks and grey tiles of this quadrangle courtyard, the lazy comfort of the autumn sun, this orderly daily life... like a layer of lukewarm water, silently enveloping and soaking him, almost causing the muscles and bones he had recently trained to develop a rust of idleness.
"Too easy..." he subconsciously whispered again, this time the end of his sentence carried a heavy weight, like a stone dropped into calm water.
Beside him, Grovyle, which had been as still as an ancient well, suddenly opened its eyelids.
In the depths of its eyes, a sharp light flashed, like a pebble dropped into a deep pool, instantly breaking the calm reflection on the water's surface.
It did not look at Chen Kai, its gaze fixed on the high, clear autumn sky, and the sharp Leaf Blade on its left wrist moved slightly.
Chen Kai's heart sank abruptly with that soft "cha" sound, and then began to beat even more intensely and rapidly.
He understood that Grovyle had seen through his inner thoughts; this was a reminder to him.
This comfortable quadrangle courtyard was, after all, not a place to sharpen one's edge.
Returning to Sichuan Province, entering Area Zero, and honing himself through continuous battles was the true path home.
Chen Kai suddenly stood up: "Everyone! We can't stay like this any longer; it's time for us to return to Sichuan Province."
Xiao Mei and the others were very happy; the constraints of the city didn't suit them well; the vastness of the mountains and wilderness was more fitting.
Especially Big Boss, it was time for it to go back and check on its fruit trees.
Although Dracovish didn't quite understand, it knew that following Chen Kai meant food, and it really liked Chen Kai.
As for the others?
Who cares!
Iron Thorns in the room opened one eye and looked at Chen Kai with satisfaction.