“Xiao Mei, use Thunderbolt!”
“Crackling!”
In the stream, a Horsea was electrocuted until it was charred black, with stars in its eyes.
“Good, good, Xiao Mei!” Chen Kai encouraged.
Xiao Mei flexed her muscles.
“Baa!” (I’m invincible!)
After leaving the Astronomical Observatory, Chen Kai felt a huge weight lift from his chest. He took Xiao Mei to fish blast in the Qu River, right outside Iron Leaves’ home in Area Zero.
As a secret realm, the Pokemon in the river here were all high-level, much more efficient than fishing blasting in Zining Mountain on Blue Star, where the Pokemon were basically all beginner-level, only around Level 10.
The Water-type Pokemon here started at Level 20 or 30, but since they were Water-type, Xiao Mei had a blast electrocuting them. Magikarp, Goldeen, Carvanha… most couldn’t withstand one Thunderbolt. If one wasn’t enough, then two or three.
They couldn't fly, so it was impossible for them to jump out of the water and bite him. If they did jump out, they would become easy targets on land.
Of course, there were also those above Level 30, and those that could fly or walk on land. That's when Chen Kai had to step in.
Of course, it wasn't that Chen Kai could defeat Pokemon like Gyarados, but rather Chen Kai would stick his head out and let the opponent attack, then Iron Bundle would freeze the opponent.
“I am a Substitute user! This is a Substitute attack!” Chen Kai said.
The Pokedex showed that Xiao Mei was still in the beginner phase, but Chen Kai felt that Xiao Mei had gotten stronger these past few days and should be close to reaching Level 20, the normal phase.
What was ridiculous was that Applin had broken through the beginner phase, and the Pokedex showed it had reached the normal phase.
He didn't know if it was potential awakened by Hydreigon, but without evolving, it still didn't have much combat power.
After finishing a wave of fish blasting, Chen Kai returned home satisfied.
At this moment, on the hillside of Zining Mountain on Blue Star, Chen Dafu exclaimed in surprise: “Huh? When did Xiao Kai catch an Applin?”
“That’s not the point. The point is he wants to evolve Applin with a honey apple,” Bai Lijuan explained. “honey apples are rarely grown domestically, and finding them in a secret realm relies on luck. I told Xiao Kai to try looking for one himself in a secret realm first. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll ask my dad and my brother to help procure one.”
Chen Dafu clapped his hands: “Oh, right. The Bai family is a Dragon-type family, and honey apples are exactly Dragon-type exclusive items. We can ask Dad to see if the Bai family has any spare honey apples.”
“How many times have I told you! There haven’t been any ‘families’ since the founding of the country! And my dad still knows some of those people, but I don’t know a single Dragon Tamer!”
Bai Lijuan then said seriously: “Even if my dad helps get a honey apple, the price won’t be cheap.”
Chen Dafu scratched his head: “It’s fine, I’ve had a plan all along. It’s almost August, I’ll shear the Wooloo’s wool first. Money isn’t a problem.”
Bai Lijuan asked: “Didn’t you used to say that late summer was the best season for shearing wool?”
Chen Dafu waved his hand, indicating it wasn't a problem: “Relax, my Wooloo’s wool is the best in Sichuan Province! Even if I shear it a few days early, it will still be the best in Sichuan Province!
Right? Gogoat.”
The Gogoat beside Chen Dafu proudly raised its head, its eyes sharp!
“Baa!” (I’m the best!)
Chen Dafu walked behind Bai Lijuan and massaged her shoulders. “It’ll just be hard work for you, wife, to help shear the wool then.”
Bai Lijuan said: “Hmph, I only came here to help you in the first place. Otherwise, why would I leave my perfectly good Kyoto to come to this poor place.
But Xiao Kai will be starting school after August. What about his starter Pokemon?”
Chen Dafu rubbed his chin, pondering: “Hmm… that really is a problem. I thought he’d choose Mareep, but who knew it would evolve so quickly? Now if Applin also evolves, there won’t be a suitable starter Pokemon for him to register at school, will there?”
Since the founding of the Dragon Kingdom decades ago, there have been regulations for students’ Pokemon. For the sake of ordinary people, students can only register juvenile or beginner-level Pokemon as their starter Pokemon, and they cannot be evolved. Even a Caterpie cannot evolve, otherwise it cannot be officially registered with the Alliance.
This prevented parents from raising Pokemon for their children in advance.
Bai Lijuan smiled: “Don’t think so much. After we sell the wool, we’ll see how much money we have, and then prepare another starter Pokemon egg with better potential for Xiao Kai. He has the desire to raise Pokemon, so we can only do our best to help him.”
Chen Dafu smiled: “Mm!”
Then he continued to massage Bai Lijuan’s shoulders.
In the summer evening, the sun gradually set, and the sky was painted with brilliant afterglow, transforming the entire sky into an interwoven tapestry of orange-red, purple-red, and golden-yellow.
The family of three returned home.
Chen Kai said that he hadn’t found a honey apple yet.
Bai Lijuan went to cook while contacting Chen Kai’s maternal grandfather.
Miraidon turned on the TV and lay in the living room, waiting for dinner.
Xiao Mei ran over and squeezed in with Boltund, chatting about who knows what.
Chen Kai felt that Applin’s evolution would likely take some time, so he took Applin to get acquainted with the Pokemon in the house first.
When Applin saw the one-and-a-half-meter-tall Xatu, it almost rushed over to give it an ‘Astonish’, but Chen Kai caught it in time.
It took a long explanation for Applin to understand that it couldn’t attack Xatu, and of course, Xatu wouldn’t attack it.
Chen Kai thought: It seems Applin was often attacked by bird Pokemon in Area Zero before.
When Applin saw the over two-meter-tall Exeggutor, it was simply amazed! Especially when Chen Kai explained to Applin that Exeggutor evolved from Exeggcute,
Exeggutor became Applin’s idol!
Exeggcute is roughly equivalent to a Berry. To evolve from less than half a meter tall to over two meters, it also wanted to learn from Exeggutor!
It also wanted to evolve and grow over two meters tall!
Exeggutor was also very happy! Suddenly having a little fanboy, its three faces, each with a different expression, surprisingly all laughed happily.
Chen Dafu was currently cleaning, sorting, and storing the Berries.
When he and Bai Lijuan saw this sack of Berries, they were still shocked.
Bai Lijuan even suspected that Chen Kai had truly raided a Pokemon’s nest.
Now Chen Dafu needed to pick out the ones that were most difficult to preserve first, to eat that night, or to have Chen Kai sell them tomorrow.
The rest would be put in the refrigerator if possible, and if there wasn't enough space, he would find another solution.
He was seen muttering to himself in the storage room: “Winter is fine, but so many Berries in summer… it’s a headache!”
Chen Kai didn’t know much about Berry classification and couldn’t cook, so he could only boringly scan the Pokemon in the house with his Pokedex.
Chimecho - Psychic-type - Levitate ability - Professional Level (over Level 50)
Xatu - Psychic/Flying - Early Bird ability - Senior-level (over Level 40)
Exeggutor - Psychic/Grass - Chlorophyll ability - Elite Level (over Level 30)
Boltund - Electric-type - Strong Jaw - Elite Level
Gogoat - Grass-type - Sap Sipper - Elite Level
Ken Taro - Normal-type - Intimidate - Elite Level
Goodness, no wonder Exeggutor was so happy just from Applin praising it a couple of times. So it was at the bottom among Bai Lijuan’s Pokemon!
It probably got bullied a lot by Xatu normally. Now that it encountered an Applin with common ground, it must have been overjoyed.
Soon, Bai Lijuan finished cooking, and the family of three, along with nine Pokemon, had dinner together.
Bai Lijuan said to Chen Kai: “Xiao Kai, I’ve talked to your maternal grandfather about the honey apple. He’s keeping an eye out for you, but honey apples are very popular, so it’s best if you take Applin to Kyoto these next few days and wait there.”
Chen Kai originally wanted to say that he could wait until autumn to look for it in Area Zero, but then he glanced at Applin. It was so eager to evolve, so it was better to try Kyoto. After all, even in autumn, there was no guarantee of finding a honey apple in Area Zero.
“Okay, Mom. Then I’ll book a ticket to Kyoto soon.”
After last night’s rain, the deep night sky tonight was like a huge black silk curtain, gently unfurling.
Countless stars twinkled with brilliant light, like jewels embedded in this silk curtain, bright and beautiful.
Chen Kai sat at the table again, gazing out the window.
“Why are you sitting here again?” Miraidon complained somewhat weakly.
Chen Kai said with some resentment: “Otherwise? My whole room only has a bed and a desk. Where else can I go?
I’ve been running all day, I can’t just keep standing, can I?”
“You’re amazing, you’re amazing, I won’t say anything then.” Miraidon held its phone, continuing to scroll through a certain short video app, lying to the side and no longer speaking.
Iron Bundle was silent in a corner of the room, just quietly charging.
Chen Kai turned back and continued writing at his desk:
Goal 1: Find Terapagos (but it’s probably very difficult to find, better to wait for the Dimensional Transporter).
Goal 2: Miraidon loves staying on Blue Star, so I still need to help it find other legendary seasonings to help it recover its body.
Goal 3: Get a honey apple for Applin.
Goal 4…
Chen Kai twirled his pen, thought for a moment, and walked downstairs to find Xiao Mei. She was playing with the other Pokemon downstairs.
“Baa?” (Goal?)
Chen Kai explained: “It can also be something like a dream.”
Xiao Mei raised her hand.
“Baa!” (Then it’s to become stronger with you!)
“Alright!” Chen Kai smiled and recorded:
Goal 4: Get stronger with Xiao Mei!